CHILLI-TOMATO SAUCE ALOO

This was the scenario yesterday morning. I woke up early, sitting idle and doing nothing. Early mornings are not to think about worldly matters, not for mad romantics like me. That is when Cristine told we need to prepare for their lunch boxes and it was 7.15am already. The senior asked not to pack his lunch box with noodles or pasta, they get cold and he is too lazy to use the office canteen's microwave. The son never say anything, he does not have microwave facility at school. I find sense in what he says and complied. You know why? He never demands anything from me.... not even packed lunch boxes. I do it as I love doing it. If I am not working outside, I must be a contributor at home in some way. One cannot live a life as a non-contributor to the society. My mother started her career in a Government school some forty five years back. She had to leave because her daughter's daddy felt their kid was been neglected. Thereafter, the brother too took an entry! I do not know whether I have the liberty to call my own daddy chauvinist or not. I asked my excellent homemaker mother.... do you regret? She always says... no she enjoys been at home.... doing household chores. I am her daughter and love too much staying indoors. But I do not know what will happen as the son leaves home for higher studies! I am in a better position than her with a Cristine always at service. Been in the kitchen is an absolute pleasure and fun. My yeast roti on display are a part of my plating, and never a show off.... why should I?.... Can I prepare an excel sheet like many of you? Neither is my roti the ultimate kind of, I just manage....

While this little, our son had gluten allergy, for two-three years he was on a diet of rice, Pediasure, puffed rice and pressed rice with sugar & water and off course fish and chicken, few vegetables. I did not have my expert friends to provide me a list of suitable recipes in such a scenario. When the son got admitted in a High School, the doctor told not to start with wheat flour, milk, refined flour slowly and watch. That was when I learnt to prepare roti, paratha, poori. I learnt it from a fear too... I am too possessive of my man and do not wish him to say...... that aunty makes nice poori, that friend's wife makes best pulao.... before hearing that I have to prepare a five course meal for him. See how naughty I am. I could never learn excel because I find this box like thing fearful.

Why are you in a hurry to post within a day? Well, all of us food bloggers have one passion in common.... to cook and we can post every hour. The main reason today is my way to say.... "I value relationships and respect it." Relationships are sacred to me, where we can bond and spend some quality time over coffee / tea, few snacks or even over a humble plate of chapati / roti / ruti / paratha / porota / puri / luchi and this super simple and quick potato curry done with boiled potato and tomato chilli sauce. I will definitely not give a Bengali name to it as our mother too has learnt it elsewhere, it is not authentic Bengali. I made it even quicker by boiling the potatoes in the microwave. I had no time to take stepwise pictures, may be later I will add some though it is too simple to require the same. Come let us prepare this no-spice potato dry curry using tomato chilli sauce together.

INGREDIENTS :

Potato : 2 big
Onion : 1 big
Tomato Chilli Sauce : 5-6 tbsp
Green Chilli : 3-4
Sugar : 1/2tsp
Nigella Seed : 1/4tsp [kalonji]
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp
Salt : As Required
Oil : 3 tbsp

METHOD :

Wash the potatoes thoroughly and pat dry. Use a fork to prick all over their body. Take in a plate and microwave at high for 5 minutes.

Peel, wash and cut the onion into smaller cubes. Slit the green chillies.

Take out, if you are too much in a hurry take the boiled potatoes in a bowl and hold under running water for 2-3 minutes.

Peel off the skin and cut into smaller cubes. Apply salt and turmeric. Heat the oil in a wok and fry the potato pieces till light brown. Take out.

Temper the same oil with nigella seeds. Add the cubed onions and fry until translucent. Add the fried potato pieces and slitted green chillies. Fold in well.

Add the tomato chilli sauce and fold in well. Let cook at low heat for 2-3 minutes, add the sugar. Fold in well and cook for another minute.

Transfer to a serving bowl! Enjoy this sweet and sour potato dry curry with handmade breads or even with your choice of bread.