Wednesday 6 February 2019

CHALTAR DAL O BENGALI ALOO CHOKHA


The CNY fervour is still on... in fact many a shops will remain closed till Sunday.... However, I have to move on. Haven't I learnt from the wiser lot we must touch hearts in turns? Not that I wish to be nice to people who purposely take or had taken a dig at me, then more than a four decades of stay on this earth amidst a number of good humans have taught me to be calm to overcome stress, to ignore what hurts me to the core. The problem is that I have forgotten all the formulae of science & mathematics... never had learnt them actually but I cannot forget targetted attacks... made decades back or  recently! However, each dawn brings in some kind of happiness, today when I woke up to Master Chef Ranveer Brar's post shared last night, I got very happy and could not stop myself from commenting and liking it. Not always do I respond to what I like or unless & until anyone nourishes my ego! The Master Chef has millions of fans, I am a negligible one.... but when he stands in the midst of an orchard and says... "I am a farmer's son, so will always enjoy being in a farm or an orchard".... I feel very much connected .... as if he is asking me... "Whats up? How are you doing?"..... 

Look at me, I am planning to visit the local Botanic Garden for two months now and yet could not... One fine morning will set out... I do not wish to bother the "uninterested" family members in this case. However, on request I was taken to the East Coast Park... some of my friends may remember a post I shared last year .... me "anonde atmahara" at the sight of four "chalta gaach"... Elephant Apple tree near the sea. Mine is not a husband who will go up a tree or help me to go up to get a few fresh ones. What I did was that I picked up some from the ground while the husband kept saying we needed to know if its legal or not. That pissed me off truly.... I am not selling it to Indian Homes or exporting the seeds to Kolkata. The natives here do not eat it, so they lie wasted.... Few Bengalis like me take them home for making pickle & dal. The "chaltar achar" I prepared is about to finish and I have not done a photo feature. Its time to visit to pick up some again.... before that I needed to share this Bengali, combo vegetarian dish of CHALTAR DAL O BENGALI ALOO CHOKHA that is very much of a favourite with me alongside some deep-fried "puti or ikanbilis" .... while my family will have it only if there is a meat or prawn curry in offer. The master chef's post did not allow me to think otherwise... after all he is quite handsome... haha! At times, I want my jokes to be true, to become a light hearted soul not taking anything to heart, not allowing anyone to stay within to whom I am an object of fun... like a football... pleasure in each kick!

I refer to the master chef not in any personal interest, these days I prefer maintaining a distance more than before leaving few.... I am losing interest in many a thing neither ready for a 'banprastha'.... I just had seen his post from a different angle... there you are..... my perspective is different from yours.



When I sincerely try to keep tradition rule at this home, the other family members are busy stocking their favourites before the shops closed for 3-4 days. The "patali gurer payesh" I prepared last Saturday was eaten yesterday night. I can give you 101 reasons of me turning grey fast! No point shouting at him / them on why he wished Happy CNY to our Family Whatsapp group with the picture below while CURRY AND SPICE had a different agenda... The poor fellow does not understand social media, does not even know anyone there except for a few I talk about. Before some of you get either happy or sad, let me tell you  over the weekend, he plays Hemanta, Manna and is a fan of the below contemporary singer! There is no dearth of interest in me to cling onto tradition. Yesterday, I soaked some "kalijeera" rice, allowed to dry and then had grind them to a coarse powder. I have stored it to redo the "dhuki pitha" I failed to, some sheddo puli too! The failed "dhupi pitha" mixture was turned into a yum dessert.... did a silly photo feature! Will share later!







I was making repeated error at one point, right now I rectified it... Come on, if an Italian Grandma takes pride in preparing a pasta from scratch, a Bengali / Indian Grandma knows the tricks to perfect a "dhupi pitha" / steamed pitha! However, my share today is a simple, Bengali vegetarian combo meal of a sour lentil curry / tok er dal with chalta  and a boiled potato mashed & cooked / aloo chokha .... that is  CHALTAR DAL O BENGALI ALOO CHOKHA!



INGREDIENTS : [ for the Chaltar Dal ]

Matar / Split Dried Yellow Pea Dal : 1medium cup
Elephant Apple : 1/4 of one standard size
Black Mustard Seed : 1/4tsp
Nigella Seed : 1/4tsp
Dry Red Chilli : 2-3
Bayleaf : 1medium sized
Slitted Green Chilli : 3-4
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp + 1/2tsp
Salt : As Required
Sugar : 1tsp
Oil : 2tbsp [We always use mustard]

INGREDIENTS : [ for the Bengali Aloo Chokha]

Boiled Potato : 2-3 [skinned, washed, mashed]
Roasted Peanut : 1tbsp
Chopped Fresh Coriander : 1medium cup [washed]
Nigella Seed : 1/2tsp
Dry Red Chilli : 2
Chopped Green Chilli : 1tbsp
Sliced Onion : 1small cup
Turmeric Powder : 1/4tsp
Salt : As Required
Oil : 2tbsp


PROCEDURE :

Let us prepare the sour lentil curry with elephant apple first.



Soak the matar dal / split dried yellow pea lentil in water for an hour.

Wash and drain the water 2-3 times. Pressure cook at the lowest heat up to 2 whistles adding 2 coffee mugs of water, salt as required and 1/2tsp turmeric water. Let cool.

Meanwhile, we have separated the petals of the chalta / elephant apple. I have cut it into smaller pieces. Wash and rub a little of salt & turmeric.

Heat & temper temper oil with the black mustard seeds, nigella seeds, little torn dry red chillies, bay leaf.

Add the marinated pieces of the elephant apple and stir at low heat for a minute.

Add the boiled dal and the rest of the turmeric powder. Cover cook at very low heat for 10-12 minutes.

Open cover and add the slitted green chillies, sugar, adjust the salt. Cook uncovered for 3-4 minutes.

We should be done.

Now the Bengali Aloo Chokha / mashed and cooked potato.


Mash the boiled potato with turmeric and salt.

Heat oil in a pan, add the nigella seeds, dry red chillies, peanuts and stir for a while.

Add the sliced onion and fry till brown at the lowest heat.

Add the chopped green chillies and stir for a while.

Add the mashed potato mixture and fold in well. Keep stirring continuously until the bottom turns little brown. We will cook until all sides turn brown.

Add the chopped fresh coriander, adjust the salt. Fold in well and stir for 2-3 minutes. We are done.

We will need a fish fry, meat or prawn curry alongside. You can use it as a sandwich filler or make aloo tikkis... also can have the potato with chapati but the sour dal will only go with steamed rice with "fish fry" as a bonus.


















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