CHOLA BEGUN ER TORKARI

This morning the couple at this home woke up tired... ahem... no story material does it provide. An ever unromantic couple who have turned old lives in this home. We actually went for a late night movie.... If on weekdays ticket prices are way less, we definitely will choose it over a weekend.... the norm has become such that Hollywood movies are seen sitting at home, Bollywood movies at the theatre hall and that wait to watch Tollywood in Netflix.  The rest in the group are not sit at home idles like me... so they plan around 5pm and then notify me. I was not keen to go for "Kalank" yesterday but went for the company I enjoy.... Not that I love cheese or have gone mad having that combo around 10pm but it is that movie hall effect... a place that attracted me always. 

After many years, I met her... my heartthrob Madhuri.... I and Chandrayee watched Tezaab on the first day of its release at Purnashree... throughout the show I kept on telling Chandrayee... "this girl resembles someone we know".... then realised that her million dollar smile resembles that of Suchitra Sen... she was then a mix of Suchitra & Madhubala look wise. Many times I had an open fight with Tanushree on Madhuri & Sridevi..... The diehard fan of her always felt that her talent was underused, she needed more of Prakash Jhas in her life! If I am 48, she must be somewhere between 52-55.... she still dances like a queen. You know what "apna woh Sanju Baba ko na Arshad Warsi ke sivai kisike saath accha nehi lagta".... I got upset when "Munna Bhai Chale Umrika" was shelved. 

How was "Kalank?"..... Nothing special.... I actually decided  not to watch it, could not avoid the friend's call... I am in that stage of life when I want an escapade from such stories which puts me in a dilemma... but mind it neither you, nor me are to decide what is wrong and what is right! I do not like situations when I cannot look straight into my husband's eyes, I feel better when we are into a fight.... we were to go out around 8:40pm yesterday and he came back from the office at 8:25pm. What is more irritating is that he constantly tries to prove me wrong in front of our friends. If I am saying he had this habit of reaching school late, there is truth in it.... but I respect those who set out to work every morning. After a 3 1/2hours of sleep, he is all set for office like many of you. 

Even, I am tired of sleep deprivation, hence packed their lunch boxes with some easy dal & cumin tempered paneer rice.... the man eats paneer... does not enjoy! He does not enjoy Black Chana / Black Chickpea / Chola either and even uses derogatory words with regards to eat. I buy it for myself but unable to have it in salads every other day, excess intake causes me indigestion.... storing longer spoils them. I had to prepare this vegetarian curry CHOLA BEGUN ER TARKARI for the family. To stop them from badmouthing, I had to pair it with gram flour parathas / flatbreads. Actually, the son never speaks ill of any food item, he will not eat what he does not like.... one cannot just make him do what he does not wish to! Mumma deboned the very bony "koi maach" for him and he ate.... Anyway, it seems he will have baked tilapia rest of his life.... very few are like "je radhe shey chul o badhe".... so let me fulfil my wishes concerning him.

His mumma indeed eats fish like a cat. She is now feeling guilty of shouting at her tired man who is all set to go out for  work. Whoever is sweating out for the family, deserves heaven.... Out of that guilt, I deleted my Linkedin Account recently... I have nothing to do there, I just want some promotion for my blog for which that forum is not right. At the moment, I am exploring some new avenues besides cooking, just for self satisfaction. Later in the day, the shameless self will be going for my second hair therapy session .... I must avoid a Biryani treat today and go for something light!

I remember, I had the best Chana Curry cooked by a former colleague Abhilasha Mani ma'am.... I do not know to which state of India this mother of two girls belong but I loved the spicy "chana curry" she got to school one day sometime in 2014. I do not usually forget things that appeal to me... "Kalank" is not a big deal to me, neither will I start analysing the movie, give judgements, get more involved.... I will instead move around alone, do my bit in the kitchen and let life go on. I have given a Bengali name to this vegetarian dish because I did it with Bengali spices... We do eat it as a snack, as an addition to some vegetarian preparations..... not really in a curry. Abhilasha ma'am made me rethink and feel it can be had in a curry. My men are not so good as I am and perhaps there was a meat curry alongside this on that day. 

Back at our Barrackpore home, I hear that the brother and his wife loves Rajma & Kabli Chola.... so prefers my men too... the husband would prefer an Aloo Kabli instead of this curry but he had because he or they both love their share of "ruti / porota".... This CHOLA BEGUN ER TORKARI might be an instant decision, an urge to use up the stored chola / black chana and some about to rot egg plants.... You know na I hate wastage.... I think I did full justice to the curry spicing it up with regular masalas and flavouring it with garam masala & lemon leaves! You must try it to prove me right. I am unhappy with the photo feature, I could not hide the shadow, I even thought of deleting it... but the food was good... hence did not!

INGREDIENTS :

BLACK CHICKPEA / CHOLA / KALA CHANA : 200GM
EGG PLANT : 4-5 SMALL
ONION : 2-3 TBSP [SLICED]
FRESH CORIANDER : 2-3 TBSP [CHOPPED]
GREEN CHILLI : 1TBSP [CHOPPED]
TOMATO : 1 COFFEE MUG [CHOPPED]
CUMIN SEED : 1/4 TSP
CUMIN POWDER : 1 TSP
CORIANDER POWDER : 2 TSP
BLACK PEPPER POWDER : 1/2 TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 11/2 TSP
TURMERIC POWDER : 1TSP
GARAM MASALA POWDER : 2 TSP
TAMARIND PULP : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP
LEMON LEAF : 3-4
SALT : AS REQUIRED
OIL : 4 TBSP


PROCEDURE :

Wash and soak the black chickpea in hot water for 2-3 hours. Pressure cook at lowest  heat up to 2 whistles adding some salt and 2 coffee mugs of water. Let cool before you open the lid.

Cut and wash the egg plants just 5 minutes before you add it to the wok. Rub little salt to the pieces.

Heat oil in a wok. Temper with cumin seeds and add the chopped and washed sliced onions. Once they turn golden brown, add the washed and chopped tomatoes. Add little salt and the turmeric. Stir and let the tomato melt. 

Add  the spices like cumin-coriander-black pepper- red chilli powders and stir well. Add the boiled black chick peas now along with the water.

Give a stir and simmer covered at the lowest heat for 10-12 minutes. Open cover to add 2 coffee mugs of water. Cover again and simmer at lowest heat for 5-6 minutes.

Add the marinated pieces of egg plants and the lemon leaves, the garam masala now and stir. Again simmer at lowest heat covered for 7-8 minutes.

Uncover, add the tamarind juice and adjust the salt if required. Simmer at low heat for another 3-4 minutes. We should be done.

Transfer to a bowl and garnish with the washed & chopped fresh coriander & green chillies!