MUSHROOM ALOOR DALNA

I was wondering what do I like more .... to cook or to read & write? I did not get a clear cut answer as yet but I know how I respect the writing prowess in others, I do not regret not knowing physics, chemistry, mathematics and rest of the text oriented knowledge, I very much regret not practising to write from a tender age. I was telling the mother about it, that it is the only thing I could be decent at if only I practiced more, I read a lot more because not everyone is God gifted. Its not even a week that I did not blog and ahh I missed it. I may be poor in quality but I discovered once again I enjoy doing it! 

My brother's wife told me I should make youtube videos of my recipes, people find them easier to access. My answer was "yes, recipe videos are easily accessible, but that does not allow me to express myself in words, I think I love that part more than jotting down the ingredients list." However, making a video needs that technical acumen I severely lack, also may be one needs a technically furnished kitchen? There has to have someone to help definitely. I lack that technical acumen and yes, the necessary help from the family members. 

I do not regret much not being able to do a recipe video as much as I regret kicking hard two big opportunities in life .... getting an MPhil. degree from the Jadavpur University and taking up that job at "Bagula" college. Oh yes! if you have your mother like mine with you, you are bound to remember all the mistakes you did in life concerning your academics. Then, if you live with two ferociously freedom loving men, you have to warn the grandmother or the mother-in-law every minute not to bother them much. The grandson not sitting to study in a routined manner is her biggest concern now. Tell me readers how to ease her in this matter... what she knows about my men, you too know. She severely lacks sense of humour, else I would have told her how I wished to change the husband until the son's college admission. She has to tell me stories of excellent academics by the most studious and sincerest of the boys & girls she hears of, I am like "tell me whatever you wish to but not in front of T please".... You people know that I am a peace loving person and how T hates comparing kids, pushing them with studies. I too do not like forcing but a bit of push is required I believe. The past two weeks were fun ..... we ate, merry, relaxed and of the not at all fancy dishes I cooked, this vegetarian curry with button mushrooms and potato MUSHROOM ALOOR DALNA  earned some accolades.

I did it Bengali style using our regular spices and tomatoes just as we use in all our 'dalna' recipes, giving it a Bengali name is not much of a sin.

I am really not in the comfort zone, will not be until next year August. The son of the house has some very good qualities that we know, the foremost is he is not demanding, he is a no fancy stuff.... he suggested his father to buy the simplest of the cars when we changed it last year, he refused to take high end gifts from his 'mamujaan' the couple of days they went out, my impressed brother told us how our son refused to make him spend from his pocket. I am happy, after all he is the child of parents with middle class values. Then he does not want his mother to relax. Just when I was a bit at ease with his marks, he gets uncanny scores in few core subjects this time and I really cannot think of cooking or writing a complex recipe today, this vegetarian side MUSHROOM ALOOR DALNA seems perfect. Our son lacks consistency, his 90% in mathematics may come down to 65-70% within two months and again will go up after I do some "halla bol" at home, I do it shamelessly, because I make life miserable at home for the husband that is when he goes and pushes the son a bit, only in such a situation he gets scared of me... he is more of a peace loving than I am. 

 I have certain wishes concerning my son. Had the weird son listened to me, each one of his report cards would have been bejewelled. The sad self arranges for her own breathers. The man says he would learn by himself one day because he has to make a life! Then, I wanted each of his report cards to shine because I know he is capable of straight A's all the time! Hope he understands sooner and uses his full potential to dream & make it big in life!

I will cook, eat, merry but stay focussed on what I want from the son. If I do too much of talking on the do's and do nots, he closes the door of his room, his father shouts at me "stop interfering in our lives".... yet I repeat, I have to! The teachers say "A is not using his full potential" and I see my husband changing his facial expressions. Now, you know the reason of my restlessness, I live with volcanoes ..... I really find it amazing how the wives ask their husbands to shoot them or their food, they comply and vice-versa. Anyway, I thank God I am not the wife of a husband who wants to keep their wives under their arms [at all times], do they ever ask her if she wants it or not... do not they have two separate "public" lives? Same irritating is the vice-versa. So nonsensical it seems to me even if my own does it! May be because my husband is such a liberated soul that I dislike the chauvinistic traits in others.... its 21years and going, else you would have seen me turning into a vivacious volcano and be a spinster again.... I know I always have a job offer in Barasat! I know a husband in our closer circle who gives big talks in public about liberating the society but imposed his likes and dislikes on his wife from the second day of their marriage. I do not give any "patta to their fundas" you know.

INGREDIENTS :

POTATO : 4-5 MEDIUM SIZED
BUTTON MUSHROOM : 250-300GM
TOMATO : 1BIG
GINGER PASTE : 1TBSP
CUMIN SEED : 1/4TSP
CORIANDER POWDER : 1/2TSP
CUMIN POWDER : 1TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 2TSP [I LOVE USING EVEREST KUTTI LAL]
TURMERIC POWDER : 1TSP
CINNAMON POWDER : 1/4TSP
GREEN CARDAMOM POWDER : 1/4TSP
BAYLEAF : 1
SALT : AS REQUIRED
SUGAR : 1TSP
CHOPPED CORIANDER : 2TBSP
OIL : 2-3TBSP


PROCEDURE :

I used medium to smaller sized potatoes. Peel off the skin and half the potatoes.

Wash and rub little salt on them but only 5 minutes before you add them to the wok, else they may turn black.

Wash the button mushrooms, cut half and rub with some salt and turmeric.

Wash and chop the tomatoes and fresh coriander.

Prepare a paste with the ginger paste, rest of the turmeric, cumin + coriander + red chilli powders, little salt.

Heat the oil in a wok and temper with cumin seeds and a bay leaf.

Add the spice paste to the wok, stir for 2-3 minutes at low heat. Add the chopped tomatoes now.

Stir at low heat until the tomato pieces melt and the oil separates from the spice paste.

Add the potato pieces and stir for a minute. You can fry the potato pieces prior to adding too but I did not.

Add 2 coffee mugs of water, fold in well and cover cook at the lowest heat for 5-6 minutes.

Open cover and add the marinated mushrooms. Simmer for 2-3 minutes all covered.

Open cover, add the chopped coriander, cinnamon + cardamom powders, sugar and mix well.

Cook for 1 more minute and we are done.

Enjoy hot and fresh with piping hot steamed rice or fresh, hot chapattis.