CURRY AND SPICE: ALOO DIYE BHAPA DIMER JHOL

There was a homecoming yesterday evening and I prepared this steamed egg curry which I found hassle free and quick. The senior of the two men at home swears on egg, the son was getting what he loves for the past few days.... therefore should be able to share an egg meal with babai, mumma was too full after an overdose of mutton biryani late afternoon. Mumma yet had two tablespoon of rice, egg curry and dal else all that extra amount of ghee will create trouble all through the night. The Bengalis love "Mughlai" food way too much that is true, the reason why their death due to heart diseases is on the high. That the Bengalis and the Muslims mostly of South Asia in general love rich, unhealthy but too tasty dishes is a truth, there need not be so much of hue and cry about it, neither backlashes should be targetted at me.

Just yesterday, I was talking to my childhood buddy Tanushree who is far from the maddening social media games and hates me for being a part of all these. She always says if the social media robs me of my natural self, if I cannot feel free and be myself there, I need not be there. I do treasure such friends who will not try to control my life ever, who will not expect me to belong only to them ..... Tanushree is more timid, soft spoken and meek than I used to be, I keep her within the warmth of my heart without feeling obligated.... we know we need not do hi-hello often, we still would remain friends for ever. If you try to own me, I will get cold ..... I will stop giving special attention to you because you are ignoring, trying to insult my other friends who are important to me. Tanushree happens to be the husband's classmate too with so opposing character traits. Even we are opposing partners.... if you are honest to each other you can carry along an entire life together. There was a time when me and Tanushree both were of same character traits.... less interested in studies, timid, quiet, Bollywood buffs.... she however unlike me was a beauty of our times.... too serene and known as Asha Parekh among us.... I have never seen her being proud of that or using her beauty wrongly to woo anyone.... neither male nor female. What you should know is that she is excellent in sewing, sewed maxi dresses for me when we were young, learnt quilting, now prepares bags.... I asked her to open a page and start her business ..... I think I have to open it for her.... she can always change the password later. I am the least qualitative among us friends but love cooking! I enjoyed cooking this non vegetarian egg meal ALOO DIYE BHAPA DIM ER JHOL , Dal, Bhindi Sheddo, Potato Fry, Rice for the family, specially for the husband who is back home after few days. I still have the wish to home deliver egg, fish, meat or vegetarian simple, daily meals to South Asian Homes in the island.... an island so strict with rules.

Coming to Life and Death, I think about it often.... when I cannot bear it anymore I go out for a long walk. Like I have a soft corner for an Ipsita and wondered how she survived through the death of her both parents by age 11. I do not sit together often with her for few reasons... she is busy with her teaching job , next we are neighbours, there is a possibility of misunderstandings .... she is not a social media buff ... so I would prefer to maintain the relationship. When our father expired, I felt everything gets bearable with time but it may not be the same forever.... so before flaunting often, think of the others.... a widower, a divorcee, your marriage would not be on the rocks for it.... personal relationships are not to be flaunted in social media[often]. Tanushree seemed too disturbed two-three months back.... she messaged me that she lost her mother all of a sudden within hours. Kakima [who you refer as aunty] was just back from the "bahargaon" staying for months with her younger kid, her son's family. Her first born, her daughter cleaned the flat where she used to live alone, she entered... next morning she fell sick, the daughter saw her sweating profusely, on reaching the nursing home she was declared dead. Think of this girl, she lost her father back in 2012, Semtemper, her husband stays in Kazakasthan, the brother in the "bahargaon", the son studies BBA in Vizag. I would call her strong, oh! unlike me, she is an excellent daughter-in-law who handled not one but three sets of in-laws and their kids since 1993.... they helped. Did they ever think or cared about the fact that Tanushree or Juna could be a cloth designer if given a chance?

I am a bad girl you know, I dislike her for one reason.... be a very good daughter-in-law no problem, in the journey do not neglect yourself and know that one part of your heart remained empty.... you missed friends' gathering, you failed to experience a beauty called "friendship".... I cannot be this sacrificial, I must have my own life. So, this girl's boy will be going for MBA course next year and she would go back to Kolkata and start living alone most of the time.... she is still beautiful, hence I will not divulge her address. I remember, when our son was born, she visited us with their's.... he was only six and called my husband "mama" instantly without being tutored.... he plays very good cricket at the Hyderabad circuit I think but he has to be a MBA graduate you know... bye bye cricket.... I am pretty sure my brother would have been playing cricket in the Bengal team by now if our parents were not Bengali. Anyway, I have not met Tanushree's family except for her and her mother after that accident / incident at the BBQ Nation restaurant, Sector 5, Kolkata.... I fell sick and one of her family member had to be admitted to the hospital, you remember? I also remember the expression of disapproval in kakima's face watching me wear a three-quartered jeans and okay a shirt. Her brother told, 'I miss the S di I knew".... I immediately said "Diu I am the same, trust me!" So, Tanushree loves wearing salwar suits and saree, never can go against the wish of her dead parents, dead paa-in-law or her surviving family, she is timid.... spare her in social media.... she is not smart and up-to-date like you.

Did I mention Tanushree's son with an intent? Not really I am that bad! We may not meet him ever.... I always feel sad to accept the truth that our son may "not have cousins ever.".... I am very clear to what extent I can maintain relationships..... but if you play with my emotions without a viable reason, I may get into the shell gradually. I have no problem with the man's parents living on this earth, in fact I call his father mostly because he speaks sense, he was not too active in "outraging the modesty of me and my family." He cannot ever be a generous, a rare species of a father-in-law like my father, it is also true that he sweated handling my son for long, I could not entrust the responsibility of our son to my father, if anyone came in between... he would sit to chaat forgetting the toddler's meal time.... yet he was our son's "smiling buro"... the son was visibly disturbed on his death news..... kids can feel love, a good soul, a pure heart. It is always better to cook and enjoy the recipes I always share for you including this non vegetarian egg meal ALOO DIYE BHAPA DIM ER JHOL, egg, that is so loved by the man.... a severely underweight fella, who had the strength, ability to sacrifice all his academic dreams and take upon his shoulder immense responsibilities. Accept that, those around who play virtual games behind our back, there is no other way for me but to be very cold and formal with you. He may shout at me, quite a political brain unlike me, I may retaliate and fight it but all who know him must admit that he is an extremely honest, trusted and responsible person, your ignorance does not prove anything. Come, let us eat.

This is not a family recipe, I learnt about it from the various Bengali Food Groups I had been part of earlier, some of the Bengali Bloggers may have this recipe but I have not consulted their recipe in the recent years. The steaming part definitely can be done on stove top, I just do not have a square steel bowl and feared scratches on my cake tins.

INGREDIENTS :

EGG : 4-6
POTATO : 1BIG
CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 2TSP
CHOPPED CORIANDER : 2TBSP
SLICED ONION : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP
GARLIC PASTE : 1TBSP
GINGER PASTE : 2TBSP
CUMIN POWDER : 1TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 11/2TSP
TURMERIC POWDER : 1TSP
CINNAMON POWDER : 1/4TSP
GREEN CARDAMOM POWDER : 2PINCH

CLOVE POWDER : A PINCH
CHAAT MASALA : 1TSP
CUMIN SEED : 2PINCH
BAY LEAF : 1
SALT : AS REQUIRED
SUGAR : 1TSP [OPTIONAL]
OIL : 4TBSP

PROCEDURE :

I did the entire cooking at low to the minimal heat as and when required.

I am in the habit of washing the egg shells before using, we must. Thereafter we have to break them, add 2pinch of salt and turmeric and then beat well.

Add the chopped and washed chopped green chilli + coriander leaves and beat well.

Add the chaat masala and use a whisk to beat well. Pour into a greased oven proof bowl.

Then I microwaved it at high for 5-6 minutes. I gently placed the egg mixture filled bowl atop the water filled container after being covered with a microwave proof lid.

Once cool, I made pieces with a knife & reserved those in a plate!

We have sliced the peeled & onion! We have peeled & washed the potato; cubed & marinated with salt & turmeric! We will fry them & take out after heating the oil in the wok!

We would temper the remaining oil with the cumin seeds & bay leaf!

We would now add the sliced onions and fry for 2 minutes. Thereafter, we would add the ginger & garlic pastes, stir cook at low for 2 minutes & add the cumin+coriander+red chilli+turmeric powders, bit of salt!

After stirring it for a pretty 2-3 minutes, we need to add the lightly fried potatoes.

After a minute, we added a coffee mug of water and waited to bring it to a boil.