BLACK EYED BEANS & MINCED CHICKEN CURRY

I immensely enjoy cooking and having this bean variety. The reason is that, as compared to the other bean varieties like red kidney bean or red beans or black beans, it takes way less time to cook. I am a rajma curry fan though, that has a light curry base. Anyway, I find black eyed beans hassle free to cook and too tasty it is; just like the pink, spotted variety of the kidney beans. The black variety of the kidney beans give tough time even to a pressure cooker. I have noticed any bean variety becomes rebellious when they are stored for long in the kitchen. This hardly happens in a non-Bengali speaking Indian home, they heavily eat bean varieties. 

In a Bengali Home like mine, it happens that they are sometimes not cooked for months. I ask myself why this? My men would have bean curries with hand made breads or a fried rice. I would not say they are too fond of bean varieties but they have not discarded beans altogether. My brother takes rajma or chole curry  with flat or puffed bread in his lunch box once or twice every week. If the curry has minced meat in it like this BLACK EYED BEANS & MINCED CHICKEN CURRY, they simply would want to hug me. It is me who force on them "ilish er matha diye gathi kochu." Yes, I cook and click them, give me some time to get them to the blog.

This week all of us are at home. It feels good. I feel content knowing there may not be much fight between me and T if he works from the home or in our retired life; given we have helps, the son does well in life and keeps hale & hearty. As I always say these days, I have grown old mentally, I absolutely discourage him to go for an upgraded living once back to Kolkata after few years. What I keep telling him is that it is not required at that age when we do not know who will leave the other when. I prefer money to be kept in the bank, safe & secured. I try to assure him to totally renovate our present Kolkata abode, he hardly listens to me. 

I am being honest when I say I no more crave to own a flat with a terrace or two balconies in a Rosedale like condo, whilst he wants a condo that has a swimming pool, club house and restaurant services; he always wanted to stay at the Rukmani Parasmani or Silver Spring kinds. At this time I feel, they are no more my requirements. We never know how long we can spend together; this thought of mine one may find weird but I am a born pessimist. I had been on medication but I do not wish to. I want to be strong enough to bypass my mental illness and save the man's hard earned money from been wasted. I know my problem is not acute; it is superficial, it is an idle brain's fantasy. I cannot even tell my mother what worst thoughts are plaguing me concerning the son's decision to leave home for higher studies. I want to tell T but he does not wish to listen.

Yes, bigger sized prawns & salmon are coming home, even hilsa; minced mutton kebabs be made for the son. Hostels and Canteens abroad are good but the thought I cannot cook and feed my child is making me numb. The concerns for his safety and security in a foreign land is making me wild. I thank few friends who are constantly talking to me on this matter, sharing their experience or giving me valuable inputs with regards to him. I like it if they are not talking irrelevant to me. 

What is ripping me apart is the fact that I will truly get jobless now. Cooking would get so simple that I do not know how to spend time. Kitty Parties and Mall Hopping? I can never indulge in activities I do not enjoy. I may call friends in a group of 2-3 people maximum in this situation to chat and cook happily for them, I will call them in singles too or go out with one or two of them but never make it a ritual. I so love my sole ventures, that too is restricted because of the pandemic. 

I remain as simple as a woman who did not make cod steaks or fillets a regular visitor at this home even for the son's sake or got hold of a 2 kilo sized Hilsa to get her man's plate shine bright. The son perhaps have a bit of me within him, it was hilarious to see him sitting with the accounts of his hostel needs and expenditures. Hopefully, he would not turn to be a spendthrift and learn to value money. Mumma asked him not to ration food; eat normal, eat good. He may not be a spendthrift unless stronger influences plague his good will. 

I wonder why I did not cook for my men such non-vegetarian meat and bean curry BLACK EYED BEANS & MINCED CHICKEN CURRY once every week? Instead, I forced them to eat too rustic Bengali vegetarian dishes, those they are not really fond of at all, the rest of them they do eat. But yes, they enjoy having "lau er chokla boti, mocha, each of the boras & pakoras, fresh lotey maacher jhuri, shutkir jhuri" and more, all cooked by me. I need not feel too guilty of imposing my food preferences on them, what do you say dear readers?

INGREDIENTS :

BLACK EYED BEAN : 100 GM
MINCED CHICKEN : 300-350 GM
CHOPPED TOMATO : 1 MEDIUM TEA CUP
SLICED ONION : 2 SMALL TEA CUP FULL
SLITTED GREEN CHILLI : 3-4
MINCED GARLIC : 2 TBSP
MINCED GINGER : 2 TSP
CUMIN POWDER : 2 TSP
CORIANDER POWDER : 1 TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 1 TSP
DRY MANGO POWDER : 1 TSP
GARAM MASALA POWDER : 1 TSP
TURMERIC POWDER : 1 TSP
GREEN CARDAMOM : 2-3
CINNAMON STICK : 2-3 ONE INCH STICK
CLOVE : 3-4
BAY LEAF : 1
CUMIN SEED : 1/4 TSP
LEMON JUICE : 2-3 TBSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
OIL : 5-6 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

Wash and soak the black eyed beans in hot water for 3-4 hours, if in cold water, then overnight.

Wash and marinate the minced chicken with a little of salt & turmeric, lemon juice for an hour.

Drain the water and take the beans in a pressure cooker, add 2 coffee mugs of water, little salt and turmeric.

Pressure cook at minimal heat up to 1 whistle.

Switch off the gas stove and wait for the lid to open normally.

Heat the oil in a wok; temper it with the green cardamoms, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cumin seeds and the bay leaf.

Give a stir and add the minced garlic & ginger. Stir fry for a minute and add the washed & sliced onions.

Fry for another minute and add the marinated minced chicken. Fold in well and cover cook at minimal heat for 10 minutes.

Remove the cover, add the chopped tomatoes+turmeric+cumin+coriander+chilli powders and stir. Cover cook again for 7-8 minutes.

Remove the cover, add the boiled black eyed beans, a coffee mug of water. Stir and cover cook at minimal heat for 10 minutes.

Remove the cover, add the dry mango powder + garam masala powder, lemon juice and adjust the salt. Stir and simmer at low heat for 3-4 minutes.

Garnish with chopped green chillies and onion rings if you wish. Serve hot with your choice of bread & fried rice varieties.