CURRY AND SPICE: DAL CAROM LEAF PATTY

DO NOT ALLOW BOREDOM IN YOUR LIFE, IT KILLS!

I do suffer from a "dur bhalagchena" syndrome but I do not let it rule over me! I may just set out of home or cook something or watch a movie or series! These days, I do not enjoy watching anything alone, it feels good if I have a company. Except for a movie, documentary, series of interest; I do not enjoy watching anything! It may be because I have little of interest in television! There was a time I would sit with the littler son, his care givers & watch those daily soaps; then one day I saw him looking for "Prerna Mom" & calling himself "Panchu" after a character of a daily soap! I strongly felt I have to stop watching those soaps for the son to stop watching them. Anyway, we continued with "Dora The Explorer"; "Thomas the Tank Engine" and some others we would enjoy watching together! He was too attached to me even after coming to this island, I do not know why people had to drag him off me! I had enough time for my child, I did not have any fascination to go out everyday & party with friends. I enjoyed being with the son, I still want to! But either of the two do not have time for me, they hardly think how a sit at home who hates to party or to talk much would spend her time! One fled to the neighbouring country yesterday, the younger bothers the least about me! If he has a Dora like girl in his life, I would request her to tell him to be nicer to his mumma & take care of her emotional needs! All of the morning today I spent planning & executing this meal for myself & Cristine! I actually had a lot of carb in the past two days, also I trimmed one of my few carom plants today! But whats the point having a healthy lunch? I had sent Cristine to buy Apple Pie & Peanut Stuffed Sesame Ball for my evening tea! I have to keep boredom at bay, food has to stay in my life!

WHAT WAS I EATING IN THE PAST TWO DAYS?

It was carb & only carb; in the morning, I had bread topped with cream & jackfruit! Our Saturday lunch was the microwave made chicken-potato-rice I made and in good amount.

There was no salad in the scene, only the stuffs we enjoy; an aloo paratha, fresh cream & egg plant sabzi is kind of a love for me!

Yesterday, I did my intermittent fasting as usual, had a microwave roasted Lijjat Papad! I actually enjoy deep fried papad! It was a silent, lonely Sunday for me yesterday, but I gifted myself a lunch of choice! It had "maan kochu bata, dim er kosha, peyaz diye mushur dal"! Wish that egg was a hilsa or tangra or koi or aar mach!

For the dinner, I had a portion of Saturday's leftover chicken rice! Today, I had to eat something healthier but I did not wish to compromise on the taste factor. I wanted something hot & spicy!

Did I ever thought I would enjoy boiled corn some day? My problem is to have it alone as a meal substitute! But I think I have come a long way leaving "chanachur" & not only embracing but enjoying to have corn cups! But my corn cannot have butter in it; I added to it onion, chillies, spicy sauces! That was a good time pass doing them besides grooving for some forty minutes with fast beat music and doing prayer two times! I like going out for walks but I had taken up a cooking project of which I had to do some decent photography too, then edit & arrange them! I preferred staying back at home! Life at home is good, neither I can tolerate crowd & noise on a regular basis! I wish my men to talk to me often, that they do not care about, take me for granted! I better concentrate on my evening cuppa and at night I should have some brown rice-quinoa with the Bengali sides!

As I say, Cristine does not know how to enquire before buying things or to decide what to buy; this was not apple pie! She would not see what they are giving her!

WHAT IS THIS DAL CAROM LEAF PATTY?

There are a couple of carom plants growing in my home! They do not require any care, just a bit of sunlight & water. I need to trim the growing branches! Eating joyan pata / ajwain leaves / carom or oregano or Cuban oregano green leaves is not common among us; the seed do we, it is known to cure indigestion! This morning, I trimmed one plant & got in hand few leaves! I soaked some red lentils; the quickest to soften & my most loved lentil variety! The idea was doing the rounds since last evening, after thinking about this and that, I could give it the shape of a patty! I could have used the leaves to make fritters, but that cannot be my lunch! I thought of using the waffle maker but I trust my hands more than it! So, went ahead with this vegan, gluten-free DAL CAROM LEAF PATTY cooked using red lentils, carom leaves, onion, green chillies, rice & corn flours, few spices! I have kept one to have with rice & butter or ghee tomorrow! All over the island, I see them growing just like that! I never thought I would ever enjoy boiled corn but for me to like it requires it to be made hot!

INGREDIENTS :

CAROM LEAF : A BOWLFUL

RED LENTIL : 1/2 COFFEE MUG

SLICED ONION : 1 SMALL TEA CUP

GREEN CHILLI : 3-4

RICE FLOUR : 2-3 TBSP

CORN FLOUR : 1-2 TBSP

CUMIN POWDER : 1 TSP

RED CHILLI POWDER : 2 TSP

CORIANDER POWDER : 1 TSP

DRY MANGO POWDER : 1 TSP

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 TSP

SUGAR : 1 TSP [I USED JAGGERY]

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 4-5 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

I had washed & soaked the red lentils for over an hour. Cristine tore off the fresh leaves & stored in a bowl. I had washed the leaves thoroughly under running water!

Cristine chopped the leaves and sliced, washed a medium sized onion!

I had drained the water from the lentils, took it in a blender and blended to a paste along with the washed green chillies and some salt!

I poured over the lentil paste to the chopped carom leaves & onions; to it added the cumin+coriander+red chilli+dry mango+turmeric powders, mixed well!

I had added the jaggery powder & adjusted the salt; mixed well! At this point, I felt we need to add some rice flour & corn flour & I did!

I had heated the oil in a flat wok, took off some paste & gave the shape of a cutlet and gently placed on the heated oil! Thereafter, I pressed a bit to flatten, this helps them to cook well!