Aam Dal/Raw Mango Lentil Soup - Summer Comfort Food for the Bong Soul

Well, I’m back!  It was nice to take a break from blogging and blog reading ..but WAIT…the world didn't pause itself to wait for me…so why am I apologising ..?

Anyways, I’ll catch you up on what’s new and exciting.  For starters the week has stated with a bang and also on a bit puzzling note. Big decisions have been raising the roof for my verdict and, as usual, my mind is facing the usual conflict situations. I like options. Cutting down the possibilities makes me panicky. So nervous that I find myself browsing the aisles of Target for sale options , rummaging through the local thrift store for exciting bits or reaching out for that last cookie in the jar and licking the chips packet clean. All done in an attempt to divert my floozy mind. Escapist, am I?  

The escapist in me has more than one form of venting out. Like? While window shopping or browsing the aisles of supermarket and speaking to my Lil  in a word or two in Bengali, I have often come across probashi Bengalis. The escapist in me starts a heart-to-heart almost instantly..

And Maybe I’m not the only one…this is perhaps how the story of Bengalis in a foreign land often starts:

 ‘bah Apnio bangali/Wow you too are Bengali’ and then ‘Kothay bari ? From where? At this point I’m probably trying to assess if they from India or Bangaladesh or perhaps a Ghoti or Bangal. Being Ghoti or Bangal, has no relevance whatsoever to a person thousand miles away from Bangal , but it does give a faint sort of relief to me looking for some familiarity.

Isn’t it true that familiarity is what we yearn when it comes to cooking home food. Otherwise why else would I want to cook an Aam Daal in winter. Yes its cold in my part of the continent, and aam daal is supposed to be a cooling dish, preferred with rice of hot summers of India.

Without digressing from the Recipe further, I shall start.

 

Aam Dal/Raw Mango Lentil Soup

Aam Dal/Raw Mango Lentil Soup

Raw Mango (cut into small cubes) – 1

Onion– 1

Green Chillies – 2

Masoor Dal/Red Daal – 1/2 cup

Refined Oil – 2 tsp

Salt – to taste

Sugar – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder- ½ tsp

For Seasoning:

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves – a few

Asafoetida – a pinch

Heat oil in the pressure cooker and add all the seasoning , green chillies, chopped onions and now add the mangoes here and sautee them for 2 minutes.

Then add the washed red dal and salt and sugar, and  add around 4 cups water.

Pressure cook for 4 whistles.

Maybe we Bengalis long for common things among the uncommon, and share a common palate which goes beyond the common songs and singers!!

Bengali Dal Cutlets (Potato and Lentil Cutlets)

Bengali Dal Cutlets (Potato and Lentil Cutlets)

Today is a good day. Warm, Sunny Sunday - just the kind of day which allows you to sleep till late without an alarm clock.Enjoy a quiet Darjeeling  tea with crispy marie biscuits, read the big fat Sunday newspaper. Read the gossip columns too and that too, end to end. Its pure Luxury. If you don't - quite understand what am I saying here - Then go ask any mom of a toddler or two. She'll tell ya :)

Happy beginnings show a happy day. Right. Well sometimes the answer can be a disheartening NO . 

I just happened the step on that bathroom scale which seemed to move up north, much more than I would like.That's when the  awesomeness of the day just stopped for me.Period.  Specially after being to the gym whole of last week. No excuses. I rewarded myself with an indulging Birthday night dinner yesterday and all the goodness of the gym sweat went flying out of the window.And here I am , moping in despair..Now that you are thinking that I'll go - enter kitchen and dish something soupy for myself. You cant be far from wrong. For food is the perfect balm for a plunging will-power and expanding waist line.Still for the sake of gymming the entire last week , lets make something healthy and filing...Do you have some leftover dal (lentils) cooked from last night - if yes- lets begin :)

Aalo aar Daler  Cutlet 

Key Ingredients 
11/2 cup thick lentils/dal (any red/yellow or green lentil would do)
4 boiled potatoes
1tsp garam masala 
1 chopped frod onion
5-6 cloves garlic 
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp red chilly flakes (as per taste)
1 tbsp chopped Dhaniya(Cilantro)
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
Oil to fry

PREPARATION:
Cook the lentils until they are tender and drain out the excess water from them and mash them well. If you are using the leftover then all you have to do is to cook it 0n heat till the water dries out. Hands work best for mashing/else a blender can also be used . Chop and dice the onion and garlic finely. Heat a pan with some oil and add the diced onions and garlic. Sauté them for a few minutes until they are tender. Now add the sautéed onions to the mashed lentils. Mix. Add mashed boiled potatoes.Mix.Now add ginger-garlic paste, cilantro, salt, garam masala, chili powder  and mix everything well. Make small round cutlets out them and keep aside. Take the egg in a small bowl and whip. Keep aside. Take the bread crumbs in a bowl keep aside. Heat a flat bottomed pan with ¼ cup of oil. Create a work station arranging the plate with the cutlets first, the bowl with the egg batter next, and the bread crumbs plate next to that. lastly a plate if sesame seeds.When the pan is hot enough, take a cutlet and dip it in the egg batter. cover with bread crumbs. dip in egg again. Now coat with the sesame seeds. There should be some space between the cutlets while cooking to move them around. Let then cook for a few minutes till the top is golden brown and crisp. Flip all the cutlets and let them cook for few more  minutes. Repeat the same with the remaining cutlets and serve the hot cutlets hot with chutney or sauce.

The weighing scale dilemma. let's park it for another day.