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!!
