Samosas with Aloo (potatoes), Green peas and Fulkopi (Cauliflower) stuffing – Evening Tea-time Snack

Think about the evening snack, the mind boggles, what to serve for the evening becomes the thought of the evening. There are readymade snacks at home, but something made in one’s kitchen is something very DIFFERENT – be it in taste and the love that has mixed with the care and efforts put in.

As there was cauliflower in the fridge, thought of using it for the samosas. And potatoes, a common stock in every household. If you don’t have any veggie, the potatoes can help make a dish – aloo bhate (boiled potatoes mashed) with that dribble of mustard oil and some chopped onion and salt, the aloo bhaja, of course the kurkure ones, I mean the crunchy ones, aloo posto, aloo-r dum, aloo-r chop, and I don’t have to go on. The kitchen master knows how to feed the people at home.

Making samosas at home gives the liberty to eat a good number of them without the thought of having the Gas Problem, that’s a common word you find Bengalis saying, “Gas hoyeche”, which very well means indigestion and that also means to pop in a Gelusil tablet to get rid of the gas.

Aloo, Begun, Seem, Kumro aar Sojne Da(n)ta-r Chorchori aka Simple Vegetable Combo

Summer days are making life unbearable. Temperatures are on the rise. So also the temperature of the Cricket fever of India is getting hotter. By now the news has spread far and wide about the betting going on for the IPL matches. Huh! How much money can satisfy the needs of a human? Running after money is good as long as it is hard earned – but…

Better to remain silent as I don’t watch the cricket matches these days for the bugle had already sounded many many many … how many many’s will I write to satisfy this small mind.

Moving out of all this trash, I’m getting back to a comfort summer dish for lunch. This is a soothing side dish for lunch. Nothing much, a peep into the fridge and the most common veggie is there to complete the preparation. Some may not have the Sojne Da(n)ta/ Drumsticks, but this is the one that adds more taste to it.

I’ve been cutting the sojne da(n)ta and storing them in my deep freezer, and it has remained fresh for days. Out from there and it goes into my Chorchori.

Aloo Methi

I spend some time at night watching TV. With the Big Boss show coming to an end, just a wait and watch situation for me to know the winner. After a day’s work watching TV is just like a simple past time and of course some recreation. Yesterday there was a bunch of methi saag at home. My Baba always said, “One thing at a time and that done well”. Yesterday I felt the pleasure of doing two things at a time (watching TV and cleaning the methi saag), easy work, not a brain work indeed. But it doesn’t mean I say what my Baba said was wrong. You know watching TV is relaxing, and the saag can be separated from the stem without even giving it a look. A work which has the use of the mind and the brain will never give space for another difficult work. I firmly believe in what my Baba said. I think I'm being silly.

Let me move out of this and write about my  Aloo Methi.

Ingredients:
Methi Saag: 2 cups
Aloo: 5 medium size
Dry red chili: 3
Garlic: 5 cloves
Haldi powder
Red chili powder
Salt
Cooking oil

Simple preparation method:

Wash the methi leaves and let the water drain out. Once the water is totally drained out, chop the methi leaves and keep it aside.
Peel the potatoes and cut them into small cubes. Keep them aside.
Wash the garlic cloves, crush them and put them aside.
Place a kadhai on the burning fire. Add 2 tbsp cooking oil. I’ve used mustard oil. When the oil is hot enough break the dry red chilies into half and throw them in. Add the crushed garlic soon after and stir it till the colour begins to change.
Now add the cubed potatoes and the haldi and chili powder. Fry it for 3 to 4 minutes cooking over slow flame. The potatoes will get half cooked by now.
Throw in the methi saag and give it a stir.
Now add salt to taste, stir and cover it.
Remove the cover and stir from time to time. Cook till the potatoes are soft and mixed well with the methi saag.

It’s ready to be served with hot roti, paratha and rice.