When it comes to soul food – what comes to your mind?
For past few days I was eating Biriyani, Sea foods at cape, Mexican food and all sort of food which compels me to drink soda after every meal. I was craving for rice, daal, mashed potato and some hot, spicy pickle.
I remember a conversation between two teachers of mine from my childhood.
Teacher 1: If you have option between eating Biriyani and daal bhat, what will you choose?
Teacher 2: I can choose Biriyani for pleasure but for soul I will eat daal bhat.
When it comes to comfort food – many bengalis like me will say daal, rice with mashed potato.. Not only when I am home sick I crave for this – but also when I am eating too much “acid reflux”(courtesy: Big Bang theory) food. It reminds of my good old child hood days, when mom could not cook much, she used to make this simple meal for us.
For me, eating Daal, Hot rice, some pickle and mashed potato with bori is pure bliss!
Soul food
Recipe for Lentil Soup and mashed potato
- red lentil – 1/2 cup
- Yellow Lentil – 1/2 cup
- Ghee or clarified butter – 1 tbsp
- Salt – as much you need
- Whole cumin seeds – 1 tsp
- Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp
- Whole Red Chilli – 4-5(depends on as much hot you can eat)
- Whole Green Chilli – 4-5(depends on as much hot you can eat)
- Mashed Potato
- Bori(crushed) – 4-5
- Mustard oil – 1 tbsp
- Whole Red Chillies – 4-5
- Salt
How to make daal:
Wash the lentils and boil it with turmeric powder and whole green chillies. My mom always say, don’t put salt when you are boiling daal.
After it’s boiled perfectly, add this tadka.
For Tadka: Heat up ghee in a tadka pan. (I told earlier as well, if you don’t have this, buy it). Add whole cumin seeds and red chillies to it. When it changes its’ color, add that to the daal and you are done.
Another Variation: You can add panchforon to the ghee rather than adding cumin seeds. My friend Debarati and my mom like it that way.
Don’t forget to add salt.
How to make mashed potato:
Peel the potato and boil it. When it’s done, take it out of the water. Mash the potato when it’s cooled. In tadka pan, heat the oil. Add red chillies and bori. When they change their color pour that over the potato. Mash it well.
Enjoy with pickle and hot rice
