Friday

CHICKEN  IN BENGAL GRAM  LENTIL

OR AS PARSIS CALL IT   'chana ni dar ma marghi'

250 gms Bengal gram dal , washed and soaked for half an hour or so
3 large pcs red pumpkin
1 large tomato diced
1 large onion diced
1 tablespoon chopped mint
2 green chilies chopped
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
1 tablespoon ginger / garlic paste
1 large tablespoon dhannajeera powder
1/4 teaspoon garam masala powder
1 little oil
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
salt to taste (less the better)
1/4 tsp sugar
2 pcs of chicken per no of people eating
a little green mango in season


In a pressure cooker put in the soaked lentil along with the pumpkin, onion, tomato, mint, turmeric, green chillies, salt,  green mango, chicken and close lid.
Cook for only 10 minutes as bengal gram is fragile and cooks fast as does the chicken. Leave covered for another 15 minutes.......then season. In a non-stick pan heat the oil and add ginger/garlic paste, then the dhanna jeera powder, a little red chilli powder and garam masala powder and saute. Add the chopped coriander and after a minute add a cup of water. Keep on stirring it till the oil floats to the top. Open the cooker and add some of the tomato and the pumpkin pcs into this masala and mash. Return it all to the dal and allow it to simmer for a while, adding the sugar now. Serve when ready.

Parsi food is healthy .....as I have grown up eating......as it is a happy mix of veg and non-veg with not too many excesses.
THE NEED OF THE HOUR IS TO REALLY DIG INTO THE RECESSES OF OUR MIND AND DO WHAT OUR ELDERS DID...........AS THAT IS WHAT REALLY KEPT THEM GOING INTO THEIR NINETIES AS SPRIGHTLY AS IF THEY WERE IN THEIR SEVENTIES.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANY ELDER IN MY EXTENDED FAMILY EVER MAKE A FUSS TO EVER EAT ANYTHNG.....FOOD WAS FOOD TO BE EATEN WITHOUT A FUSS.

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