12 March- Rajma Chawal

I don't remember the first time I had rajma but certainly, it was after moving to Delhi, in July 2004. One of the consistent troubles in those blissful days was boring North Indian food (if I could afford it!) that included kadhi, chana, and rajma... although J. Hora made pretty good rajma and Himani was crazy about this stuff. I took time to warm up to it, of course...initially resisting, as it happens with all new things. I was convinced throughout the first year that I didn't really like it, that all those rajma-chawal bought with sports coupons in college and from Nagpal on weekends were more out of compulsion than out of any other reason- merely to make the most out of very limited money...so that when I went home that summer and found folks planning to cook rajma because apparently, that's what I eat in Delhi, I was outraged. Frustrated, rather. Who eats rajma when they're at home? The day I returned to Delhi after the two and a half month break, however, I willingly bought rajma-chawal from Nagpal and relished every bit of it. Afterwards, I kept joking about the "rajma theory of arranged marriage"- get in the habit of having something, and you start missing it. I did miss rajma after a year.

After moving out of the hostel, I hardly cooked North Indian food...twelve years of little but North Indian food seemed just enough. That's why I was surprised to realise that I miss rajma again, here in Pune, and North Indian food, in general. One of these days I'll attempt making dal makhni too. For now, I loved the familiarity of rajma yet again.

Recipe-

Boil rajma with salt and badi elaichi for two whistles in a pressure cooker and cook for further twenty-five minutes in low heat.

Heat oil/ ghee, add ginger-garlic-green chilli paste and fry. Add onion paste and fry until golden. Add tomato puree and fry. Add spices- turmeric, salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and fry until tomato leaves oil.

Mix masala well with rajma, add coriander leaves, adjust salt, and cook for two more whistles.

Goes very well with jeera rice- that's what I had it with.