My cravings keeps piling every day, and my energy level seems to be dropping with time. Yesterday I felt the strong urge to eat the alu dum that Dida made sometimes at night during her visits to Guwahati. My mouth is watering while I am writing about this, can’t stop thinking about the bubbling red and tangy ‘jhol’ (gravy) served with hot rotis. It was made with what we call ‘natun alu’ (young potatoes of the season), lots of tomatoes and hing. There’s magic in Dida’s hands, everything she cooks is mouth watering and uncomparable.
Dida’s recipe was quite different from what I ended up making yesterday. I tried to keep it easy and as simple as possible. Try it out someday when you are too tired to cook and have a severe craving for ‘Alu Dum.’
Ingredients:
- Small White Potatoes – 1.5 pounds
- Ripe Tomatoes, diced into small pieces - 2 medium
- Red Onions sliced thinly - 1 small
- Green Chillies cut in small pieces - 5 (or according to taste)
- Turmeric – 0.5 tsp
- Aamchur Powder – 1 tsp (Can be substituted by Lime juice, lemon juice or tamarind pulp where the addition of a wet ingredient will not change the consistency of the dish.)
- Salt – to taste
- Sugar – to taste
- Clove Powder: quater tsp
- Cinnamon Powder: quater tsp
- Black pepper powder : 1 tsp (according to taste)
- Oil – 4 tbsp
Directions:
- Wash the potatoes with cold water and pressure cook them with slightly salted water until they are cooked. They should be partially firm and not overcooked.
- Peel the potatoes and keep aside.
- In a pan heat oil and fry potatoes until slightly brown. Add a pinch of salt while frying.
- Add thinly sliced onions and fry until the onions are slightly brown.
- Add diced tomaotes, green chillies, turmeric powder, salt, sugar, aamchoor, clove, cinnamon and black pepper powder.
- Cover and fry until oil releases and the tomatoes are tender.
Serve the alu dum with white rice or rotis.
March 5th: I stayed back home and decided to finish the rest of the packing. We were moving to a bigger apartment.
Our Gift from God
Something in my heart told me this might be it. I struggled in my thoughts whether to take the test or not. I was scared of the dejected feeling of getting a negative result. Finally, I gathered all my courage and decided to go for it. Bang…. there it was, a feeling of utter shock, like lightning. I found myself on the bathroom floor crying and shaking. I have never felt so shocked and happy at the same time. I could see two lines this time and I could hardly believe my eyes.
I couldn’t wait to break this news to Pupu. I knew he would be shocked and extremely elated. I called him and told him about the test. I could feel the excitement in his voice, but as overly protective he is of my feelings, he told me not to be sure and asked me to call the doctor for an appointment. He came home in few minutes and made me take few more tests in the following hours. I could feel the excitement in him, he was so happy and confused, trying his best to hide his excitement from me all the time. I went to the doctor’s and Mecca (the nurse) suggested me to take a blood test. She said she would get back to me early next day.
Evening — Never ending, the hours went by slowly. We waited impatiently for the next morning. I kept praying in my heart and I know Pupu did the same too. Isha and Sanjay tried their best to boost up our spirits. Raja came in and helped us with the packing. A sleepless night followed with a positive hope for the morning.
March 6th:
“Life is magic, the way nature works seems to be quite magical.”
9:00 AM — Waiting for Mecca to call with the report.
9:15 AM — More waiting and no calls. Pupu was excited as pacing the living room and behaving funny. He tried his best to cope with the tension and so did I, always praying in my heart.
9:45 AM — Finally, we decided to leave to sign the lease for the new apartment. And, then there it was… We heard the phone ring. I picked up the phone and there she was breaking the news of ‘Joy’ — She confirms we are expecting.
The joy was unbelievable. I still can’t express what we had exactly felt at that very moment.
I believe now that — “Life is magic, the way nature works seems to be quite magical.”
Came back from India yesterday. Feeling homesick and jetlagged. It’s so damn quiet around here.
Another period of waiting, longing for things to turn right. This wait makes me feel very anxious and fragile.
If it fluttered like a butterfly .. then it’s a girl .. If like a bee .. then it’s a boy 