Dal,Bhat,Aaloo Bhunjiya - Every Bihari's favorite Staple

Person-1: "Arey Kuchho nai milega tab Gupta ji ke dukaan me aaloo miliye jayega." (If nothing then at least we will get potato from Mr. Gupta's groceries store)

Person-2: "Haiyee hai! Basmatiya bhaat, masoori ke daal, aur aaloo ke bhunjiya. Badi mazaa aawega bhaiya." (Indeed. Basmati Rice, Split Red Lentil curry (or Dal), fried potatoes. It will be fun big brother).

These are the most common food planning talks between lazy Biharis.

What is this Aaloo Bhunjiya, bhaat and Dal. Ask a Bihari for a comprehensive explanation.
I wanted to share this recipe, the way it might be narrated by a Bihari (I am being one of them).

I want to keep the recipe chaotic and imperfect like the way any average Bihari is. I am not going to list down the ingredient beforehand. Have some job to do buddy.

Dal, Bhaat, and Aaloo ka Bhunjiya is a simple dish to make, yet delicious and filling. We first start cooking the dal since you can multitask while Dal is pressing (boiling in a pressure cooker).

The end product will look something like this.

To make Dal, take one mutthhi Masoori Dal (one fistful Split Red Lentil), one mutthhi moong dal (one fistful split green gram) properly washed. Cut one red tomato, 3-4 pieces of garlic, and put everything into pressure cooker. Add some hing, hardi (turmeric powder), noone (salt) and 2.5 cups of water. Let the pressure cooker take 4-5 whistles on simmer flame.

While the dal is getting boiled you should try and stay away from laptop to check what others are upto on Facebook. This is a crucial time to prepare for Dal seasoning and most importantly the Aaloo bhunjiya.

For aaloo bhunjiya, take 2-3 potatoes and slice them into the shape as shown in various pictures. If you are running short of potatoes (as I was while preparing for this blog), you can adulterate it with some other veggies such as Farasbeam (French beans). Yeah thats what called in Bihari.

Heat a kadhai (frying pan) and put oil into it. If you are a rich Bihari then add Olive oil, if not then add gaon ka perayaa hua karua tel (Mustard oil from your own farmland). If you are not a rich guy and do not happen to be a Bihari, then use whatever oil you can afford EXCEPT COCONUT OIL.

Add some raai (black mustard), a couple of green chillis into the pan and pour the vegetables. Keep frying at low/high flames until you reach the heights of patience. 

Add a tbsf of turmeric powder, kuttal mirchaii(red chilli powder).  Key is to get the vegetables khar-khar (crisp). If you did not have a fight with your wife a night before then you may get helping hands, otherwise all-the-best if you don't have a joint family or a cook.

Mid way the bhunjiya will start looking like this, you need to keep tasting it to lower the risk.

You should not forget the Dal in background. This is when things becomes a little messy and tough for an average Bihari with heavy appetite of laziness and food. You need to start working on the dal seasoning while the Bhunjiya is getting fried.

Cut some green chillis, some more garlic, and curry leaves and keep it separate for seasoning.

You also need to wash the Basmati rice, cut some salad, roast some papad and at the same time keep sautéing the bhunjiya. This is when the limits of multitasking of a lazy Bihari is tested. With a slow shutter camera, its impossible to see him in action.

After a while when the Pressure cooker eases its pressure, its time to season it. Seasoning is the most important part of this story. And yeah, don't forget that Bhunjiya may get into flames, so keep sautéing.

Pour 2 tbsf of affordable oil or ghee into a kalchhool (steel serving spatula). One sec !, Ghee is not an eatable of riches in Bihar, get this right. Ghee is in abundance there and its more affordable than any other oil if you happen to be a farmer.

So once the oil gets heated, add chopped garlic, green chillis, curry leaves, raai (black mustard), hing,  pinch of cumin powder into the kalchhool. Fry them together for a minute and pour the entire content into the boiled dal. 

Turn on the exhaust fan before the fumes turns you off. And be extra careful while pouring the spoon into dal since it may spill over your hands.

Chop some coriander leaves and put them into Dal. Cover the lid once done.

Serve the dal to make it look like this

If you dal does not look like above then do following in sequential order-

1. Check the brightness, contrast, color setting of your monitor. Check the White Balance, if incorrect then get it calibrated by some Photography maniac (There are plenty out there).

2. Check if you have done kanjoosi (misery) in adding turmeric powder. Don't be over lenient if you grow turmeric at your farmland.

3. If none of the above works then read this blog from beginning.

By this time it is presumed that you had been keeping up with the aaloo bhunjiya. Add some salt into it and if you think its done then fry it for another 5 minutes. This is because frying bhunjiya can test patience of any person who even holds P.hd in Art-of-Living course. 

Make sure that there should be no nutrients left in the fried veggies.

Your aaloo bhunjiya should look something like image below. 

I cannot help it anyway if your's does not look like this. Whatever it is, just eat it since My Mom said that Potatoes have become pretty expensive. We will be growing it in next season in Bhakhra (my village in Bihar).

Once done, you are all set to do pet-puja (eat). Roast some papad and get some Mothers mango Pickle as well. 

This might be a good opportunity to use the plates you received as gift during your reception. 

You may have some diversity while eating it such as, at times mix only bhunjiya with rice without Dal, or add some lemon into Dal etc.

Treat this to any Bihari, and you can get any work done from him.

Happy Lunching.