Monday, October 13, 2008

Tomato Pappu

Tomato Pappu and Peragannu(curd rice)
reminds me of Anu when she was a toddler


Are those bugs !? Guess what is that topping on the Peragannu?

"Your Pilloo is getting married" said cuz S on the long distance call. His voice seemed faint all of a sudden and I was not listening to him. I went back into those memories of cute little Anusha our Anu, my father's Sreedevi and my Pilloo. She will graduate in May next year. She is barely 20 yrs. My little girl is already set for marriage and is going to go to the land of Kangaroos.


I was thinking Rao should have waited. Why did Rani not stop him? Then I recollected all the conversation we had about getting Anu married at the right time. In their Telugu community there is a tag on the groom. The highest bidder gets the best commodity. Sad but true. I don't know if this has happened in Anu's case but Rao and Rani used to worry about it a lot. Hope this marriage is not fixed like that.

I hope Anu has seen the groom. Hope she has liked him. Hope she has had a chance to talk to him. This and thousand other things came to my mind. She will be a beautiful bride. The haldi will make her glow. I want that glow to get better after marriage. I will long to hear her shudh Marathi and her usual opening on phone "Tai tu kashi aahes?" (How are you elder sister) with the sweetness that melts my heart.

Hope she makes her husband her best friend and has an enriching life ahead!

Anu's food as a toddler was most times this Tomato Pappu with a dollop of homemade ghee from Vijaywada and Pergannu.

She was a strange toddler who hated chocolates and loved ghee fried garlic a habit Rani had drilled in her. We would scold her not to come to our home if she was eating so much garlic. So she'd declare when she had not eaten it that "I did not eat garlic today" on entering our home! Just like they do at border security check while entering a country like Australia. She would get a huge hug and shower of kisses following that.


Ingredients

1 1/2 cup boiled toor dal
1 onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 tomatoes
2 teaspoon oil
few curry leaves
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
salt to taste

Heat oil. Fry the onions till they are pink. Add tomatoes and fry on high heat. Add the garlic, curry leaves, coriander powder, red chili powder and turmeric powder. Keep stirring. Once the tomatoes are completely saucy add the cook dal. Mix and boil on high for 5-7 mins. Keep it thick and creamy using very little water.

Serve with hot steamed rice or hot rotis.

5 comments:

  1. congrats to anu..a lovely post sharing memories ..luved it

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh this is so cute! Congrats to your Pilloo!

    It may be a good thing if women are getting married 'early' again. Especially those kind that want to have a family. In our quest for a career and to fulfill the various demands this hectic pace of life puts on us, we end up having children much later in life. It takes its toll on us physiologically. It increases our risk to cancers because our bodies did not go through hormonal changes at a younger age.

    There is good in everything. And it is possible to have both a career and a family even though you marry young.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sangeeth thanks for your wishes will pass on to her when I call her.

    Manisha yes I agree on that point but I guess I am feeling the separation pangs. Thanks for your wishes. I hope I get to attend the wedding though there is still time for it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. They are deep fried dahi mirchi(broken)?Or some varthal(sun dried vegetable?

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'd say those are dried and then fried chillies, too. No?

    ReplyDelete

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