Toor dal fry and the solitary burnt potato...

Having nothing better to do, and having had a reasonable sleep of 4 hours, when I woke up today evening, near about 9 o'clock, I felt quite helpless. No addition to the mail count in both gmail and office email (it's the festive season - it's stupid to expect that someone would sit and mail me), and it being well past 12 in India, no scope to talk to mom also. Just sent an sms, because knowing her, she won't be able to sleep so long as I don't inform that I am alive. My mom is the greatest alive tension-prone lady on earth. In my childhood, if I would be even 1 hour late in returning from school, I'd find her on the cross roads, with flowing hair and a crazy look in her eyes, as if I have been burnt alive. Funniest part happened during annual result declaration in school. She'd always be convinced that this time both my children will fail to get promoted to the next class. We'd come back from school, quite a happy look on our faces, my brother would be particularly excited, for he was always a star performer in the exams. We'd find her lying like a log on the bed, all strength drained. "What happened?" she'd feebly manage to say. "Mom, you know what, I again got full marks in Maths" - my bro would reply. "Have you passed?" - this is my mom, a topper in Maths needn't necessarily pass in all subjects. :D :D
So - I had to at least send an sms you see...otherwise I never know in what all ways I'd have died in her mind - run over by a jumbo truck, jumped on the metro line, had severe food poisoning - she being a sagi herself, can imagine anything.

Was planning to finish up the toor dal. Having decided to maintain the usual routine of eating veg for the next 3 days, I needed to cook some veg stuff. On office days it's kinda difficult - and the only thing I can cook quickly is egg. I remember some poor abandoned eggs in our fridge in SG. Who'd have known I'd become a vegetarian overnight.

Ok, don't laugh, this was the first time I was cooking toor dal. I inherited it from my colleagues. And as I have told you, I am now a complete miserly person. I need to finish up my ration before I leave. This is my latest obsessive compulsive disorder symptom. I cannot shield it anymore saying, food is precious, it shouldn't be wasted. I know very well that it won't be wasted, there are so many people to whom I can give it. Still it'd go on all the time, in the back of mind - the moong dal, the soya chunks, the potatoes - how to use them up. Potatoes in particular, because I got 2 kg some 2 weeks back, haven't even used 200 gm yet. There's such a variety of things to cook, and I was trying my hand in pasta, chana masala etc. Things with which potato simply won't go. It's my greatest worry now. To finish the potatoes. Rest of the things are fine, they'd somehow fit in my suitcase. No way I can fit in 2 kg of potato.

I feel pity for myself at times. Never thought I'd count potatoes some day. It is like a blanket of protection, which is stifling me. She needs money, so that she can give up her job whenever she wants. I'd tell myself. For this much freedom, I'm losing everything else. Counting coins, counting my ration, and feeling everyone's all set to take away from me. And I being the doctor without the degree, would never care to consult a psychiatrist.

So coming back to potatoes. Today after I came back from the tour of the garden, I attacked the potatoes for the first time. Fried them in butter. Came out quite well. So, planned a similar dinner for evening. Rice, toor dal fry and potato fry. There were only two potatoes which were boiled. I needed another one. Put one hapless piece in the microwave and set the toor dal to boil, setting another frying pan with butter, on the flame. I was chopping tomatoes, washing dishes, slicing the potatoes for the planned french fry, all at the same time. The chimney was on, yet there was a lot of smoke. Didn't understand at first, then saw that poor Mr Potato has been burnt like a rock. Smoke was coming out from everywhere inside the microwave. You should have seen me. I tried even an emergency surgery kinda thing, soaked the potato in water for a while and tried to peel off the skin. No point. With a weeping heart I had to let go of it in the bin. So much for Pupu's "save every penny" campaign :D :D One full potato wasted - can you even imagine?

Toor dal came off awesome. Acid taste of your cooking is, when after preparation you are tasting it for the first time. If you take a second helping, you got first class. If you take a third, you got distinction. So dinner time finally.