Deemer Jhol – Nostalgia In A Pot

I love to talk to my friends and family. But because I’m a big sucker for interesting stories, I enjoy interacting with strangers as well. If there’s someone in front of me, of course, I initiate a conversation and see how it goes. But even when I’m alone, I enjoy sharing my story and engaging with others through my vlog. All you need is your camera and, in a moment, you can connect with many strangers, all at the same time, and exchange ideas and thoughts. Exhilarating, right? Yes, yes, people often think I’m an extrovert. And you know what? I probably am.

Extroversion vs the fear of unknown

Though I enjoy interacting with strangers, be it in the real world or online, please don’t assume that I’m comfortable with ‘living’ in a completely unfamiliar world! Of course, I love to meet new people and explore untold stories, but there’s no comfort like home at the end of the day. Do you feel that too? 

So, almost ten years ago, when my husband got an opportunity to work in Melbourne for six months, it was also an opportunity for me to travel to a new country and a new hemisphere! It was my first international flight! A new chapter of my life had started. Despite it being my first time going abroad, I flew alone from Calcutta to Melbourne, from the northern to the southern hemisphere. Can you imagine my excitement?  

I’m a girl from a middle-class family and have studied in a Bengali medium school all my life. Like most others with a similar background, I grew up with many restrictions. My “you are not allowed to do” list had always been way longer than my “you are allowed to do” list. And solo traveling, of course, was a strict no-no. NOW can you imagine my excitement? For me, my marriage was my passport and visa, not only for solo travelling but also as a general opportunity to tick off my bucket list. Of course, I was fortunate enough to have a wonderful partner who was happy to be the wind beneath my wings. I know some women face more restrictions post marriage.

” Badal pe pao hain, ab chhuta gaon hain,

 ab to bass chal pari apni ye nao hain”

I remember humming this for months during that time. 

Memories of Melbourne

It was the end of August when I arrived at Melbourne; I walked out from the airport gate and met my best friend, my husband. It was the first time since I had left Calcutta airport, that I was seeing a known face again in the past twenty-four hours. I was relieved. There were so many people around me, but I knew that I didn’t quite belong. Feeling uncertain and alone in the crowd with just the husband to call my own, I realized for the first time, how lonely I had been feeling while traveling halfway across the world for the past twenty-four hours.

Thankfully, my husband felt like home. He was waiting there with a big smile and a bouquet of roses to welcome me to this new adventure. It was a time of many firsts… the first time in four years when we didn’t see each other for two weeks, the first time I experienced a harsh and chilling breeze from the southern ocean hit my face, the first time I witnessed August being a winter month. 

The moment we entered our apartment, a very familiar aroma guided me towards the kitchen. I walked to the gas stove and saw a pot full of Deemer Jhol and rice, sitting ready for our dinner. It is my all-time comfort food, especially when I’m hungry after a long journey! I was amazed to see that the introductory cooking lesson I had given my husband before he left Calcutta, had in turn, become most useful. He had cooked my comfort food! I didn’t even care if it tasted alright, the gesture alone had me in tears.

To my surprise, the deemer jhol was not only comforting but also delicious. His colleague and his wife joined us for dinner. We created a delightful memory and soon got busy discussing how we could explore the new city together. 

Deemer Jhol (Bengali style Egg curry/stew) 

This delectable no-fuss recipe comes together quickly for a simple yet beautiful meal. If you have hard-boiled eggs in your refrigerator, you always have the components of a satisfying meal. Check out the video to get perfectly hard-boiled eggs every single time.

Video Link: https://youtu.be/FRh_0bGqEKo

Recipe:

Serves: 4-8 

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Ingredients:

8 Eggs 

2-3 Potatoes ~ cut in quarters

2 medium Onions ~ sliced

1 ½ tbsp Ginger paste

1 tbsp Garlic paste

2 tsp Cumin powder

1 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Kashmiri Red chilli powder

1 tsp Extra Hot red chilli powder

2 Tomatoes ~ chopped (approx. 1 cup)

3-4 Green chillies

1 tsp Garam Masala

¼ Sugar

¼ cup mustard oil

2 Bay leaves

4 Cloves

¼ stick cinnamon

3 green cardamoms

½ Tsp cumin seeds

Procedure:

The first step, let’s make the hard-boiled eggs:

Put the eggs in a saucepan and cover them with cool water.

Bring the water to a boil over medium heat,

When the water has reached a boil, remove it from heat and sit for 10 minutes.

Transfer the egg to a colander, place it under cool water.

Crack the eggs and de-shell them. Then with the help of a knife, make a couple of slits on the eggs.

Place the potatoes on a microwave-safe plate, and let it microwave for 3 to 4 minutes.

Mix together Kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt, and add the eggs and potatoes to a shallow bowl.

In a small bowl, add all ground spices, then add a little bit of water; make a smooth paste using a spoon.

Add oil in a preheated pan; when the oil is nice and hot, add eggs and fry for a couple of minutes.  Remove from oil.

Add potatoes, and over medium-high heat, cook just for 2 minutes, then remove from oil.

Add bay leaf, green cardamom, cloves, cumin seeds to the remaining oil, and give a stir for a couple of minutes.

Add sliced onion, sprinkle salt and sugar over medium heat, fry till it develops a golden colour.

Add ginger paste, garlic paste, give a mix and cook until the raw smell of the ginger-garlic has gone.

Add the chopped tomatoes, and cook till the tomatoes are softened,

Time to add the spice mixture to the onion mixture, add a little bit of water, continue cooking till the oil is released from the mixture.

Our sauce base or gravy is almost ready. Now time to add the eggs and potatoes to the cooking pan,  mix the eggs and potatoes with the sauce, cook for 1 or 2 minutes.

Add about 2 cups of  warm water, increase the heat to high, let it come to a boil,

Sprinkle garam masala, add green chillies, reduce the heat to medium, let it simmer for 3-4 minutes. Then turn off the heat. Let it sit for 5 minutes.

Serve with hot rice.

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