Bora r jhal or Lentil Dumpling curry

the dumplings cooking in gravy
Borar Jhal and pea rice
These days I am so much into vegetarian food. I am amazed just how delicious the veggies are without any onion paste or garlic or any other masala paste...Lovely.... isn't it? And healthy too...
The first real taste of authentic vegetarian food ... ie., without any onion or garlic was from Dimma 's (grandmother) kitchen.She was an amazingly talented woman. She sewed the prettiest of table cloths and pillow cases, made the most adorable dolls, embroidered the lovliest designs on bedcovers and knitted the best fitting sweaters during winters. And ...when she cooked..... oh! I have never quite tasted vegetarian food ..the kind she made...so simple yet the best tasting ever.... it was her Hather gun.....I guess....the amazing paturis, cutlets, chochhoris, chenchkis... they just tasted so delicious when she cooked them...
So this humble blog post of is my way of remembering her....

How to make Borar Jhal:

For the dumplings:
matar dal (split pea lentil)- soaked overnight and made into a fine paste ~ 1 cup (the paste must not be runny)
cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
salt
oil for frying

For the gravy:
potato- 2 medium sized ones diced
tomato- one large roughly chopped
ginger paste-1 tbsp
cumin seeds-1 tsp
bay leaf-1
garam masala powder-1 tsp
coriander leaves-a handful
green chillies- 3-4 slit
ghee-1/2 tsp
turmeric
oil
salt
sugar

Grind the lentil to a fine paste with salt .Add the cumin seeds. Now heat oil in a fry pan and add one tbsp of the lentil paste to the smoking oil. Fry to golden brown. (Be careful not to make the paste too watery.) Continue frying the dumplings.
Remove and drain the extra oil.
In the remaining oil add the potatoes and lightly fry them.Remove and drain the oil.
Next add the chillies, sugar(a pinch ),cumin seeds and the bay leaf and let them sizzle.
Add the ginger and tomatoes and turmeric. Lower the heat , add a little salt and let the tomatoes soften.
Now add a cup of water, cover and cook until the potaotes are done.
Carefully spoon in the elntil dumplings in the simmering gravy so that they are soaked.
Season with salt and add garam masala. Add the coriander.
Let the dumplings cook in the gravy for a minute or two.
Just before removing from heat stir in a the ghee.
Note that the lentil dumplings soak up all the gravy. So add more water if you want a little jhol(gravy).

Serve hot with pea rice or just white rice or just take it in a bowl and enjoy...just like that!:)