A friend of mine and I decide to catch up over lunch.
It’s over a decade that she had been out of the country, just returned lock, stock and barrel, that there are loads of things to catch up on is a mere understatement.
My place, I sternly insist, and almost as an afterthought add, well, what would you love to eat ?
The response comes in a flash. Mati Mahor Dali, Aloo Pitika and Masor Tenga.
I am not surprised. Not at all.
The gastronome from Assam (and it would not be inaccurate, would it, to extrapolate this to all the eastern states, Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Assam) travels the world but returns home to his (or her) dal, aloo chokha / aloo bhate / aloo pitika and maacher jhol / masor tenga.
Piping hot rice, a dal, accompanied by the humble mashed potato and a squeeze of lemon is the closest to food heaven, (and I am confident that all of you from the east would be unanimous in agreement) that one can possibly be.
Humble and unpretentious it may as well be, but no Assamese meal is complete without a mustard oil redolent Pitika.
Aloo aru Bengena Pitika. Mashed potato. Or the equally addictive oven-roasted egglant. Finely chopped onions. Some fiendish green chillies. Some coriander leaves if you love the heady aroma. A generous drizzle of mustard oil.
Soul food !!!!
Aloo Aru Bengena Pitika (Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Eggplant Mash, Assamese Style)
Ingredients
Aloo Pitika (Mashed Potatoes, Assamese Style)
- 3-4 potatoes halved
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 3-4 green chillies finely chopped
- 1 tbsp mustard oil
- salt to taste
Bengena Pitika (Roasted Eggplant Mash, Assamese Style)
- 1 big eggplant or brinjal
- 1 big onion
- 3-4 green chilies finely chopped
- 1/4 cup coriander leaves finely chopped
- 1 tbsp mustard oil
- salt to taste
Instructions
Aloo Pitika (Mashed Potatoes, Assamese Style)
- Pressure cook the potatoes, just one whistle I would reckon. Allow the steam come down on its own.
- Drain the boiled potatoes from the water, allow to come to room temperature. Peel the potatoes.
- Now mash the potatoes till smooth. Add a sprinkle of salt, throw in the chopped onions and green chilies. Finish with a generous drizzle of mustard oil. Give it another hearty mix.
- Adjust seasonings. More mustard oil and green chillies if you want.
- Serve hot with piping hot rice.
Bengena Pitika (Roasted Eggplant Mash, Assamese Style)
- Grease the eggplant with a little mustard oil, prick all over with the help of a skewer.
- Roast the eggplant over an open flame till the skin starts peeling off. Turn the eggplant carefully every 1-2 minutes till it is uniformly cooked. Check with a skewer.
- Switch off the flame, allow the eggplant to cool to room temperature.
- Gently remove the charred skin from the eggplant.
- Mash the eggplant pulp till smooth. Add a sprinkle of salt, throw in the chopped onions, green chilies and coriander leaves. Finish with a generous drizzle of mustard oil. Give it another hearty mix.
- Adjust seasonings. More mustard oil and green chillies if you want.
- Serve hot with piping hot rice.
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