This weather is driving me crazy. Wind, rain, snow, lightning and thunder-all in one day. I swear, we're not even going to have a spring. It will just be winter one day, and the next will be 90 degree heat with high humidity. As I was driving to work yesterday morning I thought to myself, "Self, it's not going to be winter too much longer. Wouldn't it be nice if Marisha's mom, Lata, would make a big pot of dal dhokli for lunch, and they invited me to join them? "
Ten minutes later, just as I sat down at my desk, my phone rang. It was Marisha, calling to update me on her progress in selling her listings in a tough real estate market. A conversation with Marisha always invigorates me-she has boundless energy and it's contagious. So, she was sharing her success at convincing her poor sellers to further drop the prices on their homes when she paused and asked me to hold on, her mom was on the other line. "Dal dhokli, dal dhokli, dal dhokli," I chanted to myself.
"Hello, Mom?"
"Sure, I can come for lunch, maybe noon?"
"Mom? I'm talking to Amy, what were you going to make?"
"Amy, she said she can make dal dhokli-would you like to come over?"
I didn't hesitate. "Do you really need to ask? I would cancel a recruiting appointment if it meant I could have some dal."
"Hello, Mom? Amy said she would cancel her appointments if she could have dal. I think you should charge her $100 for a bowl. I believe she would pay that!"
You see what happened here? I used my powers of visualization to get what I wanted! (kidding, kidding) And? Marisha's right, I would pay dearly for the dal-although it's also for the company. Marisha's family is so very warm and welcoming, and they seem to enjoy the fact that their cooking brings me so much pleasure. I love their knowledge of food, and how there's always something new to try in her parent's home, which is only a mile and a half from my office.
Picture courtesy of the very fine blog Evolving Tastes
It's hard to describe this...soup? Stew? It has the texture of velvet. It's hearty without leaving you with the feeling of lead gut after downing four three helpings of it. The red chili peppers are to be fought over if one enjoys spicy food. Traditionally, this soup is served with ghee, but Marisha's parents don't keep it on hand so her father, Suresh, just encourages you to add more butter to the steaming concoction. Butter in soup? Count me in! If the butter is left out, this is a wonderful vegan meal.
My love for this dish is only enhanced by the technique used to prepare it. I could kick myself for not throwing my camera into my truck yesterday as I do most mornings. I wanted to capture the process with pictures. Watching Lata prepare it makes me love it that much more. I adore watching her as she rolls out the dhokli and cuts them into neat diamonds. I'm mesmerized as she tempers the vaghaar over an open flame. When the vaghaar is poured into the dal, the spattering and hissing are signs that the wait is over and it's time to eat. My mouth is literally watering by the time the the dal is ladled into my bowl.
I have Lata's handwritten instructions for this delicacy. Two pages of neatly printed and precise direction. She's compiled more than fifty recipes like this for her children and I'm in awe of the effort and detail she's put into it. Not to be outdone, Marisha's father is also an excellent cook. Suresh's chicken curry is to die for, and I've been promised a personal lesson in his technique for that as well.
Now, if I could only get the recipe for date bread from my other friend's mom.
