The husband and Chingri-Chamatkar

Making the husband go close to the dishwasher is a challenge. 

There are the occasional days (saying "once in a blue moon" may not capture the right "occasionality" I am talking about) when the dishwasher is lucky to be loaded/unloaded by him without a word said by the wife. 

Then there are the more frequent days when the wife says..

" Amakei shob kaj korte hoy...keu ektu dishwasher tao khali kore na"[goj goj goj]
(I have to do all the work, no one helps me to even unload the dishwasher)

OR

"Amakei shob kaj korte hoy...keu ektu dishwasher tao khali kore na"[goj goj goj]

OR (this time a few decibels higher)

" Amakei shob kaj korte hoy...keu ektu dishwasher tao khali kore na" [goj goj goj]..

You get the message. So does he. In most cases.

;-)

Recently the doctor has asked the husband to be more conscious of his health and added the challenge of making him go for a walk/gym to lose some weight. Wife is happy if he does go for that walk/gym. The happiness shows.

So one day wife comes back from work, husband comes back from work...dishwasher needs to be unloaded. No response from husband. Wife starts unloading it...making some EXTRA noise with the dishes and the pans to make sure that husband hears that she is unloading the dishwasher. AGAIN...

Husband hears it , walks up to the wife and asks..

"Shall I unload the dishwasher OR go for a walk?"

Wife is speechless.  
After a moment answers back, "Don't you think your sentence has an error? Shouldn't it be AND in place of OR?"
Later on, she picks up phone to relate this "dialogue of the day"  to her best friend and cannot stop laughing after that!

Btw, this story has nothing to do with MY husband or MY dishwasher...

Anyway, today I am going to cook something which is A-senior's absolute favourite.
If done properly, the dishwasher may be unloaded by him tomorrow !

I learned to cook prawns from Bouma. She is this fantastic lady whom I met in Japan. Within no time she became "my Bouma" from a total "stranger".The moment it became known that I love prawns in any form, it became a "must have" for each and every weekend at her household. Dada got the prawns and Bouma cooked. Who says only blood relations are family?
I ate lots and and Bouma packed more for me to take back to my hostel room.

So I started cooking prawns in Japan. A-senior does not like fish at all, not even prawns. I tried to explain how prawn is not a fish and hence should not be part of his "dont-eat-fish-thingie". But he remained unmoved like the sage Vishwamitra infront of Menka (the analogy is fishy, I know). He did ask me to eat prawns as much as I like but then I did not feel like cooking for myself only. With both of us working full time it is almost always a one-pot-meal. So life continued.....

Till I made "Chingri-Chamatkar".

He has started eating prawns (ONLY Chingri-chamatkar). He has also proudly announced (even infront of my mother-in-law) that he will eat prawns (Chingri-chamatkar) if and only if I make it !!

I have even caught him red-handed trying to eat COLD chingri chamatkar directly from the fridge late at night!!!

This should be enough inspiration to make you rush out immediately and grab a pack of prawns.

Chingri Chamatkar

I used:

• Tiger prawns : 1 kg
• Mustard paste:  3-4 tbsp
• Coconut milk:  1 can 
• Grated coconut: 4-5 tbsp (frozen will also do)
• Cinnamon: 2 " piece.
• Cardamom: 3-4
• Green chilli: 5-6
• Mustard oil: 3-4 tbsp (you can also use sunflower oil but the taste will not be the same)
• Salt ( to taste)
• Turmeric

Ready steady cook: 

1.  Marinate the prawns with turmeric and salt. Keep it for 30 mins.
2. Heat mustard oil in a  pan. When it starts to smoke, add the cardamom and cinnamom.
3. Reduce heat to medium and add the chopped chillies ( 1 or 2)
4. Add the prawns and fry them for a few minutes. Be careful, prawns are delicate creatures...overcooking can make them rubbery. So just fry till they change colour to pinkish.
5. Add the grated coconut and cook for a while.
6. Add the mustard paste, turmeric and salt.
7. Cook for only a minute and add the coconut milk. Let it simmer with a cover.(4-5 mins)
8. Switch off the heat. Add a spoon of mustard oil on the top and garnish with more slit green chillies.
9. Please have with steaming white rice. DO NOT EAT COLD FROM THE REFRIGERATOR.

Marinated Tiger prawns

The prawns are cooked

Some steaming rice to enjoy and you are done...