Aloo Chingri PeyajKoli Chorchori -- those were the days

I don't know what has happened to my evening these days. With the kids getting older, you would expect that, my evenings would roll around like a glorious expanse of free time. Instead, there I am sitting at precisely 8:15 PM explaining place value to a six year old.

I have no clue how I landed in this morose place where six year olds need to be taught but apparently there is something called the common core curriculum, which is like going to make an Einstein out of each tiny tot who has ever passed through the holy grails of American Public School System. To step up to this whole new challenge, the fancy town we moved to because its schools if not best is better than many, has devised multitude of tests. These tests apparently test little children on things they know, things they do not know, things god-dang-six-year-olds could never know. You are not supposed to prep your kid for these tests but apparently everyone does. Except of course me who lives under the rock and some other hippie Mom who believes in karma.

And then I wander into one of LS's school classmate's birthday party and everyone is discussing how their first grader knows multiplication, division, decimals and what nots and I am like really, where was I all these years ? The hippie mom of course is peacefully exhaling and not taking part in this discussion about child prodigies, but she doesn't count. She has flat abs and amazing skin and her children eat flax-seed crackers.





Armed with the knowledge that the new-age first grader needs to know, the next day, I try to sit with Little Sis after she is back from her taekwondo to do "some" math. She is clearly not happy about the arrangement. She wants to go back to her relaxing evenings of "Curious George" and "doing-nothing". I myself want to go back to those evenings. Instead I steel my nerves and  sign into her math book, for which the school gives us online access, and then I propose that we do the next math lesson they would do in class. LS refuses.

"I will do it when Mrs.T does it in class", she says

So I say, "Okay, let us do some fractions."

"That is not until 2nd grade. What will I do in 2nd grade then?", she declares.

Valid point but I don't give up.

I suggest several other things, which might or might not have included integral calculus, and then suddenly she wants to do place value. So we get out Lego blocks to comprehend what it means to have 5 tens and 3 ones. At the same time Big Sis is trying to find the volume of triangular prisms. I am struggling to get dinner to the table in the midst of all this lego, prisms and maths.

Even five years back when Big Sis was in first grade, things were not so bad. No one I knew did division or calculus in first grade and none of the kids would touch flaxseed cracker with a pole. Things were so much more simple. And I had time.

Sigh! But no point moping about golden days. Similarly no point thinking of the real onion greens, the peyaaj koli. We make do with scallion which we get in plenty. This aloo peyaaj koli chochhori is based on a aloo peyaaj chingri (potato onion shrimp fry) in Pragyasundari Devi's book, thick volume of two books that a dear friend of mine gifted me on this India trip. I will write more on those books soon, as I cook more recipes from them. Until then here is quick, simple dish to tide you on a week night.

Chop two bunches of green scallion

Chop One large potato in long slices

Chop half of an onion in half moon slices

De-vein and clean about 10-12 medium sized shrimp. Toss with pinch of turmeric powder and a sprinkle of salt.

Heat 2 tbsp Mustard Oil

Lightly saute the shrimp and just as they are turning golden yellow, take them out.

Add 1 tbsp more oil. Temper the Oil with 1/2 tsp of Paanchforon and 2 dry red chilli.

Now add the sliced onions and fry until they turn translucent with brown edges.

Add the potatoes. Sprinkle little turmeric powder and saute the potatoes.

Once the potatoes start turning golden add the green scallion. Saute for a minute. Add salt to taste and 1/4tsp of red chilli powder. When the scallion wilts, cover the pan and let the potatoes cook.

Remove the cover and give an occasional stir. Sprinkle little water if necessary. This is going to be a dry dish and so don't add too much water.

Once the vegetables are cooked, mix the fried shrimp, drizzle few drops of mustard oil and cook for a minute.

Serve with rice or roti.

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