Soul Food

I just finished eating chole batura that my mother in law made. Oh my goodness. I think I could have that once a month and not even care about whatever mother-in-law/daughter-in-law issues could come up. I could just be like “Yes, I know you’re trying to take over my house but are we having chole batura on the fifteenth? Cool!” It’s that good.

The dish contains a chick pea curry and deep fried bread. The curry is so flavorful and complex. It has a little sweet, a little fire and all kinds of other flavors. With every spoonful you taste something new. A little clove, a little cinnamon, a little jaggery (raw cane sugar), some tomato. The dish is full of contrast, yet perfectly balanced. Like fine art on a plate.

Then there are the batura, deep fried bread that’s as light as a cloud, they are a little similar to puffy tacos, but they are softer, flat and made from different flour. Their lightness rounds out the dish. It is sooo good. A person could hurt him or herself eating that stuff. Maybe I’ll try my hand at it so I can have my sons’ and daughter’s households under my spell when I grow up.