Gulmohar Ki Sabzi

NO, this is no cookery blog. Neither I have any plans to introduce any cuisine related flavor to it. It just because I came across something and I’m writing about it.

I’m not a foodie. My plate is not my test bed. I like only trusted thing to be in it. I could be only among very few Indian who don’t like their dishes to be spicy and red hot. For the same reason, I rarely enjoy any change in my menu. But this Saturday, it was some different.

For probably first time in couple of months, The Columbus in me, got a chance to come out. Driving at snailing speed of 30-35 kmph over NH-50 (that my favorite road to drive along) on a Saturday morning is one of the best thing you can do on earth. When you see Trucks, Buses and Cabs gushing beside you at a killing speed, you understand and appreciate the time you have in your kitty. And I need not to explain how priceless this feeling can be for those who keep on patting their keyboards all day long pegged into their cubes. You start to believe that you are not the last person on the earth, who will die without having time to do what you want to do. There are many more, who are running faster than you, to an extent for endangering their life. It might sound a really weird way to do it, but that’s one of my stress buster techniques.

Coming back to the where we had derailed, it’s around 11:00 AM in the morning. I dropped down around a motel, to feed myself. Things around where pretty similar to what one should expect in a highway side motel. I was looking for someone to make an order and a board hooked my attention. It says “Aaj ka Menu- Gulmohar ki Sabzi”. I was not there for lunch, so didn’t give it much a thought.

An old couple sitting just beside seemed very exciting about it. I remember to have overheard the lady saying that she used have it every time they visit their ancestral place. I was still stiff not to go for it, but the moment that couple was severed, I knew what I have to order. The aroma of the sabzi had just filled the place and it was too hard to avoid.

Without giving and more time to my mind to counter my heart, I placed my order. One plate sabzi and 2 Chapaati. After some 15 minute, my pie of taste was on my plate and it looked awesome. It was a dry base of ginger garlic with chopped tomato in it. Red gulmohar petals along with green coriander leaves and golden brown fried onions were making the sabzi more colourful.  And the fragrances of hot smoking spices were making my secretion system work overtime.

In goes the first bite, which soon followed a full glass of water. It was spicy and hot. The gulmohar was giving a pinch of sweet to it and tomato was making it a pinch sour. Everything were put in almost picture perfect amount.  I ordered 2 more chapatti. Just after taking my last bite, I thanked that old couple for such an unique dish which I could have never tasted otherwise.

I moved out and asked for the bill. “pachas rupiya” (50 Rupees) came the response. And all those heavy bills I paid in so called best dine place in the city came in front of my eyes. Rightly they say, best things in the world are found only where they are least searched for.

P.S.- now wherever I’m seeing a gulmohar tree loaded with flowers, I want to eat them all J