Chilli Chop and Dhall

Yesterday evening it was just like another night. We had potluck gathering at my place. It had become more often for me to organise such event as I felt that this way it would be much more convenient for the host to organise, as every guest who came would bring their own food or beverage (either they cooked it themselves or purchased it outside), and enjoyed sharing it over a dinner.

Our potluck menu - Bhutanese food and Gulai Ayam

This time, there were Jambay and Uden, who brought the Bhutanese pork curry or phaksa pha, a bottle of white wine, and chips for my dear son; Mendy, my Myanmar friend, who was also my colleague, bringing another bottle of white wine; and my Indonesian friend, an ex-schoolmate and travel khaki, Margaret, with her Gulai Ayam, a traditional Indonesian dish - chicken cooked in yellow curry-like spices.

I prepared Kewa Datshi (Bhutanese dish of potato cooked with chilli and cheese), ingredients for Dhall (Indian lentil soup) and Chilli Chop (Bhutanese deep fried chilli coated with Besan or Gram flour).

Chilli Chop and Dhall

I loved Chilli Chop. It's delicious snack that you could eat it as Chang Pa (accompany for the beer), or have it with rice. After my post about Bhutanese food recipes, I obtained the recipe of Chilli Chop from Amrith Subba, a Bhutanese blogger who loves writing  (you can still find the recipe there on the comment part). From him, I found out that I had to use not the normal flour, but Besan or Gram flour, a flour that wasn't commonly used or sold here in Singapore. I tried searching it in many local
supermarket but couldn't find until one day Uden and I visited Mustafa and found it there :) That was why I thought of organising the potluck with her (so she could enjoy her home food here in Singapore).

I ate Dhall almost in every meal during my stay in Bhutan. I missed and loved the taste. That's why I would love to learn on how to cook it so I could enjoy it anytime when I felt eating it. But at that time, I wasn't aware on how to cook it. First, I wasn't familiar with Indian spice. And second, I didn't know how to use the pressure cooker. So, ever since I got my pressure cooker from Luzee, read here, I then started gathering some info from friends and Internet about how to make both dishes :)

I called it Sonam Lhamo's Eating House based on my Bhutanese name :)

So, although I had the information on hand, I thought it's still better to watch the local Bhutanese mixed and cooked the dishes. Therefore, Uden was showing me on how to cook it yesterday. Hmmm.... both dishes turned out well. All of us enjoyed the food, the wines, and the chit chatting. We talked and stayed until quite late then they went home.

Today, I tried cooking Dhall myself using the pressure cooker. Hmmm.... I think it's quite successful! ;) I'm very happy la! Now I can enjoy it anytime I want. But I need to learn more on the Chilli Chop as I think it can still have some improvement on the way how to do it. Well, just like any other things in life, practice makes perfect. I need to learn and practice more :D Hope I can do better very soon!!! :)