Alex Arson's Crock Pot

Welcome to Alex Arson's Crock Pot where I, Alex teach the fast paced, lower middle class youth to make delicious, nourishing, quick meals

Moosur daal – a fusion of Bengal and Bihar

Disclaimer Welcome to intuitive cooking. These recipes are to unleash the chaos in you. No measurements, just vibes

I learnt to make daal at 24. I was instructed by a friend over a video call because I didn't want to Google it. They taught me how to make it in the style their mom made it – the Bihari style. Then my mother told me how we don't do all that in the Bengali style. So I learnt two very different processes of having daal. I'll list both down below.

What I find interesting is that both cultures developed side by side and yet we have so many differences. Industrialisation of the country has only made the gap bigger instead of bridging it. It saddens me so much. Especially when from all over the world we're getting reports of governments assassinating their own citizens, I think it's really important as a nation that we embrace the strength in our diversity. Our cultures, histories, languages, differences and similarities are what make us unique and interesting. This is why colonisers have chosen us over and over and over. Yet, Indians have always managed to assimilate our oppressors into our society, gently redirecting them from pillaging to seeing us as equal traders. We need to remember the sheer power Indians hold in the world. Our greatest exports – intellect, spices, rice, human labour – are what the world functions on. I truly believe the day we reconcile our inter-cultural differences, we will be unstoppable.

Anyway, getting back to daal. My go to is the Bengali version as you'll see it's easier and quicker. The Bihari version is for days when you need comfort in food but also therapy in the preparation. I'm usually lazy and believe in one pot fast cooks but some recipes are so close to my heart, I can't help but share. I know a lot of you also hate chopping and extra prep time but if you have the opportunity and energy, do try the Bihari version of the recipe. You won't regret putting the 15 mins of extra effort.

Ingredients – Bengali version

  • Paanch foron
  • Mustard oil
  • Turmeric
  • Salt
  • Moosur daal
  • Water
  • Pressure cooker

Instructions

  • Wash the daal
  • In some heated oil in the pressure cooker, put the paanch foron in and let it sputter for a few seconds
  • Drop in the daal
  • Add salt and turmeric powder and let the water dry off. Stir occasionally
  • Add water, at least double the amount of daal (this one is a little more flowy. On setting aside for a while, the chonky parts of the daal settles at the bottom, creating my favourite warm drink in the world – daaler jol which literally translates to pulses' water)
  • Close the lid of the pressure cooker
  • Wait for 3-4 whistles
  • Let the pressure release on its own
  • Serve over hot rice and with some onion, tomato, cucumber salad dressed with lemon juice and salt

Ingredients – Bihari version

  • Tej patta
  • Dried red chilli (my preference is Kashmiri, it adds a layer of smokiness to the daal that's just irreplaceable)
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Tomato
  • Green chilli
  • Mustard oil
  • Turmeric
  • Chilli powder
  • Salt
  • Moosur daal
  • Water
  • Coriander
  • Pressure cooker

Instructions

  • Wash the daal
  • Add salt and water to the daal and let it pressure cook
  • Wait for 2-3 whistles
  • Chop onions, garlic and green chilli
  • In a pan, heat mustard oil
  • Add tej patta and dried red chilli
  • When they start to sputter, add garlic
  • As the raw garlic smell disappears, add onions and a little more salt
  • When the onion turns translucent, add chillies and tomatoes
  • Cook till all the vegetables look wilted
  • Add turmeric powder, and red chilli powder
  • Fry till you can't smell the raw masala anymore
  • Open the lid to your pressure cooker once the pressure is released
  • Vigorously break down the daal pieces with a daal masher
  • Add the scorching, sputtering chokh/tadka/temper to the daal and stir it in
  • Garnish with some freshly chopped coriander
  • Serve over hot rice and with some rice+sabudana papad

Write to me at alexarson@skiff.com

Fruits for my fruits

Disclaimer Welcome to intuitive cooking. These recipes are to unleash the chaos in you. No measurements, just vibes

This ones for all the health conscious queers who've bullied me into caring for myself. Thank you. Without you, I'd forever be in heartburn hell surrounded by eno

Ingredients

  • Crunchy fruits
  • Soft juicy fruits
  • Berries which aren't fruits but consumed as such
  • No tomato even though it is a fruit
  • Salt
  • Honey
  • Citrus fruit juice/vinegar
  • A fruity foodie to consume said fruits

Instructions

  • Chop up your fruits in bite size pieces. I used apples, guava, kiwi, bananas (peeled), and pineapples.
  • Top with some freshly squeezed orange/lime juice. You can also use mosambi juice. Sprinkle some salt and a generous helping of honey.
  • Mix and consume fresh.

Alternative

  • You can mix some pasta amd cheese with this to make a spring/summer pasta salad.
  • You can use this as toppings in pancakes.
  • You can use this in custard.
  • You can make boba balls with these.

Let me know if you'd like quick recipes for boba balls

Write to me at alexarson@skiff.com

Oil free egg drop noodles

Disclaimer Welcome to intuitive cooking. These recipes are to unleash the chaos in you. No measurements, just vibes

Ingredients

  • Noodles (I used wheat maggi for the masala, you can also use maggi masala separately)
  • Eggs
  • Soya sauce
  • Spring onion
  • Ginger garlic paste
  • Chilli flakes
  • Coriander
  • Salt
  • Sesame seeds

Instructions

  • In a pot of water, simmer soya sauce, spring onion and ginger garlic paste
  • Beat eggs with salt in a bowl
  • Add the eggs slowly in the simmering mixture
  • Increase the heat and stir the contents occasionally in intervals of a few seconds
  • Drop the noodles and the maggi masala and stir to mix it all up
  • Once the noodles are cooked about 80% remove from heat
  • Add chilli flakes and coriander and mix
  • Transfer to serving bowl
  • Sprinkle a little bit of sesame seeds and spring onions to break the texture and serve piping hot

Alternatives

  • You can use vegetable stock or chicken stock instead of water
  • You can add vegetables or chicken or paneer or tofu to enrich the soup even more
  • You can add a half boiled egg on top or a sunny side up or crisp fried bacon to the side to increase the protein intake
  • You can add black peppers to the eggs
  • You can temper the soup with some coriander seeds, curry leaves and peppercorn

Write to me at alexarson@skiff.com

Homemade healthy veg aata “dumplings” to gently trick your vegetable averse loved ones

Disclaimer Welcome to intuitive cooking. These recipes are to unleash the chaos in you. No measurements, just vibes

Ingredients

  • Aata (Wheat Flour)
  • Any kind of refined oil/ghee
  • Baking powder (optional)
  • Salt
  • Sugar
  • Black pepper powder
  • Leftover veggies chopped really tiny (carrots, beans, cauliflowers, cabbage, radish, etc)
  • Cheese (optional)
  • Water
  • A steamer/a deep dish, aluminium foil and a lid

Instructions

  • Mix aata with a little salt, a pinch of sugar and baking powder
  • Pour oil on the mix and then slowly add water and mix till the dough is easily removed from the sides of the dish
  • Now dust some aata on a flat surface and knead that dough like it's not a dough but your English teacher from high school who simultaneously virtue signals young children and possesses the wrongest moral compass (As you can see, I'm still holding on to quite a bit of justified anger)
  • Set it aside when the dough is soft and supple to touch. Think of the texture if you were a cis male author describing a lead female character
  • Chop up your veggies real tiny
  • Mix in your cheese, salt, sugar and black pepper
  • Roll out the dough and put a tiny ball of stuffing in it and shape your dumpling
  • The salt will draw water and we'll mix it with some in the bowl we want to use as a steamer. This can be used as a base for a soup. You can also add some vegetables to it
  • If you do not have a steamer, you can cover a deep bellied dish with aluminium foil, poke a few holes in it. Place the dumplings on the aluminium foil and cover it with a lid
  • Steam the dumplings for about 30 mins
  • Serve hot with any spicy chutney

Write to me at alexarson@skiff.com

eggs, potatoes, veggies – it's got it all

Disclaimer Welcome to intuitive cooking. These recipes are to unleash the chaos in you. No measurements, just vibes

Ingredients

  • Bread
  • Egg
  • Potato
  • Cucumber
  • Mayo
  • Cheese
  • Salt
  • Jalapenos
  • Pickle (refer to Alex Arson's Pickle Rage for the recipe)
  • Black pepper powder

Instructions

  • Boil potatoes and eggs for 12-14 mins.
  • Peel and mash them along with some diced cucumber, mayo, salt, black pepper. (Do not add salt if you're setting the mixture aside for a while as it will draw water from the mixture. Instead, add the salt right before assembly.)
  • Slather some mayo on the bread and toast it.
  • Add cheese, sandwich filling, jalapenos and pickle and cover with another toasted bread.
  • Toast each side again to melt the cheese.
  • Cover with a muslin cloth if you're putting it in a tiffin box to absorb extra moisture so your sandwich stays crisp.
  • You can add lettuce between the bread and the filling to reduce absorption of moisture. I didn't have any on hand.

Write to me at alexarson@skiff.com

Pickled leftover vegetables – an amazing way to give new life to your veggies

Disclaimer Welcome to intuitive cooking. These recipes are to unleash the chaos in you. No measurements, just vibes

Ingredients

  • Leftover veggies like carrots, brocolli, chillies, garlic. Anything with crunch.
  • Vinegar of any kind
  • Salt
  • Sugar
  • Boiling hot water
  • Sterile glass container

Instructions

  • Chop your veggies in whatever shapes you like. Sometimes I chop them in star shapes and stuff just for fun. Don't make them too thick, maybe a centimetre max because we want the brine to soak through completely.
  • Put them in the jar.
  • Mix vinegar, hot water, salt and sugar together until everything is dissolved well.
  • Add this to the jar till every vegetable is completely submerged in it.
  • Put the lid on and refrigerate. This will be good for about 2 months if you keep it cool and use sterile utensils to retrieve the pickles. Brine can later be reused.
  • You can put spices like peppercorn, mustard, sesame seeds, etc as well for added flavour and crunch.
  • Consume after at least 24 hours for peak flavour. (It's okay to not wait and chomp down on them before as well.)

Write to me at alexarson@skiff.com

Peanut noodles

Disclaimer Welcome to intuitive cooking. These recipes are to unleash the chaos in you. No measurements, just vibes

Ingredients

  • Noodles of any kind, preferably chowmin
  • Peanuts
  • Potatoes
  • Chilli
  • Salt
  • Oil
  • Deep dish to boil noodles in
  • Colander

Instructions

  • Boil the noodles with a little oil mixed in the water and some salt.
  • Drain the noodles right when they're about 80% cooked.
  • In a pan, heat some oil.
  • Let the peanuts flavour the oil for a minute.
  • Cut the potatoes like french fries.
  • Add to the pan along with chopped chilli.
  • Add salt and mix the contents to cook it evenly.
  • Once the potatoes are cooked and soft, add the noodles gradually and mix it around.
  • Can be served with or without ketchup. My preference is without. You can add tomatoes and onions and other vegetables too if you like.

Write to me at alexarson@skiff.com

Curd Rice (contains recipe for perfect rice)

Disclaimer Welcome to intuitive cooking. These recipes are to unleash the chaos in you. No measurements, just vibes

In my last Tribute to the Tribe, I said I'm an amalgamation of the communities that raised me. Kannadigas are one of them. I spent the major chunk of the pandemic in a small town in Karnataka. I wasn't used to the cuisine there, having never eaten so much palm oil in my life before. Small restaurants use palm oil instead of coconut oil like most home cooks would. It gave me acid reflux that still lasts today.

Anyway, the first week after settling in my new apartment, I got food poisoning. I was unable to cook and the caretaker of the building I was living in made me curd rice. She said it will calm my stomach. Up until then I hated the idea of curd and rice, it seemed like a sensory nightmare but she insisted and I'm a people pleaser so I ate it. I don't think anyone's ever been glad to be a people pleaser because that dish changed me.

It has been a comfort food for many years now. I even convinced my Bengali parents to try it and now they love it too. Every time I eat it, I'm transported back to that moment when effectively a stranger showed me such gentle kindness when they could have just walked away.

This recipe is for you, Vinutha di. May it forever bring the warmth and comfort you brought me that day.

Ingredients

  • Rice
  • Water
  • Pressure cooker
  • Curd
  • Salt
  • Curry leaves
  • Black mustard seeds
  • Mustard oil
  • Pan for tadka

Instructions

  • Wash your rice 3 times or until the water runs clear.
  • In the pressure cooker, add the washed rice.
  • Now I'm gonna give you measurements for the perfect rice, at least by Indian standards. Add just enough water so when you dip your index finger in it, the water level should be along your second knuckle of your index finger.
  • Put the lid on.
  • Cook it on low flame and wait for 2 whistles.
  • Turn the gas off and let the pressure release on its own. Do not release it forcefully.
  • Before you take out the rice, FLUFF IT!
  • In the pan add some oil and let it heat.
  • Now add salt, curry leaves and mustard seeds and let it sputter.
  • Add this tadka directly to the curd and let it cool a little.
  • Mix it with the rice and enjoy your curd rice.

Write to me at alexarson@skiff.com

Oil free high protein breakfast

Disclaimer Welcome to intuitive cooking. These recipes are to unleash the chaos in you. No measurements, just vibes

Ingredients

  • Mushroom
  • Cheese (can replace with tofu or just skip)
  • Milk or water
  • Eggs
  • Salt
  • Chilli flakes
  • Herbs of your choice
  • A non stick pan

Instructions

  • In the pan, add your mushrooms and let them sear ona side. Mix occasionally to get the mushrooms to cook evenly.
  • Then add you cheese or tofu, salt, chilli flakes, herbs and little milk/water if the mixture is too dry.
  • Mix and cook for a minute or two.
  • Drop in some eggs, top them with the same seasonings as before.
  • Put a lid on and let your eggs cook to a consistency you like. I like it best when the yolk is a little runny but the whites have solidified so I need to let it cook for 3 minutes tops at medium heat.
  • Serve hot in the pan itself with toasted bread.

Write to me at alexarson@skiff.com

Oil Free Spicy Chicken

Disclaimer Welcome to intuitive cooking. These recipes are to unleash the chaos in you. No measurements, just vibes

Can't believe I'm gonna do this like I'm a cookbook writer lol. Please skip if you don't want to read nostalgic rants of things lost from my childhood.

I lived in Assam-Bhutan border, in the small district of Baksa for many years as a child. All of my comfort foods and dishes – egg curry, pithe, momos, chicken/local birds curry, and hot chillies – are an amalgamation of the community that brought me up. In our village, while many kids treated me as an outsider, I always found baidos and aitas who plumped me up on hot rice and chilli chutneys like I was one of their own. In 3rd grade, our landlord carved a cricket bat for me by hand just like he did for his grandson. We shared resources when floods wrecked Assam and our village was left without power and water for weeks in a stretch.

Small villages along the country's borders are the most neglected. They do not have reliable basic facilities, like internet, electricity, healthcare, education, clean drinkable water and so much more. I want to be an advocate for the same but the political climate has changed with me being an adult. I understand why people don't consider me an Axomia ally or I am seen as an outsider and that's okay. Axom has been neglected and exploited since Independence, as has been all her sister states. I haven't been to Assam in over 10 years, even though my half of my heart is still there, I do not have a say in their politics. It's not my home anymore and it's not okay for me to speak over the ones who're there in the flesh, dealing with everyday realities. So I will shut up, listen, comprehend and cook in the meantime.

This dish is a spicy tribal chicken curry and it is so delicious and light. I hope you enjoy making Do'o Khaap (chicken) and sharing it with your loved ones because this dish is all about community. I do not know the origin and did not think to research on it before posting but from my personal experience it is a Santhali Axomia thing – they sit in the paddy fields and cook it on an open fire while the kids run around playing some variation of the game of tag.

Ingredients

  • Chicken
  • Lemon
  • Chilli
  • Ginger+garlic paste
  • Fresh Coriander
  • Salt
  • Khaar (Baking soda if you can't get your hands on authentic North Eastern khaar)
  • Water
  • Preferably non stick pan, seasoned iron/aluminium utensils or just raw dog it. I personally love the crispy burnt part that I've to scrape from the bottom of an unseasoned pan.

Instructions

  • Clean your chicken and drain it off excess water.
  • Mix in some lemon juice and leave it aside for a few hours to marinade. I do this because I prefer the lemony hint in the taste. The khaar will soften the chicken anyway so you can skip this step.
  • On medium low heat, put in your chicken and start to roast it on the pan.
  • When the chicken starts to sweat, add ginger garlic paste, chillis, salt and baking soda and cook again until everything smells cooked.
  • Add water and let it simmer for a few minutes until everything comes together.
  • Serve with hot rice. Best consumed in rainy, windy weather.

Write to me at alexarson@skiff.com