We have been rejected as a family. Multiple times in the last 4 weeks. By who? Nannies that we’ve been interviewing.
It took us about two weeks to find a good one the last two times we’ve had to go through this grueling process. This time it’s taking forever, I suppose, because all the good ones are taken for the summer. A few from the leftovers that we liked didn’t like us. The first one because we told her we have camera in the house and our way to discipline R is not by hitting her. She told me in her 12 years of nanny career no one told her not to “hit a child”. Another, because we have a strict “no TV” policy for our daughter and according to the nanny the kids from her last family watched TV all day long which made her day easy. She can’t take “no TV”. Go figure.
It gets even more interesting!! One wants to do her errands on our time and take my daughter to the mall every day. When I told her only my brother(when he visits us) is allowed to drive R around besides her parents, she immediately ended the interview telling me she has to go out everyday so walking in the neighborhood and taking R to the park is not enough. Am I wrong to feel like screaming and pulling out all my hair(whatever of it is left)?
The emergency backup care service days Ali and I have from work is fast disappearing. It’s a great benefit but doesn’t work for us much because we’ve been getting a different person each week, and it takes almost 3-4 days for R to get used to a new person. R’s separation anxiety is a little higher than average because her dad travels every week. This means, I’ve been having to take a lot of breaks, during the day, to calm her down and catching up with work at night which takes away all my night hours allocated for the blog.
I’m trying to get few posts scheduled this weekend but my responses may still be delayed. As much as I love to spend time on the blog, I hope you understand my tardiness, as my priority these days is to regain my little angel’s sense of security. In the meantime, enjoy this family favorite chicken dopeyaja.
Dopeyaja means double onions. This lip smacking curry is prepared with lots and lots of onions. Raw onion is prepared in two ways(minced and thinly sliced) and used in two stages in the curry, hence the name. I hope you enjoy this flavorful, creamy, luscious curry as much as my family does. The curry is great with tortilla, naan or rice. Always a winner!
Thank you for allowing me to rant and being there for me. Thank you for sharing some of your experiences through your comments and the personal notes. It’s amazing how similar some of our stories are. It’s even more interesting to learn about the struggles we go through to take the decisions, we take, as we face life. Take care my friends.
- 2 lbs chicken,
- 1 cup onion, sliced
- ½ cup onion, minced or pureed
- 3-4 black cardamoms
- 3-4 cloves
- 3-4 cinnamon stick, each about 1 inch
- 1-2 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2-3 chilli
- 1 teaspoon fennel
- ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 3 tablespoon yogurt
- ½ cup oil
- salt, according to taste
- Dry roast the coriander, cumin, chili, fennel, peppercorn and grind.
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan.
- Add the finely chopped onions and fry till golden brown.
- Set aside half the brown onions (beresta).
- Add the black cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaf to the pan and cook for a minute.
- Add sugar and pureed onion. Add the chicken, ginger and garlic paste and slow cook till the water from the chicken almost dries up, stirring occasionally.
- While chicken is cooking, whisk yogurt to a creamy consistency and set aside.
- Once the chicken browns, add the powdered spices and stir fry for a minute.
- Add the whisked yogurt and stir.
- Add salt and slow cook till oil separates and chicken is cooked through.
- Garnish with remaining fried onion.
উপকরণ:
২ পাউন্ড মুরগির গোস্ত
১ কাপ পেঁয়াজ, কাটা
১/২ কাপ পেঁয়াজ, বাটা
৩-৪ কালো এলাচ
৩-৪ লবঙ্গ
৩-৪ দারুচিনি, প্রতিটি প্রায় ১ ইঞ্চি
১-২ তেজপাতা
১ চা চামচ চিনি
১ টেবিল চামচ আদা পেস্ট
1 টেবিল চামচ রসুন পেস্ট
1 চা চামচ ধনে
1 চা চামচ জিরা
২-৩ টি কাঁচা মরিচ
১ চা চামচ মৌরি
১/৪ চা চামচ গোলমরিচ
১/২ চা চামচ হলুদ গুঁড়া
৩ টেবিল চামচ দই
১/২ কাপ তেল
লবন, স্বাদ অনুযায়ী
প্রণালী:
১. ধনে, জিরা, মরিচ, মৌরি, গোলমরিচ টেলে নিয়ে গুড়া করুন।
২. একটি ভারী ফ্রাইং প্যােন মধ্যম তােপ তেল গরম করুন।
৩. পেঁয়াজ বাদামী করে েভজে বেরেস্তা করে রাখুন।
৪. অর্ধেক বেরেস্তা সরিয়ে রাখুন।
৫. কালো এলাচ, দারুচিনি, লবঙ্গ এবং তেজপাতা তেলে দিয়ে একটি মিনিটের জন্য রান্না করুন।
৬. চিনি এবং পেঁয়াজ বাটা দিন। মুরগি, আদা এবং রসুন বাটা দিয়ে ধীের পানি শুকিয়ে না যাওয়া পর্যন্ত রান্না করুন।
৭. দই ফেটে রাখুন।
৮. মুরগি বাদামী হলে গুড়া মশলা যোগ করে মিনিট খানিক নাড়ুন।
৯. ফেটে রাখা দই যোগ করুন।
১০. লবন দিন এবং মুরগী সিদ্ধ হয়ে তেল আলাদা না হওয়া পর্যন্ত রান্না করুন।
১১. অবশিষ্ট ভাজা পেঁয়াজ/বেরেস্তা দিয়ে পরিবেশন করুন।
প্রয়োজনিও কিছু টিপস্ এর জনে্য দয়াকরে আটির্কেল অথবা ইংরেজি রেসিপির নোট সেকশনটা একটু দেখে নেবেন।[/print_this]
Sugar et al says
Sorry to read about this, my friend. It is difficult to find peace of mind unless the children are settled. The curry looks fabulous…look at the colour!! I hope the dark clouds pass away for you soon. Take Care:-)
T with a Twist says
Lail, the dopeyaja looks great 😀 I hope you find a good nanny for R soon 🙂 Always enjoy your posts, so it is worth the wait!
john@kitchenriffs says
So sorry you are having such difficulty finding a nanny! But it’s important to get the right person, and I’m sure you will. Great looking chicken! Love all the flavors in this dish. Good stuff – thanks.
yummychunklet says
Looks delicious!
Shruti@Part Time Chef says
Take care Lail..hope you find a good nanny soon…this too will pass..
Rafeeda says
looks so yummy… I really understand your concern, Lail… being a working mother of two, I have had to encounter this but I know that very soon when my mom is going to go back for good, I am going to go through this again… hmm… wish you all the very best in finding the best person who can take care of ur lil one…
Denise Browning says
Since I do believe your chicken tastes as divine as it looks, I’d love have sitted at your table. I am sharing it!!!
jehanne@thecookingdoctor says
It will get better, insyaAllah..I always believe that this kind of obstacles will only make you stronger as a family unit, and individually. It also cast light on life’s perspective and priority, as it does always in my struggles! I am bookmrking this for Ramadhan- as I know I won’t have enough delicious variety otherwise to feast the starved ones on table!
Nazneen | Coffee and Crumpets says
I feel so bad for R! Poor baby. I hope inshaAllah, it all works out for you very soon. The chicken looks fabulous! Great comfort food for times like these. Wishing you all the best my friend. xx
Nami | Just One Cookbook says
Although I’m new to this recipe, it looks really delicious! I want to have some with the flat bread!
BalvinderBalvinder says
No TV? How old is your daughter? I have not read your last posts so don’t know the story behind the nannies but they should not have problem with camera or no hit policy. Every house has their own rules, which they should follow. I hope everything will work out fine this Chicken do pyaza looks fabulous.