Humourist Soumya tells us about the journey of Aloo (potato) from South America, via Europe, to India. How was Aloo paired off in India? Read more in the weekly column, exclusively in Different Truths.  

Aloo was lonely. He had travelled the world. Far from his homeland in South America, he had travelled with the Spanish Armada and the Portuguese galleons and even with the English pirates. He was celebrated in Europe, especially England, where he was paired off with boiled mutton and sometimes with roast beef. In Ireland, he became the staple diet.

Now, he had moved to distant India with the Europeans. He was welcomed here. The land suited him. It reminded him of his homeland. He had found many partners here. In the northern part, he was paired off with poori. Further north, he had an intense and close relation with the paratha. So much so, that they were known as ‘aloo ka paratha’, as a couple. In the east, he was again paired with meat, but this time in a curry. In the west, he was paired, once again, with another European import, the bun, known here as ‘pao’. Vada Pao was quite an item here. He was there in golgappa (Pani poori, phuchka), partnered gobhi, palak, methi, with various degrees of success. In fact, with gobhi, it looked like a bond made in heaven, and with besan as aloo chop, he was a runaway hit. In the south, he was wed to the plain dosa to bring masala to her life.

But something was missing. He wanted that special something. The x-factor. The chemistry. Something that would not be limited by regional bias. Something that would pass the test of time. Something that would suppress their individual identities and where they would be known as a single entity for eternity, happily ever after.

Then it happened! She was a square piece of dough, soaked in oil. Peculiar looking. But something called out to aloo’s soul. He leapt into her arms. She wrapped herself around him. He was totally engulfed by her. They made a peculiar shape, not smooth at all, but angular. In fact, triangular. A love triangle? Not the most potent of signs for happily ever after. But nothing mattered to the crazy couple. The temperature soared. They were tried or should we say fried, in fire, or rather, boiling oil! They reached climax! No more could they be recognised independently. They had fused to be something new and exciting. It was the SAMOSA! They were the hottest couple in town. But known as a singular number; golden hot and angular. They were the toast of the country, ignoring narrow regional boundaries. International ones too! They passed the test of time. They were celebrated in a Bollywood song, ‘Jab tak rahega samose mey aloo….’Aloo and dough, lived together in perfect harmony, happily ever after!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8yvbxlk6NQ

©Soumya Mukherjee

Photos from the internet.

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Soumya Mukherjee

Soumya Mukherjee is an alumnus of St Stephens College and Delhi School of Economics. He earns his daily bread by working for a PSU Insurance company, and lectures for peanuts. His other passions, family, friends, films, travel, food, trekking, wildlife, music, theater, and occasionally, writing. He has been published in many national newspapers of repute. He has published his first novel, Memories, a novella, hopefully, the first of his many books. He blogs as well.

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