I had just gotten home from a big Ethiopian meal when Ashok called me and demanded that I go over for dinner, which actually means 2 dinners and a few snacks - all made by his wife and kids.
The first dinner consisted of freshly made chili chicken. This was a bit different from the chili chicken that he makes at work because it was made with chicken breasts instead of thighs. It was also VERY spicy. We had some freshly fried pakoras along with the chili chicken. His wife makes them with a different batter than what we use at work... I think it's similar to another recipe he showed me that uses about 3 parts chana (chick pea) flour to 1 part corn starch and 5 parts water that results in a smoother, less doughy crust. There was a bowl of rice-crispy-like stuff on the table for nushing on... it was puffed/ crisped lentils. He told me that he bought it at the store, but that he use to make it in big batches at his restaurant by soaking the lentils overnight, drying them, frying them in a large oily pan, and topping with chaat massala. They're pretty tasty.
The second dinner was a real family effort. Ashok's wife made dal makni, and an eggplant dish with some help of the eldest daughter. The eggplant dish consisted of tomatoes, onions, prebaked eggplant that was peeled and mashed into the mix, coriander powder - all mashed and cooked on medium heat in a frying pan. The eldest daughter also made fresh, hot chipotle breads. The middle daughter prepared what is fundamentally tzatziki: home-made yogurt with shredded cucumber, salt, and pepper. The youngest one - his son, who we call "the boss" - prepared a side of refreshing vegetables - lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and chili peppers. They also fried up some store-bought popadums - paper-thin, crispy lentil crackers - which are always great.