Play: Personal Trainer: Cooking - Chickpea Curry

So this is a mix of Play and Eat in that I played a Nintendo DS game and, as a result, got to eat. Personal Trainer: Cooking is a Nintendo DS "game" that is essentially a cookbook on the DS. This week, I decided I would give it a go and use the software to make chickpea curry (aka chole), one of my favorite dishes.

With my DS in hand at Berkeley Bowl, I acquired each ingredient to make the dish, marking the checkbox until I purchased everything I didn't already have at home. Canned chickpeas? Check! Four tomatoes? Check! Turmeric, ground coriander, and chili pepper? Check! Check! and Check! When it came time to cook, I received step-by-step audio instructions from a soothing (American?) male voice. I could advance to the next step by either pressing the button on the DS or by saying "continue" although I stopped using voice command when the sound of my chopping would inadvertently trigger advancing to the next step. I also got to use the timer when the curry had to simmer for 5 minutes (warning - do not close the DS because the timer doesn't work in standby mode). After about an hour or so, I finished the curry and ate it with some naan from Trader Joe's. I also got to put a stamp on today's date and the game saved my stats.



My assessment? I was afraid the curry would be bland, but the seasoning measurements suited my taste. Using the DS as a shopping list and pseudo sous chef also appeals to my nerdy side. I think I will try gazpacho next time.