The Gutless Foodie's Surmai Rawa Fry

This is a guest post.

I have interacted with her over mails just a week or so. She sent me an order and I shipped it to her. I thought I'll check with her if she needs a recipe. Instead immediately after she received the masalas she was on a roll. First came the intro mail, then the experiments and results. Then this one saying she was trying to post to the Words Power Us section on this blog. I have been wanting to invite people to do guest posts and I find one right in my inbox.

The Gutless Foodie is a FB group run by Natasha Diddee. A trained chef, a by product of IHM Mumbai and Sophia Polytechnic. I was sobbing uncontrollably when I read this, "I lost my entire stomach to two bleeding ulcers and a tumour growing around my stomach. But, God is great and our bodies wondrous, it adapts. :)" So you see how her group gets the name. Yet from what little I know of her presenting to you the emoticon and hashtag junky, sunshine girl! 

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My only knowledge of a part of the Koli community came from Sona, our fisher woman. Those were the days, when fisherwomen came to your doorstep, with the fresh catch of the day. They'd ring the doorbell and assure you, that they'd kept the freshest seafood, only for you. They'd sell to you and then promptly ring the next doorbell and tell them the exact same thing! One day, I caught Sona in the act! #NatashaISTheFoodMafia #TGFMafia

She laughed nervously and said she truly sold us the freshest seafood. I sneered, she snorted. She knew she'd lost. #TGFIsFierceInAStaringMatch

We cackled and started chatting, whilst I covered my nose #FisherWomenHaveFierceFishOdour

Whilst we were chatting, she told me why fisher folk were known to have fierce tempers. She said, they eat really spicy food, using a special masala and the temper is the spice's fault!

#ThatLogicallyExplainedWhatLoudAsAFishMarketMeant

Over the years, I have lost count of how many times I've eaten chicken & seafood Koliwada. In my pea-sized brain, Koliwada must be koli style food! But, I realised that Sona had duped me! This food wasn't as spicy as she'd made it out to be! #TGFsBrainMayBeSmallerThanHerGutlessGut

I was at a friend's house recently and tried a fish dish. It was FooFoo type spicy, but very flavourful. His mom told me, that she had used Koli Masala! I refused to believe her because, I had just eaten a stellar fish curry and it was not that horrendous scary red colour, that most things we know as Koliwada style dishes are!!

I was terrified she'd not give me more food if I countered her so, I let the yummies shut my mouth. I promptly forgot, till one day I overheard someone talking about Koli Chicken Curry. My ears perked up. Now, I HAD to get to the bottom of this!!

So, I asked all the Koli foodies I knew and the unanimous verdict, was to use masalas from Annaparabrahma. Anjali runs this masala business and I was excited to know you could buy all kinds of Koli goodies from her! I ordered several masalas and they came yesterday, along with a few small free samples!
#GottaLoveWomenEntrepreneurs

I never, ever recommend a masala I've not tried myself so, I kept it to myself till this post. Last night I had some super fresh Surmai/Kingfish, so I broke into Anjali's Koli Masala.

It was excellent! I suddenly understood what Sona had meant!! The best part, she hadn't duped me. The masala is very robust and super flavourful but also really spicy. But, not in an alarming way. Would I reorder this masala? I'd be losing out if I didn't. Can't wait to try it in curries next! 

Ingredients : 

1. Surmai/Kingfish - 4 pieces, skin on, bone in, 1/2 " thick slices
2. Oil - to shallow fry
3. Garlic paste - 1 tspn
4. Salt - 1/2 tspn
5. Coriander leaves - a small fistful, chopped
6. Anjali's Koli Masala - 1 tbspn
7. Rawa - to coat

Method:

1. Marinate everything together, excluding the oil and rawa. I kept it for about an hour.
2. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan. While it's heating, roll the marinated fish into a plate, lined with rawa. Coat each piece properly.
3. Place the fish into the pan and on a high flame, sear each side. Lower the flame, cover and cook till done.
As usual, I squeezed some lime juice on it and dug in.

☆ The rawa coating took away some of the spiciness, but the flavour was incredible

☆I would normally also fry fish without the rawa and then recommend the masala if I liked it, but I would then be depriving you of a yummy

☆I haven't been able to figure out what is different from other FooFoo masalas but there is a distinct flavour, which I haven't identified other than yummy

#IShallCookMoreToLearnMore
#IShallKolifyMyself
#GoodGodPleaseHelpMySenseOfHumour

#TaDaaa Koli Surmai Rawa Fry

#1MinuteEveryDay
#BussEkMinute
#PayItForward
#YouCanDoIt
#YesYouCan
#JustDoIt
#TheGutlessFoodie

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Tell me readers who would not LOVE this overwhelming bundle of energy! She needs our love and blessings for a long healthy life. Say तथास्तु after me!

Dear Natasha, 

Anjali and everyone at AnnaParaBrahma loves you and GOD BLESS you with a fulfilled life. Keep eating, feeding and spreading this warmth! BIG HUG!!

Shachi's Shravani Memories

If you like this. Go like Shachi

Shachi, to us was our Head girl's little sis in school. Like her name she was this beautiful girl, just like Goddess Indrani. Infact I remember learning Lord Indra's wife name because of Shachi's. If you ask any Annite they would have expected Shachi to follow in her father's footsteps into IAS, we knew her as the younger daughter of the Municipal Commissioner in the years well after school. Then one day she commented here. 

There was a gap, like it happens with schoolmates who were a batch before and after. Then one day, I was amazed by a sketch on FB. It was vivid and child like innocence reflected in it. The detailing blew me away. A 'tap' later as I landed on the page, I was pleasantly surprised.

I found Shachi the artist! I connected up again with her. I love her work and thought you would love it too. So here she is writing about her not religious yet all the memories of Shravan and the happiness one associates with it. Though archetypal this is what makes Monsoon memories of true blue Mumbaikars. I am glad she is sharing one of her self portraits and memories with us here. Thanks Shachi!

What a good start to our Shravan Maasi Harsh Manasi event!

"I was asked by Anjali, to send her a little note/recipe that showed how I celebrate Shraavan Maasi rituals. I had to pause there for a bit and wonder…were there any rituals? I didn't know! My house was rather non-traditional and we didn't follow too many religious rituals. I tried to think back to the good old Mumbai monsoons. As a student at St. Anne's high school, monsoon rituals involved getting ready for school, making sure I DIDN'T wear my socks, but took them balled up in my bag…because even a mild Bombay rain means getting your socks wet as you walk through the puddles and splashes made by cars on your way to school. The smell of that intensely plastic raincoat…making you feel hot and muggy inside, but not really doing a great job of keeping you all dry. The horrible duck-feet like black rain shoes that I despised, because they never fit my very narrow feet. Getting to the class room and defeating the purpose of carrying dry socks, by wiping your wet feet with them before putting them on! The wet umbrellas everywhere and the damp feel of wet sleeves and hemlines. But when it rained outside while class was on, it felt like some exciting adventure. Like we were marooned on a great ship with waves lashing the rocking boat. It was day-dreaming weather! It just didn't seem right to listen to the properties of Hydrochloric acid and crops grown in Gujarat.

The first rains of monsoon meant gathering up all the like minded pals from the building and going down to get wet wet wet! Then walking in the rain to Nariman Point, to have hot bhutta. Watching those red sparks glow and fly off the coal and waiting to get your turn for the perfect monsoon combination….dark clouds, rain, bhutta and great big waves crashing against those odd tetrapods near NCPA. EIther we could add in a garam cutting chai…or then just head home, giggling and gossiping, wet and happy. Then the rush to get home and dry off. Snuggle under a razai and re-read the gloomy romantic Wuthering Heights while waiting for mom to come out with kanda-bhaji, and chaha with aale (ginger)! I also loved bananas fried in the remaining batter. They were crisp on the outside and warm, sweet and soft on the inside.  

Monsoon in Bombay meant sitting in my balcony watching the soccer players on the football field get so muddy it was hard to tell who was in which team. Watching the huge rainclouds come slowly over the Taj, and move over to the High courts and Rajabai Tower. The gradual drizzle that got so thick, you could hardly see a few feet away from the building. The circle of light that shone from the street light, highlighting only the raindrops as they passed under. The majestic gulmohar trees welcoming the rain.  

Later of course there was the damp walk to Churchgate to get to work. The even muddier walk to Bandra station and the long wait in the line for a rickshaw. The need to sit in the middle of the rickshaw to avoid getting splashed by cars. My lovely cozy (because it was about 10 square feet) office, where we made hot chai from the electric kettle, accompanied by too many milk bikis to be good for us. The tiny ancient radio that played bhoole bisre geet…or Jeeturaj on FM, while we designed fun things for MTV. Walking back home from Churchgate late at night in the rain. Enjoying the solitude and getting a thrill every time, out of walking down a gulmohar shaded lane, past old art-deco buildings with names like Sunshine and Moonlight. Watching cheesy baarish songs on TV ('dekho jara dekho barkha ki lladi'…and 'rain is falling chhama chham chham'! and DDLJ with Kajol cavorting in her little skirt in the rain :D, along with the classics…Raj Kapoor and Nargis under an umbrella, 'Rim jhim gire saawan', with young brooding Amitabh Bacchan. 

I have no memories of religious rituals we enjoyed during the monsoons…but all these were my monsoon rituals, the memory of which still make me nostalgic, as I write from a hot desert far far away, where raindrops almost evaporate before they hit the ground and the rain is never hard enough or long enough to recreate those wonderful memories."

Shachi

We all follow our own Shravan maasi rituals like her when young. Of kanda bhajji, alyacha chaha, bhutta and snuggles under the blanket!

Then we are in a phase is life when we start becoming religious and start adoring those other rituals. Looking forward to hear from more of you what Shravan means to you and how it is celebrated in your homes. Do drop your comments here for Shachi.

Food for the soul: Ugadi / Padva Special

Presenting Sumana Khan (swallow the "n", I say and no bollywood connections here, she says).  I got to know her at work and became her fan on reading Scent of a Man on our organization's intranet. Since then Sumana has been fun to interact with she is someone very opinionated in her writings yet have also seen her as a quite observant person at the dinner table celebrating an annual event we both worked together on. I also remember the day when I had organized a Tarot reading event at work and Sumana wanted my advice on when she would be able to make the first sale of her innovation! I had to tell her it was just a game!! Since then lot has happened so here's presenting this multi-faceted creative author who has published her first mystery novel Kaivalya.

Alur Dum

As a Southie, marrying into a Bong family required a complete mental make-over. I was at first overwhelmed, shocked, surprised, gobsmacked at a Bong’s unconditional devotion to food – but then, slowly I started to understand and appreciate the sacred place ‘food’ holds in a Bengali’s life.

I think the biggest difficulty I brought in as a new bou was my vegetarianism. My new family was perplexed – what to feed me? No fish. No chicken. Not even dim (egg). What’s left to eat?

On my first visit to Kolkata after the wedding hoopla, we stayed in The Husband’s grandmom’s home. Deedun is 70 + years, the most open-minded, open-hearted woman I’ve come across. With her smattering of English, and my (then) smattering of Bengali, and my MIL’s smattering of Hindi, we formed a special bond; women across three generations in synchronous cacophony, trying to overcome the language barrier. My veggie situation, it was established, was not a catastrophe after all. I could be fed many things. Many, many things. I could have luchi with alu torkari, bhaath (rice), daal and seddhu alu (boiled potato). And then, my MIL said triumphantly – Doi bhaath (curd rice). My heart leapt with joy. That’s all I wanted after the two-day train journey. To just have some curd rice with pickle and curl up somewhere. But I was afraid of conforming to the ‘south-indian cliché’; many books and many movies have impressed upon me that several roti/daal eaters look down upon curd rice eaters.

Then, Deedun came to me and asked if I wanted the luchis fried in ghee or oil. My eyes bulged. Oil! Oil! Oil! She patted me affectionately and went back to the kitchen. Finally, the plates were set. Hot, piping luchis were piled up on my plate. Alu torkari looked and smelt delicious. I ate swiftly. Then, the rice was brought. By the time I found the right word and gesture to say stop, Deedun had piled up a mini Mt. Everest on my plate. In a spoon which was really a small ladle, she scooped some fresh butter and slapped it on the rice. And then the thick daal was poured on this. Mishti achaar (sweet pickle) was dropped on the mountain peak. Boiled alu was mashed, mixed with finely chopped onion and chilly and, yes, butter. A ball of this was a ‘side’ to the rice and daal.

For a stomach that was used to decades of light rasam (with some tomatoes floating around), a spoon of dry playa, and curd rice; this was nothing but a nuclear assault. I sat there, like a cow chewing the cud. The taste was simply impeccable; but I figured I’ll take five hours to finish the lunch. Thankfully, The Husband returned from some errand, and understood the catastrophe. He took away more than half of the Mt.Everest. Finally, I was done, after forty-five minutes. But MIL had not forgotten the doi baath. I refused politely. She thought I was shy. She convinced me that I must not feel shy to eat. I was now a Bengali, and I have to take pride in eating. We finally reached a compromise. I will just have the doi without the rice. The doi was brought out. I fell off my chair. It was quite a large matka. I was told this was specially bought for me. I said I will have a few spoons. The dreaded ladle came out and now, I stared at a glacier on my plate. Besides, it was not the good old thick curd that I was used to. This was mishti doi. Sweet yoghurt. I took another 45 minutes to finish it.

It’s been almost eight years, and now we laugh about that first meal – served with the right intention of welcoming a new bride. But the quantity, it seemed, was for several brides! Since then, I’ve always been fascinated with the Bengali approach to food. It’s not just ‘prepare, cook, eat’. There is a ritualistic devotion that goes behind every meal and snack that is served in a Bengali home. My MIL’s generation - what can I say, except that they are walking, talking wikis of Bengali cuisine. In every visit to Kolkata, I’ve tasted something new and exotic, and immensely complicated to prepare. Yet, MIL laughs it off – she can do it blind-folded with her right hand tied behind her back.

I’ll share with you the simplest, easiest dish - and it’s my absolute favourite. It is the Bengali ‘Alur Dum’ with my own modifications.

Preparation time – 15 min

Cooking time – 15 min.

What you need:

• 8-10 baby potatoes.
• 2-3 large, ripe tomatoes
• A cup of shelled green peas
• 1 inch ginger
• 2-3 green chillies
• 1 pod of garlic (optional)
• 2-3 tsps of mustard oil for seasoning
• A pinch of turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin (for seasoning)
• A dollop of cream (optional)
• 2-3 tsps of grated paneer (optional)

For the panch phoran masala –

1 tsp each -

• Fennel
• Cummin
• Mustard
• Nigela (onion seeds)
• Fenugreek

Note: The key to panch phoran preparation is that all ingredients have to be used in equal measure. I usually take a 3-4 tsp measure of each, and store the ground masala in an airtight container. It tastes great with any gravy, adding a rush of flavours.

Method of preparation:

Panch Phoran preparation:

First, let’s get the masala done. Take the panch phoran ingredients and dry roast them for a couple of minutes, till a lovely aroma wafts out. Allow to cool, then dry grind this into a powder. Some prefer a coarse powder, some prefer it fine. I powder it to a fine consistency because it blends well into the gravy.

Gravy preparation:

Puree the tomatoes along with the green chillies, ginger and garlic. The resulting liquid should be thick and smooth.

Wash, peel and boil the baby potatoes in slightly salted water. Keep aside.

In a kadai, heat mustard oil till it is smoking hot. Turn off the stove, and wait for the oil to cool a bit. Now, heat it again. This takes out the pungency of the oil.

Add cumin seeds. Wait till they sputter.

Add the tomato gravy. If you need to, you can add a bit of water depending on the thickness you prefer. Close the kadai for 2-3 minutes, allowing the gravy to simmer. The oil separates from the gravy, and you are now ready for the next step!

Add 2 tsp of the panch phoran. Add a pinch of turmeric, a pinch of chilli powder (if you need additional spice) and salt to taste. A dash of sugar brings an interesting balance.

Now, add the green peas, and allow the peas to cook in the gravy. You can also use boiled peas to save time.

Prick the boiled potatoes with a fork, and add them to the gravy. Gently stir them around, allowing them to soak in the flavours of the gravy. Add the scoop of cream, and take it off the stove.

Your Alur Dum is done. You can transfer this into a serving bowl, and then garnish it with the grated paneer. Serve it hot with rotis/chapathis/luchis!

TIP: If you need a thicker body for the gravy, you can try this – after you season the oil with cumin, add 2 tsps of besan. Stir it, allowing it to cook in the oil. In about 3-4 minutes, the besan turns golden brown, and the oil leaves the sides. The besan now gives out a rich aroma. Add the tomato puree on this and proceed as described above.

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We celebrated Padva/ Ugadi today with friends. There was Alok, Varsha and Chulbul Aditya and Anand and little Gauri, Gurunath Uncle and a visitor from Nagpur, Mr. Sant. The food was well planned out and quite a mix not a typical Maharashtrian Thali but an enjoyable one said everyone. Cdr. wish you were there.

Started out with drinks of Pepsi/ Sprite. Then handed out plates served with Sumana's Alur Dum, Lucchi, Tamarind rice, Vangi stir fry and Amul's Kesari Shrikhand. There was varan bhat too but not a single person asked for it not even the kids.

This evening was fun. I played "Farmer's in the den" after years; with Aditya and Gauri on the terrace.

I tripled the quantities and skipped the cream. Sumana everyone one that is 8 adults and 2 kids loved your recipe! Thanks buddy for sharing this recipe and writting this post for me!!

Ugadi ShubhashayagaLu!! Gudi Padvyachya Shubhecha!

A Christmas Cheer for Everyone!!

Tonight, on the Christmas Eve,

Something makes me believe,                                                            

You get more, the more you give,

Happiness… So let's re-live,

Our moments… As we move on,

To step in a new horizon,

Let’s open our hearts,

To take a chance to re-start,

To share the love on our parts,

Just kick start and learn the art,

Don't expect…Just be there,

Show you care for your loved ones,

Show you're there, when they need...

Rise above caste and creed,

Rise above lust and greed,

And all that you disagreed,

Bring it on, be the light,

Make everything be alright,

So tonight, celebrate, Feel the joy, levitate,

As we wait… for the man,

With the white beard,

Riding sleigh pulled by reindeers,

He’ll be here… Three cheers!

So tonight, on the Christmas Eve,

What will you get, what will you give?

- By Nikhil Wange (musician+ more)

Rice Vadas and some Reflections

By Mridula

Anjali and Me travel on the same bus to office for the last 2 years. In the office bus no one ever talks to anyone. Yet we became friends and slowly it developed into one so good that both of us value it a lot. I know exactly when to expect what from Anjali. She knows me well too and advices me to be positive always.

Sometimes we have breakfast together at work but when thats not always possible, I want her to taste some specialties if I'm carrying any in the box and she cringes when I try to feed her in the bus. I love to see that expression! Oh I remember those jack fruit appa had everyone sniffing in the bus.

All my friends tell me I am a mature girl but Anjali is the only one who feels I am still a kid! Yet why does she call me grandma?

Oh that reminds me, I am here to share a grandma's recipe made by my Aunt on Ugadi, it is the rice vadas.

Ingredients

2 cups rice flour
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
water to make the dough

Mix all the ingredients with enough water to make a soft dough. Keep it aside for at least 1/2 hour.

Later pinch of small balls of dough and shape in to thick vadas.

Fry in hot oil. Drain and remove into a plate.

You are invited to the feast!

Tendle Bibbe Upkari

By Mridula

Hey friends !

This blog has been quite for a while and I am simply not able to see it like that ! Anjali is enjoying other things in life and she has promised to try out her hand at classical vocal music too which is my hobby while I try my hand at blogging.

So a big HI !!!! from Mridula here in Bangalore.

I had given these pictures to Anjali for posting ages ago but she couldn't post. We both were following a difficult routine of going for classes in the early morning and workouts in the evening. I don't cook at home but she does. However recently she is on some fad diet, I hope she sustains on it. It is helping her so wish her luck all ya people.

Well I have decided to share the goodies I enjoyed at my Aunt's on the occassion of Ugadi. These are 2 recipes that are associated with Ugadi and are my family gems. So are you ready for 2 post by Mridula? While I'm sharing the recipe of this Tendle Bibbe Upkari you will have to just feast your eyes on the rest of the stuff.

Clockwise below samosas, khotte, Obattu, grilled pineapple and Kesari Bhat

Tendle = Gherkins
Bibbe = Fresh cashewnuts

Ingredients
1 kg fresh peeled cashewnuts
1 kg Gherkins/ Tondali sliced vertically
1 handful red byadgi chilies
1 handful curry leaves
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon oil
salt to taste
1/2 fresh coconut, grated for garnishing

Heat oil in a wok, splutter mustard seed, then add one by one red chilies and then curry leaves. Then add the sliced gherkins and fresh cashew nuts. Cover and cook till the gherkins and cashews are soft. Add salt mix well.

Garnish with fresh coconut.

This is a speciality from Mangalore, my native place. It can be eaten as a snack on its own or as accompaniment in a Thali. It is a seasonal dish as fresh cashew nuts are not available all the year round. These are available around Ugadi time hence associated with the festival.

Hope you enjoy this post and comeback tommorow for the second recipe.

That is me in the center with my friends