Penne In Arrabiata

Penne in Arrabiata and Knorr's Vegetable Hara Bhara soup

We are not a Pasta loving family. Pasta is made on days we want a change without much fanfare. Penne Arrabiata is the most dependable recipe. Nothing goes wrong with this one. Posting it for Hrushi who is caught in the harsh winter in England.

This is simple to make. A fool proof recipe just right for a bachelor.

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked Penne pasta
4 large tomatoes
4 onions
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 teaspoon dried Basil or fresh as much as you like
salt to taste
3 teaspoons Olive oil
and
cheese (I used cheddar)

First cook the Pasta al dente (slightly undercooked) or phaphadit as we say in Marathi. You will need to cook the pasta in about four cups of water. Once the pasta is plump drain the extra water. Add cold water and drain it again. Leave just a little bit of water in it at the bottom so it does not stick to the vessel.

Now get to making the sauce. Start by cutting the onions. Fry them till translucent in the Olive oil. Cut up the tomatoes in chunks. Add them and fry them along with the onions. Cook them down until really mushy soft. Add the salt, basil and give it a stir. Now add the cooked pasta along with the saved liquid. Cook for 5 mins, tossing intermittently. If you find it difficult to toss use a fork to mix gently.

Serve in a deep plate, spoon the sauce over it. Grate the cheese on it in generous amounts. I used cheddar. Use whatever type you have. Even paneer crumbled over it is yummy. Eat it immediately.

Tip:
If you want to freeze pasta. Always and always freeze cooked pasta separately. Make sauce in large amount and store separately. Do this prep on the weekend. When you are back from work tired and hungry remove as much cooked pasta as you need in a sauce pan. Add the sauce and 1/2 cup water to give it more sauciness. Mix and heat. Enjoy it hot while you catch up with the day's news.

Let your Amygdala be hijacked

Hello everyone.

Thank you for all your support through the last 13 days. Last couple of weeks were exactly about what life is, a mixed bag. Loss and gain. Lost my Aaji and another. Met my classmate, Shalaka after 15 years. Got a long distance call from my best friend Ambrish after 6 years. It was wonderful talking to old friends.

So now as I comeback on this blog I owe you a smile. Recipes of the food kind will follow tomorrow but today it is the recipe for a life.

I was bantering over lunch with a colleague. He asked me, "How did that happen? You are such a level headed person! Then?"

I was amused how people considered me to be such a level headed person. Ok, I analyse, reason out and try to get answers but let me share a secret, many times my decisions are influenced by emotions. Now who said emotional decisions are bad. Especially when it comes to relationships and by that I don't just mean love. Plus I am a woman, so what you read is right, I have the birth right to emotional decisions. We play safe, when relationships fail we can always blame on emotions, now is that not intelligent!

Then I sat him down to explain to him the advantages of emotional decisions. I said, "Let the Amygdala be hijacked." He was taken aback and visibly disturbed. Now what was this woman talking about he wondered loudly. He pushed himself back on the straight backed, moulded chair in the cafeteria trying to relax himself as he prepared for some gyan. I could see he was looking for a halo around my head.

I went on to dissipate some, Amygdala are 2 almond shaped glands in the medial temporal lobes of the brain. They store the memories of emotional events, learning is enhanced by accumulation of such information over a period of time. When we face similar situations again our response is based on the processing done by the Amygdala. When you face an intense emotion the blood supply to the Amygdala is cut off. An intelligent response is blocked. This is called Amygdala hijack. Reasoning is blown into the wind. The decisions we take during this hijack are foolish because they lack the input of caution from our brain. You do what you would not have done in a normal situation when you base your decisions on analysis.

In return you are rewarded by a bumper of similar responses from another person who's Amygdala is hijacked and then follows a series of acts that try to cover up for the foolish acts with more foolish ones. One enjoys the ride. So let the Amygdala be hijacked :)!

Then one day you can sit down and laugh about it. Life would be so boring if we did everything after analysis wouldn't it?

People say, to be able to by-pass the Amygdala hijack is sign of a successful leader. But then you don't want to be a leader everywhere. Atleast I don't.

That is EI or Emotional intelligence for the uninitiated.

Disclaimer: This is a piece of art and references to any one are purely a coincidence.

Silence

Never the spirit was born; the spirit shall cease to be never;Never was time it was not; End and Beginning are dreams!Birthless and deathless and changeless remaineth the spirit for ever;Death hath not touched it at all, dead though the house of it seems! Who knoweth it exhaustless, self-sustained,Immortal, indestructible,shall such. Say, I have killed a man, or caused to kill? Nay, but as when one layeth His worn-out robes away, And, taking new ones, sayeth,These will I wear to-day! So putteth by the spirit Lightly its garb of flesh, And passeth to inherit A residence afresh.

-Bhagavad Gita

Aaji passed away today at 10 am at her home in Thal.

I will maintain silence on this blog for 13 days.

This blog owes its popularity entirely to Aaji.

Sankrant Thali From The Neighbors

A Thali brought over by my Neighbor aunty consisted of Ellu Bella, Avarekai Usli, Lemon rice, Sweet Pongal along with sugar cane and bananas. Even this Thali failed to cheer me up. In the afternoon she sent a platter of onions bhajjis too.

My Sankrant was not too good to put it mildly. So you saw no wishes here. I got some bad news. One very personal and the other about my only Aaji alive now. She must be about 80 plus. You all know by her kitchen, got a paralytic stroke. [Koli Kitchen (Thal Part I)] She is under treatment. I am not able to visit her immediately but she is surrounded by all her loved ones. Though she had no kids of her own she has invested enough love in all her nephews and grandchildren enough to take good care of her. Am praying she gains consciousness soon.

I did not make anything for this Sankrant. This thali fed us at 2 meal times. I wanted to just keep to myself but yet just went about attending to visitors with pain in my heart trying not to show it on my face.

Vegetable Sizzler

Sunday Supper: Vegetable Sizzler and Fruits in Custard Sauce

Recently some of my friends who don't live in India now, were discussing about Kobe sizzlers on our virtual adda. It brought back memories of going all the way to Opera House to eat at Kobe. I used to love the Veg Shashlik, found the name very fancy.

Then about couple of years ago we enjoyed a veg sizzler at Total Mall in Blr. This recipe is the recreation at home. I would have loved to own a sizzler plate. Right now I don't have it so served it straight from the frying pan. It did not keep sizzling all through the eat.

The recipe requires elaborate preparations. The steak in the sizzler is a large vegetable cutlet. Once that is ready putting together a sizzler is easy n quick. Sizzlers are actually simple food just roasted and served with a interesting sauce yet they are one of the expensive fast foods. The reason for this is that the cooking creates a lot of smoke and in the cities due to the unavailability of good open spaces for these specialty restaurants they are set up in congested area that require a hitech ventilation system. Besides this since it is trendy food the hype value. At home it cost only a third to prepare a sizzler.

Ingredients

For the vegetable roast
2 carrots
4 small eggplants
2 capsicums
8 button mushrooms

For the fresh Salad
2 large onions
2 large tomatoes
4 leaves of cabbage

For the sauce
1 cups tomato ketchup
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (optional)

For the vegetable steak
Follow the Suran Cutlets recipe. You can also add potatoes and peas to the cutlet dough. Else if you have your own cutlet recipe follow that.

Once the cutlet dough is ready. Shape the vegetable steak like seen here. Shallow fry in Olive oil.

You can either shred them or slice them on the V-slicer. Roast them on high heat in a frying pan with olive oil till carrot are slightly caramelized and the eggplants are soft.

Now place the Cabbage leaves in the serving plate. On the bed of cabbage leaves place the onion and tomato slices. Put roasted vegetables on it divide them in the two platters. Heat the vegetable steak again and place it on the roasted veggies, one in each plate. Use salt sprinkler to add as much salt as you like.

Meanwhile in a bowl mix together the items in the sauce list and heat. In the microwave you can do it quickly. Pour it over the platters you have made ready.

Enjoy the Sizzlers at home!

I had frozen some fruits (Orange, apple, grapes, chickoo) in custard sauce for dessert. So this meal was definitely a special treat for us.

Fruity Sasam

Lipsmacking! Sweet, Sour, Pungent and Salty. Why should it not taste delicious. The fruity fresh sasam is such a traditional salad in Konkani cuisine.

We enjoyed this with Dalitoy and Steamed rice, plain and simple. Clean fresh flavors.

I had heard a lot about sasam but got the first tasting only in Mridula's Wedding. We Koli's make Kairichi Amti but then the star there is raw mango as the name suggests. Here in the sasam it is ripe mango. I love ripe mango so much that we always have it straight, no fuss. At the most as aamras and BTW just the pulp, no extra sugar, elaichi, tup for me in my aamras. That was unlike a Maharashtrian.

Last week I saw a can of mango pulp. Believe it or not this is the first time I am tasting canned mango pulp. That itself is breaking of the ceiling for me. Once before I had tasted canned pineapple and had resolved to eat fruit only in the freshest form. Cans were out. Then life changes and I eat my words.

Well with a canned mango pulp now in the fridge I had to make something special. The can does not mention Alphonso mango, so I feel guilty of using it for something other than eating it plain but plain canned pulp does not taste the same as fresh.

So I set out to try sasam. I followed the recipe from one of my favorite blog Food for thought. I also want to pull out Ashwini from blog slumber. I loved the recipe. but I did not give it a tempering like she does. Also I noted that the sasam in Mridula's wedding was more pungent with mustard paste. The mustard fights for stardom with the tropical fruits like mango and pineapple. Also since I used pulp this kinda gave it a slightly gooey consistency.

Ingredients

1 cup ripe mango pulp
1 cup pineapple cubes
1/2 cup purple grapes

For the paste

1 green chilli chopped fine
1 teaspoon jaggery
salt to taste
3-4 tbsp coconut, grated
1-2 dry red chillies
1 tsp mustard seeds (I need more so have adjusted this to a point of reference)

The lazy me. I take a short cut. I grind all those ingredients into a coarse paste.

In a big bowl mix all the fruits and mango pulp along with the above ground paste. Adjust the salt. Keep it low on salt to get the jaggery taste to stand out.

Its ready for a slurp. Sunny flavors in the midst of winter months is good for the moods.

Usal Puri

Usal with a squeeze of lemon OR splash of sweet Tamarind Chutney

When we lived in Fort going to Thal meant either taking the ferry to Revas from Bhaucha dhakka or taking the State Transport Bus from Parel ST Depot. Those days it took 4 hrs to reach to Thal. Either ways we had to change mode of transport or vehicle. At such times waiting at the Revas Bus stand or Alibag Bus depot was not the easiest thing to do, it was completely idlylic. The small little eatery at Revas or the Alibag ST canteen made life interesting.

Both the places served tasty Usal Puri or Alibag's Poori Bhaaji. Like in the North India Chole Puri is a rustic breakfast, it takes the avatar of Poori Saagu in the South. In Maharashtra it is the Vatana Usal. Soemtimes served with Poori or Pao. In and around Alibag I have seen it is served as in my platter. The Usal in a bowl with potato bhaji scoop in the middle with a simple salad of onions, cilantro and green chilies and a quarter of a lemon. At my home Dad loves to give this dish his touch with a splash of sweet tamarind chutney, an influence from his Bhaiya (UPites) neighbors in our Colaba home.

For a long time I have been be contemplating about making this Combo meal for breakfast. It is a meal associated with my Dad's childhood and youngster days. It was to them what Pizza and Chinese is to my generation. They rarely had the pocket money to eat at the only eatery in the village. Yet when he started going to junior college in Alibag, he saved money to eat Poori bhaji or Usal Pao. This later was replaced by Rumble Tumble on Toast and Caramel custard at the Irani hotels in Colaba when he started working in Mumbai.

Now making this for breakfast meant full preparation to be made the day before. Potatoes were bolied along with Dal and rice in the pressure cooker and frozen for use the next morning. The dried green peas were soaked in water in the afternoon and over the night to make it easy for cooking and we would require a mushy Usal. Also while making the last nights chapatis made some extra tight dough for the Puris. Even with this kind of preparation I would still need an hour to put together the breakfast at the final stage.

So today the day began with pressure cooking the green vatana, making the yellow potato bhaaji. Then cleaned the home had bath and then went back to cutting the vegetables to give the final touches. While I was gone for bath. Dad got excited with the smells and went to check out in the kitchen what I was making for breakfast. Seeing the preps he did some thing and I did not have a clue.

I came back and got everything ready, took pictures and finally was settling down to eat with Dad. He sprung a surprise! He had made his favorite sweet tamarind chutney. Between mouthfuls he was saying, "You have made this the first time after we came to Bangalore." Gosh yes we were having this breakfast after almost 5 years. I was teasing Dad that he seemed to be excited about breakfast of Usal Puri today, he actually preferred Usal Pao he said, "I love to soak up the Pao in it, every morsel." But Baba you have to have our Mumbai Pao for it not these buns we get in Blr. We both agreed and enjoyed heartily the Usal Puri.

If it interests you try it out, you will not regret the sweating required for it.

Ingredients

For the Vatana usal

1/2 cup dried green peas/ Hirve Vatane

Wash and soak in lot of water. Start in the afternoon of the day before of this breakfast.

Next morning

2 onions chopped fine
1 green chili chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
2 teaspoons sambhar powder/ Goda masala
8- 10 curry leaves
handful chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon oil
salt to taste

Pressure cook the soaked Vatane to mushiness. I covered the Vatane with enough water and allowed 6-8 whistles.

Heat the oil. Fry onions till pink. Add the tomatoes. Add the green chili and sambhar powder. Cook down to a paste. Pour the cooked Vatane into it. The consistency of this curry is pourable to watery depending on how you like it. Today the Usal was planned to be served with Puri so I made it such as to be slurped with the Puri not to watery. However with Pao watery one is prefered. The salt needs to go in to make the effort enjoyable, do it your style. Let it boil.

The Potato Bhaaji is so common that I feel it does not need a recipe but without it this post cannot be complete.

For the Potato Bhaaji

1 tablespoon of oil
4 potatoes diced
1 teaspoon mustard
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
salt to taste

Heat the oil. Splutter the mustard seeds, sprinkle the asafoetida and the turmeric. Mix in the diced potatoes. Cover and cook for 5 mins.

For Sweet Tamarind Chutney

1 lemon sized ball of tamarind
2 lemon sized balls of jaggery
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a bowl heat water. Add to it the tamarind, jaggery and salt and bring to a boil. Put off the heat and after cooling, squeeze out the extract. Strain to remove fibers and shell of tamarind.

Onion cilantro salad

Chop onions fine. Do the same with fresh cilantro. Fine chop a green chili. Mix all this together with a little salt. This has to served on the side.

Serving Directions

In a plate place a shallow bowl ladle out the Usal. Scoop up some potato bhaaji and drop it in the center of the bowl. Now serve on left handside hot ballooned Puris. On the right handside serve the onion salad and a wedge of fresh lemon. Place the tamarind chutney in a bowl on the side. Those who like it might want to splash it on the Usal.

Eating directions

With your fingers top the Usal and Potato bowl with the onion salad. Squeeze the lemon over it. Mix with your fingers mashing the potatoes into the usal. The blending of the sour and starchy goodness makes it so yum and therapeutic, you stop to experience it just for a while. If adding sweet chutney do it after this mixing to enjoy the different taste between morsels. Now tear a small piece of the Puri and scoop up the Usal and put it straight into the salivating mouth. I cannot imagine not using my fingers for this. I might switch to a spoon only after the mixing. Some food are such the tactile indulgence is a must.

A closing note...

When one is happy then one feels like making lengthy meals. Once in a while, we all need assurance that people in our life value us. Communication is so important. It has made me so calm and gives more strength to face life. All of a sudden all the problems seem to have vanished. Those of you who find it difficult to communicate please reassure your feelings to your loved ones. Don't imagine that people understand what's on your mind. Speak it out, that is why we have a language, say it in words.

As for me I am awaiting some special time... "a different platform" ;) !

Tondli Chana Dal Bhaaji

I am an intuitive cook and sometimes a simple bhaji turns out so good that it has to be put on this space.

The chana dal and coconut compliments the tondli really well. This is not a pairing I am used to. Some experimentation makes the everyday food so exciting. Since it is simple and salad like I enjoyed one large helping of the bhaaji in my lunch box with 2 phulkas.

Ingredients

1/4 kg Tondli/ Ivy gourd
1/4 cup chana dal, soaked overnight
1 heaped tablespoon grated fresh coconut
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 teaspoons oil
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1 green chili chopped

Clean and cut the tondli into lengthwise slits. Wash the chana dal which was soaked overnight.

Now heat the oil. Make a seasoning with mustard seeds. On crackling, add the ivy gourd and chana dal and give it a stir. Let is cook with lid on for 5 mins. Remove lid, add 1/2 cup water and turmeric powder, red chili powder, chopped green chilies etc. Cook till soft. It took me about 20 mins. Remove the lid. Mix in the grated coconut.

Eat it with any kind of roti or just as a single bowl meal.

VFM Thali At Adiga's

Anticlockwise: Ash gourd sambhar, Rasam, Bhendi stir fry with coconut, Peas n potato kurma, 3 Puris, Curd rice, pickle, coconut chutney, a big bowl of steamed rice and Papad.

Venue: Adiga's at Ground floor, Total Mall, Madivala, Blr.
Price: Rs. 35

I had become picky after the fever and cough n cold. One time I had sugar doughnut and coffee for lunch. On 2 consecutive days I went to the cafeteria saw the display and came back without eating. That's when I enjoyed this meal. Dhano Rani was not around to give me company for the lunches of fruit salad and juice. So went down to Adiga's for a late lunch. Brooded over this VFM thali followed by a dose of filter coffee as I could not afford a siesta on a work day. Got back to my world of a keyboard jockey.

Not much of ambience but can say it is a clean Udipi hotel.

Pithlavun Bhendi

Crispy yummy lady fingers

When you are not in a mood for gravies and dals, this recipe is really good. It is dry and non messy making it good for packed lunches or travel food. We love to make chapati packets with these Bhendi as stuffing.

Pithlavun Bhendi means Bhendi made with coating of flour. The flour here is chickpea flour/ besan. There is also a bit of ground nut powder to add to the nuttiness.

This post has been in the draft for more than a year. Finally seeing the daylight.

Ingredients

1/4 kg Bhendi/ lady's finger
1/4 cup chickpea flour/ besan
1 tablespoon ground nut powder
salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon amchur powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida

Prepare the lady's finger. Wash and wipe dry every pod. Cut of the calyx and the tip. Give a slit lengthwise to get a pocket you can stuff. Keep aside.

Now mix together all the spices, peanut powder and besan along with salt. Stuff this into the lady's fingers.

Heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, follow in with asafoetida. Add the stuffed lady's fingers. Keep mixing with spatula to avoid stickiness. After 10 mins of cooking cover with lid. Remove lid after 5 mins. Add more oil if you find it getting dry. I don't mind the drying out. Fry till golden and crisp.

Kamat Lokaruchi, A Karnataka Rural Theme

On Sunday we visited Janapada Loka and the obvious choice for lunch was the Kamat Lokaruchi which is separated only by a wire compound.

After reading Voyager's post it had been in our conversations many times. I was keen on visiting Janapada Loka and enjoying a Sunday meal there. It is about 44 kms from my home so it was ideal for a lazy day, giving us the flexibility to leave home post breakfast and the convenience of enjoying the lunch at the Lokaruchi after a treat of the folk world.

Anyone who does this trip should infact drive straight into Kamat, park the vehicle there and then go next door.

You have read about Kamat's at Bugle Rock is my earlier post. The food is almost the same in both the places. I am talking about the Yelle Oota which we love. So this post will focus on the ambience and service instead.

In keeping with it neighboring Janapada Loka, Lokaruchi has succeeded in blending with the environment. They have taken the Janapada Loka experience to a different level. The stone and brick huts with thatched roofs makes it so authentic. There are many small huts and large dinning halls to choose from. The free roaming geese, quacking by, the monkeys from the woods being fed by the staff from time to time makes it such a wonderful experience. The staff in their Dhoti kurta and Nehru cap all complimented the rural theme.

There is a choice of North Karnataka meal and a Karavali meal. We almost instantly fell for the North Karnataka meal seeing hot Jolad roti/ Jwarichi bhakari being roasted in the centrally located open kitchen. You can watch them pat the roti with deft movements and enjoy the sounds and smells. I bet your hunger pangs grow intense and you rush to occupy the nearest available table.

Jolad roti, Pithla, Chana masala, Soppina Dal and the usual papad, raita and chutneys and the rice with sambhar, rasam and Majjige (buttermilk) downers

The Karavali meal had shevage. You even get to see the shevage made using a mechanical press. They also have other stuff like Akki roti etc. We ordered for Kai holige (Coconut Poli) separately. The food like all the Kamat restaurants was dependable.

Yet if I have to rate the service, I would say it requires improvement. Our experience at Bugle rock has always been good. The waiters are always attentive. Not at Lokaruchi though. There is a lot of rush and that has taken a toll on the service. We had to hail waiters for everything we needed. So we ate less. As usual the meal closed with a banana and a pan tray was kept to help yourself. You see the bunch of bananas hung there, they even let you pluck it for your self.

I love the premade pan at Bugle rock. We obviously went back and forth with the comparisons of the two locations. I did not feel really thrilled about Lokaruchi's service. Hence it misses top scores. Next time if I stop at Lokaruchi I'll try the other stuff other than the tempting Yelle Oota.

There was the sweet shop that caught my attention. It had several north karnataka style snacks but what interested me was the Ragi Nipattu and the Dink ladoo. They were the fastest moving items there. Then enroute we went to Ramohalli to see The Big Banyan Tree and reached home at tea time. We enjoyed the snacks we bought at Kamat's Lokaruchi with steaming hot cups of pepper tea. The Ragi Nipattu were crunchy and the Dink ladoo smelt divine of jaggery and ghee. You could feel the freshness of the rolly pollys.

The entire day right from the folk world at Janapada Loka, the lunch, the drive to the Big Banyan Tree and the evening snacks completed our Rural Karnataka experience. The best part was we loved the proximity of these places to our home. We were cut off from the city life in a little more than an hour, were not tired by the travel and felt fresh and all set for a new work week on return. Bangalore offers so much to see in and around. It has been 4.5 yrs and am still exploring. Food and travel makes me a happy person. I'm loving it!

Valpapdi Ma Dhokli

Written sometime in the last week...

I just had a most satisfying lunch of Valpapdi ma dhokli with Ghadichi PoLi. Those Gujju flavors do something to me. A boring day at work gets spiced up. Everyone is still on Christmas leave and not much to work on. My lunch has been fruit salad and juice for sometime now. This chill weather makes me want something really comforting and the cafeterias on my campus don't have much. One day I gave way to a huge Latte and sugar doughnut for lunch. The next day I knew I should carry food from home.

Dad had kept the Valpapdi cleaned and destringed, ready for use. On previous 2 days potatoes gave company to bhendi and gavar so Valpapdi would not go with them. I recollected Jugalbandits recipe of Fansi Dhokli (French beans with spiced dumplings). Since it was a work day morning and my laptop was packed into my bag. I went ahead and cooked from memory.

This is what I did...

Ingredients

For the Shaak
1/4 kg Valpapdi beans/ field beans
1 onion chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon crushed jaggery
salt to taste
2 teaspoons oil

For the Dhokli

A small ball of chapati dough
1 teaspoon ajwain/ caraway seeds

I had made chapati dough ready so took a small ball about one chapati ball. Mixed the ajwain in it. I did not add any other spices or seasonings to it. Rolled it into a rope and diced into bits.

Then went around making my usual Valpapdi with onions and tomatoes. First heated the oil. Fried the onions to translucency. The Valpapdi followed in. The dhoklis went in after a couple of minutes after the Valpapdi. Stirred well let it cook for 5 mins. As the veggies got dryer sprinkled some water about 1/4 cup. The jaggery had to be added in generous amounts about 1 teaspoon for a 1/4 kg Valpapdi. Covered the pan and let it cook till the dhoklis looked glazed and the Valpapdi felt tender. Mixed in the salt, red chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder. Covered and cooked for another 8-10 mins.

Done. Offered to God along with Ghadichi poli. Packed a box for lunch.

Just stopped swooning after lunch. Clearly the ajwain dhokli is the star performer in this Valpapdi.

Mushroom Dhansak On Brown Rice

A Parsi meal: Mushroom Dhansak on Brown rice and Caramel custard

There are many Dhansak recipe out there on the internet but this time I cooked from my most dependable source, "Annapoorna" by Mangala Barve.

The age tells it all, this is the only cook book in my possession and that too was gifted to me on my 14th Birthday.

Today's post is Not a recipe. Just wanted to share pictures of the year end meal of 2009 and my source of inspiration to cook in all these years.

I don't buy cook books. At one time I had a load of Femina issues which I found needed to be disposed for lack of space, their food photos were stylish. There are still a lot of e-cookbook which I don't even look at but keep hoarding. My go to place for recipes almost everyday is the blogs generously shared by ordinary people like me and you. That is the kind of food I like, mostly home-style sometimes flamboyant restaraunt style.

I hope to bring to you some really interesting posts this year about my Koli community. Wish me luck and keep visiting.

Potato and Onions in Yogurt, My Pick At the Potluck

Find the Potato and Onions in Yogurt in this collage.

A day prior to the Potluck as I was freezing the menu, Shrinidhi came to tell me he was getting along a Potato Salad. Knowing my interest in cooking he immediately described what he had learnt from his Mom. I went Yum~! A new recipe for my blog.

Tell me the authetic name, not your anglicized Potato salad. That is not acceptable. He did try naming it, for a man who was away from this country for more than a decade it was only a fair attempt. In Tulu, he said, Alu gadde something something...I agree with his wife, who is a Bengali that it did sound completely made up and needed a verification and certification by his Mom. Now how do I do that? Luckily there is a granny in the team so I turned to her, to which Sapna added its called Alu bhaji (sounded like Marathi for pakoda). Well I decided ultimately to go by the ingredients for the namesake.

So here I am presenting Shrinidhi's Mom's recipe of a delish salad that caught my taste buds by surprise by its simplicity in a potluck that had food from different states of India.

Ingredients

4 potatoes boiled and cubed
2 onions chopped fine
1 heaped teaspoon urad dal/ split black lentils
10 curry leaves
2 red chilies broken into pieces
1/2 litre fresh yogurt/ curd
salt to taste
2 teaspoons coconut oil

Heat the coconut oil to a point of smoking. Inhale the divine aroma :). Add the urad dal, fry till golden. Then crispen the curry leaves and red chili to smokiness. Now fry the onions just to get rid of the raw taste. Add the potato dices. Put off the heat. Mash the potatoes a bit with the back of the spoon. Mix in the yogurt or curd. I would prefer yogurt as it is more creamier but curd too works the traditional way.

Shrinidhi says this was a staple homecoming meal at his parents home in Manipal. They enjoyed it with hot steaming rice with more coconut oil drizzled on it. He has survived on this Potato salad in all his stays in Europe where a vegetarian tends to loose appetite for obvious reasons. I could live just on this salad without rice or chapati for accompaniment. As always I try to find similarities in cuisines, to me it is like a South Indian tasting Aloo chaat. It has the potential to freak you out as you squeeze out the juices of the yogurt drenched red chili to turn up the heat of a rather cool salad.

AND here is our...

Potluck Menu

Rice: Bisibele Bhat, Tamarind Rice, Lemon Rice, Veg Pulao, Curd rice

Indian breads: Chapati, Puri, Kozhakatai, Akki Roti with chutney

Curries: Chana Masala, Shahi paneer, Aloo-matar, Kadala curry

Starters: Kothimbir Vadi with Bedekar's garlic chutney and Ketchup, Potato wafers. Banana wafers.

Salad: Sprouts salad, Potato Onion in yogurt, Mix Veg slices

Desserts: Apple crumble, Nolen Gurer Sandesh, Vanilla Icecream, Gulab Jamun, Srikhand, Soan Papdi, Plum Cake.

Drink: Tang-Orange

Its easy to guess it was Kothimbir Vadi from me and I already wrote about the Apple Crumble. The Potluck in the true sense was a Melting pot of all recipes from North-South-East and the West. Quite a reflection of India and its food, we all appreciated the diverse cultures. United we are as the saying goes "Teams that eat together stay together". That one is an adapted one!

Well with this post I am crossing the FINISH line of the Nupur's 7-day recipe marathon. Yay! My Fellow Marathoners were inspiring all the way. I met new bloggers through this event. Thank you every one for making it fun.

Thank you Nupur for this idea. I know I enjoyed participating in this event immensely. Hope you enjoyed being a marathoner inspite of the Kitchen plumbing fiasco.

Finally before the clock strikes 12 here and we move into a brand New 2010. Let me hit the publish button.

Happy New Year... Bloggers! Readers!! All you out there!!!
May there be sunshine in your lives by God's grace.

Lasnachi Vali Chutney

This post is in remembrance of my grandfather.

This Lasnachi Vali Chutney was his favorite on the days he fasted. He was a Koli to the core. He fasted may be just couple of times a year. On the day of the fast he would be really irritable. He hated vegetarian food. He ate only one meal on such days consisting of steamed rice with our Koli dals (Hirva Masala Moog Dal or Pivli Dal) and a big ball of this chutney. My grandmother who was very good at statistics said, Ajoba needs "Chutney cha gola, Eka kavdhi cha!" A ball of chutney made using half a coconut.

Fasting for Ajoba was always like a punishment. Only when the women folk refused to cook fish for him or may be for Shivaratri.

Among the Kolis not eating non veg is considered fasting. There are no other rules to be followed, I do recollect he visiting the Bhavani Aai temple though. It was considered austere to follow a fast as every Koli's day begins with a breakfast of Chavlachi Roti with kanji (Pochacha Kaanji) and a feast of fishes through out the day.

My grandpa loved his spice and oil floating on his fish curries. Whenever he ate dal, my Dad would comment softly in my ear, "Have you ever seen a tiger eat grass?". Just like his charachter this chutney is strong in aroma from the copious amounts of garlic and the pungency from the red chilies. The coconut is only to give it body. We Kolis don't like our chutneys watered down, it has to be an oblong smooth ball gathered and shaped on the Patta.

At fast breaking time, Ajoba would be served a heap of rice, well cooked yet fluffy. Then he would make a well in the heap. Pour the dal from a steel quarter plate. Mix it little by little, pinch of a little of the Lasnachi Vali chutney and put a huge portion into the mouth. All this using his fingers.
Till he finished no one came between his fast breaking and him.

Ingredients

1/2 coconut grated
5-6 red chilies soaked in water for 5 mins
10 cloves of garlic
salt to taste

Grind with minimum amount of water in a mixer or on the stone grinder. Make a fine paste. Roll up into an oblong shape. Enjoy it with Dal bhaat.

Well let me explain the name before I move on to narate my memories of Ajoba and adventures in Thal, Lasun is garlic you know that one, Vali is wet in Koli so Lasanchi Vali Chutney ofcourse!

My memories of my grandfather are made of funny incidents, of chases around the home in Thal and the barn. One afternoon I climbed the guava tree. Under the tree was kept the hardware stock for our Galbat/ Boat. I was strategic in choosing the time when everyone was at the Bunder, Ajoba was at home and asleep. Suddenly I heard my Mami scream, "Witch come down or you will fall." I was scared not from her yelling, or the height but the fear of grandpa. Thud!!! I got up, collecting myself quickly and ran to save my life. Grandpa was now chasing me around the house with a coconut flower pod. I had tasted the beatings from it once and well knew it hurt bad man! Ran for my life and disappeared on my Moongavrichi Aaji's attic. Only after cuddling behind a Ranjun (The Alibaba kind earthen pot) I realized my bum was sore from the fall. I must have fallen asleep there after all the panting. When I woke up it was evening. I had cobwebs in my hair and black ash from the deposits from the chool on my face. Ajoba was sitting resting against the Tulsi. He saw my avatar and called me to have a bath. I knew him too well. He would first spank me and then hand me over to Mothi Aaji for a bath so I stood far away. Late in the evening as hunger got the better of me, I sneaked into the Vataan (hall). Neelam was fast asleep and Mothi Aaji was petting her. She had got beaten up for being my accomplice. She was not a good sprinter and had got snared by Ajoba. I sneaked an early dinner and cuddled up next to Neelam under the Godhadi (quilt).

Another chase was a shorter one. One May Vacation, my grandfather told us to play near the Hauli (Holi platform). There used to be a lot of Bhendi trees there along the path that lead to the seashore. We would climb on those and sit on the branches and watch the tides. At high tide time we kids were always watched over by elders. That day it got a bit boring. So as my grandpa napped on a mat under a tree, I took my gang to our barn just a few meters down on the seashore. The stable was well stocked with hay. Neat bales all prepared for the rains. The Barn walls just mended with woven coconut palm mats by Ajoba. We played hide n seek there. It was an ideal place for the game. Suddenly from the crack of the door I spotted Ajoba coming towards the barn with a whip in hand. As he charged fiercely towards me, I was about 9 or 10 then. I tunneled through the hay tore through the barn wall. The coconut ribs in the wall scratching and bruising me. The mid afternoon sun shone harshly almost blinding me, yet I raced towards the Malbandar. Grandpa out of breath shaking his fist with a finger pointing at me, warning me, "wait till I get you".

As a child I found it fun and remember it that way. My Dad however remembers only the strict father that rarely showed love. One who managed to discipline his sons so well, inspite of the couple of indulgences that he himself had he is survived by a family that prides itself in being teetotalers and many good habits.

December is my grandpa's anniversary month. He died in the year 1985 on the same tithi as our Shree Brahmachaitanya Maharaj.

Closing this with a qoute Ajoba followed in life "Kisi ka ghenam nai, Kisi ka denam nai". It is a mixed language of his own and means "Never take from anyone, Never be in debt."

RIP Ajoba we follow it strictly.

Soupy Dalia

Soupy Dalia
with Tomato Cheese toast sprinkled with Basil and Olive oil smear

The Christmas weekend passed away quietly in bed, brought down by the twins cough n cold and their roguish brother, fever.

I had no mood to cook and I rarely get a relief from cooking. I was expected to make something tasty for the person not suffering like me as well as make it edible for myself.

This meal lifted my mood instantly. It took me just 20 mins to put both the toast and the soup together.

Ingredients

1/4 cup dalia/ broken wheat
1 onion chopped
1 tomato diced
1 carrot diced
1/4 cup peas
1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 teaspoon kitchen king masala
2 teaspoon oil
salt to taste

Heat a pressure cooker. Pour oil. Fry the onions till transluscent. Add the broken wheat and fry a bit. Then dump in all the vegetables. Add the salt and the masala. Top up with water. About 3 glasses. Close the lid and allow 3 whistles. Put off heat. Let it cool. Open the lid. Stir in the fresh cilantro.

Serve hot. While the soup is getting ready get the toast ready with a slice of tomato n cheese and sprinkle on dry basil. In a serving plate pour some Olive oil for smearing the toast. Enjoy the warm bite and the hot sip.

Wrap yourselves up, winter is here to stay and the showers don't seem to stop.

Tiranga Jeera Rice

Recipe for Nupur's 7-day recipe marathon starting Dec 25 until Dec 31, 2009.

This is a simple Jeera Rice with colorful vegetables made in an attempt to get the recovery patient excited about eating. We all know color plays a big part in boosting our emotions. Dad has a love for all this red chili colored, be it the curries, rice or anything else, oh yes and you have read here about his love for ketchup too.

What's good about this rice is, it is completely non spicy and yet flavorful. It is a good option for pesky kids who hate spice. The rice is tri-colored with vegetables, so Tiranga Jeera Rice is the nomenclature.

Ingredients

1 cup raw rice
1/4 cup sweet corn kernels
1/4 cup green peas
1/4 cup cubbed carrots
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1 small stick of cinnamon
1 tablespoon oil
salt to taste
300 ml water

In a small pressure cooker heat oil. Tempering is with cumin seeds and cinnamon. Add in the tri-colored vegetables. Fry a bit to coat with oil. Mix in the washed rice. I used Sona masuri. Add salt as per preference, top up with water. Give it a stir and close the lid. Let the pressure cooker whistle once. Then let it collect enough steam for the next whistle and switch it just before the whistle goes off. Cool, open, mix with light hand. Serve hot with a soup for company.

Majjige HuLi With Mangalore Southekayi

Majjige HuLi, steamed rice, a blog err blob of pickle, Corn and Carrot Kosumbari and Chili bhajji, that's a Bangalore Mini Meal!

Majjige HuLi has been on the wedding menu of almost all the weddings I have attended so far here in Blr.

With the 7-day recipe marathon hosted on One Hot Stove I knew it was time to give it a try.

Majjige HuLi translates to Buttermilk Sour, the sour refers to the curry ofcourse. I used this recipe. It turned out really tasty.

I started off with plans of a Majjige HuLi with Madras cucumber in my earlier post on that special Sambhar with the cucumber. Then D, my dear friend tells me this Madras cucumber is also called Mangalore Southekayi. Thought this post would sound more authentic with the Mangalore Southekayi. No fusion brought in even in the name by moi Maharashtrian. Essentially like GOD with all possible names is still the same. Call it Madras cucumber or Mangalore southekayi it is the same form. Don't know if they worship it in these individual regions ;)!

She went on to educate me that it is one of the few vegetables which stays good in the tropical climate of Mangalore and is used widely in many preparations besides Sambar. By now I needn't say she hails from Mangalore, you got it!

This curry is a good change from the dals & Kadhis that I am used to. It is going to be made often in my kitchen now with different vegetables. I have eaten one with Ridge gourd at our friend Ashwath Narayan and Parimala aunty's home.

Most of the traditional cooks chop the vegetables into large chunks on the pretext that the gourds which are so popular for this may crumble into the curry. I infact disagree with that. The curry is just about brought to a boil. So there is no chance of vegetables loosing their identity in there. So I gave the Anjali touch to it. The HuLi stands out with 1/4 inch slices of the cooking cucumber. It is a delicately flavored curry and a little more delicate handling of veggies will only enhance its beauty when plated.

See I told you!

I did not want to repeat the recipe here but this little procedure is important so I'll go all the way enumerating my tweaking. I skipped the turmeric in the original recipe as I have never seen turmeric or tasted it in any Majjige HuLi I have eaten so far.

Ingredients

1/2 Madras Cucumber/ Mangalore Southekayi
300 ml sour curd
2 teaspoon oil
4-5 curry leaves
handful chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
salt to taste

For the masala

1/2 cup grated coconut
1 green chili
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander powder
2 teaspoons Roasted split chickpeas/ Kadale bele/ DahaLe in Marathi
1 inch piece of ginger
2-3 pepper corns

Prepare the masala first. Grind together all the items with a bit of water to get a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Beat the curd in a bowl and add enough water to get buttermilk of medium consistency fit for a curry.

Now in a pot, heat 1 teaspoon oil. Add the sliced cucumber. Stir for a min. Add water just to cover it and let it cook until pale. Now add the masala paste. Follow in with the buttermilk. Stir to homogenize. Leave it on heat for 10 mins. and just as it starts boiling put it off.

Make the seasonings with mustard seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves. Pour over the boiling curry and cover.

The aroma of fresh ground ginger, cumin and coriander powder permeates the entire home. People are pulled in to the kitchen like a magnet. "Something different today?" Yes a white curry. Hope you like it!

A Quick Kali Dal

I had posted a Creamy Dal Makhani sometime last year. This is a quicker version of it and is called Kali Dal coz there is no Rajma no Chana dal in this version. This one is simpler version I'd say.

Ingredients

1/4 cup whole urad / black lentils
1 inch ginger
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 green chili
2 teaspoons oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

Soak the whole urad overnight in a lot of water (to avoid slime).

Cook the pre-soaked dal in a pressure cooker along with Garam masala and ginger. Once cooked. Prepare the tadka with oil, mustard seeds and slit green chili in a wok. Pour the boiled dal into the wok. Bring to boil. Keep the consistency thick to get the creaminess to peak.

Serve hot with thick Punjabi Roti. Add a blob of cream on the dal. This dal is simplicity at its best and really quick to make.

Apple Crumble And The Zestyness

Ho Ho Ho....Merry Christmas Every One!

When you are looking for an easy peasy dessert this season without much sweating to do then Apple crumble is the right thing.

This is a concoction arrived at after much googling. I have also learnt to not follow proportions while baking such dishes but rather depend on my instincts. Yet I am putting down the recipe for repetitions sake if I want to do it. Rather I have planned to do.

We have been eating right for more than a month now. The dessert craving shows up unexpectedly and needs satisfying. That's when this got made. It will again be made for a team potluck that we are organizing.

I have become an addict of Zesty notes in every thing. I love orange zest in any baked treat. So this one became predominantly orangey. We ate piles two times in a day. My team is going to love it I can tell already.

Ingredients

For the apple base
2 apples chopped in tiny cubes
1 tablespoon orange zest
juice of 1 orange
1/2 tablespoon of all purpose flour
1 tablespoon of fine grain sugar


For the crumble topping
1.5 tablespoon of all purpose flour
2 tablespoons of fine grain sugar
2 tablespoons of butter
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
pinch of salt

Grease a baking tin, I used a loaf pan. Toss chopped apples in orange juice, coat with sugar and orange zest. Finally dust it with all purpose flour. Transfer into the baking tin.

In a dry bowl. Mix the sugar into the all purpose flour along with a pinch of salt and cinnamon powder. Rub in the butter to get a crumbly mix. Top the apples lined in the baking tin with the crumble. Press it down gently with a spatula.

Bake in the oven for 20-30 mins @ 180 deg celsius till the apples start bubbling and the top turns a crisp brown. If you find that the sugar is caramelizing in 15 mins slip on the lid. Mine became a darker shade of brown but tasted awesome. Wish there was some icecream to go with it., it is winter time and I am not stocking any right now. I am visualizing fresh cream will be great with it at potluck time.

This time we are planning to pass on some love in the team. Everyone has been asked to write a word of appreciation for the team member/s who has been of help and support. We will collect the notes is a bowl and read out randomly during the celebrations. Joy of giving is what Christmas stands for isn't it?

This post races to Nupur's 7-day recipe marathon starting Dec 25 until Dec 31, 2009. Happy compiling girl.

We will have fun. Hope you too enjoy like us. I'd like to hear what you did for Christmas. Do write in.