Back a full circle

Thats Vani for U now live from Ahmedabad!

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February 2010

I carefully wrapped the china

feeling its cold weight in my hands

in my favorite blanket,

the one with the jaipuri print

also my red stilettos

One by one it all went into the box

to be donated the next day

I sat sorting the pile of papers

for some important bill or a letter from you maybe?

as they came and took away the furniture

there muddy boots all over my sterilized carpet

I cringed, you held me back, "let them" you said.

The little green box on the book shelf now lay on the floor

with wine corks from our date nights, doodled paper napkins.

I dragged myself into the kitchen,
cleared the shelves, the strong sweet aromas of the masalas stayed.
emptied my barnis of dals - big small green and yellow.
tossed the turmeric stained washcloth

packed the devara and my little gods in your mom's old saree.

gently pulled down the Toran from the front door
and once again I held your hand, and moved on...

Jaipuri- from the region around Jaipur, India
Masala- spices(Indian)
Barni- large glass jars used to store dried beans, lentils etc.
Devara- A small temple structure to house idols of gods. (Marathi)
Toran- A decoration hung above entrance door to a house, meant to bring good luck.

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Indian Textiles and Handlooms

My ultimate fashion dream is to one day have a collection of saris/ salwar kameez/ dupattas that covers traditional prints and weaves from regions all across India..:). The vibrant silks and the chikan kurtas in pastels, the intricate embroideries and the modest "not so perfect" hand prints, I want it all...I really havnt gotten far along but one day I will!

Here is just a glimpse of some of traditional weaves and prints of India..

Kalamkari: Hand painted on cotton generally the prints are very distinct featuring flowers and "bel" or creepers. The term Kalamkari comes from "kalam" or pen. The craft is native to Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh. I do have a beautiful black and white kalamkari print dupatta from Fab India that I got more than 7 years ago..:)

Bandhani: Also called "Bandhej" or "tie and dye" bandhani comes from "bandh" or to tie. The authentic Bandhani uses natural dyes. Comes from the "Kutch" region in Gujrat and also parts of Rajasthan. Married into a Gujarati family, I got some lovely bandhani sarees as a part of my trousseau! :)

Batik: Batik printing technique is popular all across South East Asia. Originated in Egypt to wrap mummies. It is a wax resist dyeing technique where linen is soaked in wax and scraped using a sharp tool. The technique traveled to India centuries back and became it's own! Major centers in India include Calcutta. I have in the past had a couple of bartik kurtas, currently don't have any. Now added to my shopping list! :)

Chanderi: Famous for it's light-weight quality and intricate designs, Chanderi Silk sarees are hand woven in Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh. I have a black and purple dupatta in chanderi, next on my wishlist is a saree! (Kareena Kapoor was recently spotted wearing a lovely Black Chanderi on the promotion tour for 3 idiots)

Paithani: Woven from very fine silk in Paithan near Aurangabad, Paithani saree is the quintessential wedding saree in maharashtra. Love the vibrant blues, reds and yellows that are very characterstic of a traditioal Paithani. Also Lookout for the "peacock" design if you want the real thing! And no I dont have any Paithani saree yet..:(

Kashida embroidery: "Kashida" itself means embroidery in Kashmir. The single stitch embroidery is done using very fine silk thread. Generally done on wool and silks, it is one of the most intricate embroidery styles that I have come across. When I was a little girl my dad got me a very pretty white pauncho with red embroidery from his Kashmir trip..loved it! Hopefully I will visit the beautiful Kashmir valley myself one day and indulge in some serious shopping! Those kashmiri shawls are gorgeous!!:)

Vegetable hand block prints: Hand block printing is a technique practiced all across India, each state has it's unique colors and patterns. The Hand Block Prints of Gujrat/ Rajasthan are called Ajrakh. Blues and Reds are the most characteristic colors of this print. I owned several cotton salwar kameezes with beautiful hand block prints (all brought from Sarojini Nagar market in Delhi) and these were actually my signature during architecture days.. :)

Patola: Patola comes from Patan in Gujrat. It includes a very intricate weaving process where threads of silk are carefully marked, tied and dyed separately and then woven together to create a beautiful piece of art!

I could recognize a patola print as early as I was eight, thanks to one of my mom's wedding sarees - patterns of green and blues woven into a deep pink/ purple base.. I still haven't come across any other saree so beautiful! Last time in India, I was shopping for a family wedding I kept asking for Patola and was always dismissed saying it was old fashioned! I know the heaps and heaps of embroidered chiffons and Georgettes can never match up to my mom's pink patola! :)

Kantha: Type of embroidery in bengal with decorative running stitch motifs. The traditional Kantha designs include flower patterns and animals. Recently got a turquoise blue saree with a Kantha print..:)

Chikankari: Shadow work embroidery from Luckhnow, done in white thread on muslin cloth. The classic all white chikan kurta and churidaar- Sheer elegance! :)

Zardozi: Very rich and elaborate designs hand embridered using gold and silver threads. Extremely popular in Bridal Wear these days. Main Centers are Bhopal and Lucknow.

With cheap mass produced garments and the influx of "branded wear" in Indian markets, many of these traditional crafts and techniques are on a decline. There are constant efforts being made by governments as well as several non profit organizations to revive these industries. I hope that these local handloom and textile industries continue to flourish and add color to our lives..:)

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Freakonomics is Fun!

Freakonomics is statistics made fun and entertaining!

I read the whole book (not very long , about 150 pages) in a breeze. For a book full of facts and "data analysis", it did not overwhelm me or bog me down, on the contrary it left me wanting for more...:). How effortlessly Steven Levitt uncovers the "why" behind a diverse range of everyday life topics. He analyzes the economics of drug peddling, crime, abortion, in the process humanizing these otherwise distant and touchy subjects. And then goes on to present a case for correlation between (people's)names and social development!

Intelligent,Witty and highly interactive, the book definitely challenges conventional wisdom and so many assumptions that we just consider "givens"... AND without sounding PREACHY!

If you are looking for a light read for your next beach vacation or those 22 hour India flights, this is IT! :)

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Kitchen Jugaads!

Jugaad: "Jugaad refers to an improvised solution; inventiveness, ingenuity, cleverness. It means creative improvisation and finding alternative ways of doing improbable things. It reflects on a person’s ability to think out of the box and optimize resources in the best possible way" (source: this blog)

Recent talks around sustainability and "Greening our lifestyle" led me thinking about all the little innovations in an Indian kitchen that we all grew up observing. Be it dishing out tasty recipes from leftovers or reusing "Bournvita jars" for storage, these little "jugaads" were always easy on the planet and on pockets! :)

Here are some green tidbits that I remember from my growing up years..

Use it up, Wear it out: Empty bottles and containers of any shape, size and kind found a use in the kitchen! Empty glass bottles were used for storing dals, chai, sugar..roohazfa bottles-washed clean and used to store drinking water in the refrigirator and the tiny ones which did not find a suiatble match were neatly displayed on the window sill with a little money plant. Most of us will also remember the little film roll containers-each and every one of them was put to a good use- to carry ketchup to school, for storing saunf/mukhwaas, a perfect little container for loose change and I still have one little one here with angara in it..:)

Eating off of leaves!: As a kid I loved attending weddings and family functions with my grandparents . As is a custom in marathi weddings, food was always served in batches and in pangats- sitting down on the floor in rows facing each other. The food used to be served in Patravli- plates and bowls made from dried leaves . I so vividly remember the aroma of varan bhat with ghee served on a dried leaf platter, think it actually made the food taste even more delicious! :)

Newspaper to the rescue: Old Newspapers were widely used everywhere. The paper cones with tasty chana chor garam and moongfali at the street vendors, as liners in kichen cabinets and drawers, and as paper plates during family trips and travels in trains. :) And come Diwali when aaji made several rounds of chivda and shankarpales in batches- newspapers were generously used to drain off excess oil in place of paper towels..:)

The multi use utensils : I still remember our oldest casserole-a green and white milton!. other than keeping chapatis and curry warm it made a great yoghurt maker- mix a little dahi in warm milk, stir well and place it in the casserole..whoa fresh curds for the next meal! Sharp edged vatis/ katoris were used to cut perfect round for pooris and the one pressure cooker was used for cooking and steaming and everything in between...

What trash? : I am still amazed at how little garbage an average household in India generates. Vegetable waste almost never finds its way into the trash can. packaging is minimal, all plastic bags (even the little amul milk bags) are washed and reused. No paper towels. No 100 type of kitchen cleaners. Amazing!

Old food, new avatar: And how can we forget resusing food in tasty and innovative ways? Leftover polis/ rotis became tasty kuskara, dals were hidden inside thalipiths, curds turned sour made the most delicious kadhi and spoiled milk meant matar paneer the next day....:)

As I struggle to make my kitchen as smart and easy on the environment, I understand how hard it really is. The economics have changed. We no longer think twice before buying a new kitchen gadget, paper towels are an "easy" alternative to the wash cloth and recycling takes "effort".

Maybe I will come back and post about our little experiments in sustainable living...

In the meantime I would love to hear green tips, stories and suggestions from your book of life as well! :)

Later.

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To Tatya with love..

Tatya, that’s what we call him- never recall calling him azoba(marathi for grandfather), Tatya he is for everybody. ..

Friends (and fans) he has many, he proudly claims that if he heads off on a journey and eats his three meals a day at three different houses (where he would be whole heartedly welcomed) everyday he would not have to come back home for an year. .I believe him.

With countless friends he has countless stories to tell. We have grown up listening to all his fascinating stories and the reminiscences of his past. He is also the one responsible for making algebra interesting for us! From arithmetic to Shakespeare verses to Sanskrit shlokas he was our door to the vast world of knowledge..He's a fun person to be with, a gifted story teller, with a super strong memory. Even today, everything is afresh in his mind-names people, places dates, events pooja hymns, everything…..

Tatya was born in 1918 in Devas, a small town in Madhya Pradesh that time a princely state under the rule of Pawars. He was the 8th child I guess and was thus named Damodar (Another name for Krishna). Born in a humble Brahmin family,He grew up learning Sanskrit verses at home and Wordsworth and Shakespeare at school….We have experienced his childhood countless times through his numerous kissas. All his stories are so amusing; it’s hard to believe that he's lived it all..!! I remember him telling us about his 4th grade English school teacher who taught the class a poem called Daffodils. Since none of the young kids in Devas had ever seen a Daffodil flower, the teacher painstakingly made trips to all the public libraries available to find a photograph. Once he found one, he neatly drew a Daffodil with yellow chalk on the black board for all to appreciate the beauty of this unique flower..

He fondly remembered that teacher when he saw a Daffodil flower for the first time in his life (some 60 years later) on a trip to Kashmir…

Such is his memory and his love for people..I found that poem online..

To Daffodil by Robert Herrick.

Fair Daffodils, we weep to see

You haste away so soon;

As yet the early-rising sun

Has not attain'd his noon.

Stay, stay,

Until the hasting day

Has run

But to the even-song; And, having pray'd together, we

Will go with you along.

We have short time to stay, as you,

We have as short a spring;

As quick a growth to meet decay, As you, or anything.

We die As your hours do, and dry

Away,

Like to the summer's rain;

Or as the pearls of morning's dew,

Ne'er to be found again.

I hope to see him soon, leisurely squatting on that rocking chair with his evening cup of tea, trying to make sense of those clues in the Sunday times crossword…

Happy 91st Birthday Tatya! :)

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Peek into the Past -1 Brunch Specials

Cleaning my hard drive today, I found so many unfinished posts and tons of recipes I never blogged about! It was fun to revisit the  2 years of cooking explorations-some successful, some disasters  :) Most of these dishes were "first times" for me and thus deserve a special mention on this blog!! I will be posting these past pictures in between "real time" posts. This first post documents my experiments with breakfast/ brunch foods! 

A perfect Saturday brunch for me has to be something which is quick to make, requires minimum groceries and can fill me up for the day! (And yes it has to be HOT (as in off the stove), I am not too much  a fan of cold foods. Here are  some of my all time favourites :

Vermicelli Upma

Learnt the recipe from my mom. (Still haven't come across anybody else in my circle who prepares this). Its a fun and easy alternative to  rava upma and very hard to mess up!

Roast the vermicelli (seviyan) in a little ghee till browned. Keep aside. Heat some oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, chana dal and urda dal. Roast till the dals are browned. Now add chopped onions and green chillies. Once the onions are cooked you can add your choice of vegetables- (peas, carrots go well). Add salt and red chilli powder, cover the lid and cook for some time. Add the roasted vermicelli and water. cook till the seviyan are soft and cooked completely. We totally relish this upma with Molga podi and dollops of yoghurt!

Tomato Omelet/ Dhirda

The Indian/vegetarian alternative to an egg omelet. Made with besan, a pantry staple in most Indian kitchens. Great for days when there is nothing else in the refrigerator. ! Try it between two slices of bread with some hot chutney. mmmmm..:)

Mix besan (gram flour) with salt, red chilli powder, ajwain, diced green chillies, tomatoes and cilantro. Carefully add water while constantly beating the mix to avoid any lumps. The end batter should be easily spreadable  but not too watery. Pour the batter on a lightly oiled skillet. Cook till both sides are browned. Serve hot with ketchup or green chutney.

French Toast

When omelets and bhurji seem routine, we love to dig into this more 'exotic' alternative! :)

Beat eggs. Add chopped onions, diced onions, chillies, cilantro, a little milk, salt and pepper. Mix well. Dip bread slices into the egg batter (slightly stale/ hardened bread works better). Fry bread slices on a skillet till cooked completely and browned on all both sides. Enjoy with tomato ketchup!

Pohe

"ayushya he, chulhi varlya, kadhai tale kande pohe.." This new song by Avdhoot Gupte  is enough to describe the importance of Pohe (flattened rice) in a Marathi household..:)

I am still striving for perfection when it comes to pohe, so  I will skip the recipe. Every time I make Pohe there is something or the other wrong-  either the raw pohe smell lingers around, or the potatoes remain slightly uncooked or they end up in a soggy mess! Would love to hear from you guys any tips/ secrets to get this one just right! :)

Chao for now, I really enjoyed writing this post! (This one's for you Aai!! ) :)

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The vegetarian 100

A fun meme developed by Barbara of   Tigers and Strawberries :)

( And thanks to Onehotstove for posting the link )

"If you want to play along, here’s how you do it: copy the list, including my instructions, and bold any items you have eatenand strike out any you would never eat, and then post it to your blog. If you want, you can leave a comment here, linking to your results, or you can link back to this post so I can try and keep tabs on what folks have eaten and not eaten."

(I don't know how to strike out items!!! so I am highlighting the ones I wont eat in Red)

Barbara's Vegetarian Hundred

1. Real macaroni and cheese, made from scratch and baked
2. Tabouleh
3. Freshly baked bread, straight from the oven (preferably with homemade strawberry jam)
4. Fresh figs
5. Fresh pomegranate
6. Indian dal of any sort
7. Imam bayildi
8. Pressed spiced Chinese tofu
9. Freshly made hummus
10. Tahini
11. Kimchi
12. Miso
13. Falafel
14. Potato and pea filled samosas
15. Homemade yogurt
16. Muhammara
17. Brie en croute
18. Spanikopita
19. Fresh, vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes
20. Insalata caprese
21. Stir-fried greens (gai lan, bok choi, pea shoots, kale, chard or collards)
22. Freshly made salsa
23. Freshly made guacamole
24. Creme brulee
25. Fava beans
26. Chinese cold sesame peanut noodles
27. Fattoush
28. New potatoes
29. Coleslaw
30. Ratatouille
31. Baba ganoush
32. Winter squash
33. Roasted beets
34. Baked sweet potatoes
35. Plantains
36. Chocolate truffles
37. Garlic mashed potatoes
38. Fresh water chestnuts
39. Steel cut oats
40. Quinoa
41. Grilled portabello mushrooms
42. Chipotle en adobo
43. Stone ground whole grain cornmeal
44. Freshly made corn or wheat tortillas
45. Frittata
46. Basil pesto
47. Roasted garlic
48. Raita of any type
49. Mango lassi
50. Jasmine rice (white or brown)
51. Thai vegetarian coconut milk curry
52. Pumpkin in any form other than pie
53. Fresh apple pear or plum gallette
54. Quince in any form
55. Escarole, endive or arugula
56. Sprouts other than mung bean
57. Naturally brewed soy sauce
58. Dried shiitake mushrooms
59. Unusually colored vegetables (purple cauliflower, blue potatoes, chocolate bell peppers…)
60. Fresh peach ice cream
61.  Chevre
62. Medjool dates
63. Kheer
64. Flourless chocolate cake
65. Grilled corn on the cob
66. Black bean (or any other bean) vegetarian chili
67. Tempeh
68. Seitan or wheat gluten

69. Gorgonzola or any other blue veined cheese
70. Sweet potato fries
71. Homemade au gratin potatoes
72. Cream of asparagus soup
73. Artichoke-Parmesan dip
74. Mushroom risotto
75. Fermented black beans
76. Garlic scapes
77. Fresh new baby peas
78. Kalamata olives
79. Preserved lemons
80. Fried green tomatoes
81. Chinese scallion pancakes
82. Cheese souffle
83. Fried apples
84. Homemade frijoles refritos
85. Pasta fagiole
86. Macadamia nuts in any form
87. Paw paw in any form
88. Grilled cheese sandwich of any kind
89. Paneer cheese
90. Ma Po Tofu (vegetarian style–no pork!)
91. Fresh pasta in any form
92. Grilled leeks, scallions or ramps
93. Green papaya salad
94. Baked grain and vegetable stuffed tomatoes
95. Pickled ginger
96. Methi greens
97. Aloo paratha
98. Kedgeree (the original Indian version without the smoked fish, not the British version with fish)
99. Okra
100. Roasted brussels sprouts

My score : 54%  Not bad! And as it turns out I don't mind trying everything as as long as its vegetarian!

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Rasam - Bhaat

Dinner today: Piping hot Rasam Rice with a side of Potato roast (Urulai Vathakkal) and curds. 

You can get both these wonderful recipes at Tasty palettes. :) Happy Eating!

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Chai and Pakora!

what else do you crave for on cold wintry days like these...???

This was a couple of weeks back, when we saw the season's first snow storm in Atlanta .. It was a Sunday..:) We enjoyed the day with several rounds of chai..lots of TV and yummy Paneer Pakoras!

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Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly Plants

Came across this article from the New York Times. It was an eye opener for me and really led me to think about our eating habits and exercise routine (and also make my new year resolutions which I NEVER EVER have) :

1.) Incorporate more fresh vegetables in my everyday meals. In addition to the usual dal chawal,our meal will now include more vegetables (cooked/raw).

2.) Start shopping at the Farmer's market instead of the Grocery stores.

3.) Create AND STICK to an exercise schedule (walking/jogging to start with)

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Some like it Hot..!

I don't have a sweet tooth at all..so when everybody around me is trying hard to keep away from all the cookies and candies and cakes this holiday season, It's no problem for me..:) - that means no post Christmas diets and workouts..;P

I am the other extreme - the fiery-spicy food lover. "teekha khana teekhi ladkiyo ke liye"(Hot food is for hot girls ;P) a dialogue from the Bollywood Hit- Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam very rightfully applies to me..giggles..:) There is no dearth of spicy food in India, specially the quick- light on the pockets spicy street food. From the pani puri water, the wada pav with the red hot chutney to mirchi bhajia, I have had my fair share of all :).  And one of my all time favourite snack is misal pav- the healthy goodness of sprouts in a spicy hot curry. The spicier the Misal the better..:) - it is no fun to eat misal without the red runny nose and watery eyes...:)

I had my first taste of  misal pav in Nashik, during my days in architecture school. And after that first time I couldn't get enough :). There was this place we used to frequent a lot in Satpur industrial area- "shyam Sunder" which has the best Misal Pav in town. The authentic misal pav is an elaborate affair- misal(cooked sprouts) is served with separate cutta(the spicy curry), boiled potatoes, yogurt, onions and slices of pav/bread. Shyam Sunder is an "eat as much as u can" joint, as most misal places are. That means you keep getting several rounds of the misal drowned in the spicy "cutta". I remember not leaving that place once, till our faces were all red..:)

My version of Misal is very quick and easy - by no way authentic but after several experiments, I have  managed to get the end product pretty close to the original. Here it goes:

Misal- Pav Ingredients:

3/4th cup moth

1/4th cup- kala chana and whole moong

1 onion finely chopped

1 small tomato cubed

1 potato diced in small cubes

1-2 hot peppers

2-3 garlic pods crushed

cumin seeds

mustard seeds

salt to taste

chilli powder

turmeric powder

garam masala

goda masala

vada pav masala

The beans- to be sprouted

1.) Soak the moth, moong and kala chana overnight and then wrap it in wet cloth for a day or two till the beans are sprout well.

2.) Pressure cook the sprouts with potatoes and tomatoes.

3.) In a pan heat some oil, add cumin seeds and mustard seeds, once the seeds start spluttering add the chopped onions and garlic. Once the onions are cooked and translucent, add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, goda masala and roast for a few minutes.

4.) Add the cooked sprouts to the masala mixture with enough water. Let it come to a boil and then add salt and a pinch of the dry garlic chutney. Add some lemon juice and mix well.

The Fiery Hot Cauldron

The fixings

In a separate bowl mix curds into a smooth paste.

Keep Chopped red onions, lemon wedges and farsaan (hot mix) ready  for garnishing

To serve

In a deep bowl pour the hot misal and garnish with curds, onions and hot mix. Serve with pav or dinner rolls.

The Bowl that doesn't last more than a few minutes..

I am sending this as my entry to My Legume Love affair- Hot and Spicy event on Suganya's blog- Tasty Palettes. 

My Legume Love affair is a fantastic monthly blog event started by Susan- The Well Seasoned Cook.  Do visit the past entries for tons of wonderful recipes with lentils and legumes.

Thanks Suganya for hosting the Sixth Helping!

And on en ending note -Wishing you all a Sweet and Spicy New Year! :)

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An Autumn Tale

Yellow and withered..I wander aimlessly with the gentle breeze..I hate to fall on the dusty road amongst those others..discolored crumpled leaves.. I  prefer the grass which is still fresh and green..

I wait for you to come and gently pick me up , blow the dust off me, and place me amongst those white crisp pages of your diary....No wind to blow me away, No feet to walk over me..

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From the streets of New York

Chocolate dipped bananas, strawberries and marshmellows...

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Rajashtan on a platter

"kesariya balam, aao ni padharo mhare des..."

My bestest friend S hails from Rajashtan :). She is a marawari jain and though her family has been residing in Mumbai for the past many years, her love for "Marwar" is more than intact. Nobody can miss the passion and excitement with which she talks about everything that is Rajasthan - colorful turbans and the kalidar ghagras in bandhani and leheriya prints, traditional silver jewellery, the havelis of jodhpur, pretty princesses and the valor of rajputana....so exotic!

I did get a taste of this exotic land and its myriad cuisine during my college study tour. Its been more than 8 years, yet it all seems so fresh in my mind. Dal Bati dinner in the middle of the desert, lunch thalis with 5-6 varieties of vegetables, moong wadas and delicious thick rabdis for breakfast ...mmmmm I loved it all. And the two things which always made Rajasthani food experience extra special : Lots of Ghee and manuhar or manvar. :)

So here I present my entry fro RCI Rajasthan- A simple platter consisting of two Rajasthani Jain favorites - Panchmela Dal and Sev Tamatar ki Tari.

Panchmela Dal, Basmati Rice,Sev Tamatar ki Tari, Mirchi Pickle and Papad

Panchmela Dal

1/3 cup Toovar dal
1/3 cup Chana dal
1/3 cup Split Moong dal (green)
1/3 cup Split Urad dal with chilka
1/3 cup Whole Moong dal
Chilly powder
Turmeric powder (haldi)
Dhania jeera powder
Garam masala
3 cloves
2 bay leaves
Cumin seeds
Amchur powder
Tamarind pulp
A pinch of asafetida (hing)
Salt
2 green chilies slit
Ghee

1.) Wash the dals and pressure cook them in 4 cups of water till completely cooked

2.) In a bowl combine the chilly powder, haldi, dhania jeera and garam masala and some water to make a paste

3.) Heat ghee in a kadhai and add jeera seeds, bay leaves, cloves. When the jeera starts to splutter add hing and cur green chilies. Now add the masala paste and fry for 1-2 minutes

4.) Add the cooked dals, amchur powder, tamarind pulp and salt and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add water as needed.

4.)Garnish with cilantro and dry red chilies. Add a drizzle of ghee before serving..

Sev Tamatar ki Tari

2-3 Tomatoes chopped
Green chilies
Jeera (cumin seeds)
Red chilly powder
Turmeric
Dhania jeera powder
Asafetida
Sev (a thicker kind)
Ghee

1.) Heat some ghee in a pan, add jeers seeds. When the jeera starts to splutter add the hing, green chilies, turmeric and red chilly powder and chopped tomatoes

2.)Once the tomatoes are semi cooked and soft add salt and dhania jeera. Mix well and cook till the tomatoes are completely cooked.

3.)Mix the sev to the curry right before serving.

This is for S and her wonderful family - thanks for everything. Love you..:D

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Simple Comforts

Dahi Bhaat

(Yogurt mixed with Rice, tempered with mustard seeds, dried red chilies, curry leaves and Urad Dal )

Serve at room temperature, topped with lots of fresh cilantro

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Kachi Dabeli

Dabheli! One of my most favorite street food. Living away from home during my student days I literally survived on Dabeli, Vada Pav, Ragda pattis and all sorts of (not so) junk food. There is a street in Nashik ( Sharanpur road ) which used to turn into an ultimate street side food bazaar after 6.00 in the evening. (Now they have stopped allowing vendors..:( ), bustling with activity with Carts selling everything from Bhurji pav to Indian Chinese and the oh so delicious Pista kulfi!

There were two carts which we frequented the most. A sandwich cart selling desi style grilled sandwich loaded with veggies (Boiled Potatoes, capsicum, cucumbers), Green chutney,cheese and topped with thin sev and cut onions. Ah! always so tasty and satisfying. The other was the Dabeli stall. Both these were owned by a group of Marwari brothers who knew us so well that many a times they allowed us to eat at their stalls on credit! An Amul Dabheli would cost 5 rupees. But whenever we had some extra money on hand, we loved indulging in the Rs. 7.5 Cheese Dabheli! And I remember always asking for more grated cheese on mine...

Those were the days..:)

So basically I had to had to make Dabeli to satisfy my street food cravings here in the US. And Here is the quick recipe I used:

Boil potatoes and mash them fine. Add Salt, red pepper ,finely cut cilantro and green chillies to the potatoes. Heat some oil in a kadhai and add the potato mixture and Kachi Dabeli masala to the potato mixture . I used "Rajesh Dabeli Masala" (available in larger Indian stores) . Set aside.

Cut Pavs (dinner rolls) in halves. On a girdle, heat some butter and heat the rolls till they turn brown on both sides. Apply Tamarind sauce (I used Maggi Tamarina) on one side of the pav. Fill in the potato mixture. Add some chopped onions, peanuts and pomegranate seeds. Top it all with a generous amount of grated cheese. Eat hot!

One bite, and everything came back to me- the glorious days of architecture school, the submission nightmares, late night movies, 2.00 AM bhurji pav, triples on Kinetic, chai ki tapri and yes! the twice a week Dabeli Dinners..

And the best part, I did not have to check my pockets to eat more than One.:)

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Click Au Naturel : Earthly Delight

"Vakda tikda hathi pai nakha,

vedya aala re aala"

As a kid I remember my grandpa asking us to solve this riddle (in marathi), the answer to which is hidden in the riddle itself. :D. Here is my best shot at translating it in English:

"crooked n twisted,with nails on it's numerous hands and feet,
oh! fool it's here, it's here"

The answer ofcourse is Ginger

"Ala" or "Aalay" in Marathi has 2 meanings One: "(something's) here" and two: "ginger". :D

The above picture is my entry to the click it (Au Naturel) event hosted by Jugalbandi. Thanks Bee and Jai for such a wonderful event, I had fun writing this post..:D

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And here is a picture of Honey Ginger Tofu I made few weeks back taking tips from this recipe and one of those little recipe cards avalibale in the Publix vegetables section. Enjoy. :)

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Home made Hummus with warm pita bread

I used This simple recipe for Hummus from Happy Foody. Tasted yummy!

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