Bari Soppina Saaru

I love  regional Indian cuisine. The robust Punjabi dishes, the refined and elegant Awadhi dishes, the rich and royal Hydrabadi, the elaborate Chettinadu cuisine, all of them are my favorites. My own Kannda cuisine is nothing like any of these more popular cuisine, I cannot claim Kannada cuisine to be refined and elegant like Awadhi dishes, nor is it rich and royal like Hydrabadi or Mughali or even robust like Punjabi but it is earthy, simple and unpretentious. Kannda food is what Kannadigas are, simple. What we grew we ate in the most simple fashion. I guess we are a no-nonsense, to the point creed when it comes to our food..A can think more than a dozen dishes with few ingredients than finger in my hands. And yes Kannda cuisine is not just the fare we get at the ubiquitous 'Udupi  hotel's around the world.

Here is one example of a classic Kannadiga dish. This dish is an example of how people ate in the era before the advent of super markets stocking all sort of produce all the year round. Back in the days (i have seen them too, so it was not like 200 years ago) in the smaller towns, we had a weekly market "Sante". We would buy most of our produce for the week there like onions, tomatoes, garlic ginger etc. The rest of the week farmers would hawk their wears in a bamboo basket right on your doorstep especially your regular ones. They would sell freshly harvested greens and things that would not survive till the next "Sante". (and yes, cold storage is still unheard of in a large part of our large country). This dish is from that era, when your pantry staples came from a Sante and a farmer just sold you freshly harvested greens right at your doorstep. 

We will need,

Assorted fresh greens 1 lb
Onions 4 medium
Coconut 1 cup (grated)
Garlic cloves 5-6
Chillies 4 green and 2 red dry (dry chillies optional)
Tamarind paste 1/2 tsp
Coconut oil /peanut oil 2 tsp
Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
Jeera 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Lemon juice to taste

Method:

• Wash and chop the greens. Put it in a big pot, along with half of the coconut and  2 cups of water. Cover and bring it to a boil. Once the greens are tender i.e the first boil, turn off the heat and pour the mixture over a sieve collecting the drained cooking liquid in a another pot. Set aside the cooked greens. 
• Throw in the remaining coconut, two cloves of garlic, green chilly, jeera , tamarind  and little water into a blender and pulse till the mixture is very smooth.. Remove the mixture into a  pot and cook it till the raw smell of the masala disappears. 
• Once the masala paste smells fragrant pour in the cooking liquid strained from the greens. Adjust salt and bring it to a rolling boil. Simmer for a few minutes and remove from fire.
• Chop onions and remaining garlic. 
• Heat oil in a Kadai, throw in the mustard and red chillies if using. Once fragrant throw in the onion and garlic. Once the onion is golden brown, throw in the cooked greens. adjust salt and add lemon juice if preferred. Serve with Ragi Mudde or rice.

Boondi Laadu

Finally the dust settled over the elections, we have a new Prime Minister and hope of a new dawn. All that needs to be is seen is how far the promises are kept and manifesto delivered.

It is summer here. As my fingers pound over the keyboard, I hear the gentle swish of the breeze blowing through the dense leaves of the big trees in our back yard. In a few hours, the breeze will carry with it the tantalizing fragrance of a flower , the name of which I know not. These remind me of home and make me home sick indeed. More than home sick I should say nostalgia. Because I can still come back home. But the 'home' as I remember is no longer the same. The swish of the breeze between the leaves of the "Arali mara" near our ancestral farms is no longer there because the farms are now residential area, it is some body's home now. I cannot go home and hope to pick 'Karehannu' the buttery, sweet berries off the bush on the road side and pop it into my mouth, because the bushes are no longer there, it is a concrete jungle out there.

Despite the water under the bridge, there is always a hope that one day things will resemble days gone by when everything we had was valuable, time, the breeze, the carefree life, birds singing in the back yard and rooster crowing at day break.

For now it is some Boondi Laadu. Boondi Laadu is an exquisite sweet. Made right it can win the heart of the most bitter skeptic. Made wrong it can break the heart of the most generous fan. Laadus are synonymous with Kannadiga weddings. If it is not -Laadoo-Chiroti, nah! what a wedding feast it could be? It will be featured in at least one of the meals. (Yes it was there in my wedding, and all the weddings in the family and beyond!) if not, it will be packed in nice little bags with a savory snack like Chakkuli and given as a return gift at the weddings along with the Tambula- the auspicious combo of coconut, beetle-nut, betel leaf and a small present.
My first encounter with Boondi Laadu was when my uncle got married. Honestly I don't remember what I ate in the wedding. All I remember was the frantic last minute shopping for a nail polish with my oldest cousin, and then the entire family dabbing the same nail colour for the wedding. Kids these days would scoff at some thing like that. But those were the days. It was perfectly alright for 25 girls/women to wear the same nail polish on the same day at the same place.
Before the actual wedding, my grandparents had a cook prepare Laadoo and Khara Boondi for the customary present for the wedding guests along with the Tambula. The cook came home at the appointed hour and set up a make shift stove in the back yard with three big granite stones. Some one got him the wood he needed to get the stove going. He had a huge Kadai, something that would fit me and my sister together back then. He set the Kadai on the wood-fire make shift stove and poured tins of 'refined-oil'. Then the Laadoo factory started. I sat  there watching for hours till the smoke and heat got me...I do not remember much about the proportions he used but I do remember his tip. He said 'Boora sakkare' Boora sugar makes the best laadoo. The laadoo he made that day was unremarkable, well the end product would be as good as the raw materials that went in. What better could we expect with gallons of refined oil? The real deal means pure ghee or at least a combination of ghee and 'refined oil.'
I had been meaning to make these for a long time but was rather intimidated. Finally I did manage some brave heart to go ahead and try these and they came out surprisingly nice. Not the best ones I had ever had. (I remember that one, it was again a wedding present back in the 1990s. I cannot forget good foods ever!)

We will need,

Chickpea flour 1 measure
Turmeric a pinch
Salt a pinch
Sugar 1-1.25 measure
Fine Sugar /Boora sugar 0.25 -0.5 measure
Saffron a generous pinch
Cloves 2-3
Cardamon 1
Nutmeg  a dash
Raisin (as desired)
Cashew nuts (as desired)
Ghee 1 tbsp + to deep fry

Method:

• Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pan and toast the cashew nuts and raisins till the cashews are golden brown and raisins plump up. Set it aside.
• Prepare the sugar syrup. Mix the sugar and 1 measure of water and cook till the sugar becomes one thread consistency. That is when the syrup is pulled between the thumb and forefinger, it should form a single thread. Remove from heat and throw in crushed saffron, cardamon and nutmeg. Set it aside.
• Sift the chickpea flour to get rid of impurities and lumps. Once the flour is fluffy and light,stir in the turmeric and salt. Add water to make a batter rather a thin one something like a dosa batter. I had to use  a little over 2/3 measure of water to get it runny. 
• Heat ghee in a Kadai and once the ghee is hot (try dropping a a dab of batter into the hot oil, the batter should puff up and rise to the top in a matter of seconds.) pour the batter into the oil through a sieve or a laddoo ladle. (I just used my sieve)
• Once the boodis puff up  remove them carefully and drain them over a paper towel for a few seconds before dunking them into the sugar syrup. Repeat till all of the batter is used up.
• Let the boondis sit in the sugar syrup till it is cool  enough to handle (while still warm to touch). Throw in the cashew-raisin mixture, cloves and the Boora sugar. Stir the mixture gently.
• Grab a hand full of the boondi mixture and press it tightly between two palms to form a tight ball of sorts. Let it air dry for a while, when completely cold, pile them on to an air tight box and it says good for weeks.

Notes:
1. I used golden raisins and it does nothing to the presentation. I wish I has some of those dark ones.
2. I  have tried the 'Made in Canada' besan which is more widely available here, but it is bitter, never use those. Always try to find the 'Made in India' Besan brands they come out much better.

Nallikayi Chutney

This time the Loksabha elections are like nothing we have seen before. The slander, bitter war of words and lack of a meaningful debate on issues that matter is actually so frustrating. Is this the best show we could put forward? I am sure we can do better. But the fact that an erst while tea seller is vying for the post of Prime Minister and legions of 'aam admi's are makes me hopeful that 'we shall overcome, someday'.

For now it is Nallikayi chutney. I was not a big fan of the Gooseberries also called 'Bettada Nallikayi'. But I loved the smaller ones called just 'Nallikayi'. I loved the tart brightness of the fruit. My neighbor had a bush and we did pick juicy ones and pop them into our mouths. Then there the old lady near my school who would sell Nallikayi, Elachikayi, the star fruit and such fruits when they are in season. She would bring the fruits in a wicker basket and wrap a hand full of these goodies with a sprinkling of salt and chilli powder in a piece of news paper. The tartness of the fruit complemented the salt and chilly powder so very well. Who ever discovered the combination must have been a genius.
It has been so long that I have Nallikayi. But I saw a bag of frozen gooseberries aka Bettada Nallikayi.  Frozen fruits are not suitable for pickles so chutney was one recipe that I could think of.  So here comes Nallikayi chutney.

We will need ,

Gooseberries 8-10 big ones
Fenugreek seeds a generous pinch
Peanut oil /coconut oil 1/3 cup (I know, that is good enough for me to faint!!!)
Mustard seeds 1/8 tsp + generous pinch
Jeera 1/4 tsp
Turmeric a generous pinch
Hing a generous dash
Curry leaves a handful
Chilly powder 1 tsp (adjust according to taste)
Salt to taste
Tamarind  paste (optional about 1/4 tsp)
Jaggery to taste

Method:

• Crush the gooseberries in a mortar roughly with a little salt. Remove the seed in the middle of the  fruit. Crush the flesh well, the mixture should resemble shredded coconut.
• Toast the fenugreek and a pinch of mustard on a hot skillet.  Crush it into a fine powder, reserve.
• Heat oil in a pot. Throw in the mustard seeds, Jeera and Hing. Once the spices sizzle, throw in the turmeric and curry leaves.Once they sizzle, throw in the gooseberries. Add a few tbsps of water, cover and cook on low heat till the fruit is tender.
• Throw in the chilli powder, jaggery and the fenugreek mixture. If the gooseberries are not tart enough throw in the tamarind as well. Adjust salt and cook the chutney till it comes together. Serve with hot rice and oodles of ghee. (slurp!)

Oggarane Anna with a twist

Which is the most entertaining event in India? is it the soap operas? no; movies? no; IPL? no; Elections? Yes; We have "Shehezada", "Monkey", "Joker","Hitler","Mussolini","Idi Amin" and what not...It is entertaining nevertheless a disgrace that we have handed over our future and the future of our country to people who are not debating the issues that need their attention but are engaging in name calling, one-upmanship and blatant populism. We have so called leaders who trivialize a violent crime like rape, openly threaten people to vote or to loose water supply and worst of all accuse an esteemed institution like EC of partisan politics. Some times it surprises me as to how we have survived all these years despite the negativity but then 'men may come and men may go but' India will go on for ever like it has always been.

Now for some Ogggarane Anna. When ever there would be some left over rice from the previous dinner, my mother, Ajji and Ammaji (both my gradmother), indeed all the women folk in the family would make this the morning after. The underlying current of patriarchy would become striking on such occasions. The  servants were the first in line for Oggarane anna. Any thing more would be for the women. The next in line would be children. But men folk almost never ate something like for breakfast. It was always fresh-hot breakfast for them. How much ever we deny the under currents of caste and patriarchy has always been a part of our life. So much so that Pranoy  Roy was calling Karnataka a 'CASTE'-nataka. It took me a while to realize he is right indeed. Caste back home determined what we eat and how we eat and where and when we eat too! So much for a state that boasts of itself as the Silicon Valley of India.

Oggaraneanna is Chitranna-coconut + onions.  To make it a little more healthy, marginally so ,I added a handful of spinach too. So here is Oggarane Anna

We will need,

Rice(cold, left over preferably) 2 cups
Peanut oil /Coconut oil 1-2 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
Jeera 1/4 tsp
Urad dal 1 tsp
Channa dal 1 tsp
Curry leaves a handful
Hing a generous dash
Green chillies 3-4 (adjust according to taste)
Onion 1 small chopped
Turmeric a dash
Spinach washed and chopped  2 cups (loosely packed)
Coriander washed and chopped a handful
Salt and lemon juice to taste

Method:

• Heat the oil in a wok. Throw in the mustard, Jeera, Urad dal,Channa dal, curry leaves and Hing. 
• Once the spices sizzle, throw in the green chillies and onions. Saute till the onions are soft.
• Increase the heat and throw in the spinach . Saute till the spinach is wilted.Remove form heat and allow it to cool down.
• Once slightly cooler, stir in the rice and adjust salt and lemon juice. Finish with fresh coriander.

Vegetable Soup

It is election time in India. I love elections, somehow the curiosity of who is going to be our next leader and the hope that someone will do a difference for the better gives me a high that nothing else can! Despite all the negativity and vicious personal attacks, this election has thrown us two welcome surprises. One is Modi and the other is AAP. I am hopeful about Modi because he is a guy who was born in to a regular lower middle class family and became what he is only because of his hard work and merit. As a chief minister, he has improved infrastructure in Gujarat. I for one have always believed that development follows proper infrastructure. Despite several criticisms against him I feel he is a welcome change in the  Indian political scenario where meritocracy has always been an endangered species.

Then the AAP. That is a political outfit started by people like me. It is an outfit where people like me can participate in the democratic process from a closer quarter. So much for the dynastic politics, the very thought that a regular person could build a political party from scratch is exciting. It is indeed exciting times in Indian political scene.

Let us say cheers to these two developments with some warm vegetable soup, a regular Minestrone that I have adapted to suit my complex Indian palate. The idea is to cook up a delicious broth with our regular spices instead of using canned broth or stock. Not only does my palate reacts favorable to the flavor of spices but also that it is way healthier to cook something from scratch at home than use processed product like canned broth/stock.
Spring in the North East is cold, rainy and best time for a bowl of vegetable soup.

We will need,

Coconut/ peanut oil 3 tbsp
Garlic 3 cloves
Big Cardamon 1
Star Anise 1 
Bay leaves 2
Cloves 3-4
Onion 1 big chopped

Carrots 2 diced
Green Beans 1/2 lb chopped
Mushrooms 1 pack diced
Zucchini 2 diced
Tomatoes 4-5 medium chopped
Spinach 1 pack washed and chopped
Chickpeas .51 cup (cooked)
Coriander fresh a handful
Mint a handful
Salt, pepper and lime juice to taste.

Method:

• Heat oil in a soup pot. Throw in all the spices and the garlic. Cook the garlic till it is golden brown. 
• Throw in the onions  and cook till slightly brown. Add the carrots and  green beans cook for about 5-7 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and saute for a few more minutes. Once the tomatoes look slightly softer, add about 10 cups of water.
• Throw in the chickpeas, zucchini and mushrooms. Bring the broth to a boil. Once the vegetables are tender, throw in the spinach and the rest of the ingredients. Adjust salt, pepper and lime juice to taste and remove from heat. The heat of the broth will wilt the spinach.
• Serve hot with crusty bread or crackers.

Note:
1.Cooked rice or pasta can also be added  to the soup to make it a hearty meal.

Nimbe Uppinakayi lemon pickles

I ran out of homemade pickles a few weeks  back. Sunny boy being so particular about pickles, I had to make a fresh batch. While shopping at Target stores, I found this Anchor Hocking Half Gallon cookie jar. I fell in love with it. It is so much like our own "Uppinakayi Jaadi" the pale while and yellow-brown ceramic jars, some long ,some stout each one for a different pickle in my Ammaji's (maternal grandmom) kitchen. I am sure she is proud of me for all the  homemade pickles!
I have just one jar unlike Ammaji, but that is sufficient for my family. Ammaji makes Uppinakayi for the entire clan, therefore she needs multiple jars. After years of making Uppinakayi in assorted jars and bottles, I have come to the conclusion that jars with tight fitting lids end up making sticking and slightly off smelling pickles. But jars with loose fitting lids like a cookie jar makes good uppiakayi. Once done, however, they do stay good  in regular glass jars in the refrigerator. It is just initial 3-4 weeks that are critical in  the life cycle of the Uppinakayi.

So here is my newest batch of Lemon Pickles...I had filled it to the brim and look how much it has shrunk!

Recipe can be found here. This time around it is just a 8-9 organic lemons and skipped the bitter gourd the other ingredients are roughly the same. Cannot wait to try them..On the pickle factory list for summer are Mangoes, chillies and bitter gourd and Nallikayi, then I am  set for the year.

Balekayi Gojju / Plantain Gojju

There was a time when I was way younger, every festive feast, like wedding, house warming, naming ceremony etc used to feature Balekayi Gojju and/or pineapple Gojju. It took me a while to realize that menu for such feasts do follow "fashion". Roomali roti and Panner were in fashion a decade back, then came Akki rotti/ Jolada rotti and ennegai and of late I see a variety of salads / Kosambari like Mexican salad, sweet corn Kosambari etc. Fortunately classics like Chiroti, Peni have stood the test of time. The sweet dish playing the second fiddle have again been subject to fashion, from Laadoo to Rasmalai to Malpuri to Jaleebi they have come and gone.But there are times when we remember dishes from the by gone era and lo behold they pop up in our kitchens.

Honey got a couple of plantains the other day and insisted that I make Balekayi Gojju. So here it is Balekayi masale gojju.

We will need,

Balekayi/raw plantains 2 medium peeled and diced
Peanut oil 2-3 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
Jeera 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves a handful
salt and lemon juice to taste

For the masala

Garlic cloves 3-4
Green chillies 3-4 (adjust according to taste)
Kopra/ Dessicated coconut grated 1/4 cup (loosely packed)
Fresh coriander a handful
Jeera 1/2 tsp
Black pepper corn 1 tsp

Method:

• Combine all the ingredients for the masala in a blender and pulse till very smooth, reserve.
• Heat oil in a thick bottom pot. Throw in the mustard seeds, Jeera and curry leaves. Once they stop spluttering, add the diced plantains.
• Add a generous pinch of salt on  to the plantains and  cover. Cook for a 1-2 minutes.
• Now add the Masala paste and 1/2 cup of water. Cover and cook on medium heat till the plantains are soft.
• Adjust salt and lemon juice and serve hot with Roti or rice.

Tomato Bhaath- Ajji style

To me food is not just about cooking and eating. To me it is also about people, people that love me, the people I love, the people I loved and lost. Food is about memories, the way I saw the world once upon a time. My Ajji passed away a few months back. Unlike my grandfather, I never spent a lot of time with her, but there was always a longing for some time with her. For umpteen number of reasons it never worked that way. But in the time that I got to spend with her a few hours, each time I went home during last decade and half, I got a piece of her, very little at a time, just like the summer rains it left me far from satisfied. If anything it only left me parched and dry looking for more of her. Human relationships are so weird. Unfortunately, this contorted relationship will remain that way.

But I still remember her for all the foods that she made. This past Shivratri, I was reading one of my previous posts, and I noticed that three years ago, I had called her for the Tambittu recipe. This year all I am left with are the recipes I collected from her over the years.  I hold close to heart, her signature dishes, Idli, Sambar,Chutney and sweet Chutney, Tomato Bhaath, Kargalu , Mosaru Shaale, Akki tari uppittuand her Kodbale , Rave unde, Mithai....the list goes on. For  now it is Tomato Bhaath. My sister spend a while with my Ajji and she did pick up a few of her signature dishes. So this time, I borrowed the recipe from her. The trick really was to use very little fat but to get the best of flavors in the dish, just like my Ajji did. I guess it was just her. She could do it much better than any one else in my family.

So here is  Tomato Bhaath my Ajji style.

We will need,

Rice 1.5 cups washed and soaked in water for 20-30 minutes.
Tomatoes 300 grams (about 3 medium)
Peanut oil 1 tbsp
Mustard seed s1/4 tsp
Fennel 1/2 tsp
Cardamon 1
Cloves 10-13
Cinnamon 1" piece
Onion 1/2  chopped ( small )
Methi leaves from 1 bunch (washed,cleaned and tough stalks discarded)
Avarekalu /Indian beans/Papdi Lilva 3/4 cup
Salt and juice of Lemon to taste.

For the Masala Paste
Coconut 1/2 cup grated
Green chillies 5-8 (adjust according to taste)
Mint leaves a generous handful
Garlic 5-6 cloves
Ginger 1" piece chopped
Onion 1/2 small


Method:

• Heat oil in a thick bottomed pot. Throw in the mustard seeds, fennel, cardamon, cloves and cinnamon. 
• Once the spices stop sizzling, add the onions. Saute for a few minutes and then throw in the Avarekalu and Methi leaves. Saute till the greens and avarekalu are tender.
• Grind all the ingredients under the Masala paste  and pour it into the onion-methi mixture. Add about 1/2 a cup of water and cook the masala till fragrant. Separately grind the tomatoes into a smooth paste as well and reserve.
• When the masala no longer smells raw,  add the tomato paste. Bring the mixture to a boil and add about 3 cups of water. Adjust salt, add lemon juice if the tomatoes are not tart enough. Bring it to a boil.
• Drain the soaked rice well and add it to the tomato and masala mixture.  Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook till the rice is soft and fluffy.
• Finish with a tablespoon of Ghee if  desired. (I always do it ) Serve hot.

MIxed Veg

North Indian summers are brutal. So brutal that most vegetables disappear from the markets. During my years in Delhi, summers was a pain. A vegetable lover like me could hardly stop dreaming about Gobi,Karela, Bhindi etc and unfortunately most of them are winter vegetables in North India. I did know that these were seasonal vegetables at all.
On such boring summer evening. I went to my hostel dining hall for dinner and my appetite died a sudden death looking at the cabbage curry. I asked the lady in charge of serving us why they were not making Gobi, Karela ,Bhindi. She looked at me as if I am from Mars and said. "lo! Yaad kiya to kab yaad kiya. Garmiyome kaha banenge Gobi,Karela". I am bewildered! what! you do not get these vegetables in summers. I see that counter lady is seriously convinced that I am indeed from Mars. Then I was smart enough to not look like a Martian any more and proceeded to eat my share of cabbage. But is was such days that reminds of 'mixed veg'. Every self respecting North Indian restaurant will have Mixed Veg on menu. When the weather gods are not benevolent it  is quite natural for ingenious cooks to make a dish of using the spare few vegetables on hand. No wonder potatoes are so 'hot' in Northern India.
So here is  mixed veg. It can be very delicious, or I could be pathetic. I have had both. The key to this dish is the texture. The vegetables must be cooked just right. So here it is..
 

We will need,

Mixed vegetable 1lb
(i used Carrots, mushrooms and Peppers)
Garlic 2 cloves crushed
Peanut oil 2-3 tbsp
Mustard seed 1/4 tsp
Jeera 1/2 tsp
Fennel seeds 1/4 tsp
Green chillies 3-4 (according to taste)
Dhania powder 3/4 tsp
turmeric 1/4 tsp
Jeera Powder 1/2 tsp
Garam masala 1/4 tsp
Salt and lemon juice to taste.

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan. Toss in the mustard seeds, jeera , fennel and green chillies. 
• Throw in the carrots (or the vegetable that takes the longest to cook) .Cook till half way through.
• Now throw in the spices and  salt and  the other vegetables that takes just minutes to get done like Mushrooms and Peppers.
• Cook for a few more minutes. The vegetables should  be still tender crisp. Remove from heat. The vegetables continue to cook in the hot pan, so turn off the heat while the vegetables are still raw.
• Serve hot with Rotis.

Malai Mushroom

I was once in love with Mushrooms, back then it was a rarity, something the local HOPCOMS sold seasonally in smalls packets that were rather expensive. But then as time went by, mushrooms became more like green beans and carrots, something we could always pick up. Now  I do not like them as much. I eat them but not with as much relish as before. I think it is yet another case of familiarity breeds contempt!

Mushrooms are like blank canvas, except for texture they are not much when it comes to flavor. So the good part it, it fits into most gravies and masalas that  I make.  Malai style gravy is one of my favorite. It is light, rich and makes any dinner very special. Needless to say I make Malai gravies only if we are having guests. Last week it so happened that we  expecting a friend to join us for dinner and on friday's she does not eat any thing sour. I was at  a loss to feed her. I could not think of many recipes that did not either include tamarind or tomato. Then finally it occured to me that Malai fits the bill. It is one of the rare recipes in my repetoire that does not call for any sour ingredients. But there was yet another catch. I typically make Malai gravy with Panner  but Panner again was fermented therefore my friend would not eat it. So I decided to substitute mushrooms for Panner. The only mistake was I used brown baby bella Mushrooms rather than white button mushrooms. So the gravy turned out to be light brown in colour, though I prefer my Malai gravy to be white, at the most off-white,...taste wise i do not think it matter much.

We will need,

Mushrooms 10 oz (1 pack ) cleaned and chopped into quaters
Methi leaves  1 small bunch (pick and  wash leaves and discard the stalks)
Butter 1 tbsp
Jeera 1/2 tsp
Garlic 2 cloves (grated)
White pepper 1/2 tsp
Green chillies 2-3 (adjust according to taste)
Garam masala 1/4 tsp
Cream 3/4 cup
Salt as per taste

Method:

• Heat the butter in a thick bottomed skillet. Throw in the Jeera and garlic. 
• Once the garlic is fragrant throw in the Methi. Saute till the Methi wilts down. 
• Make some space in the middle of the skillet and throw in the green chillies and Garam Masala.  Saute till fragrant.
• Now increase the heat and throw in the mushroom. Saute for a few seconds and once the Mushrooms starts to soften, reduce heat and pour the cream. 
• Bring it to a gentle simmer. Adjust salt and  white pepper and remove from heat.
• Serve warm with  Roti or a bread of choice.

Soppu bele Palya

Where am I these days... well after moving to a new house in the suburbs life is thrown out of gear. We are settling down and the last thing I have time for it  to take pictures of the food I cook. Therefore not updated this blog in a while. This state of affairs will continue till I have the house set up!

For now it is Soppu and Kalu palya. North American winter can be brutal. This season has been the most unkindest and most brutal in years.. All kinds of dubious records have been created and February end feels like early Jan. The  only vegetables which can withstand this kind of brutal weather are Mushrooms (mostly because they are cultivated indoors / green houses) and hardy greens like Kale, Chard and Collards. Unless we are ready the buy the waxy super market produce which has been transported half way across the globe, there are not many choices. So during times like these I end up  cooking greens 2-3 times a week, sometimes even more.  How creative can I get with greens? Well not much I should say. My creativity is limited to the same old templet of Huli,Saaru, Gojju and Palya, only the combinations vary. May be I will experiment a bit more on this front in the coming weeks since the old man winter does seem to be going strong for now.

For now it is Palya with mixed greens and Hesaru kalu as the star ingredients. 

We will need,

Greens / Soppu (assorted/ choice)  1 big bunch
Whole Moong/ Hesaru Kaalu   1/2 cup
Onion 1 small
Green Chilli 2-3
Peanut oil 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
Jeera 1/2 tsp
Hing a generous dash
Curry leaves 8-10
Coconut grated 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Lemon Juice to taste

Method:

• Pick and clean the Moong. Wash it in several changes of water and soak it in water over night. 
• Drain the Moong and cook till it is soft. (Pressure cook, stove top cook. ) It can be cooked till al dente or till the belly bursts (as my mother says ) These days I tend to cook it till the belly bursts, that is it gets rather soft. That way it is easy to digest. Also use the stock to make rasam, saaru or soup.
• Wash and clean the greens. reserve. Chop the onions and slit the green chillies. Reserve.
• Heat oil in a skillet. Throw in the mustard seeds , Jeera and the Hing. Throw in the curry leaves and the onion. Once the onion is soft throw in the greens. Saute till the greens are tender. 
• Stir in the coconut, followed by the cooked Moong. 
• Adjust salt and lemon juice. Cook till the beans are warmed through. Remove and serve with rice, curry or a bread of choice.

The Holy Grail called Jalebi..

More stories from India. My little Sunny boy was a very picky eater till his previous trip to India. During our last visit, when he was just about two, we visited India and he fell in love with the food. It was wonderful to see him explore the restaurant Masale Dose, initially with suspicion and then experimenting with all sort of combinations -with chutney, with sambar, with both and with neither. Then there were the Gobi Machuris, Chilli Panner, Noodles and the other Chinese restaurant staples and finally the Dhabha staples like Naan, Panner and surprisingly Kalmi Kabaab. However he did not seem to have a sweet tooth. It was just Gulab Jamoon for him especially the giant but absolutely tender and warm Khoa ones in Lucknow. This trip was not as long as our previous trip so he did not get to eat out as much as I would have wanted him to.  In the two years since our last visit, he has acquired quite a sweet tooth and now in his list of favorites are Jalebi, Kaju Katli, Rasgulla  too. We had quite a lot of Jalebis. But It was never enough. I have been trying to make some at home because it is his favorite food and we do not always get to go to Sukhadia's to get their awesome Jalebis. Making some at home sounded reasonable. My grandmother was an expert at making Jalebis. Every Deepawali that was what she made. I had asked her for the recipe long back, but I did not write it down and now she is senile and her recipes are not fool proof as it used to be. So I had to do a lot of trial and error.

Jalebis  are not a straight forward affair.  They need to crunchy and almost uniformly hollow  where the sugar syrup eventually enters and settles down making the Jalebis heavenly and sweet. There should be a discernible hint of tartness in the background plus it should remain crunchy after a while. That is  a lot to wish for in a dish with a handful of ingredients out of the cupboard and needs no special equipments either. But to get to the end product that meets my specification and that is appreciated by my little Sunny boy is not easily at all. I have seen them all in my previous attempts, the soggy ones, the flat ones, the somehow-smells-off ones. But now I think I am getting there. A few more times, we should be good enough. On my list is to try bread flour and use the beater.

We will need,

All purpose flour (Planning to try bread flour too, will update the result)  1 measure
Yogurt 1/4 measure
Turmeric a pinch
Sugar 1/2 tsp for every 1/4 cup of flour
Corn starch 1/3 measure
Sugar 1 measure
Saffron a pinch
Ghee to deep fry

Method:

• Mix the flour, turmeric, yogurt and a little water to make a dough that resembles a very thick custard.
• Stir in the sugar and set it in a warm place to ferment, preferably over night so that it develops  the much desired tartness.
• Once the batter is well fermented, stir in the corn starch and beat the mixture very well. It is something like kneading the bread dough. Keep stirring the mixture till it is fairly elastic. Set it aside to rest for another or so hour.
• Mean time combine the sugar and equal quantity water and simmer till the syrup reached the one thread consistency. (That is the syrup pulled between the thumb and forefinger should form a single thread.) Throw in the crushed saffron and set it aside to cool.
• Now heat the Ghee.
• Beat the Jalebi batter well once more and fill it into squeeze bottles. Gently squeeze Jalebi spirals into the hot oil and fry till golden brown of both sides. 
• Remove the Jalebi and place it onto paper towels to drain it well. 
• Once the Jalebi is well drained, pop it into the sugar syrup. Soak the Jalebi in the sugar syrup for a few seconds and remove to a serving dish. Serve warm for Breakfast with warm milk, else as a dessert with Rabdi.

Tomato Tovve

Wishing all my readers a very happy new year. I spend the fag end of 2013 back home in India with my loved ones.  We spent some good time together, ate great food and yapped to our heart's content.  I realize that when I am here, I always refer to India as 'home', when I am in India, I refer US as 'home'. I guess the is the true sign of an expat! To think of it, we Indians we always global citizens. If we ignore the past century or so we were always outward looking. Thousands of years ago our ancestors traveled to far away places in all directions for trade, religion etc. It was just this past century that we lost our true self, we imported inward looking socialistic and left-leaning ideas. It never was us, so it did not take deep roots and here we are again in the spirit of our ancient ancestors truly global Indian.

This time I visited Bangalore and Mysore. Mysore has a special place in my heart, it is the place that I lived the longest till date. I wanted my Sunny boy to have a piece of Mysore too. Raju hotel being no longer in operation, we had to go to GTR for Masale Dose, unfortunately they do not serve Sambar with their Dose. Sunny boy was disappointed. But he really enjoyed their Noodles! He had a gala time at the Dasara Exhibition, Mysore zoo and not great but good time in Nanjanagudu and Chamundi Betta.  We had a delicious Jolada Rotti oota at Kamat Manuvana right in front of Manuvana which is the Royal burial grounds (in simple terms that is..)

On a more somber note, it was also just a few weeks after the death of the Maharaja and there were tributes on every street and gully. Dasara will never be the same without him, but time is indeed the greatest healer, Dasara will be go on....

For now it is some Tomato Tovve. It is not our regular Tovve, but something similar to what my Akka makes, which she picked up from her in-laws.

We will need,

Toor dal /Togari Bele  1/4 cup
Tomatoes 2
Turmeric a pinch
Ghee 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
Jeera 1/2 tsp
Ginger 1/4 " piece
Garlic 2-3 cloves
Chili powder 1/2 tsp (adjust according to taste)
Dhania powder 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Lemon wedges to serve

Method

• Wash the dal in several changes of water and place it in a pressure cooker. Add about 2 cups of water, the two whole tomatoes and a pinch of turmeric. Cook the dal till it falls apart. Remove from heat and let it cool
• Chop the ginger garlic and crush it in a mortar-pestle. Set it aside.
• Heat ghee in a wok. Throw in the mustard and jeera. Once they stop spluttering, add the ginger garlic paste. Cook for a few seconds and turn off the heat. Then add the dhania and chilli powder. Stir and let it cook in the heat of the wok for a few more seconds. 
• Once the spices are fragrant, pour it into the cooked dal. Place the dal again on low heat. Using the back of a heavy spoon, mash the tomato well. 
• Combine the dal, the spices mixture and tomatoes gently and adjust salt. Heat it thoroughly and serve with rice, pickles, papads and lemon wedges.