Cooking&more

For most people in India, the days between July and August are generally a busy time for most auspicious rituals are conducted during the Hindu month of Shravan ,  which falls sometime between these two months. One ritual associated with Shravan month is the exchanging of tamboolam. Married ladies give each other gift bags typically containing turmeric,  vermillion,  betel leaves and sprouted brown lentils( channa), signifying a wish for marital happiness and prosperity for both the giver and the receiver.  It is a fun ritual because you get to dress up in your best sarees and go and visit your neighbors and get to meet people,  but as the bags keep coming you start to wonder what to do with the endless supply of brown lentils.  Lots of times I  either make a curry out of them or I just boil them and have them with a little salt and tempering. We absolutely love having them both ways. However it gets tiring eating the same thing after  a while.  Last week DH's cousins

Some food pairings really go well together like toast and cheese,  peanut butter and jelly,  cucumbers and yoghurt, Capsicum and tomatos. Capsicum and tomato is a combination that cannot really be described. It just has to be tasted.  In this recipe, the mushy tartness of the tomato pairs perfectly with the crunch and pungency of the capsicum, while a sprinkling of curry powder adds that extra oomph.  It's a great side for almost any kind of rice,  Naan or Bread . It also works wonderfully as a filling for any kind of sandwich or wrap. To serve two. You will need, Two medium sized Capsicum (green bell  peppers) diced Four Roma tomatoes diced 2 teaspoons of curry powder of your choice (I use a homemade one-recipe coming up soon) Salt and paprika (red chilli powder) to taste A teaspoon each of cumin and mustard seeds for tempering (optional) A tablespoon of oil Heat oil in a saucepan or wok till you see tiny bubbles on the surface,  add the  cumin and mustard seeds