Cooking&more

There are days when we enjoy cooking,  and there are days when it seems such a drag. You know,  the kind of day when you want to just make something super quick and easy, something that you can just put together without even thinking about it. Well a few days ago I  made just such a curry. It needs minimal effort and goes well with Rice,  Roti  or Naan.  You can even wrap it up in a tortilla To start with Take a Ridge gourd and cut into two halves or don't,  whichever way you like it Peel the ridge gourd, peel just the ridges,  and a layer of the skin,  keeping a bit of the skin intact.  Don't peel it all off as you don't want it to get too mushy as it cooks down This how it should look after peeling Slice it into juliennes like this Grab an onion and peel it Cut it into slices.. Not very thick as it won't cook well,  nor so thin that they disappear when cooking.( I  know you are proud of your onion slicing ski

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

Most weekdays see me getting up really early at the crack of dawn to savor the fresh air,  and the peace that comes with solitude.  I  have to admit, though, that I  have never yet  managed to get up earlier than my Neighbors.  One would imagine,  that if one got up a quarter of an hour before sunrise,  one would be entitled to get up to the sounds of birdsong,  but no, I seem to live in a street of impossibly early risers.  I generally get up to the sounds of dishes being washed and of yards being swept all around me. Yet,  I  like to get up at this early hour and having gone through my ablutions and my  prayers, (just saying that links my soul somehow to all the men and women of all the ages past who did that very same thing,) sit down with a nice cup of tea by myself before the rest of the household wakes up,  and I have to get into the daily grind. Weekends,  however bring out all the latent spirit of 'la dolce vita'  in me. I get up far after the sun has gotten tired of

Most parents would love to feed their kids nothing but the healthiest food.  But many times being  a little preoccupied with other stuff, like a new baby or a life changing event or a busy career we may have sadly not paid as much attention to our family's diet as we should have.  The birth of my daughter, a bereavement and an international move all in the space of two years has left its toll on my own family's diet However with a few simple steps we can greatly improve the quality of what we intake The first step would be to reduce the amount of junk or fast food available at home in the form of cookies, chips etc and replace them with fresh fruits. Next would be to incorporate at least one serving of fresh vegetables and one serving of fruits each day. Next would be to ensure three wholesome meals each day , at least one of which should be home cooked. Starting with these baby steps I am confident that you and I  can get our family's diet back on track.

Normally, I make it a point to post a dish as soon as I make it. I prefer it that way,as all that led up to the making of it , is fresh in my mind. Somehow or the other, I missed posting this one, although I made it quite a while ago and even took photographs, fully intending to post it. It all started with my son, clamoring for something sweet, and there being a surfeit of oranges in the refrigerator. The obvious choice for me to make an orange cake. In the mood for experimenting, I decided to steam the cake instead of baking it, and concerned about the effect all that maida (all purpose flour) would have on  my little one’s tummy I substituted all purpose with half of whole wheat and half of multigrain flour. The cake came out moist and sweet, with just the right tang of oranges. 3 oranges peeled and deseeded 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 cup multigrain flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 cup sugar  powdered (Depending on sweetness of oranges) 1 pinch powdered cinnamon 1 cup beaten yo

I tried my hand at baking cookies with fenugreek leaves for sankranthi. With both DH and me getting to be so health conscious, I decided to break away from the traditional deep fried crunchies or ghee filled sweets. I googled for methi biscuits and found this recipe on foodinthemain . I tweaked it a bit and added multigrain flour to make it more healthier. The biscuits didn't turn out to be as crunchy as I expected, but were soft and chewy like oatmeal cookies or little hot cakes. They were very flavorful with just the right hint of fenugreek Baked fenugreek Cookies 2 cups multigrain flour 2 bunches fresh fenugreek leaves 1/2 tsp carom seeds 2tbsp oil salt and chilli powder to taste. enough water for kneading In a frying pan, dry roast fenugreek leaves till they emit a nice odor. Take care not to burn them, to this add the flour,spices and enough water to make a stiff dough. shape into rounds and press gently between your palms to shape it like a cookie. grease a baking t