Life 'n' Such

What do I do, when I have lots of time, very little money, a big appetite for shopping.. well I drive straight to Gabriel Brothers, or as me and my friends call it ‘Gabes’. It is a good place to shop, the concept of these stores is different. So you might find a dress by Ralph Lauren for maybe $15, or jacket by Tommy for $10 or tees by aeropostale for a mere dollar! So hey, if you are lucky enough to have a Gabes in your area, I recommend you go there, especially when they are having specials, or year end clearances. I got Nikes from there for $12 once. Now tell me, at a price like that, is that a deal or what!

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Madhu aunty! Jack of all…. thats her! She is adorable, she is always happy. She loves to try new things. She, her daughters, her mother in law, they made me this book, filled with love and hand written recipes, when I was leaving home for the very first time. I had no idea then, how to even boil potatoes. This recipe is from that book.

This is a very simple recipe for making any vegetable, like cabbage, potatoes, cauliflower, beans, etc. I use a pressure cooker for this recipe, but a wok style pan would be best, will take more time, but give best result.

Ingredients:
1 small Cabbage,
1 tsp cumin seeds,
1 tsp chilli powder,
1/4 tsp turmeric,
1 tsp corriander(dhania) powder,
1/2 tsp garam masala(blend of different spices),
salt as per taste,
1 chopped tomato, or 1 tsp citric acid, or lemon juice
Oil for cooking about 3 tbsp,
cilantro(fresh dhania) for garnish

Method:
Cut the cabbage. In a pan (cabbage will overcook in a pressure cooker), add the oil and heat it. Add the cumin seeds to it. When splattering stops, add the cabbage to it. Stir. Add the salt and the turmeric and cook on slow flame for about 5 mins. Check if its soft or cook some more time(add couple of tbsp of water). After its cooked, add the remaining ingredients and garnish with cilantro. Eat with chapatis or parathas (type of indian breads).

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Tehsin, my friend from high school taught me few recipes for chicken, this is one of them. I wish I had a baby sister like hers, her name is Zabi, she is one smart doc with a good heart too. Not only are they all extremely intelligent, they are talented too(even their mom). They embroider and stitch all their clothes and they are excellent cooks.

Ingredients:
1/2 lemon juice,
2 tbsp yoghurt,
2 tsp tandoori masala (any brand, doesnt matter),
1 tsp corriander(dhania) powder,
1 tsp red chilli powder,
1 tsp turmeric powder,
1 tsp cumin(jeera) powder,
salt as per taste,
pinch of red food color,
1 tbsp garlic paste,
1 tbsp ginger paster
Chicken about 8-10 drumsticks

Mix all the above ingredients except chicken. Cut slits in the chicken with a knife, then rub the marinade into the chicken with hand. Marinate atleast 1 hour or for best result, maximum 12 hours. Preheat oven at 400 deg F. cook the chiken for about 30-40 mins till done. Turn the pieces a couple of times to prevent drying out.

While serving squeeze lemon juice on the peices. And garnish with onion rings and lemon wedges.

You can use this marinade for barbecueing too.

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