Life 'n' Such

Last night we had a bunch of bananas which had over ripe. Now we didnt have the heart to trash them, so I just remembered my friend Shilpa’s mothers recipe for banana chaat. I did not have all ingredients, but even then it turned out superb. And best part, no guilt about wasting.

Ingredients:

Bananas (use 1 1/2 per person),
salt as per taste,
sugar as per taste,
black pepper powder as per taste,
lemon juice (freshly squeezed, again as per your preference – generally you will need 1/2 lemon for 1 banana)
black salt (kala namak) and cumin powder (jeera powder) / or chaat masala

Method:

Chop bananas. Sprinkle the other ingredients. Toss. Serve!

No Comments | In: Appetizer/Snack, Food, Indian | | #

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. I am in Kashmir now. Well this is where Kashmiris hang out in the afternoons and evenings.

So about Gulf Royal. This is the best hotspot for young, not-so-old (I put myself in that criteria), and everybody in between. On by pass, this is near Sannat nagar and Qazi Bagh, other popular landmark stores in vicinity are 7/11 and Hat trick.

Craving for Chicken Shawarma roles, or Chicken Tikka, or Seekh kebab, or fried chicken hmmmm…. I am drooling, well, then come on, get there quickly. Moderately priced, hip crowd, re-decor plans in near future, always fresh food guaranteed (I love the mayo they prepare themselves and the small portion of salad they serve on the side).

Reminds me of ‘Bademiyan’ in Mumbai city. Or atleast it has the potential to be one soon.

No Comments | In: Food, Interesting stuff, Other | | #

I have been to Switzerland, and no offense, but Dubjan kicks Switzerland’s b@#$ big time. Dubjan is in Kashmir, where the Silk route once existed and now soon you will be able to travel across to neighboring countries quickly by Mughal Road (originally the Silk Route).

We accidentally arrived at Dubjan last weekend, or more like our Driver tricked us into it. It is beautiful!!! It has the lovely fog covered mountains on all sides, a small flowing creek with cold water, that you can easily cross over to go trekking (not really trekking, but for lazy people like me, it felt like trekking a huge mountain) . Reminded me of Switzerland, and ofcourse the best part, it was FREE! (you know how I love bargains, especially free stuff).

We could not go any further because of our little companions, but on top of the small hill, there was a lake, where everyone was heading. Not too many people, so it made it a path less traveled more exciting.

I will update this post more in sometime, with more information on Silk Route, Mughal Road and some pictures of our outing. Till then, stay happy!

2 Comments | In: About me, Interesting stuff, Photos | | #

Abracadabra ! Baba Ramdev has disappeared off the media. The great Indian Media is Houdini indeed! They can make and break, anything you want baby!

Poor Guy Ramdev, and poor Anna Hazare. What politcians and media can do together, only if they meant good!

Gandhiji said…. “…be the change…”. I wonder how will that help today?

Just some random thoughts…. I think I should just take a nap!

No Comments | In: Interesting stuff | | #

Vaishali is my cousins wife. She is super talented. What can I say, everyone I know are super talented people (my peeps )

So, when we visited her last time in Pune, she made a big spread for lunch. Fish curry (next recipe), crab curry, fried prawns, some vegetables, and this raita. Everything was so good. Yumm-O rating!

So finally, I called her yesterday and took these recipes from her. This raita is made with lots of yogurt, so I cannot call the yogurt a dressing, but technically it is I guess. God Knows! Well, who cares!

Here is the recipe!

Ingredients:

Yogurt, 2 cups, (dahi)
salt, sugar for taste
oil for the ‘tadka’
mustard seeds (raai), curry leaves (kadi patta), asafoetida (hing), green hot peppers (hari mirchi) for the tadka
boiled and chopped in small size (like corn and peas) potatoes (optional carrots, etc)
boiled sweet american corn, green peas
grated beet root

First get the vegetables ready and cooled.

For the tadka, heat the oil, add the mustard seeds, when they splatter, add the green peppers and curry leaves, and finally the asafoetida. Turn off the heat, let the tadka cool a bit. Then add it to the whisked yogurt.

Add the vegetables to the yogurt, and finally add salt and sugar as needed.

Eat it as a evening snack or part of your meal. What did I say, Yumm-O!

No Comments | In: Appetizer/Snack, Food, Indian | | #

A different recipe for the king of vegetables. (remember the serial ‘baingan raja’ we used to watch as kids in India).

I saw this recipe on TV, and I cannot wait to try it out. It looks so beautiful, so visually tempting. Yumm.

Ingredients:

oil,
mustard seed 1 tsp,
cumin seeds 1 tsp,
garlic,
green hot pepper chopped (hari mirchi),
asafoetida (hing),
red dry chilli,
turmeric (haldi),

yogurt mixed with rice flour and little water,

eggplants (baingan) baked or roasted on flame

Method:

Heat the oil, put the mustard seeds, let them pop, add the cumin, let them sizzle, add the garlic, green peppers, and curry leaves. Add some water to prevent burning. Add the hing and the haldi. Now put the yogurt rice flour mixture, stirring continuously. Let it come to a boil, add salt, and then drop the eggplants one at a time.

(While roasting the eggplants, cut some slits through them, then roast over flame, or on barbecue, peel off the skin, when they are hot)

I think this will taste great with rice, naans, rotis, or even a slice of bread!

No Comments | In: Recipes | | #

Past few days, I have been just hogging away! Brain’s dead, no warnings or realization of consequences. Just eat, eat, eat, and eat.

One of the devil dishes I had was Rabdi (pronounced ‘ra-buh-dee’). Its just milk which is basically boiled down to be 1/4 th its original volume (think Fat, yeah, thats it). Add some sugar, some dry fruits, some cardomom, some saffron, and you get good old fashioned Rabdi. Best eaten chilled. Complements so well with fresh fruits, gulab jamuns, maal-puas, jalebis, etc etc.

Its so good, its just evil (though I would describe the taste as pure heaven)

Oh by the way, incase you are wondering where is the recipe, thats it. Let the milk come to a boil, and then on simmer, keep stirring occasionally, taking care, you do not burn the bottom. Then do the rest, as I mentioned above.

Enjoy!

Thanks Madhu Aunty!

Note: Jitendra Store at Goregaon (a small suburb in Mumbai city), on S.V. Road near the railway station has great Rabdi in little earthern pots. Though, they also mix in fresh fruits, dry fruits and mini rasgullas in it. Yumm!

No Comments | In: Dessert, Food, Indian, Other | | #

Chock full of vitamins in this recipe. So many vegetables you can use, and there are very high chances your kids are going to love it. No fuss, no mess, easy recipe. Few ingredients, lots of vegetables!

Here you go!

Ingredients:

For the basic white sauce, (which has been used by me in some of the previous recipes too with pasta, with cauliflower and broccoli, etc etc, the Beshamel sauce used by Turkish friends)

unsalted butter, 2 tbsp
all purpose flour (maida), 2 tbsp
milk, cold 2 cups

Vegetable mix:
carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, french beans, (any combination, chopped into equal bite sized pieces)
peas, american corn (off the cob that is)

(you can optionally throw in some boiled chicken too)

seasoning: salt, white pepper, red chilli flakes

Method:

First boil the vegetables and keep separate the stock. Retain the stock, do not discard it.

To make the white sauce, heat the butter, and fry the flour in it, till the color changes, and you get an aroma. (maybe 1 or 2 mins). Do not let it brown. Slowly add the cold milk, and whisk quickly with the other hand. Stir continuously till the sauce thickens. The sauce is ready.

Now if required, thin the sauce with water, stirring constantly. Then when it comes to a boil, add the vegetables and some salt and white pepper powder. (To make it a bit spicy, add red chilli flakes).

Done, go ahead, get a spoon, eat it right out of the pan. Don’t burn your tongue though.

Yum-O rating!

No Comments | In: Appetizer/Snack, Food, Other, Turkish | | #

Just one thought. Today, on the occasion of the Prince Williams wedding, a mothers absence will be felt. Princess Diana, you will be missed today, especially today.

Funny huh? Even a Princess cannot stand against God’s will.

2 Comments | In: Interesting stuff | | #

I am a chicken, when it comes to handling dead stuff especially if it is not cut up and cleaned. Like a whole chicken, lamb or a goat, a whole fish….all these freak me out! So you can imagine, how I must have reacted when I saw a bunch of crabs in my friends kitchen’s sink!

I screamed so loudly, that everyone in their house came running to check on me. So you see, me and a crab or a lobster; dead or alive is out of the question!

But dont worry lifensuch readers, my daring and bold friend Tehsin is not a chicken like moi. She has very generously contributed a recipe, she learned from our dear friend Anita and Anita’s mom. i.e. Crab Curry!!!! Also, she has taken a lot of pictures for you all. (even the pictures scare me )

So here you go!

Ingredients:

crabs; ofcourse
oil for cooking,
coconut, shredded
turmeric,
corriander (dhania) powder,
red dried chillies (or chilli powder)
tamarind paste (if you dont have tamarind, you can use tomatoes, it will give a slight different taste than tamarinds)
chopped onions,
salt as per taste,
water for cooking

Method:

Heat oil, then roast shredded coconut until light brown. In a blender, grind roasted coconut, red chillies (whole if possible; if not available, you can add chilli powder), turmeric, corriander powder, and little tamarind paste (this entire coconut paste should be very fine).

Fry chopped onions in oil until light brown. Add the coconut paste (described above). Fry for about 5 more mins; add crabs; add salt and little water; let stimmer for abt 5-10 mins until crabs are done.

To make sure crabs are cooked; check if the blue color on crab has turned orange/white; if yes then its cooked.

Garnish with corriander leaves.

Serve with hot steamed rice.

Tips for handling live crabs: Anita’s mom suggests getting the live crabs in a brown paper bag, and putting them in the freezer section of the refrigerator. Let them be in there overnight. Or you can drop them alive in hot boiling water. I know sounds horrible right? But I guess this is the way its done.

Notes: You can use the exact same coconut paste to cook chicken, fish, mutton etc. It will taste completely different.

2 Comments | In: Food, Indian, Recipes | | #