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Showing posts from September, 2010

For Those 30 Minutes of Blissful Abandon

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At the crack of dawn everyday, for little over a month I hear the patter of tiny feet down the hall. Moments later, I see faint light from the hall slip in through the ajar bedroom door  and  the silhouette of my little boy Nish at the doorjamb with his wild mop of curly hair standing against the light. He gently slides in. Like a cat his darting deep black eyes glow in the dark. He spends a few seconds deciding on which side of the bed to crawl in from. He mostly chooses the side his dad lies on. Roy mumbles in his sleep as he helps Nish climb across and snuggle in between us. He stretches out his hand and instinctively hugs his wife and son as we nuzzle closer to him. My boys immediately fall back to sleep and their rhythmic gentle snores sync in harmony. I sniffle Nish’s sour morning breath and my maternal heart shrugs with the familiar ache. I’m overwhelmed with strange euphoria. Nish has been an independent child mostly. Form day one he has slept all by himself in a crib and ever ...

Simple Dal with Shallots, Ginger and Tomatoes For Idlis

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This simple dal with shallots, ginger and tomatoes, is what I call the soul mate for idlis. I know idlis are officially married to sambars and no doubt they make a handsome pair. But according to me their divine, spiritual and natural love totally lies in this dal ;). I got this recipe from my sister Sophie, who I think tried to imitate something that my God Mother auntie M used to make and ended up with something  completely different but divinely delicious. And like I said before, if you have to do justice either to this dal or to the idlis you HAVE to get these two together.  Ingredients 1 cup tuvar dal/ lentils (pigeon pea) 1 8-10 shallots each cut into half 1 cup tuvar dal/ lentils (pigeon pea) 4 plump and ripe tomatoes chopped 1 tsp coriander powder 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds 1tbsp finely cut ginger julienne style 1/2 tsp turmeric 5- 6 curry leaves 1/4 tsp tamarind paste or 1 marble sized ball of pitted tamarind soaked in warm water and pulp extracted (optional) 4- 5 green chili...

Mixed Sprouts and Potatoes in Coconut Gravy

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Since I’ve already written about how I sprout my legumes early on and also droned about all the nutrition they provide in that same post , I shall hit straight to the recipe here. Though this dish has a touch of Kerala in it, I can see many snooty Mallus turn their noses the other way when I say this goes well with Kerala appams of any kind. So, I’d suggest you try it and decide for yourself.  And of course if the appams don’t do it for you, you’ll always have the basmati rice with cumin or the good old Indian breads to fall back on. About that, rest assured  no one will deny :). Ingredients 1 cup sprouted black channa (black chickpea) 1/2 cup sprouted green gram (whole moong dal) 1/2 cup sprouted Red Chori/ Azuki Beans 1 cup finely sliced shallots 1 cup fresh grated coconut 2 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp red chili powder ½ tsp turmeric powder – ½ tsp ½ tsp kerala garam masala 1 cup diced potatoes ½ cup chopped tomatoes 2 sprigs of curry leaves salt to taste 2 tsp coconut oil ½ tsp must...

Spicy Paddu

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I always loved the lunches my best friend L got to school. Her Mom was a very good cook and I made sure L reserved a major portion of her lunch box for me. She was/is one of my closest of friends and there is no doubt I loved her company and always wished to hang out at her place irrespective of the food, that is. But, the fact that her Mom was an amazing cook only amplified the desire a tad bit more ;). These fried dumplings called Paddu sometimes came in L’s lunches and were coveted by  not just me but, by many of  our other avaricious friends as well. So, my dearest pal L, bless her sweet sweet heart, always saved a few extra for me in a safe place before she opened her box to the wild hungry wolves around us. And though I knew that my portion existed elsewhere, I still fought with the rest to get my split in this share of the treat as well;).  You see, greed is a vice I’ve had tough timing dealing with all my life :(.  Anyway, what is worth mentioning here though is that, it was no...

Meaty Pasta and Mushrooms in Pink Sauce

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Like most American kids my boy too could live his whole life eating only macaroni and cheese. I do indulge him occasionally, most often at restaurants, where of late better sense has prevailed upon me and I have begun accepting the fact that once in a while, it is ok to refrain  from wrestling veggies down his throat. At home however, over a period of 3 years I gradually gave Mac & Cheese  a complete make over. Today my innocent little lad eats a version that looks and tastes like anything but Mac & Cheese. A variation of elbow pasta that has veggies, meat and way less cheese and cream, . But every time I serve him this, he delightfully screeches MAC & CHEESE and wipes out the entire bowl!  I know he’s going to call my bluff in a year or two. But I’m counting on the fact that by then he would have acquired a taste for all the intruders in his bowl and would care less about the deception his trusted mother put him through ;).   My two cents – 1. Nish and most other you...

Boring is What I Long For

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If a slug and I were ever to race, it would get light years ahead of me and eventually reach the finish line while I’m still deciding on the bow-tie or the inside-out style for my shoe laces.  Yes, that’s how laid back I am, and always will to be. While others thrive on the pump of adrenaline, I go out of my way to avoid it. And if it were up to me, What are you NOT doing over the weekend, is what I’d prefer people enquiring. A quiet weekend with absolutely nothing to do is something I would often like to look forward to. I don’t understand why people don’t get the infinite possibilities of an empty weekend. Why people scorn upon me when I say, I’d like to spend the weekend sunk into the couch with my favorite author, or sleep it away with long beauty naps, or indulge it with longer restful baths or travel around the world through the TV, from inside the confines of my most favorable sanctuary – my home. Back from hiking random peaks at 5 in the AM , my husband Roy often gives me the ...

Idli / Steamed Rice & Gram Dumplings

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One of the most common breakfast in the south of India are these steamed puffed dumplings called idlis. Made from fermented rice and black gram these provide sufficient crabs and proteins to get you through the day. Idlis come in different size, shape and texture. Whatever kind they may be, you know they are perfect when they simply melt in your mouth.  The key to getting your idlis really soft is to make sure the amount of water is just right, not too much nor too little. And secondly ensure the husked black gram is ground fine to a smooth and silky batter. Take care of just these two things and rest assured that your idlis will be mouth melting delicate. Now, how you grind the rice depends on what kind of texture you are looking for. If you like your idlis smooth and soft then make sure your rice is ground to a smooth and silky batter as well. And if you are looking for a soft coarse texture in your idli, use cream of rice (rice rava) instead. If you can’t find cream of rice i...

Idli / Steamed Rice & Gram Dumplings

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One of the most common breakfast in the south of India are these steamed puffed dumplings called idlis. Made from fermented rice and black gram these provide sufficient crabs and proteins to get you through the day. Idlis come in different size, shape and texture. Whatever kind they may be, you know they are perfect when they simply melt in your mouth.  The key to getting your idlis really soft is to make sure the amount of water is just right, not too much nor too little. And secondly ensure the husked black gram is ground fine to a smooth and silky batter. Take care of just these two things and rest assured that your idlis will be mouth melting delicate. Now, how you grind the rice depends on what kind of texture you are looking for. If you like your idlis smooth and soft then make sure your rice is ground to a smooth and silky batter as well. And if you are looking for a soft coarse texture in your idli, use cream of rice (rice rava) instead. If you can’t find cream of rice in ...

White Pottukadalai (Roasted Gram) Chutney

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Ok, this chutney is very similar to the previous pottukadalai chutney that I’d posted earlier. I however have omitted the cilantro and have used lemon juice instead of tamarind to bring in the tang. Like I said before, chutneys are all about mix and match. Ingredients For Grinding 3 fresh green chilies ( base it on your spice tolerance)  1 big clove of garlic 1 cup pottukadalai/ roasted chickpeas/ split dalia/ kadale pappu  salt to taste 2 – 3 tbsp lemon juice For Seasoning 2 dried red chili torn into 1 inch pieces 2 tsp of cold pressed sesame oil 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds 1 sprig of curry leaves Directions Blend all the ingredients for grinding into a slightly smooth paste. Heat oil in a pan, add all the ingredients for seasoning. When the mustard pops, turn off the flame and pour into the ground mixture. Mix the seasoning well into the chutney and serve with idlis, dosas or other crêpes