India, 24 Hours Away

By Flagthis -

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At the SFO airport. Six overweight bags checked in. Will be boarding in an hour. Decided to post the recipes for Chole and Aloo Tikkis while waiting. That should help shake away the jitters and keep me from gnawing out the last traces of what used to be my nails.The irrepressible excitement has turned me into a walking time bomb, ready to throw up on one of these unsuspecting travelers at the drop of a hat. Can’t help it, excitement and vomit have always been a team for me.  Can throw up on an empty stomach too. That’s why, even for a joke, you wouldn’t want to tell me, I won a billion bucks and will not have to work for the rest of my life!!! At least, not with your favorite jeans on.

Anyway, when the menu for the weekend Chaat potluck at a friends’ was decided, I quickly pounced on the easiest stuff to make. Chole. One of the last few things I cooked before locking up the  Tharakan household kitchen. Made extras to freeze too. Roy’s returning sooner than us, and I being the thoughtful (thrifty?) wife,  made all his favorites. Chole, Rajma and the kind, he can thaw and reheat whenever he feels like a home cooked meal in the  months that I won’t be around. He’s going to be having  a lot of beans in his system for a while, and will definitely have a blast (literally and figuratively) nevertheless. Poor neighbors though!! Since I was not able to sneak some nose clips under their door,  I did plant 2  new trees in the backyard. My penance for being (in)directly responsible for Roy’s green house emissions. . I know puke and farts are the last things you want to hear when you come looking for recipes. But, I hope you can forgive me. I’m at my wits end with anticipation and I can’t think straight when I know I’ll be back home in less than 24 hours.

Punjabi Chloe

IMG_5987 Garbanzo beans/chickpeas are prepared in a variety of ways all over the Indian subcontinent. Each preparation exhibits the distinct characteristics of the regional cooking [read more]

 

 

 

 

 

Aloo Tikkis

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These are just about the easiest patties to make. They make amazing appetizers when served with a combination of meetha chutney (tamarind and sugar),  green chutney (cilantro and lime) and chole [read more]

 

 

 

 

 

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