Posted on 2 Comments

Parathas With Keema and Shrimp

Thanks to the beauty of airtravel, one can have breakfast in one place, lunch in another, and dinner in yet another place anywhere at all.  And sometimes, you might get so very, very fortunate so as to have a freshly-made meal shipped to you from a faraway place that very day so you can stay put wherever you might be and still have an incredible gastronomical experience.

Well, what you see below was breakfast that came all the way from Florida to Michigan in a matter of two hours.  And what’s more– it was made by my impossibly gorgeous and talented mother.  A breakfast fit for a king is what she sent us:  Parathas, Keema, and Masala Shrimp.

Parathakeemashrimp

Posted on Leave a comment

Dosai, Podimas & Garlic-Chilli Chutney

So, for the uninitiated, Dosai or Dosas as they are more commonly known are the most delectable crepe-like pancakes made of fermented rice and lentils.  They’re served any time of the day, and could be breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack. Check out the slideshow above for how they look while they’re cooking in a dosa tava and later when they’re served on a plate.

Dpc

And so these Dosais, they go with just about anything.  The classic accompaniments are a variety of chutneys, and a seasoned mashed-potato filling.  The not-so-classic accompaniments include two that I served up this morning:  Eggs Podimas and Garlic-Chili Chutney.

The Podimas is a simple way of breaking the eggs directly into the pan of finely-chopped sauteeing onions.  Only, I gave it a twist by adding a Mexican seasoning of cilantro and annato available in a popular brand called Sazon Goya.

The Garlic-Chilli Chutney is a home-made staple you will find in my refrigerator at all times.

And what better beverage to wash it all down than home-made Cappucinos?

Mmmm!  Mmmm!  Mmmm!

Yep, that’s how we roll sometimes on a Saturday morning!

Oh, and just in case you’re wondering, mine is the larger cup!

 

Posted on 2 Comments

The Simplest Indian Meal

And what might that be, you ask?  Well, allow me to inform.  It consists of the following:

Dal (Lentil Soup); Chawal (Rice); Ghee (Clarified Butter); Achar (Pickle); Papad (wafer-thin lentil crisps)

No matter where you go in India, you can find a variation of this very rudimentary meal served for either lunch or dinner.  The variations consist in the type of Dal (I made an arhar/toor dal with carrots), the Achar (I have an assortment), and the Papad (these are appalams).  The Ghee is an indulgence, but a much-welcomed one if the Dal and Chawal are piping hot.

This was what I made for dinner last night.  The very simplest of Indian meals.  And very close to being the perfect one!  See for yourself: 

Dalchawal
Note on the dal:  The dal was pressure-cooked with one red onion, seven green chillies, 4 long carrots, and a pinch of turmeric.  After being cooked thus, everything was beautifully pureed together with a hand-blender.  The tadka (seasoning) was the classic one:  hing (asofoetida), rai (mustard), zeera (cumin), sookhi-mirch (dry red chillies), lassan (garlic), and karipatta (curry leaves). 

Yeh hui na baat!
Posted on Leave a comment

Super Bowl of Bounties

Eggcurry

Well, if you think I mean Chilli and Chips-and-Dip, or Buffalo Chicken-Wings and Pizza, well, no, I didn’t mean that kind of Super Bowl fare.

Granted these are the standard finger-foods for this great American event– the annual NFL football championship–each year in late January/early February, but I was referring more to the bounties of a Sunday afternoon lunch.  The bounties on our table today were all glorious in their effective simplicity: 

  • A traditional Indian-style Egg Curry (only I halved the boiled eggs)
  • A Chicken & Mushroom Stirfry w/ paprika and chives
  • A Broccoli & Yellow Potatoes sidedish w/ red onions, garlic and coconut-chutney seasonings
  • Greek-style Pitas lightly stove-top toasted 

Here’s what it looked like:

Posted on Leave a comment

Glorious Leftovers

I was thinking that if ever your dinner plate on an ordinary weekday looks as grand as this– and when you know that every item on that plate is a leftover, well, then you are certifiably fortunate! 

Because when leftovers are as glorious and grand as these, imagine what a fresh meal might look and taste like!

Leftovers

p.s.  and in case you’re wondering about what’s what exactly, going clockwise from the whole-wheat rotis, you have palak saag, chicken curry and broccoli subzi!  yeh hui na baat!

Posted on Leave a comment

In A Jiffy

Dinner7

First published on Monday, November 24, 2008, here’s another one for the files…





So, its been one of those days when my back’s been acting up again. Actually, the timing of this isn’t so bad really. I am currently taking a respite from work, and bad back or not, I am already predisposed to lying on it anyway! To read, to nap, to watch some TV, and of course, to just take it easy. But the fact remains that a bad back is a pain—in the back and in the mind. Because apart from the discomfort of the pain, there is the persistent fear that one might become confined to a bed or a chair to the point of becoming immobilized. Now, that is a painful thought!

So, it is with such thoughts in mind today that I initially told myself that I couldn’t make any dinner tonight. Well, that is what I thought I told myself, until, I told myself that I could. And so, with a stiff back and not too many sudden movements, I decided to put something together. And I did. In thirty-five minutes flat.

Now, the point that I’m trying to make here is two-fold: the capability to exercise one’s mind to control one’s body—and this is indeed an amazing thing when you think about how the mind can be such an effective tool when even modern medicine can sometimes prove ineffective. The second point I wish to make is to attribute certain personal characteristics to those that we imbibe them from—and I’m not going to get into the big nature vs. nurture debate here—in this case, my abilities to multitask with speed and efficiency can only be attributed directly to what I have picked up from my mother. 🙂

Bottom line for the day: I was able to put together this meal in a jiffy. Back pain and all notwithstanding. And I was told it wasn’t too shabby either– the meal, that is. Fact is, I saw for myself that it was literally finger-lickin’ good.

Here’s what took thirty-five minutes: masoor dal, palak sabzi and white rice. The chicken curry from yesterday took three minutes to reheat in the microwave.

Not bad, eh? 🙂

Posted on Leave a comment

Love In The Mail

It came out of nowhere.  Well, it came in the mail yesterday.  But it came unannounced and without notice.  And when opened, it was brimming with love.  Love from my parents who live in warmer climes several hundred miles away. 

 

The box contained among other things, a number of egg cartons, which when opened, contained the most perfectly-made and absolutely divine rava ladoos– sweet balls made with cream-of-wheat, brown sugar, and dry-fruits (cashews and raisins). 

 

Thank you, Mom and Dad, for loving me!

 

Posted on Leave a comment

Two Green Subzis On A Snowy Day (And A Side Of Lamb Shanks!)

Well, the snow is pretty blinding if you continue to stare out the window, and since I’m not in the mood to make any snow-angels outside, I thought of doing the next best thing:  being an angel in the kitchen.  Yeah, yeah, I know that’s lame, but still, if it conjures up images of me flying around between stove and sink and refrigerator, well, you’ve come up with a half-decent picture, I’d say.  And what would all that angelic activity produce?  The most angelic dishes, of course.  Fit for a heavenly feast.  Here’s what:

  • A Palak Saag made with spinach and tomatoes, and seasoned with red onions, garlic and dry red chillies.
  • A Broccoli Subzi seasoned with cumin, red  onions, garlic and coconut-chutney.
  • A hearty batch of Lamb Shanks pressure-cooked for starters, and then seasoned in the skillet with fried onions and a secret masala.

I guess I’ll serve this up with fresh hot white Basmati rice and whole-wheat Rotis later tonight.  Picture a bunch of devils feasting on all this glorious fare!