Archive for the ‘Food’ Category

SPICES

Thursday, 2nd August, 2007

HISTORY IN SPICES & SPICES IN HISTORY

IF you’ve read histories of the colonial period then you’ll know that European traders first came to India because they were looking for spices to take back to their countries. In those days, any Indian spice was so highly valued in Western markets that traders found it worth their while to spend years at sea in inhospitable conditions just to return with a consignment of cloves or nutmeg.

Spice

And Europeans, in turn, prided themselves on possession of the spices of the East. If a man had a fistful of nutmeg, he was probably a millionaire! To serve any kind of Indian spice was regarded as a mark of great prosperity and social accomplishment.

As we all know, the Spice Route became the stuff of legends (and the subject of many contemporary books) and led, almost entirely; to the birth of colonialism. The Europeans first came here as traders (as in the case of John Company; better known later as the East India Company), then settled down to wage war with the local rajahs and nawabs and then took over great swathes of land.

In most colonies, the traders were then replaced by governments themselves and 19th century imperialism was created: In India, for instance, the East India Company ran the show till 1857 when the violence of the Mutiny/Revolt/First War of Independence (pick your option according to your political perspective) led the Crown to intervene and Queen Victoria proclaimed that her government would administer India henceforth.

Why am I giving you a history lesson? Well, because two things about this story have always intrigued me - more so, now, as we celebrate the anniversary of the battles of 1857. First of all, do we realize that the foundation of Imperialism - and certainly; of British rule in India - was food? If the East India Company had not arrived here in search of spices, there would have been no British Empire.

But it’s the second thing .If the British came here looking for spices and the ones they took back to their country were so valued, then why is all European food (and English food in particular) so lacking in spice?

Think about it. When you consider the diet of the average Brit, or even the rich Brit, in that era, do you imagine him eating anything other than joints of lamb, meat pies and the like?

What use did a nation fed on bland stodge have for the wondrous spices of the East? Why did sailors spend years at sea in pursuit of nutmeg? Who would buy this stuff? And how would they use it? Surely not as a seasoning for roast lamb!

If there was a Spice Route, then there must have been a demand: of for spices. But the cuisines of the countries that sought these spices were so bland that it is hard to see why they would have required them.

Is there a solution to this mystery?

Apparently, yes. What we now regard as bland European food was not always so. Nor are we right to regard the British palate as hostile to spice. As far back as the 18th century, Englishmen loved a good curry. And the current British obsession with spicy Indian food has its roots in a relatively ancient tradition where curry was made regularly at Buckingham Palace.

We think now of French food as being based on butter and cream. But butter was a poor man’s food. Rich people tended to use lard and animal fat. We imagine that the French ate chicken, beef and pork. But in fact, the upper classes never ate pork .

We think of steak and chips as classic French bistro fare. But actually, the French took to beef only in 1735 after a chef who had worked in London introduced the nation to steak.

So, what was European food like when the traders set out in search of the spices of the East?

Well, it wasn’t very different from the food of the Middle Ages.

Traditional banquet fare included such birds as peacocks in preference to chicken. Nobody bothered with sole or trout. Instead they ate whale, porpoise or seal. In those days, bigness was everything: big fish, big birds, and big meals.

It was in this era, long before the great sauces of European cuisine had been invented, that the demand for spices was huge. Traditional cooks would use the strongly flavoured spices of the East to add zing to peacock or to boost the flavour of seal.

(Spices should not be confused with chillies though: those were discovered in America and brought to India by colonial traders. When we talk about spices in that era, we mean pepper, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, saffron, cardamom etc.)

But all this changed with the invention of modern French - and therefore, European - cuisine. The big birds disappeared to be replaced by chicken and duck. Whale and seal were struck off the menu in favour of turbot and langoustine: Beef and pork became staples. The first sauces were invented and food shifted away from bigness in size and flavor.

Instead, the new generation of chefs began to use herbs which, unlike spices, were locally available. Out went nutmeg and cardamom. In came basil, parsley and thyme. European cuisine suddenly became sauce-based and herb-based.

By the 19th century; the new innovations had not only spread all over Europe but they had crashed the class barriers. Poor people did not necessarily make hollandaise at home but they had been weaned away from the strong flavours of big meat (such as whale and peacock) and the pungency of spices. Instead, they ate a blander (some would say; more delicately flavoured) cuisine.

When the East India Company first got here, its officers took to Indian women and Indian food with gusto. Many took Indian “wives” or concubines and nearly all ate Indian food at home. It was only in the late 19th century when their “wives” began ‘coming over that they gave up on the women, and the food at their homes became bland British fare.

But the British love for strong Indian flavours endured even if it became a masculine thing. The shops of London were full of spicy Indian chutneys and Worcester sauce was first made by Lee and Perrin to a recipe for Indian chutney.

History is full of ifs and buts. Sadly, few of these have to do with food. But often wonder whether we underestimate the role of cuisine in shaping the destiny of nations.

INDIAN FOOD: WHAT IS COOKED IN INDIA?

Thursday, 26th July, 2007

INDIAN FOOD: WHAT IS COOKED IN INDIA? 

Energy rich rice has been the staple food of India since the earliest times. It is easy to cook and blends well with vegetables, pulses and meats. There are three main varieties of rice: the short grained colam rice, used in most of East, West and South India; the long grained Basmati, used mainly in North India, and the parboiled rice used mainly in the coastal regions of South India. 

There are mainly two recipes - one, Plain Rice and the other, Rice with Potato and Cauliflower. However, you can prepare Pulao with almost all vegetables (carrots, French beans, peas etc.) following the basic method.

Pulses: Protein rich pulses are a must in the Indian meal because they offer much of the nutritional material required for the upkeep of our body system at a lower cost - they are substantially cheaper than meats. The word pulses actually include both whole and split pulses like sabat urad (whole black gram), Chana dal (split Bengal gram) with or without skin, lentils like arhar dal (red gram) and dried beans like rajma (kidney beans). Whole pulses and dried beans take considerable time to cook.

Pulses

Hours of open pot cooking are just reduced to mere minutes when cooked in a pressure cooker- the most common way it is cooked in an Indian home. The rich variety of pulses and different methods of preparation give you a wide choice for selecting the recipe suitable to your taste. Because of their distinct flavours and soft textures, pulses can also be used as a base for delicious vegetarian soups. There are recipes which use pulses individually or in combinations, ranging from Chana Dal and Rajma to Panchratan and Ma-ki-Dal.

VEGETARIAN DISHES 
Vegetables are valuable chiefly because of their mineral and vitamin contents, notably Vitamin A and C. However, most of this vitamins and mineral content is lost in the conventional open pot cooking; however, the use of pressure cooker is immensely beneficial vegetables retain their nutritive elements better when pressure cooked. This is because a minimum of water is used and the cooking process is barely a few minutes. In addition the vegetables retain their bright natural colours and rich flavours.

VEGETARIAN DISHES

Most vegetables tend to cook very fast because of their soft and succulent structure. Hence, follow the timings of the recipes precisely. If you are adapting your own vegetable recipes, it is better to undercook rather than overcook. Overcooking not only ruins the taste but also cannot be reversed. The best way would be to open your cooker one or two minutes before the expected time, check the tenderness of the vegetables, and if not done, bring the cooker to full pressure and cook for a minute or two longer than the expected time.

Remember that you can cook more than one vegetable at a time provided the vegetables have the same cooking time. If the timings are slightly different, you may slow down or speed up cooking by either cutting the vegetables thickly or thinly. If you are using vegetables that have already lost moisture, pre-soak them in cold water for a few minutes so that some of the moisture is restored.

Given below is a list of commonly used vegetables

  1. Beetroot
  2. Bottle Gourd
  3. Brinjal
  4. Cabbage
  5. Carrots
  6. Carrots
  7. Cauliflower
  8. Cauliflower
  9. Corn on Cob
  10. French beans
  11. Peas
  12. Potatoes
  13. Spinach  

NON-VEGETARIAN DISHES 
Non-vegetarian food is loved by a large number of North Indians.

CHICKEN: The chicken is rendered both succulent and delectable. Before cooking the typical North Indian dishes, the chicken should be skinned, washed and wiped dry. This allows spices to penetrate into the flesh. Both broilers and fresh farm chickens are used. 

Recipes are of both the dry type like Murgh Hyderabadi as well as the curry type like Rasedaar Murghi.While curry type goes well with rice, chapaties or naans, the dry chicken tastes best with tandoori rotis.

CHICKEN

MEATS: Some typical North Indian favourites like Mutton Curry, Saag Gosht and Rogan Josh. Meat combined with rice or vegetables as in Yakhni Pulao and Kheema Matar is also very popular. As the meat available is generally of varying tenderness, cooking timings may vary in the degree of “doneness” desired, depending on the

thickness and tenderness of the meat and the extent of prefrying. The meat should be washed and wiped dry before cooking.

FISH: North Indian cuisine generally contains fish that is fried or of the tandoori type. Fish Curry typical of Goa and a Fish in Mustard and Curd recipe - the Iilish Sarso Bata -a hot favourite amongst Bengalis. You will also find a few other non-vegetarian items like Beef and Pork (Beef Curry - Mangalorean Style and Pork Vindaloo - Goan Style) in the Indian cousine. 

SWEET DISHES: Sweets of all kinds are very popular in India and are eaten at the end of a meal. In some parts of India, they are one of the items for breakfast. And when one thinks of an Indian festival, one cannot but conjure up visions of a variety of multi-coloured mouth watering sweets. The sweet dish must complement and even compete with all the items that have gone before it. It may surprise you but it is a fact that a wide variety of delicious sweets and desserts are cooked. Kheer and other milk based puddings are also considered as sweet dishes in India. 

If you turn to the Other Indian Recipes, you will find 3 more sweets to choose from: Lapsi - a novel presentation of broken wheat or dahliya, Rasogolla - the famous Bengali delicacy that is fresh cottage cheese balls in syrup, and Semiya Payasam: a South Indian variation of the North Indian Kheer.

Phool Gobi Aur Mattar ki Subzi

Wednesday, 27th June, 2007

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A coconut based curry gives this cauliflower a unique and delicious taste.

A bit of a change from your usual aloo Gobi recipe.

 

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 11 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

 

2 cups cauliflower, cut into small florets

1 cup green peas

2 bay leaves

4 tablespoons tomato puree

2 tablespoons fresh curds

1/2 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons oil

    salt to taste.

 

To be ground into a paste

1 onion

2 tablespoons fresh coconut, grated;

2 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons coriander (dhania) seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds Ueera); 12 mm

(1/2″) piece ginger

2 teaspoons poppy seeds (khus-khus)

4 whole red chillies

 

Method

 

In a microwave safe bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of oil and the cauliflower. Cover with a lid and microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes. Remove and keep aside.

 

In the same bowl, combine the green peas with 2 tablespoons of water and microwave on HIGH for 1 minute.

 

In another microwave safe bowl, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, the bay leaves and the prepared paste and microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes.

 

Add the tomato puree, curds, cauliflower, green peas, sugar, 1/2 cup of water and salt and microwave on HIGH for a further 4 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Serve hot.

Malai kofta

Monday, 25th June, 2007

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An unusual non-fried version of koftas. Use fresh paneer for best results.

 

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: 19 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

 

For the koftas

 1 cup paneer (cottage cheese), crumbled

 1 tablespoon plain flour (maida)

   A pinch baking powder

2 green chillies, chopped

2 tablespoons coriander, chopped

   Salt to taste.

 

For the gravy

 4 medium tomatoes

1 cup milk

1/4 cup cream

1 tablespoon kasuri methi;

1 tablespoon oil;

  Salt to taste.

 

To be ground into a paste

1/4 cup onions, sliced

3 cloves garlic

2 green chillies

2 dry red chillies

2 teaspoons coriander seeds (dhania)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds Ueera)

1″ ginger piece; 2 cloves (Iaung)

(1 “) stick cinnamon (dalchini)

 

For the garnish

 2 teaspoons chopped coriander.

 

 

 

Method

 

For the koftas:

Mix paneer, plain flour, baking powder, chillies, coriander & salt.

 

Shape into 8 small rounds and place them on a greased microwave safe plate. Microwave

on HIGH for 45 seconds and keep aside.

 

For the gravy:

Pierce the tomatoes lightly with a fork, place in a microwave safe dish and microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes. Remove and cool.

 

Blend the tomatoes to a smooth puree and keep aside

 

In another microwave safe bowl, add the oil and the ground paste and microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes, stirring once after 2&1/2 minutes.

 

Add the tomato puree and microwave on HIGH for another 5 minutes stirring once in between after 2&1/2 minutes.

 

Add the milk, cream, kasuri methi & salt and microwave on HIGH for 2 more minutes.

 

How to proceed:

 

Just before serving, add the koftas to the gravy and microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes. Serve hot garnished with the coriander.

 

Instant Rabdi

Sunday, 24th June, 2007

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Milk thickened with fresh bread crumbs to give you an instant Rabdi.

 

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 7 minutes

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

 

2 cups milk

½ cup fresh bread crumbs

¼ cup condensed milk

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon cardamom (elaichi) powder

½ teaspoon cornflour mixed in 1 tablespoon milk.

 

Method

 

Combine the milk, bread crumbs, condensed milk, sugar and cardamom powder in a deep microwave safe bowl and microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes stirring once in between after 2 minutes.

 

Add the cornflour paste and microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes stirring once in between.

 

Cool and serve chilled.

 

Handy tips:

Fresh bread crumbs are made by crumbling the fresh bread slices after discarding the crusts.

 

Fill the microwave safe bowl to only ¼  of its height, leaving enough space for the milk to rise in microwave, without spilling over.

Green Peas Dhokla

Saturday, 23rd June, 2007

Easy and delicious dhoklas that are made more nutritious with the addition of green peas. Serve this with green chutney to make a sumptuous snack.

image001.png

 

Preparation time: Few minutes

Cooking time: 5′/2 minutes

Makes 1 dish

Ingredients

 

1/2 cup Bengal gram flour (besan)

1/2 cup green peas (boiled)

1 teaspoon ginger-green chilli paste

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

1/2 cup water

1/4 teaspoon citric acid (crystals)

3/4 teaspoon Eon’s fruit salt

     Salt to taste.

 

For the tempering

 1 tablespoon oil

 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)

 2 green chillies, finely chopped

     a pinch asafoetida (hing)

 1 tablespoon water

 

For the garnish

 1 tablespoon chopped coriander;

 1 tablespoon grated coconut.

 

Method

 

Puree the green peas to a smooth paste using a little water.

 

Add all the other ingredients to the green pea paste and mix well.

 

Pour into a 150 mm. (6″) diameter and 25 mm. (1″) HIGH, greased microwave safe dish with a lid and microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes, covered.

 

Remove and let it stand for 2 minutes.

 

 

For the tempering

 

Combine the oil and the mustard seeds in a small microwave safe bowl.

 

Cover with a lid and microwave on high for 1&1/2 minutes.

 

Add the green chillies and asafoetida and microwave on HIGH for 1 more minute.

 

Remove from the microwave and add 1 tablespoon of water.

 

How to proceed

 

Spread the tempering over the dhoklas and cut into square pieces.

 

Garnish with coriander and coconut.

 

Serve hot.

 

Malai kofta

Monday, 18th June, 2007

Malai kofta

Malai kofta

 

An unusual non-fried version of koftas. Use fresh paneer for best results.
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 19 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

For the koftas
 1 cup paneer (cottage cheese), crumbled
 1 tablespoon plain flour (maida)
   A pinch baking powder
2 green chillies, chopped
2 tablespoons coriander, chopped
   Salt to taste.

For the gravy
 4 medium tomatoes
1 cup milk
1/4 cup cream
1 tablespoon kasuri methi;
1 tablespoon oil;
  Salt to taste.

To be ground into a paste
1/4 cup onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic
2 green chillies
2 dry red chillies
2 teaspoons coriander seeds (dhania)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds Ueera)
1" ginger piece; 2 cloves (Iaung)
(1 ") stick cinnamon (dalchini)

For the garnish
 2 teaspoons chopped coriander.

Method

For the koftas:
Mix paneer, plain flour, baking powder, chillies, coriander & salt.
Shape into 8 small rounds and place them on a greased microwave safe plate. Microwave
on HIGH for 45 seconds and keep aside.

For the gravy:
Pierce the tomatoes lightly with a fork, place in a microwave safe dish and microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes. Remove and cool.
Blend the tomatoes to a smooth puree and keep aside In another microwave safe bowl, add the oil and the ground paste and microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes, stirring once after 2&1/2 minutes.
Add the tomato puree and microwave on HIGH for another 5 minutes stirring once in between after 2&1/2 minutes.
Add the milk, cream, kasuri methi & salt and microwave on HIGH for 2 more minutes.

How to proceed:

Just before serving, add the koftas to the gravy and microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes. Serve hot garnished with the coriander.

Instant Rabdi

Saturday, 16th June, 2007

Instant Rabdi

Instant Rabdi

Milk thickened with fresh bread crumbs to give you an instant Rabdi.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 7 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

2 cups milk
½ cup fresh bread crumbs
¼ cup condensed milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cardamom (elaichi) powder
½ teaspoon cornflour mixed in 1 tablespoon milk.

Method

Combine the milk, bread crumbs, condensed milk, sugar and cardamom powder in a deep microwave safe bowl and microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes stirring once in between after 2 minutes.
Add the cornflour paste and microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes stirring once in between.
Cool and serve chilled.

Handy tips:
Fresh bread crumbs are made by crumbling the fresh bread slices after discarding the crusts.
Fill the microwave safe bowl to only ¼  of its height, leaving enough space for the milk to rise in microwave, without spilling over.

AN ONION A DAY………..

Friday, 8th June, 2007

History repeats itself, I know; but that soon! Usually it is for the next generation. Only in 1998, onions (and their ‘gold’ prices) caused a downfall of a popular government. What is happening to power in Delhi? Onions and their escalating prices every now and then are giving the governments the headaches rather frequently now.

And hey, there are already enough tears in common man’s eyes nowadays; do we need onions here! We must go into the root cause of this - the root of onions! Or the government should announce on a national broadcast that onions are not good for health and people should consume less of them - save onions like save water/petrol. Onions have vanished from the platters of salad bars that happily dwell on healthy cauliflower & co. now. You cannot argue with restaurant owners because green salad on their menu had always-been silent on onions; they never promised onions! The banquets booked for parties have been demanding Rs 10 per head more and their explanation is not illogical, ‘the rate was agreed upon before the onion hike, and the guests are expected to eat onions more - as never before’

There should be ‘onionex’ on the lines of ’sensex’ on a daily basis. I also like onions too much – TDS- three times a day; that my ‘interactors’ do not like the smell is a different matter. Now I have to carry them, one onion in each pocket, whatever that means and howsoever clumsy/revealing it may look, with a knife in my back-pocket-so that I can eat them with foods of my choice anywhere.

Then my wife applied her (available) mind and unknowingly tried to help her husband giving him an idea, “you carry peeled off bulbs of onions wrapped in foil instead of those round bodies” she suggested. I took her advice for a change. But then the whole of ME was smelling of onions; I had to announce every time - that this was a new perfume on the shelves with a vegetable fragrance!

Onionism has given a new agenda to Shiv Sena in Maharashtra “No onions from Pakistan”: because we don’t want to change our roots. Some people are not serving onions to their guests and politely say, “We want to practise Navratras for some more time”. There have already been some reports of ransacking and robbing of onion stores. I remember when TV serials like Ramayana and Mahabharata were extremely popular, the invitation cards for marriages/receptions read, “Phere Mahabharata ke Baad” giving ample time to the guests to witness ‘both’ Mahabharatas! Now the cards will have, “Please bring/arrange your own onions, thank you”. And some invitation cards alongwith sweet boxes will have some carefully wrapped onions.

Tears are good for eyes, these are no crocodile tears; you’ve to believe an eye surgeon. And I must give you advice - an apple a day keeps the doctor away. An onion a day keeps everybody away.

Green Peas Dhokla

Friday, 1st June, 2007

Green Peas Dhokla

Easy and delicious dhoklas that are made more nutritious with the addition of green peas. Serve this with green chutney to make a sumptuous snack.

Green Peas Dhokla

Preparation time: Few minutes
Cooking time: 5′/2 minutes
Makes 1 dish
Ingredients

1/2 cup Bengal gram flour (besan)
1/2 cup green peas (boiled)
1 teaspoon ginger-green chilli paste
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon citric acid (crystals)
3/4 teaspoon Eon’s fruit salt
     Salt to taste.
 
For the tempering
 1 tablespoon oil
 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
 2 green chillies, finely chopped
     a pinch asafoetida (hing)
 1 tablespoon water

For the garnish
 1 tablespoon chopped coriander;
 1 tablespoon grated coconut.

Method

Puree the green peas to a smooth paste using a little water.
Add all the other ingredients to the green pea paste and mix well.
Pour into a 150 mm. (6") diameter and 25 mm. (1") HIGH, greased microwave safe dish with a lid and microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes, covered.
Remove and let it stand for 2 minutes.

For the tempering

Combine the oil and the mustard seeds in a small microwave safe bowl.
Cover with a lid and microwave on high for 1&1/2 minutes.
Add the green chillies and asafoetida and microwave on HIGH for 1 more minute.
Remove from the microwave and add 1 tablespoon of water.

How to proceed

Spread the tempering over the dhoklas and cut into square pieces.
Garnish with coriander and coconut.
Serve hot.

AN ONION A DAY

Monday, 14th May, 2007

 AN ONION A DAY………..

AN ONION A DAY

History repeats itself, I know; but that soon! Usually it is for the next generation. Only in 1998, onions (and their ‘gold’ prices) caused a downfall of a popular government. What is happening to power in Delhi? Onions and their escalating prices every now and then are giving the governments the headaches rather frequently now.

And hey, there are already enough tears in common man’s eyes nowadays; do we need onions here! We must go into the root cause of this - the root of onions! Or the government should announce on a national broadcast that onions are not good for health and people should consume less of them - save onions like save water/petrol. Onions have vanished from the platters of salad bars that happily dwell on healthy cauliflower & co. now. You cannot argue with restaurant owners because green salad on their menu had always-been silent on onions; they never promised onions! The banquets booked for parties have been demanding Rs 10 per head more and their explanation is not illogical, ‘the rate was agreed upon before the onion hike, and the guests are expected to eat onions more - as never before’

There should be ‘onionex’ on the lines of ’sensex’ on a daily basis. I also like onions too much – TDS- three times a day; that my ‘interactors’ do not like the smell is a different matter. Now I have to carry them, one onion in each pocket, whatever that means and howsoever clumsy/revealing it may look, with a knife in my back-pocket-so that I can eat them with foods of my choice anywhere.

Then my wife applied her (available) mind and unknowingly tried to help her husband giving him an idea, "you carry peeled off bulbs of onions wrapped in foil instead of those round bodies" she suggested. I took her advice for a change. But then the whole of ME was smelling of onions; I had to announce every time - that this was a new perfume on the shelves with a vegetable fragrance!

AN ONION A DAY

Onionism has given a new agenda to Shiv Sena in Maharashtra “No onions from Pakistan”: because we don’t want to change our roots. Some people are not serving onions to their guests and politely say, "We want to practise Navratras for some more time". There have already been some reports of ransacking and robbing of onion stores. I remember when TV serials like Ramayana and Mahabharata were extremely popular, the invitation cards for marriages/receptions read, “Phere Mahabharata ke Baad” giving ample time to the guests to witness ‘both’ Mahabharatas! Now the cards will have, “Please bring/arrange your own onions, thank you”. And some invitation cards alongwith sweet boxes will have some carefully wrapped onions.

AN ONION A DAY

Tears are good for eyes, these are no crocodile tears; you’ve to believe an eye surgeon. And I must give you advice - an apple a day keeps the doctor away. An onion a day keeps everybody away.

Masala Bhindi

Monday, 26th February, 2007

image0021.jpg

An all-time favourite of bhindis stuffed with lip-smacking spices.

 

 

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Serves 2

Ingredients

 

2 cups bhindi (ladies fingers)

1/2 cup grated fresh coconut

2&1/2 tablespoons chopped coriander

2 tablespoons coriander-cumin seed (dhania-jeera) powder

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon chilli powder a pinch of asafoetida (hing) 1 tablespoon oil salt to taste

 

 

Method

 

Make long slits on the bhindi. Keep aside.

 

Mix all the remaining ingredients very well and stuff into the bhindi.

 

Arrange the stuffed bhindi in a shallow glass dish and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of water over them.

 

Microwave on high for about 4 to 5 minutes. Serve hot.