I and my friend, 1986

On the work front, it has been the busiest year for me.  The coming year is poised similar.  Which is as well (except that it has meant just ten blog posts, if I get this one in, for the whole year!).  It means I don’t bother the son, now in his third year of college, with daily phone calls.  I usually catch up with him on the weekends though he and his dad chat online more often.  Presently, he is home for the holidays and has promised to not game through the nights so that we can see him at lunch and through the rest of the day.

Narthangai limes and mango ginger for pickling…from a year ago

This year I reconnected with more friends from high school.  In fact, I am now back in touch with all the ones whom I was  ‘best friends’ with: Neena in middle school, Indrani in high school, and Rajamma in senior high school!  Some of us met last week at a reunion of sorts and promised to make an effort to stay in touch better.  The city and our lifestyles don’t help though.

At the reunion there were some friends visiting from the US and the talk veered towards our different lifestyles.  Some of us here like to believe that we are better off than our friends abroad.  The yard stick seems to be the fact that we have access to menial help which enables us to eat fresh food while the poor expats have to eat frozen.  Apparently, that is the be all and end all of quality-of-life-indicators for most Indians in India.  Sour grapes, I think.  How can we aspire for something when we don’t even know it is desirable?! We never stop to consider why so many of us, despite the obvious lack of affordable domestic help, still seem to prefer to eat that reheated thawed food so far away from home?  Because, my dear countrymen, the rest of the stuff is very much worth the tradeoff.  To have someone to cook and clean  and take the dog for a walk is not what constitutes quality of life! An important indicator of the quality of life is clean environment – clean air and water, less noise and pollution, and safe places for work and play.  These combined with political and civic freedoms, better educational and recreational opportunities make life worth living, and even seem to compensate for what one might lose in terms of ethnic social connectedness.  Not that there is less socialising within the expat community in the US!

No place is perfect.  We might as well try and be happy about the choices we have made.  We don’t necessarily have to prove that we are better or worse off; it is just a choice we have made.  Just like it is a choice between frozen or fresh cooked meals.  No one has to eat frozen food; but we all find it convenient.  Judging by the growing ready-to-eat and frozen food section in our stores, I would have to conclude that despite all the domestic help, someone sure is eating a good amount of packaged and frozen food!

My sister cooks frozen paranthas quite often.  Out of curiosity, I tried the ready-to-eat mutter-paneer, and mirchi ka saalan a few months ago and agreed that they were great options for the day you were too rushed or too lazy to cook.  We also concluded that my dal makni was better than the packaged dal-bukhara (ITC Kitchens)!

We all need a break sometimes.  Even the maid.  Even, from the maid!  Yes, I am still doing fine without any extra kitchen help i.e, a maid.  For instance, last night we had pav bhaji for dinner (Check Nupur’s recipe; she uses the same masala that we do!).  It was good fun because everyone joined in.  I went full steam on the veggie prep: potatoes, cauliflower, and peas  prepped and cooked in the pressure cooker; onions, green chillies, sweet peppers, and tomatoes diced fine and then sauteed in oil.  The son peeled a handful of garlic for the hot thecha (garlic+black peppercorns+red chillies) that always accompanies pav bhaji in our house.  TH rinsed and chopped a mound of fresh coriander leaves (a must), peeled and mashed the boiled potatoes when they were done, and also peeled and sectioned half a giant papaya for dessert.  Dinner was ready in exactly one hour including all the prep work.  The son was in charge of pav - fetching it from the market, pan frying it in butter, and serving it hot.  Enough was leftover for tonight’s dinner as well.  Sorry, no pictures!

After a delayed start, the Delhi winter is now in full gear with the minimum temperatures in single digits.  The bounty of vegetables in the market though is a sight for weary eyes; their lowered prices another reason to get to winter pickle making.  Last week I finally got around to making this winter pickle again.  The son and I love it and he just may decide to carry some with him this time since he is moving out of the hostel and into an apartment with some friends.

The day I made my gobhi-gajar-shalgum achaar I also had plans for the beautiful limes my mom had brought over the previous weekend.  Yesterday, after they had been sitting in the colander a few days, I decided to just do it!  So before heading up to the office, I made my very first batch of my MIL’s lime pickle.  She’s been gone over five years but I still have a tiny bit left from her last batch.  This pickle is specifically prepared to accompany Maharashtrian fasting foods and uses ingredients that are permitted during fasts.  It perfectly compliments the spud-rich fasting foods – sabudana thalipeeth, sabudana khichdi (again, Nupur’s recipe matches our family recipe exactly), or upasachi batata bhaji.

Since the use of mustard seeds and peanut oil is not considered kosher during Maharashtrian fasts, this pickle uses neither.  In fact it uses no oil and relies on red chillies for the spice.  The addition of ginger and green chillies is not traditional but I added it because my MIL used to and I think it adds great flavour and an additional kick.

Limbache goad londche
Maharashtrian Sweetened Lime Pickle

6 large limes (about 700gms or thereabouts)
ginger, peeled and chopped into strips (about 75gms) (optional)
5 green chillies, chopped into bite size rounds (optional)
red chilli powder, 2 heaped tablespoons (or to taste)
granulated sugar, about 500 grams (2 3/4 vati)
salt, 100 grams (1/2 vati)

Wash and wipe the limes and chillies. Chop limes into small pieces. I sliced them into thirds and then chopped each slice into nine pieces. These limes are meant for pickling because they turn seedless in winter! To a clean glass jar add all the ingredients; press down with the back of a spoon if you need to to. My jar was a tad bit small to fit in everything in one go, so I kept a lime for later. In a couple of hours the sugar and salt had dissolved enough to create room at the top for the last lime and I could see lots of juicy brine at the bottom of the jar. After a day in the winter sun the syrup was already tasting great; that combination of lime with ginger is classic! Keep the jar in the sun everyday for a month or till the lime skin has softened.  [It will 'cook' indoors, away from sun, as well - will just take longer.] Give the contents of the jar a good stir every other day and watch the contents transform into a pickle that is sure to please.

It’s not a very long story, actually.  Over the past few years I gave into TH’s helpful insistence on delegating more housework to the maid so that I had less on my mind and hands.  But that is more complicated than it sounds.

There are two kinds of people: those who like to have extra hands to do their work, and those who wish they could do without.  If you have a slight OCD regarding how you want things in your home and kitchen, you may have to start by teaching the maid everything.  And then you have to remind her constantly (about the same thing) in a kind of continuing education for her (which has nothing to do with your OCD).  If you can look the other way, then it is all fine and dandy.  I cannot.  I cannot drink out  of cups with the lightest tea-stain; I have to have my veggies cut exactly so; the rug centered, the doors shut, and the windows open.  All this takes supervision.  I mean, really super-vision!   One time I caught her about to chutney a roach along with the coriander!  I  don’t know how I saw from the corner of my eye what she could not while putting the ingredients in!  Enough to say that after that there was little chance of her being allowed to cook unsupervised.  To me it always felt as if the maid was in control of my time!

Pizza dinner on Monday

A few months ago she took sick and was out of circulation for almost two months.  I loved the feeling of freedom that brought.  I was back in charge of my time.  I could overrun my class without worrying if I needed to call and leave instructions for dinner.  I could make mid-morning tea and call it as a break; maybe even plan lunch or dinner while the tea brewed as I used to before I had all this extra help.  More than anything, as before, I could plan pizza or paranthas for weeknight dinners!  With the maid I was more worried about whether she had had too long a day!  No wonder I used to insist she take Sunday afternoons off!

But she got better and was back.  I couldn’t fire her; she needed her job.  One fine day she had a fight with her husband and decided to quit.  I had to capitalise on this before she changed her mind.  Two days later the carpenters were in and we were working on modifications to install a dishwasher!  Spent a day traversing the city shopping for one and finally selected Kaff, no reason other than that they had a built-in option while all others were stand alone machines.  It’s installed and working!

I know it is not like having a maid.  But, dearies, that is the point!  You should look at my stainless steel shining like new silver!  Okay, so I have to scrub the milk pot a little, and scrape the food off the plates (which we did earlier as well).  This takes maybe five minutes a day.  Add another five for loading the dishwasher.  The dishwasher is unloaded in the morning while I am waiting for the water for the tea to boil.  I tend to clear up as I work so another 10-20 minutes is a good estimate of general kitchen clean-up time which is no big deal and you know that every corner is wiped clean.  So, is this extra half-hour (not counting time spent cooking) spent in the kitchen really worth it?  To me it is.  It translates into not having an outsider hanging around for a good part of the day.  It means my time is mine alone.  The maid for sweeping-and-mopping is in and out while I am still reading the morning paper.

I am not saying it’s for everyone; but it is certainly for me.  It also helps that there are just three of us in the house, all adults.  I do not have young children pulling me in different directions, or elderly parents needing special care.  The 85 years old father-in-law, by God’s grace, is very fit and fine, with no food restrictions whatsoever (other than that he and TH are vegetarians).  I love spending time in the kitchen (this blog is a BIG sign!).  Which is not to say I don’t have days when I’d rather not do anything, including mess in the kitchen.  On those days my family is happy to suggest eating out; they are also perfectly happy eating butter-toast.

Puran-poli lunch on Wednesday

Right.  Really.  So I have all this supposed extra time now.  And what have I done with it the last few weeks then?  Spent a Saturday at my sister’s enjoying good food and playing with the niecelet.  Last week there were just the two of us at home; father-in-law was away at a spiritual retreat.  The maid was the last person I needed hanging around!  Sunday we rode the DTC around town running errands and doing sundry stuff.  Mundane is underrated, believe me.  Spent 3 evenings this past week at the theater at the Sahitya Kala Parishad’s Bharatendu Natya Samaroh, a Festival of Modern Plays.  Planning to make that 4 evenings this coming week.  Last night, immediately after locking up the office, we left for my sister’s place again.  Next Saturday the family is planning to visit and check out the new machine!  This Sunday or the following, I am planning a High School Reunion Picnic in the park!

Another BIG plus is I get company in the kitchen!  It’s like this.  TH hates to cook but feels guilty when I do all the work.  So he hangs around as I work.  Isn’t that cute? And, on occasion he can be made to cook.  You already know his prowess with aloo paranthas.  Well, it is winter time and the time for stuffed paranthas in Delhi.  Last Sunday we ate this season’s first batch of gobhi paranthas.  Guess what, TH makes the awesome kind!

Since he steps in on a rare occasion he doesn’t mind the extra time stuffed paranthas require.  Here in UP-Punjab, the veggies for stuffing are raw.  Potato is the only exception.  Grated cauliflower, mooli, even carrots, or chopped methi and spinach (kneaded into the dough) are excellent in paranthas and great ways to enjoy the seasonal bounty.   The cold weather is also perfect for a richer diet of fried paranthas served with fresh butter.

Gobhi ke Paranthe
(Cauliflower stuffed paranthas)

(makes 10 medium paranthas)
1 medium cauliflower (about 700 gms), broken into florets
handful fresh coriander
5 hot green chillies
2 T grated ginger
salt
wholewheat atta to make paranthas (while kneading add 2 teaspoons of oil and season flour with a little salt)
oil or ghee for frying paranthas

Knead wholewheat atta into a soft dough as you do for roti. Mince coriander, green chillies, and grated ginger in the jar of a food processor. Put aside. Using the fine grating blade grate the cauliflower florets. Remove to a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with about a teaspoon of salt and allow to sit for 15-20 minutes. Squeeze the grated cauliflower, pressing between cupped hands, to remove as much water as you can (ask people with stronger muscles for assistance). Mix in the minced coriander-green chilli-ginger mix. Adjust salt to taste.

Pinch off lime-sized balls of dough. Roll them out to a circle of about 10cm diameter, trying to keep a thicker centre as you do so. Heap stuffing on to it (check pictures to get an idea of how much!) and pinch the sides (TH has his special technique so that all the folds don’t gather at one point). Gently roll out, about 3mm or so thick, dusting with flour as needed. It is okay if the stuffing breaks through a bit here or there; it is inevitable if you like thin paranthas. Lift the rolled parantha on to your outstretched hand and gently flip onto a heated cast-iron or non stick pan. Flip when the paranthas has just firmed up, a minute or so. Brush with oil (about 1/2-3/4 teaspoon), flip and press down with the back of a spoon inbetween rolling the next parantha. Brush the other side with oil. Remove when crisp and golden brown on both sides. Serve immediately with a dollop of fresh homemade butter, Punjabi mango pickle, and yoghurt.

For all my extra time and planning for Divali, I got far less done than usual! I had forgotten that one of the days I was counting as a bonus was actually the day I teach from 9 to 5! But it was not a completely lost cause. The huge cauldron of chiwda I made kept all happy. The ladoos turned out well as always and there were enough to last until Sunday! The son’s stash is all packed and ready to be mailed. I know, I procrastinate there as well! But to him Divali means chakli, which I am yet to make. I plan to get to it this weekend and also plan to record the process here before I lose the precious family recipe.

The mountains already!

I would have gotten to the chakli surely this past weekend but TH, almost on the spur of the moment, decided enough was enough and it was time to take the car on a long drive. Off we were early the morning after Divali. There was hardly any traffic to speak of all the way from Delhi to Narkanda! I have promised myself more such holidays every year! We left home at 6am, and at just 11:00 we got our first glimpse of the mountains. We did stop for a breakfast of tandoori aloo paranthas and chai at a wayside dhaba at around 9:00.  I hadn’t visited Shimla so we took a midday break there for a couple of hours.  The Mall is a great place to walk forbidden as it is to all traffic.  Smoking is not permitted in public spaces in Shimla making the Mall a great place to hangout.

The genial shopkeeper

Walking down the Mall, TH spotted a shoe shop bursting at the seams with all kinds of hand-crafted shoes.  It was owned by an ethnic Chinese man who spoke impeccable Hindi and English; his family must have lived here for generations.  He wouldn’t budge even the teeniest bit on the price but I thought it would be nice to own a pair of well-crafted shoes.  Given the popularity and profusion of  branded shops selling mass-produced footwear I was happy to smell the leather in this quaint, ill-organised but well-stocked family-owned place that obviously knows how to do business.

The setting sun, near Narkanda

I will get into the details of this driving holiday another time (if I do!). First, I want to tell you about the fruits I found on our way back and what I did with them. Last month I spotted persimmons at the Mother Dairy F&V store for the first time. I asked the attendant who didn’t even know what they were called. I inquired where they were from to which he replied, “Japan!” But, he was wrong. These were sourced from the neighbouring state of Himachal Pradesh where both types, the smaller squished-tomato-shaped Fuyu, as well as the larger Hachiya persimmons are now being cultivated! I had never eaten this fruit before and decided that the bright coloured fruit was worth exploring. So, along with 10 kilos of Golden Delicious apples, 2 kilos of kiwi, I also bough 1kg each of these two varieties of persimmons.

Beautiful persimmons, from Himachal Pradesh

The Fuyu persimmons can be eaten with their skin when still firm and a bright orange/yellow in colour.  The larger, Hachiya, variety needs to be fully ripe (it should be jelly-soft to the touch) before it can be consumed; unripe ones will make your mouth pucker and might even irritate the lining of your throat.  I waited a few days before these were ripe enough, then peeled and sliced the soft fruit [you may cut it in half and scoop out the flesh].  The sweet, bright orange jelly-like flesh is similar in taste to chikoo (sapota), but without the gritty-ness.  I found it to be very pleasant tasting.  The firm Fuyus are sweet and juicy, and can be sliced or bitten into as you would eat an apple.

Persimmons bruise easily when ripe so take care when transporting them!  I processed the slightly bruised fruit (the Fuyus) along with some apples for jam the next day.  The two remaining Hachiyas are also almost ripe now.  I wonder how their orange flesh would combine with the bright green kiwis in a jam?  Watch this space!

Persimmon-Apple Jam

4 apples (such as Golden Delicious), peeled, cored, and sliced
5 Fuyu persimmons, peeled, leaves removed, pureed
2 T ginger julienne
zest of 3 limes
juice of 3 limes
5.5 C sugar
2 t red chilli flakes
(makes about 2.5kgs/5lbs)

Combine the first five ingredients with two cups of water in a non-reactive pan [I used the pan of my new stainless steel pressure cooker I bought on Dhanteras!]. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down just a bit so the contents can continue to boil. Cook till the fruit, including the lime zest, is soft (about 20-30 minutes).  Add the sugar gradually, keeping the mixture at a rolling boil the whole time. Do not dump in all your sugar at once. Cook on a rapid boil till the jam reaches setting stage (15-20minutes). Do the setting-point test before taking it off the heat. Fill into sterilised jars; cap while still hot. Wipe jars with a moist rag. Refrigerate opened bottles.

This time I have an additional two days, the weekend, starting tomorrow.  I am hoping to translate this into more goodies; perhaps even try something new.  Thankfully, none of us have any diet restrictions, not even my octogenarian father-in-law!  I ordered the groceries today and my pantry is stocked.  Much is on the cards – the usual namakpare, shankarpare, paparia, sev, chakli, ladoo, and karanji for the day of Lakshmi pooja.  Like always, I am going to be making my own flour mix for chakli.  I will also get milled the mix I prepared (last year!) for thali peeth – the mix of lentils and grains is waiting for the right amount of rice to be added before it can be ground.  I am like that; not on top of all things in the kitchen.

I am going to start the Divali weekend by making a wholesome breakfast of multigrain waffles.  You know what happens when come Christmas all the American food blogs explode with pictures of gorgeous-looking waffles.  That friend of mine did the same a few years ago and didn’t hear the end of my lament.  Of course, I could find waffles in Delhi if I tried hard enough but my theory is that unless you know better, the fancy eateries here try to fob off one thing in the name of something else altogether.  Why else do you think I would make my own bagels or bake my own cheesecake?

My whining got to her and and soon I was the owner of a little waffle iron of my own!  I had meant to post this recipe soon after but you know life happens and intentions don’t mean much unless… So much time has passed since that I cannot find my notes and so cannot share an exact recipe but I think it was based on this one.

Multigrain wholegrain waffles

equal amounts of the following wholegrain flours:
wheat
buckwheat
kuttu (if kuttu and buckwheat are the same well, then you know the proportion)
ragi
buttermilk
baking soda
baking powder
eggs
melted butter
salt
sugar

In a bowl combine all the dry ingredients.  In another bowl whisk the eggs and the melted butter, and then mix in the buttermilk.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well.  Let rest for 5 minutes.

Heat the waffle iron.  Pour a little of the waffle mixture (how much will depend on the size of the waffle iron).  Follow manufacturer’s instructions for cooking.  Remove the waffles from the pan when they are golden (not like the burnt ones on the picture!).

We ate these with honey and butter.  Tomorrow I plan to serve them with some of the apple and orange marmalade I made earlier this month.

Some ideas for Divali snacks:
Thattai
Easy chakli
all time favourite – ribbon pakora!

Before you go, I have a small bit of news to share.  The last couple of years the posts here have been less frequent.  I have used the excuse of work.  Well, I have something to show for the work I do away from these pages.  Thank you for reading!

I have been vegging the last two days.  TV and the couch have been a major part of this weekend.  Before the weekend comes to an end I think I should clear a few pending things [too late...it's midweek already almost end-of-week the weekend already!].  Reviews for one…

Washington Apples

In March this year (yes, you cannot depend on me for a timely post) I was sent a box of picture perfect Washington apples by the India representatives of Washington Apple Commission(!).  I was invited to a tasting session which I declined since my 9-6 time is usually spoken for during the workweek, and hence, the delivery.  Each one of those seven specimens (Braeburn, Cripps Pink, Fuji, Gala, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious and Granny Smith) were easily amongst the best apples I have ever eaten.  Crisp, juicy, and flavourful.

The only problem with the apples is that they are not local.  Far from it.  They really are from Washington, USA!  I was hoping that they had just been named after some Washington varieties grown in Himanchal.  It is one thing to occasionally try out exotic fruits (and ingredients) but quite another to eat apples on a regular basis that are flown in all the way from the US of A!  Is it the same as Indians in the US splurging on the recently-allowed-to-be-exported Alphonso?  Perhaps not since our own apples here are neglected for lack of proper storage and transportation facilities.  Look for good apples from Kinnaur and Kashmir; crisp, with just a hint of tartness.  It is impressive that the imported ones sell at all since they are priced at double the local ones (Rs90 vs. Rs 180/kg!).  But, then in summer Delhites will buy the ones imported from New Zealand at almost Rs300/kg!  I think I might be too middle class for Delhi. If only we would import quince… Well, we could encourage the Kashmiris to plant some more quince trees instead, I suppose.  Here’s a promise – if I am ever safe to return to my homeland I will start my own quince and sour cherry orchard!

Brunch at The LaLit

Starters are the main course for some!

scrambled eggs with champagne

Some time last year I attended a tasting at the launch of a new menu at Amici, the Italian restaurant in Khan Market.  But I never got around to writing a review.  Later, I was invited to a  Sunday brunch at the Lalit, which I had every intention of writing about…Bengali food was an additional promotion and I recall enjoying the shorshe dharosh (okra in a mustard sauce) with rice.  I ate well, especially when it came to dessert.  Bengali desserts are hard to pass even if you are full.  There was a mind boggling array of confectionery to choose from.  I was more interested in the mishti doi and gurer payesh, of course.  Sunday Brunches are a good idea and The LaLit is a good option.  They do advertise unlimited champagne but you may need to remind them about that.

Lick it clean?

Mishti doi, gurer payesh…

Finally,  Supper Club at The Grey Garden

The Grey Garden

Last Friday TH and I found ourselves at the charming The Grey Garden, yet another new restaurant in Hauz Khas village.  It is a restaurant with a difference though.  It was started about six months ago by three young people none of whom is a chef.  Two of them are fashion designers and one a DJ!  Most of the people who officiate in the small kitchen are also cooks like you and me, none of them trained.

On Friday evenings they do Suppers with everyone seated together at one table.   We were at a small cocktail event to introduce Artic, an Italian vodka (I know).  The folk at Artic asked them to do an Italian themed supper centered around their vodka.

We were on time and the first ones there.  As we chatted with Himanshu, one of the designer owners, Harsh served us our first cocktails of the evening – Crimson Passion (nice!) for TH and a coffee based one for me (no Toro Bravo, I’m afraid). [More about the drinks here.] Soon other invitees started to arrive. It was a small group – there was Kishi of Foodaholics (she lives in my neck of the woods!), Vikram (of Tulleeho fame),  a few other critics and invitees – perhaps ten of us in all. As on all Friday-night Suppers at the Grey Garden, we were all seated at a communal table to enjoy good food and conversation in the company of new acquaintances.

Raspberry Gazpacho

Crimson Passion

Yummy assortment of Pizzas. The Italian Job (the green shot in the glass – apple flavour) was fab!

Sparkling jelly and fruit

Spirits flow…

We started with a refreshingly tart chilled Raspberry Gazpacho.  A tempura of broccoli, baby corn, and prawns followed.   The broccoli tasted bitter which I think had little to do with the vodka in the batter.  ‘Tis not the season!  This was followed by an assortment of thin crust pizzas with different toppings – salmon and caviar, salame piccante, and pumpkin, sage, and caramelized onion, all very delicious.  Pizza is a regular offering at The Grey Garden and they know how to do them well.  The rest of the menu was specially planned around the vodka.  I had the Mince meat Ravioli with Lemon Vodka and Asparagus Sauce as the main course.  Unfortunately, it had been plated too early and was cold by the time it was served.  It didn’t help that the asparagus had tough bits.  I haven’t cooked with asparagus before so I can’t tell if that was because it had not been peeled properly or if it was just poor quality produce.  For the vegetarians there was Traditional Risotto Fungi which stayed untouched on all plates.  I took a spoonful from TH’s plate, my first taste of risotto outside my own kitchen.  I’m afraid the rice was so undercooked that the core was still firm and dry!

The risotto…ah, well…

We washed it all down with the Tiramisu; that is how much Orange Vodka there was in it!

This was a special Supper Club evening where the focus was on the Vodka and obviously they hadn’t tested the recipes on their experimental menu. It is no excuse but I reckon they are new to the restaurant business and will figure out their food just as their neighbor, Gunpowder, eventually did. It is fine to use exotic ingredients but perhaps, they can be combined with seasonal local produce for a better (and more sustainable) experience. Some professional help to assist the enthusiast cooks in the kitchen is an idea worth exploring.  Reading this you might want to give them a second chance.  Stick to their popular items and you should be fine.

The Grey Garden does do things differently.  I enjoyed sitting at the table sharing food and stories with people I had never met before.  For the Supper Club you are always seated not with your companion.  This makes it a truly urban experience which was fun [even though it is a little out of my usual comfort zone].  The design background of the owners is evident in the decor, bits of which receive a makeover every now and then.  The coloured fabric ceiling and the soft lighting added to the cozy ambiance, and the white muslin aprons hanging from above added an element of curiosity as well as whimsy to the whole presentation.  The 11.11 Cell Design fashion gallery next door is where their design work is displayed. Check them out.

I’ve had these on my mind for some time. A long time.  Even though the dough is like your basic bread the decadent sauce takes it to another level.  And yet it is not as sinful as cake (err…if you leave the sauce out, that is).  It comes together easily with just a little wait for the yeast to do its thing.

After ogling at many house-and-garden magazine in the college library while at graduate school, I finally succumbed and subscribed to one – Cuisine.  Low annual subscriptions for most magazines in the US make them affordable even for poor students from India. When you are home sick, missing your husband and your little boy, there is much comfort to be derived from staring at pictures of delicious looking food; it’s not called food porn for no reason.  Cuisine was 44 pages of only food, no advertisements.

I had a very basic kitchen then; not much in the name of gadgets except for a blender.  I don’t recall attempting any of the recipes I would drool over but all the issues of Cuisine were packed along with the text books and brought home to India.  Even today,  whenever I am feeling a little out of sorts, I sit down with some of my cookbooks and look for something I might want to cook (not for the next meal, necessarily).  It never fails to improve the mood even if it might mean butter-toast for dinner!

One of the recipes that I did finally try out were these sinful cinnamon rolls (sorry about the off-colour pictures; they are from two years ago when I hadn’t yet figured out white-balance, much to Manisha’s consternation).  They are as decadent as they look especially with the sticky caramel sauce; skip the sauce only if you need to diet.  I give in to occasional gluttony; we are all worth it.

Sticky Walnut Cinnamon Rolls
adapted from Cuisine (Nov-Dec 1997)

For the dough:
3 1/2 + 1 1/2 C maida (all purpose flour)
1/2 C sugar
1 t salt
1 1/4 C warmed milk
1 T active dried yeast
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 T unsalted butter, melted (I substituted with 2 T peanut oil)

For the Cinnamon Filling:
3/4 C sugar
1/2 C unsalted butter
3 Y cinnamon powder
1 C chopped walnuts (optional)

For the Caramel Sauce:
2 C brown sugar
1 C unsalted butter
1/2 C heavy cream
1 C chopped walnuts

Mix 3 1/2 cups flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Stir the yeast into the warmed milk. Add the milk and yeast mixture, eggs, and oil to the flour mixture. Stir to mix well. Add an additional cup of flour and stir until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead, gradually adding the remaining flour. Knead for about 8 minutes. Place the dough into a greased bowl. Cover and let rise till doubled (about 1 1/2-2 hours).

Make the filling by mixing together sugar, cinnamon, and softened butter till smooth and spreadable.

While the dough is rising make the sauce. In a heavy bottom pan combine brown sugar, butter, and cream. Stir over medium heat till the sugar melts. Turn heat off and add the chopped walnuts to the caramel sauce. Divide the caramel sauce between the greased baking pans.

Once the dough has doubled, punch it down. On a floured surface roll out the dough into a 14″x18″ rectangle. Spread the prepared filling evenly over the dough leaving half inch edge uncovered to make sealing easy. If you like a nutty cinnamon roll, you can sprinkle additional chopped walnuts over the filling. Roll (along the long edge) the dough, keeping it tight. Seal by pulling the edge and pinching the dough together. Cut the roll in half and mark each to make 7 equal sections (about 1 1/4″ lengths). Using a sharp knife cut rolls at the marks. Place rolls into the baking pans over the caramel sauce. The rolls will fit two round 9″pans (I use one 9″ square pan, and a loaf tin). Cover and allow to rise till doubled in size. Bake in the middle of the oven on Gas Mark 4 (350 F) for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove rolls from oven and let cool for 15-20 minutes. Place a serving plate over the pan and carefully (keeping the pan and the plate together) flip over so that the plate is at the bottom and the pan on top (upside down). Slowly lift away the pan. Viola – you have your sticky cinnamon rolls with the beautiful caramel sauce on top!

You can cook the rolls without the caramel sauce as well, and reduce your guilt!

[As is usual, this post has been a few days in writing...]

I hope you are having a great feast today on our beloved Krishna’s day of birth.  Today we celebrate a God whose myth recognizes and cherishes much in our very flawed human lives: the innocence of childhood, a mother’s love, the exuberance of youth, trusted friendships, the power of love, and duty above all.  He has been the inspiration for artists, musicians, and writers through ancient time and present.  His love of food, particularly fresh churned butter, laddoo, and of course, Sudama’s sattu makes him a legendary foodie as well.  While today your feast may consist only of vegetarian, grain-free dishes, tomorrow you might want to have a different party.

On most weekend evenings TH and I sit ourselves down with the tipple of choice and munchies such as these on the side.  There is usually a dip: fresh-made tomato salsa or tzatziki.  On Sunday, when the maid gets her day off , I celebrate my freedom from having to supervise her.  I know – you can’t live with them, and you can’t live without them.  In any case, I am planning to get the maid out of my kitchen for good.  She has been sick and out of circulation for the last three months and I have honestly felt more in charge of my time since I don’t need to disrupt my time in the office to plan her work!  It is so much more efficient when I plan for myself.

But I was telling you about our twosome weekend parties.  One such evening I decided to put my tiny granite pestle and mortar and make a satay-style peanut dip for us.  I didn’t have any peanut butter on hand so I made some.  I haven’t used peanut butter out of a jar since.

Peanut Dipping-sauce

3-4 fresh chillies, the hot kind (preferably red)
2 cloves of garlic
2-3 shallots (or 1T chopped onion)
3/4 C peanuts, roasted and skinned (or about 1/4+ C peanut butter)
1 t soy sauce
1 t fish sauce
2t lime juice
jaggery (substitute with a sweetener of your choice)
hot water
salt to taste
(all quantities are approximate)

Take the roasted peanuts in the jar of a grinder and blitz till you have peanut butter of desired smoothness. In a pestle and mortar pound the first three ingredients to a paste. Mix in the remaining ingredients adding hot water gradually till you have the consistency of a thick dipping sauce. Taste for salt; remember both the fish sauce and soy sauce are salty. Serve with plain crackers or vegetables cut into batons.

I tried this dip with the blue cheese crackers but they do not pair well; two stinky foods together are too many! A little bit of the strong smelling stuff, just like the hint of fish in this fish sambal, and you have a winner!

I have been up to other things…I finally found the time to inaugurate the Fashionmaker I bought last year.  I stitched a skirt for my niecelet! Before that I used to stitch on our antique Singer.  My carbon footprint just got bigger but it might help me recycle more!

A year ago browsing around in the market in Munnar I saw piles and piles of all kind of dried fish and other sea creatures. I was struck by the same nostalgia. So I ended up buying a 100 grams of medium-sized dried fish. As you can tell, I cannot tell my fish. I only know big, small, medium or tiny. I gave some to my mother to cook, who is now a vegetarian. She cooked it out of love (and nostalgia) for me and my dad. My dad does not care for hogaad; never did. I tasted some of it and couldn’t figure out why we bother. I have been looking at my portion of dried fish in the jar…for awhile.

I think the Far East uses it better than Kashmiris ever did. The idea of using stinky foods as flavouring agents works swell; it then provides the umami sensation without becoming unpalatable. Just like hing! I and the son loved the nasi lemak and mee goreng we tried in Malaysia; the garnish of fried dried anchovies was just perfect.

In the comments on the last post some of you gave suggestions for cooking with the dried fish and Goan sausage. Poornima’s simple recipe seemed like something that I could try right away and serve the visiting fish-loving sister-in-law. I will be trying out some others’ very soon. Thanks for the idea, Poornima! Aparna and I loved the fish sambal/chutney. To the credit of the fish, it didn’t stink at all when I fried it! TH and the rest, and I had a house-full, didn’t even get a whiff. They looked disbelievingly at what I was calling fish chutney! I picked Poornima’s concept and kept in mind the deep-frying Thai-Malaysian style of cooking. Here’s what I did:

Dried-fish Sambal

6-7 small dried fish (by the look of it, I might have used either dhandshi or bhobshi)
2 small red onions, sliced fine (about 1 cup)
4 green chillies, roughly ground
2 medium tomatoes, finely diced (about 1 cup or so)
1/4 C oil (you may use less if you are not planning to keep it for a long time)
2 t red chilli (cayenne pepper) powder
1 T jaggery (optional)
salt

Soak the dried fish in water for 5 min. Drain. Heat oil in a karahi. Fry the drained dried fish till brown and crisp. Remove and keep aside. To the hot oil add the sliced onions. Fry them, stirring constantly, till they are browned and well carmalised but not crisp. Add the ground green chillies and stir a further two minutes. Now add the chopped tomatoes and stir till the oil separates. Season with salt, red chilli powder, and jaggery. Remember there is some salt in the fish. Remove from heat. Pound the fried fish to a powder and add to the fried onion-tomato mix. Mix well.  A dash of vinegar won’t be amiss.  Or you may try adding some tamarind pulp to the mix while it is still cooking.  Serve with rice and coastal preparations of dal and veggies.

It does seem like I have dropped off the deep end.  With these very occasional posts there is definitely a risk that this blog might start to resemble the beautiful end-of-year notes that some of my American family send.  A busier work schedule directly translates into reduced blog activity.  The sharp increase in assignments happily coincided with the son leaving home for college.  It made the empty nest that much more easier to deal with.  Internet and mobile phones also provide a sense of connection.  Facebook does have its uses!

The free time I do get I spend watching some recorded TV (the current favourite, after going through all the seasons of Castle, is House),  reading some of my favourite blogs (design as well as food related), and getting inspired in the kitchen or at work.

I and my friends have had a wake-up call and are making an effort to make the time to meet more often.  We remember her and celebrate her; in her death even, she brought friends closer together.  On the one month anniversary of her being gone we got together to cook her favourite food (Mediterranean cuisine) and listen to her favourite music.  I made falafels and hummus using her recipes.

Last month we all met again, this time with the son’s birthday as the excuse.  She was always the first person I would invite.  Her daughter is gracefully stepping into those shoes. I am grateful for the friends who joined us and made it as special as she used to.

I have cooked with new ingredients recently. The most recent one was gelatin (if I overlook the Wakefield packaged flavoured jellies that I have used). I used it to make Manisha’s mango panna cotta using fresh kesari mangoes and substituting cream+whole milk for the half-and-half in the recipe. After a very anxious night (for me and Manisha), I was relieved to find a perfectly set panna cotta. But, truthfully, I don’t know what the fuss about the dessert is.  Also, cream+whole milk does not half-and-half make.

This week I have received newer ingredients still: a bottle of toddy, and spicy and aromatic Goan sausage! I am keeping the toddy to make appams with. In this soggy weather, with a limp appetite, I am in the mood for some oogre food. Anyone out there with recipes for how to use the sausage? I have also been hanging on to these salted, dried, small sea fish for a while…What all could I do with those? I’m gonna try with a little help from my friends...

It really is true; the good die young.  My dearest friend of 30 years is gone. Words are inadequate to express the sadness I feel.  She was my companion all through five years of college.  Together, we did many things for the first time.  She was a beautiful person.  I can hardly believe I am using the past tense when talking of her.

All I want to do is talk about her.  Or, listen to others talk about her.  She is an inspiration to all who knew her.  I was fortunate to have her in my life.  The other day we met for lunch and talked about our children; they are both almost 20.  We were so proud of the good job we had done.   At the time I had little idea how much of a good Mom she truly was.

Happy Mothers’ Day to all the Moms – you are the best!

Find my friend, Pratibha, mentioned here: A Delhi Summer, Appams with avial, Palak-Panir, and moongre ki sabzi.  She was an irregular reader of this blog but did leave a comment once.  Prati, you are missed so much.  Family birthdays and special occasions will never be the same.