“Gardening is an active participation in the deepest mysteries of the universe.” ~ Thomas Berry

While I’m busy with other things needing priority, thought I’ll show you around my little balcony garden. So come on.. enter my little green space..

Gardening – My way to connect with nature, an everyday proof of life

“Where you have a plot of land, however small, plant a garden. Staying close to the soil is good for the soul.” ~ Spencer W. Kimball

A friend gave this tomato plant when she moved to another state in winter

My little girl planted these. She makes sure to water them everyday and checks on them to see if she can find peas yet.

I read somewhere, it seems, if we let mint, it would take over the garden. I’d say, if you want to be sure about your green thumb, try planting mint.

I’d buy organic herbs for a steep price just to use once or twice and before I knew the whole thing rotted sitting in the refrigerator. Growing my own “lesser used” herbs such as rosemary, parsley and thyme lets me use a sprig as two as needed.

“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just on the body, but the soul” ~ Alfred Austin

After an episode of mealy bugs, a home remedy solution of baking soda, salt and soap didn’t seem to help my dying curry leaf plant. I had lost all hopes when she started showing new signs of life.

Fingers crossed, she’ll make it..

If you have special tips for any of these or any plant for that matter, I’d love to hear from you..

Treat yourself to more:

But, before that, a BIG thank you to all of you who have been sending your beautiful entries. Keep them coming, they are just awesome!

You can have a look at them on the DMBLGiT May 2012 gallery

And, those of you who’ve missed out on the scoop and wish to enter DMBLGiT – May 2012, there’s still time.

Last date to enter is 20th May 2012, midnight; So HURRY and ENTER to WiN

Did you know that, YOU could host a future edition of DMBLGiT? Know not how? Details are on the Announcement post

Winners will be announced on 1st June 2012.

Now, for the judges:

Right from the day I chose to host DMBLGiT, I have waited for this and it gives me immense pleasure to introduce the very talented and accomplished panel of judges. I’m pretty sure you know them very well already. If not, the bio should get you started.

I’d urge you to take the time to explore their spaces and be prepared to be inspired!

Helene Dujardin

Helene Dujardin was raised in the mountains of Provence and moved to the US in the late 1990s. The creator of the award winning site “Tartelette”, Helene dedicates herself to the craft of food photography.

She has photographed numerous magazine features and cookbooks to date. Clients include Ten Speed Press, Running Press, Le Creuset, One Kings Lane, Food&Wine among others. Her work has been praised by Elle Magazine, Martha Stewart, The Times online, and many other publications.

Her photographs reveal her passion for natural light, seasonal and fresh ingredients, a love of travel and genuine interest in people.  Helene currently resides in Charleston, South Carolina.

www.tarteletteblog.com | www.helenedujardin.com |  @helenedujardin | facebook

Having been mesmerized by Helene’s “work of art” from the time I discovered, I got lucky to attend her hands on workshop in Salt Lake City in the summer of 2011. It was a dream-come-true learning experience to gain insights into her meticulous methodologies and tips and tricks. More details here

Her autographed book Plate to Pixel is always on my book shelf, handy whenever I need guidance and/or inspiration

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Prerna Singh

Prerna is a food photographer, blogger and the face behind the wildly popular Indian food blog IndianSimmer. She spent most of her childhood in a few small towns in central India – a time she fondly remembers for Rotis straight off the clay oven and mom’s cooking with produce plucked right from the farms. She went to business school in India to get an MBA and worked in the advertising industry for a few years.

Six years back she moved to the US and now lives with her husband and a naughty two year old daughter who keeps her on her toes. She loves traveling, exploring new cuisines and then trying them in her kitchen to later share them with the world. She started her food blog in early 2010 as way to share the recipes she developed and was soon drawn to food photography as a medium to present her recipes. Since then her blog and recipes have been featured on some reputed food sites like Food Network and Nana 10.

Indian Simmer was nominated as a Best Food Blog 2011 finalist by Savuer magazine and she is in the process of writing her first cookbook which releases towards the end of this year.

www.indiansimmer.com | @indiansimmer | facebook

Last fall, while I was visiting friends in San Fransisco, I got to meet Prerna and Sala, two of the bloggers I have admired from the time I started blogging, in a lucky rendezvous of sorts, all thanks to twitter. Prerna is as endearing in person as she comes across on her blog.

Joy Zhang

http://joylicious.net | @Joyzhang516 | facebook

She is quite the joy as her name suggests and comes across as a very down to earth person. Joylicious beautifully sums up her passion for breathtaking photography and enthusiasm for life.

Veronika Studer

A Hungarian girl living in Switzerland with her hubby and a beautiful 8 months old little girl, Veronika a.k.a “Vera” to her readers, always had a great interest in art. She learned how to draw and paint, but really found herself through photography. She combines her two great passions in her work, food preparation and photographing at her english blog The Kitchen Finesse

www.veronikastuder.com | @finessekitchen | facebook

It was through DMBLGiT that I discovered the hugely talented Vera and ever since, I have been in love with her beautiful photography and her keen eye for great composition. It may be impossible to believe that she started cooking (and photographing) only five years ago!

Treat yourself to more :

Ok. I know. My obsession with Meyer Lemons is serious. What can one do when you only get a few months in a year to enjoy those beauties?

Remember sometime back how crazy I was about Meyer lemons, that I made Raspberry Tukmaria Meyer Lemonade? If any of you made it at home, I hope you preserved those pretty squeezed lemon leftovers. Because, I’m back with something hot and spicy this time.

And guess what? Lemon pickle is just going to get better!

Because lemons are pretty much available all through the year, lemon pickle almost had the status of being a staple at home. At least one giant glass or porcelain jar or “Jaadi” (that’s how it is called) full of it would always adorn the concrete kitchen shelf, no matter which season it was.

With Meyer Lemons, that is not the case. When they are in season, one has got to wear their hoarder hats and preserve as many as possible, as they are in short supply.

I can’t be sure if they are still available in stores. But, I can guarantee that I saw pretty little “Improved Meyer Lemon” trees, all locally grown in Texas, in Whole Foods market just a couple of days back. If you are a Meyer Lemon lover, you still have a good chance to enjoy them next year, if not this.

So, mom makes the best pickles in our family circle. In fact, whenever she visits kith and kin, she loves to bring them a bottle of their favorite pickle as a customary homecoming gift or simply an expression of her love.

Back home, it is believed that when it comes to the art of pickling, “you either get it or you don’t”. Hence, pickling is set on an almost sacred pedestal. Since I like to analyze, I figure, may be it is also in part due to the prerequisites of a high degree of cleanliness and hygiene.

I had always dreamt of growing up to be a great pickler just like my mom is. This year, I have been especially enthusiastic about pickling and preserving. And this pickle happens to be my first ever try at lemon pickle. Mom’s recipe has been scaled down for the two of us and, the results have honestly been very encouraging.

If you’ve never tried your hand at pickling for the fear of ruining it or whatever, just give it a shot. It may seem a little laborious and stringent, but the whole process of pickling in itself is gratifying and calming to say the least, in an almost character building way..

Trust me. Take my word for it.

Once you are done with patiently waiting for it to marinate, when you open the lid and the first spicy aromatic whiff hits your senses, transporting you instantly to cloud nine, that is when you’ll believe it was all worth it.

Down south, pickles are broadly classified either as fenugreek based or mustard based. As per Ayurveda, fenugreek is considered to have cooling properties and mustard, the opposite. Hence, fenugreek based pickles are usually milder than their pungent pickling counterpart and so, easily suit most people’s tastes.

If you already know the taste of Lemon pickle, just imagine how it would be with the magnificent aroma of the Meyer Lemons… I’d say, go on and imagine a bowl of cooling yogurt rice with a side of this lovely pickle.

slurp. drool. drool.

The humble lemon pickle with a Meyer Lemon twist – in one word, irresistible!

Meyer Lemon Pickle Recipe

Printable Recipe

Things you’ll need:

8 squeezed meyer lemon leftovers or 8 whole meyer / regular lemons
4-5 tbsp sea salt (suit your taste)
juice of 2 lemons (if using squeezed lemons only)
4-5 tbsp red chilli powder (suit your taste)
2 tbsp methi / fenugreek seeds (or 1 scant tsp roasted and ground fenugreek)

for the seasoning

2 tbsp peanut oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
a tad more than 1/8 tsp hing / asafoetida

other:

1 lb or 500 gms capacity wide mouth glass/porcelain jar with a tight fitting lid
parchment paper
Glass / porcelain or stainless steel mixing bowl
long spoon

How it’s done:

Part I – Preserving

Wash the glass or porcelain jar well with hot water and soap and let air dry completely in a sunny spot. Before using, microwave it for 30 secs to ensure dryness.

Make sure that all the working surfaces and utensils are completely dry and clean. It is also recommended to use a fresh kitchen towel.

Wash the lemons and pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel. Quarter the lemons. Same if you are using squeezed meyer lemon leftovers as well, like I did.

It is very important that there is NO MOISTURE in the jar or the lemons.

To start with, add 1/2 tsp of salt to the bottom of the glass / porcelain jar. Now go on adding lemon pieces and salt in alternating layers until all the pieces are well covered in salt including the topmost layer. Squeeze in the juice of 2 lemons, if you’re using squeezed lemons.

Cut out parchment paper slightly bigger than the lid, line it onto the lid and secure tightly. Let it sit for a week to ten days in a cool dry spot.

Shake the jar well or stir the preserved lemons with a long dry spoon once daily to let the salt dissolve.

After a week to ten days, these salted lemon pieces will leave juices, slowly sink to the bottom and will reduce in volume too.

Part II – Adding the spices

In a small pan, dry roast the fenugreek seeds on low heat until golden brown and fragrant. Let cool, before grinding in a small spice grinder to a fine powder.

In a small, clean, dry bowl, thoroughly mix red chilli powder and 1 tsp roasted and ground fenugreek. Be careful to not overly roast them or they turn bitter.

Empty the jar of preserved lemons into a clean, completely dry, non-reacting mixing bowl. Stir in the chilli-methi powder and mix well using a dry spoon.

Heat oil in a small pan or kadai for the seasoning. When the oil is hot or shimmering, add mustard seeds and let splutter. When the spluttering almost comes to a stop, take off stove and add hing. Once cooled completely, add it to the  mixing bowl and give a good stir. DO NOT add the seasoning when hot or the pickle will develop an odd smell.

With the spoon, scrape clean and transfer the mixed pickle contents back to the jar without wasting a tiny bit. Secure the parchment paper lined lid tightly. Let the pickle soak all the spices for at least a couple of days before using.

Do not handle or mix with your hand at any given point, unless you want a spoiled pickle.

Notes:

No need to refrigerate. When stored well, this pickle keeps for a long time.

Always use a large enough jar with a wide mouth for pickling, so that there is some room for stirring.

I have used squeezed meyer lemon leftovers for pickling. You can start afresh with whole meyer lemons with their juices intact. Omit the juice of 2 lemons in that case.

Don’t add more salt to begin with, as it can always be adjusted later. Salty cannot be fixed though.

All of the fenugreek seeds mentioned, are not needed for the recipe. However, any less would be difficult to grind well in a spice grinder.

Do not discard the leftover ground fenugreek. Store in a small airtight container in the refrigerator for later use. A generous pinch added to the seasoning in your everyday curries gives them a flavor boost.

Preferably, use red chilli powder from byadagi variety chilli or any red chilli that is high on color and medium on heat.

Parchment paper acts as an additional barrier between the corrosive salt and the metal lid, thus ensuring food safety. If not, a piece of clean cotton or muslin cloth can be used in its place.

I find that sea salt is not as salty as regular salt. Please reduce quantity if using table salt.

Rock salt is the salt of choice for pickling at home. Adjust quantity is using.

Treat yourself to more :

I am super excited and equally honored to announce that I am hosting DMBLGiT for the month of May.

One of my favorite photography contests that I have also been participating in ever since I discovered, DMBLGiT is a great platform for bloggers, veterans and amateurs alike to showcase their talent in photography. Co-incidentally, it was exactly the same month last year, when Prerna of Indian Simmer hosted it, that I won my first “Good looking badge”.

If you are unfamiliar, Does My Blog Look Good In This? (DMBLGIT) is a monthly food photography event conceptualized and started by Andrew of Spitoon Extra way back in 2005 and is still going strong. Hosted by a different blogger each month, it is open to any or all bloggers who have posted a food related photograph.

The rules of this contest are simple and finite ~ Enter your photograph before the deadline and a panel of hugely talented and accomplished judges that I was privileged to choose (who will be revealed later this month), will review the submissions and select the winners for several categories. Winners will receive the prestigious “Good Looking Blog” badges to display on their site.

Rules:

• Only one entry per person (a single food/drink photograph, no diptychs or collages)
• The photograph must have been taken by you
• The photograph must have appeared on your blog during the month of April 2012.
• Entries must be received by midnight of May 20, 2012, whenever that is in your part of the world

Scoring:

Photographs will be scored by the panel of awesome judges and a total of Six winners will be chosen.

Three overall winners with the highest point totals in all three categories combined and one winner in each of the three individual categories:

• Aesthetics: composition, food styling, lighting, focus, etc.
• Edibility: “does the photo make us want to dive in and eat the food?”
• Originality: the photograph that catches our attention and makes us want to say “wow!”, displaying something we might not have seen before.

To enter the contest:

Email your entry to justhomemade [at] yahoo [dot] com with subject as DMBLGIT and the following details:

• Your name
• Your blog’s name and URL
• Title of the photograph
• URL of the post containing the photograph
• Camera and lens used
• Your location ~ optional
• An attachment of a single qualifying food or drink photo in jpeg format, of no more than 500 pixels in width. Photographs must be text/watermark free.

* Please note that by submitting a photo, entrants agree to their photo being re-displayed and altered in size on the host’s page, the below linked picasa album and on the SpittoonExtra DMBLGiT page.

Photo Gallery:

All participating entries will appear on the DMBLGiT May 2012 picasa album, which will be updated as and when I receive them.

If you do not receive my acknowledgement or don’t see your photograph posted within 72 hours, please leave me a comment on this post and I will revert. Keep checking the album to be updated with the wonderful entries!

Check out last month’s beautiful entries and winners at the lovely Wendy’s La Phemme Phoodie blog

How to host DMBLGiT?

If you are interested in hosting a future edition of DMBLGIT, send an email to Andrew with “DMBLGIT Host” as the subject line.

Slots are open from July 2012 onwards. 

Come on people! We need more voluntary participation, so all of us can enjoy this great contest for a long time to come. I’m hoping you will!

Please feel free to contact me or leave me a comment if you have any questions about the contest.

Winners will be announced on June 1, 2012.

What are you waiting for? Start sending in your entries and spread the word.

Remember, last date to submit is May 20, 2012.

Look forward to your gorgeous entries.

Good luck everyone!

Treat yourself to more :

It was twenty years back. She must’ve been sixty something at that time. Yet, her body as slender as string beans and skin, shiny as a new leaf. Even at that age, her barely salt and pepper hair, still lustrous and thick as a jungle, came flowing down to her thighs.

Every time I think of what greens can do, weirdest of all, an automatic mental flashback picture of her, greedily devouring a bowl of steamed greens daily, hits me. For whatever complicated reasons I may never have liked my paternal grandmother much growing up, I’ve always liked my greens.

Ever since I’ve lived away from home, with my love for greens, I’ve lived on an overdose of spinach, fenugreek, dill and the occasional Amaranth (when I get lucky). No offence to any of those, I still love them enough to enjoy them in a host of dishes like Palak Pappu, Swiss Dal Paanch Phoron, Nalgari Aloo Palak or Methi Pudina Pachadi. Every once in a while whenever I felt the urge to break free from the “greens rut”, I gladly embraced one new-to-me green after another, swiss chard, red chard, mustard greens, beet greens or even kale, but yet to warm up to a lot many. Like for instance, the watercress.

Though I’ve known for sometime that this unpretentious and most often unnoticeable in the grocery stores “Watercress” is a potent cancer fighting and asthma curing medicinal super food, even my ever-so-presumed-to-be broad palette found its “grassy-ness” overpowering enough to quit after the first couple of buys.

This time, I wasn’t ready to quit. Albeit, I could somehow hold my nose and gulp it down (exaggerating of course), I had to get it through to him and my little obnoxious food critic. Cauliflower and any broccoli look-a-like is my little girl’s favorite and paanch phoron happens to be mine lately. So, there was little to risk, after all.

Her verdict after the first bite, “I love this spinach, Amma“

You think I corrected her?

I said to myself, batting my eyelids, “yes my dear, ‘this spinach’ is called watercress“

{ Having used up the bunch, so this is all I had to shoot }

I’m told that most typical watercress bunches available in stores are likely to be harvested from around streams, their natural habitat. But, on a lucky day or at a whole foods market, one might find a delicate living version of this green with roots intact in a tiny blob of soil, sitting pretty in a bloated plastic package, carrying a nifty name “hydroponic watercress”.

I was indeed super thrilled when I bought this dainty thing one time, but honestly, I’d prefer the hollow stems, thick dark green leaves of the conventionally grown, any day, even if it is bruised by handling.

Watercress apparently is called Jal Kumbhi in Hindi. I’d like to think I have seen quite a few greens other than the routine spinach and methi, but don’t know for what reason, I have no memory of encountering this green ever in India.

If you know what it is called in Kannada, I’m curious to know..

Watercress Gobi Paanch Phoron Recipe

Things you’ll need:

small head of cauliflower, washed and broken into florets
2 large carrots, peeled (optional) and diced
3-4 fingerling potatoes or one medium potato, unpeeled, diced
1 bunch of watercress
2 green chillies, broken in half, seeds removed
1 tbsp paanch phoron
1/4 tsp ground cumin / jeera powder
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
red chilli powder or cayenne pepper to taste
1/2 tsp amchur / dry mango powder ~ optional
1 tbsp pure peanut oil or any cooking oil
sea salt

How it’s done:

Wash watercress bunch well in a large bowl of water with a tsp of baking soda. Rinse well in few more changes of water. Drain well and pinch off the leaf sprigs (as seen in the picture above) leaving out the thicker stalk. Delicate stem can be used chopped.

Make sure that cauliflower florets are well drained.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. when the oil is hot enough or shimmering, add paanch phoron. When the seeds start crackling, add green chilli halves, cumin powder, quickly followed by turmeric and and sauté until green chillies show white spots. Add diced potatoes, carrots and cauliflower florets and sauté for a bit. Cook covered until carrots and potatoes are semi soft.

Add watercress leaves, salt, red chilli powder, amchur and give it a good stir. Cook covered for a few more minutes until the watercress leaves are wilted and check if veggies are cooked.

Serve hot with chapathi, roti, rice of your choice.

Notes

To make paanch phoron yourself, just mix equal portions of white mustard, fenugreek, fennel, nigella and cumin seeds.

If you have plants, just spread the shredded watercress stalks and carrot peels into the pot instead of discarding. I re-purposed them for my curry leaf plant.

Treat yourself to more:

Ever since I discovered them early last year, I’ve fallen head over heels in love with them. They are without a doubt, a thing of beauty in themselves, in their vibrant color, dainty ambrosial aroma and a sweeter, quaint citrus taste.

An infinitesimal inhalation of their fragrance is enough to freshen one up. I am confessing my love (yet again) for none other than the golden offspring of lemon and (presumably) mandarin orange, the exotic sunshine fruit of california, Meyer Lemons.

If you give them a tiny chance in your kitchen, surely, you will too!

Be forewarned though, once you are hooked on to their ethereal perfume and resplendent looks, don’t blame me, if you start looking down upon the regular “run off the mill” lemons for which I will only respond with “I told you so..“

I’d say, when life hands you Meyer Lemons, life is beautiful..

Though these lemony beauties peak in winter, sometimes if you are lucky, you might find them in Whole Foods up until end of April or early May, like I did last year.

So, lose no time to revel in their goodness now.. So, if you have a backyard, a tiny garden, or even a balcony, just spare the much ignored corner for a meyer lemon tree for a long lasting gratification..

With spring gone in the first couple of weeks of its arrival, April afternoons already feel more like a trailer of blazing summer from June, where I live in Texas. Don’t even get me thinking on what August might have in store!

While making lemonade out of Meyer Lemons was the most fool proof idea to cool off, like I made Meyer Lemon Paanaka in Indian style last summer, this time, it seemed fascinating to combine it with the natural pink of raspberries and some fun textured Tukmaria for an almost dreamy, amber colored cooling drink I could ever imagine.

Forget herbs or spices to flavor, if you allow the perfumania of meyer lemons to steal the show!

My discovery of Tukmaria (pronounced “Took-maria”) was through my mom-in-law when she came to visit us last year. While we walked the aisles of the Indian grocery store in exploration of new spices, I was intrigued by its strange sounding name. And it was from her, I learnt that it is used most commonly in Falooda (a persian dessert, introduced to India by the Mughals) and that it is a natural coolant as well.After some time consuming research (aka googling), I also learnt that, Tukmaria (in Hindi) is the seed of the Sweet Basil plant also known as St. John’s wort in European countries. It is not the same as Holy basil or Tulsi, though it looks similar.

And, through a friend, I realized that sweet basil is the same as “Kaama Kasturi” (kannada) – the sweet clove scented fragrant sprig many-a-times inter sewn in jasmine (mallige) or jaaji floral strings and garlands. Those of you from Karnataka might recognize instantly. I don’t recollect any culinary use for it though, I’ve heard it to be a medicinal herb.

And, they are sold under many a names like sabja, subja, tukmaria, takmaria and falooda seeds

This site has some detailed information about the plant.

Sweet basil seeds resemble black sesame seeds in color and tear drop shape, but are clearly distinguishable as they are a wee bit smaller and plumper too. When soaked in water, they swell up and appear to be frog spawn look-a-likes. Pardon my choice for analogy, being a vegetarian! They can be compared to tiny tapioca pearls, if it gives you a better idea.

They do not have any distinct taste of their own, but their slimy jelly exterior and the nutty bite of the interior make them quite fun in a mouthful!

If you can’t find Tukamaria/Sweet basil seeds, Chia seeds make a great substitute. Why, they swell in water very much like basil seeds and they are an antioxidant powerhouse as we know it, which makes me wonder if Sweet basil seeds must be equally potent too?

Have you heard of Tukmaria before? How do you like to use Tukmaria in your recipes?

Raspberry Tukmaria Meyer Lemonade Recipe

makes 4 small glasses of lemonade

Printable Recipe

Things you’ll need:

4 meyer lemons
12 raspberries
1 tbsp tukmaria/ sweet basil seeds
6-7 tbsp brown sugar
3 cups water
a pinch of salt

How it’s done:

Soak the takmaria seeds in 1/2 cup water for about 30 mins.

In the meanwhile, wash, cut and squeeze the meyer lemons. Gently rolling the lemons wrapped in a tissue under the feet puts the right amount of pressure and makes most of the juice available for squeezing. If you aren’t comfortable, do so with your palm. Wash the lemons well before using.

It will be nothing short of a blunder if you discard the meyer lemon peels. If you’ll take my words, find a clean, dry jar (glass or porcelain, canning, anything), quarter the used peels and toss them in. layer them with sea salt and preserve to be used as is or pickled later.

Strain the seeds. Transfer the juice to a sauce pan or microwave safe bowl and add brown sugar to the juice. Add a pinch of salt. Either microwave for 30 secs or heat on stove top on sim for a few minutes until sugar dissolves. This will be quick. Stir well with a spoon to dissolve any remaining sugar.

Add 2-1/2 cups of water to the sugar syrup and stir to mix well. Taste the juice to adjust the sugar. I listed 6-7 tbsp sugar, so you can suit to your taste. 6 tbsp leaves a quaint tartness, while 7 tbsp makes it sweeter.

Wash the raspberries and pat dry. In a small bowl, crush them with the back of a spoon or with your fingers. Add some juice to this and wash off the crushed raspberries into the juice bowl. Add some juice to the soaked tukmaria and wash it off into the juice bowl. Stir to mix well.

Refrigrate and serve chilled.

Note: 

Tukmaria is available in most Indian grocery stores, persian food stores and world food markets.

The amber color of the lemonade is mainly due to the use of brown sugar. White sugar might result in a faint pink lemonade.

For those of you who can’t access tukmaria locally, it is available at myspicesage.com

Don’t see why strawberries can’t be substituted for raspberries. Puree strawberries before mixing.

If you decide to preserve the meyer lemon peels, it is preferable to sit the jars in boiling water for sterilization and let them dry completely before use.

Treat yourself to more:

From the viewpoint of any responsible home maker, sustenance almost always also means maximum usage and least wastage of grocery, be it perishable or other staple food with a longer shelf life. It is not beyond common sense that perishable foods be consumed when fresh.

Wait a minute. Hope you aren’t squirming in your seat wondering if I am up to some gibberish all of sudden?! No I ain’t.

What I was coming to say is, more often than not, in a small family like ours, such precisely optimal utilization is far from reality. The vegetable crisper ends up stocking half an onion, a quarter bell pepper, a wedge of lemon, few curry leaf sprigs, a piece of ginger and many other leftover vegetables. There, I’m back on track. While I wish I’d have lesser of such scenarios, sometimes they come as a blessing in disguise.

When I soaked Soya beans that morning, perhaps I had the least of the clues that I’d get to cook it this way later that evening! But since I wasn’t ready to cook it the same old way, I looked into my crisper and found inspiration in a medley of vegetable leftovers.

Sweet aroma of Red bell pepper, heat of green chillies and the freshness of cilantro clearly distinguish this dish from the routine masala gravies. Cashew lends a mild richness and the neutral taste of soya beans takes everything well. And, the nuttiness of the soy beans is a mouthful of fun!

In the end, a good recipe and a clean sweep of leftover veggies. To me, this is a keeper.After watching Food Inc recently, I was alarmed to learn that 90% of the Soya Beans in the US are GMO. Though nothing can be done about what has already been eaten, I’ve resolved to steer clear of GMO going forward.

If you are curious to know more about what GMO means, how to choose Non-GMO products and where to buy them, check the Non GMO Project link on the sidebar.

Ignorance is not bliss. Awareness is the key to make better choices.

On a lighter note, what is your usual way of consuming Soya Beans?

Soya Beans Shimla Mirch Masala Recipe

Printable Recipe

Things you’ll need:

1 cup dried non-gmo soya beans
1/2 medium red onion, minced
1 ripe tomato, finely chopped
3 tsp peanut oil
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/4 tsp jeera / cumin seeds
sea salt
juice of half a lemon
cilantro to garnish

For the gravy

1/2 tsp peanut oil
1/4 red onion, diced
1/2 medium red bell pepper, seeds removed, diced
3 green chillies
generous handful of cilantro
10 cashew nuts

other

pressure cooker

How it’s done:

Wash soya beans well several times and soak in at least 3 cups (3 times) of potable water for 6-8 hours or overnight. Once soaked, wash a few times again and drain. Pressure cook soya beans with salt and water, a little more than enough to cover the beans, for 3-4 whistles or until cooked soft.

Keep the vegetables chopped and paste for the gravy ready while the pressure cooker is on.

paste for the gravy:

Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a pan. When the oil shimmers, add onions and sauté until translucent. Add diced red bell pepper and sauté until the hissing sound dies out or the rawness disappears.

Transfer sauteéd onions and red bell pepper to a blender and blend along with raw cilantro, green chillies, cashew nuts and some water to a smooth paste.

For soya beans masala

When the cooker has cooled, heat 3 tsp oil in the same pan used earlier. When the oil is hot enough or begins to shimmer, add cumin seeds. When they start sizzling, add minced onions and sauté until translucent. Add turmeric, grated or crushed ginger and tomato, give it a good stir and cook covered on medium until oil separates. Now, add the ground paste, cooked soya beans and salt. Adjust water to the required consistency. Cook covered until well cooked or about 10-12 mins. Stir intermittently. Simmer covered for an additional 5 mins and switch off.

Finish off by squeezing lemon juice and garnish with cilantro. Serve hot with roti, phulka, chapati or any indian bread of choice or even steamed brown rice.

Notes:

Once soaked soya beans expand up to triple in quantity.

In the absence of a pressure cooker, cook the beans in an open pot on stove top until well cooked.

This dish can be cooked ahead of time for an even better taste.

Alternatively, fresh or frozen edamame beans would make a good substitute. Skip the soaking part and cook it on stove top until soft. Pressure cooker will make them too mushy.

Use green bell pepper if not for red bell pepper.

Peanuts can be used in place of cashews. Just double the amount and roast before grinding for the paste.

Substitutes will alter the taste, but they will be differently tasty on their own.

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Is it that time of the year, already? Talk about March madness.. means different things to different people..isn’t it?

March brings in the onset of spring, a thing of beauty and joy forever… It is also the time when the Indian Summer bears fruit. Not something ordinary, but the king of fruits – the one and only Mango. And this is exactly the time of the year, I want to be nowhere else, than in India and my hometown Bengalooru (and Mysore), to gorge on these luscious juicy beauties by the basket full. Well, at least I wish!

When I am just left with wishing, I run to the nearest Sam’s and buy a box full of Ataulfo mangoes, fill them in a brown bag, put them in the darkest corner of the laundry room and wait for them to ripen. After a couple of days when they’re ready, I ‘try’ to satiate my mango cravings with these fully ripe, not so flavorful, not as juicy and not quite sweet ‘mango look a likes’ of Indian mangoes…

Eating a mango is more than just delicious, it is pure fun – licking the juice running down the palm or squishing the pulp off the seed to leave no trace of the fruit on it are some of the few times when messy is good! And that is how I always love to eat them..

But, once in a while, when I need a little extra with minimal sophistication, I love this simple Seekarane desert recipe. This is as close a desert can get to real fruit. This recipe needs no selling. The ingredients do all the talking for themselves.

Seekarane or Rasayana is a traditional dessert prepared by squeezing ripe mangoes to pulp, may be due to the lack of mixer/grinders in that era. Even with the latest kitchen gadgets today, I wouldn’t change a thing about how it is made. That’s just me, I guess!

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, Maavina Hannu is Mango in Kannada btw..

So, what is your favorite mango dessert?

Maavina Hannu Seekarane Recipe

Printable Recipe

Things you’ll need:

4 small-medium ripe mangoes, preferably juicy
3/4 cup freshly grated coconut
3/4 cup water
2 small cubes or abt 4 tbsp grated jaggery (preferably dark variety)
4-5 cardamom pods

Other:

grater
mortar & pestle

How it’s done:

For the mango pulp:

This part can be a little messy, but it is all worth it. Traditionally, most of this is done by squishing the mango to a pulp, by hand. We’ll get some help from the grater though.

Wash the mangoes well and pat dry. Slice off the top at the stalk. Cut off the cheeks on either sides of the mango first. Remove the skin off the seed. Using the grater, grate the fruit off the seed or just squish the seed with your hand until all the fruit is off the seed. I prefer doing this way as there is minimum wastage of fruit.

Halve the cheeks or quarter them with the skin intact, depending on your convenience for grating. Grate the fruit to get all the pulp out of the skin. Do not hesitate to get any remaining fruit either with a spoon or your trusty fingers. Repeat with all the mangoes. Once all the pulp is extracted, give it a nice stir or squish to get a uniform consistency. Taste the mangoes for sweetness.

For the coconut milk:

Blend the freshly grated with a little water to a smooth paste. Add the remaining water to this, stir to mix well and strain the coconut milk. If using frozen coconut, thaw first and use warm water for blending so that the fat does not separate. Refrigerate the remaining strained coconut to be used later in cooking.

Mix Coconut milk with the mango pulp. Grate jaggery into this, less or more depending on the sweetness of the mangoes.

In a mortar, smash the cardamom pods with the pestle and pry the seeds out with your fingers. Save the skin for later for flavoring tea or water. Smash the cardamom seeds first and crush them back and forth with the pestle for a fine powder. Sprinkle generously, not too much though.

Give it a good stir and serve as soon as possible. Tastes best when fresh.  This dessert gets ready in a jiffy. Explaining how to do seems more tedious than the actual doing.

Note

Jaggery can be substituted by brown sugar, but the depth and flavor of Jaggery cannot be. Other mexican unrefined sugars like Pillonchillo or Succanat may come a tad closer than sugar.

Jaggery is available in Indian stores. Always look for unbleached Jaggery

Freshly grated coconut works best, if not, thawed, frozen coconut works just fine if you are not too particular.

Fresh coconut milk is the star of this recipe. If you would rather save yourself the trouble of making it from scratch (which isn’t too difficult), you could use canned coconut milk. I won’t promise great results.

Milk can be substituted for coconut milk and this variation comes out well too.

Raspuri mangoes are best suited for this recipe. In its absence, Alphonso works well. I’ve used Mexican Ataulfo mangoes (that’s the best I can get here) and they are fully ripe when wrinkled and golden yellow.

If you’d rather not get your hands messy, you could blend the cut up mango pieces instead. Blending makes a juice out of the pulp though and doesn’t quite result in a hand squished consistency.

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In my perfect world, children would eat anything and everything the mom makes at home. No whining, no fussing over foods, no hatred for vegetables or fruits and always an appetite for good food. How nicer can it be, right?

Only, for me, it happens in my day dreams!

This is where I did not get lucky, where that castle in the air comes crumbling down and my day dreams crash into harsh reality. Whatever I’ve done, somehow my little girl’s and my intentions are at logger heads with each other when it comes to eating, especially when spelled as FRUITS..

She does not cry for anything, except when I ask her to eat, u guessed it – fruits!

Recently, after a hand blender came as an addition to my kitchen gadgets, in yet another plan to sneak in fruits into her diet, I started churning out smoothies and milk shakes. And, the first fruit of choice for milk shakes was none other than the humble yet mighty Banana.

I would still want her to relish her fruits the right way, but until then…

Rose – a name for beauty, fragrance and color all put in one wonderful nature’s package. Hats off to that someone who thought of immortalizing its deliciousness in a jar!

Gulkhand [Gul - flower; Gulab - Rose in Hindi; khand - sweet] is rose petals preserved in sugar and honey. A health tonic as per Ayurveda, it can be easily made at home if you have access to organic roses non-sprayed by pesticides or other chemicals.

I love relishing Gulkhand just as is, by the spoonful. Ever since I paired it with bananas and milk for my little girl, I’ve become a guzzler of this soothing drink myself!

A few everyday uses of Gulkhand:

Add a spoon to breakfast oats for a special breakfast treat.

Mix it with greek yogurt for a snack with a twist

Include in fruit salads to add a romantic nuance

Replace jaggery with Gulkhand in Rasayana

If you have the habit of unwinding with a warm glass of milk before hitting bed, stir in a spoon of Gulkhand for a relaxing drink. Just don’t make it too hot.

Spread it on whole wheat toast along with Peanut butter or almond butter instead of the same old PBJ sandwich

Of course, because it is sweetened, eating in moderation is always the key.

Owing to its incredibly delicious taste and Gulkhand’s cooling and revitalizing properties, it makes for an excellent summer drink.

Gulkand Banana Shake goes to #IndianFoodPalooza, an event Prerna of Indian Simmer, Kathy Gori of The Colors of Indian Cooking and Barbara of The Creative Culinary are hosting this month to celebrate Indian food.

How do you like to enjoy your dose of Gulkhand?

Gulkhand Banana Shake Recipe

Printable Recipe

Things you’ll need:

1 ripe banana

1 tsp Gulkhand or Rose Petal jam

1 cup Milk Almond Milk / Coconut Milk / any Non Dairy Milk or a half-half mix of your choice

1 or 2  drops of rose water ~ optional

crushed pistachios or almonds for garnish ~ optional

How it’s done:

Blend everything together. Serve chilled garnished with crushed pistachios or almonds

Note:

• Alter the milk/non dairy milk ratio to suit your taste as well as the desired thickness
• Gulkhand has enough sweetness, so no other sweetener is essentially needed
• I bought my Gulkhand from the local BAPS store. It can also be found in middle-eastern or persian food stores.

Read more about benefits of adding Gulkhand to your diet here

Gulkand Ice Cream by IndianSimmer is an interesting take on ice cream with Gulkhand stirred in.

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When the mind is happy with less and the stomach doesn’t ask for more,

When all one needs is a pot full of warm sunshine comfort, yellow lentils are a must.

Moong Dal or Split Yellow lentils are one of the most frequently used lentils in our house. I like it for its lightness, faint sweetness and also its cooling properties. Because it is so non-fussy and cooks in little time, it is by default a weekday favorite too.. Combine it with any veggies and it comes out delicious in any combination. No doubt it is our favorite.

And it was also the first lentil in cooked form, my little girl was introduced to when she started taking in her first solids. It makes for such a great baby food combined with some carrots or peas.

Shahi Jeera or Royal Cumin Seeds are slightly longer, darker and a tad bit sweeter than regular cumin/jeera seeds. While it is more commonly used in Biryani and Tandoor dishes, it adds a special oomph to a simple dal such as this.

Red bell pepper flavors intensify when roasted. I’d love to try with roasted red bell peppers at another time..

Is there a lentil you call your favorite? Tell me how you like to cook it.. 

Red Bell Pepper and Pudina Moong Dal Recipe

Printable Recipe

Things you’ll need:

To pressure cook:

1/2 cup split yellow lentils or Moong dal

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1 medium ripe tomato, quartered

1/2 red onion, diced

for the seasoning:

2-3 tsp peanut oil or ghee

1/4 tsp shahi jeera / royal cumin seeds or jeera / cumin seeds

2 stalks green garlic or spring onions, sliced thin

1/4 tsp grated fresh ginger

1/4 tsp turmeric

red chilli powder / cayenne pepper to taste

1 tsp dried mint or equivalent finely chopped fresh mint

juice of 1/2 a lemon ~ optional

sea salt

other:

Pressure cooker

How it’s done:

Wash and pressure cook lentils with diced red bell pepper, tomatoes, onion and a pinch of turmeric for 3 cooker whistles and keep aside to cool. Alternatively, cook on stove top until lentils are soft and are mashed easily.

When the cooker has cooled, whisk the cooked lentils for them to blend well.

Place oil in a medium pot over high heat. When the oil is hot enough, add shahi jeera or cumin seeds. When they start to sizzle, reduce the heat to medium-high and add sliced spring onion/green garlic followed by grated ginger and sauté until translucent or light brown.

Pour in the mashed lentils over this tempering onto the sides, carefully avoiding the sizzling oil and rising steam.

Add red chilli powder, salt and give it a good stir. Add more water if needed or if the dal is very thick. Bring it to a boil and simmer for a few mins stirring in between to avoid the lentils from burning at the bottom.

Finish by sprinkling dried or fresh mint and lemon juice.

Stir well and serve hot with brown rice or chapati/roti.

Note:

For a deeper flavor, roast the lentils before pressure cooking, either on stove top over low flame until golden brown and fragrant or microwave for 2 mins in 30 sec intervals on a microwave safe plate.

{Some cold water to quench your thirst after a wholesome dal meal}

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