In my Kitchen, October 2012

It seems September did not even start and its already October. The past few weeks have been hectic - more mentally than anything else. With so much happening leading to so much thinking, I guess I did not realise where time went by.
It also made me realise that I haven't blogged much. I have a few unfinished draft posts but they are waiting for the pics!

So let me jump straight into sharing with you what is in my kitchen this month. I had participated in this event hosted by Celia last month and I am so happy to join in again.

In my kitchen...

...Is this beautiful runner which was gifted to me last week by my sister in law P. She bought it for me during her recent visit to New Delhi. I immediately fell in love with it the moment I set my eyes upon it. The fabric is tissue and as you can see, it has hand painted flowers running through the center. This runner goes very well with my curtains and beautifully adorns my dining table.

In my kitchen...

...are a bunch of yellow flowers which brighten up the corner next to the sink.

In my kitchen...

...is a "Baby and Toddler Cookbook" by Tarla Dalal who is a noted Indian cookery author. This book was recommended by my colleague M and I have found it extremely useful in introducing solids to my daughter T. The book covers various recipes (Indian and others) suited for babies and toddlers. 

In my kitchen...

...is a set of 4 glasses which my husband and I had purchased together a few years back. We both fell for the circular pattern on the glasses and the only regret was that there were only 4 pieces left when we bought them.

In my kitchen...

...is a new unopened packet of Papdi - Indian wafers made from refined flour and spices and deep fried. These can be eaten directly as a snack or are served with potatoes, chutney and curd to make Papdi Chaat

In my kitchen...

...is freshly prepared "Golden Froth". This very tasty drink was prepared by my sister in law P today afternoon. Will share the recipe soon :)

So what is happening in your kitchen this month? Hop onto Fig Jam and Lime Cordial to share.

Chutney for Summers: Coriander, Mint and Raw Mango

Weekends these days are becoming so difficult. And I never thought I would say that (I start waiting for weekends from Monday morning)! 
Difficult not because I have suddenly fallen in love with my work, but because of the sweltering heat. The respite of office air conditioners is missed on these days. And while I would love to be confined to my room and switch on the a/c for the entire day on these two days, its not possible - my electricity bill ensures that. 


So we resort to the natural coolers - iced tea whether lemon or apple, mango shake, and Rooh Afza!
Another favorite recipe for summers is Pudina (mint) chutney with raw mango. The recipe is simple, though it may take time to perfect that taste which makes you go mmmm! 

Ingredients:
Pudina (mint) leaves: 1 small bunch
Coriander leaves: 1 small bunch
Raw mango: 1 medium
Green Chillies: 2 or more (or less)
Cumin powder: 1/2 - 1 tsp
Kala namak (black salt): 1/4 - 1/2 tsp
Salt: To taste


Method:
- Clean the pudina and coriander leaves. Wash well with lot of water
- Peel the mango and chop in small pieces. Discard the "stone"
- Grind the herbs, green chillies and raw mango with a little water, till a smooth consistency is achieved
- Mix in the spices. Adjust salt. 
- The chutney is ready to be served as an accompaniment with snacks or main meals


Note:
- If you prefer a more tangy taste, you can add half a mango more
- The chutney can be refrigerated and kept for 7 - 10 days
- The mango "stone" can be added to dals (especially arhar / toor) while cooking, for added flavor


Which are your favorite foods / recipes for summers to beat the heat?

Alu Parwal: Potatoes cooked with Pointed Gourd

Someone once asked me, “What is the English name for Parwal?” I did not know the answer then, but today, after a Google search, and a wiki research, I feel enlightened. It’s “Pointed Gourd”. Not “Snake Gourd” as the first search told me.
Pointed Gourd, or Parwal / Potol as it is commonly known in India, is botanically termed as Trichosanthes dioica. Snake Gourd, on the other hand, is Trichosanthes cucumerina.

Parwal is a popular vegetable in India and is commonly cooked along with Potatoes. Alu Parwal or Alu Potol, whether dry or with gravy is a side dish eaten with rice or chapattis. Another variation is a dessert – Khoye ke Parwal – where the parwal is made hollow from inside, steamed, filled with sweetened khoya and dry fruits, and dipped in sweet syrup.

The tricky part for me when I first made Parwal was – how to peel it. One needs to scrape off the skin with a knife rather than peeling it completely with a peeler, cut off both the ends, and slice it length wise.
If the gourd is fresh, the seeds will be soft and it is not important to remove the same. If it has ripened, the seeds tend to be hard with a blackish / brownish tinge. I prefer removing the seeds in the latter case.

Sharing my recipe for a very simple Alu Parwal Dry, flavoured with only cumin and turmeric. It works best with Dal – Rice, or with Roti.

Ingredients:
Parwal: 5 – 6
Potato: 1 medium
Mustard Oil: 2 - 3 tbsp
Turmeric: ½ - ¾ tsp
Jeera / Cumin Seeds: ½ tsp
Salt
Red Chili Powder (optional)

Method:
- Scrape the skin off the Parwals, and cut off the ends. Wash it and slice it lengthwise
- Wash the potato well, and cut it length wise, with the skin on
- Heat the oil in a pan / kadhai.
- Add jeera / cumin. When the seeds begin to splutter, add the turmeric, sliced parwal, potatoes and salt.
- Mix well, cover and cook on low heat till the vegetables are soft.
- Keep stirring in between to ensure that the vegetables donot stick to the bottom. You may add little water if the oil seems to be less
- Serve hot as an accompaniment to dal – rice and / or chapattis.

This is also my entry to Weekend Herb Blogging # 203, the event started by Kalyn, adopted by Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything Atleast Once, and hosted this week by Marija.

Apple Iced Tea

This is one of the most refreshing drinks I have had. The first time I tasted it was during a Sunday brunch at Marriott Courtyard. And I have been hooked on to it ever since.

Ingredients (To make 2 glasses):
Water: 1 glass
Tea Leaves: 1 tsp or 1 tea bag
Apple Juice: ½ glass
Sugar: To taste
Ice Cubes: Lots

Method:
- Bring water to boil in a pan. Add the tea leaves / tea bag, and let it boil for a few seconds. Turn off the heat, cover the pan and let it sit for a 4 – 5 minutes
- Sieve the brew and let it cool
- Add the apple juice. Add sugar as per taste.
- Pour it in individual glasses, add ice cubes and enjoy!

Mango Shake - It's summers!

One of the few good things about Indian summers (at least for me) is the arrival of Mangoes - the king of fruits. There are several varieties which are grown in India, and the way it can be eaten are many. A simple google search will yield umpteen recipes. But I like to eat the fruit the way it is, and prefer not to use it as an ingredient for desserts, chutneys or any other delicacy.
But since the day we bought our first Alphonsoes this year, my husband has been after me to make "Mango Shake". I finally managed to save a couple of mangoes for this purpose. We had guests yesterday over for lunch and after the heavy meal in the afternoon, both of us didn’t feel like eating a complete meal again at night. So Mango Shake it was (after several other options were rejected). And I couldn’t stop myself from adding a dollop of Vanilla Ice cream to the glasses before pouring out the heavenly and thick shake :)

Ingredients (Makes 2 glasses):
Milk: 1 glass
Mango (Ripe): 1 (medium sized)
Sugar: 3 tsp (You can increase / decrease the quantity)
Lots of Ice cubes

Method:
- Peel and cut the mango. Blend the sugar and mango pieces in a blender / mixer till it is a smooth paste
- Add the milk and ice cubes. Blend till the milk and mango pulp are mixed well
- You can add a scoop of mango / vanilla ice cream before pouring the shake into glasses

Why I recommend it?
Actually, if I am given a choice, I would still go for the fruit and not use it in a shake! But I recommend it as a great breakfast option (minus the vanilla ice cream) or even as a dessert.

Kulfi

In North India, Kulfiwallahs are the norm during summers. When I was a kid, every afternoon at around 3 pm, the kulfiwallah would visit our lane, ringing the bell tied to his thela (2 - wheeler mobile "shop"). His timing was perfect - most of the kids were back from school by then, and lunch was also over. The most basic kulfi cost Rs 2, and then there were larger and more "richer" versions priced from Rs 3 - Rs 5.
My Dad is the kulfi making expert at home, and I remember the freezer unit in our refrigerator being stocked with blue colored plastic kulfi moulds (These were given free along with every tin of Nestle Milkmaid, and a kulfi recipe on the back cover of the tin).

This weekend, I decided to make kulfi at home. I read the recipe given by my Mom (she has given me her collection of Nestle Milkmaid recipes collected over the years :) ). This recipe (as well as several others on the internet) called for adding corn flour which I wanted to avoid. So I put in a bit of hard work, and the result was fabulous. The compliment paid by my husband - "I award you Bharat Ratna for making the best kulfi in the world!" - made it totally worth the effort.

Ingredients:
Milk: 1 Lit
Sweetened Condensed Milk: 1/2 tin
Saffron: 5 - 6 strands, soaked in 2 tsp of milk
Almond, finely chopped: 7 - 8

Method:
- Bring the milk to a boil in a kadhai or a thick bottomed pan
- Reduce the flame to medium, and keep stirring till the milk thickens and the quantity is almost reduced to half. This should take approx 15 - 20 minutes
- Lower the flame, and add the condensed milk. Stir continuously on low flame for another 3 - 4 minutes till the two are well blended. Mix the saffron and the almonds.
- Pour in kulfi moulds or air tight containers. Let it cool for sometime before placing them in the freezer.
- Freeze overnight.

Why I recommend this dessert?
Try it and you'll know why!

Summers & Home-made Iced-Tea

May is peak summer time in India. I woke up today – a Saturday, and a day off from work - to see the sun shining brightly as ever. Should I step out and increase my risk of early wrinkles and bad skin, at the cost of getting a few household chores completed? Nah! Of course not. So what if my “weekend to-do list” keeps growing in length. I shall first pamper myself and then think about it. That I should feel guilty about the entire day gone waste is not an issue at all, or atleast not an immediate concern.
Half an hour later, I found myself watching the election news on television. And giving myself a pedicure (that was due for almost a year!). And sipping chilled iced tea.
Iced Tea - that's what I needed to refresh myself...and refresh it did.
Many of my friends prefer the instant iced tea powders available in the market. But I have always preferred home made one. And it really doesnot take much time or effort.
This recipe is thanks to my Dad, who taught it to me when I was 10 (so much for delegation of responsibilities at an early age).

Ingredients (To make 1 glass Lemon iced-tea):
Water: Half glass
Sugar: 2 tsp (or as per taste)
Tea Leaves: 1/2 tsp or 1 Tea Bag
Juice of half a lemon (approx 1 1/2 tsp)
Ice cubes: Lots

Method:
- Add water and sugar in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Sugar can be added at a later stage also, but I find this simpler
- Add the tea leaves to the boiling water, and let it boil for few more seconds
- Remove the pan from heat, and cover it for 2-3 minutes
- Add the lemon juice
- Strain it in a glass and add chilled water and ice cubes. Stir it till the ice is dissolved and the concoction is cooler. At this stage you can refrigerate it, which is preferred if you are not in a hurry like me.
- Fill the glass with ice cubes and enjoy :)

Why I recommend this amazing drink?
- Nothing refreshes you like a glass of ice tea on a hot summer day, especially on a lazy Saturday!