A Festival Gone By

I’ve been wanting to post. I’ve been meaning to post…It’s just that one just gets SO caught up with a million things. There’s a beguiling charm about this metropolis, throbbing with activity 24 x 7.Especially close to Diwali time.A perfect time for bonhomie, generosity and family time.Freshly cleaned and painted homes.New “torans”hung up on the entrances. Loads of food and mithai, enough to clog your arteries.Gambling for fun-one can almost call it “guilt-free gambling”-it’s considered auspicious during the period between Dusshera and Diwali.Festive dinners where there’s a mingling of designer bags, perfumes and the latest backless cholis.And of course “diet food”.Like one newspaper rightly said that “there was a Hindi name for each of the festivals we celebrate, but there wasn’t a single translation for the word “diet”. Loads of yellow orange marigolds-traditionally used for decorating the house.Gleaming silver and brass ware.Eathenware diyas, lanterns and Ganeshas.And of course, what’s Diwali without a bit of fire works-keeping the environment in view!All this because during Diwali, everyone thanks the Goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, and the remover of all obstacles, Ganesh.

I’d begun writing this post just after Diwali-almost a month ago. Life got busy.Hectic.I was caught up in a whirlwind of activities. Home related. Work related. Guests and more guests.Illnesses.High school exams….the list is endless. Well…there were a million thoughts to be put down-all sitting on the edge of my brain as if it would burst. I guess it was just a lack of inertia. I did read and respond to my regular blogger friends.

Even though it’s well past our festival, I’m going t share the pictures taken…while shopping…at home…of the food….

As for Dinner tonight, I'm posting recipes of the easiest dish one can cook.Something Mom would put together in a jiffy for a bunch of hungry kids

Pilaf -what we in India call Pualo -was introduced to this land by the Mughals.Usually made with aromatic rice (long grain basmati),carmailzed onions , mutton ,chicken,fish, prawns or an array of veggies and is mildly spiced.Delicious,paired with yogurt, plain or as a raita-this is a one dish meal-simple, delicious and thoroughly wholesome.Something to sit outdoors and enjoy in the mellow winter sun....

Chicken Pulao

Mint Raita

Fresh Salad

Chicken Pulao

1 cup long grain basmati rice

2 chicken breasts, cubed (de-boned or on the bone)

1 red onion sliced

6 peppercorns

2 sticks cinnamon/3/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1big cardamom (badi elaichi)

4 cloves

1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 + a little teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons oil

2 cups chicken stock/water

Heat oil in a dutch oven, add cumin till it splutters.(Make sure it doesn't burn!)

Add peppercorns,cinnamon sticks,cloves,cardamom and sliced onions.Cook the onions till carmalized.Add chicken.Saute for 5 minutes before adding washed basmati rice.Season with salt and red chilli powder.Pour in water/stock,cover and cook on high heat till it comes to a boil, then lower heat and cook on very low heat for about 20 minutes.

Mint Raita

Whip up yogurt with salt, red chilli powder (optional), crushed mint leaves.Chill.

Diwali (The Festival of Lights)

A dazzling array of "diyas"-lamps for Diwali.These are made of clay,and not so very long ago we'd fill them with oil, and make wicks out of cotton wool.So much easier these days with the pre-waxed ones!Diwali always falls on a moonless night,and legend has it that when Lord Ram returns home after 14 years of exile, his path was lit up with millions of "diyas".

More diyas

An array of clay Laxmi's and Ganeshas for the evening prayers

Dinnertime!

Gifts...

More lanterns

Fasting, feasting and the victory over evil

Today we complete the 9 days of prayer to the many magnificent forms of the Mother Goddess, fasting….and feasting. Yesterday we had the ceremony for the “kanjaks”-little pre-pubertal girls. For many people who have observed 9 full days of fast, on this day grain and other vegetables are re-introduced into the meal. One may not be the most religious of all people. Yet in this season one is just drawn into the fervor and flavor of the season. And one keeps up the traditions, the rituals and everything associated with it. Something that probably has been going on for generations in this household. In a few hours from now,just before sun down-we’ll hear the fire crackers loud and clear-as the effigies of the 10 headed- Ravan, Meghnath and Kumbhkaran are blown to bits signifying the victory of good over evil And I’ll fondly remember how we used to take a car load of excited kids to watch this spectacale.Because of the surging crowds we’d have them safely perched on Dad’s or Granddad’s shoulders…or we’d let them watch sitting or standing atop the roof of the car. Such fun…taking the kids to see the larger than life evil doers. Holding their pudgy hands and meandering our way through those crowds. Buying those fake, gold edged bows and arrows (Lord Ram killed Ravan with a bow and arrow) Beautiful gilt-edged memories.Re- living them? Even better.Happy Dusshera!


http://www.mantraonnet.com/navratri.html

Poori (Deep fried whole wheat Indian flat bread
Potato Curry
Black Chickpeas
Sooji Halwa

2 cups whole wheat flour
¼ teaspoon red chilli powder
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup warm milk
Pinch of salt
Oil for deep frying

Knead the flour, using the warm milk.
Break off small ball sized bits.Dip in a little oil, and roll out flat into 21/2 -3” diameter flat puris. Deep fry in hot oil, till puffed up and light brown.
I prefer using milk over water-it ensures that the puri WILL puff up!

Potato Curry

4 potatoes boiled, cooled and peeled
1”piece fresh ginger, grated
3 teaspoons coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
Salt
2 cups water
1 tablespoon oil
Chopped green coriander for garnish

Heat oil in a pan-add cumin and once it splutters, add the ginger, turmeric, red chilli,coriander and garam masala powder .Put in the cubed potatoes, mix so as the masalas coat them. Add the water, cook for 5-10 minutes till the gravy thickens. Garnish with coriander.

Black Chick Pea Masala

1 cup black chick peas soaked in water with ½ a teaspoon of soda bicarb , overnight
3 cups water
1” piece grated/crushed ginger
4 teaspoons coriander powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon amchoor powder
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Salt
2 tablespoons oil

Drain the water from the soaked chick peas.
Add the water to chickpeas, and pressure cook them till tender-about 15-20 minutes.
Cool the cooker, drain the chick peas from water-reserve the water .
Add cumin seeds to the hot oil, and then add the grated ginger, coriander, amchoor, chilli powder,garam masala.Add the chickpeas to the masala-mix well-add one cup of the reserved liquid, and let it cook on high heat for 15-20 minutes.Add the reserved “soup”a little at a time.

Sooji Halwa

1 cup sooji (semolina), dry roasted till very light brown on a griddle
1 cup sugar
3 cups water
2 -3 green cardamom, peeled and crushed (else use ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder)
A few strands of saffron mixed with 1 tablespoon milk
1 cups ghee (clarified butter)
½ a cup slivered almonds
2 tablespoons raisins soaked in ½ a cup of water
Silver foil for garnish

Add sugar, cardamom to 3 cups water-boil on high heat till sugar dissolves.
Heat ghee in a wok. When hot add the slivered almonds, and when light brown, add the sooji.Roast on high heat till light brown.Lower heat, add the sugared water, a little at a time, stirring constantly, so that no lumps are formed.
Drain water from the raisens; add to the sooji.Stir to mix.
Place in a serving platter. Garnish with silver foil.

Celebrating Globally

Tzimmes
There’s a nip in the air-we don’t have an autumn to speak of, but, certainly our city looks less dusty and greener. It’s also festival and wedding time. All of a sudden the pastels and whites and cottons of summer have disappeared-there’s a vibrancy of color. The shimmer of sequins and the swish of silk. We have an unabashed love for celebration-festivals, weddings…just about anything. We are a multicultural society-therefore we get to celebrate each others festivals.Navratri-(9-nights) initiates this festival season-prayers to the Goddess in Her manifold forms.Prayers for strength (both spiritual and physical),fulfillment, knowledge and wealth.9 nights of revelry, fasting (one eliminates certain foods, and is vegetarian) and feasting. On the 10th day we, as a people will burn down large effigies of the demon king Ravana-his belly stuffed with firecrackers. How the kids used to love making their own mini-Ravanas and “bursting” them in our back yard. Many years ago. And then we celebrate Diwali-the festival of lights 10 days after Dusshera-to celebrate Lord Ram’s homecoming after an exile of 14 years.
Reading Tamarika’s blog (Mining Nuggets) http://tamarika.typepad.com/, I got to know that the Jewish New Year Celebrations are on too.And it was the 1st day of the Ramadan fast yesterday. Apparently fasting and feasting is happening globally. I was not aware of the food eating during the Rosh Hashanah. After my correspondence with Tamar, I did do a wee bit of research, and have managed to make Carrot and Sweet Potato Tzimmes.I don’t know if I did it right- but it tasted great!!
So this is the dinner I had promised for you Tamar….Enjoy the Year.God Bless and be with you

Tzimmes,Mithai and the Potatoes in Yogurt Curry

Sukhi Dal (Dry Lentil)
Sautéed Peas
Tomato Chutney (Saffron, Mace and Nutmeg, May11,2006)
Roti

For the ones who are fasting today (No onion/garlic/grain/and only a select few veggies)
Paneer Crumble
Potatoes in Yogurt Gravy

Tzimmes
Mithai (Our variety of a fudge-make wit milk and nuts)

Sukhi Dal

Most dals are gravy based. The one featured here is a favorite with Punjabi’s-full of flavor. Full bodied , and best with hot rotis.

1 cup urad dal (white)
1 cup water
¾ level teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon red chilli powder/1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 green chilli, split and de seeded
1 tomato, chopped
1 medium onion chopped
½ “piece ginger grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
1 onion sliced and caramelized in hot oil (for garnish)

Sauté onion, garlic and ginger in hot ghee. Add green chilli, tomato,salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder.Cook on high heat for I minute before adding cleaned and washed dal.Add water.Once the water boils, lower heat and cook on the lowest heat –for 20mins-1/2 an hour. Place in serving dish and garnish with caramelized onions.

Sautéed Peas

2 cups peas
1 onion chopped very fine
½ “piece ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons coriander powder
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon chilli powder (red)
1 tablespoon sautéed fenugreek leaves
Salt
2 tablespoons oil

Heat oil in wok-add cumin, and when it splits add the spices and fenugreek leaves. Add washed peas. Cover and cook on medium heat. Stir inbetween.Check for done-ness of the peas.Remove from heat-serve hot.

Paneer Crumble (Serves 2)

1 cup coarsely crumbled paneer
¼ cup milk
¼ teaspoon red chilli powder
¼ teaspoon garam masala
Salt
A pinch of fennel seeds
1 teaspoon oil

Add spices and salt to hot oil.Add the crumbled paneer and milk.Cook till milk evaporates a little.

Potatoes in Yogurt Gravy

2 potatoes peeled, and cut lengthwise
1 cup yogurt
1 teaspoon coriander powder
¼ teaspoon red chilli powder
¼ teaspoon garam masala
1 cardamom, crushed
Salt
1 teaspoon oil

Boil potatoes on water till almost tender.Drain.
Heat oil-add spices and yogurt-cook for 5 minutes.
Add potatoes. Cook for 2 minutes.

People who fast eat rotis made of water chestnut flour….

Tzimmes

9 medium carrots (about 1 pound), peeled
4 sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds)
1 cup bite-size pitted prunes (about 6 ounces)
1 cup dried apricots (about 5 ounces)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 1/2 teaspoons orange zest (from one orange)
1/4teaspoon salt

1. Heat oven to 350°. Cut carrots into 2-inch pieces. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, and lower heat to medium; add sweet potatoes in their skins, and cook for 20 minutes, adding the carrots after 10 minutes. Drain in a colander, and set aside until cool enough to handle.
2. Peel sweet potatoes, and cut into 1-inch chunks. Place in a large bowl along with carrots and remaining ingredients. Mix well, and transfer to a 2-quart baking dish.
3. Cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes, basting with pan juices after 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and serve immediately.
Recipe Courtsey:Martha Stewart Living http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=recipe1964&contentGroup=MSL&site=living

I made the recipe using ½ the quantity of ingredients.
I don’t know what it should have tasted like-but the family loved it-the mix of flavors of orange, honey and cinnamon…heavenly!

Birthday Memories.....

September in our home was always a month of chaotic activity. Mom-my mother in law would hunt the town for that near-perfect gift for Dad’s upcoming birthday. Always two gifts-a surprise gift-something that would make him really happy-something as simple as a chocolate, and the “main” gift-something he really needed. None of us ever knew what these would be, till he opened them in front of us. Morning prayers (havan) together-followed by what he loved most…the “halwa”sweet beyond compare. But fresh and delicious. The wishes, hugs and blessings. Food and birthday cakes and candles. A hearty “English breakfast” he’d call it-eggs, sunny side up, bacon, sausages, buttered bread, fresh juice, coffee. A grand dinner in the evening, with all the family in attendance. Grandparents, uncles, aunts, kids and grandkids. The sheer joy of a family being together-albeit for a few hours. Sans ugly arguments and discussions. After all, birthdays are meant to be kept in the scrapbook of our memories. Forever.
Over the years the nest has emptied. Fading memory and decreasing appetites make the birthday scene so different. But being together, physically, or sharing the joy over the phone across Atlantic, is what matters. Really. That’s what family and togetherness is all about. Never mind the moist eyes as he speaks to loved ones. That’s because he’s innately happy. That people remember him
Happy Birthday, Dad. And God Bless-for keeping this family together. With your abundant love, kindness and so much more.

Peas Pilaf
Roti
Methi Paneer-Fresh Fenugreek with cubed Cottage Cheese
Vegetable Koftas in Gravy-Vegetable Dumplings in gravy
Baby Potatoes with Kalonji (Nigella seeds)
Dark Chocolate Cake with a Lemon curd Topping
Tiramisu

Peas Pilaf

1 cup shelled green peas/frozen peas
1 cup Basmati rice
2 cups water
1 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 big cardamom, crushed
4-5 peppercorns
¾ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
11/2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons oil

Heat oil in a Dutch oven/pan with a well fitting lid.
Add cumin-when it splutters, add the peppercorns, cardamom, garlic and onion. Cook till onion caramalizes.
Add the peas and washed rice.
Add water. Let it come to a boil, and then lower heat.
Cook on low heat till water is absorbed and rice is cooked and fluffy.


Methi Paneer

2 cups fresh paneer, cubed
1 onion, diced very fine
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ “piece ginger, grated
1 tomato, diced
1 tablespoon frozen methi *(fenugreek leaves)
1 tablespoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
½ teaspoon garam masala
Salt
2 tablespoons oil

Heat oil in a wok-sauté onions, garlic, ginger in hot oil, till onions are transluscent.Add chopped tomatoes and spices. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.Add methi.Mix well before adding paneer. Stir fry on high heat for 5 minutes.

* Fresh fenugreek (methi) leaves are available at the end of summer. I usually get about 4-5 bunches of these, wash, stem and clean them. Then chop them finely, and sauté them on high heat in a little oil. Cool, and place in zip lock bags, ready to freeze. A little amount of these frozen leaves, adds a lot of character (!) to meat, chicken, rice,roti and a whole lot of other food!


Vegetable Koftas in Gravy

2 potatoes boiled, peeled and mashed
½ cup mixed finely chopped/coarsely crushed boiled veggies-beans, carrots, peas
1 slice fresh bread
1 teaspoon green cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
Red chilli powder and Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Mix all the ingredients together.Make small round/oval balls.Deep fry.Drain oil. Place in a flat serving dish.

For the gravy

1 onion
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
6 tomatoes
4 tablespoons whipping cream
2 teaspoons coriander powder
½ teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon black pepper powder
2 green cardamom seeds, crushed (or ½ teaspoon cardamom powder)
2 cloves
A pinch of cinnamon powder
¼ teaspoon crushed, roasted, fenugreek seeds
1 cup water
Salt
3-4 tablespoons oil

Chop onion and tomatoes. Blend these, together with the ginger garlic paste (or fresh garlic and ginger) in a blender, using ¼ cup of water to blend.
Heat oil. Add the onion-tomato mixture, cook, till the oil separates from the mixture. Add spices, salt. Cook for 2 minutes before adding ½ the water.
Add cream.Simmer.Add more water if you like a thinner gravy.
Pour over koftas.Garnish with cilantro.


Baby Potatoes with Kalonji

2 cups baby potatoes, boiled, peeled
1 tomato chopped
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
½ teaspoon kalonji seeds
2 teaspoons coriander powder
½ teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
2 tablespoons oil

Heat oil,add kalonji, chopped ginger and garlic, and tomatoes. Sauté on high heat. Add spices and salt and the boiled potatoes. Cook on high heat for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro….



Tiramisu and Chocolate Cake with a Lemon Curd Topping.

**For some reason I couldn't upload the pics for the potato and mathi paneer-though they were all on the same file!!

Corny Ideas!

Corn has always been part of our food. The onset of winter in Punjab brings to the table makki ki roti (flat corn bread) and sarson ka saag (curried mustard greens)served with a dollop of fresh white butter and gur (jaggery or unrefined sugar).Though corn has been around for centuries, it was mainly eaten either as the bread or off the cob.Nothing very adventurous was done with it. The white sweet corn variety is the type we’d always seen-tasty but not very sweet. These days we see the much yellowier type, almost sugar sweet. We can see carts of “cup-of corn” doing the rounds of the city-at busy market places and on roadsides, selling corn kernels in small disposable cups, mixed with lime, salt and red chili powder.Imaginative.and great on the taste buds!

Fresh Corn Salad


1 cup sweet corn kernels
½ cup fresh grated coconut
½ a cup grated carrot
½ a cup julienne cucumber
¼ cup crushed, roasted peanuts
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
½ a green bell pepper, julienne
Juice of 1 lime
½ teaspoon powdered sugar (optional)
Salt

Mix all the ingredients-chill. Serve cold!

* Add juliennes of yellow and red bell pepper, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, diced fresh pineapple if you want!

Sautéed Sweet Corn


1 cup sweet corn
1 onion diced
1 firm, medium tomato diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 tablespoon ketchup
Salt
2 tablespoons oil
Copped cilantro for garnish

Heat in in a wok. Add cumin to hot oil-wait till it splutters, not chars. Add the garlic and when light brown, add onion. Sauté for 5-7 minutes till transluscent.Add the ketchup, tomato and spices. Sauté for 10 minutes. Add the sweet corn. Cook for 5 minutes.

Add in 2 whipped eggs at the end, along with some chopped ham. Delicious rolled in a “roti”!!

Corn Rice


1 cup log grain basmati rice
1 onion sliced fine
1 clove garlic chopped
1 tomato diced
1 cup sweet corn
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
1 level teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
2 cups water

Heat oil in a small Dutch oven. Add cumin when oil is hot-allow to splutter. Add onions and garlic, sauté till onions are slightly carmalized.Add the corn, tomato and washed rice. Add chilli and salt.Mix and add water. Allow to boil, and when it does, reduce heat to minimum.Cover with well fitting lid. Cook till rice is done.Serve hot!Great on it’s own –or paired with tomato chutney.

Baked Celery-Mushroom-Corn


1 cup sweet corn kernels
10-12 button mushrooms washed and cleaned
¼ cup chopped celery
1/1/2 cups skim milk
2 table spoons flour
2 tablespoons oil
½ teaspoon black pepper powder
Salt
Grated cheese (if desired)

Heat oil-add flour. Stir on low heat till light brown. Add cold milk a little at a time, till you get a smooth roux. Season. add corn, celery, mushrooms, and milk.Pour into a baking dish.Top with cheese. Bake for 15 mins or till cheese /top is brown.

*Other additions-bell peppers, spinach, carrots, diced ham, shredded chicken.

"Raj"inspired

In this medley of foods we have in our country ,“Club food” introduced to us by the British is here to stay. Leisure time was spent at the Club-and the British have left their indelible mark around the country with myriad such clubs. Cooks, or the “khansamas” at these clubs , with the help of the “memsahibs “-wives of the sahibs (masters) concocted a wide array of dishes with an amalgamation of flavors.And so this food-Club or Anglo Indian, whatever one wants to call it, is here to tantalize our taste buds forever!We loved visits to the Club-the mingling with friends, rounds of Bingo, endless glasses of “nimbu-soda”-Coke hadn’t made an appearance on the scene as yet. The delectable roasts and lamb chops-with an apple or mint sauce. Buttered white bread sandwiches chicken, vegetable, cheese and sometimes the green chutney. Deep fried breaded cutlets, the oh-so-British mulligatawny soup, caramel custards, bread puddings, salads seeped in mayonnaise-the so called Russian salad-complete with the diced pineapples and cherries.The feasts on Christmas and New Year eve.Oh –but then those days people didn’t count calories-or did they? All I remember is that delicious taste of breaded deep fried fish and warm plum pudding –ah…but those were days when my the size of my waistline was of little or no concern!

Grilled Fish in a Lemon Sauce
Mildly spiced baked veggies
Toasted bread
Carrot and Raisin Salad
Bread pudding

Grilled Fish in Lemon Sauce

6 fillets of fish (sea bass, pomfret, sole), washed, pat dried and rubbed over with lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
Salt, pepper and red chilli powder
6 tablespoons of oil-or use cooking spray
Rub the salt ,pepper and red chilli powder, along with the crushed garlic over the fish
Heat oil in a flat non stick pan, alternatively use cooking spray.
Lay fish fillets I the pan.Cook on high heat till brown on both sides. Fish cooks fast.Arrange in a flat serving dish.Pour the lemon sauce over it.

Lemon Sauce

1 cup whipping cream (low fat)
¼ teaspoon zest of lime
Juice of 2 limes
1 teaspoon cornflour dissolved in ¼ cup milk
Salt and pepper
Warm the cream in a small pan over low heat.Add the zest, salt and pepper.
Add the dissolved cornflour, and let mixture thicken a little. Remove from heat, cool and add lemon juice.


Mildly Spiced Baked Veggies

2 cups mixed veggies-cubed carrots, peas, cut french beans, baby corn, halved mushrooms
½ a cup chopped spinach leaves
1 ½ cups milk
2 table spoons flour
1 tablespoon grated cheddar
4 tablespoons oil (use butter if you want-but oil works just fine)
2-3 cloves garlic , crushed
¾ teaspoon red chilli powder
Salt
Boil the veggies in mildly salted water , till they are just crisp tender.Drain, keep aside.
Heat oil-brown the garlic in it. Add flour-saute till light brown.Add salt and red chilli powder.Lower heat, add milk stirring all the while.Once a smooth “roux” is formed ,add the veggies and spinach.Add more milk if you feel that the mixture is dry.
Put in a baking dish, top with cheese (optional).Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes , or till the top is slightly brown.

Carrot and Raisin Salad

3 carrots, peeled,and grated
1 tablespoons raisins, soaked for about 10 minutes in warm water
1 teaspoon cilantro leaves, washed and chopped
Juice of 1 lime
A pinch of powdered sugar
Salt and pepper.
Chopped cilantro-for garnish.
Mix ingredients. Chill.Serve!

Bread Pudding

6 slices bread, quartered
11/2 cups milk
2 eggs whipped
½ cup sugar or equivalent substitute
¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon raisins
6-8 figs (dehydrated) soaked in water,stewed and coarsely pureed
1 tablespoon dark rum

Warm the milk,add sugar. Let it cool, and add the beaten eggs.Add the cinnamon powder.
Soak the bread in the milk mixture . Make a layer with these in a greased baking dish.Place pureed figs and raisins on this layer.Cover with more soaked slices of bread.
Sprinkle with the brown sugar and the dark rum.
Bake in a moderately hot oven for 15-20 mins.Serve hot.

Nostalgia and Irish Stew

Some nostalgic memories remain with you for a lifetime.Memories which are warm and comforting. Memories which can be pulled out of the areas between the sulci of the brain and talked and written about….
We spent 11 years of our young lives in a school started by the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in 1877.It was a small (number of boarders was 150!)but elegant school-nestled in a valley amongst the towering eucalyptus trees and overlooking the Ooty lake. This beautiful, picturesque hill station in the Nilgiris (Nila=Blue, Giri=Mountain), also called the Blue Mountains, was at the time called the Queen of Hill Stations. A small town rife with colonial British influence. The Polson cheese factory, the Glenmorgan tea estates. Tea and coffee plantations on the steps of the mountain slopes. The nuns at school, mostly Irish and French, worked so hard on us girls to groom us into “perfect gentle women”.” Don’t raise your voice, don’t slide down the banister, wear your skirts BELOW the knee…be…do…things the right way”. Together we learnt how to sew and do patterns of cross stitch, cook and serve, iron (!) so that we knew how to iron a shirt collar the right way. Netball and hockey and skating. Piano lessons. Ben Hur and Sparcatus in our school mini theater-with the nuns “blanking” out scenes which were “inappropriate”for viewing!Reading Mills and Boon and Archies comics under the blanket by torchlight.Visits to the Botanical gardens ,Dodobetta peak and to King Star bakery for chocolates. Donning cream, brown and red uniforms, attending Mass and Benediction, and being smothered by the love . Something the Nuns had plenty of….Visiting the pristine school Chapel and Mother Mary’s grotto a million times pre-exam. Enjoying scrumptious 4 meals a day, duly supervised, so that we didn’t “waste” food. Food was always good-meatloaves and macaroni bake on Wednesdays. Irish stew sometimes.Eaten with fresh bread from the school bakery –delicious. Dinner was always finished off with a cup of Ovaltine and a couple of fresh school-bakery biscuits (cookies). Ah..Those beautiful child hood days…sans TV, playstations, fast foods and glitz and glamour. Yet wholesome and fulfilling. Like the Irish Stew!


There are 2 type of stew we usually make:
-The Mutton /chicken stew using a thickener and milk
-The Stew (pronounced Estew)in Kerala made with chicken (usually), veggies and coconut milk, and eaten with Appams (fermented rice pancakes)

Mutton Stew

½ Kg Mutton , cubed (boneless or on the bone)
1 onion, cut into 8
1 potato, cubed
½ cup shelled green peas
1 carrot cut in chunks
½ cup green beans cut in 1” pieces
1 pod garlic, crushed
½ “piece of ginger, grated
1 stick cinnamon
6 cloves
6-8 peppercorns
2 tablespoons cornflour dissolved in ½ cup cold milk
½ cup skimmed milk
2 cups water
Salt
½ teaspoon pepper powder

Boil the mutton in the water, along with the garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and peppercorns. When the mutton is tender, add vegetables, salt and pepper. Don’t overcook veggies. Simmer and add cornflour.Allow to thicken, before adding remaining milk.If you feel it’s too thick-add a little stock or water. Serve hot with warm fresh bread or garlic toasts!

Stew- Kerala Style

1 cup boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or any other of preference)
1 -2 pods garlic, chopped
1” piece ginger juliennes
2 green chillies, slit and de seeded
1 bay leaf
½ cup julienned carrots
½ cup green beans cut into 1” pieces
1 onion, sliced
1 potato peeled and cubed
6-8 peppercorns
¼ teaspoon pepper powder
Salt
1” cinnamon stick
1 cup water.
1 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon oil

Heat oil in a pan. Sauté the onions, garlic, ginger and green chillies.Add chicken cinnamon stick, peppercorns, bay leaf, water. Cook till chicken is almost done. Add vegetables to this, and cook till just done. Add salt, pepper and coconut milk. Simmer for 10 minutes. Serve hot with Appams or fresh bread.

I know the picture is terrible -will re-publish this one and add one for the stew!