Bagara Baingan or Eggplants in an exotic gravy of peanuts,coconut and sesame seeds ....

Deserted afternoon streets, piles of watermelons on the roadsides, exuberantly priced mangoes and frequent power outages. Does this ring a bell ??

You guessed it right - The Indian Summer.Our schools were closed and we were a bunch of juveniles running around Aai's (Grandma) courtyard, mostly engaged in regular squabbles ..... like who would sleep next to Aai during the afternoon story telling session, yet another thing that we fought over regularly was who would get to eat the takua (Mango seed or Endocarp)!

While we fought about the most trivial things within the comfort of the four walls caring little about the difficulties of life, there was one sweaty lean guy who struggled to make a living ... Raghu Kaka. He was probably in his forty something, dark complexioned and wrinkled faced, paan stained teeth and unkept hair ... in short nothing close to looking attractive. The only thing that made him look human was his warm affectionate smile.

Every morning I would see him sit by the staircase having a word with Aai. He would often talk about the village politics,his daily business and the sabzi mandi, his family and about his four kids who went to school. At times Aai would offer him a cup of tea with some Mudhi (puffed rice). He was supposedly from Aai's native and was a fruit vendor. He would arrive by the early morning passenger train and pull out his rickety rusted cycle which he kept in one corner of our garage. He would carefully inspect the bicycle and then tie a big bamboo basket behind the cycle and tightly secure it with a rope before riding it away. That was his everyday routine. I would sometimes watch him sitting on the staircase leaning against Aai as they made a conversation ..... Some days he would offer me a mango. But it was Aai's strict instruction not to take anything for free.

This was everyday routine to see Raghu Kaka during our summer vacations for years together till he grew old and weak and stopped coming.

Today I remembered him after decades ...simply out of the blue without any relevance while preparing this South Indian delicacy. There wasn't anything significant about this person that would leave a lasting impression ..... he was like any regular guy who came to the city to make a living.

I wondered why he crossed my mind after all these years .... Is it because things which we sometimes consider to be insignificant and irrelevant leave a bigger impression on our lives ??

Preparation Time 60 minutes

Serves 3

Ingredients

Small Tender Eggplants/Bringjal - 6

Peanuts - 1/2 cup

Sesame Seeds - 1 tbsp

Dry Coconut powder - 1 tbsp

Chopped Onion - 1/2 cup

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/2 tsp

Dry Red Chilis - 5

Cumin Seeds - 1/2tsp

Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp

Curry Leaves - Few

Turmeric Powder - 1/3 tsp

Asafoetida/Hing - 1/3 tsp

Tamarind juice - 1/3 cup

Jaggery/ Sugar -1/2 tsp

Cloves - 3

Cinnamon - 1 inch

Cardamon - 2

Bay Leaf - 1

Salt per taste

Oil for cooking

Method of Preparation

1 Wash the eggplants and pat dry. Slit them into four halves with the stem intact and fry them in oil. Keep aside.

2 Dry roast peanuts,sesame seeds, coconut powder and red chilies. Grind them into a paste adding little water and keep aside.

3 Heat little oil in a wok. Add all the whole spices,curry leaves and cumin seeds. Add chopped o onions and fry till golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add salt and turmeric.

4 Now add the tamarind juice and add cumin and coriander powder. Mix well and let it simmer. Add sugar/ jaggery to it. Also add the asafoetida.

5 Take the peanut paste and add it to the above mixture. You may add water to adjust the consistency.

6 Once the gravy begins to simmer add the egg plants and cook. Make sure to stir the gravy in between.

Serving Tips

Serve as a side with pulao/rice or any Indian Flat bread.

Greens with Beans ..... Chole Palak or Spinach cooked with Garbanzo Beans

'Beta bade hoke tum kya banoge' (What do you aspire to become when you grow up) is one of the favorite questions adults ask kids. I am sure each one of you would have answered this question n number of times till you actually figured out what you wanted out of life. And I am in that phase of life where I ask this to kids around me ... and most times I am amused by their innocence.

I remember someone asking this to my little sister when she was a five year old. She promptly replied 'Traffic Pulish'. For a second there was silence in the room ....Maa was shocked. That was the last thing she would have wanted her daughter to become. May be she had expected something like a doctor or a pilot. Guess that is the most favorite and popular thing kids say. But 'Traffic Pulish' was the least expected one. 'Traffic Pulish is so powerful ..... he can stand in the middle of the road and with a wave of hand the entire traffic comes to a halt', she explained to Maa. The entire room broke into laughter. Well she really didn't grow up to be one but that was her first aspiration !!

Ok but I thought I was the smarter one !! So like every kid I wanted to become a doctor. My Aunt had also gifted me a plastic medical kit on my birthday. I would stand in front of the mirror with a pink stethoscope hanging around my neck and pretend like I was talking to a patient. But soon I managed to find a scapegoat ... it was Rani, out domestic help. Playing doctor-doctor was my favorite pass time. I would ask Rani to open her mouth. I would check her temperature using the Pink thermometer. I would scribble on pieces of papers with illegible writings and prescribe her medicines.Little did I know that becoming a doc was no child play. Not until I decided to write the medical entrance ...... and sure I failed miserably !!

But like always I had my plan B ready. Failure was never an option for me.

But that was that !! I had almost forgotten about it till I hanged out with a bunch of kids this weekend. 'Sweetie Pie what is that you want to become when you grow up' I asked a cutie. ' Miss Universe' she said batting her eye lids and running her tiny fingers through her silky hair. And there was another brat who screamed ' Fire Fighter'. Another one wanted to become a truck driver. And yes there was a doctor too !!

Ok, now coming to the recipe ... I make this 'Chole Palak' often.I have discovered that Palak tastes good when cooked with any pulses.

Preparation Time - 20 minutes

Serves 2

Ingredients

Boiled Chole/ Garbanzo Beans - 1 Cup (You can soak and pressure cook it with a little salt added or use the tinned ones)

Chopped Spinach/ Palak - 2 cups

Chopped Onions - 1/2 cup

Minced Garlic - 1 tbsp

Minced Ginger - 1 tsp

Tomato - 1 pureed

Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp (per taste)

Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch

Butter - 1 tsp

Salt per taste

Oil for cooking

Method of Preparation

1 Heat about 1 tbsp of oil in a wok. When warm add ginger to it and fry for a minute. Add the minced garlic and keep stirring it else the garlic will get burnt. Add the finely chopped onions to it and saute till the onion is mushy and there is no raw smell.

2 Add the tomato puree, turmeric and red chili powder and mix well. Saute for 2 minutes.

3 Add the chopped spinach to it and mix well. Cook for 3 minutes.

4 Mix the boiled garbanzo beans/ chole and stir in. Add 1/2 a cup of water.

5 Add garam masala and let the curry simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.

6 Top it with some butter and remove from heat.

Serving Tips

Serve warm with any flat bread or rice

Notes

You may add more spinach if you want.

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Malai Methi Mushroom

Some days are so blah ....... And today I can't blame it on the weather like I always do. It was a lovely sunny day, the snow has melted into a small puddle, the neighborhood kids were out playing, people were walking their dogs and basking in the sun ..... everything seemed perfect.

Sigh ! It was not the best day for me ..... sleepless nights (thanks to my office fellas'), tangled hair, puffy eyes and chapped lips, I stood like a nerd on my patio with a blank head staring into infinity.

I wanted to break free .... I finally pulled myself and dusted my walking shoes. I felt a gush of cool air in my lungs. The gentle breeze blew my tangled hair and kissed my lips. My skin soaked in the bright sun after a long winter. It was pure bliss. I walked around aimlessly staring at the majestic Rocky Mountains in the horizon. I pondered how amazing God's creation is and how we ignore the beauty of small things in our daily materialistic lives.

I came back home refreshed and soaked myself in a tub of warm water with few orange peels. It was Valentine Day ..... in fact the day was almost over. I decided to make this mushroom curry for my Mr Valentine !! I wore the Red Dress and it was a cozy dinner for two with some mushy moments @ Apt 355.

Preparation Time 30 minutes

Serves 3

Mushroom - 1 pound

Onion - 1/3 cup chopped

Garlic - 1 large clove

Ginger - 1/2 inch

Tomato Puree - 1 tbsp

Cashew Nuts - 6

Honey - 1 tsp

Milk - 2 cups

Kasuri Methi - 1 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric - 1 pinch

Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp

Tomato Ketchup - 1 tsp

Cinnamon - 1 inch

Cardamon - 1

Bay Leaf - 1

Cumin - 1/3 tsp

Salt per taste

Butter - 1 tsp

Oil for cooking

Method of Preparation

1 Clean Mushrooms, chop and keep aside. Make a fine paste of onion, ginger and garlic without adding much water. Grind cashew and make a paste

2 Heat oil and butter in a kadhai/ wok. When warm add cumin seeds and all the whole garam masala. Add the onion ginger garlic paste, turmeric, red chili powder and salt. Fry till there is no raw smell in the masala and till the masala oozes oil. Now add the tomato puree to it and stir in. You may also use store bought tomato paste. Add the coriander powder and fry for 1 minute.

3 Add the chopped mushrooms to the masala and mix well with the masala. Fry on medium heat till the mushrooms sweat. Add cashew paste, kasuri methi and stir in. Also add honey.

4 Pour milk and let it simmer on medium heat till the gravy reaches a thick consistency. Keep stirring intermittently. Add tomato ketchup.

5 Add garam masala powder and simmer for 2 more minutes before switching off the heat.

Serving Tips

Serve warm with Pulao/ Rice/ Roti etc

Notes

You may also add green peas with the mushroom. Tastes equally great.

Mansha Tarkari aka Mutton Curry

It was a big day at Plot No - 1 Budheswari Colony. Mr Jamai Babu (Son in law) was visiting for the first time after our wedding. Undoubtedly he was the apple of every one's eye. His face dazzled with all the attention he was getting. It was a big fat gathering.

After taking a peek into all the rooms I slipped into one of the quite corners of the house to lie down and rest my tired aching bones. J was surrounded by my Uncles, Aunts and Grandparents. Some visitors from the neighborhood had also barged in to see the new Jamai. Jhumpa, the four year girl from our neighborhood jumped on J's lap without the slightest hesitation and stared at his face as he was doing all the talking. I wondered if J looked like an alien to her.

While I was at solace in my own house J was bombarded with curious questions from everyone. Everybody was eager to know how the Amerikan Jamai was surviving at the far off land.Ironically no body was interested to know what he did for his living in Amerika ..... all they were curious about was food and food alone !

'Do you get fresh fish there ?' was my grandfather's question. 'No only frozen fish', J answered after clearing his choked throat. ' What about our desi vegetables ?' Every question revolved around food. All these just reaffirmed that we Odiyas' live and die for food !! If we know of a big meteorite heading towards earth we will spend all the time cooking and dining !

While the male members of my family kept J entertained, the female members were busy in chopping, grinding and cooking. It was a big deal and there was no stone unturned for this lavish lunch.

And when I say lavish I mean lavish !! The variety of food could easily outnumber the dishes of an restaurant. I could smell an amalgamation of macha besara, chicken curry, mutton jhola , ghanta tarkari, saga badi bhaja , pulao, kheeri, rasgulla and what not.

It was impossible for me to stick to ettiquetes ..... I marched straight into the kitchen, picked up my steel tray ..... mine because it was gifted to me on my naming ceremony and hence belonged to me. Nothing attracted me more than the Mansha Jhola with potatoes dunked in the gravy (Mutton Curry). I took a big serving of the mansha jhola with some pulao and went to the courtyard. I saw J being escorted to the dining area by my grandmother. Mom laid some shiny new steel plates and bowls. J was literally pampered to the extent of spoon feeding. I am sure my kith and kin were sympathizing with the lad for having married me - for cooking was never my cup of tea those days. There were too many people around the table and everyone trying to say something to him. They fed him till he chocked. Perhaps they thought of feeding him so much that it would last till his next visit. And that hopefully we won't complain about my miserable cooking ...... But I quite enjoyed the scene of the 'Jamai Bhojan' sitting under the guava tree in our courtyard under the warm winter Sun, smacking the bowl of mutton curry clean and throwing the bones at my pet cat 'Sundari'.

Preparation Time 45 minutes

Serves - 4

Ingredients

Mutton/ Lamb - 2 pounds

Potato - 1 big diced

2 Medium size Onions finely chopped

Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp

Tomato - 1 small

Curd - 1 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 2 tsp (per taste)

Turmeric Powder - 1.5 tsp

Cumin Powder - 1 tsp

Mutton Curry Powder - 1 tbsp

Cinnamon - 1 inch

Cardamon - 2

Cloves - 5

Whole Black Pepper - 8

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Bay Leaf - 1

Salt per taste

Ghee - 1/2 tsp

Mustard Oil for Cooking (You may use any oil alternatively)

Method of Preparation

1 Wash the mutton and remove moisture from it. Add 1 tsp red chili powder, 1 tsp turmeric powder, curd, salt and marinate. Keep aside for 20-30 minutes.

2 Heat mustard oil in a pan. When hot fry the diced potato till golden brown on all sides. Keep aside.

3 In a pressure cooker add some mustard oil. When warm add all the whole garam masala/ spices including cumin seeds. Add the finely sliced onions to it and saute till the onions are golden brown. You may add a little salt to the onions to cook it faster. Add ginger garlic paste and mix in with the onions. Also add tomatoes, 1 tsp red chili powder and tomatoes. Mix well and cook till the masala is cooked. Add cumin powder and Mutton curry masala and stir in.

4 Add the diced potatoes and marinated mutton pieces to the masala. Fry them mixing well for 10 minutes. Make sure you stir them continuously else the masala will stick to the bottom.

5 Add enough water to cover the mutton and potatoes. Pressure cook for 3 whistles.

6 Remove from heat and let it cool. Open the cooker and add 1/2 tsp of ghee and mix well.

Serving Tips

Serve warm with plain basmati rice/ pulao or any Indian flat bread.

A Bitter Monday ..... Stuffed Karela

So it was Monday morning. The blaring alarm went on until I slipped out of my warm cozy bed to stop it. Blaring because it was no Cuckoo clock but an old mechanical table clock. And believe me the fancy alarms won't work for me .... there are plenty available in the market these days. Bhajans, Instrumentals, and Bollywood filmi song alarm clocks. Yes I can afford one of those. And truly this bulky table clock looks nothing close to being attractive.

My grandmother had given me this 'Khandani' table clock on the day I left to hostel. And I am carrying it wherever I go. Call me an emotional fool if you like so ..... but that is the truth. My weekdays start with the alarm. And somehow I have a strong bonding with the clock.

This was no special Monday ..... I woke up trying to reach out the alarm clock. Baiji (My Cook)had arrived. Baiji was in her mid forties. She would be there dot on time every morning. Her starched cotton saree would be neatly wrapped with the pleats perfectly in place, her coconut oil smeared hair combed with a Malli Phula Gajra (Jasmine flower garland). She would smell like Lux soap. It was monday morning for her too and she was as usual grumbling at me for not stocking up the fridge with vegetables even after a weekend. I heard her chop the vegetables, her glass bangles made a nice jingle ..... she was cooking at an electrifying speed. Breakfast and Lunch had to be done in an hours time. The only reason I engaged her inspite of she trying to boss me and her frequent grumbling sessions was her food. Baiji was an amazing cook ..... unlike others she would cook with love. Everyday she would walk me up to the bus stop before going to the other houses.

As she handed me a neatly packed lunch box ..... 'Karela' she said with an evil smile. She knew my dislike for that vegetable. And it was sweet revenge for her for not stocking up the vegetables or getting the much needed grocery on time.

I was getting late for the bus and it was just not the time to worry about Karela or anything. All I was focused on was hopping on the bus and take a nap before reaching office.

Like always I saw many confused and sleepy faces in the bus and at office too. Half the day passed away talking about weekend. It was time for lunch ..... I opened my lunch box with with no enthusiasm at all .... and there was no one to blame. The stuffed karela's stared at me .... I preferred to exchange my lunch box with Saloni. Her mom had packed some amazing alu parathas. And she snatched mine .... yaaa she loved Karelas. She ate the first one and insisted on me trying one. The bitter truth was I loved it too. It was love at first bite !

So it was Monday again but the alarm didn't go off. I made these cute stuffed karelas remembering Baiji and thanking her for making my bitter monday a sweet one.

Ingredients

Small Karelas/ Bitter Gourd - 8 nos

Mashed Potato - 1/2 cup

Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp

Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp

Amchur Powder/ Dry mango powder - 1 big pinch

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

Method of Preparation

1 Scrape the Karelas/ bitter gourd lightly. Make a slit. Take water in a microwavable bowl. Add some salt to it. Dip the karelas/bitter gourd and microwave it for 3-4 minutes till they are soft. You may also boil it if you do not have a microwave. Remove from water andsqueeze it dry. Remove the seeds.

2 To the mashed potato add the dry masala and mix well. Add salt per taste.

3 Now stuff the masala into the karelas/bitter gourd.

4 Add some oil on a tawa/pan. When hot fry the karela/ bitter gourd. Fry on all sides till cooked. You may also opt to shallow fry it. But I prefer the tawa version as it is less oily.

Serving Tips

Serve warm with Rice