Green Squash in Peanuts-Sesame gravy

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This space has been quiet for almost 3 weeks now. Behind the scenes my days were filled with babbles from the little one's baby talk and laughter.Overall life is moving at a steady place. Or so it seems on the outside.

But what about the mind, the heart ? Are they at peace ? My mind has been wandering like a stream of water flowing down a cliff. Finding its ways through whatever little space it finds between the rocks. I am filled with thoughts from the past, the present and the future. Several times during the day I find myself at the same place where mom was almost three decades ago. It seems I have stepped into her shoes and seeing the life as she has seen it. My then innocent mind failed to understand so many things she said to me, things she asked me to do. But I can justify all of them so much today. 

Mom always cooks  simple meals using fresh vegetables and essential pantry ingredients. Not very fancy and exotic but rather simple and homely. With her own unique touch. 

This squash curry with peanuts and sesame gravy would be something that mom would definitely like in her repertoire. Its devoid of hot spices and ginger-garlic(satvik) but still tastes divine.

Squash in Peanuts and Sesame gravy

(Source: 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer)

To make into a dry paste/powder:

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tbsp coconut  flakes (dry)

2 green chillies or dry red chillies

1 tsp cumin seeds

Fry above ingredients lightly.Set aside

1 tbsp tamarind paste / or water from a quarter sized ball of tamarind)

1 tbsp peanuts

1 big green squash ( hara kaddu )

1 tsp turmeric 

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp chilli powder

3-4 curry leaves

salt to taste

oil as required

• Grind the sesame-coconut mixture with the peanuts to make a fine powder. Add the tamarind extract and make a thick paste. Do not add water.
• Over hot oil combine the cumin and mustard seeds.Add the curry leaves and the turmeric. 
• Quickly add half of the sesame-peanut mixture and saute for 10s. 
• Add the squash pieces and mix everything till the squash is coated with the powder. 
• Add the rest of the powder. Add 1/2 C water and allow the cover to allow the squash to cook.
• This will take around 10min.
• Once the squash pieces are tender , add salt and adjust consistency of the gravy.Add chilli powder if  required.
• After the curry boils switch off and serve with rotis/rice.

We were surprised how a curry without the usual garam-masala and ginger-garlic taste so very flavorful. We had it with rotis for a satisfying weekend lunch.

Gajar,Gobhi Aur Shalgam ka saag

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Weekdays for me are spent meeting one time deadline after another. As the clock strikes 7AM the race begins. Every now and then I look at the red clock in our living room to ensure I am not running very late. Do I have enough time for breakfast ? Ohh how is the traffic today. What do i make for dinner ? and the questions in my mind just continue.
So I simply love long weekends like the these. No early morning rush. A few minutes more in the cozy bed wont hurt. And no struggle to wake up our toddler too. He can sleep as long as he feels like.
I love celebrating these days by treating ourselves to some indian breakfast. Pohe, upma, idlis and sometimes even cinnamon toast are usually on the menu on weekends. And add to that a cup of masala chai or even adrakwali chai. And breakfast is served right !!

However on the menu today is a curry that can be served at a homey lunch.I saw this recipe on zee tv 's khana khazana last week or so. It looked simple but an intresting composition. Just a few spices like cumin, ginger and turmeric complement the sweetness of the root vegetables. We had it with rotis for a filling weekend lunch.

Gajar, Gobhi Aur Shalgam ka Saag

(Recipe from sanjeevkapoor.com) 

What's needed :

2 medium carrots diced

1 turnip or daikon root grated ( can be replaced with 2 to 3 red radishes also)

1 of cauliflower grated

1 medium onion finely chopped

1 tbsp ginger

3 green chillies cut into 3 to 4 pieces

1 tsp turmeric

2 tsp cumin

salt to taste

oil to saute

1. Over medium heat combine the oil and cumin and wait till the seeds sizzle.

2. Then add the onion, turmeric and saute till translucent.

3. Then add the green chillies, ginger and the vegetables.

4. Add 1/4 C water and cover and cook till vegetables are tender.

5. Add salt and mix in a handful of cilantro. 

6. Taste and add more seasoning if required.

5. Serve with warm rotis. 

This tasted really good. I love that the saag uses so much of the fresh produce readily available during summer. And its super-easy isnt it ??

Have a great week ahead !!

A week's trip to Seattle

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We were there for a week and the city captivated us with its pleasant weather and natural beauty.The cool weather, the numerous lakes, thick green forests, snow capped mountains,walking trails, good food and wine -there's so much that this place has to offer that 6 days seemed too short a time.

The city has several small farmers market. A  treat for food lovers like me. We feasted on fresh fruits something we missed at Houston.

And a visit to the winery was certainly not to be skipped.  

We spent a lot of time with family and friends some of whom I met after almost 5 years.

A life's worth of memories made.

Have a great week ahead !!

Celebrating 6 years of togetherness

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Its been exactly 6 years since Vijay and myself tied the knot. I still remember that bright sunny day, the decorated venue , the colorful sarees and so many little things from the ceremony. I had mixed feelings of anxiety, joy coupled with lots of curiosity as to what my life would be after that day. They were the feelings of every young girl, about to step from a carefree world to a world of responsibilities.

But am happy - for what the last 6 years have offered us. They were eventful in many ways.We moved around a few places, changed jobs and finally settled down here in Houston.

Life rewarded us with a whole lot of good friends who have been so very kind to us. And last but not the least Aamod entered our lives.

Hope the next six years are full of more good times, and then the next six and the next six.........

Organizing 101

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After all the boring de-cluttering its time to move on to something interesting.

Organizing - Assigning everything a rightful place in the house. A close friend taught me - Organizing does not have to be expensive.Yes, it can be tricky. But with some tips to start off you will be a pro in no time.

And remember the tasklist I told you about.Its made on this little dry erase board. A find at walgreens.Its a great investment for busy people. I saw this at a friend's place and loved it.

Toys 

Next came the toys. Aamod has several sets of legos, puzzles that he loves to play with. I store each of these sets in 2Gallon or jumbo sized zip lock bags. 

These are then be put away into a large plastic box. So far its worked out well for him. He loves opening and closing the zip locks  and even puts them away when he's done with them. Overall he seems quite happy about this arrangement. Who knew ?

I also sorted the toys by type. For instance the balls were together so were the other miscellaneous smaller toys. You dont have to buy pretty containers for that. Use what you have. Like I used this tall plastic box that serves the purpose.

 Extra clothes 

I stored Aamod's extra clothing into storage bags that I got from dollar store. They are not super quality but they do the job well. Am sure other stores would carry them in better quality.

You see the box on the left. It holds all the party supplies leftover from Aamod's birthday party. The top shelf of closets is perfect for items such as these that are sparingly used.

Shoes 

We had several pairs of shoes occupying the floor of our shoes and jacket closet. This hanging shelf uses the vertical space to store all our shoes. Now the floor can be used to store other things like vaccum cleaners, strollers etc.

Another great alternative is to use an over the door shoe organizer. You dont have to use this organizer for shoes. Check out where all you can use it here - 10 things to store in shoe organizer.

Going Green

We have also dropped the grocery store plastic bags and switched to cloth bags. A set of 5 bags from walmart cost about $2.50. They are more than enough for our family of 3.

This frees up the space under the sink where we trash all the polythenes. And we all feel good about it too. I keep them in the car and its only a matter of habit to remember to take them along.

Refrigerator Baskets

I got one of these from walmart and the steel one from Goodwill store for $1.50. 

These are especially useful if you have lot of frozen stuff that falls off when you open the freezer door. Avoids serious accidents when you have little ones running around. 

Basket,Bins and Totes

These are a great organizing tool. Get pretty ones for the outside such as in the living room and dollar store ones where you just want some organizing, like this one under the sink.

 

It stores all the items for cleaning. They can hold a lot of stuff and still look great. 

This red one cost me 7 bucks at HomeGoods and was on sale that day.So be sure to invest wisely. 

Canvas Totes or baskets are great for clothes. Walmart, Biglots carry them for a reasonable price.They are light and look great too. Be sure to choose colors that match the rest of the room. Use separate color totes for multiple kids.

Reorganizing

I had a dresser in my hall to hold stuff like stationary, bills etc. I now use it to hold Aamod's clothes. Some clever reorganizing frees up space and makes full use of existing furnuture. Same goes for book racks, cubes etc.

The crux here is to keep is to group items together. For instance this narrow shelf in our bathroom that holds personal items.

And this is defintely not all. I am sure there are lots of ideas out there. And it all depends on personal taste and habits. As for me , I still have lots to work on.

And finally...

Your house is your home - a special place to call your own. Its a place where you can be yourself and so can the kids. So do not be too finicky about the arrangement.After all your home is not a model home. Things will scatter and messes will be made. Be prepared to readjust and revisit as per personal preference. And ofcourse do not stress out too much.

Where we love is home - home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts. 

 ~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

A big thank you to my friends D,A,Z for all the inspiration and motivation. You all know who you are and I love you a lot !!

Drop me a comment if you have questions, comments or more advice for me. I would love to hear from you.

Mission Decluttering

Pin It Now! For the past few weeks I have been actively de-cluttering and organizing my home. On the way, I taught myself a whole lot of new things. It was tiring but a lot of fun, and utterly satisfying. These are some of my lessons learned that may help some of you in your next organizing project.

My goal was to make my home - neat,spacious and definitely more organized.

The first step was to ask myself questions- lots of them.What do I want to change ? What is creating the clutter ? I looked around and the answers came right back.

There were lots of things that needed de-cluttering. For instance, Aamod's toys. So many were broken and not used. I donated a big bag of them and trashed several. I now have only the toys that I want to keep. Less stuff to keep means more space and easy organizing.Ditto with shoes,clothes,zip lock containers etc.Closet and cabinet space is precious real estate that should be wisely used.

I cannot stress how important this step has been. In fact I plan to do it every few months. If I cannot decide if something needed to go or stay I follow the 3-6 month rule. I store it away and if I do not recall or use it for 3-6 months I probably do not need it.

Another trick I learned is to start with small spaces and small projects. I am a working mom and I can only devote so much time to my home. I planned to do a few tasks( may be 2 or 3 small ones) every weekend. That way I do not stress out and lose out on the fun. Make a task list and target it over a few weeks.

I also realized that its not easy to let go of things. Specially toys, clothes - that have been so fondly bought and even gifted.But believe me when you see your clean, organized home it will be all worth it.

Coming up next - are clever ideas to organize your home. Don't head to the IKEA store unless you read this.And this one will be a picture post, I promise.

Rajasthani Panchmel Dal

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 You know what I got on mother's day ? This... 

And for someone who never expected this, it came as a very pleasant surprise.

As mothers we know that we are being appreciated and loved, but its nice to see the feelings being expressed.

Needless to say I was deeply touched.

Coming back to the recipe of the day. This Rajasthani Panchmel dal is mixture of 5 dals ( though I only used 4 to make this..lol). Its cooked in fragrant spices and then tempered to give a nice smoky flavor. This recipe was a great find as its perfect for daily dinner rotation.

Rajasthani Panchmel Dal

(Inspired from this recipe on MharoRajasthanrecipes.com)

What's needed :

2 tbsp each of toor dal,masoor dal,mung dal,chana dal and green whole mung dal ( i did not have the last one)

1/2 medium onion finely chopped

1 tomato roughly chopped

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

2 tsp cumin powder

2 tsp coriander powder

2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp or more of chilli powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

salt to taste

For the tempering

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 or 2 dry red chillies or green chillies

oil as required

How To:

• Soak all the dals for at least 10mins and set aside.
• Over hot oil combine the ginger-garlic paste and the chopped onion until onion is soft. 
• Add the tomatoes and the dry powders. Saute till the mixture is fragrant and leaves oil.
• Add the dal plus 5C of water. Allow the dals to cook. This may take around 30min.
• Optionally you can transfer mixture to a a pressure cooker or rice cooker to speed up the process.
• Once the dal is cooked, over hot oil combine the ingredients of tempering and add it to the cooked dal.
• Add salt and taste. 
• Serve with rice , rotis or like I did with dosas.

"This is the only dal you should make" was Vijay's remark. We all love thick and hearty stews.

But like I said this is a very hearty dal with bursts of spice, since the dals are cooked with the spices. Hearty and smooth because of the heavy dals like chana dal and toor dal. A perfect accompaniment to any meal and also to the rava dosas I made this weekend.

Have a great weekend !!

Brown Rice and Mushroom Burgers

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These brown rice burgers are so good that you would forget every other veggie burger you've had so far. No, Really !! Actually I made almost 12 of them a few weeks back and we finished all of them in a matter of week. They stay so well in the fridge and are great for snacking and as a meal. 

 

 I accidentally overcooked my brown rice the other day resulting in rice that was mushy and sticky. I get my short grain brown rice from Whole Foods in the Bins section. But I have seen it many kroger stores also.

 Wondering what to do with it I looked on the internet for inspiration. Found this recipe. We loved it from the very first bite. 

I made them again to take them out for a picnic at the park. 

Brown Rice and Mushroom Burgers

(Inspired from this recipe on ecurry)

1 C cooked brown rice ( 1/2 C uncooked short grain brown rice )

4-5 mushrooms chopped

4 tbsp coursely crushed almonds/almond meal/ crushed walnuts

2 cloves of garlic minced

1/2 medium onion finely chopped

1 tsp red chilli flakes

2 tbsp sricha sauce or your favorite hot sauce

sooji/cornmeal/breadcrumbs as required

salt to taste

oil as required

• Cook the brown rice with 2C of water (1:4 ratio of brown rice to water). This will yield sticky and mushy brown rice since this is the main binding agent. Allow to cool and set aside.
• Over medium heat combine the garlic, onion and cook till onion browns up. Add the red chilli flakes and black pepper.
• Then add the mushrooms. Cook on high heat till the moisture dries up and mixture is dry and lumpy.Set aside.
• In another bowl combine the rice and the crushed nuts, sricha sauce and salt. Add the mushroom mixture.
• Combine everything and refrigerate the mixture for 20 min.
• After 20 min. form the mixture into patties. If the mixture is dry add a tsp of water or mix it with wet hands. Wet hands will also ensure that mixture does not stick to your hands.
• Roll the patties in sooji/cornmeal/breadcrumbs and shallow fry till golden brown and crispy.
• Assemble into a burger or have them on their own.

 These are very filling and really addicting. The brown rice is all nutty and crispy. Like I said these can be made ahead and refrigerated for a week at least. Do not skip the nuts. They are the little bites that add to the texture. 

I served them with some chipotle mayo. Its just chipotle in adobos combined with mayo. Really good !! Your favorite dip would work too,

Serve with some salad and lemon wedge for a complete meal.

Panchphoran Aloo

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Indulgence for some is having a pedicure, for some it is a piece of dark chocolate and for others it might be a branded pair of jeans. My indulgence is shoes - not just any shoes, but a comfortable, trendy pair of my favorite brand. What is your indulgence ?

Panchphoran is a magical mixture of seeds - aromatic and full of flavor. To create this mix equal parts of mustard , cumin, methi ,fennel seeds and another spice called radhuni. Radhuni is not easily available here so I omitted it.

I made this simple but flavorful aloo sabzi this weekend. I tasted it at a potluck party and loved it. Thank you dear Z for such a tasty recipe.

Panchphoran Aloo

What's needed :

3 medium potatoes cooked chopped ( can use whole baby potatoes too)

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

2 dry red chillies

1 green chilly

2 tsp cumin powder

2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp chilli powder

3 tbsp oil

1/2 an onion sliced thinly

2 tbsp thick yogurt

salt to taste

For the panchphoran tempering :

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp panchphoran

3 tbsp oil

Cilantro to garnish

1 tbsp garam masala

• Over medium heat combine the oil,green chilly,dry red chillies and ginger garlic paste.Then add the onions and saute till soft. 
• Then add the spices - cumin,coriander,chilly and turmeric powder. If mixture becomes too dry add 3-4 tbsp of water.
• Add the potatoes and coat them with the spice mixture.Add 5-6 tbsp of water to thin out the gravy.
• Do not add too much water at once. 
• Lower the heat. Smooth the yogurt and add some of the gravy to it and add this to the gravy.
• Add salt, pinch of sugar and allow to come to a gentle boil. 
• The gravy will thicken slightly.Taste and add more seasoning if necessary.

For the tempering:

• In hot oil add the panchphoran and allow the seeds to sizzle. 
• Add this to the potato mixture along with the garam masala and the cilantro. Mix well.
• Serve hot with rotis.

Chicken in Chilli-Cilantro Gravy

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Yes,yours truly was the second one to celebrate her birthday last week. But somehow my birthday was overshadowed by the celebrations we had for Aamod. In fact I did not realize it was my birthday. There was none of that "Its my birthday today" feeling either.

But no complaints as I celebrated the day being close to my loved ones and I did have a great day after all. 

And for all you friends who left birthday wishes for me on facebook, email etc. THANK YOU !!  You all know who you are and I am so grateful for being a part of your life and you being a part of mine

 So like I said I do not have any cake for you but a curry, full of fresh flavors, that you can enjoy on a relaxed weekend with family or with friends. Its healthy and flavorful and it wont make you feel guilty.

Chicken in Chilli-Cilantro Gravy

(Adapted from this recipe on eCurry)

For the cilantro chutney :

2 C cilantro (tender stems only) washed and set aside

3 cloves of garlic

3 green chillies

1 tsp cumin seeds

salt to taste

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp water

Marinate the chicken with:

2-3 tsp lemon juice

salt to taste

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp chilli powder

1C chicken breasts cubed

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp crushed red chillies or use dry red chillies

1 tsp crushed black pepper

1 medium onion chopped

1.5 tomato grated or blended in processor

2 tsp thick yogurt

1 tsp ginger paste

6-7 tblsp of olive oil

• Marinate the chicken overnight or for an hour at least.
• Blend ingredients for the chutney till smooth.
• In a kadai heat the oil and add the crushed red chillies , pepper. After a few seconds add the cumin seeds.
• Once the seeds sizzle add the onion and allow to brown on medium-high heat. Add 1 tsp sugar to this.
• Add the marinated chicken to this and let it brown . Do not move it for a few minutes at least.
• You will see the oil leaving the sides. Now toss it around.
• Add the tomatoes, ginger paste and 3-4 tbsp of chutney.Combine everything very well. Add water to make a thinner gravy.
• Taste and season with salt.
• Cover and simmer.Let cook for 10 min till chicken is cooked.
• After 10min add 2 tbsp of gravy to the yogurt and whisk it till smooth. Add this to the mixture. Lower flame and allow to come to a gentle boil. This allows the oil to resurface.
• Garnish with slivered ginger.Serve with rotis/rice.

The original recipe calls for 1/4 C coconut milk that I replaced with thick yogurt. But you can surely use it for a more richer gravy. The gravy is itself full of fresh flavors from cilantro,ginger and green chillies.So you can easily use the same gravy for paneer,potato or even eggs. 

Happy Birthday Aamod

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Yes, you guessed it. Our little one turns two (or "tow-ouuu" as he says) this week. Thank you for the early birthday wishes.

Happy Birthday dear Aamod. We feel blessed to have you amidst us. 

You have taught us what being a parent is all about. We love you to bits son !!

-Suparna and Vijay

Misal

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Misal  is one of the most popular fast foods in the western region of Maharashtra. The name "Misal" literally translates to a "mixture". And a mixture of all the goods things it is. One serving of Misal includes -A bowl containing a mixture of crispy chivda, spicy farsan and dry potato curry topped with chopped onion,sev,cilantro served with another bowl of spicy sprouts curry. And if this does not fill you up you can certainly have some bread to be dunked in the curry.

Like most indian recipes there are a hundred different recipes for misal. Though this dish can be easily assembled at home its still is one of the restaurant favorites. In Pune (the place I come from) a couple of family owned resturants like Bedekar, Shrikrishma, Shree,Vaidya have been consistently serving misal for the last 50 years.May be more...

Source - here                                                        

Misal invokes so many memories of my hometown - the cold weather, crowded places and fiery curry.

 The joints open for business at around 7AM in the morning. And its a full house by 9 AM or so. The place is small around 10X12ft may be , but the flavor is big and bold. The ambiance is provided by the aroma of spices, shaky chairs and by the guests, chomping down the misal with much appetitie.

On most weekends my sister and I would hop on to a bike to one of the misal joints.Soon we are greeted by the long queues and the aroma of spices sizzling in hot oil. Then after what seemed like a long wait our steel container would be returned with steaming hot curry and a few packets of the mixture."Kanda limbu dila aahe naa ?" (Have you given the chopped onion and the lemon slices)  my sister would confirm..And then we would ride back at full speed.

 Baba (dad in marathi) is a big fan of misal. Its a food very close to his heart.Everyone else too had their own favorites and  strong opinions.

The best part is there is no strict recipe so depending on what you mix you make a new version each time.

Here in US I make my own version that is slightly different than the original recipe. But its sooo good. All my friends have loved it.Which is one reason why I am blogging about it. Hope you like it too.

Enough said, lets move on to the recipe :-

Misal

( My family's recipe )

To prepare the misal you need :-

Potato masala ( recipe below)

Matki usal (recipe below)

Amti/Sambar/Dal ( recipe below)

Chivda (recipe here)

Sev 

2C of farsan ( I use the hot mix brand)

1 red onion finely chopped

a bunch cilantro chopped

lemon slices

Mix 2 parts of chivda to 1 part of potato masal,matki usal and farsan. 

Add a handful of chopped onion and cilantro. Squeeze some lemon over it.

Mix everything nicely. 

Garnish with cilantro,onion,sev and serve immediately with a bowl of steaming hot sambar.

You can use your choice of chivda, farsan and sev. What I have given is a rough proportion for the mixture. Increase or decrease the ingredients depending on how you want it to be.

I would surely advise to mix everything a few minutes before serving as it tends to lose its crunch because of the moisture. The best way to enjoy it is to pour 1/2 a bowl of sambar over the mixture and use the rest for dunking bread. 

For the potato masala :-

1 large red/white potato cooked until soft ( Microwave 3 min after piercing it a few times) ,chopped

1/2 an onion sliced

1/4 tomato chopped

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp turmeric

pinch of sugar and squeeze of lemon

1 green chilly chopped

salt and oil as required

In hot oil combine the mustard seeds, turmeric, green chillies and the onion. Saute till the onion is soft. 

Add the potatoes, salt,sugar,lemon juice and tomato. 

Mix and cook covered for 2 min. Add cilantro and set aside.

For the Matki usal :-

1C of moth/,matki sprouted and cooked until soft

(1/2 C of unsprouted moth will yield a cup of sprouted moth. Pressure cook with salt until the whistle is just about to blow  . Else they will be all mushy)

1/2 onion chopped

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp chilli powder

salt and oil as required

Over medium heat combine the onion,turmeric and the chilli powder.

When onion is soft add the cooked moth.

Mix and then taste. Add salt if required, since you already added salt while cooking the moth so not much may be required.

Add a bit of water if the mixture becomes too dry. Set aside.

For the Amti ( also called dal or sambhar) :-

1/2 C toor dal pressure cooked with turmeric and hing

1/2 tomato chopped

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp sambhar powder

salt and oil as required

Over medium heat combine the mustard seeds, tomato ,sambhar and chilli powder.

Add the cooked dal and salt. Mix well.

Add water to get a thin consistency.

Get up to a boil and keep warm until ready to serve.

Food that makes everyone happy and gets everyone together.That's what home cooking is all about.

And two very special people will be celebrating their birthday this week. Guess who ??