LIFE IS BEST FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO LIVE IT, TO HAVE A SPECIAL FRIENDSHIP SOME PEOPLE WON'T BELIEVE IN YOU; SOME PEOPLE WILL BE JEALOUS OF YOU; I'LL ALWAYS BELIEVE IN YOU I'LL ALWAYS CHEER FOR YOU; NO SHADOW TO DEPRESS YOU ONLY JOY TO SURROUND YOU MANY FRIENDS TO LOVE YOU GOD HIMSELF TO BLESS YOU THESE ARE MY WISHES FOR YOU TODAY, TOMARROW , AND EVERY DAY TO YOU SWEET THINGS ARE EASY 2 BUY,
LIFE IS DIFFICULT FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO ANALYZE IT,
LIFE IS WORST FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO CRITICIZE IT,
OUR ATTITUDE DEFINES LIFE...
ENJOY YOUR LIFE,
LAUGH SO HARD THAT EVEN SORROW SMILES AT YOU,
LIVE LIFE SO WELL THAT EVEN DEATH LOVES TO SEE YOU ALIVE,
FIGHT SO HARD THAT EVEN FATE ACCEPTS ITS DEFEAT...
IS SUCH A WONDERFUL THING,
JOY, HAPPINESS AND LAUGHTER
AREN'T ALL THAT IT WILL BRING.
ALONG WITH IT WILL COME SADNESS,
SORROW AND PAIN,
BUT HAVING SPECIAL FRIENDS
CAN MAKE YOU SMILE AGAIN.
SPECIAL FRIENDS WILL HUG AND COMFORT YOU
IN YOUR HOUR OF NEED,
THEY TAKE YOU BY THE HAND AND GUIDE YOU,
SOMETIMES TAKE THE LEAD.
THEY WON'T ENCOURAGE YOU
TO FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS,
BUT YOU MUST ALWAYS BELIEVE IN YOU,
NO MATTER HOW LONG THE JOURNEY
AHEAD SEEMS.
THEIR WORDS WILL BE SHARP AND UNKIND,
BUT YOU MUST CLOSE YOUR EARS
TO SUCH WORDS,
AND NEVER ALLOW THEM TO CHANGE
YOUR DIRECTION OR YOUR MIND.
AND ENCOURAGE YOU
TO FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS,
AND I'LL TRY MY BEST TO SHOW YOU
THAT THE ROAD IS NEVER
AS LONG AS IT SEEMS.
MY WORDS WILL BE WARM AND KIND,
BECAUSE I TRULY TREASURE YOU.
YOU OWN A PART OF MY HEART,
AND YOU'RE ALWAYS ON MY MIND.
BUT SWEET PEOPLE ARE DIFFICULT TO FIND.
LIFE ENDS WHEN U STOP DREAMING, HOPE ENDS WHEN U STOP BELIEVING,
LOVE ENDS WHEN U STOP CARING,
FRIENDSHIP ENDS WHEN U STOP SHARING.
SO SHARE THIS WITH WHOM EVER U CONSIDER A FRIEND.
TO LOVE WITHOUT CONDITION... ......... .........
TO TALK WITHOUT INTENTION... ......
TO GIVE WITHOUT REASON...... ......
AND TO CARE WITHOUT EXPECTATION. ......IS THE HEART OF A TRUE
FRIEND.......
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Thursday, December 31, 2009
WISH YOU ALL HAPPY AND PROPEROUS NEW YEAR
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Celeb Cook-in Archana Puran Singh Actor
Archana Puran Singh's spaghetti in cream sauceMY FAVOURITE DISH I "I love Italian food, it's my favourite. I especially enjoy eating Alli Olio pasta." I LIKE TO EAT AT I "Personally, I like experimenting with new cuisines at different places. One of the most romantic places, where I look forward to having a good meal, is Mangii Ferra at Juhu, Mumbai. Dining should always be a fantasy-like experience. I love their spaghetti." BEST MEAL I'VE EVER HAD: I "During one of our visits to London, my husband Parmeet and I visited Café Bruno on Wardour Street, near Oxford Street. The food there was awesome. It was indeed one of my most memorable meals.'' MY FAVOURED CUISINE: I "My favourite cuisine is Italian, though I love trying new cuisines when I'm travelling to exotic locations.'' NON-FOOD PASSIONS: I "I'm very fond of travelling and reading." MY FAVOURITE RECIPE I "One dish I simply enjoy is spaghetti in cream sauce with spinach, its creamy taste is something which everyone enjoys. It's quick and easy to make." INGREDIENTS I Spaghetti (boiled): 160 gm I Fresh cream: 180 ml I Spinach leaf: 80 gm I Olive oil: 1 tbsp I Chopped garlic: 1/2 tsp I Chopped onion: 1/2 tsp I Salt: 1/2 tsp I Fresh basil: 2 gm I Grated parmesan cheese: 25 gm I Butter: 1 tsp METHOD I Heat saucepan and add olive oil and chopped garlic and onion. I Saute' garlic-onion lightly and add fresh cream till thick. I Then add boiled spaghetti, toss it in cream. I Add trim and washed shredded spinach leaves. I Finish with grated parmesan cheese, fresh basil and butter. I Add salt as per taste and serve immediately. I Garnish with parmesan cheese and sprig of fresh parsley.   Chef Dev Singh Negi, executive chef at Mangii Ferra, Mumbai, serves Archana Puran Singh's spaghetti  |
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
TIMES FOOD GUIDE
Your lemonade for the day
"When life hands you lemons, make nimbu paani" reads the sms from my friend Arun Agarwal (of Bachelor Juice centre at Chowpatty.) His daily sms (for the past several years) has been helping me make nimbu paani and thanking God for making my life into a series of eclectic buddies and miracles punctuated by great meals and continuing education. Having done my masters in business management, law and journalism, I am now revelling not just in culinary education but also in all else that I learn at the table. Like artistic hairstyling and literary masterpieces today. So what if my waistline expands? So do my horizons. I am constantly learning.
Especially, from Siddharth Dhanvant Sanghvi my brat buddy whose novel, The Lost Flamingoes of Bombay was one of this year's biggest hits. Super-stylist Natasha Sara has styled him for several international shoots. With her magical scissors, the vivacious, slim Natasha not only transforms her clients' looks but also the way they feel about themselves. No wonder she calls her brand new vibrant Versova hair studio 'Trance by Nats'. Both are discerning foodies with a great sense of style. Together, we check out Juhu's latest Novotel's Mediterranean restaurant.
OLIO
As a continuing part of my learning curve, I learn that though 'Olio' means oil in Italian, it also denotes 'hodge podge' in English. Which one were they referring to here? I ate twice over here. And each time there was only one other table that is occupied. The service is attentive. While on our first visit, the soulless lobby and passage of Novotel was leaky, a fortnight later it looks much better. The glass walls of the large cheerful restaurant peel away to reveal a charming sea and pool side view. And the menu enlarges ambitiously to include everything from Tagine and Shish Taouk to Pizza and Pasta.
On my second unannounced meal here, I learn that the dapper Heinz Egli, (chef-turned general manager who has conceptualised the entire restaurant) insists on all being done with 'love and feelings' (the words chalked on the blackboard of 'Daily Specials here).
Love and feelings obviously infuse every detail. From the embroidered olive napkins, tomato print charger plates to the Mediterranean jazz. Yummy and well-made complimentary dips on the table (Harissa, Tahina, Pesto). The garlic laced Hummus is a delight and sends our expectations soaring. While the al dente Pasta Peperoncino with it's chilli bite is almost perfect, the Sheesh Taouk (though well presented on a skewer) could do with more flavour ("Chewy and sinewy" observes Siddharth). The Pizza with Gorgonzola disappoints as the Italian cheese doesn't even whisper through it. Even the Linguini Tartufo bianco, lacks the flavour of Truffle. Lackluster Tagine. Go for Loubeb Zeith (green beans,) and Chorizo for robust garlicky flavours. End with Chilli Chocolate Mousse (if you like to combine those two flavours, I do) skip Laylas cake (a sticky pudding in a bowl.)
Finally, the wine list is sketchy though it does take in it's sweep some very good ones. (Meal per head Rs 1,500 to 3,000). Not enough veggie dishes, too many cuisines from the Mediterranean and not enough excellence in raw ingredients. I ask for olive oil on my table and a musty bottle of mediocre oil is served up.
For all its glimmer and good intentions, Olio falters somewhat, but it makes a good start. As Siddharth observes 'I was born with a bad hair day and I need Natasha's magic fingers to sort me out'. With a little bit of similar trimming and shaping, the bonny new arrival Olio has the similar makings of success of our literary rockstar.
OLIO
Novotel, Balaraj Sahni Marg, Juhu Beach. Ph 66934444. 12.30 to 3pm, 7-30 to 11.30pm RATING FOOD 3 SERVICE 3.5 DÉCOR 3.5
Saturday, June 27, 2009
URBAN WRAPSODY
Don't waste last night's roti. Use these yum fillings and make a wrap instead
(Inputs from Chef Nilesh Dangwal and Chef Ajit Yadav of Weli Deli, at Taj Wellington Mews) —COORDINATED BY SONAL VED
INGREDIENTS
100 gm cabbage (julienne), ½ tin baked beans, 4 garlic (chopped), 10 gm parsley (chopped), 5 gm pepper, salt to taste, tbs olive oil
METHOD
Heat olive oil in pan and sauté the garlic. Add cabbage and toss on a high flame for a few seconds. Add baked beans and season with salt, pepper and parsley. Roll in the chapatti and serve.
INGREDIENTS
1 capsicum (julienne), 1 red bell pepper (julienne), 1 yellow bell pepper (julienne), 5 gm rosemary, 10 gm fresh thyme, 10 gm parsley, salt and pepper to taste
METHOD
Mix the bell peppers with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place it in an oven for 10-15 minutes. Remove and sprinkle the herbs on the bell peppers. Wrap in a chapatti and serve.
INGREDIENTS
100 gm American corn (boiled), ½ bunch spinach leaves (chopped), salt to taste, 100 gm cheddar cheese, 5 gm pepper powder
METHOD
Heat oil in a pan and sauté garlic. Add spinach and cook till it becomes soft. Mix corn and toss the mixture well. Season it with salt and pepper. Add cheese to the corn and spinach mix and let it melt. Roll in a chapatti and serve.
INGREDIENTS
100 gm paneer, 20 gm cheddar cheese, 1 onion and tomato ( both chopped), 10 gm coriander leaves, 5 gm turmeric powder, 10 gm red chilli powder, 10 gm garam masala powder, salt to taste, 1 tbsp olive oil
METHOD
Heat olive oil in non-stick pan. Add onions. Mix in tomatoes when onions turn golden brown. Add turmeric, red chilli powder, cheese and paneer. Season with salt and garam masala. Mix well. Garnish with coriander and wrap it in your chapatti. Serve.
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Sunday, June 21, 2009
Watermelon recipes
21 Jun 2009, 0800 hrs IST | |||||||
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| The taste of watermelon helps you freshen up. Get these quick recipes to cool you off this
WATERMELON CAKE Ingredients 1 (2-layer package) white cake mix 1 small package mixed fruit gelatin powder 1-1/3 cups seedless watermelon cut from the centre 1-inch blocks 3 egg whites 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 cup miniature chocolate chips, optional Frosting 1/4 cup watermelon juice 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature l 2 cups powdered sugar l 2 (3-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature l 2 to 3 drops red food colouring, optional l 1/8 cup miniature chocolate chips, optional Method 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch cake pan. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together cake mix and gelatin powder until combined. Set aside. 3. In a large bowl, beat watermelon, egg whites, and vegetable oil until smooth. Add dry ingredients, half at a time, and mix until well-blended. Fold in chocolate chips, if using. 4. Pour into prepared pan and bake about 35 minutes until toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool to room temperature before frosting. 5. For the frosting, blend watermelon juice, butter, powdered sugar, and cream cheese until combined and fluffy. Add food colouring. Frost cooled cake. 6. Place chocolate chips sporadically around the cake to simulate seeds. Refrigerate to set frosting. Remove from refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving. SPICED WATERMELON HONEY Ingredients 3 pieces of whole dried gingerroot 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves 2 whole cinnamon sticks 3 pounds watermelon rind 1 cup water 6 cups granulated white sugar 3 lemon slices 1/4 teaspoon salt Method 1. Place ginger, cloves, and cinnamon sticks in a double layer of cheesecloth. Tie ends into a spice bag. Set aside. 2. Peel the dark green skin. Coarsely chop watermelon and place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process until the watermelon reaches the consistency of coarse applesauce. 3. Place processed watermelon and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer about 30 minutes, until watermelon is soft. 4. Add spice bag, sugar, lemon, and salt to the watermelon. Simmer and cook for an hour, . 5. Pour into hot sterilized jars. |
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ways2invest 
wilint
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Dr Rajeev Warrier prescribes easy-to-do ayurvedic recipes for complete well-being
Diet, according to Ayurveda, defines the nature of a person, his response to circumstances, mindset and moods. Ayurveda classifies food materials into several groups such as like grains, grams (dhaanya varga), types of milk and milk products (ksheera varga), vegetables and fruits (saaka varga), types of meat (maamsa varga) etc.
The solid diet consumed should take up half the capacity of the stomach, the liquids should take a quarter and the fourth quarter should be left free to aid digestion. The order of the intake of food is important too — sweet and heavy food first, sour and salty tastes next and the meal should end with astringent and bitter food substances. This aids digestion and absorption.
BROCCOLI AND
MOONG BEAN BAKE
Ingredients: 1/2 cup moong dal, 1 cup broccoli florets (chopped), 4 cups water, 1 tbsp lime juice, 1/2 tsp ginger (minced), 1 tbsp fresh cilantro (chopped), 2 tbsps ghee, salt and black pepper to taste
Method: Wash moong dal and add water to it. Cook it in a pressure cooker until tender. Mix it with broccoli, lime juice, ginger, salt and black pepper. Grease a shallow baking dish with ghee. Scoop the mixture into the dish and drizzle more ghee on top. Bake at 350-375 degrees for 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.
SAUTÉED ASPARAGUS
Ingredients: 2 cups asparagus stems (diced), 2 tbs water, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp cumin seed, ¼ tsp turmeric, ¼ sweet paprika, ½ cup almonds (sliced), 2 tbs ghee Method: Heat ghee until it looks clear. Add cumin seed and stir briefly and add turmeric and paprika. Now add the asparagus stems and sauté for 2-3 minutes more. Now cover the pan and stir occasionally. Add water to prevent sticking. Add in the almonds and cook for two more minutes. Serve hot.
MIXED VEGETABLE SAUTÉ
Ingredients: 1 small white radish (peeled), 1 medium zucchini, 1 medium carrot (peeled), 1 fennel bulb, 6-8 almonds (soaked and slivered), 2 tbs ghee, 1-2 tbs water, salt and pepper to taste
Method: Wash and slice all the vegetables finely. Heat ghee in a large flat pan. Sauté the almonds and add all the vegetables. Stir for a couple of minutes and cover the pan. Cook the vegetables on medium flame until tender. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.
SWEET AND SOUR
CARROTS
Ingredients: 1 cup carrot (sliced), 1 tbsp raisins, rock salt and black pepper to taste, 1/2 tsp minced ginger root, 1 tsp fresh parsley, 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice, 1/8 tsp fresh lemon peel, 1/8 tsp crushed cardamom, 1 tbsp ghee
Method: Steam the carrot for 5-6 minutes until tender. Heat ghee in a pan and sauté the raisins. Now add carrots, ginger cardamom, salt and pepper. Stir for three to four minutes. Drizzle lemon juice, the peel and parsley. Serve hot.
(Dr Rajeev Warrier is xyz of Arogya Ayurvedic Spa & Clinic)
—COORDINATED BY SONAL VED
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Indian Coins to traeasure for Life Buy at ebay
ways2invest wilintWednesday, May 27, 2009
These are East African(specially Coastal) receipes
Vitumbua- is a Tanzanian dish, made from rice flour, coconut, yeast and cardamom. When made well it is fluffy and literally melts in your20 mouth.
Ingredients
2 cups finely ground rice flour
2 tblspn plain white flour
2 tblspn fresh grated coconut (available frozen in most Asian stores)
1 400 gm tin coconut milk
(half) cup hot water
1 tspn dry yeast
(half) cup sugar
(half) teaspoon roughly ground cardamom seeds
oil
Method
1.. Mix rice flour, grated coconut, and the coconut milk and hot water to form a thick paste. The temperature should be equivalent to body temperature.
2.. Add the sugar, cardamom and yeast and mix well.
3.. Cover and leave overnight
4.. Next day mix thoroughly
5.. Instead of using the vitumbua karai(pan), I used an appam pan which I have previously used to make ponganalu.
6.. Heat the appam pan, apply a drop of oil in each pan, pour in the batter so that the pan is ¾ full.. Cook for 2-3 minutes, and flip the vitumbua, this is quite tricky, but gets easier with practice.
7.. Cook the other side and repeat until all the batter is finished.
We have them for breakfast in the morning. They can be served with a kuku paka. Recipe to follow.
< u>Tumbua Ndizi/Gonja or Sweet Plantain Fritters
Tumbua Ndizi is a typical East African dish, Ndizi means bananas in Swahili.
In East Africa we have 4 kinds of bananas
Matoke: Green (raw) bananas which never ripen to yellow, the flesh is mainly carbohydrate, and although when ripe it is sweeter, it can not be eaten uncooked. When cooked the flesh become soft, it is a bit like potato.
Gonja, are sweet cooking bananas, when cooked they do not become soggy and soft like ordinary bananas. When very ripe they are black on the outside. They can be cooked in coconut; just fried or fried in batter (tumbua)
Ndizi was what we called the ordinary dessert banana
Menvu are small dessert bananas, about half the size of normal bananas, very sweet, these are the bananas we grew up on. They were always there, along with pawpaw (papaya). To get back to the tumbua ndizi - here is how you make them:
Ingredients
4 ripe gonja/plantains
1 cups self-raising flour (plain flour with 1 tspn baking powder)
2 tbspn Sugar
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup coconut milk (tinned is fine)
Roughly ground cardamom< br> Oil for frying
Method
1. Make batter, using flour, cardamom, sugar, milk and coconut milk. Cover, and then leave an hour.
2. The batter should be thick enough to completely coat the banana.
3. If it is too thin, add more flour, if it is too thick add a little milk.
4. Peel the plantain, cut into 3 / 4 pieces, cut each piece into 2/3 horizontal slices.
5. Dip each piece of plantain in batter, making sure they are well-covered, and then fry in hot oil until golden.
Mutton Biryani - East African Style
Ingredients
Mutton Masala:
2 lb mutton on the bone cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 cup yogurt
2 inches ginger; grated
6 cloves garlic; minced
5 chilies minced
1/2 tspn saffron
8 large tomatoes (blanched, peeled and liquidised)
12 small potatoes (extra oil to fry)
2 tablespn oil
2 sticks cinnamon
4 pods cardamom
5 cloves
1/2 spn cumin seeds
8 medium onions; minced fine in a food processor
2 tspn coriander/cumin powder
1/2 tspn turmeric
1 tspn garam masala
salt to taste
Rice:
3 cups basmati rice; was hed well; and soaked in water for 30 mins
1 tbspn oil
1 tspn cumin
1/2 tspn saffron soaked in a little warm water
salt to taste
Method
1. Marinate the mutton in yogurt, garlic, ginger, green chilies, half the tomatoes and saffron overnight if possible; minimum of 2 hours.
2. Deep fry the potatoes, these don't have to be cooked through, as long as the surface is sealed.
3. Pressure cook the mutton, or boil until tender.
4. Heat the oil in a pan, add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves; cumin seeds, cook for about 3 minutes, the cloves and cardamom should have puffed up.
5. Add the onions and fry until they are a rich golden brown, this is the most important for biryani masala. You can buy prefried onions if you want - available in Indian shops.
6. Add the other half of tomatoes, cook for about 5 minutes, add the turmeric, cumin/coriander powders.
7. Add the cooked mutton and the potatoes, mix, making sure that meat and potatoes are coated with the tomato/onion sauce. Cook for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile cook the rice, add 1 and cups of water per cup of rice for 15 minutes.=2 0Heat some oil in a frying pan, add the cumin, pour the oil and cumin mixture on the rice.
Pour the saffron and water mixture on the rice.
This is an East African style Biryani, the meat curry and rice are kept separate. Serve the rice on a large platter with the meat sauce place on the top.
Mayai Dungri's shaak - or -Spicy Scrambled Eggs
Mayai is eggs in Swahili, dungri is onions and shaak is curry in Gujarati, this is a traditional family recipe. We usually have it as a light supper or lunch. Not breakfast, but hey anything goes!
Ingredients
1 medium potato; diced
1 medium onion; chopped finely
2 tomatoes; blanched, peeled and chopped finely
1/2 cup chopped chives
2 cloves garlic; minced
1 inch ginger; grated
2 chilies; chopped finely
1 tspn coriander / cumin powder
1/2 tspn turmeric
3 eggs; beaten
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
salt to taste
2 Tablespoon olive oil
Method
1. Heat the oil, and sauté the potatoes until cook, remove and set aside.
2. Fry the onions until golden brown, add the garlic, ginger and tomatoes20fry for a few minutes.
3. Add the cumin/coriander and turmeric powders, stir and fry for 2 minutes.
4. Add the potatoes, salt, chives and stir and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the eggs, stir until cooked.
6. Add the coriander, mix and serve hot with chapatti or on toast.
serves 2
'Fried' Mogo – Fried Cassava
Mogo is Cassava in Swahili
This is a 'no fry', healthy recipe
Ingredients
1 large tuber of cassava (or 1 pkt frozen cassava)
Juice of 2 Limes
1/2 cup olive oil
chili flakes
salt
Method
1. Cut the tuber into 3 pieces, peel 20 by slitting the skin on one side, the skin will peel of quite easily.
2. cut in large chips and boil with a little salt. (In the case of frozen mogo; boil with some salt)
3. Slice into thin (1/2 - 3/4 inch wide.
4. Mix the olive oil, lime juice, and chili flakes, add to the cassava, toss to ensure that all the pieces are evenly coated.
5. Place the cassava chips on a baking tray and cook in a hot oven (220 C) for 20 minutes or until the mogo looks golden brown, and is crispy.
Serve with tamarind chutney, (coconut chutney).
Pinto Beans Curry –or-Spicy Maharagwe - which is Swahili for Beans
Having lived in East Africa , our preparations are peppered with Swahili and Gujarati.
Ingredients
1 cup dried pinto; soaked overnight and boiled (I used the pressure cooker; about 10 mins)
2 Potatoes, peeled and cut in small cubes
3 Cloves garlic; peeled and minced
2 inch ginger; peeled and grated
3 large tomatoes; blanched, peeled and chopped
1/2 tspn cumin seeds
1 tspn mustard seeds
2 - 3 chilies slit through the centre
1/2 tspn turmeric powder
2 tspn coriander and cumin powders
2 tspn oil
salt to taste
1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the chilies, cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Cover and let them pop and splutter.
2. Add the tomatoes, garlic and ginger cook for 5-6 minutes, add turmeric, coriander and cumin powders, cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add the potatoes, cook for a few minutes, add the salt.
4. Add the boiled pinto beans, with 2 cups of the water the beans were boiled in.
5 Cover and cook, until the potatoes are done.
I served it with paratha.
Matoke in a Groundnut Sauce or Green Bananas in a Peanut Sauce
Matoke is a typical Ugandan dish, it is stuff that we grew up on. Groundnuts are used in many African countries as a base for a savory sauce for meat or vegetables
4 Matoke or green bananas; peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1/2 cup peanuts (I have used pink skinned, but any peanuts will do)
1 tbspoon of vegetable oil (not olive because that is rather strong tasting)
1 stem of coriander; chopped finely
1 medium onion; chopped finely
2 cloves garlic; minced
1 inch ginger; grated 3-4 chilies; minced
4 tomatoes; blanched, peeled and chopped finely
1/2 tspn turmeric powder
2 tspn coriander/cumin powder
1 tspn cumin seeds
1/2 tspn mustard seeds
salt to taste
Method
1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the whole mustard and cumin, wait for it to pop, and add the onions, fry until golden brown. Meanwhile grind the peanuts finely.
2. Add the tomatoes, garlic, ginger and chilies, fry for about 5 minutes, add the turmeric, coriander and cumin powders, cook for a further 5 minutes.
3. Add the matoke, mix, until all the matoke is coated by the tomato sauce. Cook for a few minutes.
4. Add the ground peanuts, and mix so that all the bananas are coated with the tomato/peanut mixture, add 1 and 1/2 cups of water.
5. Bring to boil, and cook for 20 minutes.
6. Garnish with the chopped coriander.
It is lovely by itself or with some Chevro.
Mandazi - Coconut Bread
This East African coconut bread is slightly sweet and has often been likened to doughnuts. It is available everywhere in East Africa ; it is typical street food, Mandazi is eaten at anytime, for breakfast with tea, for a snack or with bharazi(lentils) for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups plain flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon yeast
1 tablespoon freshly grated or dried coconut
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon roughly ground cardamom
warm water to bind
Oil to deep fry
Method
1. Mix all the dry ingredients, add the coconut milk and mix, add warm water for form a soft dough (not sticky). Knead thoroughly.
2. Place the dough in an oil polythene bag and put in a warm place (airing cupboard) for 2-3 hours; until it has doubled in size.
3. Knead the dough and divide into 6 - 7 portions
4. Roll a roti like circle and cut into four parts
5. Fry in hot oil, two to three at a time, holding them under the oil on the first side until they puff. Turn over until brown on both sides.
Serve with bharazi
Mbaazi za Nazi - Pigeon Peas in Coconut Sauce
This is also an East African dish. It is usually served with Mandazi (coconut bread). Nazi is Swahili for Coconut. The combination of the two is heavenly ! Try it for yourself.
Ingredients
1 cup dried pigeon peas; soaked overnight, and boiled (in the pressure cooker)
1 400gm can of coconut milk
1 medium onion or 2 small; finely chopped
2 clove garlic; minced
1 inch ginger; grated
3 chilies; minced
1/4 tspn turmeric powder
1/2 cup coriander; chopped fine
1 tbspn vegetable oil
salt to taste
Method
1. Fry the onion in medium hot oil, when golden brown, add the boiled pigeon peas and the coconut milk.
2. Then add the garlic, ginger chilies and turmeric and salt.
3. Cook for 3o minutes. If necessary add a little water. Add the chopped coriander.
4. serve with Mandazi.
Mogo (cassava) with Lamb in Creamy Coconut Sauce
Ingredients
2 lb cassava (frozen can be used)
1 pack of coconut cream (a picture can be seen here)
1 lb lamb, cut into cubes
3-4 garlic cloves; minced
2 inch ginger; grated
3-4 chilies; minced
1/4 tspn turmeric
1/2 cup chopped coriander
salt to taste
2 limes; juiced
coriander leaves for garnishing.
1. Marinate the meat with garlic, ginger and sal t for at least 2 hours.
2. Peel the cassava, cut into large chunks and boil and drain. Cut into cubes.
3. Boil the meat, drain, add coconut cream to the meat stock, add the turmeric, chilies, coriander leaves and cassava; cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, mash cassava roughly, add the meat and mix well, cook for another 5 minutes. Add the lime juice. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve with Chevro
Mogo (Cassava)
Mogo is another East African food that we relish. It can be eaten just boiled; like the sort we used to get in the canteen at Schools, Tanzania with just some salt and red chilies, yum. It cost 10 cents, for 50 cents you could get it fried with tamarind chutney.
We (the girls) also used to sneak out to Deejays on Sunday afternoons, via the kitchen at the back, we were not supposed to eat at Deejays. But every Sunday, we would go for 'a walk' armed with 50 cents from Uncle, straight to Deejays! When we got home Dad and Mom used to wonder why we were not as hungry as we normally were! Ahhhhhhh those were the days.
This is a masala version - of mogo
=0 A
Ingredients
1 large tuber of cassava (or frozen cassava)
1 400gm can of tomatoes; crushed
1 large onion; chopped finely
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seed
2/3 cloves of garlic; minced
2/3 green chilies; minced
1 inch ginger; grated
1 tablespn cumin/coriander mix
1 tspn turmeric powder
Method
1. cut the cassava into 3 pieces, peel by slitting the skin on one side, the skin will peel off quite easily
2. cut in large chips and boil, when tender, cut into 1 inch cubes.
3. Heat some oil in a pan, add the cumin, mustard seeds and onions.
4. Fry the onions until golden brown, add the garlic and ginger, fry for one minute, add the tomatoes, green chilies, turmeric and the cumin/coriander; fry for a few minutes. Add the cassava pieces, and 1 cup of water, leave to cook for about 20 minutes, until it is soft and gooey. Garnish with Coriander
Matoke with beans (green bananas with beans)
Ingredients
4 - 5 matoke (green bananas from Uganda )
1 400g can red kidney beans
1 200g can peeled tomatoes
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 inc h ginger - grated
2 chilies - minced
1 table spn vegetable oil
1 tspn mustard seeds
1/2 tspn turmeric
2 teaspoons coriander/cumin mix
salt to taste
Method
1. Peel the green bananas and place in cold water, (otherwise they discolor).
2. Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds, as soon as they start to splutter, add the tomatoes, garlic, ginger and the minced chilies, stir and fry for a few minutes.
3. Add the cumin, coriander and turmeric, fry for a few minutes. Add the bananas and the beans and mix so that the vegetables are coated with the mixture.
4. Add one cup water and salt and cook for 20 minutes
serve with chapatti or rice
Makate Mimina (coco nutty rice pancake)
This is an East African Dish. Usually served with a hot coconut chicken curry (bit like Thai green curry).
Ingredients
2 Cups Rice
1 pint milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tspn yeast
1/2 packet creamed coconut or 1 1/2 cups of coconut milk
2 table spn butter or margarine
1/2 tspn cardamom seeds
1 1/2 cups water
(makes 2)
Method
Wash the rice and Soak it for 3-4 hours or overnight.
Add the yeast to a little water with 1 tspn sugar.
Let it ferment.
Dissolve the coconut cream in 1 1/2 cups of hot water.
Drain the rice and add warm milk to it, liquidize until smooth.
Add the coconut liquid/milk, yeast and cardamom seeds.
Cover and leave in a warm place for 3 hours, or until the mixture is frothy and doubled in volume, add the remaining sugar.
Divide mixture into two.
Heat a nine inch frying pan, add 1/2 the butter, when melted add half the batter, cover and cook at very low heat for 30 minutes, uncover and grill the top until brown.
Remove from pan.
Repeat for the second pancake.
Serve warm, relish with melted butter
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ways2invest wilintSunday, May 10, 2009
Food FOCUS
From ingredients to portion sizes and sauces, Tasty Tangles in Delhi is conscious of its international reputation. Even the crockery matches with the Noodle House chain of Dubai's Jumeirah group
DID someone say that there's a tightening of belts? Then why was The Pavilion at the ITC Maurya bustling like a railway station last week? And why was Pandara Market full on an unlikely day like Tuesday? There were queues of well-heeled (and proportioned) middle class Delhiwallas outside most of the Punjabi-style eateries and even the lone Chinese restaurant there, Ichiban, was full! In the past few days, visits to restaurants, have presented utterly contradictory pictures. Some were empty, others full, without any apparent logic. Coffeeshops in five star hotels were full, but other restaurants paradoxically sparse. The obvious conclusion is that rather than cutting back totally, people are becoming more judicious. For some it translates into The Oberoi's 360 degrees and for others it's Gulati's Veg at Pandara Market. Which is why I was puzzled about the lack of diners at Tasty Tangles in MGF Metropolitan Mall in Saket, even allowing that it was lunchtime on a weekday. If anything, the right hand column on the menusheet (yes, sheet — you tick of what you want and hand it to the server to cut out transmission losses!) should have have people thronging the neat, bench-seating eatery ever since it opened in February. The prices are truly in keeping with the times, even as the menu is brief yet varied. As the desi cousin of the Noodle House chain of Dubai's Jumeirah group (under its Taste Department), Tasty Tangles (owned here by Wadhawan Hospitality) is pretty conscious of its international reputation. As the manager told me, everything from the ingredients to portion sizes and even their sauces are as per the standards of their Dubai partner. Even the food comes in crockery that matches their international avatar! All too often, restaurants devote too much time to decor and too little to food, service and indeed, the kitchen. Not so Tasty Tangles, where the signature swinging front door (also there at its Bangalore outlet) and its state of the art kitchen are the only things that compete with the food for attention. No fancy lighting or furniture, no distracting fripperies; they could consider adding a potted palm or two around their glassed-in outer wall, though, to screen off the full view of the grim district courts complex across the road... The prices are definitely appetising: starters between Rs 119 and 179, soups from Rs 99-Rs 199 depending on portions and ingredients, main courses between Rs 239-Rs 399 with roast duck striking a lone high of Rs 549, noodle and rice offerings between Rs 99-Rs 289 and desserts between Rs 119-169. Interestingly, the portions of dim sum come in odd numbers (three or five) in keeping with Chinese norms! The dishes are mostly stir-fried, with the sauce gently clinging to the meats and veggies rather than smothering them curry-style, the rice is also properly sticky and in single-portion bowls. Among starters, popiah, the soft vegetable springroll and the laksa soup, were subtle and flavourful, but my favourite was the battered calamari with tom yam dipping sauce—light, yet crunchy. Moving on to the next course, lamb rendang is the closest any desi will get to a curry, and the chilli prawns are clearly fresh as they don't have that rubbery or pasty texture that I often taste in India. While their broccoli with veg oyster sauce is al dente in the new world cuisine style, the Indonesian bakmi goreng is excellent — thick rice noodles with chicken and shrimp. The roast duck, served with plum sauce and steamed pancakes, however, is the best valuefor-money deal in the whole city. The skin could be a little more crispy and the flesh more juicy, but overall it's a steal. No wonder it's the fastest selling item on the menu! If the heat makes you anorexic, start with one of their wide range of mocktails, feast on the roast duck, with an apres of their amazing mango pudding,which tastes much better than it looks. Because Tasty Tangles deserves a crowd.
reshmi.dasgupta@timesgroup.com
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Google Talk: ways2invest Y! messenger: wilintWednesday, May 6, 2009
TASTE INDIA :release of the Times Good Food and Nightlife guides in Delhi
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THE release of the Times Good Food and Nightlife guides in Delhi last Sunday was a revelation. Of course, I was amazed at the continuing interest that Delhi shows in both gourmet and gourmand pursuits, as the event drew double the expected number of people. But more interesting was the sheer variety of restaurants and lounge/bars that were up there in the reckoning for awards...
Who would have thought, even five years ago, that there would be a category of best Russian or best Korean restaurant? Who would have thought that there would be an Italian restaurant in practically every neighbourhood in Delhi? And that sushi would become a home-delivery item? If that is not a testament to the travelling tastebuds of Delhiwallahs, then what is? There was one thing, however, that left me a little puzzled if not disappointed — the absence of a similar variety of Indian cuisines! Of course, there were awards for the best North and South Indian restaurants, and even Bengali, Kashmiri and Gujarati restaurants. But in a country where cuisine changes every few kilometres, there should be far more representation in the national capital of, well, national cuisines.
ET Travel has tried to bring the cuisines of the world and India to the attention of our readers, and even TV channels have done their bit to bring rare foods and eating places to national attention. No doubt, with this summer professing to be more inclined towards 'staycations' (domestic tourism!), there will be more people discovering more local pleasures of the palate. But how will the rest of us savour it?
Dilli Haat had a great idea when it decided to hand over pavilions to various states to highlight their cuisine but over the years it has boiled down to predominantly idli-dosas and momos . What about Kolhapuri cuisine or Rampuri? Coorgi or Moplah? Just as there is no "Indian" cuisine, there can't be any broadband "Maharashtrian" or "Kashmiri", "Bihari" or "Andhra". But short of travelling to the hinterland to taste it, what is the alternative?
One would be to evoke it through the pages of ET Travel: every pungest, sizzling, eye-watering, scrumptious morsel of it brought to life through your writing — with appropriate photographs! So do write in! The other would be to suggest that hospitality and government bodies collaborate to bring in moveable feasts from all corners of the country so that gourmet citizens can have a taste of India without travelling...
rashmi.dasgupta
@timesgroup.com
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