Cabbage Thoran

New Year Greetings to all of you!

The new year arrived and so did some entries for RCI - Cuisine of Kerala. Whether I was busy or lazy, uninspired or upbeat, hosting this event did make me sit up and take pictures and write about a cuisine that I've come to appreciate only since I've been away from home. There are times when there's a plate of spicy pavbhaji before me and I'm craving for idlis! Such is the bond created by simple home food that the most attractive, aromatic and appetising dish cannot take away! And that is the magic of coconut, cumin, curry leaves and chillies, essential in almost every Malayalee dish.

Thoran refers to finely chopped vegetable cooked with crushed coconut. It is served as a dry side dish with rice and curry. Southern Keralites add onion/shallots and garlic to thoran, which is a strict no-no for the Northern Keralites. Either ways, thoran tastes great and is quick to make. Cabbage thoran is one of my favourites, perfect to go with steamed rice and sambhar. Read more about the benefits of cabbage here.

You'll need:
Half a large cabbage
1 cup grated coconut
1 tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp urad dal
¼ tsp of channa dal
2 dry red chillies broken
a sprig of curry leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
2-3 green chillies

Chop the cabbage finely or cut up the cabbage into large chunks and run it in the chopper for a few seconds. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When it crackles, add urad dal, channa dal, red chillies and curry leaves. When the dals turn red, add the chopped cabbage, salt and turmeric and turn down the flame. Cover and let it cook for about 2 – 3 minutes. There is no need to add water to the cabbage as it will cook in its own moisture. Put the coconut, green chillies, cumin seeds and a few curry leaves in the chopper and run till they are just crushed. Add this now to the cabbage, stir through and let it cook till done. This is my entry to RCI – Cuisine of Kerala, event conceived by LakshmiK of Veggie Cuisine.

Announcing RCI - Cuisine of Kerala

Welcome to God's Own Country! Join in to embark on a culinary journey through the beautiful state of Kerala, tucked away in the south-western corner of India. As the journey takes you through the Western Ghats, dense forests, exotic wildlife and calm backwaters, sprawling tea estates, spice and rubber plantations, lush paddy fields and clean beaches, sit back and take in the sights and sounds of this charming land.

Regional Cuisines of India(RCI), the brainchild of LakshmiK, will be hosted by yours truly in January 2008. The cusine of Kerala has its own distinctive flavour. Coconut forms a dominant part of the cuisine as Kerala, literally translated means Land of "Kera" or Coconuts. Rice is the staple food and a wide array of breakfast preparations are rice-based. A typical meal consists of rice, a kootan or gravy and an upperi or dry side dish along with crunchy pappadams and pickles. Tamarind, coconut, coconut milk or curd form the base for a kootan/gravy while upperi/dry sidedish is either a thoran, ie. a medley of vegetables and grated coconut or mezhukuparatti, ie. stir fried vegetables coated in oil. A typical sadhya/festive feast consists of a number of sumptuous dishes served on a banana leaf. For non- vegetarians, seafood or some form of meat is a part of every meal. Different regions and communities influence the method of preparation and flavour of the cuisine.

What are you waiting for? Put on those aprons and cook up a storm! If you are not very familiar with Kerala cuisine, you can google it or go to this one-stop portal "Essence of Kerala Cuisine". You can also find authentic recipes here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and many more in the food blog community. To participate :

1. Write a post on your blog featuring Cuisine of Kerala from now until the 25th of Jan 2008, including a link to this post.

2. Mail me the permalink/URL to your post, along with a picture of the dish at vjyothsna1@yahoo.com . I shall respond to your email when I receive it. If you do not receive a response from me in three days, please remind me.

3. Non- bloggers may mail me with the recipe and a picture of the dish.

4. Please feel free to use the above logo.

5. Round-up will be done by the 31st of Jan here at Currybazaar!

Wishing all of you a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year!!

Rasmalai

Azure skies and clear blue waters, migrating birds on lush turf and convertibles on the streets, bright days and long, dark nights, blooms on sidewalks and cycles on pathways, early sunsets and barbecues on the beach…….. yes, winter's here! Winters bring pleasant weather and freshness in this part of the world. It is a time to enjoy outdoor activites that the harsh summers don't permit. I was away in India on a very, very busy holiday that didn't leave me time to blog. Now that I'm back, I hope to whip up something interesting and be a bit more regular on the blogging scene.

This rasmalai recipe is one of the first recipes I tried from another food blogger (RP's if I rightly remember) and I have made this many a times successfully. The recipe is simple and the rasmalai just melts in your mouth. Measurements are not accurate and you may substitute the flavour as per your preference. Here's what I do:

Add 2 spoons of sugar to about 250 grams ricotta cheese and mix well. Scoop into a muffin mould and cover it with foil. Bake at 200 degrees C for 25 minutes.

While it is baking, take 2 cups of milk, add sugar to taste and microwave it for 4-5 minutes till the sugar dissolves. You can use sweetened condensed milk also. Add a pinch of powdered cardamom, a tsp of rosewater and some pistachios. Allow the milk to cool completely. You may add saffron strands, but I prefer to add rosewater.

Unmould the baked ricotta and add it to the milk. Refridgerate and serve chilled.

Happy Diwali

Wishing all of you a Happy Diwali! May the lights of the season bring happiness, good health and prosperity in your lives.

Meeting in the real world and my four-in-one life!

Blogging has it's surprises, like meeting a blogger in flesh and blood. I've often associated bloggers with those I've known or met, conjured up an image from what they portray on their blogs and wondered what they look like in person. Hop over to her blog and you instantly know she's charming and talkative, loves to entertain, enjoys cooking and her photography skills are far superior to most others. She's passionate about blogging and gives us insights into life in Weimar, Germany where she lives with her family. She's one daring baker and invites us every month for a mingle at her place. What's more, she even conducts Bollywood Cooking sessions!! Yes, I'm talking of Meeta, attractive, vivacious, multi-talented and warm and the first blogger I've met in person. I also met her son, Soeren who features in every post she writes and her mother. Meeta is here in Sharjah visiting her parents. Meeta, it was great meeting you! Hopefully, we'll catch up on more next time you are here!

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Sra of When my soup came alive tagged me for this Fantastic Four meme (thanks Sra!), so here goes!

4 Places I’ve lived:

I've lived only in Mumbai, India and Sharjah, UAE.... wonder where life will take me next.

4 Jobs I’ve had:

1. During babyhood - the boss. Could eat, sleep, laugh or cry at will. The coolest job ever!

2. Student life - Rocking career, fun and frolic all the way!

3. Working life - Real world job for real money, loved it.

4. Currently - Chef, laundrywoman, dishwasher, homekeeper, interior decorator all rolled into one, on call 24/7, unpaid, lacklustre job.

4 Favorite places I’ve holidayed:

1. Maldives - for the sun, sand and sea, the most beautiful place I've been to

2. Switzerland - for the mountains, lakes, meadows, villages, chocolates and cheese

3. UK - for the history, the countryside, the underground

4. The Far East trio: Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore for great food and affordable shopping

4 Favorite foods:

Thats so hard to decide but my favourite cuisines are:

1. Indian - absolutely all kinds of Indian food

2. Italian

3. Indo-Chinese

4. Malaysian and Thai

4 Places I’d rather be:

1. Travelling around the world, hosting a travel show

2. At a beach, enjoying the waters by day and barbecuing at night

3. At a serene cottage in the countryside with lush green meadows, colourful flowers and chirping birds

4. In a shopping mall, finding fantastic bargains

4 bloggers I like to tag:

Sandeepa

Sia

Cynthia

Bee

Aloo Anardhana

What do you think of the painting and sculpture? Read more about it later in this post.

Aloo Anardhana

Recipe adapted from an old issue of Living in the Gulf

10 baby potatoes (I used regular ones in this picture)
1 tsp cumin
1 large onion chopped
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
2 tbsp anardhana/dry pomegranate seeds
butter/oil for frying
chopped coriander for garnish

Peel and wash the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a MW safe bowl, add a little water, salt and turmeric to it and microwave on high till parboiled. Remove and drain the water.

Blend pomegranate seeds with a little water. Heat oil/butter in a wok and add the cumin. When it splutters, add onions and fry till they turn golden-brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry. Then add the pomegranate seeds paste, red chilli powder and garam masala. Add the potatoes and fry on low flame till the potatoes are cooked and the flavours are absorbed. All the moisture will be absorbed by the potatoes. Garnish with coriander leaves, check seasoning and serve with naans.

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The legend of Wilhelm Tell

Wilhelm Tell, who lived in Altdorf, is regarded the national hero of Switzerland whose picture graces the 5-franc coin. Switzerland was once ruled by the Austrians. Bailiff Gessler, the Austrian representative would place his hat on a pole in Altdorf so that every passer-by would pay their respects by greeting the hat. Wilhelm Tell and his son passed by without revering the hat. This disobedience warranted their arrest and Gessler offered to free them if Wilhelm Tell shot an arrow through an apple placed on his son's head. Read more of the story here and here.

The painting and sculpture at the top of this post are made of chocolate, we saw how at Schuh. And so are these.

Don't you agree a holiday is a welcome break from the routine? Walking miles exploring the countryside and tucking into all the healthy C's like colas, chips, crackers, cookies, cheese, cakes, chocolates......... and all that sum up to the big C = calories, is perfectly my kind of holiday! ;) What's yours? :-)