tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51566542024-03-13T21:56:11.566-06:00Indian Food RocksIndian Food Rocks is a personal journey through life spiced by Indian food and anecdotes.Indian Food Rockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.comBlogger425125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-80762846109587742132016-11-02T19:32:00.001-06:002016-11-02T19:47:57.735-06:00Forever Green<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i>First published on Whole Foods Cooking on October 17, 2012</i><br>
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I've been obsessed with tomatoes this year -- growing them, eating them, and canning them. I canned 30 pounds of organic tomatoes from my local farmers' market using three different methods: raw packed with added liquid, raw packed with no added liquid, and hot packed. I also canned several pints of spicy salsa with 5 pounds of tomatoes and jalapeños from my backyard. It's a great feeling to have summer preserved in a jar and to know that I won't be worrying about BPA leaching into our food through the lining of some aluminum cans.<br>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyJkETeHfV1k5oFRwnukoEdWPqn0Yg7-TNYbqNf67BRsn_b3EdFQHzaxE4qo7z2ZXZn9B5eGNZhN3shV37Wy21B4IxM6bkhZY61cEnvybXN0l2mg_i3S1Xyn1_hPwSX_2HoVK4Cg/s1600/GreenTomatoes-800-6413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyJkETeHfV1k5oFRwnukoEdWPqn0Yg7-TNYbqNf67BRsn_b3EdFQHzaxE4qo7z2ZXZn9B5eGNZhN3shV37Wy21B4IxM6bkhZY61cEnvybXN0l2mg_i3S1Xyn1_hPwSX_2HoVK4Cg/s640/GreenTomatoes-800-6413.jpg" width="640"></a></div><br>
This summer was the first year that I truly tried my hand at growing anything in my backyard. My neighbor helped me plot and plant my herb patch as well as a small vegetable patch. When he saw the number of earthworms in my soil, he was hopeful that the seedlings we were transplanting into a harsh environment might actually flourish. And they did. We ate fresh-off-the-vine tomatoes all summer, but only in small batches. It was only when the weather turned cold that my vines started producing tomatoes like there was no tomorrow. In a way, that was quite true! Frost, combined with a hard freeze over the first weekend of October, signaled the end of summer and, therefore, the end of tomato season.<br>
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I plucked a large bounty of green tomatoes and knew exactly what I was going to do with them: make Green Tomatoes Bhaji! Bhaji (bhah-gee) has a two-fold meaning, determined by the context in which it is used. It can mean fresh produce or it can mean a side dish made from vegetables.<br>
</div><a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2016/11/green-tomato-bhaji.html#more">Read on...</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Contents & images copyright © 2003 - 2013<br />
Indian Food Rocks<br />
http://www.indianfoodrocks.com</div>Indian Food Rockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-74248592627797726512016-03-22T02:21:00.000-06:002016-03-22T02:57:02.381-06:00Hawaii Hangover<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I seem to have a Hawaii Hangover. It's a malaise that afflicts every soul that visits this curious archipelago of eight major islands and many more uninhabited islets. Given that we only visited two of those spectacular islands, I am afraid to think of what might have happened had we visited the others.<br>
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In Kauai, we attempted to hike the treacherous Kalalau Trail. Our goal was short, the first two miles of the 11 mile hike, to Hankapiai Beach. It should not have been a big deal. We typically hike trails that are 5-6 miles round trip, between 6,000-10,000 feet in elevation. This was at sea-level and a mere 4 mile round trip. How difficult could it be?<br>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/24643641361/in/dateposted-public/" title="Kalalau Trail"><img alt="Kalalau Trail" height="640" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1520/24643641361_49f0726850_z.jpg" width="425"></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><br>
It was very difficult. The conditions made it dangerous. It was muddy and slippery from the incessant winter rain. If there is one thing we drop a fair amount of money on, it's hiking boots. Despite wearing hiking boots with excellent traction, we decided to turn back after barely 3/4 mile. There's a reason why it is considered one of the 10 most dangerous trails in the US! The views of Kauai's Na Pali Coast, though, were unbelievable!<br>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/24108988894/in/dateposted-public/" title="Na Pali Coast"><img alt="Na Pali Coast" height="425" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1466/24108988894_9cfe10177d_z.jpg" width="640"></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div></div><a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2016/03/japanese-fried-chicken-karaage.html#more">Read on...</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Contents & images copyright © 2003 - 2013<br />
Indian Food Rocks<br />
http://www.indianfoodrocks.com</div>Indian Food Rockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-60040033371590316792016-01-31T19:56:00.000-07:002016-01-31T20:20:31.717-07:00It's Not Too Late<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">It's not too late to share good wishes for the New Year! In my opinions, it's never ever too late to share good wishes for anything.<br>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/24369485539/in/dateposted-public/" title="Our New Year's Card"><img src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1503/24369485539_58e72fb207_z.jpg" width="640" height="425" alt="Our New Year's Card"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script><br>
<i>May the banyan tree of life bring you peace, comfort, and joy, with a healthy dose of excitement and intrigue in 2016! Happy New Year to you, my friends!</i></div><br>
We spent eight days of our winter break in Hawaii. All of us had vacation or leave scheduled but we didn't know where we were going until 10 days before our time off from being slaves to schedules started. I wanted to go to Machu Picchu. D wanted to go to Costa Rica. Medha wanted to go somewhere, anywhere. Hawaii just sort of happened. After polling friends and family, we zeroed in on Kauai and the Big Island of Hawaii. We had reservations for our stay and tickets to a island-hopper flight, and that was it. It sounds kind of crazy to those who need to schedule every minute of their vacation but we like our vacations to be laid-back, without the need for yet another vacation to recover from our vacation. I always need downtime to recover from hurtling through the air in a metal tube and, this time, I had built that into my time off from work. <br>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/24643617801/in/dateposted-public/" title="Sunrise at Nukolii Beach"><img src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1640/24643617801_a305a2d299_z.jpg" width="640" height="425" alt="Sunrise at Nukolii Beach"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script><br>
<i>A Kauai sunrise</i><br>
</div></div><a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2016/01/ivy-gourd.html#more">Read on...</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Contents & images copyright © 2003 - 2013<br />
Indian Food Rocks<br />
http://www.indianfoodrocks.com</div>Indian Food Rockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-17117168654720792362015-07-15T17:38:00.005-06:002015-07-15T21:52:25.256-06:00How to Make Ghee From Store-Bought Butter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i>First published on The Whole Foods Blog, Jan 9 2013</i><br>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjryT1mqbYr-orDApFi8bd_D9DJ5VsQt5BCei4uif3VpOtlFprNX0RyXo0ykSagAR5Yok67wZMcWNTMOffeaGg3bb3yG8JbhFLvH2Psy0WKDCrJwAoTvf8jODaOZWQ9Zz__n9CFYg/s1600/ghee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjryT1mqbYr-orDApFi8bd_D9DJ5VsQt5BCei4uif3VpOtlFprNX0RyXo0ykSagAR5Yok67wZMcWNTMOffeaGg3bb3yG8JbhFLvH2Psy0WKDCrJwAoTvf8jODaOZWQ9Zz__n9CFYg/s400/ghee.jpg"></a><br>
<i>Ghee, solid at room temperature</i></div><br>
In India, ghee is an essential part of our lives. It is used in cooking, to fuel oil lamps, and to pour into the fire during all manner of ceremonies. It is often treated as a symbol of purity. <br>
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Making homemade ghee was as much a part of our daily lives as was making homemade cultured butter. We had raw milk delivered to us every morning. Almost immediately, it was heated gently until it boiled. As it cooled, there was this magical layer of thick cream that floated to the top of the milk. It thickened as the milk cooled. Refrigeration made this layer almost solid and easier to scoop out into a special ceramic pot. Once that ceramic pot was full, a yogurt culture was stirred into it, and it was allowed to sit overnight on the counter. <br>
</div><a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2015/07/how-to-make-ghee.html#more">Read on...</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Contents & images copyright © 2003 - 2013<br />
Indian Food Rocks<br />
http://www.indianfoodrocks.com</div>Indian Food Rockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-13676157478768323332015-05-10T19:37:00.001-06:002015-05-10T19:37:37.892-06:00Happy Mother's Day! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Thank you, Mom, for those breakfasts every single weekday that I never appreciated.<br>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8ZZri1k38kCRy-83H9P_abel4A9dR7eMAqB_XUsnwq7a81TZM8yW95J0PtTJa2HEAZIflMbuPfuRzikF8Wlbyqel93o6OvtsXh0tnuDgZpdJqfzSb0CAUbHffyq1nfc82okDxA/s320/Breakfast.jpg" width="320"><br>
<i>c. 1980</i></div></div><a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2015/05/happy-mothers-day.html#more">Read on...</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Contents & images copyright © 2003 - 2013<br />
Indian Food Rocks<br />
http://www.indianfoodrocks.com</div>Indian Food Rockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-49047309028063320332015-01-20T00:56:00.000-07:002015-01-20T01:36:19.045-07:00Marching into 2015 with Coconut Oil<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I hope 2015 has been good to you thus far and keeps bringing you small joys and big happies as it unfolds its plan for you. I wish you all that and so much more!<br>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/15700919704/" title="Happy 2015! by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="Happy 2015!" height="425" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7532/15700919704_6d917679b9_z.jpg" width="640"></a><br>
<i>Warm Fuzzies to You from My Family!</i></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/16321708121/" title="Jump for 2015 by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="Jump for 2015" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7501/16321708121_7228e4bbdd_z.jpg" width="425"></a><br>
<i>Jump for the New Year!</i></div>
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Medha jumped for more than just the New Year. She was thrilled that she would be bringing in the New Year at Disney World on a marching band trip. It was the first New Year's Eve that we weren't together. It's just the first of many more to come but that's how life goes. She came back from Florida with an upper respiratory infection that snowballed into other health issues, and is only just getting some normalcy back in her life. Into all our lives. <br>
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While she struggled with her health, I struggled with writing the year properly on all the heaps of documents and forms that I found myself signing. No, I didn't write 2014 instead of 2015, like the rest of you! I wrote my birth year. I kid you not. Nothing quite like telling everyone just how old and foolish I am. <br>
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</div><a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2015/01/pan-fried-shrimp-in-coconut-oil.html#more">Read on...</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Contents & images copyright © 2003 - 2013<br />
Indian Food Rocks<br />
http://www.indianfoodrocks.com</div>Indian Food Rockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-82876897262567205042014-12-25T02:00:00.000-07:002014-12-25T02:04:30.234-07:00Church for Christmas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Last Christmas, we were in New Mexico. It was a real treat for me to visit some of the oldest churches in continental USA while there. I love old churches, especially old living churches that have an active congregation. Our drive to Taos took us through Ranchos de Taos, a historic district about four miles from Taos. And, in Ranchos de Taos is the San Francisco de Asissi Mission Church, a historic church built by Spanish missionaries between between 1772 and 1816.<br>
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In spring, the community gets together to add a new layer of adobe —a mixture of mud and straw — on the outer facade to preserve their church.<br>
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It was a perfect winter's day in New Mexico: bluebird skies with nary a cloud in sight, sunny and cold.<br>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/15914572859/" title="Belltower by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="Belltower" height="425" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8662/15914572859_e08e71185f_z.jpg" width="640"></a><br>
<i>Belltower</i></div></div><a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2014/12/ranchos-de-taos-church-new-mexico.html#more">Read on...</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Contents & images copyright © 2003 - 2013<br />
Indian Food Rocks<br />
http://www.indianfoodrocks.com</div>Indian Food Rockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-56660339600044066652014-12-22T01:56:00.000-07:002014-12-25T02:06:01.700-07:00Busy Shortcuts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last week, I participated in a home market hosted by my friends Teri and Paul. We called it the Boulder Holiday Art & Gift Sale. Little did I know what I had committed to when I said yes to Teri back in September. By mid-November, I was in way too deep to back out.<br>
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I had canned as I do each year and then some. Thanks to guidance from my friend <a href="http://rangdecor.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Archana</a>, I made a small batch of tomato thokku and tomato chutney. Maybe I could use those. Medha was not happy that I was going to include the tomato chutney on my table at the Holiday Sale. I canned more of my peach-habanero salsa.My tamarind-date chutney is always a hit so maybe some of that. Some ghee? And a couple of spice blends. But which? I have always wanted to share my rest-of-the-world chhole masala, and I had a dear friend's mother's recipe for chai masala. And then there was that whole thing about labels. I figured that even if no-one bought anything I made, I would have lots of gifts for my friends. None of the effort would be wasted. And, it had a lot of love poured into it.<br>
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Before I knew it, it was the weekend of the sale and I sold out of both the thokku as well as the chai masala. I set out samples of all my canned foods, as well as chai made with my chai masala and chhole made with my chana/chhole masala. <br>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/16076471012/" title="IFR's table at Boulder Holiday Art & Gift Sale by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="IFR's table at Boulder Holiday Art & Gift Sale" height="425" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7518/16076471012_15ef045d64_z.jpg" width="640"></a><br>
<i>My table at the Holiday Sale</i></div>
</div><a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2014/12/faux-sabudana-khichadi.html#more">Read on...</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Contents & images copyright © 2003 - 2013<br />
Indian Food Rocks<br />
http://www.indianfoodrocks.com</div>Indian Food Rockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-88478254229761483212014-06-20T23:43:00.000-06:002014-07-12T15:36:32.173-06:00Craftsy Giveaway Winner & Friday Feature: Faces of India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><blockquote>We have <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18Vseo4YOz6bcU3JbHDHR0mVeSi8o_iDoifhLov9HR6s/edit?usp=sharing">a winner</a> for my Craftsy Giveaway: <u><strike><b><a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2014/05/back-with-giveaway.html?showComment=1401049911258#c4064689015263488864">AM</a></b>! Congrats! I do not have an email address for you.</strike></u> <strike><b><a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2014/05/back-with-giveaway.html?showComment=1400707295316#c2669149014855452686" target="_blank">Poornima!</a></b></strike> <b><a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2014/05/back-with-giveaway.html?showComment=1400914713350#c2605110210969673725">Siri</a></b>. Please get in touch with me by email indianfoodrocks at gmail or by using <a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/p/contact-me.html">this contact form</a>. Please include your Name and your Email Address. Since I took so long to announce the winner, I will give you until Thursday, June 26, to get in touch. Hurry! I want you to start exploring Craftsy right away!</blockquote><br>
Last November, I made a quick trip to India, and what a trip it was. I went to attend the wedding of a dear friend as well as handle some pending business, and ended up meeting a whole bunch of friends — some for the first time, like <a href="http://annaparabrahma.blogspot.com/">Anjali Koli</a>. I have known Anjali online for over seven years. She and I were both <i>Red Checks</i> at St. Anne's High School in Fort, Bombay, albeit years apart. Anjali has always held me spellbound with her stories of the Koli culture. The Koli community are the fisher-folks that brave the rough seas in and around Mumbai to bring prized catch to ever-demanding customers. <br>
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I have memories of going to the <a href="http://wholefoodsmarketcooking.com/blog/7193_indian_food_rocks">fish market with my mother</a>, afraid and in-awe at the same time. Anjali took me to one of the markets from my childhood and the fisherwomen did not scare me anymore. Instead, I chatted with them and laughed at their stories, while they smiled for my camera.<br>
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If you are so lucky as to be in Bombay, you might want to check out the <a href="http://annaparabrahma.blogspot.com/search/label/ExperienceWithMe">Koli Culture Experience</a> with the best guide there could ever be, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Annaparabrahma">Anjali</a>. <br>
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<b>Where:</b> Colaba Fish Market, Bombay<br>
<b>What:</b> Fish and beautiful fisherwomen, and Anjali.<br>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/14137626419/" title="anjali by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="anjali" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5558/14137626419_720c034ed0_z.jpg" width="425"></a><br>
<i>Anjali</i></div></div><a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2014/06/koli-culture-faces-of-india.html#more">Read on...</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Contents & images copyright © 2003 - 2013<br />
Indian Food Rocks<br />
http://www.indianfoodrocks.com</div>Indian Food Rockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-89383789024634518932014-05-24T00:16:00.000-06:002016-06-30T16:34:32.086-06:00May be Long<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><blockquote>Have you entered <a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2014/05/back-with-giveaway.html">my Craftsy online class giveaway</a>? I have extended the deadline to May 25. Go ahead and enter it now!</blockquote><br>
May is the longest month in the calendar. Not just because it has 31 days. It is the last month of the school year, heralding all kinds of end-of-year activities. From recitals to picnics to award ceremonies to graduation and graduation parties. And, <a href="http://bolderboulder.com/">BolderBoulder</a>. Several events are packed into each weekend. I would like an auto-pilot for this month!<br>
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In between all the necessary stuff, we try our best to pack in the unnecessary but fun stuff. Like the Erie Balloon Festival. This is a 3-day festival held in the neighboring town of Erie. My friend, Lisa, and I go every year and we were there <a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2013/06/sunday-snapshots-catching-up-on-may.html">last year</a>, too. <br>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/14275716793/" title="Lisa is High Maintenance by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="Lisa is High Maintenance" height="425" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2930/14275716793_8b765640d7_z.jpg" width="640"></a><br>
<i>Lisa is High Maintenance</i></div><br>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/14232397986/" title="Hot air balloon by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="Hot air balloon" height="425" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2899/14232397986_6f60d13791_z.jpg" width="640"></a><br>
<i>Up</i></div></div><a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2014/05/simple-dal.html#more">Read on...</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Contents & images copyright © 2003 - 2013<br />
Indian Food Rocks<br />
http://www.indianfoodrocks.com</div>Indian Food Rockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-73862080543287674442014-05-14T16:09:00.000-06:002014-05-24T00:12:55.119-06:00Back with a Giveaway!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Some of you noticed that I had stopped posting. Thank you for that. So much happened right from the night of my last post — a huge stag leaped into the side of our then brand-new plugin-hybrid on the freeway, leaped back over the median, caused an accident, and was dismembered — to the end of the year and beyond, that with each event, my mind whirled and the words stopped flowing. I wrote but it seemed disjointed; incoherent, even. So I chose to go silent without a message, except a brief announcement on my Facebook wall towards the end of last year. <br />
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My silent blog did not bother me as much as the nagging feeling that I failed to deliver on my promise of a <a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2013/03/pressure-cooker-giveaway.html">10th anniversary giveaway</a> in which all my readers could participate. But the best thing about a blog is that it doesn't matter. I'm the boss and I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. Even though we are well into the 11th year of IFR now, I am still going to have my final 10th anniversary giveaway. There are actually three giveaways: one for the readers of my blog who comment on this post, one for my newsletter/email readers (I will have the newsletter out soon), and one for my Facebook fans. <br />
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<b>What am I giving away?</b> A creative online class on <a href="http://www.craftsy.com/">Craftsy</a> of your choice up to a maximum of $30. <br />
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<b>Why?</b> Because I like to keep my promises, however late I might be.<br />
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<b>How?</b> Same deal as last time. The rules are that there are no rules. There is no need to go blue in the face creating more noise than there already is on the social networks. If you want to, however, that is your choice! Simply leave me a comment on this post telling me what crafts you enjoy and how you plan to work that into your summer. That's it. <br />
<br />
<b>The giveaway will close at 11:59pm May</b> <s>23</s> <b>25, 2014.</b> I will randomly pick a winner and post an announcement within a couple of days of the deadline. I will give the winner a few days to get in touch with me, failing which I will find another winner.<br />
<br />
I will be sending out a newsletter to my mailing list with a second giveaway as well as announcing a third giveaway on Facebook — both Craftsy classes up to $30 value. If you entered the giveaway on my blog, you can still throw your hat in for these two giveaways. The modus operandi will be slightly different on those two platforms though. <br />
<br />
<b>Disclaimer:</b> I am not affiliated with Craftsy in any way. This post is not sponsored by Craftsy nor has Craftsy approached me with an offer. I do have a friend who works for Craftsy but that's where the association stops. My friend has not asked me to post this giveaway either. It is entirely my idea. <br />
<br />
Photography continues to remain a passion and a huge stress-buster for me. I will leave you with a couple of my favorite photos of the Taj Mahal in the early morning light, that I shot in December last year. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/14000969410/" title="First view of the Taj Mahal by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="First view of the Taj Mahal" height="640" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2906/14000969410_861c38e43e_z.jpg" width="425" /></a><br />
<i>breath-taking first view</i></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/14187585654/" title="Taj Mahal at sunrise by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="Taj Mahal at sunrise" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7460/14187585654_4daf5545d7_z.jpg" width="425" /></a><br />
<i>glowing marble at dawn</i></div><br />
Now, you do your bit and enter the giveaway by telling me about your favorite crafts and how you plan to indulge in them over summer, ok?<br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Contents & images copyright © 2003 - 2013<br />
Indian Food Rocks<br />
http://www.indianfoodrocks.com</div>Indian Food Rockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-41567870479201026672013-10-12T01:11:00.003-06:002014-03-07T11:32:04.021-07:00Magic of Kindness<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><blockquote>Thank you for your messages and emails asking about us in the aftermath of the disastrous flooding in Boulder County, Colorado. We were very lucky and did not have any water in our home. The day it all began was Back to School Night and we were at Medha’s high school until late. We left one car in Boulder so that we were all in one car, heading home past 9pm. We had some minor scares on the way but nothing significant. Once home, we realized that leaving one car in Boulder was probably not the wisest decision as we left it in a parking lot that was very close to Boulder Creek, which rose dangerously through the night. A brand new car, at that! Luckily for us and our new material trapping, there were some surges in our parking lot but it did not flood, unlike most of the parking lots near the creek. We drove in and out of Boulder quickly, and, thanked our stars and the grey skies for sparing us. My town, the City of Louisville, saw some damage, our golf course became a wide raging river, leading to a collapsed bridge downstream and wiping out several parts of my favorite trail. But it was nothing compared to the devastation in the mountain towns, Boulder and Longmont. The road to recovery is long but it has been pretty darned amazing how the community has risen to the occasion and given back at every step. Thank you for your concern and your kindness. If you would like to help with the flood relief, please donate to <a href="http://www.coloradofloodrelief.com/">The Great Colorado Flood Relief Project</a>.</blockquote><br>
My friends on <a href="https://twitter.com/indianfoodrocks">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_540223068"></span>Facebook<span id="goog_540223069"></span></a> know that I can talk about little else but the <a href="http://www.chow-down.com/">Boulder IFS Food Film Festival</a>, especially <a href="http://jadoomovie.com/">Jadoo</a>, a British-Indian comedy that I will be introducing on <b>Saturday, October 12, 2013</b>, at <b>7pm</b> in CU’s <a href="http://goo.gl/maps/5cyGg">Muenzinger Auditorium</a>.<br>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/10219899755/" title="Boulder IFS Food Film Festival Program by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="Boulder IFS Food Film Festival Program" height="509" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2877/10219899755_e983522bc5_z.jpg" width="640"></a><br>
<i>mobile phone pics of the BFFF13 program</i></div><br>
My friends, Meena and Shashi, as well as two talented high schoolers, will be offering <b>henna designs for a donation</b> before the movie. They will be there from <b>5:45pm to 6:45pm</b>. All money raised will be donated through the <b>Boulder Balvihar</b> to <a href="http://www.helpachild.in/">Help a Child</a>, an Indian charity that provides academic scholarships to underprivileged children in India. <br>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/10219962606/" title="Henna at Jadoo will be much better than this! by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="Henna at Jadoo will be much better than this!" height="640" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3802/10219962606_f50f8941b7_z.jpg" width="423"></a><br>
<i>It's a good thing I won't be doing the henna!</i></div><br>
<b>If you are local, please consider coming out to support us!</b><br>
</div><a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2013/10/jadoo-movie-magic-of-kindness.html#more">Read on...</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Contents & images copyright © 2003 - 2013<br />
Indian Food Rocks<br />
http://www.indianfoodrocks.com</div>Indian Food Rockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-10034883037477607252013-09-09T13:53:00.002-06:002013-09-09T13:53:57.661-06:00Ganpati Bappa Morya!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Every year we chant:<br>
<i>Ganpati Bappa Morya<br>
Pudchya varshi lavkar ya!</i><br>
<br>
And before I know it, it's here again! My favorite God, my second favorite festival, my favorite foods to be made but so busy that I have no time to make <a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2006/08/chavde-on-ganesh-chaturthi.html">chavde</a> or the more traditional <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modak">modaks</a>. <br>
<br>
I do have a coconut waiting patiently in my refrigerator. I plan to use that to make the stuffing for <a href="http://wholefoodsmarketcooking.com/blog/6023_indian_food_rocks">karanji</a> and offer that to Ganesh. <br>
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We celebrated <a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/search/label/Ganesh%20Chaturthi">Ganesh Chaturthi</a> at Balvihar yesterday where some of our kids made clay models of Ganesh. <br>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/9712525692/" title="Clay Ganesh by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="Clay Ganesh" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7289/9712525692_cd57680c0f_z.jpg" width="479"></a><br>
<i>Ayesha's near-perfect Ganesh</i></div></div><a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2013/09/sweet-coconut-prasad-ganesh-chaturthi.html#more">Read on...</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Contents & images copyright © 2003 - 2013<br />
Indian Food Rocks<br />
http://www.indianfoodrocks.com</div>Indian Food Rockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-8629277017767838732013-08-31T11:20:00.001-06:002013-09-01T09:10:50.951-06:00It's All Peachy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I have literally been swimming in organic Colorado peaches. I have always loved peaches but Palisade peaches? They're something else. They are the kind that soak up the snow melt on the Western Slopes of the Rockies, beat the vagaries of our spring weather and bring chin drippin' lusciousness to your taste buds in summer. The demand is always high for peaches, and even more for organic peaches.<br>
<br>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/9635191663/" title="Peaches from First Fruits by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="Peaches from First Fruits" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7417/9635191663_b0423e95a3_z.jpg" width="425"></a><br>
<i>Palisade peaches from First Fruits, Paonia</i></div><br>
But before I go all peachy on you, I have some exciting news to share. <br>
<br>
Come fall, I will be teaching Home Cook Classes in Indian food at the <a href="http://www.escoffier.edu/locations/boulder">Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Boulder</a>. The classes will be monthly with the <b>first class</b> on <a href="https://indianfoodrocks9-26-13.eventbrite.com/?ref=ebapi">September 26</a>. If you are local (Denver / Boulder area), this will be a fun class that teaches homestyle Indian cooking, not the greasy-fare you find in Indian restaurants. It's food that you will make over and over, be able to adapt to other produce, because you will learn simple techniques that form the foundation of Indian cooking. This workshop also makes a great gift for someone who is interested in Indian cooking. I hope to see you there!<br>
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On October 12, I will be introducing an Indian film made in the UK that is part of the new Food Film section of annual <a href="https://www.internationalfilmseries.com/">International Film Series</a> organized by CU Boulder, not to be confused with Boulder International Film Festival. The film, <a href="https://www.internationalfilmseries.com/event_detail.php?event_id=9965">Jadoo</a>, will be shown at 7pm in the Muenzinger Auditorium, located west of Folsom Stadium (400 seats) on the CU Boulder campus. Tickets are $7 per show, $6 for CU students, with a Food Film Festival pass for $25 that will get you into all five food films. This pass includes free parking validation at the Euclid Auto-Park garage.<br>
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My friend Julia has been working tirelessly to get this together, from conception to implementation. The film Jadoo is sponsored by <a href="http://www.savoryspiceshop.com/colorado/boulder.html">Savory Spice Shop</a>, my favorite spice shop in Boulder. Thank you, Dan!<br>
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If you are local, please mark your calendar and come out to Muenzinger Auditorium to watch an Indian food film with visuals so strong that you can smell the food! I'm also working on some cultural activities around the film and if they come through, I will have more information in the days to come. <br>
</div><a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2013/08/colorado-peach-puree-drink.html#more">Read on...</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Contents & images copyright © 2003 - 2013<br />
Indian Food Rocks<br />
http://www.indianfoodrocks.com</div>Indian Food Rockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-79804892934452449272013-07-23T16:52:00.001-06:002016-06-30T16:33:17.857-06:00We were flagged last July<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Flagged? Yes, flagged. Just like being flamingoed, except with US flags; exciting and, unlike the former, definitely not tacky.<br>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/9248891951/" title="Flagged by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="Flagged" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3735/9248891951_b5b5068e6a_z.jpg" height="425" width="640"></a><br>
<i>flagged</i></div><br>
July fourth last year was very memorable for us. More than 20 of my neighbors gathered in my front yard and decorated it with flags and chalk drawings. We had become citizens of the US in January 2012 and our annual neighborhood potluck-cookout on the fourth was going to be a celebration to welcome us as naturalized citizens. <br>
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<b><i>I have the best neighbors.</i></b><br>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/9248891281/" title="Flagged by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="Flagged" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3762/9248891281_5bfc83cd9b_z.jpg" height="425" width="640"></a><br>
<i>Welcome Citizens!</i></div><br>
I knew that they were going to do something special for us but I had no inkling of the scale of things even though there were flyers posted on all our common mailboxes in the 'hood. Oops!<br>
<br>
Twenty adults and kids can create quite a racket but we had a giant noisy fan throwing air out of our rather hot house that we did not hear them at all. That's my excuse.<br>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/9248889043/" title="Flagged by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="Flagged" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3681/9248889043_453a6df4d3_z.jpg" height="480" width="640"></a><br>
<i>Stars and stripes, and a quote from LBJ</i></div><br>
Neighbors were asked to bring little things that represent America to drop into three baskets that were laid out on a table. We got everything from toy currency to Matchbox cars to Little Debbie cupcakes to mac-and-cheese to a Martha Stewart cookbook. And there was cake.<br>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/9251668250/" title="Celebrating Citizenship by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="Celebrating Citizenship" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7351/9251668250_a3e1369459_z.jpg" height="319" width="640"></a><br>
<i>Gift baskets filled with things American, and a chocolate cake.</i></div><br>
On our part, we held an impromptu face-off between two contestants who were quizzed using questions from the Immigration Test. A contestant had to get three consecutive questions correct to win a $15 iTunes gift card. We had three winners in all. It was a ton of fun and we also uncovered many history buffs in our hood.<br>
<br>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">It was the best party ever! This celebration gave a new meaning to July 4th for all of us. </div><br>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/9251669314/" title="In Shiva and God, we trust by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="In Shiva and God, we trust" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2853/9251669314_0ff46c42de_z.jpg" height="425" width="640"></a><br>
<i>Liberties were taken!</i></div><br>
I laughed and cried when I saw the new twist on the US motto. It reminded me of the words of the USCIS officer who presided over our naturalization ceremony. When he declared us to be citizens of the US, he told us never to forget our roots and to make every attempt to share stories of our culture and traditions, not just with our children, but with our friends and neighbors. Diversity only serves to enrich and strengthen this great country further.<br>
</div><a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2013/07/bharli-vangi-stuffed-eggplants.html#more">Read on...</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Contents & images copyright © 2003 - 2013<br />
Indian Food Rocks<br />
http://www.indianfoodrocks.com</div>Indian Food Rockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-77912817178844506522013-06-23T15:00:00.000-06:002014-06-21T00:41:14.609-06:00Sunday Snapshots: Bharatanatyam pre-Arangetram Shoot<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Arangetram is the professional dance debut of a dancer after years of training. It is akin to a graduation and is celebrated with a solo dance performance of at least two to two-and-a-half hours. The artist dances to live music and has to work closely with the musicians.<br>
<br>
In the years past, arangetrams would be held in temples and the audience would be made up of prospective clients. Today, an arangetram is a celebration of the artist's achievements with friends and family blessing the dancer for attaining an important milestone. Arangetrams can be as fancy as a wedding or as simple as a dance performance to live music.<br>
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I was fortunate enough to do a pre-arangetram shoot for an event that is happening at the time that this post will go live. Here are some of my favorite pictures from that shoot.<br>
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Enjoy!<br>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/9114663848/" title="Bharatanatyam Pre-Arangetram Shoot by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="Bharatanatyam Pre-Arangetram Shoot" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7337/9114663848_d89489dec4_z.jpg" width="425"></a></div></div><a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2013/06/bharatanatyam-arangetram-photography.html#more">Read on...</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Contents & images copyright © 2003 - 2013<br />
Indian Food Rocks<br />
http://www.indianfoodrocks.com</div>Indian Food Rockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-65288132400718815802013-06-16T23:54:00.000-06:002013-06-18T12:52:28.658-06:00Banana Dippers for you and Dad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So much for posting once a week! But, remember that I said we hit the ground running in June? We did.<br>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/9057778249/" title="Happy Fathers Day! by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="Happy Fathers Day!" height="640" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3794/9057778249_362a81d238_z.jpg" width="425"></a><br>
<i>Fathers with their children</i></div>
<br>
<b>Happy Father's Day!</b><br>
</div><a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2013/06/salted-cardamom-banana-dippers.html#more">Read on...</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Contents & images copyright © 2003 - 2013<br />
Indian Food Rocks<br />
http://www.indianfoodrocks.com</div>Indian Food Rockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-23342206211624230632013-06-02T17:40:00.000-06:002013-06-03T12:25:15.736-06:00Sunday Snapshots: Catching up on May over Pan Fried Fish<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
May is about the craziest month of the school year around here. School ends on the Friday before Memorial Day, and, if there are several days in May left after that as there were this year, May becomes a very short school month for us. End-of-year performances, state-level competitions, piano recitals, graduation parties, Balvihar picnic, not to mention finals were all crammed into 24 days of May, of which only 17 were school days.<br>
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We also had two bomb threats in our high schools, one <a href="http://www.dailycamera.com/lafayette-news/ci_23236539/lafyaette-police-arrest-made-centaurus-high-pipe-bomb">real</a> and one <a href="http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_23281686/boulder-police-device-discovered-bus-at-fairview-high">not</a>, and an 'accidental' <a href="http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-schools/ci_23269469/4-taken-hospital-after-accidental-dispersal-pepper-spray">spraying of pepper spray</a> that added to the stress of May. No parent needs this kind of excitement.<br>
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I cooked a lot of fish last month. We experienced protein cravings more often, given that we were in overdrive when it came to our schedule. Pan-fried fish is the simplest kind of fried fish to make. There is no leftover smelly oil to dispose of either!<br>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/8928736547/" title="Pan Fried Fish by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="Pan Fried Fish" height="425" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7401/8928736547_fe9e9e91a8_z.jpg" width="640"></a><br>
<i><a href="http://wholefoodsmarketcooking.com/blog/7193_indian_food_rocks">Pan-fried Fish</a></i></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
The recipe is on the <a href="http://wholefoodsmarketcooking.com/blog/7193_indian_food_rocks">Whole Foods Market Cooking Blog</a>. It's pretty darned good and saw us through several nights in May. </div>
<div>
<br></div>
</div><a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2013/06/sunday-snapshots-catching-up-on-may.html#more">Read on...</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Contents & images copyright © 2003 - 2013<br />
Indian Food Rocks<br />
http://www.indianfoodrocks.com</div>Indian Food Rockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-73552535291850129572013-05-05T17:10:00.000-06:002013-05-22T08:41:52.275-06:00Sunday Snapshots: Of Coconut Milk as well as Spring Flora and Fauna<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br>
Spring has been a mixed bag this year, flip-flopping between summer and winter. <br>
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I made coconut milk at home using frozen shredded coconut and I'm never going back to canned coconut milk! Read my column on <b>Whole Foods Market Cooking</b> on <a href="http://wholefoodsmarketcooking.com/blog/7084_indian_food_rocks">How to Make Coconut Milk</a>. <br>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/8711155565/" title="DIY Coconut Milk by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="DIY Coconut Milk" height="425" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8411/8711155565_e1f6e428c0_z.jpg" width="640"></a><br>
<i><a href="http://wholefoodsmarketcooking.com/blog/7084_indian_food_rocks">How to Make Coconut Milk at home</a> (Whole Foods Market Cooking)</i></div>
</div><a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2013/05/sunday-snapshots-coconut-milk-owlets-spring.html#more">Read on...</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Contents & images copyright © 2003 - 2013<br />
Indian Food Rocks<br />
http://www.indianfoodrocks.com</div>Indian Food Rockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-65100642088420200922013-04-30T17:00:00.000-06:002013-04-30T18:39:37.672-06:00The Good Things in April<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So much happened in April. <i>So much. </i>I decided to focus on all the good things, mostly family, friends and celebrations.<br>
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We kicked off April with <a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2009/03/dal-matters-whole-moong-dal.html">Holi</a> celebrations at Boulder Balvihar. Not my favorite festival but I do enjoy taking pictures of everyone else, especially the little ones.<br>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/8687685002/" title="HoliTriptych-1 by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="HoliTriptych-1" height="319" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8117/8687685002_7ce8b7f6fc_z.jpg" width="640"></a><br>
<i>Happy kiddos at Holi!</i></div>
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I have never made <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puran_Poli">puran poli</a>, the sweet treat that is traditionally made for Holi. I wanted to but since my plate spilleth over, I put it on the back-burner yet again. I didn't make <a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2012/03/celebrating-spring-with-colors.html">thandai</a> either, even though we had really enjoyed it last year at this time. And, you know what? It didn't matter. That's not to undermine the importance of food during festivities and the stories that go hand-in-hand; instead it's more like celebrating on our terms rather than doing all the right things and being miserable as well as stressed at the same time. The special Holi prasad at Boulder Balvihar more than made up for all the fun treats that I did not make.<br>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/8687684784/" title="Holi 2013 by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="Holi 2013" height="640" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8537/8687684784_57be309c7e_z.jpg" width="458"></a><br>
<i>Some of my friends really get into the act!</i></div>
</div><a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2013/04/cashew-carrot-salad.html#more">Read on...</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Contents & images copyright © 2003 - 2013<br />
Indian Food Rocks<br />
http://www.indianfoodrocks.com</div>Indian Food Rockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-80916455906706871242013-04-05T16:30:00.000-06:002013-04-10T14:40:02.372-06:00Pressure Cooker Winner and Raji's Brinji<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">April 1 may not have been the best day to close my pressure cooker giveaway! But, I promise you that it was not an April Fool's joke.<br>
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Thank you all for your wonderful comments. I loved reading more about all of you.<br>
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To all my readers who delurked: I am indeed humbled that so many of you have been reading along for almost as many years as I have been blogging. You have helped me grow.<br>
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To all my regular commenters: you know I think you are awesome! Some of our conversations border on insane and that is what keeps me going and encourages me to share some of the randomness in my life.<br>
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And I was very tickled that all of you appreciated not having to go blab to the world on social networks about this giveaway. While I get the need for that kind of marketing, it's not what this blog is about. I much prefer organic growth to in-your-face marketing. My content remains driven by my thoughts and my experiences rather than what drives these networks.<br>
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Here's how I chose the winner for the giveaway. I asked for three numbers between 1 and 1000 on my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/indianfoodrocks/posts/552800541426389">Facebook page</a>, added them up, calculated the mod with the divisor set to the number of participants (67) and matched up the answer to the comment number that I assigned in ascending order. That's random enough, right? <br>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/8577120702/" title="A Pressure Cooker GIveaway by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="A Pressure Cooker GIveaway" height="360" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8243/8577120702_7157703218.jpg" width="450"></a><br>
<i>SO WHO WON THE PRESSURE COOKER?!</i></div><br>
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Indian Food Rocks<br />
http://www.indianfoodrocks.com</div>Indian Food Rockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-65820473311029726352013-03-22T14:15:00.000-06:002013-04-05T16:39:15.690-06:00Celebrating 10 years of IFR with a Giveaway<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">You know you're lucky when you look out at your driveway in the middle of a snowstorm to see your neighbor's kid shoveling the snow that you were doing your best to ignore.<br>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/8577111666/" title="Shoveling snow by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="Shoveling snow" height="640" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8086/8577111666_6e964267c7_z.jpg" width="425"></a><br>
<i>a welcome sight</i></div><br>
You know you're lucky when a package arrives all the way from the <a href="http://elaichietcetera.wordpress.com/">upper mid-west</a> with home-made <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nocino">nocino</a>, Indian pickles and Kashmiri veri masala.<br>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/8347988313/" title="Grateful for good friends by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="Grateful for good friends" height="640" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8362/8347988313_010e90d3d6_z.jpg" width="425"></a><br>
<i>Hot and boozy gifts</i></div><br>
You know you're lucky when <a href="http://www.aayisrecipes.com/">Shilpa</a> sends you fragrant organic tirphal, along with mace, nutmeg, kokum from her father's property near Bangalore and two very special pickles made by her mother: kochle nonche and ambli pickle.<br>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/8485336416/" title="Fragrant Tirphal by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="Fragrant Tirphal" height="425" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8371/8485336416_957ced0b18_z.jpg" width="640"></a><br>
<i>Fragrant and relatively rare spice: tirphal</i></div><br>
You know you're lucky when <a href="http://mydiversekitchen.com/">Aparna</a> sends you flavors of your childhood with more kokum and tirphal, dagadphool, dried red chiles, vanilla pods and famous Goan cured pork sausages.<br>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/8577113632/" title="A gift from Aparna by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="A gift from Aparna" height="425" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8382/8577113632_5d6c7cb078_z.jpg" width="640"></a><br>
<i>Gifts that remind me of my childhood</i></div><br>
You know you're lucky when there are so many things to be grateful for, on a daily basis. <i>I know I am.</i><br>
From the magnificent beauty of where we live to the supportive neighborhood where we make our home to the friends and family in our lives.<br>
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I also know I'm incredibly lucky when I look back at the ten years that I have been blogging and realize that I have met some of my best friends through my blog. My very first post was on March 12, 2003. It was as clueless as I was about blogging, but I was also very clearly testing the Blogger platform, then owned by Pyra Labs. I was never a prolific blogger nor do I intend to be. I blog at my own pace, on my own terms and without succumbing to the pressures of the blogosphere, especially the food blogging community.<br>
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Indian Food Rocks<br />
http://www.indianfoodrocks.com</div>Indian Food Rockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.com80tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-28382368188190737772013-02-28T23:59:00.000-07:002013-03-13T00:29:33.423-06:00Under Pressure<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>Pressure cooking</b> is suddenly in the limelight again. It looks like it's the next new wave after slow cooking in the crockpot. If you grew up like me -- in a home where beans, legumes and pulses were eaten on a daily basis -- you're probably grateful that an efficient and effective cooking method is finally being recognized, and you're possibly also quite aghast at the various myths that are being repeated ad nauseam, especially the one that pressure cookers are dangerous because they explode in your face.<br>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/8517239255/" title="Indian pressure cooker by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="Indian pressure cooker" height="640" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8508/8517239255_0af2e0948e_z.jpg" width="425"></a><br>
<i>releasing pressure</i></div>
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There's no doubt that they <i>used to</i> explode and there were two reasons for that: poor manufacturing and user error (which, unfortunately, continues even today). Modern pressure cookers, especially the kind that don't open until the pressure has subsided, are much safer but so are the old-style ones with a weighted pressure-release, if used properly. If you continue to hear stories about how they explode, then more often than not, it is <b>user error</b>.<br>
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This reminds me of the recent article that said that <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/16/dining/immersion-blenders-can-be-a-danger-in-disguise.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0">immersion or hand blenders are dangerous</a> because many people have almost lost their fingers to the blade. Well, it's only common sense that if the appliance is not unplugged, a blade that is jammed will start spinning as soon as the obstruction has been removed. But, since common sense is rather rare, it is easier to tarnish the appliance with the label: Dangerous.<br>
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I am still wondering why the author of that particular article was using an immersion blender for butter that was meant to go into chocolate chip cookies, and how an article of that kind made it into The New York Times. And, if she will ever be able to live it down.<br>
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I must say that I am rather surprised that such people still drive cars.<br>
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Or use a knife.<br>
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Indian Food Rocks<br />
http://www.indianfoodrocks.com</div>Indian Food Rockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-62795496984532063232013-02-12T22:02:00.000-07:002013-02-12T23:08:40.173-07:00Not Quite Bananas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">You know how folks say "My Grandma taught me and I do it the same way she did," implying that Grandma always knew best. Well, maybe not. At least not when it came to prepping <a href="http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2013/02/banana-blossom-sunday-snapshots.html">banana blossom</a>. <br>
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Everyone I talked to told me that banana blossoms are a pain to prep and clean. That the sap stains everything it touches, and blackened fingers are an indication of a family satiated on banana blossoms. To avoid these stains, they said, you must rub oil all over your hands before you touch a banana blossom. Or, in modern times, the suggestion is to wear thin food-safe gloves. <br>
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The very first time I prepped banana blossom, I rubbed a little bit of oil on my finger tips, but only because I didn't know what to expect. The next few times I knew what I had to do and didn't bother with any oil. <i>Yes, it's true; you don't need to oil your hands or wear gloves when you're prepping banana blossoms. </i><br>
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All you need is the following: a sharp knife, and a medium pot half-filled with water and the juice of half a lemon. <br>
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Indian Food Rocks<br />
http://www.indianfoodrocks.com</div>Indian Food Rockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-42489720559215697792013-02-03T18:15:00.000-07:002013-02-13T00:03:33.097-07:00Sunday Snapshots: Banana Blossom<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
What?! Are Sunday Snapshots back?! I hope so, my friend, I hope so! <br>
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Banana blossoms are considered to be exotic in the US. They shouldn't be as the banana plant is one of the oldest plants known to man and the banana fruit one of the most common fruits. The banana plant makes pretensions to be a tree when, in fact, it is the largest flowering herbaceous plant. If you haven't seen a banana blossom before, then these Sunday Snapshots might interest you.<br>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/8442220517/" title="Banana blossom by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="Banana blossom" height="640" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8054/8442220517_e661b14b25_z.jpg" width="425"></a><br>
<i>Purple red blossom</i></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/polarmate/8442226791/" title="Banana blossom by .Manisha., on Flickr"><img alt="Banana blossom" height="425" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8324/8442226791_114c1070d9_z.jpg" width="640"></a><br>
<i>Always intriguing</i></div>
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Indian Food Rocks<br />
http://www.indianfoodrocks.com</div>Indian Food Rockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.com11