Not Quite Bananas

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 banana blossom.

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.

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. Yes, it's true; you don't need to oil your hands or wear gloves when you're prepping banana blossoms.

All you need is the following: a sharp knife, and a medium pot half-filled with water and the juice of half a lemon.

Read on...

IFR Quick Fix: Patal Bhaji

I know what you are thinking: she accepted the Schmooze award and promptly did an about turn and became an UnSchmoozer. Well, not true. If I had hogged the Schmooze Award, polished it, displayed it, gloated over it and then morphed into a turncoat, some of that earlier statement might be true. But I shared it with a go forth and multiply attitude. And multiply, it did!

This pesky thing called life has been very hectic on all fronts. If there was an overflow:delete command, my trigger finger would have been poised over it at all times. So, to those of you who have visited my blog in the last few weeks and left comments, I offer you my most sincere apologies. I have read all your comments and I hope to catch up with you, here and on your blogs, in the weeks to come.

Since all work, dishes, laundry and no play makes Manisha a sad girl, we made a quick dash to Moab, Utah and stared in awe at glorious arches, buttes and canyons in Arches National Park, Dead Horse Point State Park and Canyonlands National Park, along with ancient petroglyphs. We almost rented a Jeep Wrangler for some off-roading and jeeping but destiny decreed otherwise. The person who rented it before us smashed it up by taking a stock vehicle on the toughest 4-wheel trail in Moab. All we would have done was Shafer Trail to see the Colorado River gooseneck through Canyonlands. It was all very well as Medha's cold gripped her left nose as well as her right nose - yes, she has several of that appendage - and she even ran a fever later that day.

This short getaway was full of fun. And even though it was too-darned-hot, I had to have lots and lots of tea. Iced tea would have been just dandy but the timing of Salubri-tea could not have been worse. It came too late! That, too, when we were huddling under blankets and putting panes back into our windows instead of at a time when sunshine was in abundant supply, in Utah! You see, no matter what, I always take my 10 year old trusted tea-ball with me whenever I am travelling. That, and my tea leaves.

This time, I even carried limes that I had on hand and some sugar. We had delicious nimboo-pani (limeade) at the end of each day in Utah. Sure beats drinking stuff out of a can or a bottle!

In India, my hair dryer was my never-fail companion. In the US, it has always been my tea-ball and tea leaves. In 1997, when we drove across the US and back, I carried tea bags. Towards the end of that trip, I found my tea-ball and it's been with me ever since. So attached am I to it, that I thought I had left it behind in Canada in July and was rather morose for days till my husband found it tucked away in the khauchi pishvi. Life was just peachy again!

Is there any must-have that you take along with you when you travel?

In other news, this weekend we are going on our annual neighborhood camping trip to listen to the elks bugle and watch their rut. It's quite an amazing experience to hear that high-pitched call emanate from a hulking bull with even larger antlers perched on his head! Elk cows and calves invariably traipse through the campgrounds and we get a real up-close and personal experience. Some elks take it a step further. Residents of Estes Park had to recently deal with an elk that decided to take on a swing, instead of another bull! Don't miss the images that go with the story.

Since we haven't seen or heard from our tent after our camping trip a year ago, we opened it up and camped in our backyard on Saturday night. Urban camping rocks, I tell you! Drink water and beer with abandon for a toilet with running water is just a few steps away. Cold? Run inside and grab a comforter and another beer, too! Just because!

That's Medha trying to be scary. And the light inside? It's what made this campout in the backyard even more über. We had long - and I mean really long - extension cords going from the patio to the tent and we had a bedside lamp in the tent. Its glow reflected off our faces while we had a blast playing rummy late into the night. And since it was a cool night with temperatures in the mid-forties, we slept in and woke up quite refreshed. So refreshed that I even thought of cooking instead of just putting things together. I had some lovely organic red chard and after that cool night, a patal bhaji was what my soul yearned for. But with such gorgeous weather, I did not want to toil over the stove so I took the easy way out and made my Quick Fix Patal Bhaji.

If you are a purist or believe that things must be cooked in a certain way only, then stop reading now! I believe that cooking is constantly evolving. There is no one way of doing things. Doing something a little differently does not make a dish less authentic. If I had all the time in the world and all the inclination, I might do things the way my grandmothers did. And if you're thinking, "But this is not how patal bhaji is made!" Well, my answer to you is: It's how I make it.

Patal Bhaji (paht-tull bhah-gee) is a Maharashtrian dish that is essentially veggies or greens in a coconut sauce. Usually there is an accompanying dal that gives the sauce some extra body. In our family, we make patal bhaji just with whole masoor (red lentils), no veggies or greens. The main seasoning is usually kala masala but since I am all out and too lazy to make my own, I grind my own masala just prior to making patal bhaji. It's a breeze and goes from stove to table in 30 minutes or thereabouts.

Patal Bhaji with Chard

• 1 bunch chard, chopped including the stems
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• pinch asafetida
• 1 dried red chilli, broken into two pieces
• 1/8 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 cup tur dal, washed and uncooked
• 3 cups water
• Tamarind, the size of a dollar coin
• 1 cup coconut milk, canned is just fine
• 1 tbsp grated jaggery or brown sugar
• 1 to 1.5 tbsp fresh ground masala
• salt to taste

For the masala

• 3 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 tsp whole black peppercorns

1. Toast the whole spices in the oven or on a tava. Allow them to cool and crush to a fine powder in your spice grinder.
2. Heat oil in the pan of your pressure cooker.
3. Toss in the mustard seeds and when they crackle and splutter, add asafetida, and the dried red chilli
4. Add the chopped chard, the washed tur dal and 3 cups of water
5. Soften the tamarind by heating it in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds in some water. Mush it up and discard any pips and fibres. Add to your pressure cooker pan.
6. Add fresh ground masala, jaggery and salt
7. Pressure cook this for 4 whistles or its equivalent - as long as it takes for tur dal to cook in your pressure cooker
8. Once the pressure cooker has cooled, open it up and add 1 cup of coconut milk and bring to a boil again.
9. Serve this right away! It tastes great with steamed rice. Or as I found, it's like a spicy hearty soup that can eaten while engrossed in a good book!

Notes:

• I use tamarind that is called Thai Tamarind Fruit Pulp. I find it easier to use than the dried and salted tamarind from India. I can pull out as much as I need without needing any kitchen tools and since it is already soft, it doesn't take long to extract a thick tamarind juice. Tamarind extract can be used, too, but it lends its dark color to a dish and its flavor can be overwhelming if it is not used judiciously.
• Patal Bhaji has to be spicy for it to be good. 1.5 tbsp of the fresh ground masala was at the extreme end of the spectrum for us, especially since my dried red chillies also pack in a punch. And, 2 tsp is way too less. Even Medha said that I could add some more spice the next time! Start with 1 tbsp of the masala and add more later, if you think you would like more heat.

I am going to be busy preparing for the camping trip so I won't be able to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi, like we did last year. I'm hoping to make some chavde and besan ladu when we return. See you all next week!

Black Pearls

Late last night I read Indira's post on Bloggers and Beans and it brought to mind a very special friendship that developed because of my lemon pickle. We met, we shopped together, we cooked together and we have a very wonderful relationship that we are all very comfortable with. Sometimes we don't talk or correspond for several weeks, only to pick up the phone to ask for a recipe or to ask for directions to that store that one of us mentioned fleetingly in a conversation months ago. Or to simply catch up. Sometimes we pick up things that we remember the other wanted, even when we are on a business trip thousand miles away from home. Lee brought me these wonderful black pearls from Dallas because she remembered...

Thank you, Lee!

I also have some very  vocal  friends...so how could I not post this recipe again? Just for them?

Chitkya ani Kalya Vatanyachi Bhaji

Cluster Beans with Dried Black Peas

• Have a dear friend lug you a packet of kale vatane from a thousand miles away
• Look at them longingly, touch them, enjoy their color and texture
• When you have had enough of visual pleasure and gustation becomes imminent, soak 1/4 cup kale vatane overnight, in at least twice the amount of water
• Wash the kale vatane and cook them in a pressure cooker with at least 1/2 cup water for 2-3 whistles. If you skip soaking them, you need to cook them in the pressure cooker for at least 8-10 whistles. I recommend the former as you will be doing your bit for our overheated planet
• Make Chitkyachi Bhaji, a bhaji that is always on the menu on auspicious occasions in our family, including shraddha.

How can I not send this to Nupur for her RCI - Maharashtrian Cuisine? I have to!

If you're still grumbling about recipe redux, consider this: how could a post about friends not be about nostalgia? Even Indira's recipe was revisited. So there!

Shout Out: Pickle time!

Last year I had promised to post a reminder when it was time to make lemon and lime pickle in the sun (in the US). The sun is out, the days are long and the time is right.

If you can get hold of organic limes and lemons, more power to you! I looked high and low (ok! just in Sunnyvale Farmers' Market) for Meyer lemons but found none. I saw organic Eureka lemons and I am kicking myself for not bringing some home with me. I had to settle for Citrons and Persian limes. Don't forget to wash them well to get rid of the coating made of bees-wax.

Time to go solar!

Lemon pickle with no oil, cooked in the sun
Lime pickle with no oil, cooked in the sun

Revisited: Vangi Bhath

Vangi Bhath

As good today, as it was 4 years ago when I first posted it.

Tags: Vangi Bhath, Maharashtra, Maharashtrian food, eggplant, brinjal

Nutty Green Beans

If you throw peanuts, you will get monkeys!

Now, that is my version of the famous idiom. Except that mine is far more literal than profound.

I am famous for taking shortcuts wherever I can, except when I drive. Then I take the longest and safest route, sometimes even the wrong route. But never mind that. Peanuts find their place in everyday cooking in my home. I toss them in salads (gajjarachi koshimbir), in dals, in veggies. Some might say that I am smart and that I do it for the additional protein but the real reason is that we just like peanuts a lot! The added benefit is a bonus!

One such shortcut is dry-roasting of peanuts in the microwave. I put them on a large plate in a single layer and zap them for one minute. I let them cool a bit and then zap them again for another minute. I skin the peanuts once they have cooled completely. Well, I used to. Now, that the monkeys in the family smell the peanuts cooking, they arrive automagically in the kitchen; one perches on the stool to get a good vantage point, the other fills a glass of red wine in anticipation. They then address the peanuts and skin them for me. The first time I was very elated that I had voluntary help. But that soon turned to dismay when I realized that I was left with only a third of what I needed. For every peanut that was skinned and left for me, two were tucked away into the cheeks of the monkeys. So now I make three times as much as I need and everyone is happy!

Last week, I was at it again. By force of habit, I cooked three times as many. But only one monkey showed up. I substituted for the missing primate and we skinned the peanuts in silence, missing him. Me, even more, at the thought of the growing piles of snow and how I would have to go out to shovel again.

"What if he doesn't come back, Mumma?"

She has been a near wreck since he left on New Year's Day. Every evening we suffer through: Are the doors locked? What was that sound? Did you shut the garage? Is that gas I smell? It's almost like I don't count when it comes to physical security! I'm quite used to this and I make sure she feels safe, especially after dark. But this latest question took me by complete surprise.

"He loves us very much. We are his family and his home. He will come back. He told you a little while ago how much he misses you, so what makes you think he may not come back?"

After much shifting from one foot to another, she said: "Remember Mohan from Swades? He didn't come back. What if Daddy does not come back either?"

Ah! One more reason to hate SRK!

I held her close and explained the difference between Mohan in the movie and her beloved Daddy. Yes, he loves his India and has many ideas in his head about what he can do to give back; and, yes, we have strong family ties there, but no matter what happens, we are an integral part of him and he will be back soon. She sensed that I spoke from the heart with a lot of conviction and soon went back to filling her cheeks with peanuts. And after exchanging some more wonderful cuddly body-warmth, I went back to cooking my Nutty Green Beans, her favorite veggie dish for the moment.

Nutty Green Beans

This is a very quick and easy way to make beans. I prefer to use fresh beans but when fewer trucks come in with limited fresh produce, I use frozen beans. Chopped green beans always taste the best but when you’re in a rush, like I always am, french-cut beans seem better as they cook faster.

I use a very Maharashtrian masala in these beans called Kanda Lassun Masala (Onion Garlic masala), which evokes all the pleasant memories of Bombay. It's available in the Indian grocery stores from brands like Pravin Masalewale, Ke-Pra and recently, Ethnic Kitchens. I have a bias for the Ethnic Kitchens brand.

Lee, this post and recipe is especially for you!

• 1 lb fresh green beans, chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 3-4 tbsp oil
• ¼ tsp mustard seeds
• Pinch asafetida
• ¼ cup raw peanuts
• 3-4 tsp Kanda Lassun masala (use less for less spicy)
• Dash of lemon juice
• Sea salt to taste

1. Dry roast the peanuts in the microwave as I do or in the oven or on a saucepan till cooked.
2. Pound these into a coarse powder using your mortar and pestle.
   
   
3. Heat oil in a kadhai on medium heat.
4. Add mustard seeds and when they pop and crackle, add asafetida.
5. Add the coarsely ground peanuts. The oil will start bubbling at this point. Don't worry, just stir it till it settles down.
   
   
6. Add the beans and stir.
7. Add the Kanda Lassun Masala and very little sea salt. Kanda Lassun Masala usually has salt, so it's better to go easy on the sea salt as it can be added later.
   
8. Turn the heat to high and stir-fry for a few minutes, making sure that every bean gets a nice coating of the spices.
9. Turn the heat down and let the beans cook some more but don’t overcook them. They should have some crunch to them.
10. Since these beans use more oil than I would like to use, I drain as much oil as possible by placing the kadhai at an angle on the stovetop and collecting the beans to one side. Use a paper-towel to absorb all the excess oil.
    
    
    If you're comfortable with the amount of oil in the dish, you can skip this step. It's just something I do.
11. Add a dash of lemon juice, garnish with some chopped cilantro if you have on hand and serve hot with rotis.

Some tips:

• Avoid using Planters peanuts or any other ready-to-eat peanuts in Indian cooking. They are usually salted and also have an odor that takes away from the intrinsic flavors of the dish.
• You could use your spice grinder / blender / food processor to powder the peanuts. Ensure that you do not make a fine powder. These beans need a coarse powder with some large pieces of peanuts; it makes the texture of this dish more interesting.
• French cut beans cook faster. Chopped beans taste better! Take your pick.
• To make it kid-friendly, I usually add 2 tsp of Kanda Lassun Masala instead of 3-4 tsp. I finish cooking the beans and take some out for Medha in a small bowl and then add a couple more teaspoons of the masala to give it that zing that we like so much!
• I also use a lot of lemon juice as it balances the heat of the Kanda Lassun Masala very well!
• If you don't have Kanda Lassun Masala, you could use 1 large clove of finely chopped garlic and 2-3 tsp of any garam masala you have on hand. If your garam masala is mild, you could add some red chilli powder to up the heat.
• Kanda Lassun Masala from Ethnic Kitchens has the following ingredients: dried red chilli, onion, coriander, garlic, ginger, edible oil, turmeric and salt.

Try it and let me know if you enjoy it as much as we do!

To everyone who asked about us through these last couple of storms: Thank you! We are fine! Before he left for India, my husband got up on a very icy roof and wrapped tarp around the defunct chimney that had snow blown into it. It was awful watching him do that! But that fixed the problem of the leaky roof. Since then, Louisville has picked up between 10-11 inches in the first week of January itself. There was a ground blizzard soon thereafter due to high winds. It was very difficult to walk even a few yards in that storm and the snow that was flung in our faces really hurt. The fourth storm which started this past Thursday hasn't brought much precipitation but it has been really really cold. It was 0F with windchills in the teens below when I dropped Medha off at school on Friday morning. It has warmed up considerably and we are currently at 18F with another inch of snow on the ground. We are very lucky to be in a neighborhood where we can rely on our neighbors for help at any time of the day or night! I make sure I have enough food to last us a while and that the cars are fuelled up, too. It helps to have a gas stove and a water heater that has no electrical connections. So when there is a power outage, I can still cook and have warm water. Having a gas furnace doesn't help much as an electric motor pushes the hot air through the ducts - that's when I miss having a fireplace!

To those of you in the states affected by the ice storm: Keep candles, matches, and flashlights handy. Make sure your blankets and warm clothes are easily accessible. Dress in layers and please move to a shelter instead of attempting to brave it out against the elements! Stay warm and stay safe through this rough weather!