Drumstick leaves soup

   Drumstick is one of the most favourite vegetables of my husband. He never gets tired of it. I can comfortably feed him one dish made of drumstick every day. He not only likes to eat but also loves propagating it to others to include this in their diet given its high iron content. Wherever we move, he plants this tree there successfully.

 Of late there is so much talk about the goodness of this vegetable including its leaves. Not many people know about drumstick. We South Indians eat the vegetables and the leaves. But my Punjabi friends use flowers. But in Rajasthan, most people are not aware of this vegetable barring Sindhis. So when I made soup with the leaves, my staff was surprised and asked me what kind of dish I was making. I try to teach them how to use drumstick and its leaves and its benefits.

This soup can be made in a jiffy. Not many ingredients are required but it makes for a very healthy soup. This is my third and last post for this week. Here is the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Drumstick leaves: 1 small cup

2. Onion: 1 small

3. Garlic: 3nos

4.Ginger: 1-inch piece

5. Tomato: 1 medium

6. Cornflour: 1 teaspoon

7. Ghee/ clarified butter: 1teaspoon

8. Jeera powder: 1/2 teaspoon

9. Salt & pepper: To taste

10 Water: 3 cups (250 to 300 ml approx)

METHOD:

1. Heat ghee in a pan. Add crushed garlic and ginger and fry till the garlic turns golden brown. Then add the chopped onions and fry till it is translucent. Now add the grated tomato and cook till tomato is done.

2. Add the cleaned drumstick leaves and saute for 2 or 3 minutes, taking care not to burn till the leaves start shrinking. Add salt and water. Cover and cook until the leaves are done on simmer.

3. Strain the soup. Mix the cornflour with half a cup of water add to the soup. Let it boil for a while. Add roasted jeera powder and pepper and serve.

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Ladyfinger curry

   Whenever I say Bhindi curry, my North Indian friends used to stare at me in disbelief. They would ask me about the recipe too. Back then they could not even visualise the dish. But now it is not so anymore. Thanks to the internet, anybody can make any dish if they want.

   Back home almost in every house, this dish is made. Even on special occasions like local festivals and marriages 'vendakai puli kolambu' (that is what it is called in our part of the south) is made. Marriage means like it was in the olden days, not the present days where everyone is competing with everyone to show who can spend more. In our house, I and my daughter love this dish with plain rice. Abi likes a different version of vendakai kulambu.

     Now let me take you to the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Ladyfinger: 250 gms

2. Shallots: 1/2 cup (cut into two pieces)

    or the normal onion: 1 medium (cut into big pieces)

3. Green chillies: 3 nos

4. Tomato: 1 no

5. Tamarind: size of an amla

6. Jaggery/ sugar: 1 teaspoon

7. Turmeric powder: 1/2 teaspoon

8. Salt: To taste

9. Oil: 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon

10. Mustard seeds: 1/2 teaspoon

11. Curry leaves: 1 sprig

TO POWDER:

1. Channa dal: 1 tablespoon

2. Urad dal: 1 teaspoon

3. Coriander seeds: 1 1/2 tablespoon

4. Jeera: 1 teaspoon

5. Methi seeds: 1/2 teaspoon

6. Dry red chilli: 2nos (as per taste)

7. Coconut: 3 tablespoons

METHOD:

1. Wash, dry and cut the ladyfingers. Peel the shallots and keep aside. It can be used as a whole also. If using onion, then cut them into big pieces.  Chop the tomatoes. Soak the tamarind in water and take out the juice.

2. Roast all the ingredients mentioned in 'to powder', except coconut. Let it cool and grind them into powder (like garam masala). Keep aside.

3. The coconut can be added to the roasted ingredients just before grinding OR it can be added at the end of cooking. If grinding the coconut, then water can be added and grind to a fine paste.  

4. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan and fry the ladyfingers till it changes its colour. Add salt and saute for a minute. Now pour in the tamarind juice mixed with a cup of water. Let it cook for a couple of minutes.

5. In another pan or kadhai, heat a teaspoon of oil, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, onions and green chillies. Saute them on medium heat till the onions are translucent and then add chopped tomatoes. Cook till the tomato is mushy. Add ladyfingers, turmeric, ground masala (with or without coconut), salt and jaggery. Adjust the consistency by adding water if needed. Cover and cook till the vegetables are cooked.

6. If using coconut in the end, then this is the time to add it. I have followed this method. Add grated coconut and mix well.

7. Remove from heat, garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with plain rice.

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Dahi Bhindi Punjabi Dhaba Style

    Ladyfinger is one of the vegetables which can be cooked in many ways. Most people like it, including children. My grandson who is a picky eater likes it very much. So we end up making bhindi frequently.

   Here I am going to share Dahi Bhindi for my second-day post of this week. I was told this one is called Punjabi Dhaba style bhindi. But I learnt this dish from a Rajasthani. It's spicy, tangy, easy and quick to make. It goes very well with chapati.

   The ingredients for this recipe are:

1. Bhindi:250 gms

2. Onion: 2(medium size)

3. Tomatoes: 2 nos (grated)

4. Coriander powder: 2 teaspoon

5. Jeera powder: 1teaspoon

6. Turmeric: As required

7. Dry mango powder: !/2 teaspoon

8. Red chilli powder: 1 teaspoon

9. Ginger + garlic paste: 1 teaspoon each

10. Curd: 1 teacup, beaten

11. Oil: 2 tablespoons

12. Ajwain: 1/2 teaspoon

13. Hing: A pinch

14. Salt: To taste

15. Garam masala & kasuri methi for garnishing

Method:

1. Wash and dry the ladyfingers. Trim and cut into 1 1/2 inch piece or as per choice.

2. Heat oil in a pan and fry the ladyfinger till it changes the colour add salt and fry for a minute more. Remove and keep aside.

3. In the same oil, add hing, ajwain, jeera and 2 whole red chillies. Saute them for a minute.

4. Add the chopped onions. Fry till it turns light brown. Add in ginger, garlic paste and fry for another 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Now add the tomatoes and cook till they are done. Pour in the beaten curd. Cook till oil separates.

6. Add coriander powder, jeera powder, turmeric, salt, dry mango powder and chilli powder. Mix them well and add little  water (1/4 cup)  cook for 2 minutes.

7. Add the fried ladyfinger and 1/4 cup water mix them properly. Cover and cook for another 2 minutes.

8. Remove from the heat and garnish with garam masala powder and kasuri methi. Remember to rub kasuri methi between the palms before adding it.

9. Serve hot with plain rotis.

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One vegetables-- Three different states

   I'm happy to be back with BM girls after a long hideout! For this BM, my choice for the first week is one vegetable three different states. The theme for the second week is one vegetable and three states. This theme is an interesting one as it gives us a lot of scope to experiment with. Since we had the opportunity to travel around India during my hubby's service, I've learnt to cook some vegetables in different ways (as a necessity).

 There are so many vegetables which can be turned into yummy dishes. I have selected ladyfinger as luckily we have a small vegetable garden and I am getting a good yield even now. So this made my selection of vegetable easy. The first dish for the first is from Rajasthan as we presently staying here. This one called besanwali bhindi. 

INGREDIENTS:

1.  Ladyfinger: 250gms

2. Oil: 3 tablespoons

3. Gram flour: 2 to 3 tablespoons

4. Red chilli powder: 1 teaspoon

5. Turmeric powder: 1/2 teaspoon

6. Coriander powder: 3 teaspoons

7. Cumin powder 1 teaspoon

8. Dry ginger powder: 1/2 teaspoon

9. Dry mango powder: 1 teaspoon

METHOD:

1. Wash and dry the ladyfingers. Trim the edges and slit it in the center without cutting into two pieces.

2. Heat oil in a pan and fry the vegetable in high flame till the vegetable changes the colour, stirring continuously.

3. Reduce the flame add all the other ingredients and keep tossing till the gram flour is cooked and nice aroma comes. Take care not to break the ladyfinger.

4. Transfer into a bowl and serve with chapati.

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Reliving mera bachpan

     The rainy season, the most awaited season of the year. Everyone enjoys rain, from kids to adults and the elderly. Children and the elders enjoy it the most as both have time on their hand to revel in these pleasures of nature.When it rains it brings not only the rain but also a lot of memories (good and bad). The paper boats which we used to play with, the ragi vadas (kind of pakoras) we used eat, the rain coat we used make with gunny bags, the idlis we used make with sand, especially after the rain water recedes and not to forget the rain dance! Children of this generation may not know many things that we did in our times but playing in the rain is every child's dream even today.

     My little angels too love to play in the rain. They dance, play and make paper boats. After the rain they go out to play in the mud. They love to build their own mud house and garage for their cars. They have a small patch of garden where they can dig the mud to their hearts content. A few days ago, they made their house, a simple one : double storey house with roof top garden, mud table chairs and the toy cars parked neatly in the portico. I missed clicking some of their creations (particularly the one with garage and cars).

     The rainy season, the most awaited season of the year. Everyone enjoys rain, from kids to adults and the elderly. Children and the elders enjoy it the most as both have time on their hand to revel in these pleasures of nature.When it rains it brings not only the rain but also a lot of memories (good and bad). The paper boats which we used to play with, the ragi vadas (kind of pakoras) we used eat, the rain coat we used make with gunny bags, the idlis we used make with sand, especially after the rain water recedes and not to forget the rain dance! Children of this generation may not know many things that we did in our times but playing in the rain is every child's dream even today.

     My little angels too love to play in the rain. They dance, play and make paper boats. After the rain they go out to play in the mud. They love to build their own mud house and garage for their cars. They have a small patch of garden where they can dig the mud to their hearts content. A few days ago, they made their house, a simple one : double storey house with roof top garden, mud table chairs and the toy cars parked neatly in the portico. I missed clicking some of their creations (particularly the one with garage and cars).

     Children are at their best when left alone without any teaching. Left to themselves they are masters in whatever they do. Each one is a MF Hussain, Michelangelo, Laurie Baker.....

First day... First step.

The house was buzzing with activities. Waking up the little ones, packing their tiffin boxes, feeding and getting them ready in time for school....

   Today is the first day of school for our little Gannu. Yesterday, on Vijaydasami he was initiated to formal schooling/writing as it is considered to be a good beginning. After a small prayer, a plate of rice is placed in front of the child and he is made to write the first letter 'a'. 

   Unlike Abi, Gannu was as cool as a cucumber about going to school. His "anna" is going everyday, so will he. Abi had given us nightmares to go to school. Those days are clearly ingrained in our minds even now. So in anticipation of a similar backlash, instead of preparing him, we were preparing ourselves mentally to send him to school. Each member comforting the other rather than comforting the little one.

   We reached the school on time. Gannu carried his bag on his shoulder like anna. He took blessings from 'baaji' (Ganesh) and all the elders and happily waved his hand to everyone else. We were all simply standing and watching all this like it was all destined to happen.

   Instead of the tears and screaming we were preparing ourselves to cope with, Anna proudly took Gannu's hand and walked through the school gate. After anna left him with his teacher, Gannu wished the teacher and happily entered the class room with her. Watching him sit comfortably in his new class, I did not know what to do and came back home in a bewildered manner.

   This also brought in a lot old memories of us leaving our daughter in a boarding school. She had happily walked into her dormitory with her new friends without a complaint. 

Here I am, sitting and sharing this confused emotions with you all. On the one side I am happy that he is going to school happily and on the other side I am feeling so empty inside. My little Gannu is all grown up now and raring go.

First day... first step. What a way to start....

Adventure....unexpected.

   

      Game for adventure? Board Indian Railways...

     Travelling by train in India is no less than an adventure. This has been proved many times in my almost four decade old travelling experience.Armed with so much experience, we planned our trip meticulously to aurangabad from jaipur. Since there is no direct train, we had to catch the connecting train at nizammudin station. Keeping the punctuality of the railways in mind we booked the ticket with almost five hours gap. (Weather was good as it was first week of November). 

     Everything went off as per plan. We boarded the train and it started on time. Well settled in our seats, within a few minutes we dozed off to sleep. Most people were sleeping as it was an early morning train. We expected to reach Delhi by 10 am so we did not bother about our breakfast (nor did we carry anything with us). After about two hours of sleep, we woke up to see the train had halted but not at any station. We decided go back to sleep as there was nothing to worry about and we had so much time on hand. Slowly restlessness started and nobody knew why was the train not moving. After what seemed like an eternity, a kind salesman passed by saying 'engine karab hogaya hai aur doosri lagegi toh gaadi chalegi'.

     It took another one and half an hour to start the train. That was only the beginning of the problems. As the train was running at unscheduled time, it was not in the priority to get the green signal at other stations and nothing was available to eat on this train. By the time we reached our destination, we were late by two and a half hours and starving! But the connecting train's station was an hour's drive. We had a little time to catch the train.

     So we didn't stop for a meal and immediately booked an Ola and waited for the cab to pick us up. Now the clock was ticking faster. He kept saying' just reaching', but not before half an hour! Meanwhile we realised the gravity of the situation. It was diwali time, narrow roads, traffic of delhi and not to forget our traffic sense. I was certain that we are going to miss the train and my heart started working overtime the whole way. My hubby dear kept his cool, saying that in the worst case scenario we'll go back home. Throughout the journey, I saw all our detailed planning and hopes of a wonderful holiday crumble before the great Indian railways and Delhi traffic..

     Five minutes to spare, we reached the station and ran to our train (DDLJ style!!!) and threw ourselves in our seats, thanking all the known and unknown gods! When we started our journey, we had planned how we were going to spend our spare time enjoying biryani at one of the eateries at nizamudin. Here we are without a morsel in sight but glad that we managed to even start our journey!!  ...And the Adventure has just begun!