Went to the local library this evening in search of recipe books, especially something on Andorran cuisine and found an entire treasure trove of cook books of all kinds but the one I was looking for and came back empty handed.
But now that I think back on it it was an extremely impulsive decision as I should have brought back any of the other interesting ones, isn't it?
Well, maybe tomorrow! Meanwhile, the search continues...
Monday, January 21, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Help!
Been looking for recipes from Andorra and couldn't find much on the Net. Please let me know if you all know any...
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Happy Sankranti and a Happy Pongal!
The 14th of January is celebrated as Sankranti in Maharashtra where a traditional sweet made of jaggery and sesame seeds is made. It is shared among family and friends and when this sweet is offered one says, "Til gul ghya ani goad bola" which rougly translated would mean 'Eat this sweet and speak as sweetly'.
I am searching for a mortar and pestle to make it the traditional way with my Grandma's recipe. As soon as I find one, I'll make the same and post the recipe for all of you to try out.
The next day Pongal is celebrated in TamilNadu. A special Pongal is cooked in an earthern pot on an open fire - this is a mixture of rice, jaggery and grated coconut and tastes absolutely delicious!
Anyway I remember when my Dadima was still around she would cook a great meal on the day before Sankranti and the menu was bajra (millets) roti, baigan bharta, buttermilk seasoned with coriander and ground green chillies, dry garlic chutney, dry sesame seeds chutney and sesame seeds laddoo for dessert.
The bajra rotis were served hot with a dollop of fresh home-made butter. All mouth watering.
Now that I have titillated your tastebuds, have a look at the traditional baigan bharta recipe:
Take a large bharta baingan and baste it with oil. Poke a metallic skewer through it and roast it on the gas stove till done. Remove from the fire. Let it cool and then with with wet hands remove the burnt outer cover of the baingan and mash the pulp with a wooden spoon. Keep aside.
Take,
2 med onions chopped fine
2 tomatoes chopped fine
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 med carrot grated
1 med radish grated
1/2 cup peas
2-3 slit green chillies or red chilli powder
salt
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
Finely chopped parsley for garnishing
Pour the oil in a wok and heat it. Add the mustard seeds and wait till they crackle. Now add the onions and fry till pink. Then add the tomatoes and stir-fry for a few minutes. Now add the garlic, carrot and radish and finally the peas and cover the wok with a lid till the peas stop bouncing.
Remove the lid and add the mashed brinjal pulp and salt. Mix well and leave on the fire for a few minutes.
Remove from the fire, garnish with coriander and serve hot with Indian bread.
Bon appetit!
P.S. I searched around for fresh peas but couldn't find them.So my bharta is without peas.
Ripples will post the photographs for the same later in the day.
I am searching for a mortar and pestle to make it the traditional way with my Grandma's recipe. As soon as I find one, I'll make the same and post the recipe for all of you to try out.
The next day Pongal is celebrated in TamilNadu. A special Pongal is cooked in an earthern pot on an open fire - this is a mixture of rice, jaggery and grated coconut and tastes absolutely delicious!
Anyway I remember when my Dadima was still around she would cook a great meal on the day before Sankranti and the menu was bajra (millets) roti, baigan bharta, buttermilk seasoned with coriander and ground green chillies, dry garlic chutney, dry sesame seeds chutney and sesame seeds laddoo for dessert.
The bajra rotis were served hot with a dollop of fresh home-made butter. All mouth watering.
Now that I have titillated your tastebuds, have a look at the traditional baigan bharta recipe:
Take a large bharta baingan and baste it with oil. Poke a metallic skewer through it and roast it on the gas stove till done. Remove from the fire. Let it cool and then with with wet hands remove the burnt outer cover of the baingan and mash the pulp with a wooden spoon. Keep aside.
Take,
2 med onions chopped fine
2 tomatoes chopped fine
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 med carrot grated
1 med radish grated
1/2 cup peas
2-3 slit green chillies or red chilli powder
salt
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
Finely chopped parsley for garnishing
Pour the oil in a wok and heat it. Add the mustard seeds and wait till they crackle. Now add the onions and fry till pink. Then add the tomatoes and stir-fry for a few minutes. Now add the garlic, carrot and radish and finally the peas and cover the wok with a lid till the peas stop bouncing.
Remove the lid and add the mashed brinjal pulp and salt. Mix well and leave on the fire for a few minutes.
Remove from the fire, garnish with coriander and serve hot with Indian bread.
Bon appetit!
P.S. I searched around for fresh peas but couldn't find them.So my bharta is without peas.
Ripples will post the photographs for the same later in the day.
Albania - Mixed Vegetables
When we searched on the Net for Albanian recipes we found many non-veg ones but few veg. Stuffed vine leaves were enticing but due to inavailability of vine leaves here, we had to settle for Mixed vegetables
Well, we had our misgivings about this one, especially as there are no spices involved and the only seasoning is salt and pepper.
This one was a pleasant surprise as it tasted real good. The parsley lends a lovely aroma that was wafting out of the kitchen as the dish was being cooked.
Unfortunately, it doesn't look as good as it tasted...
We brought the veggies from the supermarket but I am sure this will taste divine with organically grown veggies! Next time...
Afganistan - Tamarind potatoes
The first country listed in TL is Afganistan. So we searched on the Net and came up with this recipe for Tamarind potatoes.
We chose this recipe because all the ingredients listed are easily available here and it also seemed quite easy to make.
The photograph follows:
It turned out to be great. The tanginess of the tamarind and the flavour imparted by all the spices enveloped the potatoes.
I substituted the ginger by mango ginger which added a crunchiness.
The fennel seeds added a distinct flavour too.
We chose this recipe because all the ingredients listed are easily available here and it also seemed quite easy to make.
The photograph follows:
It turned out to be great. The tanginess of the tamarind and the flavour imparted by all the spices enveloped the potatoes.
I substituted the ginger by mango ginger which added a crunchiness.
The fennel seeds added a distinct flavour too.
Journey round the world...
We have come up with this idea of special Sunday posts.
We are going to try out one veg recipe from each country listed at About.com:Geography by Matt Rosenberg, About.com
Hereafter, I am going to refer to this list as TL (The List)
We have decided to search on the Net and also ask friends and aquaintances for recipes from their countries and we plan to cook and eat one each Sunday. We will let you know where we found the recipe and our experiences with it.
I hope you enjoy this journey with us.
We are going to try out one veg recipe from each country listed at About.com:Geography by Matt Rosenberg, About.com
Hereafter, I am going to refer to this list as TL (The List)
We have decided to search on the Net and also ask friends and aquaintances for recipes from their countries and we plan to cook and eat one each Sunday. We will let you know where we found the recipe and our experiences with it.
I hope you enjoy this journey with us.
Friday, January 4, 2008
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