Dum Arbi

We rarely cook Arbi/ kochu/Taro at home. Not that it is not available here in Mumbai…they are aplenty everywhere, but somehow I didn’t cook much of it. But all of a sudden I find myself cooking a wee bit too much of arbi. Today is the third time I cooked arbi in the past two weeks! It is an extremely nutritious root vegetable with a lot of essential trace nutrients and most importantly has a very low glycemic index. But just like any other food varieties, too much of Arbi also not good. High consumption daily is said to cause kidney stone problems, so a controlled portion is the key word.

Today I prepared Dum arbi on the lines of Dum Aloo.

Ingredients:

Arbi : 8/10

Oil : Mustard/any other 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds : 1 pinch

Bay leaves : 2/3

Onion : 1 large

Garlic: 2/3 cloves

Ginger: 1 “ piece

Tomato : 1 large

Green chillies: 2 slit

Dhaniya pdr: 1 tsp

Garam masala pdr : 1 tsp

chilli pdr :1/2 tsp

Salt: 1 tsp

Turmeric: 1 tsp

Sugar/jaggery : ½ tsp

Coriander leaves : for garnishing

How to:

Step1: Boil and peel the arbi. Cut the large ones into half. Leave the smaller ones as it is.

Step2:Heat mustard oil in a wok.

Step3:Throw in the jeera and the bay leaves in succession .

Step4:Add the garlic, and afer they have browned slightly, add the finely chopped onion and the grated ginger. Fry till oil separates. 

Step5: Now add the dhaniya pdr, garam masala pdr chopped tomatoes and fry for some more time before adding the salt, turmeric, sugar and chilli pdr.

Step6: When a nice smell emanates, add the previously boiled and peeled arbi.

Step7:Mix well, throw in the green chillies and cover, allowing the arbi to soak in the masala and the flavors.

Great with hot chapattis! Will also go great guns with dal-rice J

Bharwa baingan –brinjal stuffed with coconut and groundnut paste

I feel sad to see good friends, colleagues suffering from what I call expectational paranoia. It is the name I have given to the depressing feeling we go through when we expect a certain kind of behavior /response/action from others and do not get it. Suppose you have done a favor towards X, and you are expecting a return favor or at least a Thank You note at your desk. But X instead surprises you by not only not returning your favor, but also by not even thanking you.  This do happen – I admit, and we cannot help wondering why, but then we can control only our own actions. And at the same time it’s only fair that the other person also should have a choice over his actions, really. If he doesn’t feel the urge to thank me or to express his gratitude, he has all the right NOT to do so!

There is so much of good all around us, in the people who touch our lives in one way or the other, within ourselves, then why do we pain ourselves by dwelling on the things that hurt?  Why not accept it as it is and move on?

Today I made Bharwan Baingan after a really long time. A dear old friend Sucharita had told me about this dish long back, and I used to make it regularly at that point of time. With time work pressure increased and also little S growing up speedily to take more and more of my time - eating  had become an activity to be pulled off  anyhow and move on to the next task in hand.

Now, little S is no longer as little – will be nine soon. I have also amended my work schedule so as to allow me a little more time at home, and once again Bharwan  Baingan has re-surfaced on my dining table.

I usually prepare the filling on one day and make the dish the next day, so that it doesn’t seem too much effort. You can decide how it will suit you.

Bharwan Baingan – Brinjal stuffed with coconut and peanut filling

Ingredients:

For the filling:

Peanuts: ½ cup

Coconuts: grated

Oil: 1 tsp

Ginger : ½ tsp paste

Garlic: ½ tsp paste

Greenchillies: 2 pasted

Salt : ½ tsp

For the dish:

Baby Brinjals: 8-10

Salt : ½ tsp

Oil: 1 tbsp

How to:

Step 1: Roast the peanuts and keep aside

Step 2: Add all the ingredients for the filling (except oil)and make a paste in the mixer.

Step 3: Saute it in the 1 tsp oil. Do not add more oil, as both peanuts and coconut release oil.

Step 4: Make 2 slits on the brinjals at right angle to each other keeping the crown intact. Rub a little salt in all the surfaces.

Step 5: Stuff the filling inside as shown in the pic.

Step 6:  Take 1 tbsp of oil and fry the brinjals in low flame covering the vessel. After a while turn the brinjals over and let the other side cook. Brinjals cook very fast and it hould not take more than 5-7 mins, so take care that your brinjals do not burn. A little bit of filling may come out – that’s okay, it enhances the taste of the dish. 




 Enjoy it with rice-dal or Roti – it tastes great with either !!

Moong ka cheela

This post has been updated with new pics.

As I write this piece, I remember Dipti, from whom I’d learnt this instant snack recipe. She’d been very kind to teach me and also take the efforts of cooking it in front of me, so that I don’t forget. That was way back when there was no blogs and hence no interest on recipes and cooking on my part. However I still remember how I had marveled at the simplicity of the preparation (I always though cooking was a gruesome chore, but it was THEN, not NOW). I still make it – sometimes for S’s tiffin and sometimes…just for myself. D doesn’t like it, so I never make it when he’s around…not that he’ll mind my making something for myself, but who will prepare 2 different breakfasts for 2-1/2 people ?

Moong ka cheela

Ingredients:

Green whole moong sprouts     : 1 cupful

Rice soaked overnight              : 2 tbsp

Ginger                                      : ½ inch sq piece

Garlic                                       : 1 fat clove

Green chilly                             : 1 whole

Salt                                           : ¼ tsp

Sugar (only if you are a bong) : ½ a spoonful or to taste

How to:

Step 1: Make a batter with all the above ingredients in a mixer. If required, add a little water, but the batter should be viscous with non-flowing consistency.

Step 2: heat a non-stick pan with 2-3 drops of oil rubbed in with a brinjal crown, or any flat surface.

Step 3 put a ladle full of the batter and spread it with the back of a spoon/katori as you would do for a dosa. If you want, you can flip it carefully, and brown the other side too – I do not. Just sprinkle 2-3 drops of oil before flipping.

Your north Indian breakfast is ready to be had with a little tomato sauce or coconut chutney. It goes well with both. I usually accompany it with a cup of tea.


Pictorial

P.S. You can make it thick and soft, or thin and crispy by regulating the quantity of the batter. A large ladle full will give a soft thick cheela, and  a spoonful will give you thin and crusty cheela, almost like a green dosa :) I prefer the thin ones with a cup of tea....filling, immensely satisfying for the tastebuds, full of protein and only 30 calories each !