Raw Turmeric – member of the Rhizome Family
Turmeric, turmeric, turmeric (haldi or hadur)… all the rage now! Everyone wants to talk about turmeric. And why not, there have been loads of evidence-based research that turmeric contains curcumin (not cumin) believed to be a cancer-fighting component. And it is a powerful anti-inflammatory too, amongst others. Continue reading
Masala Dabha – Spice tray with Several whole spices
It has been sometime now that the ‘wheels have been turning’ and about time I say! I’ve been working on adding a separate page to my blog describing the spices I use in my kitchen. On this page, called My Spice Cupboard, I’d like to incorporate a list of spices, as well as a description of each spice, one spice post at a time. Therefore building My Spice Cupboard (not yet up) over a period of time.
Anyway this is how My Spice Cupboard came into being… Continue reading
Methi (fenugreek) Mango Pickle
Summer, Oh wonderful Summer!! We wait endlessly for summer to roll on by and when it does… It seems we get busy pickling, jamming, bottling and stuffing summer into containers to savor in the winter months that lay ahead.
This weekend I picked up a bag full of green mangos, available at this time of the year. If you’ve never had one, maybe this summer will be a first. Green mangos are quite unlike their yellow counterparts. They are quite tart and crunchy to munch on. Basically, they are the raw version of the voluptuous yellow orbs that frequent most grocery stores.
My mum, the best damn cook I know, would cut the unpeeled green mangos into long slivers. Sprinkle them with cayenne pepper and salt, and serve it as a condiment with our main meal of the day. My sister and me, would later make mango pickle sandwiches and eat it as a snack. The pillowy softness of the thick slices of bread slathered with butter and layered with the mangos were absolute perfection… I’m drooling right now! Continue reading
My Mums Recipe
As a child and well into the years after I got married, I absorbed as much as I could from my maternal grandmother regarding her cooking and recipes. I would gaze at her for hours, mesmerized by the effortless way she made ingredients come together. She would make barfee – a sweet Indian confection similar to fudge, with a balanced sweetness complimented by the creaminess of the ghee – that held it together. It was never overly sweet. Her rotis were the best I’ve had and, as a matter of fact, many folk lucky enough to be in her realm would vouch for that too. A hot ghee smeared roti, perfectly toasted on top to reveal a crispy layer against the pillowy softness of the bottom layer, begged to be eaten with her homemade mango jam.
Dhaar with String Beans and Potatoes
Roti is a much loved staple in my home. The kids love it as an afternoon snack smeared with ghee, liberally sprinkled with sugar and rolled into a tube they can hold in their hands and greedily chomp away.
