Saturday

Happy happy Saturday!!! And really happy because I took a trip down memory lane. Let me begin at.... well, the beginning. (heh heh,sheepish grin). Today was Princess' blood work and I was really worried. We didn't tell her beforehand for fear of her tears. I thought maybe once we're there we'd prepare her slowly. Unfortunately, we walked in to another child's hysterical sobbing. He was compltetely inconsolable. And I was very apprehensive that now she too would become scared. Thankfully there was no waiting, they took us in immediately. The highlight was that there was not even a flinch from Princess !! Yes ! She was just amazing and that brought more tears to me. I must say I feel so very proud of her.

Then we went to Oak Tree Road for lunch. For those who are new to this Road all I can say is that it's all Indian out there. You'll find a plethora of Indian restaurants, sweet shops, Kirana shops (kirana = groceries), clothing stores and all and sundry items' stores. But no no, this is not my trip down mem lane. Be patient.

We went to eat in Desi Galaxy as both me and VC are partial to it. The interior is a bit cramped and the food stalls are lined up railway carriage style. But the food (from all 7 stalls) is very good. We started off with our favorite - the Cut Mirchi. And we recently added another usual to our list - delicious Boiled Egg Kheema ( no meat yay!). Princess wanted Puri-Sabzi from the Gujarati stall. And while waiting for that order, I was unexpectedly shoved down that happy memory lane. A lady walks up and asks for an order of ' Daal-Baati' and is served pronto. I was amazed, simply because I never expected to see that particular item on any menu outside of Rajasthan or a Maarwaadi restaurant. My excitement at hearing those words from somebody else's mouth, after so many years, was paramount. I just had to have it and I did. YUMMY! God bless the lady in that kitchen who made it.

Panchmel Daal with Baati - Traditional Rajasthani food

The 'Daal-Baati ' was really tasty and aunthentic. Though I kept wondering where they had a ' choolha ' (a U-shaped open air clay stove that uses wood fire for cooking). The traditional way to cook 'Baati' is to place the dough balls on the embers left over once the fire has died, and to keep turning them ocassionally to cook evenly on all sides. The outside is nice and charred. The inside is fully cooked albeit a little heavy because it is a lump of dough. To be truthful, it's an acquired taste. But it grows on you after a while and the authentic version is really tasty. And the real reason for that is - the 'Baati' is supposed to be dunked in Ghee ( clarified butter) and the Daal also has a layer of Ghee on it while being served. Can't get much better than that, eh?

But 'Daal and Baati' is not the end of the story. The traditional Rajasthani Thali (literally - a plate, that holds all the items on the menu) will have all of the following items :

Daal

Baati

Gatte ki Subzi

Lahsun ki Chutney

Churma

Chhaach/Lassi

Rajasthani food is spicy (as in hot!!!) and relies heavily on lentils-pulses and milk products (like buttermilk, butter and of course Ghee). This is attributed to the fact that Rajasthan is India's Desert State and as such, has limited water supply and few green vegetables.

malai-ghevar: a sweet delicacy from Rajasthan

There are other regional specialities as well which are not as well-known as the above, but very popular locally. Malai Ghevar, Rabdi, Mawa Kachori, Malpuas are just some in that list. But that is not all. What the home cooks prepare for daily meals are probably the best kept secrets. And growing up in Rajasthan, I had the fortune of tasting such local preparations in my friends' homes. The two that clearly stand out in my memory - Papad ki Sabzi and Amrood ki Sabzi. Maybe one day, I'll try making them and then post the recipes, but not today. I have other recipes waiting in the drafts that want to be posted :-) Hope you liked this glimpse of food from Rajasthan and maybe I've piqued your interest to go out and try this lesser known but delicious cuisine. Whether you make it or get it, Rajasthani food will make you very Happy, I assure you.

pictures courtesy of google images(love2eathate2cook blog etc.). No copyright infringement intended.

ITALIAN CUISINE 2

This is a continuation from my previous Italian cuisine post. I have given here some of the recipes I featured on my last radio show. And the sources are listed below each recipe.

1) Struffoli are small fritters glued together with honey and decorated with sprinkles. It is a Neapolitan dish made of deep fried balls of dough about the size of marbles. They are crunchy on the outside, light inside and are traditionally served with honey, bits of orange rind and chopped nuts. They grace the table at Christmas and Easter and are perfect when served warm.

RECIPE:

6 eggs

6 tbsp. cooking oil

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup dry sherry

Flour

Shortening or oil for deep frying

METHOD:
Mix first 6 ingredients. Add enough flour to make a consistency to roll. Dough should be somewhat sticky. Shape into small balls, about 1/2 inch in diameter. Deep fry in oil or shortening until golden brown.

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups honey

1 tbsp. orange zest

Mix all ingredients on low heat until sugar is dissolved. Dip each roll into mixture and remove. or you could make the glaze in a wide-mouthed pot and put the fritters into it. Stir to coat all of them and transfer them to serving dishes before decorating with sprinkles.

recipe courtesy: italianfood.about.com

2) Frico - It is simply fried cheese, mainly Montasio cheese. Being a simple dish it has been around for a long time. And being made of cheese, this is one recipe that I might never try on my own. Both me and VC run away from cheese:-D heh heh heh But I hope to visit Italy some day and while there, I hope to taste this too. Can't get much fresher than that.

Ingredients:

10 ounces (250 g) fresh or moderately aged Montasio cheese, grated
scant pound (400 g) potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly
1/4 cup unsalted butter or olive oil

Preparation:

Heat the fat in a skillet and sauté the potatoes for a few minutes, or until they begin to soften and brown, then add the cheese and continue cooking, shaking the pan every now and then so the cheese gets to the bottom of the potato mixture; once the bottom of the mixture has begun to brown carefully slide it out onto a plate using a spatula (you don't want to break the frico), then invert the frico back into the pan so you end up with the browned side up (as you would while flipping a frittata). Continue cooking the frico for a few minutes more, until the underside is also brown; it should have a crunchy skin and a soft inside. The total cooking time of the cheese will be about 12-15 minutes.

Note: If you cannot find Montasio, use young Grana Padano cheese.

Hope somebody out there who's not afraid of cheese will try this and like it. Afterall cheese is one of the best comfort foods and thus brings warmth to your tummy and grins to your face.

recipe courtesy: italianfood.about.com

photo courtesy: google images.

No copyright infringement intended.