What to do on a rainy day

I woke up to steel grey skies yesterday.

I don't mind the rain- not when there is thunder and lightning and raging winds and rain pouring down in sheets. Its great to sit in the warmth of your home, sip a hot chai and watch the storm play its course out of the window. What i can't stand, however, is gloomy, overcast skies (like yesterday)and  the constant drip-drip of a half-hearted drizzle that never seems to stop. Wake up to such depressing weather, and you can be sure that your whole day will turn out in the same manner.

In such cases, there are only two things that can manage to bring a smile to my face.

One - A stiff shot of hot brandy

Or- the smell of hot peppery Rasam boiling away on the stove.

I decided to have both! :)

Okay, for all my non-Indian readers out there, Rasam is a classic from the South Indian kitchen. It's hot, spicy and tangy -a single gulp of it is enough to warm you from within. It's thin and runny as soup. Have it with rice, have it as soup, take a swig of it by itself, its great however you have it. It is one of those traditional dishes that follow a different recipe in each household, and every mom/grandmom would claim that theirs is the best. And there a million different versions out there too- dal rasam, tamarind rasam, lemon rasam, tomato rasam, pepper rasam... This recipe is from my dad-a combination of  all the different types- and of course, the best of it all! :D

What's different about this Rasam?

1.There is no coriander powder used- instead, we make up for it with fresh coriander which imparts a beautifully verdant flavour to the finished product

2. No tamarind- the tang comes from the lemon and tomatoes alone

3. The heat in this dish comes from green chillies, chilli powder and black pepper, each adding a different note, this making the flavour more complex

Rasam

1/4 cup cooked and mashed toor dal (available in all indian stores)

One full bunch of fresh cilantro/coriander (Should amount to 3/4 cup if chopped - we aren't using any coriander powder, so don't skimp on it!)

2 medium sized plum tomatoes, quartered

3 green chillies

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp asafoestida powder

Juice of one full lemon (this may vary according to how tangy you like it- taste and add accordingly)

Salt to taste

1 tsp of browm sugar/ powdered jaggery

1 and a 1/2 tsp ghee (its clarified butter- available in Indian stores)

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin

2 dried red chillies

Few sprigs of curry leaves

1. Cook and mash the toor dal. Slit green chillies. Quarter the tomatoes.

2. Throw the mashed dal, green chillies, tomatoes and the full bunch of coriander into a pot with 2 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Reduce to simmer, add chilli powder, turmeric and crushed black pepper and allow it to simmer until the tomatoes are cooked.

3. Add salt and take the rasam off the flame. Add the lemon juice. The tomatoes add to the tangy flavour as well- so, make sure to taste before you pour all the lemon juice into the rasam.

4. Just before serving, heat the ghee in a small pan and  add the mustard seeds and dried chillies. Once the mustard seeds start to splutter add the cumin and then the asafoetida. Add the curry leaves to it  and pour the entire mixture into the rasam. Serve hot!

NOTE:A full bunch of wilted coriander floating around a bowl of clear soup doesn't make for a very appetizing appearance. So, I usually tie the bundle of coriander (rather like a bouquet garni) before I cook it in the rasam and fish it out before transferring the contents into the serving bowl. Garnish the dish with a teaspoon of fresh coriander.

Post script: A couple of shots of brandy later, i got a little adventurous - Tried mixing the brandy with some of the hot rasam. Wish I hadn't. All i can say is - do NOT try this at home! :P

Tomato Fry

Tomato Fry is something I ate a lot as a kid. It followed no definite recipe: it could be tomatoes in any form -sauted with onions and green chillies in coconut oil; cooked down to a pulp and seasoned with spluttering mustard seeds and curry leaves; roasted and ground it into a chutney with ginger and garlic - but however they were prepared, they all made their appearance at the table as the humble tomato fry. It was my mom's ultimate go-to dish -it was something to be whipped up quickly after a late day at work, it was the afterthought addition to the menu when the prepared portions seemed inadequate for the dinner party, and it was the last resort when the vegetable basket was empty of real vegetables, and only the ubiquitous onion and tomato remained. There was always something apologetic about it, it was always something that we had to make do with, and (despite the fact that it was almost always quite tasty) it was always met with with an air of resignation at the table as well.

And then one day, mom was away and it was Dad's turn to cook. There is a definite buzz of excitement in the air. If mom's forte was comfortable, familiar, home-style cooking, then dad's was exotic, high-end, gourmet fare. He rarely entered the kitchen, but when he did, it was akin to a carnival. Every pot, pan, spoon and ladle would be out, every burner in the stove would be blazing,the air thick with floating bits of onion and garlic peel, the kitchen sweltering and smoky, the pressure cooker shrieking, thw exhaust fan rattling in the back ground and my brother and I fidgeting around, long past our dinnertime, fully sure that the feast at the end of it all would be well worth the wait. So, you can imagine our faces when, that particular day, he announced that the special for the night was going to be... Tomato Fry!

There was no impatient scurrying around or sneaking into the kitchen for tidbits that day. We went about our chores listlessly, occasionally throwing him dirty looks which plainly said, "You too, Brutus!". Until we were summoned for dinner and and he placed a serving dish at the centre of the table, lifting its lid with a flourish. This was no lumpen mass of half-cooked tomatoes. On the plate were juicy slices of tomatoes, either side roasted to perfection, laid out on a delicious bed of caramelized onions. There was a smattering of finely chopped coriander on top, and the earthy smell of cumin and garam masala wafted from the dish. He had knocked it out of the park. Just the memory of it makes my mouth water now. Safe to say, tomato fry was never the same at our place again.

I tried recreating the dish at home yesterday. And even though true masterpieces can never be replicated in full measure, what can we do but try. And try some more. ;)

Tomato Fry

1 tablespoon oil
2 medium onions
3 plum tomatoes
1  teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
3/4 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon aamchur
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt to taste
1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves

1. Halve onions and chop into thin long slices. Wash tomatoes and cut into thick slices (apprx. 1/3 inch thickness)

2. Mix the various ground spices together and keep aside

2.Heat oil in  a flat-bottomed pan (i used my trusty cast iron skillet, but any heavy bottomed pan can be used!) and add add chopped onions. Saute until its cooked and caramelized

3. Add the ginger garlic paste and 3/4th of the prepared spice mix. Saute under low fire until cooked.

4.Remove the onions from the pan and keep aside. Deglaze the pan with another teaspoon of oil if required, and lay the slices of tomato face-down on the pan. Sprinkle half of what is leftover of the spice mix evenly over the tomatoes.

5 After a minute or two, flip the tomatoes so that the other side can get roasted as well. Sprinkle the rest of the spice mix on the tomatoes.

6. Arrange the confit-ed onions on a plate and layer the tomatoes on top of it. Garnish with chopped coriander.

Enjoy! :)

Bean Sprouts Sandwich

There is something about sprouting beans that makes me feel incredibly cold-blooded.

They are these hardy little buggers when you first meet. You soak them in water and wait all night until they go all soft on you. And then, more moisture, more tender loving care, until they are ready to sprout into these fragile minuscule little plantlings. It's intense, you know. Like watching someone giving birth. And then -you sit down and chomp them down by the mouthful.


See what I mean? Or is it just me? Did i just gross you out?

Anyways, moving on....Tomatoes.

This might be the time to add a little disclaimer here. Don't get me wrong, i love tomatoes. I love them roasted, cooked, sun-dried, mashed, sauced, ketchup-ed and in any possible form, but raw. There is just something about red, fresh, juicy tomatoes that makes my taste buds want to revolt and throw up in agony.

So, make that oven-roasted-till-they-are-shrivelled-and-dead tomatoes.Dry caramalized goodness. Yum!



I'd had this vision of a delicate and dainty canapé, an assemblage of bean sprouts, dressed down with  lemon juice, salt and pepper, resting on a slice of perfectly roasted tomato. Ideal finger food for a kitty party. Or a book club meeting. Or wherever bored ladies congregate,try to eat without messing their lipstick, and drink wine with their pinkie finger sticking out.

And lovely it was, except that it took me five full minutes to try and transport it to the near vicinity of my mouth without squishing the tomato and dropping my carefully assembled sprouts all over my face. So much for lady-like pursuits.


A quick change of plans. The aforementioned canapé, now sandwiched between two slices of Mumbai Pav, topped with a dollop of -hold your breath- pomegranate raita! The sweet bite of the pomegranate and creaminess of greek yogurt with the lemony mouthful of sprouts -Stroke of genius, if i may say so myself! :)

One perfect bite!

Bean Sprouts Sandwich

Moth beans, sprouted

Tomatoes

Lemon Juice

Coriander leaves

Greek yogurt/ hung curd

Fresh pomegranate

1.Soak moth beans overnight, drain excess water and keep moist until they sprout.

2.Slice tomatoes that throw them into the oven at 400F until they are roasted completely

3.Toss sprouted beans with lemon juice, salt, pepper and oodles of finely chopped coriander

4.For the yogurt dressing, add pomegranate seeds to greek yogurt. (Squeeze some of the pomegranate so as to release some of its fresh juices into the curd) Season with salt, pepper and chat masala (optional).

5. Stack up the layers between the slices of a halved bun/pav and take a wholesome bite!

Note:I haven't given exact measurements as this is such a forgiving recipe that you can hardly go wrong. Add, subtract or replace ingredients and flavour more or less according to your taste. It'll be great anyways! :)