SUN DRIED CURD CHILLIES

Visit any Andhra restaurant in the city and you’ll find these fried curd chillies displayed in a bowl on the table, to be eaten with every meal. I just love its crunchy, spicy flavor. It usually goes well with curd rice, but it can be eaten just as it is or with rice and sambar too. Depending on the variety of chillies used, the spice quotient differs.

Making this, however, is a process that has taught me a lot of lessons

Patience: In this age of doing everything in the blink of an eye, this totally tests your patience. Every single chilly has be washed, wiped carefully so it doesn’t turn soggy or spoilt and each one of them has to be slit carefully. And the days it takes for it to turn out right to be able to store and fry.

Responsibility: Each day take it out at 8 a.m. ensuring it is kept in the sun in a safe dry place so that no insects get into it, and take it back at 3.30 p.m. keep mixing it. I am responsible to see this through every single day.

The role of nature in food: Especially the sun. It’s got to be sizzling hot for it to turn out really crispy and speed up the process. If god is bored and looking for some fun and sends some rain during this process, tough luck!

The comfort of a ritual: Take it out, bring it in, mix, take it out bring it in, mix, take it out bring it in, mix… day in and day out…knowing that it’s a process, and there is no magic wand to make it ready immediately and yet being at peace with it.

The sense of accomplishment: Ok. It is just a recipe. I didn’t win a Nobel prize but boy! When the process is over and the chillies are fried and eaten with lunch or dinner, there is a feeling of fulfillment that is different when compared to cooking with instant / ready made items.

Here’s the recipe:


Ingredients:

Half kg or quarter kg green chillies.
2 liter curd.
5-6 tsp of salt or to taste.

1. This is a great recipe to make separately or to use up lots of leftover curd during summer season.

2. Buy green chillies that are slightly bigger as each one needs to be slit.

3. Wipe the chillies on a dry towel. If you are washing the chillies, it has be done the previous night and air dried.

4. Slit each chilly with a knife from the stem to the end. Keep the stem intact, so it looks like one chilly split in the middle.

5. In a large bowl, add salt to taste to the curds and drop the chillies into them.
Mix thoroughly till each chilly is well coated with salt and curd.

6. You may do a slight taste test to see if there is enough salt. Do not overdo the salt. In case you feel you have added too much salt, then you may balance it out by adding more curd, but this can be done only at this stage.

7. Leave this mixture overnight.

8. Next day, Take the chillies out and spread them on a plate.

9. Keep the curd in which the chillies have been mixed in into a bowl. These will reduce over the days.

10. Spread only the chillies out in a plate and dry them in the sun. (Preferably afternoons when it is really hot).

11. Leave them for a couple of hours. When taken indoors, mix them again in the curd that the chillies were mixed in the previous day. Again do not overdo the curds, add just enough to coat the chillies for a day or two.

12. Dry it in the sun every single day for the next few days till it is thoroughly dried and crisped. This may take about four to five days to a week, depending on how well it dries and the weather.

13. Once thoroughly dried as in there is no wet curd residue on the chillies, you may store them in air tight containers.

14. Heat a little oil – a table spoon or so in a wok, fry 5-6 (or more if you like) chillies in oil anytime you want a delicious crunchy accompaniment with curd rice, sambar rice etc.

Note: Do not add water or any extra curd once you start the drying process. Use the same curd the chillies have been mixed in the previous day if there is any leftover. If the curd has dried up easily and the chillies are well coated, then leave the chillies as they are and continue placing them in the sun everyday.

The pictures above are in 3 stages when I first started and mixed them into the curd (note the chillies are still green), stage two the drying process and stage three when it was fried, ready to be eaten….turned out to be yumlicious!:)

Elaborate though the process is, it is well worth the effort!

UDHIN BONDAS & CURD BONDAS

Sigh! I could have these every day and through it does involve a lot of deep frying, it is well worth the effort. I call them bondas because of the shape though the ingredients are the same as udhin vadas and curd vadas that you can find in any south Indian restaurant.

I usually make these deep fried bondas and as a variation, turn them into curd bondas (see pics above). Recipes for both included here.

The plain bondas can be enjoyed on their own. They are usually served with coconut chutney. I eat them with homemade mango pickle which is a weird combination but tastes awesome!!

Both varieties of bondas are delicious, sinful and fattening but what the heck! You live only once! ;)

UDHIN BONDAS

Ingredients:

2 cups of urad dal, 1 spoon of channa dal and 1 spoon of plain rice, all to be soaked in water for about 3 hours.

Half a bunch of finely chopped coriander leaves.

10-12 green chillies chopped to bits. I use more and the local variety of chillies as I love the bondas being spicy. However, you may reduce/increase it as per spice preference.

2 tsp pepper corns.

Oil for frying.

Salt to taste.

METHOD:

1. Grind the soaked urad dal in a grinder with as little water as possible. This step is important. You may add water, very little of it if you feel the ground batter is far too thick, but remember the idea is to shape them into rounds with your hands, which can happen only if there is less water.

2. Transfer the batter onto a mixing bowl. Add finely chopped coriander leaves and green chillies. I usually use the local coriander and green chillies which gives out a fresh smell.

3. Grind the pepper corns coarsely and add to the mixture.

4. Add salt to taste. You may want to do a taste test for this and add them step by step. Should you add too much salt by mistake, you can balance it out by adding a spoonful or so of rice powder to the mixture.

5. Give it all a good mix and let it sit for 5 minutes.

6. Heat oil in a wok for frying.

7. Take a little batter in your palms and drop them into the hot oil. Keep turning them till they are fried evenly to a crisp, golden brown on all sides.

8. Remove and transfer it to a tissue paper to drain out the excess oil. Serve hot.

CURD BONDAS:A yummy variation of the above.

Ingredients:

5-6 Udhin bondas prepared as described above.

Half liter fresh curd

Salt

2 pinches of red chilli powder.

A pinch of pepper powder.

Chaat masala to taste.

Finely chopped coriander leaves.

METHOD:

1. Prepare bondas as described above. Allow them to cool a bit.

2. Soak the bondas in water for about 5 minutes, not too long as they can get real soggy. Drain them lightly on a tissue paper, taking care that they don’t come apart.

3. In a bowl, add fresh curd and salt to taste, red chilli powder, pepper powder and mix well.

4. Gently arrange the bondas in the curd bowl, spooning some curd over the bondas but not drowning them in curd.

5. Add chaat masala and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. Serve immediately.

PEAS AND BABY CORN CURRY

I am always on the lookout for good gravies that are tasty and flexible. I have tried different bases for gravies - tomato based, onion, cashew nut paste, peanut paste, and coconut based gravies. Of the lot, I absolutely love this one. It’s a green chutney based gravy that goes best with ghee rice or steamed rice.

I got this recipe while attending a food festival here in the city. The demonstration for that was the same gravy, using chicken as its main ingredient. Since I am a vegetarian, I have substituted chicken with peas and baby corn and also cut short the process a bit to make it easier. However, there really is no limit on the vegetables- you can use this same gravy and add boiled potatoes, cauliflower, paneer, baby corn, peas and even okra if you wish. Best bets are peas, cauliflower, baby corn and paneer in combinations.

Ingredients:

For the masala paste.

One small bunch coriander leaves
One small piece ginger
5-6 garlic cloves
2 medium tomatoes
2 medium sized onions
1 piece cinnamon stick
2-4 cloves.
Green chillies – I add about 10 to the masala paste and one or two more for the curry, but it is up to you. If you don’t like it too spicy, restrict it to about 3 or 4 for grinding and one or two for the curry.

FOR THE CURRY:

Half cup fresh green peas boiled.
6-8 baby corns. You can cut each baby corn in half and further thinly slice them or cut them in rings.
Fresh methi/fenugreek leaves (optional)
½ tsp red chilli powder
A pinch of turmeric powder.
One cup coconut milk – you can get this in any grocery store.
Oil or Ghee for frying.
Salt to taste.
Few sprigs of chopped coriander leaves for garnishing.

Method:

Make a paste of coriander leaves, ginger, garlic, one onion, two tomatoes, green chillies, cinnamon and cloves. Keep aside.

Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan and lightly fry the baby corn for few minutes. Do not overcook. It should be light brown at the sides. You may par boil them if you wish so that the raw taste of baby corn goes and yet retain the crunch.

Heat oil or ghee in a pan. Chop the remaining onion and add it to the ghee. Add one or two slit green chillies and fry lightly till onion turns translucent. Do not overcook the onions.

At this stage, you can add a handful of freshly chopped methi leaves if you wish or skip this step.

Add the vegetables – boiled peas and baby corn. You may also add any other vegetable of your choice paneer or cauliflower.

Fry for two minutes.

Add the green masala paste.

Mix in well till all the vegetables are evenly coated with the green chutney.

Add coconut milk, red chilly powder, a pinch of turmeric powder, salt to taste.

Allow it to simmer in the coconut milk till all the ingredients are blended well. Stir well so the curry does not stick to the pan. This should take about five to eight minutes.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice or ghee rice.

Everything about this is so versatile. Skip the cinnamon and cloves, add a bunch of fresh pudina/mint leaves and you can use the spicy green chutney on fresh tender cucumbers or make paneer mint chutney. Add less of the coconut milk and make it more like a dry curry. This chutney can be stored in a glass jar in the fridge for about a week and reuse whenever you wish.
Whatever the options you use, the smell and taste of this dish is heavenly!!

ALOO / POTATO BONDAS

Usually the monsoon sets off cravings for something deep fried, hot and spicy and one can find various outlets here in namma Bengaluru preparing bajjis and bondas in full swing and enough people to buy them too. Me? I lean towards bajjis and bondas anytime of the year.

The picture above was taken around the same month last year (2015) , when I cooked about 200 Aloo bondas for a school for the visually challenged near my place. I was exhausted by the end of it, but thoroughly enjoyed every single step of the process.

This happens to be one of my favorite recipes and received with many exclamations of mmmm...’s (in a good way:) after people take the first bite. I am happy to say that when I prepare a big batch and take them for a group of friends/colleagues, I always come home with an empty box!!:)

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

5-6 medium sized potatoes
½ tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
5 to 6 finely chopped green chillies
½ tsp chaat masala.
A few chopped coriander leaves.
Salt to taste
Oil for frying.

Bonda Batter mix:

Two cups of besan/Gram flour.
1 tsp chilli powder.
1 tsp Turmeric powder.
A pinch of sodium bicarbonate.
One or two cups water.
Salt to taste.

You may also use any of the readymade bajji/bonda mixes available in most supermarkets which I usually do.

1. For the bonda batter, mix all the ingredients of the bonda batter along with water to make a fine paste. Ideally, you need to add water little by little to ensure that the batter does not become too watery or remain too thick. It should be just right to coat the potato balls. This applies even if you are using the readymade bajji bonda mix.

2. Boil, peel and mash the potatoes well. Make sure that there are no lumps.

3. Add all the other ingredients, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, green chillies, finely chopped coriander leaves, chaat masala and salt to taste to the mashed potatoes and mix well.

4. Scoop up a bit of mashed potatoes and roll them into a ball with your palms. Make many such potato balls.

5. Heat oil in a wok. This is a deep fried snack so ensure that there is enough oil and it is heated well.

6. Dip the potato balls into the batter, taking care not to break them. The besan batter should coat the entire potato ball.

7. Gently let them into the oil and deep fry till golden brown. Repeat the process.

8. Serve hot with mint chutney.

Note: Salt and green chillies are to taste. You can make them as spicy or as bland as you wish.

2016 - THE FOODFULL YEAR - TOMATO CHAAT

I have explored a lot of hobbies and interests over the years and would probably need a separate blog to describe them all. These ranges from teaching to training to theatre to listening and playing music to writing to astrology to collecting certificates in various subjects to art and crafts….the list goes on.

A lot of things interest me. But if there is one thing that I am happiest doing, one thing that calms me down, one thing I am most mindful of, one thing that keeps me grounded, one thing that makes me feel good at the end of it all, I have to narrow it down to working with FOOD!

Food makes me feel great, whether it is surfing the net for recipes (which I do regularly) or posting my recipes on certain websites, or going out to eat , but cooking my own food, especially snacks, is what I enjoy doing the most.

When I start the process of cooking, the whole act of cutting and chopping and grinding, the mix of vegetables and spices, the colors, the textures, and then at the end of it all, tasting it, putting the first spoonful into my mouth and savoring it – every step of the way all have an positive impact on me and my senses.

When I count my blessings, I count my kitchen and my ability to cook as one of them and feel lucky to have a spacious kitchen in which I can indulge in what cheers me up the most amongst all my other hobbies and interests.

This year, 2016, I decided to write my favorite recipes, one per month in my blog. Some are common and can be found elsewhere on the internet. Some are my own versions of popular recipes. There are lots of dishes I make. For me, these recipes for this year are not only recipes I love, but ones which I make often -very very often:) and savor.

Being a chaat-o-holic, I decided to start the year with my favorite recipe – Tomato Chaat.

This is a healthy, tasty, my version of a popular recipe and I could have it every day! So here goes:


TOMATO CHAAT:

Ingredients:

4-5 firm tomatoes.
3 boiled potatoes, mashed with a pinch or two of chaat masala and a little salt
2 medium sized onions – finely chopped.
Coriander chutney (made with a bunch of coriander, green chillies, pudina leaves and salt blend in a mixer).
Sweet Chutney (made with grinding seedless dates and tamarind with water in a mixie).
Mixture/sev/puffed rice (available in most supermarkets).
Some roasted peanuts.
1 lemon.
Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing.

Method:

1. Cut the tomatoes into thin, round slices.
2. Take a flat plate and arrange them in a layer around the plate.
3. Drop bits of mashed potatoes in each tomato.
4. Add one layer of coriander chutney.
5. Add one layer of sweet chutney.
6. Add chopped onions on each tomato slice.
7. Squeeze lime juice on the layers of tomato slices.
8. Sprinkle the sev / mixture/puffed rice around the layers of tomato slices.
9. Add the roasted peanuts.
10. Garnish finally with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Note: This has to be eaten as soon as it is prepared else it tends to get soggy and lose its flavor.

41st ANNUAL CAKE SHOW AND CONSUMER FAIR 2015

There are some “must do” things I don’t miss every year in namma bengaluru city – like the bi-annual Lalbagh flower show or at least one exhibition at Chitrakala Parishat.

The annual cake exhibition is one such event I look forward to every year. It is usually held in December every year at St. Joseph’s Indian High School grounds. This year it is their 41st cake show and is on from 18th December 2015 to 3rd January 2016 – check out details at the end of this article.

For me, it is a lovely way to end the year – checking out the cakes and stalls, taking in the goodies, shopping and pigging out on the food at the food stalls.

The exhibition usually consists of huge, grand cakes greeting you as you enter– this year there was a cake depicting The lost city of Atlantis- underwater marine world and variety of other cakes…. impressive cakes for me was a Tinkle comic book (I always love Tinkle) and a lovely fashion model. The place is usually packed with people who usually have a camera/mobile, clicking away the pictures of cakes right next to the sign that says “Photography Strictly Prohibited.” :)

Now comes the best part – after the cake show there are stalls that have some goodies – more cakes smaller ones this time (I bought a walnut cake), sweets, vada pav, juice ...

and THEN …THE CONSUMER FAIR!! If I gotta be honest, the yearly visit to the cake show is less about the cakes and more about shopping at the consumer fair;)

This is what I look forward to and when it comes to women and shopping…one can never get enough.

There are times I don’t buy a single thing yet I enjoy browsing through stuff in the various stalls and there are plenty of them.

From home and kitchen appliances to jewelry, from blankets to furniture, from footwear to novelty items….. there is something for everyone. I see some regulars whose stall I see year after year and then some new ones. I did not come away empty handed. Picked up a few items like a handy vegetable chopper, some cheap jewelry which I know I won’t use and probably give it away in a month or so, but it looked so glittery and inviting at the stall;) . I specifically liked the Rangoli plates that make pretty Rangoli patterns. I make sure I visit every single stall and hover around and listen to the sales guys/girls giving me their best sales pitch.

Once all the stalls are done with, there follows a food court and more stalls selling food from hot bajjis and chaats to sugarcane juice. This year I carried my own Tiffin box which I stuffed with spicy bajjis and sandwiches. I sat in the school grounds like I do every year. It is relatively empty as it is holidays for the school kids.

As I munch on the snacks, I think back on the year that has passed by, the goals I ticked off on my list and the ones pending to be carried over to the next year.

As far as traditions go, I have ticked this one off my list – visit the annual cake show and write about it and I can’t think of a better way to end my year of writing reviews on my blog.

Rating: 4

Ratings for reviews:

1 – No! No! No!
2- Just about average.
3 –Good. Can give it a try.
4- Great!!
5 – Yes! Yes! Yes! And I’ll tell all about it.

Details:
41 Annual Cake Exhibition from 18th December 2015 to 3rd January 2016

Timings: 11 am to 9 pm

Venue: St. Joseph’s Indian High School grounds,
opposite Kanteerava Stadium
Bengaluru.

Ticket price: Rs. 49/- per head.

CLUB CITRUS – UNISEX SALON AND SPA - A REVIEW

I dislike spa/parlors. Unlike most women who look forward to parlor visits for a relaxing session where they are pampered, for me going to the parlor is as scary as going to a dentist. I am terrified how that hair cut is going to turn out. My nails have to be shaped in a perfect “V” and not a “U.” As for the pedicure or a manicure, I am usually quick to point out a spot missed or keep up a running dialogue on how I want it this way and not like that and so on. It’s a wonder the girls don’t dig into my nails or cut all my hair off.

After trying out many parlors over the years, I have found a parlor near my place where the girls there know and understand me so well that I am not usually crabby with them.

Just for variety in my life, I decided to try a new parlor and zeroed in on Club Citrus. I walked in with my usual apprehensions was a greeted with a quiet place, dim lights and pipe music. I decided to go in for a pedicure and a haircut.

Though I started off with the pedicure followed by the haircut, I’ll talk about the haircut first. Rather gloss over it quickly. The stylist did a decent job, overall trim with split ends removed. It was a lot shorter than I wanted it to be. I can’t say I was too happy but then I am yet to find a hair cut that will make me go WOW!

I can’t blame the stylist. God punished me for my finicky attitude with unruly curls with a mind of its own. So all in all it was okay-ish.

Now for the pedicure – What pleased me most here is there is an exclusive room for the pedicure where only one person at a time can enjoy the service. This gets thumbs up from me because it is unlike other parlors I have visited where there are people getting various services done within arms distance and you witness things like ugly body hair or a skin infection which you ideally shouldn’t.

I was offered a choice of tea/coffee which I politely declined. I could have done with a few magazines but I dint see any around the room.

The pedicure started real slow. In fact the entire process took its own sweet time. At first my restless personality couldn’t take it and I had to fight the urge to get up and go. But with time I relaxed. I mean really, really relaxed which is a rarity for me. For once, after a few initial instructions, I actually kept silent and soaked in the music and the atmosphere.

What happened through the elaborate cleaning and scrubbing, ending up with my feet wrapped in hot towels, I found the noise within me had reduced.

Just as it should be.

The place is clean, pleasing to the eye. Service is good. Staff are friendly. Atmosphere is soothing and rates are reasonable.

Would I visit again? Not if I am in a hurry and want an express pedicure which my local parlor provides, but definitely for a long relaxing experience or maybe even give their other services like a manicure or a head massage or body scrubs etc a try.

Visit their website http://www.clubcitrus.in/home.html
for more details on services.

Address:

CLUB CITRUS UNISEX SALON AND SPA

# 537/1, Robby Arcade, 1st Floor, CMH Road, Indira Nagar 1st Stage, Opp. Metro Station, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560038
080 2521 2288

RATING: 3.5.

Would have given it a 5 if my haircut had made me go WOW!;)

Ratings: Ratings for reviews:

1 – No! No! No!
2- Just about average.
3 –Good. Can give it a try.
4- Great!!
5 – Yes! Yes! Yes! And I’ll tell all about it.