When Things Go Wrong As They Sometimes Will...

This Ramadan, I was strong-willed to make good use of the month. Besides the extra prayers that I was offering  to the Almighty in appreciation for the  bountiful resources and blessings that he has had showered on all of us: me, you and everyone. I was also determined  to make use of Ramadan - which also relates to fasting, to reduce some of those extra fat from my body. A strategy was firmly set to do some exercises, to burn off those huge amount of calories that was going to be shoveled into my mouth at the time of breaking the fast. With  great strength of mind (so I thought) I wrote down in my notepad the list of items ‘to do’ that would help me keep in shape. And the first entry in the list was  ‘eat less fried food’. Did I abide by my rules? I didn’t think so. The foremost reason was due to the food that I kept preparing for the family to feast at the end of each fast (iftar) which was a daily occurrence during sunset. While preparing the food for iftar, I would be persistent which food would be shoved into my mouth and which wouldnt. But all those became momentary, when I sat with the rest of my family to break our fast. Who wouldn't take pleasure in eating the 'hot hot’ samosas, and the mouth-watering  crispy pastries or the spicy rice porridge that  bubbled  in the pot. I just couldn’t resist. And the plan to do some ‘work out’ didn't go well either: the mere thought of running on the treadmill made me go weak at the knees.

Watermelon- Summer's Delight

Watermelon is the typical fruit to quench the parching throat on a hot summer afternoon.The juice of watermelon  protects the skin from the sun. It also clears and cleanses the skin keeping it healthy and glowing.Watermelons are know to have originated in Africa,tracing it’s origins to the Kalahari deserts. It is noteworthy to mention here,that many centuries ago,watermelons were placed in tombs of the Egyptian kings to nourish them after life.(reference-woman’s magazine). Hence from Egypt, water melons spread along the Mediterranean sea by way of trade .It is a common summer crop and is widely cultivated throughout the world today.There are a variety of water melons produced each year.It consists of 93 per cent water.One or two servings of water melon a day is recommended as it is a multi vitamin fruit and contains Vitamin A B6 and C and also potassium and Iron.A variety of  recipes  can be prepared with this succulent fruit .Many love to indulge in the delightful deserts  made with this luscious fruit. During summer when it is  the peak time for tourism in many countries  chefs around the world display their gastronomic skills, displaying carved fruits and vegetables to the amazement of their guests and  visitors.Also others with a flair for art  come out with innovative  ideas and carve beautiful creations out of watermelons.This giant fruit   takes a prominent place  in my kitchen during Summer..

For easy cleaning –Place an old  sheet of newspaper on the kitchen counter  when you cut water melon.This is an easy way to discard the residue.

More on water melons- Farmers In Japan Creates Square-Shaped Watermelons

Some Left Overs…

These are some pictures which were taken during the making of Tuna and potato cutlets.I tried posting these pictures in my previous post but due to some technical hindrance, I had to abort the idea temporarily. However the glitch was detected sooner and thus have made it possible to affix them today.

You can follow the recipe here. Tuna And Potato Cutlet

work in progress -round shaped cutlets

coated in breadcrumbs

Fried-golden brown

Tuna And Potato Cutlet

This is an easy to make savoury dish.An all time favourite of the young and the old.This dish is in the spotlight during special family occasions.

Tuna and potato cutlets

4 (100gms) canned tuna fish

2 medium potatoes( boiled and cooled )

3 big onions chopped

3 green chilies

3 cloves of garlic chopped

A piece of ginger chopped

A tsp cumin seed

1 tsp pepper seed

1 tsp curry powder

½ tsp turmeric powder

A few coriander leaves
1 carrot chopped

Juice of one small lemon/lime

Salt to taste.

Oil for frying

For coating the cutlets

2-3 eggs

breadcrumbs

Method for preparing:

Transfer the canned tuna into a bowl. ( discard the liquid).

Pound the garlic,ginger,cumin and black pepper seeds ,set aside.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a nonstick pan.

Cook the onions till tender.

Stir in all the pounded ingredients and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Add the green chilly and the chopped carrot.Saute for another minute.

Stir in  the turmeric and curry powder

Now add the tuna, separate the pieces gently and mash with a spatula. Add the lemon juice and salt and mix the coriander leaves. 

Transfer this curried mixture into a big bowl and set aside to cool.

Next, mash the boiled potatoes and add to the curried tuna .Mix well

Now follow the instructions  below

Using fingers,make  medium sized round patties.Place in the refrigerator for ½ hour.

For Coating the cutlets - Remove the cutlets from fridge.Beat the eggs.Dip the cutlets  in beaten eggs and coat with breadcrumbs.Fry in hot oil till golden brown.Makes about 25 cutlets.

Formula For Friendship

A recipe for friendship

1 cup unselfishness

2 cups love

¼  cup loyalty

1 teaspoon sense of humour

4 cups girlish delights

A dash of silliness

Mix them all together and you somehow end up with the best friend you

ever had...

Remember to garnish with sweetness

And plenty of blessings…

A Scrumptious Delight

Baked eggplant (brinjal) is another recipe that I have tried and tested. And  have listed it as a top favourite. I first experienced the taste of this delicious dish at a friend's dinner and persuaded her to give me the recipe.I am so grateful to her for passing it over to me. Very recently I read something similar to this, under the title ' moussaka'. I wonder if this is the  same recipe ,with a slight twist. This eggplant curry is presumed to be from the Middle East. But I must admit, I never got to know the original name given to this delectable dish. The first time I tried it,a few years ago,didn’t turn out quite well as expected. After several attempts, I gradually learnt the technique of getting it  right. This is eaten as an accompaniment, with flat bread or rice. I reckon  this my specialty and with great  pleasure,treat my family and my circle of friends to a scrumptious dish on special occasions. 

In a baking tray assemble as many  layers of  onions,tomatoes,green chillies and slightly fried eggplants.Sprinkle a good amount of lemon juice,and add salt according to taste.Bake in hot oven until done.

                                   Baked Eggplant –A scrumptious delight

My Blog Updates

These days I have managed to update my page. It’s not that I blog daily. I simply found an easy way to do that. I have  made up my mind to write  about various topics,(the usual rantings in the household) about six to eight of them and save it on my computer. Each day I take one topic that I have already documented and post it on my blogger page. So that it wouldn't take much of my time and energy. I have also taken a keen interest in taking pictures of my new recipes, with the intention of  blogging  about it. To me, this is uplifting. This perception motivates me to try my hands at different recipes adapted by different cultures and learn to cook even better.

Cooking With Potato

Everyone loves potatoes. Who doesn’t ? But sometimes you could get a bit exasperated eating the same dish made of potatoes every day.The only food my children eat without any pressurizing is POTATO. They love it fried or cooked with a creamy gravy. They relish it when it is cooked with coconut cream. This recipe is most popular among my native folk. I tend to use less spice in my food because my children abhor the too spicy stuff , the fiery ones. Those of you who love trying different recipes, could try this one too. This is written in the simplest method so as not to confuse the cook.

There are some adjustments which I did make , to the original recipe that my Mother delighted us with. The changes were necessary to cater my children’s palate.
There are no hard and fast rules here . You could change and adjust some of the ingredients accordingly .You could either add more or less spices. The spices I have used here would be available in any Asian or Indian supermarkets.


Potato In Coconut Cream

The Ingredients ( Serves 2-3 persons )

2 large boiled potatoes

2-3 pieces of chopped garlic

1 medium sized onion finely chopped

1 green chilly chopped ( optional)

Half a tsp mustard seeds

Half a tsp fenugreek seeds

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp curry powder ( you can adjust accordingly)

One tablespoon of oil

A few curry leaves ( optional)

Salt to taste

1 cup water (250-300ml)

3 generous tablespoons of coconut powder

Coriander leaves for garnishing


Method

Cut boiled potatoes into chunks. Heat the oil in a pan .When the oil gets heated , put in the mustard and the fenugreek seeds .

As it starts to splutter, turn in the chopped onion and the green chilly. Cook till onions become translucent and then stir in the garlic and the curry leaves . (cook for less than a minute)

Mix in the turmeric and the curry powder. Add the cup of water into the pan and bring it to a boil.

Now put the boiled potatoes into the cooking broth. Mix in the coconut powder and give it a quick stir, so that no lumps form.

Lastly add salt to taste .Cover the pan and simmer for 2 minutes . Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

This could be eaten as an accompaniment either with

1; Hot toasted bread and a salad of your choice
OR
2; Steamed rice and a meat dish of your choice.

Bon Apetit!