GO GREEN :-)

Hello! I am here... finally! Long time...... I had several things on my mind & that did not or has not let me try something new... Hence did not post..... It was a regular dal + rice + some veggie sabzi..... What do I post about that??? I have already done..... So there was no much scope.... But I know it is almost the end of this month & I thought I ought to post something at least..... not to skip an entire month on my archival..... Hence sought this simple prep from my draft for today's post.....

Many of my fellow bloggers wondered where I was & they might have been furious for the delay too.... I am sorry again... I hope things fall into place for me ASAP!!!!! I keep my fingers crossed.... And yes! to keep away from being depressed.... I kept myself busy with my crafty creations...... That helped me a lot to beat the heat of my thoughts..... :-) Thanks to my expensive hobby ;-) U can take a peek here @ Hastkala.

Hmmm.... Let us get on with our post for today.... It is a simple rice prep, which only has green veggies in it.... It is green & hence the name..... A very simple, healthy yet delicious rice prep with some raitha as an accompaniment..... Awesome as a quickie..... :-)

Green Rice

Ingredients :

Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Fresh Peas - 2 tbsp
Round Beans - 2 tbsp (chopped)
Spring Onions - 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
Green Chilli - 1 tbsp (finely chopped)
Onion - 2 tbsp (optional finally chopped)
***I did not use any as I strictly went by the shade I chose ;-) Green!
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt to Taste
Water - 3 1/2 cups

Method :

Wash all the above ingredients..... (except oil & salt ;-) Keep the rice aside..... Chop all the greens... Heat oil in a pressure cooker.... Add the green chilli & saute for 2 seconds..... Add the optional onion & saute till translucent or add the chopped veggies directly (except the spring onions) & stir fry for 4-5 minutes..... Now add the rice & fry further for 5 minutes..... When the rice shows a shine, add water, add salt & the chopped spring onions..... Stir once & cover the lid... Allow the steam to whistle for 4 whistles..... Then remove from fire..... When all the pressure is let out, all by itself, serve hot with any raitha or gravy as an accompaniment, of your choice.....

Accompaniment is a must.... If not it seems very dry.... Remember? They are only greens..... SO it needs some support system.... May be I was so involved in my card creation which had a green theme to be incorporated..... which I carried to the kitchen with me.... & got even my food themed GREEN!!!!

The other day Kuku got some raw mangoes from a farm.... I was so thrilled.... Rather we both were..... But the problem was, we were just the two of us at home & what would I do with all of them..... I know nothing nor have the patience to bring them to use other than SLURPEE! savoring ;-)

I distributed few & the rest I just left them in a cover.... My maid asked me to keep them in a rice container..... We just get 5 kg rice packet & where would I fit them all in... Hence I kept a few, say 5-6.....

Just yesterday, I looked at them... few seemed ripe.... But the rest were intact..... Even the ones that were ripe had few spaces which were still raw..... But still our inquisitiveness got us to slice the few..... & Voila!!!! So juicy, yum & luscious they were.... :-p, with one or two bites sour.....

Lovely Color :-p though..... But we enjoyed them.... The rest are intact in the polythene cover.....

Peeps! Please guide me with simple & stress free methods, by which I can get them to ripen ASAP to relish them all...... Of course with all thanks to you, for the guidance .... :-)

I forgot to give some to mom, when she visited.... I felt so bad.... At least she knew how to put them into use..... My Bad! :-(

Thanking you in advance, for all the guidance, u will be providing me with...... :-)

Will be back soon.... with my next.....

UNTIL THEN, KEEP THE FAITH!!!!

PREP TADKA MAARKE!!!!!

Hello!!!! I am very much alive...... It was my comp which ditched me & kept me away from catching up with the happenings around, for sometime..... I had to (oops! sorry, My hubby! No credits taken).... My hubby had to get few things changed in it, to get it back fixed & working.... He feels really bad & hurt, to see me without my Computer..... as I start drooping around, not knowing what to do..... ;-)

Now that it is back & since I had no challenges I was desperate to attempt, for my Craft blog, I thought it was time I posted here to save my nose..... ;-) Seriously, I felt ashamed looking at the archive, which showed just one post each for the months of April & May.... I really felt... "Chullu bhar paani mein dhoob maroon"..... I am sorry.... I know I am being unfaithful to this blog & all my supporters, who have made me grow till date... with my preps for consumption & postings too..... I thought at least to face myself, I had to post today......

So here I am with preps I thought would make an entry (last minute again! Shame! Shame!) to the Dal Event @ Veggie Platter....... I was looking forward to post since many days for this event, but it kinda got piled up... So here I am with Three Dal preps....... TODAY!!!!!


DAL TADKA!

This is a popular prep at my in-laws...... Very simple yet divine...... Goes well with both rice as well as rotis......

Ingredients :

Toor dal + Masoor dal - 1/2 cup ( I keep a mix of both)
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt to Taste

For Tempering -

Green Chilli - 2, finely chopped
Onion - 1/2, finely chopped
Tomato - 1 medium, finely chopped
Oil/Ghee - 2 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch

Method :

Cook the dal with the above ingredients as usual/ pressure cook..... Whip it lightly & keep aside...
Heat oil in a wok & add the cumin seeds...Allow it to splutter & add the green chilli, onion & tomato.... Stir fry till the onion turns pink..... Add asafoetida & stir for half a minute... Now add the whipped dal into the tadka..... Mix well & allow it to cook further for 5 minutes, covered.... Depending on the required consistency, add water...... Usually dal fry has a thicker consistency..... Now serve it hot with your rice or roti accompanied by any other dry sabzi......

Well I served it with Bhindi Bhoonjiya for the dry sabzi that day...... prepared similar to the Aloo Bhindi Bhoonjiya minus the Aloo (Potato). Savor!!!!!

Mango Dal!

I just wanted to try something different from the usual, hence added few pieces of raw totapuri mango, with the dal.......

Ingredients :

Toor dal + Masoor dal - 1/2 cup
Raw mango - 10 chunks (optionally peeled)
Onion - 1 medium (finely sliced)
Green Chilli - 2 small (slit lengthwise)
Garlic - 3 cloves (minced)
Tomato - 1/2 chopped
Methi Seeds - 4 to5
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt to Taste

For tempering -

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - 1 twig
Asafoetida - a pinch
Oil - 1 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1/4 tsp
Dry Red Chilli - 2 broken

Method :

Pressure cook dal with all the above ingredients & once done, lightly whip the prep with a whisk & keep aside...... Now heat oil for tempering in a wok & add all the ingredients in the order from mustard seeds, curry leaves, dry red chilli, asafoetida, & the masala powders..... Stir fry for a minute & add in the whipped dal mixture....... Let it boil for 2 minutes & then savor it hot with rice..........

Few months back, my gardener did the garden.... Changing the soil, adding manure & sprayed pesticide..... And just recently I saw, few tomato plants in few of my pots along with the flowers in them, which were the original inhabitants of the pot........... I was like WOW!!!! There were quite a handful, which were raw.... I called Kuku & we both marked them together...... But later, we forgot......

One morning as my maid left, I went behind her to close the door & saw her leaving with two tomatoes...... I asked her "from where?" & she replied "from your garden" & I was like "What???" My tomatoes I forgot about & my maid was happily savoring them... I asked her to spare them for a minute at least, to let them pose for few captures as a memory of my garden tomatoes..... And willingly she did & left one for me too..... So here are the captures.....

Are they not cute & glossy..... I felt so proud to see them grow in my pots.......

And after that day, whenever she found one in the garden, she plucked them for me..... I felt good.... One tomato, I sliced into rounds for a simple salad & the other I used in my regular dal....

U can see the bits & pieces of my garden tomato in this simple regular dal, which I prepare for my daily lunch.......

Hmmm.... So that's a lot of Dal stuff...... These are my last minute entry to the Dal Event @ Veggie Platter.......

That is it for now...... I would be back soon, & I see to it that I keep up to my schedule this time.....

UNTIL NEXT, KEEP THE FAITH!!!!