A Forgotten Treasure Stumbled Upon!!!

Two years ago when we came to know that we had to settle abroad, I frantically started collecting recipes that use microwave, for I was not sure how long it would take to get a gas connection in a foreign land. I painstakingly wrote down recipes from all courses and from various cuisines and cookbooks. I also dug out 2 cookbooks from the attic that came with our microwave oven. Mom has her own method of microwave cooking so she packed it safely, keeping in mind that I may need it some day. This cookbook had all mouth watering recipes and I jotted down most of them. I dutifully carried this hand-written treasure trove with me and happily forgot about it when I found out that our apartment had a gas connection.

I use the microwave in combination with the cooking range. Though I cook vegetables and gravy in the microwave [and use the stove for seasoning] I never felt the urge to try out new recipes exclusively on the microwave.

Yesterday when I was cleaning one of the table drawers I came across this recipe collection and forgot all about clearing the mess which I was supposed to be doing and started browsing the pages. I was filled with nostalgia and I realised I had wasted all the hard work of collecting and writing the recipes by not trying them out...

One recipe that caught my eyes was a soup with one of hubby's favorite vegetable -Capsicum. I have never tasted this soup anywhere before and knowing his liking for this vegetable, I wanted to prepare this ASAP.

The Capsicum soup had a lovely taste - a very different one actually and we loved it.

You need:

1. Capsicum - 2 medium sized, deseeded and roughly chopped
2. Tomato - 1 medium sized, roughly chopped
3. Butter - 1 teaspoon
4. Cheese spread - 1 teaspoon
5. Milk - 50ml
6. Water - 300ml
7. Pepper powder & salt to taste

Steps:

1. In a microwave proof bowl put in capsicum and tomato + 150ml water and microwave on high for 3 minutes
2. Let it cool and puree till smooth adding another 150ml water.
3. Strain into a microwave proof bowl
4. To this add milk, butter, cheese spread, salt, pepper and mix
5. Microwave on high for 6 minutes.
6. Stir well and serve hot.

This is the tastiest and simplest of soups and I am sure you will agree with me after trying it out...



Note: The soup might change color if left for some time before serving, but the taste is all the same.

New to microwave cooking? Read - Microwave basics before you start off...

Stay Cool as a Cucumber

Cucumber!

There is a debate if it is a fruit or a vegetable but since it has seeds to reproduce, it is placed under fruits [technically] but due to its usage, it is classified under vegetables.

Cucumber is a dieters dream as it has very few calories [around 13 calories/100grams] yet it provides several nutrients.

Here are a few health benefits of cucumber…

Ø It is a great digestive aid and has a cleansing effect on the bowel.

Ø Fresh/raw cucumber is rich in water content and also a good source of Ascorbic acid [Vitamin C] and caffeic acid, which are soothing to the skin.

Ø The silica in cucumber is good for a glowing complexion.

Ø The water content in cucumber keeps us hydrated.

Ø It is low in saturated fats and has zero cholesterol

Ø It is a good source of potassium and molybdenum

Ø The skin/peel contains sterols which are said to lower cholesterol. So it is best to eat them as such. But the problem is that the cucumbers are sometimes waxed to prevent bruising during shipment and hence they may contain some harmful substances. It is better to buy organic varieties if you chose to eat the peel.

According to Ayurveda,

Ø Cucumber balances all the 3 doshas

Ø Cools the body and keeps it hydrated

Ø Quenches thirst

Ø Anti-poisonous and an antidote

With all this said you will now appreciate the greatness of cucumber for it aids in the internal and external wellbeing!!

Here is another interesting thing about cucumbers - If you dream about cucumbers it means - It is a dream of plenty, denoting health and prosperity. For the sick to dream of serving cucumbers, denotes their speedy recovery. For the married, a pleasant change.
- [Source: 10,000 Dream Interpretations, by Gustavus Hindman Miller]

If you are wondering why I am taking about cucumber now, its because autumn has officially arrived and I was expecting a cooler climate but the summer heat still lingers on.

Nothing can be refreshing as a lassi [salted buttermilk] on a hot summer [or in my case-hot autumn] noon. I added cucumber to the lassi to make a revitalizing drink. I used one half of the cucumber for this lassi and made the easiest salad with the remaining half.

Cucumber Lassi

You need:

1. Curd / Plain Yoghurt – 1 cup
2. Cucumber - 1/2 small
3. Salt to taste

Steps:

1. Peel the cucumber and chop roughly
2. Blend all the ingredients till smooth
3. Add water if required.
4. Serve chilled



Easiest Cucumber Salad

You need:

1. Peel the cucumber [optional] and slice them thinly.
2. Arrange them on a plate and sprinkle salt and red chilli powder.

If you want a chilled salad, chill the cucumber slices and just before serving, sprinkle salt and red chilli powder.



You can also try –

More - South Indian Buttermilk and Spiced buttermilk

Purple Cabbage Stir-Fry - Color Your Palette

This is a simple stir fry that is bound to add color and flavor to your palette.

You need:

1. Purple cabbage – 1 cup, shredded
2. Coconut - 2 tablespoons, grated
3. Onion - 1 small, finely chopped
4. Salt to taste
5. Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon

Seasoning:

1. Mustard - 1/2 a teaspoon
2. Jeera/cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
3. Urad dhal - 1/2 a teaspoon
4. Channa/gram dhal – 1/2 a teaspoon
5. Curry leaves a few
6. Grated ginger - 1 teaspoon
7. Red chillies - 3, broken into bits
8. Oil – 2 teaspoons

1. Microwave cabbage sprinkling a little water for 7 minutes or till cooked.
2. Heat oil in a pan and put in the mustard and jeera
3. When they crackle add the urad dhal and gram dhal and wait till it turns brown
4. Add the red chilies and curry leaves, ginger and fry till the curry leaves turn crisp.
5. Put in the onion and cook till it is soft
6. Add the cooked cabbage, salt, coconut and mix well
7. Serve with rice / Roti.



Just how colorful it looks!!!!

If you had read the list of ingredients carefully you would have noticed that I missed something in the cooking process! Now there is a little secret in that recipe, which I will tell you at the end of the post. [Don't be tempted to scroll down!]

When I first prepared this purple cabbage curry, it didn’t turn out all this beautiful. Instead of finding purple colored cabbage in the microwave dish, I found blue cabbage!! I was shocked to see that color. Of course, blue is my favorite color, yet I had expected it to remain purple on cooking.

Then I remembered the practical classes in nutrition which I had done in college. We were taught about the changes that foodstuffs undergo on cooking and of course we had done some experiments on this very purple cabbage as well.

The purple color in the cabbage comes from a class of pigments called ANTHOCYANINS. These help to lower the risk of some cancers and are good for urinary tract health, memory function and healthy aging. They also appear highly protective against oxidative damage and heart disease.

Anthocyanins can turn blue when cooked in alkaline medium. Hence if the tap water we use in cooking contains alkaline minerals [and most often it does], the cabbage turns blue. This can be neutralized by adding acidic medium while cooking so that it can maintain the lovely purple color.

Adding acidic medium like vinegar, limejuice or wine ensure the purple color to stay as such. So that’s what I did with that lemon juice in the list of ingredients! While cooking the cabbage, add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice - There you have the secret!!!

Though this purple cabbage stir-fry tastes just like its green counter part [without a tinge of the lemon flavoring], but the color is so pleasing that will make anyone who hates cabbage love this veggie!!



Hungry for another purple recipe?

Check out - Forbidden Rice Pudding

Saffron Rice

Yesterday I was in no mood to eat the spicy mushroom gravy and the mixed veggie curry which I had prepared and I wanted something different-something that I have not tasted so far. I wanted to cook something nice, browsed a few blogs that are regularly visited and came to Sig's-Live to Eat blog. As I browsed the recipes I liked the very look of her Saffron rice and immediately set my mind to prepare it rite away. I had all the ingredients and I was mighty glad I got the small box of saffron with me from India.

The method is pretty simple and its made in a microwave and is perfect for summer when you hate to stand in front of the stove and boil along with the food :) No grinding or chopping. Once the rice got cooking, the house was filled with a wonderful aroma and I dug into it as soon as I clicked a shot. Lilangel did enjoy this rice and she said - 'amma, nich'!

The saffron which I used for this recipe is almost one and a half years old. My FIL got me this small box of saffron for me when I was carrying lilangel. MIL used to say that if I took a couple of strands of saffron in milk every night, the baby will be fair! It a myth I know, but i did not want to hurt her sentiments. I actually liked the idea, not to get a 'fair' child but remembered the times long ago, when I was a kid, my aunt who religiously used to take this saffron milk with almond paste every night. She used to share this with me and I liked the taste. I hate plain milk, no matter what but can tolerate it when flavored and this was the best flavor.

Moreover saffron is an antispasmodic and would help if I got renal colic and it is known to improve digestion and increase the appetite and for in those days I had almost 'nil' appetite! And also I knew that saffron must be used with extreme care during pregnancy, because it induced heat and may act as an uterine stimulant when used in high doses. With all these in mind, the same day I got that box of saffron, i did exactly what my MIL asked me to do - soak a few strands in milk, put it in a glass and top it with warm milk. [I was lazy to prepare almond paste and MIL never mentioned it - good for me...] The first sip was not as good as I remembered it to be. At the second sip I threw up! I never imagined this to happen but pregnancy sure does change your preferences.

So I stopped taking saffron milk and the box of saffron slept happily in the fridge. When I moved to China with my lil angel, I took it along with me and here to it was in deep slumber in the fridge. Sia's saffron rice reminded me of that and as I took it out, I remembered my FIL lovingly place it on my hands and a lump formed in my throat. Yes, he is no more but his memories are evergreen in my mind.

Now back to the rice.. I made some changes in the recipe. The original recipe is here...

For my version you need:

1. Basmathi rice - 1/2 cup
2. Water - 1 cup
3. Saffron - scant 1/4 teaspoon
4. Milk - 1 tablespoon[warm but not hot]
5. Pepper powder - 1 teaspoon
6. Turmeric powder - a pinch
7. Butter - 1 teaspoon
8. Cumin - 1 teaspoon
9. Salt to taste

Steps:

1. Soak the saffron in milk
2. Wash the rice and soak in water for half an hour
3. In a microwave proof dish take the butter and microwave in high for 30 seconds
4. Take it out immediately and add the cumin, pepper powder, turmeric powder
5. Microwave on high for 1 minute
6. Remove the vessel from the microwave and put in the rice [drain the water], 1 cup water, milk+saffron and cook for 5 minutes on high
7. After 5 minutes remove from microwave, mix well, cover and cook for 3 minutes
8. Let it stand in the microwave for 5 minutes
9. Enjoy with a spicy side dish!!



The cooking time in a microwave depends on many factors.. Read my post Microwave Basics to know more about it...

Note - If you want to use Saffron during pregnancy, I think you should check with your doctor before putting it to use.

Aqua Fresca

Aqua Fresca - A refreshing watermelon drink from Mexico!

Aqua fresca/Aguas de frutas literally means fresh/fruit water and they are a real treat in summer. Very less work but high benefits are guaranteed with this drink.

Watermelon is overflowing in street carts and I made this often not only to quench the thirst but also to enjoy the health benefits of watermelon...

Watermelon is -

1. A concentrated powerhouse of anti-oxidants
2. Rich in Vitamin B, C and a good source of Vitamin A and it protects against macular degeneration - a condition which causes loss of eye-sight in adults
3. Rich in electrolytes, so we need not worry about losing them through sweat if we take watermelon regularly.
4. Reduces risk of prostrate cancer
5. It is fat free!!
6. And important of all it’s a coolant to the body, a wonderful thirst quencher and keeps us hydrated in summer

You need:

1. Watermelon cubes, deseeded – 2 cups
2. Lemon juice - 1 tablespoon
3. Sugar-optional [I don’t add sugar, it taste best on its own]

Step - Blend all the ingredients and serve [chilled] in tall glasses with a wegde of lime.



Note :
1. Water can also be added while blending but I didn’t add as I like it undiluted.
2. Sometimes I add a piece of ginger[grated] while blending it gives a wonderful flavor to the drink along with lemon juice.

Bunch of Awards, An Easy Potato Curry and a Tag

Awards:

Saraswathi of Sara’s Corner has passed on these awards to me.

1. Kreative Blog Award
2. One Lovely Blog Award
3. I love your blog Award





So thoughtful of you Sara, to pass them on to me. Thank You!


Next, an easy potato curry, that MIL prepares often:

You need:

1. Potatoes - 3 medium sized
2. Garlic – 5 pods, large
3. Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
4. Salt to taste
5. Oil - 2 teaspoons
6. Jeera - 1/2 a teaspoon
7. Mustard - 1 teaspoon
8. Curry leaves - a few

Steps:

1. Wash, peel and half the potatoes and pressure cook till done
2. Cut them into cubes and leave them in a bowl.
3. Put in chilli powder, salt and toss or use a fork so that it coats the potato pieces.
4. Marinate for 10 minutes
5. Mince the garlic
6. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard jeera and curry leaves and when the curry leaves crisp, add the garlic
7. When the garlic turns light brown add the potatoes
8. To the bowl in which the potato was marinated, add a few teaspoons of water and rinse out the remaining chilli powder and pour into the pan.
9. Mix well and simmer.
10. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
11. When the raw smell of chilli powder disappears and the water evaporates remove from fire and serve hot with chapathi or any rice dish.




Now the Tag:

Since my lilangel is sleeping and I have some free time, I thought I will write this lesuirely.. Did anyone say tags are meant to be answered in a single line?? Well, if so, kindly bear with me,...

1. What is your current obsession?
Clicking snaps about anything and everything that will be suitable for my blog. So whenever I go out, my cam also goes into the bag along with lilangel's snacks.

2. What are you wearing today?
My fav blue jean and black cotton tops

3. What’s for dinner?
Omg!! I never thought about it till now. I guess I can ask what hubby likes to have and take the responsibility of deciding dinner menu off my shoulder.

4. What’s the last thing you bought?
Notebooks and pens to note down recipes and tips. Most of the time I forget to recreate the recipe that I bookmarked and also when I prepare a dish and I want to add some tips about it in my blog, I again forget [because half the time the pic I clicked will be either in the camera / stored safely in my PC]. So got a few notebooks and pens so that I can jot them down. They are really a blessing now!!

5. What are you listening to right now?
Conversations from the movie - ‘clueless’. Its being aired non-stop from lastnite in one of the chanel here yet I am watching it again now!

6. What do you think about the person who tagged you?
I think we have something in common between us. Some of our answers for this tag are similar [like – No.8, 9, 11, 12] and we both cookblog

7. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
Anyplace in this world where I would be spending my time with my loved ones. No, its not a dialogue, don’t we all love to spend out time with our beloved ones even if it was in the nastiest of place,.. Anyway what use is it when you have all the luxuries and yet have no one to share.. Catch my point!!!

8. What are your must-have pieces for summer?
Plenty of water and fresh fruit juices - I would’nt want to get dehydrated, Sunscreen lotion, cotton cloths

9. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
My hometown and bring back all the veggies and groceries I don’t get here coz its hard to manage without them.

10. Which language do you want to learn?
Mmm.. lets see - I want to learn to speak Mandarin more fluently and maybe brush up my French and learn German!

11. Who do you want to meet right now?
My grandparents

12. What is your favourite colour?
Black and Blue anytime!

13. What is your favourite piece of clothing in your own closet?
Sarees.. I love them the most. The other cloths have a place too but these are my favorite. But had to leave them all in India and I just have 2 here in my closet.

14. What is your dream job?
I would love to run a restaurant of my own.. Now, would you call that a job..?

15. What’s your favourite magazine?
Good housekeeping, its worth every page.

16. If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?
Cookery books!!!

17. Describe your personal style?
Simple

18. What are you going to do after this?
Got to prepare breakfast [I better make this quick]

19. What are your favourite movies?
I love – Charlie chaplin’s movies, I am a great fan of - Sound of music and of course, comedy movies and some classics.

20. What inspires you?
My mom, babbles of my lil angel[it is the sweetest music!], Music, books.

21. Give us three styling tips that always work for you:
a. Dress to the occasion
b. Don’t use too much make-up [light make-up is the best]
c. Being poised and confident in mind brings out the elegance and that makes you look great

22. Coffee or Tea?
Coffee and Tea.. Hihi..

23. What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?
Listen to music, divert my mind into doing things I love, Play with my little angel

24. What is the meaning of your name?
Goddess on a lotus [Goddess of wealth - Lakshmi]

25. Which other blogs you love visiting?
All the cooking blogs!! They are sooo beautiful with a lot of stuff I like. Even if it is a non-veg blog, I still admire the pics and the way of writing and sometimes also try to convert it to a veg recipe of possible.

26. Favorite Dessert/Sweet?
All desserts are my fav but just one small condition - No cardamom please!

27. Favourite Food???
That’s a difficult question, coz it has sooo many! So just a few for you -
Curd Rice, Happala Karadha Payasa, Ennai Kathirikkai, Rice Sevai, Butter naan, paneer butter masala, pizza, icecreams, there are so many actually I can go on and on.. [Omg, I drooling already]

Along with this list, any dish prepared by mom and grandma

Now here is a question of my own,...

28. What do you consider to be unethical in blogging?

Now, I tag these wonderful bloggers, but friends no pressure to write them immediately. Take your time!

If you have already got these awards and have been tagged, ’congrats to you’ but please be sure to pass it on and make a blogger-friend smile.

1. Nivedita
2. Soumya Arun
3. Shanthi
4. Sudha
5. Jaya
6. Shoba
7. Shri
8. Pavithra
9. Preethi
10. Prathibha

Now here are the rules for the people am tagging:

Respond and rework – answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention and add one more question of your own. Then tag eight or ten other people.

Ok now off I go to prepare breakfast...

Gone Nuts Over Coconut - Let's Go Nuts Event Roundup!

This month, blogosphere went nuts over coconut for Aqua’s event – Lets Go Nuts! and here are the delicacies that were churned out from the various blogs...

We have a whooping 50 dishes from all over the world and that means we have plenty of dishes to try from.

Let us start off with the basics of extracting coconut milk which can be used in gravies, curries and sauces. PJ has the procedure to prepare this here Coconut Milk. Now there is no need to depend on the store brought ones. This coconut milk also goes as a side-dish for South Indian breakfasts like Aapam.

Now it is time to drool over the goodies...



















Talk about comfort food and Aqua is sure to mention Tomato Saar - her ultimate comfort food!!

Coconut based breakfasts are a delight...

Preeti’s Dadpe Pohe is a simple, spicy non-fried snack from Maharastra.

Shoba’s Wholesome Coconut Sevai is full of flavor where she uses a different ingredient for seasoning.

Saraswathis’s Thengai Sevai is a variation from her favorite coconut rice and is a quick breakfast.

Jaya’s Sol Kadi which she says, brought back so many fond memories.

Sadhana’s Coconut Quinoa is guilt free dish packed with protein.

Varsha’s Sanna Polo is an authentic south cannara recipe and it can also be served as a side dish for lunch or dinner!

We have heard about the regular dosai but Shanthi introduces us to Thengai Dosai

With such an array of breakfast goodies, we have some delicious side dishes as well.

Lata’s Coconut Thogayal is her hubby favorite and can be used as a side-dish with rice.

Shoba recreates Easy Coconut Chutney which she tasted at a restaurant

Deepika gives a twist to the regular chutney with Cumin flavored Coconut Chutney

Preeti says she loves Coconut Chutney as a side dish with anything and obviously this is her favorite!!

Virsa is a Karnataka dish says Deepika and a good accompaniment for idli’s and dosa’s

Jisha gives us a two recipes with a touch of kerala cuisine - Vegetable Stew and Vegetable Kurma

Shri’s Navy Beans in Coconut Gravy is a tasty blend of coconut, veggies and beans

Meera’s Roasted Garlic Chutney adds color and flavor to your palette

PJ’s Kothamira Perugu Pachadi come straight from Andra to tickle ur tastebuds...

Ramki has 10 Simple South Indian Curries and 1001 Coconut Chutneys, all in one single page!!!

Veggies taste best with a dose of coconut. Here are a few recipes that prove it..

Sadhana’s Eggplant Curry which uses peanut and makes the dish all the more tasty.

All time favorite potatoes paired with coconut - Raaji’s Coconut Aloo Fry

PJ’s Keerla Sukke, a tasty bite with bamboo shoots from the konkan cuisine

When in need of a simple and quick yet flavorful meal we can turn to these,...

Deepika’s Aubergine and Rice with Spice is a spicy dish with home-made masala and her MIL’s favorite!!

Lubna’s Coconut Rice which like her blog, reflect “fast to cook, good to eat”

PJ’s Simple Coconut Rice that can be prepared in a jiffy.

Coriander Coconut Rice from PJ is for the lazy as well as busy days with a hint of spices and a blend of coriander and coconut.

Graziana’s Coconut Rice with Peanut Butter and Curry Plant” is one of her classic dishes!!

Preethi’s Pulao with Coconut Milk is a flavorful dish with a medley of vegetables

Anyone for desserts???

Nivedita’s Instant Coconut Halwa is a ‘must try‘ when you are in need of a quick dessert.

Lata’s Easy Adai Payasam is a recipe from her kind neighbour.

PJ’s Coconut Payasa is a quick dessert.

Shanthi shares her mom’s recipe for Thengai Paal which is prepared for festive occasions

EC’s Coconut Kheer is a delight to the tastebuds

Sudha’s Red Bean Jelly is more than a visual treat!!!

Deepti’s Sooji Halwa is an Indian pudding with Semolina!

Yasmeen has sent us Dodol, a south east Asian delicacy

Johanna’s Banana and Coconut Cupcakes are gluten free and nut free! [No! not ‘coconut-free’, she meant the ‘other type of nut’-free]

Priya’s Eggless Oats Coconut and Dates Cookies are low fat and egg less yet crunchy delicious and nutritious

Sheeba’s Choconut Pudding is an exotic blend of chocolate and spices with coconut.

Saranya got the recipe for Sweet Kozhakattai from her mom which she says are prepared during festive times.

Want to involve the kids in the kitchen?Then try Vyshnavi’s Paal Kolukattai

Allery mom’s Coconut Sweet Balls is a treat to kids [and adults] with nut allery!

Muskaan’s Sweet Coconut Balls are a thing to die for-the picture speaks for itself..

Rekha’s Coconut Burfi is her favorite amongst the coconut based desserts

Sowmya says that her Coconut Burfi can be prepared with minimal ingredients and they taste great when served at room temperature.

Sukanya’s Coconut Icecream brought back the memories from her collage days.

Soma’s Vegan Ice-cream with Coconut Cherry and Almond is a blast of flavors and it’s the one to try even if you don’t have an ice-cream maker.

A vietnamese dessert from PJ - Banana in rich Coconut Sauce

Isnt it an impressive array of goodies? Hope you liked it... Do try them out and experience the wonders of coconuts on your palette.

Just to Know Scarletts Secret,...

Today, officially, is the first day of autumn for us here. Spring and autumn is supposed to be the best of the seasons but I have not noticed any changes in the climate coz it has been raining heavily all day long for the past one week and I felt we were about to face a deluge. Yesterday I was bored looking at the rain pour down the window day after day and by yesterday noon I was so lazy and I could sense my eyelids were heavy with sleep. I hate to nap at noon, coz it kind of makes me dull through the evening and moreover I had to find out what was troubling Scarlett,..

Caught your attention didn’t I!!!

Scarlett has been troubled by the news of Ashley getting engaged to Miss Melanie. She had heard the news through the Tarleton brothers. But why is she so pained by that??? I had to find out. I am not being nosy but I really want to know Scarlett’s secret...

I can hear you!!! Aren’t you breaking your head to get to know who this Scarlet is? And maybe why she is upset??

She is that girl who has pale green eyes, bristly black eye lashes, magnolina-white skin and of course a 17 inch waist [wow!!] and the star of the book - Gone with the wind by Margaret Mitchell

I love reading books. Actully like them better than movies but I don’t get too many English books here. The ones that I carried with me have all been read to the stage where I can almost tell the pages by heart. Such being the case, I visited the largest book store in town [in spite of the rain!]. There are 1000’s of books but all in Chinese! A lot of books on cookery, cake decoration and vegetable carving. It was like I was in heaven. The pictures were making me drooooll,.. But just a few in English and that too mostly the classics and a few thrillers - just one copy of each.

I picked up ‘Gone with the wind’, a near 1000 paged book [998 to be exact] in the hope that it will last me a few days. Day before yesterday I just got to read 20 pages and stopped short of knowing the reason that ached Scarlett’s.

And yesterday I was desperate to know it. But the lousy climate was making me sleepy which I was totally against and I wanted to perk myself up. What do you do to perk up - prepare a tea/coffee and I made myself a ginger tea, not only to keep me up but also to stimulate my digestion.

This is not much of a recipe. Adjust the ingredients to your taste and given below is what I use to make my ginger tea...

Need these

1. Milk - 1/2 a cup
2. Water - 1/2 a cup
3. Ginger - 1 inch piece, grated
4. Tea dust - 3/4 teaspoon
5. Sugar - 1 teaspoon

Steps

1. In a pan boil the water and add the grated ginger, tea dust and allow boil for a few seconds.
2. Allow to steep.
3. Stain into a cup.
4. Add really hot milk and sugar to sweeten
5. Stir and sip

Did I tell you that this is not actually a recipe? But why am I giving you these steps, you may ask... Actually there are no steps. This is just to make it sound complicated!! ;) I put all the ingredients in a pot, simmer and wait for it to come to a rolling boil and then strain into my favorite cup and sip. As simple as that..



Oh! Before I forget, let me tell u Scarlett’s reason for heart-break. She had assumed that Ashley loved her and would eventually propose but sadly he didn’t. Now I am all the more eager to read the rest of the book to know what happens next.

Spicy Mushroom Stir Fry

Hubby adores mushroom and if the mushroom based dish is spicy he loves it even more. I got a fresh batch of mushrooms from the local market and prepared this stir-fry for him. Yes, just for him. Its way to spicy for me. If you are like me then this dish can be prepared with a little less heat by reducing the quantity of chilli powder.

You need:

1. Button Mushroom – 300grams
2. Tomato - 1, chopped
3. Onion - 1 finely chopped
4. Garlic - 3 cloves, finely chopped
5. Ginger - 1" piece, grated
6. Chilli powder – 2 teaspoons [This is really spicy, reduce it to your taste]
7. Mustard - 1/2 a teaspoon
8. Jeera/cumin seeds - 1/2 a teaspoon
9. Oil - 2 teaspoons
10. Salt to taste
11. Spring onion greens, chopped to garnish

Now follow this

1. Clean and chop the mushroom. They will shrink while cooking so chop them into bite sized pieces.
2. Heat oil in a pan and when put in the mustard and jeera.
3. When they splutter, add onion, garlic and ginger
4. Sauté till the onion is soft and add the tomato
5. Add the chilli powder after a few minutes and cook till the tomato is mushy.
6. Add salt and the mushroom pieces
7. Stir well to mix. [The mixture will not coat all the pieces fully.]
8. Cover for and cook for 2-3 minutes on low flame.
9. Remove the lid and stir well
10. Mushroom will give out moisture while cooking, else sprinkle a little water and stir well to coat the masala.
11. Cook uncovered in low flame, stirring often till the mushroom is cooked [you can check this by trying to cut a piece of mushroom with the ladle u are using to sauté the dish. If the mushroom is springy have to cook it for some more time].

Serve with rice / Roti garnished with spring onion greens.



Hubby likes the dish a little moist, but if you like a dry curry cook the mushroom on high flame in the last step but don’t forget to stir often else the mushroom will burn.