Tag: homemade

How motherhood changed my relationship with food 

On By DeepiIn thoughtsLeave a comment

The last three times I made Dal I realised a problem. It was too bland, and the more I tried to play around with the flavours, I could not understand why it still lacked colour. Food was meant to be served. Edible food. Something that was homemade and served on time. Who cares for that dal tadka I craved?

Now, it’s a good run to get the right kind of flavours even with my favourite dishes. The game of ingredients over likings, and daily menu chaos over fancies for world cuisine took over my life in no time. And I taunted my mother how she has changed as a cook. She would laugh at it (like she does over all my weird taunts). Can I laugh on what has happened to me now? But, I know how to nail a good salad in minutes. My survival techniques in the kitchen too.

There is so much I see around. Mums doing videos of what their kids are eating (I can’t, in spite of being at home all the TIME). Beautiful reels of native cooking. I can’t. Why would be a good question. Why, do I find hitting on the sofa with nothing more to do is ever so relaxing?

I’m busy looking for creative things we (I and my kids) can do for an hour or two during the day. The actually creative process is even more tiring. But the end result? Oh. Even if we have something basic to eat, I love the painting we try to do. Or the book we try to read. Or just exploring something about the planet.

I do want to talk about food people I meet around. But even those transcribed notes get lost in notebooks I don’t remember where exactly I arranged while cleaning up the toy-laden flat of ours.

What do I want in life? Nothing much as of now. I want to start making more cookies with my kids. More cake. More cold coffee. And in-between all of this, I want to balance it with bajri or Dal khichdi. Add a dash of pancakes and laadi pavs. Make a good ‘busy bag’ for my kids and just get lost in the streets of the city or a nearby lush hilly villages in the country. That’s my sukoon. And oh. Don’t miss on those midnight sneak-outs in the kitchen. That bag of crispy corn chevda. Aha.

No more do I have the energy to watch interesting food videos. I want to look for veggies beyond aloo at the grocery store. How to hydrate my little girl? She hardly has any water during the day. That’s the topic that doing the rounds in my mind. May be a fancy straw or a coloured plastic bottle can do the trick? Who knows.

For the past four years, I have been settling in cities and then unsettling and settling again. What a storm. With two kids. Sometimes I’m focussed in the kitchen, the other times I struggle to make a basic meal. I have help, but I just want to embrace this city for now. Want to enjoy a good pause. In one place. Where there is no uncertainty. Just a mundane routine. For years or even decades.

Yes, I’m forgetting how to write (the tiny bit that I knew). I find myself anxious throughout the night. Drained before dinner times hit. But, somehow, with magic (thanks to the serious talks I have with the little people at home), I find hope. I find hope even in that school tiffin dabba with a sukhi sabzi and roti.

And here’s what I want to do. Think of ways in which we can sit and learn new words together. And how can i let my children explore this world and find beauty. Constantly. So, what if I can’t find it myself sometimes. I was never this kind of a person, but whatever. We got to find it. So, yeah. Fine dining do I crave? No. Just basic food that has been made well. Don’t get me started on my love for thandi roti and achar/pickle, a roasted slice of white bread with a homemade jam, and khari (a Parsi bakery find) with chai. And while I enjoy a meal, my kids should enjoy a good view. Hills, beaches, hammocks, you name it. Will that be part of the deal? Only then can we talk about good food!

Spark joy?

On By DeepiIn Vegetables2 Comments

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I was in no mood to cook. It was the weekend, and at least once or twice a week, it’s no big deal to order food from outside. Right? But, we really didn’t want to step out for long, so we took a look at the various restaurants, which could deliver food at our doorstep. And, I liked none of them. Wasn’t up for Biryani, no noodle dish, no pizza, or any other thing. Nothing created a spark in my mind, and I thought, I might as well feed our hungry selves and get over it.

So, the menu was set, as usual a last-minute task that I excel in. Dal Tadka, whole-wheat Tandoori Rotis and Coriander salad. I was excited for the coriander part only. It sparked joy (Marie Kondo style).

As a young girl, I always thought what these coriander leaves were meant for in a salad or side-dish like this? Aren’t these supposed to be meant only for garnish? My aunt, Tamanna Mamiji, who’s my mother’s sister-in-law, made this quick recipe with super fresh coriander leaves. “My mum used to make it and feed us when we were kids,” she once told me.

The truth is, I could eat my Rotis with it, without any other sabzi. It’s tangy, spicy and fresh. Also, this mix of coriander leaves and lemon juice, is loaded with vitamin C. Goes out and shows, how one shouldn’t underestimate small or simple things. And that night, never did I imagine that this tiny side-dish could do the trick for me, and boost my dull mood.

Who likes to step out in winter anyway? Go, try this coriander sabzi, salad or side-dish–whatever you may like to call it–that can be made in less than five minutes.

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Recipe: Coriander salad (serves one or two)

Ingredients

1 cup fresh coriander (roughly chopped)
juice of half a lemon
salt to taste
¼ tsp red chilli powder
a pinch of cumin seeds

Method

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients. Mix well for 30 seconds and you’ll notice that the size of the coriander batch has shrunk a bit. Salt does it, I think. When it does, go ahead and serve it with a hot Roti.

Life is what you make it

On By DeepiIn Sweet dishesLeave a comment

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I wish, life was as simple as this recipe. Hibernate for a few hours, strain all the negative energies out, and come out shining. But the fact is, it’s not. Hell, it’s worse. Even if you live life on your own terms, it’s still tough. And you constantly have to fight crazy situations you never dreamt of. When I see winners around me; people who can’t stop celebrating, people who are too busy in raising kids; people who are living the lives of their dreams, I wonder, why it isn’t so with me? How I wish I came out battling every fear, every negative energy I get from a few people and every regret with ease.

August-September is officially the worst months of the year for me. And the current record has a similar pattern like the past times. So, how do you think I will cope now? It makes me feel even worse when I think of October, as I will be turning 30, and believe me, I have achieved nothing at all in life. Yes, I have the best support system in terms of family, but on my ‘own’ grounds I have reached nowhere. But, here’s how I think I can save my boat from sinking. I’m joining an art class from tomorrow for which I was waiting for years. I’m extremely thrilled to pick up the paint brush–instead of a phone or a keypad–and draw something beautiful. I hope, I learn a technique or two and can pat my back for doing something.

How I truly wish, life could be as simple as this recipe. Hibernate for a few hours, strain all the negative energies out, and come out shining.

Recipe: Shrikhand (Sweetened Greek yogurt)

If you come home at 7PM and you want to have dessert at 10PM, you can make this Gujarati dish. All you need is fresh curd. But, my experience says that it tastes better after 12 hours when kept in the fridge. Sorry for the dreadful timeline. Life is tough, buddy. But this wait would be rewarding, I can promise.

Ingredients

600 ml homemade yogurt (shouldn’t be sour)
3-4 spoons of sugar
½ tsp cardamom powder
a few threads of saffron
powdered, unsalted pistachio nuts (fresh and crunchy)
1 tsp cold milk

Things/tools you would need

White muslin cloth (don’t take the stained one with which you strained your beetroot juice; no, actually, you can)
Steel strainer (I use a round, medium-sized strainer that looks like a small wok)
3 shot glasses (why? it’s the best size you can go for with this much curd)

Method

1. Cover the strainer with a damp muslin cloth (make sure you clean it properly; I wash it five times to remove all the detergent or dust from it). Now, slowly, put the curd in this; spoon by spoon. Make sure you have a deep container resting well below the strainer in which all the water can be collected.
2. Pull the four corners of the muslin cloth slowly and tie roll it till it’s tight. Don’t go ahead and press the curd with your fingers; it will strain from the cloth and come out. I have done this mistake twice. All you want to do is remove all the water from the curd, and this can happen slowly, and on its own. Just leave it to rest. Some people tie a knot and keep this curd muslin bag hanging on the kitchen tap, where all the water can dip in the sink. But, I find it a bit risky. Can’t see my curd falling down the sink. Anyhow.
3. Leave this for almost three hours. Yes, the yogurt will take this much time to completely thicken up.
4. After about three hours, you will be surprised to see the water. Mind you, this is whey protein. So, if you’re a health junkie, you can drink it to build muscles. Sorry. I was trying to be funny. Don’t ever get this thought going in your mind like me.
5. Now, remove the thick yogurt in another round vessel. Add the sugar and cardamom powder. And all you have to do now is whisk them with a ladle, whisker, spoon or whatever you have in hand. I usually whisk it for 3 to 4 minutes, till I taste the yogurt for sugar and it comes out fine. Also, you might find the yogurt a tad bit tangy, but, don’t worry. The poor thing was out of the fridge for three hours.
6. Take the tsp of milk in a tiny bowl and add the saffron threads in it. Give it a mix and throw in the yogurt mixture.
7. With the help of a tsp, add this mixture in your shot glasses. Once done, add a single thread of saffron on it. Store these glasses in the fridge (not freezer) for a few hours or say, 12 hours. Do add a thread of saffron on top, as it will leave a beautiful yellow colour the next day. And when keeping the glasses in the fridge, you will have to cover them. I just put a round plate on my glasses. You could use the fancy cling film.
8. Before serving, garnish the glasses with roughly pounded pistachio nuts. If the nuts are salted, ignore this step altogether.

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After eating my Shrikhand, I almost end up eating up my spoon too. Hope you don’t. Until next time…

PS. There’s an epic joke attached with Shrikhand. Back in the days when we used to live in Mumbai, my husband usually went to Matunga to buy our veggies and kitchen items. So, one day, he saw Shrikhand in one of the shelves. He was about to pick it up, and I stopped him abruptly. “Don’t you dare buy this Shrikhand! I will make it for you in five minutes at home! That will be the best,” I answered him coldly. “All you have to do is whisk the yogurt,” I added. “I can do that like a pro,” and I went on. And, I never, ever made any Shrikhand at home. I never made any.

It’s only now and the first time, that I made Shrikhand at home (in my six years of marriage). And, now I can’t stop making it. Dear husband loves it so much!