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March 14, 2007
Paper Scraps Vol 9 : Little Steps, Big Difference
Despite hectic times and stressful lifestyles, we try to make a difference by taking little steps to achieve a bigger purpose. It is our way of bettering our family and our healths. Do these little changes in our diet or way of cooking make a difference? I would like to think so ... Here are some conscious choices you could make,
* When making sandwiches, give butter and high cholesterol spreads a miss. Instead use healthier spreads and dips [yep dips ... who says they have to be just for dipping?] like tahini, tatziki, mustards, pickles, fruit butters, hummus etc..
* I know it tastes perfect, but resist the urge to cook or eat the skin of a chicken.
* Wherever you can, substitute low-fat milk, yoghurt, cheese or cream in cooking. [this one is just for us grown ups but let the littlies enjoy their full-fat, full-cream stuff. With their extremely active routine, they need it more than we do!]
* Use very less oil in cooking. [A lot of famous eateries in India have their stuff swimming in oil. Their belief is that if it is not drenched in oil or ghee, it won't taste as nice, which is probably true to an extent, the more sinful, the better .. right?]. But lite cooking has a crispness and freshness that greasy, soddy dishes cannot compare to. So go lite!
* Don't fry your potato wedges or fries. Spray them lightly with cooking spray and pop them in the oven.
* Blend, boil, steam and grill!
Posted by Gel at 10:56 PM | | Comments (0)
March 10, 2007
Simple And Awesome Homemade Gulab Jamuns!
When I was in Singapore, several tins of Haldiram's Gulab Jamuns used to be a staple of my pantry, courtesy of the amazing "Mustafa Mall" in Little India. There was no Indian food item too little or too big that they didn't have in stock. It satisfied all your Indian food cravings, literally.
When we moved to Australia, there were a few things we noticed right away. The scarcity of Indian food items stocked in the local Indian stores and markets. The lack of known and trusted brand names was another issue. I mean if you are used to "Amul Ghee" and "Kohinoor Basmati Rice", then you will be reluctant to try the newer, lesser known brands for fear of compromising the taste and quality of the meals you produce. Then there was this "sweets" problem. Indians have a very bad case of sweet tooth. Mithai shops in India are as commonplace as traffic signals in the western world. Those who don't buy them off shops on a regular basis have skilled moms and grandmoms at home who wield their traditional utensils and dish out the most glorious, luxurious homemade treats known to mankind .... ahh now I am getting a bit carried away!! But not having the option of picking "kalakand" by the kilo, or pieces of fresh and melt-in-your-mouth gulab jamuns and rosgullas, or tubs of fresh shrikhand or "mattha" could do that to you.
Well, lack of something is good in its own way, it makes man resourceful and forces him to improvise. So I did! And the result was fabulous. A recipe downloaded off the net, mentally prepared, tweaked for perfection and then actually cooked produced the most delicious, authentic tasting, soft, juicy and golden gulab jamuns ever. The beauty was the ease in preparation and the large quantity that turned out. An hour's worth of work and 30 gulab jamuns the size of golf balls ... I have no complaints at all.
Click Here for the recipe.
Posted by Gel at 11:51 AM | | Comments (2)
March 9, 2007
A tub of home-made Amrakhand is pure summer indulgence.
When you first hear about Amrakhand or Mango Shrikhand, you don't know what to expect. For the more experienced out there, it invokes images of thalis loaded with hot, puffed 'puris' and katoris brimming with sweet, rich, mango goodness. Shrikhand can be considered a creamier, more glorified version of your flavoured yoghurt .. the thick, creamy deli versions of it. It is made by hanging yoghurt in a muslin cloth, while all the liquid drains out from it. Then churned in a big steel patila/handi [deep, round bottomed bowl] alongwith saffron, fruit bits, sugar and crushed dried fruits, chilled and served with a big meal.
I remember this fresh shrikhand shop in my hometown, with massive glops of yoghurt hanging in muslin from hooks installed in the ceilings. The shop used to sell freshly made shrikhand, or "mattha" to make your own at home. I remember the acrid, sour and pungent smell of yoghurt in its most concentrated form hitting my nostrils and staring in awe at the huge mesh awnings installed outside the store to keep the flies at bay.
My first attempt at making Shrikhand last week turned out to be not so daunting after all. I went all out and overdid the mango bit by adding mango pulp and fresh mango pieces. I am glad I did!
Click Here for the recipe.
Posted by Gel at 1:32 PM | | Comments (0)
