tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58989427700066153112024-03-13T04:33:55.408+05:30foodfablesFoodfables is about my culinary journeys, physical and virtual. I seek to trace the roots of food, tracing my own too...RANVEER BRARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15893746069580206432noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5898942770006615311.post-20522077211634339252019-02-26T12:27:00.000+05:302019-02-26T12:27:16.499+05:30The many facets of 'Punjabi' cuisine<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The "<b>Punjab</b>" as we know it today has had many facets attached to it, not just in terms of geography, but cuisine as well. <br />As Chef Parvinder Bali mentions, there is much more to "Punjabi food" than just the popular dishes we know today.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pic Crtsy: shutterstock</td></tr>
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Punjab itself is divided into several "Punjabs" -the Royal Punjab,the most historic seat of royalty being Lahore, then there is the farmer's Punjab, agrarian community being pretty influential.<br /><br />Talking about Royal Punjab,during some part of the Mughal era & Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s time,the food had European influences, since his generals & some sections of the Barracks were European.<br /><br />Later all the smaller (as compared to Maharaja Ranjit Singh) Royalties - Nabha,Patiala,Kapurthala, etc,carried the same European infatuation in their lifestyles & kitchens. A true royal Punjabi cookbook would be incomplete without these dishes.<br /><br />Then we have the traders' Punjab, Lahore & Amritsar being major trade cities. Followed by Khatri Punjab, the Sufi Punjab & of course, Urban Punjab. And there's the fine line between Sindh & Punjab too. <br />Old Punjabis will tell you that there's nothing called Punjabi food beyond Lahore. What we had in Indian Punjab was either the food of minor royalties, that was influenced by the west, the French & the British; or the peasant food.<br /><br />We eventually got a taste of Lahore, Karachi food post Independence, when they came here & adapted that food to our palate. That again cannot be termed Punjabi food! How would you then place Punjab in a bracket and say this is Punjabi food?!<br />For eg, Sarson da saag is peasant Punjabi food. Karahi Paneer is a form of Karahi cooking that's typical of old Punjab, most of which is now in Pakistan.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrlhgd3uyl2qvYe6OgnvMFuW5xu6kCqfLNA7Xoyq0ftHYYJgca_Lzr3SHOg87y_nRCqwcHfkTyR3RcLxHwrt-sxV6HxUJ04X0baFCbmIns4vfqSENfroE4DNFC5wSE35T-iJ4xZIkCuzHB/s1600/Langri-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1221" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrlhgd3uyl2qvYe6OgnvMFuW5xu6kCqfLNA7Xoyq0ftHYYJgca_Lzr3SHOg87y_nRCqwcHfkTyR3RcLxHwrt-sxV6HxUJ04X0baFCbmIns4vfqSENfroE4DNFC5wSE35T-iJ4xZIkCuzHB/s400/Langri-2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Amritsar being a major trade centre, traders from all over used to come in and settle down. Plus the pilgrim influx. So between the traders & the pilgrims, the dhabas as the quick vegetarian food source, became famous.<br />The list isn't comprehensive, there's more to discover!<br /><br />In this day and age where we have begun to learn and appreciate Regional food rather than food defined by political boundaries, here's my small bit of gyaan to add to your food appreciation pages..<br />#FoodFables<br /></div>
iswaryamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175122930981510589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5898942770006615311.post-14415142122809993412019-02-18T14:31:00.000+05:302019-02-18T14:31:34.046+05:30Steam engines - the forgotten era<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">If I ask anyone from my or the previous generation about their happiest train memories, it would invariably involve the steam engine. As kids, one of the first sounds we mimicked was the Chuk chuk sound right?</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">The whole idea of or emotion around traveling by train, or just going to the train station for me & many like me, was to look at the massive, awe-inspiring Steam engine & be caught unawares by its shrill whistle.</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Steam engines are a perfect example of sight, sound & smell. And a perfect part of our childhood memories.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBiAaYAWGhXSud01ZF8uOWPz_Bmpkx43DBYQzR5ummhJ6g2v9sLzda2ao_elM89ZUlx2XdgOYgt9J70F6fx7AjW_ngGhRAQ_eMGBB1dqbYY1gZRRAZccDqAKEnnAszTcnsRvPPjL7EBlW/s1600/Capture+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="723" data-original-width="1110" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBiAaYAWGhXSud01ZF8uOWPz_Bmpkx43DBYQzR5ummhJ6g2v9sLzda2ao_elM89ZUlx2XdgOYgt9J70F6fx7AjW_ngGhRAQ_eMGBB1dqbYY1gZRRAZccDqAKEnnAszTcnsRvPPjL7EBlW/s640/Capture+1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Let's talk about the classic - the Fairy Queen. First commissioned in 1855 & retired in 1909 it was showcased outside the Howrah station. In 1997, nearly 90 years later, the locomotive hit the tracks again. On 13th Jan 1998, it found its place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's oldest running locomotive.</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXF4-AbaE1b85fbD-q72TqNE0WUvXZpvB2KFHjV1cLK6jqKCXgfU1FAb2akC3FmT4_8f0-LMfsKM1amUzMba4f9jZ8ZGAeuVbqD1gOC4t-IRmuT5cuzBVg9fWSUn4y6_qial8HH2g_d-c/s1600/Capture4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="727" data-original-width="1226" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXF4-AbaE1b85fbD-q72TqNE0WUvXZpvB2KFHjV1cLK6jqKCXgfU1FAb2akC3FmT4_8f0-LMfsKM1amUzMba4f9jZ8ZGAeuVbqD1gOC4t-IRmuT5cuzBVg9fWSUn4y6_qial8HH2g_d-c/s400/Capture4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">While shooting for<span> </span></span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/stationmasterstiffin/" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #003569; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">#StationMastersTiffin</a><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span>I visited the Rewari Railway Heritage Museum that houses the famous Akbar, Azaad, Badshaah, Sahib, Sindh and Sultan. Yes, we are still talking locomotives :)</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">The Rewari loco shed is the only surviving repository of steam locos in our country.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhljwiZo8vutC4XA17ySUk2YrwGnkcPnMG9eT5tXmYeC8Fj-j0qtr6e4eJA5tDIlZ-KDOFXZAtXZgmiLRO9eYltOBqKuJ2vastGazHxdZAabg8JrQT7NAMGvSJT5SMni6jXdnYWCp9HHF7d/s1600/DSC_5493-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1060" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhljwiZo8vutC4XA17ySUk2YrwGnkcPnMG9eT5tXmYeC8Fj-j0qtr6e4eJA5tDIlZ-KDOFXZAtXZgmiLRO9eYltOBqKuJ2vastGazHxdZAabg8JrQT7NAMGvSJT5SMni6jXdnYWCp9HHF7d/s400/DSC_5493-01.jpeg" width="263" /></a></div>
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> It's quite moving to reminisce that there were 1000s of these steam engines, that became a part of folklore, more importantly, our Independence & partition stories. The fact that the engines, that at one time "ran" the nation, now stand de-commissioned is slightly saddening.</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Thanks to our movies, however, some of them are still kept alive.</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Talking to the old engine drivers too, it was truly moving to hear their accounts & experiences with these machines.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5M4M-Dv3xGoxnTEpLAEd90R_Um8RB8c-ALklYxbMojF3k76E9VbMVQWfILltnSi1BQFypH7wJYwVg1dZQ6LGNrqERNle0xnHRIVjjYw8wKXnxPOyOk5uffUxlanoyJgeXmxtPCv25aazx/s1600/WhatsApp+Image3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5M4M-Dv3xGoxnTEpLAEd90R_Um8RB8c-ALklYxbMojF3k76E9VbMVQWfILltnSi1BQFypH7wJYwVg1dZQ6LGNrqERNle0xnHRIVjjYw8wKXnxPOyOk5uffUxlanoyJgeXmxtPCv25aazx/s640/WhatsApp+Image3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">There's something so beautifully raw about the engines that it makes sense why the drivers had that connection with them.</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">It does make one forget the inefficiencies of the steam engine & how electric engines took over as a cleaner, speedier mode of transportation.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNyiwfkKGhwjfzmsFKPDtMaUrcfi2rMUACAM7LABUFbdvyyxJwMfL8nEStUwfX0LiXKbEmKUWlJN554NXfga01kHki6a-jhhn8MUdQsPVaizj7PfCUOJE4TRKo8zzvwbdcNzpP0q1erTY8/s1600/WhatsApp+Image+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNyiwfkKGhwjfzmsFKPDtMaUrcfi2rMUACAM7LABUFbdvyyxJwMfL8nEStUwfX0LiXKbEmKUWlJN554NXfga01kHki6a-jhhn8MUdQsPVaizj7PfCUOJE4TRKo8zzvwbdcNzpP0q1erTY8/s400/WhatsApp+Image+4.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">For me, re-visiting these engines brought back a connection that I'll cherish for life. It made me want to travel back to the time when man and machine were one, heat the fire, boil the water and get the engine going..as simple as that.</span></div>
iswaryamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175122930981510589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5898942770006615311.post-64494022803109142412019-02-18T14:27:00.000+05:302019-02-18T14:27:12.939+05:30The Clockwork that's Mumbai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Mumbai isn't just a city, it's an emotion, to be experienced, to be felt, to be lived. A city that floats on a sea of dreams. Yet, it's grounded and bound by time.<span> </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicj3KIr2sd-LTrEp8bQjx3u-pMMrrII0V1TNZ8f3rYwASW4rE3cJBbdK35T1NiiD4h6utpfOxwYSJlt-aP7kcxH4e8VfFmwuV1Kn6bTlTNfS0psiDUtFqQERs-rAE2H2OFyEvGjM_qIyql/s1600/WhatsApp+Image+2018-10-07+at+23.08.57.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicj3KIr2sd-LTrEp8bQjx3u-pMMrrII0V1TNZ8f3rYwASW4rE3cJBbdK35T1NiiD4h6utpfOxwYSJlt-aP7kcxH4e8VfFmwuV1Kn6bTlTNfS0psiDUtFqQERs-rAE2H2OFyEvGjM_qIyql/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2018-10-07+at+23.08.57.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span></span></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">From the Koli community, the first inhabitants of the city to the incredibly precise Dabbawalas, to the myriads of people who are constantly on the move and above all the trains, time is a major factor that binds all.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WZ1kRmm64jgsEYLWzJZKF9v2rW13gjmIXq3M1UMFABvviO9UI6gK0c9GrPI2pYR56amxvBNFD0RzhnLmQ7BUoE8DflRx_vow33BVDZOzAQ_o61m6J9IpqlTPa3Xhyphenhyphencg7F-SA-yvB2e8I/s1600/DSC_1629-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WZ1kRmm64jgsEYLWzJZKF9v2rW13gjmIXq3M1UMFABvviO9UI6gK0c9GrPI2pYR56amxvBNFD0RzhnLmQ7BUoE8DflRx_vow33BVDZOzAQ_o61m6J9IpqlTPa3Xhyphenhyphencg7F-SA-yvB2e8I/s400/DSC_1629-01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">I had a golden opportunity of visiting the CST and seeing it from within as I had never seen it before. It's a marvel of architecture built in Indo-Saracenic style.</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">CST was the erstwhile headquarters of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway, that operated the first passenger train between Bori Bunder and Tannah(or Thane). The UNESCO heritage site houses a brilliant museum as well. It caters to both long distance and suburban trains.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-MjfOiUarnDp9t77i5poiN-vHKu6K-enLkbR2qStfE34UFz2CIM56eHOMyG7q-6OlhJGeD6gh_zeyNbuwSPBVFtEC2UJpnYxHysXfwYjDCDiFDIKn6mh5FKb9kvXCkRnWMZ4uaGeXlHt/s1600/DSC_2032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1060" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-MjfOiUarnDp9t77i5poiN-vHKu6K-enLkbR2qStfE34UFz2CIM56eHOMyG7q-6OlhJGeD6gh_zeyNbuwSPBVFtEC2UJpnYxHysXfwYjDCDiFDIKn6mh5FKb9kvXCkRnWMZ4uaGeXlHt/s400/DSC_2032.JPG" width="263" /></a></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> The chief highlight of the building is its 130 years old clock tower, a heritage symbol of this time-bound city. Its keeper, Bharat Mahendra Singh ji took the baton from his father and has been ensuring that the clock remains an accurate reference to all who lift up their eyes to check time.<span> </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigXNOZWHG3xz5AcKqEfDuKsCMlXZDQ21NYox0xNRiPPGE4r9060dxChYwxZ7Kpi18tzDRIqaQp4kCz3V6uYEl4wBSSOhhlQ-PePHjJfz26ZOJBZ8ZOQwQMsELfp4JTaC38BHvJ79Ob8geK/s1600/WhatsApp+Image+2018-10-07+at+23.04.01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigXNOZWHG3xz5AcKqEfDuKsCMlXZDQ21NYox0xNRiPPGE4r9060dxChYwxZ7Kpi18tzDRIqaQp4kCz3V6uYEl4wBSSOhhlQ-PePHjJfz26ZOJBZ8ZOQwQMsELfp4JTaC38BHvJ79Ob8geK/s400/WhatsApp+Image+2018-10-07+at+23.04.01.jpeg" width="225" /></a></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span></span></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Trains form the backbone of the ever-on-the-move Mumbai. They don't just get people from point A to B, but make sure life goes on unhindered, whether you are a school/college-goer, heading to your place of work, a dabbawala..the list is endless. The suburban trains alone ferry across nearly 6 million people everyday.<span> </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gnNtSPQILD1WcbfoyBC6ws1WxsyA078lPhwEEYWQRvtBQb3NalrbEH9EBss9IQiWMRMbNDs-Nuhhyphenhyphen3CGEOGqO42YR7sXyuNPuON7aM1lSLA4IZETABYtInHur45Du1W5PKZsjZxEzNjf/s1600/WhatsApp+Image+2018-10-07+at+23.08.58.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gnNtSPQILD1WcbfoyBC6ws1WxsyA078lPhwEEYWQRvtBQb3NalrbEH9EBss9IQiWMRMbNDs-Nuhhyphenhyphen3CGEOGqO42YR7sXyuNPuON7aM1lSLA4IZETABYtInHur45Du1W5PKZsjZxEzNjf/s400/WhatsApp+Image+2018-10-07+at+23.08.58.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">From the iconic CST to the all-women staffed Matunga station, to all the guards, engine drivers and station staff, here's my big salute to the hands that keep Mumbai going like clockwork.</span></div>
iswaryamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175122930981510589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5898942770006615311.post-90784967630914774722019-02-18T14:22:00.000+05:302019-02-18T14:22:04.892+05:30Jab tak rahega Samose mein aloo..<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Who can say No to a Samosa?</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Of the many ingredients and dishes Indian cuisine and palates opened up to, Samosa easily remains the favourite culinary immigrant.</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">The Sanbosag, Sambusa or Samboksa made its way from Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent around the 13th-14th century. The dish easily gained popularity with royalty and commoners alike.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMjQC9wCF116IpVfpeJdoEaJFyLU5PeW4DdVBxINcrwm_yL0hy8jOV1INqVfrFYmxSz98B-Hddx-mIUCmGiHDpl69RrMk4IO5Ob6lnsqvXGRXsXuzZU508rgZ48WCOegv0nRCbQtXvveC/s1600/punjabi+samosa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1046" data-original-width="1600" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMjQC9wCF116IpVfpeJdoEaJFyLU5PeW4DdVBxINcrwm_yL0hy8jOV1INqVfrFYmxSz98B-Hddx-mIUCmGiHDpl69RrMk4IO5Ob6lnsqvXGRXsXuzZU508rgZ48WCOegv0nRCbQtXvveC/s400/punjabi+samosa.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">What's interesting is the innumerable variations of this humble snack that exist in regional cuisines around the world. While the ubiquitous potato-peas filling remains popular in most of the Indian subcontinent, the Goan and Portuguese style, called Chamuças, comes with a meat-filled stuffing.</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">In Bengal, both sweet and savoury variants are popular as Shingaras. Southern Indian samosas come with a typical filling of carrots, cabbage, curry leaves and seasoned with regional spices.</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Going global, the ones available in Arab countries, called Sambusak come with a variety of fillings ranging from chicken to onions, feta cheese to spinach, even. The Maldives version, typical to the seafood influence is made with fish and onions. Sambuus, made with a thinner pastry dough are a specialty around the East African peninsula.</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Variations, fillings and culinary stories abound...And the samosa will forever remain in our hearts! What's your favourite filling?<span> </span></span></div>
iswaryamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175122930981510589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5898942770006615311.post-18063624097665503262019-02-18T14:17:00.000+05:302019-02-18T14:17:27.810+05:30Of Jamuns and Jambudweep!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Summer and Monsoons bring back several fond memories for me, one that stands out, is Jamun season. Munching on the salted tangy fruits on the way back home from school, stained shirts, chewing on the jamuns till the piths were bare and comparing purple coloured tongues would be, I am sure, childhood memories many of us share. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6fBZPNftcrAltYrD8ikWBNB9boyu__efilqFYwFdHgkqUc8Q9n9HX9HEw4dy41Yu-xBB84x5xjkmNsFfqZYzmxRi6oQNGsCaUDJ26oesH54hSbIh60ATQ6X6SZadnICswXDV1ShkKRzsY/s1600/Jamun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6fBZPNftcrAltYrD8ikWBNB9boyu__efilqFYwFdHgkqUc8Q9n9HX9HEw4dy41Yu-xBB84x5xjkmNsFfqZYzmxRi6oQNGsCaUDJ26oesH54hSbIh60ATQ6X6SZadnICswXDV1ShkKRzsY/s400/Jamun.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Jamun, Black plum or Jambu Phalinda (Sanskrit) is native to the Indian subcontinent. Our Puranas mention the division of the seven continents in which the Indian subcontinent is referred to as “Jambudweep” or the island of Jambu/Jamun trees.</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Hindu and Buddhist texts place Jamun trees at the centre of the Universe. Hindu mythology places it as the favourite fruit of Lord Krishna, making it a popular buy during Janmashtami. It’s also (or at least used to be) typical of Lutyen’s Delhi.</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Jamun is the first fruit of the monsoon season. The trees grow well in a broad range of soils, can grow up to 30 metres in height and live up to 100 years. Ibn Battuta, the famed traveler mentions the trees in his travelogue too, Travels in Asia and Africa, 1325-1354.</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Jamun has immense value in the Ayurveda and Unani systems of medicine. The fruit, is a great source of iron and Vitamin C and known to treat ailments of the heart and liver. It’s also used to treat stomach disorders and its seeds are of special use for keeping blood sugar in control. Jamun is also a popular source for making wine and vinegar.</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Adding salt to the jamuns is another stellar example of contrast in flavours, something that I believe, Indian cuisine excels at, at every level. Salt beautifully balances the astringency of the Jamuns and assists in the hydration process as well.</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">In this day and age where we are obsessed with superfoods and exotic berries, go ahead and bite into some Purple magic – for nostalgia and good health..</span></div>
iswaryamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175122930981510589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5898942770006615311.post-63690743617931239782019-02-18T14:11:00.000+05:302019-02-18T14:14:30.530+05:30Kebabs - the journey and beyond<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">As a true blue Lucknowite and a chef, a familiar query or point of conversation that I inevitably attract is about Biryanis and Kebabs.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Given, my heart will always beat a little extra for the Lucknowi Biryani, but let’s save that spicy conversation for another day. Let’s talk about Kebabs today.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">A gift from Turkey & Persia, Kebabs made their way through via the Silk route & what happened next was what we do best. A marriage of flavours, spices & techniques to make this dish a ubiquitous part of our cuisine.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOeEFTWxIDIBcaDpJqJzM2Nxw1bVy6XDXquOKee_XQyCoFj7U2Qo5ebzJkqkY1_9Tk9KuxzD_5hjoSxeBMz80EckJA3bBBlGV9Efp60ftG6KIANlV2NHSHTKG5qCrNUWWQ5GPnnGxPIsdf/s1600/Cooking+Kebabs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1025" data-original-width="1600" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOeEFTWxIDIBcaDpJqJzM2Nxw1bVy6XDXquOKee_XQyCoFj7U2Qo5ebzJkqkY1_9Tk9KuxzD_5hjoSxeBMz80EckJA3bBBlGV9Efp60ftG6KIANlV2NHSHTKG5qCrNUWWQ5GPnnGxPIsdf/s400/Cooking+Kebabs.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pic credit: Stock Secrets</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Mentions of Kebab-style cooking of meat however, go as far back as the Mahabharata era. Where the pre-Mughal kebab was more about marination & open grill cooking, basically more rustic in nature, the Mughal culinarians evolved it into a delicacy, enhancing them with spices, dry fruits & cooking techniques.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Kebabs don’t just come with variations, they come with interesting foodfables! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">For instance, the Galouti or Galawat ke Kebab, a labour of love from the legendary Haji Murad Ali for the toothless Nawab, is synonymous with Lucknow’s kebab tradition, to the point of becoming a must-do on your itinerary. There are many more that deserve equal mention and respect. Let's talk about a couple of them close to my heart..</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Kakori has its own claim to fame. Nawab Syed Mohammad Haider Kazmi’s chefs were instructed to make the seekh texture as fine as they could to counter a snide remark from a British guest. After much research and toiling the Kakori Kebab was born. The secret to the softness being the Maliabali Mangoes used to tenderize the meat. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikdJs5y2tZN8VvyYjZtXvqbqAu9m4KUkJ9Uj4MMMIXgaHQ1DDfgI22l0XgGD_OZHANHMolWE1k9LeiQ7LbWUdLj492isZc3S9ObhS5hv7cwDhxd4NyIaRPMZs1igKn9heqeK6qZgJ4-1Ro/s1600/41338714_307052759890849_5180903151339273788_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikdJs5y2tZN8VvyYjZtXvqbqAu9m4KUkJ9Uj4MMMIXgaHQ1DDfgI22l0XgGD_OZHANHMolWE1k9LeiQ7LbWUdLj492isZc3S9ObhS5hv7cwDhxd4NyIaRPMZs1igKn9heqeK6qZgJ4-1Ro/s320/41338714_307052759890849_5180903151339273788_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">There’s another kebab which is always on my personal favourite list, the Dorra. A delicate kebab from Rampur with nearly a 200-year old recipe, its flavours stand out from the use of smoked meat, rare & exquisite spices and being cooked on a silken thread dabbed with sandalwood oil. The trick here is to cook without burning the silk thread & gently pull it off with a single tug before serving..</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Aren't food stories the true spice of any dish?</span></div>
iswaryamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175122930981510589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5898942770006615311.post-30977273443459869552019-02-18T13:50:00.003+05:302019-02-18T13:50:57.350+05:30The Pilgrimage - Antinori family<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">The<span> </span></span>Antinori<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span>family is truly the first family Of Italian wine legacy. Having started in 1385 as a family business this family has seen it all over the last almost 30 generations. </span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRHErcp_vtRC5ad103H6lxu4whLCSfaJWwTV4a5_KivDsKInTMYd2AWA4yKoh3nFiTs8f906hX-apH6T9gpSDR_N89OIyto2_j3ksGTdnVWEJBRZPMV-_3bqs9cJ8GJ6hBFETYvlsGYUuY/s1600/Chianti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRHErcp_vtRC5ad103H6lxu4whLCSfaJWwTV4a5_KivDsKInTMYd2AWA4yKoh3nFiTs8f906hX-apH6T9gpSDR_N89OIyto2_j3ksGTdnVWEJBRZPMV-_3bqs9cJ8GJ6hBFETYvlsGYUuY/s400/Chianti.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">The birthplace of<span> </span></span>Chianti<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> Classico Tuscan wines and winemaking owe a lot to the Antinoris. For the creators of<span> </span></span>Tignanello<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>, </span>which revolutionised wine making in Tuscany, to create a much hailed category<span> S</span></span>uper Tuscan<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>, </span>a feat went a long way in bringing Italian wines back on the world map.<span> </span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Two traits of the family absolutely inspire me,<span> </span></span>perseverence<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span>and<span> </span></span>courage<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>. </span></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Perseverance because they have seen it all, the wars the floods and the famines and yet stood the test of time making them timeless, just like the wine they produce<span>.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Courage because they were the first to defy norms and blend the sacred<span> S</span></span>angiovese <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">with non traditional grape varieties and age wine in small oak casks with almost no white grapes in the blend.<span> </span></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">The cellars are set under a mountain estate and are a true trip back in time. Must do in Tuscany. But book in advance as tours are booked weeks ahead. Or you could try pleading and cajoling (like I did) and get in ;)</span></div>
iswaryamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175122930981510589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5898942770006615311.post-51801996277407633462018-10-31T13:35:00.000+05:302018-10-31T13:35:00.689+05:30Dadima No Varso (Guest blog by Rushina)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><b><span style="font-size: 16px;"><i><b>Indian Grains Month, a campaign that ran whole of October on my social media channels, has been a small step towards increasing awareness and encouraging people to reroute their culinary preferences to what's good and inculcate more millets into their diet.</b></i></span></b></i><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaXZAuFheR3H86C5NIn9TZLHZJrtQkdpd8QaYmjFOPqnDYEgg0TfdjE21gIIZZiPQ2h-gRCzUr0FuyWzaUol3MbWB-k-yYkF9bGclagbf2HTA7y25xOnnypff1DGtx9DS46wHFNbsFXTjo/s1600/Z_Rushina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaXZAuFheR3H86C5NIn9TZLHZJrtQkdpd8QaYmjFOPqnDYEgg0TfdjE21gIIZZiPQ2h-gRCzUr0FuyWzaUol3MbWB-k-yYkF9bGclagbf2HTA7y25xOnnypff1DGtx9DS46wHFNbsFXTjo/s320/Z_Rushina.jpg" width="320" /></a><i><b><span style="font-size: 16px;"><i><b>Sharing more thoughts on the same, Rushina Ghildiyal </b></i></span></b></i><i><b><span style="font-size: 16px;"><i><b><i><b>happily agreed to contribute her thoughts on her experience with indigenous grains.</b></i> A friend, mentor and co-foodie, </b></i>Rushina </span>has been my partner in crime in many a culinary ventures. She's one of the pioneer bloggers of our country and blogs at <a href="https://rushinamunshawghildiyal.blogspot.com/">https://rushinamunshawghildiyal.blogspot.com/</a></b></i><br />
<i><b></b></i><br />
<i><b>Rushina's passion for discovering and rediscovering heirloom recipes and tracing their roots shows in her work. Here's her write-up on her brush with Barnyard Millet...</b></i><br />
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<u><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">DADIMA NO VARSO (Grandmother's Legacy)</span></b></span></u></div>
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Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt;">
As a child I remember looking forward to days when my Grandmother observed
fasts. Unaware of the religious connotations of her fasting, my only focus was
what she ate when she sat apart from everyone for her one <b><i>Ekadashi</i></b>
meal of the day. And eagerly waiting for leftovers! Because they were far more
alluring than the usual daily fare of RDBS (or roti, dal, bhaat, subzi).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think at some point she figured this out,
because the leftovers doubled in quantity! The dish that had my attention? <b><i>Ghensh</i></b>,
a savoury porridge like dish made of a millet, also
called <b><i>Moriyo</i></b> in Gujarati. </span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4nIQqhvd3KiFieENyD9a0to4JZKDArkRbHUBENv4oQiPd2yPmYQfs1u9G5xaK8KZ2rLnp9bfycMKz8Sg3x-gotSp83g09dXdwFGlHI9Z0THXGqLku-KR7zXCOHltJlOS4LaDbU7i3E0vm/s1600/Jhangora+ka+Kheer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4nIQqhvd3KiFieENyD9a0to4JZKDArkRbHUBENv4oQiPd2yPmYQfs1u9G5xaK8KZ2rLnp9bfycMKz8Sg3x-gotSp83g09dXdwFGlHI9Z0THXGqLku-KR7zXCOHltJlOS4LaDbU7i3E0vm/s640/Jhangora+ka+Kheer.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt;"> I remember watching our Maharaj make <b><i>Moriyo</i></b>
(before he started cooking the rest of the meal for the family) on those days.
A small kadhai would go onto the gas. In would go some ghee. When it was hot,
cumin would be added, furiously crackling as the kitchen filled with that magic
aroma of spices and fat coming together. Green chilli would go in next,
spluttering as it let of its fire. But soon, buttermilk (or a thin yogurt
solution) followed, cooling, gentling the spices and settling things to a slow
simmer. The Moriyo and potatoes would be added, and the whole slow cooked till
the grains were turgid and the potatoes tender and moreish having absorbed the
green chilli laced sourness of the yoghurt. As I write I remember the distinct
spicy lactic sourness, a flavour profile that was unforgettable!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, imagine my surprise to find it again, years
later, in Garhwal as <b><i>Paleu</i></b> made by my husband’s Nani. A dish of
Jhangora cooked in buttermilk or yogurt in an iron kadhai and eaten as either a
sweet porridge with sugar or a savoury one with <b><i>Hara namak</i></b> (a
flavoured condiment made by pounding green garlic with salt and green
chillies). The composition was a little different, but the flavours were almost
the same! </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span id="goog_1109210662"></span><span id="goog_1109210663"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt;">But a bit of
research and connecting of dots and it was not so surprising. Moriyo and
Jhangora are both strains of a millet species collectively called <b><i>G</i></b></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><b><i>enus Echinochloa</i></b>, commonly named Barnyard
millet, a species that <span style="color: black;">has been part of the
traditional Indian diet for centuries! </span>Millets are mentioned in some of
the oldest surviving <b><i>Yajur veda</i></b> texts and the consumption of Barnyard millet,
(called <b><i>Aanava</i></b> at the time), goes as far back as around 4500 BC. Its use spread
with the dissemination of Indian cuisine and is today used across the country,
and came to be known by many local names. From <i><span style="color: black;">Samvat
Ke Chaval</span></i><span style="color: black;"> in Hindi and <i>Jhangora</i> in
Garhwali, to <i>Vari Che Tandul, Varai or Baghar</i> in Marathi and <i>Samo</i>
or <i>Morioyo</i> in Gujarati, to </span><i>Kodisama</i> in Telugu and <i><span style="color: black;">Kudirai Vali</span></i><span style="color: black;"> in Tamil</span>.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Although traditionally consumed as a regular
part of the daily diet in many regional cuisines, today </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">these tiny round grains are predominantly
associated with fasting meals. During fasts, tradition calls </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">for consumption of a limited selection of
ingredients, of which Barnyard millet is one that is allowed</span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">and therefore used as a substitute for rice
in rice-based dishes since it is a traditionally foraged food </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">that is easily digestible. The fact that it
has low GI has also seen it being adapted as a diabetic friendly food. <br />
<br />
But here’s the thing. Barnyard Millet should not be relegated to fasting days
and special diets! </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">We should all be eating more of it and other
ingredients, like our Grandmothers. </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Millets have been the major staple food our
diets for centuries. In fact, until as recently as 50 years</span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">ago, they were a major grain grown by us, and
an integral ingredient in our local food cultures. </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The Green Revolution and the promotion of
high-yielding varieties of rice and wheat during the 1970s and a growth in prosperity brought
aspirations cause millets to be perceived as “coarse grains” that did not fit into more sophisticated diets,
causing them to be displaced from food basket. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Which is ironic, because it
is its “coarseness’ that makes it good for us! </span><br />
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">With a ‘sophisticated’ flattened
diet that consumes just rice and wheat, and a handful of supermarket shelf
vegetables, we are doing ourselves a disservice. We are losing out on something
extremely valuable. Our food diversity. And the critically important, richly
varied, nutrients that the diverse diet of our ancestors provided.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Because while we focused on
what Barnyard millet does not have, we forgot what it DOES have. A 100 gm of
barnyard millet contain 11.9 gm of moisture, 6.2 gm of protein, 2.2 gm of fat,
4.4 gm of minerals (one of the highest value among grains), 9.8 gm of crude
fibre, 65.5gm of carbohydrates, 20 mg of calcium, 5 mg of iron and a high level
of phosphorus at 280 mg. That’s a lot of really good stuff we are missing out
on! My Grandmother and yours would agree!</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
</div>
iswaryamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175122930981510589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5898942770006615311.post-89639551412393290472018-02-15T21:02:00.001+05:302018-02-15T21:07:56.355+05:30Changing with the seasons<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><i>Eating seasonal and local </i></b>are values I always emphasise upon. The world over, food patterns, food choices and food availability are typical indicators of seasonality. The stress on eating seasonal and local is not just to support the food ecosystem and our food sources (which of course is paramount), but simply because it’s a healthier lifestyle.<br />
Ayurveda ascribes a healthy balance of mind and body to seasonal choice of food. When you eat local, you are automatically eating what’s in season and hence working with the cycles of nature.<br />
As we start moving on from winter into spring time or Kapha season, changing weather patterns can disturb the body’s immunity and digestion.<br />
Here's some pointers to tide through with good health:<br />
- Switch to lighter foods that are nutritious yet easy to digest. Fresh fruits and sprouts are good options.<br />
- Supplement your diet with exercise. Nothing substitutes a work out or any form of physical activity for a fit mind and body.<br />
- Raw turmeric is available in abundance at this time. Try a jhatpat kachumber with a simple seasoning or a kachchi Haldi ki subji. Turmeric has garam taseer and hence is a boon in this season. It’s also blessed with excellent anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.<br />
- Same goes for Jaggery which plays an important part during Sankranti, but is also naturally nutritious. Its rich iron content fortifies and keeps the body warm.<br />
Here's a recipe for you all to try:
<b></b>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>MURMURA LADDOO</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0AFpPgGMsmDEDUouTXnEAYAyoJ3_2KKN9VEqCCZ33N7v2zF93XoSQwF688AgVRbKCQWAq1O07E9XOtoOzF4HO5m5EUr7GvRsQKIZL7JChdo9ybSjl_9EIgidttkVd_YSS4FMw4mpFq3zT/s1600/Murmura+Laddo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1127" data-original-width="1600" height="449" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0AFpPgGMsmDEDUouTXnEAYAyoJ3_2KKN9VEqCCZ33N7v2zF93XoSQwF688AgVRbKCQWAq1O07E9XOtoOzF4HO5m5EUr7GvRsQKIZL7JChdo9ybSjl_9EIgidttkVd_YSS4FMw4mpFq3zT/s640/Murmura+Laddo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Preparation Time: 15mins<br />
Cooking Time: 20mins<br />
Serves: 10-12 lemon size laddos<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
3 Cups Murmura/Rice puffs<br />
1 Cup Jaggery, grated<br />
4 tbsps Water<br />
1 tsp Cardamom Powder<br />
1/3 Cup Almonds, chopped (Optional)<br />
1/3 Cup Pistachio, chopped (Optional)<br />
<b>Method:</b><br />
1. Dry roast the murmuras in a pan till crisp.<br />
2. In a pan, add jaggery and water, mix till dissolved. Let simmer and cook until it reaches a 2 string consistency.<br />
3. Add cardamom powder into melted jaggery and mix well.<br />
4. Now add almonds, pistachios and murmuras into it and mix well.<br />
5. Turn off the flame. Allow it to cool for 1 minute but not more than that.<br />
6. Wet your hands, take a handful of the mixture and shape into a laddoo. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.<br />
7. Make laddoos of desired size and allow them to cool down, they will harden.<br />
Store the prepared laddoos in air tight containers.</div>
iswaryamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175122930981510589noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5898942770006615311.post-24455118258323561512017-09-26T20:41:00.002+05:302017-09-26T22:27:06.628+05:30Let the festivities begin!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> Kolkata loves its food to the point of pride; Durga Puja especially is a time when the city puts out the best it has to offer, in all its finery. Ask any Bengali, or a food lover, even, what Durga Pujo means to them and you cannot miss that flicker of happiness in their eyes. The festival begins in full fervor on Sashti and culminates on Dashami. Time for pandal hopping, <i>Notun Jaama</i> and great food. (NB: This list isn't exhaustive!)</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> It’s a rare Bengali breakfast that would be complete without the Phulko Luchi, the Eastern counterpart of the Puri, especially around Durga Puja . Made with refined flour, it’s slightly smaller than the normal puris and popularly served with either sweet or savoury sides, the more common ones being Alur Torkari or Cholar Dal. The taste of a true luchi is enhanced when fried in ghee. That might have got your calorie bells ringing, but remember, Pujo time is for indulgence!</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> Radha Ballabhi is a match made in culinary heaven. It’s one of the omnipresent dishes in any important Bengali ceremony. It’s difficult to pass by a sweet shop and resist these stuffed delights, right off the wok as they are prepared by the Moira, or the traditional sweet maker. Much as they are a popular breakfast dish, they are equally enjoyed as evening snacks.<br /> Other snacks worth exploring at this time are the Koraishutir (Peas) Kochuri with Alu dum, the humble Alu chorchori seasoned with Hing and Golmorich (asafetida and pepper) and the Tinkona (triangular) Porota with Chenchki (vegetables or lentils spiced with panchphoran), Vegetable chop, Kathi rolls and Dimer Devil, which is, guess what – Deviled Egg!</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> The Bhog or the community lunch is the highlight of the Pujo celebrations. It is <i>Niramish</i> or pure vegetarian. <i>Bhog er Khichuri </i>or Moong dal Khichdi is an important part of the bhog. Prepared in the Satvik manner, i.e, no onion or garlic and just the fact that it’s cooked for Bhog, it’s blessed with a flavour that can rarely be recreated elsewhere. Other dishes include the Mishti pulao, Labdar Torkari, a mixed vegetable dish, <i>Chanchra</i> (a drier vegetable dish); all this served with crispy fried bhajas or vegetable fritters on the side and the delectable Payesh and mishti to end the meal with. It’s interesting that typically, a sweet and sour chutney is served in the interim before the dessert fare to cleanse and neutralize the palate.</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> From the <i>Muri Ghonto</i> or the Fish head curry served with rice, Ilish Pulao, the famous Kolkata mutton biryani, to Shukto, Doi Fulkopi (spicy cauliflower in yogurt), Lal Shaak bhaja (you guessed it right, amaranth fritters) and an interesting one made with grated potato, called the <i>Jhiri jhiri</i> or <i>Jhuri Alu bhaja</i>, there's a heady mix for vegetarians and meat lovers alike..</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> No account of Bengali culinary offerings is complete without touching the sweet end of the spectrum. The Nolen gurer Mishti Doi or sweetened yogurt made with date palm jaggery and Nolen gurer Payesh are major attractions. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Bijoya or Dashami sees more sweets, as togetherness is celebrated with sweets; <i>Mishti mukh kora</i> as it’s called. <i>Komola Bhog</i>, a saffron flavoured Roshogullah, Sandesh in all its variations, also <i>Shor Bhaja</i>, a sweet that’s deep fried in ghee and soaked in sugar syrup. This dish originated in Krishna Nagar, Nadia and is a labour of love. It’s made from the cream of milk called Shor. A baked variation of this dish also exists, called <i>Sarpuria</i>.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> The connection of food with the Divine is oft talked about and is a given. It’s indeed the power of faith, purity of mind and the spirit of cooking and eating together that infuses a magical flavour to any fare. So this Durga Pujo, go ahead and celebrate the festival of power or Shakti, victory of good over evil and discover the power of food in all its glory. </span></span></div>
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iswaryamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175122930981510589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5898942770006615311.post-36271714013245652352017-09-22T22:23:00.000+05:302018-01-04T17:49:13.960+05:30Fasting - the science beyond<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
That time of the year again when I start thinking fondly of pandal hopping. A mere recall of the Niramish bhog and my ever favourite Bhog er Khichuri, gets the taste buds salivating. Well, the feast is another story for another time. Let’s talk about fasting.<br /> We have long since established a scientific logic prevailing behind our socio-religious practices, be they at the spiritual or culinary levels. That includes the change in food patterns, as also fasting. Fasting or vrat in its varying degrees, from complete to partial abstinence is in itself, a scientifically essential detox for our digestive system.<br />
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Take Navratri for instance. There are two major Navratris in a year (four in all). Both of these occur during major seasonal shifts – beginning of spring and autumn. These are also times when the human immunity level is at its lowest. Eating light and avoiding rich, heavy and spicy foods helps the body adjust to the new season naturally.<br /> That brings us to the importance of eating right during fasts. Getting plenty of energy and fibre rich foods while staying hydrated is the order of the day. Hence why there is inclusion of more millets as grain substitutes and not surprisingly so, considering that millets were an Indian staple in the days of yore.<br /> And it’s not just Navratri that highlights the significance of fasts. Similar science revolves around fasting on Ekadashi, the 11th day in the lunar cycle. Atmospheric pressure being the lowest on Ekadashi, makes it apt to abstain from heavy foods to sustain the mind-body balance. The concept is simple and similar for the most part. Eating light puts less pressure on the digestive process, helping the senses stay alert and active.<br /> So this season, while you observe fasts and enjoy the feasts, don’t forget to honour what your body truly needs. <br />Here’s a light yet energy rich recipe to try..<br />
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<b>APPLE & SWEET POTATO SALAD</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEv4CgHJPMPJy0gdkpgkMIHNgqWgKlBsoo6VS1ZTsvsKWaa_FX6XUR0otRqWNtTOKLbP2CDxFJfDUJHfSUw6E5ehdUDWKca_xzdjbAULKFenWvzsNG8J0BMzn1ggXj4257gC9pfIuSOYOK/s1600/apple+and+sweet+potato+salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="1600" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEv4CgHJPMPJy0gdkpgkMIHNgqWgKlBsoo6VS1ZTsvsKWaa_FX6XUR0otRqWNtTOKLbP2CDxFJfDUJHfSUw6E5ehdUDWKca_xzdjbAULKFenWvzsNG8J0BMzn1ggXj4257gC9pfIuSOYOK/s400/apple+and+sweet+potato+salad.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />300 gms sweet potato - boiled, peeled & diced<br />½ green apple, diced<br />½ red apple, diced<br />Few spinach leaves, roughly shredded or chiffonade<br />Few Walnuts, roughly broken<br />1 tbsp chaat masala<br />1 tbsp chili powder<br />1 tbsp cumin seeds - roasted and powdered <br />2 tbsp yogurt, beaten<br />Lemon juice-to taste<br />Fresh Coriander, chopped<br />Fresh mint, chopped<br /><br /><b>Method:</b><br />1. In a mixing bowl add cumin seed powder, chili powder, chaat masala and lime juice and mix well.<br />2. Now add sweet potato, diced apples, spinach, walnuts and mix well.<br />3. Transfer to serving bowls and pour remaining seasoning on top.<br />4. Sprinkle the chopped coriander and mint leaves and serve immediately. Optional to serve with whisked yogurt too.</div>
iswaryamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175122930981510589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5898942770006615311.post-18531050185181754352017-09-04T19:27:00.003+05:302017-09-07T19:04:42.361+05:30Magic is in the Tadka<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"> Ask any seasoned Indian home cook about the true foundation of a dish and the reply is bound to be Tadka. Call it Baghar, chaunk, vaghar, phodani and much more in different vernaculars, tempering is a crucial step in Indian cooking that sets the basics right. Now tempering in Asian terminology is different from the western concept; the latter referring more to balancing or stabilising an ingredient or a set of ingredients, especially in the confectionary field. The Asian version is the practice of cooking spices in hot fat to improve the flavour of a dish.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"> Tadka originates from taṛaknā, which interestingly means ‘to crack’ or ‘to break’. Fat being a better carrier for spices than water, the aroma spreads more evenly through the dish.<br /> There are multiple components to the Tadka, most important being the heating of the fat. Clarified butter imparts a flavour like few other, as any true-blue Dal Tadka or Rasam fan would tell you. Health scares initially and sadly drove away the ghee lovers, but with more friendly researches surfacing, the masses are gradually making a beeline to the ghee counter, which, trust me, is extremely heart-warming to the Punjabi in me!<br /> Techniques and combinations play an equally important part. Each savoury dish; and I am talking the length and breadth of our culinary map; typically uses a different set of ingredients, that need to be added at specific times, in a particular order and ratio and cooked for just the right amount of time before the main ingredients are added, or the tempering itself is added to the cooked dish. Which brings me to the timing of the tempering. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"> Some dishes begin with a tadka, while for some, it is the finishing touch; most of the Gujarati Farsaans are excellent cases in point. After all, who isn’t drawn to that final dash of mustard seeds, slit green chilies, curry leaves and grated coconut on a Dhokla or Khandvi?<br /> My stint with Munir Ustad instilled in me the importance of Tahseer, a concept that was ingrained in the Lucknow cooks of yore. It's about balancing the ingredients, neutralising the property of one with the property of another. The same Tahseer is an important aspect of tempering in Indian cuisine. Cumin seeds, cinnamon and asafetida aid digestion, mustard seeds are excellent for heart health and relieve muscular pain; in fact, the very addition of fat as the cooking agent is to enhance both the flavours and the nutritional benefits of the spices.<br /> So the next time you prepare your tempering, stick to the basics, keep the ingredients in order and cook them right, because, remember – the magic is in the <i>Tadka</i>!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><br /><b>BAJRA & AMARANTH KHICHRI</b><br /><b>Ingredients:</b><br />2 tbsps sesame Oil<br />1 tsp Mustard Seeds<br />1 tsp Cumin Seeds<br />5 to 6 Curry Leaves<br />1 tsp Chopped Garlic<br />1 tsp Chopped Ginger<br />½ cup Chopped Onions<br />½ tsp Red Chili Powder<br />½ tsp Coriander Powder<br />1 tsp Turmeric Powder<br />½ cup Mixed Veggies (Carrots, green beans, peas)<br />2 tbsps Corn<br />2 cups Bajra, soaked overnight<br />1 cup Amaranth, soaked overnight<br />½ cup grated Coconut<br />Salt to taste <br />1 Tomato, chopped<br />Juice of 1 Lemon<br />Chopped Coriander for garnish <br />1 tbsp Green Chilies, chopped</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><b>Method:</b><br />1. Pressure cook bajra and amaranth with salt, turmeric & red chili powder for up to 3-4 whistles. <br />2. To prepare the Tadka, heat oil in a large pan, add mustard seeds and let crackle. Add cumin seeds, curry leaves, chopped garlic, chopped ginger and saute for a bit. <br />3. Now add chopped onion, coriander powder, mixed veggies, corn, cooked bajra, cooked amaranth, grated coconut, salt, chopped tomatoes, lemon juice, chopped coriander and cook well. <br />4. Serve with chaas, pickle and toasted papad.</span></span></div>
iswaryamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175122930981510589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5898942770006615311.post-32030615463116914072016-09-09T14:06:00.001+05:302016-09-16T20:17:31.779+05:30Self actualising… through food <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A theory of dish hierarchy (A six part series )<br /> Creativity, art and food go hand in hand. Crazy, borderless thinking and stretching the limits of the known is the key to all things creative. And yet it is when there is a method to this madness that the whole comes together. The science of design stresses that art pleases our eyes for a reason — it might be harmony, contrast, balance, perspective or all of these. But even before you seek to create anything, you need to understand your medium. For me this is food. </span></span>
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<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> I have always been fascinated by the Maslow Theory. And over the years I have built what I call Ranveer’s hierarchy of dish structure inspired by it. A detailed glimpse of the same can be found in my new book as well. I strongly believe that all great artists, regardless of their medium, including chefs (make no mistake the best chefs of the world are artists — their medium is food) arrive at a basic set of practices over their career that they apply in creating their masterpieces: The canvas, the medium, the framework, the subject, the colour combinations... </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> And then there are the less tangible things: An overall sense of balance and harmony and most importantly the soul of the artist himself, a piece of which gets left behind in every creation by him. To get creative with food, we first need to understand what happens when we eat. All reactions to food are based on the human senses of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. The saying “when we eat, we eat with our eyes first…” is true. How food looks determines the first reaction to it. Then as one gets closer to it, the aromas come into play. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> When food comes in contact with mouth, the palate comes into action bringing along with it the brain and a gamut of intangible reactions like perception and taste memory. So, on hierarchy of dish structure, with any recipe or a dish — and this is on the assumption that the elements that make up the dish are technically cooked perfectly, the basic structure would be dependent on the levels of taste, flavour, texture, appearance, aroma (stimulating taste, touch, sound (on the bite), sight and smell respectively). </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.in/Come-into-Kitchen-Ranveer-Brar-ebook/dp/B01GTQHAFQ?"><img alt="https://www.amazon.in/Come-into-Kitchen-Ranveer-Brar-ebook/dp/B01GTQHAFQ?" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7FD1978I0D-EMSuPK19A4x1rh0f2sUy9a_2j7fu17aitSKarEp7ZEvxvbwvhwt0uqdvYLF74e5js39G4nUq3N5jpbmyxILOScXVbaGtegwSLcTgsF_PMN-aRCysquzAQo2H_bPcCmhC-w/s320/Chef9.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> When I create a dish, I look at it from the POV of the person who will eat it. I approach it holistically and take that into account, as a chef, when I create a dish, I construct it foundation outwards (taste is the first accomplishment and presentation the last), but the eating experience of the diner is visually inwards (he encounters presentation first). This is important because I have to keep this in mind right through the creation process to achieve the right balance in my dish. The diagram explains it better. <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Y</span>ou can read more about it <span style="color: red;">in <a href="https://www.amazon.in/Come-into-Kitchen-Ranveer-Brar-ebook/dp/B01GTQHAFQ?" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">my book available here</a></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">.</span> </span></span></span><br />
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iswaryamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175122930981510589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5898942770006615311.post-73264842564681367002016-08-11T17:50:00.001+05:302016-08-11T17:51:11.766+05:30The sweet culinary heroes of Old Delhi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> In the streets of a city lives its soul. Whenever I am travelling, I try to imbibe the culture of the city through its streets. Some Indian cities are treasure troves of secrets and stories that are hidden in its streets. Old Delhi is one of them. <i>Ghanteywaala halwai</i> and <i>Ashok Chaat </i>shutting shop was a shocker to all foodies. It’s sad that 200 years of history just got washed away in the tide of modernisation. That’s why it’s important for all of us to know these stories and pass them down to keep interest and conversations alive about these spaces. Let me walk you through some of these lanes and tell you some such stories. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgvV_HNHDJJFkf0VgeoCHT5ZRP9qukAGU7lQkczd4Ps-5kfoSZs6ovPrKI3FVwn9d0j91Jt3TTj8uUheG3FPEpHIqQxa3lLOndIXfv6RpmiY5kM-gxkgRPe3kJUzUh7uxrhB4uUesHmkh/s1600/486306-jalebi..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgvV_HNHDJJFkf0VgeoCHT5ZRP9qukAGU7lQkczd4Ps-5kfoSZs6ovPrKI3FVwn9d0j91Jt3TTj8uUheG3FPEpHIqQxa3lLOndIXfv6RpmiY5kM-gxkgRPe3kJUzUh7uxrhB4uUesHmkh/s400/486306-jalebi..jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Opposite Badal Begh Masjid, below the erstwhile residence of the famous Indian actress Meena Kumari in a small shop sits Jamaluddin a 60 something gentleman, who has only one thing on his mind and menu, <i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">K</span>heer</i>. This 150 plus year-old kheer shop has been frequented by commoners and bureaucrats alike after an evening of spicy food in Old Delhi. Jamaluddin is happy selling what he has and going home and has no interest in opening another shop, his next generation has no interest in kheer or the legacy, so visit Bade Mian kheer in the next couple of years before it gets lost in the annals of history. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkZanxzE3FvdO6XOxkP-prKGGndUEebptSZCCDtBLECYoOjPAie_M4NsH1xkGfFLdQEK_PKuQH__I7H-i0ONNny6n0dPBsDf657CIod2YesfdTrC1GFqyBmhrVm-1qC6_3bzFoEWicA5SQ/s1600/jalebi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkZanxzE3FvdO6XOxkP-prKGGndUEebptSZCCDtBLECYoOjPAie_M4NsH1xkGfFLdQEK_PKuQH__I7H-i0ONNny6n0dPBsDf657CIod2YesfdTrC1GFqyBmhrVm-1qC6_3bzFoEWicA5SQ/s400/jalebi.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> All is not that gloomy though, take the example of the <i>Dareeba <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">J</span>alebi </i>shop in Chandni Chowk.<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span>Abhishek Jain is a 30 something enthusiastic entrepreneur, whose family has a jalebi shop started by his grandfather in 1940s. Abhishek takes great pride in the family legacy and is seen every day at the shop in the evenings. He talks about his grandfather with great passion and pride and puts as much passion in talking about how he has not changed the recipe of the sugar syrup by even an ounce. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Then there’s the iconic <i>Chaina Ram Halwai</i>, Sindhi confectioners, who migrated to India and continued to do what they did best in their shop in Karachi, make the world sweeter. The long lines for poori<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">-</span>sabzi in the morning are a testament to the finesse of the kaarigars and their recipes that have come from Sindh and are still held as close to the heart as they were in the yesteryears, Chaina Ram is not going anywhere for sure. Then there are the old corner <i>chaatwallas</i> who will make you <i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">K</span>ulla chaat</i> — an Old Delhi legacy on request, the fruit sandwich wale Jain sahib, the fruit cream<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">-</span>waale sardarji and the many more milk and lassi shops that tell a story of yesteryear glory. All waiting to be discovered. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Next time in Delhi enjoy a metro ride to Old Delhi and make these food heroes feel important, you will help ensure that they are interested and proud owners of a food legacy unparalleled.</span></span></div>
iswaryamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175122930981510589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5898942770006615311.post-64516426448884634422016-07-15T19:41:00.000+05:302016-07-15T19:41:29.361+05:30Malpua through a magnifying glass...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span>I went for an <i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I</span>ftar</i> trail through Mohammad Ali Road, a tradition ingrained in me from my origins in Lucknow. <i>Ramzan</i> is the time when the real food and foodies come out in the evenings for a true feast of all senses. A time when there is colour, aroma, flavour and love in the air. </span></span>
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<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgFl_8T5hyphenhyphenUiIde8DiV54T5jIjKzz15GN8L9f4dndNedVwj1ex7kOtht6HdQVB4Qpa8uo4CfJkD5by0L8L-cZA0xg_E8VIhiCxORncd1_JFf0UL8v71rlT03WDXPS3TAMhe07iBXZNiNZ/s1600/IMG-20160627-WA0006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgFl_8T5hyphenhyphenUiIde8DiV54T5jIjKzz15GN8L9f4dndNedVwj1ex7kOtht6HdQVB4Qpa8uo4CfJkD5by0L8L-cZA0xg_E8VIhiCxORncd1_JFf0UL8v71rlT03WDXPS3TAMhe07iBXZNiNZ/s320/IMG-20160627-WA0006.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> There’s a plethora of dishes that are only <i>Ramzan</i> specific. Every shop owner will bring out a signature dish that you get only in the holy month, which is usually a dessert. <i>Sandal</i> is such a dessert which shows up only during this time, it’s a steamed fermented rice cake (very close to the Goan<i> sanna</i> in flavour, although lighter in texture),which is topped with malai and nuts<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">; </span>if overtly sweet is not your thing, this is just the right dessert for you.<i> Malai Khaja</i> is another such dish which although available all year round, gains importance in the holy month. The sweet to really look out for and acknowledge though, is the <i>Malpua</i>. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span>The beaten egg condensed milk flour emulsion gets all the attention as it is being dropped into flat kadhais with ghee to form big, full moon like pancakes that are topped up with rabri or eaten with Phirni. Most shops go through anywhere between 2,000 to 5,000 eggs in one night. The double egg version is more fluffy and crispy for obvious reasons. While I was sampling the Malpua it struck me as an amazing story of taste crossing borders and religions. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> It is a sweet that stands for festivities and celebrations across the country and beyond. I have grown up eating <i>Malpuas</i> in winter spiced with fennel and black pepper. It has been the food of the gods, having been a part of the <i>Chhappan Bhog</i> at Puri during the evening prayers for centuries. Bengali, Maithili and Oriya malpua is traditionally made only with thickened milk and a little flour (sometimes rice flour instead of wheat flour). In Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh there are several variations, using some or all of the following ingredients: maida (refined flour), semolina, milk, and yogurt. The batter is left to stand for a few hours before being spooned into a tawa or a kadhai of hot oil to form a bubbling pancake, which should be crisp around the edges. The pancakes are then immersed in a thick sugar syrup and are a must-have on Holi. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> <i>Malpua</i> also known as <i>Marpa</i> in Nepal is specially made in the Kathmandu Valley, which uses maida, mashed up ripe bananas, fennel seeds, pepper corns, milk and sugar into a batter and prepared in a similar way as in India. So if you haven’t already been to Mohammad Ali Road, do go and dig in to get a first hand experience of food beyond borders.</span></span></div>
iswaryamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175122930981510589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5898942770006615311.post-84894028568686008692016-06-30T10:59:00.004+05:302016-06-30T10:59:47.871+05:30The Humble Banana<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Some aspects of our diet are sometimes just taken for granted. Take breakfast for example, the most important meal of the day that gets least attention. Similarly bananas are another aspect of our diet that's "there" and needs no speaking about in the age of strawberries and fruit exotica. Well for starters, banana is a berry and of the 107 countries that banana is grown in, India certainly is a prominent contributor to its consumption. Well let's keep this crisp and glorify this humble fruit with a five points covering why we recommend you fall in love with this fruit.<br />1 Bananas help overcome depression due to high levels of tryptophan, which is converted into serotonin -- the happy-mood brain neurotransmitter.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2 Bananas balance your blood composition and relieve anemia with the added iron .<br />3 High in potassium and low in salt, bananas are able to lower blood pressure and protect against heart attack and stroke.<br />4 Bananas are a superb detox as they are rich in pectin, thus helping aid digestion and gently remove toxins and heavy metals from the body.<br />5 Bananas are a natural antacid, providing relief from acid reflux and heartburn.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Steamed Banana and Walnut Loaf</b><br /><br />Ingredients<br />150 gms ground oats<br />150 gms almond flour<br />400 gms whole wheat flour<br />400 gms brown sugar<br />300 gms honey<br />12 golden bananas<br />180 gms walnuts<br />17 gms baking soda<br />17 gms baking powder<br />500 ml olive oil<br />Method</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1. Combine all the dry ingredients together along with the ripe mash banana, sugar and honey and let it mix with the paddle attachment. <br />2. Add olive oil to the mixture and mix it thoroughly. <br />3. Divide the batter into the prepared tins.<br />4. Bake them on a double boil at 175 C for 20 – 25 minutes. Serve warm with low fat whipped cream.<br /><br /><b>Raw Banana Croquettes</b><br /><br />Ingredients for raw banana croquettes<br />4 boiled raw banana<br />Salt to taste<br />2 tbsp grated cheese : 2 tbsp<br />1/2 lemon<br />1/2 tsp chopped garlic<br />1tsp garam masala powder<br />1/2 tsp cumin powder<br />1/2 tsp red chilli powder<br />1 tbsp chopped coriander<br />2-3 tbsp red kidney beans<br />All purpose flour to coat<br />1 1/2 tbsp oil to roast<br /><br />Ingredients for the salad<br />1 tomato<br />1/4 cup chopped onion<br />1 tbsp feta cheese<br />1 tbsp sour cream<br />1 tsp lemon juice<br />Salt to taste<br />Crushed black pepper as required<br />1 tbsp chopped coriander<br /><br />For garnish<br />Banana chips as required<br />Sour cream as required<br />1 pinch red chili powder<br />1 coriander leaf<br /><br />Method<br />1. Take the boiled raw banana and peel it and take it out in a bowl. <br />2. Now add salt, grated cheese, lemon juice chopped garlic, garam masala powder and cumin powder. <br />3. Also add red chili powder, chopped coriander and red kidney beans, in this mixture and prepare the tikki. <br />4. Heat oil in a pan and cook the tikki from both the sides. For the salad cut long wedges of the tomato and them. <br />5. Keep the salad on a plate and keep the tiiki on it. Decorate it with banana chips. Put the sour cream on a plate, sprinkle red chili powder and garnish with coriander leaves.</span></span></div>
iswaryamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175122930981510589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5898942770006615311.post-49627618149453973142016-06-22T12:24:00.003+05:302016-06-22T12:25:11.806+05:30Decoding Umami<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><i>Umami</i>, is a much-talked about taste these days. Thanks to the Japanese, we’d say, let’s wait and talk about Umami for a moment; <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">b</span>ecause while it was the last taste perception to be discovered, it actually plays a key role in a dish. Umami is present in some form in all foods. Umami is Japanese for ‘pleasant savoury taste’. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Described as a pleasant ‘brothy’ or ‘meaty’ taste that has a long-lasting effect of, causing the mouth to water and the tongue to feel coated in a pleasant manner. Umami balances taste and rounds out the overall flavour of a dish. Foods rich in umami have existed since ancient times. <i><b>Garum</b></i>, fermented fish sauces from ancient Rome, <i><b>Murri</b></i>, fermented barley sauces from medieval Byzantine, the fermented fish and soy sauces of South-East Asia, bonito flakes, kombu seaweed and shiitake mushrooms of Japan are all examples. Naturally occurring glutamates are found in many foods although food additive mono sodium glutamate (MSG) is best associated with umami. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Now, umami never features on our taste checklist in India, subconsciously it has always existed. We have been sending umami signals to our brain forever. Traditionally, Indian food gets its umami in two ways. The first is from ingredients such as green peas, raw jack fruit, gucchi or dried morels, sweet potatoes, walnuts, lotus root, poppy seeds, sesame oil, ginger and coriander seeds together are big sources of umami as well. The other source of umami in Indian food comes from two processes we use regularly, like fermentation (of Kanji, breads like hoppers and Goan sannas) The cuisines of the North East are full of umami rich foods). </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The process of ‘Bhunao’ is another one that triggers umami. The typical Indian process of caramelising our onions and garlic lends umami to our food. The North East is umami galore with brilliant fermented dishes coming out of the kitchens. While umami is definitely addictive and novel, it is not alien at all. It’s a taste that has always existed and is being defined now.</span></span></div>
iswaryamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175122930981510589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5898942770006615311.post-4738221564183026562016-06-07T10:42:00.000+05:302016-06-07T10:42:05.771+05:30Stay Cultured!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Revival of fermentation and how India is catching up</i></b>..... </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> World over, the phenomenon of fermentation and preserving food by bacterial action is both an ancient art and a hot new trend. Indian chefs are delving deep into the science of bacterial action on food and discovering the beauty of the concept.What we are also discovering is that inducing culture into food and then controlling it is not inherently built in our culture. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHQ4KKsjs4p2R6PDa-h5ctE45Mk9VXs_RaUub99Mep1xbnrRT7qnu07GonPRg-FpYP684PF707xtCLBuSjRY-E6TfPnp1XOzpY1DMOeCZ4kxsBXYHh9Wu8hggPJ3ONdo4VLjkZQ7YCa-3j/s1600/449568-food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHQ4KKsjs4p2R6PDa-h5ctE45Mk9VXs_RaUub99Mep1xbnrRT7qnu07GonPRg-FpYP684PF707xtCLBuSjRY-E6TfPnp1XOzpY1DMOeCZ4kxsBXYHh9Wu8hggPJ3ONdo4VLjkZQ7YCa-3j/s400/449568-food.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> <i> Fermentation</i> for leavening without addition of any culture is often used in the south for <i>idlis</i>, <i>dosas</i> and <i>vadas</i>, but fermentation has never been seen in our culture as a method of preservation, one definite reason being the hot and humid climate which makes it difficult to manage and control bacterial action. Even in the west, this whole cultured culture (before getting revived as probiotics) was pretty much a thing of the past, modern methods of food manufacture do not accommodate fermentation as fermentation was never a large scale thing and it is difficult to control, making it impossible for two batches to taste the same. So standardisation methods such as pickling with vinegar instead of salt were introduced.<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Canning and pasteurisation became the new science and hygiene became <i>prima facie</i>. Food became transportable and with amazingly long shelf life, but these modern versions of pickles, sauerkraut and such lacked the vitamins and enzymes that natural fermentation gives food , in a way modernisation undid thousands of years of tradition in a few decades. Sad as the story is, the happy part is that traditional fermentation is enjoying a revival across the world and India is catching up. Fermented black garlic is now a common sight in fine dine spaces in Mumbai. Probiotics have established themselves as a need and Indian cheese making industry is now dishing out some memorable cheese. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> <i>Dahi</i> our very own cultured probiotic is being recognised by the world along with other cultured products (with a cult following if I must say ) <i>Kefir</i>, <i>Ayran</i> and <i>Doogh</i>, our acceptance of more cultured products was definitely started by cheese and now the three cornerstones of fermentation (cheese, wine and bread) have become a combination of common gastronomic parlance. Most bacterial cultures and starter kits are now available online, do order them see the instructions (even if you don’t follow them ) and make your food alive in the literal sense. Stay Cultured<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">!</span></span></span><br />
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iswaryamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175122930981510589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5898942770006615311.post-30024494864159967962016-05-23T23:01:00.000+05:302016-05-24T13:16:10.290+05:30The Paan trail<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>In <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">m</span>y travels for food, Benares holds a very special place for its 24 hour "naashta" culture and for the reverence for Paan. The paan is a matter of great study and every aspect related to it is either a custom or a ceremony. I have to say after the cooks (Or In Benares even <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">b</span>efore the cooks) it's the '<i>Paanwalas</i>' that command the most respect and admiration. Like no two cooks can cook the same dish exactly the same way no two Panwaaris will make the exact same paan and people travel <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">m</span>iles for their <i>Panwaari</i>, believing that he has the "Taste" in his hands. Distinctive varieties of betel leaf now grow, <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">n</span>otably Bangla, <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">M</span>eetha, <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">S</span>anchi, <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">K</span>apoori, <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">D</span>evasri and Ambari.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> So lets look at the Paan through the lens of Indian History. The leaf of the Betel vine (Piper Betle) is usually chewed with the Areca nut (also mistaken to be the fruit of the same betel Vine and hence called Betel Nut sometimes). It's <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">r</span>ecognised in Sanskrit as being a south Indian Practice (then called Malaya). Its earliest North Indian references are in the Buddhist Jataka Tales. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> However the world History is <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">m</span>uch older, proving again that <i>Paan</i> and paan<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-</span>chewing, is a migrated influence from Vietnamese Subcontinent. An old Vietnamese book - "<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T</span>he <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">L</span>ife story of Tan and Lang", is dated 2000BC and mentions the Custom<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">;</span> proving the practice to be common and extremely ancient in South east Asia. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t</span>erm "Betel" for leaf is said to have been coined by the <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">P</span>ortugese and originates from the term "Vetthile" in Malayalam. However the astringent "Katha" usage in Paan, is believed to be of <i>Indigenous</i> origin mentioned by <i>Charaka</i> and <i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">S</span>ushruta</i> for its medicinal properties...</span></span><br />
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iswaryamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175122930981510589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5898942770006615311.post-26220765435029752522016-05-02T13:35:00.003+05:302016-05-02T13:35:41.186+05:30Unsung summer heroes...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Growing up in a joint family in a small town has its benefits. Learning the grandmothers' ways of dealing with the ecosystem is one of them, especially when it comes to the change of seasons. Today we talk about eating local and seasonal. Any <i>punjabi</i> kid who has grown up in a small town with his "biji" (grandma) will tell you that it was a concept drilled in his/her system by the elders of the house. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Another aspect of growing up in a punjabi small town family is the ability to have conversations, especially with street vendors and the uncle at the corner grocery store. Being the designated errand boy of the family you start enjoying these trips to the vendors and they become extended family courtesy the conversations. These usually revolve around their merchandise and the uses of it and most of the knowledge of produce that I have stems from these memories.<br /> Summer vacations used to be intense because the number of errands increased manifold and so did the conversations around summer produce. Mangoes are undoubtedly the mainstay of all summer conversation but then there are these unsung heroes that bring a lot to your summer table. Let's talk about three of these today. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Jackfruit</b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> -</span> <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I</span>f there's something a kitchen novice is scared of its jackfruit. Indeed a messy proposition to manage while cutting<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">,</span> Jackfruit is immensely beneficial in summers due to high water and minerals (especially calcium and potassium) content. </span></span><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Eating jackfruit during summer prevents skin damage and also betters our visi<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">on.<br /><b>Bel (wood apple)</b> - Another love or hate me kind of fruit that is usually used raw by us "small town" boys for repairing kites with the natural gum in it!! Bel is a boon for hot summers, it is a coolant and an amazing source of minerals. The ripe bel is the best cure for summer dysentery and heat strokes.<br /><b>Singhada (waterchestnut) </b>- Amazing served raw or roasted, water chestnut is any woman's summer delight. Proved to be extremely beneficial for skin and hair, they provide natural detox and are extremely beneficial in jaundice-like conditions and are a high source of much needed minerals.<br /> In an age where local and seasonal is the "in" concept in eating, let's go back to how our grandmothers dealt with the changing seasons and let's start conversations with vendors on the sources and benefits of what they sell. It's nature's intention to help us deal with the change of seasons and all we need to do is look around and use what's provided to us. This summer, make these unsung heroes a part of your lifestyle....<br /><b>Jackfruit Biryani</b></span></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ingredients :</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">400 gms long grain rice<br />50 gms baby jackfruit, skinned and cut into about 50 gms pieces with hard inner core removed<br />Mari nation for jackfruit<br />1 tsp ginger paste<br />1 tsp garlic paste<br />1 medium onion ground<br />8 to 10 green chilly paste<br />1 tsp cumin powder<br />½ tsp garam masala powder<br />1 tsp black pepper crushed<br />½ tsp red chili powder<br />¼ tsp turmeric<br />2 green cardamoms<br />6 cloves<br />3 medium onion, finely sliced<br />¾ cup yoghurt<br />½ tsp saffron, soaked in 1/3 cup warm milk<br />2 tbsp rose water<br />2 tbsp kewra water<br />2 inch sliced ginger<br />1 green chili, slit<br />1 tsp ghee<br /><br />Method<br />1. Cook rice till ¾ done and set aside.<br />2. Add all the ingredients to marinate the jackfruit and keep it for 15 minutes. Heat oil and deep fry the jackfruit lightly. Set aside.<br />3. Take around 4 tbsps oil from the same oil in which the jackfruit was fried and heat it. Add cardamom, cloves and fry for a few seconds. Now add sliced onions and fry till golden brown. Add yoghurt and stir constantly till it comes to a boil.<br />4. Add the fried jackfruit, mix and sprinkle a little water. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes till the jackfruit becomes tender.<br />5. Grease a large & heavy bottomed pan with ghee. Place the jackfruit mixture at the bottom and top up with rice. Sprinkle ginger, green chillies, saffron-milk, rose water and kewra water. Cover tightly with the lid and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes.<br />Serve hot.<br /> </span></span></span><br />
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iswaryamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175122930981510589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5898942770006615311.post-59052331510779222042016-04-28T01:39:00.000+05:302016-04-28T11:48:38.412+05:30Life Lessons from the learned… <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: black;"> There's this comfort cocoon , a shell that all of us (or lets just say me) love going back to, to feel good about ourselves, our achievements and our contribution to society. This greatness is measured on our own scale and parameters that are a result of our experiences, perceptions and transactions in this world . Needless to say its hence coloured with our world view . And then (for all of us without doubt ) there are these eureka moments , these wake up calls that drag us out of this comfort zone with a feeling that there is a way of seeing life and achievements beyond how we see them.</span><br />
I believe these eureka moments don’t show up to prove us wrong, there can be no wrong way of looking at life ,can it ? they show up to create a moment for us, the <b>moment of realization.</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A question that <span style="font-family: inherit;">I</span> come across often (& often i am the one posing that question to myself ) is about <b>finding happiness. </b>Am sure that's a common dialogue between us and the voice in our heads. finding happiness can be quite a task, keeping it once found, well that’s another story. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> There have been two moments in my recent past when both me and the voice in my head have agreed to just be quiet and let the moment of realisation seep in , both these have been interactions with children , children whose parents earn (or used to earn when they were alive) way below the national average income .</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTGzi2YtbK5_O371zrHKvC4C4i0P74hmzhl7l66aJBfdL6M_fHcC_fg1blqlvEWjS9fbwU7jW7rxBA5RF3rle_21Us5vZfaOjWATrgg1J26YHXBt1yZaYU7GSIAfqnEiN1vDkiadcIIsbi/s1600/CHEFRB3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><b>MOMENT 1 :</b> Every Diwali there's an influx of children who come with their families selling flowers and diyas .Their presence was unnoticed by me till three years ago when a dear friend, Ruchi Srivasta</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">va took the initiative of distributing food boxes to these kids who live on the sidewalk for the duration of this festive migration and help their parents earn.</span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Last Diwali I went out distributing</span> these food boxes with hotel management students and saw the two powers at work, the power of giving and the power of children. Like I had gone in the first year ,the students also went with an expectation of seeing scarcity and hunger , instead we saw happiness and gratitude. The only imperfection was in the way we were looking at them; for them, life was perfect. They were busy with life, studying or taking care of younger kin or tying together garlands for sale. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTGzi2YtbK5_O371zrHKvC4C4i0P74hmzhl7l66aJBfdL6M_fHcC_fg1blqlvEWjS9fbwU7jW7rxBA5RF3rle_21Us5vZfaOjWATrgg1J26YHXBt1yZaYU7GSIAfqnEiN1vDkiadcIIsbi/s1600/CHEFRB3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTGzi2YtbK5_O371zrHKvC4C4i0P74hmzhl7l66aJBfdL6M_fHcC_fg1blqlvEWjS9fbwU7jW7rxBA5RF3rle_21Us5vZfaOjWATrgg1J26YHXBt1yZaYU7GSIAfqnEiN1vDkiadcIIsbi/s320/CHEFRB3.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: black;">There was not one child who did not thank us for the food or who wasn’t curious why we were doing this. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">We in fact were doing this for ourselves and that what all the students eventually realised, while we started out to fill in for a need on the streets we eventually filled up our souls with gratitude; the happiness that the students got was really moving. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">My eureka moment that made me realise that our need to give is born out of our need to get<span style="font-weight: normal;">(actually borrow, a little bit of happiness from these children )</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsyx12ie3J4WkEcvlX4lHJeqvJdLM8jxK28k_yCQmWtVhM94lCXxrot1J07ZNnYAAGdMUyxLgSVyPIuZRvKFDaxpr4f2QcPRXJqSLmnCbHzwErLLv0Gufx5j83IIjA-SaggZ-NB3yYaC50/s1600/IMG_9196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsyx12ie3J4WkEcvlX4lHJeqvJdLM8jxK28k_yCQmWtVhM94lCXxrot1J07ZNnYAAGdMUyxLgSVyPIuZRvKFDaxpr4f2QcPRXJqSLmnCbHzwErLLv0Gufx5j83IIjA-SaggZ-NB3yYaC50/s320/IMG_9196.JPG" width="320" /></a></h4>
<span style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><b>MOMENT <span style="font-family: inherit;">2</span> :</b></span> I was at another friend, Rushina's cook Studio with young children from teach for India Foundation. It was supposed to be a quick visit to taste some egg dishes that they had made and it ended up being the most memorable 2 hours that will stay with me for this lifetime. these children (who were from extremely economically challenged families ) in Addition to happiness also showed another virtue , responsibility. Every dish tasted divine and the first guess for anybody would have been that these were seasoned hands at work. In a way they were because they were cooking ever since they were six<span style="font-weight: normal;"> or so due to challenging situations back home . This happy shock wasn’t enough to make my day , the best was yet to come.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJW7J-w1W8-215kzLvcH9OW_LONUx5OI2RMl1ts1Wj6XsBwlyJ8YCysuEs6pP8vG8ne56mcf-fw76jjoi0UzIhPpDFN5Ixh8SGzSAQdHuq-pqp_0l7FOY-fNo29GzEwg_v3xVR2Nw_Q3Ti/s1600/20160406_163117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJW7J-w1W8-215kzLvcH9OW_LONUx5OI2RMl1ts1Wj6XsBwlyJ8YCysuEs6pP8vG8ne56mcf-fw76jjoi0UzIhPpDFN5Ixh8SGzSAQdHuq-pqp_0l7FOY-fNo29GzEwg_v3xVR2Nw_Q3Ti/s320/20160406_163117.jpg" width="180" /></a>There was apparently a test with 12 questions to check on how they had fared in their food classes, which various chefs had taken n the last 8 weeks . To me the questions seemed largely unfair to be asked to a bunch of 10-12 year olds and the silence that ensued post question paper distribution confirmed it for me , i stayed back just out of curiosity with no expectations. To make it easier on the kids i didn’t check the papers and started a discussion hoping to make them feel better for not knowing . what happened next <b>moved me to tears </b>,suddenly everyone was excited to answer and everyone had the right answers . the reason for silence that i mistook for not knowing was for <b>responsibly relaying what they had learnt </b>and the quiet focus was on winning this challenge that had been posed<b> </b>. I had never heard a better explanation of how chocolate was made that i heard from a 9 year olds mouth . the process of fermentation was explained to me in a way that i had no more to ask . then i saw all answer sheets they had all questions answered in all papers . here i was trying to make them feel comfortable for not knowing where the only person to not know was me myself. lesson learnt - knowledge is not a function of resources available , its a function of commitment to learning which occurs in the human mind , <b>the space where theres no rich or poor - only purity , love and happiness .</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Life is about learning from the learned</b> and i feel both silly and wiser now having learnt from more learned children around me (All thanks to people who take a stand for me and to Ruchi and Rushina who catalysed this learning for me)</span></div>
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(AS MUCH ID LIKE TO THINK OTHERWISE , ENGLISH IS STILL A FUNNY LANGUAGE FOR ME ,EXCUSE MY IGNORANCE WITH SPELLINGS AND WORD USAGE)</div>
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RANVEER BRARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15893746069580206432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5898942770006615311.post-41100599462793700832016-04-19T16:04:00.000+05:302017-05-03T15:09:18.383+05:30The 'King' is back<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Spring time is the time of festivities and the start of the harvest. To a farmer it signifies abundance and food for the next year, hope and belief - in Mother earth and in the merit of hard work. To any Indian it signifies the arrival of the king – Alfonso. The mango that the world waits for<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Portuguese</span>, ever since they landed in Calicut have given us many things and got back many things in return starting late 1400s, whether it's the art of plantation or the science of Nautical Navigation<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">,</span> there's a lot that we have got<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">;</span> but the most significant gift has been the grafting of many a Brazilian Mango strains with ours (In fact the first people to use the word "manga" were the Portuguese). </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Any Keralite would swear by the Mulgoba and any Indian will have Haapus or Alphonso sunk deep in their mango memories. The most common story is that It is named after Afonso de Albuquerque, the Portuguese administrator of Goa and Malabar, and <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A</span>dmiral. In one of the famous journeys undertaken, the Brazilian graft found its way during A<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">f</span>onso <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">de </span>Albuquerque's voyage when he brought his famous namesake fruit to India. So, the Alphonso mango found home along the verdant shores of the Konkan in Maharashtra India. The locals took to calling it Aphoos in Konkani and in Maharashtra the pronunciation got further transformed to Hapoos. This variety was then taken to the Konkan region of Maharashtra and other parts of India. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Another folklore credits a Spanish Monk St. Alphonso Rodriguez. Since most varieties were named after grafters, the two things that are true are, one that it's a grafted variety and two that it's named after a Mr Alphonso - the person we thank every time there's spring and the smell of Haapus comes to live in our kitchens.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Mango Flavored Brown Rice Phirni</b></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZuekc97FcpN5gy5QnJfuwNmI4RNahZYLEbZgUvi2c8XNYOG_OH8I8RkXl_Yv4Xs04zfSzax64UqApPHSLDXNEtyOPaHdN1AhyXiPBHgAJZv4Q3RraUd4IMJeXz3wHE2cklRxvSiWjhYgC/s1600/img113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZuekc97FcpN5gy5QnJfuwNmI4RNahZYLEbZgUvi2c8XNYOG_OH8I8RkXl_Yv4Xs04zfSzax64UqApPHSLDXNEtyOPaHdN1AhyXiPBHgAJZv4Q3RraUd4IMJeXz3wHE2cklRxvSiWjhYgC/s400/img113.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients</b><br />1/2 cup soaked brown rice<br />4 cups milk<br />1/2 cup cream<br />6 tbsps sugar<br />1/2 cup alfonso mango puree<br />2 tbsps almond, peeled and sliced<br />Few strands of saffron<br />5 to six dry cranberries<br />Mint leaves for garnish<br /><b>Method</b> : <br />1. Soak the rice in water for an hour. Drain, wash and drain again. Pat dry on an absorbent kitchen towel and blend in a mixer. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2. Add ½ cup of cold milk and mix well to make a paste. Keep aside. Boil the rest of the milk and gently stir in the rice paste. Cook for about 15 minutes on a slow flame, while stirring continuously.<br />3. Add the sugar and simmer for a few minutes. Now add the mango puree and stir well.<br />4. Pour into<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> serving</span> containers and keep aside to cool. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Serve chilled garnished with almonds, saffron strands, mint leaves and dry cranberries.</span></span></div>
iswaryamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175122930981510589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5898942770006615311.post-954691100299174902016-03-18T15:14:00.001+05:302016-03-18T15:14:29.023+05:30Health and Diet<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>All around us we see a spurt of health food and health food concepts. <i>Physical Health</i> has always been an important part of our well-being. It's important to understand that food unfortunately bears the most brunt for our health issues and our lifestyle, of which our diet is only a small part. It's time that we spoke about well-being and its relationship to lifestyle as a whole, rather than blaming a diet while just looking at our physical health. Here's a couple of healthy recipes that can help you get there.</span></span><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anjeeer Kebab Samosa</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQkT7vYmhLkgLJv_6memVffmt4AYM0KAx2t6kHJd7O19_O1V2XIk65zG-NdYmmPSphdrAnTPS6_sncBAobXM8l5eatcaG4t1sLwjxI70QzHWO4xJPrqAXiEEGuiZZeYLppa-f6mi00YAO/s1600/AnjeerKebabSamosa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQkT7vYmhLkgLJv_6memVffmt4AYM0KAx2t6kHJd7O19_O1V2XIk65zG-NdYmmPSphdrAnTPS6_sncBAobXM8l5eatcaG4t1sLwjxI70QzHWO4xJPrqAXiEEGuiZZeYLppa-f6mi00YAO/s320/AnjeerKebabSamosa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients:</b><br />5 to 6 Anjeer (dried figs) (soaked, drained and chopped)<br />I cum yam, boiled and mashed<br />1/2 tsp green chilies, chopped<br />1/4 inch ginger, peeled and finely chopped<br />1/2 small onion, finely chopped<br />A few coriander leaves, chopped<br />1/2 tsp chaat masala powder<br />1 tbsp paneer, grated</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 tbsp hung curd<br />1 tbsp cashew nut paste<br />4 tbsp besan flour<br />1 tsp yellow chili powder<br />1/2 tsp gar<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">a</span>m masala</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 tbsp oil<br />Salt to taste<br />8 Samosa patti/ spring roll patti<br /><b>Method</b>:<br />1. Mix the curd, yam, cashew nut paste, besan, salt, yellow chili powder, garam masala and coriander leaves in a bowl. Add little water if required and mix to make a thick batter. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2. Mix the figs, green chillies, onions, ginger, chaat masala powder and salt. Take a portion of the yam mixture and stuff 1 to 2 tsp of the fig mixture in the middle. Shape into a round patty. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3. Heat oil in a nonstick pan and <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">g</span>ently slide the kebabs and fry until golden brown. Remove and transfer to a serving plate. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4. Stuff the kebabs in samosa patty/spring roll patty and fold into triangle shape. Seal the edges. Dust <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">a</span> baking tray and arrange the samosas. <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bake in a pre-heated</span> oven at 180 degree <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">C</span> until cooked from both the sides.</span></span><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><b><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Baked Oondhiyo</span></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha_3srF1ur8LUyGAIiEt63C_BLH5nLT6-utmCh3KsrRi01EfnyvTgtOeyoOj3gJFxfoPfTMk7CijmGQTYAXuKQ7xk-N_olaQUMRkAITshd1hf-6BAEvkKO25KRtgFhS2L2yIKj2o6ubflM/s1600/BakedOondhiyo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha_3srF1ur8LUyGAIiEt63C_BLH5nLT6-utmCh3KsrRi01EfnyvTgtOeyoOj3gJFxfoPfTMk7CijmGQTYAXuKQ7xk-N_olaQUMRkAITshd1hf-6BAEvkKO25KRtgFhS2L2yIKj2o6ubflM/s320/BakedOondhiyo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I</span>ngredients:</span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>For The Green Chutney</i><br />3/4 cup chopped coriander (dhania)<br />4 green chillies<br />1 tsp lemon juice<br /><i>For The Garlic Chutney</i><br />10 garlic cloves<br />2 tsp chilli powder<i><br />For The Sweet and Sour Sauce</i><br />3/4 cup jaggery (gur)<br />1/2 cup tamarind (imli)<br />1/2 tsp chilli<br />salt to taste<br /><i>Other Ingredients</i><br />750 gms surti papdi (fresh vaal)<br />500 gms purple yam (kand)<br />250 gms potatoes<br />250 gms sweet potato<br />2 to 3 brinjal<br />1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)<br />1 tsp ginger - green chilli paste<br />1/4 tsp baking soda<br />1 to 2 tbsp oil<br />lettuce leaves<br />salt to taste<br />Green chutney<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, </span>garlic chutney, sweet and sour sauce, sev and oil (optional) to serve<br /><b>Method<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">:</span></b><br />1. For the green chutney, <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">b</span>lend all the ingredients in a liquidiser. Keep aside.<br />2. For the garlic chutney, <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">b</span>lend all the ingredients in a liquidizer. Keep aside.<br />3. For the sweet and sour sauce, <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">b</span>lend all the ingredients except coriander in a liquidizer. If too thick, add enough water to get the right consistency. Keep aside.<br />4. String the papadi. Do not separate into two. Peel the kand and cut into big pieces.<br />Cut the potatoes and sweet potatoes without peeling. Make slits on the brinjals.<br />5. Mix all the vegetables. Apply the ajwain, chilli-ginger paste, soda bi-carb and salt. Mix thoroughly and apply the oil all over. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">6. In a small earthen pot (matka), put a few leaves of lettuce at the bottom. Fill with all the vegetables and cover with the <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">remaining</span> lettuce leaves. Cover the matka with an earthen lid and bake in a hot oven at 200 degree c (400 degree <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">F</span>) for 1 hour. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Alternatively, instead of cooking in a matka, wrap the vegetable mixture (without lettuce leaves) in aluminium foil and bake in a hot oven at 200 degree c (400 degree f) for 1 hour. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Serve with green and garlic chutneys and sweet and sour sauce, oil and sev.</span></span><br />
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iswaryamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175122930981510589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5898942770006615311.post-84945270389311350352016-02-22T23:03:00.004+05:302016-02-22T23:03:57.954+05:30The Chili history<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>One of the many stories that Indians refuse to believe is the one of the <i><b>chil<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">i</span> </b></i>and its origins. Its unfathomable as a layman to believe that Chilies are not Indian and are less than 300 years old<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">!</span> Well, true story and here it goes... India being their trading partner, the Europeans had used black pepper as a medicinal aid and to spice up their cooking since Greek and Roman times. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivO8jpbmhR9NCmSuzw7xiE69eSFuZ9bfX9zlzfRGFzZOMbmQVmLzhTLP_Aqxeyts6Qx4IiKnTjPU-BuoM8yzqCSs-rtNu6hxCEW2TLTWJ81F6v6uBb5tE76y5HuMkTJv4ijCVPeJsKJmTX/s1600/Raj2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivO8jpbmhR9NCmSuzw7xiE69eSFuZ9bfX9zlzfRGFzZOMbmQVmLzhTLP_Aqxeyts6Qx4IiKnTjPU-BuoM8yzqCSs-rtNu6hxCEW2TLTWJ81F6v6uBb5tE76y5HuMkTJv4ijCVPeJsKJmTX/s320/Raj2.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"> By the Middle Ages, black pepper had become a luxury item, sold by the corn and used to pay taxes. Traders looked for new ways to India and the lands beyond — not just for pepper but for other lucrative spices, and for silks and opium. Columbus did not find India and black pepper, but he found a fiery pod that would, within years, not only infuse <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">S</span>outhern European cooking with bold new flavors but also revolutionize cooking in India. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"> The remarkable spread of the chili is a glorious chapter in the story of globalization. Few other foods have been taken up by so many people in so many places so quickly. Chilies belong to the genus Capsicum, family that includes tomatoes, potatoes and eggplants. Only five of Capsicum's 25 species have been cultivated, and in South America, where most of the world's wild chilies are still found. The Europeans didn't immediately fall for the chili, they did become its greatest propagator. Portuguese traders carried it to settlements and nascent colonies in West Africa, in India and around East Asia. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"> <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span>Within 30 years of Columbus' first journey, at least three different types of chili plants were growing in the Portuguese enclave of Goa, on India's west coast. The chilies, which probably came from Brazil via Lisbon, quickly spread through the subcontinent, where they were used instead of black pepper. Yet its amazing how India took to Chilies and used them for all possible aspects, colour, texture flavor and spice. Today if there is one common thread other than cricket and Bollywood that binds the country together it's the "Mirch". The often taken for granted chilly is here and here to stay, a perfect example of globalization even before the word made it to the modern day lingo.<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">...</span></span></span></div>
iswaryamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175122930981510589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5898942770006615311.post-2066464554637201722016-02-16T16:03:00.001+05:302018-10-12T16:45:50.069+05:30Khichdi and other stories…<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"> When one thinks of <i><b>khichdi</b></i>, grains and millets invariably come to mind. India has always had an amazing array of grains<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">; t</span>hanks to the varied climatic conditions and soil types. The variety of millets available in the interiors of the country is enough data for a book. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"> The unfortunate part however is that millet<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> is</span> an unstated grain grown by people who cannot market and sale. <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T</span>he green revolution undoubtedly did a lot of good for the Indian farmer, however the millets lost their charm in this era. I remember eating a porridge made from <i>jhangoora</i>, a millet amazingly sweet and creamy, so much so that <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">a</span> drizzle of honey is enough. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqnXDCwt4_JkQyOuUpH-qP_so3qSXt5lHaeUmP53g768lwQvcFMIzMQ9Is9g9KtoSj5JZt6zHMbGbIkyQERcARJnz1nd3v8TMf6OgOlcobWDoUfjRRtfCNH76eHk9-z1zZWHIcOP2Gkh3G/s1600/CPlpxy_WEAAI00o.jpg+large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqnXDCwt4_JkQyOuUpH-qP_so3qSXt5lHaeUmP53g768lwQvcFMIzMQ9Is9g9KtoSj5JZt6zHMbGbIkyQERcARJnz1nd3v8TMf6OgOlcobWDoUfjRRtfCNH76eHk9-z1zZWHIcOP2Gkh3G/s320/CPlpxy_WEAAI00o.jpg+large.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"> Madhya Pradesh alone has more than 50 strains of millets and other strains of grains outside of rice and wheat. For me the foxtail millet stand out as the grain of MP. Collecting my thoughts back towards khichdi and the raj contribution towards Indian food, the British did a lot towards influencing Indian cuisine knowingly and unknowingly. The term curry word given by British as early as their arrival in Madras after having the local kari at fort George William. In fact the British <i>sahabs</i> and <i>memsahabs</i> who stayed in India were well-adapted to the romances of Indian cooking. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"> Grain, porridge was made all across India from the Vedic times. Khichdi was known as <i>kshirika</i> and was consumed across the country. There are mentions of Khichdi in the Mughal literature especially during Akbar's times. Hence the common misconception that this term comes from kedgeree is not true. In fact it is the other way around. The British sahab and memsahab culture had its effect on exchange of home food. Similarly, in a recent conversation with Pushpesh Pant, a friend and food historian, he established that the <i>ishtoo</i> of Delhi, Lucknow and Benaras is indeed a mildly spiced do pyaaza called by a name the British understood better. More so, the British can also be credited with the revival of Delhi khandani food of Delhi as most old families dug out and cooked recipes from their kitchen repertoire to please the Sahabs for grant and titles. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"> <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>Hence the British era saw a fair exchange of cooking styles and dish nomenclature. If we give khichdi to them we got the ishtoo back. Now let’s get some Indian millet back in our life to give the well marketed ‘imported super grains’ a run for their money.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5AJ0_lWlC2I7e3An_DdXZKeJvavg3Ka1kOKExr_nW2k19TovRVprv22oj2qa4bPydioNn6J0WHwEAD0kr2OUSdSMUnvfuQ7SriIn63p2iz-ZS3nB6_lpTQBhigPN-DGbkkzOwK4_am37e/s1600/BajraKhichdi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5AJ0_lWlC2I7e3An_DdXZKeJvavg3Ka1kOKExr_nW2k19TovRVprv22oj2qa4bPydioNn6J0WHwEAD0kr2OUSdSMUnvfuQ7SriIn63p2iz-ZS3nB6_lpTQBhigPN-DGbkkzOwK4_am37e/s320/BajraKhichdi.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><b>Bajra Khichdi</b><br /><br />Ingredients :<br />1/2 cup bajra , soaked or 8 hours and drained<br />1 tbsp ghee<br />1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)<br />1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)<br />A few sprigs of coriander leaves<br />2 tbsps green peas, cooked<br />2 tbsp carrot, small diced, cooked<br />1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing)<br />Salt to taste<br /><br />Method :<br />1. Combine the bajra, salt and 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker, mix well and pressure cook for for whistles. Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid. Keep aside. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">2. Heat the ghee in a deep pan and add the cumin seeds. When the seeds crackle, add the asafoetida, turmeric powder and sauté for a few seconds. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">3. Add the cooked bajra, boiled green peas, cooked carrots and salt mix well and cook on a medium flame for two to three minutes, while stirring occasionally. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve immediately.</span></span><br />
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iswaryamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175122930981510589noreply@blogger.com2