Tomato Chutney (South Indian style)

By: Bindu

Ingredients:
Onions - 2x large
Tomatoes - 3x large
Green chillies - 3
Ginger - 1" piece
Garlic - 8-9 cloves
Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp (according to taste)

Tarka
Sarson seeds
Urad daal
Curry leaves

Directions:
Saute onions, ginger, chillies, garlic (coarsely cut) in oil
Let onions turn pink in colour
Add curry leaves
Add tomatoes (coarsely cut)
Add salt and red chillies
Cover and cook until tomatoes are soft and cooked
Cool and grind to a thick paste
Add tarka and serve

Jal Jeera

By: Bindu

Ingredients:
Tamarind - 30 grams
Water - 3 cups (or 6x tamerind pulp)
Mint leaves - 1 tbsp crushed
Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Zeera (roasted and ground) - 1 tbsp
Ground spices - 1/4 tsp
Black salt - 1/2 tsp
Table salt - 1 tbsp
Fresh ginger - 1" piece
Green chilies - 1 (optional)
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Lemon juice of 1 lemon

Directions:
Soak tamerind for 3 hrs.  Rub and strain the pulp
Add all ingredients
Mix and leave it for 2 hours
Add lemon juice and strain
Serve chilled

Papa's Passion for Presentation

Today I was given the task to write few anecdotes about DEAR PAPA.  My  God where has it taken me!  Thank u didi to take me to that lane where I would like to stay forever n ever.  Papa always called me ‘FHUHAD’. He was very particular about little details as far presentation was concerned.  He would peel the oranges or apples or for that matter any fruit or vegetable with such precision that it would be a visual delight for one and all. Every cucumber slice, tomato or muli portion while preparing a simple salad would be of equal size n shape and so beautifully set on a steel thali that it would look like a centerpiece on the dining table.  While putting achaar or chutney  in a bottle or a serving dish he would thereafter wipe every extra molecule (if I may say so).  Every piece of the pickle would seem ready to be picked up individually.  Such was his love and sincerity for which papa was ready to wake the whole night and if it was for someone special (me, Sakshi, Buaji, Tauji , Prashant... my list could go on forever).  His major pahachan was his presence in the room which would not go unnoticed by  anybody in that room.  He was one of the most loving  hosts in the family. Love, Bindu

Inspiration

The whole idea for this blog started a little more than 10 years after Ruchi joined our family. She loved all the dishes that I happened to cook whenever I was around. She wanted to know how she could learn so she could cook for Tarun. It wasn't feasible to explain everything as she was very hard pressed for time... as most residents are. So I happened to mention this to Alpana and Arvind. Alpana really found a quick solution suggesting Arvind to make a web page for me to put all the favorite dishes on the computer so whenever anyone wanted to look at the recipe it was only a click away. Arvind immediately created a program that allowed me to start putting my recipes on my computer. This was my first exposure to the new technology.

But, through all these years the site had been very dormant until Poonam found out about it recently. She really got excited about the concept, and with Arvind's help working all the odd hours over Skype, she gave it a whole new ornamented look with her fresh ideas. Also by adding a section on family bonding and pictures, we will all get a chance to share and bond with everyone more and more for years to come.

Hope everyone will participate and add their recipes, pictures, and stories so that we will have something to look forward and participate as one family everyday.

-Kusum

Sample Salad