Monday 23 November 2009

Stir Fried Vegetables



"Trim?" The lady smiles and asks.
"Cut." I smile and answer.
And know exactly what is coming.
She tries to hide the smirk on her face. Tries to keep a straight face and asks "Around half or one inch?".
I smile again and indicate somewhere on my upper arm. And wait, knowing what will come next.

But this lady is patient. Maybe she guesses I don't know even how much an inch is after all.
So she holds the ends of my tresses between her fingers to around an inch and holds them up in front of my nose.
"This much?" I can get that tone in her voice.
"No." I smile back. "This much". I point to my upper arm ... again.

And did not have to wait for long. She gasped. " This much?!!!".
I nod ... still smiling.
She looks horrified. "But how can you cut such long hair?! Girls would happily die to have such long hair!".
I did not have the inclination to tell her that beautiful tresses won't be of much use if you are already dead.

So I hold my tongue. And assure her they grow back very fast. She had nothing to worry ... I'll be back to meet her in three months again.
She still looked unsure. And I prayed.

I prayed that someday this ordeal will come to an end. Both for me and for those nice souls who feel so guilty everytime they have to chop off my long hair.

But that is the story. I have tried visiting different places where I might find people who would happily chop of my hair without feeling scandalised or as if I am asking them to cut my head instead of my hair.



I have even tried to befriend the Chinese lady D in our society ... invited her and her dog over to tea ... ok ... I invited her and she got the dog.

Hasn't helped. Only made her more caring after that.

And I so miss our childhood no nonsense barber who used to come over to our house. After Dadu ( grandad ) and all my uncles would get their job done, it was the turn of a long line of squirming, giggling and jostling grandchildren ... most of them girls.

Moina, the barber, would bring out his special big sized scissors that he kept for us, babu ghoro chua ( children of the big house ). He couldn't tackle the straight & adamant thick tresses of us kids otherwise. After snipping the scissors menacingly in the air a couple of times, he would reach out to grab one child after the other by the scruff and snip off in no time.

Which made me ask the other half sometime back " Will you take me to your barber the next time you go for a haircut?".
And have recently noticed that he has been getting his haircut on his way back from the office. Sigh! :-(



My recipe today is a simple stir fry of vegetables. I do not like to eat cold salads for a few reasons. The first being I do not like to eat anything cold. Food has to be piping hot for me when served.

Secondly, I do not like boiled vegetables ... so steaming or boiling and then munching on flavourless stuff is not for me.

And to make them tasty I have go overboard and dunk in bottled dressings that is best not eaten regularly.

So I stir fry. Just throw in the veggies of my choice in a little oil and toss them around. And use whatever flavour of seasoning fancies me. And love to much on the steaming hot yet crunchy veggies. :-)

This stir fry has no special seasoning except freshly ground black pepper. And instead of lemon juice or vinegar, I have thrown in some fresh tomatoes ... they gave whatever little tang was needed.

So dear Rush, here's your stir fry. :-)



Need : Vegetables of your choice cut into smallish cubes .... just make sure they are of the same size for uniform cooking,
finely chopped garlic, onion cut into big cubes ( check out the snaps for the exact sizes ),
freshly ground black pepper,
a little cooking oil ( olive or vegetable oil ) , salt and sugar to taste.

You can use butter if you want to ... it makes the dish wonderfully flavourful.

How to : Heat a little oil in a non stick or heavy bottomed pan. On low heat add the garlic. Wait for a while ... do not fry for long.

Increase heat and add the onions and the rest of the vegetables. Keep tossing and stirring on high heat.

Add salt and sugar and keep tossing ... they will cook in their own juices.

If you want to you can cover it for a while .... just make sure you lower the heat .... and the veggies don't turn soggy or burn.

Sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.



This makes a great meal as is. Or you can combine it with some bread and soup too.

I served it with some fried chicken meatballs on the side ( I made them for the next recipe coming up ).

Enjoy all !! :-)


Other Stir Fries

Stir Fried Macaroni with Roasted Vegetables & Chicken

Stir Fried Chicken with Vegetables


36 comments:

  1. Sharmila,
    The recipe looks so wholesome. :)
    You know what we used to call the roadside barbers, who used to make their customers sit on that brick (eet) eetalian salon, hee heee.

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  2. I used to make similar veggie stir fry in micro, one of my fav diet food :-)

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  3. lovely pictures of a great stirfry...i don't need anything with it.
    and you hair...EVCO ( which you make so painstakingly) nourished hair...why do you cut them, why not trim...yes here is another scandalized lady..:)
    lols on the huge scissors of that childhood barber...:)

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  4. this is a useful and sinful recipe to keep in mind now that we let vegetarians in the house :)

    As a man with thinning hair the first part of your post was like watching a Bollywood dream sequence

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  5. Sharmila..first I thought you're exchanging recipe with some lady, never thought that you're on your hair cut..another lovely read, amio ei stir fry ta banai..with some dal and ruti...for dinner. Yumm and healthy...and the pic is asadharon.

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  6. Sharmila I am another scandalized lady in the row. why do you chop off the hair? does it grow very fast? I used to have long thick tresses but after the baby the volume has reduced to 1/3... am envying you right now.
    the stir fry is good. I love to mix thin stripes of paneer in it. lovely colourful dish and love the new black layout too.

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  7. Lol Sudeshna! :-)

    Thanks Parita! :-)

    Try it Kalyan ... since it is so quick to make ( your sous chef's chopping included ) it is great for get togethers too. :-)

    Thanks Indrani! :-)

    Sangeeta & Sayantani ... since I do not get a cut regularly, I need to chop them off once in a while. Or else live on stilts. ;-)

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  8. Sharmila,
    I couldn't stop smiling reading the first half :)....trim korbe hair khob sukher jinish..after my daughter was born I lost way too many of them ..save it for future :)....
    and look at those so colourful veggies ..who would say no to it,hain?.
    hugs and smiles

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  9. Dear Sharmila
    Great narration of those memorable days and reminds me of those days when we used to line up in front of the Barika for our turn.

    It is long time since I made a simple stir fried Indian style vege, particularly the Orissa type " Saga KharaDa, seemba & baigana kharada etc

    Have a good week

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  10. LOL...sharmila, at the start and a couple of lines I thought u were narrating the conversation btn u and ur house help ;) lol neways enjoyed the read as always :) aiyo u have such lovely long cascading hair pls. dont cut it.. I really admire ur profile snap..damn good, I really can understand how the parlour females feel at the thought of cutting it :)
    neways I love stir fried veggies though its occassional at home( read only when alarmed ;)) ur pics make me want some now...

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  11. Stir fry looks delicious and perfect...

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  12. Thanks Jaya! Sukher jinish ... lol. :-)

    Thanks Mr.Ghosh! Lol ... now I realise I too have been standing in a line in front of a barika!!!
    Am not sure I know what kharada is ... why don't you make a post on it? :-)

    Lol Suparna! I too turn to veggies only when 'alarmed'. :-)

    Thanks Tina! :-)

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  13. Sharmila, knowing your house help (of course through these pages) I thought you were having a conversation with her about the right size of veggies for a stir fry.

    I know what you mean, the barbers are the best, I take the kiddies to DH's barber, they do a good job and cost less too, the kids are none the wiser.

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  14. Une cuisine pleine de couleurs et de saveurs. Je reviendrai. A bientôt.

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  15. Sharmila, those are really colorful, dear. Hmm very healthy way to eat vegetables...a must try recipe:) As usual awesome clicks:)

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  16. Dear Sharmila
    let me make a khraDa, after consulting some friends or My Bhauja . I really never made it..but remember it is fast fried vegetables ( selective ones)

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  17. I love stir fries!! And I am eyeing those meat balls!! They look tempting!!!

    And I too am shell shocked...oto shundor chul gulo ke kete phelo....!!! Ar ei ami, almost taak matha ke fuliye fapie rakhar jonno chul kaati!! What an irony!! ;))))

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  18. Hee hee, edike chul uthe jache ar tumi amar meyer moton korcho. or khub chul lamba korar iccha ar or baba khyapanor janya bolbe "nyara kore debo". Tai o kichutei D er sathe hair cut korte jete chaibe na.

    Achcha Pune te Locks for Love er kono salon ache ki ? Okhane tumi chul donate korte paro for a good cause

    Stir fry shundor lagche dekhte

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  19. Loved the way you wrote this post. Having a knee high hair was my childhood dream and still remains a dream you take care dear.

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  20. Loved the colorful and inviting stir fry...

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  21. Sharmila, ami jodi shamne thaktam tumi jokhon chul katchile ami bhnyaaa kore knede ditam ;-) Prarthana's (DD1) hair is almost till her waist, she has been growing it for the past 3 years. I never could have long hair, as I just don't have that material :-) amar ichey puro kori through her.

    Love stir fry, love roast, love any kind of vegetable.

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  22. Ah, Sharmila i would do anything if my grew like that. Years together and maybe it grows an inch and that too with all split ends. Oh well...everybody has some story about hairs I guess.

    Liked the simple and easy veggies stir fry.

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  23. I sure wish I could go to some barber ISG ... they are the best. :-)

    Thanks Malar! :-)

    Merci Saveurs! :-)

    Looking forward to it Mr.Ghosh. :-)

    Thanks Usha! :-)

    Thanks A2Z! Btw I have never had knee length hair ... never let it go all that way. :-)

    Taak matha ... lol Sharmistha! Those meatballs are a life saver. :-)


    Na Sandeepa ... ekhane nei. And my sympathies with your kiddo ... nyara howa is quite scary. :-)


    I'll post the recipe for them soon Rush ... you can use them in anything you want to. Try this out soon and lemme know. :-)


    Soma .. I really wish my hair took thaaat long to grow. :-(


    Thanks Priyanka! :-)

    Yeah RC ... I guess the grass is always greener on the other side ... I'd do anything to make my tresses grow slowly. :-)
    I really hate those trips for a haircut.

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  24. Ha ha! I can imagine that one. I had a similar problem two times when my hair was knee length and I wanted it chopped off to shoulder level! I was determined and got it done:). She said it would make a great bun!

    I too make such stir fries. They are quick and easy and tasty. What is that thing near the stir fry? Looks tastier and more appealing!

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  25. Lol Sunnymommy! That thing near the stir fry is definitely tastier ... but you won't like it. It is chicken meatballs. :-)

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  26. u shud be lucky to have thick long hair :)ok now let me go check out the food :D

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  27. besh lagchhe stirfry...simple, healthy and tasteful! chicken meatballs kobe aashchhe?

    chuler kotha barta naa korlei bhalo...jaader chul uthe jaachhe tader shamne toh aaroi naa!! Lucky u...

    aamar blog obdhii jodi hente aashte hoy tahole bolo tomar shongi lagbe kina, aami hantte khoob bhalobashii..!! :-)

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  28. Lovely stir fry.
    Isn't there a place where u can donate your lovely locks? There's an organization here that accepts hair and makes it into wigs for kids with cancer. It's called locksoflove.

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  29. Thanks Nags! Hope you likr the food too. :-)


    Chicken meatballs asche khub shiggiri Joyee ... je recipe ta post korbo tar jonne aro kichu snaps chai ... ar tar mane ota abar ekbar banate hobe. Ektu o shomoye pacchi na. :-)


    Thanks Bharti! No we don't have locksoflove here ... and I have never enquired about donation ... but I do know most hairdressing parlours use up or sell good tresses ... so maybe mine are not going waste after all. :-)

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  30. darun post. wish I had long thick hair like you.
    and nice pics too

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  31. Lovely!I also prefer stir fry to plain boiled.
    And shorter hair is certainly easier to maintain :D

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  32. Thanks Mandira! :-)

    Thanks Yasmeen! :-)

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  33. Colorful dish,Looks really good.Do visit my blog when u find time

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  34. Your stir fry looks inviting. Love your narration and like the way you play with your words.

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