Soupy noodles with vegetables and Chilli oil

The last few days have been very cloudy.
Not the huge, 'raring to go' kind of cumulus; but the quiet , grey ones. Slowly spreading across the sky, overcasting the city with quiet deliberation. The air has turned colder ... well it was cool all these days, but now it is positively colder.
The ghee in the kitchen has solidified.
And we have taken out the light Jaipuri covers to snuggle under.
So that is a sign.

I decided to make noodles  for lunch a few days back but B wanted something hot and soupy to sip on.
So I made this noodles soup that my youngest maasi used to make and I have grown up eating.

How to : 

Boil the noodles till they are half done.
Drain them and keep aside. 

Stir fry chopped garlic, ginger, carrots, green chilli and add some water.
You may use vegetable or chicken stock too. 

Bring to a boil.

Add salt and a little vinegar.
I added lots of crushed black pepper too .... you can add according to your liking. 

Add in the boiled noodles and a little of the water the noodles were boiled in. 

Serve topped with chilli garlic oil. 

For the Garlic chilli oil, I fried lots of chopped garlic in hot oil. 
Added chilli flakes at the end and removed from heat. 
Done! 

It makes for a great topping on any plain dish. 

 You can add pieces of chicken too , while stir frying the vegetables. 
Or drop in beaten eggs when it is boiling and make it an egg drop soup. 

Whatever way, it makes for a great hot meal. 
Perfect for any cold weather ..... damp oor otherwise. 

Enjoy!! 

Chicken clear soup with vegetables .... perfect for a damp and dreary weather

 

This chicken soup is my saviour every time I am down with the flu or a strep throat.

There is not a single time when I did not find ease and or recover almost instantly after eating it.
And yet, to my surprise, I have never blogged about it.
Since the weather is playing havoc with everybody's health right now, and since I have been ill and weak for quite sometime now, all I am having is this light chicken soup these days.
Initially it was viral fever but then when I got a throat infection, on the first non vegetarian day, B got me some chicken and I put the pot on to boil.

I usually make it without vegetables and sip on it, hot, a number of times in a day, with a good dose of freshly ground black pepper and some butter.
And it works like magic.
This time, however, I have continued to have it for a longish time, so added some vegetables too.
Actually, since my taste buds have gone on vacation, I do not feel like eating anything at all right now. So while I do get up and cook for B, I do not feel like eating any part of the meals.
All I wanted to was to sip on the hot soup. Hence decided to add some vegetables to bring up the nutrition factor.

The monsoons had started bang on the first week of June in Pune this year.

And it has been raining ever since.
Barring a few days of dry spells and even fewer days of sunshine, we have not seen the sun nor a dry day ever since. While Pune does not usually see heavy downpours, this silent, light rain has been at work non stop foralmost  three months now.
And the cold weather ... how I dislike this damp, cold weather.
We have been snuggling under blankets and bringing out the jackets and the woolens as we watch the grey, sad outside with dismay.

The first few weeks of the monsoons are fun. And romantic. And adventurous.
And then the reality seeps in.
Sniffles start and then grow into full fledged flu.
Every other person is sneezing or coughing ... which makes going to public places and malls scary.
We celebrate the first few weeks with spicy, deep fried food and all sorts of junk food .... blaming it on the lovely weather.
And then give up ... after all there is a limit to the amount of pakoras or samosas you can eat.
I do have my stock of ilish / hilsa to fall back on but have been able to eat only two pieces from that 
one kilo of fish yet.

Right now, it is this chicken soup that is nurturing me and my soul.
Light, full of goodness, soothing and warming.
Like I mentioned before, I usually make it without vegetables.
Just lots of sliced onions, ginger and garlic with either tomatoes or lemon juice.
Of course there would be the black pepper and other whole garam masalas.
And butter or ghee .... you need them when your body needs strength and nourishment.
I recommend the country chicken since they are free of antibiotics and hormones; and hence good for health.

Need :

Chicken - on the bone
Onions - sliced
Garlic - sliced
Ginger - grated
Bay leaves
Whole black pepper
Ground black pepper
Vinegar or Lemon juice
Black cardamom
Cloves
Butter - both for the soup and to add when serving
Vegetables - I used carrots, fresh green peas, fresh corn, raw papaya, potato and cabbage
Water
Salt
Sugar

How to :

Marinate the washed chicken pieces with some vinegar or lemon juice for half an hour.

Put everything into a pressure cooker with salt and sugar to taste.

Add enough water and cook for 4 or 5 whistles on low heat.

Serve hot with butter and freshly ground pepper on top.

This soup is a great decongestant too.
And will clear as well as soothe your troubled throat too.

If possible, do pot boil it.
But if you are short of time, you may use the pressure cooker or your instapot.
I over cook the chicken in this soup ... the meat becomes so soft that it comes off the bone very easily ... making it easier to mix with the soup .... you don't have to take it out to shred and mix in again.
Quick and flavourful.
Use vegetables that will be filling and you can have a no carb meal too.
But since I was on medication and needed carbs too, I used to have it with either toasted bread or some porridge like overcooked, rice.
I took a good amount of the soft lumpy rice, add the soup with the vegetables and shredded meat and doused it with my favourite green chilli sauce and some soy sauce.
Chopped in some green chillies and added a dash of vinegar and voila! .... a bowlful to pep up the taste buds was ready.

Here is a shot of my bowl.

 

Enjoy, take care and stay well.

With so many sad stories coming in from Kerala, my thoughts and prayers go out to the hapless people stuck in the floods and fury of nature.

Chicken stew with vegetables

Hi all!
I am back, bang on the very first, as promised. While the past month flew by in a whoosh, with huge loads of mixed emotions and situations thrown in, I had my moments when I missed Kichu Khonn, writing, interacting with you all and most importantly, cooking.
But right now I am back in my kitchen, in Pune, and the weather that I love so much.

Outside, the rain clouds are slowly bidding adieu. Slowly but surely they are flying by .... sometimes giving glimpses of that blue sky that we have not seen in the past couple of months.
A few linger back .... trying to hide the sun for a while, giving the impression of raining down any moment. But then they too pass by. I am waiting for the bright sunshine that we soon shall get for the rest of the year ..... until it is time for the monsoons again.

Inside, the house is full of people. The family is here for another sad occassion. But right now both I and B are trying to keep them as much occupied and happy as possible.
I am cooking regularly and taking in their feed back happily. Jethumoni, Jethima, Kakima and both my Kakus had never got a chance to see me cook before. So every meal that I make results in a lot of conversations on the table.
I watch them banter and miss Bapi ... who would happily munch on a burnt roti made by me with a serene face .... all over again.

View from my balcony

They are fascinated by Pune's monsoon too. All the sneezing and coughing does not deter them from sitting in my balcony swing or just stand there and watch the clouds pass by.
Now that it is not raining any more, every time there is a round of tea, almost all of them pull up chairs and sit in the balcony.
Jethumoni and both my kakus squabble with each other about their turn on the swing.
I watch them with affection .... it is like, in their age, they have turned children once again. Two losses back to back .... completing one year of both ... has taken its toll on them too.
I wish I could hold them here forever. Let them go to sleep at night without a worry on their brows for the next day.

Right now I have snatched a few moments to make this post. I can see the natives getting restless and want to open the door to the balcony. But I have said no going out in the cold and damp morning breeze before 9:00. Jethima is making tea in the kitchen .... so there will be no holding them back from stepping out soon. I need to complete this post before I join them there.

This chicken stew that Ma used to make at home used to be one of my favourites in winter.
But since Pune's monsoon allows us to have hot soups and stews regularly, I make this often for lunch and eat the leftover for dinner too. 

I used to call this the 'shaada shaada stew' because of its white colour. But don't go by that bland or delicate colour .... this stew packs a punch of flavours. A great way to get some vegetables into you too.
It is very warm and comforting and extremely light on the tummy.

I keep my chicken pieces whole in this. If you want to, you can shred them too.

Need :

Chicken pieces - 250 gms
Vegetables - I used carrots, sweet corn, potato,  cabbage, etc. , chopped
Onion - 1, sliced thinly
Garlic - 4 fat cloves, sliced thinly
Ginger - small sized, sliced thinly
Butter - 1 cube
Black cardamom - 1
Whole black pepper - 6 to 8
Milk - half cup
Maida - 2 tbsp
Salt and sugar to taste
Water - around 2 cups or a little more

How to :

Warm the butter in a pressure cooker on low heat.
Do not burn.

Add the peppercorns + cardamom + onions + garlic.
Fry till translucent.

Add the ginger slices and the chicken.
Stir for a good while but on low heat.

Add the vegetables and fry till the raw smell goes away.

Now add water and raise heat.

Add salt and sugar.

Close lid and cook for 3 whistles on low heat.
(The cooking time will depend on the quality of your chicken. Give an extra whistle than usual for the chicken to be real soft. )

Cool and let the steam release on its own.
Remove cover and set on simmer.
Do a taste test and adjust seasoning accordingly.

Mix the maida in the milk .... make sure there are no lumps.
Add it to the simmering stew and cover.
Let it simmer for 5 more minutes.

Serve hot with a dollop of butter and fresh black pepper powder sprinkled on it.
Butter is good for health ... so go ahead and indulge.
I sometimes add some dry crushed Italian herbs and some chilli flakes too.

Great with bread or rotis on the side.
I love to eat it as is.
A bowlful of this piping hot goodness is all you need to drive the cold outside as well as the melancholy inside far, far away.

Enjoy!!

Ps: Updating the post with a photograph of the vegetarian version of this stew that I made for B, after a talk on my page on fb.
The flavours are exactly the same and there is no difference in the recipe except the chicken.

Tomato and Carrot Soup

A couple of weeks back, both B and I were down with the sniffles, a bad throat and fever.
While the whole world was blaming global warming, in between long hyaaccchoooos and much coughing, I ignored all that and dragged myself to the kitchen.
I did have a couple of ready made soup packets on the kitchen shelf.
But these days I get these little bursts of impulsive cooking. And so went ahead and made a good amount of soup.
It lasted us three days ... evenings, to be precise.

I do not feel like writing much today.
Hence, straight to the recipe.

Need :

Ripe tomatoes - 2 big sized
Baby carrots - 5
Garlic - 6 cloves
Ginger - sliced, around 1 tsp
Onion - 1 medium sized, sliced
Whole black peppercorns - 5
Salt - to taste
Sugar - to taste
Water - to cook in

How to :


Cook everything together in a pressure cooker for 5 whistles on low heat.

Cool and blend.

Strain into a pan and adjust seasoning.

Boil for 5 minutes or more if you desire it to be thick .... but be careful as the taste will change.
So adjust salt accordingly.

I did not add any thickening agent like cornflour or maida.
Just boiled it till a little extra liquid has evaporated.

Serve hot with black pepper powder and croutons.

You can add a lump of butter, if you wish to.

This has no oil or extra fat ... yet is very flavourful.

Making this soup did not take much time.
Considering I had fever and could hardly keep my head up, it took all of 20 minutes, I guess.
Make it in bulk and you are done for around three or four days at least.
I made some Spinach soup the next day and alternated the two for the next few days.


When evening sets in and the shadows turn long near the window, we sit down with a cupful each.
Paired with some bread croutons and a dash of freshly ground black pepper, this soup gives the perfect warmth to a painful throat as lovingly as it soothes a battered heart.

Will be seeing you around, friends.

Here are some more soups and stews for you to try this winter 

Oven baked Bread Croutons .... and the stars don't shine down anymore

"Don't sweat the small stuff.
... and it is all small stuff."

I had picked up this book when B had forcefully taken me to Crossword one weekend, a few weeks after we had returned from my home.
I had given up talking to anyone, not even on the phone, going out, eating, sleeping.
Walked around or just sat for long hours in a daze.
It was difficult on B too. He was with me throughout the ordeal that had stretched into several months.
It was  one of his endeavours to bring me out of my shell and reintroduce to normal days again.
So, inspite of being surprised, he had kept quiet when I had wandered to the self help section of the book store and picked this book up.

Never, in my life, had I imagined that I would need to read self help books.
I am the one people came to when they needed something to share ... more of grievances than happiness.
I am the one who used to leave one shoulder free for my friends, even strangers, to cry on.
Now I needed self help books, assurances from anyone or anything, that this was all a nightmare and I will wake up again to my old, comforting world.

The family was there ... the whole, huge one,  complete with near, far and extended relatives.
Friends were there ... both from the real as well as the virtual world.
But I did not want anybody.
I did not want to hear anything; from anybody.
I needed assurance. But I kept pushing everyone away.
Those who genuinely cared stuck around. Never left me for a moment.
Subtly, but surely, they were around ... without intruding. Gave me my space.
Yet kept sending messages, mails.
I am grateful for them.

Progna, who is more of  a soul sister and a tremendous positive personality herself, warned me, along with other warm words .... "It's okay to be sad. Just don't let your sadness push away ppl who care."

That line struck sense into me. 
I took her advice seriously and slowly started to take interest in moments again.
It is not easy.
But I have started taking small steps ... watching the rice boil, feel the water running through my fingers under the tap, listen to B speaking and listening to it too, open the door to the bell and talk to whoever it was ....
I have called three people so far ... on my own. And spoke to them for a while too.
Earlier, all I did was hold the phone and keep staring at Bapi's number, afraid of calling and not getting to hear his voice.
I could not bear to hear someone else's voice on his number.

I am trying hard to come out of my daze. 
To look, hear,feel and search for my old world again.

Aparna, who I idolise,  wrote  .... "Time heals Sharmila. Just doing the normal regular things helps. Start writing again. Even if they are fb posts."

Preeti, the sweetest person ever, has been in constant touch with me through messages on fb.
Encouraging me to chat, to rant.

And then there are others, all gems of people with loving hearts, who have come over and written on my posts and have sent messages on fb, noticed my absence and wrote on my timeline that they have missed me, been with me always.
I am trying to write again.  
And just writing this post has already helped me. I feel I am talking to you, my friends, who have always been there for me.

I have started to cook again.
Slowly, surely, cooking and all the paraphernalia that comes with it, seeped into me.
Deciding on what vegetable to buy, the menu, when to cook what.
My mind is coming back from numbness.

Of course, there are break downs still.
There are times when I just leave everything and go back into the darkness.
Evenings are difficult.
Every evening I look up to the sky, searching among the stars that smiling face of love.
All I see, through my tears, is a blurred sky. The stars do not shine any more.

But I am trying.
I, honestly, am.

Today, I will not leave without a recipe ... that is what my blog is all about after all.
I had made some croutons a few days ago, when both B and I were down with the sniffles and fever, to go with some tomato soup.
Baked them with a dash of olive oil and some dry herbs.

They are  very crisp, crunchy, full of your favourite flavours and absolutely guilt free.
Ma used to deep fry them ... but these turned out great.

I make these often and store them ... they make great snacks with a cup of tea or coffee too.
This time I wanted to click some photos, and so here goes the recipe.
Not much actually, but is a great help when it comes to munching on something and not having to worry about what you are snacking on.

Need :

Bread slices, preferably those that have been sitting in the fridge for a few days
Olive oil
Mixed Italian herbs
Freshly crushed black pepper corns
Garlic cloves (optional)

How to :

Cut the bread slices into small cubes.

Mix the herbs and the black pepper into the oil.
You can use butter too.
Toss the bread cubes in the mixture.

Spread them on a baking tray and set them in the oven at 100 degrees C for 10 minutes
and then 150 till they turn golden brown.
I threw in some garlic cloves that turned beautifully crisp and brown too.

Remove and cool.
Store in an airtight bottle.

Serve with your favourite soup.
Or just munch on as a snack.

I had made a light, oil free, fuss free, tangy Tomato and Carrot soup.
Both were perfect together.

Hope to see you all around soon. 

Hot & Sour Vegetable Soup for 'Of Chalks and Chopsticks'

 The morning was unusually bright and clear. Outside, there blew a light breeze. And the sun shone in all its brilliance.

"How deceptive", thought Sunanda, as she sat watching the chilly morning from inside her cozy living room. "Just like the calm in this house."

This calm was an interlude, she knew. The furious argument that she and Vikram had earlier that morning, had ended with the door slamming and Vikram leaving the house in a rage.

"How unnecessary!" Sunanda thought again. "There was really no reason for this unpleasantness."

With a heavy heart, she leant back into the soft cushions, still staring outside. Married for just a few months, a sudden move to a new place, far away from friends and family, she has been trying her best to set up a good home. To know the man she was married to, his likes, his dislikes.

Vikram was a good man, she thought. Vibrant, sensitive, humorous, easygoing. Not one to get ruffled easily.

Not until it came to his collection of books.

An avid reader and collector of books, Vikram's collection ranged from the comics he had in his childhood to the latest paperbacks, hardbounds and magazines.

He was not frivolous in his choice of writings or writers, that much credit she had to give him. But she couldn't understand his obsession.

Books, especially those in his collection, were to Vikram what gold or silver would be to any other mortal.

Sunanda had often watched her soft spoken and usually affable husband turn almost rude to anybody who might so much as mention anything about borrowing a book from him. And she had been equally surprised when Vikram and his brother fought with equal passion when it came to tallying which book belonging to whom is yet to be returned.

But never in her thoughts had she ever anticipated that those darned books would come between she and her husband. That it would be something as common as a book, of all things, that will be the cause of their first serious fight.

It had all started last evening. And for the nth time, Sunanda wished Vikram had listened to her request of going out for dinner.

Inspite of herself, she gave a little shudder. It must be the cold.

Looking around wistfully, Sunanda realised she was hungry. There was no telling when Vikram would return. This Sunday was going to waste.

With a sigh, she got up and went to the kitchen.

The mind still occupied, she got hold of a few vegetables lying on the countertop and started to work on them.

 "So, what do you want to do tomorrow evening?", asked Vikram. Both of them looked forward to weekends and making plans.

"Let's go out for dinner.", said Sunanda. "A proper, sit down dinner at a good place. I'm so tired of being adventurous and trying out the hole-in-the-wall places."

"Hmm ... why not?", smiled Vikram.

"No, wait. On second thoughts, let's call over the guys and chill out at home. You won't have to cook, we'll order out."

"O.k.", Sunanda gave in. She knew Vikram liked to be with friends and she did not mind them too. "Besides, it is really too cold these days."

Sunanda looked at the small pile of chopped carrots and cauliflower with dismay.

"What on earth am I going to do with these  now?! And why did I chop them into such small pieces?!"

She was in no mood to cook. And definitely not in a mood to think of some new recipe to try out. But she was hungry too.

"Oh well! I'll just throw these into a pan of water and make a stew."

Menu decided, she moved at a more confident pace.

She took out some baby corn, beans and green peas from the fridge. After chopping the baby corn, she chopped up some ginger and garlic too.

Suddenly she had a craving for something spicy and hot.

"I'll make a hot and sour soup. Just as I feel today."

She took out a heavy bottomed pan and filled it with a few cups of water. On another day, she would heat some oil and lightly fry the vegetables and then add water. Today, she kept it as easy to make as possible.

"The rooms are set and everything is spic and span!", called out Vikram.

Sunanda smiled at the sound of pride in his voice.

"I'm ready too.", she replied.

Soon, their friends started coming in. Within a few minutes, their home was filled with laughing voices, gentle music in the background and the sound of clinking glassware.

The water had started to boil. Watching the rolling water distractedly, she started to throw in the vegetables by turns. First, in went the chopped garlic, then the ginger, green chillies and then the carrots, cauliflower, peas, baby corn and the beans. She then added some salt and a pinch of sugar. While the vegetables were cooking, she busied herself by keeping the rest of the ingredients at hand. She needed the soy sauce, white pepper powder, green chilli sauce, vinegar and some corn starch dissolved in water.

Sunanda had just opened the fridge to bring out the dessert when she heard Vikram's slightly raised voice. Not liking the tone of it, she walked into the living room to check out. Sure enough, she found Vikram and Deep in an argument. Nothing new, considering the two of them have been friends from school and are always arguing over something. But Sunanda instinctively felt something was wrong. This was not the usual banter the two friends usually have.

Looking askingly at the rest of the small group, that had suddenly fallen silent, Sunanda followed the eyes of one of them and found out the reason behind this heated argument. Lying on the coffee table was one of Vikram's latest acquisition ... a hardbound he had been wanting for a while. The book, with its gleaming glossy cover was lying there, looking very innocent.

"But it's just a book, for heaven's sake!", Deep was heard exclaiming.

"Just a book! Just a book! You call it just a book?!" Vikram's voice rose a notch higher.

"Well, that's what I see!"

"Exactly, you won't see anything beyond that. That requires something else."

"Oh c'mon Vick! Why are you being so unreasonable?"

"Unreasonable? I'm being unreasonable?! You use my book as a coaster to hold your dirty plate and I'm the one who is being unreasonable?!"

Sunanda added the rest of the things into the soup. Finally, she added the dissolved corn starch and let it boil for a minute more. Satisfied with what she saw, she poured herself a big mugful of the very hot and flavourful soup and went back to where she was sitting earlier. Sipping the soup, she reveled in its warmth. It was spicy enough to burn her throat a little ... and she loved the tinge.

Restless, she got up and walked to the window.

"I think you should call Deep and apologize." She had tried to reason with her husband that morning.

"I won't."

"Oh c'mon Vikram, was it really necessary? The way you behaved with him?"

"What do you mean? He is the one who should know how to handle things that belong to others."

"Agreed. But all he did was use your book for a while. He must have not been looking. Am sure he did not do that on purpose."

"Besides why do you keep your precious books all over the house? I can see a few on the window right now."

"Go ahead. Blame me. But I'll not apologize. Not to some barbarian who has no respect for books. I'll never tolerate ... never ... no!"

With that he slammed his way out of the house.

Tears stung her eyes. She needed to get out of this and finish the chores.

With a sigh, Sunanda picked up the now empty cup and froze.

The bright, dark circle of soy stared up at her from the
lovely face of Gauhar Jaan*.

Sunanda gave a small sigh and closed her eyes in silent resignation.

This goes to this month's Of Chalks and Chopsticks, started by Aqua and hosted by Sandeepa.
Updated :  I have italicized the flashback parts on Jaya's suggestion. Much thanks dear Jaya!!

Suno, suno, suno .... Disclaimer :

1. My mind has been in a very befuddled state of late ... so please bear with me if this piece of attempt-to-fiction seems too juvenile. Even I do not know how much sense it makes ... so my dear friends, please forgive me for I do not know what I write.

2. My photographs do not look as beautiful as they are expected to be.

Check out the snap that the story needs to be based on here, agree with me and come back pronto to leave me a line ... ok ... more than a line will work even better.

3. * While I have read about the life of Gauhar Jaan (in a Bengali Sharadiya collection), singer, kathak dancer and a courtesan in the 19th-20th century, I have not actually seen any of the book(s) written on her ... so have no idea what they look like ... i.e. hardbound/a thin book/a big book/a small book/glossy book .... get the idea.

So there folks!

Feels great to be able to be back on Kichu Khon, though this post does not guarantee my continious presence here henceforth. I still need time to be back.

Meanwhile ... heartfelt thanks to everybody for allowing me stay around, for being in touch. And for giving Kichu Khon company.

Every time I log in, I find at least 2 or 3, sometimes more, comments waiting for me. Makes my day ... has been ever since I stopped blogging around 4 months back.

Warm hugs to all of you. Stay healthy. Stay happy. Stay well.

Updated on 11/02/13 :  Sending this to Sayantani's event teamed with Cuponation.

Vegetables & Coconut Milk Stew

( Non vegetarians can add boneless chicken pieces, chopped sausage or egg drop. )

While on my break, with nothing to do at hand, literally, surfing the net
was my only respite from boredom.
And while I came across some very good blogs and writings,
I was distressed to find rampant Plagiarism too.

Photos and text from my blog have been copied and used in numerous places.

I set about tracking down the people.

While most of them have picked my photos, a few have used excerpts of my writings too.

All without my permission. And no credit given to the blog.

I kept my search on.

The plagiarists ranged from bloggers to proffessional website developers to

journalists and writers for epapers and emagazines.

I wrote to whoever I could contact.
It was a problem because most of them did not have a form to post comment,
or an email id to reach them.
Others have their comments moderated, so my comments neither got published nor heeded to.

Most bloggers ... usually new bloggers ... were genuinely apologetic.
I can understand that.
They do not know much about blogging rules or ethics.
But learn quickly.

The website developers too were very prompt in replying with an apology

and removing the used photograph.

The sore losers were however the epapers' writers ... not that I could contact
all of them since most pages did not
have a 'contact us' link.

The most used photograph from my blog is of the Moong Dal Halwa.
Search for any festival on the internet and you are bound to come across this photograph with a recipe that does not resemble mine.

One, who had used this Moong dal halwa photo, actually wrote back to me offering me a 'deal'.

She offered to 'mention' my blog with the writing so that

my blog 'will gain a lot of hits and it will
help you as people will come to know you'.

Livid, I wrote back "Thank you, but no thank you".

My blog gets enough hits and I do not earn anything from it, so in no way am going to 'gain'.

She snaps back in her next mail that she is no longer interested
in keeping the photograph as it is all over the internet
and she has no time to check
if all of them have copyright claims like me.

This, after I had sent her the link to my blog and the post!

Another blogger from Kolkata, who claims to work in the IT industry,

and has a blog that is a mix of a whole lot of things,
has picked up many of my photographs

and used them on recipes that are not
even remotely similar to the snap.
She has stolen almost all of my Ilish snaps and also the Prawn Malai Rice.

She has a 'talent' for removing copyright signs, shrink the snaps to thumbnail sizes and use them.

Repeated requests from me to remove them have gone ignored.

Another has stolen my Posto Pui snaps and using them as some other 'shaak' recipe!!

A reader and blogger from Bangladesh regularly visits.

I found out later that she has been using my snaps for her blog.

After repeated requests she did remove the snaps though,
but not before complaining bitterly
about how the copyright sign was not visible.

Just the fact that the photograph belongs to somebody else is not enough for her.

Recently there is a blogger from Delhi who has been copying my text.
Needless to say, these people never leave a line on my blog.
Yet happily take the credit and respond to comments, on their blogs, regarding the beautiful snaps!!!



What I do not understand is if they are so interested in having their own food blog,
why can't they cook their own food, click their own snaps and use them.
They should know that just because something is on the web
does not mean they can use it freely.
It is somebody else's hard work; it belongs to somebody else.

I have no idea how to deal with this.

So all I can do is distort my beautiful photographs with big sized copyright signs.

Smaller signs have not worked;
the enterprising thieves trim the snaps or remove the signs.

Ranting done, I'll come to today's recipe.
A deliciously creamy, dreamy vegetables stew in coconut milk, this is very quick to make.
Perfect for these winter days or nights.

I throw in as many vegetables as I can.
And sometimes add some chopped chicken chilli sausages for myself.
And to add to the carb content, some boiled pasta which I almost always have in the fridge.

Need :

Chopped onion - 1
Chopped garlic - around 6 to 7 cloves
Very thinly sliced ginger - ½ teaspoonful
Vegetables cut into small cubes - around half a cupful of each
( I used baby beans, carrots, cauliflower, baby corn, mushrooms, fresh green peas )
Fresh green lime zest - ¼ teaspoonful
Thick coconut milk - 200 ml
Butter - 1 teaspoonful
Salt - to taste
Sugar - to taste

How to :

Heat a heavy bottomed kadahi / wok.
Add a little butter and then the garlic.
Stir a little ... do not brown.
Add the onions and fry till translucent.
Now add all the vegetables except the peas and give a good stir.
( If using chicken, add now).
Add the coconut milk and some water.
Add salt and sugar ( remember, the coconut milk imparts a little sweetness too).
Cover and cook till the veggies are done.
( If using boiled pasta, add now. )
Remove cover and add the green peas and the lime zest.
Give a good stir, cover and switch off heat.
Give it a standing time of around 5 minutes.

Serve hot.

The sweetness of the coconut milk combined with the lime zest gives a beautiful flavour to this otherwise very veggie stew.
I have tried adding a pinch of roasted jeera/cumin powder
to this at the end
and found the flavour very Thai like.
Loved it.

Just a bowlful of this healthy, wholesome stew for dinner is enough for us.
If you want to,
eat it with bread on the side for a fuller meal.

I can have this wonderful stew anytime ... day or evening.
Enjoy !!

Other Stews and Soups on Kichu Khon


Creamy Vegetable Stew

Another version of Vegetables in Coconut Milk

Palak & Dal Soup

Vegetables Stewed in Coconut Milk

Considering whatever little favour winter ( if we can call 30 degrees winter ... in a place that is used to 9 degrees or less once upon a time ) did on us .... read get some absolutely fresh vegetables, I should feel grateful. When in fact I am not.

No matter how hard I try to imagine it is winter, it is no fun having soups or stews when it is so hot & sweltering. :-(
Even the Chinese dishes that I usually make for dinner seem dreary .... the veggies with an almost pleading look to let them be ... and are being preferred cold.

And the most depressing part for me is the disappearence of fresh green peas ... almost as soon as they had entered the market. They did not last even a whole month ... not to mention them almost dryish and having a strange flavour. Whatever happened to the days of sweet baby peas bursting with juices?

Anyway ... I think I just made the last stew of the season ... holding on to some winter veggies for the last time.
I usually make veggie stew this way ... but this time I had some coconut milk packs in the refrigerator .... so decided to empty one into the veggies.

The stew turned out great ... mild yet flavourful.

Need : Veggies cut/cubed and the green peas shelled, sliced onions, sliced garlic (optional), a small stick of cinnamon, butter, coconut milk, whole red chillies and salt to taste.

How to : Heat a little butter in a pressure cooker. Add the cinnamon and the whole red chillies.
Then add the onion and garlic together and stir for a little while .... do not brown either of them.

Now add the veggies and stir. Add the coconut milk and salt and adjust with a little water.
Pressure cook till the veggies are done.

Seve hot.
Updated :

Do not add tomatoes / lime juice. It will curdle the coconut milk.
And this will taste slightly sweetish too ... because of the coconut milk. So adjust the salt accordingly.

Creamy Vegetable Stew

I make this stew very regularly ... it is great in the monsoons when it does turn a little cold here .... or in the winter, when we get good veggies. It tastes great when eaten cold too ... in the summers .... but it is impossible to get fresh greens then.

Very simple to make, this can be a full meal by itself if you add some noodles (last snap) or pasta.

Its creamy texture and flavour gives vegetables a completely new makeover ... and eating veggies turn just so delightful.

You can serve it with fresh warm bread. Or just eat up plain bowlfuls. Either way you will absolutely love it. :-)


This can made in a pressure cooker too .... just take care that the veggies are not overcooked.
I make it in a deep heavy bottomed pan ... I like the veggies to stew slowly .... soaking up each others flavours.

Need : Sliced or cubed vegetables ( I had beans, carrots, green peas, mushrooms, sweet corn, cabbage and cauliflower), sliced or cubed onions, chopped garlic, water, milk, a little maida, butter, salt and sugar to taste.

How to : Heat a heavy vessel and add a little butter. ( No yelling ..... you need butter here .... but see .... I have mentioned very little .... so .... :-) )

Take care not to over heat ..... we want no burning here ..... read no sharp flavours.
Add the onions and the garlic and just toss around a little till translucent.
Now add the veggies and stir fry for a little while.
Now add enough water. Add salt and sugar, cover and cook till all veggies are cooked but firm.

Mix a little maida to a cupfull of milk. ( Yes, it is maida .... not cornflour .... we need to give a little body to the watery thinness). Make sure that you do not make a paste. We don't want thick lumpy stuff in the name of a soup/stew.
You can use whole or skimmed milk.

Add it to the stew, bring to a boil (not on high heat) and let it simmer for some more time.

I had some left over boiled noodles in the fridge .... so added some to make a bowlful for myself. Had a creamy, slurpy, healthy lunch. :-)

Loved all the snaps .... so filled the post with all of them. :-)

Do have a go at this friends ... you will love it. :-)

Palak & Dal Soup / Spinach and Lentil soup

It is December. It is supposed to be winter. It is supposed to be cold outside ... and you are supposed to cosy up in the evenings with some great, hot soup.

But the picture is very different. How can we enjoy soup when it is 31 degrees outside? Maybe I'll have to resort to cold soups for a while.

A nip in the morning air in the middle of Nov. saw me all excited and looking forward to some cold days. And I set off with my first soup of the season ... the palak soup.

My version of this soup keeps up with my basic rule in cooking ... simple and fast to make. No spending more than a required minute.

I did not fry the veggies .... just dunked them into the cooker with water .... and later blended the cooked stuff in the cooker directly.

I did not use any cornflour/maida to thicken. Instead I added a little moong dal .... it acts as a thickening agent ... and is healthy too. :-)

I did not use any garam masala or any other flavour that might overwhelm the natural flavours of the veggies.
And this version is completely fat free . If you want, you can add a dollop of butter while serving. If not ... makes no difference to the taste at all.

Need : Fresh palak leaves, trimmed and washed, a little soaked yellow moong dal, tomatoes, carrots, sliced onion, whole green chilli (optional), garlic cloves, salt and sugar to taste.

How to : Put in everything into a pressure cooker with enough water. Wait for 3 to 4 whistles.

Remove cover when steam is released completely and wait for a while to cool a little.

Blend everything .... if you have a hand blender, you can blend without removing from the cooker.

Reheat again till it starts to boil. Adjust thickness with water and check seasoning.

Serve with a sprinkle of freshly ground pepper.

Great as is. Or serve with croutons / hot rotis / herb bread and salad for a full meal. :-)