Methi daane ki sabzi

Last Sunday we were at Dorabjee's, Camp, Pune, for our usual monthly supplies.
I have been coming to this place ever since I came to Pune. In those days, it was a store on the ground floor of a small mall at the time. Slowly it grew and took up the space where Westside was, on the left, and Planet M upstairs. Now the whole building is Dorabjee's ... along with a food court on the third floor.

The staff has always been polite and helpful. And we have almost always got whatever we looked for in this one store ... saving us the time that otherwise would have been wasted in searching for different things at different places.

But of late, things are changing.
There has been a drastic change in the behaviour of the staff.
Bordering on rudeness, they are a far cry from the warm people we are used to and associate with the name Dorabjee's. And not only have I felt this in their store in Camp, but also in the newly opened Dorabjee's Mall off NIBM road.

Other than that, the one other thing that I found sad was the way the people at the parking behave.
This Sunday was the third time in a row which prompted me to write about it.

Given that Dorabjee's is now huge place , I love going through the floors and everything they have on display. Selecting household things can take time ... unless Dorabjee's want people to just have a glance and leave.
And by the time I finish shopping, it is a good one hour.
Then comes the long wait at the billing counter .... which can be as much as ten to fifteen minutes on any weekend.

And when we finally come to get the car out, the person starts behaving as if we have made a crime spending so much time inside. The parking people are supposed to return the parking deposit if you have shopped at Dorabjee's. It has been a long time practice.
But of late, the attendants stop your car and ask for the bill. And then start grumbling that we were inside for so long, were we sitting at the food court.
One even went to the extent of asking if we had been to the mall on the other side of the road after parking our car.

This insinuation makes me livid.

I wish Dorabjee's had a fixed parking amount. Park, shop, pay and leave .... just as we would at any other shopping place.

 I also wish Dorabjee's looked into their staff training a little better. 

As for now, I will not go to shop at Dorabjee's any more.
Sad.
Especially because I love shopping in this place.
But not at the cost of unnecessary unpleasantness.
And humiliation.

That off my chest, I will move on to today's recipe.

It is again a simple, healthy dish that is made at my in laws' place.
Mummy makes this with raw mangoes as well as dried mango powder or amchur ... when raw mangoes are not in season.

Need :

Methi or Fenugreek seeds - 1 cup
Coriander or dhaniya powder - 5 tbsp
Turmeric or haldi powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Asafoetida or hing - a pinch 
Grated raw mango - around 3 tbsp or Amchur powder - 1 tbsp
Salt -to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
( Mummy uses ghee; I use a mix of a little oil and and a little ghee )

How to :

Soak the methi seeds overnight in enough water.

The next day, strain it and boil in a pan with enough water + salt.
Mummy pressure cooks it but I find the methi turns too slimy that way.

When done, strain.
Mix it with the coriander  powder + turmeric powder and the red chilli powder. 

If using amchur powder, mix that too.

Heat oil. 
Add jeera and hing and the grated mango.

Add a  little salt.
Cook till the mango is mushy.

Add the methi seeds.

Give a good mix and fry for 5 minutes.

Adjust salt.
Cover for sometime.

Give a final stir and remove from heat.

Serve hot with rotis and dal.

Enjoy!!