Bajre ki roti and Baingan bharta .... another rustic meal for winter

After two days of a sudden sandstorm, we are seeing a dip in the temperatures again. Pune is back to it's gloriously cold weather with gorgeous sunny days and chilling nights.
I am indulging in more of North Indian food as this is the time to enjoy hot, rustic food or our completely desi food that gives warmth to the body as well as is healthy  too.

Bajre ki roti or rotla is a family favourite and combined with some gur or jaggery, is the perfect Rajasthani  staple.

I have been growing some garlic for a while now and have got a bountiful of garlic greens right now. So decided to make the hara lahsun ki chutney  made with garlic greens.
I had come across this very interestingly during our trip to Almora. 

If you remember my story about how we visited the Surya temple amidst a hailstorm, then let me tell you how, during our climb through the steep mountain, amidst small local houses, we came across two little children selling pears from their backyard.

I chatted with them and they gave us some garlic flavoured salt along with the pears.
When asked  how to make it, they called out for their mother who explained it to us. 

They called it lahsun noon or hara noon or something like that ... I don't exactly remember.

So, this cold winter afternoon saw on our lunch plate ....
Bajre ki roti  / bajra rotla
Baingan ka bharta 
Hara lahsun ki chutney
Patali gur  / Date palm jaggery ..... my haul this winter

For the bajra roti, I use the boiling method and it is much more easier to roll the rotis. 
I have been eating millets for some time now since I have stopped eating wheat flour. And must say that I have benefitted much from this change. 
Millets are full of nutrition as well as fibre. Not to mention very filling too. 

Here is another look of my favourite desi food for winter. 

Stay safe all! 

 

Burnt Garlic Butter Rice and Roasted vegetables with Boiled Corn on the cob

 

While the whole world goes crazy over roasted corn spiced with salt , red chilli powder and lemon juice, during the monsoons, I quietly boil mine and enjoy it steaming hot.
With a blob of butter.
And maybe some freshly cracked black pepper straight from the mill.
That's what my heart yearns for in the monsoons.
And that's what makes my heart sing.

I fell in love with this extraordinarily flavourful yet simple way of enjoying sweet corn on my first ever trip to Lonavla, a hill station near Pune.
I was a student then and was a part of this boisterous group of young students, from all over the country, much excited at the thought of a trip by a local train into the hills in the rains.
Monsoons turn Pune and its adjoining hilly places into something that dreams or travel brochure pictures are made of.
And the cold weather that comes with it is a bonus.
Soft rain, light drizzles, fog, clouds against the insanely fresh green sprawling landscape and the numerous thin waterfalls that dot the hills .... it seems as if the world has sprung into fresh life.
Every single blade of grass turns green. Every leaf on the trees shines.
Nature turns crazily beautiful.
Dreamy.
Romantic.
And you can enjoy this weather in every way ... be it going out on picnics or snuggling in at home with a hot cuppa soup, ginger tea or coffee .... monsoons in Pune is sure to make you fall in love with life. 

And it was in this beautiful weather that I got to fall in love with the boiled corn on the cob.
As I was saying, I was with my friends in Lonavla , having a whale of a time laughing and joking, getting drenched in the light rain , walking the hilly roads as the clouds would pass by, drenching us with fresh droplets.
And in one of those walks, shivering in the windy cold, we stopped for some hot tea.
And near the small tea stall, there was this lady, with a blue plastic covering her from the rain ... in vain ... selling steaming hot boiled peanuts and sweet corn on the cob.
We hungrily bought some of each and that one bite into the sweet, juicy corn with some butter melting all around it and the steam burning my mouth, took me to another world altogether.
Standing  there in the rain with slush all around me,
oblivious to everything ... the people, the noise, the rush,
I closed my eyes and turned my face up to the cold rain and savoured the burst of flavours in my mouth.

And ever since, come monsoons, my grocery list always has sweet corn in it.

We have been eating a lot of steamed or roasted food recently due to the weather.
Barring the few bhajas with khichuri that is. 😃
And today this was for lunch , as it turned dark again outside ... after a brief spell of brightness.

My go to recipe is to cut up fresh vegetables, toss them with a good glug of olive oil, sprinkle some salt, chilli flakes, freshly crushed black pepper and sometimes crush in some Italian dry herbs too ... and bake at 150 degrees till the vegetables are done.

I had some leftover rice and decided to make something spicy to go with the light vegetables.
So made this burnt garlic butter rice.
Heated some butter ( never too hot ) in a heavy pan and 
added a good amount of chopped garlic.
When they started to turn brown, threw in a pinch of chilli flakes
and a couple of chopped green chillies.
Then added the rice, salt, a pinch of sugar and tossed everything together on high heat.
Done!

 Here is a closer look.

You can pair the roasted vegetables with toasted bread and soup too ... our usual dinner.
Or with boiled macaroni or noodles.
Or just roll them up in a roti or paratha and add some sauces of your choice to make a quick roll.
Any way ... this is one healthy yet very filling plate.

Enjoy !!
And stay healthy this monsoon.

Roasted Corn on the Cob

Ok ... come on with the brickbats ... you are most welcome to. :-)
I know this is a food blog ... am supposed to post food ... good food. Am supposed to be sweating it out in the kitchen ... dishing up goodies ... clicking snaps .... wracking my brains for a decent write .... and post it. And wait for the bouquets.

But what can I do? Am doing nothing of the sort. Am cooking the minimum ... sometimes crispy, crunchy and lip smacking deep fried stuff .... that too is devoured as soon as it is off the heat .... I don't feel like doing anything more than read and eat ..... read some more and eat .... and for a change .... eat ... and then read.
Ok ok ... maybe am exaggerating a little ... but then you do get the point, don't you? ;-)

And now .... cheating at its height .... am posting ... of all things .... a roasted corn! So c'mon all you good souls ... am ready for the brickbats.

But I really can't help it. This one thing has been my constant friend .... considering my laziness these days and my inclination to munch on something .... anything .... when with a book .... and the wet and dark weather outside making staying sane so difficult. I am having this as lunch, evening snack ... and at odd times in the weekends too. So thought of posting it. :-)

Not to mention that I can get away by writing only a little ... I really can't concentrate on anythign else when Ghulam Ali is belting out such soulful numbers. Got to give the great man some attention. ;-)

I love the sweet corn boiled and steaming hot .... with a huge dollop of butter on it. But most of the times I just roast it on an open flame .... since it is so sweet and is bursting with juices ... I do not overdo it ... just sear and char to get that burnt flavour ....
... and then rub it with a slice of lemon, sprinkle some salt and chilli powder and it is ready to be scrunched on ! :-)


So .... grab that bhutta (corn) now ... and go stand near the window or balcony and feel the cool freshness of the life giving rain on your face. And don't forget to thank god a little .... for ... well .... everything. :-)

See ya all soon ... with some very good stuff ... I promise. :-)

Stir Fried Macaroni with Roasted Vegetables & Chicken

( Vegetarians can skip the chicken and go on with the rest of the recipe ... or can use Tofu or Paneer instead. )
This is a very flavourful one pot meal that I often make for dinner and is very close to my heart. The best thing about this dish is it can be had steaming hot on winter evenings .... just add some bread and soup to go with .... or can be served cold as a salad ... on a bed of ice lettuce.

It is real fast to make if all the preparations are made earlier ... so after a rushed day ... or on that lazy weekend .... all you have to do is heat some oil and toss everything. :-)

I prefer to chop up the roasted vegetables as I love the different flavours that fuse into each other.

And instead of chewing on a single piece of veggie or chicken, I prefer to have a mix of everything in every bite. Besides it feels and looks good when the sizes are in sync.




Need : Macaroni, preffered vegetables ( I had capsicum, mushrooms, baby corn, frozen green peas, tomatoes ), chicken cut into small cubes, chopped garlic, preffered Italian seasoning

( I used a mix of dried parsley + thyme + rosemary + a little oregano), some freshly ground black pepper, vinegar, cooking oil / butter, salt and sugar to taste.



If you want you can add a few chilli flakes too ... but I found it clashed with the flavour of black pepper.

How to : Cook the macaroni ... a little al dente .... in salted boiling water. Rinse under cold water and mix a spoonful of cooking oil to it evenly. This will prevent from forming a lump or sticking together.

Cut the vegetables into medium sized pieces and marinate them in vinegar, salt and freshly ground pepper. Keep them for around half an hour ... or till you make the other preparations.




Marinate the chicken cubes the same way.


Roast the vegetables in an oven in a tray sprayed with a little oil or brushed with a little butter. I prefer roasting them till they are a little soft ... and then grilling them for a while on high.




Roast the chicken the same way too.



Chop up the vegetables into bite sized pieces.

Heat oil in a wok / heavy kadhai. Add the garlic and fry ... do not brown them.


Add the macaroni , the vegetables and the chicken. Add the seasonings and dried herbs. Adjust salt and add a little sugar for a balance.Toss well.
Serve hot / cold.


Am so very happy that this is the first time I have successfully blurred the background in a snap .... No I do not have Photoshop. :-)

This plateful goes to Soma who is hosting Hay Hay it's Donna Day with Bron as the facilitator.

With that am off to the coast for the long weekend coming up ... this time it will be a new beach on the Konkan coast that we are heading to. :-)

Pora

Pora (roasted) vegetables make great accompaniments to any meal. Can be made into a salad (like the above one) or a dish by itself.

Roasted tomato can be had as a salad. Just apply a little mustard oil on the tomatoes and roast them on open flame. Can be roasted in the oven also. Then mash it roughly by hand, add some chopped onions, garlic(optional),green chillies,sprout moong, a little mustard oil, lemon juice and salt. Goes very well with hot rotis (if you are on a diet) and dahi on the side.

Begun pora (roasted brinjal) can be a dish by itself too. Apply mustard oil on the brinjal and roast it. Peel away the skin and mash it. Add chopped onions,green chillies,garlic(optional),fresh coriander leaves , a little more mustard oil and salt.Goes very well with rotis.

The smoky flavour of the roasted brinjal is retained in this dish.

Or else we can always make the baingan bhurta.

Heat oil.Add jeera and chopped onions.Fry well.Then add chopped tomatoes and green chillies.Now add the roasted and mashed brinjal.Add haldi powder, red chilli powder,salt and a pinch of sugar .Cook well. Add chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.