Knitting

Just call me Martha Stewart! I have always really wanted to learn to knit. However, I never had ample free time or anyone living near to me to help me when I ran into a mistake. Well, after having coffee with some gals recently, I learned that there were a few 'knitters' in Pune.

We now have established a small knitting circle! We get together and have a nice chat over some coffee, tea, or lassi and knit. Not just for Grandma's anymore! ;-) Let's see we are making scarves, socks, a shawl, and I am trying to make a baby blanket for my driver's wife. (We'll see how this goes...Yikes!)
In the photo above, it's Ann-Sofie, me, Pam, J, and Laura. Ann-Sofie, J, and I are learning from the more experienced two women. I am hoping after today's lesson, the method will actually stick inside my brain.

Cooking with Pushpa: Class 3

After a small hiatus last week, my cooking classes with Pushpa are back! This week we made chhole, or chickpeas, masala and bhindi fry. Bhindi is commonly referred to as "ladyfingers" in Europe or most affectionately called "okra" in the United States. Purchasing produce in India is really making me wonder about some of the names we have for things in the States, for instance, aubergine or eggplant. Bhindi is one of my favorite vegetables here in India and I learned today you can either fry it, or make a subzi with this lovely green vegetable. A subzi is a term used when sauteing vegetables, if you are sauteing something other than a vegetable such as chicken, mutton, chhole you would call it a masala. After we finished our two dishes, we made chapati to accompany the meal tonight. The recipes are below, along with a recipe for the garlic and ginger paste if you cannot access a prepared version.

Chhole Masala
Ingredients

• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon jeera, or cumin, seeds
• 2 tablespoons garlic and ginger paste
• 1 cup tomato puree
• salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon of prepared chhole masala spice mixture
• 1 cup water
• 250 grams of chhole, or chickpeas, already cooked or canned
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped coriander

Masala Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 cup coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala

Directions

1. Heat oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat.
2. Add cumin seeds and onion to pan, and saute for about 10 minutes.
3. Add garlic and ginger paste to the mixture and saute for an additional 5 minutes.
4. Add a pinch of salt, the masala mixture, and tomato puree and saute for 5 minutes.
5. Add chhole masala spice mixture and 1/2 cup of water, then saute for 5 minutes longer.
6. Add chickpeas and mix. Add the remainder of water to make a gravy and the chhole moist.
7. Cook for 5 minutes. Garnish with 1/4 cup freshly chopped coriander leaves.
8. Serve warm with chapati.

Note: If you cannot find chhole masala spice mixture, the back of the package lists the ingredients as chili powder, turmeric, star of anise, coriander, pomegranate seeds, lemon seeds, bishop's weed, and mint.

Bhindi Fry

Ingredients

• 500 grams bhindi, ends trimmed and cut lengthwise
• 4 tablespoons garlic and ginger paste
• 2 tablespoons coriander powder
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1/4 cup cornflour
• 1/8 cup atta, or whole wheat flour
• 1/2 of lemon, juiced
• pinch of salt

Directions

1. Add 1/4 inch of oil to the bottom of a pan and heat on medium.
2. In a bowl, add bhindi, garlic and ginger paste, coriander powder, chili powder, cornflour, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Mix with hands.
3. Fry bhindi until browned, for about 3 minutes. Turn bhindi in oil for optimal browning.
4. Squeeze the other half of the lemon over the bhindi.
5. Serve warm with chapati.

Garlic and Ginger Paste

Ingredients

• 250 grams garlic, roughly chopped
• 250 grams ginger, roughly chopped
• Water

Directions

1. Add garlic and ginger to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse.
2. Add a little water to the mixture and continue to pulse until the mixture becomes a paste.
3. Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Monsoon!

Monsoon is here! This week it has been raining cats and dogs, well, at least it is how we have all felt. I am currently taking a gemmology course in Deccan. On the way back from school today, this is what the road looked like as the Mula-Mutha River began to flow into the actual road.

You can see the concrete barrier that usually holds the water away from the street, but the river rose too high and began to cover the street along with many temples. It's really odd, because Paul and I are actually cold now as well.

A Tour of Talegaon Temples

Today J, Laura, and I decided to go on a temple tour in the Talegaon district. Talegaon is located approximately 30 kilometers outside of Pune. It is also where Paul works, which is why I even know about its existence. Talegaon is a valley nestled amongst the 'hills' and during monsoon its location is very green and cool.

The first stop on our tour is to the new Sai Baba complex being built. It is clearly the newer temple and is absolutely beautiful with brightly painted colors and shiny brass.



Bougainvilleas . . .

Skipping stones in the rain puddles . . .

Nandi is decorated as we make our way to Sai Baba. Sai Baba. Luckily, the people working there did not spot my blond hair. (I just recently cut it all off and subsequently I am not receiving as many odd mouth dropping stares.) I did not receive the token tikka, coconut, and rose, but my merry companions did! I really do not care for the tikka, I believe the red one is from chili powder and it often makes my forehead itchy.

Now, we are off to the Ganesh shrine located off the old Mumbai-Pune Highway. When Paul and I first came to India in October 2007, he was still being built and was covered in scaffolding. Now he is complete, and the attention to detail on the sculpture is remarkable.

View from Ganpati . . .
Last but not my least, I took the gals to my favorite temple for Shiva. This is the same temple I took Molly to last year, and I still love it. Though it is not a new, fancy temple it has a lot of charm despite the age of the temple. Part of the charm is from the 1 kilometer hike up through some rocky terrain to have some amazing views, fresh air, and see a very ancient temple carved out of the rock.

We start our decent on these stairs, but first we navigate past the goats.

We finally make it to the top and head over to the cave.

At the entrance . . .

Devotions to Shiva . . . Shiva is signified by the cobra.

And, Nandi is decorated with jasmine and marigolds.

Some writing carved into the wall . . .

A temple with a view . . .

Laura and J climb up to some caverns . . .
Now, off to Vaishali's for some much needed sustenance. After lunch the it has begun to rain hard and it's back home to play with Lily.

Cooking with Pushpa: Class 2

Today, I learned how to make Chana ki Dal, Mushroom Masala, and yet again to try and roll out the perfect chapati. I have not perfected chapati making yet. Unfortunately, my chapati either resemble India or they are still rather square. Below are the recipes below from today's lesson.

Chana ki Dal

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dried chana dal
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 small tomato, chopped
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped coriander

Tarka Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon jeera, or cumin, seeds
• 2 whole garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 small sliced red onion, chopped
• 10 whole curry leaves
• 2 green chilies, sliced lengthwise and chopped fine
• 2 tablespoons cumin powder

Directions:

1. Soak chana dal overnight in water.
2. Drain.
3. Add chana dal and water in a pot. Bring to a boil.
4. Then, add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder.


5. Boil for 1 hour covered.
6. Add tomato and mix. Boil for 10 minutes covered.
7. Remove from heat. The dal should mash easily between fingers.
8. Prepare the tarka as follows. In a medium hot pan, add 1/4 cup oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Once butter melts, add jeera seeds, garlic cloves, onion, curry leaves, green chilies and saute for 2 minutes. Then, add 2 tablespoons cumin powder.
9. Add 1 spoonful of dal to the tarka, then add the entire pot of boiled dal to the tarka mixture.
10. Add 1 cup of water to the dal pot, then scrape the sides and the bottom of the pot to remove all the dal from the pot. Add this to the tarka and dal mixture.
11. Bring to a boil.
12. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves.
13. Serve heated.

Mushroom Masala

Ingredients:

• 14-16 mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 1 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 green chili, cut lengthwise and chopped fine
• 1 tablespoon garlic and ginger paste
• 1/2 cup freshly chopped coriander, divided
• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• 1/4 cup oil

Masala Ingredients:

• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 4 tablespoons coriander powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala

Directions:

1. Add oil to heated medium pan and saute onion for 10 minutes or until they are translucent.
2. Add chopped chili, 1/4 cup freshly chopped coriander, and garlic and ginger paste. Saute for 5 minutes.
3. Add tomato puree and simmer for 2 minutes.
4. Add masala to mixture, and saute for 5 minutes.
5. Add 2 tablespoons of water and a pinch of salt to the mixture. Then, add the mushrooms and stir to combine.
6. Cook for 5 minutes occasionally stirring, and add a few tablespoons water if the mixture begins to burn or becomes to dry. Remove from heat.
7. Garnish with 1/4 cup freshly chopped coriander.
8. Serve with chapati.

Today, we used Aashirvaad atta (whole wheat flour) instead of Pillsbury. This flour made the chapatis much lighter and more crispy. We will see how the boss (as Pushpa refers to him) rates them tonight when he returns from work!

Cooking with Pushpa: Class 1

I have decided that while living in India, I really need to learn something Indian. Why not cooking? Paul and I love to cook and bake--it's our favorite hobby and lately mine since he has been working so much. Mastering Hindi would take me many years, so I have decided to concentrate my efforts on cooking. My maid, Pushpa, loves to cook and since I am paying her to clean, I might as well take some cooking lessons from her as well. Wednesday is the day we have scheduled as cooking class day. Today, Pushpa taught me two of my favorite dishes--chicken masala and cabbage subzi (Maharastrian style, of course). At the end of our lesson, she once again taught me chapati. Terrified to roll out the dough out into the shape of India, I let Pushpa gently show me how to roll the chapati into the perfect circle. She has vowed that next week J and I will have to bring our own chapati boards and make the chapati ourselves. And hey, what better way to learn?

We begin with our first dish, cabbage subzi.

Cabbage Subzi
Ingredients:

• 1 small head green cabbage, shredded
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 green chilies, cut lengthwise and chopped fine
• 4 tablespoons oil
• 1 tablespoon jeera, or cumin, seeds
• 3 curry leaves
• 1 tablespoon garlic and ginger paste
• 1/2 half of small tomato, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut, fresh if possible
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves
• A pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Finely shred the cabbage as Pushpa shows below.
2. Add 4 tablespoons of oil to a medium pan and heat. We use sunflower oil when cooking Indian food.
3. Add the jeera (or cumin) seeds, 3 curry leaves, and saute for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the onion, garlic and ginger paste, and saute for 5 minutes.
5. Add the 1/2 chopped tomato, chilies, and saute for 10 minutes.
6. Add the turmeric powder and saute for 2 minutes. We now have what is called a masala in Indian culinary vocabulary. A photo of the masala is shown below.
7. Now, add the cabbage and a pinch of salt to the masala. Mix the cabbage and masala together over medium heat with a spoon.
8. Add 1/2 of the total amount of freshly chopped coriander and saute for 5 minutes more.
9. Remove from heat and place in serving dish.
10. Add the remaining freshly chopped coriander and shredded coconut as garnish to the dish.

Chicken Masala (Do not expect what you get at Priya, and 10 times more fresh tasting!)

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 tomatoes, boiled whole to remove the skin
• 6-7 curry leaves
• 3 green chilies
• 2 medium red onions, grated
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon of garlic and ginger paste
• 1 tablespoon jeera, or cumin, seeds
• 1/4 fresh coconut, sliced
• 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 kilogram (1 pound) chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/4 cup coriander powder
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped coriander leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon, rounded, garam masala

Directions:

1. Heat 1/3 cup oil in a medium sized pan over medium heat.
2. Add 3 1/2 whole tomatoes to boiling water, reduce heat to low and simmer, until skin shrivels and will peel easily from flesh.
3. In blender, puree 1 cup of water, 1 tablespoon jeera seeds, sliced coconut, 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder, 2-3 curry leaves, and 3 green chilies. Keep blender going until noted a few steps below.
4. Break 1 cinnamon stick into small pieces and saute in oil for 1-2 minutes.
5. Add the grated onion and saute for 5 minutes.
6. Add 1 tablespoon of garlic and ginger paste, 4-5 curry leaves, and saute for a few minutes.
7. Now, stop the blender. Add the mixture from the blender to the masala and cook for 20 minutes.
8. Remove tomatoes from water and peel the skin from the flesh.
9. Place tomatoes in blender. Puree the tomatoes, and then add them to the masala.
10. Add the chicken to the masala and cook for 5 minutes.
11. In a bowl, combine 1/4-1/2 turmeric powder, 1/4 cup ground coriander powder, 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, and 1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves. After the chicken has cooked for 5-7 minutes, add this mixture to the masala.
12. Simmer for 20 minutes.
13. Add a rounded 1/2 tablespoon of garam masala to the chicken mixture and saute for 2 minutes, then serve.

Chapati

Ingredients:

• 1 cup atta (whole wheat flour)
• water
• oil

Directions:

1. Slowly add water to the atta in a mixing bowl.
2. Knead flour and water into a ball. Add more water and atta if needed.
3. Drizzle 1/2 cap oil into dough and knead a little more.
4. Pinch off a small ball of the dough.
5. Flour rolling pin and board.
6. Roll dough from center outward toward the edge of the rolling board.
7. Keep moving the dough to obtain a round circle.
8. Drizzle a little oil onto a pan.
9. Place dough in the pan and keep turning to prevent chapati from burning.
10. When browned, the chapati is done.
11. Repeat until you have made enough chapati. This recipe will make about 15 chapati.

After we finished making chapati, Pushpa decided to make Lily a baby chapati. Lily loves chapati. Apparently, chapati and milk are the staples to an Indian dogs diet. Here Lily is after her chapati very content with herself, though she was extremely naughty this morning.


Next week, we will make chana ki daal (lentil stew) and mushroom masala.