Category Archives: food

food, Oondhiyu, orgasmic, Undiyu

Undhiyu -Oondhiyu

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Finally the way to people even readers minds, memory, hearts i don’t want…is through their stomachs…looks like & i have resolved to make my blog worth a read. Considering the whole world is writing, despite loads written on all of this…so what…me too…

WInter time is good for delicious food acutally wc month & time isn’t…i think food rules stomachs & people’s lives. So come winter i will begin with the favourite Gujju dish -Oondhiyu.

This is a fantastic concoction of number of vegetables
Suran – white yam
Kanda – Purple yam
Ratala – sweet potato
small potatoes – these are modern additions…better than me giving you details of how small you should chop them
Surit Papdi – beans
peas
most avoidable veggie -Brinjal – my oondhiyu doens’t have this…you want u can add
Rajali keli – Rajali variety of Bananas semi raw
lentils – spring onions and its greens

Ingredients

100 gms surti papdi, stringed, whole
100 gms chopped raw bananas, unpeeled
100 gms yam (suran) cubes, peeled
100 gms purple yam
100 gms small baby potatoes
100 gms sweet potato
100 gms small sized brinjals (baingan / eggplant), slit

4 to 5 green chillies, crushed
1 tsp grated ginger (adrak)
1/2 tsp crushed garlic (lehsun)
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania) leaves
1 tsp whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta)
4 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp asafoetida -hing
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp ajwain)
salt to taste
1/2 tbsp sugar
lemon juice to taste or even tamarind paste….little
For methi ghatta:
100 gms finely chopped fenugreek (methi) leaves
1/2 cup besan (Bengal gram flour)
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp grated coconut
salt to taste
1 tbsp oil

Method

Form a paste of chilli, ginger, garlic, coriander,
Rub the chunky veggies with oil and masala paste.
Marinate for 30minutes.
Heat oil used for frying ghattas to proceed.
Add all the chunky vegetables, stir well.
Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Add papdi, turmeric, flour, ajwain and salt.
Cover and cook on low till the yam is almost done.
Add coriander, lemon, and sprinkle some water if required.
Add sugar, stir

for ghatas
Mix all ingredients, make stiff dough make small roundish oval shaped muthiyas.
keep oil to heat on slow flame…check by dropping the dough, if it comes up isntantly the oil is hot enough…else wait…deep fry till red coloured…
pdrain oil and mix in the Undhiyu

now for the health conscious avoid too much oil…else ensure there is decent amount…i won’t suggest it.

I would also suggest don’t go by this amount…sometimes you may or may not get some veggies…the paste is very important…that also don’t make it wet. roast is in a frying pan…coconut, coriander the masala..put some goda masala -maharashtrians know of it…it adds to the flavour. Avoid sugar…put some jaggery instead…don’t make it spicy…the flavour of vegetables are sooo delicious, you don’t need spicy…eat it with hot fulkas dripping with ghee, parathas or even hot boiling rice…

khamang….my mouth is already watering…its like your urge to eat should match the orgasmic feeling…

care, chaha, chai, food, meal, ND, SK, warmth

Nurturing friends

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I’ve only read about florence Nightingale…today i can proudly say i know two of such. Well I’m not one to hug & bring tears to my eyes, get emotional…But i’d like to tell the world I’m proud to have 2 female friends who saw me through my worst phase pf 2 days. The 2 days of 103 & 104 degrees temp fever made me realise how my life will be in my old age if i don’t have anyone.

The day i spoke to my firned ND & told her i’ve left the pathological lab which refused to take my blood sample, i had no idea i was already having 103 deg fever. I knew i was thoroughly unwell, because i was shiering like someone who was given an electric shock. I’d not shaken like this even in Gulmargh when i went one December!

SHe felt listening to my voice that i really must be bad. I’d taken a quilt & was lying down on the sofa when i spoke to ND. SHe had a gut feeling something was wrong & smsd saying she’s coming…i was in touch wt her & my family doc. ASked ND to go straight to doc’s house while it was raining…ND came home & tucked me away while she lay down reading…we waited for the people fm the lab to come to take my blood samples. ND was keeping track of everything we called the lab, doc & she went to the lab for the report & then to the chemist. Meanwhile she called SK another darling frnd…they came for dinner…the 2 kept a watch on me..while putting ice packs in between, making me dirnk lots of water & took over the running of the kitchen, looking after me…they were god sent.

Ofcourse our debates, arguments & friendly fights or taunts continued…that’s the fun of our friendship. by the time we slept it was late…then they kept putting ice packs…by midnight i heard SK in deep sleep, by then i was covered by a shawl, under a quilt & went into the kitchen with immense shivers. At one point i didn’t know what was happening. Ofcourse as usual i got up to go to the loo few times with the amount of liquids i was drinking.

Between 12.00-4.00 i waited & eventually woke up SK. Poor thing she brought the ice pack & then neeta…we slept on for a while the domestic help & eventually the cook came. I knew SK was looking tensed…ND showed nothing but i can understand. ND told me later she had panicked seeing my body colour that morning. I was completely red in colour. All I knew is that my head ached & felt the brain would splinter in million pieces..i feared cerebral malaria. You never know…

We waited till 8.0am when ND called the doc. I was irritated. I’d never experienced such splitting headaches before in my life. She threatened me & said 2nd dose of Malaria pill & i have to show some improvement else i’d be sent to the hospital. ND & SK asked me…i said NO way had i got any money, it would take time before i was receive money fm DNA. AS for hospital no way. ND kept saying “you have to mentally toughen yopurself…else we can explore having a nurse over..” both options were a BIG NO No for me…meanwhile the leaking was on….Then i agreed with ND’s plans of going to her house. SK too offered, but i knew ND’s family was there…except i didn’t watnt to add more to the crowd there…

Our other friend DD sent us a car. Hers this one decision really motivated me to pack completely & mentally prepare myself to stay away for 7 days. It was the first time i wld be staying at any friend’s house for so long. We went to the doc, her daughter my abso sweetheart who i’ve held as a baby now studying medicine was there to help her mother in the OPD. My headaches had reduced temp was far less & then doc said if i drink 4 litres at least, eat & rest well i’d be set for mond following week.

Hats off to ND & her old mother…believe me that stay was like a holiday. Sund-mond were still not good. Tues afternoon she put ice pack till then i had temp. Everyday altaf wld call & something new i’d learn abt malaria..ND was by my side. SHe even postponed her social activities..tho i thought she shld’ve gone..i was to rest.

This lady is care personified. ND. Every night & morn she would boil water & ensure i drank 4 litres without fail. She would see the clock & give me nachni porridge wt fruits, food every 2 hrs. She’d check on me & I’m sure i must’ve stretched her patience, endurance, time line, gen space…but she was truly fantastic healer…my only best wishes are for her always…she deserves all happiness & success…she has taken such care i told her she can take over the kitchen in ourold age & i will tend to the gardening 🙂 haha…

Her aai was abso great company. She saw me & was like “What will happen to us if u fall ill..” every afternoon we both wld have our chaha….i really enjoyed having tea with her. ND’s sister too…despite all her famiy responsibilities…other chores she wld ask, plan & cook for ever meal something tasty & diff. They took real warm care of me…i really did NOT miss aai-baba…i mean the Deshpandes did everything to help me recuperate asap.

SK came for 2 days..when she saw i was ok gave some silly translations to do…then she disappeared only to learn she was bitten by a dog! She came to cheer me up in her style…after that i miss having chaai at & with the Deshpandes. I go when i can, like on narali pornima…may be i ain’t vocal but i know how these 2 friends have really helped me thru those 2 days…love them…they know that..ya Neeta style..still…i’m glad to have them as friends….

bazars, cool cabs, flea markets, food, fruits, luxuries, perfume, taxi, travel, vegetables

Some luxuries I willingly spend on

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I come from a family where the head, as in my father has always been devoted to public transport. I continue this tradition. It is getting harder you see. But ofcourse we in Girgaum –believe me it is still a village –gaum- more congested, more towers, more vehicles, more crowds, more noise & traffic. It is IMPOSSIBLE to get space to park a car, although I am getting tempted though my rational mind overtakes the temptation, thankfully.

I used to enjoy my driving lesson classes. I am mortified of driving on Mumbai’s streets. It is a trauma for those driving around the city, may be a gearless car I would have considered. However I have come to a conclusion for this one issue –I will spend on taxis, air condition buses and when I have more money cool cabs. This IS on my top priority for luxurious spending.

Actually on par with this is also massages. When I was for a short stint of nearly 4 months scholarship in Bangkok, I spent most of my money travelling to see new places, massages & good food. Ofcourse clean, non cream, non-Tiger balm and non-oily massages. Also definitely NOT non-veg massages. I have had the luck of getting massages even in the Himalayas. Everywhere I go I like to get the authentic massages. They are rejuvenating, reviving and really makes my skin soft. But yes there is one catch I take a massage at home on Saturdays after a hectic week & then have to get to work. I simply detest that. Because I get a lovely kick, I float after this massage for nearly half the day. The lovely oil, vigorous massage and hot water bath actually takes a person to seventh heaven, one is supposed to rest for a while. Here I go back into hectic activity.

Then I like to spend on is good food. Authentic food, value for money and obviously good. I don’t care much for the kind of place. As long as the food is of the best quality, really tasty, not oily not spicy & has other spices & flavours than just chilly, I relish it. I also am not much of a only rice-dal, person. I like variety, more vegetables I love more than other dishes, accompaniments.

I spend on fragrances – good oils, body shower gels, exfoliating creams, body creams & perfumes. Yes, I love them. I am clear that I need to smell & feel good. I need to invest a little in them & I do exactly that. May be this streak has come from my mother. She loves all this. Actually she loves to dress & wear real diamond & pearl jewellery. I am a total rebel. I do dress but not like her & not in such lavish sarees, with such expensive jewellery.

I love to go to vegetable and fruit markets. The open ones, where my eyes are satiated fully upon seeing dark green cabbages, red tomatoes, purple brinjals-well the only vegetable I do NOT eat. I hate it, but my father loves it. Like my father, I go to the open whole sale markets where all the vegetables you can see, feel & buy. I love the smells of coriander, garlics, spring onions, spinach.

I get completely turned on seeing jackfruits being cut, huge ones aligned along the road stall. Deep orange-yellow mangoes and it’s strong fragrance lingering in my lungs till I go far away from the market. Ofcourse I include the flea markets again open huge markets with all the wares laid out wc you can see, feel, bargain & buy.

Lastly, most important, I love to travel I invest money in some good holidays, because last few years I could afford it. I think more than storing wealth it is best to invest it in knowledge. Travel, I connote to world knowledge. I have become a better person, more enriched & more emancipated after travelling. I believe that I must work for my next holiday. And I do feel my life would dull, poor & uneducated if I didn’t travel.