Ever wondered what is the perfect distance for you to hold open a door for someone? Its a no-brainer if someone is right behind you - you obviously don't want to smash their noses. Now imagine someone is a bit far off, perhaps enjoying a chat with their friend on their way out from work and you hold open the door as a courtesy and they suddenly realize they need to rush towards the door, with their 3 different bags in tow, friend be damned. By the time they reach you, they are huffing and puffing and muttering thanks to you. Or NOT. And here you stand wondering puhleez...why cant that lady walk faster...I am not the doorman!! It happens to me practically everyday at work and some people are smart enough to say..."Go on" but most of the time, the door holder aka me and the "holdee" are grinning sheepishly at each other. I dont want people to think I am rude...Anybody else have this situation?
The dinner's made early for a change and I thought let me go post ...so came back from work, stood with the refrigerator door open with no particular intention, as I usually do, wondering what to cook today. There was some leftover rice enough for two. No leftover daal though...hmm..that might be a problem. Veggie tray had a raw mango and two capsicums. Voila! Raw Mango Rice (aka Mamidikaya Pulihora) & Capsicum Besan (Gram Flour) curry. Weird combo, some might say. There is no particular reason why I paired these two things together.. just didnt have anything else left in the fridge :)
So, hubby is a huge fan of chaldi annam (leftover cold cooked rice) be it tamarind rice, lemon rice or raw mango rice and did I mention huge fan? Turns out its pretty easy to please hubby. This type of rice preparation is the perfect solution for leftovers and is really quick & easy to make. The Capsicum besan was something my mom used to make - its super easy and tastes great with roti.
The recipes are suitable for 2 servings...please adjust accordingly for more. For the curry, you will need:
2-3 medium sized capsicums/green bell peppers, chopped medium
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Besan (Gram Flour)...I use 1-2 tbsp for each capsicum as a rule of thumb
1/2 tsp Jeera (Cumin Seeds)
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder (optional/adjust to liking)
1-2 tsp Dhaniya (Coriander) powder
Salt, to taste
1-2 tbsp Oil, for cooking
Heat oil in a Kadhai (Indian wok)/skillet. Add cumin seeds till they sizzle and start turning brown. Add onions and saute till golden brown. Add the capsicum, salt & turmeric powder and cover to cook. Make sure you reduce the heat to medium. Once covered, capsicum will release its water. If you think its getting dry and may burn, add a little water. Keep checking & stirring intermittently. In about 7-10 mins (adjust based on your cooking range times), the capsicum should be fully cooked. Check by pressing a piece on a ladle - it should feel soft but not mushy. Now we are ready to add the other ingredients! Add the red chilli & dhaniya powders. These should always be added at the end when your main vegetable is cooked as the powders may burn & impart a bitter taste to the dish. Fry for a minute. Now add the besan and let it coat the veggie surface evenly. Add a little bit of oil if you want and let the besan cook for 2-3 mins on low heat till it turns golden brown. Check for salt and the curry is ready to serve! Tastes great with roti.
For the rice, you will need:
1 cup of raw rice, cooked
1 raw mango, medium to large. Peel & grate.
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
7-8 curry leaves
1-2 green chillies, slit/finely chopped (optional)
1 inch piece ginger, finely chopped (optional)
2-3 tbsp roasted peanuts
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
A pinch of asafoetida
Salt, to taste
1-2 tbsp Oil, for cooking
Prep the rice. This is the most important step. If you cooked the rice just before preparing pulihora, make sure you spread the rice to cool so that each grain is separate. Add salt, mix evenly taking care not to break the rice grains. A trick that I picked up from my MIL is if you are in a hurry, cook the rice alongwith the salt & turmeric powder. If using left over rice, I usually microwave the rice by sprinkling water on the rice and keeping a wet paper towel on top - makes it perfect every time!
Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add mustard seeds. Once they pop, add urad dal. Once reddish brown, add curry leaves, green chillies & ginger. Fry for about 30 seconds and then add roasted peanuts. If cooking for leftover rice, add the turmeric powder now and let the peanuts fry for another 30 seconds. Add the asafoetida. Once it gives off a nutty butter like smell, add the grated raw mango. Cover & cook for 2-3 minutes till it changes color. It shouldn't be raw but at the same time should not be overcooked which makes it mushy. Shut the heat off and you are ready to add this mixture to the cooked/leftover rice. Now it all comes down to the mixing....my MIL suggests to mix it with love...trust me, it really does works wonders! :) Let it stand for 5-10 minutes and then dive in. Any type of leftover rice always tastes better the next day so you can prep a day in advance. One thing I have noticed in the raw mangoes here in US are they are not as tart as the ones we get back in India and are always on the sweeter side. To add that kick, I usually add a bit of lemon juice to the rice and that works pretty well too. For lemon rice, follow the exact same steps without the raw mango. Always add the lemon juice to the rice and not to the hot mixture as heat makes juice bitter.
Ah for the simple pleasures of life!!
When it comes to shopping, I subscribe to every one of the clichés and stereotypes. I do not like it at all. It is not that I am against buying stuff - by all means, buy. Spending money of stuff seems to be a pretty logically conclusion for all the time spent at work. But shopping is not buying.
I know, you know all this. But what precisely in the process of shopping made it so unbearable. It couldn't just be the lack of a purchase. I decided to investigate, and by careful measurements of my blood pressure during the many shopping trips devised by the significant other, I believe I have the answer - the twin syndromes of KICS & TOSS.
K.I.C.S - Kid in Candy Store Syndrome. This is the first reason I dislike shopping trips organized by the significant other. Shopping tends to be disorganized, random, driven by an effusion of emotive exclamations. "Ooh look at that, isn't that nice?" "Oh my God, who would ever buy that?". In other words, like a kid in a candy store.
Shopping, unlike buying, brings out the kid in the significant other. Any semblance of a plan disappears as soon as the we take the first breath of industrial controlled air. Instead we seem follow the rough path taken by a bee as it searches for honey. And in place of the sweet nectar, we seem to be searching for, well, nothing. Sometimes it is a bright color, other times it is a sale tag. A bee has a better chance of finding blooming flower in the dead of winter, than our shopping party of finding a buy. Everything looks great, and nothing worth buying.
Now imagine we find something that looks good and is worth buying. The shopping trip shows a budding promise of turning into a successful buying trip. That is when the second syndrome kicks in.
TOSS - The Other Store Syndrome. The S.O. is convinced that the same items is available, cheaper or better quality or both in another store.
Before we know it we are shuttling back and forth between stores. The TOSS syndrome has successfully taken over, standing firmly between shopping and buying.
There was a time when shopping was synonyms with buying. Not today. In the age of infinite choice, the twin syndromes of KICS and TOSS conspire to keep any shopping trip from turning into a successful buying trip.