Very subtly different from the Biryani is a Pilaf/Pulao. While Biryani is a rich, exotic delicacy created & served with a regal fervor; redolent with beautiful spices & packed the wonderful & unforgettable flavors, lip smacking goodness & heart warming memories – the Pilaf/Pulao is a more simple version of this royal dish.
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A lot of my recent posts have been bookmarked recipes, or the posts I have been using from the draft. With this heat, I have to reduce my time in front of the stove, doing a lot of salads, fresh fruits & quick grilling of fish or chicken. This is one nice recipe to use the seasonal veggies or may be to clean up the refrigerator, before you make your next grocery trip.
Some added nuts & raisins/craisins crushed into a coarse powder, transforms vegetables from boring to delightful. An uncomplicated & adaptable recipe, this allows you to use any vegetable in any combination you want. Do not groan hearing vegetables… for this is a real lovely way to enjoy them. A teensy bit sweet, a lot spicy & the slight tang, along with the aromatic spices turns them into a delectable side dish.
We have a very dear friend who has helped me invigorate my kitchen with a very steady supply of Rosemary. He owns two big bushes, & all I have to do is call him to get a bagful of fresh Rosemary. Who can resist cooking with fresh herbs as aromatic as Rosemary?
Having been not feeling so good for the past few days, I was yearning for some change of taste for my tasteless sensation in my mouth. That’s what flu does to you – steals your energy, enthusiam & the sensation of the taste buds too. I did not want to even look at anything overcooked, or too spicy. Something different (as if some else cooked for me, you know how everything tastes better when you don’t cook), light & warm yet healthy is exactly what I needed & exactly what I got.
Au Gratin is a French Style of cooking where casseroles are topped with bread crumbs & butter, & are allowed to brown under a broiler to give a crunch. Sometimes cheese is sprinkled which melts & gets crispy under the broiler, but is not a requirement. “The etymology of gratin is from the French language in which the word “gratter” meaning to “to scrape” as of the “scrapings” of bread or cheese, and gratiné, from the transitive verb form of the word for crust” (WIKI). Au Gratins are baked/broiled in the oven & then served in a (usually Oval) baking dish. I did not use an Au Gratin dish as you can see… my dish is as square as it can be. So I really do not know if it would have tasted any different in an Oval Au Gratin dish.
Last week I was at the bookstore, just browsing & I came across this Book called “Fresh Moroccan” by Nada Saleh. I immediately got drawn to the beautiful picture of a heap of Saffron on the cover of the book. I started looking through it, & my heart refused to come back home without the book. So I listened to my heart & bought it home…Having cooked Moroccan food before, I knew I was not going regret buying this. It is a wonderful book – full of colors of the food & culture, with equally colorful, healthy & easy to cook recipes.
Remember all the groans & whines we came up with when we were forced to eat Karela/Bitter Melons when we were little? I have heard only of a handful of kids who eat this bitter vegetable without pulling a long sad face. I have found some ways (like this one), where the karela actually tastes not like karela. My kids (& my husband) do not whine when I make this stirfry. They Potatoes & the Karela are crispy, & has a nutty flavor.
Talking of Dum Aloo…There are some hundreds of ways to make Dum Aloo. In West Bengal it used to be a must dish served for weddings with “Radhaballavi” (lentil stuffed puri), and I loved the slight & subtle sweet taste of that kind of dum aloo.
Also during fall/winter time, when there would be small new baby potatoes, & the peas in the shell, my mom would make peas kachori and dum aloo with the bite size potatoes. It used to be an all evening activity when we would all sit and shell the peas and rub the potatoes to skin the already peeling skins.
The “Saas Bahu” combination is supposed to give the creeps:-D However my mom-in-law is one of the most wonderful people I have ever come across and I could not ask for more. Getting married when I just stepped in to my twenties… I thought and moved with caution, but immediatley she helped me get absorbed in to the family and more than all, amazed me with her exceptional cooking skills. Over the years I have learned a lot of what she cooks, especially the ones which are loved and craved by my hubby.
