Foodgasms, Razors and Cracked Eggs...

Saturday is never a lazy affair, at least not for me. I am usually awake by 7AM at the latest. Today however, I allowed myself the luxury of getting an extra hour of shut-eye. Saturday mornings are reserved for leisurely strolls through Wholefoods for the weeks groceries. In that store, I am rarely ever in a rush. There is something distinctly refreshing about strolling through mounds of fresh organic and/or locally sourced fruits and veggies. I let my mind wander as I stare mouth-agape at the silvery King Mackerels, plump shrimp and little-neck clams. Someday I fear, I will be offered a mop to clean-up the drool I leave on the freshly-scrubbed floors while dreaming about what I could do with that raw, stout, almost pulsating-with-life, lamb shank... Suffice it to say I experience multiple "Foodgasms" in that store!

The Parenting 101 lesson for today was that nothing you believe to be yours is truly yours, until your kids leave the nest. I thought it was safe to leave my razor in MY bathroom by MY bathtub. Well, it so happens that Samaira decided it was great idea to try it out on her face. This is AFTER, me having explained to her and her sister, over and over again, how dangerous a razor can be. Luckily hubby was around and took it away from her in the nick of time. She did end up nicking her lip a bit. It was pretty bloody by the time I rushed in to bathroom with a pinch of turmeric in my hand. Yes, I said TURMERIC, as in the yellow spice used in Indian cooking. Its an age-old trick. Turmeric is an antiseptic and coagulant. It is great on small nicks and cuts.

I was all set on making Rajma (Red Kidney Beans) for dinner, but decided to use up the dozen or so organic brown eggs that were closing in on their "use by" date. Dinner today was egg curry. It is such a simple yet versatile dish. You can make the curry ahead of time and freeze for later use. Just add some boiled eggs. For a twist on the taste, you can add curry leaves and coconut milk. Just increase the amount of chili powder and garam masala by a tsp each (more if you like you curry hotter).

Egg curry is an universal favorite in our house. The dogs go starry eyed too, waiting for that special treat they know is coming their way, when they hear me crack hard-boiled eggs.. I always boil extra eggs when I make this curry, just for Yohan and Zaara.

Egg Curry

Serves: 4-6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:

9-10 hard-boiled eggs- Shelled and diced

One large Onion: diced thin

2 large Tomatoes: diced

1/2 cup frozen Peas (optional)

1tsp Ginger-Garlic paste

2 tbsps Cilantro: chopped

1tsp Mint: chopped (optional)

2 Bay Leaves

1 tsp Chili Powder

1 tsp Cumin Powder

2-3 tsp Garam Masala Powder

1/4 teaspoon Turmeric

1 tsp Salt

1 tbsp Canola Oil

3-4 Curry Leaves (optional)- also known as Kadipatta. Find it at your neighborhood Indian or Pakistani grocers.

1/2 cup Coconut Milk (optional)

Heat up the oil. Add the Curry Leaves/Bay Leaves when the oil is hot enough. Do not let burn. Add the diced onion and saute until softened (about 5 minutes on medium heat).

When the onions start to brown, add the ginger-garlic paste. Stir for a minute and add the diced tomatoes. Cover and cook until tomatoes start to soften. Then add the chili powder, garam masala, turmeric, cumin powder and salt. Cover and cook for 10 minutes until the tomatoes start sweating. If you want a smoother gravy, puree the onion and tomato mix (bay leaved and all) in a processor. I love my Magic Bullet for such activities. It is quick and easy to use and clean.

Note: If you plan to make the gravy ahead of time for future use, STOP HERE. Freeze the gravy. It should last in the freezer for about 2-3 weeks. When you are ready to serve, thaw, add eggs and cilantro and simmer for a few minutes on medium heat before serving.

Pour the blended mix back in to the pot. Add the peas. Cover and simmer until peas are tender. In the meanwhile, shell and chop the hard boiled eggs.

Add the chopped eggs to the pot along with half of the cilantro.

Cover and let simmer couple minutes.

Note: If you would like to add coconut milk, add at this stage. Simmer for 7-10 minutes on medium heat to allow the spices to blend with the coconut milk. For the quantity mentioned in this recipe, you would need about 1/2 cup of coconut milk.

Take off heat, garnish with the cilantro and mint and serve with Roti or Rice. You can also squeeze half a lemon on top for an extra zing. 

Parenting 101:You can hope for the best, but hope is a fickle friend.

8:05AM

Two sick kids are no fun, especially if one of them keeps ranting that you "hurt her feelings" for asking her to rest. Samaira woke up this morning with the same complaints that Soha had on Tuesday night; burning eyes and a headache. This time, I knew the diagnosis. I gave her some Motrin and told her to stay in bed. Deep breathes. This too shall pass!

I logged in to the blog this morning to find I have two followers. Before I can say YIPEE, its (only) Hubby and Sis. I deeply value your opinion guys but this does not protect you from any digs I may want to take at you.

Back to the day job.

Dinner is served...

7:35PM

It was 11:30AM by the time we were done with Soha's doctor visit. I was hungry enough to eat a whole cow (although I would never eat a cow. I am a Hindu. My mom would do jumping jacks in heaven with sheer frustration if I ever sink my teeth in to a juicy steak. God bless her soul. I love her and miss her everyday but I DO NOT want her haunting me.). We went to one of my favorite places, "PF Changs". I came out feeling less than satisfied. Is Sichuan (or is it Szechuan) Shrimp supposed to taste sweet? I dont know. I do know that my taste buds were yearning for "heat" after that meal.

Dinner in this household is almost always an impromptu affair. I have tried meal planning before without much success. I hate schedules way too much. I find them boring. Where's the fun in knowing you need 2 onions and 3 tomatoes for lunch tomorrow? I like the challenge of tweaking recipes. There is a different sort of exhilaration in pulling Tuna from the freezer only to find out that we used up all our Cilantro for the Chicken I made on Monday (Yum!!! Tongue Tingling Memories!!!) and still going ahead with Tuna Stir-Fry. It kinda makes me feel like George Constanza's dad, "If I spice it just enough... " . But I can assure you the outcome is far tastier than anything Frank Costanza may have ever cooked and certainly not poisonous.

I did learn a few things from blogging this recipe. I am not a good food photographer and I must buy better serving ware if I am to keep updating this blog.

Tuna Stir Fry

Serves: 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:
4 large Tuna Steaks cubed in 1 inch pieces OR a large family pack of water-packed Tuna
1 medium onion: Diced as thin as possible
2 cups chopped tomatoes (I use Roma or Vine Ripened Tomatoes because they both make a mean sauce)
1tbsp ginger-garlic paste (equal quantities of ginger and garlic ground to a fine paste. I usually make a cup every weekend to use throughout the week. It keeps in the freeze for upto 2 weeks in an air tight container.)
1/4tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Chili Powder or 1-2 Green Chili (chopped fine)
1tsp Garam Masala Powder (Mine is a family recipe but store brought kind works just as well. Ofcourse different types of Garam Masala can alter the taste based on the dominant spice)
Oil Spray or 1tbsp Olive or Canola Oil
Salt to taste
2 tbsp cilantro for garnish

Marinate the cubed Tuna with about 1tsp of the Ginger Garlic paste.Water-Packed Tuna does not need marinating.

In the meanwhile, heat up a thick bottomed pot. Add the oil. When the oil is hot enough add the diced onion (to test the temperature add a bit of onion. It should sizzle but not burn). If you add the onions when the oil is not hot enough, the dish will have an oily after taste. Saute the onions for 5-6 minutes on medium heat until softened, but not browned (and certainly not burnt). If adding Green Chillies instead of red Chili Powder, add them now. Add the rest of the Ginger Garlic paste.

Saute for a minute and add the diced tomatoes, chili powder, garam masala, turmeric and salt. Cover the pot. Cook for aout 10 minutes. Tomatoes should have completely cooked with a bit of moisture starting to separate from the onion-tomato mix.

Add the Tuna. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Garnish with Cilantro.

Since I did not have Cilantro today, I sprinkled some dry Parsley flakes for the effect. I used Olive oil but you can trim the fat by using oil spray. Just make sure you dont burn the onions while frying. My mom use to make this dish with an ocean fish called Pomfret. Instead of tomatoes, she would use a fruit called Kokam as a sour. More on that later.

You can serve with Rice or Roti or Nan. I use the leftovers to make a sandwich with regular sourdough. Today I served it with Rice and Yellow Split Moong Dal.

One sick child and Tuna fish stir-fry

Soha came back home yesterday from school complaining about a headache and burning eyes. I should have known at the time that I would be eating Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake (YUM!!!) at 10PM that night to mourn another nights sleep lost on the altar of parenthood. The poor child was burning up by 8PM and coughing away like a cat with a hairball. 1tsp of Tylenol later she seemed to settle down a bit.

I guess all sorts of viruses must come out to party at night, because by mid-night she was burning up again. 102.5 is not a good number when it flashes up on a children's thermometer. Hubby and I took turns sleeping with her on the sofa outside because Samaira- her twin sister- had laid claim to the sprawling master bedroom bed. She wanted in on the "excitement" even displaying a pretend cough to get a taste of grape flavored Tylenol. We had to keep them separated. Parenting 101: Handling two sick children at the same time is no fun, having experienced it before.

It was a rushed call to the Peds office today morning for a same day appointment. The lovely doctor was exceptionally good with my apprehensive daughter (The stinging memory of the chicken pox vaccine she received only a few weeks ago, is still fresh in Soha's mind). I hesitatingly told the doctor that I had given Soha a teaspoon of honey to soothe her throat. I have been burned before when medical professionals have given me the stink eye for using home remedies. Delightfully, the doctor shared with us that honey, specifically Buckewheat Honey has been proven to be at least as much, if not more effective than your off-the-counter cold and cough medication. My ancestors have known that for generations. I am glad, modern medicine agrees.

Turns out it may be only a cold... No pneumonia and certainly no strep throat. She got to spend the day at home with me. I took the day off and she and I slept the afternoon away. Come 5PM, dinner duty calls. We are making Tuna Fish Stir Fry, Split Moong Bean Dal and plain rice. Easy to make and the Moong Bean Dal will be a hearty yet light to digest option for Soha. Will post recipes and pictures shortly.