The Most Belated '50 dishes of ISB vela life' Post

dish # 45

Hmm. After the 50th dish, I really lost steam (apt kitchen-y metaphor, huh?!), so this post was in the drafts for about 3 weeks I think. And now that I am in my wrap-up-loose-ends phase of these 2 blissful summer months of velagiri in ISB, this post is just another To Do on my list.

So here. This is how I get super show-offy and kill myself in the future, since I will pestered by all friend in Delhi to cook for them. Uh-huh. Ain't happening, ladies.

The dishes. Region-wise. My internet-sourced recipes have links, but most of them are from my recipebooks. Will be painstakingly typed and published only on personal request. So go ahead, choose a favourite, and grovel till I give it to you!

Another continent: South Indian dishes
1. Mango Puliserry: Sounds more like an esoteric police department in Italy, I know, but this perfect summer dish is actually from mallu land, and my favourite combination of sweet-spicy-tangy, made with semi-ripe mangoes.
2. Mango rice: Yummy tangy rice with grated raw mango.
3. Mango toor dal: self explanatory
4. Beetroot stir fry: the quintessential mallu side dish, if you ask me. The husband is mad about it. He sees beetroot at the supermarket and can’t stop stuffing his shopping bags.
5. Bhindi pachadi: Interesting way of eating cooked bhindi, like a bhindi raita.
6. Potato ishtoo: One of my alltime favourites, and terribly easy to prepare (just plonk everything in a big pot on sim). Only if the coconut milk comes in a can.
7. Sambaar: The perfect clean-the-fridge dish. Best way to get rid of all the vegetables and make them taste good together.
8. Rasam: I’m rather sucky at making this, and nowhere near my MIL’s recipe, but this is just my mostest favouritest soup in the world.
9. Tamarind curry: The dish created for me, inadvertently or not. Veggies/ onion cooked in tamarind paste. It’s got the smack that makes you wink on first bite.
10. Ashgourd curd curry: Really nice, subtle type curry with coconut milk and petha. Kerala special.
11. Stir-fried okra with sesame: Very ‘interesting’ type reaction evoker. Powdered sesame makes bhindi nice and nutty-smelling. Andhra dish.
12. Lemon rice: Just the best leftover rice makeover. I love it with lotsa peanuts. Husband avoids it like the plague.
13. Cabbage thoran: The day I learn how to cook it to perfection, I will paint a big sash saying ‘You Got it All, Bitch’ and wear it all the time.
14. Dal vada: My favourite, favourite vada, so rarely available (except in JNU). Pretty easy to prepare too, but not easy to get the frying right.
15. Rava upma & Chettinad style tomato chutney: Yummy-tummy brekkie option
16. Moru Kuzhambu with baingan: Like a gujarati kadhi with no sugar and veggies instead of pakodi. Lovely for summer lunch.
17. Beans poriyal: the best way to cook beans, and almost as quick as Maggi.
18. Plantain poriyal: Makes plantain taste like aloo, but yummy anyway.
19. Arbi poriyal: Nice and crispy, but not as great as my ex-cook Eeshwari’s ajwain arbi, which is one out of the two things she knows how to cook right.
20. Brinjal rasavangy: Baingan curry, simple and easy on the palate.
21. Bhindi with poppy seeds: Similar to the one with sesame.
22. Tomato and coconut soup: Very strange combo, like a diluted, heated tomato chutney. But tastes nice when you’re cold and hungry and in front of a tv.
23. Prawns stir fry with kudampuli: Awesome-shawsome juicy tangy. Kudampuli's a tamarind-like-tasting dried fruit, available in Kerala awnly.
24. Fish curry Kerala style: Quite nice and subtle, almost Bengali style taste, despite the coconut milk base and kudampuli for tang.
25. Kerala style Roast chicken: Brain-blowingly good stuff! Spice-marinated chicken, fried, tossed in browned sambar onions. What could be better?
26. Baghare baingan: Technically Hyderabadi, but hey, that's in the south okay. Peanuts and sesame and coconut and tamarind and spices and baingan. Wah wah wah wah!

Continental: (adj.) India-speak for any dish in the world that’s not desi
26. Bread pizza: From the days when Nirula's was the it place, and pizza bases were non-existent in our grocery stores. That's when my sis taught me how to make this alt pizza - on the stovetop! Of course, in Hyderabad, I do feel like I'm living in pre-pizza base days, so I know why lessons of childhood are so very essential.
27. Vanilla and mango panacotta: Got this recipe from Ritu Dalmia's Italian Khana, which is a greatgreatgreat book (buy now!), although its ingredients can cost you the moon. This recipe is show-offy and terribly easy - cooked cream with vanilla, sugar and gelatine, topped with mango puree. Yummyyyy.
28. Spicy arabiatta pasta: I have a tiny recipebook by one Tanny Baig, and this recipe is just perfect, with wine and vodka and other sinful things thrown in for good measure.
29. Turkish salad: My imitation of the gorgeous gorgeous salad in Cha Bar that I crave 24/7. Now if only I knew how to make feta cheese... (and get hold of a lactating goat to start with, hm..)
30. Watermelon, feta and olive salad: The Nigella recipe! It's the summer salad.
31. Grilled cheese and olive toast: Again from the Tanny whatever's recipebook. Frightfully easy. I just throw everything on the bread and zap it in the microwave till it looks ready to eat.
32. French toast: Now this Tanny lady has a luxe version of the boring french toast, with cream, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. And if you make it with brown bread, it's good enough to SELL.
33. Grilled fish with lemon butter: Easy-peasy, what did I know! Just remove all the fancy-schmancy ingredients (watercress, huh?), and do it in the microwave grill.
34. Prawns Pil Pil: Nice. Of course I wasn't gonna put my wine into this, so I made a sober version that wasnt bad at all.
35. Balsamic chicken: So tasty tasty. Again, from Tanny lady's book. One chicken stock cube, balsamic vinegar and flour is all it takes.


Maharashtrian
36. Poha
37. Sabudana khichdi: The most amazing one-pan microwave version from this blog, I got.


Poonjabi (aka Sanjeev Kapoor.com zindabad)
39. Chicken dahi-masale wala
40. Paneer butter masala
41. Khatte Meethe Baingan
42. Moong Dal with zeera-pyaaz tadka
43. Arhar dal with mustard seed-kari patta tadka
44. Hing Wale Aloo
45. Chhole

Yummy Yummy Bong Bong
46. Chholar dal
47. Potol Posto
48. Beguni
49. Chingri Malai curry: Delish!!!!
50. Aloo Gobhi bong style: Husband's favourite (he be Bengali by DNA, Mallu by circumstance).

Brekkie today

Just a teaser for my upcoming '50 dishes of ISB vela life' post: The pancake special I made today morning!! I'm not a big fan of pancakes but today I quite surprised myself. Finally! I am a radical freethinking scientist-warrior in the kitchen, having overthrown the tyranny of the recipebook and created my own concoctions and accompaniment combinations!




Clockwise from top: vanilla and chocolate chip pancake, orange marmalade pancake, chocolate pancake. Accompaniments: hot mango chutney, orange marmalade, mango and banana.


And since I know you're already grovelling for the recipe:

1. Put one teaspoon oil in a flat frying pan/ tawa. Heat on low, spread oil over the entire surface of the pan.
2. Meanwhile, take a cup of maida in a bowl. Add half teaspoon of baking powder.
3. Crack one egg into this.
4. Add two tablespoons of sugar, preferably powdere (but if you're feeling lazy, skip it).
5. Add one-inch knob of butter, preferably melted.
6. Add 1/2 to one cup of cold milk (I don't remember exactly how much i put), whisking everything with a fork to avoid lumps. You should get a thick pouring consistency, the kinds that very pulpy mango shake has.
7. Add vanilla essence, if you have some.
8. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of this mixture in the centre of the pan (it'll spread because of the butter in it). When bubbles appear on the edges, flip. After a minute, take off fire and put on plate. Top with honey/ fresh fruit chunks/ melted chocolate and dig in!


Now for the variations:
1. Chocolate chip pancake: Take a chocolate bar (I had only dairy milk), freeze it for about 10 minutes so that it is hard. With the wrapper on, pound it with something heavy (very cathartic), then open wrapper and take out chocolate chips. After pouring your basic pancake batter on the pan, just drop some of the chips into it. Flip and cook for a minute, take off the fire and gobble. (Tastes great with fresh mango topping, and according to husband, also with banana).


2. Orange marmalade pancake: In the basic batter, add a splash of orange juice, some extra maida to maintain consistency, and a small teaspoon of orange marmalade. Whisk madly. Make pancakes as normal. (Tastes fantastic with hot mango chutney or fresh mango topping).


3. Chocolate pancake: Simple! Just add a tablespoon of cocoa powder to the basic batter and make pancakes. I also added chocolate chips to one and it was quite nice. (Tastes awesome with orange marmalade topping).