Mixed Vegetable Curry

Quick Tortilla Chat

Whenever I get this irresistible urge to eat chat i make the Quick Tortilla Chat.
Simple ingredients to throw in and absolutely delicious.  Works great as a party starter where you just assemble the ingredients in a corner and guests will be more than happy to make their own according to their spice needs and you are out of your responsibility of serving them.

Ingredients :

Tortillas - 5 numbers
Boiled Garbanzo beans -  2 cups
Boiled and Cubed Potatoes - 2 cups
Green Chutney and Sweet Chutney
Chat Masala - 1/4 tsp
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt and Chilli powder to taste
Unsweetened Yogurt

Method ( to assemble one serving)

• Cut the tortillas into thin strips or rounds and deep fry them in hot oil and set aside 

• In a plate add a handful of  fried tortillas,boiled potatoes and garbanzo beans, add fried tortillas
•  Pour a ladle of yogurt on top and add the chutneys, salt, chat masala, cumin powder and chili powder. Garnish with cilantro
• Serve Immediately

Gujarathi Dhokla

Flowers in my garden

Rich Chocolate Fudgy Brownie

Brownies are of the three varieties, the cakey ones, almost cakey ones and the fudge ones.
To me a brownie must be fudgy. I made these brownies on a quiet, anti-social Sunday where just the four of us had a gourmet meal of Puris, Chats, Brownies and Ice Creams.

I would elaborate as to why I said anti - social.
Before moving here I have heard stories about uppity, attitude showing, thankless and opportunist Indians who live abroad.  I used to hear those stories and rub it off saying it happens only to a certain set of people and not all of them

While living in India we were not social animals. We felt so adequate with our own family, visiting parents and relatives and never felt the need to socialize outside.

But a couple of years here and Oh boy!!! what have I witnessed?  Needless to say I have come across all the above and much more.

My other Indian friends who live in different countries told me similar stories too.
I think there is so much distress because when we live so far away we start considering other Indian friends as our own and tend to become possessive and thats where the problem arises.

Guatemala is a quaint little country with about 100 Indians. All the Indians live in the city about a maximum of 5 kms distance within their homes. What do you expect?
Unity, attachment, party every week, help each other in times of need etc etc. But the opposite has happened and it is very unfortunate.

I think all of us when given the opportunity fall into politics. It is really a great art not to succumb to it. Some of the Indians here would ill-talk so much about a friend that you think there is something really messy between those two. But you see them the next day, all sweet-talk and false talk just to be in the good books of the other person. What I don't understand is if there is really a problem cooking between two persons, why can't they sort it out by asking directly to them rather than passing stories, ill-talking behind or secretly fuming within. In spirituality they say hesitation is the greatest sin.
If there is a problem why hesitate? Go ask.  I have lost a couple of friends by asking but it is rather better than dealing with a relationship with a lot of friction. We fight with our husbands, children, parents and we talk to them the next moment as if nothing has happened without friction, that is because we don't hesitate to ask and sort out the problem. Same must be done with friends too. Life will be a lot more easier.

The most creepy one I have come across so far is bragging about the number of years they have spent in a country. Sadly people who live in India never count the number of years they lived there but moment they step abroad they start to count and it becomes a status talk.  The other day at a party a lady came up to me and said 'You know what? I have completed (as if it is a degree from the IIM) two years in Guatemala.   (me thinks .. so what??)

Some of the Indians who land up newly here are very very social with you that you think they are the best people you have come across in your life.  Don't be too naive... They were just choosing their 'group'.

Some socialize with you suddenly like a rebound love only because they were rejected by some other group.

Some who take all the help from you to babysit their kids while they enjoy movies, drinks, parlors or work at office and are absolutely thankless. There were instances when they don't even call or message to say good bye when they leave the country.

Some who behave their best when they come to your place but behave different when part of a different group.

Some who are so insecure and always monitor about who is partying with who and sulk about why weren't they invited.

Some manipulators who do more bad to you than good. I recently came to know from a common friend that we were not invited for drinking parties because we had been branded as 'Non- alcoholics and old-fashioned' by some of our so called friends.

Some who network (secretly) at such a pace with everyone only to know what is happening with work permits, permanent resident status etc. but never for a truthful relationship.

Some who are friends with other Indians to get free car rides, sell medical bills to others (note: not only illegally procuring medical bills but also selling them)

Some who demand home cooked food, eat to the heart's content and go and ill-talk with other friends.

Some who don't have their own brains to search for house-help but use your maid only to gossip and get information about what is happening in your house. Indians are smart, they can learn any language faster to gossip.

Some who demand you to get food supplies and many other things from your India and USA trips but refuse to do the same for you.

Some who are neutral (believe me they are the worst, they simply nod their heads for anything and because of that nothing productive happens) or simply put it behave like slaves to retain a friend.

Some who borrow your things but never return them.

Some who even befriend you and your friends to hire them or pull them into their organizations.

Some who give only ideas but not do any work when we organize group festivals or parties.

Some who act funny as if they have forgotten their Indianness that you have to remind them to remove even footwear during religious functions.

Some who network with people only online just for a virtual celebrity stauts to get as many 'likes' or 'comments' in their social networking sites , but in reality they are so different.

Some who befriend  you to just tell on others.

I told you before that you get to rub shoulders with the Indian diplomat crowd. Some who think that they have attained a high social status just because they were invited to an exclusive embassy party or   have been invited to a diplomat's house dinner.

It pains me deeply to think why can't we all be friendly just for a relation and not with any hidden agenda. Finally after all the bitter experiences, the Indians are of two types here - one who socialize only with Indians and the others who avoid the other Indians as some serious plague. I haven't come to the stage of avoiding them like plague, for I  know that not everyone is the same. Being indifferent or ignoring them will not help me break my limitations.  The more close you work with such people you get a chance at least to change them by passing on the good vibes and blessing them.

I constantly remember my Guru's words to be truthful to everyone and continue to do the goodness irrespective of whether it comes back to you or not.


This brownie that I made, gave an affirmation that I indeed have magical hands. I just followed my own intuitive recipe and got the best brownies ever.

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 tin - condensed milk
1 tsp - baking soda
yogurt - 1/2 cup
melted butter - 1/2 cup
cocoa powder - 2 tbsp

Method

Mix all the above ingredients and bake at 350 F for 35 minutes or till you see a fudgy top.
When cool , cut pieces and serve with ice cream

Enjoy!!!!

Black Forest Gateau

I made this Black Forest Gateau for my husband's birthday last December.

This pictures does no justice to the cake at all.


Ingredients For the Chocolate Cake

3 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 cup sugar (make it 2 cups if you plan not to frost the cake)
6tbsp or 1/2 a cup of Hershey's cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
a pinch of salt
2 cups of hot water
3/4 up of vegetable oil
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Bake the cake with all the above ingredients at 350 F. I used two six inch tins to bake two cakes.

For the Frosting 
Cherry Compote - 3 tbsp
Whipped Cream 
Grated Chocolate 
Maraschino cherries


Once the cake is completely cooled, level them if needed.
Whip the cream till peaks appear adding one or two tbsp of icing sugar.
Cook the cherries in two tbsp of sugar and two tbsp of water until shiny.
Let it cool.

Assembling the cake

Spread the cherry compote on top of one of the chocolate cakes
Spread the whipped cream.
Place another chocolate cake on top and spread the whipped cream all around the cake.
Once neatly done, sprinkle the grated chocolate on all the sides of the cake.
Decorate the top of the cake with whipped cream and cherries and sprinkle some more grated chocolate.

Enjoy!!!

Potato Rolls

Its been more than three months since I visited this space.  Umpteen doctor visits neuro, ENT, general and dentists only to find out that I was using wrong power glasses which caused vertigo, dizziness and fatigue. A small issue blown out of proportion.  Finally changed my glasses and feel better now. Also I am on a serious diet to lose weight and updating the blog means cooking calorie laden food and getting trapped into serious diet accidents.

Had a long four day weekend, was going mad at home.  I really miss my school kids and can't wait to see them tomorrow.

This potato ball recipe I learnt from a dear friend Meenu Nair who is a Punjabi. She always cooks a storm for her dinner parties and her magical hands always turn out amazing goodies.

I suck big time at starters. I can plan an elaborate main course and desserts, but never plan ahead for starters. All I can make is some mean looking bajjis and pakodas especially when I have to host a big crowd and get way too stressed to plan the meal and lose out on starters.

Thanks Meenu for this amazing recipe again.

Ingredients :

Potatoes - boiled and mashed - 5 nos.
Bread Crumbs - 1 cup
Amchur powder - 1 tsp
Salt -  1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Cilantro leaves - chopped fine - 1 tsp
Oil to fry

Method

• Mix the mashed potatoes and the other ingredients well.
• Make small balls out of them 
• Fry to golden brown in hot oil

Serve with green chutney.

Enjoy!!!