Gallo Pinto Rice

The biggest fear that I have while I travel is food. We had gone on a vacation to Costarica last December. The most eco - friendly country of the world did not disappoint me at all in terms of food given the fact as to how choosy I am with food. Gallo Pinto rice is served during breakfast and dinner throughout Costarica.
Since it was an adventurous trip with canopies, tarzan jump, river rafting and hiking, I gobbled up as much as I can during the breakfast and it gave me the necessary energy to stay fit till my next meal.
Anything other than bread is good for me!!

Ingredients
Fine grain rice - cooked 1 cup
Black beans - soaked and cooked - 1/2 cup
Green chilly or Jalapeño chilly (finely chopped) - 1 or two nos.
Tomato - 1 finely chopped
Oil - 1 tbsp
Onion  -  1 cup finely chopped optional
Garlic - a few pods
Cilantro - to garnish

Method

• Heat a pan with oil, add the onion, garlic and saute for a while
• Add the chillies and tomato and saute well.
• Add the beans with water and add the cooked rice and give it a stir
• The rice will get a beautiful coating of brown from the beans 
• Add salt, Garnish with cilantro and serve with lime

Enjoy!!!

Wheat Pongal

That was a great Holy Week vacation!!!  We are back from our vacation to the USA. I enjoyed the trip but didn't bother to take in many pictures since I wanted to soak myself completely in the beautiful nature and the new places that I got an opportunity to visit. The majestic Grand Canyon, the Death Valley, the beautiful Secoya Park, Californian Oranges and Vineyards - Nature is amazing. I marveled at the beauty of the man made wonders at the Hoover Dam, Golden Gate bridges and many other bridges at the Bay Area. I felt sad seeing the drought alert boards all through the state. I became ecstatic watching the mountains and the sunsets on three consecutive days that we travelled west. Yes we watched three sunsets on three different days while driving west. The medley of the colors from red to orange, to pink to pale pink dancing duets with the ever changing colors of the blue sky is a sight to die for.  I only wish we had more time to walk around rather than sit in the car most of the time of our packed journey covering the length and breadth of beautiful California.

My mind was playing its games that I had different moods at different times. While zipping through the streets and walking in the malls of California my mind longed for the tranquility of Guatemala's quiet evenings, I missed the smiling faces of the Chapins who are silent and polite even at restaurants that they talk with the inner voice. But while my vacation came to an end, I longed to stay for more time  to eat the good Indian food in the many Indian restaurants all over the US of A that I miss visiting here, to visit the temples and carefree attitude life over there.

Saffron's Biryani, Madras Cafe's Kushboo idlis ( I haven't seen such softer idlies even in Chennai, wonder how they ferment the batter in cold weather), Isckon's Govinda Meals, the dingy Udupi Palace's full meals and the masala dosas that served two a plate, Dal Bhat at a Nepalese restaurant, Eight Elements's spiciest Mirchi Bajji , the Mexican Chipootle Bowl - Wonder how the Indians are running system so well there.  I will miss all of them till I get to India or US next.

I made this quick and tasty Wheat Pongal for breakfast.
A very easy to make dish.

Ingredients 

Broken Whole Wheat - 2 cups

Moon Dal  - 1 cup

Jeera - 2 tsp

Pepper - 2 tsp

Salt to tast

Method

• Roast the moons dal to golden brown
• Add 6 cups of water to the moong dal and rice and pressure cook for four whistles
• Roast the pepper and jeera in 2 tbsp of ghee and it to the cooked pongal
• Add Salt and curry leaves 
• Enjoy with Sambar, Chutney or Gothsu

Tindora Rice

I miss 'Kovakkai' in Guatemala, but I get it sometimes from Mrs. Patel who has been living here since 35 + years and owns a farm near Coban.
The vegetable is so fresh and tender, I loved making Tindora rice and we enjoyed a simple lunch with Rice Vadams.

Ingredients:

Tindora sliced thin - 2 cups
Peanuts - 2 tbsp
Curry leaves - a few
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Bengal gram dal - 1 tbsp
Red chillies - 4 or 5 to grind and 2 to season
Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
Mustard 1 tsp , urad dal 1 tsp - to season
Oil - to season
Salt to taste
Cooked rice - 3 cups

Method

• Fry coriander seeds, redchillies and bengal gram dhal and coconut till golden brown and make a fine powder out of it.
• Fry the Tindoras in little oil till crisp and keep aside.
• Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan and allow mustard, urad dal, peanuts and 2 red chillies to splutter 
• Add the tindoras and the ground powder and ad curry leaves. Saute a little  and switch off the flame.
• Add the cooked rice and mix well with salt.
• Serve with rice vadam or papad.

Enjoy!!!