meme: food for thought

i'm not a huge fan of the mumbai mirror but i reluctantly browse through it every morning, especially when i'm too rushed for time to read the serious papers. it comes free with our subscription to the times of india. the one section that i really enjoy though is the one on food. mumbai mirror's food section always serves up an interesting appetiser or two. and i love the "food for thought" column as told to priyanka pereira so i'm turning it into a meme that i'd like all of you to play. feel free to leave your answers in the comments section or post on your blog and give us the link in the comments.

-> the aroma that comes to mind when you are hungry
honestly, i don't smell anything when i'm really hungry but i crave a sweet cereal and full fat milk with a sliced banana. "lucky charms" was my favourite cereal in college when hunger pangs struck, often, at all odd hours when no cafeteria was open.

-> a snack you always carry with you
altoids. the strong burst of freshness takes my mind off food for a while.

-> the food you crave when you are depressed
fondue. or fettucine alfredo. there's something very comforting about a cheesy white sauce.

-> what's on your wish-list when you are happiest?
chips and salsa. nachos. tapas. chaat.

-> your most memorable meal?
a seven course dinner at graycliff restaurant in the bahamas.

-> a dish you have cooked for a loved one
wild mushroom risotto with black truffle oil.

-> a cuisine you have heard about, and are keen to sample?
ethiopian.

-> the most outrageous food you have come across?
a deep-fried mars bar!

-> your favourite from your mom's kitchen?
bizzibela.

your turn now!

spicy amla pickle

a fun way to add some vitamin c to your diet instead of gulping down yet another glass of oj is to make spicy amla pickle at home to eat with your daily rotis and parathas. yup, i know that pickles aren't the healthiest foods around but when you make pickle at home it's easy to control the amount of oil and salt.

fresh amlas (neem fruit) are easily available in the market this season. buy about ten, wash well and boil in water for about ten minutes. drain and allow to cool. cut into wedges and discard the seeds.

combine 2 tablespoons of mustard oil, 3 teaspoons of crushed fenugreek seeds (methi na kuria), 3 teaspoons of coarsely ground fennel seeds (saunf), 1 teaspoon nigella seeds (kalonji), 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida (hing), 3 teaspoons of chilli powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi) and 4 teaspoons of salt. mix well. add the amla pieces and toss well.

i like to bottle the pickle in a plastic jar that i washed and dried before hand. tarla dalal (whose recipe this is) suggests keeping the jar in the sun for three to four days and then stored for upto a month at room temperature or refrigerated upto six months.

i love the tanginess of the amlas. and this pickle has a lovely crunchy texture from the nigella seeds. it's not as spciy as the recipe name suggests so you can add even more chilli powder if you're looking to sear your tongue!

sunrise from kashid beach

i woke up at 6 a.m. on sunday morning to watch sunrise from kashid beach. it was the most tranquil experience that i have had in a long time. 3k of pristine beach. not a soul in sight. a slight nip in the air. walking on damp sand. the washing of cool water on my feet. taking deep, long breaths. and watching the sky slowly come alive with colour. if only i could wake up every morning in this glorious manner..

kashid beach resort

lots of rest and relaxation in store for us this weekend. we're off with family and friends for a weekend getaway in kashid, one hour south of alibagh. we're taking the ferry from gateway to mandwa (45 min) and then driving to kashid (45 min). so an hour and a half later and we're far far away from the madness that is mumbai!

stay tuned for nicer pictures and a full report on prakruti resorts.

india on a plate

vogue india just launched this month. the first issue is a gorgeous tribute to the indian aesthetique and colour palette that seems to be the current favourite with designers all over the world. the photography is very captivating and i particularly loved this photo by pradeep dasgupta for rahul akrekar's take on our nation's finest food experiences like aamras puri from the konkan region, south indian tiffin at mavalli tiffin rooms in bangalore and mishti doi from kolkata.

i have been looking at this photo for hours trying to identify all the ingredients used by indranie dasgupta, the food stylist, to create this wonderful collage.

here's a fun game for all of us to play - i'm going to start by naming an ingredient i see in the photo. the next person who comments should identify another ingredient. let's keep going till we find them all! it will be interesting to see just how many spices and vegetables and fruits have been used. you game?

ps - please identify only one ingredient per comment and wait for somebody else to comment before commenting again.