Coorgi Gawti Chicken

Another of my experiments with chicken.. this time it is Coorgi Gawti Chicken.. typical Himachali style chicken in South Indian style..

In love with this spice mixture.. looks wonderful..

The masala being fried..

Pan seared chicken with the masala

The final product.. The Coorgi Gawti Chicken masala

Plum tomato fry

Plum tomatoes are little tomatoes that come in a cute bunch. They are also known as roma tomatoes. They are the least juicy of all the varieties of tomatoes. These are thick and have fewer seeds than other tomatoes. Basically, they are used in pasta sauces or for BBQ. But we made another use of these tomatoes. I discovered we could just fry them with the regular spices and use them as a side dish. My husband likes to keep things extremely simple on weekdays, so this is the quickest and the simplest thing I can do for him whenever I don't feel like cooking. Basically this is a sort of chutney, but he has it with chappatis just like that. So this is an absolute favourite in our house.

We make this with plum tomatoes mostly, but there are times we don't have enough of them, so we make this even with the regular tomatoes. Plum tomatoes are a bit sour so I add a little sugar in it, while I skip it while doing so with the regular tomatoes. Try this for once, probably can be the easiest and wonderful side dish you ever prepared.

Khubba Paratha

Wondering what in the world is that? Probably this word is coined by my nani-ji.. I have no idea. But khubba paratha is what we used to have every time we visited her house. She lived with us for a fair number of years and very often she has been making these for me and my brother. It used to be so heavy that more often than not, one each would be more than enough. The simple joys of life were in visiting her place in a little Indian village, sitting on the floor and eating "khubba paratha" with raw chutney (without using any mixer) and a plain, simple raita.. wow, those were the golden days!!

So, when we got bored of eating the same rotis and rice and parathas everyday, I called up my nani and asked for her recipe of khubba paratha; and happily she obliged. "Khubba" in Punjabi basically means to dig in.. this paratha is made by digging in ghee/butter in the paratha while it is being fried (which is the most important part).. and probably that's how she coined this word..

The paratha being done from both sides before frying..

Paratha being fried in ghee/butter over medium heat..

The final product.. topped generously with ghee/butter to suit the taste buds..

Samosa (Whole wheat)

In India, samosas are a national passion; you can find samosas in almost every part of India. They are also a popular street food. The combination of samosas with hot masala chai, or any chai for that matter of fact is irresistible. We used to get samosas etc. from the sweet shops as breakfast a lot of times, and I have eaten samosas in various parts of Rajasthan, Delhi and Mumbai.. When I moved out of India, this was one snack I used to miss at a lot of times. But I did not want to make them with maida (all purpose flour).. instead I thought probably I could try it with 100% whole wheat flour (the regular atta for making chappatis).

Even though it was just an experiment, and I was not even a bit hopeful, I was not aware of the proportions of the dough I must make. So the dough (and also the filling paste) turned out to be way too much. Originally we had planned to make about 3 samosas, which would be enough for both me and my husband.. but I had the material for 6 !! So I decided to go ahead with making all of them.. and to my surprise, they came out simply perfect !!

Yes, the crust tasted a bit different, but it tasted no less than the regular samosas. And of course, it was healthy and freshly made at home.. what else do you need for a Sunday morning breakfast with a cup of hot tea. Another very important point.. we could finish all six of them ! Yes, they were that light that we hardly noticed. So unlike the regular samosas we get in India. They were not heavy on the stomach and were easily digested as well.

Stuffed capsicum tomato fry

Now, after trying out the Stuffed paneer capsicum, I wanted to try out other versions as well, and I wanted to try out the same with boiled and mashed potatoes.. you could use mixed vegetables like peas and carrots as well with the filling. Usually I have seen the capsicums just baked like that in the oven with the filling, but I tried the stove-top method, with fried tomatoes as well.. this was a new experiment which turned out really well..

Ingredients:

Green capsicum: 3
Potatoes (boiled, peeled and mashed): 4
Cooking oil: 5 tsp.
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Onion (chopped): 1
Tomato (chopped): 2
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Ginger: 1 inch
Garlic (cloves): 4
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp.
Cumin powder: 1/2 tsp.
Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp.
Asafoetida: a pinch
Mango powder: 1/4 tsp.
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp.
Kasoori methi: 1/2 tsp.
Coriander leaves to garnish

1. Wash capsicums thoroughly and cut the top cover carefully. Remove the seeds from inside of the capsicums to make it hollow.
2. Mix boiled, mashed potatoes with all the dry spices: cumin powder, mango powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt to taste.
3. Fill the capsicums with mashed potato paste to the top. Press down and top up to ensure they are well filled. Keep aside.
4. Put 3 tsp. oil in a cooking pan on medium flame and add cumin seeds when the oil is warm. Let them splutter for 5 seconds. Add a pinch of asafoetida. Add chopped onions after 5 more seconds and sauté them till they are transparent. Don't let them brown.
5. Then add chopped garlic. Saute it for 10-15 seconds. Then add chopped tomatoes, green chilli and ginger. Cook it for a while and then add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste. Let it cook and let the tomatoes become soft. Turn off the flame and keep aside.
6. In another shallow pan, put 2-3 tsp. of oil on medium flame. When hot, add all three capsicums filled with potato paste very carefully, one by one, filled side up.
7. For the capsicums to cook properly needs a lot of time. The portion of capsicum which is cooked will wilt a little and start blackening. So keep rotating the capsicums on all sides to let it cook completely from all sides.
8. When the capsicums are cooked from all sides, invert the capsicums gently: filled side down, so the top layer of the potato also gets cooked and will get a golden-brown color. Then straighten the capsicums.
9. Now transfer each capsicum to the onion-garlic-tomato paste and let it cook for a little while on low flame. Mix the masala with the capsicum on sides and the top, roll the capsicums in the masala and then let them stand straight
10. Turn off the flame and sprinkle some garam masala and kasuri methi powder on it. Keep it for about a minute, then serve hot garnished with fresh coriander leaves, with roti or rice.

The struggle of being fat...

I am fat. Okay, I am at least overweight. And that makes me much less than perfect. But am I necessarily unhealthy? Should I be unacceptable in the society? Do I eat a lot? Am I lazy, or do I like being the way I am?? In all ways, NO.

Fat women are more often than not, rejected in the society, considered unattractive, and they tend to make less friends. All just because a vast majority of people judge others by the physical appearance. And that hurts me. Because I have been in the shoes of fat women, and thin women; all of it. So I have a first-hand experience of how the behaviour of society and people around you changes according to the way you look.

We all have been there where we had made passes/remarks/made fun of fat people. I have heard it all. And because by God's grace I have never been a person who makes fun (even lightly), I have had many people who have been (and still) sharing with me the deepest pains of their heart, what they face from the society; just because they are fat. They are considered unattractive; but sadly most people judge others just by the looks. If I ask you who would you prefer: a fat, intelligent woman OR a slim, attractive, dumb woman; most of you would agree on the first one.. but I wonder if that actually is the case while it comes for real. Sadly enough, fat people have very few friends; because just a handful manage to see beyond. I have been made fun of; if not faced rejection, because, well, I was a bit overweight for a large part of my life; and I do not hesitate to admit that I still am... 

I have been with and talked to a lot of people who are overweight; or they are considered unattractive in society. Many of them are my friends. And I have been lucky that they trust me, they have confided in me the dark places of their mind. What does an average person thinks when they see a fat women? Yes, I know it all. The answers may vary from: "Ah! she eats a lot", Hmm, she seems lazy", She's so fat, why doesn't she do anything for herself? "; and the like. But, have you thought: does she love being fat? The answer is a big NO. No woman (or person) wants to look fat/unattractive. This is the basic human psyche. Everyone wants to look beautiful, smart and attractive. So, what happened to those women you had made fun of? Of course they don't want to look like that.. !!

Did anyone ever look at a fat woman and think: "She might have a hormonal problem", "maybe she just had a child", "possibly she can't take care of herself at the moment"; "she probably has a health disorder"; and the like.. Very rare people do that. Others just like to judge others; without knowing the place they are coming from, without looking into their journey, without knowing/being able to imagine the situation they might be in. There are endless possibilities. Even ones you could never, ever imagine. I have personally being told by some of those women who opened up themselves to me a lot of these cases. A woman in my locality was really overweight and she confided in me that she had an accident few years ago due to which she is not allowed any types of workouts. Another one I met in a language class was extremely dark, looked shabby all the time, and needless to say, was super-oversized. Nobody liked to sit besides her.. why? Just because of her appearances? Really? She was not unhygienic or something, just like not made-up hair and un-matched clothes.. but people sure did made fun of her. But not me, for I have been in all kind of shoes, when it comes to physique.. So one day I quietly sat besides her and said hello. She was, no doubt surprised. What unfolded next was a series of events which told me she was a single parent of 2 kids, aged 2 and 5; had a overnight job with the minimum wages, had even lesser money and had practically no time to eat or sleep. She wanted to join a fitness centre but simply could not afford. She wanted to exercise but nonetheless had no time for anything. She worked on weekends as well. Her son had cut off a bunch of her hair playfully so her hair looked shabby, and had no money for a hair-dresser. Could afford neither time nor money on clothings... That was her story. I hated people who judged her. I thanked god I was not the judgemental type. 

Another thing I fail to understand is the fact only "women" are stereotyped and judged by the way they look, specially the ones who are on the larger side, and in very few instances I have seen men being judged in the same way. In no way I support unhealthy eating habits or a lazy lifestyle, but I have known that everyone is different; some people simply gain a lot of weight by eating the same or lesser amount of food, which, if eaten by some others do not make any difference. Same goes with exercise. Same goes with lifestyle. Same goes with everything else. Simply understanding that everyone is walking in different shoes, and they are walking their own journey which you have no idea about; having a non-judgemental attitude for everyone you meet, and showing empathy instead of sympathy or making fun shall surely make this world a better place. 

The above two pictures show the minimum I have ever been, and the maximum; and everything in between.. If nothing else, my journey of increasing and/or decreasing weight might not have benefited me at some places, but it surely made me a better human being who understands every other woman (men also) and never judges them for their external appearances. I might have lost many friends/boyfriends because of my appearances, but now I know they were probably never to be with me in the first place; because God has blessed me with an amazing man who has seen me at my best and worst, and has (and is still) stood by me through thick and thin (literally!). I am thankful to God for passing me through this journey, because of this I have walked in the shoes of women of almost a lot of shapes and sizes.. If I had carried the perfect figure for all my life, I would probably have never known how to respect people for how they look, and that everyone is different. But I'm happy to have seen all, so judged none..That's where I believe.. "Everything happens for something good".. And here it surely is !!

Stuffed Paneer Capsicum

Ever since I had made Stuffed tomato, I have been wanting to experiment with capsicums; because I love how capsicums look, so colorful and are available in different colors as well.. but I was disappointed when I could not find any recipe for the same except for the ones which involved baking in the oven.. !! As I am not very perfect in baking and all, I decided to discover my own recipe for stuffed capsicums. And voila! it was a success.. !! Looked so wonderful, and tasted amazing as well.. Mission accomplished !!