Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Food for all

Visited a friend's food space blog the other day. She likes to keep it a secret but that would be a real shame y'all.

Its at http://foodonmybrain.blogspot.com . Love the simplicity of sharing what you know to cook with the world at large. Love her whimsical recipes.

If I was promoting one love for one world - sharing recipes would be top on my agenda. Shareware of the best kind. Lets get back to the quintessential - god knows we all need to simplify. Each day we'll pick, choose, gather and make our food. Time well spent. Time away from plotting, warring and taking away.

I love the idea of networking. Its so effective - so lets find out what they eat in Albania? - or what they don't eat in Ethiopia. Or what happens to the majority of our race who have bloated bellies because they are filled with air instead of food? Maybe knowing something will make us do something?

Food is representative of everything thats right.

Except when you don't know how to make what you want.
Except when you don't have any to eat.

The first is easily rectified. Lets make khichidi today.

1. Split black gram dal - 1 cup
2. Basmati rice - 2 cups
3. Sliced onions - 1/2 cup
4. Some ghee or oil (about 2 tbsps)
5. Jeera seeds and pinch of hing.
6. Green peas (optional).

Heat oil in a cooker (or any heavy bottomed vessel). Splutter the jeera and hing till your kitchen basks in the aroma. Brown the onions and add washed rice and dal. Stir for half a minute. Add some salt and pinch of turmeric powder for colour. Toss in the green peas if using them. Add exactly double the quantity of water (6 cups in this case). Close and pressure cook for 2 whistles (how quaintly Indian is that!) or until all the water is absorbed and the khichidi comes out all fragrant and fluffy.

Transfer to steel plates and eat with pickle, yoghurt, papad or just as it is. Remember to share. Some for the neighbours and some to the soup kitchen.


4 comments:

Vidya said...

thanks for an easy dinner solution... yummmmm..... next time i'll try it with ginger too... would that work??

Madhumita said...

I actually forgot the ginger - yes of course it would work! perfectly slurrpectly :)

Tys on Ice said...

If you can marinate some chicken breasts in salt, ginger garlic paste and chilly powder, then deep fry it. Place on you plate the fried strips and spoon the prepared kichdi on top....you have now a perfectly balanced dish..

ummmm...make me some please?

Malavika said...

God knows v al need 2 simplify.. sadly, v stil need 2 know tht.. i like tht abt how it's time away frm plotin.. received a very high cost fine fragrance brief 4 a target gp in gues where.. Sudan.. where the majority r a large no. o motherless children who r dyin every day coz their mothers wudve given up their food 2 their hungry children.. thts wat happens 2 em.. there r institutions who request 4 money gifts 2 feed them.. 1 o em is lifetoday.org.. food 4 thot n action?.. i hope.. :)


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