Besan ke Laddoo

Hidey ho everyone...

Fig. 1. Besan ke Laddoo

Firstly I must apologize for not visiting my co-bloggers a lot lately. Just busy. Also to my readers, I must apologize for the longish duration I have not posted here. I have been cooking. But my pics aren't coming out too great. I flatly blame the dark evenings and short daylight hours for this!! Finally this pic seems to have turned out ok. So these Besan ke Laddoos are okayed to be posted. :)

This recipe is from Manjula's Kitchen. Actually I am not such a big fan of Besan ke Laddoo. Despite a humongous sweet-tooth, I never seem to have craved for them. I guessed that meant that I was not super-fond of this variety of Laddoos. And yet.. Manjula's Kitchen.. and her videos.. her videos are really are cute. I had to make them after I saw her make these!

I thought, chalo.. post-Halloween Holiday Season is officially here. So I can enjoy the making of the Laddoos, surely someone will enjoy the eating of them!

And I must admit the finished product is just really delicious! Even I have changed my mind. I think it may be because they were super-fresh.. warm and fragrant, right off the pan! Not too greasy, not too sweet... I must admit that it sure does make a difference when you make something at home and hog on it fresh and warm!

Chicken cutlets

Hey everyone.. Chicken cutlets today.. Why is this post labeled - fitness? Because runners like motivation, even if it is motivation to cook.

Fig.1. Chicken Cutlets

Do you sometimes lose the motivation to do some particular thing?

I have gone through this before.. in different areas at different times. Loss of motivation to work.. to run.. to cook.. to clean.. basically anything that requires effort could be a target here. Usually I can figure out exactly what is the reason.

But that doesn't change the fact that I don't feel like doing it right now! And most reasons simply cannot be fixed.

Usually, however, there is no option in these things. You have to work. You have to cook. You have to run. You have to do whatever it is that is the task at hand. And do it well too! But sometimes.. it is possible to just push it to later..

"Later" is Lady Slackalot's favorite word! It really is a polite way of saying "No." ;) If I avoid cooking long enough, we will have to get take-out. :D And yes.. sometimes it's ok. But if I actually have the time and energy, and still avoid it.. avoid it too many times, then it's time for the cheer-leader to come out and motivate! We are our own cheer-leaders. And if we have to do something, we really might as well enjoy doing it!

How do you motivate yourself?

What do I do when I don't feel like working? I go and sit amongst a lot of people who are busy at work! Like a public library. I try to hang out with people who like their work. People who are successful at their work. I try to mix it up a little, try something new in the task. I create deadlines for myself. And worst comes to worst, if I find I do not meet my own deadlines, I make them public! I tell my family and friends and sometimes announce it on the blog too.. that I will do so-and-so thing.. run or walk so many miles this month.. etc.

I do this for work, for running, for cooking, chores, errands,.. a lottttt of things! And usually it works. (Again, there is not much option. Something better work!)

Last few days I found myself not cooking. :( I did the usual. I spoke with my friends and family swapping recipes and dinner ideas. I browsed and read through your blogs (hanging out with people who enjoy the task and are successful at it!) Told myself that I will make so-and-so dish on Sunday.. (setting deadlines). Finally I told my Mom that I have not been cooking!! (Making things public, and how!) That combined with Bong Mom making chicken meatballs (new for me) finally worked!!

I went and got ground chicken (fresh ingredients, the ultimate deadline) and made chicken cutlets!!!!!!!! Yay!! Not only that, I also took pictures! Waah-waah, shabbash beti!! :D

And to seal the deal, (further making things public)... mujhey mere blog ki kasam, I will post at least 3 more food recipes this month. Total public commitment! Ab bachkey kahan jayegi! We meet Lady Slackalot head-on and tell her to get out!

Continuing the drama just a little longer.. (where else but on my blog will we find so much detailed procedure for how to deal with "getting-bored"-ness..)

My thanks to all you bloggers and blogger friends! Reading your blogs is far more fun than cooking or writing my own! But it sure helps me do both! :) Also thanks to my readers.. It's hard for me to believe how many of you read my posts.. even the fitness ones!! Just seeing you check in and find my lonely turtle sitting there with stale old rasgullas gave me a good kick in my... Well, thanks you all! I will do my best! 

Fried Fish

Hey everyone.. very simple and basic fried fish today..

Fig.1 Fried Fish

A really quick and easy dish that never fails to turn an otherwise simple meal into something quite special.

If I find good, fresh looking fish, I often end up buying it regardless of what my cooking-time-crunch situation is. Because the following marinade hardly takes 7 minutes: Wash the fish, poke slits in it and chop into somewhat medium sized pieces. Add salt, red chili powder, turmeric, ginger-garlic paste, amti powder or any garam masala. Mix well so that fish is well coated in the spices. Let the fish marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Then next morning, portion it into small batches and freeze them in a ziplock bag.

When it is time for dinner on one of your more frenzied days, make something super-fast, say, just dal-rice or re-heated leftovers. And defrost one batch of marinated fish. Roll each slice of fish in some semolina (rava), and shallow fry on a pan with a tiny bit of oil. The side of fried fish is guaranteed to be the highlight of your otherwise ordinary quick-fix dinner. If you are even more crunched for time, this fried fish also goes really well like a "fish patty" inside an ordinary sandwich with green chutney and tomatoes or leafy greens.

Update: Being my favorite way of eating fish, this post goes to Aparna's event "My Favorite Recipe!"

Have a good week, everyone!

Vegetable Upma

 Fig.1 Vegetable Upma

Today's post is for the Tried and Tasted event held at Dil Se this month, which features Raaga - The Singing Chef!  I had never visited Raaga before (I am fairly new around here). I saw this event and her blog mentioned on other blogs. So I went and checked her out. She has tons of recipes. Lots of vegetables. Good find for future reference. From her posts, you feel Raaga is someone you might easily know, amongst your friends or class-mates or work-mates. If you explore her other blog you will see a lot of cool pics she takes around Delhi, etc. I also liked the fact that quite a few of Raaga's recipes resonate my sentiments for the quick, time-crunched style of food I often have to make.

Do I love to cook? Or am I cooking because I just have to? I think it's a combination of both.. there are times when I love to put together something awesome, don't mind the effort at all.. and other days when I am just so exhausted and tired of having to do everything on this planet!!

One such hectic day, I got home in time for a late lunch. I didn't want to cook. But I was hungry. My brain hurt and so did my body. So I did what everyone does in these situations.. I procrastinated! I surfed the internet.. the friend of all procrastinators.. hoping the food thoughts would just go away.. instead I found myself prowling on Raaga's food-blog. I casually browsed through her posts, looked at pictures of food, read her funny weeknight-stories about how she quickly whipped up something delicious! :) In no time I was in a better mood ... Look at this woman, I thought, she's cooking on weeknights! Yes, it's tough, but she's getting on with it! :) Inspired! Surely.. there must be something quick I can make for myself too! That's when I zeroed in on this quick and easy Vegetable Upma from her blog. At such times, we just let the vibes from Singing Chefs draw us to the kitchen and whip up an Upma. Go crazy and have breakfast at lunchtime! ;)

I loosely followed Raaga's recipe with whatever ingredients I had in my pantry and refrigerator. The Upma looked so good and I was so ravenous that I remembered to take a picture only after I had already scarfed down some! ;)

Here's what went into it:
Ingredients:
Rava (semolina) - 1 cup
Water ~ 2-3 cups
Mixed vegetables (chopped, frozen bag, contained onions, red and green peppers, carrots, peas, corn, lima beans, etc) - 1&1/2 cups
Udad Dal - 1/2 teaspoon
Chana Dal - 1/2 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Heeng (Asafoetida) - pinch
Kadi patta (Curry leaves) ~ 6
Ginger paste - 1 tablespoon (I like lots of ginger)
Red chilly powder -1 teaspoon, or to taste
Oil ~ 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste

Procedure:
1) Dry roast rava (or, put it in a bowl in a microwave and heat for about 3-4 minutes).
2) Heat oil, season the udad and chana dals, mustard, heeng, kadi patta and then ginger (in that order).
3) Add frozen (semi-thawed) chopped vegetables in the pan. Saute till they are cooked. Add salt and red chilly powder. Mix well.
4) Add roasted rava, saute a bit. Now add water. Water measurement may vary depending on how high your heat is. Add reasonable amount so that rava can absorb it. Add salt, cover and cook.

That's that!! Vegetable Upma is ready and we have triumphed over another day! :)