Saturday, January 28, 2012

With a Zing!

I woke up at 4:50 AM with the worst bout of sneezing I had had so far this year and then, just as I managed to doze off an hour later, the crazy pigeon family outside my window began driving me berserk with their maniacal wing flapping and extremely-loud-for-that-hour chirping. This was one bird family taking the "early bird" idiom quite seriously! As I finally dragged myself out of bed for work with an ache ripping my poor head apart, the day only got worse. My gadgets started to give me trouble. The Tata Photon wouldn't work and my phone kept experiencing network drop issues. The tea was bad and the day cold. In short, I wanted to shoot someone!

But then came the evening, and as I walked out of the office, there she stood demurely, waiting to get inside my bag -- a curvaceous bottle of Chilean Chardonnay (thanks a lot, Sir!) -- and BOOM! My energy levels sky rocketed and the evening was suddenly pleasant again. I called up a couple of friends in the neighborhood but none were free for the evening. Oh well, I wasn't going to let that dampen my mood or my Friday evening and so I was on a date with myself - wining, dining and basically making merry for absolutely no reason!

I got home in no time, via Star Bazaar of course, (yes, Star, yes, you're the SHIT!) and there I stood in the kitchen, blasting music and cooking, aaaalllllllll the way after November, however, it took me shorter than a split second to decide upon what I was cooking - two special somethings using seasonal Vitamin C ingredients, one of which inspires the very name of this blog. Recipes below:

#1 Lemon Chicken

Ingredients:
Chicken breast - 1 (about 200 grams)
Ginger (grated) - 1/2 tbsp
Green chilli - A quarter, chopped
Lemon juice - Half a lemon 
Salt & Pepper - For seasoning
Peppercorns - 3 to 4
Coriander -  A few crushed leaves

Method:
  • Take the chicken breast and wash it thoroughly with water. Pat dry
  • Make deep gashes on both sides of the breast and season with salt and pepper, rubbing in and spreading evenly
  • Next, rub the grated ginger all over the chicken along with the green chillies and the roughly crushed peppercorns
  • Put the chicken into a pressure cooker and squeeze the juice of half a lemon on top and add a few crushed leaves of coriander
  • Now allow the chicken to cook in the pressure cooker in the lemon juice as well as its own juices for about 10 minutes or till you hear at least 3 whistles
  • Remove off the stove, open the cooker and enjoy as the zingy aroma wafts from the kitchen to every single corner of your house -- oh YUM YUM YUMMM!!! *delighted, dancing smiley*
Lemon Chicken
As easy as falling off a log, this simple to make chicken dish is packed with vitamins and proteins - go dig into some if nursing the common cold, go dig into some, even if you aren't... Point is just go DIG IN or, or wait! Cook chicken dish #2


#2 Chicken Breast with Spicy Honey-Orange Glaze
This is a recipe I had found on the internet nearly 6 years ago, but sadly I do not remember which website I found it on. It is a dish that tastes better than it reads and/ or even looks, so go ahead! Give this dish a try, of course with the usual Anka additions/ twists... 

Ingredients:
Chicken Breast - 1 (about 200 gms)
Honey - 1 tbsp
Orange Juice - Of half a kinnow
Orange Zest - 1 tsp, grated or in strips
Garlic - 1/2 tsp, minced
Chilli Flakes - 1/2 tsp, crushed [If you do not have chilli flakes, red chilli powder works just as well]
Salt - For Seasoning
Vegetable Oil - 1/2 tsp
Green Onion - For garnishing

Method:
  • In a small bowl combine the honey with the freshly squeezed orange juice, the orange zest, garlic, salt and red chilli powder
  • Rinse the chicken with cold water and pat dry
  • Make brutal gashes on the breast and then season lightly with salt 
  • In large non-stick skillet, heat the vegetable oil over a medium-high flame
  • Add the chicken breast and cook for about 4 minutes, until seared. Turn chicken and cook for another 4 minutes or until just cooked through
  • Pour the orange - honey mixture over the chicken and cook, turning chicken to coat as sauce begins to thicken in about 5 minutes 
  • VOILA mes chers, miei cari, mis queridos --- the sumptuous dish is pronto! 

And so the date went fantastically by - Me, the dishes, the Chilean and SATC! Siiiigh! What I'd do to have each day just the same! While I wonder, go cook, dear readers, and DIG INNN... for this is what these easy-to-cook dishes are worth --- to be savored, all WITH A ZING! :)

Romantic Friday Night date with self <3

Sunday, January 08, 2012

Padharo mharo des...

And there I was, in a city that claims to be PINK but which is more on the lines of a PEACH gone wrong; in a city of Royalty and Rajputness, in a State that the world associates with leheriya and bandhini; in the very capital of the land of camels, deserts and dunes. Yes, there I was, in good ol' Jaipur, or as I enjoyed calling it all through the trip like an excited firangoo tourist --- JAIPORRRRE!

Cruising along the snake-like highway, I was excited about the weather and the shopping, about the dances and the bursts of color I was going to imbibe, the forts, monuments and villages I was going to visit, the spa I was going to get spoilt at, the camels that I was going to see more than the oxen and about the peacocks that were going to be more rampant and visible than the Great Indian Street Dog! What was the least exciting thing on my agenda? Rajasthani cuisine!

I have to add before I continue that this latest trip to Rajasthan or rather the city of Jaipur busted many myths and deflated several expectations but at the same time surprised me pleasantly on many accounts as well. After all, it was an entire decade ago that I had last set foot in this state.

I am, for no specific reason, dividing this post and my experiences into: The Great, The Good, The Bad and The Sad. So here goes:

THE GREAT

Anyone and everyone I spoke to about my weekend trip to Jaipur, categorically told me only one thing: "Go to Rawat's! And have the Pyaaz ki kachori there!" Luckily for me, many more in our travel posse had been advised the same and so the historic, rather exasperating search for Rawat's was not my sole responsibility. [How it was less than 5 minutes from the hotel we were staying at is another story!]

Anyways, what I expected Rawat's to be was some shady road-side eatery but what it turned out to be instead was a massive building, that was neat and hygienic:


What I ate here:

1. Pyaaz ki kachori, as that is what it is famous for, and boy, deservingly so! For those of you who do not know, a Pyaaz ki Kachori is a Puff pastry of sorts that is stuffed with spicy, caramelized onions, served with an even spicier potato curry. I was almost skeptical before digging into this Jaipur speciality but OH MY GOD, this stuff was ACTUALLY great!


2. Dal-baati-chorma is a traditional Rajasthani thaali or food platter that literally translates as a lentil, which is savory, baati or wheat balls that are cooked in ghee (clarified butter) and may be stuffed, sweet or spicy, and finally the chorma or churma, which is a sweet wheat flour halwa.


When I first saw this thaali before me, I nearly fainted looking at the oodles of ghee, especially because I am in the health conscious phase. I had to muster courage before partaking of this meal, but once I did, it was hard to not savor these alien flavors that blended so well it led to just that taste-bud bungee jump I had hoped for in my last post.

Baati
Broken Baati stuffed with cashews, heeng, etc

I am not very big on desi food but must admit that thus far Rajasthani food had surprised me, and more than just pleasantly! I had once said in a post that there is no better way to connect with a city than to walk in it. The next best way is to sample the local food. Jaipur and I, oh we were connecting well, and how! :)

THE GOOD


1. Laal Maans or Lamb Curry was one of these famous spicy meat curries I had heard of and was ecstatic to taste when I found it in our dinner buffet at the hotel. Full of red chillies that impart not just taste but color to the dish, very tender and extremely succulent, this curry is a worthy try, except for a consequential runny nose and watery eyes thanks to the heat factor!

2. Gatte ki Subzi is not really a vegetable (subzi) so to speak as it is made of small cylinders of chickpea flour (besan), but subzi or not, this veggie dish with all that spice shook me hard and woke my senses up! Another must try, which makes it to my "The Good" and not "The Great" list solely because I am not the greatest fan of spicy food.

3. The Camels, some of which had been so well decorated, it made the firangoo in me jump with glee!

Cannot see the artwork too well but the shaded camel has his fur cut out in that design. Very innovative, I say!



THE BAD

1. Pataashi is the Rajasthani term for Gol Gappas/ Puchkas/ Paani Puris that I tried from a road side vendor and oh dear God, they were not just bad, but throat achingly unpleasant! Perhaps, the vendor was not a good enough one, but then again they serve only aata pataashi and not the suji ones that I prefer! Can be given a miss, if your preferences are the same as mine.

2. Bajre ki Khichdi - At the cost of sounding downright obnoxious, this was pure village food that even villagers mustn't be consuming in Rajasthan any more! Grey and rather depressing to look at, it was even more depressing to taste! Did not risk clicking a picture lest the camera lens might take offense and crack ;)

Thankfully this list ends just at 2!

THE SAD

I came to Jaipur expecting to see peacocks scuttling on the road sides and hoping to buy enough leheriya sarees to last me a lifetime, neither of which I had the good fortune to obtain, and that for me is just sad!

That aside, Jaipur and Rajasthan left me content and satisfied with the experiences and I must give it to the Rajasthani food that gave me that punch I was searching for!

And so to end on a pink note, check out the picture below:

Tee heeee :D

Padharo tharo dessss, I say!