In My Kitchen: April 2013

This morning I spotted Johanna's In My Kitchen post while sipping my chai and thought it was a fun idea for a post- and so timely because, ahem, it was Monday and I had no clue what I was going to write about today. In My Kitchen is a monthly meme hosted over on the blog Fig Jam and Lime Cordial. Read their post here and look at other posts on their side-bar. and maybe you'll be inspired to write a In My Kitchen post yourself.

Armed with this idea, I went around my kitchen for a couple of minutes, snapping a few pics of whatever caught my eye.

In my kitchen is a nice view of the outdoors. It makes washing dishes almost a pleasure when you can see the seasons change as you scrub pots and pans. Right now the view shows oak trees sprouting new leaves. And I see festive marigolds that we have planted in the window box.

In my kitchen, avocados are ripening. My parents are visiting us for a few weeks. They are adventurous foodies and enjoy whatever new ingredients I care to cook for them. Creamy avocados are a particular favorite these days, smashed into a quick guacamole. They're also enjoying quinoa in the form of corn and quinoa soup and snacking on clementines. I hope we can try some other seasonal produce, like asparagus.

In my kitchen is a set of stainless steel dishes- gift from an aunt. I think food tastes better in compartmentalized plates. These are breakfast sized deep plates designed for serving trios like idlis-sambar-chutney or upma-sev-chutney, or pancakes-fruit-syrup, I'm sure. Now, does anyone have a trick for scrubbing off that gummy label residue? 

In my kitchen are mason jars of all shapes and sizes. Maybe it is the Southern influence, but I'm smitten with them lately. In my kitchen, they hold chutneys and spices, and as a crock to hold serving spoons, and one of these days I'll start drinking sweet iced tea out of them!

In my kitchen, and specifically, on my fridge, is original art made by my toddler. 

In my kitchen is a sweet gift from my talented sister- a wall clock made of fabric on an embroidery hoop, with buttons representing the hours. It makes me smile every time I look at it. And yes, the clock mechanism works and it keeps perfect time.

In my kitchen, hanging on the back door, is a bunch of seven chillies and a lemon. In India, a string of chillies and lemon is a good luck charm that you'll often find dangling at the entrance of businesses and homes; it is supposed to ward off "the evil eye". This was a gift from my dear friend Chinu who spotted this metal-and-wood version in a gift shop and said she couldn't resist buying it for me, knowing that I just moved into a new home. Banishing evil spirits? Yes, please! Isn't it adorable?

In my kitchen, there's usually something simmering on the stove. The kitchen is working overtime while my parents are here, and there are lots of special meals on the menu. But while enchiladas and gobi manchurian are terrific, we crave some version of dal and rice now and then.

So I made a simple okra sambar, shown here with tamarind rice, although it is sensational with ghee and rice, or just plain steamed rice. When I mentioned okra sambar in a previous post, I had a few people asking me for the recipe, and also whether it has that dreaded okra attribute- namely, is it slimy? Because fresh okra is only available here during a few short weeks in summer, I usually make this dish with frozen okra. My method is to saute the okra well before adding salt and cooked toor dal to it. This reduced the sliminess considerably but I would have to say that this dish is for okra lovers. The end result does have a particular texture, shall we say? But I love this sambar and if you're a bhindi enthusiast, chances are, you will like it too. I've posted other frozen okra tips in this post. Around here, a store sells large bags of locally grown frozen veggies  (a nice way for farmers to make the best of their surplus summer produce) so this is a pantry supper for us.

If you want to try for yourself, here's the recipe. The first I heard of okra sambar was on Mahanandi, all those years ago and since then it is part of my regular dinner rotation.

Okra Sambar

1 cup toor dal, rinsed, soaked, cooked and mashed
1 lb frozen chopped (or fresh) okra
1 tsp. tamarind paste (or to taste)
Tempering
1 tsp. mustard seeds
Pinch of asafetida
1 sprig fresh curry leaves
Spices
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
2 tbsp. sambar powder (or to taste)

1. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan. Temper it with the ingredients listed.
2. Add okra and saute it on medium heat, stirring every few minutes, until the okra is browned and not so slimy. This takes a little time and patience.
3. Now add everything listed under spices. Saute for a minute more, then add cooked toor dal and tamarind paste. Add water if required to make the desired consistency. Simmer for a few minutes and you're done.

That's it for this week, friends. Like I said, my folks are visiting and so posting may be sporadic in the coming month. If you don't see a post on Monday, it just means I'm busy having fun and will be back ASAP.