September 28

Who doesn't love a good surprise? We all do! Especially if its related to food, I think nothing can be a better surprise than that. Well that's what happened with me a few days ago. I am part of a few food groups on FB you can kind of say a pretty active contributor on the Pune food groups. I have mentioned earlier also that while interacting on those groups I met many nice folks who shared the same love as me for food. We keep having so many interactions on a daily basis that at times I forget certain things discussed over there. 

So one day while I was busy in office work from home, I received a call. The guy on the other end said -

"Mam where exactly if your apartment located, I have come for a delivery but seems like I have come ahead?"

I quickly tried to recollect if I had any deliveries scheduled that day. Now, over the past month I have been on a binge buying food related things for my blog. So every alternate day I had some deliveries planned, thanks to amazon, that even after ordering together they would send me all the items on separate dates. The harder I tried to recollect but nothing came out as scheduled for today so after I explained to him the address I asked -

"Are you from amazon?"

"No I am from <courier company name> and there is a achaar delivery for you" 

Now hearing this I was pretty sure that the courier guy must have mistaken the address because I didn't remember ordering any achaar. Actually I am not much of an achaar person. Most of the time it would happen that I buy myself some fancy achaar just out of curiosity and then totally forget about it even if its languishing right under my eyes on the center table. Then one fine day my mom would drop in or any of my friend and draw my attention towards it. I cannot say I hate achaar, as then I wouldn't have had any fascination towards buying it, but its just that I don't feel anything amiss without it in my meals. Now coming back to the point. I was very sure there was some mistake in this but before I could ask or tell the guy had disconnected. He was nearly five minutes away from my home location so I decided to go down anyway to the entry gate and check what is this all about.

Now a days it is a real hassle going down to pick up any deliveries. You need to be armed with mask, you need to wear a different dress because you don't want your home clothes to be contaminated on the way and all that. Usually I ask our security guard to keep it and when I get time in the day I go down and collect it. But with food items you cannot do that. So half confused half curious I walked all the way to the gate practicing what I need to tell the delivery guy.

There at the gate was a well dressed guy in his middle ages in a tee and jeans talking over phone sitting on a bike. he definitely didn't look like a courier person. I couldn't locate anyone else over there who looked like a delivery guy so hesitantly I walk up to him and ask a floating question -

"Are you...?" I didn't complete it in case he is not, the acharwala, it would be very weird asking just anyone standing on the way, did you bring achaar for me?

He nodded and asked me to wait for his call to get over. He finished his call and brought out a nicely wrapped package and handed over to me. I was just about to say, "I think you have got the wrong address", but my eyes fell on the parcel and there it was written in bold my name and address. I looked at him blankly and he looked at me weirdly. I was still wondering where did the achaar come from when I turned the packet and saw the from tag. It was from a friend Dahlia from the food group! I was relived that at least now I know who sent it. The why part still remained a mystery.

Now since all this calculation was going on in my head I was a bit messed. It was a mixed feeling of surprise, joy, astonishment and bafflement. Also since the guy didn't look like a delivery person I don't know why on the earth I blurted out before I could control - " Are you from ... you know Dahlia's home?"

Maybe I was thinking I need to be extra courteous or maybe even call him up for a cup of tea  if he says he is some relative or friend of her. I feel my question made him cringe fleetingly and he gave me a real stoic expression and said - " No I am from the delivery company"

That's when I realized I have already messed it up. He must be thinking what a weird mad lady this is! I tried to salvage the goof up with a nervous smile. But he maintained his stoic expression and drove away without another word. Yes I was holding back my breath all the while, just in case I get into another foot in the mouth situation.

After coming back home I immediately dialed the number mentioned below Dahlia's name (yes I didn't have her number also till then!). Thankfully she picked up and I got to know that like 3 months ago I had randomly commented on some of her post that I want the achaar she had posted about. She remembered it and send me this surprise. It was from a local vendor who makes this achaars at home. The package had two mango jam bottles and two "pani ka achaar" ( mango pickle in water).  I was overwhelmed. Surprises are awesome but when its from a totally unexpected person then it just is super awesome. I mean I felt like I must have done something right that people I met on a social forum remembered me. These kind of gestures remains with you even if you forget other things. 

Now coming to this unique pani ka achaar. This was the first time I came to know that pickles could be made without oil, and more specifically with water! By the initial look you would never guess it doesn't have oil. Later when I started googling it I saw there are many kinds of achaar which can be made in water. The taste is really amazing too. I mean me who is not an achaar lover started having this pickle almost everyday with her meals! That goes to the length of saying how good it is. The shelf life is not as long as traditional pickles but nonetheless this tastes so good, that you really are going to finish it off in just a matter of days.

Now coming to the other surprising find. Summer has long gone and the other day I was browsing through the vegetable list of one of the delivery partners and guess what I found raw mangoes in the list. Initially I couldn't believe it, but yes right there on the screen was the picture of green mangoes sitting in a basket. 

It didn't take me any coaxing to immediately order them. And I knew just the thing I wanted to make with this raw mangoes - Mutton curry cooked unhurriedly over low flame along with big halved potatoes letting the tartness of the raw mangoes seep into the meat as they got cooked.  Quite spicy, a whole lot tangy, little sweet and bursting with flavors of dry roasted whole spices - if there is heaven in a dish this is it! In Bengali it is called Kacha Aam diye Mangsho. This recipe is kind of a legacy recipe which has been handed down the generations of Bengalis, everyone giving it their own twist. 

Cooking Time : 60-65 minutes
Serving : 4 Adult

The super hot summers are back again. Its really sweltering outside as I write this blog. Whole of Maharashtra is facing huge water crisis this year due to poor rains last year. Regular water cuts and new rules are being put up to stop water wastage. Thankfully everyone promoted a dry Holi this year and conscious efforts have been made by every housing society to conserve water. I just wish we get some good rains this time around. Last weekend we went to Mahabaleshwar with a group of friends on bike ride. landscape was pretty dry and mornings were very hot in the hill station as well. But I tell you the evenings are a delight over there. We went to Mapro Garden and had the amazing fresh strawberry with cream. The strawberries and Mulberries at this time of the year are totally out of the world. After that we had a long long ride under the star light sky thorough the serpentine roads of Panchgani, the twin city of Mahabaleshwar where we were staying. Had the T20 match between India-Pakistan not been on that day, we would not have returned to the rooms before midnight. The added benefit was it was an off-season weekend. Panchgani was practically touristless. It was almost like having the entire hill station to ourselves :).

Since the summers have set in its been mostly light tangy recipes on the menu in our home, easy to digest and less spicy. Also fish is the only non-veg being made off late, chicken and red meat are almost off my pantry.  Aam Daal or Mango lentil is the preparation I am making most of the days. It really helps to beat the heat. Also we are guzzling down like 5-6 glasses of juices or drinks that we got from Mapro. Kokum Sherbat is a very very potent drink when the heat is on. Today we experimented with the kokum sherbat a bit and it came out pretty well. Maybe someday I will put that down in the blog.

So as I was saying I am giving myself a break from all kinds of fancy cooking now a days. But the other day when I was chatting with Ma while coming back from office she told me about a mutton recipe she came to know that day. Pepper was the main element of the dish and sounded quite simple. Now pepper, garlic and butter are the three things which when comes together can create magic. The combination works pretty well with mushroom or paneer. This recipe also had this terrific ingredients combo. I wanted to make mutton with pepper from long time ago, but the recipes I found on net were not very much to my liking somehow. You know after a point of time you just read a recipe and you know whether it will suit your palate or not. Same was happening with me. But this particular recipe I liked and decided to try out even in this terrible heat. It turned out to be very simple and quite flavorful.


Preparation Time: 30 minutes  

Cooking Time: 60 minutes

Serves: 3

• Mutton - 700 gm 
• Curd - 150 gm
• Fresh Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp + 1/2 tbsp
• Fresh Coconut Paste - 2 tbsp
• Pepper Paste - 2 tbsp + 1/2 tbsp
• Onion - 2 Medium sliced thinly
• Peppercorn Whole - 5-6
• Bay Leaf - 1 + 1
• Red Chilli Dried - 2
• Ghee - 2 tbsp
• Refined Oil - 4 tbsp
• Salt & Sugar as per taste

Procedure:
1. Clean the mutton. Take enough water in a pressure cooker and pressure cook the mutton with a bayleaf and a few pieces of garlic, till tender. Drain and keep aside the stock. 

2. Soak the peppercorns for an hour in some water, that way it will be easier to make a smooth paste.  In a grinder make a fine paste of the peppercorns. Add water as required to make the texture smooth.

3. Make a paste of the fresh garlic. I would not prefer using a store bought garlic paste as they have some preservatives which alter the taste of the dish.  

4. Take the warm boiled mutton in a mixing bowl and add 100 gm beaten curd, 1 tbsp fresh garlic paste and 2 tbsp fresh pepper paste. Mix well and keep it for at least 15 minutes. The more time the merrier. But I would not recommend to keep it overnight in a fridge as it would cool down the mutton and the rest of the cooking process would take time again.

5. Chop the onion into thin slices and keep aside.

6. Make a paste of the fresh coconut pieces and 50 gm curd. Adding coconut is optional. But I liked it as it added a texture to the dish without overpowering the main flavors.



7. Take a deep bottomed wok and heat the oil and ghee. This will be a bit dry dish hence go a bit liberal on the oil otheriwse the dish may stick to the wok when you fry on high heat.

8. Once the ghee is hot enough and flavorful, add the bayleaf, whole peppercorns and dried red chillies. Add the onions after that, with a pinch of salt and sugar. Remember you need to cook the dish on high heat, taking care it doesn't get burnt.

9. As the onions get slightly pink add the marinated mutton and fry for a while till the onions are soft.

10. Add the remaining 1/2 tbsp of garlic paste. Adjust the salt and sugar levels. Fold in

11.  Add the coconut curd paste and cook till oil separates. Add a little mutton stock, enough to ensure the mutton doesn't stick to the wok. But don't put too much stock, we don't want a runny gravy.

12. Add the remaining 1/2 tbsp of pepper paste. You can leave this step if you feel the dish already has enough heat in it. 

You should be able to see the oil separated and the dish has no moisture left. Add 1/2 a spoon of pure desi ghee to enhance the flavors. Serve the dish with any kind of sweet pulav. I served it with a simple carrot and Kismis pulav.

1. Heat level of this dish is mildly high. The heat is not as spicy as from a chilly but you will feel pretty warm inside. So take care while serving it to kids

2. The recipe asked for ghee but next time around would try it out with butter alone





Before signing off wish a very happy Easter to all the readers!

First of all wish you all a very happy new year 2014!

After a long time I am back on my blog. The month of December has been quite hectic and eventful. Office work had kept me busy in the first half and in the second half of the month I was vacationing in Kolkata. I have a lot to write about my trip back home but that will have to wait for my next blog. Anyway I am now catching up on all the things that have happened in the blogspace since last month.

Of late I have been very engrossed in Google plus posting recipes, reading a plethora of recipes from far and wide, making new acquaintances who are themselves super innovative chefs and realizing that G+ is the in thing if you really want to reach out to meaningful people with a common interest. I never knew Tetor Macher Jhol - the very unassuming fare from a Bengali household could stir up so many intriguing comments especially from people living on the other part of the world. Their genuineness is so touching when they ask questions about the recipe that I feel humbled and happy at the same time. After I posted my Dak-bungalow Chicken Curry recipe over there a fellow blogger wanted me to share more recipes from the time of the Raj since his wife had forefathers who served the British east India Company.

Frankly speaking I have only heard and read about the old times when the foundation of modern India was being laid and a revolution was taking place in the Kitchens of this country - mélange of Indian flavors and British tastes. Thus was born a hybrid cuisine the Anglo-Indian cuisine, probably the first example of fusion food in the world. This cuisine is mostly prepared using English spices such as Pepper, bay leaves, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, etc. Indian condiments such as chilies, cumin, coriander, turmeric, ginger, garlic etc, are also added in moderation. Yogurt and milk are also used in certain preparations to offset extra pungency. People of my generations were not fortunate enough to taste the original recipes from the time of Raj but what we have now is somewhat the adapted version of the original ones. Adapted according to the regions and palate of the different states of India. I will still try to recreate traces of the culinary history associated with the recipe I am going to write about today.

The Railways were a way of life during the days of the British Raj. Travelling First class was an experience in itself. The Burma teak cabins , plush interiors, classic railway cuisine, the servers in perfectly starched uniforms serving lunch to the sahibs – everything about a train journey was nothing short of collecting a bagful of memories, each unique from the other. Bengal,  the first stronghold of British rule, was heavily influenced by English cuisine. Many British families in India hired local cooks, and through them discovered local foods. The spiciness of foods had to be toned down or modified to suit the palates of the 'memsahibs'. Very distinct influence is seen in the desserts, some of which were created specifically to satisfy the British – most notably the very popular sweet Leđikeni named after the first Vicereine Lady Canning. The other most popular remnants of that era is the Railway Mutton curry, which earned its name because it was served on the first class dining carriages.

As a kid I remember travelling to Darjelling in First class compartment with the entire gamut of relatives. My Mashi (aunt) used to stay in Darjelling with her family at that time as Mesho was posted there as a doctor. My Grandpa served as a doctor in the Railways for which he got First class passes. This first class was nothing like that of the British era but was definitely different and plush from the present day first class coaches. There were no aisle seats and there was a sliding door for each coup which ensured complete privacy. The first travel happened when I was some 5 year old and something really funny happened. We were some 10 odd people travelling together including  couple of kids so it goes without saying that there was never a dull moment. I remember we had got home cooked food in the big 3 tier tiffin carriers. At dinner time a newspaper would be spread out and everyone would be handed out steel plates on which the food which would consist of Daal, rice, a vegetable and a sweet would be served.  Post dinner we went to bed and were lulled to sleep by the swaying of the moving train.  The next morning I was woken up by mom. Reluctantly I followed her to the bathroom to brush. After cleaning me up she told me to walk down to our coupe which was quite near to the bathroom while she would finish brushing. Super confidently I started walking back, the third coup from bathroom was supposed to be ours. I entered the third and saw that everyone was asleep head to toe covered in quilt. Even my mom’s berth was occupied. When I left to brush I clearly remembered that granny and grandpa were already up, my other mashis (aunts) were up and preparing the beds and the kids were being woken up by their moms. How come within ten minutes everyone went back to sleep? Suspiciously I called out one of my Mashi’s name, the brush held firmly in my hands. No one answered. I was about to call once more when I felt someone tugging at my hands. I looked back to see the same Mashi whose name I was calling. She asked me what I was doing there in someone else’s coup. I realized the mix up and thanked my stars that no one woke up. Later on this story was reiterated a number of times to everyone adding all sorts of spice and tart. Poor me!

Train journeys had always been memorable for me, even the local train ones. The array of snacks that were sold during the journey was something I always looked forward to. Jhalmuri  with a slice of Coconut(puffed rice medley), veg-cutlet, mochar-chop (banana flower cutlet), chana chat (spicy chickpea) , ghughni,  tok jhal misti toffees (sweet & tart candies), chine badam beetnun diye (peanuts with black salt), seddho dim (boiled eggs), shal patae mora tatshaas (fruit of Palmyra Palm) etc. Not only the food but the chit-chat of the passengers, folk songs sung by the beggars, the passing paddy fields and different character of each station made up for a colorful experience. Before I digress more talking about train journeys coming back to the dish I am supposed to talk about.

Railway Mutton curry is a toned down version of the classic mutton curry (Manghor Jhol), with coconut milk diluting the spices and served with rice, bread or dinner rolls. Vinegar was added to the mix of mutton and potatoes to increase the durability of the meat during long journeys. The curry was not too spicy keeping in mind the delicate palates of the British. Though the dish originated in the colonial times it continued to be served in railway refreshment rooms and on long distance trains till much later.

When I searched the net I found quite a few variations of the recipe which is a clear indication of the train routes on which they were served. Coconut milk, tamarind and curry leaves were used in the recipe followed in Southern Railways. Whereas the northern and eastern railways adapted a recipe minus these. Sandeepa’s recipe (Bong Mom Cookbook) adapted from Pritha Sen’s recipe was the one I liked among all the others because of the presence of fennel seeds. Mutton and fennel seeds go hand in hand and I love the flavor a lot.

So here’s the recipe.