Aam ki Launji ( A North Indian cousin of the delectable Amba Khatta )

Though I was aware of the comparison of the delectable Mango Launji with finger-licking odia delicacy Amba Khatta, it took a bunch of North Indian friends to point out the striking similarity between the two. The difference lies mainly in the spices used. The Launji is made with a kalonji and saunf seasoning whereas the odia version opts for the 'pancha-phutana' or paanch-phoran along with a generous dose of curry leaves and roasted cumin chili powder. I guess it boils down to the strong coriander flavor in the former whereas the latter has a distinctive note of cumin in it.

( These differences are only general and different folks may use a variation of the above mentioned seasoning. )

Read on for the recipe ( adapted from Tarla Dalal's cookbook ) -

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -

• 2 raw mangoes 
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds 
• 1/4 tsp nigella seeds
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder ( as I prefer the red color. One can also use the normal variant )
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 cup sugar (jaggery will also do and I would prefer it )
• 3 tsp oil
• salt to taste

Preparation - Peel and cut the mangoes into thin slices along the length.

Cooking - Heat oil in a pan. Add fennel and nigella seeds followed by the mango slices after 1 minute.

Stir for about 5 mins or till mangoes turn mushy. Then add coriander powder, chili powder, turmeric, salt and 1 - 1 1/2 cups of water. Boil for 6-7 mins till it becomes thick.

Add the jaggery and stir to dissolve it completely. Switch off flame. Remove and keep aside.

Allow it to cool down completely. It can be served on the same day or kept in a airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. 

For Amba khatta recipe, click here .

Rawa Fish Fry

Those simple things are the ones that keep getting overlooked most of the times. This recipe is no exception. Being so easy and simply, it seems like a joke to even consider posting this recipe when one is in the South. But then I realize that not everyone who follows my blog has spent a good amount of time in South India. And quite a few of my readers from the North are totally clueless when it comes to cooking 'machli' . So, if you are one of those who want to try fish and are looking for something easy, then this is the one for you ( if it is of any solace, the connection between good skin and a fish based diet is legendary....no wonder most of our Bengali beauties was that beautiful luminous skin ) .

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 40 mins ( 30 mins standby )


Ingredients -

• 4 pieces Rohu fish
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp GG paste
• 1/4 tsp chili paste
• 1/5 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp cornflour (optional)
• 1/2 cup semolina for coating the fish
• salt to taste
• 3-4 tsp oil (when using a non stick pan)

Preparation - Wash and pat dry the fish pieces. 

Take the salt, turmeric, lime juice,, GG paste and chili powder in a mixing bowl. Make a paste and then rub it all over the fish pieces. Allow to rest for 25-30 mins.

If using cornflour, make a thick paste with a little water, salt and red chili powder. Slather it over the fish.

Take the semolina in a bowl (wide enough to accommodate the fish slices ). Dip each fish in it and coat it evenly on all sides.

Cooking - Heat a non stick frying pan. Drizzle it with oil. Place the semolina coated fish over it and cook on a slow flame till one side turns light brown. Flip it over carefully, drizzle more oil and cook till brown on the other side as well. 

Remove from the pan. Serve hot with onions rings and a mint chutney .

[ It is a great side dish with Pakhala, the watery rice delicacy from Odisha ].

Fish Moilee ( Kerala Style Recipe )

Fish Moilee is one of those lightly spiced South Indian fish curries that does not make me reach for that second bottle of Bisleri or Aquafina . With minimal spices and coconut milk going into the gravy, it allows the natural flavour of the fish to shine through. The native population uses mostly King fish, seer fish or even pomfret for this recipe but I choose to go with a Rohu or a Bhakura (Catla) given my eastern preferences. This dish tastes best when served with appam but with a little tweaking ( more green chilis and tomatoes ), it works fine even with white rice.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20 mins (plus standby)

Ingredients -

The Marination -

• 6 slices of Catla 
• 1/5 tsp black pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp GG paste
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• salt to taste

The gravy -

• 1/4 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 1 green cardamom
• 1-2 cloves
• 1 large onion (finely sliced)
• 1/2 tsp chopped ginger
• 1/2 tsp chopped garlic
• 2-3 green chilis (slit lengthwise)
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 large tomato ( country one is better )
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder ( adjust the heat as preferred )
• 1/4 tsp black pepper powder
• 1/5 tsp turmeric
• 1 cup thick coconut milk
• salt to taste
• 3-4 tbsp oil ( or as required )

Preparation - Take all the ingredients for marination in a large plate/dish. Rub it evenly over the fish for about 2-3 mins. Allow to rest for 30-45 mins.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the fish slices and fry very lightly on both sides for about 5-6 mins. Remove and keep aside.

Add the fennel, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. Fry till fragrant.

Add chopped onions and fry till translucent.

Add the slit chilis, chopped garlic, chopped ginger and curry leaves. Fry for 1-2 mins.

Add the finely chopped tomato along with the turmeric, chili powder and pepper powder. Cook till mushy.

Add 1 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Let in the fried fish pieces. Simmer for 5 mins with lid closed.

Remove the lid. Finally add the thick coconut milk and simmer for 10 mins.

Remove from flame and serve hot.

Tastes best with appams.

Note - Since this fish is lightly fried before adding to the gravy, it has a strong fishy odour as compared to the Odia/Bengali fish curries. If you are sensitive about it, do fry the fish to a light brown before adding it to the gravy.

Book Review: Warrior (by Oliver Lafont)

When it comes to fiction, I usually rate a book by the shortest possible time taken from start to completion. It boils down to a ratio like number of pages divided by the number of days. Anything that scores more than hundred is top dog. And it took me just 2.5 days to chow down the entire 375 pages on this one :):).

Coming to the storyline. An immortal son of Lord Shiva. The imminent End of Days. Space travel. A heavy does of quantum physics. And a rag tag team of soldiers facing an unknown enemy. Imagine the endless possibilities that can arise when one decides to throw all these components together into one heady cocktail. It can either make one land flat on one's face or one can end up with a sparkling read that is a sure shot winner. And trust me, this book falls into the latter category.

Oliver Lafont is a fine story teller. He adds elements of mythology, science, human emotions and heroism into the narration and yet does not allow these numerous elements slacken his grip at any point. The language is easy to grasp and yet at par with international authors. Since this is his debut novel, I would rate him to be much better than quite a few of his Indian contemporaries who are in the business of churning out one hopeless plot after another.

But at the same time, there are a few flawed bits. Some parts could have been left out or modified to add substance to the plot. For example, some of that banter between Saam and his girlfriend which lacks chutzpah, the meeting of the Peerless which looks contrived and even the first meeting with the geeky IIT professor which seems too gory without a proper reason. But then there are some bits like a parallel Kurukshetra war fought in another world (aka another dimension of time and space ) which make one wonder if the concept of good and evil are anything but absolute and need to be calibrated in terms of relativity. Nonetheless, this one slowly grows on you and keeps you captivated till the end.

This is a book that allows one's imagination to take a lot of wild twists and turns which may or may not be a good thing for some( personal preference ). Not going to spoil the suspense by revealing more of the plot. Grab a copy of this one and you won't regret it.

Buy it online from Amazon.

Do read the author's interview here .

[DISCLAIMER - A copy of the book was provided by the author's publicist but that has not influenced my opinion in any manner.]

Fruity Khira ( Ricotta Cheese Pudding with assorted fruits )

Easter is around the corner and a lot of folks would be meticulously working on a mouth watering spread for that special lunch /dinner with friends and family. While there are a lot of traditional favorites for the occasion, an unusual dish is always a welcome addition to the menu. Leave aside the usual puddings and cakes for something wonderfully delightful. A pudding made with ricotta cheese and served with assorted seasonal fruits can add zing to even the most boring conversations that sometime follow a lunch or dinner!!

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time -

Ingredients -

• 1.5 litres whole milk ( or 1 liter milk and 2/3 cup Ricotta cheese )
• 1/2 cup condensed milk
• 7-8 cashews
• 2 tbsp pistachio flakes
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1-2 tbsp sugar
• a pinch of saffron 
• 1/2 tsp ghee/clarified butter
• 2 cups assorted fruits ( Fig, Kiwi, Apple, Pineapple, Watermelon, Grapes )

Preparation - Dilute the vinegar with 2 tbsp water.

Cooking - Boil 1/2 litre of milk in a pan. When it comes to full boil, add the diluted vinegar. Boil for another 4-5 minutes so that the chenna/ricotta cheese ( solid portion of the milk) clearly separates from the remaining liquid. Drain the liquid. Wash the chenna/ricotta cheese under running water to remove traces of vinegar. Squeeze out the remaining liquid from the chenna/ricotta cheese. Allow it to cool down.

Heat a little ghee on a pan. Fry the cashews to a golden shade. Remove from pan and keep aside.
Add the pistachio flakes to the same pan and lightly fry for 30 seconds. Remove from pan.

Cooking: Heat a thick bottomed wok. Add the remaining milk and bring to a boil. Allow it to reduce to half the original volume.

Then add condensed milk, saffron strands, sugar and fried cashews. Let it simmer for 10 mins before you add the chenna/ricotta cheese.

Keep stirring at regular intervals till the mixture becomes thick ( 'rabdi' like consistency ), Add the pistachio flakes, remove from the flame and keep aside.

Allow it to chill in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours before serving.

Take the chopped fruits in a bowl and drizzle the khira/ricotta cheese pudding generously all over it. Dig in !!!

Note - Khira is traditionally prepared as a offering in the Puri Jaganaath Temple of Odisha. 

Interview with Oliver Lafont ( Author of the mytholgical thriller 'Warrior' )

Yep. I am on a high these days. One after another good read keeps up in that uber utopic mood. It seems a mere coincidence that whatever I pick up is at least tinged with mythology if not entirely based on it. And that is why I readily agreed when I got the chance to interview the multi-talented Oliver Lafont and review his maiden publication 'Warrior'. In case you are wondering about the guy, he played the very cute ( but price tag flashing ) fiancee of Kareena Kapoor in 'Three Idiots' . I still get a 'LOL' when I think of his 300 dollar shoes :) !!!

Lafont is a multi-talented and versatile personality who not only writes fiction, feature film screenplays, and editorial pieces, but also acts in feature films, endorses some of India’s most popular brands on television, and lends his voice to many media in many languages ( the guy can speak fluent French, Hindi, English and Spanish ). A French polyglot, Lafont pursues his eclectic interests at the highest standards having worked with some of India’s most acclaimed directors on films like 3 IDIOTS, Guzaarish and two HOLLYWOOD films, and continuing in the same vein with his new novel coming out with Penguin India. He is a familiar face due to his work in over 70 adverts on television.

His novel ‘Warrior’ is a high octane, action-packed story that travels all over India and beyond. The hero, Saam, is an immortal warrior who is forced to come out of hiding in today’s Mumbai to pick up arms again and take to the road. His epic journey spans three days across an India torn by unnatural cataclysms, and even stranger lands. To bring back peace Saam must stoke his consuming hunger for war - but at what cost to himself? 

A truly 'unputdownable' book, it touches upon a plethora of elements like thrill, romance, mythology, friendship and even more. I would have happily sacrificed food and sleep for finishing all 375 pages in a single go had it not been for my hyper toddler. No wonder, the book was shortlisted for the Tibor Jones South Asia prize. 

Lafont seems to be a guy who really knows where he is headed to. Read on for his take on mythology, his passion and life in general -

Interview with Oliver Lafont 

Q. How much relevance do superheros hold in today's technology driven world ? Are you inspired by any superhero in particular ? 

A. Superheroes have always had relevance and importance. When I look at mythologies around the world, the gods and demigods and demons of yore are all, to me, the ancient expressions of today’s ‘Avengers’ and ‘Superman’. I don’t think technology will or could change that. I think humanity wants superheroes, wants examples of people who are extraordinary, whether they’re real or fictional, to inspire us to be extraordinary ourselves. 

I’m not inspired by any superhero in that sense, but I like Superman most. 

Q. Since you have churned out a book that draws heavily on mythology, I would like to know if you are just moving with the current trend ? Or is it something that fascinates you ? 

A. I’ve always read and written fantasy, from a very young age. When my family moved from France to India I was seven years old, and my introduction to Indian culture happened in part through reading about India’s fascinating mythology. I originally wrote ‘Warrior’ as a feature film script when I came back to India from university more than a dozen years ago, so that was before the trend you mentioned. Indian mythology has always been particularly  interesting to me because of its amazing multilayered qualities. 

Q. Why is the plot based out of Mumbai ? Is it simply because you are familiar with it or is there any other reason behind it ? Since the city has already captured the imagination of the global audience thanks to movies like Slumdog Millionaire, are you merely trying to capitalize on it ? 

A. I chose Mumbai because I consider it the most cosmopolitan and aspirational city in India. Saam, my hero in ‘Warrior’, has returned to Mumbai to lose himself in this populace, wanting to be as anonymous and ordinary as possible. At the same time since Mumbai is India’s most global city, the drama of cataclysmic events occurring here felt most poignant on that scale. As I mentioned earlier, I first wrote ‘Warrior’ as a feature film script in 2001, while ‘Slumdog Millionnaire’ came out in 2009. 

Q. How would you rate your Hindi on a scale of 1 to 5 ? Have you ever dubbed for any of your characters ? 

A. I didn't speak a word of Hindi when I returned to India after university, and it did seem a bit daunting initially. I started with the alphabet and taught myself the language, and I’m pleased to say 

that my acting work has never been dubbed, that the directors I’ve worked with have all kept my own voice. So I’d like to say, as a non-native speaker who did the best I could, a 4 out of 5. 

Q. As I am also a food blogger, I would like to know if you ever find the time to rustle up a meal for close friends or family ? If yes, what do you cook for them ? 

A. I don’t cook much, but I think I make a good batch of crepes. That always seems to make my family and friends happy! 

Q. You are an accomplished actor, screenplay writer and author. But if you had to pursue a single interest, what would it be ? 

A. All the things I do are, for me, different aspects of storytelling, so I’m already pursuing a single interest. I might create a graphic novel tomorrow, or design a video game next week, and it’s still the 

same single thing that I’ve been passionate about since my childhood. So that’s an easy answer: storytelling. 

Q. Do you plan on penning down another book ? If yes, will it be a sequel to the first one ? 

A. There’s no question that I’ll be writing more books. In fact I already have a couple other finished ones which are with agents and publishers. As to writing a sequel, there are some ideas, but for 

now I’m only focused on promoting ‘Warrior’.


Keep watching this space for the review !!! Meanwhile do check out the book trailer.


Updated - Check the book review here !!

WARRIOR BOOK TRAILER

http://youtu.be/qDLMISZAzME

FACEBOOK PAGE 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Olivier-Lafont/625633327480645?ref=hl

TWITTER 

https://mobile.twitter.com/OliLafont

‘WARRIOR’ AMAZON LINK

http://www.amazon.in/Warrior-Olivier-Lafont/dp/0143423630/ref=sr_1_1_twi_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1417183321&sr=8-1&keywords=olivier+lafont+warrior

Black Garbanzo Beans Salad ( Kala Channa Salad)

It is Monday and the time to make u for those weekend indulgences. At least, that is the case with me and my family. After two days of eating junk food, high calorie restaurant stuff, pizza or even numerous sweets, we settle for a simple rice and dalma fare on Mondays. Apart from the loads of vegetables that goes into the dalma, we also opt for some variety of stir fried vegetables and a humongous amount of salad. It not only provides a much needed respite to the digestive system but also makes one feel happy about eating healthy.

Kala channa is yet another variety of Garbanzo beans that is very popular in India. This cholesterol free legume is rich in fiber, Manganese, Tryptophan, Fiber, Folate, and Molybdenum and provide essential nutrients like Phosphorus, Iron, Copper and Protein . It helps in digestion, lowers homocysteine levels,  strengthen the heart muscles, benefits women suffering from hot flashes and reduces the chances of gastric ulcers.

This is a simple salad that I prepared with boiled kala channa and lots of veggies . Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 15-20 mins

Ingredients -

• 3/4 cup black garbanzo beans/kala channa
• 1 cucumber ( peeled and finely sliced )
• 1 medium sized tomato ( finely sliced )
• 1 medium onion ( finely sliced )
• carrots/peppers/lettuce (optional)
• 2-3 green chilis ( finely chopped )
• 1/4 tsp chaat masala
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp olive oil
• pinch of turmeric
• salt to taste

Preparation - Soak the kala channa overnight or for 8 hours. Wash thoroughly and cook with 1 cup water, salt and turmeric for 3-4 whistles. Keep aside for steam to escape. Drain off excess water.

Take all the ingredients (listed above) in a mixing bowl. Add salt as per taste. Mix well.

Serve immediately or chill for 10-15 mind before serving.