Tata 2008

Last day of the year 2008 and kal se naya saal....many travel plans have come up...starting from Chennai...Delhi...Shillong..Mumbai/Pune and well Singapore visit tops my list...I hope I save enough money to afford a holiday there....my resolution for 2009...eat more or alot whatever but eat healthy and cook more healthier food...I've given a lot of not so healthy food habits...I hardly eat junk food and try and have a balance diet...so I'll continue doing but...btw once a while overeating is okay... yaar life mei kabhi kabhi accha khana chahyeh....accha=yummy+ unhealthy food...

Disaster ladoo's

One of my all time fav. sweet is nariyal ka ladoo and burfi, whenever I visit delhi I always buy 1/2 a kg of nariyal ladoo which lasts for quite some time, the other day I was invited for baby"S" 2nd birthday, I had this really yummy nariyal ladoo that I was totally HAPPY so I asked the recipe found that its very simple...grate coconut and mix it with condensed milk...the proportion was 2 grated big coconut to 1 condensed milk....I bought this condensed milk& coconut and tried it y'day...I was excited on trying something new...bahut mehnat bhi karna pada from breaking the coconut to grating it man...bahut time laga tha and then after all the mehnat I poured this condensed milk and damnnnnnnnnnnnnn disaster struck...the condensed milk was too thin and my ladoo's became kheer...I realized I shd have bought Nestle condensed milk and not Amul...the problem is amul one is very thin and the nestle one is very thick...for nariyal ladoo nestle is better I learned my listen and I'll try it next weekend again but with Nestle Condensed milk....till then I'll have to eat all the nariyal ladoo turned kheer...

Missed u so much...

Here m talking abt just my cooking...since the beginning of this month I've hardly cooked resulting in higher stress level for me...now m back to being myself again and whoppeee m cooking again and enjoying it thoroughly...winter is a real good season in Agartala...for all the green veggies and awesome weather...not too cold and thats what I like most...many veggies which I used to import from Imphal are available here like y'day I discovered hawai maton at the market near Tulshi batti school and in few weeks yongchak will be available...abhi phir se start hoga my cooking classes...m so excited!!!!!!!!!

Mehanga pada methi..

When I was in Delhi last month I saw these big hoardings...written "mahengi pade congress" it was the election campaign of the opposition party, meaning electing congress the previous term has cost the public alot...that line was quit catchy whoever coined it...coming to my methi story...I like methi, its a good substitute to "hawai maton" and my fren "A" taught me this really good methi leaves and mattar kangsoi dish... which is yummy and truly heathly....I had learned this another methi leaves, garlic,groundnut and green chillies maharastrain dish...one maharashtrian dish I could never forget...its a dry subzi and one of the most yummiest dish I've ever had in life....I liked it so much that I sat with one village women in her kitchen )when I was in Tuljapur) and learned it...that was one dish I had very often when methi was not a luxury....here in Agartala its a luxury...I bought methi leaves worth 40 bucks to make this dish and viola....I still can make the yummiest methi-groundnut subzi...I was damnn happy with myself and yeah my memory for remembering the method...sabash..

Pan ga khajing ga thongba(Colocasia tuber cooked with shrimps & fermented soya beans)

Pan as in arabi in hindi(Colocasia tuber) can be cooked in many ways...pan ironba...pan thongba and various other dishes but this one is my fav. my fren "A" who is a champ cook makes this really well and I learned it from her. This one is cooked with smoked shrimps(fresh water shrimps) which is quite expensive in Manipur but cheaper in Tripura. I used the fried version and its as good as the smoked one.

Ingredients:

• 200 gms pan/colocasia tuber
• 8-10 green chillies
• 2 inch long ginger
• 1 onion
• 4-5 spring onion
• Ngari
• 50 gms khajing(shrimps)

Method:

• Peel the pan and cut into round slices, ensure that its nit very thick. Slit the chillies and chop the onions.
• Take a pressure cooker and add abt 2 cups of water, turmeric powder, some ngari,and all the ingredients.
• Pressure cook upto 3 whistle (max)
• Once it cools down, cook on medium flame and add shrimps and salt.
• Cook for 10 mins on medium flame and serve with rice.
  

Nga toina thongba

This is one manipuri dish I really like and love to cook, I do not have to fry the fish and I put loads of my fav.veggies cauliflower tops the list, here's the recipe to try and relish
Ingredients:
-6 pieces fish (rohu)
-1 medium size cauliflower.
-100 gms peas.
-8-10 chillies.
-2 medium size potato
-2 inch long ginger.
-8-10 cloves garlic.
-One onion
-8-10 spring onion
-2 tomato's
-Coriander leaves for garnishing.
Method:
-Marinate the fish with salt and turmeric for 30 mins.
-Chop all the veggies. make cubes of potato
-In a kadhai take 3 tbsp of mustard oil and frythe garlic.
-Once it turns golden brown add the chopped onion and green chillies.
-Add the potato's and fry on medium flame. Cover it for 5 mins & stir it in bwt.
-Add the cauliflower, tomato,spring onion and add turmeric powder. Keep the kadhai covered and cook for 10-15 mins.
-Add the marinated fish (add 1 tbsp of oil) mic it well and cook it covered.
-Stir it once every 5 mins and cook on low flame.
-Add about 2 cups of hot water.
-Once done add salt and garnish with coriander leaves... another yummy manipuri dish is ready

Spanish omelet- My style

I've very limited knowledge abt spanish cushine...whatever I knw is wat I've learned from TV...my fav travel & living channel...I saw this programme on spanish cushine and was really facinated with the spanish omelet...it has loads of potatos and onion and looks yummm...m sure it must be more yummy that it looks...in my attempts to be a better cook I tried my own recipe a new version of spanish omlet using both potato' and onions but I used mashed potato's (aloo chokha)...
-Break 2 eggs and add abt 3 tbsp of mashed potato, chopped onion, green chilles and salt to taste.
-Mix the ingredients well and fry...m sure you will love to have it everyday for breakfast, lunch, brunch or dinner...trust me its very yummy...