Monica Saigal Bhide's Blog, page 13

Last year I ran a successful year-long program called Powered by Hope. The intent of the program is to help you follow your creative dreams by powering your spirit with hope! I am glad the program was so well received. This year, in addition to new posts, I will also be sharing a few of the best posts from the program. From now until the end of 2015, you will receive a minimum of two posts a month focused on hope. I hope you will enjoy them and that they will inspire you to follow your dreams!

ATTITUDE 

 

Ah, my favorite topic. I get regular emails from readers saying that I am too positive. This always makes me laugh. What is too positive? Would they rather read bad news? Would they rather I tell them all that is wrong with this world? Well, there are already so many people doing that and doing it well. Turn to any news channel, any news website, any blogger talking about politics, current events, and it is all there to read.

I try not to be Pollyanna but I found that if I am not positive, nothing that I am working on gets done. I make worrying about things an art form! I could worry about anything for any length of time (and sometimes I still do). But what I am finding more and more is that the worry does nothing except make me feel ill, both physically and mentally. What works better for me is to have a positive attitude with a focus that good things are coming and I just have to happily keep working towards them. Whether or not the good things come then becomes moot because I am happy in my journey—and that is the point.

 

Are you a glass half full or a glass half empty person? What works for you? Why?

 

The post Attitude appeared first on Monica Bhide | Recipes, Stories, Inspiration.

I learned this recipe at the Park Hotel in Bangalore. Chef Rajiv Vimal was kind enough to give me demo of the recipe as well. In fact, he set up a special demo station outside (second photo below) to give us a demo.

It is super easy. The recipe, as you will see, is in grams since India is on the metric system. It is really easy to follow and the results are delicious. Moong dal is a simple yellow lentil that is easily available at any Indian store (also on Amazon). And the fried version is here. I just adore the friend moong dal as a snack and often have a bowl of it on my desk as a great munchie!

Notice that the recipe needs no salt! The fried lentils had enough salt and great crunch. I like to add sliced green chilies to this as well (step 5). You can also add fresh, minced cilantro to give this another dimension.

(500 grams is about 17 ounces …)

Moong Dal Medallions

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

 

500 grams yellow moong dal

300 grams cabbage

1 + 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

200 grams fried moong dal

½ teaspoon chaat masala

½ teaspoon cayenne

½ teaspoon ground coriander powder

1 tablespoon rice flour

Method

Rinse and boil the yellow moong dal till just done (soft but firm). Drain and set the cooked lentils aside.
Chop the cabbage finely and saute in a tablespoon of oil. Cook until the cabbage is  soft and tender.
Add the yellow moong dal and the fried dal to the sautéed cabbage and mix well. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
Mix in the chaat masala, coriander powder and cayenne.
Add a tablespoon or so of rice flour to the mixture. This will help bind the mix. You can add sweet rice flour, chick pea flour or dried breadcrumbs. Anything that will be a good binder.
When ready to serve: take about a small fistful of the mixture in your palms and shape it gently into a medallion.
Heat the remaining oil in a griddle. Add the medallion and brown on both sides.
Serve with your choice of chutney.

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I am so pleased to share with you the next recipe in my series: Monica’s Indian Express: Simple & Sassy Weeknight Dishes.

Chaat Masala is one Indian spice mix you need to know about. This wonderful savory mix is great on fruits and fries alike! I use it here to flavor butter.

Chaat Masala Butter Log
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 tablespoon finely minced cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature.
2 tablespoons chaat masala
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
For the butter, mix together all the ingredients in a small bowl . Roll butter into a log using parchment paper. Refrigerate until needed.

Now this baby can be used for sandwiches, atop skillet breads or use your imagination. It is a butter packed with flavor, punched up with spices and is just delightful! I dont keep it for more than a week or so.

 

Hearty thanks to Alka at Sindi Rasoi for shooting the photograph for me! She is a delightful photographer and her information is here:

Website: SindhIRasoi.com
Facebook page:Sindhirasoi
Twitter : Sindhirasoi

The post Monica’s Indian Express: Chaat Masala Butter appeared first on Monica Bhide | Recipes, Stories, Inspiration.

Last year I ran a successful year-long program called Powered by Hope. The intent of the program is to help you follow your creative dreams by powering your spirit with hope! I am glad the program was so well received. This year, in addition to new posts, I will also be sharing a few of the best posts from the program. From now until the end of 2015, you will receive a minimum of two posts a month focused on hope. I hope you will enjoy them and that they will inspire you to follow your dreams!

RECOGNIZE OPPORTUNITIES

 

You may have heard this story before; it has been making rounds on the Internet. Please forgive me if I tell it once more.

A shoe company sends two salesmen to a small, remote village in Africa to check out the market there for shoes. The first one sends an email back: “Flying back tomorrow. There is no market here, no one wears shoes.” The shoe company president reads the message and decides to call the young man back. The second salesman also sends an email but his reads: “SEND MORE SHOES. No one here wears them so there is a huge market. Looks like I need to tell my wife I will be gone for a while.” He got a promotion.

 

If you think this story isInternet legend or bogus, then go to Google and search out the story about the poor Indian man who created sanitary napkins. He found out that less than 7% of Indian women used napkins. Others (mostly poor) just made do with small pieces of cloth. Instead of thinking “No one is doing it so there is no market,” he spent years thinking “93% market share!” He went to on to create jobs for millions of rural women who could now make these napkins at small local factories and use them.

 

These stories have made a huge impression on me. I tend to be the one with glass-half-empty syndrome, so now each time I am faced with a situation that looks less than positive, I remind myself of these stories.

 

Do you agree with these stories? I would love your thoughts.

The post Recognize Opportunities appeared first on Monica Bhide | Recipes, Stories, Inspiration.

Basmati Rice and Peas – A match made in heaven

I have been meaning to start posting some recipes with photos so finally, here it is. This is one of our family favorites. It showcases how easy it is to use spices and how a single spice can add such accent and depth to a dish. You can also make this dish with brown basmati rice. The rice in itself is fragrant and has a nutty flavor. Use petit peas, they add a touch of natural sweetness and the cumin adds a toasty flavor. You can eat this by itself or serve it with your favorite side or curry.

Next week, I will be posting a super simple way to make fish.

Serves 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

1 cup Basmati rice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds

1 cup frozen peas (no need to thaw)

2 cups of water

Table salt to taste

1.                   Rinse the rice at least 3–4 times with water. Drain and set aside.

2.                   In a deep pan, heat the vegetable oil on medium heat.

3.                   Add the cumin seeds. When the begin to sizzle, add the peas.

4.                   Sauté for about 2-3 minutes

5.                   Add the rice and salt. Mix well. Add the water and bring to a rolling boil.

6.                   Reduce the heat to the lowest setting.

7.                   Cover  the rice with a lid and cook for about 15-20 minutes or until most of the water has evaporated. You will see small craters forming on top of the rice.

8.                   Remove from heat. Let it sit for about 5 minu

te

s. Fluff with a fork before serving. Serve hot.

The post Rice and Peas appeared first on Monica Bhide | Recipes, Stories, Inspiration.

Last year I ran a successful year-long program called Powered by Hope. The intent of the program is to help you follow your creative dreams by powering your spirit with hope! I am glad the program was so well received. This year, in addition to new posts, I will also be sharing a few of the best posts from the program. From now until the end of 2015, you will receive a minimum of two posts a month focused on hope. I hope you will enjoy them and that they will inspire you to follow your dreams!

GIVE

Want something? They say to get what you really want, you need to give that out. Sounds a bit nuts, I know. But it works. I am surrounded by successful writers, chefs, and business people and you know what is the one common trait that I see in most of them? They are generous with their knowledge, their insights, and their experiences. In spite of having schedules that make them gallop around the world, in spite of being so busy that they can barely answer all their emails and phone calls, in spite of being pulled in seven directions at the same time, their response has always been: “How can I help?” Whether it is the answer to a simple recipe question or a “What am I doing with my life?” question; a “What makes a true brand?” query or a “Can you help me learn Mexican cuisine?” request—my questions are endless and their generosity trumps that endlessness. I think this works well for these folks because all the positive energy they put out, they get back in spades. Goodwill is contagious and I always try to pay it forward.

A word of caution here: Goodwill is to be earned and is not something we are entitled to. I try to be respectful when asking. When people give me something, I try to be gracious, respectful and, above all, grateful.

 

And with giving? Give like no one is watching and everyone is in the know! A true giver gives without any sense of wanting anything back in return.

 

I do strongly believe what we put out, comes back to us. Karma rocks!

 

 

 

 

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Friends – On Dec 18th, I will be live on The Kojo Nnamdi Show discussing my book The Devil in Us and also talking about my fav reads of this year. I hope you will call in! We are scheduled to be on from 1:00 – 2:00 on WAMU. I am so very honored, and still a little stunned, to be invited to this show.. It is a HUGE honor for a new fiction writer like me.  THANK YOU again to Kojo and his awesome team for their kind support of my work.

ALSO -

I hope you will come join me and the uber-talented Nevin Martell as we both read from our books. The event is this Sunday, Dec 21st,  at Equinox restaurant in DC. The restaurant will be serving brunch and we will be doing readings and then, of course, signing copies of our books.

 

Please do come by!

 

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I was delighted and honored to participate in Les Dames d’Escoffier DC Chapter’s first annual book signing event. What made this really special is that they were kind enough to let me sign copies of  The Devil in Us!

Also thrilled that my little book made this AMAZING Huffington Post List - Best Cookbook Gifts for the Cooks and Food Lovers on Your List

“Prolific food writer and writing instructor Monica Bhide just published her first book of non-food writing. The Devil in Us is her first collection of short stories, weaving spellbinding stories of fate, fortune, and love into lessons for life. Monica’s beautiful, melodic writing, fascinating story lines and compelling characters take the reader on a journey from the States to India and back, across a wide spectrum of emotions, love, hate, friendship, hope and sorrow. The Devil in Us is the perfect stocking stuffer for anyone who loves enchanting, gripping, haunting, wonderful storytelling.” Huffington Post List - Best Cookbook Gifts for the Cooks and Food Lovers on Your List by Jamie Schler. 

Here are some photos from the lovely Les Dames event I just mentioned above -

 

 

 

 

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Potatoes with Curry Leaf Inserts

I learned a version of this recipe from Dan Barber and soon it became a favorite in our house but with several differences: he uses sage and I turn to curry leaves. He uses paprika, I am partial to chaat masala.  I just love the simplicity of this recipe. Yes, it is deep-fried. Make it once  in a while and you will love it even more or as my kids say, “Love it now as it wont be back on the menu for a year at least.”

Oh, and Chef Dan Barber.. THANK YOU!

Canola oil, for frying

2 large unpeeled Yukon Gold or russet potatoes, scrubbed

Handful of curry leaves

Chaat masala for garnish (you can buy this for 99 cents or a buck at any Indian grocer or online at Amazon. My preferred brand is MDH)

Sea salt to taste

Pour enough oil into a large (6-quart) pot for it to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat over medium heat until the oil registers 200 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Place paper towels on a large platter

Slice the potatoes into 1/16-inch-thick slices. Use a very thin, sharp knife to make 2 slits in the center of each slice, spaced vertically about 1/2 inch apart. You can use a mandolin if you have one as it will give you thinner slices. Thread 1 curry leaf through the slits in each slice.

Increase the heat under the pot to medium-high.

Working in batches, fry the potato chips for 3 to 4 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chips to the paper-towel-lined platter. Sprinkle with chaat masala to taste. Taste one chip to see if you need to salt it. I don’t but I find some people like it a little more savory. So add salt if you need to and serve immediately.

Thank you to Alka Keswani for taking this superb photo of my dish and giving Life of Spice permission to use the photo here. THANK YOU!

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My mother-in-law submitted this recipe to a contest in Mumbai, competing with 80 other women, and won first prize. This dry chutney can be used as a spread for bread or a topping for whipped salted yogurt or sprinkled on warm rice.

Sala Kannan, thanks for the great shot

 

Makes about 1 cup

1 cup fresh curry leaves (stems removed)

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

2 tablespoons roasted peanuts

1 teaspoon dried mango powder (available at Indian markets)

1/2 teaspoon red chili powder

Pinch of sugar

Salt

Place the curry leaves in a large skillet and dry-roast over medium-low heat until all of the moisture dries out and the leaves begin to darken. Pick one up, and if it crumbles easily between your fingers, they are ready. Remove from the pan and let cool.

In a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder, combine the leaves with all of the other ingredients and grind to a coarse powder. Stir in salt to taste. Please note that the final dried chutney may be slightly sticky due to the peanuts in the mix. This is OK.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

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