Green Beans Sabji & Hummus Bruschetta [Vegan]

(continued) Chapter 5: New York (2012 - 2018)

As you can tell, I am a storyteller.

And my cheffing business created endless stories. That of a couple who met over a dinner and later told me about their engagement, and that of the chef who hired me for an event but disappeared without paying me, or of the time a (jet lagged) dinner guest fell asleep on my couch…But the one that I love telling the most is about a challenge.

Around late 2014, during my 2nd year as a dining experience host, there was a particular lady guest who wrote to me continuously for a few weeks, saying she had heard a lot about my supperclubs, her friends had been and loved it, and she had been wanting to try. However, she had a problem- she hated Indian food, and wasn’t quite sure if she should book. Baffled me. But I admired her honesty and keenness to try something out of her comfort zone. I had advised her that whilst I couldn’t promise the meal won’t have predominant Indian flavours, I could guarantee that it would be nothing like a regular Indian restaurant meal. In fact, that it was a modern take on the cuisine in the form of a tasting menu, and was meant to appeal to those who were apprehensive. I also offered that I would give her a refund shall she absolutely hate it. And left it at that. Two weeks later, a lady turned up at one of my dinners, and said she had written to me a few times - oh gosh, HER! My nerves wavered a bit. If she was indeed coming, I would’ve liked a warning (most folks who booked were strangers and I rarely knew who would turn up at my table on a particular night) so I could customise the menu. The chef in me gave a cry, but the host in me stood strong. I ran my show as per normal, hoping she wouldn’t gag or run out. Instead, I was delighted that she actually enjoyed herself. She did, however, make a passing mention that she hated green beans, and glad the meal didn’t contain any. I was both relieved and proud after the dinner. It was a brimming clean up session after with a fair few glasses of wine! Those moments after a supperclub were always full of reflection, calm & gratification. I used to absolutely love that ‘dinner-after’ feeling.

A few months later, I got another message from the same lady. She wanted to come back. And this time bring along some friends including her new fiancee. She was a convert- hurrah! The accomplishment I felt cannot be expressed in words. But I had a challenge on hand - to bean or not to bean. I crafted up a menu, greeted her and her friends and set about plating. The night flew by as swiftly as the wine, and as my regular tradition, I spent the last course on the table with the guests, asking their favourite course from the menu. When it came to her, she said, “The last one! the flavour was something I’ve never eaten before and it worked so well with the sticky rice”. I laughed and stood up. I then revealed, “That was a green bean korma…..”. She bowed, as she had promised she would for anyone who could ever make her like green beans. It was a night that ended in many laughs.

I have told this story many a times during my dinners. I love it. Not because it makes me proud, but it re-asserts that what I tell everyone - don’t be afraid to try new things, because you won’t know when life and flavours surprise you.

And although I don’t have that korma recipe today, I do have another with green beans. I hope that lady, wherever she is, will come across this and give it a try. To everyone else, go try something out of your comfort zone today. And fingers crossed there won’t be a chef lurking around ready to fool your taste buds!

Ingredients

For the beans sabji

2 cups green beans, sliced thin

1 medium potato, peeled and diced (optional)

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 small tomato, finely chopped

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

2 tbsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp red chili powder

4 tbsp olive oil

Salt to taste

For the Hummus

1 can of cannelloni beans, drained

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1/2 tsp paprika

3 tbsp olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Others

Crostini or a good baguette, cut into thin slices

Method

Make the sabji

Heat oil in a non stick pan. Add cumin seeds and wait for them to splutter. Add onions + a little salt, and cook till they soften and start to look translucent. Add tomatoes + all remaining dry spices. Mix well and cook covered till tomatoes are tender and oil begins to separate from the edges. Now add the beans and potatoes, and cover and cook on low-medium heat. Let the beans get a little tender and the potatoes to cook through- will depend on the quality of your potatoes, but approx 10-12 minutes. Remove cover, turn heat to high, and dry any excess liquid. Remove from heat and keep aside.

Make the hummus
Heat oil in a pan. Add the garlic and cook till it browns. Now add the cannelloni beans + all spices and cook on high heat till the beans brown a bit. Cool and blend smooth in a blender. Add a little oil to make smooth if the hummus seems too dry.

Put it together

Spread a little hummus on each crostini or baguette (if serving immediately, toast the baguette a bit). Top with some green beans sabji, and garnish with crushed pistachios. A crowd pleasing vegan appetizer thats so creamy and flavourful!

Indian South African Green Biryani

(continued) Chapter 4: Hong Kong (2009-2012)

Some misconceptions are better off remaining so. They make for better stories.

In summer of 2009, I travelled to South Africa for the first time. It was a 5 of us, including the boyfriend and I, and the idea was to have an adventure, to see South African though a natives eye, and also for me to meet the extended in-law family. Gulp. And trust me, this is one big fat extended Indian family we are talking about.

The trip was one of the best I’ve ever had. And whilst it was an amazing holiday, I couldn’t shake off the nervousness of being alone in a foreign country, and meeting those who could possibly be my future extended in-laws. It wasn’t them, it was me. As days grew close to head to Durban, I wore a smile but deep inside twisted every piece of myself to find comfort. I’ll just pretend I like everything. Or seem excited about all their stories. I mean, how bad could it be?

So, we got to Durban, and much to my relief, they were all so lovely and welcoming. But I am an over analyser. And it’s not my thing to be the focal point of all conversations. As the questions grew, I could feel myself melting inwards - I was Indian, but why couldn’t I stomach the insane amount of spice they were used to? Why wasn’t I religious - aren’t all Indians super religious? Why did I not eat sausages for breakfast? …. I ate little, talked a lot, and wondered if I was answering things appropriately. And even though all questions were in good faith, when our friends decided to skip out for a cricket match, I was thrilled. Escape. Even though I didn’t know a thing about cricket (yes, I am not much of an Indian there as well!).

At the match, I revelled in my feeling of freedom and being away from questioning eyes, and enjoyed some well deserved beer. A tad too much i’m afraid. As we headed home, my future mum-in law insisted we ate a little before heading out for the night - Green Biryani she said. I had never heard of it, so I was curious. Plus, it would be rude to refuse. Too much beer (first) + spicy biryani (after) - not recommended. As we headed out for the evening with my boyfriends’ cousins, I couldn’t be more embarrassed of being sick multiple times. What a way to meet the cousins! So much for trying to be the fun, cool girlfriend. And while I think they all coyly knew, everyone, specially all the aunts, passed it off as a stomach bug I had picked up thanks to the excessive spicy food they’d been feeding me. I suppose no one wanted to believe this girl from India could drink. As for me, I chose not to correct them.

After we left Durban and South Africa, I decided to explore the origin of that very Green Biryani. I found out that it’s another much loved staple in the in-law household, and there are many versions of it in South Africa - differing from family to family. It has a strong similarity to the Indian Biryani, but is less laborious (one pot) and has lots of mint (hence the name) + local spices. All in all, I had to learn it.

Today I share that recipe with you. It’s comfort food in a bowl. The original is meant to be quite spicy, so feel free to tone up or down the chillies based on your taste buds. Hope you enjoy it - but please don’t eat it after too much beer! ;)

Ingredients

2 bunch mint leaves (approx 60gm)

1 bunch coriander leaves (approx 30gm)

6-8 green chilies (more if you want it even hotter!)

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 tomato

1 tbsp cumin seeds

2 cloves

1 bay leaf

2 green cardamoms

1 cinnamon stick (if you don’t have these whole spices, replace with 1 heaped tbsp Indian biryani powder)

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp red chili powder

1 tbsp coriander powder

2 cups quick cooking or par boiled rice

500 gm chicken breast, cut into small pieces

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Blend together the mint, coriander, green chilies and tomato with 1/2 cup water to make your ‘green paste’. Keep aside.

Wash and rinse the rice and keep aside.

Heat oil in a non-stick wok. Add all the whole dry spices - cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom, bay leaf and cardamom stick (note: if using biryani powder, just add the cumin seeds here, and add the powder with the spices later). Saute for a quick minute till they get fragrant, and then stir in the ginger garlic paste. Cook for another minute, and then add the onions along with a little salt. Sauté till slightly brown.

Now add the ‘green paste’ made earlier, along with all remaining dry spices (add biryani powder at this stage if using). Cook covered for a few minutes, and then add the chicken. Cook covered till the chicken is almost cooked through, and then stir in the rice. Mix well, and add 1 cup water.

Cover and let the rice cook for at least 15-20 minutes on low heat. Feel free to adjust the water (adding a little at a time) if the rice hasn’t cooked and the biryani looks dry.

Once the rice is tender, open cover to remove any excess liquid (if any). Turn off heat, sprinkle some fresh coriander on top and leave covered for another 10 minutes.

Fluff with a spoon, and serve hot. Goes well with a yogurt dip and poppadams!

Red Korma with Sticky Rice (Vegan/Glutenfree)

(continued) Chapter 3: Singapore (2000-2007 / 2008 - 2009)

Life sometimes takes a full circle, and puts you right back where you started.

When I was really little - think 2 or so - we used to live in the eastern part of Indian - Assam. It is customary in that part of India to eat slightly overcooked / sticky rice. The rice is rolled up in little balls by hand, and then used to scoop up fish curry. During those days, my parents had a ‘didi’ (a young girl who works as a house help and nanny) for me and my brother - Leela. I am told that I used to refuse food unless I got to eat with Leela exactly what and how she ate. She sat on the floor, cross legged, and with unique swiftness rolled her rice and curry. A bite for her, and a tinier bite for me. I can’t quite remember those days much, but I must have loved it, as my preference for sticky rice stays till date.

Basmati (long, fluffy grain) is the more common rice in northern India, so growing up I never did enjoy rice as much, unless it was overcooked by mistake! Moving to Singapore was my full circle - Asian rice is cooked just the way I like it. When I first relocated, as any university going teenager, I relied on junk food. But, as days passed, and living there felt less exotic and more like home, I started to explore the local cuisine at the numerous canteens across campus. Boys came into the picture, and many a ‘study date’ involved a canteen meal.

My first date was in what was known as Canteen B. It was in the business wing of the school, and since both of us were engineering students, it felt right to do this away from suspecting eyes of Canteen A - the engineering common. I grew up in an all girls’ boarding school, and although I was excited, I had no idea what a date meant. As I nervously walked in holding my neatly filed book folders, looking around for the boy in question, I was hit by a smell. Not a pleasant one. Now, I love everything about Singaporean food food, but I have to admit, some of the smells took me a while to get over. I had walked past either a Fish Ball Soup or Char Siew (Bbq pork) stall, but suddenly my stomach felt more than just nerves. What a way to start a date! I swallowed in defiance, and walked towards the table he sat at. He was a second year student, also Indian, but was probably accustomed to all that the local stalls had to offer- he also loved experimenting with local food. He sensed my discomfort (perhaps it was a common element of 1st year Indians or perhaps he had just been on many dates;)), and offered to go for a walk instead. But hey, I have always been a rebel. I couldn’t ruin this, and claimed that I was fine and loved trying new things. So we began our date. I opted for some steamed chicken and rice (it was delish and a favourite till date!), and he got….well…Fish Ball Soup. Hilarious when I think about it now. Hilarious to think how naive I was with boys. And hilarious that he was my boyfriend for majority of the university days!

After that episode, rice was a staple go to meal for me in 4 years of university life. In my opinion, stickier rice absorbs flavours much better, and although I didn’t know it then, I do know now that it also tastes amazing with Indian curries. Todays’ recipe is that of a healthy, vegan Red Dal (Lentil) Korma, subtly spiced with Indian spices and vegetables, and served up with balls of sticky rice. Scoop up each bite of goodness and enjoy!

Ingredients

For the Red Korma

1/2 red pepper, diced

1 small carrot, diced

1 small beetroot, peeled and diced

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 plum tomatoes, diced (or 1/2 can of tinned tomatoes)

2 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup red lentils, washed and drained

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp red chili powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp crushed black pepper

1 red chili, seeds removed and diced (leave the seeds in if you want the heat)

4-5 tbsp light olive oil

Salt to taste

Others

1 cup Thai or Asian sticky rice

2 tsp olive oil

Method

Make the rice

Wash and rinse the rice well. Add 2 1/2 cups water, a little salt and oil and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook till all the water has been absorbed, and the rice is tender (approx 10-12 minutes). Leave covered for another 5-6 mins. Open cover, mix the rice well with a spoon, and leave aside to cool.

Make the dal korma

Heat oil in a non stick pan. Once hot, add the red chili, bay leaf, cumin seeds and wait for them to splutter. Then add the ginger garlic paste and cook for another minute. Add in the onions + some salt, and cook till the onions turn translucent. Add all the dry spices, mix well, and then add the tomato, carrot, red pepper and beets. Cover and cook till the tomatoes are tender, can be crushed with the back of a spoon, and oil begins to separate from the sides (approx 6-8 minutes, but depends on the ripeness of your tomatoes). Now stir in the lentils, along with 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, and cook till the lentils, carrots and beets are tender and fully cooked. Turn off heat, discard the bay leaf, and blend the korma till smooth. You can eat it chunkier without blending as well, but I like blending so that the flavours really fuse with each other.

To serve, take 1/2 cup of the cooked rice in your hands, and firmly roll into a ball. Continue to roll it till it holds its shape. Serve on top of the delicious Red Korma with some yogurt and crisps of choice!

Masala Bhindi (Okra)

continued Chapter 2: School - Home - School (1993-2000)

I had a love and hate relationship with boarding school.

I love the friends, confidence, education, memories, ambition, independence, strength and outlook it gave me. I hate that it took away irreplaceable precious time with family.

For 7 years of my young life, I spent only 4 months of holidays each year at home. And while the remaining 8 months were full of learnings and adventures, they couldn’t compensate for things I missed out as a child who is home. I missed learning about the frenzy of festivals and weddings, many of my mothers’ dinner parties, the importance of extended family, getting up to mischief with cousins, being shuttled back and forth from sport or dance classes after school, packed lunches, and many many other such moments of childhood pleasure, that probably seem insignificant at the time, but do create a lasting impression on life.

However, life at school was anything but uneventful. There are countless stories and incidents from 7 years in school that if I sat to relate, the blogosphere would run out of virtual paper. From being ice cream ready at 7 am during our Annual Founders’ Day (School Annual Function) to learning how to manage a (fake) bank account to make canteen purchases, even back then many notable memories revolved around food. And although I didn’t cook at the time, I sure had happy and sad taste buds, and took mental notes of items I would ask my mum to replicate after my days in school were over.

Aloo bhindi (Potato & Okra curry) was one such dish.

In 1995, I fell ill at school. Not the first time, but usually I persevered and told my parents I would get better soon and they needn’t worry. This time, perhaps I was incredibly homesick, but I gave in and begged them to pay me a visit. I just needed a familiar hug I suppose. Not knowing whether they would come, I was resting in my dormitory one morning, while the girls’ around me were busy getting ready for the morning drill - PT (physical training), breakfast, assembly, morning classes. I must’ve drifted off to sleep, and was woken up by my very animated next bed neighbour’s voice loudly relating a story about her dream to someone. Someone who felt and smelt very familiar. I jumped up only to notice my mum, impeccably dressed, sitting by my bedside. Oh joy! I can still see the scene when I close my eyes. I must’ve felt better immediately, because I only remember that day as a day off from classes, and her spending most of the day by my side.

At lunchtime, my lunch was brought up from the mess (as it did for all girls sick in bed). I had no appetite, but decided to take a peek anyway. Aloo bhindi! “This”, I said, “this is the bhindi I was talking about mummy” - I told my mum excitedly. “Taste karo and dekho kaise banaate hai” (Taste and see how they make it). I had mentioned that I loved this dish in school many a times, but couldn’t explain how it might have been cooked. Our family recipe of okra was very different, and as any mum, she had taken it as a challenge to try and make it as they made in school. This was her chance to taste that very dish. She took a bite - “Isn’t it yummy?!”. I asked. She didn’t seem overly impressed, and said “Oh so easy, is mein kuch nahin hai” (there is nothing to this). I grinned, she would never admit defeat.

Years later, I asked her the recipe over the phone to try and cook it. She never understood why I loved it so much (or perhaps why I loved it over her okra recipe!), but the thing is, food is a habit. A habit that takes various shapes and forms in different people. Today I share with you that original Okra & Potato recipe that managed to wipe off much of my memory of being very ill. Such is the magic of food.

Ingredients

175gm okra / ladysfinger / bhindi, chopped

1 potato, cut lengthwise

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 plum tomato, diced

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

Spice mix (mix and keep aside) : 1 tsp cumin powder, 2 tbsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp red chili powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala and 1/4 tsp dry mango powder (amchoor).

Fresh coriander to garnish, finely chopped

Salt to taste

6 tbsp light olive oil or sunflower oil

Method

Heat oil in a non stick pan. Add cumin seeds and cook till they begin to splutter. Next add the ginger garlic paste, and let it brown for a few seconds. Then add the onions, with a little salt, and cook till they turn translucent, and begin to brown. Next add the tomatoes, along with the dry spice mix. Mix well and cover and cook on low-medium heat till the tomatoes are fully cooked (5-8 mins). You should be able to easily mash them with a spatula, and the oil should begin to separate from the edges. Make sure this base paste is well cooked and don’t rush this step.

Add the potatoes, along with a little more salt. Mix well and cover and cook for 3-5 minutes, till the edges of the potatoes are browned. Finally add the okra, mix well. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes or till the okra is tender and the potatoes are full cooked.

Remove cover, turn heat to high and saute for a few minutes till all the spices have coated the vegetables. Garnish with coriander and enjoy hot with steamed rice or rotis (indian flatbread)