FANTASTIC FRIENDICOES AND AN UNEXPECTED STRAWBERRY SALAD

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.”
― John Bunyan

Friendicoes began in 1979 in a tiny room with a curtain for a fourth wall, no electricity or water. Within a week they had 27 dogs and 12 cats in residence. Today, the city shelter is triple its original size and they have a country sanctuary to house animals who need lifetime care while also running 4 spay / neuter clinics to help control the stray dog population in Delhi and Gurgaon. There are ambulances on call for emergencies, a hospital for strays in Delhi, a well-equipped clinic /path lab for pets and a mobile equine clinic for working horses and donkeys. They also look after and find homes for abandoned and rescued animals.

All of this adds up to a ton of work to help out the animals that we often forget we share this city with and these guys can use all the help we can give them. Along with fundraising events, you can check out their website (http://www.friendicoes.org/ or their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/friendicoesindia ) and volunteer, foster, adopt or sponsor an animal. Also helpful would be fundraising activities or donation drives (for old newspapers, furniture, mattresses, wheat and dal) to help this incredible cause. Just because your schedule or lifestyle doesn’t allow you to keep a pet doesn’t mean you can’t help make a four legged furry out there really happy.

Happiness like the best food is usually just that simple. This super simple strawberry salad, is an explosion of happy tastes, sweet, salt, tart and peppery.

Serves 1

Recipe adapted from Good Food Magazine

 

What you’ll need:

 Handful of strawberries (chopped into bits)

Salt
Pepper
Juice of one lemon

How to:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Serve chilled.

INCREDIBLE IDIA AND A BOWL OF PEA SOUP

 

“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.”

― Martin Luther King Jr.  

 

The idea of IDIA (Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access) was started by Shamnad Basheer (ex-Professor of the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS)) as a movement to eliminate inequities in access to higher education. Statistics show there's a shocking dearth of diversity amongst the students clearing entrance tests for most national law universities, the IDIA team was set up to help change these statistics. Their main aim is to provide access to resources required to crack the CLAT to students from marginalized communities and regions, who wouldn't be able to get through the exam otherwise.

 

Local IDIA Chapters have been set up across the country which have started an intensive training programme for students who are interested in pursuing law as a career. IDIA also selects students for the training program through its exam called IDIA National Aptitude Test which is held every year in several centres across the country. Contact Diptoshree Basu (INAT Coordinator) at dbasu3@gmail.com to find out how you can contribute, that is through donations, volunteering or maybe even mentoring some of the students that IDIA is trying to help.

 

 

I thought an appropriate pairing for the inspiring work being done by IDIA was this nourishing but simple Pea Soup - they're both good for you and good for your soul.

 

Serves 2

 

Recipe Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

What you’ll need:

 

1 cup shelled peas

 

2 onions (sliced)

 

2.5 cups vegetable stock

Note: I usually melt Maggi cubes into hot water for this but I’ve heard they may contain MSG. Explore other brands of stock cubes to find one you like.

2 tbsp olive oil

 

1 tsp salt

 

1 lemon (juiced)

 

Red chilli powder to taste

 

Oregano/Thyme/ Rosemary/ Parsley or whatever seasoning you prefer

 

 

How to:

 

1. Pop olive oil into the container you’ll be using. Heat the oil a bit and then add the onions, stir while they soften and caramelize.

 

2. Add the peas and stir till soft. Add the stock and the rest of the ingredients (except the lemon juice) and let cook for about 15 – 20 mins.

 

3. Puree the mix and check the seasoning. Adjust as per taste.

 

4. Add a squirt or two of lemon juice and serve.  



RESTAURANT RIP OFF: BIG CHILL'S PEAR, WALNUT, BLUE CHEESE AND SUN DRIED TOMATO SALAD

If you're afraid of butter use cream.

- Julia Child

So far I've banged on and on about the value of having an outlet and the joy that having a hobby adds to our stressed, hyper extended lives. You can read about it along with a recipe for Moroccan Cauliflower and Almond Soup here. I stand by what I've said but I suppose nothing's ever that simple. Over the last two years, a lot of people have come up to me and said kind things about this silly little blog and each little pat on the back is exciting and motivates me to keep cooking, writing and posting. There's also been a lot of sarcasm and judgment that I still don't completely understand.
 
I've been accused of being anti-feminist for choosing to write about food. I've been congratulated on coming up with such a clever way of appearing eligible. Some snidely decide for me that this is a foundation an alternate career despite the fact that I've put 5 years of my sweat and tears into being a corporate lawyer. Not much sweat (we have very effective central air-conditioning in my office) but there have been instances where of sobbing into a set of board resolutions but that's another post.
 
I was initially surprised that an amateur blog with a recipe a week (at best) can generate so much negativity. There are two kinds of snarks - the first who need to believe that every effort has an elaborate concealed agenda behind it. And that the agenda is to somehow belittle them. And the other who is frightened into a reflexive state of defensive contempt at the tiniest expression of individualism.
 
I have a job and I have hobbies too. Sometimes I work very hard to get it all together. Sometimes (like this week) I get absolutely nothing done and sleep at 7:30 pm. Let's all cut each other some slack.  
 
I'm celebrating my first angry post with a recipe for this simple but AMAZING salad I always order when I go to Big Chill. When I realized I had blue cheese at home, I realized it was really easy to recreate at home!
 

 

Serves 2

Adapted from Big Chill Cafe

What you’ll need: 

Handful of Lettuce leaves (torn into shreds)

2 pears (chopped into bite size pieces)

2 -3 tbsp of blue cheese (or as much as you can handle – I put way more into my salad)
2 -3 tbsp of sundried tomatoes (sliced into slivers)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp vinegar (I used white but you can use whatever you have on hand. The darker the vinegar, the tangier and more pungent it is so if youre using apple cider vinegar or something like that you may want to try a smaller quantity first)
Salt to taste
Handful of walnuts (chopped roughly)
1 lemon (juiced)

How to:

 

1. Combine the lettuce, pears, blue cheese, tomatoes and walnuts in a salad bowl.

2. In a small bowl add the vinegar, lime juice, olive oil and salt. Mix well.

3. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad, check the seasoning, adjust it if you need to and serve immediately.

WORLD'S EASIEST COLD SOUP

“God, it was hot! Forget about frying an egg on the sidewalk; this kind of heat would fry an egg inside the chicken.”
― Rachel Caine
 

I put this recipe together last year in July and kind of forgot about it. It's 42 degrees in Delhi today and everything I've written below is ringing true again so I think this is the right time to start talking about cold soups:
 

You may have noticed there haven't been many recipes up of late. I could give you a lot of reasonable answers - work's been hectic, a lot of old friends are in town this summer, I suck at time management. All these are true but none of them are really why I've been keeping away from the kitchen.

It's the weather.

I've never thought about the weather as much as I do in Delhi. Every season seems to be competing to debilitate you. Now that the scorching, dry heat of summer seems to have faded I'm drowning in what feels like 100% humidity. My hair has taken to doing a fantastic Lion King impression and even a couple of minutes out in the sauna that is this city leaves me crying for air conditioning. Or a de-humidifier. None of this is conducive to toiling before a stove. So here's a recipe that doesn't need you to.

Lovely, cool, minty cucumber soup that you can drink by the gallon in this icky. sticky heat.

 

Serves 2

Adapted from the NYTimes

 

What you’ll need:

1 large cucumber (peeled and cut into chunks)

1 cup yoghurt
Handful of mint leaves (stripped off the stalk)
Black pepper to taste
Juice from 1 lime lemon

How to:

1. Throw everything into a mixer and mix till it’s a paste. Add water or milk if you want the mix to be more watery.

2. If you want it really smooth you can pass the soup through a sieve but I really like the texture of the little bits of mint.

3. Chill and serve garnished with mint leaves.

  

So I was looking through my notes and saw that I've done a cucumber soup before (and forgotten all about it). If you want a variation of this soup or just want to laugh at one of the first posts I put up on this blog, you can take a look here. I don't know whether to laugh or cry, it's ridden with typos and frankly just embarrassing but I guess there's a little bit of pride on how far this blog has come. Maybe next year I'll get to be embarrassed by this post.

MOROCCAN CAULIFLOWER AND ALMOND SOUP

Cauliflower is just a cabbage with a college education - Mark Twain

I've written about it before and I'm probably going to write about it again but's really very, very important to have a hobby. I can't think of any one thing that's given me as much joy and comfort in the past two years as this blog. It gives my interests (writing and photography) a focused purpose and me a reason to regularly apply myself to them. I also get to cultivate a skill and spend my time better understanding the world of food and cooking. More than anything I always have something to look forward to and a happy diversion for when I'm stressed or low (which is happens with a regularity I've grown to accept).

 

Whether you consider yourself "creative" or not, I think every human finds solace in creating something from scratch, with your bare hands, with the help of pen and paper, a pot of paint or even a crochet needle. And now the internet holds enough space to afford each of us a little corner to put up what we come up with. I agree that there's too many people sharing too much about themselves but I think the complaint really is with the quality of content. Owning your hobby in public makes you accountable and motivates you to keep at it. It doesn't have to be perfect but we all need a little place to call completely our own. This tiny chunk of the virtual world is mine.

 

In support of everyone out there who's trying to do more than just drink the weekend away is this recipe for Moroccan Cauliflower Soup. Hearty, healthy and a great way to use up the cauliflower your sabziwala is currently swimming in.

 
 
 

Serves 4

Recipe adapted from Good Food magazine

What you’ll need:

1 head of cauliflower (cut into florets)
1 litre vegetable stock
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp black pepper
4 tbsp harissa
1 lemon
Handful of almonds (chopped into slivers)

Note: The quantity for the spices and harissa are only indicative – start with less and see if you need more as you go along.

How to:

1. Pour in the olive oil into a heavy bottomed pan. Fry the cumin for a minute or so and then add in the harissa paste. Cook for another couple of minutes and chuck in the cauliflower and stir it around till it browns lightly.

2. Pour in the vegetable stock, add cinnamon and some of the almonds. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.

3. By now your cauliflower should be soft. Blend the soup till smooth and taste. See if you want to add anything more.

 

4. Serve garnished with toasted almonds, a squeeze of lemon and some pepper.

 

CLEAN POTATO SALAD

Only a fool argues with a skunk or a mule or a cook.

- Cowboy saying

 

 

 

I went through a hectic phase recently where all my friends suddenly decided to make plans and throw parties. Simultaneously I got staffed on a difficult, new transaction and a personal project of mine started to reach fruition. For a few weeks I barely had time to breathe and I promised myself more quiet time and sleep.

 

The phase passed and suddenly the deal died, my friends ran off to do their own thing and the project stalled. Now I'm bored out of my mind and I'm irritated with myself for being bored because I know when things pick up I'll be complaining again. Actually I'm still complaining. Basically I never stop complaining.

 

Chronic discontent needs to be recognized as a serious physiological disorder because I think it's killing me. Tox/detox/retox or hyperventilate/vegetate/hyperventilate. Maybe I'm actually a tiny hamster on a very large exercise wheel, frantically getting nowhere fast.

 

I turn to potatoes to calm me down. I think it's because potatoes are such a large part of my culture. The people of Bihar may not know when, if ever, their streets will be cleaned but we know our favourite food, vegetable and passion. Potatoes.

 

This is a lovely, clean potato salad, without any of the weighty cream and mayo people usually use. Just simple, fresh flavours - perhaps the most virtuous potatoes you'll ever eat:

 

Serves 3

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

 

What you’ll need:

3 -4 small boiled potatoes (I left the skin on but you can peel them if you prefer) (cubed)

3 -4 tbsp olive oil
Handful of cilantro/parsley (washed and chopped)
Juice of 1-2 lemons
Salt and pepper to taste

How to:

1. Pop the cubes of potato into a medium sized bowl.

2. Mix the remaining ingredients together in small bowl. Pour on top of potatoes. Mix it all together. Serve hot or cold.

Note: Using freshly cracked pepper is always a good idea.
 

RICH, NOURISHING TOMATO SOUP

First we eat, then we do everything else.

MFK Fisher

 

I love making resolutions. I'm usually on a new trip every few months. Over the course of the last 26 years I have been, in turn, a communist, a very observant Hindu, a wiccan, vegetarian, enthusiastic gym bunny and weekend artist. I have gone through nihilistic, Mean Girls, ice queen, party girl and corporate slave phase.

 

Through ups and downs I've moulded, unmoulded and remoulded my preferences and personality over and over again to try to find the fit I'm most comfortable with. Because this is exhausting (and requires too many wardrobe updates) I've decided to pick my next phase not based on my life right now but what I'd like to have for myself in the future. This is proving to be really difficult since I usually don't know where I'm going to be next week forget next year. But if I don't figure it out, then how am I going to invest in classic wardrobe staples that will last me forever?!

 

Through all these phases there is of course an indelible core and my ever-expanding, indelible core loves carbohydrates, sugar and spicy Indian Italian. Which is why I love this classic, rich tomato soup with its intense tomato, garlic and oregano flavors- it's pretty healthy and can be seasoned as aggressively as you like. I've used oregano in mine but you can add whatever you like.

 

This is great for rainy afternoons and chilly evenings.

 

Serves 2

Recipe my own

What you’ll need:

3 -4 tomatoes (cubed)

1 onion (sliced)
500 ml vegetable stock
100 ml tomato puree
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp garlic paste

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tbsp oregano/thyme/ rosemary/ Italian seasoning or seasoning of your choice
Salt and pepper to taste

How to:

1. Heat the butter and pop in the garlic and onion, cook till the garlic is brown and fragrant and the onion has softened. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook till you have a thick mixture. This might take a while.

2. Puree the mix and adjust seasoning, if needed. Serve hot with crusty bread or a sandwich.

Note: Crack some fresh black pepper for even more kick.

CRAB, APPLE AND POMEGRANATE SALAD

“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”

― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

 

This is my salad for the summer. Filled with so much colour, tons of texture and a wallop of sweet, garlic, salt and lemony flavor, that if you're going to make one thing this summer make it this salad. I love crab meat and it adds an immediate dimension of luxury and indulgence to this salad, making it perfect for serving up to a gang of guests.

 

Serves 5

Adapted Good Food Magazine

What you’ll need: 

 

For the salad 

 

170 gm crab meat (I used 1 BumbleBee can – you can hike this up or down as per your preference)

1 mango (peeled and cut into cubes)

2 apples (peeled and sliced)

½ cucumber (medium sized) – deseed the cucumber and cut it into slices

½ cup pomegranate seeds

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

¼ cup chopped mint

Salt

Pepper 

 

For the dressing

 

1 apple (peeled and chopped)

1 small spring onion (chopped)

1 tbsp garlic paste

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

 

How to:

 

1. Take the dressing ingredients and make it into a paste. Add the olive oil last and blend some more. It should be completely smooth.
 

2. Toss the salad ingredients together.
 

3. Add as much of the dressing as you like. Toss. Serve.
 

Note: This isn’t a vinaigrette type dressing so I don’t know if it makes much sense to serve it on the side but you take a call?

MANGO AND FETA SALAD WITH BLACK OLIVES AND MINT

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien

I knew very little about cooking when I started this blog and I still have a long way to go. While the goal is to get better in front of the stove (or oven) over the course of the next year of food bloggery, I've decided to give myself a set of resolutions to follow:

1. Virtue is its own reward

My lifestyle is quite crap from a health perspective and I don't see it getting much better any time soon. Since I eat so much junk anyway, I'm going to try not to bring it into my kitchen too. Expect more salads, smoothies, fruits, vegetables and all around goodness in my posts.

2. From your own backyard

I'm sick and tired of recipes asking me to buy blueberries that have flown half way across the globe to reach my grocery store. These ingredients are expensive, bad for the environment, pretentious and completely unnecessary. India has a wide range of fresh, local, seasonal produce available which I'd prefer to focus on. The same goes for dairy and other products -I don't want to hear about your four hundred rupee German white butter when more often than not reliable, old Amul will do as good a job.

3. Fortune favours the bold

I havn't tried to make meringue, pies, pancakes, chinese food or dishes with red meat because I'm pretty sure I'm going to screw it up. I don't know this of course, since I've never tried but I'm scared. I think it's time to get over it and just cook.

4. Keeping it simple

My favourite kinds of food have few ingredients and strong, simple flavours. I want to incorporate more recipes that follow what I hope will become my style of cooking.

5. Have more fun

Coming up soon more party menus; long, aimless writing; (hopefully) better photos, restaurant and product reviews! I love putting up a post which I'm excited about and I have a bunch of new ideas that I'm hoping to get out of my head and on to this page!

Add black olives - it'll add more color. Also, as you can see I can't cube a mango. I just squish them into mush but it tastes as good.

Serves 4

Adapted from Martha Stewart

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
 

2 ripe mangoes

3 tbsp feta chunks

1 thinly sliced red chilli

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup lime juice

2 tbsp sliced olives

Handful of torn up mint leaves

Pinch of salt

 

HOW TO:
 

1. Mix together lime juice, salt, chilli and olive oil. Set aside.
 

2. Chop up mangoes and drop some feta on top. Add the oil dressing, sprinkle some mint on top and serve.
 

Note: You can easily sauté some shrimp (with salt and pepper) and add it to the salad to bulk it up.

THE RELUCTANT CHEF WILL BE ONE!

The  auspicious date of 22 June 2013 marks an entire year of being online for The Reluctant Chef . 

 

In celebration, I'm going to eat mangos all week and talk about all the good stuff that's gone down this year.

 

You're all invited.

 

On the Menu this week:

 

Mango and Feta Salad with Black Olives

Mango Lime Ricotta Parfait

Thai Coconut Mango Pudding

No Bake Mango Cheesecake

 



MINT, ORANGE, CHICKPEA AND FETA SALAD

“The trouble with always trying to preserve the health of the body is that it is so difficult to do without destroying the health of the mind.” – G.K. Chesterton

This is such a glorious, colorful, citrusy salad!

Summer is here and it's time to remember all those weight loss resolutions from January. Start with this?

Serves 4

 What you’ll need:
 

 

100 gms feta (cut into little cubes)

400 gms chickpeas (boiled and drained)

2 oranges (cut it into chunks and take out the seeds)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp vinegar

Salt and pepper to season

Small bunch of mint (chopped) 

How to: 

 

1. Find salad bowl. Throw chickpeas, feta, orange and mint into it.  
 

2. For the dressing, in a separate bowl chuck together the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.

 

3. Pour dressing on salad. Serve.

CHICKPEA SALAD

“People aren't either wicked or noble. They're like chef's salads, with good things and bad things chopped and mixed together in a vinaigrette of confusion and conflict.”

― Lemony Snicket, The Grim Grotto

It's the end of November and the middle of party season in Delhi. If you're regretting all those kaybob rolls and malai tikkas here is an easy recipe for redemption.

Also, I am so tired of salad recipes asking me to go buy all kinds of insane leaves that someone has flown down from another part of the planet! Who ever has that kind of stuff on hand?! Nobody as poor or disorganized as me for sure... Additional points to this recipe for using stuff most Indian kitchens will have available.

What you’ll need:

2 cups chickpeas (boiled but make sure they’re cold for the salad)

2 cups spinach (cut very small)
1 small onion (sliced thin)
¾ cup cilantro (chopped small)

For the dressing:

2 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp mustard
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp garlic
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

How to:

1. Slice up your spinach and cilantro as small as you can. Cut up the little onion into thin circles. Mix together with chickpeas in your salad bowl.

2. Mix together all your dressing ingredients nicely. Pour on top of your chick pea mix and mix again.

Note: I feel like I’ve said this before but as long as your hands are washed don’t be shy about using your hands. Unless you’re the kind of tosser who owns a salad tosser this is the best way to do it. Having said that to the tossers who own tossers – I want to be like you.

3. Chill in the fridge for a few minutes before serving.

 

CUCUMBER AND MINT SALAD

“I have a problem. I wouldn’t say I’m in a pickle. More like a vinegarized cucumber.”

― Jarod Kintz, At even one penny, this book would be overpriced. In fact, free is too expensive, because you'd still waste time by reading it.

It's going to be festival season AND wedding season soon. This simple salad is perfect for giving your tummy a break from the avalanche of junk coming its way. Make it. Eat it. You can thank me later.

What you’ll need:

2 cucumbers

1 small onion
¼ cup chopped mint

For the dressing:

3 tbsp white vinegar
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
¼ - ½ tbsp pepper (depending on how much spice you like)
1 tsp sugar

How to:

1. Cut cucumbers in thirds and use a corer to take out the seeds or cut them lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut into slices. Toss with salt and pop in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2. Soak onion in ice water for 10 minutes – this will make the stinky, eyes watering burn of the onion go away.

3. In a bowl mix together the dressing ingredients.

4. In your salad bowl, throw in the cucumber, mint and onion and toss.

 

Note: Some people have fancy tossing spoons and strange salad tossers but your hands will work just fine - just make sure to wash them first.

5. Pour on dressing. Mix well again.

 

6. Refrigerate for 20 minutes before serving.