Friday Frames | A rose is a...

Have a great weekend!

Mint/Pudina Pulao

Dear Foodies,

Pudina is one of the those herbs that I think take time to get to the favorites list. As a kid I was definitely not a fan. My mother would make a fabulous chutney with it or add it to rasam but I just could not get myself to appreciate its strong flavor. I think the only way to get some of the pudina into me was in my dad's sandwich, which is still the best sandwich ever. But over the last few years I've gradually been adding it to recipes, initially just a few leaves sneaked in which did not really exert their presence. But later my love for chaat forced to make large batches of pudina chutney to use in bhel puri & sandwiches. I have even driven 40 mins to the Indian store to stock up on pudina, the measly sprigs sold at the regular stores just don't cut it for me.

Spring is almost here...

Dear foodies,

Spring is finally getting close, yes, it officially started a few weeks back, but I don't see it in the temperatures yet :D I do see tiny blossoms on every tree branch and new leaves popping out everywhere though. The bright green color of the new leaves and lush green on the grass instantaneously brightens up my mood too. The vegetable section at the the store is also seeing springs' bounty coming in. Tart strawberries, supple tomatoes, tender asparagus, fragrant herbs, new potatoes and a lot more fresh produce is getting stacked onto the shelves. The temperatures are slowly going up, but the nights are still cold. So there's still some time left for making a pot of hearty soup or roasted vegetables for dinner and ofcourse, the quintessential hot cup of masala chai or filter kaapi in the evenings.

I planted some methi and bought a pot of basil and rosemary to start off my spring garden. Last year it was only flowers and so this year I thought I'll make it a herb garden. The basil though is shriveling up, I may have to buy another one and give my brown thumb another chance :( On the other hand, the rosemary plant is thriving and the methi has a few more weeks before it gets into the kitchen :)

recipe for the soup

Like the saying 'April showers bring May flowers' the last few days have been overcast and its been raining all through the day. I made some hearty lentil soup for dinner tonight going with the mood. The recipe is very similar to the one I made earlier. I made it all in one pot this time, by sauteing the veggies on low heat for sometime and then adding the lentils along with water. Instead of the bay leaves I used 2 tsp of chopped rosemary from *my garden*, tomato paste instead of the fresh ones, and threw in a few pearl onions too. Another change I made this time was to add 2/3rd portion of the lentils first, and when they were half way through I added the rest 1/3rd and cooked covered for 20mins on medium heat. So in the end you have the creaminess from the initial batch and a little texture from the final 1/3rd. I also added a handful of arugula at the very end so it could wilt in the residual heat from the soup.

I hope all of you have your Thai dishes planned out, you have just 8 more days to send them over.

Carrying on the Earth theme all through April, which is Earth month, today is celebrated as Earth day in many places. It was started to create awareness and urge everyone to think about the planet we live in. In Ohio, we have a 'Lights out Ohio' program that urges everyone to turn off the lights for one hour anytime during the day, and also to start putting in place energy conservation acts that will continue to save energy every single day, be it at home, schools, workplace, shopping areas or industries. Look for similar events in your area, or start one in your own little space :)