Rice is Life...

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...for Greenpeace

Save India from GM rice, here...

Indian Kheer, a bit like Rice Pudding!

At first when I went to India, the incessant offerings of sweets and desserts made me feel quite queasy. They love sugar! Heaps and spoons of it, all a bit too much for me. So now I can make my own desserts, I hold back on the sugar and make everything to my taste, plus one spoon to make my husband happy!

Kheer is one of our favourites. So simple and sooo tasty. It's comfort, home food, perfect in the summer straight from the fridge and in the winter straight from the pan!

Ingredients: 

All quantities can be changed to suit your own taste... this will make enough for 4 people.

100g Seviyan (Roasted Vermicelli)

Semiya Payasam (South Indian), Seviyan (Hindi/Urdu), Sev (Gujarati)

Seviyan is made from Semolina, unlike the Italian version which is made from Durum Wheat or the Chinese version made from rice flour (glass noodles)

Kheer can also be made from the following in case you don't have a packet of Seviyan in the store cupboard!: Rice, spaghettini, quinoa, chickpeas, semolina, moong beans, even banana and cornflakes!

50g butter

1/2 tin of Condensed milk

You don't have to use these but they give a nicer flavour...

Flavourings of choice...

I like to use:

5 Cardamom pods (crushed)

A nice scraping of fresh Nutmeg and Cinnamon

And of course a few spoons of brown sugar...

(You could use anything you fancy really, like vanilla pods/essence, raisins, sultanas, almonds, cashews, coconut, saffron, even grated carrots!...)

A pint of Milk

Only roughly use as much or as little as you like, like rice pudding, some people prefer it stodgy, some runny.

Then for a really authentic Indian taste, try to get hold of some Kewra Essence or Kewra Water...

Kewra is an extract distilled from Pandanus flowers. Kewra flowers have a sweet, perfumed odour with a pleasant quality similar to rose flowers, but kewra is more fruity. 

('Tropical Designs' Pandanus Flower)

To me it is such an 'Indian' smell, a whiff of this and I am transported to the streets of Bombay!

Method:

In a thick bottomed saucepan (to avoid burning, husbands take note:) Melt the butter, then add the spices/nuts/fruit and fry a little to bring out the flavours.

Then add the seviyan. If you crunch it up it makes it easier to eat with a spoon! 

Add the condensed milk, milk, kewra (only a drop if essence or a splash if water) and sugar.

Stir it all up and simmer gently for a while. You may need to add some more milk as the kheer cooks. We like it quite runny, because if there is any left over (which is rare!) it gets thicker with time.

You can garnish with Saffron, nuts, sultanas or even gold leaf if you're feeling fancy!

There are a couple of online UK Indian Food stores that seem to have a nice variety of products. One is 'Spices of India' and the other 'The Asian Cookshop'. They both have Kewra and Vermicelli for less than a pound.

***

For my little sister Hanna... 'cos she loves Kheer too!

Growing Green Fingers...

To offset my ranting over the last few days, I will show you some vegetable wonders of the world... We have had so much rain in the last few weeks, I haven't had to water the garden, so I haven't really been taking time to look at what's been going on. The mornings of sitting out in the sun drinking my coffee have gone and the paddling pool has been put away. 

Has summer gone so soon?

Before we set off on our weekends away, there was nothing but a few flowers on the french beans. Now miraculously we have 6 inches of superfine legumes to be proud of...

The peppers are popping up quite nicely, but the slugs and baby snails have had a field day...

We've had the last of the lettuce now, but the cherry tomatoes are still giving us some sweet little gifts of juiciness...

We haven't had much of a harvest in our first attempt at growing vegetables, mainly because of the lack of space in the yard and because I haven't been able to afford to buy or find any larger pots or compost to repot the things that need more nourishment. I guess if we could compost our waste somehow it would make a huge difference to what we could grow.

I haven't used any kind of plant food because I don't want to get into buying organic food in plastic bottles that won't be available in India. When the time comes I will research homemade organic plant feeds in more depth.

The experiments in sowing and growing have been great fun and very challenging. The satisfaction I have felt seeing and eating something I made happen is unbelievably addictive.

I knew from the start that things would go wrong and I have been happy to learn from my mistakes.

What I have learnt:

• Always use clean soil, to avoid diseases such as 'damping off'. At the very beginning I used some pebbles from the garden to help with drainage in my pots... big mistake! The seedlings and soil went mouldy and developed a green 'dew drop' disease over the surface.
  
• Watering should be done from below to avoid 'drowning' the seeds before they germinate.
• Water regularly to avoid 'bolting' of seedlings. If the tray gets too dry the seedlings will bolt up and grow too quickly.
• Carrots need to be thinned out when they are quite small, otherwise the leaves get too tangled to easily be pulled.
• Slugs love my strawberries!

What we have grown:

• Baby leaf lettuce - lots of it.
• Rocket - lots more.
• Courgettes - very small ones due to small pots, but very tasty too. About 10 in total.
• Tomatoes - cherry, we've eaten about 20 so far.
• French beans - about 20 on the plant, I may use them tonight.
• Peas - haven't done so well because they were in the same pot as the beans, which have won the battle.
• Peppers - the pots are too small so I'm not expecting much.
• Potatoes - an experiment with a few Tesco Value chits! Watered by the bathroom sink, that needs a proper drainage pipe. I planted 6 in a recycling box, too many in a small space, they grew too tall and fell over before they flowered. I had a look and found lots of potatoes but they had a white speckled disease. I just wanted to see how they grew really.
• Cucumber - still growing, but the same pot issue, they are looking a bit small and wobbly.
• Spring onions - from sets, lovely in our salads.
• Coriander - loads of it.

So all in all I'm very happy with the dabbling in 'Green fingered magic' ... The most important thing I have learned is that preparation is the key to success. The heart of any garden is in the soil. Good soil means healthy plants. When we buy some land I will probably spend the first year just building up a good supply of compost and making some raised beds to ensure the nutrients are properly distributed. I'm also going to look into irrigation systems involving greywater. 

I'm excited about learning more of crop rotation, companion planting and moon planting. So if any of you have ideas, links or posts about these, I'd love to hear from you.

One of my favourite garden blogs in India (in fact it's the only one I've found!) is India Garden. She doesn't grow vegetables but her photos are always so inspiring. 

I can't wait to get started now!

Offsetting my "Ignorance Footprint"...

You must be the change you want to see in the world.” 

Mahatma Gandhi ...

***

One of the main reasons that I want to go back to live in India is because of the guilt that I feel living in a first world country. I am not a saint, I have lived my life to excess at some points. I have been drunk far too many times, I have spent too much money on clothes, electronics, food and every other luxury that is thrown in my face by consumerism. I have wasted, not wanted... and been ungrateful for what life has given me...

When I think of myself throwing food away, leaving a tap dripping all night, spending ridiculous amounts of money on crap, I feel angry and determined to make up for all the mistakes I have made.

My journey is not one of self satisfaction... It is not a fashion statement... It is nothing to do with offsetting my footprint in this world. That to me would be like the first world countries 'buying' their freedom from third world countries, to pollute their skies for money. I don't want to work hard, play hard and pay for my 'carbon footprint' later with cash, when by doing that somebody else in the world has to work hard, never play and never get to drink a glass of fresh water.

It causes me great anguish to see adverts for 'the lowest omission 4x4 on the road'... WHY oh WHY do you NEED a Range Rover Sport in the hills of London, to get to Waitrose and back? (I just found this website, of the 'Alliance Against Urban 4x4s'... thank God I'm not alone!)

Has anyone ever worked hard enough to deserve this? (Yes it's solid silver)

I don't deserve to have more than everybody else, do I? Should I think that God has put me here in 'Material Heaven' I should not be accountable for the other 2/3rds of the worlds population.

Since I have travelled and seen the world, met the 'real' people out there, the people with passion for life, the people who smile when they see you... I have realised what 'poor' really means. These so called poor people are richer than me in every way. They have the support from their extended families, they are happy with what they have, they have pride in their jobs, they have faith in their God.

A lot better than working in Tesco's?

I feel it is my duty as a mother to bring my daughter into a world of pride and respect. Human life is so precious, whether it belongs to a king or a beggar. Who can decide which life is worth more?

This lady may not have much to sell but she has her pride.

I have some poor friends. In fact I have met so many people over the years who have touched my heart. More than that they have shown me what life is really about, the beauty in a sunset, a shell or even a leftover meal. 

One beggar I passed everyday on the streets of Calcutta, smiled at me and never asked me for money, she had pride. One day I took her the leftovers of our lunch and a small muffin. Many beggars just grab what you give and run away. She looked into my eyes and said to me "Thank you Sister"...

Some of the most beautiful people I have met have been poor. They have invited me into their homes, their families and their lives and prepared food for me with no thought to how much my meal cost. Many of the mothers have gone without to feed their guest. One saying in India is, Atithi devo bhavah, or "our guests are our gods" (Taken from Hindu scripture) There is no Indian home where you will not be treated to food and a drink, however poor the family is. They will go without themselves to feed a visitor.

***

This is one day that I will never forget... 

A mother of four, younger than me, a husband who drinks, sleeps and rarely goes to work. Four beautiful children, they don't go to school, they have learnt English from foreigners, they spend their days looking for tourists to sell their goods to... invited me to lunch at their house.

Real happiness comes from other people...

From living close to nature...

Still want that Ikea kitchen?

True pride comes from being humble...

Sincere hospitality is giving more than you've got...

I have been friends with them ever since...

***

So my plan to live a self sufficient life has a little bit to do with wanting to save our planet for our future children, but it is mostly about living my life in a simpler way to make room for everyone to enjoy our world. For my conscience to blossom and grow into compassion for others who are less fortunate than me. For me to teach peace and humility to my beautiful daughter, who deserves more than I ever had... not possessions, but experiences...

I want to feel like I am only taking my fair share of this life...

and giving back more than I have.

Strawberry Fields Forever...

At long last we got to pick our own strawberries! Everyday the angel stands next to the flowers and looks into the sage. This being where I have tried to hide the strawberries from the nasty slugs, who had stolen the first juicy ripe ones! She tries to sneakily take them when they are still white and she does the same with the green tomatoes...

I know the land in the hills of Kerala is perfect for growing strawberries. It's a similar climate to England, without out the grey clouds and drizzle! A place I've dreamt of going to is Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra. Renouned for their strawberries, Mahabaleshwar is a hillstation of similar climate to Vagamon or Munnar. So I have high hopes of growing a field (or patch!) of strawberries in the future.

So I would like some advice for expert strawberry growers (more than 3 strawberries counts!) about how to keep the nasty pesty things of my fruit... organically of course. 

This is an excerpt from the site where I found this great photo of a 

"Strawberrywallah"

"That is exactly what Mahabaleshwar is all about in the Indian summer! A place to escape the torrid heat that grips Mumbai, a place to romance strawberries and mulberries, a place to cool off in the thunderous hailstorms thatshower the hot tin roofs and plunge the temperatures for lovers to revel in!

Mahabaleshwar has something for all young and old, trekker and stroller, shopper and foodie or maybe someone who just loves to laze around. Therefore, you will find families, backpackers, moony honeymooners, all doing their own thing and generally having a good time."

***

I'm loving it already!

Kerala Style Beef Masala...

A special request from Sharon J at Finding Simplicity... 

(and Anonymous Jane!)

Serves at least 2 plus a bit more...

Ingredients...

500g Beef (stewing type)

2 large Onions (finely chopped)

5 large Cloves Garlic (chopped)

Thumb size Ginger (Chopped)

10 Curry Leaves

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Garam Masala (See below note)

2 Green Chillies and 1/2 tsp Red Chili powder (if you like it hot)

Tomatoes (half the amount of chopped onions)

1 cup Coconut Milk (optional) or vinegar

2 tbsp Oil 

(You can cook the Beef, Turmeric and a little Salt in water, in a pressure cooker if you have one, for 20 minutes for more tender beef. It reduces the final cooking time and saves energy too! I just use a saucepan with a lid and bring it to the boil for 5 minutes)

Note: I use electric, so when I mention turning off the heat, I leave the pan on the stove as the element cools down. If you use gas you would have to leave the gas on low for a few minutes before turning off the flame to get the same result. (Does that mean electric ovens are more energy efficient? Does anyone have a gas versus electric argument? I'd like to know...)

In a large pan or wok, fry the onions, garlic, ginger, curry leaves and green chili in 2 tbsp of oil (preferably coconut for an authentic South Indian taste, it really makes a big difference)

When the onions are golden,  add the coriander powder, garam masala, turmeric and chili powder.

When the oil separates from the spices its time to add the tomatoes and the beef. 

Give it a good stir to mix all the fried spices, onions and beef evenly. Add 1/2 cup of water if needed, cover with a lid or large plate, then turn down the heat to simmer for 1 hour or more until reduced by half. Finally, when beef is tender add the coconut milk if desired OR a dash of vinegar (DO NOT MIX BOTH)

Garnish with homegrown :) Coriander and serve with rice, chapattis (or parathas for a yummy leftovers breakfast)

(For Perfect Rice, see 'Note on Rice...' in this post)

Note on Garam Masala...

We use packets of masala (literally means 'mix') They come pre-mixed for chicken, meat, fish, chick peas, tandoori and a million other things. You can buy them in any Indian store and recently some of the larger supermarkets have an Asian aisle. We use 'Everest' or 'Eastern' brands. Choose one that says 'meat masala', or 'mutton masala' (mutton is a generic word for beef)

If you want to make your own Garam Masala, the ingredients are listed on the Everest website but they don't give quantities. This blog has a nice recipe to make your own.

Note on Coconut Oil...This one is 95p from Tesco... but I encourage you to shop locally and buy it at your nearest Indian shop.  It usually comes in a jar that looks like mayo and it's thick like lard. You'll sometimes find it in the beauty section, as it's also great for your hair! Just make sure it's 100% pure Coconut Oil.

This site has some great info on the benefits of Coconut oil.

Note on Turmeric... It stains everything, therefore I do not hold any responsibility for yellow wooden spoons and yellow splashed walls!

Urad Dal Puris with Potato Bhaji...

I have had a lovely comment left for me on 'Little Yellow Flower' from Zlamushka... So this is my entry into her blogs August 'Tried and Tasted'. "This month is a celebration of health, positive spirit and hopes - KUDOS to you, Jai & Bee :-)"

ZLAMUSHKA'S SPICY KITCHEN'S

Tried and Tasted - Jugalbandi

Urad Dal Puris with Potato Bhaji

taken from Jugalbandi's post

The original recipe and method can be found in the post Potatoes… and Puris

 There are also some great tips from Jai and Bee on how to grow potatoes in a cardboard box!

I used only two, quite large chillies and thank God I did!

It was a little spicier than I like it, so next time I'd use only one. 

I was supposed to stick to the original recipe to stay true to the final dish, but we don't have any asafoetida or kalonji (nigella seeds) so these ingredients were left out. Thus staying as true as possible without compromising my frugal journey to empty cupboards..

I had a jar of black dal in a jar in the cupboard. Now me being, well me, had not labeled the type of dal it was. At a good guess it was very likely to be Urad Dal :) It wasn't of the shelled variety so there is a little more roughage in my puris to help you get a bit more fibre in your diet!

Take note of the 360*F temperature as it really does make the puris puff up like a dream. Wait a few seconds before you drop the next one in, to give time for the oil to heat up again.

The final verdict... really good, mouthwatering (especially with the amount of chili I added!)

A perfect lunch...

This Weeks Menu Plan...

Monday...

Pasta with Lamb Meatballs in a Tomato and Chili Sauce

Tuesday...

Beef Curry and Rice

Wednesday...

Pork Chop with a Honey, Ginger, Garlic, Soy sauce, served with Cous Cous and Salad

Thursday...

Prawn Stir Fry with Peas, Pepper, Spring Onion and Broccoli, served with Noodles

Friday...

Roast Chicken with a Lemon, Sage and Apple Stuffing, Baked Potatoes with Carrots, Peas and Broccoli

One special dessert of Apple and Blackberry crumble. We picked the blackberries free on the way home from the park.

I've got all the meat in the freezer which I have to use up now. The same goes for the Carbohydrates, so I just had to buy fruit and vegetables today. Total £11.27.

I have to add this... I picked up 6 Cherries at the checkout for Evangel to nibble on, on the way home. They cost me 44p...yes SIX cherries for 44p, that's 7p for a cherry!!!!

Quick Meal Planning Update...

Continued from "A Good Indian wife..."

If you've read my last post, you would know that Wednesday was not such a good day for us! 

So bearing in mind my morning, the afternoon was a little better. A couple of friends who live close by had just spoken to C at work and dropped by to see me. I wasn't really prepared for a visit, not dressed, house a mess, but I put the kettle on and we had a good old natter (they both don't have any problem with talking a lot!)

A is Indian, from Delhi but spent a good few years in Goa, running a successful restaurant and S is half Punjabi and half Scottish and grew up in Leicester. So it's really nice to have them to talk about our situation ,because they understand where we are coming from. Most people just think we are crazy hippies and haven't got a clue why we would want to live in the middle of nowhere in India.

They helped me fix up the window in the car with hardboard, plastic and lots of tape, swept out the glass and tidied up the path (a difficult job with a toddler on a busy road) and after 3 hours and a lot of cups to wash up, they left me to do a quick blitz with the hoover before preparing dinner.

Wednesday... Aloo Gobi with Homemade Chapattis

Well the homemade chappattis were out of the window, not literally! So I put on some rice. I'll attempt them this week :)

Note on Rice...

1 cup of rice is enough for 2 adults. Add 2 cups of cold water and bring to the boil with a lid on. Boil vigorously for 2 minutes and then turn off the heat. Don't take the lid off. Rice will be ready in about 10 minutes but you can leave it there for hours and it will be perfect. Michael puts a paper towel under the lid to keep in the steam, I guess us eco-conscious could use a clean t-towel, but I don't because my lid fits quite snug.

Potatoes (quartered and par boiled if waxy like the British pots)

Cauliflower

Onion
Tomato
Garlic
Ginger
Chillies
Ghee (or oil)
Garam Masala
Cumin (seed or powder)
Coriander (seed or powder)
Turmeric
Salt and black pepper

Preparation

In a large wok or pan, heat the ghee and add the onions to fry on medium heat. Add the Garlic and ginger, then add the spices, then the cauliflower and potatoes. Cook over a moderate heat for 10 minutes adding water if needed, then turn off the heat and cover.

(Note to self: Don't walk away and lie down on the sofa thinking 'what a stressful day, I deserve a rest'... this adds an altogether new ingredient to your lovingly prepared dinner... smoky barbeque flavouring! It also wastes the valuable electricity you have been working so hard to save...and your extra portion for lunch!)

Thursday... Chicken Bolognaise 

I was a bit dubious about using chicken instead of beef, but wow, I'm impressed with this one and so was my husband and he's hard to please when it comes to food. The sage and chili worked wonders on my palette.

Onions

Garlic

2 chopped chillies

Chicken mince

Tomato puree

Chopped tinned (or fresh) tomatoes

1 Beef and 1 Chicken Oxo

Lots of sage

Prepare as you would Bolognaise. Fry onions and garlic, then meat, then throw the rest in and cook for 10 minutes, then cover and leave on the heat. Serve with pasta and grated cheese.

Friday... I was lazy and we ate Kheema from the freezer.

Saturday... we had a vegetable and four lentil casserole.

A-Z of Homemaking...

Inspired by Lizzie's Homeworld and My Life Makeover Journey ...

A ~Aprons--y/n If y, what does your fav. look like?
No! 

I'm not afraid to get dirty and I don't even own any 'nice' clothes, in fact all my clothes fit into a Waitrose posh jute shopping bag. Except the jeans and underwear, I live (and I'll probably die!) in jeans. They are perfect for every occasion, hot or cold and they don't look bad when they're dirty either! Hmmm... I'm changing the question to Jeans y/n? Can I live without them? 

No!

B ~ Baking--Favorite thing to bake?
Well I've only just got back into baking since my cheffing days, see this for proof! So I guess I'll say simple loaf cakes... The Angel likes to help...

C ~ Clothes line?
Most definitely, fresh air is free!

D ~ Donuts--Have you ever made them?
No, I'm not really into sugary things... give me chocolate cake instead

E ~ Everyday--One homemaking thing you do everyday?
Wash up, wash up, wash up, I spend my life washing up!

A very unusual sight for me...

F ~ Freezer--Do you have a separate deep freeze?
No, I don't have a house to put it in. I won't have one in India because power cuts are too common.

G ~ Garbage Disposer?
I think this questionnaire started in the US! Sometime in the 80's they came to the UK for posh people with bidets in the bathroom. 

H ~ Handbook--What is your favourite homemaking resource?
Definitely the internet, you can know anything at any time.

I ~ Ironing--Love it or Hate it? Or hate it but love the results?
Hate it but love the results... I bought an iron for £5 when we moved in, I've never used it yet. In India we get our washing done by the Dhobi and they give it back ironed to perfection, it's wonderful and cheap! I do however love handwashing clothes outside next to the well in the sun.

J ~ Junk Drawer--y/n? Where is it?
Oh yes, a nasty one in the kitchen full of hammers and string and horrible things. Baskets of stuff are my trademark, for bits and bobs.

K ~ Kitchen--color and decorating scheme.
This is my dream...

L ~ Love--what is your favorite part of homemaking?
The satisfaction at the end, whether washing up, cleaning, laundry or cooking. That I have done it myself for my family.

M ~ Mop--y/n?
Hardly ever... One thing about working in a kitchen with mainly males is you tend to wipe everything off the surface onto the floor, then the cleaner comes along at the end of the day with the huge industrial cleaning machine and it's spotless for you to mess up the next day... the habit has stuck with me.  But I do hoover nearly every day and mop if I'm having an obsessive compulsive day once in a blue moon.

N ~ Nylons, machine or hand wash?
You what?! I think they mean tights and I wear them if I'm cold and fancy wearing my denim skirt and brown boots. Chucked in with the rest of the washing. No special treatment from me.

O ~ Oven--do you use the window or open the oven to check?
That's a bit silly because I don't have a window, I guess I'd open the door.

P ~ Pizza--What do you put on yours?
Vegetables, peppers, sweetcorn, mushrooms, onions, olives, chilis, and goats cheese and fresh rocket on top... dribble!

Q ~ Quiet--What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment?
Sit down and stay quiet so I don't wake her up! Usually I'm on the internet...

R ~ Recipe Card Box--y/n? What does it look like?
My mum has one from the 70's in a cupboard somewhere, waste of time really they never get used. I use the internet and a couple of nice books.

Style of house--What style is your house?
In my head it looks a bit like this...

T ~ Tablecloths or Placemats?
That's funny I was just thinking about that this morning!

We have some horrible Argos placemats that have got wet around the edges and bubbled. Only because our table belongs to the landlord, if I had a table it would be natural, wooden and waxed.  I love old tables that show memories of family dinners and friends for coffee, letters written and paintings painted... in other words covered in knocks and scratches and stains! We saved one table from my husbands restaurant and 4 wrought iron chairs he designed and had made. It's a reminder of those days, the friends and the happy times we spent around it. I painted the chairs brown and recovered them. It's now in storage in Kerala... waiting!

In the restaurant...

At home...

U ~ Under the kitchen sink--organized or toxic wasteland?
Wow, it's a disgrace, not my fault, I just can't get it to scrub up nicely.  It's mouldy and musty, full of odd bits like boxes of tiles and I just throw things in on top! Becoming less toxic as I move towards natural cleaning products... see scrubbers!

V ~ Vacuum--How many times per week?
Hoover... nearly every day, always covered in dropped food. It was new (cream) when we moved in, I'll have to hire a carpet cleaner when we leave!

W ~ Wash--How many loads of laundry do you do per week?
1 or 2, my husband has a uniform and I'm not a clean freak for clothes or linen.

X's--Do you keep a daily list of things to do that you cross off?
List?! Cross off?! If I remember it I may do it or I may not, it depends how I feel.

Y ~ Yard--y/n? Who does what?
Yes we have a 'yard', and I do everything in it. I drink coffee, grow vegetables, hang washing, play and paddle in the pool. My husband is in charge of putting out the rubbish which he sometimes/often forgets to do. We have a very large wheeliebin and only use one bin bag a week, everything else gets recycled.

ZZZ's--what is your last homemaking task for the day before going to bed?
Turn off lights, check taps aren't dripping, check doors are locked, glass of water for bed.