Ok a very long title, I know...but how do I cover all that I want to say in this post on a short tag...so never mind...let that remain...and we shall move on...
What is the connection u ask...well we went on a trip...you guessed it...:-) to Pondicherry ....what can I say - it was such an insightful trip...
Let me give you some background...before I continue....
I had never been to Pondicherry before I got married...but T (hubby) and his family had been there many times...they believe in Sri Aurobindo & Mother (a lady from France...whose original name is Mirra Alfassa) and so after my marriage I had made a few trips to Pondi, loved going there - it was a very serene, peaceful place.. and I also looked on it as a good break in our hectic lives full of work, home, and family....
Recently due to a whole lot of stuff happening - we had not visited for over 8-9 years...me longer as T had visited once in the interim period....and the past few years was stressful to say the least - esp. with regards to our families...parents, the inevitable happenings in the passage of life...leading to a lot of introspection, wondering about the what's why's and how's of life....
With all this going on...this trip happened (quite unexpectedly I should add )...and this time around things were very different for me at least...I focused more on the spirituality of the place, rather than viewing it as a holiday spot...and imbibed from the atmosphere and the feelings of all around me...felt that the change in my thoughts, feelings which had already begun... start to consolidate and am hopeful that this will affect my actions, attitude too gradually....
The few days we were there we too visited the ashram regularly, went to their meditation session, OM choir session, ate the very simple food that they prepare at their Dining hall and generally tried to just live in that moment. It was a great experience.....
We met T's cousins there, and had another surprise of another cousin's daughter(L) who was also visiting, met up with some of our old friends there(J&A, a very lovely couple...thank you for all your help, M&G we had a great time meeting up with you both too )...and on the return trip back had an opportunity to catch up with some more family in Chennai( and a delicious lunch, thanks S,and great meeting Ma & Sh there too) enroute to Mumbai...so all in all it was a very satisfying trip.
The beach at Pondi is so awesome...our evenings were spent sitting out there, taking walks, and generally soaking in the ambience...our ashram guest house was right on the beach road...
so morning tea was on the
balcony of our room with
the ocean in front of us...
sigh...missing it already..
So where does the drumstick come in and mixed vegetables in a gravy ??? well let me start with the second...the menu in the dining hall in the afternoons used to be, rice, curd, bread, mixed veggies in gravy, and sometimes a banana...and at night there used to be a variation with a slightly sweetened dalia. It is surprising how we used to relish such a simple menu every day.
After I came back I too prepared a mixed vegetables in gravy, I added some dal to my gravy so as to make it a complete meal, and the recipe for the same is as follows,( just to clarify that this is not the actual recipe from Pondicherry kitchen...this is just the way I prepare my veggies with gravy dish)
Ingredients:
2 cups of mixed vegetables like cauliflower, potatoes, carrot, bottle gourd (dudhi ), lady fingers (bhendi), beans chopped.
1 medium onion chopped
1/4 cup tuvar dal(split yellow pigeon peas)
2 Tblspns chana dal
2 tomatoes chopped
1 tsp ginger chopped
1 tsp garlic chopped
2-3 green chillies
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp haldi powder(turmeric)
1 tsp dhania-jeera powder(coriander/ cumin)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds(rai)
1/8 tsp fenugreek seeds(methi seeds)
a few curry leaves
1 Tblspn oil
Salt to taste
Method:
1) Wash and soak the dal for about 1/2 hour
2) Pressure cook with a pinch of salt - for about 2-3 whistles or till done.
3) Cook all the vegetables - either pressure cook it ( just 1 whistle) or on stove top or steam it...it should not be too mushy.
4) In a non stick pan - heat a tablespoon of oil - add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, when it splutters, add the chopped onions fry till it turns translucent.
5) Add curry leaves, then add ginger, garlic, green chillies, mix it in, add tomatoes, and cook till it softens and gets all mushed in...
6) Now add the dry masalas, haldi, chilli powder, dhania-jeera, salt, mix it in...
7) Add the dals(cooked and mashed up)...and add water till you get a nice gravy - not too thin - not too thick - bring it to a boil, then add the veggies(cooked)...
8) Adjust all the seasonings as per your taste, lower the flame to a simmer, and let it stay on till you see the veggies all softening up just a bit...it will absorb all the flavours of the gravy...
9) Remove from heat and serve hot with rice, bread, or chapati...add in some pickle, papad...this makes a delicious meal...leftovers are even more yummy as the flavours mingle some more.
Enjoy !!!
Now what was that about fresh drumsticks...well on this visit I got a batch of drumsticks fresh from the tree...T's cousins who have a place in Pondicherry were very kind to give us some from their very own tree...and it was so soft, fresh and delish...I usually use it in sambhar, sometimes I do add it in dals...but this time I used it in the above mixed veggie in gravy...
So a big thank you to Be Ru Da...for the delicious addition to my dish...I have some more ...that will be going to my next sambhar prepartion....and you all are most welcome to join us...
.JPG "Prab's Blog") |
| Drumsticks from Pondicherry |
Let me give you some background...before I continue....
I had never been to Pondicherry before I got married...but T (hubby) and his family had been there many times...they believe in Sri Aurobindo & Mother (a lady from France...whose original name is Mirra Alfassa) and so after my marriage I had made a few trips to Pondi, loved going there - it was a very serene, peaceful place.. and I also looked on it as a good break in our hectic lives full of work, home, and family....
Recently due to a whole lot of stuff happening - we had not visited for over 8-9 years...me longer as T had visited once in the interim period....and the past few years was stressful to say the least - esp. with regards to our families...parents, the inevitable happenings in the passage of life...leading to a lot of introspection, wondering about the what's why's and how's of life....
With all this going on...this trip happened (quite unexpectedly I should add )...and this time around things were very different for me at least...I focused more on the spirituality of the place, rather than viewing it as a holiday spot...and imbibed from the atmosphere and the feelings of all around me...felt that the change in my thoughts, feelings which had already begun... start to consolidate and am hopeful that this will affect my actions, attitude too gradually....
 |
| At home |
For those who are not in the know - Pondicherry has an ashram which is the main spot for all to gather, people come there, meditate, pray, read books about the ashram's philosophy(we got a few too), there are a lot of ashramites who stay there, who have come from different places in India and abroad, from different walks of life, different professions, who have given up their original lives to make a new one here under the guidance of Sri Aurobindo and Mother...they work here, live here, excersise, meditate, and follow the philosophies laid down.
 |
| Streets of Pondicherry |
We met T's cousins there, and had another surprise of another cousin's daughter(L) who was also visiting, met up with some of our old friends there(J&A, a very lovely couple...thank you for all your help, M&G we had a great time meeting up with you both too )...and on the return trip back had an opportunity to catch up with some more family in Chennai( and a delicious lunch, thanks S,and great meeting Ma & Sh there too) enroute to Mumbai...so all in all it was a very satisfying trip.
 |
| Beach of Pondicherry |
.JPG "Prab's Blog") |
| Tea in our balcony |
balcony of our room with
the ocean in front of us...
sigh...missing it already..
 |
| One of the Ashram guest houses |
So where does the drumstick come in and mixed vegetables in a gravy ??? well let me start with the second...the menu in the dining hall in the afternoons used to be, rice, curd, bread, mixed veggies in gravy, and sometimes a banana...and at night there used to be a variation with a slightly sweetened dalia. It is surprising how we used to relish such a simple menu every day.
After I came back I too prepared a mixed vegetables in gravy, I added some dal to my gravy so as to make it a complete meal, and the recipe for the same is as follows,( just to clarify that this is not the actual recipe from Pondicherry kitchen...this is just the way I prepare my veggies with gravy dish)
Ingredients:
2 cups of mixed vegetables like cauliflower, potatoes, carrot, bottle gourd (dudhi ), lady fingers (bhendi), beans chopped.
1 medium onion chopped
1/4 cup tuvar dal(split yellow pigeon peas)
2 Tblspns chana dal
2 tomatoes chopped
1 tsp ginger chopped
1 tsp garlic chopped
2-3 green chillies
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp haldi powder(turmeric)
1 tsp dhania-jeera powder(coriander/ cumin)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds(rai)
1/8 tsp fenugreek seeds(methi seeds)
a few curry leaves
1 Tblspn oil
Salt to taste
Method:
1) Wash and soak the dal for about 1/2 hour
2) Pressure cook with a pinch of salt - for about 2-3 whistles or till done.
3) Cook all the vegetables - either pressure cook it ( just 1 whistle) or on stove top or steam it...it should not be too mushy.
4) In a non stick pan - heat a tablespoon of oil - add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, when it splutters, add the chopped onions fry till it turns translucent.
5) Add curry leaves, then add ginger, garlic, green chillies, mix it in, add tomatoes, and cook till it softens and gets all mushed in...
6) Now add the dry masalas, haldi, chilli powder, dhania-jeera, salt, mix it in...
7) Add the dals(cooked and mashed up)...and add water till you get a nice gravy - not too thin - not too thick - bring it to a boil, then add the veggies(cooked)...
8) Adjust all the seasonings as per your taste, lower the flame to a simmer, and let it stay on till you see the veggies all softening up just a bit...it will absorb all the flavours of the gravy...
9) Remove from heat and serve hot with rice, bread, or chapati...add in some pickle, papad...this makes a delicious meal...leftovers are even more yummy as the flavours mingle some more.
.JPG "Prab's Blog") |
| Mixed Veggies in Gravy |
Enjoy !!!
Now what was that about fresh drumsticks...well on this visit I got a batch of drumsticks fresh from the tree...T's cousins who have a place in Pondicherry were very kind to give us some from their very own tree...and it was so soft, fresh and delish...I usually use it in sambhar, sometimes I do add it in dals...but this time I used it in the above mixed veggie in gravy...
So a big thank you to Be Ru Da...for the delicious addition to my dish...I have some more ...that will be going to my next sambhar prepartion....and you all are most welcome to join us...
Need Rain-check for the Gravy dinner.
ReplyDeleteSure Kabirbhai....anytime....
ReplyDelete