One of those days, you just can’t bring yourself to get up and move. I called in sick. An aching back and drugged morning backed my excuse. I got up to a dirty sink full of dishes, and a growling tummy. Promising myself, I d do my yoga, yes I will. Fifteen mins quick fix at least. Since I was at home , and bumming off the day, the mutton from the weekend called to me. Frozen in a big ball. I looked up a book , to try and figure what mutton dish does not require onions. Since the book I referred to dint throw anything at me., the comp to far away , I looked at a recipe , and decided to tweak .
The ingredients simple straight forward
Mutton –of course! 1 to 1 and a half kilos.
Chillies-5
Coriander leaves- a whole bunch
Mint-optional, but I think mint and lamb ‘yummy!’
Roasted coconut shavings-a lot cuz its delish!
Ginger – one inch
Garlic-5cloves
Tomatoes-one
Potatoes-two
Tumeric powder-1 tsp
Pepper-up to you
Stew powder-must have !
• Grind up some whole peppercorns,coriander seeds,clove,cinnamon,tumeric and fennel seeds. More pepper fewer cloves. Store in an air tight container.
The first thing I did, was put my frozen ball of lamb in some water to defrost, but you will see how it dint work.
Grind up all your ingredients except tomatoes.
I.e.: roasted coconut, that I roasted in a frying pan without any oil! Every time I don’t use oil. I feel righteous. So your coconut, pepper,tumeric,chillies,mint and coriander.
In a cooker, if you cant stand how long it takes. Put in a dollop of clarified butter, or oil.
Throw in your diced up tomatoes and salt. Some over the shoulder!
Now my big hunk of meat had yet to be individual pieces. They were sticking strong. So I just took the whole thing and popped it in the tomatoes and poured in my puréed mix from earlier.
Let the whistle go twice , before you add my supper stew powder, and potatoes.
Or is you are mortified by the p cooker. Do it the good ol way. a big vessel, simmer for two hours. While you catch some me time, or my 15 yoga a damn excuse for exercise but what the hell. I figure there is someone watching who registers the effort.
I just found out my banna cup cakes became hockey pucks. Foe which I will document the recipe. Because I m munching on them , and they are quite yummy if you get to the centre.
Back to the mutton, while my mutton was a stewing, all that’s left is to throw in some chopped coriander in the end. To amuse my self during the stewing, I cooked up my version of salted spinach.
Mixed greens
Again onion free.
Spring onions-a tbspn
Dill- a tbspn
Spinach- a bunch, hanful and some more to be exact.
Good ol coconut shavings-you can see how I love the big nut.
Ginger garlic paste-2 tspns
Salt
A wok, and some oil later, throw in your g n g paste, add the cut up greens except spinach, toss around, a min later, dunk your spinach and right at the end the coconut shavings. Cook until wilted and 1/3d the original size.
The above was my brother who is on vacation and me lunch. But dad got his lunch from out, since no one is usually at home to cook.
Dinner, was a buttery avocado salad, mutton and rotis (flat bread)
Buttery avocado salad
Salads is a must have at night in this house hold. No matter what is served, a side of the regular salad is a standard. Tangy and filling.
Cucumber-1
Tomatoes-2
Onions-2 small
Dill-1 tspn
Avocado-half of big one(since that’s all that was there.)
Chillies-2
Cut everything up, and toss with chilies and salt. The avocados, were my fathers idea, excellent one at that. Scoop the buttery meat and drop it into the salad. And you have your self a condiment.
Bad midnight cravings,
I’ve been craving for some pancakes for a long time now, the maple syrup taunts me every time i pull out the masalas. I decided to give in to the craving and cook me some pancakes in the middle of the night. Only to realize I had just one egg sitting in the fridge.
I took the lone egg, and looked at it, and decided muffins would hit the spot. This is my version of banana cup cakes.
Banana hockey pucks
Egg-one
Castor sugar-2tblspn
Self raising flour-2tblspn
Butter-1 tblspn
Milk-just a dash
Vanilla essence- a drop or two.
In a cereal bowl, or you could be more sensible and using the mixing dish.
Take some of that flour. 3 tblpns, break the egg, butter, sugar and vanilla and beat it into a yellow thick mixture. If you have some overripe bananas mush it in the mix and whip again.
Drop dollops into a tray, and 250 degrees c for fifteen mins should do the trick. Poke with a fork, comes out clean? You are good to go.
This is what I am debuting with, would love feedback, and let me know if you have recipes I can cook up for my dad and me.
Lessons learnt:
a) Throw in your potatoes at the last fifteen minutes.
b) Avocadoes , great with salads
c) Learn to bake
d) Your family bears all.
Have a happy day!
