The pre-Diwali office pot-luck...

I've always landed up in offices where people love to eat... IETS has been no exception. The gang from the BKC office has transported their urge to eat all things nice to the Saki Naka second office untarnished and if anything enhanced :)

Sharp at 1 I got a call from Ophi summoning me to the second floor for the lunch...

The alluring part for me about this feast was the fact that almost everything was home-made...

The spread on the table started with Farrari Patties. Now this is something that is had during उपवास/upwas, so it came with a bowl of smooth and sweetened whipped dahi...

Farrari Patties

The term farrari relates to all things that are used during upwas. The potato enclosed and deep fried roundels themselves had a yummy filling of flaky hand grated coconut shavings with an interesting blend of fresh shredded herbs.

Inside the Farrari Patties...

The staples like chappatis and rice were bought to save the trouble for everyone...

To go with the rice Rajesh's wife had made a very nice and homely Sindhi Kadi (सिन्धी कढ़ी) 

Rupa had brought some Undiu--the quintessential touch of Gujarat. Awesome to eat, nightmarish in terms of logistics to make...

Aishwarya made and got a light and fragrant pulao (पुलाव)

A fragrant pulao

... and to go with it, a light and interesting mixed vegetable curry...

Shobha introduced the flavour of the Southern reaches of India with Idlies and Mulaga Podi (also know as Gun Powder, Sambhar, and some awesome coconut chutney. 

Idly

Mulaga Podi aka Gun Powder

Gingelly Oil

Idly, Gun Powder (Mulaga Podi), in Sambhar

Awesome coconut chutney

I'd contributed a simple Bengali style Methi phorondiyey Phulkopi aar Palngshaker Torkari (মেথী  ফোড়ন দিয়ে ফুলকপি আর পালক শাকের তরকারি)  (Palak and Cauliflower Curry) ... Most of which was devoured by the time I landed up to click a photo for posterity... So I am guessing it was liked :)

মেথী  ফোড়ন দিয়ে ফুলকপি আর পালক শাকের তরকারি  (Palak and Cauliflower Curry)

After the spread was done, I moved on to the sweet bit. Ophi had made her hugely popular (and trademark :P) Mangalorean Coconut Cake

Ophi's Mangalorean Coconut Cake

A piece of Ophi's Coconut Cake

Sujyothi and Beni contributed and got some yummy Kesar Jalebis

A box full of Jalebis

Jalebi

The to end the desert section, Abhijit and Venkat enleashed tubs of Fruit Salad with Ice-cream from Aditi

Of course good things in combination taste divine... So I dolloped some of the fruit salad with some coconut cake to make things happier still :)

Combo of Fruit salad, ice cream and Ophi's Coconut Cake...

Fried Bitter Gourd (Karela) ... A variation (করোলা ভাজা, টক নোনতা)

It was the Sunday before Eid and I was not really looking forward to dragging myself to office when the rest of Mumbai seemed to be jubilant about an extended weekend. Ek Tha Tiger at Paradise was to be the Sunday evening excitement with Peter, Sumit and Doyal.

Since Doyal would be coming all the way to Mahim from Bhandup, it was only fitting that I cook a meal for her to save her the hassle of making lunch before landing up.

I ducked into the fridge and realized that Karela was among the vegetable du jour (since I'd struck a deal with the veggie vendor  earlier on Saturday).

Washed well, the seeds quickly got removed out and discarded...

I sliced the karela/করলা and then quartered them into little bits

Next I added salt (and later a little water to soak the bits) 

I drained the salt water after half and hour and gave a bits a squeeze before heating a couple of table spoons of oil in the non-stick and tossing the lot it. The salt seeps into the karela and negates part of the bitterness and enhances the flavour as well.

I wanted an alternative to deep frying (since I wanted the karela nice and crisp), so I put the  flame on sim and slowly let the karela bits crisp. 

I constantly tossed the bits around so that they are uniformly browned.  Just before they are done, they start to look browned like this...

Once done, I set the crispy and already-interesting-tasting karela bits aside..

While they bits were frying, I took an onion and a couple of tomatoes

The onions, I cut up into slivers and the tomatoes into small slices. I also took a half inch piece of ginger and ground it in the pestle and mortar.

 

Next came the old favourite, paanch phoron...

I splashed a little mustard oil (সর্ষের তেল) and put in the paanch phoron and ginger to sputter and release the heavenly aroma..

Next, the onion slivers joined the phorni (ফোড়ন or फोड़नी)... 

Once the onions were a little 'glassy', the tomatoes went in as well...

Dhania Powder

I added a little dhania powder (ধনের গুড়ো) to the mix and slow cooked them for a few minutes...

Once, all this was well assimilated, I added a little amchur (আমচুর/आम्चुर or dried raw mango powder). This was intended to add a curious little tang and negate the remaining bitterness of the karela.

Then of course the pre-fried bits got added and I quickly moved the mix around in the pan to coat the karela bits with the mixture, taking care that the crispness remained as far as possible.

A few seconds later I was done with the fried karela start to the meal...

Simple Vegetable Stew

I'd intended to make this yesterday in the night, but I reached home, played with the cat and promptly fell asleep.
Not a very interesting thought when  you've got to chop vegetables AND cook in the morning. :(


I learnt how to make this stew from my dad. However, usually the stock is always from the boiled meat (beef or pork). In this instance, I wanted to make it with just vegetables...


I took whole cloves (lavang), cinnamon (dar chini), cardamon (elaichi), tej patta (bay leaves), and pepper. To give a little twist I added some kari patta (curry leaves) and of course crushed some ginger and garlic. Now, for those from the South of India, the curry leaves would be a normal fixture, but I have grown up consuming stews sans this... 

Next, the vegetables got chopped...

While all the spices sputtered in hot oil in the pressure cooker...

I first added the tomatoes and quartered onions since I like a bit of their juices to pick up the fragrance of the spices and take them to the other ingredients. I use very little oil, else I could just add everything in and the oil would take it everywhere.

Next everything else went in and got stirred around...

Then I just added water and pressure cooked everything for two 'whistles' of the pressure cooker while I prepared to leave for office...

I waited impatiently for the cooker to cool enough before I packed my lunch box...

And almost scaled my palate as I rushed through breakfast (of the same stew...)

Try this one... And Bon Appétit!