Mint

Mint or spearmint leaves in india have long known many uses. Commonly called as 'Pudina' it is usually for garnishing dishes along with other popular garnishes such as fresh coriander leaves and lime. It is added in Non vegetarian dishes to give them a mughal twist. Pudina tea is very much in demand in winter and is known to reduce common cold symptoms. Pudina chutney is popularly used along with most Indian snacks such as Aloo tikki, samosa or chat. It is known to soothe stomach ailments, aid digestion and reduce acid. Infact one of the most popular anti acid medicine used in India is made from mint oil known as 'Pudin hara' meaning 'green mint'.

 Adding mint to meats makes them easier to digest and improves their flavour and scents aswell. Mint shorbets in summer is a sure way to beat the Indian summer!

Jalaluddin Akbar (1542 – 1605)

Although Mughal rule in India was not free from religious intolerance and cultural imposition  there are rulers who stand out in history as best loved simply because of their tolerant and accommodating nature.

Akbar perhaps was the best loved Emperor. Though illiterate but well versed in  hunting he encouraged the translation of Persian scriptures to Indian languages and Indian scriptures to Persian. He was of such an open mind that he built special halls for interfaith discussions inviting atheists aswell. Its another thing that those discussions got too heated and had to be discontinued.

Under his rule both sects of Muslims prayed under the same roof and so did the Catholic Jesuits and Jews.

He was an amazing emperor who held together an empire that stretched from Bengal to Kabul.

The lattice like murals on his fort at Agra and Delhi  are the result of his interest and encouragement of arts for he himself is said to be a lace-maker, artisan and inventor.  It was under him the exquisite style of Mughal  school of painting took shape.

Perhaps it was during this long and peaceful reign under one of the most powerful Emperor of those times that the seeds of  peaceful coexistence with every religion and every culture in India were sown.

Though a skilled warrior in his later years his marriage to a hindu rajasthani princess caused his interest in Jainism a religion which condones the killing of living things in any form accidentally or purposefully.  He took fancy to vegetarianism and particularly to a simple dish of dal and rice called Kichri which is still popular in most of northern India. Perhaps its the first food babies eat when they come off milk as it is easy to digest and very nutritious.

Here is the recipe for Kichri which is said to have been made everyday at his courts since he was so fond of it. It has a simple and earthy flavour which is its most alluring aspect.

This is a modern day version of the recipe.

Ingredients
1 cup of basmati rice washed
1 cup of Moong dal split
1 large onion chopped
5 pods garlic chopped
handful coriander chopped
1 split green chilli
1/2 tbs cumin
1/4 tbs ginger paste
5 tbs ghee or clarified butter
1 tbs salt
1 diced tomato
6 cups water
Preparation
Heat the Ghee
Add the cumin
Add the chilli
Add the onions and saute
Add the salt and tomato
Add the rice and dal
Add water
Cook on pressure cooker for 15 min
Leave to cool
Serve with pickle and Papad or mint chutney

Vegetarianism in India

People in India either love pork or loathe it. For starters the downfall of the British  Empire in India began with the sepoy Mutiny all caused due to the use of bullets tipped with the fat of pork and beef. For a Hindu the cow is the most sacred of beings and for the Muslims pork is forbidden. The tip of these bullets had to be bitten off usually by mouth before its use and so mayhem resulted leading to a chain of events that ousted the British.

The priestly caste of Hindus known as Brahmins do not touch non vegetarian food supposedly during their entire life time. Non vegetarian visitors to their homes are served on a banana leaf..well I myself have had the honour of being served on leaves while visiting brahmin friends in India and it simply amused me. Well to each their own.

Even the non brahmins, a large majority of them pride themselves in being vegetarians with the result that meat as such is prohibited in certain religious pilgrim towns and cities. Same goes for liquor. While eggs are an exception at some places :)  Some states such as Uttrakhand with a higher percentage of pilgrim centres have gone so far as to ban beef completely and its cooking as punishable by law! Well its interesting to note peoples habits and customs and beliefs they hold dear! 

Here is my favourite recipe of Pork Curry,

Ingredients

250 gms Pork cut
1 large onion
2 tbs ginger garlic paste
1 green chilli split
Handful of coriander chopped
1 tbs salt
1/2 tbs chilli
1/2 tbs coriander powder
1/4 turmeric
1/4 garam masala
1/2 tbs cumin seeds
1 cup tomato diced

Preparation

Heat oil and add the cumin seeds
Add the onion and sauté
Add the ginger garlic paste and chilli
Add the spices and salt and roast
Add coriander and pork and roast
Add the tomato
Add 2 cup water
Cover and cook in pressure cooker for 15 min

Zucchini and Cheese

Side dishes for Indians is a big deal. Like a vegetable stir with rice and dal or fish fry with dal and chappattis. Somehow the food doesn't seem complete without these. If no sidedish is on the menu, pickle and Pappad complete the equation. Or curd or raw green chillis and onion. In rural india chillis and onions are more popular as side dishes especially in the northern belt. Well farmers have healthy appetites!

Here is a simple side dish of Zucchini and white cream cheese.

Ingredients
2 Zucchini sliced
1/2 tbs onion powder
1/2 tbs chilli flakes
Salt to taste
2 tbs White Cream cheese
Preparation
Heat the pan
Add Zucchini
Sprinkle oil
Add the spices and mix
Cover for 5 min or till tender
Add the cheese and cover for 3 min
Remove and serve with dal and rice

Baked Chilli Potato

Surprisingly Potato like Spinach is a recent find for the majority of the world. A native of Peru and of a mind boggling 4000 varieties this simple tuber has won the hearts of millions world wide.
From Uk's favourite fish and chips to largely popular finger chips in US and Masala Dosa which tops the food charts in India this vegetable in its various forms is delectable, nutritious and lip-smacking.

History traces its origins in the mountains of Peru which it then found its way to Spain, Ireland and the rest of Europe around 16th century through the Spanish ships. It was largely the main source of nutritious during the world wars and the great Irish Famine. Its ease in cultivation and storage caused its rapid spread to Asia. By the 17th century it reached china and India by the 18th. Africa was perhaps the last to benefit from its uses when it began to cultivated there by 20th century.

This tuber has a number of minerals and vitamins and more so when had with its skin. Its name originated from the Spanish name for it "Patata".

Here is one of my simple recipes that brings out the flavour of the Potato.

Ingredients
5 red Potatoes Medium
1 1/2 tbs chilli flakes
1 tbs onion flakes
2 tbs oil
1/2 tbs salt
Aluminium Foil large
Preparation
Wash the potatoes
Prick these with fork or knife on all sides
Add the salt and spices and mix well
Place Foil
Sprinkle the oil over it
Fold up the foil on all sides and without leaving any vent twist and close the top
Bake on 350 for 1 1/2 hr
Delicious as a side dish or as snack!