Category Archives: FOOD

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Takayama

We took the Kagayaki Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo to Toyama with a switch to the Hida line from Toyama to Takayama. Beautiful mountainous scenery with snow capped peaks.

After passengers disembarked, the cleaning crew went onboard to clean and swivel the seats in opposite direction. When they got off they gave a bow (which I wasn’t quick enough to catch) and then proceeded on their way)

Takayama is a charming town nestled in the “Japanese alps” with unspoiled Edo-period streets lined with small shops, pubs and eating places. The homes are mostly built of timber (Japanese cedar) and the windows to the streets are mostly shuttered or louvered. The Miya River runs through the town; water runs in channels along all the streets and everything is immaculate.

Lunch time. Miso soup and good draft beer!

A cute “fast food” stall in Takayama

Another lovely pagoda with massive and ancient willow tree.

It was alongside the river that we saw our first abundance of cherry blossoms.

…..and then more …

Now I am satisfied!

These tots seen on a school bus late afternoon! School can be just too exhausting.

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A day onboard Millennium

A spectacular day of sailing in the calm, blue waters off the southern coast of Japan. Dolphins jumping and diving, views of mountains and chalk cliffs lining the coastline of one of the islands. We saw no evidence from the eruption of Mount Shinmoedake.

So far we’ve had a very enjoyable time meeting people from many different countries and walks of life. Some we meet in passing over a meal, others we reconnect with.

…and an interesting tour of the galley. We discovered that all waste is collected, reduced and sold at a receiving port. Food waste is kept in barrels with a bacteria that removes all moisture so that it ends up like pellets and is sold to companies that recycle such waste for fertilizer, animal food, etc. Cans, plastic and cardboard are crushed and packaged. Broken glass and dishes are ground and recycled. Proceeds from the sale of these recycled materials go to a fund that is used for crew members for emergency travel or parties!

The chef on the left is the Executive Chef and is responsible for all the menu planning based on passenger demographics, cruise location, etc., for all the galley staff, and just about everything involving food on board. The man in the black shirt is responsible for all the breakfast food and works from 2-10a.m.

It is a mammoth operation and seems to work quite seamlessly despite the need for adhering to USDA regulations and the need for absolute sterility.

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Jeju Island, Korea

Jeju Island, also known as the “Island of the Gods,” is a popular vacation spot for Koreans and foreigners. It remains the top honeymoon destination for Korean newlyweds and offers a wide range of activities. The climate remains mild year round, and rarely dips below freezing.

The local traditional culture stands in stark contrast to the mainland (and much of Asia) as being matriarchal. The role of seafood gathering on the island has been dominated by women. As such, a common sight around Jeju’s coastline is that of the “haenyo” or “woman diver”, a figure that has become somewhat iconic. Even more evident are the “dol hareubang” or “grandfather statues”, giant basalt statues. These statues first appeared in 1754.

We took a bus that went around the town and along a short distance of the coastline. We got off at the Jeju Folklore and Natural History museum.

After our visit there, it was an enjoyable walk down hill to Dongmun market and Black Pork street. The Jeju Black Pig is a breed of domestic pig on the island, and barbecued black pig meat is commonplace here and we ate some at a stall in the market.

This seemed to be a neighborhood recycling center.

The market definitely offered a different selection of foods to most markets I’ve visited.

Lots of kimchee and fermented vegetables and fish.

I believe the long silver fish are called Oar fish. The other fish appears to be smoked or semi-dried and is expensive at $40 -per kilo?

Some of the prepared food.

Not sure what these are!

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Seoul city

The ship provided a shuttle service from the port to Incheon where we caught the metro to the city center.

We were surprised to see so many young people dressed in a national style costume and enjoying photo ops at the first stop on our itinerary – Gwanghwamun gate – but then learned that the costumes are rented at a nearby shop!

The palace was closed, but we walked the perimeter and to the rear of the enclosed grounds to see The Blue House, Korea’s equivalent to the White House. There appeared to be a high level of secret service types, so don’t know if some dignitary was expected?

We enjoyed strolling the narrow streets and alleys of Bukchon-Hanok – a village like atmosphere within the city, with quaint and small homes and businesses. The name Bukchon, which literally translates to “northern village,” came about as the neighborhood lies north of two significant Seoul landmarks, Cheonggyecheon Stream and Jongno. Hanok relates to the small houses.

These sweet delicacies are made by blending honey and cornstarch to make the threads and then filled with a nut mixture. Fascinating to watch!

Lunch called for traditional bulgogi (beef in a broth) and VERY spicy pork and noodles.

These were the side dishes.

Me rocking the chopsticks and Kimchee!

Cheonggyecheon Stream runs for 6 km through the city center and makes for a nice, tranquil walking space.

Tiles tell Korean history along the walkway.

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Qiboa

Our original plan was to take the train to one of the water towns outside Shanghai, but with the journey taking upwards of one-half hours, we decided to stay local and visit Qiboa which is now in the suburbs of Shanghai and can be reached via the metro.

Known as an “ancient town”, Qiboa was built in Northern Song Dynasty (960-1126) and grew into a prosperous business center during Ming (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasties (1644-1911).

We didn’t see any crickets, but it was one of the most popular folk activities among the ancient Chinese and even now cricket fighting still draws much interest. Evidently the crickets in Qibao, especially the fiercest species called Iron Sand and Blue, provide exciting performances each day during the golden weeks (May 1-7 and Oct. 1-7) and the annual Festival of Cricket Culture. Too bad we weren’t here for that!!!!

Nonetheless, Qiboa is a very attractive spot and popular with local tourists.

We enjoyed a good lunch on the banks of the canal. I wonder what is stored or fermenting in these urns – seen in the restaurant?

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Shopping in Shanghai’s side streets

So much to see and so many questions!? And hardly anyone speaks English to answer them!

We started out this morning on a quest to find a Chinese cleaver – they are used in every Chinese household for chopping vegetables and my friend, Nan, asked me to get her one. We purchased a day pass for the metro and headed to a street that I had found after googling and googling these knives – without much success. We headed to East Nanjing and then to Fuzhou street. It all looked way too up market for such a simple tool.

On our way to People’s Square to catch another metro to a hotel and restaurant wholesale shop, I suggested we take one of the side roads that looked more interesting to me.

There we discovered the streets where the locals shop for produce, fish, and just about any other item. I love all the exotic fruit, and we bought some for our room.

I’d been wondering what these little pots on dry ice were. I bought one and discovered it Is delicious yogurt! Will be picking up a couple this evening for breakfast tomorrow.

So – back to the side streets …. the cutest mini mangoes – about the size of a small egg ( bottom left picture)

And ginger the size of my hand …

I spied a shop with a variety of stock and showed the shopkeeper the photo of the cleaver. She went to the back of the store and appeared with one in hand, but I wanted two!

Off we went, now with the knowledge of what type of shop we were looking for, and with one cleaver in hand. We quickly found another😊

These are typical side alleys where people live. Everything is spotlessly clean.

Now to what we don’t know. We made our way back to Nanjing Street and entered a food hall – something resembling Harrod’s. These things – I am assuming they are of some kind of herbal benefit – are REALLY expensive. 6456 yuan is a little over $1000!

I love this ad on a wall.

A huge Apple store in a mall.

Back to the metro to ride to Qibao – a suburb that was originally a small water town. Virtually everyone on the metros and on the streets is taking part in the national, or global, obsession!

We have seen many – mostly men – wearing these bracelets and necklaces. Some look like sandalwood, others like polished minerals or rocks. Why do they wear them?

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Shanghai streets and Yuyuan Gardens

The morning started with this lovely fresh pressed orange juice and dish of mango!

As part of our progressive brunch, we moved on to this amazing buffet but selected just the savory dumplings and crabmeat egg rolls – both being local specialties. We will return – a huge and very freshly made selection including what looks like my beloved pastel de nata!

One does not go hungry here in Shanghai! These huge crepes are also a local specialty and are on the list!

Ladies practicing in a neighborhood park; delivery man; silversmiths.

A screen print shop with cool designs for t-shirts while you wait.

One of the older Shanghai streets – Fangbang Street

Old Shanghai – formerly a walled town where the gates were closed at 9 p.m. The wall was demolished in 1912. The two Chinese characters in the city’s name are 上 (shàng/zan, “above”) and 海 (hǎi/he,”sea”), together meaning “Upon-the-Sea”. The earliest occurrence of this name dates from the 11th-century Song …

City flower: Yulan magnolia

The original north gate remains.

Yuyuan gardens.

The 5 acre private garden built in 1559 by Pan Yunduan, as a tranquil place for his parents to spend their remaining years, is considered “a pearl of classical gardens.” The gardens fell into disrepair in the 19th century, but were renovated and opened to the public in 1961.

We ended our sightseeing gig with a long, cool Tiger.

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Mumbai markets

We rounded out our India trip with a tour of some of Mumbai’s markets – led by an excellent guide – Jason – and joined by a young British woman. Despite the heat, Jason made the tour very interesting and we started the visit with the old Crawford market, built at the end of the 19th century, now renamed Mahatma Jyotiba Phule market after a philanthropic Indian who rose from the lowest caste and gave back by making education for girls a reality. A fabulous fruit and veg market and we were able to pick up some much needed dried curry leaves -virtually all our recipes call for them, even though we both have live tree plants at home.

The fabric market was fascinating – seeing the shoppers feeling all the fabrics, trying to make decisions. It brought back many memories of Saudi Arabia.

Chau alley- with street food vendors and small shops selling mostly Indian fast food. One item was a poppadum loaded with chick peas, chopped tomatoes and herbs – I’d say “Indian nachos”!

And then there was the flower market. Sorry about all the marigold garland photos – I cannot resist.

Finally – a walk through a temple area – no photos allowed – the the most sacred place – a cow stall – right down town Mumbai! People happily bring food for the cattle, who look very well taken care of!

The End.

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Cooking with Renu #4

Lemon Rice (South Indian)

1 cup rice soaked for 1 hour

2 1/2 cups water

1/4 tsp. Turmeric

20 tiny shallots ( 1/3 cup ) or large shallots chopped into pieces

3 green chili’s, slit

3 dozen curry leaves

2tsp. Mustard seeds

1/2 cup peanuts, dry roast them

2 Tbls. Cilantro

Juice of one lime, or combined lemon & lime

1 1/4 tsp. Salt

2 Tbls. Oil

Pressure cook the rice and set aside to cool. (Or, use about 2 1/2 to 3 cups leftover cooked rice).

Heat the oil in pan or wok to HOT. Add dried red chili, mustard seeds, the green chili and the curry leaves in quick succession. Then add the shallots and stir as they cook a bit.

Turn off the heat and add the roasted peanuts. Add half the cilantro, stir in and allow the mixture to cool down before adding the rice, which has also cooled a bit. (If using leftover rice, warm it slightly and add a bit of turmeric to color it yellow.)

Combine the rice and the flavorings. Dissolve the salt in the lemon/lime juice and stir that in and serve.

Kofta Palak Curry. (North Indian)

6 small potatoes, boiled and mashed

1 cup chopped fresh spinach

1 large floret cauliflower (1/3 -1/2 cup) chopped fine

2 medium carrots, grated

2 Tbls. Cornstarch

1/2tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. Chili powder, hot

1/2tsp. Fennel seeds

Oil, sufficient for frying or deep frying in wok

Mix together potato, chopped spinach, cauliflower, and carrot in a bowl. Add 2 Tbls. Corn starch, salt, chili powder and fennel seeds. Form into small. Alls about golf ball size. This will make about 7 balls.

Heat the oil to HOT, SMOKING. Cook just a few balls at a time and turn them until they are browned slightly. Drain them and cook the rest. Set them aside. They will be reheated slightly when the spinach curry gravy is made and they are put into it.

Spinach Curry (gravy)

1 large onion, roughly chopped

2 medium tomatoes, quartered or chopped

1Tbls. Slivered ginger

1 fresh green chili

2 to 3 dozen cilantro stems, cut into 2-inch pieces

Large handful spinach leaves

4 cloves of garlic

1 Tbls. Oil

1/2 tsp. Fennel seeds

1 tsp. Cumin seeds

1 Tbls. Oil

1 dried red chili

1 tsp. Garam masala

2-inch stick cinnamon

1tsp. Salt

1/4 cup heavy cream

First, purée the handful of spinach with the garlic. The garlic keeps the spinach from turning brown.

Next, heat the first Tablespoon of oil in the wok until HOT. Add cumin and fennel seeds together and let cumin seeds darken slightly — just a few seconds — before adding the onions. Stir the onions until browned a bit, then add slivered ginger, stir, add the green chili and stir about 30seconds.Add tomatoes and “let it become soft and pulpy” as Renu says. Then put in the cilantro stalks and cook for another minute before turning off the heat and letting the mixture cool a bit before puréeing it.  When puréeing it in the blender get it really really fine by adding just a bit of water. It should be totally smooth, says Renu.

Now put the second tablespoon of oil in the wok and get it HOT. First add the dried red chili, then the cinnamon stick, then the purée you have just made.  Ok and stir this as it sputters. The oil will bubble out almost immediately. At that point add the puréed  spinach/garlic mixture. Finally, stir in the cream and set aside. It will thicken a bit. Before serving add a bit of water to loosen it and gently place the Kofta balls into it. Reheat very gently… maybe adding a bit more cream before serving.

Credit: Renu www.explorindya.com

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Cooking with Renu #3

Aloo Gobi ( Potato / Cauliflower ) (Northern Indian)

2 large potatoes , cut into 1 1/2 inches pieces

3 cups cauliflower florets

2 green chili’s, split

2 inch ginger finely chopped

1 Tbls. Cilantro

Spices

2 Tabls. Oil

1/2 tsp. Cumin seeds

1/2 tsp. Fennel seeds

1/4 tsp. Fenugreek seeds

1 tsp. Coriander powder

1/2 tsp. Hot chili powder

1/4 turmeric

1 tsp. Salt

Heat the oil to hot. Add pinch of asafetida powder. Add cumin seeds to sputter and then quickly fenugreek, fennel seeds, ginger and green chilis in succession. Stir fry. Then add potatoes and toss. Add 1/2 cup water and cover. Leave over lower heat stirring occasionally for about 10to 15 minutes until water is absorbed. Add cauliflower and another 1/2 cup water, toss and then cover. Simmer for another 8 or 10minutes. When almost all moisture is absorbed, add the 6 dry spices and salt. Cover and set aside. When serving, add the fresh cilantro.

Methi Paneer (a Renu recipe)

1 cup Paneer ( made from 1 1/2 liters whole milk and 1 1/2 tsp.  vinegar)

1/3 cup cashew paste (made from 20 cashews ground with water)

1 pinch asafetida powder

2 Tbls. Heavy cream

3 Tbls Kashmiri Methi leaves (fenugreek leaves)

2 bay leaves

1 dried red chili

1/2 inch cinnamon stick

5 cardamom pods, seeds only

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 Tbls. Oil

Cube the Paneer into 1/2inch pieces.

Heat the oil to hot and add, in this order, pinch of asafetida, the red chili, cinnamon stick, bay leaves.

Add Paneer cubes and toss until they take on slight color. Add the Methi leaves and the cream. Then add cashew cream and salt. Remove from heat. Add the cardamom seeds and stir gently. It will thicken. If serving later, add a bit more water and reheat gently.

Purayal (South Indian Beetroot with Coconut)

4 medium beets, cooked, cooled, peeled and diced

Pinch asafetida

1 tsp. mustard seeds

2 dried red chilis

12 curry leaves

1 tsp. Urad dal

1 tsp. Salt

3/4 cup fresh coconut ground fine

1/2 Tbls. Oil

Heat oil to hot. Add pinch of asafetida. Add mustard and let pop for a second only . Add quickly urad dal, chili pieces, curry leaves. Be careful not to burn the lentils… so quickly add the chopped beets. Take off the heat and stir in the salt and coconut. Serve.

Tadka Dal (Northern India)

2 cups toor dal ( yellow dal)

2 fresh green chilis

1 dry red chili

1 1/2 inches ginger

1 cup chopped red onion

3/4 cup minced fresh tomato

2 Tbls. Ghee

2 Tbls. Garlic chopped

1 Tbls. Chopped cilantro

1/2 tsp. Cumin seed

1/4 tsp. Hot chili powder

1 tsp. Paprika (for color)

1 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. Turmeric

Rinse the dal. If not using a pressure cooker, soak it more.

Heat the ghee to hot. Add, in quick succession, cumin seeds, dry red chili, the green chili, and the chopped onions. Lightly brown the onion before adding the garlic and then the ginger. Sauté a minute or two. Then tomato and cook until the moisture escapes and the oil bubbles out. Add salt, chili powder,, paprika, turmeric and 1/2 Tbls. of the cilantro. Pour this mixture over the dal and mix. Put in instant pot with 3 cups water and cook about 5 minutes on high and then allow natural release.

Add chopped cilantro when serving.

North Indian Raita

1 large cucumber

1/2 cup minced red onion

1/2 cup minced tomato

1 Tbls. Cilantro, chopped

1 cup yoghurt

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 green. Hili, finely minced

1/4 tsp. Roasted, freshly ground cumin powder

Mix vegetables together with cilantro. Add salt and roasted cumin and green chili. Stir in the yoghurt and sprinkle a bit more roasted cumin on top. Serve.

Ravi’s Puffy Bread: Bhatura

2 cups flour

1tsp. Salt

1/2 cup yoghurt

Water

Mix ingredients together to make a soft dough. Leave it to rise in a covered bowl for one hour.

Knead the dough. Divide and roll out into circles the size of your wok.

Heat oil in wok. Gently drop the circles into VERY HOT oil to fry on both sides. This takes just seconds.

Drain in paper towels.

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Renu’s Chickpeas in Tea

2 cups dry chickpeas, soaked overnight in ample salted water

Tie into muslin packet:

2 tsp. Tea leaves

1 inch cinnamon stick

1 Black cardamom pod

Boil chickpeas for 20minutes in fresh water along with the tea-cinnamon  packet.

Seasonings:

2 onions minced

1 inch ginger, minced

1 green chili, minced

2 tomatoes, puréed

Chole masala packet

2 Tbls. Oil

Heat oil to hot. Add cumin seeds and toast briefly. Add onion and sauté. Then ginger, green pepper and tomato purée. Cook until moisture evaporates and oil starts to bubble out.

Tamarind /Jaggery Sauce makes a good accompaniment. Mix the two together with a bit of water, salt, cumin and chili pepper to taste. It should be a bit sweet.

credit: Renu Kumar www.explorindya.com

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Cooking with Renu #2

Coconut Chutney (South Indian)

1 small coconut, meat removed

1 tsp. Salt

1 green chili

Put all together in the processor and start grinding, dry…. no water. Grade thoroughly not adding water until you must to keep going. Gradually add a bit of water, still staying mostly dry. When it comes together as a paste, add a bit more water.

1 TBLS oil

1 dried red chili, broken into pieces

1 tsp. Urad dal

12 curry leaves

1;tsp. Mustard seeds

Now heat oil to hot. Add in quick succession dal, pepper, curry leaves, mustard seeds. Do not let dal get dark. Lift pan off heat if dal browns too quickly. It should be light brown. This should take only seconds, so have your spices ready. Pour this spice mixture over the chutney. Mix now or mix later.

Khatta Meethi Baigar ( sweet and sour eggplant ) ( North Indian)

4 small hard egg plants

1/4 tsp. Oil

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. Fennel seeds

1tsp.  Coriander powder

1/2 tsp. Turmeric powder

1 Tbls. Tamarind paste

25 grams jaggery

In a small bowl, put the oil and mix all the spices into it, making a paste. Slit eggplants into pieces vertically from the bottom without cutting through the top and stem. Rub the spice mixture into the cut sections of the eggplant.

Mix the tamarind paste into a bit of water to form a thick syrupy liquid. Add water to the jaggery and let sit.

2 Tbls. Oil

Asafetida, a sprinkle

1/2 tsp. Nigella seeds (black onion seed)

1 Tbls. Water

Heat oil to hot , sprinkle in asafetida. Add seeds and let them pop. Add 1 T. water and then the eggplants.  Cook gently over low heat until eggplants are almost entirely soft. Add the tamarind syrup and the jaggery and it’s liquid. Bring to a boil and cook it until the sauce is thick. About 5 minutes. Cover and let sit until ready to serve.

Rawa Idli (South Indian)

2 cups water, room temperature

2 cups semolina

3 Tbls. Yoghurt

Soak semolina in the water and yoghurt for several hours.

Seasoning ingredients

12 or more curry leaves

2 dried red  chilis

1 tsp. Mustard seeds

1 tsp. Urad dal, white

1 tsp.salt

2 tsp. Eno ( 1 tsp. Bicarbonate of soda mixed with 1 tsp. Of citric acid)

Put the salt into the semolina mixture. It should be a sloppy loose mixture. Add the Eno powder (or the bicarbonate and Citric acid mix) and stir it in. This makes the mix a bit fluffy.

Heat the seasonings

Put 1/2 Tbls. oil in the pan and heat to hot. Add,  in order:  lentils, then chili, then leaves, then mustard seeds. Toss the pan a bit. So the spices don’t burn, then pour them out onto the semolina mixture and stir.

Brush a bit of oil onto the idli forms. Spoon mixture into the forms, stack them and steam gently for about 12minutes.

Note:  This batter can be kept in the fridge for a week or more if you withhold the Eno powder / bicarbonate-citric acid. Add that just before cooking. To turn this batter into a dosa batter, thin it with a bit of water.

Paratha stuffed with carrot / cauliflower ( North Indian)

200 grams flour

1 tsp. Salt

Water to mix

2 medium carrots, grated

2 large florets of cauliflower, crumbled fine or chopped

First mix the dough, knead it minimally and leave it to rest, covered.

Put carrots and cauliflower in two separate bowls. On top of each, put

1/4 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. Fennel seeds

Pinch of asafetida

One green chili. Dry finely chopped

1 Tbls. Chopped cilantro

1/4tsp. Chili powder

Stir up the cauliflower mixture. Do NOT stir up the carrots mixture until ready to cook. Let it sit awhile, then stir the salt and spices just before cooking.(Otherwise the salt will force liquid out of the carrots. )

When ready to cook, divide dough into golf ball sized balls and roll them out to 1/8 inch thick. Put 2 Tbls. of cauliflower or carrot into the center and gather the dough up around the filling like a pouch. Flatten the pouches with the help of a bit of flour and roll out again.

Toast the paratha on a hot griddle or skillet on one side until browned spots show. Flip it, drizzle with oil, look for slight browning and then flip it again and again drizzle with oil. Take it off the flame.

credit: Renu Kumar www.explorindya.com

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Cooking with Renu #1

Matar(peas) Paneer

1/2 litre milk

1 1/4 t vinegar

Boil milk. Add vinegar very slowly, while stirring milk. When it has separated scrape from side of pan and drain in a sieve. Pat in to rectangular shape while pressing out excess liquid.

Matar:

Asefitada

1.5 t cumin seeds

1 bay leaf

1” piece cinnamon

1 dry red chili

2 tomatoes puréed

1/2 t coriander

1/4 t chili powder

1/4 t paprika

1/2 t salt

1c peas

1 T chopped cilantro

NOTE: when using Asefitada never use garlic and vice verse.

2 T oil in pan – heat.

Add pinch of asefitida, cumin seeds. Let pop. Add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and chili. Add tomato purée and cook down. Add remaining dry spices to the tomatoes. Add peas and paneer.

Cut the paneer in to cubes and brown lightly in a little oil.

Sprinkle with cilantro.

Baingan Bharta (Punjab/Rajasthan)

1 eggplant

Char over open flame.

1 tomato diced

1/2 red onion, chopped finely

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1T ginger, chopped

1t garlic, chopped

1/2 t salt

1/2 t paprika

1/4 t chili powder

1/4 t turmeric

1/2 c yogurt

Handful of fresh mint.

Heat 3T oil. Add fennel seeds and let pop.

Add onion and cook until light brown. Add ginger and garlic

Add tomato and cook until soft. Remove from heat.

Peel and chop eggplant. Add to tomato mix. Add dry spices, yogurt and half the mint, chopped.

Chop remaining mint for garnish.

Roth bread – an old recipe from Rajasthan.

This particular bread is eaten at the full moon in August. Married women fast for the entire day, and they prepare this bread serving the first piece to a cow, the second piece to their husband, and only then can they break their fast and eat themselves.

250g whole wheat flour

1 t salt

1 t carom seeds (Adjuain – good for digestion)

1 T ghee

Crumble ghee and add enough water to make a firm dough. Cover and let it rest.

Punch and knead lightly until smooth and even. Break off golf ball size pieces and roll to about 1/8”thick – about 6”diameter. Crimp the edges and stamp with wedding band to make rings on surface.

Bake on dry cast iron pan. Flip and brush ghee on browned surface. Flip again with ghee side down.

Credit: Renu Kamir www.explorindya.com

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The NilGiris and Ooty

Morning broke with beautiful clear skies and views of mountains in the distance.

After breakfast we set off towards Ooty with a little diversion to take a walk through some of the older tea plantations. Various shades of green covered the hillsides and Rajat explained how individual plucking of the fresh shoots provides for optimal results, whereas some farmers have the shoots removed with a scythe which damages the twig and causes the bush to coarsen and turn darker green; the financial yield from this tea is much less. If the shoots aren’t plucked every eight days, the plant can easily get out of control and revert to being a tree – as we saw on some of the plantations. The temperatures were perfect and the scenery spectacular.

We visited the market in Ooty where preparations are in full swing for the Pongal festival which starts tomorrow, Sunday. Sugar canes and bunches of neem, with its frothy white flower, were all over and people were buying to ornament their homes, vehicles, etc.

Otherwise, deliciously fresh produce was in abundance and I have complete cauliflower envy – a huge head can be purchased for 75c!!!!

Banana fact: Each guest at EVERY Indian wedding (many with 2,000 to 3,000 guests) is given a banana! Two weeks from the date, the banana merchant is contacted and given the date and numbers. Banana branches are cut, wrapped in banana leaves, and stored in a cool dark place to ripen. One of these branches holds about 600 bananas!!!