Peas Be With You

The stars in this dish are round.


They are legumes, but not the main item in this dish. However, I believe they elevate a plain, somewhat smelly vegetable from being an ordinary stir-fry to a special one. I make this frequently, but I always enjoy it. I, therefore, submit it to the Seventh Edition of My Legume Love Affair.


In doing so, I am joining the ranks of bloggers who knowingly/unknowingly don't follow the rules of an event to a T.

I think I can even hear an (amused? but) exasperated sigh issuing from the host, and the super host. Just look at this photo, don't you think it's worth adding to the round-up?

But I'm kidding - most of the legumes are underneath, they don't show. You'll just have to take my word for it.

Cauliflower florets: 2-2.5 cups (small head of cauliflower)
Peas: 1-2 cups frozen/ fresh (boiled)
Tomatoes: 2, chopped
Oil: 1-2 tsp
Turmeric: 1/2 tsp
Cumin/jeera: 1/2 - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder: 1/2-1 tsp
Salt, to taste
Water: Keep it handy
Coriander leaves: Chopped, for garnish

Heat oil in a pan. Temper with the cumin. You can even add curry leaf here, if you like.

Add the tomatoes, fry them a bit.

Add the salt, turmeric and the red chilli powder. Fry well, cover. Add some water if you like.

When the tomatoes get nice and mushy, add the florets and mix well. Sprinkle some more water, cover and cook on low/medium flame till cooked. I like the florets to still have a little bite in them. After all, this dish is mostly texture.

Once the florets are ready, add the peas, mix well to make sure they are also coated with the spices. Wait a while, and remove from heat.

Garnish with the coriander, or just mix it up.

Also, as we've mentioned its glorious colour, this goes off to Sunshinemom's FIC-Yellow too.

With this humble submission, I humbly take your leave until the next post.

My Legume Love Affair Peas Cauliflower Event

On Blogging, Looks And Questions

Stirring the pot ...

• Would you be disappointed when you find out your blogger friend's looks do not match the image you conjured up of her? Would you say anything? Would you go off her blog? What is it about a blog that makes you think the blogger would be nothing less than hip and happening?
  
  
• I remember someone saying they didn’t know whether they’d like to meet other bloggers in the flesh, what if they didn’t really like each other? It is a valid fear, isn’t it? Would the real person be the same as the blog persona, and what would you do if she isn’t? Of course, all this is assuming you give blog friendships somewhat the same weightage that you give real-life friendships, otherwise we wouldn’t be discussing this at all.
  
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• This isn't related to looks or real-life encounters but blog etiquette. I often come across comments saying, "Sorry for the long comment." I've said it myself though I've not understood exactly why. Is it because a long comment is seen as trying to take over someone else's space, or is it based on more practical and technical considerations such as the amount of space available for a blog on a server/ a blogging platform? Would you welcome long comments? Why not?

On Blogging Questions Bloggers' looks Blog Etiquette

Comments Meeting other bloggers

Epiphany

It's not "I'd give anything to lose weight".
It's "I'd give up anything to lose weight."

Not that the truth in the statement hasn't occurred to me before, it just didn't arrange itself in such pithy terms.

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Mishap of the Week

Camera falls into jug of water when Sra tries to use jug as tripod.

Panicking, Sra is unable to fish it out so jug is taken to wash basin to let the water gush out, infusing camera with some more H20.

'Immediately' wiped with napkin. Then wiped some more and some more with increasingly damp napkin.

Friend present at venue suggests hair dryer.

Camera is opened, divested of battery and chip, fanned gently, cautiously, with hair dryer. Left to dry on dining table.

The Spouse/family will read about it here.

It seems to be fine, time will tell.

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Embarrassing Moment of the Week

Sra prepares to make rice for lunch.

Friend says she's not keen on rice, keen on eating "just the curries" like Sra.

Come lunchtime, Friend wonders if there's any bread. There is none. No bread, no rice. Sra has forgotten to order fried chicken as she has planned; gossiping with Friend is juicier.

Post-lunch, Sra brings a huge container to Friend, opens it and prepares to dole out some ariselu for dessert.

There are only two in huge tin.

Arise no 1 is bitten, un-whole (by Sra sometime ago, and unloved, has been shoved back inside for The Spouse to eat or to meet a dustbinny grave.)

Arise no 2 is also un-whole (same case as above, Sra suspects, though she doesn't remember too clearly).

Sra brings out a box of Belgian chocolates, gives illustrated sheet to Friend, grandly asks Friend to choose the flavour.

Friend opts for Dark Chocolate Heart With Truffle Filling And Coffee.

That too lies bitten.

(Yes, Friend did get dessert - there were other choices.)

Epiphanygram Epiphany Weight loss Humour Epigram

Looking Back, Looking Ahead

It's 11.30 p.m., and the madness to welcome the New Year has just begun. It's a cool night, and vehicles, noisier than ever, are whizzing past, much hooting, shrieking and whistling emanating from them. There's the ominous sound of a siren/alarm/ambulance. I am at home, after a feast of yesterday's leftovers with only some fresh omelettes, trying to make the most of the fading year with the dawn of the new one.

Blog-wise, it's been a great year. I met many bloggers, the latest being Raaga. We met earlier this month and talked about everything but food and blogging and it didn't feel like a first meeting at all. We spent about two hours together and it seemed to have vanished in a minute. I met Aparna, and earlier, a lot of bloggers from the city I live in and had a lot of fun. Blog friendships deepened and when a dear friend turned to blogging,our friendship of 19 years gained another dimension.

My blog underwent a makeover when Sandeepa designed the header you see here now. I even took a couple of unscheduled and unintended breaks from blogging, and ached to come back to it even though I didn't have much to say. I didn't think this piece would make it to this, but it has!

The posts I especially enjoyed writing and watching the reactions to are the ones on

Hostel food

The maximum convexity of my butt

My second anniversary

My magnetic attractions

Minding my pounds and quarts

Whether heritage comes cheap

Not unholy combinations

A proposed bloggers' meet

My not being a queer fish

Memories and mementos

I made an effort to rediscover some homely and traditional recipes. I also attempted recipe haiku and posted my first ever round-up, of the event I thought up and exasperated many of you with! That was on January 1, 2008 and as I write this, crackers around me are exploding to announce the new year. (I can't help but pat myself that I've choreographed the writing of this post perfectly, for whatever it's worth.)

Lifewise, much has been the same, though I travelled a bit - to Japan, to Karnataka with one group of girlfriends and to Calcutta with another, where much fun, mirth and getting-in-touch-with-the-inner-witch was had by all. "Life is not all about having fun," said a well-meaning friend to me once, trying not to sound stern. I suppose it's true, but one can always try to have as much fun as possible, can't they? Here's wishing you all a fun- and happiness- filled new year!

Best of 2008 Recap New year