Self evaluation: How fair do you fight??

I swear, i din't tweak this!

You Fight Fair

For you, a fight is not about proving you're right. Instead, it's about discussing and resolving difficult issues. You don't look for fights, but you don't avoid them either. You realize that clearing the air is good, when you go about it the right way.

Do You Fight Fair?

Book review: Khazana of Indian Vegetarian Recipes

Name: Khazana of Indian Vegetarian Recipes Author: Chef Sanjeev Kapoor Publishers: Popular Prakashan Price: Rs 225 My rating: 4/5

Sanjeev Kapoor – I doubt there’d be any connoisseur of food, who’d not know this name. The name itself has been synonymous with mouth-watering food, in India, for quite some time now.

Sanjeev Kapoor is arguably the best Chef of India – not just for the thousands of superb recipes he has concocted over years, but more so, for the repute and esteem he has brought to the art and science of cooking, by his innovative efforts. The credit for invoking interest and charm in the profession as a Chef, to a great extent, goes to him, and his immensely popular TV cookery show “Khana Khazana”. Ask the hotel management grads of today, and many of them would prefer becoming the next SK, than just hotel managers.

This book was my birthday gift from my sister. She knows perfectly well, where my heart lies!! :-) And it definitely was one of my best gifts I have received in years! But this review is still, of the book, and not my gift!!

The book has recipes categorized under six sections – Soups and Salads, Snacks, Vegetables, Accompaniments, Rice and Rotis and Sweets. All of which, you’d definitely be tempted to try out, and eat. The style of explanation of the recipes, is trademark Sanjeev Kapoor – simple and articulate – that infuses confidence in even the novice cooks, to be able to make a good job of one of those complex-looking recipes.

I’ve tried just a few recipes from the book to date, and couple of them already top my all-time favorite list – Gobi musallam and Beetroot raitha… And I’m very sure, the rest would join that list soon.

The Verdict: A must have for your kitchen. A gem of a book!

PS: Sanjeev’s non-vegetarian recipes are published in another book. And I’d really love to get that book as a gift too. Is someone listening??! :-)

Ridge gourd (ಹೀರೆಕಾಯಿ / तुराइ ) chutney

Another recipe, I tried last week, and got great feedback from my friends... Taught by mum, modified by me... (like most of my recipes! :-) )

Name Ridge gourd peel chutney Complexity Level Easy Duration of preparation 20 minutes Serves 6 - 10

Ingredients:

Ridge gourd peels	(From ½ kg Ridge gourd)
Tomato	1
Grated coconut	1 tbsp
Jeera	1 tsp
Dhaniya powder	2 tsp
Red chillies	5-7
Pepper powder	1 tsp
Tamarind	¼ size of a TT ball
Salt	To taste

Method of preparation:

For those who are unfamiliar with the English name Ridge gourd, it is called ಹೀರೆಕಾಯಿ in Kannada and तुराइ in Hindi. Normally, most people remove the peel of turai when they prepare curry. These peels can be used for making this chutney

Boil the peels, and the tomato, in water for 15 minutes, and cool them. Grind them with the rest of the ingredients in a mixer grinder, with appropriate amount of water, so that the chutney becomes a fine paste.

ಹೀರೆಕಾಯ (तुराइ ) chutney is ready. Goes very well with both with chapathi and rice.

Fish rava fry

This is another recipe, which in its root form (almost 80% of the present version) was taught to me by my aunt, who has been my primary cooking guru and inspiration.

Name Fish Rava Fry Complexity Level Easy - Medium Duration of preparation 30 minutes Serves 6 - 10

(Pic will be updated shortly)

Ingredients:

Fish Bangude (Mackerel)	1 kg
Onions	1 large
Ginger garlic paste	2 tsp
Jeera	1 tsp
Dhaniya powder	1 tsp
Green Chillies	6-8
Pepper powder	2 tsp
Rava	3 tbsp
Oil	for frying
Salt	To taste

Method of preparation:

Clean the fish, and cut it into pieces (size – as per your wish). Make cuts on the body of the fish, deep enough, so that the masala can be applied and well absorbed by the fish.

NOTE:You might use any other type of fish, suitable for frying, other than Bangude (Mackerel).

Fry the jeera very lightly on a hot tava. Cut the onion into medium sized pieces. Grind onions, with ginger garlic paste, jeera, dhaniya powder, green chillies and the pepper powder, with little water, and salt to taste, so as to form a thick paste.

Apply the masala to the fish, and keep it closed for half an hour (helps better absorption of the masala by the fish).

Put the rava on to a plate, take the pieces of fish one by one, roll them well in the rava, and fry them on the tava. You can even deep fry it – but for the diet conscious, tava fry would be better.