Kadhi Palak

Goldene Oktober (Golden October). I have fallen in love with this phrase which perfectly describes the Fall in Germany. The temperature drops. It is chill everywhere, yet not sharp as a knife. Poets associate the season with the mood of meloncholy. However, to me, the season brings an elegant serenity with it.

I make a stroll in the morning through the parks and fields, to take a whiff of fresh air. The leaves on the trees gradually turn into different shades of green, yellow, orange, red and brown - pale and bright. Some could no longer hold on to the trees and with a heavy heart fall off to the ground, just to  make a soft bed over the wet grass below. There is still a mild fog. I hug on to the warmth of the pullover and I can see my own breath. Piles of pumpkins and dozens of apples are stacked over for sale by the farmers along the fields. The sun shines lazily through the branches of the trees, pouring its golden rays through the branches and coloured leaves, elevating their beauty to a splendid grandeur. Is this not a golden October?

Well, this is something I wanted to share with you before October ends, but I couldn't make it. Now that it is November, winter is on the doorsteps and trees are becoming more naked with every passing day. I got to prepare myself to face the winter.

In the recent past, I have seen many blog posts with lots of sweets and savouries marking the festive season in India. I hope everyone had a memorable and safe Diwali. Now, coming to the purpose of the post, it is yet another entry to the exciting fortnightly event - Blog Hop Wednesdays, organised by Radhika of Tickling Palates. As per the rule of the game, I got the opportunity to visit Anamika of Taste Junction. Oh, I really wonder why I have missed her blog so long. Not just the food and the photography is amazing, but also her write ups give me an interesting read. I'm especially fond of her musings in the Scribbles page. Her blog reflects in a way the wonderful personality she is. Thanks again to Radhika for giving this chance to know such lovely blogs and bloggers.

Choosing a single dish was again a challenge. Baking was a big no and so I searched in Cooking. She has many dishes up her sleeves which are new to me. Finally, I settled down to Kadhi Palak, which was also the lunch menu on last Sunday.

The original recipe can be found here. I followed it almost exactly except the following small changes.

• I added two large chopped shallots while sauteing.
• I added few sprigs of flat-leaf parsley at the end. 
• I forgot to add the Kasuri methi.

I had never prepared any Kadhi before, so this was my first attempt. I was afraid if the yogurt might curdle or if the besan would get more thick than necessary. Nothing of the kind happened. It tasted so delicious and creamy, that I would definitely be making it again and often. My husband too liked it a lot. The spinach and parsley are green leafy vegetables, which are a good source of antioxidants, iron and vital vitamins. This does not take much time and effort to prepare, yet makes a satisfying and healthy meal.

Sending this as an entry to Blog Hop Wednesday-Week 8 event by Radhika of Tickling Palates, Only Curries event by Pari of Foodelicious, guest hosted by Janaki's Kitchen and to Fast Food NOT Fat Food by Priya of Now Serving.

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Haleem

A bit relaxation for a few days. And again, the stressful times are back. The project schedules keep me busy with office works. Sometimes, at home too. :( Nevertheless, I do not want to miss my first opportunity to participate in the Blog Hop Wednesday, an exciting event started by Radhika of Tickling Palates. A big thanks to her!! This is a great idea and she is doing a great job organizing things for this. Hats off to Radhika!!

Anxiously, I looked up the chart to find whose blog I should be visiting this week. A sweet surprise!! It was none other than Umm Mymoonah's Taste of Pearl City. Oh, what do I say!! She was one of the two inspirations for me to start a blog in the first place. I fondly call her "my Blog Guru". Whatever doubts I have with blogging, I always look up to her and she patiently explains things to me. With two naughty little kids at home, what she has accomplished in a short time is just admirable!

Well, her blog is the one that I most often visit. I have already tried numerous things out of her treasure box. To name a few, Garlic Rolls (read my post here), Kalakand, Polenta Idli, Prawn Gravy, Ataif bil Ashta and many many more. Besides, I have a few bookmarked pages too. So, for this event, I gladly picked one out of the list which I had been eyeing for quite some time now - Haleem.

I came to know about this Hyderabadi speciality only through her blog for the first time. Before trying, I was not sure if it was a gravy or a soup. I think, it is both. Meat, usually lamb is cooked very slowly for a long time, along with wheat and lentils flavoured by Indian spices. This way, the meat becomes soft and shredded, combined with the spices to give a thick soup like consistency.

I cooked Haleem during the weekend itself, as I knew I wouldn't be able to manage it during the weekdays. See, now it is 11pm and I'm still writing the post with half closed eyes.

The original recipe can be found here. I almost followed the same except for a few changes. We absolutely loved the Haleem. We had it for Iftar along with Turkish bread. And later for Sahr too as a soup. It was very filling and tasty.

My Notes:

• I used about 750g meat. So, I doubled the quantity of ingredients.
• Like Umm Mymoonah, I cooked Haleem in pressure cooker only. Seven whistles were enough for the meat to be finely cooked.
• With time, the Haleem thickened. So, I thinned it a little bit for our second serving.
• It is best served warm.

On the whole, we loved it so much. It was a welcome change to the normal curry that we usually prepare. I would be definitely making it again. :)

As an ending note, for those who are curious about what my other inspiration for blogging is - it is none other than my husband - the backbone of this blog. :)

I'm sending this entry to Blog Hop Wednesdays, Lubna's Joy from Fasting to Feasting IV Jabeen Corner's Iftar Nights. Signing off now guys. See you next time soon :)

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Peas Broccoli Soup

The past two weeks had been quite hectic. I got a change of project and so, had loads of work at office. Weekends went busy too. Things are getting normal this week and I'm hoping for some relaxation. So, last week, I could spend only little time in the kitchen and didn't get to try anything industrious.

One evening, after a tiring day of work, I made this wonderful soup, thanks to Taste of Pearl City. It was easy to make and very relishing. It had the mild aroma of mint and the goodness of the green vegetables, combined with the flavour of garlic and pepper.

The original recipe can be found here. I followed it almost exactly, but with the following changes:
- I used just one potato, so the soup was light and apt for the evening hour.
- I had only a small amount of peas, so I replaced the rest with about 5 to 6 Broccoli florets. Adding broccoli gave the soup an extra kick and taste.
- I topped the soup with some crispy Croutons and pine nuts.

The soup was itself creamy, but those who would like more richness can add a spoon of cream on top. Along with garlic Baguette and Italian herbs Baguette, we just felt like it was one of the perfect dinner menus. :-)
I'm sending this post as an entry to US Masala's Bookmarked Recipes Event.

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