Stir-fried Spinach with Tomato and Tofu ~palak tamatar aur tofu ki bhaji~

There are the odds and ends in the fridge that need to be chopped and turned edible before I restock. There's some cauliflower, a few carrots and beans, and also a bunch of spinach which I couldn't resist picking up yesterday!

Sometimes I lack inspiration in the kitchen, and that's when cookbooks come alive in my kitchen. But I always adapt when it comes to vegetarian cooking, throwing in this or that or taking out a condiment I think unnecessary. And that is how a tomato palak stir-fry recipe got tofu for company. The original version is from a collection called 'The Indian Vegetarian Cookbook'. Here's my version:

Ingredients
Spinach roughly chopped - 1 bunch
Silken Soft Tofu chopped - 1/2 cup
Tomato chopped - 1 cup
Onion chopped - 1 small
Garlic sliced - 3
Ginger julienned - 2 tsp
Cumin - 1 tsp
Dry red chilly - 1 (or more)
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Chilly pdr - 1 tsp (optional)
Salt to taste
Olive Oil - 1 tsp

Method:
1. Heat oil in a wok, add the dry red chily, cumin, onions, garlic, half of the ginger julienne and the red chilly, turmeric and asafoetida pdrs. Fry for a couple of minutes.
2. Next add the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes, and then drop in the spinach/palak. Add salt, toss and cook covered over low heat for 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Now drop in the tofu cubes, cook covered for about a minute.
4. Serve hot garnished with the rest of the ginger.

Have it with rotis, or rice, I had the palak bhaji with Makkai ki roti. And if you're making for kids, just reduce the chilly. Its nice and tomatoey!

Over the Kitchen Sink...

I find disconnect over my kitchen sink. I spend some time on auto mode doing the dishes. But my attention belongs out on the street, the ladies are out in force. I can watch them, unnoticed, safe, from behind the kitchen sink.

Out on the street I cannot meet their eye. These are the women of the street, in their homes, behind their own kitchen sink, maybe their mascara runs down. But here leaning nonchalantly by the parking meter, they can look a man squarely in the eye, their eyes programmed to detect a tiny gesture, a look, a movement in the passing toyota, lexus, nissan.

Today I am drawn to writing about the view from my kitchen window after taking a peek at the beauty beyond the sink at Taste Memory's.

In the bleached-out afternoon some green distracts me momentarily. The new sprouts and shoots on my sill provide me a degree of fuzzy comfort. The weather is optimistic these days and the hopeless heat is still some months away. Opposite the colourful ladies, on the other side of the street, the gents in blue sit on their haunches under a reluctant ghaf tree. A rickety TATA motors bus will arrive any minute to take them to their camps, until then they entertain themselves by huddling together and cracking bawdy jokes.

My view of the horizon has long been obscured by a building that apparantly no longer serves its purpose. Its reflective exterior so dark that it hides the emptiness inside and fools passersby with their own reflection.

I remember another view from another kitchen - the kitchen window of my childhood home, the sun's rays bursting through the green lattice of the coffee tree, its blossoms taut and white against the green. Stray chicken foraging in the kitchen garden, a crow on a solitary palm frond waiting for the bits and bobs that will surely come his way after the family breakfast. The commotion of the warblers hell bent on talking all at once. The dogs lazily napping in a sunny spot after a hard nights work. And familiar voices approaching the window calling out for this and that.

These are some of my own memories over the kitchen sink. Care to share yours?

And this is the coffee tree I am talking about, she bears fruits every year unfailingly. I took this picture of the tree laden with berries on my recent trip home and it is indeed my click for Click! Red.

Moist Vegan Chocolate Cake (with Avocado)

I like wholewheat cakes, I like cake recipes that call for no eggs or butter or milk, and off late I am intrigued by the idea of adding fruit purés to cakes. Now there is this one chocolate cake that I have baked often, it's an eggless, butterless chocolate cake, and have never been disappointed with the result. I got it off the net along time ago and don't have the source link but its a recipe I got off the All Recipes site.

This time I've just made one tiny change - I halved the oil mentioned and added some avocado purée - and it didn't make a damn difference! honestly! And the lil one couldn't stop gushing "wow bootiful caaake"!

Ingredients:
All-purpose flour - 3 cups
Unsweetened cocoa powder - 6 Tbsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Baking soda - 2 tsp
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Sugar - 2 cups
Vegetable oil - 1/4 cup
Avocado purée - 1/2 cup
Water - 2 cups
Distilled white vinegar - 2 Tbsp
Vanilla extract - 2 tsp

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees C/gas Mark 4.
2. Sieve all the dry ingredients (except sugar) together.
3. Mix all the wet ingredients together in a bowl.
4. Now add sugar into the wet mix and stir.
5. Next mix the wet with the dry all at once, and beat until smooth.
6. Pour batter into a greased cake tin. Bake for 25 to 30 min. till a toothpick inserted comes out clean. (My cake took over an hour to make - I don't know what happened it could be that due to the avocado the liquid was too much - but I usually do the toothpick test and it works for me - my gas oven always gives me different timings than one listed in recipes). So if you are trying this one out - don't panic just hang around for the toothpick test.
7. Don't tell anyone there's avocado in it, I still haven't!

see how perfect it is!!

It tastes best after its well cooled (preferably the next day) - so be patient for the first bite. In cool weather you don't need to refrigerate it, but I did after day 2 'cos it has avocado. So keeping the cake in the fridge could do you only good.

Welcome to Dubai

Life in Dubai is like living in a hot air gas balloon. It has all the levity, uncertainty, buoyancy mixed with a good dose of optimism and complete faith in your guide. Inshallah!

Now for those who don't know Dubai is one of the 7 emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates. Its a country of contradictions, you have the in your face retail culture of Dubai and just down at the emirate of Abu Dhabi (also the national capital) there is an elegant calm. Further north there's Fujairah sharing its coast with the Gulf of Oman, here you can see more of the old world charm.

A little departure from food today, and for the rest of you and those coming over from BATW here's a little about the tiny emirate of Dubai I call home (away from home), in conversation with I, me, myself.

Q. Its so hot here in the summers I am getting a headache, what should I do?

A. It could be migraine, go to a doctor, there are a few here who do more than nose jobs, liposuction, collagen injections, and laser therapy.

Q. I am bored what are my options?

A. Plenty - there are approximately 24 malls and counting in Dubai.

Q. There's no park near my place, where can I play with my kids?
A. There's always the parking.

Q. I feel like the king of the world!

A. As in The World?

Q. So are you the same Khadi wearing idealistic Indian?

A. I am afraid I have switched to lycra, ditched the Bata chappals and straightened my hair.

Q. Eeeeew!

A. I still go to Fabindia to buy my soaps. Does that count?

Q. So what do you do to stay out of trouble?

A. Dress decently generally and while at the beach, and don't snog in public unless you want to become (in)famous like the sex on the beach couple.

Q. I heard obesity is a big problem in the UAE?

A. Heck no! its hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease that's the no. one killer here.

Q. I miss my friends!

A. Don't look for Orkut, its a no no!

Q. What about Flickr?

A. That too.

Q. I am so bored and I miss my friends!

A. Say hello to your Pakistani, Lebanese, Srilankan, Eqyptian, African, Bangladeshi, Russian, Phillippino neighbours, my friend.

Q. What? no British?

A. Not where I live, check Jumeirah or the Meadows... or the beach.

Q. Why do I feel there are too many of us?

A. Because there are! the expat local ratio is 80:20.

Q. Why do I not see any camels?

A. They are all racing at Nad Al Sheba. But habibi if you want to really see wild camels head to the desert.

Q. You know I have this image about Arabia...

A. Its not Arabia, there are countries here like Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Throw out that Lawrence of Arabia VHS from your closet.

Q. I heard Arab men are really romantic.

A. I wouldn't know I am married to an Indian.

Q. I am really bored now... is there any wild life here?

A. There are some seedy nightclubs in the 'grey' underbelly of Dubai that specialise in the sort of bellydancing you seem to be hinting at.

Q. No seriously I mean wildlife - as in lions, tigers!

A. Ah ok... there's the Dubai Zoo, the aquarium at the Dubai Mall, the Atlantis Palm has 'rescued' a whale shark - the poor guy's posing for photographs for his food over there. Why do you ask? you interested in buying some? that can be arranged too.

Q. Stop kidding... and please continue...

A. Ok then let me give you the larger picture... there's the natural desert wildlife in UAE and some populations of arabian oryx, leopard out in the desert. UAE's coastal mangroves are the most extensive in the region. Though falconry is a part of the culture here, a lot is being done to ensure enough numbers of its prey the houbara bustard survives in the wild. In Dubai and the Northern Emirates - there's the Gulf Coast and the mangroves. You can do a bit of birdwatching here at Ras Al Khor and then for more desert ecology head out to the dunes and the mountains of Hajar.

Q. I've heard of the shopping there, is it fun?

A. Are you kidding it is a serious part of culture!

Q. I am bored.

A. Then get out! It was fun having your around though. And come again, Dubai does that to people - I know!