Babies Don't Keep

Came across this beautiful poem at church. It brought a tear to the eye, as its so true!

Babies Don't Keep
by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren’t his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

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Mangalorean Fish Fry with Mackerel (Meeth Mirsang Masli)

This is a super simple recipe, and all it really takes is the marination time. Ideally, the longer you leave the fish to marinate, the better it will taste. To make a different version, coat the fish with extra coarse semolina before frying.

Recipe:

2 fillets cleaned and gutted mackerel, leave the skin on, it will fall off after frying.
2 tsp chilli powder (try half mild, half hot)
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp salt
A couple pinches turmeric
A couple tbsp vinegar
Water
Oil for shallow frying

Method:

1. Make the marinade. Mix together the chilli powder, cumin, salt, turmeric, and vinegar to make a thick paste. Taste, and add more seasoning if you wish. Add just enough water to make it into a rubbable [is that even a word? :-)]consistency. Make a few slits in the body of the fish and rub the marinade well into them. Keep the fish in the fridge for at least half hour, overnight is preferable.

2. When ready to fry, heat the oil in the pan to sizzling, put the fish in the pan, and turn down the heat. Fry till the fish is cooked, depending on the size of the fish, the time will vary. Gently turn over the fish and fry the other side. Drain on kitchen paper.

3. Serve with plain rice and saar (a dal, recipe coming soon) for an authentic Mangalorean experience.

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Cauliflower Jeeren Meerin (Cauliflower with Cumin and Black Pepper)

Easy recipe, just stir fry then steam. I love this for turning cauliflower into a taste sensation with very few ingredients. It goes well with just plain rice and pickle for an easy evening meal or as an accompaniment to a meat dish.

Recipe:
1 cauliflower head, broken into florets and steamed till just tender, don't overcook.
2 tbsp of ghee (really adds to the flavour, but substitute with vegetable oil if you're watching those calories)
1 small onion, sliced
1 small tomato, sliced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground pepper, plus extra for seasoning
1/2 tsp or to taste, salt

Method:

1. In a shallow pan, heat the ghee gently, and fry the sliced onion for about 3 minutes.
2. Add the tomato, fry for another 3 minutes.
3. Add the cumin and black pepper, stir and fry for 2 minutes or so.
4. Toss the steamed cauliflower florets into the pan, stir till well coated with the masala.
5. Season to taste. Add a couple twists of freshly ground pepper. Serve!

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Sweet Pulav Rice and Plum (Date) Chutney

This Mangalorean classic pulav and chutney is a gorgeous counterpoint to any spicy curries. The sweetness of the rice with the raisins and nuts, and the sharp, sweet, tangy, spiciness of the chutney went down really well in the Masterchef kitchen last year.

Try this with a chicken or pork curry.

Recipe:

For the rice –

450 ml basmati rice
600 ml boiling water
About 2 – 3 tbsp ghee (any kind)

1 large or 2 small onions very thinly sliced
Big handful raisins
Big handful nuts (skinned almonds, unsalted cashew nuts)

1 tbsp whole spices (whole green cardamom, 4 – 5 whole cloves, 2 small pieces cinnamon stick)

Sugar
Salt

For the chutney –

1 inch piece of ginger
1 green chilly (add an extra one, if you want your chutney spicy)
A generous pinch of salt
10 - 12 dates, stoned
3 - 4 leaves of fresh mint
Tamarind, soaked and pulped or use 2 tbsp tamarind paste
A small piece of jaggery, also called palm sugar (add 2 tbsp demerara sugar if you can't find jaggery)

Method

1. Soak rice for 5 minutes, then drain thoroughly, and dry out
2. Put the ghee in a pot, heat a little and add the rice to the pot. Fry, stirring, until opaque and very lightly coloured.
3. Pour the boiling water into the rice, along with a couple generous pinches of salt and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Cover with a tight fitting lid, or foil and lid. Turn the heat low and allow to cook for around 15 minutes till done.
4. In a separate pan, add a little more ghee and caramelize the onion. Keep aside.
5. In the same pan, add some more ghee and pop in the raisins and nuts. Fry till lightly coloured, take off the heat and keep aside.
6. In the same pan, add the whole spice, sauté for about 2 minutes and keep aside.
7. When the rice is done, open the lid and stir the nuts, raisins and whole spices through it. Keep heat low.
8. Cover, steam for another minute, turn heat off, and then pour the caramelized onions over the rice to serve. Serve with the chutney.
9. To make chutney, just blitz all the ingredients in a blender till smooth-ish. Taste and add either more tamarind for a sourer taste, or a touch more jaggery/ sugar to make it sweeter.

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Bafat Powder or Spice Mix (Bafad Masala)

 

The closest any Mangalorean will come to a curry powder of sorts. And one of the most versatile of spice mixes, you can use it for anything, from pork and chicken to chickpeas and even vegetable curries. I usually make up a nice big batch every so often, and though I don't get enough sunshine (in the Wirral, yeah right!) to dry out the spices, I use my trusty old oven which works as well. The recipe here, however, is the cheat's way, and to my mind, works equally as well. If you can save time and effort, there’s nothing like it in my book :-)

There is no set recipe for bafat, and every household in Mangalore will claim that theirs is the best or buy the powder from Boston’s or Venus’ (Mangy’s will know what I mean). This is my version, and I find it keeps very well. Do play around with the ingredients and find the spice level/ hotness/ colour that you like the best, and then increase the quantities exponentially to make larger batches. The bafat keeps well in an airtight jar for a long time, though fresher the better, as usual. 

Recipe:
(Printable Recipe)

10 - 15 long mild dried red chillies
1 tablespoon cinnamon stick or cassia bark
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1 teaspoon  cloves
1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
2 tablespoon whole coriander seeds

1 star anise

Method: 

Toss all the ingredients one by one in a hot pan, stirring constantly. Remove to a bowl, and let cool.

Grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder or an unused coffee grinder. Store in an airtight tin in a dark, cool place.

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Mangalorean Fish Curry and Rice (Masli Kadi and Sheeth)

Ask any Mangalorean what a classic Mangalorean dish would look like, and one of the answers would be a fish curry and rice! A very simple dish, but with so many memories. From going to the fish market on Dad'd old Bajaj scooter, to picking out the freshest fish, and bargaining the price down. Then Dad stopping off at a friend's to find out if he got the lowest price for the fish... then mom cleaning and gutting them. Rice is a staple in South Indian cooking, so we always had a pot on at any given time of the day. Then, we'd smell the lovely spices being fried and then ground with fresh coconut making the base for the curry sauce. My sister and I would usually be co-opted at this point to chop the onions and chillies, while mom simmered the curry and then we would smell the sharp tang of curry leaves and mustard seeds as they'd be spluttered for the seasoning.

The best bit about this curry is that it tastes even better the next day. Not that there would be any leftovers, mind :-) You can make it with any kind of fish, boned or boneless. The classic is with sardines or mackerel, cleaned and gutted, and cut into two big pieces (the picture is curry made with fresh sardines). Have to remember, though, that sardines have loads of bones, so may not be suitable for young kids. Its also rather good with a nice piece of white fish, which absorbs the flavour of the curry and also with salmon which is just strong enough to hold its own. Carol, my sister, and I always had to fight about who would get the fish tail pieces... and my mom used to love the fish heads (including the eyes, ick!!) The spice level in this curry here has been scaled down quite a bit, but its still rather spicy. Tone down the pepper and chillies and leave out the green chilly if you like your curries milder. Add a splash of white wine vinegar at the end, if you like, for a lovely taste sensation, though this is not strictly necessary.

Recipe: 

500 g fish fillets (I like to use sardines or mackerel, see write up above for substitutions)


For the curry paste:

2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp whole peppercorns
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
4 long red mild dried chillies
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 roughly chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp tamarind paste
About 50g coconut cream (use the hard packed version, if possible) otherwise, 75 ml liquid coconut cream
150 ml water

For the curry:

1/2 onion diced
1/2 inch piece of ginger, chopped finely
2 flakes of garlic, chopped finely
1 green chilly, slit lengthwise
Salt to taste (or 1 and 1/2 tsp)

To season:

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 sprigs curry leaves (about 10 leaves in total)

Rice:

450 ml rice
600 ml boiling water

Method:

1. Make the rice. Put the rice into a pot, and pour over the boiling water. Cover the pot with aluminium foil and a very tight fitting lid. Leave to simmer on a low flame for about 20 - 25 minutes.

2. For the curry paste, toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns, fenugreek seeds and red chillies for about 45 seconds on a hot pan. Place into a blender with the turmeric, onion, garlic, tamarind and coconut cream and water and blend to a fine paste.

3. In a pan, pop in the onion, minced ginger and garlic and the chilly. Pour the ground curry paste into the pan, stir and add more water if required to get a smooth curry. Ideally, you want it just a little runnier than single cream. Season. Let the curry simmer for about 25 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, by adding more salt and/or tamarind paste. Add a splash of vinegar instead of tamarind for a change here.

4. Place the fish into the curry and poach until just cooked.

5. Temper the curry now. In a small pan, heat the oil, and pop in the mustard seeds. When they start spluttering, put in the curry leaves, stir for about 30 seconds and pour the whole lot into the curry and stir gently.

6. Serve with the rice and a vegetable side dish, if preferred.

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Honey Tasting at Ness Gardens

Kay was organising a bee day at Ness Gardens, so off we went on Saturday. Ness Gardens, as you may well know, are stunning most of the time, in any weather, with beautiful views across the River Dee. We were lucky, the weather was gorgeous, despite warnings of flash flooding!

Mum, Aditi and myself decided to join the waggle dance, which was really interesting, and extremely entertaining as you will see in the pics below. We then wandered off for a walk across the gardens, stopping by the rock garden, and taking in some willow sculptures, and wondered how climate change would affect our lives [see here http://www.liv.ac.uk/news/press_releases/2006/01/climate_change.htm]. We then joined the 'Save Our Bees' campaign [http://www.saveourbees.org.uk]... who knew that bees were declining in the UK?

The waggle dance

The highlight of the day, for me, was the honey tasting event. After tasting all kinds of honey, I settled on the Spanish Orange Blossom and the Australian Eucalyptus as my favourites. I tried Manuka honey, but found it a bit too strong for me. Perhaps its an acquired (expensive !) taste. But not for me thank you. We ended the day with a nice honey ginger chai :-)

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