About My Husband

Prologue by my husband Sandeep 'mashoor'

"Basically I love food, not just to eat but love to do everything about food

To think, to read, to view, to listen, to smell, to cook, to serve, to imagine, to explore, to ‘dream’, to understand its historical aspects and different foods of different ethnic groups, to know science of cooking, to search hotels, restaurants offering good food; in short all about food

I was very thin long back. Although I belonged to well to do family in Thane, Mumbai (खाते पिते घर का) but I had not developed my ‘taste’. Later on my passion to learn Urdu took me to Qasim Shaikh who became my close friend. Qasim introduced me not only to Urdu literature but to many Muslim delicacies such as Biryani, Dabba Gosht, Reshami Kabab, Afalatoon and so on. He taught me to enjoy food in perfect combination of food items of complimentry taste. His company made me realize immensejoy even in small things such as eating curd and sugar at Brijwasi, Thane. He truely developed a ‘kahavaiyya’ in me.

Gradullay I travelled from just exploring in kitchen to have complete possession of kitchen. Women get this knowledge passed on by their mother and could easily know many referal tasks in the process. I did not learn from my mother but ofcourse observed her cooking. Observation, trial and error were the methods through which I became a cook. I relied on ‘Annapurna’ by Mangala Barve and eventually cookery shows, columns, blogs on internet, clips on Youtube, short cookery courses done after settling in Pune all contributed in this creative journey.

I enjoy cooking by all senses. My joy doubles if people like my preparation. This joy made me understand that I can ‘express’ through this. One of the forces behind this blog is ‘Preeti’ (wife is formal relationship but a closest friend of mine). Sometimes I used to publish snaps of my recipes on my facebook profile and used to get good response. But once Preeti published it under the title ‘My Husband’s Recipes’ and she got action packed response. Therefore she insisted on starting a blog by same name.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Small tips which makes cooking convenient

  • Usually we get the potatoes cooked (बटाटे उकडणे) in pressure cooker. It may result in overcooked, tasteless potatoes. It can be cooked well in oven in a few minutes. Wash potatoes and prick it by fork at 4-5 spots. Take cleaned bag of milk (दुधाची पिशवी) and wet it. Keep 2-3 potatoes in bag, spray water, fold the bag and keep it in oven. Set the oven at microwave mode for 2 to 2.5 minutes. While cooking in oven, standing time is very important. Here also keep the potatoes inside for 3-4 minutes after oven stops. Well cooked potatoes are ready. We can cook beetroot by same way. But please use the bag only once.
  • Winter is in full swing currently. Many people prefer drinking warm water. That can be done very easily in oven. Take water in a glass and keep that in oven for 30 seconds at microwave mode. Water becomes warm to drink comfortably. But be sure that the glass should be plane, it should not have painting, golden border etc.

· Peeling garlic is sometimes difficult especially if it is wet. Keep the garlic in oven on microwave mode for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Garlic can be easily peeled off.

मुखशुद्धी

Today's recipe is not really recipe. We can get now many readymade eatables etc in market. I think every Marathi home has Masala Supari (मसाला सुपारी). After meals we prefer to eat supari as मुखशुद्धी. Many brands of masala supari are available in market. But what if supari doesn't have perfect जायका? Few suparis taste astringent, few taste very sweet, few even hot and most of the suparis are भरड even if they claim to be सुपारी विरहित सुपारी.

To resolve this, I buy suparis of major brands (5-6) with fennel (बडीशेप - घरी भाजल्यास उत्तम) and liquorice powder (ज्येष्ठमध). I sieve liquorice powder. Then add it in all suparis, mix it well and grind it in mixer for two or three times. While grinding I add 7 to 8 cardamom and 2 to 3 cloves. I sieve the entire content again twice or thrice and get fine powder, वस्त्रगाळ चविष्ट सुपारी तयार. Such fine supari doesn't end up in hiccup (अशी सुपारी ‘लागत’ नाही) and enhances flavor of meals.

P.S. My experience is combination of branded products gives better taste, that is true in case of spices also.

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1 comment:

  1. UnknownJanuary 16, 2011 at 8:15 AM

    firstly congratulation sandeep... chotya chotya tips kharach khup innovative aahet.. thanx for sharing them with us... my fav is abt garlic i kw such a irritating job 2 peeling thm :)

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