In this post, I talk about typical South Indian meals, the flavors and preparations, and how I have come back to these simpler flavors - the reason why I started this series.
I reflected a lot about what to title this post/series; Calling it another Indian recipe did not seem sufficient, since my intent with this post was to break away from the stereotype of Indian cuisine often seen, well, outside India, viz. curries and spices. In the end, I decided to call it neither 'everyday' nor 'real' or 'regular' because, well, it is none of those in my present context. I decided to go with 'Progressive' because whether you are an Indian living abroad or a non-Indian falling in love with the cuisine, cooking the simpler dishes is actually more a labor of love and courage than the standard issue curries.
Today's recipe is a throwback to the nostalgic memories of uncountable varieties of leafy greens that we consumed on a daily basis in various simple preparations. Recently, I found a bunch of red veined and red leafed greens at the neighborhood Indian store. Understandably, I got super excited. I remembered this type; it was one of my favorites. It was called Mulaikeerai, Amaranth Greens. So, I made a Poriyal of it with boiled chana dal.
Read MoreItalian cuisine is one of America's favorite ones and, indeed, Italians constitute 6% of the US population. But, the forever question has been is "Is the Italian food eaten in the US really Italian?"
Does the infamous spaghetti-meatballs dish really have no Italian origins?
The truthful answer to that is that is "It's complicated"...
Read MoreIf there is one thing I have learnt living in Italy for nearly a year and being in close contact with the original Italian food culture is that they are very protective of it and very very attached to the past and the old, traditional way of doing things. Which means, limited to zero tolerance to changing their beloved dishes.
The question in my mind is where is the line between innovation and tradition? When is it unnecessary to tinker with something that isn't broken and when is the need or desire?
Meanwhile, I present to you an ultimately blasphemous dish to you... Mushroom Carbonara. Which, is one, vegetarian and two has rosemary in it! Shhh! Yet, the mushrooms offer a earthy groundedness similar to what the guanciale would. If you are an orthodox Italian, I beseech you to try it before you turn your nose up at it. :)
Read MoreDuring that hike when I was in Castelnuovo dei Monti, I picked up some pepperoncino pecorino. Yes, that would be the influence for the quintessential American pepperjack cheese! Paired with Italian staples - cured pork (truffle sausage here), bread (Sardinian Pane Carasau, the flat bread typical of the region) it was a match made in heaven! Lunch then was a simple affair of quick cooked sauce tomatoes with a little hint of chilli, sliced sausage and then topped with steamed broccoli and shavings of pecorino with a side of the pane!
Read MoreBursting with the colors and flavors of the season, I have been making this farro version so many times lately. So, I felt it was only appropriate to share the bounty with you! Meanwhile, artichokes are back in season and this time, the little baby ones are totally calling me. And, unlike the globes, they are much easier to prep and have a soft, delicate taste. It works as a great balance to the rich, deepness of the farro itself!
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