April 08, 2009

Rumali Roti, Bell Pepper Korma, Kalonji Naan, Kalamata Olives, Artichoke hearts,Walnuts Spread/dip

Happy Easter!
We had almost 80F almost Summer like temperature last weekend, hot, humid and very windy after going thru' a long cold Winter and chilly early Spring weather. We had BBQ on the deck in the evening for dinner on Sunday, had to hold down the Lettuce and napkins on the plate from flying off of the deck though! :D
Although temp went down drastically on Tuesday, still very sunny here. To add to the joy, Tar Heels (UNC Chapel Hill athletes, Trisha's college) won their 5th NCAA championship!! YAY!! Feels great, our little white and Blue Tar Heels flag is still flying in our front yard as you can see and you can listen to the UNC fight songs here. Curious to know why North Carolinians are called "Tar Heels? Read here and here. Go Tar Heels, you made us very proud! :)

Spring Tulips:
Most beautiful of all the Spring flowers are Tulips in my opinion. Who can forget Tulip fields in Amsterdam, Holland every Spring and Fall once you visit when they are in full bloom? We visited there once about 12 yrs ago, still remember the beauty, Heaven on Earth.

Spring Tulip showcase at Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC:
In Asheville, a beautiful city nestled in the Blue Ridge mountains of NC, there is a palace like largest home in America and also a luxury hotel called Biltmore Estate, built by George W. Vanderbilt, which showcases colorful flowers in "Festival of Spring" from April 4th to May 17th, 2009. They say;
"The gardens will be bursting with color and fragrance—thousands of tulips, flowering shrubs and trees, and spring bulbs dazzle your senses. Enjoy music in the gardens and in Biltmore House along with bright floral displays, springtime dining specials, and unique shopping opportunities."
Colorful Spring Tulips from my neck of the woods:

Spring Tulips
One of the weekend projects, prepped up our veggie patch:
For a starter, we topped up 3 huge bags of soil to the veggie patch, fertilized and then planted Husky red Cherry Tomato, Bush Goliath Tomato, Mint and Cayenne Pepper plants in the ground. My 4th Herb pot is ready to go with Pineapple Sage, Sweet Basil, Lemon Thyme. Right now, Herb pots are still in the garage just to be safe until temp goes up and stays up there at 70F. One single morning frost will destroy them all if they are kept outside now, may be we will get them on the deck next month. Last month, lawn was yellow and brittle and after many rainy days and fertilizing, look at that green color of that lawn now! :)

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Let's get cooking!
Rumali Roti, Bell Pepper Korma and Bharwa Baingan:
I made some Rumali rotis this week. "Rumaal" which literally means "Handkerchief" in Hindi, these rotis are made to look like Rumal because of their very thin and wide square or round shape. These are rolled out very thin and as wide as you can and baked quickly on a hot inverted Wok/Kadai to serve with gravy dishes or Kababs. I made Bell pepper Korma and stuffed masala Eggplants to go with Rumali rotis. Enjoy the recipes!

Recipe for Bharwa Baingan masala/stuffed Eggplants I have already posted last year is here.
Usually I don't get small round Eggplants here, so the recipe I posted before is made with chopped Eggplants with the same ingredients. This time, I bought some round Brinjals from the Indian store last week. I slit these round Eggplants halfway still attached to the stem and stuffed with the same ground masala and pressure cooked them on low heat to cook them just until soft but not mushy. This is my favorite masala Baingan to have with rice rottis or Rotis.

My favorite "Royal Doulton" stainless steel and non-stick Wok I used to make Rumali rotis, didin't dare to invert it! :D
Although I have a beautiful huge Wok, I didn't dare to invert it to expose the non-stick interior to direct heat which will destroy the non-stick coating. So, I heated the Wok as usual and cooked the wide thin rotis inside the Wok instead. They came out fine, not as good as you see in these videos but not bad at all. You can see how to make traditional Rumali roti here and here and here.

To make Rumali rotis:
1. Mix 1 1/2 cups of Wheat flour, 1/2 cup of plain flour, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbsp oil, add enough water and knead well to get a firm plaible dough. Cover and rest the dough for 30mins.
2. Divide into equal portions, roll out the dough as thin as and as wide as possible to fit into the Wok you are using.
3. Take a Wok/Kadai, invert on the medium to high heat, let it get hot or heat the wide Tava or Wok until hot. Iron Woks without handles on a gas burner do very well to invert and bake these.
4. Add the thin rotis, let it cook and bubble, quickly flip and cook the other side, fold the sides into a square like handkerchief and serve immediately if you can with veg and non-veg gravies or wrapped around the Kababs.

Bell Pepper Korma:

A south Indian "Kurma" usually has ground coconut, poppy seeds etc., slightly different ground spice masala than a North Indian "Korma" or Mughlai style "Qorma". Korma has aromatic spices mainly spices like Fennel, nut paste, little cream added with vegetables or various meats. Since I had bought green, red and orange Bell Peppers, I made a Korma masala and served with Rumali rotis.

To make Korma:
1. Chop 3 large red, Orange and Green bell Peppers/Capsicums in to large pieces. Idea is not to cook them too many but just until soft and still holding their shapes.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil, add 2 onions chopped and fry it until they are slightly golden. Then add 2" chopped Ginger and 2 large chopped garlic to onion mix and stir fry for a minute. Add these to a blender and let it cool for 2 mins.
3. In the same pan, add 1 tsp Fennel seeds, 1 tbsp Coriander seeds, 2 tsp Cumin seeds, few seeds of Cardamoms, 14-16 whole Almonds, saute slightly for 1 minute or so, add to the blender. Add 2 tbsp Yogurt and blend all these to a smooth paste. Add enough water if you need it to grind but not too much.
4. Now, heat 2 tbsp oil+butter mix in a non-stick deep pan, add the Bell pepper pieces, little salt and fry just until they get soften a bit, take them out on a plate.
5. Add ground onion masala to the same pan, fry until it smells good making sure you don't scorch the masala. Once the masala leaves the sides of the pan, add 1/4 cup Tomato sauce, 1 tsp sugar, fry again for 2 mins. Add salt, chilli pd, sauteed peppers and 1/2 cup water to the pan, simmer.
6. Lastly, mix 3 tbsp warm heavy cream and 1/4 tsp Saffron strands, add to the Korma gravy along with 1 tsp of good quality Garam Masala, simmer gently on low heat.
Garnish with Cilantro and serve with Raita and Naan or Rumali rotis.

Kalonji/Nigella seeds Naan:

Kalonjis are Nigella seeds (also known as black onion seeds although not related) in English. It has a pungent taste when eaten and is widely used in Bengali "Panch Phoran" (click on the link, Bong mom Sandeepa has a wonderful post on PP with recipes) as one of the five seeds. Kalonjis are usually added on top of Naans before baking in Tandoor. I had plans to cut and toast one of these Naans to serve with Olive spread I made below but they didn't last long enough since we had chicken masala for dinner to go with these! :D

To bake eggless Naan bread with black onion seeds:
This recipe for Naan is adapted from a cookbook by Tahera Rawji. I didn't add the Egg which was mentioned in the recipe but replaced the sesame seeds with Kalonji and followed everything else just as it is in the book. Milk pd gives it a nice texture and makes it rich, don't think it needed an egg but will add next time I make these just to see whether eggy Naan tastes any different.

1. Mix 1 pack of dry Yeast (2 1/4tsp), 1 tsp Sugar, and 1/2 cup warm water, set aside for fermenting for 5 mins.
2. Add 2 1/2 cups of flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp Kalonji/Nigella seeds, 5 tbsp dry milk powder to a mixer, mix for a second and add 1/4 cup vegetable to it, 5 tbsp yogurt and yeast mix to it, beat well for 3 mins until you get a firm and pliable dough. (You can add 1 egg to this dough too but it's optional, I didn't add it.)
3. Brush some oil on top of the dough,cover and let it rise in warm place for an hour or so or until double.
4. Divide this into 6-8 equal portions, knead well. Take a ball, roll out or press out with your hand to about 5" circle, pull one end to make a tear shape. Brush the top with melted butter, sprinkle some Kalonjis and press them down gently. Repeat with other balls, place them on a foil 2 at a time, cover with a kitchen towel and let them rise again for about 10mins.
5. Heat your oven to the maximum up to 500F or more with the Pizza stone or cookie sheet in, slide the naans with the foil on hot cookie sheet or Pizza stone. Bake for 7-8 mins or until they are golden on top. Do not over bake.
6. Serve as soon as possible to get the best out of these Naans.

Kalamata Olives, Artichoke Hearts and Walnut Spread/Dip:

I love Olives, will snack on them them just like candies if you give me a bowlful. Of all the Olives, Kalamata Olives are my favorite kind. Since they are relatively expensive to buy, I add some Artichoke Hearts, Walnuts etc to make a spread and enjoy it with Bagel chips, crisp Veg Crackers, any homemade toasted bread or even with sliced and toasted Naan.

To make the Spread:
1. First take about 10-15 Kalamata Olives (bottled is okay too, don't add salt and Vinegar too much since Olives are already soaked in it), slice them roughly and take the seeds out, put these in a bowl.
2. Open a can of Artichoke Hearts, drain well and chop them roughly, discard the rough and stringy parts of Artichoke. Add to the bowl with Olives.
3. Now add 2 tbsp crushed Walnuts, 1/4 tsp Garlic powder or 2 chopped Garlic, 3 tbsp or more Mayonnaise, 2 tsp Sour cream, salt (careful not to add too much if Olives are out of a bottle), plenty of freshly crushed peppercorns, 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese and 1/4 tsp Italian herb seasoning or 1 tbsp fresh Chives. Mix well.
4. Adjust the seasoning, chill in the fridge for 30 mins. Serve chilled or at room temperature with Toasted hard crusted bread, crackers or toasted Naan.

Logos and links of all the events, thanks to all of you for hosting ladies! :
)

Bell Pepper Korma, goes to EC's "WYF-Side Dishes" event.
Kalonji Naan bread, goes to Dee's "Think Spice..think-Kalonji". This event is started by Sunita.
Olive-Artichoke Hearts-Walnuts Spread, goes to Priya's "AFAM-Olives", an event started by Maheswari.
Green and Red Bell Peppers Korma, also goes to Neha's "FIC-Red and Green", this event is started by Harini.
Stuffed Masala Baingan with Cashews, goes to Poornima who is guest hosting "Let's Go Nuts-Cashews", an event started by Aquadaze.

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My tried and tasted dishes from other blogs in the last 2 weeks, thanks to all of you for posting these delicious dishes ladies! :)

Porial, from Nags. (Didn't have Eggplants, used Beets instead)
Vankaya Bagara, from Vijaya.
Capsicum and Tomato Pappu, from Priya.
Beet Root-Corn Upma, from Ashwini.

Movies I watched and liked last week:

"Seven Pounds":
I didn't hear much about this movie before when it's released but picked up to watch last week. I loved it. Film is about a well educated guy who gets into a car accident which kills seven people including his fiancée. He gets depressed and decides to donate his seven organs/body parts (seven pounds flesh) to seven people who deserve them so they can live. He tests 7 people to make sure they deserve his eyes, Liver, Kidneys, Bone marrow etc. When he finds 7 people, he kills himself so others can have his body parts. It is a very emotional movie to watch, takes some courage to do something like that in real life and I think this is Will Smith's best movie so far, loved his "The pursuit of happyness" movie as well.

"Marley and Me":
This movie is based on a book of the same name. A young couple adopt a yellow Labrador puppy and he writes a column in his newspaper about it as their 12 yrs of marriage and their dog Marley go through various stages of joys and sorrows of their lives until the end of Marley's life. My both kids cried watching this movie when Marley dies of old age. Dog lovers shouldn't miss this movie!

Book I am currently reading:

"The Girl From Foreign" by Sadia Shepard.
This book is somewhat similar to "Burnt Bread and Chutney" by Carmit Delman I have reviewed before in my older post. It's a biographical story of an American girl Sadia Shepard whose mom is a Pakistani Muslim amd dad is an Christian American from Colorado. Sadia's grandmother who lives her family one day tells her that she was born in Bombay to a Bene Israli Jewish family and her real name was "Rachel Jacobs".
When her grandmother had married to a Pakistani Muslim later, she had converted to Islam and moved to live in Pakistan and had her children there as well. Sadia becomes curious about her grandmother's Jewish roots, gets a schalorship to go to India and do a reserch film on Bene Isrreli community and to learn about her own roots in the process. When she goes to meet people in India on the first day, they refer to her as "that girl from foreign with a muslim name!" :D
Intesting book, keeps you glued to the book and also we can see her confusion because of her multi cultural and multi religious upbringing when visiting Bombay for the first time to film about Bene Israel Jewish community, meet her surviving family and her grandmother's childhood home. It's heartening to see the old photos of her family in Bombay in this book and read about India and Indians thru' Sadia's eyes.

Enjoy the better weather and have a fun week and the weekend too. Spring break is on for all the kids here from Saturday, I will be taking little easy on blogging next week since kids want to go out more if they are at home! :)

138 comments:

Suparna said...

Hi Asha,
Congratulations to the kids :)
Wooooooooooooooe lovely tulips!lovely colours. Ur gardening seems very interesting and u look like an experienced hand, seem to know what best to plant when! My god! wonder how u get so much of energy to do so much :)BTW I loved Seven pounds it's too deep a movie, just got my hands on Marley n me..had heard a lot from Varsha's blog, so there's one more vote for that movie from ur side gonna watch soon.
Rumali roti has turned out very well Asha! n should I say anything about ur kormas :) they are too too good.
Kalonji naan seems well done and nice pictures there. I think this perfection comes with experience and expertise....I'll have to wait for that :)Gosh! U r something more than a genius...The tried and tasted dishes look awsome Asha. Great going! continue to inspire and encourage :) God Bless
BTW paatre superagide :)
Happy weekend.
TC

lubnakarim06 said...

Oh wow awesome........Here is a small rumali stop near my house and Iam always afraid to go there as he keeps his gas lit sstove infront of the shop and make rumali rotis on it inverting kadai....This scene makes me horrified.....Three cheers to your energy. Cooking and movies......

Sumy Sunil said...

It's wednesday...and you are back with another display of food .....Rumali roti's + bell pepper kurma makes me feel hungry already..still 3 more hours for dinner time...the tulip pictures are great...Keep cooking and rocking akka

EC said...

As usual you rock with your dishes..thanks for the dish..enjoy with your kids during their break and do keep coming back with delicious dishes.

indosungod said...

Always loved Rumali Rotis but never attempted making them at home. Yours looks perfect. DDs team lost the soccer match last weekend and they blamed it on the wind :) Love the bell pepper korma.

Priya Suresh said...

Rumali roti looks fabulous, its still in my to do list...Droolworthy pepper bell kurma, Naan makes me hungry...thats a delicious olive, artichoke n walnut dip...thanks for sending to AFAM..am happy to see that u tried out the tomato n capsicum pappu..

Vishali said...

wow Asha....delicious Rumali Roti and Kalonji Naans with delicious Bell Pepper Kurma.

Congratulations for Trisha's college winning the Championship!

And, you sure had a nice weekend :)!

Have a nice day Asha...

Gita Jaishankar said...

Everything look so delicious from the Rumali roti to the bell pepper kurma. The dip is a good one Asha, I have bookmarked your recipe to try it later this week, thanks dear :) The weather is getting warmer for us too! I am also planning to start gardening, may be with just a few herbs and vegetables.

jayasree said...

Tulip pic is lovely.
Wonderful spread as usual. Rumali rotis have come out well. Liked the addition of milk powder to naan dough. Kurma looks very colorful.

jayasree said...

Akka, we were commenting on each other's at the same time.

Soma said...

I have never made roomali roti, simply becoz i think i cannot do it. but i should really try it atleast once.. its one of my favorite..

Talk about panch foron to me:-) i use kalonji in my naan too.. i have seen the turkish flatbreads have kalonjis quite often.

I just love love love that dip! all my favorite things went in there.the tulips are soo pretty. I have heard that they have a tulip festival in detroit too in spring. never went there tho.

suvi said...

that sure was a long wait for me Asha..but so totally worth it! You made roomali roti and nan at home - that is awesome and they look perfect.

Love that bharwan baingan too...looks yum!
Plan to make the dip soon, am alwyas on the hunt for newer dip recipes!

Anonymous said...

Delighted to see your Rumali Roti Asha...I was in search of the same and have already seen some of them..would love to make some..
and the bell pepper korma looks colorful.
Kalonji will be great with naan..for sure..will try that one next time we make naan
that tulips are too cute and lovely for eyes..I love them Asha..
so,the season gets crazy or what ?

A journey called Life said...

I must tell you, its so worth the wait (every wednesday).. what a veritable treat this is.. once again there is no denying the absolutely fantastic way this whole spread has been presented.. way to go!!

PS: the tulips look awesome!!

AnuSriram said...

Wow.. Lovely tulips! Gr8 spread asusual :) Naan looks delicious and dip sounds interesting... Fabulous romali rotis and sabji.. I tried them once but, they did not come out perfect as i expected... Please pass me the plate :) Totally, a delicious and wonderful spread. Your kids are really lucky! They never need to go for a restaurant as they get lots of variety of delicious and healthy food at home prepared with love! Whats the secret of your energy? Hats off to u!

kalpana said...

Bell pepper kurma looks delectable! artichoke hearts,walnuts dip looks yummyyyy...if i had anything like that with toasted pita or cracker near me,i dont need main course.Would fill my stomach with dip n carckers alone :)

I am gonna do some serious gardening this time (ofcourse with tips from your blog) .
It's still cold out here.. :(

VIDYA VENKY said...

lovely romali rotis..i love them will surely try them asha....i want ur help in making those layer parathas....iam not able to make them...tell me how can i mail u.....

Raks said...

Just now I have started experimenting making naan,rotis at home,this kaloji naan is new to me and looks good:)

Bhawna said...

Good Morning Ashaji, Wednesday means we will get a recipes Khazana today. Yesterday when Anup (American Idol) came on stage even he talked abt the game. Congratulations....
I like the word korma itself.Bell pepper korma sounds good to me. Naan comes out really good. Nice pictures. Ur gardening really inspires me a lot.
Thank U.

Seena said...

Mmmm, so much informations! thanks Asha, always you do much work, that I can't imagine.. :)
doing well Asha, hope you have a very good weather now..

sharada said...

hi,
just an hour ago i left a comment on ur previous post & now i see this.i can only say WOW!! what a delectable spread..
And i loved ur veggie patch...wish i was there to see those fresh colourful tulips..
i want to nick name u as super-woman..he...he

FH said...

Thanks girls. Enjoy week's worth of dishes! ;D

Vidya, go to my profile and mail me. I will check it when I can. I also have step by step photos with parathas, you might want check those too. Recipe index has roti section, click on few, you will see the pics! :)

Sharada, I post every Wednesday, you just caught my last week's post early morning today!Double whammy for you ;D

Pavani said...

Yummy dishes as usual Asha especially Rumali Roti. My regular rotis are slowly getting better (I mean softer) now, but it would still be sometime before I get into the world of exotic rotis :-) No day off for good friday for us, so same old work. Have a great rest of the week.

Deepthi Shankar said...

Hey

loved the kalonji naan, just love the taste of kalonji,

I watched Marley & me too & really really loved it, my doggy died of old age too, so I could totally relate to it

Mojo said...

But did you see the way the Hurricanes pounded the Islanders last night? It was so one-sided I was surprised nobody called 911!

I really need to try out some of these rotis you make. They sound exceptional!

FH said...

J, I didn't watch Hurricanes game. I saw them hitting each other once in Raleigh game, people were cheering and egging them on to hit more!!
May be this one is on U tube, will try and find it to watch the tamasha! :D

gtyuk said...

Hi Asha,

see that you're enjoying the warmth of the spring to plant some aromatic plants and tomatoes , have done a good work in your vegetable corner; those tulips are so lovely, I've got yellow ones in my front yard and they're enough to brighten up even a cloudy day, isn't it? so wonderful is the nature :)
let mecome to your kitchen, heard so many times about the rumali roti (seen recipes) but today, i sat down to read your explanation about this and understood that it should be as thin as a handkerchief...... good, and tempting, but I see that you've got a vitro ceramic too, but does it get heated upside down with this stove? thought that was not possible unless I had a gas stove ????

and the bell pepper kurma (sounds rich with the fresh cream, almonds and saffron flavors, yummmmmm)and the stuffed eggplants look delicious too along with the rotis; that must be a great combination :) a nice feast for gourmets like me :)

the olives and the artichoke spread is intersting with lot of combination (soft artichokes and olives with nutty crushed walnuts) had to get the idea, wow! will try to do it for my guests next time!
will be great on some toasted sweet breads too .

I loved both the movies of Will Smith, "The pursuit of happiness" and "Seven Pounds" ; The 1st one was so touching, never cry easily for a movie, that one made me cry out , especially at the moment he locks himself in the public toilets in the railway station and cries out loud ...... what a situation for a nice papa!!

the 2 nd one, my beloved and myself, didn't understand in the beginning , what kind of work he was doing etc... a nice movie, but i'd prefer will smith with his funny ways and joyful character than such a sad role , but he plays it well too :)

blablabla, let me mark a full stop now :)

happy holidays (creech creech, i'm pinching you lol) we (children actually) 're in holidays too from saturday....

and congratulations to Trisha's college for the NCAA championship!!!

FH said...

Akal, Tulips are my fave flowers, so beautiful!

I didn't invert the Wok but heated it as usual on stove top and cooked the roti inside that wok, works well but not as well as they do it on the huge inverted wok in the restaurant. As long as rotis are thin and wide, they come out okay! Hope you try!:)

Unknown said...

rumali rotis ..a family fav..never tried at home..i love to watch the way its made in restaurants..nan looks good too..will try naan soon..

Jamie said...

Will definitely try the Bell Pepper Korma...it looks great! Enjoy your Springy weather!

Cham said...

To invert such a pretty non-stick wok for only rumali roti i won't do it neither!
I never attempted those roti in my home! I can see ur lawn is green and well maintained! The patch is ready and I am waiting the bloom from ur garden! Like ur olive dip with crakers!

Smita said...

Hi Asha,
Very nice recipes and I am excited to see the prepped veggie patch because this year I am trying my hand at growing tomatoes and basil and I am very excited:) Btw with some of the links on your blog, when I try to right click to open in new window or tab, it is not letting me do it and shows a warning to contact you for copying. Not sure if that is intentional. I open like multiple tabs of your recipes so this feature is imp to me:) Please reverse it if you can:)

Sandhya said...

I do want to try Rumali rotis but not sure if I can roll it as thing as required!
Tulips are my favorite flowers and they come in every imaginable color!! Yours look really fresh and pretty. Little S is maintaining a small flower patch in her school and she planted tulips last October, we are anxiously waiting for them to sprout up here! Its still cold :-(

Arathi Sridhar said...

wow..rumali rotis with yummy curries! mouth watering recipes...great work asha! you sure have a lot of patience and passion for cooking..

btw the tulips are just lovely!

Unknown said...

Romali Roti is all my all time fav...and a dream to make it at home. Urs has turned out very well!

Smita said...

Oh is that true?? That is really sad ....In that case I fully support you disabling it:) I can find ways to open in new browser by copying link once I click and it is not a problem. I hope this stops people from stealing your picture. Good luck!

FH said...

Smitha, all the links do work with left click. I have disabled the right click to prevent some website owners from stealing many of my photos and recipes and making money out of it. You can still print the recipes directly though! :)

Archana said...

Great dip and kalonji naan sounds amazing...never tried making naan at home, or roomali roti either - it gets home delivered, just a phone call away, so lazy me has never even thought of making these at home...
Did try the dabeli parathas, left a comment on your aroma blog...thanks and have a great week...

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha,
tried the egg jalfrezi and it was delicious.Thank you.
The rumali roti and the kalonji naan look delicious.

Shalini

Rachel said...

I envy you for that garden patch and more for the herb one.

Bong Mom said...

Wow you did have a great weather. It was nice on Sunday here but temps have gone down since

Lovely spread. I love rumali rotis, can't make them though

Unknown said...

wow tulips looks so beautiful, enjoy the summer. Making Rumali roits at home sounds fun, I should try them once..

Ashwini said...

wow..luv rumali roti.. I luv the way u post about everything, movies books etc..

Madhuram said...

Fabulous rumali rotis and naans. Once I tried naan but it was very sour, so have not tried it since then.

I was also curious about the Seven Pounds movie. Thank you for the brief, it really sounds like a very heavy movie. I cry for the slightest thing, so I think I'll wet at least a couple of handkerchiefs.

I'm not much of a reader, but I would like to read more. Once I start a book I don't want to put it down until I'm done. So how do you choose novels?

Anoop did a good job yesterday. I didn't know that there was a issue with Cara's comment last week. Adam was very good too. He picks up unusual songs but pulls it off. He is an all rounder. Lil/Scott/Kris are sounding the same week after week. I think Adam is going to be the AI.

Vikis Kitchen said...

Your posts are like magazines to me. Love Wednesday morning just to read ur reviews and to see a whole hearted meal spread (thalli meal). Started reading when u had 26 reviews and posted my comment when it reached 45:) I am totally absorbed by ur post.
Rumali roti making technique seems so nice.
Kormas naan , and dip everything seems perfect dear. Best wishes for the newly growing plants. U make a wonderful job by gardening dear. Nice snaps. Saw MArley and Me on the release day.... But felt a heaviness on the climax scene.
Seven pounds .. worthy. The girl from foreign ... review is lovely. I am sure one day many have to face such situations:)
Happy Easter and a great spring break dear.

Mahimaa's kitchen said...

wow.. lip smacking dishes. bell pepper korma is new to me. and i love the addition of kalonji in nans.

FH said...

Madhu, homemade Naans are more like a good bread than real Naans, try again.
Seven pounds and Marley and Me will make you cry! I don't cry at all but get choked up if it involves kids.
Books; I read lot of reviews in Amazon. If I like some stories, I buy the books to read. I don't get much time to read, takes weeks to finish one! :D
Yeah, Adam is really good, I like Alison too but she is so young, she makes weird faces at the camera!
When Kara criticized him last week, he said "excuse me!" under his breath and he was clenching his jaw in anger, that's it! They made a big deal! :P

Varsha Vipins said...

Me too cried bitterly seeing Marley n Me..:(
Those Roti's look good..I have an Iron wok..But it has a flat bottom to fit the gastop here..:(..
The pepper dish sounds rich n yum.so many good things went inside na..cool Akka..:)
I loved the spread as well..:)

Nandini Vishwanath said...

AA, you make me drool everytime! Those Rumali Rotis - how did you make them!!!

I'm coming to Raleigh!

Sakshi said...

Wow I love to linger my eyes on ur entire spread every wednesday..I love Olives too can munch on them any time :) Bell Pepper Korma sounds so inviting will have to try them out soon.
Your Tulips are so pretty..am getting all ready to have my first little garden. Have planted some seeds and am praying at least one pot will show up some life!!

Manju said...

even we had such a lovely weekend!! I also started my lil garden on my apartments deck..have some kale and cayenne peppers, on the herb side i have parsley cilantro and rosemary..thats all for now, let me see how green my thumbs are :)

loved the kalonji naan the best!! im defenitely gonna try that! :)

Laavanya said...

Hey Asha, i love the soft, thin romali rotis too... Was rolling them out hard?
The bell pepper korma is a treat to one's eyes & of course tummy too. You have so many naan posts so which version is your favorite? The dip looks yum.
Have a good weekend.

Pooja said...

Congrats to your kids asha...wish to have a garden like you..Nice pics..Rumali roti is looking yumm asha..used to have it in hyderabad..it melts in mouth...will try your recipe..Love your bell pepper kurma too..perfect naan..Nice dip..

Nandinis food said...

Rumali roti looks appetizing! Whenever we go to a restaurant, we always order the rumali roti first. Bell pepper korma is tempting and colorful! Naan's a good snap! That artichoke hearts, walnuts and olives spread is awesome!

I love to read books rather than watching films.

Having aromatic and medicinal herbs must be wonderful!

Trupti said...

COngratulation to the Team.

Everything looks very delicious & perfect.

Deepa Hari said...

Beautiful tulips....as usual wonderful spread Asha....Loved all of them...Bell pepper korma sounds new to me...i never thought i can make rumali rotis....esp. after watching Vah chef's videos....now feel like trying them.
Where do u get this energy to do everything?....u really inspire us Asha...Good job.

Vani said...

Wow, 80's temps last week! I'm waiting for that here. It's in the late 40s right now. LOVED the roomali rotis. Never attempted to make them but always fascinatedly watched them being made! :)

sunita said...

I love rumali rotis too, but have never made them...what a delicious loooking plate of food :-)

FH said...

Laavanya, dough is like any other roti, just need a bigger space to roll and a bigger Kadhai or Wok. My fave is the one I made few month's ago "Dhaba style" with sour dough, really great atse but none match the restaurant style though! :D

Homecooked said...

Wow....first off I should say that those are some beautiful tulips! ANd I loved the naan and the korma. Everything you make looks so delicious! By the way I have mailed you about something.

Uma said...

What a wonderful spread as always! Rumali roti is a nightmare for me! All the dishes look fabulous.

Congrats to Trisha and her college on winning the championship.

Meera said...

Naan, Korma, rumali roti ---I am drooling here. Looks great!! I love tulips too.

bee said...

ash, kalonji (nigella) look like onion seeds, but they are not actually onion seeds.

Shionge said...

Happy Easter Asha :D

Manasi said...

I so LOVE roomali rotis, haven't had them since I left India!
The platter looks awesome, as usual!

Priya Sriram said...

Hi Asha, congrats again! :)
I love tulips too... fell in love when I visited the Tulip Festival in Seattle. This year I missed it 'coz we moved to Canada. :( They just take my heart away... good 'ol memories... :D
Bell pepper kurma sounds wonderfully awesome, wanna try it! :)
All other dishes sound great too! Awesome job! :)

Unknown said...

Its worse here(ATL) especially during weekends :(.rumali roti,bell pepper korma and naan looks fabulous :)ur posts are just awesome Asha..mrng i peeked in,was in a hurry... didnt want to post just the comment without readg the entire post ;)

lissie said...

loved those nans... tulips look really beautiful!
i am a true dog lover :)

Raaga said...

The things you do Ashakka... rumali at home... and that's a mean naan too. I shall try the dip with some substitutes... doubt I get artichoke hearts here... if I do, they'll cost me half a month's salary for sure :)

Unknown said...

enjoy reading your post, tulips looks so beautiful perfect rumali roti and bell pepper korma mmmmmm mouthwatering and naan looks so delicious

Purnima said...

Asha..those Naans r to die for..what lovely color n texture! I hv to try Rum.Rotis ever since Meera posted them..but cdnt ...now this post is another nudge..:D Wow for pepper korma..the excerpts of the books u read or movies that u post, somehow stays in my mind! Chicken masala?? when is recipe coming thru?:D Congr. to NCAA..
hv a great weekend! Happy Easter to u as well!!!

delhibelle said...

Lovely tulips! you do have a bright green thumb. Rumali rotis & naan..sigh!

Meenal Mehta said...

loved the recipes Asha ...they r all awesome..especially the rumali roti and the bharwa baigan..i love 'em both ...will get to making them as soon as I can handle it :)

Happy Easter to you and your family!!

Jaya M said...

Asha,
lovely spread of good food and tulip picture is just so refreshing to see..
hugs and smiles

Chitra said...

Rumali roti is in my mind for a long time,will sure try urs.Thanks for all the yummy recipes:)

Neha said...

Lovely post, from books to gardening, tulips, movies , food, everthing...
I wished i could be ur neighbour, sometimes i could have had treats like rumali roti, n all the stuffs.
And could have learned a lot from you...

Sharmila said...

Love the way you post Asha .. I sit back for a good read everytime there is a new post. :-)
Love the snaps, the recipes and the write ups. Am going to try your naan ... and maybe the rumali roti too .. you make it sound easy .. never thouhgt I'll even think of making it. :-)

Jaishree Iyer said...

Rumali roti looks fabulous.. I do want to try Rumali rotis but not sure. Urs has turned out very well! Naan and sabji makes me hungry... Totally, a delicious and wonderful spread. Loved ur veggie patch with well maintained Green Lawn. Looks lovely for eyes..I love them Asha.. I like gardening. In Mumbai in my small balcony I planted few herbs..Now Planning for few veggies too.

Sona - quick picks/pick quicks said...

Ashaa dear..

u are right on top of the blog world!!! the ruling Queen ..i shoud say...received your comment just minutes after it was posted..made my day..

thanks Asha

warm regards,
Sona

FH said...

You are welcome Sona, glad to see your post after a long time. Tells me that you are doing well there. Hugs to you! :))

Unknown said...

Thanks for ur comments Asha! I havent thought abt protecting the whole recipe, u gave me a idea so will try to get it and post it for sure!

Chutneytales said...

Congrats to Trisha!
Lovely recipes..I like the bell pepper korma so much..i can't wait to try them.Rumali roti and Naan looks perfect..The dip sounds interesting :)

Recipeswap said...

How i miss rumali rotis......its my fav followed by Kulchas and these restaurants here we never get rumali rotis...
Asha so my pride in putting up that flag right?yea I'm happy too.
Brinjal looks delish,I'm going to try that soon.
I love anything that Will Smith is in-from Fresh Prince of Bell air to I am Legend,am looking fwd to watching this movie....

Mamatha said...

Asha,

Do U take enough rest or do U always cook ?
I had rumali roti once in B'lore, liked it,
never used kalonji though,
everything looks delicious

Take care
Mamatha

FH said...

Haha!! Mamatha, great question!
I have NEVER EVER taken a nap in the afternoon in my whole life, I am doing something or the other. I don't even spend too much time in the kitchen.Once cooking is done, I am out of there until next day! :D

Premyscakes said...

Rumali rotis, i always wonder how to they do it, they look perfect man.
thanks for sharing.

Mandira said...

pretty tuplips.. u can make rumaali roti?? im now totally in awe of u!

Lavanya Raj said...

Thanks for Updating about the events asha akka! Happy Easter! Enjoy Long Weekend!

Shivapriya said...

Congrats to Trisha Asha, Yum yum spread. Love the rumali roti's. I tried long back but din't come out well. I will try sometime soon with your recipe.

Linda said...

Hey Asha -- go Tar Heels! The guys here went to a couple of the NCAA games for fun. Your tulips look simply divine after long winter... did you know there is a Holland, Michigan too -- settled by Dutch and loaded with tulips in spring, supposedly.. I haven't been there ;)

Love the pepper korma and eggplants... always my fav, those brinjal and learned to like peppers cooking them Indian style. I also LOVE your olive spread -- that is a must-try next time I have company. Must have company to make it or I would eat it all myself! ;)

Have a great weekend Asha dear :)

FH said...

Hi Linda, they won NCAA for the 5th time, so there was huge party in Chapel Hill. They got drunk, lit a Bonfire and got in trouble too! :D

Holland, Michigan sounds great, I can't believe you haven't gone there yet woman! :P

Dip, you can heat this too if you want warm dip, I should have written it there. Enjoy. see you next week! :)

Cilantro said...

True Asha...my daughter wants to go out every other day. This keeps me off from cooking,leave alone blogging. She too cried watching "Marley and Me". Would love to read "Burnt Bread and Chutney".
I tried making Nan...did`nt come out great. We had them though. Yours look good.
BTW Seattle weather is slowly improving. It is going to rain this weekend but it was great all this time during spring break.
BTW Asha, I think you got my name as Cilantro....my name is Sarada but I go with the blog name Cilantro in the comments section too.

Mandira said...

your lawn is looking wonderful Asha. I was getting ready for with my seeds when we got a snowfall. Everything is buried! I love roomali roti, never tried making it at home... wil try now.

Malar Gandhi said...

Congrats to kiddos:) I started gardenning too...tulips are like feast to my eyes. I love romali roti, soft ones...never dared to fix one tho'...as usual your presentation is too good, everything seems nice. Artichoke...never turned perfect to me...wish to try ur version soon.

Unknown said...

Loved the Naan with the kalonji. ANd pretty Tulips. Great post Ashaji!

Kalpana said...

Wonderful dishes..... Nice pics of tulips... :) Have a happy weekend!!!

Kolors of life said...

Hi Asha,
This time i am planning to try ur rumali roti. One doubt !! how to aviod the dough not to stick to the inverted kadai??

sra said...

Asha, there's a naan called Taftan that uses these nigella seeds - I'd made it years and years ago, it turned out v well. It looked v much like yours.

Sumy Sunil said...

Asha akka,
I need a help...how to disable the download option of the pictures...basically the right-click of the mouse....please email me at sumysunil@gmail.com...
Your help in this regard is much appreciated whole-heartedly...
Thanks,
sumysunil

FH said...

Thanks girls. We have 3 days off this weekend, so I will be off blogging shortly after few mins here. You all have a wonderful weekend now, hugs! :))

sra, Taftan sounds interesting, I am ready to try any new rotis, will look for the recipe. Thanks! :)

K, I used non-stick, so didin't have a problem. If you are using cast iron Kadai, try brushing some oil on it before you heat or I have seen people sprinkling salt water on the Kadai to prevent sticking. I haven't tried salt thing but try and see which one works. Also don't make the dough too sticky, should be firm like Poori dough. Good luck!

Sumy, talk to you soon! :)

mommyof2 said...

I wish there was a sample button on your blog:-)

btw we moved from NJ . we are in KS right now:-)

ChrisB said...

I'm envious of your lovely warm weather and those tulips are so colourful. Mine are just out in time for Easter.

Have a lovely time and a Happy Easter to you all.

vidhas said...

Awesome tulips.!! Asusual mouthwatering spread of dishes. Rumali roti is my favorite, i can't even think of making in home, your looks inviting, surely will try. Here, kids are in vaccation, keeping me busy all the time.

Saritha said...

Wow nice rumali rotis and nana.I made your rava coconut ladoos,they came out very well.Thanx dear.

Aparna Balasubramanian said...

Nice to see it's gardening time again. :) I really enjoy seeing"your garden grow".

I like the way your "thalis" always manage to make it to events. I have given up sending in to a lot of events because I don't seem to be able to keep track and find the time to cook for them, despite eating 3 meals a day! :D

Have a lovely weekend.

FH said...

Aparna, I totally understand how you feel. I too am finding very hard to keep up with so many events. Eventually, I will have to stop and send it to few events only if I have them in the draft! :)
We have 3 days off for Easter, so we are having great time. Just logged on to publish all the comments, I will be off until Monday.

Deepthi Shankar said...

Thanks Asha for showing interest abt South Indies, You can mail me any recipe of your choice, I will pick up a few good ones & experiment them @ my kitchen & post them .. look fwd to some great stuff frm yu

Hugs
Deesha

FH said...

Oh Deesha, that's sounds very good. I have one very tasty recipe for you from my ajji's home. I will post it in 2 weeks and then I will send you to try. Hope you try, I love it personally! :)

Srivalli said...

My god Asha...tulips looks so great!..and what can I say abt the spread..each one looks so yumm!

FH said...

Hi Sri, good to see you girl. We have 3 days off this weekend, so taking it easy and cooking special things and enjoying the family! :)
Thanks, there are flowers and birds everywhere now, beautiful here.

DEEPAK GOPY said...

Happy Easter and happy vishu in advance

FH said...

So nice to see you after so long Deepak, hope everything is going for you. You too, enjoy the Easter and Vishu as well! :))

Priya said...

They all look delicious:)) Its srping and not a single leaf yet here. Depressing weather...

FH said...

Hi Priya, weather is so terrible this year everywhere. Fortunately it's very warm here already. Hopefully May will bring some warmth! :)

notyet100 said...

lovely post love dthe flowers,..and liked the way u prepare roomali roti,..i guess i gonna give it a try,..and brinjal with cashew nuts look yum too,..new for me,..tk cre,..:-)

Ramya Vijaykumar said...

Awesome choice of posts... Lovely dishes I loved the dip... I love artichoke shall try ur recipe... mmm Marley n me was good I think I expected a lot, it did move me a lot though... Roti is calling my name ha ha... Did I mention those flowers were gorgeous... By the way thanks for dropping by...

Madhu Taneja, Ameeta Atul & Ashima Taneja said...

wow ... Rumali roti ... I need to try this asap :) .......... I also love kalonji naan ....... I always admire the amount of hard work you put in the blog and for cooking as well .... Wish I could be like that :D

Reeta Skeeter said...

I simply drooooooool over kalmata olives... simply simply simply :D

Red Chillies said...

How much ever I try, I am not consistent with the gardening. I start with a bang and end with a whimper. Love all the dishes, I am eyeing your Bell pepper korma and Naan closely. They look delicious.

Dalicia said...

hi asha..looks like you had a wonderful easter. i was paying attention to the NCAA. UNC won...is no surprise...considering michael jordan came from UNC.

i love beets...another way of making beets. happy spring and enjoy the flowers

Keshi said...

OMG those Tulips r just breath-taking Asha!

So ur in Spring..lucky u!

Keshi.

Yasmeen said...

we are on a spring break too,but its not quite warm as NC.
The Naan and roti sound perfect with korma.the tasty artichoke dip is my next try with artichokes.
Interesting book.have a joyful break:)

Pooja said...

Dear Asha,
havent visited foodies hope since a long time, and now i know how much i missed , this post is treat for eyes :D. SO many dishes..... well, I am visiting India for now , will be back by may end. Hope to resume blogging after that, I really missed being in touch with lovely blog friends there.
Hope things are fine with you and Congratulations to kids.
hugs, See ya.

FH said...

Hi Yasmeen, no break for me, kids drag me all over the town! ;D
See you tomorrow.

Hi Pooja, enjoy India, see you when you come back. We are just enjoying the Spring weather here, nothing much happening! :)

sathya said...

Hi asha,
love the tulips.
Roti looks very delish and the kurma too.love all your entries.

Uj said...

Wow... rumali roti. I would never muster up the courage if it was not for you.. Looks like I am going to try this soon :D I am truly impressed.. will let you know how they turn out and Bell pepper kurma looks yum :D Enjoy the small break

Namratha said...

Wow you made Rumali Rotis, yummmy! Lovely dishes Asha.

Jayashree said...

80 degrees sounds so much better than the temp here in Chennai now. I hate going out in summer.
Both Rumali roti and kalonji naan look really good.

Miri said...

I love the home cooked rumali roti - must have taken some patience and perseverence!!

I avoided seven pounds like the plague because I found the plot so depressing - maybe when I am in a very very good mood ;)

FH said...

Miri, I haven't even heard of Seven Pounds, I just took it to watch but loved it. It is sad and Will Smith is brilliant in that! :)

DRY GROUNDNUT CHUTNEY said...

Hi Asha,

Your Belpepper kurma looks cute and perfect, feel like grabbing it from there. Great work. Keep it up.

Chutneytales said...

I tried your bell pepper korma.It was so good.I love the gravy so much.Thanks a lot for sharing the recipe :)

FH said...

So glad you loved it Madhu, it's a wonderfully rich and exotic, great for a party as well.Thank you for the feedback, hugs! :)

Rachna said...

Asha, Ive never had the guts to try rumali roti....love the dip

FH said...

Rachna, it takes a little work to Rumali rotis, find space to roll out and to finf big enough Tava to cook etc! :)

amna said...

was searching for naan recipe on ur blog and came to this post! that's when i saw you had tried my poriyal :)

ok now for the question. I tried this last weekend. i didn't get the tear drop shape so perfect like you did but that's atleast fine. what upset me was the inside was slightly undercooked and chewy :( i tried it with varied thickness as well. could it be because of my oven? i laid them out on cookie trays and didnt use the foil.

it got very rubbery when it turned cold. does that happen too?

do let me know when you have the time to reply. hope you're enjoying your vacation!!

amna said...

Thanks a ton for leaving a note even during your vacation! I kinda had a feeling getting naan right the first time would be too much to ask for :D hehe..

will try again, maybe with bread flour and fresher yeast. i used AP flour this time and though the yeast was good, it was about 3 months old.

Thanks again!

FH said...

You are welcome Nagu, don't give up. Even for me it took quite a few times of baking naans to get it right. I am still looking for restaurant style naan recipe though!! :)