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Monica Bhide

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    eG Foodblog: Monica Bhide - Thoughts without a thinker

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted

    Okay, I am going to admit something here, but it is only to support my plea in asking for help. So... good will come of this... right?

    (deep breath)

    I hate okra.  There, I said it.  I can't stand the sight of it. When I hear the word okra, I think Slimy.  I couldn't even imagine or remember the taste (which was at least 40 yrs ago), all i think is yuk, slimy, no thank you.

    OK, everyone, calm down, and don't yell at me or think I am stupid.  I eat, and LOVE, just about every other food out there... you name it.  But for some reason, okra is not ok.  I guess it is because I never had good okra.  Maybe if I had it with Indian spices, which I LUV, I might eat it. 

    So here's your chance Mon, help me. change me.  Turn my life around.  What on earth do you do to okra to make it taste good? 

    Your pics of dinner the other night (okra 2 ways, sheesh!) actually looked good. (Honestly tho, when I first read them, well, I stopped, and said Oh God, no, not okra! no, no, not TWO ways! -- so I skimmed/blah blahed until we got off the okra.  But I have grabbed myself by the shoulder and gone back and re-read that page today, so I am trying to improve, really I am).  I think the sliced/chickpea flour/fried version looks more palatable for me, but I am willing to try either, or another recipe even.  can you steer me, and could you pm me with more exact ingredient amounts?  If I am going to make it, I want to be sure it's done right and good.

    Can you make me a non-hater of okra?

    This is serious business -- arent you local? Will you let me cook okra for you? I can promise a transformation.. you will either love okra at the end of it or hate me for life. :laugh:

    eG Foodblog: Monica Bhide - Thoughts without a thinker

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted

    Monica, you are very naughty pulling me away from work.

    :raz:

    I am here, just not posting a lot. Because, believe me, I'd like nothing better to talk food all day, esp. since I'm trying to finish writing a diet book (boo, hiss).

    Hey, I have a question -- on the first day of your blog, you posted a photo of colorful tidbits that looked like rice puffs, and then you deep-fried them. Pray tell, what are they? I've never seen them in the stores around here.

    di

    They are like wafers or papads.. let me go take a pic of the bag. thanks for being here :wub:

    eG Foodblog: Monica Bhide - Thoughts without a thinker

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted

    Of course we want to cook along with you!!! Please post the steps. I won't be able to do it tonight, (I work evenings) but I bet a lot of others will!!!

    Thanks so much !

    I dont need much more than one post to get me started. .. ten pages attest to that. :raz:

    Here we go --

    Make a marinade of -- melted chunky peanut butter, orange juice, a touch of lemon juice, cumin powder, ginger garlic paste, spice powder mix (i use the same as I did for the malay chicken -- use any mild curry powder from the grocery store) and soya sauce. Mix well and add to the chicken.. Let it sit till we grill/broil this evening

    I poured all the stuff onto the chicken and mixed it in the bowl. I prefer chicken thighs to chicken breasts.. a fact that has been well documented on egullet -- monica and chicken thighs.. the saga continues

    gallery_6825_1143_589843.jpg

    gallery_6825_1143_304970.jpg

    Mix well

    gallery_6825_1143_385684.jpg

    eG Foodblog: Monica Bhide - Thoughts without a thinker

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted

    Cakewalk -- Does this help

    1. Heat oil in a pan and add finely ground shallots and ginger -- ginger is the sort of thing that I usually double, like garlic  :hmmm: -- but can you give me an idea of how much I should be doubling?  :raz: -- I used about two teaspoons

    Add a cinnamon stick and 2 star anise.. and smell paradise -- do you grind them first, or put them in whole? Whole

    2 Can I please ask for an idea of amounts used for a given quantity of the paste? go easy on the spices 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon for the most

    . Add the chicken and continue to cook for 10 -12 minutes or until the chicken is 3/4 cooked. --Do you usually use particular parts of the chicken? Legs, breasts, etc. Does it make a difference? I use thighs. I am not fond of chicken breasts. Cooking times change for different cuts.

    Okay?

    eG Foodblog: Monica Bhide - Thoughts without a thinker

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted

    Hi Monica,

    Thanks for giving us an insight into your life. Your article "The Color of your dreams' is very inspiring. I think you are very right when you say 'Creating your personal vision is not just a creative exercise, but an exercise in commitment to yourself'

    BTW i live in DC area as well

    Regarding getting okra, i get good okra almost anytime of the year at Superfresh, Han ah reum and local indian market. Ours is a family are okra hogs and everyone particularly like the stuffed bhindi which i make a lot of. (I always ask for new batch of okra as i always get 2-3 pounds. I think they all remember me as the okra lady)

    Also thanks a lot for pointing us to MDH kasuri methi. Will buy and try. The methi was amazingly green for a dried methi.  Normally i make alu, palak and dried methi. The palak provides the bulk and the dried methi flavor turns the palak into methi. Left over is great for stuffed paranthas.

    Hey - welcome and thanks for taking the time to post. I miss Indian okra.. it has a different taste. I wonder why that is.

    If you go to Han ah reum.. we may be neighbours :smile:

    eG Foodblog: Monica Bhide - Thoughts without a thinker

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted

    Well - I am sipping my tea and looking for interesting pictures to post. I know there are many dog lovers on the board. ... so here is my contribution -- I was in Georgetown last week looking for a new story idea.. and I swear he was posing for me :laugh:

    gallery_6825_1143_818035.jpg

    My tea is Ethiopian today. A friend from there brought it over -- nice and spicy with lots of cloves, cinnamon... heartwarming

    I am recharing my camera batteries so the pictures I am sharing are from tea in India a year or so ago

    gallery_6825_1143_390636.jpg -- Street tea

    Also here is one of my favorite st johns picture -- a great way to wake up --

    gallery_6825_1143_109917.jpg

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