Last week was the week for edible ‘leaves’ to take center stage in the third grade classroom. One cannot know leaves without knowing photosynthesis. The trouble is photosynthesis is not in their course curriculum. Simply touching upon the subject and moving ahead seemed unfair to them. It would be like Rambo movie without the fight sequences! So I took a chance to try pushing the young minds a little more than the rules laid by the School Board.
I prepared a simple PowerPoint presentation. At chlorophyll stage, we did an experiment of rubbing the leaves on a paper towel to see the pigment. Many kids ended up drawing a picture of leaves and colored it with the green pigment of the real leave. At the plant making food for itself in form of glucose stage, they got a taste of commercially manufactured glucose. The powder form, the taste and the fact that you can blow it towards your classmates simply to tease caught their interest. We had a little glucose fight which got stuck on our clothes and became sticky.
In short I can say that PowerPoint presentation helped in making the kids understand the basic concept of how plants make their own food, why do plants have green leaves and how do plants help humans in the process.
As for the edible leaves, they themselves answered that all the leafy vegetables, salad greens, and herbs that we consume are considered edible leaves. Bay leave is one exception which is a spice.
I am glad I told them about photosynthesis even though they will be reading about it in detail next year, but it wouldn’t catch them by surprise. They may not remember all the facts but I am sure between now and then their curiosities will teach them way more than what books can ever teach.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Cucumber with Soya Nuggets
It has been a pleasant surprise when I got so many requests for the cucumber and soya nuggets recipe. This particular recipe has been transfered to me by my mother so once again it goes to prove that mothers are usually right even though they might sound not so right at the moment. I guess that is what is called 'experience'. She has always maintained that this is one healthy food, easy to cook and is a wonderful comfort food. I never questioned her on this fact. As I mentioned in my earlier newsletter, I loved it as a kid, but as my taste buds matured and developed the liking towards cruchy and stir fried dishes, this dish started to feel over cooked, mashed up and watery dish which will not fare well during dinner parties but still be perfect for a hot summer day with white rice or cold winter night as a hot stew. And of course, anytime in between whenever I or my family needs comforting.
Soya Nuggets are protein filled chunks which are also considered by many as meat substitute for vegetarians. Its difficult to explain them. You got to eat them to believe their existence. They don't have a taste of their own but are very good at soaking up the flavors in the dish.
Consequently, the dish that has soya nuggets, requires more than usual water or oil. These nuggets usually do not do well in dry dishes. Its always better and healthier to soak them in water before use. In India, it is also known as Nutrela, and since my childhood I have used Nutrela as synonym to Soya Nuggets as I am sure many others do too. Its easily available in any Indian grocery stores.
My mother made this dish with Bottle Gourd (lauki) but also at times substituted it with cucumber since both the vegetables belong to the same family and cooks similarly. Over the years, I have tweaked this recipe to suit my present needs and taste. I am happy to share this recipe with you. Try it out. Its fun. Oh yes, also do experiment with the left over soya nuggets in pastas, fried rice or pulao, or any other way you think of. These nuggets are the most versatile nuggets of all. Enjoy.
English Cucumber with Soya Nuggets
Soya Nuggets are protein filled chunks which are also considered by many as meat substitute for vegetarians. Its difficult to explain them. You got to eat them to believe their existence. They don't have a taste of their own but are very good at soaking up the flavors in the dish.
Consequently, the dish that has soya nuggets, requires more than usual water or oil. These nuggets usually do not do well in dry dishes. Its always better and healthier to soak them in water before use. In India, it is also known as Nutrela, and since my childhood I have used Nutrela as synonym to Soya Nuggets as I am sure many others do too. Its easily available in any Indian grocery stores.My mother made this dish with Bottle Gourd (lauki) but also at times substituted it with cucumber since both the vegetables belong to the same family and cooks similarly. Over the years, I have tweaked this recipe to suit my present needs and taste. I am happy to share this recipe with you. Try it out. Its fun. Oh yes, also do experiment with the left over soya nuggets in pastas, fried rice or pulao, or any other way you think of. These nuggets are the most versatile nuggets of all. Enjoy.
English Cucumber with Soya Nuggets
** If using regular cucumber, scrape off the seeds of the cucumber, if any.
Serves 2 to 3; Preparation time 15 min; Cooking time 25 min
· 2cups Peeled and chopped Cucumber in 1” pieces
· 1cup Peeled and chopped Potatoes
· 1½cup Soya Nuggets
· 1 Tomato, coarsely chopped
· Bunch of chopped cilantro
· 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
· ½ tsp Panch Phoron (Mix of 5 seeds, fennel, cumin, fenugreek, mustard, nigella or kalonji)
· 3-4 Green Chilies, slit slightly
· 1” Fresh Ginger, finely chopped
· ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
· ½ tsp Cumin Powder
· 1tsp Salt or to taste
· 1cup Water (approx.)
· ¼ tsp Sugar
· 1tsp Ghee or clarified butterclarified butter
Soak the soya nuggets in hot water for 5-6 minutes till they swell up a little and become soft. Drain the left over water just before adding it to the dish.
In a pressure cooker, heat the oil on medium high temperature and add panch phoron and green chilies. Let it crackle and then add the chopped potatoes and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
Add the chopped cucumbers and ginger to the potatoes and sauté for another 3-4 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, soaked and drained soya nuggets and all the spices except the sugar. To this add half of chopped cilantro and half a cup of water and place the lid of the pressure cooker on top with a gasket and the whistle. The fit should be tightly secured. Raise the temperature of the stove to high and wait till the first whistle. This might take 5 to 10 minutes depending on which pressure cooker you are using and what kind of stove you may have. Once after the first whistle, wait for 2 more minutes and switch off the heat from under the pressure cooker. Wait for the steam to let out on its own without disturbing the pressure cooker, which might take 8-10 minutes.
Open the lid carefully, add the sugar and may be a little water depending on what consistency you like (¼ cup to ½ cup or maybe not at all). Bring it to a boil on high heat while lightly mashing to incorporate all the flavor and spices together. At the end, add the ghee and rest of the chopped cilantro. Switch off the stove and stir.
Serve it with white rice. It can also be enjoyed as a stew.
Monday, November 1, 2010
October Activities
October has almost passed me by. I thought it just began. So many things happened in such a short time which makes me wonder, was it only my imagination or did all that really happen? There were cucumber experiments, sugarcane introduction, herb gardening and plum cake planning besides the usual life activities. And before I knew it, it’s already the last week of the month pushing me fast towards Thanksgiving Dinner menu planning!
Remember, last month’s Cool Cucumber? Well, looks like there are recipes from various cultures which cook the cucumber over heat! And here I was making false assumptions. Lesson learnt. Some of my readers were kind to share those recipes with me and I ended up experimenting them all, 6 in total, each cooked at least 3 times to get it to taste as it’s supposed to or close enough. Since most of them were handed down from the previous generation, the measurements and time specification were not emphasized enough. So, in short, if I say, my family had cucumber in all its various forms this month at least 1 time daily, I wouldn’t be exaggerating. At the end I can proudly say I know how to cook cucumber although my family has refused to even look at one!
There is a Jamaican style which is essentially stir fry with beef where the cucumbers are added at the end. The South Indian style is called Kotu which has lentils as its base with lots of spices, most definitely eaten with rice. The original method of cooking the North Indian style requires another vegetable in Gourd family called tinda which many a times gets substituted with cucumber. This one is best eaten with rotis. Another reader suggested baking a cake with cucumber. It was on the lines of Zucchini cake. For few days this became the main content for my kids’ school lunch box. They always returned the lunch box empty so I assume they loved it. The savory pancakes with cucumber was an experiment tried by a friend of mine long time back which she promptly passed it onto me. With few variations it became a good accompaniment to shrimp stir fry or even simple cilantro chutney. Lastly, there is my mother’s way of cooking it with nutri-nuggets (soya nuggets). As a child I used to love it which my kids now do, but as an adult I am not so sure anymore.
Out of all these recipes, some were good and some were not so good. I realized one thing though, for all of them one has to develop a taste to enjoy mashed up cucumber. As I mentioned in my last newsletter, cucumbers are watery in their character. A little heat can mush them pretty good. Their crunch is lost in the process of cooking. Unless one has the taste for these regional cooking, it’s not recommended to serve cooked cucumbers for your next dinner get together. But I sincerely thank my readers who have shared their recipes with me. If someone wants any of these recipes, feel free to ask for it. I will be most happy to share them with you; of course they will be my version of the original.
This month I have been teaching third graders all about edible plants. One of those days, I showed them the sugarcane, which was a unique experience. The details of each of these sessions have been duly noted down on my website www.FlavorsOfLandour.com . Have fun reading them. The kids always ended up eating my exhibits, surprisingly even things like ginger and scallions! For them even a sprouted potato held the magical trance. The kids are eager to learn beyond their school curriculum. All they need is a little push and right guidance for their creative juices to flow and eager minds to learn new things. Every little bit goes a long way with them.
On the weekends I started my herb garden this month. Since Florida summer is very harsh for something so tender, the Fall season seems to be the best time to grow herbs. My small patch is blooming with cilantro, mint and basil. So go ahead and let your thumbs become green with herbs!!
The October is gone and very soon November would be gone too. Before we know it Christmas would be here looking for Plum Cakes to be enjoyed with a hot cup of coffee. Plum Cakes take over a month to mature, so its actual preparation begins in late October. I am a big fan of those and take a greater pride in baking them. If you are like me, who loves to serve Plum Cakes on a wintery evening for a snack, email me to order your piece. I’ll have them ready by the 15th December for those who place their orders by 15th November. (8inch by 4inch loaf, $20)
So, here we are ready to say goodbye to October in our fancy costumes attempting to scare our neighbors and children. Stay safe and be generous with candies. Happy Halloween.
Remember, last month’s Cool Cucumber? Well, looks like there are recipes from various cultures which cook the cucumber over heat! And here I was making false assumptions. Lesson learnt. Some of my readers were kind to share those recipes with me and I ended up experimenting them all, 6 in total, each cooked at least 3 times to get it to taste as it’s supposed to or close enough. Since most of them were handed down from the previous generation, the measurements and time specification were not emphasized enough. So, in short, if I say, my family had cucumber in all its various forms this month at least 1 time daily, I wouldn’t be exaggerating. At the end I can proudly say I know how to cook cucumber although my family has refused to even look at one!
There is a Jamaican style which is essentially stir fry with beef where the cucumbers are added at the end. The South Indian style is called Kotu which has lentils as its base with lots of spices, most definitely eaten with rice. The original method of cooking the North Indian style requires another vegetable in Gourd family called tinda which many a times gets substituted with cucumber. This one is best eaten with rotis. Another reader suggested baking a cake with cucumber. It was on the lines of Zucchini cake. For few days this became the main content for my kids’ school lunch box. They always returned the lunch box empty so I assume they loved it. The savory pancakes with cucumber was an experiment tried by a friend of mine long time back which she promptly passed it onto me. With few variations it became a good accompaniment to shrimp stir fry or even simple cilantro chutney. Lastly, there is my mother’s way of cooking it with nutri-nuggets (soya nuggets). As a child I used to love it which my kids now do, but as an adult I am not so sure anymore.
Out of all these recipes, some were good and some were not so good. I realized one thing though, for all of them one has to develop a taste to enjoy mashed up cucumber. As I mentioned in my last newsletter, cucumbers are watery in their character. A little heat can mush them pretty good. Their crunch is lost in the process of cooking. Unless one has the taste for these regional cooking, it’s not recommended to serve cooked cucumbers for your next dinner get together. But I sincerely thank my readers who have shared their recipes with me. If someone wants any of these recipes, feel free to ask for it. I will be most happy to share them with you; of course they will be my version of the original.
This month I have been teaching third graders all about edible plants. One of those days, I showed them the sugarcane, which was a unique experience. The details of each of these sessions have been duly noted down on my website www.FlavorsOfLandour.com . Have fun reading them. The kids always ended up eating my exhibits, surprisingly even things like ginger and scallions! For them even a sprouted potato held the magical trance. The kids are eager to learn beyond their school curriculum. All they need is a little push and right guidance for their creative juices to flow and eager minds to learn new things. Every little bit goes a long way with them.
On the weekends I started my herb garden this month. Since Florida summer is very harsh for something so tender, the Fall season seems to be the best time to grow herbs. My small patch is blooming with cilantro, mint and basil. So go ahead and let your thumbs become green with herbs!!
The October is gone and very soon November would be gone too. Before we know it Christmas would be here looking for Plum Cakes to be enjoyed with a hot cup of coffee. Plum Cakes take over a month to mature, so its actual preparation begins in late October. I am a big fan of those and take a greater pride in baking them. If you are like me, who loves to serve Plum Cakes on a wintery evening for a snack, email me to order your piece. I’ll have them ready by the 15th December for those who place their orders by 15th November. (8inch by 4inch loaf, $20)
So, here we are ready to say goodbye to October in our fancy costumes attempting to scare our neighbors and children. Stay safe and be generous with candies. Happy Halloween.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)