Connection to home

Ma, I found my Tulsi seeds!! I had kept them safely in wait for spring and couldn’t find them when spring arrived. One whiff of the fragrant pods transported me home. My plant from last year had died from poor drainage and the frost I think. I only have a few seeds so I am really apprehensive about how it will do. I don’t have the fancy growing lights and other stuff. I just filled a big pot with compost, topped off with potting soil and pressed the seeds on top. I really hope they take off. This week has been cool and though its summer, it isn’t nearly as hot as India. I will try to keep it warm and watered.

For those who don’t know, Tulsi (Holy Basil) is a plant prized for medicinal purposes in India. It’s like Basil, but has its own distinct smell and taste. This is a plant of importance in Hinduism and is grown in most houses in India for good luck. It is considered a connection to the gods. For most Indians living abroad, it’s a connection to home too. There are other revered plants (Trees like Pipal - Ficus Religiosa, wud/Banyan - Ficus Benghalensis) but Tulsi is the most common and easy to grow. It is great in teas and is a common remedy for cold and many other ailments. There are countless more purposes of this herb, I only know a few.

I have only 1 seed of Kari patta and I plan to take the chance and plant it now. It should be able to take hold now that the weather is warmer. If not, I will try to grow it from a sprig/branch, though I am my doubts about that for this plant. Back home in India, our Kari patta plant would drop seeds after flowering and new plants would grow right under it. I only recently heard that someone has grown it from a sprig, so that is heartening. My previous attempts to grow both Tulsi and Kari patta from store bought seedlings have failed. Fingers crossed this time.

My other seeds don’t seem to be doing well. I realized I haven’t been watering them as frequently as needed. The sunflower seeds are the only ones that have sprouted well and they are growing fast! The Chili (mirchi) seedlings have sprouted, but they stalled after last weeks cold spell. I have a few spinach shoots, and very few peas. But no tomato, no eggplant, no Bell pepper (Shimla Mirch/Capsicum). So I have decided to watch the seeds and seedlings like a hawk for the next 10 days and do everything possible to make them grow grow grow. 

Slow and Steady

Not much progress on the garden front. I have some shoots coming up, but they are a long way from transplanting. I am using that time to slowly prep the garden beds and pots. Is it a problem to plant vegetables under Giant Thuja trees? I guess I will find out. Shade is not the issue here, the spot gets maximum sunlight all day. My worry is around the roots. Will the Thuja prevent the veggies from getting good amount of water and nutrients? Oh well. I think I will go ahead with it anyway. 

Shahi Paneer

My kids especially love this one, and we make it often. When my sister gave me this book, I thought I will use it once in a while, like many other cookbooks. But this one has turned out to be a true gem, I use it very often, and every recipe turns out great.

I really like the nutmeg used here. It brings out a special subtle flavor - like Hing does. And a little goes a long way. Refrying the gravy makes for a richer taste. Before we had kids we used to make a lot of Methi Kadai paneer from the same cook book. The picky eaters that my kids are, they won’t eat Shimla Mirch (Bell Pepper/Capsicum), and we rarely ever make it now.

I don't use any sugar or ketchup which is used in the original recipe. I am usually not fond of sugar in my savory foods (with a few exceptions). Thanks Sis for the book, it’s been a life saver!

Paneer Shahi

(Adapted from Nita Mehta's Indian Vegetarian Cooking)

1 tsp Zeera(cumin seeds) - optional

3 Tbsp oil

2 onions chopped coarsely

1 inch ginger - chopped

1 dry red chili

6 big tomatoes chopped

1/4 cup beaten yogurt/curd/dahi

4 Tbsp Almonds/Cashews soaked for 1 hour

(The actual recipe uses Cashewnuts, as do most Shahi Paneer recipes. I prefer almonds, but you can use other nuts. Almonds usually need to be soaked longer and can be peeled, though I use them with the peel)

1/4 tsp crushed javetri(nutmeg/mace) soaked with the nuts

250 gms/ half pound Paneer

salt to taste

1/2 tsp chili powder

3/4 tsp garam masala

1/2 cup milk (optional, to adjust consistency)

Recipe:

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add the cumin seeds/zeera, then the chopped onions, ginger and red chili. Cook till the onions are deep pink and add the chopped tomatoes.

Cook covered till the oil separates. Add the beaten curd and mix well. Then cook again on medium for 3-5 minutes.

Switch off the heat and cool the mixture. Puree this with a little water if needed.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan(kadhai) and add the prepared puree. While this is frying, add the soaked nuts with the nutmeg to the blender and grind that to a paste.

Fry for a few minutes and add the salt and garam masala.

Add the nuts/nutmeg paste and mix. It will look like the picture of the creamy swirls below.

Cook for a few minutes and then add the paneer.

You can adjust the consistency at this point by adding milk or cream or even water if its too thick. I just eyeball everything, I am not good with measuring(and hence have a very hard time baking but that’s another story). So my recipe turns out to be different consistency depending on how much tomatoes I had at hand and how many nuts I threw in the bowl to soak. I evaluate at the end to fix the consistency. I usually try to keep it a little on the fluid side, since it thickens a little as it cools. And also because I suspect the main reason the kids like this is for the gravy, so the more gravy the better.

You can garnish with cilantro/coriander leaves (hara dhaniya). Serve with Roti, Naan or Paratha.

Kshan-Bhangur

Here are a bunch of pictures from my yard. Trying to stay busy, find joy in small things and not think about a personal mishap from last week that is persistently pestering me. Only material damage, so there is a lot of be thankful about. But it still shook me. Brings one to ponder over how ephemeral life is. How a small change can steer us in a whole new direction. How you think you know what course life is taking – but really you never know. Time will heal, bring wisdom. I sure hope so, especially for the latter. You don’t get a lot of do-overs once you grow up. 

क्षण भंगुर – Kshan Bhangur(literally - Destroyed in a second) : Short lived, transient, ephemeral. 

Whats this?

The “before” picture of my to-be herb garden. I have had moderate to good success growing herbs and small vegetables in the past years. This year I am starting a raised bed and wondering if I have bitten more than I can chew. These simple (unfinished) rows of bricks needed some hard digging. I am little late this year, its hot and sunny now; but I am hoping things will take off in a few weeks.

I don’t have a lot of (any) artistic talents, but I love the idea of being creative. I don’t have much (any) experience at DIY either, but I have always thought it is a nice to build something with your own hands. It looked like a simpler task than it is turning out to be. Drip line or not, do I need to worry about gophers, should the patch be further away from the Yucca and other shrubs. Oh well, it will be learning experience.  Lots of seeds planted, waiting anxiously for seedlings. 


(That picture is actually from last week, this post has been in draft stage for almost 2 weeks.)