“Oooh what’s the fun in playing it safe? Oooh I think I'd rather misbehave”

Monday, November 19, 2007

I've got a bad boy and that's alright with me
His dirty laundry is nothing that I can't keep clean
And when he needs an alibi
He can use me all night

Where the heck did fall go? I mean we had a gorgeous summer and then an abrupt onset of winter! Its 40 degrees every morning when I leave for work; I feel unprepared for the frosty winds. Most of my sweaters and winter wear are in NJ…so I keep borrowing long sleeved shirts and sweaters from my sis. Luckily we fit into each others clothes for most part…but I am sure she’ll start getting sick of me going through her closet. Damn you winter! I guess on a more positive note…winter also means the beginning of the holiday season. Thanksgiving is this week and by the time you finish basting that turkey and gorge on all that wonderful thanksgiving sides and desserts, its time for Christmas. Usually my mom would host thanksgiving but my folks are attending weddings and enjoying a much needed vacation in India. So this thanksgiving Bhatji, Mswats and I are all going to Chicago to spend time with my sister in law and her 2 lil ones. I sometimes wonder…if I’ll ever grow up and host thanksgiving dinners myself. I really doubt it though…my mom and my sister in law are fabulous cooks, so I actually enjoy doing the eating rather than the cooking. I play a pretty good chef’s helper :o)

What do you guys think of the new blog design? My sis was gracious enough to take an hour of her time and redo it for me. She thought it would be neat to go with a foodie style theme to match my foodie style blogging personality ;o) I am really envious of her talent…this probably would have taken me weeks. But she sat down and typed up a whole bunch of code gibberish and voila!! A new foodie blog is created. God, I love being connected ;o) Let us know what you guys think.
Now on to our recipe corner of this blog.
Bhatji loves Garbanzo beans…..he loves any kind of beans but I have noticed that Garbanzo/Chickpeas are by far his favorite. Garbanzo beans are a great source of proteins so I try to make as many dishes as possible with Garbanzo…especially if I am not preparing any meat dishes. One such simple yet an Indian favorite recipe is Channa Chole. Chole is very popular in Punjab, India and is actually consumed as a breakfast with Bhatura and lassi. Although we never eat it as a breakfast since it’s a lil heavier for our taste….we still enjoy this dish for lunch or dinner. Here is a simple Chole recipe that my mom gave me. It’s quick and absolutely delectable.

Ingredients:
1 canned garbanzo beans
1canned tomato
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 ½ tsp of Shaan Punjabi Chole Masala
1 tbl spn olive oil
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves for garnish

To make:
Heat the oil in a deep pan and add the onions. Sauté until the onions are a little browned. Add the canned tomato and sauté until the juices start to let out for about 5-6 minutes. Add the Garbanzo beans and fill the empty garbanzo beans can with water about ¾ ways and add to the pan. Add the Punjabi Chole Masala and stir until the Masala is mixed in will all the ingredients. Cover and cook for about 8 minutes. Add salt to taste. Take off the heat and garnish with coriander. Serve with rotis or toasted bread. You can also make channa chat but I’ll save that for another post.
Try this yummy recipe out! That’s all for this blog entry; till the next time, bundle up!


PS (Love this band called Bitter::Sweet. And its founded by a fellow desi who also plays the keyboards and electronic instruments for all the songs. Check them out!)