Smell of Grass From Our Karesa Baree and Recipes

The day after tomorrow is Vijayadashami and I can see my garden is full of different vegetables like pui sag,chaulai sag,rai sag,karkala ko saag,ghirimla,simi,lauka,tite karela,borhi,baigan and farsee ko munta.These are the typical vegetable cooked at my home with bamboo shoots from Dhakalthok which my granny sends to us.We just love her food items she sends like Kodo,tama,bhatta,kurauni and gundruk and prepare our daily meals.Vegetables (tarkaari) are one of the most important foods in the daily Nepali diet, and a typical Nepali meal consists of rice, lentils, and some kind of side vegetable dish.Vegetables are also made into pickles, salads, snacks, and desserts.

Vegetables are rich and comparatively cheaper source of vitamins. Consumption of these items provides taste, palatability, increases appetite and provides fiber for digestion and to prevent constipation. Their consumption in plenty fair amount of protein. They also play key role in neutralizing the acids produced during digestion of pretentious and fatty foods and also provide valuable roughages which help in movement of food in intestine.Some of the vegetables are good sources of carbohydrates (leguminous vegetables, sweet potato, potato, onion, garlic and methi) proteins (peas, beams, leafy vegetables and garlic) vitamin A (carrot, tomato, drumstick, leafy vegetables), Vitamin B (peas, garlic and tomato), Vitamin C (green chillies, drumstick leaves, Cole crops, leafy vegetables and leaves of radish) minerals (leafy vegetables, drumstick pods).

My mom dad as a farmer work in farms and grow green vegetable and being a citizen of a country where eighty percent of Nepalese are farmer and the ancestral linkage to farmer I just feel the smell of green grass and vegetables around my home.I love the smell similar found in some detergent and medicine I love the moment in garden to collect green veggies at home and prepare tasty food for us.


Bodi is like other basic vegetables in Nepali kitchen. It is very simple to cook and is extremely popular back home. We get so many varieties of Bodi in Nepal, for example the ones that are grown in hilly areas, shorter in length as well as longer ones. And each vary slightly in taste. 

Recipe of Bodi cooking 

• Young Beans ( a bunch (10-13), wash and break it two inches apart and)
• Potato (2 medium, peeled and cut in cube sizes)
• Tomatoes (2 medium, finely chopped)
• Ginger-garlic paste (1 table spoon)
• Fenugreek Seeds (1 tea spoon)
• Black Mustard Seeds (1 tea spoon)
• Cumin Seeds (1 tea spoon)
• Salt (according to taste)
• Turmeric Powder (1 tea spoon)
• Cumin-coriander powder (1 table spoon)
• Timur Powder (1/2 table spoon, optional)
• Red Chili Powder (1/2 table spoon)
• Oil (3 table spoons)
• Water (4 cups)

Directions:

1. Heat oil and add cumin, mustard and fenugreek seeds. Fry until brownish black.
2. Add potato, salt and turmeric powder until slightly golden brown.
3. Add Young beans. Stir, cover and cook for 3-4 minutes on a medium heat.
4. Add all of the remaining ingredients except water.
5. Stir cover and cook for 5 minutes.
6. Add water. Stir cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
7. Eat with family.

   Kidney Beans (Razma) Curry Recipe!

   • Kidney Beans (3 cups)
   • Cinnamon Leaves (1)
   • Ginger-Garlic Paste ( 1 table spoon)
   • Cumin-Coriander Powder (1 table spoon)
   • Meat Masala (1 table spoon)
   • Fenugreek Seeds (1 tea spoon)
   • Cloves (3-4)
   • Dill Seeds (1 tea spoon)
   • Cumin Seeds (1 tea spoon)
   • Turmeric Powder (1 tea spoon)
   • Salt (according to taste)
   • Onion (1 medium sized, finely sliced)
   • Serran0 Pepper (1, if green chilies (2))
   • Tomatoes (medium sized, (3), finely chopped)
   • Oil (2 table spoons)
   Directions:
   1. Soak Kidney Beans overnight. Next day wash it thoroughly.
   2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add cinnamon leaves, cloves, fenugreek, dill and cumin seeds. Fry until brownish black.
   3. Add onion and Serrano Pepper. Fry until golden brown.
   4. Add Kidney Beans, salt and turmeric. Cover and cook for 10 minutes make sure to stir periodically.
   5. Add tomatoes, Meat masala, cumin-coriander powder, and ginger-garlic paste.
   6. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes
   7. Add 3 cups of water and close the pressure cooker lid and cook until it whistles 4-5 times.
    

   How to Make Bharwan Karela

   1. Scrape off the rough surface of the bitter gourd; slit length wise on one side, rub all over with 1 tbsp salt and keep aside for about 30 minutes.
   2. Squeeze the bitter gourd to remove the bitter juice and scoop out the hard seeds, if any.
   3. Stuff the filling firmly into the bitter gourd. In a pan, heat 2 Tbsp of oil and add the bitter gourd.
   4. Turn over a few times on high flame.
   5. Reduce heat and cook covered, till tender, stirring a few times so the vegetables are cooked and browned all round.

   6. Ingredients of Mixed Vegetables

      • 2 drum sticks
      • 2 bitter gourds
      • 3 tsp turmeric
      • 2 raw bananas
      • 1 onion (chopped)
      • 4 green chillies (chopped)
      • 3 tsp carrom seeds
      • 3 tsp mustard seeds
      • 2 aubergines
      • Half a cauliflower
      • 2 tbs mustard oil
      • 2 tsp ginger paste
      • 2 potatoes
      • 1 radish
      • Half a bottle gourd
      • 4 Tbsp desi ghee
      • 2-3 pieces mace
      • 1 cup milk
      • 
        For the Masala:
      • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
      • 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
      • 1 tsp mustard seeds
      • 2 tsp black onion seeds
      • Chopped coriander leaves
      • Salt
      • Water

      • How to Make Mixed Vegetables

        1. Peel drum sticks and cut into even size pieces.
        2. Peel bitter gourds, make small incisions and blanch in water, adding salt and turmeric. Take out the seeds and cut into small pieces.
        3. Make incision in the raw bananas and blanch in water with salt. Cool in ice cold water, peel and cut into small pieces.
        4. Dry roast masala ingredients and grind them into a fine paste. Soak carrom seeds and mustard seeds in warm water and grind them into a soft paste.
        5. Slice the aubergines, chop cauliflower and add water, salt and turmeric.
        6. Heat mustard oil in a pan, add ginger paste, carrom and mustard seed paste, potatoes, salt and water and allow to cook. Now add the drum sticks, radish pieces, water, salt, aubergines, bottle gourd, raw bananas, bitter gourd and saute. Add water and allow it to simmer.
        7. Put some desi ghee and mace and stir well. Now add milk and the masala and cook for some time.
        8. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.
        9. Preparation of Taro leaves
        11. Young leaves are the best to use
        12. Rinse well and shake off excess water
        13. For each leaf, remove the tip, all of the stalk and 1cm of the leaf around the stalk

        Method 1 - baked in parcels
        

        1. Prepare taro leaves and set aside
        2. Mix together the coconut cream, water, and pepper
        3. Lay one of the tinfoil sheets on a small soup bowl.  Arrange 3 taro leaves on top of the foil.  Gently push down the centre to form a hollow without splitting the taro leaves
        4. Spoon 1/8 of the coconut cream mixture into the hollow
        5. Gather the ends of the taro leaves into the centre to form a round parcel.  Gather the ends of the foil together in the same way, twisting the ends together securely in the centre of the parcel
        6. Make 7 more parcels in the same way
        7. Place the parcels in a roasting dish and bake at 170°C for 1 hour.

        
        Method 2 - pan cooked
        

        1. Prepare the taro leaves and roughly cut
        2. Place in a large saucepan of boiling water and cook on a medium heat for 10-15 minutes; drain thoroughly.
        3. Combine coconut cream, water, onions, and pepper
        4. Add to the taro leaves.  Bring to the boil and simmer for a further 10-15 minutes, or until the taro leaves are tender to the taste.
        Baby potatoes are always a pleasure to cook with as they are cute and tiny and cook so fast and most importantly they dont have to be peeled and they hold their own ground. They dont get too mushy unless you dont treat them properly. I enjoy so many recipes with baby potatoes some of my most favourite being, Aloo Dum, Baby Potatoes in Tomato Gravy and of course this Bihari Aloo Baingan. I love combining such contrasting veggies, as I feel they compliment each other.
      • INGREDIENTS:
        1 Pound Baby Potatoes.
        1 Japanese Eggplant.
        4 Large Cloves Garlic.
        3 Red chillies.
        1 Tsp Jeera.
        1 Tbsp Ginger thinly sliced.
        1 Medium Onion sliced lengthwise thinly.
        2  Tsbp Canola Oil.
        1/2 Cup Firmly Packed Cilantro Leaves.
        PREPARATION:
        
      • Wash the potatoes and the eggplants. Pop them in the rice cooker, add salt  and cook them until they are half done. Alternatively use the microwave or stove or you need not cook them now but you can finish up the entire cooking of the potatoes and the egplant in the gravy itself.
      • In the little mixer jar combine cilantro, red chillies, ginger  and  garlic and pulse until they are well ground. Do not add water. Set aside.
      • In a pan or kadai, add a spoon of oil and when the oil is hot enough, add the cumin seeds. They will splutter and sizzle for a couple seconds. Imediately add the sliced onions and fry them until they turnn in t a dull brown colour and they carmelize. This should take about 4-5 minutes.
      • Add the pulsed cilantro garlic blend and saute for a couple more seconds until the raw smell is gone. This should be in about 45 seconds. Do not let the pulsed mix burn in the pan. Keep mixing and marinating them in.
      • Toss in the potatoes and the eggplant and mix with the rest of the ingredients.Now add a cup of water and scrape the pan to deglaze the bits of spices sticking to hte base of the pan.
      • Stir in another cup of water and add salt to the pan. Now bring the heat down to medium low and allow to reduce for a about 15 – 20 minutes until the veggies are well cooked and the gravy comes together.
      •  
      •  Chaulai saag is a simple, dry preparation with amaranth leaves and a hint of spices.
      •  
      • Amaranth leaves – 400 grams
      • Onions – 2 medium (1 cup when chopped)
      • Besan (gram flour) – 1 tablespoon
      • Amchoor powder (dry mango powder) – 1/2 teaspoon
      • Red chili powder – 1/2 teaspoon
      • Turmeric powder – 1/3 teaspoon
      • Salt – to taste
      • Dry red chilies – 1
      • Asafoetida powder – 1/3 teaspoon
      • Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
      • Mustard oil – 1 tablespoon
      • Pluck the leaves and tender stems for use in the saag. Discard the thick stem/root.Wash the amaranth leaves well.
        Chop the leaves.
        Chop the onions finely.
        In a pan, heat the oil. When hot, add asafoetida powder and cumin seeds, let the seeds crackle. Add a dry red chili, toss it over quickly as it turns shade, then add finely chopped onions.
        Fry the onions on medium heat till golden. Add turmeric powder and red chili powder, cook for a minute.
        Add the chopped amaranth leaves along with salt. Cook covered, stirring every other minute, till the leaves have wilted and released water (around 10 minutes).
        Add amchoor powder and stir. Sprinkle besan all over. Quickly mix the besan in before it forms lumps. Continue to cook the saag on medium-high heat, stirring regularly, for about 5 minutes or till the besan has cooked and blended well.
        Chaulai saag is ready to serve.
        

        Sindhi Kadhi

        Serves for 4
        
        Ingredients:
        
        1/2  kg Tomatoes
        100 gm Lady Finger (Bhindi). Make a small slit
        100 gm Cluster Beans (Gawaal)
        1 pc Drumstick (Cut into 5-6 pieces)
        1 Tsp Brown Mustard Seeds (Rai)
        1 Tsp Fenugreek Seeds (Methi)
        1 Tsp Cumin seeds (Jeera)
        1 Tsp Besan (Bengal gram flour)
        Few Kokum flowers
        1 Tsp Red Chilly Powder
        1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
        1/4 Tsp Asafoetida (Hing)
        1 Tsp grated ginger (adrak)
        4 to 6 curry leaves (kadi patta)
        1 Tbsp Oil
        3-4 Green Chilly
        Salt to taste
        
        Method:
        
        1. Boil tomatoes and make puree. Keep it aside.
        2. Take a vessel add oil & add rai, jeera and methi. Then add besan, mix it for two minutes till the besan turns light brown. Put green chilly, ginger, red chilly powder, turmeric, and hing.
        3. Add tomato puree in the vessel. Add two glasses of water followed by kokum flowers, cluster beans, drumstick, curry leaves and salt. Keep it to boil for 30 minutes. Then add lady finger and boil for 15 minutes.
        4. Serve with hot rice. 
      • Banana blossom Pickle
      • 
        One fresh male Banana blossom
        1 kg medium size potatoes
        100 grams Teel (Sesame seed)
        1 teaspoon Methi (Fenugreek Seeds)
        Groundnut (peanuts)
        3 medium sized Green chillies
        3 tablespoon Cooking Oil
        4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
        Quarter teaspoon turmeric powder
        Fresh mint sprigs for garnishing
        
        
        

        Method:

        Remove bracts of  male banana blossom and pick out the developing mini bananas. These parts of the flower where the bananas have started to develop are to be discarded. Save these large colorful bracts to decorate the serving dish later on.  Remove the  bracts and developing fruit till the bract colour changes to a pale hue. You will notice that the flowers are now on very tiny ovaries that will eventually develop into bananas. These are the flowers to save for the salad.
        
        
         Once you have gone through the process and gathered all the mature flowers soak them in water in a bowl. Pick each flower and remove the pistil and tiny transluscent  bract like structure .
        
        Discard these.  This is quite a time consuming job but well worth the effort. Wash the prepared flowers in clean water and boil till tender (approx 10 minutes). Throw away the water and gently squeeze the cooked banana flowers till  all remaining water is drained. Spread the boiled banana flowers on paper towels to dry further.
        
        Boil potatoes and skin and cut into half inch cubes.
        
        Dry roast sesame seed and peanuts separately in a thick bottomed wok ( a heavy frying pan will do)  and dry  grind (separately) in a food processor. The grinding should be to a fine consistency. While roasting these seeds make sure not to over do it and burn the seeds as this will give a burnt taste to the final salad.
        
        Mix the cubed potatoes and boiled banana flowers in a dish. Add ground sesame seed and peanut, salt to taste and lime juice and mix well.
        
        In a small pan add cooking oil and heat well till the oil starts smoking. Add fenugreek seed, chopped chillies and turmeric powder. Stir till fenugreek seed turns black. Quickly pour this mixture on top of the salad and mix well.The Banana Flower Salad is now ready to serve.
        
        The main dish of Dashai for me Kakro Achar and recipe is useful .
        
        
        
        

        INGREDIENTS:
        
        4 cups cucumber, pealed, seeded, and sliced 1/4-in thick into 2-in lengths
        1 tablespoon coarse salt for the de watering of cucumber
        1/2 cup sesame seeds
        1 tablespoon coriander seeds
        1 teaspoon timur (Szechwan pepper)
        1 tablespoon hot chili paste
        1 tablespoon garlic paste
        2 tablespoons tamarind paste

        3 tablespoons mustard oil, or good olive oil

        1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
        Pinch of Asafoetida (hing)
        Salt to taste
        1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped, for garnish 

        
        

        
        
        

        Preparation 
        

        In a large bowl, mix cucumber slices and salt.  Let it rest for at least two hours to extract water from cucumber.  Cucumber will have released a good amount of liquid; drain.  Dry-roast sesame, cumin, and coriander seeds until toasted.  In a blender, mix all the toasted seeds, timur, chili, tamarind and garlic pastes, oil, black pepper, asafetida, and salt into a thick pickle paste.  Pour the pickling mixture into dewatered cucumber slices; mix thoroughly.  For garnish, sprinkle chopped cilantro.  Refrigerate in a sterilized jar.
        

        Thus ,the smell of Grass from our Karesabaree which has full of recipe reminds me the vegetables recipe we used during Dashai and the taste of those cuisine vary from each other and the festivals like Dashai becomes more memorable due to presence of those lovely smells of grass,green vegetables and flowers  of our garden which create an identifications with home and festivals and create a linearity to our identity how we tie at home with others and kitchen rooms and garden where we enjoy the pals with colors and flavors .
        
          
        

        
        

My Granny,Ghumaune Ghar and Her Cuisine

 Ghumaune ghar is typical traditional house really exciting house made of wood and scrub. The walls of the house are plastered with a mixture of mud and khar (a kind of plant scrub) on both inside and outside. Inlet of air is made with just small holes there were not windows. In general such house contains four rooms, namely bhansa (kitchen), majheri (common room), Bhadar (guest room) and sikuwa (sleeping room). The roof is made of Khar (scrub) in umbrella style. Such type of house is called Ghumaune ghar (round house) in our community.Another next traditional house, it is rectangular in shape can be found iit is calledr or Charpakhe ghar.

I just remember how our grandfather managed the rooms for the guest and granny made the tasty items for guest.Celebration festivals like Dashai and Tihar brought lots of happiness there at home and sense of belongingness to home was the reason to identify own self with the rural environment we got born and brought up.The charm of natural beauty adds an energy to mind when we try to recollect the pals of our family gathering at home and public meetings also add different flavors of love and friendship .The homely feelings with the muddy substances,khar ,bhanchha and gundro are always interesting and most interesting is my granny cooking in bhanchha room.

The kitchen room always attracted me and the kettle on fire with warm for everyone,chapati cooking and fire in managed kitchen was the interesting fact of my home.The taste of food at home is owesome because cooking food in fire was the tasty .Wood is usually the principal source of energy for cooking food and for keeping warm.Chulo is a traditional Nepali stove that is made out of mud.

Chulo requires wood for burning. Cooking in a chulo is time consuming as one cannot turn on or off the heat level as easily as in the gas stoves. However, the food cooked in this traditional Nepali wood stove is much tastier than that of any other oven or gas. It is made of mud and also uses some sticks in order to give it support. It has two holes, one on the upper part where the utensils are kept and another on the side from where the woods are put in. A pipe usually made out of wood or metal, locally known as Dhungro, is used to blow to light up the fire. The utensils are coated with mud on the base before using it for cooking on the chulo. It is done to protect the base of the utensil from burning and also to protect it from turning black.

Traditionally, it used wood for cooking but it can be found in modified forms that use coal instead of woods that are cheaper and easily available. It is commonly used in rural areas, however, due to the continuous rise on the price of the petroleum products and also the rich taste in food cooked on it, many people in the various parts of the urban areas use it as an alternative stove.

The taste of the food cooked in chulo makes you forget all the hurdles faced while cooking. Despite the lengthy and tiresome procedure, the food cooked in a chulo gives an authentic Nepali taste.My granny making chulo by hands and cooking food items on it for families at home is a kind of golden memory for me.I just love the pictures of my granny cooking in bhanchha ghar made by my grandpa and her smile to enjoy cookery time and serve the delicious meals to all during festivals.

She was very particular about how she liked her vegetables prepared. To make her favorite curry, she would cook potatoes and cauliflower separately – so they wouldn’t get mushy in the sauce – in a mixture of turmeric oil, fenugreek seeds, jimbu (an onion-like Tibetan herb), and ajwain (an Indian herb whose flavor has been likened to anise and oregano). The curry was enriched with ginger, garlic, bay leaf, cumin, cardamom, and coriander. Sel Roti is a famous sweet ring shaped dish mostly prepared my granny It is a rich dish prepared by deep frying sweetened rice flour.  

Dhido is a traditional Nepali food widely consumed in hilly and mountain region of Nepal, where rice and wheat is not abundant. Dhido is similar to Polenta and is made by continuously mixing hot water and flours of maize and buckwheat. It is often eaten along with local vegetable curry, pickle, or Gundruk (fermented leafy green vegetable) soup.Puwa is regarded as pure food and is usually served during sacred rituals and Puja. Puwa is a sweet dish prepared with rice flour, butter and sugar. It can be eaten on its own or served with warm milkand is tastier when my granny prepares herself.Before serving dal bhat she prepared dhido too as side flavor before starting the main meal.

Anarsaa-roti are old fashioned sweet rice patties (resembling large cookies) made by my granny.  Rice flour gives this bread a crisp texture, and poppy seeds provide a pleasant nutty flavor.  The dough is hand stretched into circles and deep fried.The traditional sweet is freshly fried until lightly browned and stacked up neatly.  It is kept this way until all the extra clarified butter is drained from the patties, before moving into a decorative platter.  Anarsaa is eaten during festivals, family celebrations, and simply as a mid-afternoon snacks.My granny never forgets to prepare it for us and we love sugary taste of the food items.

Bed- Part: 2

Bed- Part: 2

The tone of voice always struck my ear. Those voices are part of life and we try to seek the meaning out of them. Still I am in search of new life which I want to lead. As I am just eighteen and working in an office as an assistant in the market of Lajpat Nagar, I just keep on taking calls and persuade them to buy the products. The engineers beside my chairs keep on reporting me and I make a survey of their work.

I returned to home after nine at evening. After office I go to visit friends and enjoy their company. After having some snacks I come to home .My mother stands outside the door and welcomes me with a sweet smile. Throwing down the bag I began to take a nap.The reminisces of childhood began to appear in my mind as dreams.

There were tea gardens around .I collected “chalta tenga” a type of fruit, and kept in bag. Giri was with me as we both were returning from school .The ladies in tea gardens were plucking tea-leaf and keeping in the bag behind them. I like the way .I always used to enjoy such view; it was really interesting to see such scenario. There was   some rest house like bus stand where those labors used to sit during rainy season. We children used to enjoy our tiffin there .There used to large drums were black tea with salt used to be made and distributed among the laborers. It was really enjoyable to have such tea in a mug they present. The children of those ladies used to sit beside the roads with umbrella and keep on waiting until the mothers get leave. Anyway they were very happy to get such job because company offered house, firewood, rations to them including bonus. And I was happy to be there as part of such community who were so innocent and laborious in nature. The stories of Lokas Uncle used to win my heart.He used to sing the song, which still I remember.

                                 Sajani go Take barho maram lagela

                                Lal sarhi paye jhumur take sajela

                               ( dear I love you,red saree

                                and the ornament jhumur suits you)

Year passed. Many things changed. I began to realize we were in a new land, new culture and we adopt. Though being part of multicultural society we used to have fun, but being part of native culture gives more confidence. We learn about our identity and way of life deeply. Those moments of experiences made me enthuastic in nature.

I remember another lady. She was short in height with dusky skin. Her dim eyes represented her cleverness. She was a girl of sixteen but seemed very furious. She began to shout at me and speak many things. I began to tremble .It was really shocking to see someone speaking against in front you yourself .I beg excuse ,it created a sense of winner in her ,she showed more temperament  .I got afraid and ran away. It was my mistake to reach there but I was unsure of such incident.

Later I came to know more and more about the incident .I tried to show myself as clean but it was unheard. I decided to get back from everything. So I said sorry with humble request and took blame upon me and now I am happy. Sometimes we do well by running away from such confrontation because you can not spoil your time and mind in nonsense arguments.

It was a year later even same thing happened. Also next year same sort of unpleasant incident occurred in life but they gave me more strength to understand the fact that these are very minor things in life and they help us to enter in a new phase of life or towards new experiences.