A Diet Controller

Yep that's what I should call myself in the total ironic sense of course, because diet control and me are basically Andromeda Galaxy and Milky way, you got it galaxies apart. Now let me make a clarification "I am not fat" just in case you are wondering. The nice word is "plump" just like a soft cuddly cushion PLUMP and of course at all the wrong places and once in a while people who love me very much remind me that I need to get rid of all that plump. Not that I care you know, I mean who really cares, but people who love me do and because I love them too sooooooo..........

Anyway this is not about me making some more confessions but it's about the diet controller's curse "Celery". Anyone in his or her right mind will never touch this horrible thing, but just whisper the word "plump" in the air and whoosh comes out the gym shoes and whoosh comes out the shopping bags to buy "Celery". I have nothing against this green plant except that it tastes "HORRIBLE" and plump or not I just can't get this thing down my throat.

Anyway folks there is some good news for you guys, I Tripti Bhaskaran has discovered a wonderful way masking that horrible horrible green thing under the little blanket of a Indian spices and now I propose to give this recipe to each and everyone of those ill fated controllers. So here goes, make this dish and I promise you, you will lick the vessel till its bright and clean and not feel any guilt at all. Ahhhh not that many of you care, but remember some people love you very much.

You will need the following things
1) 3 cucumbers peeled and diced.
2) 3 large celery sticks diced (cut any shape you like just make sure they are small and insignificant)
3) 4 chillies , slit into two halves.
4) Some ginger grated
5) Some garlic minced
6) 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
7) 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
8) A pinch of Asfoetida (believe me a little more than a pinch is disaster in taste but a wonder medicine for the tummy).
9) 4 tomatoes diced ( no no canned ones not allowed, fresh is the key here)
10) Some cilantro chopped, I love this word "chopped" gives me a sadistic delight.
11) 3 teaspoon of cumin powder.

Now what do we do with all this ??? Abracadabra !!!

Take a pan, put 1 teaspoon of oil (yes this much is enough remember "control"). Put the fenugreek and fennel seeds in it and let them roast for a while in the oil. Now add ginger , garlic and chillies. Once the room is filled with the aroma of the spices add the diced cucumber and the cumin powder. Now add the celery, sprinkle some salt and cover it with a lid for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes check if the cucumber are somewhat cooked, then add the tomatoes and again cover the lid for 15 minutes. After this time has elapsed check if the cucumber is fully cooked, then garnish with cilantro mix nicely and serve hot with chapatis.

Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm !!!

Trust me you will never regret eating this dish !

Enjoy !!

La Tormenta

Have you ever seen a name of joint and have felt absolutely and magnetically drawn to it ?? well this is a story of that kind. So basically me and one of my other foodie friends were out shopping and la beholda ! we see in front of us a an insignificant store tucked in a insignificant corner called "La Tormenta". It looked like one those totally shady places where you would definitely not go with family or date, but hey we were in the reckless mood. We had like five other options, the usual big US food chains in front of us, but we chose "La Tormenta".

I was drawn by the name, it was as obvious an Mexican joint, really really small more like the way side chai walls in India who keep everything and nothing at the same time in their little shops magically squeezed in, and still leaving enough space for at least five tables. As we were walking towards the shop my imagination was going wild "tormenta" what a name, will the food be a total nightmare ??

Anyway we finally got into the store and the decor ,well, was an real eye sore. Mexican culture is rich with color and well lets just say that its a little gaudy. Now this small store was packed with cheap Mexican groceries and then hanging from the ceiling was some hideous decorative items which literally forbade any stranger to enter.

We took a bold step in and checked out the menu, and we had no clue what it was. Apart from the two words "Burrito" and "Quesadilla" I recognized nothing. We were clueless for quite sometime. After I took some mental coin flips, I decided to go for "Smothered Burrito", yes that was the name of my dish and I was wondering what it might be.

Ten minutes later, ten minutes of tummy torment, my dish arrived and boy did it look good. So my "Smothered Burrito" was basically a fresh corn tortilla wrapping some nicely done shredded dry chicken and then had this generous spread of hot melted cheese on the top (smothered in cheese that's what it was), with a serving of fresh cut lettuce, beans and avocado pieces. Boy was it yummy! My friend had ordered a chicken and rice dish and that was excellent too. With this we got extra helping of fresh home made salsa and "jalapenos in vinegar" and a remarkable chili sauce.

There is nothing like good cheap food ( did I forget to mention this was just super cheap), and with full tummies and happy hearts we marched out of the store thirty minutes later. Definitely "No Tormenta".

So if you spot one these smallish Mexican joint (which has no bearings of being a chain) then go right in, because you may tasting some really authentic Mexican food rather than the stuff one gets in places like "taco bell". I always imagine some nice chubby Mexican mama making food inside the small kitchen when I go to such joints, gives a nice feeling huh ??