My childhood

As a kid I hated household chores and bullied my two younger sisters into helping mom clean the house, make the beds etc. I liked cooking but dared not enter the kitchen due to Dad's rigid policies i.e. he wanted onions cut to a certain shape and size, for different dishes the spoons had to be different, and until he added an ingredient or two into the dish - it would not be perfect.  But I could make my own breakfast and the only dish I excelled in was `EGG OMLETE' - infact my youngest sister Nirmala and I would have competition on whose omelete was more `poshtik' i.e healthy.  We would add any and every edible ingredient like left over mince, cheese, vegetables etc., into our omelete and that would be our secret........till date we have not told each other what we add to make our omelete `poshtik'.

Let me share this one with you what I used to make and  also the recipe which over the years I have modified for my kids (the modified version was given to me by my dear friend Michelle).

MY POSHTIK OMELETE

Ingredients

2 Eggs

1 tablespoon of any leftover mince, vegetables or if nothing else, just some grated cheese.

1 Green chilly

1 small Tomatoes (optional)

Salt/Pepper depending on your taste

A little coriander leaves for garnishing

1 tsp of Ghee for frying the

Method

Beat the eggs well.  Add salt/pepper (dad's secret- after beating the egg you add the salt/pepper otherwise the egg mixture will not be light and frothy).

next add you chillies and tomatoes.

Heat a frying pan.  Add ghee, pour the egg mixture over it.  once the bottom part is slights cooked add the mince or veggies or grated cheese over it, top with coriander leaves.  once the bottom part of the omelete is nicely cooked, slowly and gently flip it over to the otherside and let it cook till done.

Have it with kadak gutli pao........or hard brown bread. Dad used to bring these round hard bread which was our favourite. 

and now for the modified version

FRITATA

FRITATA

4 Eggs

1/2 cup chopped veggies like, frenchbeans,capscicum (I use the colored ones) Carrots grated, mushrooms finely chopped

1 sprig of spring onions

1 onion finely chopped

1 Green Chilly finely chopped

1/4 cup grated cheddar or mozarella cheese

1 tablespono Butter

salt/pepper to taste and a pinch of nutmeg powder

Coriander leaves to garnish

Method

1. Heat a pan.  Add butter, fry the onions, veggies, till half done add the green chillies mix well. Add the chopped spring onions along with half of the green stems - mix well and put off the gas.

2. Beat the eggs till frothy, add salt/pepper and the nutmeg powder

3. Grease a baking dish with butter. 

4. Spread the veggie mixture into the baking dish.  Sprinkle the grated cheese on top of the veggies, next pour the egg mixture over this.  Add the coriander leaves and balance spring onion greens over this and bake for 10 - 15 minutes till done.

5. Once done cool it and slice it just like you slice the pizzas.

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This was all I knew to make until years later I made up my mind to come to Dubai for a job.  It was not an easy decision.  My mom was initially shocked but knowing that I was a girl who always had her head on her shoulders and besides Dad and she believed that the upbringing they had given us would never ever let them down. And so in 1995 I came to Dubai. All excited and looking foward to leading an independent life.  Trouble started when, there was nobody to wake me up, give me tea, break-fast, fuss over my meals - I hated vegetables and the days mom used to make veg dishes, she would fry an egg for me.  I missed all of that.  I used to call mom and dad on Fridays, as it was economical to call on a Friday and till date continue with this ritual. Infact they look forward to my Friday calls.  Mom would give me some tips and the first recipe I took from her was `PRAWN PULAO'.

PRAWN PULAO

1/2 kg prawns

1 1/2 cup rice

2 onion (chopped lengthwise)

1 large tomato (chopped)

6-8 cloves

1 large stick cinnamon

1/2 tsp. while peppercorns

4 cardamons

1/2 tsp. turmeric

salt to taste

Green Masala to Grind

1 bunch coriander leaves

3 green chillies

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

1 onion

10 black peppers, 2 elaichi, 1 pc cardamom, 2-3 cloves

1 small marble size ball of tamrind

 Method

1. Grind the masala and maranade the prawns in the same for 1 hour

2. Soak the rice for 1/2 hour atleast.

3. Fry the prawns till they are half cooked. (reserve the green masala from the maranade)

3. Fry onions till brown,remove half the onions and keep aside. Add cloves,cinnamon, peppercorns, cardamon to the balance onions.

4. Add the rice and fry till the rice is opaque and well coated with onion mixture.

5. Add the green masala (which you maranade the prawns) to the rice, add 3 cups of water and salt. Cover and let cook.
6. Once the rice is half done and the water has dried a bit add the fried prawns on top of it.  Add fried brown onions and coriander leaves.  Cover and cook till done.  Serve hot with green coconut

chutney.

MY MOM's RECIPE BOOK

Which she fondly handed over to me and which I treasure.