Garden Series : Methi

Garden Series : Methi

Methi (Fenugreek) is sort of like beer. It's the acquired taste category of food. A little bitter, but so flavorful when used in the right proportion with certain dishes. Growing it is so simple that I would rebrand this as a beginner's herb. One has to try really really hard to fail in an attempt to grow these.

Pot/Seed
Take a shallow pot, and sprinkle a handful of methi/fenugreek seeds on the soil (avoid overcrowding of seeds in patches).

Sun
Place the pot indoor by a window sil, or outside in bright light. The plant does not require direct sun. 

Water
Water enough to keep the soil moist at all times. The seeds should sproud and you should see tiny grass like plants fight their way through the top layer of soil and stand tall. 

Harvest
The plants mature in 7-8 days after iniital sprout appears. Wait in terms of days or until the leaves appear circular in shape. The first leaves are tiny, and they mature over time. The tiny leaves can be harvested as well - but tend to be more bitter than the fully mature plant.

Good luck!

Garden Series: Cilantro

Garden Series: Cilantro

Indian cuisine feels like its missing salt when it misses this herb. Cilantro, with its tender green leaves and wonderful aroma makes for tasty meals and beautiful focal points for pictures on food blogs! Here's how you grow it in your backyard / in pots.

Take a small pot; small is key here. Cilantro does better when you keep pruning it for daily use rather than leaving it remain in it's pot for long periods of time. If you do leave it, it's going to turn to flower and then to seed.

Pot Size & Seeds

Sow cilantro seeds directly in soil 1/2 inch below soil level. Alternately - you can soak seeds in water overnight and sow them the next day in soil. The internet also suggests cracking the seeds open, rubbing them against a floor before planting etc... but the first two options have always worked for me.

Sun

Knowing how much sun is too much sun is key if you want to flaunt a green thumb. Most plants do very well with beginner experimentation and some simply refuse to cooperate. Cilantro is inbetween.

Position the pots West / North West facing, in a warm spot where there is sun light but no direct sun.

Water

Until the plants sprout, water regularly. This can take a few weeks when you are starting up. Once the plant is established; water once every few days allowing the soil to go dry inbetween watering sessions. This is done to prevent flies and pests from swarming around your plants.

Weed or Cilantro?

As Cilantro sprouts from seed - it looks dangerously similar to weeds. Most beginners are peeking at their pots multiple times in a day that they see weed when they see baby cilantro and promptly pluck it out of the soil. Do not do that! Please see below images of baby cilantro from seed and a grown plant.

Good luck growing yours!

Garden Series : Mint

Herb Garden Series : Mint

Mint is one herb that can immediately make a world of difference to any dish you are whipping up in the kitchen. Be it a drink for the cocktail hour, or a main course item. That said, buying a bunch of mint leaves from the local store costs you a bit much when all you need is a few sprigs.

The option? Grow it yourself!

Mint is such a hardy plant - that with little to no effort you can have a mint bush right in your backyard / window sil.

The easiest way is to start with a sapling that is store bought. Ones from big giant stores like home depot work just as well as nursery bought ones. Your investment starts and ends at $3.

Quick Pointers

Keep them in an area where there is sunlight (does not require direct sun)
Water every few days to keep soil moist
Snip away leaves as you need them and watch that branch grow into two
Trim regularly to keep the plant from bolting
Bring indoors during winter and keep under plant light. Water minimally.

Tested & Proved - even if your plant loses all its leaves and looks bare, don't lose hope. With some TLC, it will be back to being healthy in no time!





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Baked Beets with Lemon Butter Sauce

Growing up, my home took the modern/western approach to cooking. Effortless cooking was the norm and that meant less prep work. As a result vegetables like beetroot that required peeling and were hard to chop were rarely on the weekday menu.

After spending several years in hostel, away from home and with my health freak hub S - the variety of veggies I take in has sky rocketed. Now, managing a full time job with a 2 hour commute each way - I can hardly get time to exercise. So the only thing I do is eat healthy and eat right. That means having home cooked meals most of the times, cooking fresh vegetables, going colorful and finding time to do all this!

There are days, when I stick to the simple melagu rasam to wash down the stomach and breathe easy, and other days that are one pot meals and subjis with a truck load of vegetables. On days with bad commutes or days when I just need to do something mindlessly to unwind - I pick up vegetables like beets.

Here's my quick hack at delicious beets - 

Listen to never-before-heard songs and peel and chop beets into discs. Toss them in a bowl with melted butter, salt and pepper and place in a baking pan/tray over aluminum foil. Bake at 350F for 20 mins or until tender, remove promptly and serve hot. These can be had as appetizers or snacks, and taste yummier with a side of lemon butter sauce (nothing fancy, just whisk salted butter and few drops of lemon juice together)

The beets simply crumble & melt in your mouth, leaving you wanting more!

Parties and Decorations !

Hola! An update of a different kind.
This weekend, we had a baby shower. It was one of the first ones that I was involved in planning and had volunteered to be in charge of decorations. And i loved every bit of it!

I realize, there's a special kind of joy I get from party planning, and decorating... creating special memories for someone. Clicking pictures is just part of it! :) Leaving you with some of what I did...

A Wishing Wall...

Wishing Trees are a common thing, so I wanted what I created to be somewhat different. I used foam boards, color craft paper, baby diaper clips and some strings to create this. Guests could leave thoughtful notes to the new family and string their thoughts and pin them on the wall. The mom was excited to take home these wishes for the baby and preserve a memory!

My favorite was "A poop in time, saves nine (shirts)!"

Paper Cut Duckies, Strings and the Wishing Wall

Add caption

Copper Duck Bowl with Strings

Thoughts Lined Up

A poop in time, saves Nine! (Shirts!)

Preggatini Bar

Moms need some mocktails! Presenting to you 'MOM'osa!
Orange, Pineapple and Ginger.

Baby Name Centre

The mom and dad were still debating names for the new born. We put up a corner where guests could drop name suggestions, that the mom and dad to be could take home to consider :)

Colorful post its, matching table decor (from good ol' India) and old fashioned black board with instructions!

 

 

Centerpieces

If you are the kind that doesn't quite agree with Girls are Pink and Boys are Blue (like me), then you'd want to go neutral with Yellow and White flowers and simple notes on the vases as center pieces!

Of Cakes, Sashes and Rosettes

Ofcourse... :)

Foam Boards, Diaper Pins and Letters for the Mom and Dad!

Party Favors from SIL!

The SIL of the mom to be was in charge of the Favors, which we displayed closer to the exit door. Some store bought streamers and another black board notice board and voila!

Documenting these to remind myself that these are things I love to do. :)
Hope you got some ideas from here for some of your own parties...

Roasted Garlic & Butternut Squash Soup

Having family over is a great thing!

But when your family comprises of amazing cooks – it can only mean one thing for the long-ignored unfit body. I won’t elaborate – but 3 weeks of elaborate treats and thanksgiving like meals calls for soup week!

S and I made this soup yesterday, and hope to continue to 'wing' it in the kitchen and create fun soups for dinner!

Chocolate Fever

Chocolate Fever

This was a special recipe for B, but she shared all the alcoholic drinks with me and we never got down to making this one!

Irish Cream – 1.5 Measures

Coffee Vodka – 0.5 Measures

Amaretto – 0.1 Measures

Soda – 0.2 Measures

Stir together, line with chocolate sauce and serve chilled!