Arbi ki Sookhi Sabzi/ Colocasia or Taro Root Dry Vegetable

As a kid, I was a little wary of arbi. After a couple of bites, it used to leave an uncomfortable itch in my throat. But I loved 'arbi ke patte' (patra) that my Mom made as snack. They were simply unbeatable in monsoons - the vision of steaming slices of this delicious snack is making my mouth water.....and making me stray from the topic.

Let's get back to arbi. I started taking interest in this veggie after becoming a homemaker - deciding menus on daily basis always left me scampering for ideas. So when a friend shared this recipe with me, it looked doable and turned out to be quite yummy. Now I look forward to arbi. And I have outgrown the itch!

Serves 2.5

Ingredients:
Arbi: 300 gms
Oil: 3 tsp
Hing: a small pinch
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Chilly powder: 1 tsp
Coriander powder : 2 tsp
Haldi powder: 1/2 tsp
Salt: to taste
Besan or chickpea flour: 1 tbsp
Garam masala: a pinch
Amchoor or amla powder or lemon juice: to taste
Coriander leaves: for garnish

Way to go: 
1. Wash arbi. Put it to boil in a pressure cooker.
2. Peel and press it lightly between the palms of your hands. If the tuber is too big, cut it into half and then press.
3. Heat oil. When it is warm, add hing, mustard seeds and green chilly. Let the seeds crackle.
4. Add haldi and arbi. Sauté arbi lightly.
5. After 5 minutes, add masalas and sauté some more.
6. Add besan and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
7. When besan is roasted, add amchoor or amla powder or lemon juice and garam masala. Garnish with coriander leaves. Eat with hot chapatis.

Avocado milkshake

Avocado is an exotic fruit for me. Having grown up in Rajasthan, I never saw it until I travelled abroad. Even then, I did not use it too much other than for an occasional guacamole. But recently while researching for nutritional foods for my 3.5 year old daughter Anya, I read yet again about the benefits of avocado. Avocados are one of the superfoods on our planet. They are packed with mono-unsaturated fats, antioxidants, Vitamins A,C,E,K and many other trace elements. They are good for heart and skin. I made a conscious decision then and there to add them to my shopping basket. To read more about avocados in India, visit this lovely site by Catherine.

As for the milkshake, I stumbled upon this recipe by an interesting turn of events. I and Anya were waiting to be picked up by my husband. We happened to be just outside a fruit and juice shop. The vendor was treating Anya with grapes and his neighbouring gol-gappa wala was pampering her with his goodies. My wait was turning out to be longer than expected and I was getting overwhelmed by the hospitality of these vendors. So I decided to buy a few avocadoes. He told me that they were used for shakes. I had never heard of an avocado shake before and decided to order it. It turned out to be simply delicious and what a delightful discovery it was!

To cut a long story short (after I have told it!), here's the recipe:

Serves: 3

Ingredients:

1 medium sized ripe avocado

2 cups milk

2.5 tbsp sugar (you can use unrefined sugar)

Way to go:

1. Wash avocado thoroughly. You do not need to peel the fruit. Just put a lengthwise cut all around the avocado and pull the two pieces apart. Take away the stone and scoop the soft buttery flesh with a spoon.

2. Dice the fruit, add milk and sugar and blend everything together. Serve chilled.

Tips and tricks:

One of the biggest challenges in using avocado is to decipher its ripeness. Avocado is not exactly cheap in Bangalore. At about 150 Rs/kg, one would like to handle it with care and cut it when it is perfectly ripe. I am still learning the ropes but here are a few tips:

1.The skin. A lot depends on the variety of avocado but generally a darker skin of brownish tone is a sign of ripeness.

2. The stalk (the part where fruit is joined to the tree). Pinch this stalk. If the flesh underneath is avocado yellow, then it's ripe. If it's brown, then it's gone bad.

3. Keep an unripe avocado wrapped in a newspaper. It gets ripened due to ethylene gas it exudes.

Enjoy avocado in different avatars and keep healthy.