Happy New Year! Celebration with Carrot Halwa

Wishing you all a Joyful and a Very Happy New Year!

As 2008 passes into the history books we usher in 2009 hoping for happier tidings and a little less of history.

Nothing brings memories of holidays like a train journey. In most parts of the world travel is synonymous with train journey unlike here in the US where train journey is not that common. Train journeys in India are enjoyable affairs (yes sometimes dirty, annoying and loud) when in a group. The highlight of course is the packed food, packed in a layer of banana leaf over which is wrapped a newspaper. The smell that emanates when unwrapped has to be experienced. The noise and clutter of the various vendors selling kaapi (tea) and goodies in every station is another enjoyable and often anticipated feature of the train journey. The kids were highly thrilled when we went on a train journey to Kerala during our last visit. We could call it their first long distance train trip and still think fondly of that trip. I am sure everyone remembers their first real trip on a train. I do, mine was a trip to Vijawada when I was maybe 7 or 8 years old. Do you remember yours?

We have been planning on taking a train trip here in the US ever since. The problem with taking a train here is the duration of the trip. Compared to flying it is at least 6-10 times longer. We finally found the time to embark on the much anticipated train journey during the holidays. We were visiting our friends in Chicago and there was no strict schedule to adhere. It also did not hurt that the tickets on Amtrak were far cheaper than the plane tickets. Even the coach class which we chose to travel by was several measures more comfortable than the First class plane seat. With ample leg room, reclining seats, freedom to walk around, a dining car and a lounge car we did have a comfortable albeit a long journey. The kids had fun and we had a lot of family time like DD reasoned. The train travels through some of the less travelled areas. The train travelled along river valleys and mountains with a picture perfect spectacular view of the river all through the B&O route. The numerous small waterfalls along the way were just an added bonus.

If you have room on your New Year resolution sheet be sure to include a long distance train trip as one of them. You won't be disappointed.

It is traditional to start anything with a sweet. I wanted to make one that was gluten free and not too sweet. Carrot Halwa fit the bill perfectly.

Carrot Halwa
Serves : 4
Ingredients
1. Approx. 3 1/2 Cups of grated carrot
2. 2 Cups Milk
3. 3/4 cups of sugar
4. 2 pods cardamom powdered
5. a handful of raisins and cashews
6. 1 1/2 - 2 tbsp ghee

Method
1. In a heavy bottomed pan take the milk and carrot and let it cook on a medium low flame till the carrot is cooked and most of milk has evaporated. (20-25 minutes)
2. Add the sugar and continue to cook till all the liquid is gone (10 minutes)
3. Now add the cardamom powder and ghee and let it cook till the ghee separates out.
4. Keep stirring thorough out the cooking process so not to stick to the bottom.
5. In a separate pan roast the cashews and raisins in a bit of ghee.

Serve with the nuts garnished on top.

Bread Upma (Stir Fried Bread)

When we were growing in India bread was what you ate when you were sick. When you visited someone in the hospital you carried with you a loaf of bread, a bag of oranges and a bottle of Horlicks. To eat bread otherwise it had be dressed up to not look and taste like bread. I would like to think of Bread Upma as a dish that came in vogue in the 80s. The bread available in India at that time was invariably sweet, soft and white. In contrast now bread is such an integral part of my life. I have this feeling of missing something if I do not have a loaf of bread in the house. But of late buying ready made bread makes me a bit uncomfortable.

Ever since I started reading the food labels the number of ingredients in bread has always bothered me and reading Michael Pollan's: In Defense of Food only confirmed the fear. This is what he says about bread:

Consider a loaf of bread, one of the "traditional foods that everyone knows" specifically singled out for protection in the 1938 imitation rule. As your grandmother could tell you, bread is traditionally made using a remarkably small number of familiar ingredients: flour, yeast, water and a pinch of salt will do it. But industrial bread - even industrial whole-grain bread - has become a far more complicated product of modern food science (not to mention commerce and hope).


Then he goes on to list the ingredients found in Sara Lee's Soft and Smooth Whole Grain Wheat Bread which runs close to about 50 ingredients. Rule of thumb as stated by Pollan is not to buy food that has unfamiliar ingredients and unpronounceable ingredients. Try as I might with the dazzling array of bread available in the super market bread aisle I cannot find a loaf of bread with just the stated five ingredients. So depending on how much time I have on hand, I first avoid buying breads with HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) and then spend time looking for those with the fewest possible ingredients.

The ingredients from the loaf I picked up recently, Peppridge Farm - 100% Natural 100% Whole Wheat Whole Grain Bread are as follows:

Whole Wheat flour, Water, Crushed Wheat, Wheat Gluten, Sugar, Yeast, Raisin juice concentrate, Soybean oil, Contains 2% or less of - Wheat Bran, Molasses, Whole Wheat flakes, Honey, Vinegar, Lower Sodium Natural Modified Soy Lecithin and Enzymes.


Not bad! other than the Soy Lecithin part I was able to recogonize most of the ingredients still not sure what the enzymes meant. All this is leading to my New Year resolution. Bake my own bread. The no knead bread has given me lot of hope. I am not a baker by any means, successfully baking a loaf of bread and being able to do it regularly would be just wonderful.

Bread Upma can be both a snack and a breakfast item. With eggs, bread and a sprinkling of cheese it can serve as a good breakfast. If you have old bread that needs to be used this is a perfect way to dress it up.

Bread Upma
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients
1. 10 slices of Whole Wheat Bread (or any bread) cut into cubes
2. 3 Eggs (optional)
3. 1/2 Red Onion chopped fine
4. 1/2 tomato chopped fine
5. 1 tbsp Tomato Ketchup (or any sauce to suit your liking)
6 chopped green chilies, chopped coriander leaves (optional)
7. 1 tsp red chili powder (again optional)
8. 1-2 tsp oil /butter
9. a small slice of monterey Jack Cheese
Method
1. In a wide mouthed pan heat oil and saute the onions till translucent, add salt.
2. Now add the tomatoes and saute till soft. If adding green chilies add now
3. Add the tomato ketchup and chili powder and mix
4. Add the cubed bread slices and toss so the sauce is well coated.
If not adding eggs it should be done at this stage. Go to Step 8.

5. Now make space in the center and break the eggs cook them in the heat and then toss them with the bread slices.
6. Continue to cook till the eggs have been completely cooked.
7. Sprinkle the coriander leaves if using and toss one more time.
8. Grate chees on top.