Palak-Methi Dal and "Sholay"

I have always had a love-hate relationship with greens. 'Palebhaji' prepared with different greens was a staple when I was growing up, but it never appealed to me.  While spinach was tolerable, the allure of some other greens escaped me.  In particular, why people would choose to cook a bitter leaf like methi was a puzzle.  Then I tasted 'Methi theplas' at a friend's house and realized it might be tasty in small doses.  Methi pakodas further strengthened that belief.  On a recent quest to try something new in the kitchen I decided to try one of my mom's recipes.  I had just picked up frozen methi on a visit to the local desi store.  I combined it with spinach to tone down the bitterness imparted by the methi leaves.  It turned out to be a hit with my husband and even appealed to my grown-up palate.  I wish the same could be said for my daughters, but I guess that is too much to ask ... maybe someday. The recipe below serves four.

"Sholay" came out in the mid-seventies and was a landmark film in many ways.  Not only was it the first ever 70 mm film but it ushered in the era of multi-star cast films in a way that we had not seen before. Dubbed as a 'curry' Western, the movie nonetheless had all the usual ingredients of a masala movie but with a lot of added violence.  Salim Javed's dialogues and Ramesh Sippy's direction brought out the best in its star cast. Sanjeev Kumar as the old thakur and Jaya Bhaduri as his daughter-in-law Radha both gave powerfully understated performances.  The on-screen chemistry between Hema as the talkative Basanti and Dharmendra as Veeru, as well as the camaraderie between Amitabh (as Jai) and Dharmendra was a delight to watch.  Amjad Khan as Gabbar was outstanding.  R.D. Burman's music passed muster with the exception of "mehebooba."  It is lavish production and remains one of India's must watch movies of all time.

Ingredients
1/2 cup toor dal
1 cup methi leaves
1 cup palak leaves
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
4 to 5 dry red chillies
2 tablespoons shredded dry coconut
1 tablespoon tamarind extract
1 teaspoon jaggery
1 small onion sliced
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 green chillies chopped
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon Hing
1 table spoon + 1 teaspoon oil

Method

1. Cook the toor dal in the pressure cooker with turmeric added to it.
2. Cook the methi and palak leaves and mash.
3. Roast the coriander seeds, red chillies, and dry coconut in a teaspoon of oil and grind to a paste.
4. Mix the cooked dal, ground paste, mashed greens, salt, tamarind extract and jaggery.
5. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil.
   
6. Add the mustard seeds and when they cackle, add the hing, sliced onions, chopped green chillies and chopped garlic.
7. Saute on medium high heat till the onions and garlic are cooked then add the dal mixture.
8. Cook for about five more minutes to blend in the flavors.
9. Serve hot with rice.

Pasta Salad ... and Chicken Salad, and "Aradhana"

I have never been a big fan of sandwiches.  Salads, on the other hand, I love ... loaded with dressing, of course! Still, they usually leave me feeling hungry an hour after eating them.  And so, one day, I decided to add cooked pasta to make it more filling ... and the recipe for my pasta salad was born. When my younger daughter was in kindergarten I let her taste a mouthful; she liked it so much that to this day it remains one of her favorite lunch items.  The recipe serves one:

Ingredients

Mixed salad greens

1/3 cup cooked pasta (I prefer wheat)

2 tbsp italian dressing (I prefer Kraft Seven Seas)

2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1 tbsp bacos

1 tbsp chow mein noodles

Dash of tabasco sauce

Method

1. Toss the greens and the pasta with the salad dressing.
2. Add the tobasco.
3. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese.
4. Add toppings (bacos and chow mein noodles)

My older daughter loves food of all kinds. One can even call her a "foodie." As a result, from time to time, she goes through phases of what she calls "healthy" eating in order to compensate.  This is one of her favorite lunches.  The best part about it is that it can be eaten as is or enjoyed as a wrap by simply wrapping the salad contents with a wheat tortilla.  The recipe below serves one:

Ingredients

1/2 cup chicken, diced

2 tbsp Lawry's 30-minute marinade, Tequilla Lime with Lime Juice 

Pam Olive oil cooking spray

Mixed greens

Baby spinach

1/3 cup grape tomatoes, chopped

1/3 cup red bell pepper, diced

1/2 ounce cheddar cheese, grated

1 tbsp salad dressing (recommend Kraft Zesty Italian)

Method

1. Marinate diced chicken in Lawry's marinade for at least 30 minutes.
2. Spray saute pan with cooking spray and heat on high heat.
3. When pan is hot, add chicken.  Reduce heat to medium high.
4. Cook chicken.  When done, remove from heat and set aside.
5. In bowl, combine mixed greens with baby spinach.
6. Add chopped tomatoes, bell pepper, and salad dressing.  Toss.
7. Top with cooked chicken and grated cheese.

Note: Wrap contents in a wheat tortilla for a fun alternative!

Director Shakti Samanta gave us his biggest hit in 1969, the movie "Aradhana." The story had enough melodrama to tug at everyone's heartstrings. Shot in the beautiful locales of Darjeeling, the story is of a sweet and young girl named Vandana (played by Sharmila Tagore) who falls for Arun, an Air force officer (played by Rajesh Khanna). When Arun tragically loses his life in an accident, she spends the rest of her life devoted to raising her son. Sharmila had an author-backed role and complete justice to it. Rajesh Khanna played the dual role of both father and son with an easy charm. The film turned him into a superstar overnight. And Sachin Dev Burman's youthful melodies swooned the nation. This film is a must-see.