CLUSTER BEANS AND OKRA

This too is part of my Rajasthani party menu, though I am quite sure you will not get it in any Rajasthani home. It is a very unique combination.

The story about the birth of this 3 day old dish is very funny and has come about because of two people.
Hence this dish is dedicated to them.

I woke up one morning with the taste of one dish, I think I ate in my childhood, in my mouth. Wanting to find out what it was called, I called up a Rajasthani friend of mine and described the dish. She too could not place it nor could she tell me all the ingredients. But she found the desperation in my voice and got to work and called up a lot of her friends and finally her brother in India, and got the recipe for me, from him.

I thought it would be right to add that dish to my menu in honour of my friend who went to great lengths to get the recipe for me.

Now the work of the second important person in the making of this recipe. My husband.
Not wanting me to work a lot on my birthday he cut the dish out of my menu and didn't let me buy the necessary ingredients. I now had only one ingredient(cluster beans) from the dish I wanted desperately.

But such restrictions only bring out the REBEL, wakes up that teenager in me, turns me creative and here is what I created. This dish is nothing like the original.

Cluster beans are grown mainly in India, known as Guar/Gavar and contains the guar gum used as stabilizer in icecreams and cheese, are low in carbohydrates and calories and have a good amount of dietary fiber and has substances that help in digestion. Cluster beans should always be cooked as it helps break down the Trypsin inhibitor. Trypsin is an enzyme required for digestion of protein.
They grow in clusters hence the name.

Do not ever walk between the plants without being covered from head to toe or you will be itching all over. The worst thing that can happen to you is that you are the only available youngest pair of hands (all older family members suddenly have something important to accomplish just when your mom needs somebody to pluck the beans for the meal). A lesson I learnt as the youngest in the family. The longest 7 year wait I had till my younger sister was born. Though, now I comfortably pick them off the shelf of an Indian speciality store.

CLUSTER BEANS AND OKRA
serves 2

Ingredients:
.Cluster beans.......................................100gm.
.Okra....................................................100gm.
.Oil........................................................3/4th Tbsp.
.Asafoetida powder...............................1/4th tsp.
.Cumin seeds.........................................1 tsp.
.Coriander powder................................2 1/2 tsp.
.Turmeric powder..................................1/4 tsp.
.Red chili powder...................................1 tsp.
.Dry mango powder................................2 tsp.
.Lime juice..............................................1 tsp.
.Salt........................................................to taste
.Coriander leaves ...................................1 tsp finely chopped, for garnish

Method:
.Wash and boil the cluster beans in 1 cup water and 1 Tbsp. salt.
.Rinse and drain.
.De-string from both ends. Set aside.
.Wash and dry the okra.
.Cut off the hard tops and cut lengthwise into fours. If the okra is long, cut it into 1/2 to get
 approximately 3 inch long pieces about the same size as the cluster beans.
.Heat a wok. Add 1/2 Tbsp oil.
.Add asafoetida powder and cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds crackle add the okra and 1 tsp.
 coriander powder, 1/2 tsp. red chili powder, 1/8th tsp. turmeric powder and mix well.
.Stir fry till all the slimy substance dries up and the lady fingers are cooked.
.Add the cluster beans and the remaining dry ingredients including salt.
.Stir till well mixed, gently so as not to break the delicate cluster beans.
.Add the remaining oil and cook for two minutes.
.Drizzle the lemon juice.
.Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Note:
.When cooking okra do not add salt till all the slimy substance has dried off.

FIGS AND RICE PUDDING

I was planning a menu for a party and wanted to create something that my friends could relate to, but at first bite wanted them to be absolutely surprised.
I was serving a traditional Rajasthani meal but I just couldn't serve it without a twist.
And well, it was my birthday so my friends had to try the dish, if just to please me.
Friends do great work as Guinea Pigs and the best time to get them to work is on your birthday.
And that is what I just did.
Rajasthan is an Indian state, famous for its lovely palaces and forts, desert, colourful clothes, folk music and its traditional meal of Daal Baati and Churma.
Rice is not an oft eaten grain here, so when cooked it is mostly in the form of a pudding or on festive occassions as sweetened rice( a side dish) or spiced-up rice (namkeen chaawal).

Figs and rice pudding

FIGS AND RICE PUDDING

Ingredients:
Serves 6
.Long-grained Basmati rice.....1/2 cup
.Clarified butter/Ghee..............1 tsp.(optional)
.Milk........................................1 litre
.Brown sugar............................1/4th to 1/2 cup (to taste)
.Dried figs................................1/2cup, finely chopped(approx. 3)
.Green cardamom powder........1/2 tsp
.Almonds..................................6 finely chopped,
.Almonds..................................4 thinly sliced
.Cashewnuts..............................4 finely chopped
.Pistachio..................................6 thinly sliced

Method:
.Wash and soak rice for 15 minutes. Drain.
.Heat 1 tsp. clarified butter (ghee) and roast the rice on a low heat  till well coated, changes colour
 to a very white and is separated (about 2 to 3 minutes). This step is optional. It helps in maintaining
 the identity of the grain.
.Boil milk in a heavy-based pan.
.Add the rice to the milk and bring to a boil, gently stirring continuously.
.Add the chopped figs and cook on a low heat until the rice is well done, gently stirring continuously.
.Add the chopped nuts and half the cardamom powder. Mix well.
.Check for sweetness and add the sugar as much as required.
.Garnish with sliced nuts and the remaining cardamom powder.
.Serve hot or chilled as desired.

Note:
.Take care to see that the milk does not burn at the bottom of the pan as it will then be a
  Burnt Figs And Rice Pudding.
.As the milk and rice cook there will be a layer of the milk and the starch on the sides of the pan. Scrape
 this layer and add it to the milk at regular intervals.

Cleaning tips:
.Cleaning this pan may get to be quite a chore. Just soak it in warm water for a while and then scrub it
 off with a metal scrub.
.If milk spills onto the gas stove while you are still cooking, quickly sprinkle a little salt on the spilt
 milk. It will be easy to clean it off later.