Vietnamese pho

A delicious mildly flavoured Vietnamese pho, Aru had made for dinner for us. It was just perfect for the chilly evening and the warm, tasty soup was all that I could relish with her. 

The recipe require little preparation and here is the detailed recipe for those of you who wish to give it a try. 

Vietnamese pho

Ingredients 

2 cloves

1 1/2 teaspoon coriander seed

1 green onion/leek

1 piece of ginger

2 cloves of garlic 

5-6 button mushrooms

2 eggs 

(if desired, you can add any meat preferred) 

Vegetable stock or Chicken stock- 4 cups 

2 cups of water 

Handful of flat rice noodles

Garnish (optional):

Slices chillies

Basil leaves

Coriander leaves

Spring onion

Mint leaves 

Bean sprouts 

Method 

*Cut the green onion into finger-long pieces and bruise them with the flat end of the knife. 

*Cut the ginger into pieces and smash them with the knife. 

*Chop the garlic into small pieces 

Slice the mushrooms and keep aside 

In a pot, toast the coriander seeds and cloves for 1-2 minutes. 

*Add in the green onion, garlic, and ginger and toast for about a minute. 

*Add in the stock and let it simmer. Once the flavours have incorporated, add in the water and let it simmer for some more time, then turn off heat. 

*Boil 2 eggs. 

*In a separate pan, cook the mushrooms in some oil and keep aside. 

*Boil and drain the noodles as per package instructions and set aside. 

*Chop up garnish as desired. 

*Strain the soup to separate the liquid, this will be the broth for the dis. 

*In two bowl, put the noodles and cooked mushrooms. Over this, pour in the broth. slice the eggs into two halves and top off the noodles with the eggs. 

*You may garnish the soup with any of the above mentioned ingredients, thinly sliced. 

*Serve hot. 

Growing microgreens (hydroponics method) at home. Step by step procedure)

Growing mucrogreens at home using hydroponics method is a project I have started a week ago. It's such a rewarding hobby. You can select whole green moong to start with. It's easy to grow, maintain and harvest.

Step :1

Day 1

 I have soaked a handful of green moong dal(washed it thrice) and after almost 8 hours. You will notice the whole moong has absorbed enough water and now double in size. Drain off the water.

Step : 2

Day :2

Take a sieve or a colander with lots of tiny holes. Place the soaked green moong in it.

Step : 3

Place a plate under the sieve or colander and pour a little water. Use a plate/net or an aracanut plate to cover. Allow the green moong to sprout.

Step : 4

You will see tiny sprouts peeking, you can either spray a little water or gently show the colander /sieve under the running water for a few seconds. Change the water in the plate beneath. Close the container with net or plate. Repeat the  process every single day.(Day 2,3,4,5 and 6)

Step : 5

If you wish you can enjoy the moong bean sprouts in your salads almost from 3 rd day as I did. Yet there will be a lot growing on your sieve.

Stepv: 6

Day :7 you will have the bean sprouts had turned into a tiny sapling with tender greenish yellowish leaves and you can harvest the microgreens. Remove the roots, wash and enjoy with your salads, soups and springrolls. It's yum.

Sharing with you articles on growing microgreens. These are from chefatlarge website and from my blog. We have explained different procedure to grow microgreens. 

https://jayanthisindianrecipes.blogspot.com/2020/01/a-simple-process-to-grow-microgreens-at.html?m=1

https://www.chefatlarge.in/featured/microgreens-at-home-101766/

Chilli mango mojito

A refreshing mango chilli mojito with a twist!

A cup of overriped mango slices, half a green chilli, a few ice cubes, a dash of chat masala and garnish with cilantro, serve in a tall glass. It's yum!

Try this If you are adventurous like me for new flavours and different taste.  I am in love with the green chillies.

Mango green chilli mojito 

Ingredients 

1 cup overriped mango slices 

1 cup water 

5 ice cubes

1/2 a slice green chilli

A pinch of chat masala 

A tiny piece of coriander leaves for garnish 

Method 

*In a mixer jar add mango slices, water, ice cubes and close the lid, run the mixer, make a smooth juice.

*Take a tall glass, pour the juice, adds pinch of chat masala and garnish with cilantro.

*Serve

I am sure you will enjoy the mild sweet, spicy, chilled juice with a desi flavour of chat masala and coriander leaves. 

Tomato pickle made from garden fresh tomatoes (tips for growing from seeds in garden)

I grow tomatoes from the overripe store bought tomatoes, It taste good when we grow them in small grow bags in the garden.

 

Tomato plants are easy to grow and require good care, as it grows long and spreads you should give support for the plant to grow well. A good plant will yield upto half a kilo tomatoes, if looked after well by providing manure and water, sunlight and exposed to rain. It's an asset to your garden. 

I love pickle especially its freshly made with home grown ingredients. sharing with you a simple recipe that I follow.

Tomato pickle made from raw green tomatoes.

Tomato pickle from garden fresh tomatoes. It's a very simple side dish for Roti or rice.

I have used the big green tomatoes. 

Tomato pickle 

Ingredients

Fresh tomatoes 10 

Dry Red chili broken four 

Ginger a small piece

5 green chilies 

Mustard 1 tsp

Methi seeds 1/2 tsp

Chana dal 1/2 tsp

Turmeric 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder 2 tsp

Salt as required

Jaggery a tablespoon grated

Heeng a 1/4 tsp

Oil two tablespoon

Method 

*Wash and slice tomatoes and ginger.

 *Heat kadai and pour oil, add mustard seeds, methi, chana dal and dry red chilli

. *Let the mustard splutter

.* Add chopped tomatoes, ginger, green chilies, turmeric, heeng,salt and chilli powder. Mix well. 

*Add grated jaggery and cred chill powder. Mix well. Adjust salt.

* Cook in high flame till soft and tomatoes well cooked.

 *Taste delicious with Roti or rice.

Notes

For growing tomatoes at your garden, there are few points to remember 

1.Select good quality overriped tomato for seeds. 

2.Cut the tomato into halves or thin slices, let it sun dry. 

3.Place the dried seeds in a grow bag, filled with cocopeat, soil, vermicompost and néem pellets (this prevents meanly bugs from destroying the plant) 

4. Water should be just enough for the seeds to germinate, you may get a cluster of tiny saplings, after a weeks time select the healthy plant and gently place them in a separate grow bag or pot, I grow one plant in a small sized grow bag. 

5. Once the plant starts growing give it ample support as tomato plants are not sturdy and they need help to grow. 

6. The tiny yellow flowers eventually turn into baby tomatoes, water regularly and if you are in tropical climate you may get abundance of rain. 

7. It takes about 10 days for a tomato to be matured to pluck. 

8. I got about a kilo of fresh green tomatoes from three plants. 

9. They were fresh, juicy and I have used all of them to make pickle. Happy gardening!!