Tea.
Another lifetime ago, my tea was two teabags soaked in boiling water, with two teaspoons condensed milk. There was a tough love moment when my family threatened to dump the condensed milk in the bin. They gave in and merely hid it.
I’d felt so sorry for friends drinking sugarless milk tea, sometimes dunking ginger nut biscuits and exclaiming how delicious that was.
Exactly when the transition occurred, I have no idea.
But now, I am officially a born-again tea enthusiast.
When I get home from work, I make myself a steaming cup of
Sugarless milk tea with
Watawala Kahata Ceylon loose black tea.
And sipping it in my terracotta mug is divine.
Thaya doesn’t this bring back memories of sipping tea from tiny terracotta pots at 4am on Dashashwamedha Ghat on the banks of the Ganges in Kashi/Varanasi/Benares, 30 years ago?

#afternoontea #vegetarian #vegan #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani #bluffsbybavani #inmykitchen #kitchendiaries

Yesterday’s Dinner.
Onion, carrot Rava/semolina Dosai/pancakes, with green chillies, whole black peppercorns.
With a green coconut chutney with sour mango cuts.
War zone kitchen once more.
Wiping it down was like signing a peace treaty, a lesson in patience and overcoming ocd.
But all was well in my world when I munched on those crispy dosas smothered with flavoursome chutney.
He’s back on my Good List.

#onepotmeal #lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani not #bluffsbybavani #inmykitchen #kitchendiaries

Dinner.
A Decadent bowl of Nostalgia.
One can never go wrong with Puttu Poriyal.
Fried puttu with no exotic ingredients, just
2 large onions, diced,
Garlic cloves, minced
Curry leaves,
Carrots and Potatoes, cubed.
Turneric powder, a pinch,
3 tsps Chilli powder
Dried red chillies.

Simple, Delicious,
My favourite fry up from mum, next to idiappam/stringhopper poriyal.
Whenever I leave home, she thrusts a tupperware in my hands, replete with serviette and cutlery.
“Eat on the flight, you will starve on that 12 hour flight”.
I have told her countless times they serve quite good food in the air, but she has never taken no for an answer and never will.
And am I glad she hasnt.

#onepotmeal #lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani #bluffsbybavani #inmykitchen #kitchendiaries

#sareespeak

#womenofsareespeak

#cotton

#SS 26/100/2020

Needed to post this saree.

Mind is a blank slate.

Long work day, classes, some visitors..

And then, I realised..

Say Thank You.

Be Grateful.

To dear shilpada who thought about me, took the trouble and time to emulate me. A remarkably compassionate, magnanimous gesture from someone I’ve never physically met.

To my dear Sakhis, saree sisters who stopped by the post, to like or comment. It takes sweet souls like all of you to read a post, tap a like or leave a comment. For no other reason but to simply uplift the spirits of another sakhi.

The people I work with, work for, for giving me the opportunity to empower them to lead independent, confident lives.

My Guru, who painstakingly demonstrates intricate nuances and corrects me patiently, and in so doing, lets me know that her love knows no bounds.

My students, who reproduced a piece I’d taught last week, a little more complex than their level, with such panache.

Husband who made crispy onion carrot rava dosa and a delicious chutney which I know had some mango cuts, because he knew I was having a long evening of classes after work.

Not too grateful though for the cleaning kitchen bit – wiping down the stove with wipes and Dettol spray was akin to signing the UN treaty after the war.

My girls, who drive me up the creek most days, and revel in taking unsolicited uncensored videos of me, who make me scream, laugh, and weep with love and pride.

And for good health, a generally simple, not-a-whooping-jump-in-the-air but a no-complaints, life-is-good life.

And for having made new friends, most of whom I have not met and probably never will,

For opening your hearts and souls, and letting me do the same,

For letting me into your lives and homes.

Stay blessed each and everyone of you and thank you again.

Draped in a bright pink cotton Saree, worn before,

colours mirroring my outlook,

with geometric embroidered patterns on the border and pallu in the happy colours of golds, greens, reds, black. Gifted to me by a music student, having lovingly purchased it while in India, some years ago.

Lunch.
Felt a little rotten as we were taking leftovers from the fridge, heating, reheating, re re heating so decided to cook up something fresh and quick.
Do not – note the badly cut cabbage.
Made a paal curry with cabbage, a coconut creamy cabbage thick stew with onions, garlic, green chilli, turmeric, some fenugreek seeds.
Daughter#2 had been pleading for vegan butter cereal prawns so made that with a recipe she’d found.
Cut up a pumpkin, broke the knife in the process, wrapped blade in bubble wrap to throw it, and cooked a pumpkin chilli curry.
And couldn’t resist REheating polos/young jackfruit curry one last time.
Apologies too, pumpkin curry was clicked only later that night, leftovers for the next day.

#onepotmeal #lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani #bluffsbybavani #inmykitchen #kitchendiaries

Cut up some pumpkin for lunch, broke a knife doing so, wrapped blade in bubble wrap and threw it. Used leftover pumpkin for dinner.
Soup.
Pumpkin, Parsley.
Onions, garlic, ginger.
Couldnt resist.
Spinach leaves coriander, green chillies, whole black peppercorns.
Coconut milk.
And that is how the orange soup became olive green. Sigh.
Served with grilled black sesame ciabatta bread (store bought) with butter, and garlic and chives cream cheese spread.

#onepotmeal #lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani #bluffsbybavani #inmykitchen #kitchendiaries @ Dannemora, New Zealand

A few weeks ago, We had bought a dosa kallu/dosa pan from a friend who had designed, manufactured and demonstrated it to us. Dosas came out crisp and well cooked.
And so the newly inducted MKR couple decided to invite a lovely couple home for dinner the next day, being a Saturday.
Just as in the reality show, on the morning of the dinner, we dropped in at not Coles, but at a local Indian supermarket. Reenacting The Indian NZ version of MKR Australia.
Got home, prepped for dinner.
And we behaved So well all day.
I did not blink or raise my eyebrows when the stove looked like a war zone.
I even told myself it looked like an artist’s palette.
Menu was absolutely down to earth Simple.

1. Entree – green chilli stuffed bhaji/fritters with date tamarind chutney
2. Main – Mysore Masala Dosai, dosa/white lentil and rice pancakes spread with a spicy red chutney, then topped with a potato masala filling. Crisp outside, porous, soft texture and bite.
   With Green coconut chutney, packed with flavours of coriander, ginger, green chillies, curry leaves, tempered with mustard seeds, cummin seeds, dried red chillies, hing, curry leaves, urad dhall.
3. Dessert – we forgot to do this, so hubby cut up fruits in a rather pretty arrangement.
   Entree and Main and I suppose Dessert too were husband’s, my contribution was the chutney,
   A fun evening of food, laughs, great chats. Girls were at home so it was a beautiful family evening with great friends.
   So grateful to be able to cook and share food with loved ones.

#onepotmeal not #lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani #bluffsbybavani #inmykitchen #kitchendiaries @ Auckland, New Zealand

#vegan #vegetarian #srilankan

Not #bitesbybavani but by a friend.

Saturday, as mentioned in my previous post, was a day of dining. Lunch was in. Dinner was out.
Invited to a friend’s home for an amazing Sri Lankan dinner. The spread was a sight for sore eyes. I could only get through one helping. We were served

1. Red rice Puttu, soft
2. Coconut sambal
3. Red rice Idiappam, soft and fluffy
4. Sothi, creamy coconut stew
5. Mushroom curry
6. Kajju/cashews and green peas
7. Polos/young green jackfruit
8. French beans
9. Suran/karnakizhangu/elephant yam
10. Brinjal and chick peas Kuzhambu/gravy
11. Fried rice vermicelli
12. White rice
    In my haste to post photos, I accidentally ended up deleting some. Will repost if I manage to retrieve them.
    Desserts have been featured in a previous post.
    The girls played board and card games with their friends, while we had a wonderful chat. Got home past midnight, hearts, tummies full, after an evening of excellent food, company, conversation. Love and blessings to the host, hostess and family. @ Auckland, New Zealand

Saturday was one of those days meant for dining, in or out.
Lunch was an impromptu spread for friends from out of town.
Made

1. Steamed Brussel sprouts tempered with coconut strands and light spices. Onion garlic free.
2. Vegan chicken and button mushrooms chilli fry.
3. Brinjal kuzhambu/gravy
4. Creamy lentils with fresh spinach leaves
   Served with steaming, fluffy Basmati rice and quinoa/brown rice.
   No time to fry appalams or vadagams so cheated with store bought super thin potato crisps.
   And creamy yoghurt.

#onepotmeal #lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani #bluffsbybavani

Dinner, Italian? Indian?

Sorted.

Both.

Vegan Gnocchi with a sauce of Tomato, basil, Italian dried spices, portobello mushrooms, garlic, topped with parmesan cheese.

And,

Gundu dosa (with finely minced green chillies, curry and coriander leaves, ginger, cummin, turmeric, added to dosa batter)

With

Coconut raita (fresh grated coconut with light Greek yoghurt, chopped green chillies and ginger, tempered with spices).

#onepotmeal #lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani #bluffsbybavani