My Yoghurt Mayo Salad Sauce

You will need (or what I used):

• Mixed steamed veggies of your choice and quantity
• 2 tbsp Yoghurt (I used the mother dairy one)
• 1 tbsp Mayonnaise
• 1/2 tsp diced garlic (or grated if you prefer)
• Salt to taste

How to:

1. Put the yoghurt in a strainer (I use the small tea strainer) or a muslin cloth and let the water drain.
2. Steam and drain the veggies. I use carrots, beans and peas normally. Cauliflowers or cabbages once in a while.
3. While the veggies are draining, peel and dice the garlic. You can add as much or as less depending upon how garlicky you want the sauce to be. For me, 1/2 tsp does nicely for one portion of the steamed veggies.
4. When the water's drained off from the yoghurt, put it into a small bowl (smaller the better since it does so smear and difficult to get off from the bowl), add the mayonnaise and a pinch of salt - the mayo I use is a bit sweet. This is as per your own taste buds.
5. And mix with a fork.
6. Mix with the veggies and eat!
7. I carry it to work and so I take the veggies and the sauce separately and mix it just before eating.
8. Easiest thing to do and yet how very tasty. And looks good too! And low cal to boot!

My balsamic vinaigrette

I had, in a moment of madness, bought a bottle of expensive balsamic vinaigrette from my local in and out store in the Petrol Pump at the Hazra - Lansdowne Crossing. And to top it, I had no clue what to do with it. Many many months later, last week, I stumbled upon an easy recipe and with moderate alterations, made my own balsamic vinaigrette! Since I needed enough for one to go with my boiled veggies - OK steamed veggies, the quantities are very tiny. But it can be proportionately increased or reduced (I did. The original quantities were quite large)!

You will need:

For the Vinaigrette

• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (normal would do as well)
• 1 & 1/2 tsp Balsamic vinegar
• 1 clove garlic grated (you can reduce this amount if you want to)
• A pinch dried oregano (actually I used a pinch of mixed herbs)
• 1/4 tsp Mustard powder
• Salt and pepper to taste (although I used salt only)

How to:

Or what I did:

• Put all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a bowl. Mix well.
• Steamed assorted veggies - whatever you have at hand. I had beans, carrots, cauliflower, green peas. Drain.
• Put in a lunch box. Carry to work. Pour the vinaigrette on the veggies during lunch and EAT!

Viola! And it was very tasty. Attested by my colleagues who are usually hesitant to sample my bland fare!

J's Filipino shrimp vegetable stew

Ah the horrible weather. Can there be anything worse that this humidity? There is: A bad cold, runny nose, headache and humidity. Funny how both have been bogging me done for nearly two weeks and yet I haven't got used to them :-).

This afternoon, J, the VSO volunteer physiotherapist was eating what looked like a large bowl of soup with bread. She offered me some and I thought why not? I tasted a bit and the tangy soup was HEAVEN. Forgot my cold and the heat and humidity. I quickly looked around for a bowl, finding none, I grabbed a tea cup and a large spoon and took a proper helping (which J, bless her soul and her culinary skills, shared readily enough). "Liked it"? "Yes, Yes, yes...," I said. To which she replied - "Good. This means you can live in Phillipines happily". Very Very happily I thought. So in between the never ending job list, thursday staff meeting, she gave me the recipe and hurrah ... she gave me local substitutes, all available easily! We did have a small problem trying to figure out whether she used paalak or pui sag. Then she said - either would do...any green would do, I think. I have put in spinach because I thought it looked like spinach. The stew can be made without shrimps if you want something vegetarian. So here is J's Filipino shrimp vegetable stew.

You will need

Eggplant: 1 cubed
Lady's Finger: 4 cut into two
String Beans: 5-6 cut de-stringed and cut into two
Spinach leaves: 4-5 leaves shred coarsely
Onions: 2 quartered
Tomato: 3 quartered
Shrimps: Handful
or Shrimp flavoured cube: 1-2
Tamarind powder: 250gms
or Tamarind pulp: 1 lemon sized ball
Salt to taste
Water: 250 ml

How to

1. Wash and cut all the vegetables and drain.
2. Devein the shrimps, remove the shell and keep aside.
3. Stir fry the shrimps lightly and reserve.
4. Grind the shells in a mortar and soak in a little bit of warm water. Strain the shells through a seive. Remove the shells and reserve the water.
5. You can omit step 3 & 4 if you manage to get hold of shrimp flavoured stock.
6. Boil water in a pan.
7. Add the quartered onions and tomatoes and cook over medium flame till the tomatoes become pulpy.
8. Add the shrimps, vegetable and salt.
9. When the vegetables are slightly cooked, add the tamarind powder or tararind water got from soaking a small ball of tamarind in hot water and strained.
10. Cover and simmer till vegetables are cooked.
11. Eat & Enjoy!

PS - Makes about 2-3 large soup bowls but depends upon who is doing the eating! It would be one helping for me!!