My goodness, I woke up this morning and it was Spring. Quite suddenly. Yes, it is lighter in the evening now. And the kookaburras have just this past week been vocal again. There are more birds singing me awake at 5:30am – delicious sound even though I snuggle under the blankets unwilling to face the 4C morning. But I had not admitted to myself that Spring is coming.
Two weeks ago I found broad beans in the green grocers. BROAD BEANS! I am not ready to let winter go, I said. I was in shock. Spring cannot be here yet. I want more cold, more briskness, more sharp, quick walks in the parks. I want rain, the deliciously high humidity that comes with rain. Who can help but love that after several years of drought and zero summer humidity. DON’T LET SPRING COME YET!!!!!!!!!!
But come it has. Or at least poked its head around the corner of the clouds today. Sunshine. Slightly ever so slightly warmer. And a scent in the air as flowers raise their heads to greet the sun. I think I will head into the kitchen and make some soup while I have time. After all, it is still around 4 months before we hit another 40C day.
Some tempting dishes to push you into the kitchen too.
Go Middle Eastern
- Knafeh Bil Jibne is an amazing name for an amazing Turkish dessert. Spun threads stuffed with cheese, pistachios and rose water. From Swirl and Scramble.
- Salatat Balinjan is a Middle Eastern eggplant snack that is garlicky and peppery. Yum. Brought to you my Art of Cooking Indian Food.
- My Diverse Kitchen has Arabic Cardamom Shortbreads. Very tempting.
Go Spicy
- Berbere is a great spice paste, French influenced, from Ethiopia. Add a kick to your dishes by making your own berbere. Zlamushka’s Spicy Kitchen uses it routinely as a marinade, spread, dip or curry base.
- Talimpu, one of my favourite blogs, this week brings fenugreek powder. Make it, store it, use it.
- Cooking for all Seasons makes a wonderful Sambar Powder. You can sun dry the ingredients, or oven roast them. She also has a post on various mixes for tempering dals and sambars, including phanch phoran.
- I have always liked yoghurt curries, so this Rajma with Yoghurt from Aayi’s Recipes caught my eye. I have made this myself and it is quite yummy. I like the tip about using besan to stop the yoghurt splitting. It works!
- This looks amazing. Vegetable curry a la Kooto, from The Yum Blog. And if you are really game, they also bring you Kashayam - a spicy, medicinal drink.
- Healthy Home has a bisibelebath. I always wondered what the difference is between sambar or dal and bisibelebath. Can anyone enlighten me?
Make pickles, butters and PANEER!
- Make a traditional mango pickle, using traditional implements, from Aayi’s Recipes.
- Supreme Spice Blog uses spice extracts in her Caramel Spice Pear Butter. I am sure that you can replace the extracts with the real thing for an equally wonderful butter.
- Try these recipes for making paneer:
- Soul Food explains how to make chunky paneer - from 15l of milk!
- Cynthia from Tastes like Home makes and photographs drool worthy paneer and surprises herself.
- My Food Blog makes a wonderful paneer with walnuts and herbs. It looks amazing on crackers! Have a look.
- Saag Paneer is made by Coconut and Lime.
Finish with Dessert
- A rose milk Payasam? It looks so delicious. Amma’s Special shows a fool proof method for making this amazing dish.
Tips and Tricks
- Feed Yourself explains how to roast peppers (capsicums).
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More Cooking, Food and Recipes:
those were cool links – gonna try the Salalat Balinjan. Thanks. And I’m glad you enjoyed the paneer!
Fabulous! Let us know how it turns out.
I love your paneer. What a great idea, and how good it looks.
awesome links,..thnks alotz,..
Hey, my pleasure, NY100. I hope that you can get to check some of them out. Love your latest embroidery.
G, reading about your spring, you got me really carried away!
Its a pleasure to know you liked the sambar powder!..do try if you get a chance!
What can I say abt the rest..all are so beautiful..
abt the sambhar dal and BBB..in BBB, you add the tur dal along with lot of spices with the rice and cook…while in sambar, its most the liquid separate..once done, you mix with the rice and eat. Also BBB is a specialty of Karnataka, while Sambar mostly comes from Tamil Nadu, though you get to see Sambar from all states!..hope I am clear…:)
Hi Srivalli, thanks for your description of BBB and sambhar. At last I understand the difference! Spring sure is emerging, although it will be some time before the weather is consistently warm. I am letting go of winter slowly…..
These images are stunning, love!
I nearly stopped breathing when I saw broad beans – at the same time as you, no less! – at the market. I want to scream NOOO!! to spring. Not yet. Not quite. Let there be just a little more rain and cold.
So, I’m making soup this evening. Your urad dal soup to be precise, which has become something of a hit in these parts.
Hope you’re not working too hard!
Thanks, Lucy. I am starting to get used to Spring – reluctantly. I love that you make the urad dal soup. Urad is such a seldom-used lentil (in the West) but it is so very beautiful. Work? Hmm. At least it is very interesting at the moment.
Interesting Links..will try few
Great!
I thank you for this kind of post, again! You have definitely sent me into the kitchen!
Great – these posts certainly inspired me and I am glad they inspire you too.
thanks for the knafeh link. i love that dessert.
It is so extraordinary, isn’t it! I was amazed.
Oooo – thanks for all of these fantastic links!
Oooo – my pleasure! I love it when people like the links too.
Ganga!
I’ll have to report your blog!
Very inappropriate content – it makes be hungry every time I browse!
tsk, tsk!
Thanks for sharing these wonderful dishes;
We do make a variety of Kashayams, and will have to try this recipe.
Great to hear from you – you cracked me up. It was a lovely, laughing start to the day.