Tryst with Grub

 It has been a really long time since I posted one of my trials at making a plate of food. I guess life changed the way I thought about food. Food can be a beautiful thing when you have people to share with. However, when you are alone and just fending for yourself, it becomes mundane. That said, food has always been my passion. The main reason behind that has always been my parents. I always saw them entertaining guests at home through the many plates of food that my mom used to cook with so much of effort and love. In fact, my friends used to love coming to my place because my mom used to cook beautifully. Today, food is a major part of world economics. Restaurants pop up and out in a jiffy. People have the options to travel and explore different cuisines. Many chefs are trying to promote what is local to them, essentially things they have grown up eating. There are debates around the sustainability of food and the occasional "double standard application" of economics to the same. 

Amidst all of this my heart goes out to those children who are being shot and bombed out of their lives. Kids who are being fed by moms with hand made bread and the last bottle of Zatar that they had because the cruelty of human beings never ceases to stop. So this post is my tribute to the land and people of Palestine, Lebanon and Syria. The places where people have been literally eradicated because of the greed and double standards of human beings. I wish I could do more but like many I am quite helpless and am just waiting for everything to be better. 

This recipe was inspired by Jamie Oliver and my need to whip up something fast. It uses frozen veggies, basa fillet, zatar, sumac,  onions, garlic and tomato paste. Saute your onions and garlic in an oil of choice. I used olive oil. When they start getting translucent, add in the frozen veggies. When the veggies have almost cooked, add in the zatar, sumac, pepper and salt. Saute for a minute or so. Add in a little water and generate some steam. At this point, pop in the fish. Cover you plate with a lid and cook on a medium heat till the fish is done. Serve with a few dollops of kasundi mustard sauce - an Indian touch to ignite the Mediterranean  flavours. 

Till I type again, Ma'salaama. 

My food story takes its root from my moms cooking and my dads love for the same. I will miss him and that amazing relationship he had with food. He loved citrus and today I celebrate the bilimbi. I have to thank my mom in law for the sauce recipe. It involves boiling the "irumbam puli" along with ginger in water. Blend this and strain to get a lovely green and tart sauce.
In a hot pan add some oil. Add crushed garlic and saute till you get that lovely aroma. Put in boneless chicken and mushrooms. Saute till all the juices evaporate. Pop in some capsicum and green chillies. A few tablespoons of the bilimbi sauce and you are done.