Food

White peas in a spicy meat masala

I wanted to cook white pea (the ones you use to make a Ragda with) but give it a distinctly non vegetarian flavour. I used some home made meat masala for this and any packed meat masala should work just as well. The non vegetarian flavours become a great motivator for some vegetarian food to be eaten. I thoroughly enjoyed making this dish which was simple and tasty. It’s very economical and easy on the pocket.

White peas – 100 grams
Onion – one, large
Tomato – one large
Potato – one large
Mustard seeds – one teaspoon
Meat masala – one and a half tablespoons
Ginger and garlic paste- one teaspoon
Curry leaves – two sprigs
Fresh coriander – a handful chopped
Oil as required
Salt to taste

Mise en place (preparation)
Soak the white peas overnight and in the morning change the water. Add one teaspoon of salt and the soaked peas into a pressure cooker and cook this for ten whistles. Chop onions and tomatoes finely and dice the potatoes thumbnail size.

Method
In a pot, heat oil and add the mustard only when the oil is hot. Allow the mustard to crackle before adding the onions and cook this till translucent. Now add the tomatoes and cook for a minute more before adding the garlic and ginger paste. This needs to be stirred in the pot for a minute. Drop the heat and add any ready made meat masala. Add four tablespoons of water and let this cook for a minute.

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Faith

Winds of Change – Saturday, 13th week in ordinary time – Mt 9:14-17

Chapters 8 and 9 of the Gospel of Matthew, focus on ten miracle narratives. Matthew, unlike Mark will brush over the elaborate details of the miracle but will always settle of the focus point; Jesus is the Son of God. But Matthew has also punctuated these two chapters with three calls to discipleship. The first was the ‘would be followers of Jesus’ then  the ‘call of Matthew himself’ in verse nine onwards and finally in verse thirty five we have the teaching on the’ harvest being rich but the labourers being few’.

Today, we are in the second teaching on discipleship. Jesus has called Matthew and now he and his friends are feasting with Jesus much to the disapproval of the Pharisees. But these attacks must not be seen in isolation. Chapter nine sees three sets of people attacking Jesus. It begins with the scribes in verse three, then the Pharisees in verse eleven and now in our text of today we have the disciples of John the Baptist himself.

The last group comes across as a shocker! Why would the disciples of Jesus’ cousin themselves criticise Jesus? Let us hypothetically but rather safely put it down to sour grapes and a dwindling congregation. While we have sufficient evidence to show that the Baptists (followers of John) were certainly popular during Jesus’ lifetime, the fact that Jesus was drawing crowds could only mean that he was drawing crowds from their following.

So they join the Pharisees in taking on Jesus. Note the line of questioning, ‘why do your disciples not fast but we, the Pharisees and the disciples of John, fast?’ There are two things to observe here. First, they are not directly accusing Jesus but pointing fingers at his disciples. In short they are subtly stating that the disciples are ‘bad’ because the master is bad. Secondly, this is a case of ‘spiritual one up-manship’. In making this statement they are effectively telling Jesus, ‘we are spiritually better than you.’ That sounds like a lot of what continues today.

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Food

Kerala style Egg curry in coconut milk

Boiled Eggs – 6 to 8
Coconut oil- 3 tablespoons
Onion – 2 large, minced
Tomatoes – 3 large, finely chopped
Green chillies – 2, minced
Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon- I inch stick
Cardamom- 3
Pepper corns – 6
Ginger and garlic paste- 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder- 1 teaspoon
Red chilli powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Tamarind – small ball dissolved in water
Coconut milk – one cup or dissolve 25 grams of coconut milk powder in half cup water
Curry leaves – three sprigs
Salt to taste

Mise en place ( preparation)
Cut vegetables as indicated above and boil eggs in water for ten minutes. Place them in the water with a spoon so as to not crack the egg or burn your hand. Add a tablespoon of white vinegar to the water. After ten minutes drain and allow it to cool in cold water. When cold, de-shell the eggs. Some people like to have their eggs a bit runny, in which case boil the eggs for seven and a half minutes.

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Art/ Heritage

LUCA SIGNORELLI: The Resurrection of the Flesh, 1499 – 1502, Fresco, Chapel of San Brizio, Duomo, Orvieto

 ‘If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through His Spirit that dwells in you.’ (Romans 8:11)

 The Resurrection of the flesh forms the culmination of the proclamation of the Christian creed. In continuation of his depiction of the Apocalypse, Signorelli enlivens this tenet of faith through the vigour of his brush and the liberty of his genius.

We are in the Chapel of San Brizio nestled within the Duomo at the heart of Orvieto, Italy. As soft light bathes the interior of the transept, we are welcomed into a world beyond time. It is the ‘Last Day’, ‘the End of the World’. Christ Parousia is close at hand. As we gaze upwards, gradually the skies begin to open to an unprecedented golden glow. Heaven seems to descend amidst a million twinkling stars. A host of cherubs are seen dancing to the tunes of grace.

The vagueness of their being brings clarity to the scene. Two mighty Archangels with robust wings cover the upper-half of the canvas. Their fluttering drapery, twirling ribbons render to the ‘rushing wind’ that envelopes them. The attached Crusader flags hover through the atmosphere. The Archangels are seen gazing at the planet while blasting the Last trumpet.

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Food

Fried Karela with desiccated coconut and toasted moong dal

Karela or bitter gourd is a big put off for many people. It’s bitter taste does not stand a chance with most people in the hierarchy of palatable foods. But this vegetable is packed with more nutrition and health benefits than many of its more fancy and more sought after counterparts.

For this dish I will let you in on some tips that help you reduce the bitterness as well as compliment the flavours

Karela – 1 kilo
Moong dal – three tablespoons
Desiccated coconut (unsweetened)-four tablespoons
Onion powder – 1 1/2 tablespoon
Ginger garlic paste- one teaspoon
Chilli powder – 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder- 1 teaspoon
Cumin powder – 3/4 teaspoon
Turmeric – 1/2 teaspoon
Salt
Oil as required

Mise en place (preparation)
Soak the moong dal for about twenty minutes. Drain and pat it dry.

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