feel of the vegetables

During the pandemic lockdown, what I missed the most was the forays into the vegetable market. 

Not only is it a welcome sight to "feel" the vegetables, you are sure you are picking up the real fresh ones. You don't get the same reassurance when ordering online. The above picture was clicked at the famous Mandai market in Pune when I had been there during my last visit. We bought some mangoes and kept ourselves busy by making mango pickles. Here is one batch ready to be bottled. 

Last week the yield from our kitchen garden was only two drumsticks, some tomatoes and lots of red chillies, so we bought some more drumsticks from the market and made sambhar out of it. Drumstick is one of those rare plant species whose seeds, flowers, leaves, and stems are edible and extremely nutritious. Moringa commonly referred to as drumstick is treated as a 'super plant' for its unique yet powerful properties that combat different ailments in our system.

Talking of the kitchen garden, the Aloe Vera is growing wild and we have been steadily trimming it down. (in other words throwing it away)

I know it is supposed to be medicinal and used for beauty treatments, but I don't have the faintest idea how it is to be consumed. At times I rub the fleshy part of the cut pieces on the elbows and I did notice that the black spots on the elbow have reduced. Another thing that we grow in our kitchen garden is wheat grass. 

Wheat Grass juice is good for health. It increases the Hb level in the blood and can be taken on a daily basis. The procedure to take the juice is simple. Sow some wheat in a shallow pot (approx 1 square feet) On the seventh day cut the grass and squeeze out the juice which can be consumed immediately. You must have noticed a different type of watermark on the above pictures.It is because of a site known as Dreamstime, where I upload some of my pictures.     It is a picture stock site where potential customers go through your pictures and if they like it they buy it. For example the wheat grass picture has been sold nine times, so I would say it is a win win situation.

Nedumudy and Fish curry

When wifey saw the drumstick in our garden she said "let us make some fish curry"

So it was my duty to pluck one and the instructions were very clear  "make sure you cut the fat one as the other one is still tender"

It was washed and peeled and cut into equal pieces (I have always wondered how she manages to cut them exactly into the same length without using a measuring tape) 

I kept hovering around in the kitchen as I wanted to click the finished product. I saw that she was following the recipe "Meen Muringakka curry" 

The aroma and the taste when fish is cooked in a chutty (earthen pot) is very appetising 

As she was cooking I glanced through the recipe book and found that this Meen curry happens to be a delicacy of Nedumudy, one of the larger villages of Kuttanad (Kerala)

This village takes you to a picturesque hidden nature known as Munnattumukham, where three rivers mingles each other and flows. This is the spot where the river  Manimala joins the river Pampa 

So now there is only one drumstick remaining, and my guess is that this will go into the Sambhar next week. 

  

Padmam

Every time when I go to Padmam aunty’s house, she is busy with one of her creations. Nowadays its mostly painting sarees. She says that most of these are sold even before she finishes painting them. 

So it is not surprising to see that her posture and concentration is the same in practically all the pictures but the saree and the designs keeps changing. 

Her admirers are from different quarters of the world and some of them have even made me promise to arrange an audience with her when they visit Pune.   

She loves the sambhar that wifey makes. So it is a mutual admiration society. 

Some of her work that was recently framed and which has found a place in the drawing room. 

These two pictures shows how steady her hand is and how she looks at the finer details while painting 

It is not only painting, she loves to dabble with any form of art, like this cross stitch which is in one of her grandson’s room 

I had written about her previous work eight years ago.

One of the things that she misses now a days is the yearly visit by the flock of Munia that used to visit her balcony. (you can read it here)  Blame it on climatic changes and the unpredictable monsoon. 

Whatever the changes, I never miss having the yearly Onam Sdhya with her. In fact I have observed her directing the family members how and where each item has to be placed on the banana leaf, the proper traditional way.

Update: A saree she painted in December 2017

Update: March 2018 - using the self design of the saree to paint in the colours.

A picture of her on her 97^th birthday which was in July 2017.  

Update : 23rd Nov 2018

Yesterday I saw her painting on a black saree.