The horrible shooting up of prices of necessary commodities is alarming, with the Cooking gas( LPG) getting costlier , and so are the pulses, the legumes, the condiments, spices, fruits, and above all the local transport fares, everything becoming dearer and dearer. According to the figures  provided by NetIndian , the prices of pulses were up by 34.14 per cent from a year ago, milk by 21.12 per cent, fruits by 13.55 per cent, rice by 6.45 per cent, cereals by 5.11 per cent, wheat by 4.21 per cent and vegetables by 4.32 per cent.How is a common man supposed to survive ?

I am sure, like me, you too must have heard or read  what all the politicians, the wholesalers, the vendors, the mall owners etc. are ranting about the system, each alleging the other person for being responsible for the unreasonable  hike.

Now since I am not good at understanding economics , can anyone please explain me the reasons given by those in power, regarding the unreasonable hikes?

1: Short supply and increased demand…

The population do play a significant role in disrupting the balance of demand and supply, no doubts about that, but can someone explain me what are hundreds of sacks of sugar , wheat etc are doing in  dock or warehouses of India, if there is such a shortage of these commodities in market? Who is responsible for the black marketing of these ? Is the supply really short or is it being artificially inoculated  by people having vested interests ?

2: Fuel price hike in world markets: Now I can understand the global hike in petrol and diesel rates impacts the economy of India too. But can somebody explain me why is petrol and diesel used in fleet vehicles or the goods trucks? Why isn’t CNG used instead, its half the price of gasoline, it is  more environment friendly and is commonly used in developed countries like US, for the fleet vehicles or transport trucks. Secondly not all the transportation of  vegetables and fruits occurs via petrol and diesel driven trucks. There are carts used, CNG driven tempos and autorikshaws are used too. So isn’t quoting petrol rates hikes in global market the reason for inflation, sound bit illogical? I may be wrong, so kindly correct me !

3: Bad Monsoon last year: Since India’s economy highly depends upon the agriculture, which in turn is at mercy of Monsoon, this reason might sound convincing. But wait a minute, read what India Reels have to say :

Government announced a drought in India which is assumed naturally to be the main reason behind the price rise. The facts, however, say otherwise. The possibility of a drought became apparent barely in late July 2009 and its effects – a below average crop of paddy, pulses, potatoes (Kharif crop) and sugar – would only begin to be felt with lower arrivals in the market from October onwards. Last year’s drought could account for the price rise over the last two months; prices however have been on the rise since the beginning of 2008.

4: Surge in purchasing( And Spending ) power of Middle and upper Middle class sector:

I guess this could be one of the most  debatable but sadly, a valid reason behind the inflation. Previously a common middle class lady, would hold herself back  to pick up over priced vegetables, and would think of substitutes. For eg. if tomatoes got dearer, she would avoid stocking it in regular quantities and would rather opt for lemons or Tamarind to bring the tangy-ness in her meals.  In past, if  Moong dal prices would go up, the family used to rely on other Pulses. Now its just the opposite. If sugar price is up, we stock more sugar , dreading its disappearance from market.Though nowadays almost everything cost a bomb, its hard to shun everything from the pantry but stocking pulses, vegetable oil , and other comparatively  slowly perishable things like potatoes and onions  is causing a ripple effect.  But does anyone agrees to the funda, that if consumers stop buying food commodities like sugar, dal, pulses that are overly priced, it could send a clear message to those hoarders in wholesale market , who stock these in huge amounts just to trigger inflation. What about a mass boycott of these essential commodities for few days? Would it help to combat the price hike or would it make matters more worse for genuine farmers and retailers?

Can’t there be more Farmers market , where the locally grown crops are sold by farmers directly, with no intervention of politicians and middle man.

The government could least allot places for farmers market, or better still, cant  housing societies organize such  temporary markets where the local farmers can sell off their crops  in  societies.

Regarding spending powers, here is one incident that happened last week that will prove my point.

After the News channels bombarded us with Petrol and diesel hikes , and the hikes in Rikshaw fares, I expected a daily tussle  with those ummm..not so modest Rikshaw wallahs. So while I waited for a Rick outside my home, I saw one approaching , and a  lady got down from the rick. As she and the rick wallah were working upon the amount of money as per meter, I was shocked to see the lady willingly paying more than actual rates. Assuming myself as a good citizen I pointed out that to lady, and she gave me one darn look but said politely ” Oh Dear, I sympathize with poor people its just matter of few rupees, and if affluent people wont help these poor, who else will? Besides didn’t you read the newspaper that states Petrol and diesel prices have surged.

I felt this strong urge to shoot back at her with ” Oh Dear, I sympathize with your hardworking husband and if educated people like you wont understand the core problem who else will? Besides didn’t you checked the label on Rick, that reads  CNG ? It was not  running on  Petrol or diesel !

But I stopped myself from uttering single word..sigh !

5: Growing Fetish of Indians for Imported food

Why can’t government concentrate on improving quality of fruits grown in India rather than importing those genetically tampered fruits or vegetables.Does transporting Apples from Kashmir cost more than importing from Chile or Washington ?By the way are you aware that those bright red looking Apples that you happily purchase at 140 Rs/Kg are actually more than 5-12 months old? Yeah as many of you might be knowing that these fruits are coated with shellac and carnauba wax for that extra sheen and to protect them from getting spoiled , and this wax coating  could be got rid only after scrubbing the apples with soap and water..now who does that to fruits?

Does oranges imported from US  requires less fuel than when transported from Nagpur or Nasik? Why is there more demand of Golden bananas than local Elaichi variety? Why do we seek seedless dates from abroad if you  can grow these in arid climatic conditions of  Northwest Rajasthan. Why do we generate demands for imported goods, when we know that majority of those are not organically grown and have highly tampered genes. Our purchasing power have shifted the demand from locally grown products towards  the imported ones. Since goods anywhere outside India are costlier than India(If sources are to be believed , In India, there is anywhere from 8- 50 % of custom duty on the fresh fruits and vegetables from abroad), so it  doesnt require a great Mathematician to calculate that how could this “Imported Food” fad could be  harmful for our home budgets. Yet we  generate huge demand, and then cry foul about inflation.

6. Liquidity shortage ( As pointed out by Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahulwalia(Source:Hindu.com)

The system was facing liquidity shortage owing to the more than Rs. 67,000-crore outgo for payment of the fees for 3G spectrum, and another Rs. 38,000 crore towards the spectrum fees for broadband wireless spectrum. Besides, corporates were paying advance taxes for the first quarter this fiscal.

Is going for 3G spectrum more necessary than to imply corrective measures to DEFLATE inflation ? Since the government  blamed  lack of ample Monsoon last year for the shortage, wasn’t it more practical to ban export of such commodities  or upgrade  methods of agriculture in India to harvest more goods ? Is having a world class wireless spectrum more important than curbing inflation?

7.Corruption: Well you go anywhere in the world, in any  official or commercial department, you are bound to bump into at least some  corrupt people. The way people in power are getting rich in current  scenario, makes me ponder why isn’t inflation pinching their pockets?

I  seek explanations for  many more things like that, but I guess I have to stop myself at one point or other, since  its hard for a naive person like me to understand the nitty gritty of economics, inflation, market talks, GDP, global influence and commodity markets, fiscal policies etc.

I just want to know one thing……Are there any solutions?

After enjoying a relaxing vacation of  my baby, from school, the life is back on routine tracks. The hectic mornings are back in fashion and the Summer blues  paved the way for Monsoon Grey(s). The weather is  turning as beautiful as one can wish for, with misty mornings, cloudy sky, drizzling rains  with intermittent thunder showers…A perfect season to indulge in fried delicacies, like Samosa, Pakora (Bhaji) or Choley Bhaturey ……well we chose the last one, and ended up relishing bhatura with kala chana (Black chickpeas) curry, instead of regular Kabuli chana.

Kala chana or Black Chickpeas in Onion Tomato gravy

• Black Chickpeas or kala chana 200 gms
• Onions 2 large
• Tomatoes 2
• Garlic 8-10 cloves
• Ginger
• Green chillies 3 (or as per need)
• Garam masala powder 1/2 tsp
• Salt
• Turmeric powder
• Red chilly powder
• Chana Masala powder 1/4 tsp ( optional)
• Oil 2 tspn or more

Method

• Wash and soak chickpeas for atleast 7 hrs. USe these as such or let these sprout for a day or so.
• Boil them with salt, till half cooked.But if you are using sprouted Black chickpeas, then skip boiling these separately as the sprouted chickpeas get cooked fast even if cooked along with gravy.
• In a pressure cooker, pour some oil and fry onion till brown in colour
• Cool and grind fried onions along with ginger, garlic, chillies and tomatoes.
• Now pour this mixture again in pressure cooker , add some salt(remember there is already some amount of salt in chickpeas), garam masala powder, chana masala(optional) and fry it for 2-3 minutes, or till the oil starts separating out.
• Now add half boiled chana and Bhuno it further for about 5 min.
• Add some water,close lid of cooker and wait till 3-5 whistles. Do not worry as the black chickpeas are thick skinned, so there is hardly any risk of mushy surprises .
• Adjust the consistency of gravy , it should be not too watery, nor too dense.Enjoy with roti, rice or Bhature.

And now here comes and interesting info….

Remember my post on “Wanna be on National Tv” ?

Well here are some other details for all of you who wish to showcase their culinary powers on a television show.

Auditions for MASTERCHEF INDIA in MUMBAI (To be aired on Starplus) from Thrusday 24th June till Saturday 26th June … ALL DAY !!!

Just get food prepared from home , 2 photographs and an Id proof.

TIMINGS :- 11am to 7 pm

ADDRESS – COLOSCEUM MEDIA PVT LTD, 105 – 110 , Sangeet Plaza, Marol Maroshi Road , Near Marol Fire Brigade , Andheri East, Mumbai – 59

Phone – 9820125231

Do check out..who knows you might turn out to be a Master Chef !

But then if wishes were horses , beggars would ride…sounds cliche I know, but then so very true.Not all that we wish is bound to come true. There are wishes, but then there are wishes… which do come true…like the one,when I wished to get a Sindhi pickle recipe and  the wish was granted.Thanks Pooja Juriani, for sending the lovely recipe and for all the efforts that you took to click the pictures too.

Ambriyun ji Khatairn, as in Sindhi, is a Raw mango pickle, highly popular in India. There are many variations of the recipe, each one imparting a unique flavor to the mighty Mangoes, pickled and relished in almost every household in India.

Just head over to Beyond curries to check out the recipe, and walk around here, drooling at the tangy picture

No, I wont talk  about the fire barfing Sun, neither about the “Laila” , the spoiler cyclone that is scaring the hell out of the people of Andhra. I wont talk about the global warming that is responsible for the unbearable temperature shifts, melting icebergs, Ash spewing volcanoes…no..no such talks today…I am too paranoid of heat to even talk about it.

So lets talk about some cool stuff  … Swimming pools, water parks, Beaches,  Summer coolers, Ice creams, Fresh fruit juices, curd….curd? Oh yeah, the humble curd…churn it to make sweet lassi, or spicy Chaach(buttermilk), eat it with pulav(one pot meal..ideal for summers), or simply with rice or Khichdee, make some light curries with it, make a vegetable or boondi raita and enjoy with paratha, Dodo or Koki,  or simply add some sugar to a bowl of curd and relish….I bet, it won’t disappoint you in any of it’s avatars .

At home, I always try to stock some surplus of curd , and most of the time we are able to exhaust the stock. But some times we do have some leftover curd, threatening to get soured if not consumed soon. At such times (specially if its evening time when I finally get to notice the poor curd crying for the attention) I give in to my  cravings for a chaat and indulge in Bread chaat… ummmm delicious ! I wonder why  guilty pleasures are so heavenly ?

Bread Chaat

Ingredients for Bread chaat (Makes 2 servings)

• Bread slices (white/ brown/fresh/stale) 3
• Curd  1 cup(or approximately 16 tsp)
• Potato 1, boiled , peeled and chopped finely
• Salted boondi , soaked and squeezed, 1 tiny cup
• Khajur imli Chutney 12 tsp (You can just mix some tamarind juice with sugar or melted jaggery when in hurry)
• Salt as per taste
• Chaat masala as per liking
• Black pepper powder for garnishing
• Red chilly powder for garnishing
• Coriander leaves for garnishing

How To Make  Bread chaat:

• Boil, cool, peel and chop a potato. Soak  and later squeeze salted boondi. Sprinkle some salt, red chilly powder, chaat masala if you like.
• Whisk the curd and add some water if needed to make a smooth flowing consistency of curd. Add salt.
• Cut each bread slice into four, and deep fry/shallow fry/bake till crisp golden brown (PS:I am unsure how the baked version will taste, since I am yet to try that one. Anyone who knows how it tastes, kindly enlighten me ! )
• Drain on kitchen towel to get rid of excess oil (takes away some of your guilt too ). Let it cool down to room temperature. If not using right away (What??? you can wait to eat it ?? Admiring your patience..really  ! ) store it in airtight containers.
• For serving, arrange the bread pieces on a plate, pour some imli khajur chutney , some potato and boondi, some generous spoons of whisked curd ( use less curd if you like to bite on crispy bread, and add more if you like to relish some soft bread dunked in curd…make a choice ! ).
• Garnish with pepper powders and chaat masala, and some fresh coriander leaves.You can also use some thin Sev (Nylon sev).
• Relish immediately, you don’t want those nagging thoughts of calories, weight, deep fried taboo stuff to spoil the show..so hurry up, gobble it down before any revolting thoughts strike your mind…Enjoy !

Sindhis tend to like Bhee, though it is bland in taste and could be awful with all its HAIRY TALES, but trust me if you can, slicing it in right way, cooking it till perfectly done and combining it with some flavorful spices, is all that it needs to get hooked to the mighty Bhee.

Seyal Bhee Patata( Lotus stem and potato cooked in Onion Base )

Ingredients:

• 2 Potatoes -Do not peel the skin.Just clean the surface thoroughly and if needed soak whole potatoes in warm water for few minutes and then gently scrap any mud residues.You can go ahead and peel it too if the skin is not clean enough
• Lotus stem(roots) or Bhee. Here again thoroughly wash the stem and get rid of the mud.The pores of stem, if still muddy, could be cleaned with tooth picks, or again soak them in warm water and hold these under running tap for few seconds to wash away any residual mud. Depending upon the size and thickness, you might need about 8-10 ,1″ thick  pieces of bhee. And don’t forget to slice those in slant slices, or else gear up for  the hairy stuff ahead
• 2 large Onions
• 2 medium sized tomatoes
• Ginger about 1″
• Garlic 2-3 cloves(optional)
• Green chillies 2-3 depending upon your taste
• 1 /4 tspn Garam Masala
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Dhania Powder
• 1/2 tsp Jeera powder
• Salt to Taste
• 2-4  tspn Oil
• Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

• Clean and cut bhee into slanting slices and pressure cook them with some salt and water till 2 whistles are heard(Depending upon the quality of Bhee, it might take longer to cook.Ideally a knife or toothpick should softly pass through the slice of cooked bhee.Do not overcook it)
• Remove the bhee from cooker and place aside.Clean the potatoes and cut them into large chunks.To peel or not to peel is your choice. I generally like potatoes with their skin on, unless these are too muddy or stained. Add some salt and keep aside. Soak in water if potatoes start to turn black.
• In a pan or handi, add 2-4 tspn of oil, and saute chopped onions, along with crushed  ginger and garlic.
• When onions turn translucent , add chopped tomatoes, green chillies and saute for a while. Add potato chunks and cook on high heat for few seconds.
• Lower the heat, add some salt (beware there is already some salt in bhee and potatoes), all dry masalas and cover the pan with lid.If the mixture is too dry, sprinkle some water.Put on some heavy weight on the lid, so as to facilitate cooking of potatoes.
• Add bhee in somewhere mid of the procedure and mix well. Keep cooking on lowest flame with weight on the lid of the pan, sprinkling some water now and then (if the mix. tend to stick to the bottom of the pan).
• When the potatoes  are cooked, the curry is done. Garnish with some fresh coriander leaves and serve with Roti/chapati .

Other Bhee Recipes:

Bhee Paalak

Daagh Mein Bhee patata

Bhee Tikki

Other Seyal Recipes:

Seyal Pao

Seyal Phulko

Seyal Bhaji