Friday, May 31, 2013

Focus On Life ~ Week 23 ~ Foodie

This week Sally asked "Are you a foodie? Whatcha eating?"

Nope, am not a foodie. I cook, but enjoy it only when I am trying out something new, or I know it is for someone who will appreciate it. I can happily get by on cereal, Twix and Maggi Noodles.

But....

I married a foodie. A very picky foodie. And he likes rotis. So I make them almost everyday, 8 of them...5 for him, 3 for me. Now, if you say that to someone from my mom's generation..."I make them almost everyday", that will be a red flag. What do you mean "almost"? You don't cook everyday? Like twice or thrice a day?
But...being who I am, I feel mighty pleased with myself if I cook even one meal.

Coming back to the rotis. Hubby used to eat bread everyday before we met, then I started making them and he is hooked. When I am not in town, he gets them from the Indian store, but he says they are like cardboard, and I agree. They even look like cardboard.

My rotis are hardly perfect, they are never even round, but they are super thin. And my mother-in-law likes them, that is huge validation!
So a couple days back, while making my 6th roti of the day, I decided they will be the subject of my post for this week. Luckily, my phone was right by me. With the 7th roti in the pan, I rolled out the 8th one, washed my hands and clicked these.

Step 1: Knead the dough.
Step 2: Roll it out. Yes, I know its not round! Quiet, you!



Step 3: Roast it a bit on both sides in a pan. Usually, this is an iron pan, but I don't have one.



Step 3: Put it on the flame and puff it up into a nice round ball :-) Mine always puffs up, but just because I was taking a picture, this time it did not. And this was the last roti of the day, so I just clicked it...

I love the purple glow of the flames under this roti!

So this is what I am eating..almost everyday :)

Lets see what everyone else is eating, shall we?
Over to Sally's blog we go!
http://thestudiosublime.com/2013/05/31/week-23-foodie/

21 comments:

  1. Those look so good. I think I will have to give them a try. I mostly love to eat salads and fresh raw veggies, fruit and Mexican food. I just might be a foodie--not quite sure what all it means!!

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    1. Lol :) To me, foodie means anyone who is passionate about eating and/or cooking! I am neither, both are just necessary survival tools for me...

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  2. Making something almost every day makes you good at it. I bet your rotis are delicious. To me they look like tortillas. Are they similar in taste?

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    1. Thanks Mary! They taste good, but I have given up on trying to make them round. They start off fine, but as I try to make them thinner, they start losing their shape. And I find thick rotis quite unpalatable...guess I am spoiled about that. I was a very fussy eater as a child, and would eat only a specific number of these, so mom used to make them as thick as possible and smother them with ghee (that's clarified butter...collect all the fat from butter and you have ghee). So now I hate it like that :)

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  3. I must try a Roti (one of yours preferably). They look similar to a tortilla, but I have a feeling they don't taste similar. I'm curious, do you eat them plain, or put something on them or wrap them around or dip them in other foods/sauces?? Do tell. I too like the purple flame too Kashmira,...awesome shot w/your phone!

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    1. Shel...yeah,they are a lot like tortillas. I used to eat tortillas as a grad student when I didn't have time to make these and there was no Indian store nearby. But those were made from all purpose flour and were much thicker, and mostly had a lot of oil in the dough. My rotis are whole wheat and water for kneading the dough.

      As for how its eaten...no, not plain. Traditionally, we spread "ghee" on it (that's clarified butter...collect all the fat from butter and you have ghee), and then eat it with curries and/or daals. Daal is lentil soup. You gotta go to an Indian restauarant soon! They might not have rotis like these, but they will have the curries :)

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  4. It's amazing how many cultures have a similar type of bread. I may have to try making them. Thanks for showing how they are done.

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    1. You are very welcome, Patty! I bet you will find videos on youTube on how to make them too..

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  5. Kashmira thanx for sharing a part of your culture with us. Your rotis looks tasty.

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    1. Thanks Becky :) Yeah, I like them, and am spoiled, can't eat the store ones anymore!

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  6. I was very spoiled . Years ago when I worked in the lab I worked with a lovely Indian woman who loved to cooked - I loved to eat Indian food so it was a match made in heaven she would bring all sorts of lovely things in to share - homemade Samosa, Palak Paneer, Chana Masala and rotis! I miss her coooking!

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    1. That does sound like heaven! I make all that except the samosas...am not too good at deep frying. In fact, I didn't know how to until I met my husband. He did the frying for a few years after we started dating...then sweet talked me into learning. Now he barely enters the kitchen...sigh...why did I learn what he had already perfected?

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  7. It almost looks like a crepe. Do you eat it just like that or do you top it with fruit or something! I love how it puffs up.

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    1. Alice, traditionally, we spread "ghee" on it (that's clarified butter...collect all the fat from butter and you have ghee), and then eat it with curries and/or daals. Daal is lentil soup.

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  8. Oooh lovely, I've never tried a Roti, I have a recipe for them in my Indian Cook book, must give them a go

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    1. yes you must! I would also recommend looking up videos on how to make them...the first couple tries might be tricky without that. Good luck :)

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  9. Those look delicious!! They remind me of tortillas. I can't believe you make them daily. . .I've come to enjoy cooking, but I think making the same thing almost every day would drive me a little batty. At least it's something that looks that yummy :)

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    1. Oh it does drive me nuts. I have these phases where I refuse to eat them, I'll make them for the hubby and make something else for me. But they are more of a side thing...like bread, and then i make curry to go with it. If it was the main dish, then my mind would have been like a mushy ball of dough!

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  10. oh YUM! I can smell that all the way over on the East Coast!

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  11. My husband and I love them, too, but I have to admit we've only had them at Indian restaurants. I don't want him to know that I could make them for him. ; )

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  12. Well according to your definition, I must be part Foodie. :-) I do enjoy eating!
    These look SO good. This is coming from a big bread fan - I'd love to give these a try some time. I should enlist my 12-year old son who loves baking and making pancakes and waffles!

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