Appraisals done.....not too bad, so am not cribbing. Come to think of it, I have not cribbed regarding appraisals in years....either thats me getting complacent or then my boss is appreciating the work that I do. :-)

Yesterday D decided to go and watch Wimbledon along with S. The plan was that I meet D and S at Wimbledon straight from work, pick up A and travel back home while they go to wimbledon. Well, as usual the British weather played truant and it rained, so they had to abandon their plans and travel back home. Now maybe next year, the 3 of us can go and watch some matches.

So, yesterday I had this dilemna of what to make for dinner. I did not wnat anything heavy as I had pigged during the weekend. After a lot of dilly dallying deided to try Jowar Roti with Garlic Thecha.

It actually turned out pretty good.

Jowar Bhakri
Called Sorghum in English.

Bhakri (Jolada Rotti in Northern Karnataka), a variety of unleavened bread made from sorghum, is the staple diet in many parts of India such as Maharashtra state and northern Karnataka state. Bhakri is also sometimes made out of millet ("Bajari" in Marathi) flour. In eastern karnataka and Rayalaseema area of Andhra pradesh roti (Jonna rotte) made with Sorghum is the staple food.

I was reading about Jowar and supposedly US is one of the biggest producers of Jowar, but most of it is used as animal feed. Didn't know that .....

My earliest memory of Jowar bhakhri is the one which our maid servant got for me. It was her staple diet, but since we are from Kerala, Jowar was not something on our home menu. I still remember the taste of those rotis which was accompanied with ''sukat chutney'' (dried baby shrimps ground with chillies, salt, onion etc etc.) I need to get the recipe of this chutney.

2 Cups Jowar floor
Lukewarm water to make a firm dough
Salt to taste

Make a small depression in the flour and pour some water in to it and start the dough making process. Add some salt to taste. Keep adding water till you get dough with a firm consistency.

I noticed that the dough is very grainy as compared to wheat dough. You can compare it to corn dough which is also very grainy. No wonder it breaks when u try to make rotis with the normal belan. Make large sized balls with this dough and keep it aside.

Heat a frying pan (tava). Take a ball of dough and try flattening it in your hands. Then put it on the tava and flatten it out using ur fingers. Basically what u do is spread the dough outwards so that u get a round roti shape.U can sprinkle a few drops of water to make this easier.Once it browns on one side turn it over and sprinkle some water on it. Remove it from the girdle once its browned on both sides. Apply some butter on it (I like it with butter)


Garlic Thecha

4 garlic pods
1 tablespoon dry grated coconut
4 dried red chillies (reduce if u want it less spicy)
1.5 teaspoon cumin seeds
Salt to taste
2 teaspoon lemon juice (optional...I like it pungent) or 1 teaspoon tamarind

Dry roast cumin, chillies and coconut. Grind the cumin and chillies in a processor and then add the garlic cloves and salt and grind again. Remove it from the processor in to mortar and then add the grated roasted coconut and lime juice and then pound it with a pestle till its all mixed.

Serve with Bhakhri. I use the coconut as I am from the south and we use coconut in everything....:-))) also coconut reduces the spiciness of the chillies and gives the chutney a wholesome flavour.

I served the Bhakri with Thecha, half an onion, curd and Mango achar.

It was yum.

This is so nutritious and so simple.....reiterates the fact that food is best when its simple to prepare.