Getting a true friendship has always been hard, but nowadays it is even more difficult. Everybody is selfish in one or other ways. Most of Indian people we met in stores usually give us a damn look, some time I have seen ladies who keep the face down and pick the vegetables at the same time, I am standing there. I don’t know that technique, we both husband and wife wonders a lot how come they are doing. However there are lots of others who will smile and at times even manage to say at least say hello. Then there is another set of people who smile talks friendly and then exchange phone number. Then they will call two times to check how you are. Third call will be they have a business and you have to join.
Yesterday we had an Indian couple visited us, whom we met at IKEA, my little one smile at them and they started talking. Both husband and wife are working and have a 4 year old kid, I thought, it will be good to have some play friend for my child, I too show interest and given the phone number. They called two times and yesterday called and told us they are visiting us, we were happy. I even thought of making something special for them. But just at the very end of the conversation on the phone, they also started singing the same song “they have business and want to talk about us”. Since we were committed my hubby told me to let them come and so we can learn what that business is and it turned out be Amway. They want to sell the things we have to join their group. We told them we are not interested, we don’t have much time, then their answer was extra money won’t hurt you. We told them we are happy with whatever we have now. Finally they left with saying that if you do business then only we can meet together a lot of times otherwise we won’t meet each other much. In my hometown language there is saying that “ Poye vazhiye pullum mullakilla” means not even grass will be grown in their way. On the contrary there is another couple we met so nice and welcoming. I believe in my hubby’s words if you don’t smile you won’t know who is nice and who is bad. Not all are bad, some are good, and that is why there is progress on this earth.
Okay, I have to come back to food. When you buy beautiful and colorful bell peppers, what you would do? Make salad isn’t, yes I do the same thing. My little one eats red, orange and yellow bell peppers with little bit of salad dressing. I will say is healthy eating baby, she likes carrot, apple doesn’t need any sugar rush exception ice creams. She screams at them, she doesn’t know when to stop. She likes her dad’s sugarless tea.
On our grocery shopping, I bought yellow, green, orange bell peppers, I had made salad with one each, I had another set left in hand, so decide to make curry with them. First thought of make stir fry with them with coconut. Then decide to skip that idea and make this typical rural Maharashtrian side dish. The typical Maharashtrian cooking involves making some simple vegetable sides or lentil stew (Amti) and rice and bread. ‘Zunka” is common side used along with flat bread made of Sorghum (Jowar) or millet (bajre) flour. Zunka is distinct cousin of other side dish called pithale, both dishes are made with chickpea/besan flours and vegetables. These healthygrain flat bread and this sides makes unique good carbohydrates and protein rich combo.
This simple mildly spiced curry is best side dish for flat bread; I don’t like it with rice. Goodness of this recipe is that it retains the crunchiness and color of bell peppers. Aroma of slightly fried chickpea flour marriage well with crunchy bell peppers, next time I may increase the heat little bit. If you are fan of mild curry then go for it. It won’t disappoint you. Here goes the recipe.
One year ago:CCB Thoran/CCB Stirfry
Print recipe from here
What you need
Chickpea flour/Besan: ¼ cup
Red chili powder: ¼ teaspoon
Green chili: 1 no
Onion chopped: 1 cup
Orange bell pepper chopped: 1 cup
Yellow bell pepper chopped: 1 cup
Green bell pepper chopped: 1 cup
Salt: ½ teaspoon or to taste
Coriander powder; ½ teaspoon
Mustard seeds: ½ teaspoon
Cumin seeds: ½ teaspoon
Olive oil: 1 tablespoon
Ginger: 1 inch piece
Garlic: 3 cloves
Curry leaves: 1 sprig (optional, not on traditional dish)
How I made
In a skillet dry roast the chickpea flour/besan for 3 minutes or until raw smells goes and aroma of fried flour comes out. Set aside.
In a same skillet add oil and mustard seeds, cumin seeds when they starts spluttering add chopped onion, green chili, curry leaves and fry for about 4 minutes. To this add turmeric powder and fry for another 2 minutes then add ginger-garlic paste and fry for 2 minutes to remove the raw smell.
Then add chopped bell peppers, chili powder and coriander powder cook for about 8 minutes or until bell peppers get cooked but not mushy. To this add roasted chickpea flour/besan and cook for about 3 minutes or until chickpea flour/besan gets coated with each piece of bell peppers .
Enjoy with any flat bread
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 serving
Verdict: Mildly spiced curry
Will you make it again: Yes I will
I am linking this to Hearth and Soul Hop#49
This is Swathi ( Dr. Ambujom Saraswathy Ph.D) from Zesty South Indian Kitchen who loves to explore cuisines from all over the world. Whenever possible I try to to give an Indian touch to several of the world cuisine, and has weakness for freshly baked bread. All the recipes you see here are created by me and approved after taste-test by my family.
Vardhini says
Colorful dish. What you said is totally true .. i have such experiences too.
Vardhini
VardhinisKitchen
Ananda Rajashekar says
new for me....looks so colourful!!
Sarah Naveen says
Busy busy??
Miriam says
I hate it when people pretend to want to be your friend then just want you to join up on some multi-level marketing thing! Why can't people just be nice to be nice?! Sorry you went through that, I think we all have 🙂
The food looks great! Miriam@Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters
Reeni says
Your bell peppers are so colorful and delicious sounding Swathi! I like that you used chickpea flour - love the flavor. It's hard for me to find good friends too - there are lots of crazy, unstable people in the world and they all seem to find me.
Panchpakwan says
Delicious and come out so perfect..all time fav:)
Mary says
What a beautiful dish. That photo is so vibrant it almost pulses. I know I'd enjoy this dish. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary
Jay says
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sook says
mmmmm I could so eat this right now!
revathi says
Lovely dish... So sorry to hear about your experience:( Don't give up... be cheerful. Like your hubby said- there are good people around and eventually u will meet them and from deep friendship:)
Reva
Adelina says
i feel your pain- the other day my daughter won a $25 gift card at the Hindu Mela at our Sai baba temple, the guy (Indian) comes to deliver it and talks for half an hour about New York Life Insurance, without even asking us "how are you guys? would you be interested....?"- but I am sure the dish made your day- looks crisp and ready to be gulped! (I am sure by now none left for me)
G.Pavani says
healthy n delicious stir fry..
Indie.Tea says
LOL, I know what you mean about the AmWay or other Ponzi scheme business people. Very annoying!
I'm not sure where in the U.S. you are, but here we have mandirs and Indian-American organizations, and classes in different Indian languages and dance and musical for little ones. Maybe a good way to find playmates for your little one?
And your dish looks delicious - very colorful and nice for the warm weather too.
Rani acharyulu says
Pity about these strange people.(Very difficult to get true good friends.)
Yummy n delicious capsicum recipe and beautiful clicks.
Rebecca from Chow and Chatter says
great dish sorry about the people selling amway how strange
Shanavi says
colourful n vibrant sabzi... perfect for roti's.
Rosita Vargas says
que rico plato saludable y colorido me encantó,cariños y abrazos.
julie says
wow..You have a wonderful space,yummy recipes too..
Visit mine when you get time
http://juls-tryntaste.blogspot.com/
Sobha Shyam says
really interesting dish..looks super delicious..
divya says
wow..that looks amazing and tempting...yum yum
michelangelo in the kitchen says
What a tasty, tasty bell pepper dish Swathi! Another one I have to make! This is ideal as a side dish anytime. Thanks for making such exciting veggie dishes! Cheers!!!
Kalyani says
looks delicious and glad to follow u ....
Jay says
interesting n yummy recipe..
Tasty Appetite
Event: Letz Relishh Ice Creams
Sarah Naveen says
ithu kollallao!!! looks so delicious..
Mexico in my kitchen says
Hi Swathi,
It is hard to get use to a new life and a new place but it is even more difficult to find true friends.
I have to tell you that after cooking full Indian meals at home, I have a higher respect for your culture and the women that made these dishes everyday. And let me tell you why. It takes a lot of time and preparation. The end result is great but measuring all the spices and getting everything ready takes some preparation.
Mely
SravsCulinaryConcepts says
wonderful and very colorful dish !!
The 21st Century Housewife© says
Your photographs are beautiful Swathi, and I can almost smell your delicious peppers cooking! The spices sound just wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing this post with the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop.
Peggy says
what a great way to use up those bell peppers =)
Priya (Yallapantula) Mitharwal says
Absolutely loved your step by step pics, great recipe 🙂
Suja says
Awesome and colorful dish...tempting clicks dear.
RAKS KITCHEN says
Sounds very simple yet yummy recipe! New to me!
JishasKitchen says
excellent curry swathy..:)...looks very delicious and tempting and I loved the last click...sorry to hear abt your exp with amway people..actually i can understand how it feels b'coz even we went through the same situation when we came first in US....:(...and u r right now a days, getting a true friendship have become very difficult..
VineelaSiva says
Simple and yummy curry love it .Love the step by step pics.
Sensible Vegetarian says
Lovely curry, looks colorful with the addition of yellow bell pepper. Swathi you know where ever there is lot of Indian population the attitude is like that. If you like in a small town or in a place where the community is less, people are more friendly and the bonding is better. I live in Edison and I know perfectly what you are talking about.
Sushma Mallya says
Loved the way u prepared it swathi looks so yum and perfect!
Manuela says
Ohhh luckily I never met anyone like that... yet! But I agree with your husband: do not give up, there are good people out there, people who really deserve your friendship! 🙂
BTW, this recipe sounds really yummy, I love the fact that it is made with besan! 🙂
Priya says
One of my fav zunka, love it with rice or rotis..delicious!
Raji says
Nice curry Swathi..I love the flavour of besan in this.
Babli says
Very beautiful dish. Looks colourful, flavourful, delicious and tempting. Wonderful presentation.
Padhu says
Looks colorful and tempting
Prathibha says
I made this 4 lunch,nice coincidence..:)
just love this..:)
Vardhini says
I do the same with zucchini too.
Vardhini
VardhinisKitchen
Treat and Trick says
Very colorful and yummy dish!
http://treatntrick.blogspot.com
Pushpa says
Colorful and delicious combination..Lovely recipe.
Rekha shoban says
yummy yummy!!looks colourful!
Sharmilee! :) says
Stir fry with chickpea flour sounds a interesting idea
SouthIndianHome says
Colorful and yummy recipe
South Indian Recipes
Nandini says
This is an awesome dish with bell-peppers! It's very colourful!
Rumana Rawat says
This is my all time fav and delicious looking dish:)
Joanne says
My uncle used to sell Amway. And, well. It's all total crap. So you made the right decision! Though it kind of stinks that they had to be so rude about it!
At least your food looks delicious!
Hari Chandana says
Lovely and colorful recipe.. looks soooooo yummy !!!
Indian Cuisine
Kurinji says
Colorful and yummy recipe.
Ms.Chitchat says
Very colorful and tempting dish.
Suman Singh says
I am hearing about this amway business alot these days..so sorry to hear abt your experience..but I totally agree with ur hubby, not everyone is like that..coming back to the dish, mirch zunka looks simply mouth watering..never cooked bell pepper this way..must try!
laurie says
this is brilliant!I'm trying this tomorrow,, I 'm so glad I found you,,
Hamaree Rasoi says
Your dish looks beautiful. Yes you are right, it is because of few good persons that the world is still worth living. Most people do not realize that even a smile can heal your problems and encourage to make friends.
Deepa
Hamaree Rasoi
Priti says
Very interesting and looks very gud ...shall try it ..I agree some ppl just try to friendly for their own means
Candace says
Your dish is just beautiful, Swathi! I love how colorful it is and I can only imagine how wonderful it must smell when you are cooking it. Yum! I'm so sorry about your experience with the Amway people. I, too, have dealt with their persistence on more than one occasion. What part of "no" do they not understand? It's truly disheartening with how people are these days.
Angela says
So sorry about your Amway people:( It is not like it used to be when it comes to friends. This is a beautiful dish. I am very impressed.
Miriam says
What a beautiful dish Swathi! Miriam@Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters
Christy says
It's sad to hear how our world has turned into such a materialistic and selfish environment, where everything is all about benefits and how much you can help them or otherwise, no point in befriending you. it is all about self-interests; me me me and how you can help ME. There is no longer a thing as pure friendship, and it's really sad. Even old friends you know may only be there when you mean business; it gets really disappointing:(
Yeah, back to the food too, the dish looks absolutely colorful, and flavorful, I am sure!:) From the photos, really looks like there is just a lot of work involved, but the results are satisfyingly good:D
Priya Sreeram says
this is a good one swaathi- yum !the colours on the plate is vibrant
sonu says
hi swathi..thnk u for visiting palate corner,your coments are highly appreciated.read ur post and i do agree, even i dont understand why some ppl r so rude and have no gestures ... i have heard abt this amway business and to b very frank even in my family some ppl r doin this business in US and i know how they push u to be a part of their business ,they want to spread all over world abt it ..newaz u shud just 4get these kind of ppl..not worth talking abt them..
btw mirchi jhunka looks delish..i make this with green bell pepper only ,luved the idea of using coloured bell peppers..glad to follow u !
Renata says
I've had a few experiences like yours, seem like nowadays not very many people do things for nothing in return, but we learn, sometimes the hard way.
I enjoy bell peppers and your dish sounds delicious.
Regarding the cookies, I left mine in the fridge because they are so moist. I'm not sure how long it will last, but I could bet at least a week if properly packed and refrigerated.
Now Serving says
What a colorful and delicious curry! LOVE it
divya says
Delicious and drool worthy..tempting me a lot.