Nog 'n groot Indiese aandete / Another Big Indian Dinner

My vriende was lief vir die vorige Indiese aandete, dus het ek besluit om 'n nog groter een te maak :)! Dit was weer vegan en koring-vry sodat my vriendin Lailah alles kon eet. Hierdie keer wou ek die verskil tussen Noord- en Suid-Indiese kookkuns wys. Ek het twee hoofgeregte en twee voorgeregte bedien: navrattan sabzi korma (Noord-Indiese 'nege-juweel' groente-kerrie), snybeet en ui pakoras (Noord-Indiese poffertjies), botterskorsie sambar (Suid-Indiese ertjie-bredie) en masala vadas (Suid-Indiese urud dal poffertjies). Ek wou seker maak dat ek genoeg kos vir agt mense gekook het, maar ek het te veel gemaak! Alhoewel dit nie 'n probleem was nie, want oorskiet is nog beter :).

As jy nuuskierig is oor vegetariese Indiese kos (die beste vegetariese kos in die wêreld in my opinie) beveel ek aan die volgende resepteboeke:

The Indian Vegetarian deur Neelam Batra
Dakshin: Vegetarian Cuisine from South India deur Chandra Padmanabhan

My friends loved the previous Indian dinner, so I decided to cook an even bigger one! It was vegan and wheat-free again so that my friend Lailah could eat everything. This time, I wanted to show the difference between North and South Indian cuisine. I served two main dishes and two appetizers: navrattan sabzi korma (North Indian "nine-jewel" vegetable curry), swiss chard and onion pakoras (North Indian fritters), butternut squash sambar (South Indian pea stew), and masala vadas (South Indian urud dal fritters). I wanted to make sure that I cooked enough food for eight people, but I made too much! Though, this wasn't a problem since leftovers are even better :).

If you're curious about vegetarian Indian food (the best vegetarian food in the world, in my opinion), I recommend the following cookbooks:

The Indian Vegetarian by Neelam Batra
Dakshin: Vegetarian Cuisine from South India by Chandra Padmanabhan

Maak masala vadas / making masala vadas


Groente vir onderste laag van die korma / vegetables for the bottom layer of the korma


Braai die pakoras / frying the pakoras


Pappads


Die korma met saffraansous en gebraaide neute en rosyne bo-laag / The korma with saffron sauce and fried nut and raisin top layer


Sambar


Masala vadas


Pakoras


Alles / Everything


Peach cobbler nagereg / dessert van Lailah en Will!

Brug tot brug / Bridge to Bridge

Ek het net nou geregistreer vir my eerste wedren in 6 jaar! Dit is die Glide Floss Bridge to Bridge 7K/12K op 3 Oktober wat die Noord-Kalifornië Spesiale Olimpiese Spele bevoordeel. Die renbaan loop van die Bay Bridge na Golden Gate. Dit behoort natuurskoon en pret te wees. Ek kan nie wag nie!

I just registered for my first race in 6 years! It’s the Glide Floss Bridge to Bridge 7K/12K on October 3rd, which benefits the Northern California Special Olympics. The course runs from the Bay Bridge to Golden Gate. It should be scenic and fun. I can't wait!

Wie weit / Hoe ver / How Far

So my vordering met Duits gaan baie stadig. Dit is baie moeilik vir my om my aksent en uitspraak te verander wanneer ek oorskakel tale. Ewenwel, ek geniet luister na Duitse musiek. Jy hoef nie al die woorde verstaan te geniet nie, want jy kan nog die gevoel verstaan. Hier is 'n mooi, droefgeestige liedjie van die musiekgroep Klee wat ek vir die eerste keer op 'Alles was zählt' (Alles wat sake) gehoor het.

So my progress with German is going very slowly. It's quite difficult for me to change my accent and pronunciation when I switch languages. Even so, I enjoy listening to German music. You don't need to understand all the words to enjoy it, since you can still understand the emotions. Here's a beautiful, wistful song from the band Klee that I first heard on "Alles was zählt" (All That Matters).

Wie weit (Hoe ver / How Far)

Draf werk toe / Jog to Work

Vanoggend het ek vir die eerste keer 7km werk toe gedraf! Ek was stadig, maar ek het dit gedoen! Ek het die idee gekry toe ek uitgevind het dat daar 'n werkende stort by die kantoor is. Ek wou nie saam met 'n rugsak draf nie, so ek het gister 'n tweede stel van werkklere gebring.

Een van die dae hoop ek ook om na werk huis toe te draf, maar vir nou sal ek net terug fietsry. Ek beplan een keer per week om dit doen en miskien tweede keer per week in 'n paar maande.

This morning I jogged nearly 4.5 miles to work for the first time! I was slow, but I did it! I got the idea when I found out that there's a working shower at the office. I didn't want to jog with a backpack, so yesterday I brought a second set of work clothes.

One of these days I hope to jog back home after work, but for now I'll just ride my bike back. I plan to do this once a week and maybe twice a week in a few months.

Te veel e-pos! / Too Much E-Mail!

Ek het vandag amper 2,000 e-pos boodskappe geskrap. My gmail inbox is eindelik skoon! Terloops, hoe sê jy "inbox" in Afrikaans?

Today, I deleted nearly 2,000 email messages. My gmail inbox is finally clean! By the way, how do you say "inbox" in Afrikaans?

Saag Pulao, Rajma Rasmisa, Aloo Pakora

Vanaand het ek saam met my vriende Will en Lailah 'n groot Indiese aandete gehad. Ek het gekook en hulle het die skottelgoed gewas. Eksie perfeksie!

Tonight I had a big Indian dinner with my friends Will and Lailah. I cooked and they washed the dishes. Excellent!



Ek het my potjie vir diepbraai gebruik.

I used my South African cast-iron pot for deep-frying.



Ek het dikwels Indiese geregte saam met vlakte basmati rys of haldi chawal (Indiese geelrys) bedien, maar hierdie keer wou ek iets anders.

I usually serve Indian dishes with plain basmati rice or yellow rice, but this time I wanted something different.



Saag pulao, rajma rasmisa, aloo pakora

Rys met groenteblare, rooiboontjie-kerrie, kekerertjiemeel beslag gebraaide aartappels

Rice with leafy greens, kidney bean curry, chickpea batter-fried potatoes



Ek het nie vasgestelde resepte vir die bogenoemde geregte nie, maar jy kan baie weergawe aanlyn vind. Probeer een :)!

I don't have set recipes for the aforementioned dishes, but you can find many versions online. Try one :)!

Plaatkoekies / SA Flapjacks

Ek het vir die eerste keer plaatkoekies gemaak :). Ek het die resep van Rainbow Cooking gebruik. Heerlik!



I made South African flapjacks for the first time :). I used the recipe from Rainbow Cooking. Delicious!

Geen takeaway of restaurant kos nie / No Take-out or Restaurant Food

Ek het dit gedoen! Ek het verlede maand nóg takeaway nóg restaurant kos gekoop! Ek het nog meer as net tuisgemaakte geregte geëet, soos clif bars, so die titel van my vorige blogboodskap moes gewees het 'Tuisgemaakte kos en verskeie kruideniersware' ;). Voor hierdie persoonlike uitdaging het ek gemiddeld $30 per dag op kos gespandeer, maar in Augustus dit was gemiddeld $16. Baie beter, maar ek dink ek sal in September probeer om net $10 per dag te spandeer. Hier is 'n paar van die kosse wat ek gedurende Augustus gemaak het.

I did it! Last month, I bought neither take-out nor restaurant food! I still ate more than just homecooked dishes, like clif bars, so the title of my previous blog entry should have been "Homecooked food and various groceries" ;). Before this personal challenge, I spent an average of $30 a day on food, but in August the average was $16 :). Much better, but I think I'll try to spend only $10 a day in September. Here are a few of the foods I made during August.

Haldi chawal & matar dal (geelrys en gesplete droë ertjie kerrie / yellow rice and split-pea curry)


Pannekoek / South African crepe


Seitan tikka masala


Koreaanse styl eiers en verskeie banchan / Korean-style eggs and various banchan


Tofu tikka masala, aloo posto, mapo doufu (van my vriend, Baker)