MLLA-51 roundup, two accidents and a pumpkin story

In the past, I have promised to post event roundup on time and in most cases I have managed to do it too. So forgive me if I am a bit tardy in posting the round-up for MLLA-51. It has been a stressful month to say the least. First the kid was down with strep throat and missed four days of school. The next week I was down after catching his germs (isn’t that what moms are for?)

The week after that, the husband was in a T-bone accident. For the uninitiated, a T-bone accident is one where one car hits the other at a right angle, just like a T. So, if you are going straight on a road, minding your own business, following the speed limit and keeping a safe distance between the cars in front of you, you can still get hit from the side. It is especially brutal because you are caught off guard. If you have never been in a T-bone accident, I hope you never have to find out what it is. Fortunately, he was not hurt in any way. The impact was behind the passenger side door, right above the rear wheel.

Those white curtain are the air bags that deployed on the passenger side



As if one accident was not enough to last a lifetime, exactly eight days later, he got into another one. Yeah! What are the chances of getting hit from behind while at a red light, a week after getting T-boned? I am guessing very slim. But that is what happened to him.

At the end of it it was a seven car pile-up in two lanes all because the lady who caused it was in a hurry to be somewhere. She hit a car which hit the car in front of her which hit the truck behind the rental car he was driving. Meanwhile, the lady who hit the first car tried to veer from the accident and ended up hitting another car in the other lane which bumped into the car in front of it.  If it sounds confusing, just imagine four cars bumping into each other in one lane and two cars crashing into each other in the next lane because of a lady driving to somewhere in a hurry.

So, I am hoping you will forgive me for posting the roundup so late. There weren’t a lot of entrees this time and Susan attributed it to the long run of the event. She is thinking of retiring the event but I hope she doesn’t. I like legumes and it is good way to learn about all the diverse varieties and methods of cooking them.

For some reason, I am not able to upload the photos you sent me. I will try again in the evening adn see if they will upload. Meanwhile, let us get on with the roundup:

The first one, as always, is the prolific blogger PJ with her sprouted moong and tomato gravy.

In Toronto, Canada, Janet made a No-Bake Peanut Butter Mousse with a Chocolate Magic Shell for an outdoor picnic with her boyfriend.

Lubna made efficient use of a fresh batch of kunduri to make dal and a stir fry. Check out her favorite way of eating this delicious vegetable.

Another entry from Toronto, Canada comes from whom else but Toriew Toronto? She made use of green banana peels and made a yummy chutney.

Anshu made some finger-licking papri chaat from scratch for a chaat party organized at her home.

In Italy, Cindy made some delectable eggplant rolls with a hearty humus like stuffing made with cannellini beans.

Denise loves to cook with lentils and legumes. It is evident in the three entrees she sent this month:  

Microwaved Crunchy Moong Dal

Low fat black beanbrownies

Low fatvegetable refried beans

All the way from Lagos, Nigeria, Lata posted about her childhood memory of roasted,salted peanuts.

Lail revived a forgotten past with these red lentils cooked with green mangoes. How can anything this colorful not taste good?

Heather at GirlieChef has been cooking Madhur Jaffery’s recipes for a while and this time she made Khatte Chole from the grand dame of Indian cooking’s repertoire.

Inspired by a recipe of her friend’s mom, Bala cooked a stew of butter beans and eggs, an unusual combination packed with protein.

A cook at heart, Manasi made a savory version of puran polis by stuffing parathas withspicy lentils.

Susan, the hostess and creater of MLLA sent in these delicious pancakes made with chickpea flour and fenugreek leaves. That is a pancake worthy of breakfast, lunch or dinner.

And here is my contribution to this affair, a pumpkin sabzi made with a generous sprinkling of peanuts and sesame seeds.
 

I think I have covered everyone who sent in their entrees. If I missed you by some chance, please do let me know and I will add you accordingly.

Now for the winner of the Hurst Bean Box and the Everything Juicing Book. It is Manasi of A Cook at Heart. Congratulations lady. Susan will contact you shortly.

Here is the second part of Go Pumpkin Go. For the first part, check out the pumpkinsabzi post.

Sher Khan was startled. Usually, the humans either pleaded with him or were so scared of him they started running for their lives. But this old woman was different. He decided to be polite and replied back, “Good morning to you too old woman. I am hungry. Are you ready to be my breakfast today?”

Go pumpkin go

I know I promised in my last post I will be back with some stories from India (check the bottom of the post for one of them). There is another one I have been working on which looks very promising. It is about a queen and an architect and secret passageways. But the story will have to wait while I attend my hosting duties for Susan’s MLLA-51.

The last date for sending in the entrees was three days ago and as the host I should have posted at least one if not a couple of legume recipes. As things go, I posted none. I also missed the deadline for Anita’s Mad Tea Party. Actually, I almost made it to her tea party but the kid fell sick. A doctor’s visit and some tests later we found out he had strep throat. He had to stay home for the better part of the week and though it was nice not to wake up at 6.30 AM to take him to school, I prefer him in school on weekdays. Unlike his mother, he enjoys the routine and predictability of the weekdays when he is in school. Nothing makes him happier than knowing what is in store for him for the day.

I try to keep a similar routine at home for him but things tend to get a bit loosey-goosey once in a while. He doesn’t seem to mind and I feel it is good for him not to follow a strict regimen all the time. He is just in first grade after all.

First grade has been a big transition for him though after the fun and easy kindergarten class. Last year, he got a one page weekly homework. This time around, there are weekly reading logs, math exercises and spelling tests to keep him occupied for the week. Did I mention, he also has after school activities four days a week? I, as always, am on chauffer duty after three in the afternoon.

Between picking him up from school, driving him to his play dates and assorted activities, I make dinner, usually a quick vegetable stir fry. Yes, we are not big on elaborate meals. A sabzi, some roti and a salad suffice us on weekdays.

This quick pumpkin sabzi is a staple during fall. In India, this preparation is usually reserved for fasting days and the sabzi is eaten without any bread or rice. We prefer it with rotis or a bajra bhakri and another sabzi or some cooked dal on the side. Sometimes, a koshimbeer of tomato and onions substitutes for a salad.