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C is for Chow Chow
by
Nandita Iyer | Saffron Trail
Calificación: 4.0
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%20-%20and%20I%20know%20for%20certain%20that%20my%20grandmother%20loves%20it%20to%20bits.%20I%20have%20no%20clue%20how%20someone%20can%20love%20this%20vegetable%20with%20no%20personality%20whatsoever.%20If%20you%20go%20through%20the%20Wiki-page%20dedicated%20to%20Chow%20Chow,%20also%20called%20Chayote%20Squash,%20you'll%20realise%20that%20it%20has%20caught%20the%20fancy%20of%20not%20just%20Tambrahms,%20but%20communities%20around%20the%20world.%20Being%20from%20the%20squash%20family,%20it%20grows%20easily%20and%20it's%20cheap%20and%20I%20suppose,%20being%20a%20cheap%20food%20helps%20gain%20popularity%20especially%20in%20times%20of%20economic%20depression.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWhen%20I%20was%20getting%20to%20know%20my%20husband%20better,%20I%20once%20quizzed%20him%20on%20his%20favourite%20foods.%20He%20told%20me%20that%20he%20was%20a%20very%20non-fussy%20eater%20and%20anything%20outside%20the%20gourd%20family%20was%20okay%20with%20him.%20Now%20that%20pretty%20much%20excludes%20a%20LOT%20of%20dishes%20from%20our%20Tambrahm%20cuisine!%20I%20did%20manage%20to%20go%20by%20the%20gourd%20rule%20for%20a%20few%20months%20into%20the%20marriage,%20but%20being%20the%20true-self%20respecting%20Tambrahm,%20pumpkins%20started%20making%20an%20appearance%20in%20sambar%20and%20bottle-gourd%20paired%20with%20chana%20dal%20in%20a%20curry%20and%20so%20on.%20I%20didn't%20hear%20any%20complaints,%20except%20for%20a%20small%20mumble,%20whenever%20I%20announced%20that%20there%20was%20Pudavalangai%20(snake%20gourd)%20curry%20or%20Pumpkin%20sambar%20for%20lunch.%20Years%20passed.%20We%20were%20once%20seated%20at%20one%20of%20the%20darshinis%20in%20Bangalore,%20waiting%20to%20order%20breakfast.%20Those%20days,%20I%20was%20a%20Bombay%20girl,%20just%20visiting%20Bangalore%20for%20a%20function%20for%20a%20couple%20of%20days.%20The%20waiter%20came%20to%20our%20table.%20The%20husband%20order%20chow%20chow%20baath.%20Imagine%20my%20shock!%20I%20was%20wondering%20what%20made%20him%20order%20this%20vile%20(even%20to%20me)%20chayote%20squash%20in%20rice!!%20Before%20I%20could%20express%20my%20horror,%20the%20waiter%20came%20back%20with%20the%20dish%20(speedy%20service%20indeed).%20The%20plate%20had%20a%20scoop%20of%20upma%20and%20a%20scoop%20of%20kesari.%20Sigh%20of%20relief.%20It%20was%20then%20I%20realised%20that%20Chow%20Chow%20baath%20was%20a%20popular%20breakfast%20item%20here,%20and%20it%20had%20nothing%20to%20do%20with%20the%20vegetable%20chow%20chow.%20Instead,%20it%20was%20a%20serving%20each%20of%20kaara%20baath%20(upma)%20and%20kesari%20baath%20(rava%20kesari),%20the%20perfect%20savoury-sweet%20combination.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20read%20this%20story%20about%20how%20this%20vegetable,%20called%20Choko,%20in%20Australia,%20was%20rumoured%20to%20be%20used%20in%20their%20McDonald's%20apple%20pies,%20instead%20of%20apples,%20as%20they%20were%20cheap,%20maintained%20their%20shape%20and%20Australia's%20tropical%20&%20sub-tropical%20regions%20actually%20didn't%20produce%20apples.%20This%20does%20give%20me%20an%20idea%20of%20trying%20it%20in%20a%20dessert%20some%20day%20-%20crazy,%20whacky,%20but%20worth%20a%20try.%20May%20be%20on%20the%201st%20of%20April.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIn%20my%20home,%20the%20much%20loved%20Bangalore-Kathrikai%20makes%20its%20appearance%20two%20ways.%20The%20peels%20and%20the%20flesh%20are%20used%20to%20make%20a%20(delicious!!)%20thogayal,%20which%20is%20a%20word%20for%20chutneys.%20It%20is%20also%20written%20as%20thuvaiyal.%20Before%20I%20started%20loving%20gingelly%20oil,%20asafoetida%20and%20all%20other%20things%20very%20typically%20Tambrahm,%20even%20this%20thogayal%20was%20on%20my%20no-no%20list.%20But%20as%20I%20grew%20older%20and%20genetic%20love%20for%20our%20traditional%20foods%20took%20over,%20I%20can%20now%20imagine%20a%20plate%20of%20steaming%20hot%20rice,%20a%20big%20dollop%20of%20this%20thogayal%20and%20a%20generous%20spoon%20of%20gingelly%20oil%20all%20mixed%20together%20and%20eaten%20with%20some%20fried%20vadams-%20oh%20goodness,%20a%20mini%20heaven.%20The%20same%20thogayal%20is%20made%20with%20Peerkangai%20(Ridge%20gourd)%20using%20the%20peels,%20the%20fibres,%20everything.%20I%20cannot%20say%20my%20tastebuds%20detect%20much%20of%20a%20difference%20in%20the%20taste,%20for%20most%20gourds%20taste%20quite%20similar.%20Bland.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20second%20way%20to%20prepare%20this%20is%20make%20a%20Koottu.%20For%20the%20uninitiated,%20koottu%20is%20any%20vegetable+mashed%20dal+fresh%20coconut-spice%20masala%20with%20the%20ubiquitous%20tadka.%20The%20fresh%20koottu%20masala%20can%20make%20anything%20boring%20taste%20good%20-%20red%20chillies,%20black%20pepper,%20udad%20dal,%20coconut%20-%20these%20guys%20can%20rescue%20the%20most%20boring%20of%20vegetables%20and%20they%20do%20a%20fairly%20successful%20job%20with%20the%20chow%20chow.%20When%20cooked,%20it%20doesn't%20become%20all%20melt%20in%20mouth%20like%20the%20bottle%20gourd,%20or%20transparent%20like%20the%20white%20pumpkin.%20It%20kind%20of%20stubbornly%20hangs%20on%20to%20to%20its%20shape%20and%20its%20(slightly)%20weird%20taste,%20no%20matter%20what%20you%20do%20with%20it%20(expect%20mash%20the%20hell%20out%20of%20it%20in%20a%20thogayal,%20in%20which%20it%20does%20a%20surrender).%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EDirections%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EVertically%20halve%20the%20squash.%20Cut%20out%20the%20seed.%20Don't%20peel%20but%20scrape%20any%20spikes%20that%20may%20be%20there%20on%20the%20skin%20and%20dice%20or%20slice%20it.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EHeat%201/2%20tsp%20oil%20in%20a%20pan.%20Add%202%20tbsp%20udad%20dal%20and%20red%20chillies%20and%20saute%20on%20medium%20heat%20until%20the%20udad%20dal%20is%20golden%20brown.%20Remove%20onto%20a%20plate%20and%20cool%20for%20few%20minutes.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EHeat%20the%20remaining%201%20tsp%20oil%20in%20same%20pan.%20On%20high%20heat,%20saute%20the%20chow%20chow%20for%2030%20seconds.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EReduce%20the%20flame,%20add%201/4%20cup%20water,%20pinch%20of%20salt,%20cover%20and%20cook%20till%20chow%20chow%20is%20tender%20and%20fully%20cooked.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIn%20small%20mixer-grind%20the%20fried%20udad%20dal-red%20chillies,%20soaked%20tamarind%20and%20coconut%20to%20coarse%20paste.%20To%20this%20add%20the%20cooled%20cooked%20chow%20chow,%20salt%20and%20scrape%20the%20sides%20of%20the%20mixer%20and%20grind%20to%20a%20paste.%20Remove%20this%20into%20a%20bowl.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EHeat%201-2%20tsp%20oil%20in%20a%20tempering%20ladle%20or%20small%20kadai.%20Add%20pinch%20of%20asafoetida,%20mustard%20seeds,%20once%20they%20splutter,%20add%20curry%20leaves%20and%20udad%20dal.%20Wait%20for%20dal%20to%20turn%20golden%20and%20transfer%20the%20tempering%20over%20the%20thogayal.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ENotes%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ETraditionally%20a%20lot%20more%20coconut%20is%20used,%20so%20you%20could%20use%20up%20to%201/2%20cup.%20Remember%20to%20increase%20the%20quantity%20of%20chilis%20used%20if%20more%20coconut%20is%20used.%3C/p%3E){kind=link}