A Tribute to Amma - And her STUFFED CAPSICUMS in Makhani Gravy / Bharwan Shimla Mirch - Missin u Amma

I became all nostalgic reading all these wonderful posts by people remembering their lovely parents, grandparents and other special people, and they are so expressive.. I think once i think twice, should i should i not.. I am not that expressive with words... well Jigyasa and pratibha come up with this beautiful theme of Jihva for Love , paying tribute to Pedatha.. thanks a ton people... so what am not too good with words...and here iam, i get a chance to pay a tribute to the beautiful and ever sacrificing Amma.. my mother.. all mothers are special in their own way and are the quenns of their worlds in their own charm.. arent they... but i guess i could get much chance to express this to her.. all the while we were together.. i was a kiddo.. taking her for granted.. knowing the fact that this is one lady who is there for me come what may... i can show all my food tantrums to her... i can get angry with her... etc etc etc...

but by the time i became mature enough to express my gratitude.. to pay back all the love and care.. i had lost her... this post is a tribute to Amma who took up the 24*7 job of raising anna and me as the best kids... ideal kids.. giving us many of those petty pleasures with ease.. which now we understand were not very economically feasible then... be it the pocket money for the melas we had to attend in school... or the kulfis i loved to have with her on the summer afternoons... as kids we were never fond of any pricy pleasures but these petty ones were just a wish away...

Moms tolerate every little tantrum of ours with that lighted smile forever... be it asking my van driver to wait for me in the mornnigs because i had not tied my shoe lace before leaving for school... or later come runnig and asking the driver to stop coz i had forgotten to take my tiffin box.. be it waiting for me in the afternoons to return from school so that we could have lunch together... or going to the local market for dialy buys.. and on our way back a halt at the chaat wala for pani puri and chaat... whether it was possible in that days budget or not....

She was the one who would hide my poor marks from other family members till the report card date so that i can be spared of a few days of their taunts... having calm worlds with my class teacher when i didnt score good marks in a term ... or amy b when i was not one of the most sincere students in the class... scold me the whole afternoon and take me to the chaat wala becoz she was guilty of all the scolding she gifted me with.. and then being the same mommy gonig all praises about my petty painting which gets acclaim in the small batch of painting class... or the only inter school dance competition win i get... proudly boast about my unique art skills and what all i do in my summer vacations... :) crying for me when i get my first MC:) ... cries buckets when i go away from home for the first time for college.. goes all praises in the muhalla and family when i come third in my first year of college.. cries buckets again whenever she sees that same school van which doesnot stop infront of our house anymore.. writes her forst letter in english which is worth a read by a lady who did just her intermediate in an hindi medium ... and expressing how all she misses my presence... cries buckets again when she cannot enjoy those summer afternoons with me having kulfi and watch those weirdest movies on zee cinema;) and fighting over ludo... cries buckets again ovr the phone when i forget a onion chutney with the theplas that she packed for my train journey..

My food tantrums... i had never shown my tantrums much to other family members but she knew i hate hate hate capsicum and karela and cannot gulp arasi puama...(rice powder).. the day i used to return from a vacation somehow once there upama for dinner and i got completely depressed that nobody loves me... and the next few times she made sure that i get hot crispy dosas when iam on vacation.. she was great with her stuffed capsicums.. but i used to make the most horrific faces seeing those stuffed greens... and she very lovingly would call me aside to show me that she has left some potato curry aside for me so that i could have the chapatis with them...do hell with the world .. she knew what can make me happy... :)

Amma we all miss you like mad and find ourselves so helpless... couldnt really show our gratitude then but really regret that... life without you has never been the same... having capsicum almost twice a week in college taught me how to have it... but could never relish your stuffed capsicums again... thanks for all the love and sacrifices you made for the family... miss you in my chaat sprees .. miss you in the kitchen .. miss your letters.. wish life could have taken a reverse gear... this post and this blog goes as a tribute to the beautiful you... I made these stuffed capsicums myself... and all loved it... hope you like it...

Here goes the stuffed capsicum in Makhani gravy people....

Ingredients:

For stuffed Capsicums:

4 small capsicums

4 potatoes

3 onions(medium)

3 green chillies finely chopped

turmeric powder

red chilli powder

dhania powder

bharwan sabzi masala/kitchen king(optional)

fresh coriander finely chopped

1 tsp finely chopped ginger

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

For the gravy:

3 onions chopped

2 big tomatoes peeled and pureed

10 cashew nuts soaked and grinded to paste

3 tbsp fresh cream

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

coriander for garnishing

salt to taste

turmeric powder

red chilli powder

coriander powder

Method:

1. For the stuffing, Wash the capsicum well and pat dry. Cut the top off (the stem portion). Remove all the seeds and pith and discard.

2. Wash the potatoes and then boil till soft. Peel, mash roughly and keep aside. Heat 3 tbsps of cooking oil in a pan on medium flame, till hot. Add the cumin seeds and cook till it splutters. Now add the green chillies and ginger garlic and fry, Add the onion and fry till soft and golden brown.

3. Now add all the powdered spices and fry for 1 minute. Add the mashed potato and mix well to blend with all the spices. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Turn off the fire, add salt to taste and mix well. You may add some water if it seems very dry, but it is less advised.

4. Fill each green pepper to the top with the mashed potato mix. Press to ensure they are well filled.

5. Heat the remaining cooking oil in a shallow pan on a low flame. When hot add the peppers (standing up) and fry till soft. Gently turn the peppers over onto their tops so that the potato can fry. Fry till all sides turn a little black and skins starts shirnking. Turn off fire.

6. Place peppers on a plate lined with paper towel to allow excess oil to be soaked up. When this is done, serve plain or with the makhani gravy.

7. Makhani gravy is prepared in the same way the gravy for the lauki ke kofte was prepared. Just that here the almond paste has been replaced with mommys authentic cashew paste.

This was a treat at our place hope you guys like it too...