The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

apple_muncher

May I ask a dhal question, greying. I made red lentil dhal last night and it was yummy (1 cup red lentils, 1 tin toms, 1 tin coco milk, 2 cups stock, onion, garlic and a gazillion spices) but runnier than I'd expected. Now, I realise that an awful lot of liquid went in to the mix so cutting that back would make it drier. I guess I just thought dhal was drier. Am I wrong?

Ps dd is away on brownie weekend, so a great opportunity for a lie in. Nope. My body woke at 6.38. Sigh!

Greying_Pilgrim

Interesting question apple - and as I'm no expert on the cuisine of india, I'm not sure.

However, when I see programmes on TV - whether they are cookery programmes on location, or travel programmes visiting Asia, I am often surprised at how 'runny' dhal can be - when eaten with a chappati to 'scoop' it up. And of course, 'what is dhal?' there are many, many recipes - I know I had a book from the library a couple of years ago that was 'just' dal/dhal recipes.

So, I think that if it is yummy, I would care not if it was runny. Because I think that you could easily make a dhal using different ingredients - ie split yellow peas or massor dhal and it would be 'denser' iyswim. I actually usually try hard to have my (red) lentil dhal runny, if I'm having it with a dense curry - you know, like a chickpea or red kidney bean - or aloo gobi, something like that. So that the textures between the rice/curry and dhal are different. But that's just me. And of course (as you know) lentils thicken on either cooling or with longer cooking, so any leftovers are rarely the consistency of the original.

So, no, you're not wrong. Your dhal. Your rules.

But if anyone is an expert on indian cuisine and has a definite take on this, then please shout up. I've no intention to mislead.

I hope brownie camp has gone well - and the weather has been kind. I expect DD has had a ball - hope so, anyway

Greying X

beanielou

Raining & cold here

greenbee

Cheery_Daff wrote: »

if you ever did feel comfortable giving away your address to a weirdo off the internet, I'd be quite happy to send you some to experiment with

if you feel comfortable PMing your address to another wierdo off the internet, I've just discovered a HUGE pile of kids underwear in different ages. All unused. Don't need it anymore as the kids don't stay as often now they're at school (and I haven't had any visiting kids needing spare pants for a while...)

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:

Thanks to all the 'weirdos' offering nice things :D I shall give your kind offers some thought. But know at the moment I am not going to be around in the right places to give their receipt due justice. But the fact that you even offered means the world.

How kind are the vast majority of MSE'rs, eh?

Drama of the day was BG's favourite soft toy getting dunked in soup at lunchtime. Cue a mad rush to get it washed and dry in time for bed this evening...... impossible, but they are not going to sleep without it, so it has had to be handed over, I hope it's dry enough, it feels dry.........DH is on the norty step for letting it be anywhere near soup in the first place......:rotfl:

I almost made it a nsd, but m1llets was quiet, and I need (desparately) some new trousers - so I bought a pair. At least I remembered the NT 10% discount, so got them a bit cheaper. Pity that as per usual the brand has changed both the cut of the trousers and their material make up. What was wrong with cotton trousers, that came up higher than your hips? Or has my b u m sagged so much that it drags everything orf my hips??? :rotfl:

Tea was mushroom barley casserole which used up the last of the mushrooms, some bendy carrots and a big piece of gifted parsnip. We had baked potatoes to accompany so that I could legitimately make apple crumble with some gifted apples. The tatties were the big bag dirty spuds, which taste divine 'oven cooked' (after microwaving), and the crumble was delish. No added sugar to the apples, and they taste real apple-y. So lucky with our gifts

Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

for kindly offers of help

getting out and about - albeit just for a walk in the vicinity of Greying Town

interesting documentaries on radio & TV - seem to have caught quite a few of late

Ta for popping in. Appreciated.

Greying X

EssexHebridean

:rotfl::rotfl: Had to laugh at your trouser thing Greying - as someone who is short-bodied high waisted trousers are my absolute nemesis - not only do they mean that yes, my b-u-m does indeed "look big in this" but they also fit uncomfortably close to my ribcage - so a lower cut all the way for me! My last pair of walking trousers originated from Go Outdoors - Craghoppers ones (I do like their trousers!) but are now too big I found when I put them on for a walk on Saturday morning, so that will be another sum to be spent at some stage - certainly before we next head to the Hebrides.

Apple crumble though - Mmmmmm. We had cheats cobblers again yesterday - using leftover scones sliced onto the top. Does work very well that, and of course t'oven had been on anyway for the roasties so it was just a matter of leaving it on and dropping the temperature a bit.... :T

Tea&Kittens

Reading all these foody posts about apples and crumbles and cobblers is making me rather hungry!

We did baked apples yesterday, which I love, though we've not had for a long time. Lovely wintery cooking!
I've got honey roast veg risotto on the menu for this week which just tastes like autumn on a plate!

System

Honey roast veg risotto sounds wonderful !

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:

EH - gosh, isn't it strange about clothing - C'hoppers is one brand of trouser that I have never been able to get on with. They don't seem to fit anywhere on me - and end up being too high waisted! My previous p3t3r St0rm's weren't particularly high waisted. But they seem to have raised the cr0tch area somehow. Mind, if I wasn't carrying exta weight, which I still haven't been able to shift , maybe I could have got the size 10 and they were a better fit But there is no point in buying the smaller size hoping that I shift the weight - they would have been uncomfortable to wear whilst i was waiting for the weight to 'magically' shift

Tea&kittens - honey roast veg risotto definitely sounds autumnal - I'd better lay off the honey though, as otherwise I ain't never gonna fit in any trousers :rotfl:

I was out and about yesterday, so I managed to pick up my FB donation for this week, as I was near to a mrS. We had pizza outta the freezer and pasta for tea as I was pressed for time. DH finished off the apple crumble.

Tea tonight will be the sweetcorn soup from the Fern Verrow cookbook (scroll down to the 11th September for ingredients), using some gifted sweetcorn.

Need to get a few bits and bobs from the High Street. Sort out paying the cc bill and start planning and organising for things that are coming up.

Oh, I am officially slapping my wrists for being a numpty. In fact, I'm disbarring myself from MSE, due to utter, utter incompetence. Dare I own up to the fact that I let....... £15 worth, yes, you read that right, £15 worth of mrT's soddin c/c vouchers expire.....I am so hopping mad at meself We 'save' them to pay the breakdown cover. And we didn't have enough last year But I missed to check when they all expired, and the promotion has been changed by mrT now anyway!!!! Nobody's fault but my own. But oh, I am so mad with myself. This will be the last time we use vouchers for the cover - in future I'm just going to use them as they come along. We don't spend enough in mrT's anymore to make worthwhile savings on other things bought with c/c vouchers. And they are more trouble than they are worth.

Right, I've owned up, but feel annoyed all over again now :rotfl:So I'd better go and do something constructive - rigorous dusting or something! :rotfl:

Ta for popping in, Appreciated.

Greying X

System

I would be annoyed as well Greying re vouchers , but lesson learnt ! As for walking trousers I have tried different makes but my most comfortable are from A!d! . They have washed well and come to my waist .