Aruna Mucherla: Here's What I Cook In A Day

I start my day by preparing breakfast and lunch together as my husband takes food with him to the office. I often make cauliflower stuffed parathas for breakfast, which I enjoy with some sweet pudina chutney and homemade yogurt. To make the stuffed parathas, I grate raw cauliflower and mix it with cut green chillies, coriander, ajwain seeds, red chilli powder, salt, and garam masala. Then, I knead some whole wheat dough and create a pocket to hold the stuffing before rolling it into a paratha. I prefer making the parathas on my iron tawa and use delicious homemade white butter while cooking them. We savour the parathas with a cup of chai.

How To Make Stuffed Gobi Ka Paratha

For the stuffing, blend cauliflower, onions, green chillies, ginger, coriander leaves, flax seeds, cumin powder, and salt in a food processor until you get a coarse mixture. Adjust the seasoning as per your taste.

Divide the dough into lemon-sized balls and roll them out into 5-inch circles. Place a generous amount of filling on one-half of the circle and fold it over to form a half-moon shape. Seal the edges by pinching them.

Roll out the stuffed parathas gently, ensuring the filling stays intact. Cook them on a preheated skillet or roti tawa, flipping them until air pockets appear. Drizzle ghee or oil and cook until golden brown on both sides.

Repeat the process for the remaining parathas. Serve the Stuffed Gobi Ka Paratha hot with spicy mango pickle and curd for a delicious breakfast.

***

The Lunch 

Moving on to lunch, our usual meal consists of rice, phulkas (Indian bread), dal, and a vegetable dish to complete the spread. For today's lunch, I prepared spinach dal, bhindi (okra), hand pounded rice, and fresh phulkas. I learned the method of making bhindi from my mother, and my kids fondly call it "ammama bhindi".

A useful tip while preparing bhindi is to wash the ladyfingers, dry them on a cloth, and thoroughly wipe them before cutting to prevent them from becoming slimy. The recipe for bhindi is quite simple: once the bhindi is cut, add it to a hot pan with some oil, a pinch of turmeric powder, mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal, red chilies, curry leaves, and garlic for extra flavor. To add fiber to our meal, we incorporate wheat bran into our roti atta (dough) and serve a side of cut salad.

Dinner

For dinner, my daughter requests her favourite dish — pav bhaji — and I also enjoy it a lot. One great aspect of pav bhaji, especially for kids, is that you can include various vegetables, and they still relish the dish.

The bhaji is made with potatoes, beans, carrots, peas, capsicum, and cauliflower. To begin, I prepare a tomato-onion paste and then add boiled vegetables, mashing them down to create the bhaji. Instead of using store-bought pav bhaji masala, I prefer making my own masala for this dish. Unfortunately, I'm not adept at making pav (bread rolls), so we purchase them from outside. Pav bhaji is a dish that everyone in my household loves, including my granddaughter.

For dessert, I indulged in caramel custard, a basic yet delightful recipe. All you need is eggs, milk, brown sugar, and some vanilla essence.

Pav Bhaji Recipe:

Pav Bhaji is a popular Indian street food dish that consists of mashed mixed vegetables cooked with a blend of spices and served with buttered and toasted buns called Pav. Follow this detailed recipe to make a delicious Pav Bhaji at home.

Ingredients:

2 large potatoes, boiled and mashed

1 cup cauliflower florets, boiled and mashed

1 cup green peas, boiled and mashed

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons Pav Bhaji masala

2 tablespoons coriander leaves, chopped

Salt to taste

Red food colour (optional)

Pav buns, sliced and buttered

Instructions:

In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the mashed potatoes, cauliflower, and green peas. Stir well to combine and cook for a few minutes to allow the flavors to meld. This will help pack in flavour and aroma.

Once the vegetables are cooked to perfection, mash them further using a masher or the back of a spoon. Patiently mash the vegetables until you achieve a smooth consistency.

Create a space in the center of the mashed vegetables in the pan and add the chopped onions, ginger-garlic paste, and coriander leaves. Drizzle some more butter around the mixture. Cook this onion mixture until the onions turn golden brown and aromatic.

Incorporate the cooked onion mixture with the mashed vegetables. Mix everything well to ensure that the flavors are evenly distributed.

If desired, add 2-3 drops of red food colour to the Bhaji for visual appeal. This step is optional and can be skipped if you prefer a more natural-looking dish.

Sprinkle the Pav Bhaji masala and coriander leaves over the mixture. Stir well to combine and let it simmer for a few more minutes to enhance the flavours.

Meanwhile, heat a separate pan and add a little butter. Roast the sliced Pav buns in the butter until they turn golden brown and slightly crispy. This will infuse them with a delicious buttery flavour.

Serve the hot Pav Bhaji with the buttered and toasted Pav buns on the side. Garnish with additional coriander leaves if desired.

***

How To Make Caramel Custard

To make caramel custard, you will need eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla extract. Start by preparing the caramel layer: in a pan, combine sugar, water, and vinegar, and heat it on medium flame until the sugar dissolves. Avoid stirring as it can cause crystallization. Let the mixture bubble and cook for 3-4 minutes until it turns amber or golden in colour. Carefully pour the hot caramel into individual ramekin moulds and allow it to harden.

Next, warm milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a pot over medium heat without bringing it to a boil. Remove the cinnamon stick. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Slowly add the hot milk to the egg mixture while whisking vigorously to temper the eggs. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Strain the custard mixture through a fine sieve into a pouring mug. Place the caramel-filled ramekin moulds into a baking tin and fill the tin three-quarters full with hot boiling water. Gently pour the custard mixture into the moulds, leaving a 1 cm gap at the top for expansion. Place the baking tin in the oven and bake at 180°C for 40 minutes.

Once baked, the custard should have a slight jiggle with a firm layer on top. Allow it to cool to room temperature, then transfer the moulds to the refrigerator and let the custard set for 4-6 hours. To demould, run a knife along the sides of the moulds, briefly immerse them in medium-hot water, and carefully invert them onto serving plates.

Here are some tips for making the best caramel custard:

Avoid stirring the sugar-water mixture once the sugar has dissolved to prevent crystallisation.

Be cautious when handling hot caramel to avoid burns.

Wait for the caramel to harden before pouring in the custard to maintain distinct layers.

Tempering the eggs and milk ensures a smooth custard texture.

Baking the custard in a water bath helps it cook evenly.

When demoulding, use hot water and gentle maneuvers to release the custard from the moulds.

In summary, my morning routine involves preparing stuffed parathas with homemade chutney and yogurt for breakfast. Lunch usually consists of rice, phulkas, dal, and a vegetable dish. For dinner, we relish pav bhaji with homemade masala, and I end the day with caramel custard as a sweet treat. These dishes bring joy and satisfaction to my family and me.

Aruna Mucherla is an actor whose repertoire spans Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada cinema.

— AS TOLD TO NIVEDITA