#salkar

[rea-ofsunshne]

Rescue Mission

It's short but here's a fic of the Rat Hunters, most of which is written by the lovely @polandspringz you should read her Rat Hunters stuff if you want a better picture. Only Rattul and Salkar belong to me. Poland belongs to @polandspringz. Sals belongs to @salsie Ratdito belongs to @probably-chase and Lab belongs to @labradoodleduck check them all out, they're awesome! Feel free to send asks about Rattul if you wish.

All of the Hunters were different. Sals was a big bear, never seen without Poland by her side. Ratdito was eccentric, but charmingly so. Their leader, Lab, was an enigma, but they all trusted him.

Then came Rattul, the newest member of the Hunters. She was the wife of the Rat King they all hated so much, yet she hated him just as much as they did. Through Salkar, she had explained that her exposure to the Rat King had turned her into the squid-human hybrid she was. Salkar had also explained that Rattul had an aversion to calling the Rat King by his name and that she was now rendered unable to speak in coherent English due to the mutation.

Noises that did come from Rattul's mouth were typically limited to laughter, grunts and hums. Occasionally there would be a ‘woomy’ or a ‘victory!’ Most of the talking was done by Salkar, which Lab would then have to relay to the rest of them. Though Rattul would come armed with a pen and paper, and she could say words - they were just hard to understand if she spoke too fast.

Her first mission was an uneasy one. She knew the others were wary of her, she felt exactly the same. After all, she was the wife of the King, and they were the enemies of said King. Hell, Rattul was responsible for the guards that guarded Poland and Lab. Under the same reasoning, she was also responsible for telling them both escape routes and guard changes so they could get out easier than before.

Rattul sat with Salkar on her shoulder, goggles pulled down over her face. Despite being five feet from the nearest Hunter, she could feel the distrust rolling off of them in waves. The Inkling rolled her eyes, a warbled sigh coming from her.

It was a simple mission: go in, rescue some refugees, get out. Easy enough. They all watched Lab, waiting for his signal. Poland sat on Sals’ back, low to the bears back. Everyone else crouched down, covered only by the dark shadows of night.

Then, came the signal from Lab, telling them all to go. They were off like rockets, all to do their assigned jobs with varying degrees of grace. Rattul climbed in through the window, turning into a squid as she went. Landing neatly on the floor, she pulled the Flingza Roller off her back, hoisting it up, ready to use.

“This way.” Poland and Sals had entered now, ready to lead everyone out.

Poland slid off Sals’ back, gesturing for the refugees. When some turned to Rattul, she simply gestured towards Poland and Sals, a gentle smile on her face. Refugees could be difficult, especially when children were amongst them. This time, they seemed to be easy, all following Poland to where Ratdito waited outside.

Rattul gripped her roller, surveying the area. Her concentration failed when a weight hit her legs. Jumping, she looked down to see a child. It was a human child, no more than 5 years old.

“Are you gonna help us?” The child asked, voice filled with the innocence only a child could hold.

Rattul placed the roller on her back, bending down to pick up the child.

“Yes.”

The child giggled, a bright smile on her face. “Your voice is funny!”

Rattul smiled at the girl, showing off her beak shaped teeth. “Yes it is.”

Making her way towards the refugees, Rattul hoisted the child into a more comfortable position. After fifteen minutes, the refugees were all safe, ready to return home.

Rattul placed the child on the ground, giving her a final hug before watching her run off to her parents.

“I didn't think you were a kid-person.” Lab sounded amused.

Rattul shrugged, shoving her hands in her pockets. “Woomy.”

[kerrycookbook]

Story

Mumbai Vada Pau (The Humble Indian Burger) Mumbai Vada Pau (or the Humble Indian Burger) is one snack whose popularity has been unsurpassed. The Vada Pau was invented by a snack seller outside Dadar railway station in Mumbai, who decided to experiment with the Vadas and split pau. The Vada Pau has since gained popularity over the years and has become a massive phenomenon. In India, its love transcends across the poor to the rich, from the haves to the have nots. It bridges and brings people together. It is believed that the Vada Pau gave the McDonalds burger a tough competition in India. It is very cheap and easy to make, available widely on roadside eateries across India, and has almost become a favourite for the working-class population. Vada literally means a deep-fried potato dumpling coated with a crispy batter of gram flour, while Pau means bread. The vada pau is usually accompanied with a dry and spicy coconut chutney that is spread between the split pau before sandwiching the fried vada within.

Ingredients

4-5 Boiled potatoes, peel the skin of the potatoes and mash.

For the spice Mix:

1-inch ginger finely shred

Juice of half lemon

A cup full of coriander leaves

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp Mustard seeds

4-5 curry leaves

Pinch of asafoetida (Hing, available in Tesco or most Asian stores)

3-4 green chilies or red chilies (according to preference for spice. 

The green chilies are usually spicier than the red), finely chopped

1 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

For the gram flour Batter:

3-4 cups of Gram flour (Besan flour, available in most Asian stores)

1 tsp turmeric powder

Pinch of asafoetida

Salt to taste

Water

For the Coconut chutney:

1 cup desiccated coconut, lightly roasted in some oil

2 Dry Red chilies (or more as per preference)

½ cup roasted ground nuts (optional)

4-5 cloves of garlic (optional), finely chopped and sizzled in some hot oil to take the raw edge off.

Method

In a shallow vessel, mash the potatoes very well to a coarse paste. In a wok, take 1 tbsp oil. Allow to heat. Add the Asafoetida, mustard seeds, curry leaves and the cut chilies to the hot oil. Then add the shred ginger, turmeric and coriander leaves to this and let cook for a short while.

Now add this hot spice mix to the mashed potatoes and mix well. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the mash and add some salt and sugar to taste. Divide the potato mash by rolling into small round balls with your hands (or Vadas) and keep aside.

In another shallow container, take the gram flour and add the turmeric powder, asafoetida and salt to this. Now, slowly and steadily, add water to this, mixing vigorously at the same time, to achieve a nice thick batter of a medium to thick consistency. Ensure that the batter is thick and not too watery, or it will not coat the vadas well.

Now take a sufficient amount of oil in a deep vessel (or kadaie). Let the oil heat well. The oil can be tested if it is heated well, by adding a small amount of the gram flour batter to the oil. If the batter rises quickly to the top, then the oil is well heated.

Now, coat the round vada balls with the gram flour batter evenly and roll them gently into the hot oil, and fry till the gram flour coating is evenly cooked and light brown in colour.

Fry all the remaining vadas in a similar fashion, The vadas are now ready. For the coconut chutney, take the roasted desiccated coconut, roasted groundnuts, red chilies, mango powder, chopped garlic, sugar, salt, and oil in a small grinder and grind to a very coarse powdery consistency.

To serve the vada pau, split the pau midway, and spread the red coconut chutney evenly into the pau. Now sandwich the vada within the split pau and the Humble Indian Burger is ready to be had. Most Indians add fried green chilies (deep-fried in oil) into the burger, at the point of serving. However, this is entirely optional, and is more down to individual tolerance to spice.

[kerrycookbook]

Story

Ambyanche Sasanv (or Mango with Mustard seeds) recipe is my all-time favourite. The recipe comes from the Indian state of Goa, and is often made on religious or festive occasions. It is a Sattvik recipe. According to Ayurveda and Yogic tradition, there are three types of food, Sattvik, Rajasik, and Tamasik.

Sattvik food is one that is light and easy to digest, i.e. contains no onion, garlic, meat, fish or egg. Onion and Garlic according to this belief system, contain chemicals that incite the senses and are not consumed by people who practice Yoga or Meditation. Rajasic food is very hot, spicy and salty, whereas Tamasik food is heavy and dulling. This Sattvik recipe is a blend of various flavours. It contains the five basic flavours i.e. sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami, with some light spice. The recipe combines the sweetness of the mangoes and jaggery, the sourness of tamarind/lemon and the tangy bitter of the mustard.

Asafoetida (or Hing) is India’s answer to the Umami flavour. This is is the dried latex exuded from the rhizome, and commonly used as a seasoning instead of onion and garlic, in Sattvik recipes. Mangoes are a very seasonal fruit in Goa, and Goa boasts a number of dishes made from mangoes of all types and varieties. For this recipe, The mangoes can be substituted with either raw mangoes or pineapple, as per personal preference. A Suggestion is to use raw mangoes (not too ripe).  

Ingredients

3 Raw mangoes, skinned and cubed. Retain the seed in the centre as well

For the Coconut base

2 Dry Red chilies (or as per preference)

½ tsp mustard seeds

1 cup fresh grated coconut or desiccated coconut

A small ball of tamarind pulp, soaked in hot water (could be substituted with lemon juice)

Jaggery appx 1 tbsp (could be substituted with cane sugar)

Olive oil

Salt to taste

For the tempering

1 tsp mustard seeds

4-5 curry leaves (you will find these in any Asian store or Tesco)

Pinch of Hing (or Asafoetida, available in an Asian store or Tesco)

Olive Oil

Method

Heat about ½ tbsp of olive oil in pan, and add ½ tsp of mustard seeds and 1 dry red chilly. Let the mustard seeds splutter and the red chilly turn light brown in colour. Add this mixture to a mixer grinder containing the freshly grated (or desiccated) coconut, 1 dry red chilly, soaked tamarind pulp (or lemon juice) and jaggery/cane sugar. Add 1 cup water and grind to a smooth paste.

Keep this aside. For the tempering, heat about ½ tbsp oil in the same pan. Once the oil is very hot, add about 1 tsp of mustard seeds, a pinch of the asafoetida and 4-5 fresh curry leaves. Once the mustard seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves have crackled in the hot oil, add the ground coconut paste containing the mustard seeds to this. Add salt. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes on low flame. Now turn off the flame. Lastly, add the cubed raw mangoes to the hot gravy.

The Ambyanche Sasanv goes well with Rice, Naan or Chapattis. You could even eat it on its own.

Allergen Info Contains mustard seeds, chilies.

[kerrycookbook]

Story

Ambyanche Sasanv (or Mangowith Mustard seeds) recipe is my all-time favourite. The recipe comes from the Indian state of Goa, and is often made on religious or festive occasions. It is a Sattvik recipe. According to Ayurveda and Yogic tradition, there are three types of food, Sattvik, Rajasik, and Tamasik.

Sattvik food is one that is light and easy to digest, i.e. contains no onion, garlic, meat, fish or egg. Onion and Garlic according to this belief system, contain chemicals that incite the senses and are not consumed by people who practice Yoga or Meditation. Rajasic food is very hot, spicy and salty, whereas Tamasik food is heavy and dulling. This Sattvik recipe is a blend of various flavours. It contains the five basic flavours i.e. sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami, with some light spice. The recipe combines the sweetness of the mangoes and jaggery, the sourness of tamarind/lemon and the tangy bitter of the mustard.

Asafoetida (or Hing) is India’s answer to the Umami flavour. This is is the dried latex exuded from the rhizome, and commonly used as a seasoning instead of onion and garlic, in Sattvik recipes. Mangoes are a very seasonal fruit in Goa, and Goa boasts a number of dishes made from mangoes of all types and varieties. For this recipe, The mangoes can be substituted with either raw mangoes or pineapple, as per personal preference. A Suggestion is to use raw mangoes (not too ripe).  

Ingredients

3 Raw mangoes, skinned and cubed. Retain the seed in the centre as well

For the Coconut base

2 Dry Red chillies (or as per preference)

½ tsp mustard seeds

1 cup fresh grated coconut or desiccated coconut

A small ball of tamarind pulp, soaked in hot water (could be substituted with lemon juice)

Jaggery appx 1 tbsp (could be substituted with cane sugar)

Olive oil

Salt to taste

For the tempering

1 tsp mustard seeds

4-5 curry leaves (you will find these in any Asian store or Tesco)

Pinch of Hing (or Asafoetida, available in an Asian store or Tesco)

Olive Oil

Method

Heat about ½ tbsp of olive oil in pan, and add ½ tsp of mustard seeds and 1 dry red chilly. Let the mustard seeds splutter and the red chilly turn light brown in colour. Add this mixture to a mixer grinder containing the freshly grated (or desiccated) coconut, 1 dry red chilly, soaked tamarind pulp (or lemon juice) and jaggery/cane sugar. Add 1 cup water and grind to a smooth paste.

Keep this aside. For the tempering, heat about ½ tbsp oil in the same pan. Once the oil is very hot, add about 1 tsp of mustard seeds, a pinch of the asafoetida and 4-5 fresh curry leaves. Once the mustard seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves have crackled in the hot oil, add the ground coconut paste containing the mustard seeds to this. Add salt. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes on low flame. Now turn off the flame. Lastly, add the cubed raw mangoes to the hot gravy.

The Ambyanche Sasanv goes well with Rice, Naan or Chapattis. You could even eat it on its own.

Allergen Info Contains mustard seeds, chilies.