“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”~ Jim Rohn

It has been days since my last post on Lite Bite.

After the life-changing career shift through food blogging, time is one luxury I don’t have.

Finding a balance between the demands of family and fulfilling your dreams is tough when you are passionately inclined towards both. I often used to sulk after rejecting any good project just for the lack of time, but not anymore.

I am slowly trying to build my life on my terms by keeping it simple with realistic goals and achievable dreams.

The mega-project I have undertaken as a free lancer is going good. I received two calls for separate food photo shoots few days back, one with Kunal and the other with Rubecon ad agency.

It was a hectic month, I was mad as a hatter, running around for meetings & planning for the projects, also keeping in mind the stipulated delivery dates for my home project. It was fun, I could manage to get through everything in good shape

The first shoot was with Kunal for the popular ID restaurant of Satyam cinema.

The props, lights and the set is ready for the ID restaurant shoot…

It was fun shooting for two days and enjoying the delicious spread in Satyam restaurants.

The other shoot was for Rubecon ad agency with photographer  Vivek. I styled for two separate brands, Farm to Fresh and Abirami for about 22 products ranging from brown rice to some unusual indigenous millet. I had to cook various recipes and style the same at the studio.

Photographer, media people and stylist posing for the usual ‘pack-up’ shot after a hectic two days shoot.

I clicked a few shots I cooked and styled using millet and diabetic rice with my smart phone after the shoot was done.

Curried Lentil and vegetables 

Nothing much has changed at home front, just that the time I spend in my kitchen has reduced considerably. I look out for quick meal ideas and recipes which are simple and easy to prepare.

When in confusion, cooking Indian meal is my best bet.

Ingredients;

(serve 3)

• 1/2 cup Bengal gram
• 1 cup chopped bottle gourd
• 1 large capsicum
• 1 large onion
• 1 large tomato
• 5-6 garlic pearls
• 1’ ginger piece
• 2 green chillies
• 2-3 drops of lemon juice
• Salt to taste
• Water as required

Spices;

• 1 tsp. coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp. red chilly powder
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 cardamom pod
• A small cinnamon stick
• A pinch of asafoetida powder

Method; Wash and soak Bengal gram (channa dal) for an hour.

Grate tomato and onion with a grater.

Roughly crush garlic and ginger in a pestle and mortar.

Peel and roughly chop Bottle Gourd (lauki) and capsicum into small cubes.

Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadai or wok and splutter cumin seeds in it.

Add all the spices listed above, salt, crushed garlic-ginger paste and slit green chillies in it and sauté for a few seconds.

Add grated onion and tomato and sauté for another 2 minutes on medium heat.

Add soaked Bengal gram, Chopped Bottle Gourd and capsicum in the kadai, cover and let it cook on medium heat till the vegetables and lentil are tender and cooked.

It takes 20-25 minutes in open pan or kadai for the lentil and vegetables to get cooked. Use a pressure cooker to speed up the cooking process.

Garnish the curried lentil and vegetables with fresh coriander and lemon juice and serve it with plain rice or any Indian flat bread.

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