If you want a love message to be heard, it has got to be sent out. To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it. – Mother Teresa
Introduction. Farm area bedroom. SUMMER delights. SATURDAY morning, before SUNRISE.
Romie, time to get up! Go pick the flowers?
I am submerged in the sea of duvet and in the first phase of waking up I hear coherence and wind in my ears.
This time its wet hands which pat my cheeks….1…2….3….I squintingly open my eyes to see the big face of my father over my head. Oops…I have crossed the scheduled time and need to pull myself out.(note to self: Never assign your father as an alarm clock you can’t even put it into snooze mode)
The clock reads 5:00 am.
I drag myself to the bathroom.With a half-hearted brush I brush my teeth.(Status I am half awake).
He, looks like a 500 watt bulb so early in the morning while watering the plants, points out, “Be back for the art school… ! Remember?”
I drag the flower basket and pick flowers from our neighbours for the morning prayers.
Later in the morning I would be back from art school “Dad, are my fried potatoes ready”.Drenched in mustard oil, they would be my morning breakfast with bread.
My hair the most important asset after my eyes!
“Mom, please don’t break a single strand of hair”. Stinky,sticky,slimy castor oil being smeared on my hair.For tassels which mimic Rapunzel. That’s a second story that today they have close resemblance to Maximus’s tail.
The bottle of Bertolli olive oil had been a companion from early childhood and it got gulped down by my parched skin as water trickles through sand. (highly recommended for dry skin)
Oil Affair ? Yes.
That delicious rich homemade chicken curry cooked in sunflower refined oil over piping hot brown rice. Such a relief from the weekday boiled veggies and pulses.
I am sitting in the backyard and seeing my mother prepare her beauty concoctions from dried hibiscus petals and warm coconut oil. She fills the bottles carefully to avoid any leaks. This humble oil with no pretense seduced our creaky squeaky hinges to divine silence.
Wait, if you are thinking its enough oil already.
Nah, lets rustle up some more oil.
An evening outing was a must on weekends. So it was customary for the street food hawkers to lure you with their sizzles and tosses. How on earth could you ignore those Palm oil clad fritters and Beignets. (Thankfully childhood didn’t go bonkers with healthy eating…for further details contact parents)
The beautiful day came to an end. Oil has been that mistress which has romanced my childhood and still does. Why does the world talk about them in confidential whispers. The equation is outrageously simple. My mother enriched us by exposing us to such a huge plethora of oils. I continue to use them in our daily diet and regime. I m not a doctor to prescribe the oil intake but have a happy household and home cooked meal takes us a long way.Its time we paid the Masai tribesmen a visit.
During my recent visit to Nice in south-east France I explored niçoise cuisine, which has the influence of Italy uses olive oil extensively. (My blog post on Nice,France) I drizzled these sun beam reflecting oils on just about anything…by pasta, pizza, mussels, baguettes and salads. By talking to the local chefs I picked up the local culinary method of infusing oils. I today present the art of infusing oils my Chilli Coriander Infused Oil using Bird’s eye chilli and chilli flakes, dried coriander seeds and superior quality extra virgin olive oil.
Method 1:
- 450ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp dried red chilli flakes
- 10-15 whole dried Bird’s eye chilli
- 3 tbsp coriander seeds
- Use a good sterilised, thoroughly dried glass bottle.
- Put the dry ingredients into the bottle.The pour the olive oil in order to cover the ingredients.Seal the bottle, and let it sit in a cool, dark place for 1-2 weeks before using it. The oil will slowly infuse over this time.
- Then strain out the solids and re-bottle the oil.
- Refrigerate and use this oil up-to a month.
- Gently warm the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the chilli flakes,whole chillies and coriander seeds to the oil and heat for 3-4 minutes (cook to 180°).Heating the oil can affect the flavor and quality of the olive oil.
- Remove from the heat and leave the oil to cool slightly.
- Use a good sterilised, thoroughly dried glass bottle.
- When the oil has cooled slightly, carefully pour it into using a funnel. Seal the bottle.
- Keep the bottle in a cool, dark place, shaking the bottles once a week. Lets the flavours infuse into the oil at least for a week before consuming.
- Refrigerate and use this oil up-to a month.
Love your photography Pallavi! These photos are so tempting that I keep coming back to this post!
Hello Dolphia,
Thank you for all the love my dear!