Apartment

Our apartment is a very nicer-average apartment here in Pune. We are on the edge of the city, in a newer area of town (Vardagon Sheri), pretty near the IT hub where Andy works (Kalyani Nagar), and one of the big tourist/fancy areas (Koreagon Park).

We live in a a big complex of three sets of buildings, each built all around a big open courtyard. Our complex, Karan Gharonda, has its own set of stores, a couple of small general stores, a beer & wine store, an ice-cream and dairy store, a gym, beauty salon, tailor, laundry, and a furniture store. All literally inside our complex, in a row on the bottom floor, so if you need something, you don't have to go very far. And a lot of ladies roll right up to these little shops before meal-time in the housecoats, since its just right outside their front door. I do not have a housecoat, but they look very comfortable, and I think I would get one, but Andy keeps calling them mu-mus, which makes them somewhat less appealing to me.


We have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, kitchen, and small balcony. Our place is set up pretty much like the average apartment here since we got it furnished. It even came with extra bike helmets! You can see the mosquito nets on the beds. The all-in-one bathrooms will be covered in the separate upcoming Bathrooms post.




The kitchen has a small selection of dishes, TONS of spices and spice containers, an aluminum rack specifically for the aluminum dishes, and has no oven, but 2 gas burners, kind of like a Coleman camp stove, no dishwasher, and no microwave. This is mostly fine, but it did take us a while to figure out how to re-heat things when we ate left-overs. The burners are hooked up to a big tank of propane, no central lines, you just have to call the store and get gas tanks and bottled water delivered when you need it.

The walls are all pink, and the doors all bright purple. Our Indian friends have said this is weird, so apparently the color scheme is not exactly what you might find in other apartments. The furniture is all hard as a rock, especially the bed and cushioned chairs. The plastic lawn chairs are pretty much the most comfortable place to sit, I don't know why we don't use them more.

And we have a dining table, with chairs, which is very unusual. Most people do not have this, and just sit on these small mats for meals, with food on the floor in the middle of everything. We had a small mattress on the floor in the living room when we moved in, but I mistakenly thought it might make the bed more comfy if we doubled up on the cushion. A lot of people use the mattresses as a couch, and a bed. We also have 2 arm chairs and a settee, made in true Indian style, and of course, feel like a pile of bricks when you are sitting on them.


Our landlord lived in Hawaii for a couple of years, and studied world religions, so we have some interesting decorations around. Lots of little knick-knacks and such, postcards of Hawaii. Our visitors always ask about these, and think we brought them with us.
Nope, the mini-buddas just came with the place.

First Few Recipes

So I have been trying to get a handle on the cooking over here- its hard since there is no oven, no microwave, and a lot of the food is just really different. I don't remeber ever being just so totally at a loss as when Ujwala our maid fixed rice the first time in the middle of the day, and then I realized I need to re-heat it at dinner. No microwave and already cooked rice are not a good combination, just sort of burns onto the bottom of the pan, or gets really mushy if you add more water. At least, thats the best I have been able to figure.

So here are a couple of the recipes we have had so far, and they seem fairly consistent. Andy doesnt eat meat, so we are pretty heavy on vegetables over here. The big thing is the spices. There are about 6 spices that are in almost everything, I have pictures them here: Coriander Powder, Turmeric Powder, Hot Red Chile Powder, Cumin Seeds, and and Masala Mix (our household seems to be heavy on the Sabji Mix, basically "vegetable spices"). The last spice is a mix of onion, red chile, turmeric, coriander, garlic, salt, and ginger, gong by the name of Kanda Lasoon.




The okra and eggplant purchased from the little boy who runs the vegetable stall at the bottom of our building.

Bhindi Masala:
Cut 1/2 kilo okra into 1/2 inch rounds. Rough chop one small onion. Fry onion in oil in a hot pan on low-ish heat til soft. Add okra, big sprinkle of red chili, tumeric, chili powder, and a smaller sprinkle of salt. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.












Brinjal Masala:
1/2 kilo small eggplant, cut into thin-ish strips. Chop one small onion, fry on low heat in hot pan until soft. Add eggplant, let cook. Add one roma tomato, chopped or cut into strips. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Add sabji masala, tumeric, coriander, medium sprinkle of each. Add 1 Tablespoon oil if needed, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Yellow Dahl:
Heat 3/4 cup cooking oil, add small sprionkle of coriander, tiny bit of caraway seed. Cook for 2 minutes, and one small chopped red onion, one roma tomato chopped, cook til all soft. In pressure cooker, cook 1 cup dried yellow lentils with water til pressure cooker is ready- should rattle or squeal. Add 1 teaspoon of turmeric to lentils. Add tomato & onion to lentils, should look soupy. Cook down til not watery anymore.

The Chronicles of Ujwala Part II

So the second week of having a maid was a big rocky. Ujwala and crew were supposed to come by Monday at 2:00. I was at the gym that morning so Andy and I rushed home after a quick lunch to make sure we got back in time for them. Never showed. Apparently they came at 12:30, so we finally called them Tuesday morning to see what was happening. Andy's friend had to talk, and we told to expect them again that afternoon at 2:00. So at about 3:00 Andy had Pritam call them AGAIN, to see what the hell was

happening. They relayed the message that they were coming, and that I had better have some vegetables waiting.

Ujwala arrived around 3:30, in good spirits, with a girl who I figured out last week is her little sister. Jennifer also came by for a few minutes, with one of her friends, just to make sure everything was ok. I watched again while she cooked, and took a few pics this time. I think i am going to try some things on my own next week, it seems like with a few standard spices you can pretty much make all the basics.

This time around she made some chapati, bhindi masala (okra), brinjal masala (eggplant) and rice. Pictures are of the chapati making process.

Ujwala and I traded a few names in Hindi, Marathi, and English, and I have expanded my vocabulary of cooking by at least double.

Where's My $2???

Also Titled: The Kid at the Vegetable Stall Downstairs

If you have ever seen the 80's classic "Better Off Dead" with John Cusack, you will totally get what I'm talking about. The little paper boy, who constantly harasses JC for the $2 he owes him? Well, I've got my own version of that going.

So the first time I went to the vegetable stall, at the bottom of our apartment complex, I went with Jennifer and she did all of the talking, choosing, paying, etc. I went back yesterday afternoon by myself to get a few for dinner tomorrow with marginal success.

The kid that apparently runs the place is maybe 12 or so, but he really likes to wheel and deal. I chose about 3 kinds of vegetables I wanted, then he started making suggestions. He picked some fruit out for me, which was fine, then made a big deal about up-selling me on the world's largest wad of cilantro.

We argued for awhile about whether or not I wanted hot peppers and tomatoes, (I did not) and then I finally got my purchases rung up. The bill was about twice what I expected, so I told him I had to go back upstairs and get some money. About 2 steps later I see he has decided to leave his store and carry my stuff upstairs for me, very nice of him.

He comes right in, finds his way to the kitchen, and puts my things away. Then he starts looking around in the spare bedroom, and in the fridge. He was really amused about the fridge, I am not sure if he thought it was fabulous (it is pretty nice and new) or if he was also laughing at me for lack of anything actually being in my fridge. The laughing seems to happen to me a lot, so I wasnt sure.

We went back downstairs, where he tried to get me to buy a few more things, so I finally said ok and got some little cucumbers, just to calm him down. He doesnt get upset or angry, but when he wants me to do something he totally goes off on a tear. Talking loud, fast, waving his hands- its way easier to say ok sometimes than let him rant. But I have to stand my ground and refuse every now and then or else he really gets carried away.

Andy came home about 10 minutes later, and we were just starting to sit down and relax when the doorbell rings. Surprise, its my little friend! He started mumbling about milk, and since there is a farm next door we thought he might be going that way. We put him on the phone with Navin, who translated that we would be presented with 1 litre of buffalo's milk about 7:00 the next morning for $32 rupees.

At 7:45 the next day my little friend rings the bell, I crawl out of bed, go get the milk, and give him $32 rupees. He immediately starts his little high-pitched, early-morning wail, about how the price is now $42 rupees, which I fork over to get him to quiet down as soon as possible. While I am looking for money he inspects the apartment again, room by room, and then asks to use Andy's magical mystery iPhone, which apparently made a big impression last night. This kid is dying to use that iPhone.

The minute that money hits his hand he wants $50 rupees, so I literally take him by the shoulders, and start pushing him out the door. We finally agree on 1 more rupee, which I scrounge around for, then get him out, as he is laughing and mumbling (probably about what a sucker I am) all the way.

About 10:00 the doorbell rings again, and he is back with bananas and a bunch of other things. I refuse him very nicely, we are both laughing this time, and I shut the door, hopefully after getting him to understand that I will come back the veggie stall the next time I need something. This kid is nothing if not persistent. What a little entrepreneur! I totally just ripped off by a small child, but whatever.

P.S.- Every time I see this kid now, he shouts out "Frut, frut?????" and every now and then throws in an occasional "Wa-ter-Mel-on?". He never stops, I am convinced he will be chasing me down a ski slope one day on a bike.