Being a foodie has always made me think in one perspective, the sensual experience of eating is all in the head. I’ve always felt garlic is a package of surprises. You can use it in every possible innovative way, and there’s a new surprise each time. Now let’s hold onto this thought for a while…
Our bags packed and we are ready to get this thing going. We drove four hours to this beautiful site with winding roads. We reached our destination and were able to stretch our legs a little. Tall redwood trees, green and white tents, sounds of birds chirping invited us. It was hot, but we felt cool under the shade of the tightly packed trees. The tall trees towering above called us in a way with their outstretched branches. The warm sunlight streaming in was definitely inviting. We parked our cars and decided to poke around some more. Little did I know, I’d see the shadow of a bear that night…
As we walked further in the early afternoon light, we felt like we left Earth around the corner and entered Narnia. What unfolded hence was breathtaking. There was a calm rippling blue water lake, with cute white ducks afloat. We then walked on a wooden bridge to cross and the trees lined the lake. Slowly I looked up, and there they were, the mountains of Yosemite. The beautiful half dome shaped like a dolphin. A few visitors shot down with the same expression as ours. My heart was singing thinking, bliss in heaven is here for me…
Walked up to check in, the lovely person helping us saw us coming in a with a group of kids following us. He was quick to tell us that there were bears who were quite an unwelcome guest in the night. He told us to be cautious about food in the tent. There comes to a screeching halt of my fantasy 3 day camping. Imagine my sighs… they were loud. I was scared. Gone was the beauty, the lake, and the relaxing time. How are we going to spend the next 3 days camping uneventfully?
After a bit of a shock, I decided to pick myself up and try to make the most of it. The kids had fun and played cricket for the longest, without anyone screaming that they might break a vase or a chandelier. We lazed around all afternoon. Then the friend and I made some pasta for dinner. Night rolls by and it’s even more beautiful. The dark blue skies with twinkling stars, the silence and the ruffling of the water… I couldn’t ask for more. We built a huge fire and s’mores got passed by. The kids could not be contained. They ate, laughed, ran and were exhausted. Time to hit the sacks.
The tents were okay, and they didn’t have a door. The door was a thick cloth just tied to the sides. After tucking in our kids, I got to our bed just to see hubs in deep slumber. I pulled a part of his blanket along with mine to keep warm in the chilly night. Then I heard a noise of a bear hanging around near our food stations, and all I wanted to do is dive inside the sheets and hear nothing. The best next thing, dream, dream about food. Food thoughts slowly started creeping in….crackling garlic, wood fired pizza, the smell of burnt garlic took over my thoughts when suddenly I could hear a sniffing and prodding outside. It was a bear walking around. I could scream away, but I just nudged hubs and woke him up and asked him to listen: “There is a bear outside our tent!” I could see; I could clearly make out a shape. Oh hell, what’s gonna happen now, I thought. The shape advanced further and in seconds into our tent. I watched and controlled a scream, when I saw my own 8 year old baby bear. “Gosh, what the heck are you doing,” I asked, “at this hour in the dark night, outside the tent?” He simply, very casually says, he wanted to find his friend to tell him something. I was mad, but hugged him.
Still gives me chills to think that my baby bear (he got that name after that incident) walked in pitch dark night found his way back, where my husband found it hard to get back after a restroom break. He made a difference as he always does. It will be a memorable one just like the garlic in this dish.
I’m sharing of my most requested breakfast this summer. The first time I made it, I wanted something spicy and a bit more than basic. I had some chutney powder which I had on hand. It turned out to be a hit, we were addicted. Had to share this one. After reliving my camping experience, I really need a good meal with a glass of wine.
You all have a fabulous weekend!!
- 1 large sweet potato
- 2 yam
- 1 large potato or 2 small
- Eggs -4
- 20 cloves garlic or 2 heads of garlic peeled
- 3 tbsp roasted peanuts
- 2 tbsp white sesame seeds
- ⅓ cup dry unsweetened coconut powder(kopra)
- ⅓ cup kashmiri red chili powder (use it according to your spice level) or 20-30 whole red kashmiri chillies
- 2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp oil to fry the potatoes and eggs
- salt if needed
- In a non stick dry pan, add the peeled halved garlic. Keep the flame on simmer and let it cook on dry pan. It will take anywhere up to 15 minutes. If you plan on whole red chillies, add it along with the garlic. Then add the dry coconut powder, kashmiri red chili powder, sesame seeds and fry for few minutes. Switch off the flame and add the peanuts and let the mixture cool completely. Grind it to a coarse powder and put it on a flat plate to cool and bottle it.
- Dice the potatoes, everything has to be the same size.
- In a non stick or a seasoned cast iron pan, add 2 tbsp oil and add the diced sweet potatoes, yam, potatoes and put it in one layer. Let it cook and brown.
- When it is half cooked add 2-3 tbsp of the Garlic Peanut Chutney powder and mix well. Make 4 opening or make space for eggs. Add a little bit of oil in the space and break open the eggs. Cover tightly with a foil or a lid. Simmer and cook completely.
- Serve with some bread of as is.
- Enjoy!
You can store this spice mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Sprinkle it on soups, curries, mix with rice, the possibilities are endless.
Sprinkle on tortilla and stuff anything. Adds an extra special touch.
Sprinkle on Savory Oatmeal for a light spicy touch.
Add it to veggies curries.
Add it to cooked beans to jazz it up.
Love the story of your baby bear! I would have reacted in exactly the same way… I’m certain that memory will long be remembered. We camped out one time when a fox came gliding by my leg and woke me from a snooze in front of the fire. I can look at it now with fondness – I’ve made progress(!) but that night – there was no fondness to be found! Just a racing heart and a lot of scrambling! haha! This dish is a winning combination of flavors. Beautiful, as always! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks so very much Annie. Now that it’s documented, it will be remember for a while, one of the reasons I love blogging.
You kidding, omg..fox..now that’scary. Oh well, we both seemed to have moved on. :).
Thanks so much for stopping by and have a beautiful weekend my friend.
Oh Asha – I so thought you were going to say you saw a REAL bear – but I am so glad that the bear you saw was your baby one! What a memorable night! As is this hash! Love the sweet potato and garlic and that chutney AND THOSE DREAMY EGGS! YUM!
Hope y’all have a wonderful weekend! xx
Sashi, now if it was a real bear..this girl would be crazy scared to even write about it..hahah. It was a memorable one. thanks dear.
Such a lovely baby bear story! The hash looks so comforting and satisfying, Asha.
Have a relaxing weekend!
Angie
Thanks so much Angie. xoxo
oh thank god, I thought you saw a real bear! glad it was your little bear, loved reading the story 🙂 and the dish looks fantastic, so flavorful!
Oh yes, I thanked the stars then. Thanks girl, relived the memories.
xx
Lovely story
Till I know it was your little one the. Bear so much scared. Thank God. great garlic podi Wil have to make…
Mom, I know, the kiddo is a crazy one.
Hope you get to make the podi. Add more garlic if you need.
Oh phew! I knew you were ok because you had obviously returned to write the story but it was so suspenseful! 😀
Lol..Oh well, that’s the end of camping.
Hope you are good hun.
xx
you got me with this story..omg i would have been freaked out too. kids never stop to surprise (or scare you)..this breakfast hash looks gorgeous…esp with eggs.
Oh heck yes, kids have a talent to surprise us. haha.
Thanks D. Hope you are doing well.
What a story! Glad it was just baby bear there ! I was worried for a second. I cannot stomach camping and I admire you going along and doing the best you can. I am sure I would also resort to dreaming about food to get by! And this breakfast hash and the eggs looks so delicious. I love anything with eggs – add on sweet potatoes and all this flavor – and I’d be requesting it all the time, too. Hope you have a happy, calm Fall…and here’s to a great new school year for the kids! : )
I am with you Monica, do not like camping at all. Tried it once and I have solid reasons not to go again.;).
The yam makes this dish so much more nicer right?…Hope you get to try a version sometime.
Hope you are having a great week so far.
xx
Yikes, and then Phew! Great story. GREG
Thanks Grey. Oh yes, it was a relief.
Hahaha what a story!!! It’s funny how the mind may keep some info (the warning for the bears) and start playing tricks on you, isn’t it? I was reading this aloud and Mirella got so anxious until you revealed the “baby bear”:)
Regarding the recipe now; This is an absolute delight! We both love a filling breakfast and this one hits the spot! Full of flavors, this can keep you going until late in the afternoon!:)
Have a wonderful week ahead dear!
Panos and Mirella
xoxoxo
You both are the kindest friends. Your support means a lot. Give a hug to Mirella for me, will you?. Oh yes, the mind is a funny thing.
Oh yes, you are right, it’s quite a filling and satisfying breakfast. Thanks again for stopping by and you have a beautiful week.
hugs.
This one bear, was a cute one…
I’ll take this bear any minute of the day. Thanks luv for all the support. xoxo
Oh my gosh, I would have had a heart attack!! Thank goodness you all survived. 😛 Nothing can beat potatoes and eggs so I can definitely see why this is so often requested at your house!
Oh yes we survived, never to go back;).
Thanks so much Joaane.
That story is great, Ash! I’m always terrified of bears out in the wilderness, and that would’ve scared me to death. haha This hash looks so incredibly delicious — I’m a huge fan of sweet potatoes AND garlic! Pinned. 🙂
Thanks Marcie. I am not a camping girl at all, they forced me into and this had to happen. Crazy eh?!
Thanks for pinning my friend. This feels indulgent but not really, healthy one.
Hope you are doing good my dear. xx
Okay for a second I thought there was actually a bear in your tent. I had to reread it to realize it was your child that you were embracing and that you weren’t some modern day Briar Rose making friends with the local wildlife. The fact that you went camping and made it sound like a dream is an awesome feat, especially for desi parents haha. I never went camping with my family growing up. It’s something I did as an adult with my white friends. It’s so nice to hear that you create these wonderful experiences for your children so that they have these fond memories to look back on and know that their parents really cared about them and made an effort. Aside, from the trip, your photos are stunning as usual. I especially love the one with the garlic and spices – Bon Apetit worthy! This recipe reminds me why breakfast/brunch is probably my favorite meal of the day, aside from thai food for dinner 😉
xx Yasmin
http://banglesandbungalows.com
You just made my day and week for sure. We just believe in giving it all for the kids. No pressure, just experiencing life to the fullest. In the end, I truly believe the moment we spend with them is the most precious.
You seem to really understand the worth of kids, you will be a good mumma one day.
hugs.
xx
I love the story and as a mother I can totally relate . It’s fun knowing how your little one got his nick name. Is this a dish that you can substitute a different not for the peanut? also is the dried coconut sweetened or not. I’m on a special diet this month and want to see if I can make it work for me. Thanks so much for sharing this beautiful story. I loved it all and look forward to trying the dish.
First of all thank you so much. You can definitely add almonds powder. The dried coconut powder is unsweetened, thanks for pointing out, I will definitely correct that.
Thanks so much. Yes, thats where the name came from.
They looks beautiful, soft and so yumm. chinese restaurants in vijaynagar
I’m so bookmarking this and making this.
Omg.. i LOVE south indian dishes, my bff is telugu.
They make this peanut powder often, who would have thought to add it to breakfast.
LOVE IT!
THanks!!
What a lovely story, Asha. Time spent in nature with family and friends make for some of the best memories! There’s something about being away from all the distractions of technology to help you to truly enjoy the company of others. Glad you’re able to get away for a bit! This dish is right up my alley! I love potatoes almost as much as I do chocolate 😉 It’s the perfect breakfast!