Italian Jugaad!

Baked Arancini with Napoli sauce and salad

Jugaad, our trusted and foolproof Indian practice for managing a raft of sticky situations ranging from everyday problems to entrepreneurial practice, is fast capturing the imagination of a recession stricken western world as a growth formula.

Another ‘juggernaut’ sweeping the world?!

India should patent the concept before we have to defend it like we did turmeric! After all, the word owes its origin to the Sanskrit word ‘yukti’, meaning trick, and the practice has become second nature to Indians!

Now, I am sure it will meet all three legal criteria for patenting - of “Novelty, Non-Obviousness, and Utility”! For although the concept of jugaad is not new, every act  can be very novel! And the best cases of jugaad are non-obvious if you don’t tell, and every jugaad is just so useful.

Just like the jugaad I put into play, coming up with arancini balls with some leftover risotto.

You could actually cook some arborio rice with any stock and seasoning, and add some vegetables of your choice and some grated mozzarella cheese, or just used any cooked rice with seasoning!

For the arancini balls

2 cups leftover risotto (mine had some pumpkin, broccoli and mushrooms – and some white wine)

2 tbsp grated mozzarella cheese (or any other cheese- remember jugaad)

1 tbsp parmesan

Panko bread crumbs

Oil spray

Homemade panko crumbs

3 slices bread (I used multigrain bread) – use four if you have a small loaf

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp dried sage

½ tsp dried oregano

¼ tsp black pepper

½ tsp crushed red chillies

2 tsp grated Parmesan

Method

Place all the ingredients for the panko crumbs in a mixer and zap them roughly.

Remove onto a work surface.

Mix the risotto with the two cheeses. Make four equal portions and roll them with into a ball and then in the crumbs. Then shape them with both hands, adding crumbs to the hand and pressing them into the balls tightly. As you shape and press simultaneously, tilt one of your palms to give it a pear shape.

You can make small round balls to go as starters, too!

When the ball stops taking any more crumbs, place it on a tray lined with baking paper. Spray with an olive oil spray and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 C till golden crisp – about 25 minutes.

Serve hot with a salad and some Napoli sauce.

Shredded lettuce, finely sliced red onion, sliced pink lady apple, rocket leaves, walnuts and low salt creamy fetta cheese with a balsamic dressing made a great salad.

Napoli was a can of chopped Roma tomatoes cooked in olive oil with onions, garlic, fresh oregano and crushed chilli.

Now that’s a sustainable (no waste) and healthy (not fried) jugaad!

Prominent and popular blogger  Suranga Date writes interesting, funny, sweet, thought provoking and rich poems inspired by varied things that capture her imagination in her blog Strewn Ashes. I have the privilege of her friendship and of the fact that often one of my dishes or posts inspire her to write a poem or two! In English and Marathi!

Quipped Suranga on the risotto- 

जागतिक भात संमेलनाला
जमलेले अथिरथी महारथी,
शेठ बिर्याणी , पुलावराव , 
सर बिसिबेलेभात
सौ चित्रान्न , मसियर रिसोटो ,
श्रीमती खिचडी आणि चि .दहीभात,
मधल्या सुट्टीत फुशारक्या मारत बसले होते .....

एकीकडे जुना रीस्सोटो, साध्या भाताला म्हणाला ,
:"तुझा फोडणीचा भात तर फारच यमी असतो,
ह्या बड्या लोकांमध्ये माझा कसा निभाव लागणार ?"

"त्यात काय आहे ? मी सांगतो तसा कर" असे म्हणत
भाताने मागे लाग्लेया मिरचीकढी पत्ता मंडळींना पिटाळून लावले,
.चीज ला हाताशी घेतले ,
आणि रीस्सोटो मधल्या भाज्यांना समज दिली .
सर्वांना व्यवस्थीत एकत्र केलं ,
आणि
छोटे छोटे गोळे करून, 
चविष्ठ ब्रेड्क्रंब मध्ये घोळून,
जरा ओव्हन मध्ये ठेवलं ....

चीजच मन पाघळल,
बाहेरील आवरणाने आपले मन घट्ट केले ,
आणि थोड्याच वेळात हि मंडळी सभेत आली.

हिरवे सलाड , लाल टोमाटो सॉस ,
सगळे गडबडीने हा चमत्कार बघायला धावले ,
आणि
आपला फोडणीचा भात धन्य झाला !

सर्व अथिरथी महारथी थक्क होउन विचारू लागले,
"ह्याला काय म्हणायच ? हे क्कुठ्ले क्विझीन ?"
आणि
फोडणीच्या भाताने रीस्सोतो च्या हातावर टाळी दिली 
काधीपत्त्याला डोळा मारला,
आणि गात गात उत्तर दिले ,
"ये चीज बडी ही मस्त मस्त, ये चीज बडी ही मस्त !"

.