"Dressing up" for the new year

I am not really sure how do I begin this post without the annual cliché of “Happy New Year” considering it is already 10 (did I just say TEN?) days into 2012. I, for one, am still recovering from the holiday fever. Lets face it... My beautiful holiday in the surreal south island of New Zealand seemed to last only a couple of days (even though my calendar believes otherwise; it says it was 2-week long), my mum and brother stayed back with me after the holiday for only a few hours (even though they insist it has been another week) and all these exhilarating and adventurous nuances seem to have happened months ago, even though I
know, you know and god knows they occurred within the last three weeks.

And now that all is done and over, I am back to the "routine". Not that I dislike my "routine", but after this short-long break I am a little wary of it. Just like one is a bit wary of those good ol' vegetables after a hearty binge on chocolate and chips. I guess its time I find something to spice my routine up- just the way my mother's zesty mustard dressing spices up this invigorating salad.


Recipe: Garden salad in mustard dressing

Ingredients:

4 cups vegetables, such as mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, pineapple, bell peppers, gherkins, olives, jalapenos, courgettes, babycorn/sweet corn, paneer, etc, cut into bite sized pieces 

For the Dressing:

3 tablespoons thick yoghurt 

2 teapoon vinegar 
1 tsp chilli sauce
1 tsp organo
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp mustard powder*
salt and pepper

Procedure:
Prepare the dressing by whisking the mustard powder with yoghurt smoothly. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk well.
Pour the dressing over the salad vegetables and serve.

*Note: The mustard powder (rai ki koori) used in this recipe is peeled and ground mustard seed. If you are unable to get hold of the powder, then grind some yellow (not black) mustard seeds to make it.


This delightful salad is now a part of Vardhini's New U