Ratatouille Ravioli with Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

For the filling

2 small brinjals
2 small tomatoes
1 medium capsicum
1 medium onion
2 large button mushrooms
1 tsp chopped garlic
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste

For the ravioli

5-6 spinach leaves blanched and pureed
1 cup flour (maida)
4 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste

For the Tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups tomato pulp
4-5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup tomato ketchup
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp cheese(grated)
salt to taste

Method:

For the ratatouille filling

1) Heat the olive oil.
2) Add mushrooms, onion, garlic, capsicum and brinjals and fry for two minutes.
3) Add the tomatoes and salt and cook till the mixture is dry.
4) Add the oregano. Mix well and allow to cool.

For the ravioli

1) Mix the spinach puree, flour, olive oil and salt and make a firm but smooth dough.
2) Cover in wet cloth and keep aside for 15 minutes.
3) Divide the dough into 2 portions and roll each of them out as thinly as possible.
4) Brush one sheet with cold water and place small heaps of the filling at little regular intervals.
5) Cover with the other sheet and press around each mound.
6) Use a knife to cut around each mound.
7) Boil water in a large pot with olive oil and salt. When the water start to boil, add the ravioli, 2-3 pieces at a time and let them cook for about 3 minutes.
8) Remove the ravioli and refresh them in a pot of cold water, drain again and keep aside.

For the Tomato Sauce

1) Heat olive oil and add the garlic and onion and cook till the onions turn translucent.
2) Add the tomato pulp and tomato ketchup and cook till the sauce thickens.
3) Add organo and cheese and mix well, remove from the flame and cool the sauce.
4) Put it in a blender to make a smooth paste.
5) Transfer again to the pan, add water and bring to a boil.

Serving
1) Put a generous amount of sauce on a plate and top with the ravioli.
2) Garnish with chilli flakes and serve.

The story of Stye and I...

As the name suggests I am fairly regularly afflicted by these pain in the eye kind of boils. For the past fifteen odd years they have been my constant companions, the kind that do not differentiate between good or bad times and have given me company at all times.

It started when I was in college and I have been called various names while they last, the most famous name that I have been called is "Lalita Pawar" because once about ten years ago the stye hardened and the capsule remained for about a year and I went about with one eye smaller than the other because of this growth in the upper lid, finally we got it operated. At that time I was given to understand that I would not be afflicted by styes any more. Which was more or less the case as if we leave aside a few stray ones I did get...nothing serious ever happenned and all was well.

All good things must come to an end and so my stye-free period also seems to have run its course and in the past one month I have had three in rapid sucession and at the moment all three are present in my eye as the capsule for the two old ones have hardened. As I type this I can barely see with my right eye as it is totally swollen and to say it is painful is an understatment ( I have consumed 3 crocin tables in the past 24 hours to kill the pain). Also past experience suggest that I am well on my way to a few more (I normally have about seven once this starts).

This morning unable to take the pain anymore I decided enough is enough and went off to see my Eye Surgeon (the one who has been treating me the past 15 years), he operates from two clinic one in the East where he is available in the morning and the other one in my area where he is available in the evening, since the pain was unbearable I travelled all the way to the East clinic to see him, he saw my eye and I am sure he saw that he will finally go for that long awaited and much delayed vacation and I was going to foot the bill, for the diagnosis was operate the two hardened styes. In addition he prescribed two different ointments, two antibiotics and drops for the eye. You will ask why two different ointments, apparently one ointment was for the fresh stye and the other one for the hardened capsule. Over and above this he wanted me to undergo a blood test and that too at the lab within the facility. Normally I am a very long suffering and loyal person, but this time I decided to get a second opinion, so on my way back I went to a nearby hospital and inquired for the eye doctor. They did not have a resident eye doctor, but the consulting eye doctor was due to come in in the evening, in the mean time the on call doctor started making my fact sheet through his assistant... honest I am not lying... this actually happenned... the assistant would speak to me go inside and update the doctor and came back with a few more questions, she made about half a dozen such trips before she asked me to get a blood test done - Blood Sugar and HIV.

I went off and got the same done at their lab and was paying the bill when finally the on call doctor condescends to meet me.

He: Beta, so you are a housewife...(I am like "Duh" is my marriage certificate pasted on my face???...I for one wear no jewellery, how can you be so sure ???)
Me: No, I work in a BPO
He(apprehension written all over his face): Dont worry, I have just asked for a few tests to flag off some viral tickers because of the recurring infections, the results of which I am sure will be negative, after which you can meet the Eye Surgeon.
(He gave me and my mom a smile and patted me on the back in his best "AIDS chune se nahi failta" pat).

I was absolutely seething at all this, I mean, he is a doctor and is supposed to make the patient feel comfortable and here he is making me feel like I am already suffering from some disease you would not speak about in polite company...

I arrive in the evening at the hospital to collect the report and find that it has not arrived. The ward boy or who ever he was called the testing lab and took down the diagnosis. I have reproduced the conversation I had with him for your benefit

He: Blood or Woh test karaya tha na ?
Me: Haan Blood sugar aur HIV...
He(wincing at the sound of HIV): Haan sab normal hai aur who negative hai... hard copy report ek ghate baad aayega lab se...
he writes all this down on a down on a piece of paper and gives it to me as I need the same for my consultion with the eye surgeon.
He(as an after thought): Kya aap surgery karra rahe ho ??
Me(pointing to my eye): Nahi, main toh bas Stye dikhane aayi thi...

I then travelled to the Eye Surgoeon's clinic which is about 20 minutes away(apparently he does not come to hospital but will be available at the Poly clinic).

Here after all the trials I have had to put up with all day I meet a man who is a credit to his profession, he checks my eye and makes all sensible enquiries and prescribes medicines to tackle the infection. All the while making me feel like this is something that proper care and medicines can take care. All in all the doctor exuded so much positive energy I forgot all the pain and felt like finally I was in good hands.