tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5300493511760640392024-02-07T09:11:02.413-05:00En Samayal Pakkamsimple home cooked meals from my kitchen to yours....Kribhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11978204535724288270noreply@blogger.comBlogger139125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530049351176064039.post-2343718539300901742008-11-20T14:20:00.014-05:002008-11-21T15:28:31.449-05:00Belated Diwali Treat : Kalakand<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">It's been long since I visited my blog. So, here I am stuck with an empty page for the past 15 mins not knowing where to start. I'm writing sentences back and forth and deleting them after a few minutes. Anyway, I'm determined to come out of my hibernation although it's not the appropriate time for it. </span><div><div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWFjQ7frn1FhDA4576KvO703WauF-o1DsA_sB98ExesK4vFbI8z3ECeCXsezzJ0H1xHwFdQiA5C6bTMNOPGtfYeVAmeB-2XOm_uydiNo3vBv1WsKhilYRks3VeHjx9AIvaL3oben8HqOq/s1600-h/DSC08857.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271208525009242162" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWFjQ7frn1FhDA4576KvO703WauF-o1DsA_sB98ExesK4vFbI8z3ECeCXsezzJ0H1xHwFdQiA5C6bTMNOPGtfYeVAmeB-2XOm_uydiNo3vBv1WsKhilYRks3VeHjx9AIvaL3oben8HqOq/s400/DSC08857.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Last year for Diwali I had so much time in hand that I experimented on many new sweets. But this time I wanted something quick and new. So I ended up doing Kalakand. The inspiration to do this was from my colleague Vinaya who brought this sweet during our Halloween Potluck. From that time onwards I became hooked to this sweet that I decided to give it a try for Diwali. So... many THANKS to <strong>Vinaya</strong> for introducing this sweet to me.<br /><br />The Kalakand you see below is not made out of hours of labor in the kitchen. There is actually a short cut way. Some of you must be already familiar with the Ricotta cheese method and that is what I followed here. I've never tried the traditional way of doing Kalakand and I'm sure it will taste the best….. but I guarantee you - when you try this method you will find a very marginal difference between the two or sometimes you might not even notice any difference.<br /><br />The version that my friend had brought was the plain Kalakand. So, I decided to get creative and make two more types of kalakand - The Mango Kalakand and the Chocolate Kalakand. So far, I have done this for 3 parties and the variety that won the most votes was the Mango Kalakand. But my vote is for the Chocolate one. The plain ones were also very good but for some reason the kids liked it the most.<br /><br />So, here goes the recipe:<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br />Ricotta cheese: 1 (30 oz tub) - Whole Milk<br />Sweetened Condensed milk - 3 cans<br />Elachi powder - 1/2 tsp for each batch<br />Ghee - for greasing the microwavable container and the tray in which you are going to pour the Kalakand.<br />Chopped nuts - Qty as desired (Pista, almonds)<br /><br />The quantity I have mentioned above serves a large crowd. I made 3 batches out the cheese quantity I mentioned above (see the 2nd picture… but we ate some before we took pictures). So, if you want to first try a small batch use just 1 can of milkmaid and equal amounts of ricotta cheese. I forgot to mention something... this is a recipe that uses microwave for cooking and not the stove. In future I'll experiment with the stove top as well and update you. </span></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLQldhxmXkX9jbeJ9mpkp52pUTjDRgvuNqqJAHFEk8IGq2Pzh9KjUKdK0OJGrlr6BiFaZB4BXBaO0zLOuVwEQ8GxB332_S6kmTx3YUODp5-MAGUeCVbIHpgSTxq8LIh6wWQ-aajp-WfRJ/s1600-h/DSC08845.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271208036123521970" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLQldhxmXkX9jbeJ9mpkp52pUTjDRgvuNqqJAHFEk8IGq2Pzh9KjUKdK0OJGrlr6BiFaZB4BXBaO0zLOuVwEQ8GxB332_S6kmTx3YUODp5-MAGUeCVbIHpgSTxq8LIh6wWQ-aajp-WfRJ/s400/DSC08845.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Procedure:</strong><br />Take a microwave safe cooking bowl (Corning ware) and grease it with ghee. Pour 1 can of milkmaid and equal amounts of ricotta cheese. Blend them to a smooth liquid. Add elachi powder and mix again. Keep the bowl in the microwave and cook it for 5 mins in high power. My microwave says power 10. In-between these 5 mins keep an eye on the liquid mixture as it might boil over if you are using a small bowl. To be on the safe side, I would recommend using a big bowl that enough room for the cheese mixture to rise a little bit.<br /><br />After the first 5 minutes, take out the bowl and give a good mix. Stick it back into the microwave for another 5 mins. This time, you need to watch your cheese mixture very keenly as it might boil over. Pause the microwave anytime if needed, give the mixture a stir and continue cooking.<br /><br />By the end of the 10th minute, the mixture would have become somewhat thick. Scrape the sides and blend well. Again put the bowl in the microwave for another 5 mins. At this stage, open the microwave every 1 min and stir the contents well each and every time. The kalakand is done when the cheese mixture becomes grainy and still has some moisture in it. You might get this stage by the 15th minute or 17th minute.<br /><br />Take out the bowl from the microwave and pour/scoop the contents to a ghee greased tray. Pile it up a little high so that you can get pieces out of them. While the mixture is still hot, spread the chopped nuts and slightly press them down. Wait for 1/2 an hour to 45 mins. Take a pizza cutter or knife and cut them neatly into squares. </span></span></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDUw2aiSwjPmOSjjJGW_QKiOpIZiuxdnyVkGv8uxgVHbV5oSmag30WRB85AXLle36JaN67i75duzGaeSCMGkrDKGTeiirSEMPIStu7kNfIFqv0NO8AFQUdIBDaOEZz_3ie9oITcQSGL9P/s1600-h/DSC08862.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271208825479641394" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDUw2aiSwjPmOSjjJGW_QKiOpIZiuxdnyVkGv8uxgVHbV5oSmag30WRB85AXLle36JaN67i75duzGaeSCMGkrDKGTeiirSEMPIStu7kNfIFqv0NO8AFQUdIBDaOEZz_3ie9oITcQSGL9P/s400/DSC08862.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Don't worry if you see the kalakand with some extra moisture at this stage. Leave it in the fridge for a few hours if needed. You will be able to take out the entire pieces fine.<br /><br /><strong>Note:</strong> For the <strong>Mango version</strong>, just use 1/2 to 3/4 cup of mango pulp. Mix the pulp with cheese and condensed milk. Follow the same procedure as above. Just increase the cooking time by 2 more minutes.<br /><br />For the <strong>Chocolate version</strong>, I used 2 tbsp of Hershey's milk chocolate powder. But when I did this batch, I noticed that the mixture got its grainy texture by the end of the 10th minute itself. So, I trusted my instincts and stopped cooking further. Finally, I realized that I did the right thing. The kalakands came out perfectly fine.<br /><br />Another version that you could try is to add MTR Badam feast powder to the Ricotta cheese mixture. I have not tried this before but my friend Vinaya suggested this idea. Maybe I'll try it next time.<br /><br />So... Folks are you ready to give it a try???<br /><br />The other sweet that I made was my Kaju kathli and for snacks I made murrukku. As I posted the recipes for these earlier I'm not going to elaborate on this.<br /><br />Ok Guys, time to go. Before that... Thanks to all my blog friends and readers for your sweet comments and enquires. Sorry to many of you for not responding to their queries. I'll start spending some time on my blog each week to make up for the lost time. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><span style="font-size:85%;">Take care and happy eating!</span></strong> </span></div></div></div>Kribhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11978204535724288270noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530049351176064039.post-21067271266508913942008-06-16T21:16:00.021-05:002008-12-09T05:58:56.859-05:00Arusuvai Chain in my kitchen (Kaju Kathli and Dry fruit Ladoos)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC0ruVyuA1zK4w-Kjlrt-7dvQh6urWBiGoo_G_o9VbEwHnAqNSq63fsKDD5_4LTGs64P279fnIRIM16I-8bfbWlE0JeHpf6bTSUfMoisKoWEmalXY0v42_ur9nDw8gJ9bdFEP2GNIjrVgm/s1600-h/arusuvai_white.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215578671682757810" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC0ruVyuA1zK4w-Kjlrt-7dvQh6urWBiGoo_G_o9VbEwHnAqNSq63fsKDD5_4LTGs64P279fnIRIM16I-8bfbWlE0JeHpf6bTSUfMoisKoWEmalXY0v42_ur9nDw8gJ9bdFEP2GNIjrVgm/s400/arusuvai_white.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">This post has been LONG OVERDUE. Yes.... It's about the <span style="color:#660000;"><a href="http://theyumblog.wordpress.com/2007/10/31/boondhi-laddoo-diwali-special-and-arusuvai-friendship-chain/"><strong>ARUSUVAI CHAIN</strong></a></span><em>.</em><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">This was originally started by <strong><span style="color:#660000;">Latha ma</span></strong> of the <span style="color:#660000;"><a href="http://theyumblog.wordpress.com/"><strong>YUM blog</strong></a></span>.<br /><br />Later it was introduced here in US by <strong><span style="color:#660000;">Latha</span></strong> of <strong><span style="color:#660000;"><a href="http://masalamagic.wordpress.com/2008/01/29/introducing-the-arusuvai-friendship-chain-here-in-the-us-â¦/">Masala Magic</span></strong></span></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">. Ever since I wanted to be a part of this . Finally the sweet girl who owns the spicy blog chose me to pass on her surprise ingredient. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Yes... It was <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">PRAVS</span></strong> of <span style="color:#ff6600;"><a href="http://simplyspicy.blogspot.com/"><strong>'SIMPLY SPICY'</strong></a></span> who contacted me and asked if I wanted to be a part of the arusuvai chain. My joy knew no bounds when I heard that. After a few e-mails and phone talk I recieved the surprise package she sent me.<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY2nrlwrkP_fTCxIHw2qG6ac58muYI3ZWqRi8L2Qf8PoZWDk09vC83jNRX5C50BkeQ0uvzAOPm4J1kcjqEX8xi2jEtLWZu8fJHsNIX-jhs-h-Ha6Vi1XcA1pOSjAnovMcJula-uXdGnJKj/s1600-h/DSC08089.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215549003486676130" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY2nrlwrkP_fTCxIHw2qG6ac58muYI3ZWqRi8L2Qf8PoZWDk09vC83jNRX5C50BkeQ0uvzAOPm4J1kcjqEX8xi2jEtLWZu8fJHsNIX-jhs-h-Ha6Vi1XcA1pOSjAnovMcJula-uXdGnJKj/s400/DSC08089.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Wondering what it is? It was CASHEWS , EDIBLE GUM and a box of haldirams sweets.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">I was thrilled as well as scared about the ingredient. I had never seen edible gum before and had no idea what to do with it.<br /><br />Again Pravs lent me a helping hand. She directed me Latha ma's<br /></span><a href="http://theyumblog.wordpress.com/2007/09/15/dry-fruit-ladoo-aantu-unde/"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Undaes </span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">After that I googled a lot but I was not confident enough to try anything. That's why I kept on postponing this.<br /><br />Anyway, here is what I did with the ingredients:<br /><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">KAJU KATHLI and DRY FRUIT LADOOS.</span><br /><br />This is the first time I'm trying both these recipes and I have to say that I was 100% pleased with the final result. Here are some pictures... Look for yourself and you will agree with me.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>KAJU KATHLI:<br /></strong><br /></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ1pAnQQVMlMYkS6flUcuPsoysshfgvJrfbx15Z01GYDh4COK7Im4O1FcPE476hDa07dUjqYUsD5FBOT6zB2fBQf4_vc00pA2rfUd7NaYvqbqKtVerIMNbfhL_bv4UmLjpicSS6-aGkpTJ/s1600-h/DSC08093.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215550710872114162" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ1pAnQQVMlMYkS6flUcuPsoysshfgvJrfbx15Z01GYDh4COK7Im4O1FcPE476hDa07dUjqYUsD5FBOT6zB2fBQf4_vc00pA2rfUd7NaYvqbqKtVerIMNbfhL_bv4UmLjpicSS6-aGkpTJ/s400/DSC08093.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br /><br />Cashews- 1 cup<br />Sugar- 3/4 cup<br />Water- 1/4 cup<br />Milk- 3 tbsp<br />Ghee- 1 tsp<br />Silver leaves- optional<br /><br /><strong>Procedure:</strong><br /><br />Grind the cashews to a really fine powder using a coffee grinder. Mix water, milk and sugar and heat it in medium-high flame. Wait for one string consistency. (Keep some water in a small plate. If you put some sugar syrup in it , the syrup should not dissolve. I mean it should lay there like a fine thread.)<br /><br /></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiON_mDuokC-xxJenHldvbS8vM9idMWfCInQhjo-F6Td7K40XlS0xIF_CWFIKDToDN-95GVQWlzW2EuucJR9t9XtGon4cqoxF_hTDWRz_ymSsogegEVQoz6Ar_fsUHI1sHWro5FnmZRW7dO/s1600-h/DSC08095.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215567178547216498" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiON_mDuokC-xxJenHldvbS8vM9idMWfCInQhjo-F6Td7K40XlS0xIF_CWFIKDToDN-95GVQWlzW2EuucJR9t9XtGon4cqoxF_hTDWRz_ymSsogegEVQoz6Ar_fsUHI1sHWro5FnmZRW7dO/s400/DSC08095.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">After this add the cashew powder and keep mixing it until you get a nice soft dough. If you feel that the dough is dry or too thick you can add some milk to it. Don't worry. You will not encounter this problem. Still, I just wanted to mention it incase you run into trouble. Adding milk reduces the shelf-life but I don't think this sweet will last that long.<br /><br />You can tell that the dough is ready by testing it with your fingers. I mean, when you take some cashew dough in between your fingers and roll it, it should form a ball.<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEYYj77on_-id67yLghZIJKkItDN9hQ3Ng0fLyN2ajTNTZ27c274tvoIcJz0dIbQyPNyn_0hQQeSY0aUB7TPT6ywR53l8aUoaWrFtKkAH5DsQQQ9qXszkSX6TGPqPWICD_iVqe8D1k2JK/s1600-h/DSC08110.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215567879047202338" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEYYj77on_-id67yLghZIJKkItDN9hQ3Ng0fLyN2ajTNTZ27c274tvoIcJz0dIbQyPNyn_0hQQeSY0aUB7TPT6ywR53l8aUoaWrFtKkAH5DsQQQ9qXszkSX6TGPqPWICD_iVqe8D1k2JK/s400/DSC08110.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Next, take a greased plate and put the cashew dough on it. Spread it like a chappathi using a rolling pin to the desired thickness. Alternatively, you can spread it on a clean countertop too. Finally spread the silver warg on the top and cut it into diamonds.<br /><br />If you see my picture, you can notice that some of the kathlis are thick and some are thin. The reason is I used a wrong plate to spread the cashew dough. When you try it make sure that the base is even.<br /><br /><br />Next is the <strong>DRY FRUIT LADOOS:</strong><br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWbTGMQ87hPbxiagkJxluC74Q66y7LSPGhyphenhyphenXyPUqojGzO57d3oHhSrMiM5c_WG_g_QJfMDW02sdmBf5AjJO7V8q4uTpK6Azv_Oc6B-iPv7Iiw9f-sJOmEudp3hsFMNijtC5MlO_g6rYVyG/s1600-h/DSC08147.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215562565176884690" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWbTGMQ87hPbxiagkJxluC74Q66y7LSPGhyphenhyphenXyPUqojGzO57d3oHhSrMiM5c_WG_g_QJfMDW02sdmBf5AjJO7V8q4uTpK6Azv_Oc6B-iPv7Iiw9f-sJOmEudp3hsFMNijtC5MlO_g6rYVyG/s400/DSC08147.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br /><br />Cashews- 1 cup<br />Almonds - 1 cup<br />Raisins - 1 cup<br />Dates - 1 cup<br />Edible gum - 1 cup<br />coconut- 1 cup<br />ghee- 1/2 to 3/4 th cup<br />sugar - 1 cup<br />water- 1/4 cup<br /><br /><strong>Procedure:</strong><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Roast the cashews and badam with a tsp of ghee for a few minutes (3 to 4 mins). Next roast the edible gum with a tsp of ghee to a nice golden color. Take care not to burn it. Roast it in a medium-low flame. Dry roast the coconut to a golden brown color and crumble it into fine pieces.Finely chop the almonds, cashews, raisins and dates. The finer the better. This will help in shaping them into balls. </span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13s7b_-Nk5Mp2B2jOQbnvvFg4iUlY_LmtV80kF6ixJzgA9m_iBHu63pokvLRc29HQVDhGsaV3Hmo_hc2Bc05AicGs-RfcR-dBn3Lqe18IaUINXpS7xiednlwe_QLIoJcywi80IqBKQl5F/s1600-h/DSC08149.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215561852040270482" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13s7b_-Nk5Mp2B2jOQbnvvFg4iUlY_LmtV80kF6ixJzgA9m_iBHu63pokvLRc29HQVDhGsaV3Hmo_hc2Bc05AicGs-RfcR-dBn3Lqe18IaUINXpS7xiednlwe_QLIoJcywi80IqBKQl5F/s400/DSC08149.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Mix water and sugar and bring it to a boil. Wait till the syrup reaches a two string consistency. Next dump in all the ingredients and mix it all really really well until it clings together. Wait for 5 mins. Grease your hands with some ghee and shape them into small balls while it is still hot.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Note:</strong> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">It requires some expertise to shape them into ladoos. I tried it but I couldn't as it was too hot for my hands. Finally my MIL came to my resuce and she shaped them all. If you find it hard to shape them you can eat it as it is too. Tastes super good and highly nutritious. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11RM9Vuy2sY0ajvwZHCL7SYP3U3TqUWBMF7ztWoXH7IeDyHZAK2WkCZ2AWGT0yUM9Vk2CxlKwrS9OQyQ41TpKcxY9jq0W09_ZFkkCmFSdJv294IO71Y62kwfIDURKJZ0RWun4wvLCd45i/s1600-h/DSC08143.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215568596522648978" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11RM9Vuy2sY0ajvwZHCL7SYP3U3TqUWBMF7ztWoXH7IeDyHZAK2WkCZ2AWGT0yUM9Vk2CxlKwrS9OQyQ41TpKcxY9jq0W09_ZFkkCmFSdJv294IO71Y62kwfIDURKJZ0RWun4wvLCd45i/s400/DSC08143.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">The recipe above is no different from Latha ma's but this </span><a href="http://www.cuisinecuisine.com/Dinkache%20Ladoo.htm"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">site</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> gave me the idea of making the sugar syrup which helped in the binding of the ingredients. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">YAY... Atlast I have managed to participate in this chain. Now it's my turn to pass it on somebody. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">So I choose <strong><span style="color:#990000;">PREMA </span></strong>of</span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">"<strong><span style="color:#cc6600;">My cookbook"</span></strong> to pass on the surprise ingredient. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Once again I thank dear <strong><span style="color:#ff6666;">PRAVS</span></strong> for this great opportunity and it's indeed a great pleasure to be a part of it. Also, THANKS for the lovely sweets that you sent. I absolutely enjoyed it. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">I'm signing of with this. Donno when I'll post the next one. I don't want to give anymore false promises that I'm back to blogging. So see you all when time permits. Take care and I thank each and every one of you for your kind comments.</span>Kribhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11978204535724288270noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530049351176064039.post-41543133201950724202008-05-14T20:38:00.013-05:002008-12-09T05:58:57.332-05:00Kavin's 4th Birthday<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Hi Friends,<br />Hope all of you are doing very well. I'm sorry that I'm unable to keep up my word of resuming blogging soon. Meanwhile <strong>" THANKS"</strong> to all my dear blogger friends and readers who continue to visit my blog and leave encouraging comments. I really feel so bad that I'm unable to respond to all of your comments. But I hope you will understand.<br /><br />Lots have been going on in the past month. <strong><em>Kavin's Birthday, my b'day, My in-laws arrival</em></strong> and getting adjusted to all the changes. Phew... I'm glad that it's all over now. Anyway, I just wanted to share some pictures of our special days with you.<br /><br /><embed style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 320px" name="flashticker" align="middle" src="http://widget-64.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" quality="high" scale="noscale" salign="l" wmode="transparent" flashvars="cy=bb&il=1&channel=216172782130504036&site=widget-64.slide.com"></embed><br /></span><div style="WIDTH: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=216172782130504036&map=1" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img src="http://widget-64.slide.com/p1/216172782130504036/bb_t028_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> </span><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=216172782130504036&map=2" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img src="http://widget-64.slide.com/p2/216172782130504036/bb_t028_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" border="0" /></span></a></div><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Ok guys. I can hear you saying ... enough of talking. Where's food? Well, I have many posts in my draft but I choose Egg Curry to post today.<br /><br />This is a simple and flavourful gravy. If you wish you can use replace eggs with chicken. It tastes great with dosa, pulav rice, biryani or rotis. Pardon me for the bad presentation. No time to garnish or clean the sides of the plate<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcs9Hk1PVyNcJHD4C8FkkXhWbZOH5z_PtJzi2O4rKVp6_EQKiuAl5nwMlj8k26IDCu-_qU86F7E4KcQJd0n7zmO0wJb8ZLyjRb_43oOyorkVJtzRzzJZkU8JfBWMVm5HHKzNTsddB2bynv/s1600-h/DSC07952.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200425578963475554" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcs9Hk1PVyNcJHD4C8FkkXhWbZOH5z_PtJzi2O4rKVp6_EQKiuAl5nwMlj8k26IDCu-_qU86F7E4KcQJd0n7zmO0wJb8ZLyjRb_43oOyorkVJtzRzzJZkU8JfBWMVm5HHKzNTsddB2bynv/s400/DSC07952.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><br /><br /><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br /><br />Eggs- 5<br />Onion- 1 (medium)<br />garlic- 3 pods<br />ginger- 1"<br />green chilli - 1<br />corriander leaves- small fistful<br />curry leaves- few<br />mint leaves- 5 or 6<br />Tomato- 1 (big)<br />turmeric- 1/4 tsp<br />sambar powder- 1/4 tsp<br />Some curry powder- 1/2 tsp (I used sakthi chicken masala for an added flavour)<br />cloves- 2<br />pattai (cinnamon stick) - 1"<br />jeera seeds- 1 tsp<br />fennel seeds - 1 tsp<br />salt- as required<br /><br /><strong>Procedure:</strong><br />Boil eggs and peel off the shell. Cut them in halves and set aside. Heat 2 tsp of oil in a kadai and fry the onions, ginger, garlic, chilli, corrinader leaves, curry leaves and mint until the onion turns into a pale brown color and becomes soft. Finally add the tomatoes and saute until completely mashed. Switch off the gas and allow it to cool. Grind it all to a smooth paste.<br /><br />Heat one tbsp of oil in a kadai and fry cloves and cinnamon stick. Next add the ground paste , turmeric , sambhar powder and curry powder. Add required salt. After 5 mins add the cumin-fennel powder and a cup or more of water. Bring to a nice boil.<br /><br />Slip in the eggs slowly and carefully mix well . Test for seasonings and switch off the gas until the gravy reaches the desired consistency. Finally add some corriander leaves and mix.<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcBXpdGv3rG5QSbYaL5XyRT4Pkaw693flIymcQWJuj_WMmi2Pw_1ipKZy3zeHdJsPRSwnXRvP-ZPCGo7xjQOpV2zI_DJvu3nJ1A4XApSKdfMDFhbr-3w1Sp8TYOJkbEcKEC1LYWSncy65/s1600-h/DSC07954.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200436793123085426" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcBXpdGv3rG5QSbYaL5XyRT4Pkaw693flIymcQWJuj_WMmi2Pw_1ipKZy3zeHdJsPRSwnXRvP-ZPCGo7xjQOpV2zI_DJvu3nJ1A4XApSKdfMDFhbr-3w1Sp8TYOJkbEcKEC1LYWSncy65/s400/DSC07954.JPG" border="0" /></span></a></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />I'm signing off with this. Will be back with my next post soon. Once again I'm sorry for not replying to all your comments. From my next post onwards I'll be responding back only to queries. But I gladly welcome your suggestions. Thanks again for understanding. Take care and have a great Day!!!! </span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span>Kribhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11978204535724288270noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530049351176064039.post-35222323287400445942008-04-08T23:05:00.005-05:002008-12-09T05:58:57.726-05:00I'm Back with peerkangai kootu<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Hi Friends,<br /><br />Hope all of you are doing very well. Things have been going fine at my end too. Sorry for my uninformed disappearance in blogsphere. I had been allorting my leisure hours for gym and cleaning. Guess what.... I have lost 30 pounds so far. But I still have 20 more to go. I feel good now. But the bad thing is I have still not overcome my love for chocolates. It makes me cheat on my diet often. If not for this I would have lost more. Anyway, I'm a lot better now. Atleast I have developed a conscious to warn me every now and then.<br /><br />The other things that had kept me busy was planning the birthday party for my son and doing some extra cleaning around the house as I'm expecting my in-laws from India next week. Anyway, I hope to resume blogging regularly from this post onwards. I'm sorry that I have not been able to reply to your comments . But I wanted to let you know that I truly appreciate each and everyone of your words. Thanks guys.<br /><br />Meanwhile I did one more thing. I created another blog "<strong>ensamayalpakkam.blogspot.com</strong>" and copied all the contents there. I did it as I wanted another template. I tried changing the existing one but the alignment was going crazy that I decided to go to a new address. When I was almost done I realized that I would lose my site statistics if I give-up my old one , so I decided to stay with this itself. Anyway if anybody have some suggestions for my problem I'd really appreciate it.<br /><br />Coming to the food part... I'll start with Peerkangai Kootu. Usually I use channa dal for kootu but this time I did it like my MIL . I mean I used boiled moongdal. This kootu is great as a side-dish for chappathi or it tastes great with rice. Try this simple dish sometime, you will surely love it.<br /><br /><strong>Peerkangai Kootu:</strong><br /><br /><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br />Ridgegourd/Peerkangai - 1<br />onion- 1/2 (chopped fine)<br />tomato- 1 big<br />green chillies- 4 or 5<br />boiled moong dal - 1 cup<br />coconut- 1/4 to 1/2 cup<br />jeera seeds - 1 and 1/2 tsp<br />salt - as reqd<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhf7ePzqaPAytIBWiJnHPX3uF3qTgMHekE5Wc6_KPEl1bHNbdnoHoVWUorm-OMH-nJ0pHGI0uTU9tYA1PwMccql9076e3mzo3VhUujs9ccUQ7mLbmeNOfY_gusTmGheHs4GQVo6nWTIru/s1600-h/DSC07506.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187828831568605538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhf7ePzqaPAytIBWiJnHPX3uF3qTgMHekE5Wc6_KPEl1bHNbdnoHoVWUorm-OMH-nJ0pHGI0uTU9tYA1PwMccql9076e3mzo3VhUujs9ccUQ7mLbmeNOfY_gusTmGheHs4GQVo6nWTIru/s400/DSC07506.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Procedure:</strong><br />Wash and cook moong dal with enough water and turmeric. You can either steam cook it or boil it. Next grind coconut and jeera with some water to a fine paste. Meanwhile scrap out the skin off the ridgegourd. You can either discard it or use it to make a thuvayal. Cut the gourd into small pieces and boil it with very little water with some turmeric and salt. The gourd cooks very fast so don't boil for long and make it mushy.<br /><br />Next heat oil in the kadai and splutter mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. Then add onions and chillies and saute for 5 mins. After that add tomatoes and cook till it's pulpy. Now add the cooked vegatable and dal. Add salt and mix well. Finally add the ground coconut and bring it to a boil. Serve it with rice or roti. It tastes just great.</span></span>Kribhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11978204535724288270noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530049351176064039.post-55312357215666061922008-02-27T09:56:00.017-05:002008-12-09T05:58:58.582-05:00Paneer Mattar Masala & more Awards<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">If you would have seen my comments in other blogs you will surely know that I'm a paneer lover. I love it fresh, deep-fried or incorporated in any dish. I'm always in search for the ideal paneer recipes that have that special restaurant taste. My favorite is paneer butter masala and my hubby's favorite is paneer matar masala. So here is the recipe for his favorite dish.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171690676710144642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmAJBhE5_XhA53EJ7pYxf2I4T8jmN4l2qOXmkEdaYHJWPl9mUy3cYfomAjKbDeaqz90OKe7-3pgjhfjFVCzW6NuU2kPJG99R7eF6tJccBaR22pJGHSxYdlgDvAp5PtOEapw8pwukxZkBGs/s400/DSC07037.JPG" border="0" /><strong>Ingredients: </strong><br />Paneer- 300 gms<br />Green peas- 3/4 th cup (dried ones)<br />Onion- 2 1/2<br />Ginger garlic paste- 2 tbsp<br />tomatoes- 4 or 5<br />green chilli- 5<br />garam masala- 1 tsp<br />yogurt- 1 cup<br />red chilli powder- 1 tsp<br />corriander powder- 1 tbsp<br />heavy cream- 50 ml<br />saffron- a pinch<br />cashew paste- 1 tbsp<br />corriander leaves- handful<br />oil- 3 tbsp<br />salt- as required<br />sugar- a pinch<br />kassori methi - 1 tsp<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171691544293538450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYeVRz9RItejLzqMbpd5z4kiktmqKBjFZMz22koChK-IGkTyVX_PfTvza43X6-IcBT7M2Or2oIgUDElzpA7pyiSE84ajBhESqB-mZnJLyitUkN7-oUx7kYvsS2eW98-rrUexJ4u0LJJDwP/s400/DSC07039.JPG" border="0" /><strong>Procedure:</strong><br />Soak dried peas in water overnight. Next day boil it with some salt until almost cooked. You can skip this step if you use frozen peas. Next bring water to a boil and put the tomatoes in it. Boil for 5 mins . Take out the tomatoes and wash it in cold water. Peel off the skin and make a puree. You can skip this step also if you have use readymade tomato puree, but I'm sorry I do not have the measure for that. Boil onions in water for 8 mins. Strain and puree.<br /><br />Heat oil in a pan and fry the onion paste for 5 mins. Then add ginger-garlic paste and fry for 5 more mins. Next add chilli powder, garam masala and corriander powder. Stir well. Now add tomato puree, cashew paste ,salt and sugar. Cook till the oil seperates. Next add yogurt (beaten smooth). cook for 10 -12 mins till oil floats on top. Add little water, boiled peas and saffron.<br /><br />Cut paneer into cubes and shallow fry in a non-stick pan with a spoon of oil. Put the fried paneer in hot salted water for sometime. When it's time to add it to the gravy just strain the water and use it in the curry.<br /><br />Add paneer and boil for another 3 mins. Finally add cream, crushed kassori methi (soak in water for sometime to make it soft), corriander leaves and fried green chilli. Cook till you get the desired consistency. Increase the water level according to the your preference of texture.<br />Enjoy it with hot buttered naan or fried rice. It tastes just awesome.<br /><br />Now to the awards.... As you all know that it's raining awards in the blogsphere. I have been one of the fortunate ones to get those great awards.<br /><br />I've been presented the "<strong>Nice Matters</strong>" award again. This time it's by <strong><a href="http://indianhomefood.blogspot.com/,target=new">Sagari</a></strong> of <strong><em>Indian cooking</em></strong> and <strong><a href="http://sorisha.blogspot.com/,target=new">Pragyan</a></strong> of <strong><em>cooking at Pragyan's</em></strong> have been so sweet and gracious to pass it on to me . Thankyou so much Sagari and Pragyan. You both made me feel so special and happy. </span><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171688280118393442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-MzYbQQYXDk83tlK9XTv-GYPB_Ypz1YkvmK95KIABHdONJbImx7M-uL_F2VQNhzGSR80SVGudcdk7UHUpO1NMFrYEXTm6m4pups5KojJc___5bRY0fR1Ss2hW16fJ-mk3O0da9pQo3IdI/s400/nice_matters.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Then, <strong><a href="http://simplyspicy.blogspot.com/,target=new">Pravs </a></strong>of <strong><em>Simply Spicy</em></strong> and <strong><a href="http://simplyspicy.blogspot.com/,target=new">Shanti Banu</a> </strong>of <strong><em>My kitchen hobbies</em></strong> have been so kind enough to pass me on the <strong>"E" for Excellent Blog award</strong>. Thankyou so much girls. Your awards have inspired me so much and I'm very proud to wear it on my blog.<br /></span><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171687983765650002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7v9xEw71V1nc2rnf2by2ht1wYQ_z6LFcbbHj_wNmfQmNYvhFfBFLWMi2_a-i-JQE67vxMFidH8K9Oi1ehvc4930VK7ZO08rDiIOBPujr3CKJla1Ik7iYlRtl0h_XjA7Mdr8G7J6WHoI4N/s400/E+award.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Last time itself I should have passed on the "Nice matters" award but I somehow forgot to include it. So , I'm passing it now to some of my friends. For some of you it might be a repetition still I hope you would enjoy it.<br /><br />So the <strong>Nice matter's</strong> award is being passed to:</span><br /></span><a href="http://aromahope.blogspot.com/" target="new"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Asha</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://asdearassalt.blogspot.com/" target="new"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Richa </span></a><br /><a href="http://spicychilly.blogspot.com/" target="new"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Bharathi </span></a><br /><a href="http://kitchensecrets.blogspot.com/" target="'new"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Shella</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">,<br /></span><a href="http://jeenaskitchen.blogspot.com/,target="><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Jeena </span></span></span></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">and </span><a href="http://superchef-mirchmasala.blogspot.com/,target=new"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">SuperChef</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><br /><br />And the <strong>"E" for excellent blog</strong> award is being passed to<br /></span><a href="http://indosungod.blogspot.com/,target=new"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Indo Sun God</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://vcuisine.blogspot.com/,target=new"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Vcuisine</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://jugalbandi.info/,target=new"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Bee</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.tasteslikehome.org/,target=new"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Cynthia</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://mykitchentreasures.blogspot.com/,target=new"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Happy Cook</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><br />and </span><a href="http://funnfud.blogspot.com/,target=new"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Mansi</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><br />I hope you girls enjoy the award too as much as I did.<br /><br />One more thing before I end the post. My hubby's workplace has changed. I mean he is working from home now. It's not a temporay thing as it's a permanant job. The bad thing about this is he always keep a watch on me on how much time I spend on blogging. That's why I'm unable to be in your blogs recently and also unable to update mine either. Bear with me gals. I'll organize myself soon and come back to routine.</span>Kribhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11978204535724288270noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530049351176064039.post-4826574753789021852008-02-14T10:03:00.014-05:002008-12-09T05:58:58.793-05:00First Anniversary and time to say a lot of Thanks !!!<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Hi Folks,<br /><br /><span style="color:#660000;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong><em>HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO ALL MY FRIENDS AND VISITORS !!!!</em></strong><br /></span></span><br />While the whole world is celebrating this great day , I have another reason to celebrate this day.<br /><br />Yes! It's my blog's <strong><span style="font-size:100%;color:#990000;">FIRST Birthday</span></strong>. Last year it was the same Feb 14th my blog was born. Like many of my friends I too never thought that I'll be blogging this long. Anyway, today I have reached a second milestone with 137 posts. Wondering what's my first milestone? Ofcourse it was my 100th post on October 2007.<br /><br />Another great news is that I have recieved "<strong><span style="color:#990000;">The Nice Matters</span></strong>" award from my dear friend <strong><span style="font-size:100%;">Happy cook</span></strong> who is the proud owner of <strong>My Kitchen Treasures</strong>. Thankyou so much HC, you made me feel so special.<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167083757349501506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRpHLGrsIFxhBeppLRBpDRJ1swI9NWPho5cFmS2njo2Ime9tcMzrc4yJ-aWcMfDuXqSpFbzvcNrxlPDAm-TclULnWFruv0SE-1n-7DaSK7M5fhtw5A9Tlkornudq9i1OLrXCt6FTAO18ux/s400/nice+award.jpg" border="0" /><br />So, let me start the story of how I was introduced to the blogging world. It was some time in December 2006 I came across a health-related blog . The same author had a food blog too. I liked the idea of recording the recipes and that inspired me to start a blog of my own. Unfortunately, I forgot her name. Then, after two months I had my own blog .... <span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>En Samayal Pakkam</strong>.</span><br /><br />Initially when I started the blog I wanted it to be a personal space to record my recipes. But seeing the comments in the other blogs I was so surprised by the way people are connecting to one another and how close they become after that. This inspired me and I wanted to be a part of it.<br /><br />The first indian food blog I came across was <strong>Asha's.</strong> I became a great fan of hers. It was from her I learnt to write an intro before each recipe. There were days when I used to get only one comment and that was Asha's. She has always been encouraging me with her sweet comments. So, on this day I want to give you a big hug and say THANKS for all your inspiration.<br /><br />I also want to thank <strong>Deepz</strong> of "<strong><em>Letz Cook</em></strong>". She was the first one to leave a comment on my blog. I don't think she knows that but I cannot forget that day. I was soooo thrilled that I can't express it in words. Thanks Deepz, You made me so happy that day.<br /><br />Next I wish to mention some of the other great bloggers who inspired me during my initial days of blogging. <strong>Sia'</strong>s eye-catching pictures, <strong>Inji Pennu's</strong> style of boldly expressing her thoughts, <strong>Prema's</strong> wonderful recipes (she made me blabber about her manchurian once in my dreams), <strong>Indo Sun God's</strong> Authentic recipes, <strong>Richa's </strong>simple yet flavorful recipes..... Ah, the list goes on and on<br /><br />I'm so thankful for getting friends like <strong>Happy Cook</strong> who is a soups & chaat queen, <strong>Bharathi</strong> who has a lovely collection of authentic kerala recipes, <strong>Viji</strong> of vcusine who is like a dictionary of food for me, <strong>Mansi</strong> who often tempts me to go off my diet with her awesome desserts, <strong>Jeena</strong> who inspires me with her healthy recipes, <strong>Cynthia & Bee</strong> who makes me forget to comment by getting me lost with their mind-blowing pictures and write-up, <strong>Latha ma and Lakshmi</strong> who shares their authentic Iyyengar recipes and also making a difference by reaching to the special-needs kids , <strong>Pravs</strong> who makes me drool over her non-veg dishes, <strong>Suganya </strong>of Tasty Palattes who brings out the beauty of food with her unique style of photography, <strong>Sukanya</strong> of Hot'n' Sweet bowl who makes beautiful cakes and <strong>Shella</strong> who has connected to me personally.<br /><br />I also enjoy the dishes and comments of <strong>Laavanya </strong>who has a variety of yummy dishes that I'm yet to try, <strong>TBC</strong> who capitvates my heart with her unique recipes, <strong>Rajitha </strong>who makes my tummy grumble with her tempting array of dishes, <strong>Raks</strong> who gives nice step-by-step pictures to follow her dishes, <strong>Padma</strong> who creates beautiful dishes like her kesar amarkhand, <strong>Priar</strong> who makes mouth-watering tamilnadu style non-veg dishes , <strong>Ramya</strong> of Mane Adige who has introduced me to so many of her bangalore dishes, <strong>Remya</strong> of Spice n Flavors who has a variety of kerala delicacies, <strong>SMN</strong> who has great breakfast items like her different types of dosa, <strong>Seema </strong>who has simple yet comforting dishes like her appo and chicken curry , <strong>Sagari</strong> who in a short span of time has posted so many delicious dishes, <strong>meeso</strong>... more than her food, I always go to her blog to see her blush in her boyfriend's hands , <strong>Kalai</strong> who has a nice homey foods, <strong>Easy Crafts</strong> who is so talented in coming up with so many dishes that can be done in MW, <strong>Shankari </strong>who I'm so proud that she spreads our cusine through her cooking class and also does food shows in TV.....<br /><br />Really guys, the list is endless. But I have to end my long list for now as I'm running short of time. At this time I cannot forget my <strong>non-blogger friends</strong> too who visit me and leave their kind comments behind. I owe it all to your encouragement . Anyway, what I wish to say is...... Each and every one of you, not only the gals mentioned above have inspired me and taught me so much. All I can say in return for that is <strong><em>THANKS THANKS and THANKS.</em></strong><strong><em></em></strong><br /><br />Last but not least ,I wanted to thank my <strong>hubby</strong> too who continues to encourage me (sometimes..... ) and my little kiddo <strong>Kavin</strong> who bears with me when I steal his time for blogging.<br /><br />I wanted to post some nice dessert for celebrating my anniversary, but as you all know I'm in Florida for the past 10 days enjoying my vaction. So no cooking, no work, no dieting..... enjoying life to the core. Will be back to Atlanta tomorrow and resume blogging from monday. Till then take care and have a nice weekend! </span>Kribhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11978204535724288270noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530049351176064039.post-25846173799089223782008-02-13T11:27:00.005-05:002008-12-09T05:58:59.041-05:00Parrupu Thuvayal<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Thuvayals / Thugayals are like a thicker version of chutneys. Today I'm presenting a toor dal parrupu thuvayal. Usually they add coconut to this, but on the day I did it 'B' was sick. So, I skipped the coconut. So, when you try it don't forget to add coconut. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166507630436416018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Er3nm1GdqvPTaw0mzo5O1YQ394hJS4ze9RyCl7v-BdrWM8DTVXuNGYOCxTxDE2D9lqiqj9i_Sny9Lj6EDZypaGxa_l6xq4-rQd6E-BWCZ1zgNslQHwCuGWpmWet9kchLmVy8bHpR1QGl/s400/DSC07067.JPG" border="0" /><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><p>Toor dal- 1/2 cup<br />coconut- 2 tbsps<br />red chilli- 1<br />peppercorns- 3<br />garlic pods- 2<br />curry leaves- 3 or 4<br />salt- according to taste<br /><br /><strong>Procedure:<br /></strong>Heat a tsp of oil in a pan and roast the dal, coconut, red chilli, pepper, curry leaves and garlic. Do this until the dal turns golden brown. Don't burn the dal. Switch off the gas and transfer to a plate and allow it to cool. When it has cooled down grind it with salt to a coarse- smooth paste using very little water. Serve it with steaming hot rice, sesame oil and papad.</span></p>Kribhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11978204535724288270noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530049351176064039.post-861773829613870822008-02-13T11:07:00.006-05:002008-12-09T05:58:59.224-05:00Sepankizhangu Poriyal<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Sepankizhangu is nothing but taro root. I have already posted a deep-fry version of this dish which you can find here. But this one is much healthier, it is kadai roasted. It tastes somewhat like a potato fry but it has a little sweetness from the taro itself. This is one of the dishes that vanishes in half the quantity by the time I serve it. Tastes so yum.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166501295359654402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFtvfxQP61_0DHvzMsUZNjKSbjlfq1ESbC9pgz67MVT8wqEsq6lSWUZoNFlu09dPBUfhLJLSVfXpCneE-4XlPGw-7tmQnFsos0x66zweEvIsaek4k5DNuNc-BNEmEwYF9dqOt7sRUXvOK/s400/DSC07104.JPG" border="0" /><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br /><br />mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp<br />urad dal- 1/2 tsp<br />channa dal- 1/2 tsp<br />jeera seeds- 1/4 tsp<br />Sepankizhangu -8<br />onion- 1(medium, sliced)<br />garlic- 4 pods (finely chopped)<br />sambar powder- 1 1/2 tsp<br />curry leaves<br />salt- as required<br />curry leaves<br />corriander leaves<br /><br /><strong>Procedure:</strong><br />Boil sepankizhangu with some salt and turmeric until 3/4 th done. peel and cut into pieces. Heat oil in kadai and season with mustard seeds, urad dal and channa dal. Add onions , garlic and turmeric powder. When onions are half done add sambar powder & salt. saute until raw smell goes. Then add sepankizhangu and keep roasting until it gets a roasted brown color. Add corriander leaves & curry leaves. This is an excellent accompaniant for sambar rice, rasam rice or curd rice. Enjoy!</span> </span>Kribhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11978204535724288270noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530049351176064039.post-18744259715021231802008-02-12T21:53:00.007-05:002008-12-09T05:58:59.649-05:00Aloo Methi<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Methi is nothing but fenugreek leaves. These are bitter but has a lot of health benefits. Usually , methi leaves are cooked in combination with other foods that have the ability to mask it's bitter flavor to some extent. Aloo methi, methi dal and methi paratha are some examples. Today I have my aloo methi to share with all of you. It is not a regular item in our home as I don't like the bitter taste of methi although it's very healthy. But 'B' loves it ,so I do it occasionally. Now to the recipe...<br /></span><br /><p><strong><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166491640273172978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg37ZnIFnPwrc0UDa4IvYxChmAKtSzO_fcOgz_5yq2ygmEVUv9bZxWoZCimvS8qsPvnf_ZalSmYwwymIi8Hi4oHZLlNvEP6r7Xhs6j-DR1goaGegguhZZn6jUqmgr3B1_GNo7qlLjZZ869o/s400/DSC07222.JPG" border="0" />Ingredients: </span></strong></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp<br />urad dal- 1/2 tsp<br />channa dal- 1/2 tsp<br />potato- 2 (big)<br />onion- 1 (medium, sliced)<br />garlic- 3 pods (minced)<br />methi leaves- a medium size bunch<br />tomato- 1<br />chilli powder- 3/4 tsp<br />corriander powder- 1 tsp<br />cumin powder- 1 tsp<br />garam masala- 1/2 tsp<br />salt- according to taste<br />sugar- 1/4 tsp (optional)<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166490764099844578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI79ce3zyre1Mwt7Uj7VJpcabCNi0bbdm-ND92MKXJEKoAn6qFEL5Bi5fZqtcbOaLvT9UrAfZiLBuEvHTtCwG0xF4M22kwhETyfStzlaLi8ZENn1DwM-rvokY-x-XbEoqnt31TKDGNRmR_/s400/DSC07223.JPG" border="0" /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Procedure:</strong><br /><br />Cut and boil the potatoes with some salt and turmeric. When 3/4 th done, drain and cube it. Prep the methi leaves by seperating it from the stalk. wash them and boil them for 5 minutes with very little water.<br /><br />Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds, urad dal and channa dal. Next add the onions and garlic. After 5 minutes add tomato and salt. Cook till the tomatoes turn into a pulp. Now it's time to add the masala powders. If you don't have the powders individually you can very well use sambar powder (1 1/2 tsp). Saute until the raw smell goes. After that add the potatoes and fry for a few minutes.<br /><br />Next add the boiled methi leaves. You can squeeze out the water from the methi leaves before adding it to the aloo. This might take out some of the bitterness. But if you don't want to lose the nutrients don't squeeze out the water. Just take them out with a spoon and add it to the potatoes. Mix everything well and fry to desired consistency. If you want a gravy add 3/4 th cup of water or if you want a fry like mine skip the water. Serve it hot with some hot rice or rotis, curd and some pickle.</span></span></span> </p>Kribhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11978204535724288270noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530049351176064039.post-78276497043904481232008-02-12T18:06:00.001-05:002008-12-09T05:59:00.041-05:00Cauliflower Bhaji<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Fried foods always tend to taste good. It holds good for this cauliflower bhaji too. If you don't have potatoes or onions for bhaji , don't worry, cauliflower can make excellent bhajis. It is a great tea time snack. So, go ahead and give it a try sometime. (sorry... the flash has ruined my picture.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br /><br />cauliflower- 1 (medium size)<br />oil- for deep frying<br />besan powder- 1 cup<br />rice flour- 2 tbs<br />turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp<br />chilli powder- 1/2 tsp (first add 1/4 tsp, if you can handle the heat add more)<br />salt- as per taste<br />cumin powder- 1/4 tsp<br />amchur powder- few pinches (optional)<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166245482812537298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgynJILqiaELzSbA8xv6LQCo27xtBuvZixhFmdSZ2192QWsY7Lqz6JnMd6bywypNjyDim4Yq-TDWKrSZVxSoMigInibFYJvhHdmw_Thf2A_NcRMxuYNP-YSyJSm4UnYT97M_BRkj5Yj7cza/s400/DSC06558.JPG" border="0" /><br /><strong>Procedure:</strong><br /><br />Wash the cauliflower well and seperate the florets. Steam them for 3 to4 minutes. You can skip this step if you want. I just do it because that's how my friend taught me. But I have tried it without the steaming also. Didn't notice any difference at all. Mix the rest of the ingredients from besan to amchur powder with water. Add water little by little. The batter should be thick and not runny. If you dip the floret and lift it up the batter should not slide away. This is the right consistency. Deep fry them in oil and drain when they are golden brown. Serve this with ketchup, corriander chutney , sweet and sour sauce or any other dip of your choice.<br /><br />If you wish to add an extra touch... saute some sliced onions, finely chopped ginger & garlic, chopped green chillies with some salt and red pepper flakes. Then add a little tomato sauce and mix it. Add the fried florets and toss to coat them. Serve hot sprinkled with some corriander leaves or spring onions.</span>Kribhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11978204535724288270noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530049351176064039.post-44857833121038956122008-02-12T11:49:00.004-05:002008-12-09T05:59:00.583-05:00Brinjal Potato Subzi<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">This is another simple dish that goes well with idllis and dosas. The dish may not be photogenic but I can assure you for the taste. My MIL usually fire roasts the eggplant until it is 3/4th done and then chop it into pieces and then use it in the gravy. The gravy prepared this way has a smoky flavor in it. But my mom on the otherhand does not roast them. She steams both the brinjal and potato together and mashes it.<br /><br />So, my version is to cube both the brinjal and potato into small pieces, Cook it really well and finally mash it with a potato masher. Easy... huh? It does not taste exactly the same as the fire roasted version or the steamed version. All I can say is it tastes good. Hope you give it a try too. Here's what you need...</span><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166518543948315186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_idCb30RQRlCpj3zkoZBh6s594ZGu12m_jE9am523Y2RAHhUPnGfnV2GCLV2dBiO3Y0_DCXV-GvM4Sfz2hGuoR8A9qtSoPyCLomUmRFStOD00OT95dGKqbXB4TI_llU1X-cQifatrIAv/s400/DSC06749.JPG" border="0" /> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><strong>Ingredients:</strong> </span><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Eggplant- 1 (I'm talking about the big purple ones not the tiny ones) potato- 2 (medium size, cubed) mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp<br />urad dal- 1/2 tsp channa dal- 1/2 tsp<br />cumin- 1/2 tsp<br />onion- 1 (finely chopped)<br />tomato- 1 (finely chopped)<br />green chillies- 3 (chopped)<br />tamarind- 1/2 tsp<br />chilli powder- 1/2 tsp<br />turmeric- 1/2 tsp<br />water- 1 1/2 cups<br />curry leaves- few<br />corriander leaves- few<br />hing - a pinch<br /><br /><strong>Procedure: </strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Heat oil in a kadai and splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal and cumin. Then add onions, green chillies and turmeric powder. After 5 minutes add the potato and brinjal cubes. Saute in medium flame until 3/4th done. Now add the hing, chilli powder, salt and tamarind. Mix well. Then add 1 cup water and boil until the vegetables are completely cooked. Then open the lid of the pan and mash the vegetables just leaving a few chunks here and there. You can skip this step if you want. Add more water if the gravy is too thick. Finally add corriander and curry leaves. Serve it hot with dosas or idllies.</span></p>Kribhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11978204535724288270noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530049351176064039.post-63868477962773234342008-02-12T10:18:00.004-05:002008-12-09T05:59:01.001-05:00Simple Channa masala<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Just like sambhar, Channa masala is also a dish that tastes different from one kitchen to the other. While there are so many ways to make it, here is the simple version. I call as the simple one as it involves only sauteing onions, tomatoes and masala powders. No grinding involved. So let's move to the recipe.<br /></span><div></div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166133873792383394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFmYW10dRGagXmk-PfJoqLqjbB59CD4bEjysdH3LWr7_beKX5sDZb80zSGOONC_y5YP-oIuCbcXemTdFvh41iwwoSXHKl57nuJvD7-X2MJ7-2RfNHRKGTdYZUL8Hb-DU_lkVt-v6yQEid/s400/DSC06306.JPG" border="0" /><strong><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Ingredients:</span></strong><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Boiled channa- 2 1/2 cups</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">cinnamon stick- 1"</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">cloves- 2</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">red onion- 1 (medium size, finely chopped)</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">green chillies- 1 (slit)</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">tomatoes- 1 (big, finely chopped)</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">tamarind paste- 1/2 tsp (optional)</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">chilli powder- 1/2 tsp</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">corrianderpowder- 1 tsp</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">cumin powder- 1/2 tsp</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Any channa masala powder- 1/2 tsp (optional, I did not use in mine)</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Jaggary- 1/4 tsp (can add more. But my hubby dosen't like it , so I added less)</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">corrianderleaves- 1/2 cup</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">water- 2 cups</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">salt- as required</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span></div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166513905383635490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPR_w1YXQVlU35IXTP5fOixmSvuBguFxiO2BBLg77UVwoWfU7iz6bywNs24UX_Bi6Dqa_FFUb5VbBpoYQM4Nb09MH6RCu8UA9ijcGP-6d0SZ3x96E4HCBSNeBhEF68iuQH10tdnMwUeOk/s400/DSC07088.JPG" border="0" /> <div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><strong><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Procedure:</span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Soak channa in water overnight. Next day pressure cook for 2 whistles (depends upon your cooker) with some salt and turmeric. One of my Rajasthani friend adds a tea bag while pressure cooking channas. It does impart some color and flavor to the dish. Don't over do the tea bags. When I first tried it , I think I added 5 bags and you can imagine the color that my channa finally had. But I did not use tea bags here. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Heat oil in Kadai and fry cinnamon stick and cloves. Then fry onions with some turmeric until golden brown. Then add ginger garlic paste. After a few minutes add tomatoes and cook until it is all pulpy. Now it's time to add all the masala powders and saute for atleast 5 minutes in a medium flame taking care that the masala powder dosen't get burned. Then add tamarind paste and saute for a minute. Next add water and bring to a nice boil and the gravy becomes a little thick. Test for seasonings. Add more if needed. Then add boiled channa, jaggary and bring to a nice boil one more time. Finally add the corriander leaves and mix well. </span></div><div></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166134406368328114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNOHEqMcRUlJDAPGME9QPBf1emdM9dC9h6nC-orI-uHn56_PGhFbZf-zGC4Jse8YkA2PCfEa5ubfdP5lwyF1RlF7QTEY7pqpWOcjeSyL-vnx-vaoksH_gWlRKGR1pcAnG4RD715BZgAPv/s400/DSC06350.JPG" border="0" /> <div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">You can serve this with puri, chappathi and dosas. To make a chat out of this, you can pour this channa masala in a plate and top it off with some finely chopped red onions, diced tomatoes, beaten curd, sweet & spicy tamarind sauce, sev, some corriander chutney and lemon juice. You can eat it as it is or serve it with some buttered toast or cutlet. The possibilities are countless. Just use your imagination...</span></div>Kribhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11978204535724288270noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530049351176064039.post-80560809933196198202008-02-03T22:20:00.000-05:002008-02-03T22:47:52.904-05:00Going on a break again<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Yes friends. I'm going on a break for one week. This is b'coz "B" is in need of his laptop for his new travel job. He will be gone for one week. Hopefully I will get my lappy by the weekend and also be able to accompany him to florida the week after. Couldn't go this week as Kavin and me are still recovering from the flu. I suffered so much that I narrowly escped from being admitted due to dehyderation. Hope we will come back to normal soon. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> I successfully completed one thing today. I kept up my promise of going through all the posts (295 posts) that I missed during my previous break. My! you girls are posting in jet speed that I'm unable to keep up with all of you. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> Anyway, Take care and will see you soon!</span>Kribhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11978204535724288270noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530049351176064039.post-46885265596165844702008-01-29T10:54:00.000-05:002008-12-09T05:59:01.591-05:00Palak and Black Eye Pea Vadas<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Here is another dish with Black eye peas. You can call it vadas if you shape it or just drop it in oil without shaping it- you have fritters. This vada tastes very differnt from the channa dal vadas. It is crunchy on the outside and so soft on the inside. Recently I saw these pea fritters in one of our fellow bloggers blog. But I'm so sorry. I forgot who it was. Anyway, that's how I was reminded of this dish that I had made years ago... maybe 4 years back. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">I saw this dish in the <strong>'melting pot'</strong> foodtv show. A carribean cook did this. I don't remember her name. She served it with cucumber raitha. Initially, I was doubtful of the combination , but I remember that my hubby really enjoyed that combo. I tried to locate the recipe from <strong>'Food TV'</strong> but couldn't find it. So, I recreated the recipe to best of my knowledge. Also, I added palak for my touch. It tasted sooo good. </span><br /><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160936057230714034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE0M5c9ze3nyczViCvBN5WUy0I1QIKW1TVyoVfDpMzFO_PE77REcxgrd2_qoLK9QQkjj2JRQU964VVsws24oltox-CTjFgPa497RHvBH4MSoJVYJOk7FAaA6qPNZfyOocGMCromuD-cMcb/s400/DSC07230.JPG" border="0" /></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Hey, I know what you are thinking. You might wonder what am I doing with fried foods when I'm bragging that I'm on diet. Actually, I didn't eat even one. Just tasted the batter for seasonings before frying it. 'B' wanted a tea time snack, so it was made just for him. He relished all the vadas without any one to compete for it. Didn't have time for the raitha. So I served it just with tomato ketchup and sweet tamarind <strong></strong>sauce. My hubby liked it both. Ok, it's time for the recipe. Here goes.</span><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Ingredients:</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Black eye peas- 1 cup (soaked overnight)</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">onion- 1/2 (finely chopped)</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">clove- 1</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">saunf- 1 tsp</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">ginger- 1/2 "</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">green chillies- 3</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">salt- as needed</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">palak- 1/2 cup (chopped. can add more if needed)</span> </p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160936632756331714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbLfX3YklWEgPoKTtRs4Na754W-8cI36jNKA6arGcBiBX3PeA3yB3S3w_uzaZB3AoaeG1eFS6XXhw5YaS7tr4cHQqBLDeMyT_mIrzuuDxkFJOZxe7qY-9U0Koe0msO_7et9gFdfyJatp-d/s400/DSC07227.JPG" border="0" /><strong>Procedure:</strong> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Drain the soaked peas. Grind it with clove, saunf, ginger, chilli and salt to a coarse batter. Do not add water. Otherwise the batter will become runny and you can't shape it. Scoop out the ground paste and add chopped onions and palak. Mix well. Test for seasoning level. Finally shape them into vadas and deep fry in oil. Serve it hot with cucumber raitha, sauce or mint chutney. </span></p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Here is another look....</span><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160937135267505362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrhFKsyrKfjidLQLh2xLoanc-CFrDMqROdoGxG9FJE-MiyhlIUZz6qwZGh-j5HVLc1inp9_RfUfc8FlJRYLwBuVYQuElZa7cCNE2_xK1A8uP6QfIXMhkohEn0iiOdkdg1yLFjIJJBhpXPf/s400/DSC07226.JPG" border="0" />Kribhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11978204535724288270noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530049351176064039.post-7717029562727785042008-01-29T10:04:00.000-05:002008-12-09T05:59:02.038-05:00Black Eye Peas Kurma<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Well, I'm including a lots of legumes in my diet now. Most of the time I just boil them and eat it without doing any extra work. But I still have to cook for '<strong>B</strong>'. So, the other day I made a simple kurma with the Black eye peas. It turned out pretty good. I was tired to make chappathis , so I made cumin rice instead. The next day, I served it for breakfast with dosas. It was a perfect accompaniant for both. So, here is the recipe. Nothing fancy. Just the regular kurma but it has black eye peas instead of the vegetables. But each dish looks and taste different because of the variation in the ingredients we use. Don't you agree? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160925680589726882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY1T_f0Oskjjf1xaTMpxssoNlFxE0twgMS1z09WwWqQQN6cEiVlIU7TfioQIbNW3KS-FDq3KCqeTld9moU-rsFcdTBXa4E5zPqol1FTfQqSWepoDA_WMoTDf0rS3_4mMJIGvkFRsYwin7t/s400/DSC07242.JPG" border="0" /></span><strong><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Ingredients:</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Blackeye peas- 2 cups (soaked and pressure cooked for 1 whistle)</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">cloves- 2</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">elachi- 1</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Onion- 1/2</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">tomato- 1</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">corriander leaves- 2 tbsp</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">green chillies- 4</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">saunf- 1 tsp</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">corriander seeds- 1 tsp </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">cinnamon- 1/2 "</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">grated coconut- 1/4 cup</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">cashews- 4 (optional. I did not add in mine)</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Poppy seeds- 1 tbsp (soak for 15 mins in water before grinding)</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">water- 1 1/2 cups</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160925208143324306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8E14v0lssoX4J_bo6PX8gSzsO6yYlyqSECURafN4ZjDlMxkfpyhFGnDqUY9BWicxCTzJj5sFJsxFnFYMwqcNolxCaFnGbLmNUeBwchDmsuKaGCT7ism40LXKREgSXgNNgx2Hnf2JJP9V/s400/DSC07239.JPG" border="0" /></span><strong><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Procedure:</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Soak black eye peas overnight and pressure cook it with some salt and turmeric for 1 whistle. If your cooker needs more whistle time cook accordingly. Grind everything from green chillies to poppy seeds. Then heat oil in a kadai and fry the cloves and elachi. Can use bay leaf also. Then add onions and saute until golden brown. Next add ginger garlic paste and turmeric. After that add tomatoes and cook until soft. Now add the ground paste and saute until the raw smell goes. Maybe 5 mins. Then add water, salt and bring to a nice boil. Taste the gravy and add more salt or chilli powder if needed. Finally add the boiled peas and corriander leaves. Bring to one more boil and serve hot with rotis, rice or Dosa. It can be had like a soup too. It's so wholesome and fulfilling. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Note:</strong> If you don't have time to grate coconut and grind it, just use canned coconut milk. Also you can omit coconut if you don't want that fat. In that case you can add some rice flour or some corn flour to thicken the gravy. Either way it tastes good. </span></span>Kribhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11978204535724288270noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530049351176064039.post-16972972392687475882008-01-20T00:48:00.000-05:002008-12-09T05:59:02.258-05:00Peas Masala<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Here is another simple dish that goes very well with chapathi, naans and Ghee Rice. Yes, it it Peas Masala or Mattar Masala. You can use the frozen peas for this dish if you are running short of time. But I like the fresh ones or the dry ones the most for this dish. Here I have used the dried ones. I soaked them overnight and boiled them the next day. It's tastes so different from the frozen ones. So, let's go to the recipe. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157439353855320418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFMsG_K5_Oy5iUjzb7dUPNz7NzFHGVF4rc4jIIK7GFvcNAayhqT_S_SL-vSxEPZhwVZ8N8BRx8E1rsYMgqSRJ3cdAHI4QADb3-gKpa33rWHg21tYrKuOGZc2VkbPxjXfjbgQIoL0OrcBU/s400/DSC07173.JPG" border="0" /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Ingredients:</strong> </span></span><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Green Peas- 2 1/2 cups<br />Onion- 1 (small or medium)<br />ginger- 1"<br />garlic- 3 pods<br />fennel seeds- 1 tsp<br />cumin- 1/2 tsp<br />corriander seeds- 1/4 tsp<br />corriander leaves- a small fistful<br />mint leaves- 2 or 3 (optional)<br />green chilli- 1<br />tomatoes- 1 big<br />turmeric- 1/2 tsp<br />chilli powder- 1/4 tsp<br />chicken masala powder- 1/2 tsp(can use garam masala or any other masala powder)<br />salt- as requiredwater- 1 1/2 cups.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Procedure: </strong></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Soak dry peas overnight. Next day boil until just done with some salt and set aside.<br />Heat oil in a kadai. Grind everything from onion to green chillies. Add this paste to the oil and fry until you get a good smell or until the raw smell goes away. Then add finely chopped tomatoes and all the curry powders. Saute for 5 mins until the tomatoes gets all mushed up and the oil spots appear on top. Then pour water. The measure for water is approximate. You can add more or less as needed. Bring it to a nice boil. Then add boiled peas and boil one more time. Garnish with corriander leaves. You can add some cream or malai to make this gravy rich. Adding some cashew nut paste makes the gravy rich too. I've not used any of those here. But you can try it if you want. These can make your dish taste the best only setting apart the calorie aspect. I served mine with roti on the day I made. Next day I served it for Dosas. Tasted great with both. </span></span><br /><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157438726790095186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIFUxjARBbJL1nYdiT2EqMzhAMBJqQ-hWT7ktdCoXLOeQ2tzL9TZtQvpJS_KifR0gEL6vEYbDWTWBLX5pfmxbseYPWM2wA5aEfSF3KF1VHSJof2me7_-Kef32EJAFzvvnYkDDCRZOjTjaa/s400/DSC07177.JPG" border="0" />Kribhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11978204535724288270noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530049351176064039.post-88207996861821756272008-01-18T23:34:00.000-05:002008-12-09T05:59:02.479-05:00Channa Pulav / Biryani<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">In the past week some of you might have seen that my blog went topsy turvy. That's b'coz I made a bad decision of changing my template. Although I really liked my new template , it was too hard for me to make the alingment and colors work right. I spent an entire day experimenting and finally I gave up. I decided to stick to my original one atleast for the time-being.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Ok , I hear you all saying.... "What's cooking ?". So, let's move to it. Today it is Channa Biryani or Pulav. The recipe is not any different from our regular pulavs. But adding channa instead of the vegetables is the only variation. It's quite a change from the usual dish. My normally complaining hubby itself enjoyed it. So, you can get the idea that it was pretty good. Now to the recipe....</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157358419491594530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNAp8IMt7oHdptysv27BQmodn0dRVjWFtKSp20JpGLtdqPXh8rI5cteuuxqLcNY1aR1lkh6Iq_4ApHL7V6fUNUp-CFIbNEQRKhfejVoLUQ2qIzuZRBIAQ1GQgI81e2gHORk0C_7IOpADWj/s400/DSC07138.JPG" border="0" /></span> <strong><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Ingredients:</span></strong><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Basmathi Rice- 2 cups</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">water- normal ratio is (1: 1 1/2) where 1 is rice and 1 1/2 is water. But my cooker needs a little more water, so I follow (1 : 1 3/4)</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Oil- 2 tbsp</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">cardamom- 2</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">cloves- 2</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">bay leaf - 1</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">cinnamon stick - 1"</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">fennel seeds- 1/2 tsp</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">star anise- 1</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Onion- 1/2 (sliced)</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Tomato -1 </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">mint leaves- chopped (handful)</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">corriander leaves- chopped (handful)</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Potato- 1 (skinned and cubed)</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Channa - 3/4 th cup</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">green chillies- 2 (slit)</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">turmeric- 1/2 tsp</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">chilli powder- 1/2 tsp</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">salt- as per taste</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">coconut milk- 1/4 cup (optional)</span> </span><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Procedure:</span></strong><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Soak channa in water overnight. Next day boil it in a cooker until 3/4 th done. Drain and keep aside.Heat oil in a cooker and fry all the spices. Next add the onions and saute until golden brown. Then add ginger garlic paste and green chillies. After a minute add potatoes and fry for another 5 mins. Next add tomatoes, mint and corriander leaves. Saute until the tomatoes are mushed up. Then add turmeric, chilli powder and salt. Saute until the raw smell goes. Next add coconut milk and water. If you are adding coconut milk count that also as water and measure it accordingly. Close the cooker and allow the water to come to a boil. Don't put the vent yet. After a few minutes add rice and channa. Mix well and close the cooker again. When you see the steam coming up consistently put the vent on and keep the flame in medium. Set the timer for 8 minutes and then switch off the gas. Wait for the steam to subside. Open the cooker and give a good mix. Add some lemon juice (1 tbsp) and corriander leaves. Serve it hot. I did mine with cucumber raitha and some chips. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Here is another closer look. Hope you give it a try and enjoy it too!</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><br /></span><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157359656442175810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk53s4bRaim2jxSoqGgcrTSOLUkflmOwwJ3vYlLFiOreXgigqGOi6opkZaUwv3DRsFq0nCuePO3s5h6lIzIpRiGYK23c03JqJVJiGabOCash-kMlk7rRA8q5IcvXjSM3XTIC9gtgx9563V/s400/DSC07139.JPG" border="0" />Kribhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11978204535724288270noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530049351176064039.post-22863652191313453632008-01-11T09:08:00.000-05:002008-12-09T05:59:03.240-05:00Breaking the Break with a Cake<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Well...I'll start with an apology for disappearing out the blogsphere without any notice. Initially it was my son and the holidays that kept me busy. After awhile, I kind of became a little lazy to blog. Also, like most of the people I chose the "weight loss" as my New Year Resolution. So all my favorite and comfort foods are off-limits for now. That's why I didn't check any of your blogs either for the fear of facing temptation. I'm so sorry that and I promise to check all of your posts soon.<br /><br />Although this was a long break, I have accomplished a few things with Kavin. He has started eating normal foods without pureeing. In just 2 weeks his diet has changed completely. He now eats a wide variety of food and I have become tension free. I consider this as my "<strong>8th World Wonder</strong>" as I have been thinking when that "time" would come for Kavin to stop gagging on foods and eat normally. I also feel that ever since I posted the info about</span> </span></span><a href="http://veetusamayal.blogspot.com/2007/11/dark-day-in-our-life-in-year-2006.html" target="'new"><span style="font-size:85%;">Kawasaki disease </span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">many people had been sending their prayers and blessings for Kavin and that seems to have changed him sooooo much. I have no words to express my <strong>THANKS</strong> to each and every one of you for all your support.</span><br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWj4ixXvRYP9zQJp38QVyFuGm-PhOU6O1bY_VL3b91w8IALyg_1lx8kkd2sf6eBwhmPLGdzt8C0RZCU5zKeu4vnIKSZiqwCI8bGMtEpZ324v6PaDKQAwx3demjHw07m7baXYOYADMWZx3P/s1600-h/DSC06999.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5154237563110334658" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWj4ixXvRYP9zQJp38QVyFuGm-PhOU6O1bY_VL3b91w8IALyg_1lx8kkd2sf6eBwhmPLGdzt8C0RZCU5zKeu4vnIKSZiqwCI8bGMtEpZ324v6PaDKQAwx3demjHw07m7baXYOYADMWZx3P/s400/DSC06999.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Coming to the cooking part, I have been doing it everyday but rarely took pictures of it. Anyway, here is my first cake that I baked for "B" for his b'day. He is not a big fan of frostings. So I chose this pineapple upside-down cake and I followed the recipe from my <strong>Southeren Living Cookbook</strong>. The cake turned out really good and we enjoyed every single bite of it. It tasted exceptionally good with some ice cream on the side. For a amature baker like me this recipe turned out to be a great success. I hope you try it too if you haven't baked this cake before.</span></span></span><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><br /><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnURCRvx27wOOYKUuH00himMqjV7eRDZIbZtq1UxtsgOEH2LhIEfmaK3_Tql-GVPER6xIn_WUqNEVccWiBAptBfxHTpKGzMgbld58XqbPljFmK8ZJ2Y8pTGfnwb08aLfkJ-PcOz1qgPx-K/s1600-h/DSC07004.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5154238623967256802" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnURCRvx27wOOYKUuH00himMqjV7eRDZIbZtq1UxtsgOEH2LhIEfmaK3_Tql-GVPER6xIn_WUqNEVccWiBAptBfxHTpKGzMgbld58XqbPljFmK8ZJ2Y8pTGfnwb08aLfkJ-PcOz1qgPx-K/s400/DSC07004.JPG" border="0" /></span></a></strong></span></span><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br />Butter or margarine- 1/2 cup<br />Brown sugar - 1 cup (firmly packed)<br />pineapple slices - 3 (8 1/4 oz) cans undrained<br />Pecan halves- 10 ( I did not use it as I didn't have it)<br />maraschino cherries- 11 (cut into halves) (use more like me if you want to)<br />large eggs - 2 (seperated)<br />egg yolk- 1<br />sugar- 1 cup<br />All-purpose flour - 1 cup<br />baking powder- 1 tsp<br />ground cinnamon- 1/2 tsp<br />salt- 1/4 tsp<br />vanilla extract- 1 tsp<br />cream of tartar- 1/4 tsp<br /><br /></span><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuEmhCVYDFjOE7JmgkoCfUSFh2Bi8epS-Vd1fiTHMLYGMlFv5m0EwBrbsdsgVGI5ZSd9m3lfede30QxyYa0b-P0NyIgZWmnLbq0NaRhswFUia4PaZRDQpuZnIcxyEawaHSZRKlrDgdK96e/s1600-h/DSC07002.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5154238134340985042" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuEmhCVYDFjOE7JmgkoCfUSFh2Bi8epS-Vd1fiTHMLYGMlFv5m0EwBrbsdsgVGI5ZSd9m3lfede30QxyYa0b-P0NyIgZWmnLbq0NaRhswFUia4PaZRDQpuZnIcxyEawaHSZRKlrDgdK96e/s400/DSC07002.JPG" border="0" /></span></a></strong></span></span> <p><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Procedure:</strong><br />This recipe calls for using a cast-iron skillet. But I had only cake pans so I went ahead and used it. First you melt the butter in microwave and pour it in the cake pan. Spread it evenly. Then sprinkle brown sugar and press it to the bottom.<br />Drain Pineapple, reserving 1/4 cup juice. Set juice aside. Arrange pineapple slices in the pan as desired. You can keep it whole or cut it up. Place a cherry half in the center of each pineapple rounds. Other than that you can arrange cherries as you like.<br />Beat 3 egg yolks at high speed with an electric mixeruntil thick and pale. Gradually add sugar and beat well. Combine flour and the next 3 ingredients. Stir well. Add to egg mixture alternately with reserved 1/4 cup pineapple juice. Stir in vanilla.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ryF-lP0tAzbvLN6R9WdUqlvutS6zwlP6njUnLAWnIan8o2mnNYWVmqhJhB2OAOW6myl6P7Kiu1D9OQ0-3hQWvbIZe0B-6hcuQ_1zqPUAwcEtBv0ZCrtxxR2pBIvVPblwVGEpv1ikBuFD/s1600-h/DSC07029.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5154239530205356274" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ryF-lP0tAzbvLN6R9WdUqlvutS6zwlP6njUnLAWnIan8o2mnNYWVmqhJhB2OAOW6myl6P7Kiu1D9OQ0-3hQWvbIZe0B-6hcuQ_1zqPUAwcEtBv0ZCrtxxR2pBIvVPblwVGEpv1ikBuFD/s400/DSC07029.JPG" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></p><p><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Beat egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold beaten egg whites into batter. Spoon batter evenly over pineapple in the cake pans. Bake at 350 deg for 45 to 50 mins or until the cake is set. You can tell that the cake is done when you see that the toothpick you insert in the center of the cake comes out clean. </span><br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#666666;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#333333;">Rest the cake for 10 mins and then invert it. Pour any remaining glaze on the top of the cake. Cut it into wedges and enjoy it while it is still warm with some cold vanilla ice-cream.<br />I hope not to take a break anymore. But I'm going to limit my blogging hours as I don't want to sit in my couch all the time. I'll visit all of your blogs in the weekend and make up for the lost time. Take care guys and have a great weekend.</span><br /><br /></span></span></span></span></span></p>Kribhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11978204535724288270noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530049351176064039.post-8569785651857305752007-12-20T16:28:00.001-05:002008-12-09T05:59:03.459-05:00Blogging Break!!!<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Hi Friends,<br /></span></span><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">I'm taking a break from blogging until the new year as my kid has no school until then. I'm sorry that I couldn't reply to your comments nor visit your blogs. I shall catch up with you all soon. I should have posted this message earlier but I fell sick. So, please bear with me guys. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:0;"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">Anyway,</span><span style="color:#660000;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#660000;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2008!</strong></span></span></span></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;color:#660000;"></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw0TU7BOhTq-TT8kEEAqlaN9xnG0E_-Q7vR_icbXNwq0Czrp86Sgzi1yK4tT52pYiGWtXyVppBO_cGuYdZwLjvxj5i23XiNfAPRqINMnC9brBBVfaOlorm-O2v2ZOj8RwcGl7YdNFj0n_t/s1600-h/DSC06326.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146441591877705906" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw0TU7BOhTq-TT8kEEAqlaN9xnG0E_-Q7vR_icbXNwq0Czrp86Sgzi1yK4tT52pYiGWtXyVppBO_cGuYdZwLjvxj5i23XiNfAPRqINMnC9brBBVfaOlorm-O2v2ZOj8RwcGl7YdNFj0n_t/s400/DSC06326.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Kribhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11978204535724288270noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530049351176064039.post-7768146516378039232007-12-13T09:16:00.000-05:002008-12-09T05:59:04.373-05:00White pumpkin Halwa / Kasi Halwa<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">When I was a little girl I used to enjoy my granny's Kasi halwa so much. It would be a melt-away moment in my mouth. My mom never attempted this as my granny was doing it anyway. Now it is 6 years since my granny passed away. And when I called my mom last week she told that she made kasi halwa following granny's procedure and that it tasted exactly the same. I didn't believe it fully as I know that my mom never tried it earlier. Still, I went ahead and got the recipe. The same night as 'B' was having dinner with his friends I decided to give the recipe a try as I had lots of time in my hands.<br /></span><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh8_p_3TPNRIG9S-B_ygW0pyhAh57jIbL-z_UwD1ciAXUm-laq7FOh46t5NWyuDjdZjbaARSwITR60RA8mhsMVszhIO4XjCTzNYFowXBagJFjwAf10AdLfJv1jV7M3dhEUTAypKk4hm8bj/s1600-h/DSC06908.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143508928700015538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh8_p_3TPNRIG9S-B_ygW0pyhAh57jIbL-z_UwD1ciAXUm-laq7FOh46t5NWyuDjdZjbaARSwITR60RA8mhsMVszhIO4XjCTzNYFowXBagJFjwAf10AdLfJv1jV7M3dhEUTAypKk4hm8bj/s400/DSC06908.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">It didn't take long. Within 1/2 an hour the halwa was done. By the time it was over 'B' arrived home. He gave a look as though...why do you want to attempt halwa? It requires practice to do it. Anyway, I went ahead and served him the plate you see in the picture. Within minutes, I got so many wow's from him. For 'B' it was the first time he was tasting it , so he thought it was the best. As for me, I know how it is supposed to taste. So, I was really hoping that it tasted exactly as granny's.<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-1pnfI1MycmCAhBUsAXuHaIQ6ervcgHGEMNuh50TvWBT7SqwghnK6eY18IKS3lig8-aca3QXNSFqLzp5EwNNhHIhP0e5h3_pAOJXMj5cp-tntJIzGfEmAYoQB-Hq7xfkpxmYbpraU1MGY/s1600-h/DSC06904.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143509568650142658" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-1pnfI1MycmCAhBUsAXuHaIQ6ervcgHGEMNuh50TvWBT7SqwghnK6eY18IKS3lig8-aca3QXNSFqLzp5EwNNhHIhP0e5h3_pAOJXMj5cp-tntJIzGfEmAYoQB-Hq7xfkpxmYbpraU1MGY/s400/DSC06904.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"> Then the moment came...I took a spoonful and tasted it. Guess what happened. Before that.... Have you guys seen the "Ratatouille" movie? If so, you would know the 'Ego' food critic. Just like him, the moment I tasted my kasi halwa I was transported back to my childhood days in a flash. I had some happy tears in my eyes to see that I could recreate the same taste.<br /><br />Many of you might be doing this regularly in your house and wonder why is she bragging so much for a pumpkin halwa. But for me, it is one of the special dishes made by my granny and it's been so many years since I had it. So, here is the recipe I enjoyed so much. I hope you do too.<br /><br /></span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJ3x_jYz2qpVO5KZvUhklFJF39yFeSPAtPZVGFPYK4lMPAzlPhO6eD_KtNA5EXp4xxFHTZPu5GnsYqQP0z1oIKPfGNws1Pe-tA6odD5nLFhZXhz4gkYHcCmkwqVGEmVkTaOvCDfkL2CMs/s1600-h/DSC06909.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143511909407319026" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJ3x_jYz2qpVO5KZvUhklFJF39yFeSPAtPZVGFPYK4lMPAzlPhO6eD_KtNA5EXp4xxFHTZPu5GnsYqQP0z1oIKPfGNws1Pe-tA6odD5nLFhZXhz4gkYHcCmkwqVGEmVkTaOvCDfkL2CMs/s400/DSC06909.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"><br /><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br />White Pumpkin- 2cups (grated)<br />sugar- 1 1/2 cups (increase or decrease as per taste)<br />ghee- 3 tbsp<br />cardamom- 3<br />milk- 1 cup<br />saffron- one pinch<br />red food color- a pinch<br />cashews and raisins- 1 tbsp each (or more if needed)</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJ3x_jYz2qpVO5KZvUhklFJF39yFeSPAtPZVGFPYK4lMPAzlPhO6eD_KtNA5EXp4xxFHTZPu5GnsYqQP0z1oIKPfGNws1Pe-tA6odD5nLFhZXhz4gkYHcCmkwqVGEmVkTaOvCDfkL2CMs/s1600-h/DSC06909.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"> </span></a><br /><br /><strong></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbgrPEb-IhY8pBW6A3aydxiaOOON6KiIxtY_RdtyG_DXWwfxmyyEon552tYtgtxeg_mwXtZVUMqYY1tcY21TGgC2YlmwmglKui11DKrxpFWM_JaYXRLady533dn2NPU0diJBtTJghzWvrJ/s1600-h/DSC06912.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143508447663678370" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbgrPEb-IhY8pBW6A3aydxiaOOON6KiIxtY_RdtyG_DXWwfxmyyEon552tYtgtxeg_mwXtZVUMqYY1tcY21TGgC2YlmwmglKui11DKrxpFWM_JaYXRLady533dn2NPU0diJBtTJghzWvrJ/s400/DSC06912.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Procedure:</strong><br />Peel off the outer skin from the pumpkin and grate it. Squeeze out the excess water from the gratings. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a kadai and add the gratings and broken cardamom. Saute until any remaing water is absorbed. Add sugar and stir well. Now add milk and cook on low flame till the gratings are cooked soft and all the milk is absorbed. Now the halwa should be in a semi solid stage. Add ghee little by little stirring till you get the halwa continuously. Then add the fried nuts, raisins ,saffron and color powder. When the halwa leaves the sides of the pan switch off the stove. Serve this warm or at room temperature. I like mine warm. Here is a bite for you too!</span><br /></span>Kribhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11978204535724288270noreply@blogger.com51tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530049351176064039.post-44834646076016609182007-12-07T14:16:00.000-05:002008-12-09T05:59:04.685-05:00Pan seared Prawns<span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">This has been lying in my drafts for quite a while and I decided to complete it today and post it. It is an easy appetizer and another one of <strong>B's</strong> specality. Whenever I challenge him that he cannot handle the kitchen even for a day ,he would do this to break my nose. It's so simple and so flavorful and usually the dish is done in 10 to 15 mins minus the prawns cleaning time. So, here goes the recipe.</span> </span></span><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLl16wkcdMDeoLV-LktErKw-0QIiMtHJZ82CEa2-AyNOXx91baHjurfdGun1YYf2llxfLTBCY_puErRSsBLRql623rzbo6-Ix5jTNpw1KnL2TYw6XeSZ1_USOKKeWMgcQn-Fjmi0w_zys/s1600-h/DSC05962.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141323474718551330" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLl16wkcdMDeoLV-LktErKw-0QIiMtHJZ82CEa2-AyNOXx91baHjurfdGun1YYf2llxfLTBCY_puErRSsBLRql623rzbo6-Ix5jTNpw1KnL2TYw6XeSZ1_USOKKeWMgcQn-Fjmi0w_zys/s400/DSC05962.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Ingredients:</span></strong></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">Prawns- 20 (peeled and deveined on both sides)</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">onion- 1 big</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">garlic- 5 pods</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">sambar powder- 1 tsp</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">chilli powder- 1/2 tsp</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">turmeric- 1/4 tsp</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">pepper- 1/4 tsp</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">lemon juice- 1 tbsp</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">salt as required</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">cilantro- 3 tbsp</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">bell pepper- 1 or 1/2 (cut lengthwise)</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"></span></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">Procedure:</span></strong></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">Clean Prawns and set aside.Drain on a paper towel. Add all the seasonings like sambar powder, chilli powder, turmeric, pepperand salt. Mix well. Heat a big non-stick pan. When hot add a 2 tsp oil and coat the pan evenly. Slowly put the prawns inside. Taking care that each and every prawn is seated well on the pan. Keep the flame in medium high. After 2 mins, flip over the shrimps and cook on the other side (another 2 mins) until it gets a nice roasted texture on the outside. Add very little water (less than 1/4 cup) and close the pan. Cook for 5 mins. After that, take off the lid and allow all the water to dry out. Keep tossing every now and then taking care that it dosen't stick to the pan. When the Prawns are almost done, add the onions and bell pepper. Just stir-fry it so that the vegetables are still crisp. Finally add lemon juice and cilantro. Mix well and serve on a bed of cabbage or lettuce. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Note: </strong>Do not over-cook the prawns. It tends to become rubbery. Seafoods generally gets cooked fast unlike mutton or chicken. Do not over-cook the vegetables also in this dish. A stir-fry for 2 mins will do. You can do the same dish with cut chicken breasts too. It would be like a non-fried version of chilli chicken or a great stuffing for fajitas.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#333333;">This dish is a great appetizer and crowd-pleaser. Whenever we do this for the party, it disappears in a flash. My hubby says that it goes very well with wine, but for me it is a perfect pair for coke.</span> </span></span></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaEfrQEx4aK6D_Odpnu9fiOzWnlGerCzmx12vREoli_hqkoJ_Klwowl5_ScXrGsqmBKt0Aq5v3zsF81Rkh4HgCRVwOm7Q9Wz4__eDcbRPxP8ta0sbBU20tEDdN7EkVF9MhMfKjP5LqGTHC/s1600-h/DSC05963.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141340130601725250" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaEfrQEx4aK6D_Odpnu9fiOzWnlGerCzmx12vREoli_hqkoJ_Klwowl5_ScXrGsqmBKt0Aq5v3zsF81Rkh4HgCRVwOm7Q9Wz4__eDcbRPxP8ta0sbBU20tEDdN7EkVF9MhMfKjP5LqGTHC/s400/DSC05963.JPG" border="0" /></span></a></div><div></div>Kribhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11978204535724288270noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530049351176064039.post-33124431621481518382007-12-06T09:53:00.000-05:002008-12-09T05:59:05.394-05:00Kovakkai Kadalai Curry<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">I got this recipe from <strong>SUN TV</strong>"s <strong>Unnavum Aarogiyamum</strong> program. It was prepared by <strong>Chef Jacob</strong> in his "<strong>oil less cooking series</strong>". But readers beware. This is not a fat free curry as it has 3 tbsps of cashewnut paste in it. The reason I tried this was to see how the kovakkai-kadalai combination worked out and also that the recipe had no tomatoes and oil in it.<br /><br />The final result was <strong>ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC</strong>. It had such an outburst of flavor ,really very different from the other curries I normally prepare. Now it has become my new favorite and I'll be trying this more often. So, I wanted to pass on the recipe to you also so that you can give it a try. Good luck and Happy Eating</span>!</span><br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWVXiTGW8u7tP0GdJXS9NWnCbxGTYSpefQV82NTJRf7wBjCAxvGQuk6M-1Xqhypbs6f3MhQpGotbR6O2ulbDadVzxbDLhkpy_tM75SmAyAkVeAaJjisdpfoaTH2t1JnkTrr5YYY6bK9jd/s1600-h/DSC06754.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140937454608486530" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWVXiTGW8u7tP0GdJXS9NWnCbxGTYSpefQV82NTJRf7wBjCAxvGQuk6M-1Xqhypbs6f3MhQpGotbR6O2ulbDadVzxbDLhkpy_tM75SmAyAkVeAaJjisdpfoaTH2t1JnkTrr5YYY6bK9jd/s400/DSC06754.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#333333;"><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#333333;">Kovakkai/Tindora- 20 (cut lengthwise) (half steamed)<br />Kadalaikkai/Boiled peanuts- 1 cup<br />Onion- 1 (finely chopped)<br />cashewnut paste- 3 tbsp<br />elachi-2<br />cloves- 2<br />cinnamon- 1" piece<br />chilli powder- 1 tsp (original recipe called for 2 tsp. But 1 was ok for me) turmeric- 1/4 tsp<br />curry leaves- 1 twig (finely chopped) salt- as required<br />Garam masala- 1/2 tsp<br /><br /><strong>Procedure:</strong><br />Heat pan until it's very hot. Then add the spices and saute them .Remember .....NO OIL. The cardamom will plump up a bit due to heat. Now add onions and some salt. Saute until it is light brown in color. You have to keep on sauteing every now and then as it does not have any oil and it might stick to the pan after a while.Now add curry leaves,ginger garlic paste and turmeric. Saute for a min. Then add chilli powder and saute for 2 more mins. Now add 1/2 a cup of water and mix well. Close and cook for 5 mins. After that the gravy will be a little thick. Now add kovakkai , peanuts and salt. Add nother cup of water and boil for 5 more minutes. Finally add garam masala and cashew paste. Mix well and boil to desired consistency.<br /><br />This gravy goes very good with white rice, dosa and rotis.<br /></span><br /></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcjOwAsofgCML_Uep64CSHQ1PcGRMLOvpY0dAzf4m8FPqLEnWpXoIzuJnQTlW2FaCt0CO231MR1J0SMxxJ2gMgNRFuDY14hJ6n2IYRgHxk3WVnV3LAT1FLQnpShgh1K-8Ts2EB9gC-69N/s1600-h/DSC06755.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140938468220768402" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcjOwAsofgCML_Uep64CSHQ1PcGRMLOvpY0dAzf4m8FPqLEnWpXoIzuJnQTlW2FaCt0CO231MR1J0SMxxJ2gMgNRFuDY14hJ6n2IYRgHxk3WVnV3LAT1FLQnpShgh1K-8Ts2EB9gC-69N/s400/DSC06755.JPG" border="0" /></a>Kribhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11978204535724288270noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530049351176064039.post-77264396777901666342007-11-29T16:36:00.000-05:002008-12-09T05:59:06.108-05:00Oyster Mushroom Curry and Kurma<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">This time I'm not going to write my excuses for not blogging, b'coz I know you all have become tired of it. Really, things are going so crazy around me. Also, this weather has something to do with it. I feel so lazy that all I want to do is sleep all the time. I get backlogged in my work b'coz of this and end up doing things in the last minute. Can you believe that I've been so lazy that I did not even mail my entries for 3 blog events although I posted them in my blog? Anyhow, I hope I send this one atleast.<br /><br />When I saw the <strong>"Grindless Gravies"</strong> event going around in the blogsphere, I thought...Hey, That's not difficult. The regular sambar and puli kuzhambu does not involve grinding! But once I visited <strong>Sra's</strong> blog</span> </span><a href="http://whenmysoupcamealive.blogspot.com/2007/11/announcing-grindless-gravies-event.html" target="new"><span style="color:#660000;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>"When my soup came alive "</strong> </span></span></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#660000;">I understood her hard rules. For the past one week, I did not plan anything specific for the event. Just watched what I cooked and was trying not to use my grinding tools at all. But you know what, it was very hard. For some, I had to grind spices, others involved coconut milk or lentils. Finally I succeded in coming up with the Oyster Mushroom Curry. So, let's go to the recipe. </span><br /></span></span><span style="color:#660000;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFy2Zh3HQuxOjIBSG_pUHnGcRiEFX4hc9_OKD5bpjj3HCqIytM83UURjWqheI9dDE8j7Uj52TUkfvolDlo3-UxQj0Y2h9L2Bg8dHg2NIQdfUfRRBdUiYve8mbBnIj-IigvtcyuNvjcI027/s1600-h/grindlessgravies+logo.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#660000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140519120498888818" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 335px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 47px" height="83" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFy2Zh3HQuxOjIBSG_pUHnGcRiEFX4hc9_OKD5bpjj3HCqIytM83UURjWqheI9dDE8j7Uj52TUkfvolDlo3-UxQj0Y2h9L2Bg8dHg2NIQdfUfRRBdUiYve8mbBnIj-IigvtcyuNvjcI027/s400/grindlessgravies%252Blogo.jpg" width="382" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#660000;"> </span><span style="color:#660000;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="color:#333333;">Ingredients:</span><br /></strong>Oyster Mushrooms- 1 pack<br />Cinnamon- 1 " stick<br />cloves- 2<br />Onion- 1 (big)<br />Tomato- 2 (big)<br />Ginger garlic paste- 1tsp<br />chilli powder- 3/4 th tsp<br />corriander powder- 1 tsp<br />cumin powder- 1/2 tsp<br />Curry masala powder- 1/2 tsp<br />pepper- 1/4 tsp<br />Turmeric- pinch<br />Curry leaves and corriander leaves-few<br />cornflour-1tsp(optional)<br /><br /></span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-QhZGJ6h0dya1cjqZQjbvtCtMt8ojSIxRLGARhoTbXUlXIzStvuDPp4w-A-_fCBm6w6o5V19noId6QFJxKrxhVL690MHdC-HKahMtUJYqaOcALOJ-T3mZWaYIY2qhTc65ZMujogK4kdz/s1600-h/DSC06875.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#660000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140517570015694914" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-QhZGJ6h0dya1cjqZQjbvtCtMt8ojSIxRLGARhoTbXUlXIzStvuDPp4w-A-_fCBm6w6o5V19noId6QFJxKrxhVL690MHdC-HKahMtUJYqaOcALOJ-T3mZWaYIY2qhTc65ZMujogK4kdz/s400/DSC06875.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#660000;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Procedure:<br /></strong>To clean the oyster mushrooms, just cut off the ends first. Then seperate the upper portion and the stalk. Cut the stalk and the top portion into small pieces. While adding it to the gravy, first add the stalks as it takes a few minutes extra to cook than the feathery top.<br />Heat oil in a kadai and fry cinnamon and cloves. Then add onion and ginger garlic paste.Saute until golden brown and soft. Then add the masala powders for fry for a minute. Now add tomatoes and cook until it becomes soft and pulpy. Make sure that it forms a paste like consistency.<br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#660000;">Then add chopped mushrooms. First the stalks. Saute for 3 mins. Then add the top part of the mushrooms. Add 1 cup water and cook for 5 to 10 mins until you get a thick gravy. Cook till you get the desired consistency. You can also add a tsp of cornflour (just dissolve it in very little water) to make the gravy thick. I did not use it here for the sake of the event. But you can certainly do it to get a nice thick gravy.<br /><br />The next is <strong>Oyster Mushroom Kurma</strong>. This is another flavorful dish that goes very well with dosa, rotis and ghee rice. This was the first time I was making this kurma, so I was a little unsure to use just the mushrooms alone. That's why I went ahead and put poataoes, as kurma always tastes good with potatoes. Once done, when I tasted the dish, I really felt that the mushrooms alone did a very good job in making the gravy tasty. We enjoyed the kurma so much that nothing was leftover although it was done to be packed for the next day's lunch. So, here is my recipe. I hope you enjoy it too!<br /></span><br /></span></span><div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9pF32uB3FxDXUOouHMpelNGZGeZcN6v8g-hpiuvlatUY5OvA4jT9HqeXaKUheSwMBvU0laE94fHM5OOIYc7zpg43dSJJ7SO27OTyvJQ0sWayro_W3kiqhVjrVYO-Rk4Zq7-zLj8Qel41N/s1600-h/DSC06523.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#660000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140518437599088722" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9pF32uB3FxDXUOouHMpelNGZGeZcN6v8g-hpiuvlatUY5OvA4jT9HqeXaKUheSwMBvU0laE94fHM5OOIYc7zpg43dSJJ7SO27OTyvJQ0sWayro_W3kiqhVjrVYO-Rk4Zq7-zLj8Qel41N/s400/DSC06523.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> </span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#660000;"><span style="color:#333333;"><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br /></span>Oyster mushroom- 1 pack<br />cinnamon- 1" piece<br />cloves- 2<br />curry leaves- 1 twig<br />Onion- 1 (finely chopped)<br />ginger-garlic paste- 1tsp<br />green chillies- 5<br />Tomatoes- 2 (finely chopped)<br />red chilli- 1<br />jeera- 1tsp<br />saunf- 1 tsp<br />turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp<br />sambar powder- 1 1/2 tsp<br />garam masala- 1/4 tsp<br />coconut- 1/4 cup<br />corrinader leaves- small fistfull<br />water- 1 cup<br />salt- as required<br /></span><br /></span></span><span style="color:#660000;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Procedure:</strong><br />Grind coconut to a smooth paste. Grind red chillies, jeera and saunf to a fine powder. Clean mushrooms by wiping off with a towel and seperate the stalks and the petals. Heat oil in a pan and fry the cinnamon and cloves. Then add onions, curry leaves, ginger garlic paste, green chillies and turmeric. Saute until golden brown. Then add tomatoes and cook till soft and mushy. Now add all the masala powders and mix well Saute for 5 mins or until the raw smell goes. Then add coconut paste and saute for 2 to3 mins. Now pour a cup of water and add required salt. Bring it to a boil. Now add the stalk portion of the mushrooms first. After 3 to 4 mins add the petals and cook it is soft and done. Garnish with corriander leaves. Goes really well with dosas.<br /></span></span></span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhApCqRUC-BXaz9Wq0Fl0ve_BSISwNRMii5ziJwSroPeoHTHzcPs9AZQXoIaG5BLKi8gQArQgQjC8SvrdOj0JPsZ-txbJzizpP48dj3t0-ObZU4cJpuueXviclwiX30u_Ru-3NfEgIsIf32/s1600-h/DSC06524.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140518914340458594" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhApCqRUC-BXaz9Wq0Fl0ve_BSISwNRMii5ziJwSroPeoHTHzcPs9AZQXoIaG5BLKi8gQArQgQjC8SvrdOj0JPsZ-txbJzizpP48dj3t0-ObZU4cJpuueXviclwiX30u_Ru-3NfEgIsIf32/s400/DSC06524.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div></div></span>Kribhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11978204535724288270noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530049351176064039.post-47373139589927250012007-11-23T13:45:00.000-05:002008-12-09T05:59:06.830-05:00A dark day in our life in the year 2006<span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#333333;"><strong>Warning: This is a long health related post.</strong> Just wanted to share a chapter of my life with all of you.<br /><br />Yes...The day after Thanks Giving when all the people are busy shopping and still enjoying the holidays we had a very dark day during our 2006 ThanksGiving. This is b'coz Kavin was diagonized with something called the <strong>KAWASAKI</strong> disease. Funny name uh? Yes, we thought so too when the ER doctor told us the name not knowing the seriousness behind it.<br /><br />Inshort, this an acquired heart disease that affects young childeren who are less than 5 years of age and rarely above 5. You can read more about it </span></span></span></span><a href="http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/medical/heart/kawasaki.html" target="new"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">here</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"> and </span><a href="http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4634" target="new"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">here</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">.<br /><br />Kavin's story goes like this. On 17th November 2006 he woke up normal just like any other day. He had his flu shot appointment and so we went to his pediatrician around 11 am. By 12pm we met 'B' in a restaurant and had lunch. Kavin dosen't eat anyway, so we kept him busy with some crayons. He was a little fussy though, so we packed our lunches half way through and I drove him back home.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">Within minutes of reaching home, he threw up and started to shiver. I panicked. Then I gave him tylenol and put him to bed. I found that he developed fever. At that time, I thought it was a side effect of the flu shot. But as the clocked ticked away, his temperature kept on rising and rising. By 5pm he was burning and had a temperature of 104 degress. I didn't wanted to keep him in home any longer. So, we took him to the emergency by 6pm. All through the way he kept throwing up and his head was drooping down. Finally we got to see the doctor only by 10pm. (You know how the ER's function in US). They asked us to give him the same tylenol and motrin alternatively and sent us home.<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLbPJEkO8h_TOOs3Ei8NbzjLqjyoE8EDrZvhi-5tMOcFNVwOfsDaWJR7ScbcS9C61fEpRvndH9SWu_0UtGiF3eR-gijX8-yxCRrWTegIZTvki08Q3fPJKLRPeQ_s_GKjddzYb5n-bekjB/s1600-h/DSC06313.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137949947426034322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLbPJEkO8h_TOOs3Ei8NbzjLqjyoE8EDrZvhi-5tMOcFNVwOfsDaWJR7ScbcS9C61fEpRvndH9SWu_0UtGiF3eR-gijX8-yxCRrWTegIZTvki08Q3fPJKLRPeQ_s_GKjddzYb5n-bekjB/s400/DSC06313.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">The next day we met Kavin's pediatrician but he didn't find anything either. All through the day, his temperature would be 102 deg under the effect of motrin. When the medicine effect wares off ,it would go back to 104 . Back again in the evening his temperature shot up high and we rushed back to the ER.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">After a long wait, we got to see that day's doctor. I was really not at all happy with the way he reacted to our concerns. He spent exactly a minute listening to our complaints, didn't examine Kavin (not even looked at him) and scoffed at me for telling my concerns as he thought I was exaggerating. Again we went home to continue the tylenol and Motrin.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">Again we made a trip to the Pediatrician the next day. On this day, Kavin developed cracks on his lips and his toungue was coated with white substance and his eyes were blood-red. Still, his pediatrician said that it is a viral fever as his eyes were red. He also prescribed an eye drops and Nystatin for the toungue. Again we went home with no answers.<br /><br />Fourth day also no improvements. Already, Kavin has feeding difficulties. He dosen't drink milk or juice also. It was so tough to watch him live with water alone. All long we knew something was wrong but we were helpless. My parents are doctors in India and my sis is doing her final year medicine. My dad became suspicious about Kavin's condition on this day. He prescribed some medicines too. But I was afraid to give it as I would have to answer Kavin's pediatrician if something went wrong.<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPIVfg46Xg2yzKqN8ZxxHyCowHQewLixOixKRjw-9SeVrG9Wsfz0bZ7nU7_xdbCMPs-gRAcZtZvwM_Yh-YldBkp65XBhXRw89VweBMSCExgRy1D5nwQEoN7iUGHFF25EWn6LOjH_rbJ5CF/s1600-h/DSC06733.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137950935268512418" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPIVfg46Xg2yzKqN8ZxxHyCowHQewLixOixKRjw-9SeVrG9Wsfz0bZ7nU7_xdbCMPs-gRAcZtZvwM_Yh-YldBkp65XBhXRw89VweBMSCExgRy1D5nwQEoN7iUGHFF25EWn6LOjH_rbJ5CF/s400/DSC06733.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">Fifth day also continued with high fevers of 103. Kavin was humming weakly a lullaby that I used to sing to him daily. He tried to look into my eyes and said "boo boo". Oh My God! It was the worst moment. My hubby and me burst into tears and cried out aloud with Kavin in my lap. My Dad asked us to do a blood test. So, we went to the pediatrician to ask for it. He disagreed on that and he suggested to take a x-ray alone to check if it was Pnemonia. We went to the lab and got the result as negative. Again we went to see the doctor with the lab results. My hubby asked for the blood test again but the doctor said that he is very sure that it is a viral fever and that it takes 10 days to go away.<br /><br />Day 6. A day before ThanksGiving. We cancelled our dinner program in our friends place and stayed home hoping to see some improvements today atleast. But nothing much changed. Back again we went to the ER and asked them to admit Kavin as we afraid to keep him home. But they didn't so as he was not dehydrated. I did tell them that he was drinking only water and very little pedialite (just 4 ounces a day). We had to give him through a medicine despenser as he dosen't like pedialite. Still, we were kiced like a ball back to our house.<br /><br />Day7. It was Thanksgiving and while the world was happy celebrating it we were still in the dark not knowing what would happen next. My dad was angry with me as I did not follow his medicines. But he warned me that this was terribly wrong and a blood test was a must. He suggested to give a steroid that is banned in US but still used in India. I was scared to try it. Didn't want to complicate anything. So, I just told my dad that I gave the medicine but I didn't. No improvements. It's been 6 days since Kavin walked.<br /><br />Day 8. We woke up after sleepless nights. Again my dad insisted on the blood tests and we talked to the Pediatrician and he basically washed off his hands. He said that he has done all that he knows and said that we could go to the ER again if we want and take a blood test for our satisfaction as our pediatrician's office was closed on that day. I was frustrated with the ER at this point. I didn't want to go there at all. But my hubby said that we go there again to do the blood tests atleast. Back again we went waited for 3 hours. The ER was packed with people as it was a holiday season.<br /><br />In the waiting room, when my hubby took Kavin to the restroom he noticed that he was walking wobbly. He hardly took 2 steps then he sat down. B's eyes were watery. I consoled him and measured Kavin's temperature. This time the meter showed no reading. Just "<strong>HIGH</strong>". I was scared to death. I went to the reception and yelled at them for taking such a long time. Then the nurse came and checked Kavin. They took him in right away. Within half an hour we saw the doctor and told him the entire story. He was so patient and listened to us carefully. He then did a blood test and came back with the results that it could be "KAWASAKI".<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNv1-6urkemOnMVnkUhIznt-opuX1VVwQIcE8gipNMwXWtP6BjuMmmicIqH_bkaWXiNEIjYb1VOtpO6j4ajv2W3Vgw_I293hZNGZNtHLcPJ68YXcseUhsBt5AyATT76FPlVSD_0q_J4iU/s1600-h/DSC06591.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137954457141695154" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNv1-6urkemOnMVnkUhIznt-opuX1VVwQIcE8gipNMwXWtP6BjuMmmicIqH_bkaWXiNEIjYb1VOtpO6j4ajv2W3Vgw_I293hZNGZNtHLcPJ68YXcseUhsBt5AyATT76FPlVSD_0q_J4iU/s400/DSC06591.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"> After this the treatment started in a jet speed. kavin was admitted on the spot and was getting ready to be seen by the main doctor. 'B' rushed home to get a few things for our hospital stay. Kavin was given drips and had so many wires on his body. After 20 mins, his body started to shiver badly. I tried to hug him but his body was shaking so hard that his bed was also shaking. The nurse rushed in and changed the doses and he setteled down slowly. He was give IVIG (immunoglobin -an antibodies extract from human blood).<br /><br />Day 9. Kavin woke up with no fever. His eyes came back to normal. He smiled and responded to us. He became aware that he was sick and that he was in the hospital to recover. We had a sigh of relief that didn't last for long. The doctor came in and gave us a sheet about this disease. We were shocked to read thru that. Then an echo was performed on Kavin and it was found that his coronary artery has enlarged and that he was in risk level 2. Phone calls were going back and forth to India and my dad was trying to find out the underlying complications and try to to do the best possible.<br /><br />Day 10. We were released from the hospital and was asked to do a follow-up visit after a week with a cardiologist. Kavi was on baby aspirin for one full month. We met the cardiologist a week later and discussed the possible problems. He said that we have to wait for 1 full month to see how Kavin's body is recovering in the post kawasaki phase. His platelettes counts was more than double of what it had to be. The doctor also warned that if the platelet count continue to be this high ,he is in a risk for cancer.<br /><br />This was too much for us. We walked in dark hoping to find some light at the end. This incident really changed us a lot. We started to appreciate Kavin more and his other difficulties did not matter anymore. We just wanted him to be alive atleast. In the end, after one full month of waiting time, the doctor did his echo and said that he has miraculously escaped and that his coronary artery has come back to normal and that he has crossed the danger line. Kavin is still kept on watch for the next 3 to 5 years . But we hope he will do fine in the coming years.<br /><br />From my experiences, I strongly feel that our family would not have undergone this only if the doctors were more responsible in the first place. All that the ER doctors want us to do is spend some time in the patient’s room and hope that they can pass the patient off to the next doctor coming on shift or keep the patient alive for them to be seen by their regular doctor the next day. Anyway, it's we as parents who have to fight for our children. Always trust your gut feeling and struggle as much as you can.<br /></span><p><strong><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">Keep an eye for these Symptoms:</span></strong></p><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#333333;"><strong>1. persistent fever that is higher than 104 degrees Fahrenheit (39 degrees Celsius), and lasts for at least 5 days.<br />2.severe redness in the eyes<br />3.a rash on the child's stomach, chest, and genitals<br />4.red, dry, cracked lips<br />5.swollen tongue with a white coating and big red bumps<br />sore, irritated throat<br />6.swollen palms of the hands and soles of the feet with a purple-red color<br />7.swollen lymph nodes<br />8. Peeling of skin under the nails (For kavin it happened after his relase from the hospital<br /><br />If you see any of these symptoms in your child, Please Please do not hesitate to do a blood test and check for Platelet count. Don't worry if the doctors turn deaf to your words. You got to be persistant. In our case, we could have escaped this if the kawasaki disease would have been detected atleast two days before.</strong><br /><br /><strong>I'm sorry for a long one</strong>. Hope I didn't bore you. This is just to keep you all aware about this killer disease. Coming to an end, he is a pic of my son taken recently. You can see what food blogging has done to him. He has seen me taking pics of food many times and one day I saw him doing this. So I grabbed my camera quick and took a shot. He even got a little tikes kitchen set for ThanksGiving!<br /><br /></span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjtN-HoRejl40zjzFuBD5ZsqIXFSkpktk5F7hVZ_X6NPCOtbXwsU-SKKzGDkUNiAbInnNlept_Z4SQugIeSrZIWiN28tXGFujegT9AnSE8ccdG8HBp1OblAbrUvXsj1mDIscVYFvYZL7N/s1600-h/DSC06863.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137949092727542402" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjtN-HoRejl40zjzFuBD5ZsqIXFSkpktk5F7hVZ_X6NPCOtbXwsU-SKKzGDkUNiAbInnNlept_Z4SQugIeSrZIWiN28tXGFujegT9AnSE8ccdG8HBp1OblAbrUvXsj1mDIscVYFvYZL7N/s400/DSC06863.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#333333;">This ThanksGiving was a good one. We went to a big church were our friends invited us for a lunch. There was a huge crowd from different countries. People from different places sang their National anthem on stage. And guess who sang our India's national anthem?<br /><br />It was <strong>KAVIN</strong>. <strong>He sang the full song song so clearly and won a huge applause.</strong> Too bad that I didn't take a camera. My friend said that the church would have taken it and if he gets it he would send it to me. So, I'm still waiting for that. Anyhow, we were so proud of him. Exactly one year has made a huge difference in our lives.<br /><br /><strong>Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to read this. I really appreciate it.</strong></span></span></span>Kribhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11978204535724288270noreply@blogger.com75tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-530049351176064039.post-43715551069915640502007-11-21T22:26:00.000-05:002008-12-09T05:59:08.121-05:00Sprouts Salad, Dates Milkshake & Ginger Tea<span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">I have become tired of making the excuses again and again that I'm busy and that my kid is sick and all that. What to do? That's what is going on and on like a cycle. Anyway, I just wanted to be a part of a few events going around in the blogsphere. So, please bear with me gals for posting everything just like that without organizing it.<br /></span><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMKhDv9KQTbKbYegOd4dOEftE4I6LTk90ygJ1JWsucwWQuu88f4L4IVqIQwuKgPZNbhnq6nFkBGoNEJB8yN8dgF5Kppl1hghq7nCSUQ1D3GPMKEUYR5rpoJ-dD7937B0WFMxEr9ZRmR810/s1600-h/powerless-1.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137196781961007634" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="134" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMKhDv9KQTbKbYegOd4dOEftE4I6LTk90ygJ1JWsucwWQuu88f4L4IVqIQwuKgPZNbhnq6nFkBGoNEJB8yN8dgF5Kppl1hghq7nCSUQ1D3GPMKEUYR5rpoJ-dD7937B0WFMxEr9ZRmR810/s400/powerless-1.jpg" width="114" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><p></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Wf7NVMK8L_0q5ejkmSGQ9jd08EZcXxFZRApl4Q61tmOxi_tGYX-LavoKUI76jmdoZ8OP-tx69rLBOX_LWHgMMKJDOMsB1UA1cG3dlsAARwAtoqZ-Iy7SdQFsJyNY98yOTwMVNCmMDRq3/s1600-h/vegan.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137196915104993826" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="132" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Wf7NVMK8L_0q5ejkmSGQ9jd08EZcXxFZRApl4Q61tmOxi_tGYX-LavoKUI76jmdoZ8OP-tx69rLBOX_LWHgMMKJDOMsB1UA1cG3dlsAARwAtoqZ-Iy7SdQFsJyNY98yOTwMVNCmMDRq3/s400/vegan.jpg" width="132" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKwRh9iWIIYgXiPJbjOLgl54c0tSwmtvIIF6t0Gc5jVXBeeofXFKR6po-kSW3jnauq-J6GLwQJFoFGaSCQnx6pdJ5tF_YCeqTvcPMEFsNHRbunmwLi8FJDUpqw2aw-HTdWSW0MlbBGr_lX/s1600-h/ginger+logo.png"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137213665477448274" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 127px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 139px" height="151" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKwRh9iWIIYgXiPJbjOLgl54c0tSwmtvIIF6t0Gc5jVXBeeofXFKR6po-kSW3jnauq-J6GLwQJFoFGaSCQnx6pdJ5tF_YCeqTvcPMEFsNHRbunmwLi8FJDUpqw2aw-HTdWSW0MlbBGr_lX/s400/ginger+logo.png" width="133" border="0" /></span></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Our fellow blogger "<strong>Easy Crafts</strong>" who owns a great blog </span></span></span><a href="http://simpleindianfood.blogspot.com/2007/10/power-less-cooking-event.html" target="new"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">"<strong>Simple Indian Cooking</strong>"</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> has launced a new event called "<strong>Powerless cooking</strong>". I glad that came up with this, as I have also wondered what would happen if there is a total power shutdown for a few days and what we would be cooking during those times. Anyway, my contribution to this event is Mungbean sprouts salad. Nothing fancy just simple and easy to make.<br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">I wish to send the same to <strong>"Vegan Ventures"</strong> hosted by <strong>Suganya </strong>of </span></span></span><a href="http://tastypalettes.blogspot.com/2007/11/vegan-ventures.html" target="new"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Tasty Palettes</strong>.</span></span></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#333333;"> I'm not that familiar with this vegan cooking yet, so here goes my entry.<br /><br /></span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq35j-4IvyIfcTCgg75YIKy89E9r06MHvRHzk8sxMorjdprhrSzw4wOJOWzT8zBqkSXBnzyMoET7kVf03wbGPvvMYU4WYgztGu24IXJy7QA5-0EbcUPjkW4rK4_7f_FguDBsxbZVkmtVHO/s1600-h/DSC06832.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137198753350996530" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq35j-4IvyIfcTCgg75YIKy89E9r06MHvRHzk8sxMorjdprhrSzw4wOJOWzT8zBqkSXBnzyMoET7kVf03wbGPvvMYU4WYgztGu24IXJy7QA5-0EbcUPjkW4rK4_7f_FguDBsxbZVkmtVHO/s400/DSC06832.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Sprouts Salad:</strong><br /><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br />Green moong dal- 1 cup (sprouted)<br />carrot- grated<br />green chillies- 1 1 /2 (minced)<br />red onions- 1 tbsp (fine pieces)<br />corriander leaves- 2 tbsp<br />peanuts- 1 tbsp (broken)<br />salt- as reqd<br />lemon juice- 1 tbsp<br /><br />The other ingredients you can add to this are: Finely chopped boiled potatoes, cucumber, corn, tomatoes, yogurt, corriander-mint chutney, sweet tamarind sauce. Keep your mind open and try out anything else listed above.<br /><br /><br /></span></span></span></span><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3RsdwI7MwqUdFnQv9JTLgIG2qonIHYWNia18Cs-qPQ8K24n11pMbTsAETMEEEYzPuTKhJXoWGtlZtBL_w9DMXUQM-AEz71kN8TbQdiI0BP_L8_eP1WUjRFR0ic48XGzEy9DzZI7Phf6K/s1600-h/DSC06837.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137219742856172146" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3RsdwI7MwqUdFnQv9JTLgIG2qonIHYWNia18Cs-qPQ8K24n11pMbTsAETMEEEYzPuTKhJXoWGtlZtBL_w9DMXUQM-AEz71kN8TbQdiI0BP_L8_eP1WUjRFR0ic48XGzEy9DzZI7Phf6K/s400/DSC06837.JPG" border="0" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Procedure:</strong><br />Soak mung beans overnight. Drain the water and keep it wrapped in a wet towel. Then close it with a vessel and leave it aside for one full day. The next day the mung beans would sprout beautifully. I do not like to eat it raw, so I partially steam it. You can skip this step if you want to. Anyhow, this is the way I make it.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:arial;">I add steamed sprouts to the rest of the ingredients and mix well. You can add yogurt too but I'm skipping that as I going to send the same to the 'Vegan' event too.<br /><br /><strong>Date's Milk Shake:</strong><br /><br />I'm going to send this to <strong>Chandrika of </strong></span></span></span><a href="http://akshayapatra.blogspot.com/2007/11/afam-november-dates.html" target="new"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Akshyapatra</strong> </span></span></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">who is hosting <strong>AFAM: Dates.</strong> Milkshakes are always my favorite especially this one which my mom used to prepare during my school and college days. I would devour this in a flash b'coz my mom would say that helps in hair growth due to the iron content in it. But I don't think it helped me at all. You should see my head now (almost bald). Anyway, the taste is really good. Try it for yourself and you'll see.<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lSmcXOL7X37dbq5M3QGbEKXRoSVrPftlVckZrSS4muDUgXOrefY_inraDGOhcUsVvIo8cY2AOpPvTw2mD-Da9xVoyMhTB9jNKzzC9pjDFk2DxTDPHg2zxS91-2NXcktQ8wOE8tzZJdnv/s1600-h/DSC06856.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137209271725904450" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lSmcXOL7X37dbq5M3QGbEKXRoSVrPftlVckZrSS4muDUgXOrefY_inraDGOhcUsVvIo8cY2AOpPvTw2mD-Da9xVoyMhTB9jNKzzC9pjDFk2DxTDPHg2zxS91-2NXcktQ8wOE8tzZJdnv/s400/DSC06856.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"> <strong>Ingredients:</strong><br />Chopped Dates- 1 cup<br />sugar- as per taste<br />chopped pistachios- 2 tbsp<br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">milk- 3 cups<br /><br /><strong>Procedure:</strong><br />Boil milk and after sometime bring to a simmer, add dates and cook till soft (5 to 8 mins) in a low flame. Cool this and reserve a few tbsp of pulp aside. Blend the rest with milk and sugar. You can make it thinner or thicker depending upon the amount of milk you use. Finally mix in the pulp and nuts. Give a good stir and serve it chilled .<br /><br /><br /><br />Finally, it is <strong>GINGER TEA:</strong><br /><br />This is for the the <strong>"Think spice... Think... Ginger"</strong> event hosted by <strong>Sunita</strong> of </span><a href="http://sunitabhuyan.blogspot.com/2007/11/think-saffron-round-up-and-announcing.html" target="new"><strong><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;">Sunita's World.</span></strong></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"> Initially, I was wondering if this would be apt to send it for the event but, after seeing the same at Nags's blog I decided to post the same . So, here is a refreshing cup of ginger tea with some Banana bread.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br />Milk- 1 cup<br />taj mahal tea leaves- 1 1/4 tsp<br />water- 1/4 cup<br />ginger- 1 1/2 " (grated)<br />cardamom- 1 (broken)<br />sugar- as reqd<br /><br /><strong>Procedure:</strong><br />Boil water with tea leaves. cardamom and ginger for 5 minutes. Then add milk and bring it to another boil. Add required sugar and mix well. Filter this and serve this steaming cup of hot ginger tea for a refreshing morning.<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNc-naqKczmCC7309PH7TkzJ2Ce5WsfH5djU-R8VTV-BgPDh10g451NmPc4gR2xxoAQgDpxRsUv5TQi05dv472yYaAhvbeUjSFM8lU07U1CMa_XdtgtGQaW7vmLcERSpST3zFuwCvLgPI/s1600-h/DSC06070.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#333333;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137214309722542690" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNc-naqKczmCC7309PH7TkzJ2Ce5WsfH5djU-R8VTV-BgPDh10g451NmPc4gR2xxoAQgDpxRsUv5TQi05dv472yYaAhvbeUjSFM8lU07U1CMa_XdtgtGQaW7vmLcERSpST3zFuwCvLgPI/s400/DSC06070.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;color:#333333;"> (This is B's fav cup ,but this is the quantity he drinks. So, I couldn't get a good pic at all. Sorry guys, bear with me.)</span> </span>Kribhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11978204535724288270noreply@blogger.com26