Crafts and Cooking

Lobster - fresh

2012-02-02T18:08:00.001+05:30

I can tell you that this recipe is totally my own, Though the ingredients are familiar with everyone who knows Indian cuisine.
In Kerala, I have seen only lobster cooked the traditional way . With roasted and ground coconut and a variety of spices, which is also another way we make prawns and crab.

This is one way , I thought the flavor of the lobster would really be enhanced, and also would suit people who would like the lobster meat lightly spiced.

A very easy preparation, and I am sure would be great for crabs as well.

Lobster - 1 kg ( remove the shell of the head portion and leave that of the tail intact. Then split each lobster lengthwise.)

Onion - 1 large (peel, wash and cut in 4)
Ginger - 1 inch piece (peeled and halved)
Garlic - 1 pod ( peeled)
green chillies - 2 large (cut off the stalk)
Curry leaves - of one stalk

Coarsely grind the above ingredients. (3 pulses in a grinder )

In a wok, heat 1 tsp of olive oil and a tsp of butter.(can add more or less butter according to choice.)
Add the ground ingredients and saute till the smell is mellow.do not let the onions brown.

Add the lobster,flame on medium, put a lid on, and toss twice to make sure the paste mixed well. After about 5 minutes, open the lid and the shell should have changed colour.

Now add

Lemon juice - 1 tbs
Crushed pepper - 2 tsp (or more )
Salt to taste. ( it is always better to add less salt than more)

Keep the lid back on, And wait for another 7 minutes. These lobsters are comparatively tiny, so about 12 to 15 minutes are ample time for them to cook through . Also , they have been halved, so cooking time is even less.

Take off the stove, remove to a serving plate, add more lemon juice and crushed pepper and ENJOY.

A little clay craft, and a Triple strand necklace.

2012-01-20T20:27:00.003+05:30

It all started with a dear friend, who asked me to make a necklace with a clay pendant. At first , the idea was to just make a pendant to match the colours of a Saree, she wanted to wear for an occasion. Then I decided that I could try and duplicate the paisley type print on the saree to give it that 'custom' design feel.

Then it became a triple strand, and since there was black on the saree, we decided that black crystals would really give added glam rather than just try and match the colours of the saree..

After the sanding, painting, polishing, sanding again and painting, applying some gold and bronze dust, the varnish and finally adding the stones AND making the necklace, the end result was this ....

I also made earrings with huge black crystals,hanging on gold coloured rings. Just so, they would not clash with the busy necklace, but would still be the perfect compliment to it.

And finally, it reached it's rightful place. This is the biggest piece that I have worked on so far.

My friend has given me permission to use her picture. I am absolutely thrilled to show her off as I think that the necklace was made for her ( as indeed it was ..!!)

But what I am trying to tell is, it just seemed to suit her to a T. And it was a pleasure to behold.

So without more boring talk ... my friend, and her adoring hubby.... :)

Tangy mint marinade for Chicken

2012-01-13T11:27:00.001+05:30

This is a very fresh tasting marinade with a tangy touch. I made some chicken and veggies in one pan . Somehow the easy to make dishes taste great .

I had about 350 gms of chicken thighs. I used 2 potatoes and one carrot cut into roughly the same size too.

For the marinade , grind or mince

Garlic - 8 to 10 cloves peeled
Green chilly - 1 or 2
Pepper corns - 6 to 8
Mint leaves - a bunch
Coriander leaves - 1 bunch
I added a few flakes of sea salt to crush everything well.

to this, Add..

Curd - 1/2 cup
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp or more

Mix well, add more salt of needed and marinate the chicken in it for half an hour or more.

I used a flat pan , heated olive oil and shook the pieces out one by one and placed it on the pan. Once the chicken changes colour, turn on the other side. after about 5 minutes, add the veggies agter tossing them also in the left over marinade.

when the chicken and veggies are well cooked and the oil in the pan shows, switch off the stove, add 1 thinly tomato , keep the lid on for 5 minutes .

Serve hot. I made kaboos and a dip to go with it.

The Immortals of Meluha and The Secret of the Nagas

2012-01-10T20:05:00.000+05:30

I love books on Hindu mythology . I read a lot of other Genre too, but for each and every book that I enjoy, the thing that makes me enjoy a book most is not even a great plot, but the narration.

There are already a lot of reviews on these two books and I liked this review by Sundari Venkatraman on her blog called Flaming Sun

Set in 1900, the language was really out of place , but as I read on, (that is a compulsion with me... I almost always finish a book even if it gives me a head ache. Am totally intolerant with movies in that respect, though...)

But the characters, the plot... and the language just grows on you. The author makes that journey or transition of Shiva from a 'barbarian' to the Savior really interesting.... and I noticed that in the sequel, the language is not as rustic either. Does it indicate the change in stature of the central character , or is it just an effect of the reviews that called for more refinement in the language ???- I do not know...

All I can say is that I am glad that I could pounce on the second book as soon as I finished the first ... that abrupt end really worked ... !! And I could have turned my nose up at some of the language, but it just would not be fair to such a brilliant story.

And it is interesting to note that there is mention of snakes, yet, the Nagas don't just mean snakes....!!
I am absolutely looking forward to the third of the trilogy and really really hope with all the selfishness of a book worm, that it will be a fitting end to these absolutely good books ...

Memo board - 1st post in 2012

2012-01-09T11:35:00.002+05:30

Wow... one of my resolutions involved posting more frequently on my blog ..and before I know it, it is already 9 days into Jan when I post for the New Year !!!

This is one project that has been on my mind for some time... a Memo board... of course, I looked into a few that I could buy, but the crafter in me, could not resist making one , especially since I saw this tutorial.

I found some more sites with tutorials...
Like this one on Little Miss Momma

Mainly , mine was an attempt at recycling.

I used a cardboard that came with a artist's drawing pad . I had some left over rolls of sponge sheets from over a decade. The maroon cloth is a dupatta that had seen better days .

The only new things are the ribbons and the pins . at the back I glued the ribbons and also stitched them on to the fabric .

So one ticked off from the 'try to make' list ...!! Only thousands more to go...!!

Adieu to 2011

2011-12-31T07:02:00.000+05:30

2011
It has been an eventful year for us and in a big way, for me personally...

We moved into our nicely renovated home.
Celebrated our 10th Wedding Anniversary
Discovered air -dry clay
I started my Jewelry and Craft line, and though it has a loooong way to go, I finally know that this is the way forward.
Made some great friends .

As a summation, it is just a few lines... but totaling all the ups and downs, I feel that the 'ups' win ..!!

I did not bother to set any goals. Can't say it was dogged determination. Just took each day as it came. Did what I could. The main thing was that, I did not agonize over a lost hour or so, doing nothing (there were a lot of those.... !!!) but just forged on and did what I could in the coming hours.

I can say that I have learned a few new things this year. And that lifts my spirits a lot.

For 2012 ...

I need to pay more attention to my blog.

Make sure I tick off every single item on my DIY list. (which covers nearly everything ..!!)

And for my friends and Family..

I wish you all the very best of Health, Wealth and Happiness....

A very Happy New Year to each and everyone ....

Holiday craft - Paper Birdcage

2011-12-30T15:27:00.000+05:30

I was inspired from the blog post on The Bride's Cafe. There are step by step instructions, Here is the link.

Spending a day inside is very difficult for my restless daughter and when it is raining, AND the cable is out, there are some surprisingly nice results.

Since my dad had gifted her some bird stamps earlier this year, it was easy to keep her occupied by asking her to stamp and colour them for the cage.

Saved me having to draw ... and I could get on with making the cage.

Notice how she has discarded most of the colours while neatly arranging those of her choice beside her . See how closely they match the colours of her outfit ... !!!

Even the parrot is coloured purple and pink. She informed me that a real parrot is green with a red beak, but since this one is made by her, it can be her favourite colours ...

So ...the sparrow and the pigeon are also varying shades of pink, purple and yellow. Of course, the finished product here may not have any resemblance to those in the article of our inspiration. Ichu decided that the cage needs more 'decoration' so she HAD to decorate the pink strip on the cage after everything was fixed. So naturally, the yellow strips got a bit bent .. AND she did not let me take the time to glue the bottom bit and the spokes, so i finally stapled it together !!

And so there it is, ... slightly bent, yet still.....looking good.

Memories of Christmas...

2011-12-28T07:57:00.000+05:30

Some of the greatest times we spent with our parents have been when we went to Doha for Christmas. ... I still remember a Christmas at Dukhan Sports Club... there were stalls for games, food, lots of people smiling and talking , a fancy dress competition, dancing and the best part of all, GIFTS from SANTA...

There is something special about getting a beautifully wrapped gift from Santa that can put a lot of other maybe, more thoughtful gifts in the shade. I still remember the utter joy of seeing 12 tiny thumb-sized dolls, 6 dressed in pink and six in blue.... They did come to a sad end a few years later, when they were planted in the garden by my brother and were not found till months later, and I was back in India.. !!

Still, 2 decades later, it is a very fond memory... Another very special one was years later,with a lot of cousins, dancing, parties, a celebration that started a couple of days before Christmas and went on beyond the New Year. And a lot of great parties at Ninan Uncle's place with friends...

Now our daughter is at that age, where she appreciates special occasions.... So hopefully, some of these will translate into some warm memories for her too.. This year , we went out for a Christmas dinner.

She was very happy to see Santa... Santa kept making rounds and she would run up and meet him or tug on his suit as he passed by, each time...!!

The 'Magic Man' was a hit because she got his personal attention and he even pulled out a ball from her ear ..!!

She loved the colours of this mask, but thought it made her look scary. And princesses are not supposed to look scary ..only beautiful..

Then there was great food, live music, dancing and lots of desserts, though she had only strawberry ice-cream...

Amma...I looooove Santa...!!! :D

Free Christmas Giveaway and some venting ...

2011-12-16T18:32:00.001+05:30

Nearly six weeks since my last post and it does NOT feel good to have neglected my blogging. When life was kind of routine, blogging added sparkle to me..meeting so many talented and warm-hearted folks helped revive my zest and interest in a lot of things.

It has been days of excitement and discoveries, the past weeks... As I had mentioned, I started selling Jewelry and some craft I make online and I call my line SWARDAA.

I have made some lovely new friends who have been very encouraging and also supporting my endeavor, and my family have been absolutely wonderful.

On one hand, while this has been happening, I have been also aware of a curious phenomenon.... some friends as well as relatives have been shying away from any contact since I announced Swardaa on FB. It is like they are afraid they would be compelled to buy stuff from me... !!!

I guess I should take the time to reassure them that as long as they do not expect offers of free gifts from me , every time I chat with them, I would not try to make them buy my creations... !!

Is it that painful to acknowledge or comment on a person's creative efforts?

Anyway, if I had been doing this as a means of my livelihood, I would have felt more let down by these so called 'close ones' . Since I make each piece with so much care, I rather see them going to people who are excited about owning them.

Now..venting over, I need to get on with the good things in my life. And for reading my vent with patience, I present a few of my creations here...

Please feel free to comment ...

To check out more of my work , please visit this link.

And there is a FREE GIVEAWAY on my Facebook page, as a Christmas special......A pair of festive earrings. Please click on the text and you can see it.

Hurry please . last date is 18th December 2011. Good luck and Merry Christmas.

Pita bread (Kaboose) ,stove top method.

2011-11-04T10:28:00.001+05:30

Having spent a good portion of my life in Doha, I have to say that the thing I miss most about it is the variety of fabulous food available. Of course, here in Chennai there are many places that offer Arabic cuisine and some of them are really good..but in most cases, they miss the mark when it comes to Kaboose or Pita bread.

I have seen a lot of recipes and have been planning to make them..but I was putting it off mainly because I still try to avoid a lot of experimenting in an oven. Recently though, while I was watching Masterchef Australia, I realised that the Pita can be cooked on the stove top too.. !!

And yesterday, everything just fell into place...

There are a few versions out there including some whole wheat pitas..but I just wanted to see how close I could come to recreating the taste we know and love..

The recipe is very easy, but the dough needs kneading time of 15 minutes and about 3 hours to rise. So it has to be prepared in advance.

Plain flour - 3 cups
Luke warm water - 1 and 1/2 cups
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 and 1/2 tsp
Dry Yeast - 1 packet or 2 and 1/4 tsps ( I have yeast from Doha, which is quite strong, so I used just 2 tsps level)
Oil - 1 tsp

In 1/2 cup lukewarm water, add the yeast and sugar. It has to bubble up and rise and totally dissolve.

In a big bowl, mix the flour and salt evenly. Make a well in the middle and add the yeast liquid. Just mix it through, and add the 1 cup of lukewarm water slowly to form a sticky and loose dough.

On a flat surface, throw some flour , tip out the wet sticky dough about 10 to 15 minutes till it is not sticky any more.. Now the consistency will be elastic, still loose, but smooth.

In a clean bowl, coat with some oil. I poured about 1 tsp , coated the base, put the dough inside, and turned it all over till the oil was coated evenly.

Leave it to rest with a lid on, or a towel to let it rise. the dough doubled in size in about 2 and 1/2, to 3 hours.

Again flour the work surface, knead the dough, roll into a rope shape. now cut out lemon sized dough, roll, and then flatten it out like chappatis.. I made mine slightly smaller. Thin it out as much as u can.

On a really hot tawa, with the flame on medium, just put a flattened disk of dough.When u see small bubbles starting to rise, turn over. Slowly press, and increase the flame to high. this should puff up the bread. Once it puffs up, bring the flame back to medium, see that it is cooked evenly on both side, take it off the tawa.

Stack cooked breads in a basket or dish lined with a tea towel . The bread was soft, evenly cooked and delicious..

You can freeze left-over cooked breads and also refrigerate the dough upto a week. Enjoy.

2011-10-28T20:46:00.000+05:30

This picture has been downloaded from the internet.

A question I am asked fairly frequently, is 'How do you cook your pasta???' - because I do make pasta once a week. Mostly I use the very easy macaroni . But I do not use any precise measures for the pasta or the water. This is what I do..

Boil water with about a 1/2 tsp of salt in it.

Once boiled, add the pasta. The level of the pasta should be an inch at least, below the water level.

As soon as the water with the pasta STARTS to boil, I switch off the stove, add a 5 -6 drops of Olive oil and give it a good stir.

Then I put a lid on, and wait 5 minutes.

By now most of the small macaroni is cooked . Sometimes the shell type macaroni takes a about 2 - 3 more minutes.

The macaroni would slightly increase in size, would look mostly opaque, while a bit in the middle may still be translucent.

As soon as the pasta is cooked to my liking, I drain the water by pouring the entire thing through a big strainer and hold the pasta under running water to stop it cooking more. I pour 1 tsp (or more) of olive oil over the pasta slowly, while tossing, to coat it evenly in the oil.

Pasta is ready !!

Chicken Lasagna

2011-10-17T19:29:00.003+05:30

I made this for dinner yesterday. It was the first time I tried making it, thought it has been on my mind for quite some time... I had stocked the pasta sheets a while back and was reading a few recipes.. And as I mostly do, I did not follow any specific one, just made the mince and added things as I would want ..I would have loved some mushrooms, but we could not find any ...

For the mince-
Minced Chicken - freshly minced, 200 gms
Onion - 2 medium (diced)
Garlic - 4 to 5 cloves (chopped) [u can add ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp - or even both]
Paprika or red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Tomatoes - 5 fairly large ones (finely dice 3 of them and reserve 2 - or blanch 3, peel and then dice.)
Capsicum - 1 medium sized (diced)
Mushrooms - 1 cup chopped into bite sized pieces (optional)
Vinegar - 1 tsp
Tomato ketchup - 1 tbsp
Green peas - 1/2 cup frozen peas, lightly blanched
Dried oregano - 1/4 tsp or more
Freshly ground pepper - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Cheese - 1/4 cup (i used a mix of cheddar and mozzarella)
Olive oil

In a thick bottomed vessel, heat the oilve oil, add the chopped onions, once they sweat, add the garlic and/ or ginger garlic paste and cook till the raw smell goes.

Add the minced chicken and the paprika or chilli powder and fry till the colour changes. Now add the 3 diced tomatoes, cover with a lid and cook till the tomatoes are soft and mushy.

Add the mushrooms, the vinegar and tomato ketchup and salt to taste. Add the dried oregano and freshly ground pepper. The green peas added at last .

Finally, turn off the stove, add the grated cheese and stir through to mix everything evenly. The consistency should be such that it should be easy to spread , but not runny.

I chopped up the remaining 2 tomatoes and added it to this to add additional freshness. You can opt to slice the tomatoes thinly and wait till layering the pasta.

The white sauce
Flour - 3 tbsp
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Butter - 1 tsp
Milk - 3 tp 4 tbs
salt, pepper and a hint of nutmeg to taste.

Heat a pan, add teh oil and butter, cook the flour till blonde, then slowly add the milk , STIRRING all teh while and the sauce coats the spoon, there are no lumps and is smooth, but not runny. add the salt , pepper and nutmeg powder. Do not add more than a tiny pinch of nutmeg.

Keep a 1/2 cup of grated cheese for topping the layers

Layering the pasta
Grease a baking dish, spoon in a layer of mince, add a layer of thinly sliced tomatoes and then the pasta sheet on top. add a layer of white sauce. Then some grated cheese. keep adding layers till the last layer is white sauce and lots of grated cheese.

Cover the dish with aluminium foil.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes , at 180 degree C .Remove the foil, Insert a skewer and the pasta sheets should be cooked through. Now bake for 5 more minutes to brown the top layer.

Lasagna is ready to serve....!!

Triangle clay pendant with mirrors

2011-09-27T12:09:00.000+05:30

This is a custom piece I made for my friend. She asked me to make something that resemble the piece I had made and gifted my sister. For a change,I curved the edges slightly , added three sheesha or embroidery mirrors and gave some ethnic looking colours with a final dust of bronze. I also made the hook out of thin copper wire and wrapped it in a fan shape.

the necklace was make with blue-green seed beads and mauve and pink colour crystals.

Winner of the Earring giveaway...

2011-09-27T12:08:00.000+05:30

The lucky winner of the earring Giveaway for SWARDAA, is Shwetha Shenoy. Our daughter picked the winner.

Shwetha has a blog with lots of lovely recipes.. It is called Dashami's collection. I have linked it here.

Handmade pendant and Monalisa beads

2011-09-19T12:30:00.000+05:30

This is one of the first pendants I made , as a trial, for my Jewelry collection. This is made from Air-dry clay and hand moulded and coloured.

I first had the beads I intended to make the necklace ready ,and then went on to make the pendant. For a touch of colourm I added the deep-pink flower. The rest of the triangle-shaped pendant complemets the colours of the beads. Shades of green and bronze.

These are the beads ...

And the final set, with the matching earrings, which I gifted to my little sister - Suni..

Introducing ....."SWARDAA", and a Free Giveaway

2011-09-16T11:44:00.000+05:30

I have just started a Page on Facebook, called Swardaa... which means 'Gifting Heaven' in Sanskrit. Coincidentally, it also has a similarity to my name, includes my husband's and our daughter's first letters too... So I am totally happy about that choice.

This is a dream come true... and I need all your best wishes to go forward with it...

I have just started with jewelry, and mean to expand into some crafts, collectibles and also art work that I plan to sell. Hopefully I will have an online shop soon..
Right now, I am having a FREE GIVEAWAY on my Facebook page and all of you,who are interested may try your luck. The winner will be declared on 24th September and I will courier the earrings ASAP...!!

This beautiful logo has been designed by my cousin Vimal, and apart from being a great designer, he is a superb photographer as well.. You can have a look at his page HERE...

So a quick peek at the earrings for the giveaway,

There are just three simple rules.. SO please go for it... Good luck ...!!

Mathanga (pumpkin) and Vanpayar (red cow peas) erissery

2011-09-15T12:20:00.001+05:30

Our first Onam in our newly renovated home. This is one of the dishes that I had not made before , though it is definitely a part of any Onasadya in our homes in Kerala. I was never a fan of pumpkin until I started cooking myself.

I am going to put up the easiest version. Exactly as I made the dish. With the help of a pressure cooker.

Pumpkin - 400 gms (peeled , deseeded and cut into cubes)

Vanpayar (red cow peas) - 1 cup or more

Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Green chillies - 2 nos

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Salt to taste

Curry leaves - 1 stem or more

Coconut oil - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

dried red chilly - 2 nos

Soak the peas for 30 minutes and then add about 1 and 1/2 cups water, and pressure cook till three whistles. Once the steam escapes, add the pumpkin cubes, chilli and turmeric powder and cook on a medium flame till the pumpkin turns soft enough to mash. (Leave a few lumps of pumpkin for texture.)

Do not add any water if possible. Avoid pressure cooking again because the pumkin may be overcooked.

Grind the grated coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds to a fine paste. Add this to the cooker. Once the errisery starts to bubble, turn it off. It should not have too much water or too little.

In a hot kadai, heat the coconut oil, splutter mustar seeds, curry leaves and the dry red chillies. Add it to the cooker and stir twice.

Delicately flavored and great with rice. I think it would make a good curry for chappatis too..

And given below - my husband and our daughter with our Pookkalam (flower arrangement) - another tradition of Onam.

Soy bean curry

2011-09-06T19:45:00.000+05:30

I love dried pulses and beans.. and even if we prepare the same gravy, each bean imparts it's own flavour to make the dish unique.

While living in Doha, baked beans in tomato sauce and nearly burnt toast was a favourite breakfast . But in India, this is the first time I came across dried soy beans.. and i decided to try it out.

This is a simple recipe and I am sure every budding cook must have tried this recipe with one ingredient or the other..

Soak 1 cup of Soy beans overnight. Pressure cook for 5 whistles.

Soy beans - 1 cup
Onion - 1 (sliced thin or diced)
Tomato - 1 (sliced or diced)
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp heaped
Cumin powder - 1 pinch (optional)
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves - a bunch - chopped fine
Lemon juice - few drops
Salt to taste
Sugar a pinch

In a hot wok, add oil, saute the onions, then add the ginger garlic paste.. once the raw smell is gone, add the tomatoes and saute ..cook through till soft.
Add the turmeric, chilli powder and garam masala powder. Add the soy beans with the water they were cooked in.. if it is not enough for a gravy, add more water.. let it come to a boil.
Now add enough salt to taste. Add the lemon juice and the pinch of sugar. Take off heat, add the garnished coriander leaves.

Serve hot with chappatis.

Update on blog design

2011-08-21T22:12:00.000+05:30

Well.. I knew this would happen...!!! After tweaking, poking about reading a lot of stuff that did not make sense to me, blurred eye, a headache and a few sleepless nights later, I decided to leave the job of making my blog atleast presentable, to my cousin.

So now i have a new header. I have decided to leave things as is, for a while and get on with my blogging.. so much happening in my life right now, That i have to let you all know about it.. and i do have a few of my cooking experiments to post about too...!!

So hopefully, I will be picking back my pace and posting atleast thrice a week, hopefully..

Lesson learnt... there are things that are meant to be left alone by me..and this is one of them...
So watch this space and I hope to get some feedbacks from all my fellow bloggers ...See you soon..

Blog under tweaking ...

2011-08-05T18:11:00.001+05:30

Hi everyone... My blog is undergoing a serious makeover ... and as usual, instead of asking someone who knows about such stuff, I have decided to try and do it myself... I am finding it a bit daunting,.. though I would like to keep at it atleast a few more days before I totally give up and ask for some help ....!!!So please do keep visiting, and I hope you will be pleasantly surprised ...!!

My kitchen - the finished picture...

2011-08-02T19:24:00.004+05:30

It really has been an age between posts ... and I have actually had a lot to blog about, but somehow, I have not been able to take the time out to sort out the material and post something...Till now, that is..

Before I start posting about my new 'venture', though, I thought it was better to update the final picture of our kitchen. We moved into our renovated home and it is a dream come true for all of us.. of course, it will be a work in progress for yet some time to come, since we will be furnishing the living room and other rooms at our leisure...

And I thought, I would start by posting about the biggest change in our home - the kitchen... !!

I wanted the cabinets a dark walnut colour mainly because I love it..and also with a practical purpose in mind... little sticky fingers would make any light-colour cabinets high maintenance.

We had the tiny dining table and chairs we bought about 8 years back..but somehow , i feel that the backsplash, floor and dining set actually complement each other , even though the shades are absolute contrasts..

The floor tiles..which I love... and the L-shaped kitchen.

Applesauce and chocolate chip muffins

2011-06-23T10:18:00.003+05:30

It has been eons since I last blogged at all, and even longer about cooking ...!! Seems like yesterday, though, since I was absolutely busy with the home renovations, moving in, visits from my folks and sis... , preparing our daughter for the new academic year and all this done without a maid ...phew...!!

Anyway, all that is behind me now...I was doing a lot of cooking, but nothing experimental ... or even though I experimented, it was nothing good enough to post about... hmm...notice how 'post' rhymes with 'boast'............????????? :)

But this recipe is great and it just so happened that i was chatting with a good friend and she passed on this recipe. I had 3 red apples and all the other ingredients ready with me, so i decided to try it out... the result has been amazing... and i had to share it with you too...

Do read this through before you start...

the original recipe is from Catcancook.com... so feel free to check her site. It is great.

This recipe calls for applesauce that can either be store-bought or homemade. I used to make applesauce for my daughter when she was a baby. So i just did the same here. I am sure there are many recipes out there for applesauce. but the one I give here is my version - very easy to make and all natural.

Medium size red apples - 3 (peeled ,cored and cut into small cubes )

Lemon juice - 1/4 tsp (reduce if the apples are sour. )

Sugar - 2 tsp

Water - 1/4 cup

put all ingredients in a saucepan, and let the apples cook through. When cool, pulse twice or thrice in a mixer till the lumps are gone . the applesauce is ready. This yielded exactly 1 cup and a half for me.

For the muffins..

Applesauce - 1 and 1/2 cups

Sugar - 3/4 cups (my applesauce was just right - tangy and sweet. Add more sugar - upto 1 cup if u need it more sweet.)

Egg - 1 (lightly beaten)

Melted butter - 1/3 cup (can use margarine or oil . equal to 75 gms approx)

Baking soda - 1 tsp

Baking powder - 1 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Flour - 1 and 1/2 cups

Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp

Chocolate chips - 1/2 cup

Mix the butter, sugar, applesauce and egg. Keep aside. Sieve the flour with the cinnamon powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Mix both wet and dry ingredients together. Toss in the chocolate chips.

Preheat oven. Bake at 350 F/ 180 C for 20 minutes in greased muffin trays. I used tiny glass bowls so it took 25 minute at 180 C and another 5 minutes at 120 C in the convection oven.

Our choice of decorative lighting...

2011-04-18T20:47:00.005+05:30

Lamp shade we chose for the master bedroom, accent wall.

Our little one chose this for her room... :D. It is actually a ceiling light, but we decided to use it as a wall light.

Here it is , in her 'pink' room. The white part of the wall will have a mural, hopefully....!!! The rest of the wall are fully pink . This particular shade was called 'rose lace' and looks great.

Our hall ceiling was painted a rich wine colour, with the surrounding wall, a pale n sunny yellow. We are pleased with dome shaped ceiling lamp and the simple wall lights.

Absolute novices when it came to lighting, but we decided to go with our gut feelings ...yet another consideration was the ease of maintenance. So we decided not to go for chandeliers and shades that could gather lot of dust.

W.I.P in my kitchen - again !!!

2011-03-23T22:15:00.004+05:30

Another close-up of my granite - sorry, couldn't resist ...!!! Things have been speeding up a bit now... we can actually see the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak ....

My double bowl, corner sink in the process of being installed... the workers were very messy at this point, but they did do a good job of cleaning up ...

This was done today.. the kitchen backsplash has been installed and I am well pleased with how it complements the granite .
Yet another close-up of the backsplash tiles and granite ....
And after one coat of the wall-paint called Milk Chocolate... I thought it was a good name for a kitchen-wall paint ...!!! Though, I did have a slightly more chocolatey colour in mind..

So friends, please give your verdicts ....

Modular kitchen - fitted the carcass

2011-03-14T11:50:00.003+05:30

The kitchen carcass has been fitted .. the tall unit, recess for the microwave, and corner , where the double-bowl sink will be fixed.

Am just having an L-shaped kitchen and have kept overhead cupboards to a minimum, to have more space. I have been feeling trapped in tiny kitchen so long, that for me, space matters more than anything else. the way I have planned things, all my stuff should fit well in the cabinets provided. Right now , it looks very light and airy... and the cabinets are mostly dark wood.

Still, hopefully it wont give the congested feeling that I have come to dread....!!

This portion comes after the corner . The chimney and hob will come after the overhead cabinets.

This is my sister in law's kitchen . I chose the dado/backsplash tiles for her. Her cabinets are Mahogany and Golden oak. The tiles we chose were an exact match to the red-tinted wood, but when they arrived, they were a shade lighter than the samples...I picked the light coloured tiles so that the red tiles do not overwhelm, and asked them to be put up in a checkerboard pattern... I think they look great..but maybe I am biased , so would like to know what YOU think ...!!

A few things other than the tiles ...

2011-03-09T10:27:00.004+05:30

The Vitrified tiles that we have chosen for the entire house, except kitchen and bathrooms...

The granite for my kitchen counter top..I liked it so much, that I stopped worrying about matching the cabinets to the counter top ..!! So now, you will have to give the verdict once the finished kitchen snaps are posted ...!!

The grills for the windows were put in this week.. This one is Ichu's bedroom window.

The bay window looks great, in my opinion ...
The exterior of our home, a bit tidier now ... the first coat of paint is done, except for a little portion in the front, where a covered motor used to be.. once the pipelines are re-laid, the motor will also be relocated and the first coat will be done.

The Little Sprout

2011-03-04T23:02:00.003+05:30

I have been waaaay too late to announce the arrival of 'the Little Sprout' into our home ...!!!

It all happened when I entered a contest, on Muse's Facebook page, never imagining I would win.. !!!

I congratulated another winner, and then , I got a message from Muse on my page, that I was one of the winners..!!! I sent a mail to muse with my mailing address... and then went to Kerala for the weekend. While there, my neighbor in chennai, called to tell me I had a parcel from US, and she had recieved it on my behalf... needless to say, I could not wait to rush over...

And there it was, waiting for us..........!!!

nestled inside , was this adorable little book....

Signed by The Muse, my friend and superb word-smith....I jumped for joy. She had also sent a personal card to me and i was overwhelmed....
And another first.... A first edition ... my hands were shaky when I took the picture !!
Now.... need I go on??????? Doesn't THAT smile say it all..........???????

Click the link for my review on Shelfari

Tiling - part 2

2011-03-03T11:54:00.002+05:30

The next installment ...!! this is our hall room, with a lovely beige vitrified tile - the story of how I got this is funny ....

I loved this particular colour and design from the beginning .. but both shops we approached told me that it was not in stock, unavailable..so i actually put it off my mind, and went for something else... we r tiling all the rooms, except the utility, kitchen and bathrooms, with this particular tile.. if you notice, all the rooms open into the hall..so this way, the entire house would look bigger ...and it was less of a pain this way !!!

SO we ordered 65 boxes of the tile I chose, which was actually a light straw colour with a light-brown design ... a week after the tiles were scheduled to arrive, we find out that there is no stock available for another 1 and half months...!! so away we go to the main office ... they say the same thing and it was all gloom and doom... then they asked us if we would consider choosing another one...and they point to a few options, my original choice, the first among them!!!!!

So we 'magnanimously' decided to accept this one in exchange and came away...

This is my kitchen tile - Looooove it... wanted and earth/ terracota type and I jumped for joy when i found this one.. It is laid in a diagonal pattern . The small opening that lay beyond connects to my work table and bay window area, where the same tiles will continue in a normal pattern.

the floor of our guest bathroom, with the washing machine nook raised a bit. None of the floors have been grouted as yet ..

Tiling - part 1

2011-02-28T16:17:00.005+05:30

Eons after the last post , I get to show something - !!!!

Progress is slow, with mainly walls being plastered , the electrical and plumbing works done ..(not interesting stuff for me ..!!), etc etc...

Now comes the interesting part ..the tiles... it is unbelievable, the kind of hiccups that can happen between the choosing and the laying of tiles...

Clash in delivery schedules, logistic problems, breakage... after all those issues, we are still left waiting with bated breath, for the main floor tiles and the wall tiles of one bathroom..

Two bathroom wall tiles have been laid, while the Kitchen tiles will be done hopefully by the end of the week...

Our modular kitchen has arrived in pieces and is awaiting assembly in the dusty site. ...

The guest bathroom wall tiles - one wall is rust brown while the other is an off- white tile, with rust brown flecks on it.

The rust brown tiles are actually 300 x 300 floor tiles, and they will be continued on the floor.

With great difficulty, I persuaded the contractor to lay the 445 x 300, rectangular off-white tiles 'lying' down, so they would align with the rust brown tiles.....!!

The rest of the 3 walls are the lighter tiles.

Our master bathroom - the 1 row of dark tiles below are bronze tiles and I have chosen 445 x 445 floor tiles too, to match them exactly.

I love dark floors for bathrooms. the wall tiles are Ivory , with highlighters , also bronze, to tie up the two colours. Three walls have the highlighters in the exact centre.

I was wondering if many people have the same kind of painful experiences, while dealing with the tile suppliers... Do let me know ..!

My work space...

2011-01-28T13:15:00.002+05:30

It is slowly taking shape.... This is my work space.. and it is right next to the bay window. The doorway on the left leads to our daughter's room . There is a window behind , which gives great light.

And to the left side, is the kitchen. I have just left an opening in the wall between the two rooms. so I can get from this space to the kitchen, without the bother of a door.

The picture given below, gives you an idea of what I plan for my work space.
This will not be a precise picture, and the two spaces given below also have some things I like . The above picture may be closer with respect to the dimensions. I will be putting in a granite work top and a granite top for the bay window. I foresee a lot of quality time with our daughter here :)
Like the dual-level work top and the colours of the wall. I am not a big fan of white in my space, because it requires extra maintenance. But I can definitely appreciate it ..!!!!
I like the cheerful look of this area, though this is more of a needle craft area. I like the storage cupboards.

Beading experiment - Anklets

2011-01-13T19:44:00.003+05:30

I have been experimenting with beading, so started with something simple . My daughter has outgrown her silver anklets and she wanted to wear anklets 'urgently' ....!!!

So i just made these with some pale pink and silver coloured beads, linked them on a silver-coloured wire and attached the hook and chain clasp. I have no idea of the gauge of the wire and the shop attendant had no idea. If there is a way to accurately find out the gauge of the wires, please let me know.

Also added a few bells I detached from a pendant I had for ages. What's an anklet without bells for a little girl?

So what's the verdict?

Slow progress...

2011-01-12T12:36:00.005+05:30

Wow ... an entire month passed by, and a New Year started since my last post...

I hope all of you celebrated the New Year. Wishing a Happy and prosperous year ahead to all my friends and family.

The work on our home seems like an endless project on some days...but it is slowly taking shape... the pics i have were taken a couple of weeks back, and there has been a bit of progress hence, so I will be posting more pics shortly ....

The kitchen window with the wooden frame. This will be the dining area. I decided to confine my cooking area to the diagonal area . It will be an L-shaped kitchen and after so much planning and stream-lining, I hope that I have made enough space for all my stuff!!!

My favourite area...the bay window.. it connects to the kitchen so I maybe spending a lot of time here.

This is the walk-in wardrobe in the master bedroom. i am quite excited to see how it will all turn out. there is a loft to store stuff and we plan to put in a few pull out shelves and lot of rods for the clothes. Haven't yet finalized the plan...

Since everything happens at snail's pace and I am kind of pre-occupied with the kitchen design right now ....

Have decided to go with a dark oak colour for the kitchen cabinets... which has always been my choice...no matter how much I try to change my mind, I finally stick with that ...so that is it ..!!

Now with the Pongal festivities this week, it will be another week of delay - all workers go to their native villages for the holidays.. this time, a legitimate excuse for the delay ...so the next stage may well get over only by the end of the month !!!

My domain ..!!

2010-11-20T22:49:00.003+05:30

The earlier kitchen was too tiny... the new extension will give double the space... Now all I have to do, is figure out how to fit in all the components to utilize space to the max...!!!

The kitchen window.... Hopefully will provide enough natural light. A sunny kitchen is most important...

Another nook that will be my own... my work-nook with the bay window...can't wait to see it finished.

The stages...!!

2010-11-19T11:13:00.003+05:30

First - the demolition - the doorway of the kitchen gets widened... now we should be able to get a fridge through, easily !!!

Off with the old....!! the mosaic is cut out in neat little blocks ..maybe we can find some use for it later !!!

The columns for the first floor extension are being readied..

View of the ground-floor extended kitchen from the first floor..............

....and from below...

Sigh... so much more work to be done.... the waiting is tedious...

Some pics of things that appeal ...

2010-11-10T19:52:00.002+05:30

I like the gate... clean lines and no fuss... i especially can do without the scrolls and flowery patterns on the gates that are usually seen everywhere...

I would love to use these natural tiles as backsplash for the kitchen ...have not decided on the size or the shape of the tiles, though...!!!

Wonder why mosaics went out of fashion... I really like this one ...

Love the colour and the pattern of the tiles...
Want this tile for my kitchen floor.. love the colour, the glossy surface which is easy to clean and best of all, no two tiles are alike. This is natural stone....but all said, I may finally come across yet another great tile... it is very difficult to make up our minds ...!!!

So watch this space to see what we end up with...

Orange and cinnamon cake with Orange Icing

2010-10-17T12:00:00.004+05:30

This is a Rachel Allen recipe with slight tweaking from me. It was quite easy to make, and the taste is amazing. I will definitely be making this cake again .

Butter - 100 g

Eggs - 2

Orange zest - finely grated, from one orange.

Castor sugar - 100 g ( or 1/2 cup)

Icing sugar - 100 g (Bit less than 1/2 cup)

Plain flour - 1 cup (125 g)

Cinnamon powder - 1 pinch (the powder I have has a very strong flavor so a little goes a long way )

Baking powder - 1 tsp

The cake

Preheat the oven to 180 C in a conventional oven. In a convection oven, 160 C will do.

Melt the butter. Grease and flour the cake tine and line the base with butter paper if needed.

Note - whenever icing sugar is used, take care to sift it before adding to make sure there are no lumps.

Whisk the eggs with the orange zest, caster sugar and the icing sugar till soft and fluffy. Add the melted butter to this, making sure it is near normal temperature.

Sift in the flour, cinnamon powder and the baking powder. Fold the entire mixture gently. Do not beat .

Pour into the cake tin, smooth the top, bake for about 45 to 55 minutes or more, till the skewer comes out clean.

Take the cake from the tin and cool it on a wire rack before icing the cake.

The icing

Icing sugar - 100 g (sift )

Freshly squeezed orange juice - 1 to 2 tbsp

Mix in the orange juice gradually, till the icing can be drizzled on the cake, but not runny. Make sure the cake is properly cooled or else the icing will not set.

The process of preparation is very easy... the difficult part is waiting for the cake to bake, cool, and icing before waiting to dig into it ...!!! Th aroma of orange and cinnamon is irresistible and the fresh taste is amazing ...

Try it and let me know if you agree ....

Demolition site....

2010-10-11T13:32:00.003+05:30

Right now, this is what our house looks like... the back wall has been completely taken down, the floor has been elevated 4 feet and there is debris and construction material heaped everywhere...!!

Our home, standing empty, and a bit forlorn, and needing a lot of work ...

The debris ..of which there is an unending supply, though there is a lorry coming in to collect more, everyday!!!

The ground floor, with what used to be yellow and green bedrooms on either side, and the kitchen in the middle... The artwork on my sister-in law's kitchen walls is mine, and matched the tiled backsplash near the stove.

The first floor is ours....which had been rented out for the past years.

2010-10-04T12:02:00.002+05:30

It has been so long since i blogged regularly, that it seems like almost another life...and yet , it is not easy to sever this link as it connected me to so many brilliant people. Right now, priorities are in doing up our home, and the research is taking up most of my waking hours....

So right now, I just had the urge to do a post and the rather bad pics I have put up are a stain-glass painting and a tanjore painting. The first one was done the traditional way, with the help of a tracing pattern..so it is not my favorite of the series...

This one is absolutely beautiful, and it was done with the help of my instructor, who is the mother of two of my friends... I have not yet attempted another one of it's kind and this was done 10 years ago!!!

As for now, art is mainly on my mind, and procrastination being another 'art' I practice, it is remaining only in my mind... I guess it is past time I did something about that ..oh well...just have to wait till my daughter resumes going to school after her break ...!!

Renovation dilemmas...

2010-09-03T13:58:00.003+05:30

Our home in Chennai is ready for a big renovation, so all creative energies are being channeled into doing up Our dream home. It is not easy to go with just one thing, given the endless varieties of fixtures, fittings, tiles, paints, furnishings etc available in the market today...

Anyway, more than the fact that I cannot make up my mind about even something as basic as flooring... I would love to do up each room with a separate tile, while experts opine that it is better to stick with one so that the space looks bigger and more open.

And something in me balks at just buying stuff off the rack and fixing it here and there, since for me, bland never works as well as blend.

One thing I am absolutely in favour of, are things and colours that exude warmth and look timeless... not for me, the absolute modern and cutting edge ..(rather reminds me of sharp blades !!)

Gosh..so many choices to be made...

For someone who hates shopping, i absolutely adore visiting endless shops and showrooms for that perfect accessory for our home...

And I find that for someone who has an artistic outlook, I adore if something that appeals to me has a practical use as well...!!!!

I never realised that putting together a home would reveal more of myself too...!!!!

The type of rooms I would love to be in ....warm, cozy and I absolutely love the flooring..taken from this site.

A fresh look for Krishna

2010-08-11T08:41:00.004+05:30

This is the Idol of Krishna at our home in Kerala... we picked it up nearly 16 years ago in Guruvayoor... the serene eyes drew all of us in ..and it had pride of place in the drawing room for all these years..but after all these years of leaving the house closed, the paint had become flecked and faded in lots of places... so this time when I visited, I thought that it was high time it was given a fresh look. Since my mom is there full-time, she would make sure that it wouldn't be neglected.

The paint is not exact... but I have done my best to make it look even atleast in the face !! after 2 coats each of paint, I just used a spray to fix the paint..so hopefully, it would stay fresh and easy to wipe off cobwebs and dust that seems to be attracted to the idol as quickly as we can wipe it off.

I painted the chains and the crown with gold paint and highlighted with bronze powder.

Kozhuva thoran - Kerala style anchovies

2010-07-19T20:10:00.004+05:30

The picture of the fish is from net search.

Have been enjoying mom's cooking for a while now, with just a few of my own dishes for a change now and again. One fish that is used often in our diet is Kozhuva. It was only when I saw a picture, I realised that the (in)famous anchovies in pizza are the same fish !!!

We get them absolutely fresh , silver-coloured and glistening from the backwaters.....and the, smaller they are, the tastier the dishes. So here is my mom's famous kozhuva thoran.

Clean the anchovies by cutting off the head and the tail. they are very tiny and the bones dont matter.

Soak two pieces of tamarind (one used in fish curries/ kudampuli) in 1 cup of warm water.

Kozhuva / anchovies - 250 gms cleaned

Tamarind / kudam puli - 2 pieces

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Small onions/shallots - 3 nos

Green chillies - 2

Jeera/cumin - a pinch

Ginger - 1/4 inch piece (peeled)

In a kadai, add the fish, chilly powder, turmeric powder, the tamarind with the soaked water, salt to taste, keep on low fire and cook till all the water evaporates.

Lightly crush or pulse twice in a grinder - the grated coconut, small onions, ginger, cumin, and the green chillies. Add this to the fish.

For tempering

Oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 2 tsp

Boiled rice - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - a handful

Dried red chillies - 2 (broken in half)

Heat the oil, put in the mustard seeds, dried red chillies, boiled rice , curry leaves and wait till the mustard seeds burst and the boiled rice turn light brown. Add the prepared fish and slowly mix till the tempering is mixed in well.

The taste is simply superb....

Vaishnava Ganapati - Charcoal on paper

2010-07-11T19:17:00.003+05:30

This is one of my creations done about 12 years back and has pride of place in the drawing room at my parent's home. There are a couple more of my works here.

This painting was done with charcoal powder and I had initially thought of doing some charcoal stumping when I came across picture of entitled Vaishnava Ganapati... I just thought I would try drawing it, and since I had the charcoal powder at hand, I used that.

Prawns and potato

2010-06-21T17:43:00.002+05:30

Lots of things happening right now..

A shift to Chennai, hometown of my husband ...and ensuing chaos with getting late admission for our daughter, getting a flat for rent while renovating our home, meeting with contractors, visiting a lot of tile shops, showrooms, surfing the net for ideas, etc etc ...

And right now, both my daughter and I are in Kerala, with my folks while, hubby is winding up his stuff in the Delhi office..

So am having a lot of amazing dishes and a few experiments of my own also are going on... especially with a few more guinea pigs that usual, I am having a great time making new stuff...

This is a very easy dish and really foolproof... even beginners can make it.

Potatoes - 2 (medium ones cut in to cubes)

Prawns - 500 gms, (shelled and deveined)

Onion - 1 large

Tamarind - 2 pieces

dried red chillies - 2 or 3/4 sp chilly flakes

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Red chilly powder or even paprika for colour (1/2 tsp)

Soy sauce - 1/2 tsp

Oregano - 1/2 tsp

Boil the potato pieces with the turmeric powder and red chilly powder. When the water is nearly gone, add the prawns and the tamarind and cook for about 10 minutes till the prawns are done. take off the heat. throw away the tamarind pieces.

Now in a kadai/wok, add some oil - about 2 tsp, add the onions and saute till golden brown. Add the prawns, the soy sauce and stir at times till the oil shows. Sprinkle with oregano and serve hot.

Easy plum jam

2010-06-11T20:21:00.006+05:30

I saw some great plums and could not resist buying them... I bought two kilos, and we managed to consume quite a few, but still there were just two days before we left for Kerala and i did not want to waste it.. so I searched for a recipe online and found lot of different versions... as usual, I adapted one that was the easiest and thus appealed to me ..especially due to the time constraint...

many of them were not ripened well, so the result was a bit sour. that said, I have to tell you that I absolutely adored it and my daughter also had a great time sampling the jam... in fact, I had to hide it away so she wouldn't keep 'testing' it ..!!!

Plums have natural pectin in them, which is a vital ingredient for making jams. So if you are using this recipe, please make sure that the fruit is either plums, or some other fruit that is as high in pectin.

Plums - 1 kg (ensure they are ripe and add a couple or so of unripe ones to add a slight tang to the taste)

Sugar - 1 and 1/2 cups (add more according to taste. I used less sugar , so as not to overpower the taste of the fruit.

Honey - 1/2 cup

Cloves - 6 (optional - please count the cloves before adding them so they can be easy to remove. This is my own addition to the recipe)

Water - 1 tbsp

Wash the plums well. Slit once lengthwise to the stone. In a thick bottom vessel, put the plums and the water and keep it on a low flame.

Add the sugar and the cloves after about 5 minutes. Stir well. After about 20 more minutes, the stones will separate .

Remove the cloves and the stones.

the plums will become a smooth paste consistency. Add the honey and let the liquid reduce and thicken.

Once the jam becomes the stage where it will coat a spoon easily, but won't run off of it, switch of the stove.

While it cools, it will thicken again. So if the jam is too thick , it will solidify and won't be easy to spread. Likewise, a runny jam won't be nice either.

This recipe yields a sweet and tang jam with a rich and fruity taste. It is easy to spread, but does not turn the bread soggy.

Try it and let me know how it turns out.

Mural work - 2

2010-06-01T11:25:00.002+05:30

This is the second one of the three mural pieces that I had taken classes for. Though the earlier Jharokha had been done with a lot of help from my instructor, this has been done almost by myself. I just got the instructions and then I started work on my own.

Of course, it is a bit different from what my teacher would have envisioned, but I think for a first effort it is not too bad.

I was asked by a few of my friends for the instructions on how to do it . and I will be making the tutorials when I have some free time..

right now, life is a little busy with shopping and such for going to Chennai as well as Kerala ..... Not to mention the fact that my little one is at home and keeping her from being bored is taking all my time and energy..!!!!

So I would really like to know your opinion on this particular piece.

Prawn pickle

2010-05-25T02:14:00.003+05:30

This was something we dreamed of, while in the hostels. When we went home, this was one item we would definitely ask our mom to make, to take back... and dinner times at the hostel with a bottle of prawn pickle always attracted more people to our table...

With this one thing, we need just rice and curd to make a perfectly satisfying meal....of course, most of the curries were unpalatable, so pickles were always the life-savers those days.

This recipe is my mom's - and the smaller the prawns, the tastier the pickles turn out..

Small prawns - 250 gms (shelled and de-veined)

Garlic - 100 gms (peeled and sliced lengthwise)

Red chilli powder - 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Sweet Paprika/ kashmir chilli powder - 1 tbsp (this is for colour and consistency)

Vinegar - 1 cup

Water - boiled and cooled - 1 and 1/2 cups

Fenugreek seeds/ uluva - 1/4 tsp

Green chillies - 4 to 5 (slit lengthwise)

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece (sliced fine)

salt to taste

marinate the prawns in turmeric, salt and a bit of the paprika powder. Shallow fry the prawns till they are semi cooked. They should not be tough and crisp. Keep aside

Now in a little oil, add the fenugreek seeds, then the garlic, ginger and chillies over a medium flame till the raw smell is gone.

Now add the Chilly powder, paprika and saute in 1/4 cup of vinegar. Add the rest of the vinegar and sauté the prawns. take off the stove and add the water. Add salt according to taste.

When cooled, bottle and refrigerate. If you want to keep the pickle outside, add a 1/2 cup of warm vegetable oil .

The proportions of vinegar and chilly powder are a matter of taste. So reduce or increase the quantities accordingly.

Jharoka

2010-05-21T23:17:00.003+05:30

This is one of the projects that kept me busy the past weeks.. I had been going to learn how to make the three dimensional art work.. this particular one is called Jharoka and is said to be very popular in Rajasthan , Jaipur etc

I have seen many versions made from wood, with stone inlays, as mirror frames, etc..

this one was made with plywood as base. It was great learning how to make it. I learnt many techniques and I really love the bronze color.

Let me know what you think..

Meanwhile, I have two more works in progress, and am really enjoying myself.

Home-made grape wine

2010-05-19T18:46:00.003+05:30

I may never have had tried this without the help of my friend Rehna... She actually is an old hand at making this wine and her mother had been making this wine for decades...

When she said that she would be making it this year, I also wanted to join her and we really had a great time making it, and it also yielded good results.... I have no idea what the connoisseurs would say, but what we got was a sweet and great-tasting wine that could be given to our kids too.

I am sure that I would be making it often. So here is the recipe, that has been passed on in Rehna's family...

Grapes - 4 kgs

Sugar - 3 kg (If you want the wine less sweet, reduce about 250 gms)

Egg whites - 4

Wheat grains - 150 gms ( pulse them in a dry grinder to coarse bits)

Yeast - 2 tbsp (dry )

Water - 4 litres (boiled and cooled)

Five litre jars - 3 nos (to store the wine)

Crush the grapes well. Add all the ingredients into the grapes. Mix well. Pour the mix in the jars only upto 3/4th of the jars because the fermenting will cause the wine to froth over.

Stir daily for 21 days. On the 22nd day, strain and keep in the jars for three more days. On the third day, remove the wine into bottles...

We got about 8 bottles .

Shredded chicken and green peas

2010-05-12T11:59:00.004+05:30

These days, I seem to be just rushing in and out of the kitchen ... as I can't find the time to make anything very elaborate or time-consuming...

This was a very easy dish to make... you can make it with previously cooked chicken, shredded into bite sized pieces...or boil a few pieces of chicken with a pinch of turmeric, salt and a half tsp of chilli powder.

And you may use green peas, shelled fresh..Make sure that if you get someone's help in shelling the peas, that 'someone' understands that those are not tiny balls to play with , throw in the air or endlessly scoop up and let to escape through the fingers...!!! I shelled some 3 cups' worth, but finally had about 2 cups to cook with....!!!!!!

so to get to the recipe,

Cooked and shredded chicken - 1 cup

Green peas - fresh or frozen - 2 cups

Onion - 1 sliced fine

Tomato - 1 diced

Green chilly - 1

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Sauté the onions till nearly brown in a little oil. Add the tomatoes, chilli powder, garam masala powder and cook till the tomatoes are mushy.. now add the chicken and the green peas. If the peas are fresh, add about a 1/4 glass of water, put a lid on the pot and cook till done. If frozen, just sauté it with the chicken as they will already be cooked and just need to be steamed through.

Now add more salt if needed, and serve with chappatis, bread or any kind of pulao, curd rice etc...

Spicy maida dosa (pancakes)

2010-05-07T18:11:00.004+05:30

Wow.... life has not been smooth after coming back from Kerala....

My maid did a bunk a day after I returned... she called me up the next day to say she was ill...and the doctor has prescribed a week's rest.... after a week of reluctantly holding down the fort, she did not turn up and when i called, she very blithely told me to look for someone else....!

In between all that hubby left to Mumbai for a couple of days, and I had to deal howling and sobbing child till he came back...

There are dust storms blowing buckets of dust on to everything inside, so I cannot give cleaning a miss even for a day.....!! And of course, I have to plan healthy snacks for my daughter and do the daily cooking...and worse..................the dish washing !!!!

It has been three weeks and I still do not have a maid.....!!!

The highlight despite everything is that I am going to learn 3D mural art...

Meanwhile, i have been a bit lax in posting, but I have been taking pictures and I am still experimenting in the kitchen...this is proof of that..

These spicy pancakes were something I made for dinner a couple of days back...

Maida/ flour - 1/2 cup (for about 6 thin pancakes)

Egg - 1

Baking powder - 1/4 tsp

Water or milk - just to make a smooth and loose batter

Oregano - 1/2 tsp

Chilly flakes - 1 tsp (can add more or less)

Garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp

salt to taste

In a mixing bowl, take the flour, add the baking powder , the oregano, chilli flakes, garam masala and the salt and mix well. In a separate cup, beat the eggs with about a Tbsp of milk or water and add to the flour. Make a paste without lumps and then add enough water/milk to bring to the right consistency.

Now make the pancakes on a hot non-stick tawa.

We had it rolled around chicken sausages with some dips for added taste..

Also would be great in combination with chicken or vegetable stews.

Mambazha pulissery - Ripe mangoes in curd

2010-04-26T18:43:00.006+05:30

There are not many people who would dislike this preparation...

I had already posted the recipe in this blog about two years back, but after having my mom's pulisherry after a long time, i thought I had to link back to the recipe once more...

When made with the tiny mangoes you get especially for making this curry, it just becomes the tastiest treat ever..

My grandfathers used to rate any sadya/feast at weddings or any other functions by how tasty the mambazham pulissery or kaalan (as it is called in our area) was...

I remember my mom's dad always hurrying for his lunch if kaalan was on the menu...

This is the recipe

2 -3 ripe mangoes (if they are big, slice the outer flesh and put them, stone and all) If the mangoes are small, just peel and put them whole.

4-5 green chillies slit

200 gm ash pumpkin (kumbalanga) (Optional)

Grind less than half a grated coconut with 1/2 tsp of jeera.

Keep aside 2 cups of beaten curd.

Peel the mangoes, cut the flesh and put the mango seeds along with the pieces into a thick bottomed pan. Slice the chillies , cube the ash pumpkin. Add water till the pieces are immersed...add 1/2 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of red chilli powder and 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder and cook till the pieces are cooked.
Add the ground coconut and simmer for a few minutes...by this time, the liquid should have reduced to more than half the initial measure.

Lower the flame and add the beaten curd...add more salt to taste. Switch off the stove before the curd heats up.

Season it (tadka) with a spoon of mustard seeds, a pinch of uluva/ fenugreek seeds, a couple of dried red chillies, and curry leaves.

Have it with some spicy fish curry, rice and pappads, and find instant niravana....!!!

Breath-taking.....

2010-04-22T14:59:00.002+05:30

i know that I had already shared a few snaps of our day, houseboating... but these are a few more snaps, that i felt were really amazing ... please check them out and judge for yourselves...

In the first picture, the water is so tranquil, reflecting the houses and tress, but as we neared the end of our trip, the sky became overcast, the waters too became grey and the movement of the water was more hurried ....

Another houseboat trying to get anchored before the rain started....
We just made it into our car , when the first drops fell......it may have been a different story if we had reached back about 15 minutes later...

It was a new experience for all of us.....

Back again...

2010-04-20T11:44:00.005+05:30

This is the inside view of our houseboat for the day

the trademark coconut palms.... lucky people in those homes who see this view every day

It has been a very eventful time for me, during my break from the blogging world...first, our move to a Dwarka, barely settled there, then a great week in my hometown in Kerala... it was good spending time with family, seeing my new nephew for the first time,celebrating Vishu with my folks,sister and brother-in-law, amazing food, and to top it all, a leisurely boat ride on the backwaters from Kumarakom...

I want to share a few snaps of the glorious view we enjoyed....

In Kerala...

2010-04-11T16:18:00.002+05:30

We finally got the internet connection on 9th of this monthat our new place in Dwarka.... it has been a 3-week wait...

Currently, am in Kerala, my hometown to visit my folks and also to celebrate Vishu, our harvest festival at home...

have lot of great posts in the making...

so watch this space.....

HAPPY VISHU, to one and all....

Shifting time...

2010-03-16T17:58:00.002+05:30

It will be atleast two weeks before I post.. will be busy shifting ...we are moving from Gurgaon to Dwarka..

Right now, have my hands full. with sorting, packing, cleaning and pulling my child out of the cartons, suitcases or from under our feet...

Hope to be back ASAP

Ta

Our tiny tot graduates from Montessori

2010-03-12T17:30:00.006+05:30

It was a very special day today... our daughter graduated from her Montessori. All the parents were invited, and the tiny tots performed before a big audience for the first time in their life. All of them did a commendable job, and showed the time, effort and thought that the teachers put into organizing this special event.

The play was about saving our environment and my daughter was the tree... and these were her lines..

I am a tree, tall and round

I have lots of green leaves on my crown

I have a trunk, tall and wide,

Here birds and squirrels love to hide.....

and here are a few snaps, not in any order, though..

Our tree - second from left. The other tree is Rhianna, the Water is Vishesh and Soil, Arya

Joined by flower - Advaitha, Butterfly - Richa, Bee - Vedanth and the Ant ready to make his entry behind, is Sumer....

And finally, with their graduation certificates, mortar board hats and all...!!!

'Zentangles' , and the Beautiful Blogger Award

2010-03-09T14:46:00.004+05:30

This is my first attempt at the art of Zentangles. The origin of it is mentioned here. Though, without this specific name, I am sure that thousands of people have been doing it and are still doing this....

Basically, this is just doodling, given a nice name... it is really addictive, and I am sure that even doodling can be a work of art.

Check it out and let me know what you think of this.

Also, I got an award from Thess, you can visit her blog here . She has a lot of blogs and lots of interests. Thanks Thess, for considering my blog for the award.

But the conditions of the award are the same as two that I have done before, so I won't be stating 7 things about myself yet again..!!!!

Fried chicken and garlic toast.

2010-03-05T11:48:00.003+05:30

I had a more aesthetic picture of this plate, but somehow, this is my favourite..with a tiny hand pushing a fork into the salad...:)

Some fried chicken, fried potatoes , a salad and some garlic toast.. sometimes the simple flavours are very satisfying ..and as you can see, my daughter loved the garlic toast and the tomatoes in the salad..

This recipe is absolutely simple

Lemon juice - 1 small lemon

Soy sauce - 1 tsp

Olive oil - 1 tsp

Sugar - a pinch

Salt - to taste

Crushed black pepper - 1/2 tsp (more or less according to preference)

Crushed garlic - 4 cloves

Whisk all the ingredients, marinate about 500 gms of chicken and 3 or 4 medium potatoes peeled and cut into 1 cm thick discs.

In a wide hot pan, add a bit of olive oil, add the chicken pieces and the potatoes, keep a lid on and shallow fry for about 15 minutes a side.

The garlic toast was made by mincing a garlic, mixing it in some soft salted butter .Then I just coat one side of the bread and toast on a hot plate.

Happy retirement, Dad and mom........

2010-02-25T12:16:00.004+05:30

Wow.... today is that day..our parents are finally bidding adieu to a place that has been home to them for so many years...

Doha (Qatar) has been where dad spent the past 40 years, and my mom has shared nearly 35 years there, herself. My siblings and I have spent a few years of our childhood and all our vacation time there too...

I used to wish for my parents to live in India , when my brother and I had to stay away from them for my schooling...but it wasn't meant to be.

Both of them took on a lot of responsibilities at an early age, and have taken care of each and every one of those with panache. I hope they have a very long and trouble-free retirement and enjoy time without any more burdens....

Amma and Acha, may your life forward be everything you hoped for...

Miniature paintings of Jaipur

2010-02-23T16:54:00.002+05:30

During our trip to Jaipur in December, I also got to meet some great artists who were award winners in the Miniature Art. This is handed down through generations.

We got a live demo of how they do it. The vibrant colours are from grinding semi precious stones like malachite, corals , conch shells, gold and silver on a rough surface, mixing it with a solution that ensures the colours hold fast, and they draw with a brush with a very fine bristle, that the artists make themselves...

The above outline of an elephant was done in a couple of minutes, including the preparation of the paint...

There were intricate and very very expensive paintings stacked and hung all over the stall....many were done on old stamp papers and looked centuries old...sadly we were requested not to take pictures of the beautiful paintings...

But I could not come away without atleast a small sample, and so I chose the painting of the elephant.

Salad

2010-02-18T22:41:00.003+05:30

This was a salad my daughter and I enjoyed for lunch yesterday.

She loves the yellow bell peppers and so I decided to make a salad largely to her taste. That is to say, without too much black pepper, or chilly powder I otherwise add...and I have to say that everything blended so perfectly, it did not need anything else...

Yellow bell pepper - 1 large (cut into bite sized pieces)

Tomatoes - 2

Salami - 2 slices (shredded..i used smoked chicken salami)

Feta cheese - 1 tbsp - crumbled

Spring onion - 1 (white and green, chopped)

For the dressing

Garlic clove - 1/2 a cloved (minced or finely grated)

Olive oil - 1 tsp

Vinegar - 1/2 tsp

Sugar - a pinch

Salt to taste (since feta cheese is salty, please account for that when you measure the salt)

Beat all the ingredients together to blend the dressing well. I usually add some freshly cracked black pepper to this.

Now just put together all the ingredients and the dressing and toss well....the salad is fresh and crunchy, and the feta is just perfect with the dressing...

Chicken stew for the Side Dish Showdown

2010-02-16T21:35:00.005+05:30

The chicken stew I usually make is made with with coconut milk, in a pressure cooker.. this is something new for me...a combination of many stews shown on cookery channels, obviously, with my own take on them..

I am entering this one for Reeni's Side Dish Showdown on her blog Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice . Check the link to get more information on this event.

One rule that Reeni had stipulated, was to think outside the box, and I think that this one really fits that bill... maybe it is not very new in some parts of the world, but to me, the flavours were really new and I am absolutely sure that I will make this a lot more times.

Chicken - 300 gms (about 4 pieces of Boneless chicken thigh)

Please note that I just used the boneless pieces as I had them at hand... you can use the usual pieces with bone.

Chicken stock - 2 cups (or more if you want more gravy)

Celery stalks - 3 nos

Onions - 3 large ones

Garlic - 6 cloves

Mince or finely chop the celery, Onion and garlic

Carrots - 2 (peeled and cut into cubes)

Potato - 2 (peeled and cubed)

Tomatoes - 3 to 4 large one (chopped -you may add canned tomatoes)

You may add any vegetables that you like.

Olive oil - 1 tbsp

Masoor dal - 1 tbsp (Orange/yellow lentils)

Black pepper - 1 tsp (cracked)

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp (it is a practice in Indian cuisine to use turmeric whenever we cook meat. So if you do not want it, please omit.)

Red chilly powder - 1 tsp (use sweet paprika if you do not want the heat)

Worcestershire sauce - 2 tsp

Garam masala - 2 tsp (all-spice or any curry powder maybe used)

Vinegar - 1 tbsp

Sugar - a big pinch

Salt to taste

In the olive oil, lightly brown the chicken pieces. Take and keep aside.

Now brown the minced onion, celery and garlic till the oil comes on top. Add the turmeric and chilly powders.

Add the masoor dal and half the chicken stock.

Once the dal becomes soft, add the vegetables, the rest of the stock, chicken, Worcestershire sauce, cracked pepper, garam masala powder, vinegar, sugar and the salt to taste.

Bring the whole thing to a boil, and turn the flame to low, and leave it for about 20 to 40minutes. It depends on how soft or crunchy you like the meat and vegetables...

Garnish with some spring onions or chopped tender celery leaves .

Superb side dish for basmati rice, bread, Aapam, or Parathas... We had both rice and parathas and relished every mouthful .

To add more depth, add some wine to the stew.

Dal and Rava upma (yellow lentils and semolina)

2010-02-13T18:18:00.002+05:30

Yesterday was Mahashivrathri and I took the orikkal, complete with keeping awake the whole night. So I was awake till 6:00 AM. In that spirit, I was actually going to post a recipe for 'Sabudana Khichdi', the only food I had for more than 24 hours. But I just googled it and saw more than enough recipes of the same.

So instead, I am posting yet another experiment of mine this past week. Instead of making just the normal rava upma, I decided to add some dal to it. It was quite a tasty combination, and with a pappad, it is a full meal.

Oil - 1 tsp

Mustad seeds - 1 tsp

Jeera/ cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Yellow lentils /dal - 1/2 cup (I used a mix of masoor and thur dal)

Onion - 1 large (chopped fine)

Ginger piece - 1 inch (grated or cut very fine)

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Red chilly powder - a pinch

Green chillies - 2 (cut fine)

Rava/ semolina - 1 and 1/2 cups

Water - 3 cups (more or less)

Salt - to taste

Heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, add the jeera, then add the onion, ginger, and green chillies.

Once the onion is yellowish brown, add the turmeric and red chilli powders and fry well. Now add the 3 cups of water, add the dal and cook well. I did not use the pressure cooker for this at all. If mixing the dals, they have a slightly different cooking points. Once the dal comes to a boil, keep the flame to medium, put a lid and cook for about 15 minutes for the dals to cook.

Once the dal is cooked to your satisfaction, add the salt and then then the semolina. Mix well, keep the flame on low and cook for 5 mintes. Add a few drops of lemon juice and some ghee for added taste.

For extra colour, you can add a freshly grated carrot, cooked green peas and a bunch of coriander leaves (cut fine).

Brinjal Pickle

2010-02-11T12:11:00.003+05:30

This was my first attempt at a pickling, other than Inji curry.

I haven't followed any traditional way of pickling, this is strictly my own experiment and I am happy with the results.

I used the green long brinjals for this.... have no idea how the purple ones will be..but I think carrots and dates will also be great if pickled this way.

Green brinjals - 500 gms (3 )(cut round into 1 and 1/2 inch pieces, then sliced thin)

Mix with two pinches of salt and keep for 5 to 10 minutes to draw out the bitter taste .

Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp

Uluva/methi/fenugreek seeds - a pinch

Ginger - a 1 inch piece (sliced thin)

Sugar - 1 tbsp (or more if you want it sweeter)

Vinegar - 1 cup

Oil - 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Paprika /kashmir chilli powder - 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Remove the brinjal pieces from the liquid that comes out and pat the pieces dry with a towel.

Heat the oil, add the mustard seeds, and when they split, add the fenugreek seeds. Add the brinjal and ginger and saute well. Now add the sugar and saute till the sugar melts and coats the brinjal well. Mix the chilli powder and turmeric powders in approximately 1 tbsp of vinegar to make a smooth paste and add that to the brinjals. cook till the raw smell is gone and oil comes on top. Now add the rest of the vinegar and salt and take off the stove.

Store in clean glass jars once it is cool. I have no idea about the shelf life. So I kept the bottle in the fridge.

It is great with curd rice and gets over very soon...

Surajkund Mela (fair)

2010-02-08T11:48:00.005+05:30

This weekend we went to the annual Mela in Surajkund. We were supposed to go last year, but our plans had to be cancelled.. so this year we were quite determined to go.. It was a two hour drive from our home..

It was very sunny, so we came away fast.. there were a lot of nice things being sold. There were stalls from Egypt, Thailand, Thajikistan etc , but there were so many people surrounding those stalls, that we could not even get a peek in.. !!!

A lot of VIPs like Shahnaz Hussain had come, and there were an abundance of foreign nationals...The atmosphere was festive and colourful with lots of performances like puppet shows, folk dances etc.., and lots of yummy food from different states.......

Am sharing a few snaps here

Blue Pottery from jaipur

High wire act ..!!!
Puppet show - my daughter's favourite

Irresistible Pottery - works of art

Loved the colours

Warli painting - acrylic on paper

2010-02-04T14:18:00.006+05:30

Warli art is said to have originated in Thane - Maharashtra, of India a couple of centuries ago. It is said that the villagers, especially the women folk used this type of art to decorate the walls of their houses . Most homes had thatched roofs and mud walls. So Warli paintings originally had a mud brown background, and they used to paint with a mixture of rice paste and water.

It is a very interesting form of art and can be completed in very little time. Also, even people who cannot draw very well can do this . I did this painting today, in about 50 minutes...!!!

It is a great way of depicting day to day events, festivals , marriages or other occasions...

There is no need for symmetry and the figures are very easy to draw.. with a few bent limbs, it is so easy to denote movement ....

Try it out and have a great time

Fish and chips

2010-02-02T14:10:00.002+05:30

Whenever we went to our parents during vacations, our dad used to take us to his company club and this was one of my favorite items on their menu. When hit with a fierce bout of nostalgia, I just had to have this . I had no idea about the original recipe, so I winged it and I am sure I will definitely make this again....

This is not the traditional fish and chips recipe.

Fish Fillets - 500 gms (I used King/Surmai fish)

Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp

Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Few drops of oil

Marinate the fish in all the ingredients and keep for atleast 20 minutes. Dust the pieces with 1 tsp of plain flour/ corn flour just a minute before frying.

Shallow fry the fish. Since the fish was very very fresh, I did not overpower it with too much seasoning.

I also blanched some broccoli and peas, sauteed in butter and made french fries. A few slices of tomatoes.

I also made a dip

Mix mayonnaise and curd in the ratio 1:2. A pinch of salt, a spring onion finely diced and a few drops of tomato ketchup.

Toast some bread and voila...a very nice dinner is ready!!!!

Chicken in fried and ground coconut gravy (Kozhi varutharachathu)

2010-01-30T22:06:00.003+05:30

The taste of Kerala.... that best describes this particular preparation....

It had been a while since I had prepared chicken this way. This is also a great way to prepare any red meat, crabs, prawns, peas or even mushroom....

During my grandma's days, the coconut paste was ground on the stone and all the spices were added whole. But now, this recipe is the shortcut version, maybe not as spectacular, but can come really close...

Most households in Kerala would have their own version of this recipe, and this is mine...

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Shallots/ cheriya ulli - 5 to 6 nos.

Pepper corns - 1/2 tsp

Cumin/ small jeera - 1/4 tsp

Saunf/ perum jeerakom - 1/4 tsp

Garlic - 3 cloves

Coriander powder - 1 tbsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Dry roast the grated coconut till it is lightly brown, keep stirring continuously, making sure it does not burn. Add the shallots and the pepper corns, both the jeeras and garlic, fry till golden. Add the coriander powder and the chilli powder at last as the stove is being switched off. Otherwise there will be a fierce bout of sneezing and watering eyes...

Let this cool and then grind well, adding about 1/2 glass of water. Keep aside.

Now, the curry

Chicken - 1 kg (cleaned and cut into small pieces)

Whole spices - 3 each of cloves, cardamom,1 inch cinnamon

Onion - 2 nos (sliced fine)

Green chillies - 3 (slit)

Ginger - 1 inch piece (sliced thin)

Curry leaves - 2 stalks (separate leaves)

Tomato - 2 (sliced thin)

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Heat oil in a kadai, preferably coconut oil to make the taste as authentic 'Kerala' as possible. when hot, add the whole spices, then the onions, green chillies and ginger and saute till onions are golden brown.

Now add half of the curry leaves and the turmeric powder. Add the tomatoes and saute till the oil comes on top and the tomatoes disintegrate.

Add the prepared coconut paste. Add water according to how loose or thick you want the gravy. Add the salt now.

When the gravy is near boil, add the chicken pieces and bring to a boil. Now adjust the flame to medium or low for about 30 minutes or till the chicken is fully cooked.

Add the garam masala powder, 1 tsp of oil, and the remaining curry leaves.

A great combination with rice, chappatis, appam etc.

Broccoli, carrots and sausage pasta

2010-01-20T11:31:00.006+05:30

This is what I made for our dinner yesterday. Simple, delicious and satisfactory.

Onion - 1 (sliced thin)

Carrot - sliced into slivers

Broccoli florets - sliced lengthwise - about 1 cup

Sausages - cut into bite sized pieces

pasta - 2 cups (cooked according to package instructions)

(These are the basic things that went into the dish. You may change or add veggies and meat according to your will. Also needed are some crushed black pepper, olive oil, butter,oregano,salt and a bit of soy/oyster sauce.... again, quantity of all these can be according to your liking...)

I made a thin white sauce with

Flour - 1 tbsp

Butter - 1/2 tsp

olive oil - a little

Milk - 1 and 1/2 cups

Cheese - 1/4 cup grated

Lightly saute the flour in the butter and olive oil (never let it turn brown, add the milk little by little so as to smooth out any lumps, take off fire, stir all the time and add the cheese .

Blanch broccoli and carrots in salted water, drain and keep aside. In a hot pan , add some olive oil and butter and saute the onions. Now add the sausages and fry.Add the broccoli and carrots and saute well. Add crushed pepper, salt and sauces. Toss in the pasta.

You can either mix the white sauce with the pasta or pour it on individual servings according to choice. Dive in before it goes cold.

Am entering this one for Foodie Friday.

Knitted head band, crocheted flower

2010-01-19T13:38:00.002+05:30

This is the headband I crocheted this weekend, simple and very basic garter stitch. I crocheted the ends close. My little one was more interested in the pink yarn I had, so I crocheted a flower and decorated the band with it...

Both of us were pleased with it :)

My Dad turned 60..!!!

2010-01-18T09:56:00.003+05:30

My parents in Doha - 2009

Doha - 1987. With our sister Sunitha

Dukhan 1981 - near the tennis courts. My brother Sunil and I

It was a busy week for my family, in different parts of the world.

While my own contributions were not that big, here in Gurgaon, I completed knitting the scarf I had been working on, knitted a head band for my daughter and crocheted a 'pink' flower for decorating it.

My sister and husband travelled from Pune to attend the very special Sankranthi function for newly-weds at her in-law's place in Aurangabad.

Meanwhile in Doha, my brother,his wife , and our mom were busy arranging a party for our dad on Jan 16th, for his 60th birthday. They had called about 40 to 50 people and cooked themselves. It is old hat for my mom who used to cook by herself for all of our birthdays, and wedding anniversaries...!!

They made mutton curry, fish curry, fried rice , chicken fry, channa masala, Vegetable korma, raita, pickles, pappads .They ordered some romali rotis from an Indian restaurant.All four of them pitched in to do the cooking, including my dad. Amma is a great cook and my dad and brother are both accomplished cooks too, but only cook when the mood strikes them, which is not often. My brother's wife is a superb cook too. Mom told me that there were no leftovers... a sure sign that ' too many cooks' did not spoil the party...!!!

A bit sad we missed the fun, but I guess I am used to missing special events in the lives of my loved ones by now... wishing a very happy and long life to a very special dad and one of the most genuine people I know....

WIP

2010-01-13T11:09:00.002+05:30

It is cold here and schools have been closed for awhile for my daughter ... she hates wearing layers of clothes and insists that I keep her on my lap at all times..

So all I am doing is knit a scarf . A painting has been abandoned half -way, and all my kitchen yields are fast, oft made, comfort food.. not much scope for new posts right now.... I am searching for new recipes to try out ...

Meanwhile, I thought I'd share a couple of pix of my daughter as one of the three wise men for the Christmas play at school. She liked the outfit I put together, but she was'nt too happy when I informed her that I had to draw her a mustache ... she informed me that she is a princess, and not a boy.

She was also a bit worried the mustache wouldn't come off. I convinced her by first drawing one on her dad and wiping it off.....!!!

YOU've been Tagged...

2010-01-08T10:20:00.007+05:30

Duni has seen it fit to Tag me...Please visit her blog . Her bags and purses are really cute.

I wonder if this is an overload of personal information ...!! Anyway, it was a fun thing to do.

1. Your hair - straight, nearly black, hip length.

2. Your favourite food - I have many favourites from different cuisines.

3.Your favourite drink - coffee, black.

4. Your dream/goal - my own art and craft store.

5. Your hobby (ies) - reading, painting, cooking, playing pc games etc etc...

6. Your fear - dogs, most of all...

7. Where were you last night? - At home.

8. Something you say all the time? - 'Who did this ?' ...to my little one :)

9. Something that you're not - a snob

10. Wishlist item - My dream home in Kerala, and being able to stay there.

11. Last thing you did?Got milk for my daughter

12. What are you wearing? A blue and mustard Salwar kameez and a sweater over it.

13. Your pets? - none

14. Friends? ....Everywhere. Far away geographically, yet close.

15. Missing someone? - Family , friends- they're too far away

16. Something you're not wearing? - Makeup

17. Your favourite store? - Landmark (I love to browse the books and spend hours there..)

18. Your favourite colour? burnt orange, grey, black, white, yellow ...in that order

19. The last time you cried? Few months back....

20. The last time you laughed? Yesterday... was watching my daughter play with her little friends...

21. One place that I go to over and over - shops... :)

22. Where do you eat? At home during week days and we eat out at least once, each weekend.

TAG.......you r it.

I am not tagging anyone specifically, but all of you who has read this post ,Please do feel free to do this tag . Just leave me a link so that I can read your posts.

Hope some of you will try this :)

Chewy, no bake, chocolate chip, peanut butter and oatmeal cookies.

2010-01-07T11:17:00.003+05:30

I had bought some semi-sweet chocolate chips a while back and wanted to make cookies with them. As I was searching for recipes, I came across these no-bake cookies ... No-bake, with all the ingredients I had at hand.. !!!what more could I ask for? Also the other baked recipes would yield dozens and I wanted a small amount to start with....

Another great advantage is that it takes only one thick bottom vessel for the entire preparation... I haven't changed much in the recipe, but it was also not possible to give credit to just one source, since numerous sites have already posted the same recipe...

So this may not be new to atleast some of you...

Sugar - 2 cups (I used granulated since I saw it written in some versions)

Milk - 1/2 cup

Butter - 1/2 cup / 1 stick (I used a 100 gm stick of Amul butter, this is salted)

Peanut butter - 3 tbsp( approx) - I used the crunchy version (optional)

Semi sweet Chocolate chips - 1 cup

Oats - 3 cups (I used quick cooking Quaker Oats)

Vanilla extract - 2 tsp (I used Vanilla essence so added only 1/2 tsp)

Combine the milk, sugar and butter, in a vessel, heat and then bring to a rolling boil. Let it boil for a couple of minutes so that the mixture turns smooth and all the sugar and butter is melted well.

Switch off the heat.

Now add the peanut butter and vanilla extract and mix well. Then add the chocolate chips.

Finally, add the oats.

On a tray, spread butter paper and drop spoonfuls of the cookie mix on it. Flatten them slightly into cookie shapes if you wish. Let cool.

Chewy cookies are ready to eat. It took me about 20 minutes start to finish, even with my daughter's 'help'..... !!!

Note :

Some recipes called for unsalted butter and a half tsp of salt.. so that is a change I made. Also the peanut butter is optional in a few versions of the recipe.

My first award in 2010- Kreative Blogger Award

2010-01-02T09:40:00.004+05:30

Wow..it feels grand to receive an award on the first day of the New Year ...!!!! Many thanks to Sandy for thinking of me. She has a lot of interests like travelling, knitting, wines etc.. do visit her blogs.

Rules for accepting this award are as follows ....

1) thank the person giving the award

2)Copy award to your blog

3)Place a link to their blog

4)Name 7 things people don't know about you...

5)Nominate 7 bloggers

6)Place a link to those bloggers

7) Leave a comment on the blog letting them know about the awards.

after blogging so much I wonder if there is anything much left that people do not know about me....!! anyway, here goes...

1. When I get flustered or anxious, I can only speak in English....I forget my mother tongue!!!!

2. I love mysteries and like to play online games in that genre.

3. I love Sanskrit...so I read sanskrit verses and try to figure out the meaning myself. When I finally read the translation, I find that I have managed to get atleast 70% of it correct ...

4. I sometime spend hours learning new crafts online. Got back into crochet and knitting that way.

5. Am a bad housekeeper ... I will stare at a spider web and admire it's shape for days before I realise I ought to actually clean it ...!!!

6. I give a wide berth to people who are competitive (number of cars, children's schools, husband's salary..blah..blah...)... they never have peace of mind, and talking to them spoils mine.

7. I used to dream a lot as a kid ..my favourite is inheriting an old bookshop with thousands of books....;)

that maybe a little more info than anyone asked for :)

so now it is my turn to nominate 7 more bloggers.......hope you are ready.....

1. Kala

2. Arundati

3. Peggy

4. Dreamer

5. Nancy

6.Susan

7.Catherine

Please check out these fabulous blogs...and enjoy...

HAPPY NEW YEAR ............!!!

2010-01-01T10:34:00.003+05:30

A great big thanks to all my blogging friend for your kind comments...

2009 had been an eventful year..with both my brother and sister finding their partners.

It was also an year of reconnecting with a lot of friends and relatives and making a lot of fabulous new friends...

A few plans going awry, many of them coming to fruition......lots of scope for improvement and........... overall, can't complain ...!!!

So.... LOVE, GOOD WISHES, AND GREAT HEALTH AND WEALTH TO ALL OF YOU .....

Resolutions anyone?

The Image was taken from the internet

Moru kaachiyathu (tempered beaten curd )

2009-12-31T14:51:00.002+05:30

The past week was a miserable one, both health-wise and because plans for a family get-together fell through ... and when down in the dumps, comfort food works best. If there was anyone else to do the cooking, maybe the menu may have been something else, but since I had to do the cooking, I opted for one of the easiest fixes - moru kaachiyathu.

Like chicken soup elsewhere, this is a very comforting curry with hot kanji (gruel) and some veggies. Especially when a bad cold makes your taste buds go on strike, this helps bring them back to working order.

Beaten curd - 1 and 1/2 cups

Onion -1 small (sliced thin)

Green chillies - 3 (sliced)

Ginger - 1 inch piece (cut into strips)

Garlic - 5 to 8 cloves (cut into halves)

Curry leaves - 1 stalk (separated)

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek/ methi/uluva seeds - 1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Dried red chillies - 2

Salt to taste

In a deep-bottom pan, heat about 1 tsp of oil, splutter the mustard seed, add the fenugreek seeds and the dried red chillies.

Then the onion and curry leaves. once the onions sweat, add the garlic, ginger, green chilles. Now add the turmeric powder and now add the beaten curd. stir and take off the fire before the curd comes to a boil.

Add salt to taste. Add a pinch of cumin powder at this point.

Note: for a totally different taste, add one sliced tomato with the garlic, ginger and green chillies .

Serve with rice, chammandi podi and tender mango pickles. Great combination with red fish curry.

Wish you a Merry Christmas...

2009-12-23T13:04:00.002+05:30

After promising to do more blog posts, I have been absent again... with my daughter ill, and having caught the bug myself, I guess I will take some time to relax and recuperate...

Meanwhile, I wish all fellow bloggers and friends a great Christmas.

No-bake fruitcake with Marshmallows

2009-12-14T17:29:00.003+05:30

This photo of the fruitcake has nothing to do with the recipe... I just borrowed it from the internet pictures....Fruit assembled like cake!!!!!.

I picked up a few books this weekend and this recipe was in a book by Debbie Macomber , called Glad tidings. This is a tried and tested recipe by the author and since it is no-bake, maybe easier to achieve. Another good thing is that you do not have to wait weeks to taste the results. It can be had as soon as it is made.

I haven't tried it out, but it looks good and I am sure some of you out there may want to make a quick fruitcake, with Christmas so close ...

Golden or dark raisins - 1 cup

Dates - 2 cups

Mixed candied fruit - 2 cups

Chopped nuts - 4 cups (or you may reduce to 3, if you so prefer)

Evaporated milk - 3/4 cup

Marshmallows - 2 cups

Finely crushed Graham crackers - 2 cups

Mix raisins, dates, candied fruit and chopped nuts in a large bowl.

In a saucepan, (or using microwave) bring the evaporated milk to a boil, add marshmallows and stir well till the marshmallows are melted and mixed thoroughly with the milk.

Finely grind the graham crackers till they are at flour consistency.

Mix the crackers with fruit and nuts mixture.

Add the milk and marshmallows to it. Mix well with wet hands.

Rinse hands, pat the mixture and press it into a 9 inch by 5 inch loaf pan lined with wax paper. Refrigerate for 2 days

Variations : instead of 2 cups candied fruits, add 1/2 cup candied fruit, 1/2 cup flaked coconut and 1 cup candied pineapple for a tropical taste. If the mixture feels too dry, add a bit of orange juice or strawberry jam.

It has no alcohol, so it is a better option for young children.

Back to the routine...

2009-12-11T12:20:00.002+05:30

My parents, sister and brother-in-law had come visiting and we took them to visit Jaipur. It was a great few days and we enjoyed ourselves a lot.

Sadly, my blogging and entrecard dropping had to be neglected . But I will start posting and dropping cards from now on.

A big Thank you to all the EC droppers who still visited my blog. Also i found that my follower have increased. So I have to ensure that I deserve the attention :)

For starters, a picture of a gateway at a courtyard of Amber fort in Jaipur. This was our second trip to Jaipur, but no less breathtaking ...

Jumbo sauteed prawns

2009-12-04T17:06:00.002+05:30

When I get absolutely fresh prawns, this is one of the nicest ways to enjoy prawns. Don't bury it in any sauce and gravy. A quick preparation that locks in all the flavours and retains the juicy quality of the prawns.

Jumbo prawns - peeled and deveined (400 gms)

Marinate the prawns in a bit of lime juice, salt and a few drops of oyster sauce /soy sauce and keep for about 5 minutes.

Onion - 1 finely chopped

Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp

In a wok, heat about a tsp of oil, add the onion, saute well till brown, add the ginger garlic paste and the turmeric and chilly powders. when that is done, add the prawns and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes.

The prawns are done !!!! Garnish with chopped mint leaves and serve hot.

Shredded chicken and cabbage

2009-11-29T10:08:00.002+05:30

This is a great way to use left over chicken from a roast, a curry or even simply boiled chicken.

If curried, just wipe away the remnants of the gravy and shred it.

Onion - 1 (sliced)

Green chillies - 2 (slit)

Cabbage - 2 cups (shredded)

Celery stalk with leaves - 1 small (diced fine)

Cooked chicken - about 100 gms or a half cup (minimum)

Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Soy sauce - 1/2 tsp

Butter - 1/2 t

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

In a non-stick pan, put the butter and a few drops of oil so that the butter won't brown. Add the sliced onions and saute till golden. Now add the cabbage,green chillies, turmeric and chilly powder. Add salt to taste at this point since the chicken will already have salt. Now add the chicken, soy sauce and pepper. Finally garnish with the celery.

If mixed with a bit of mayonnaise, it can be used as a salad or as a filling for bread rolls, in a tortilla or chapati. Add bit of relish or pickled gherkins and spread on toasted bread slices for a superb sandwich.

Crochet cap - instructions

2009-11-25T13:31:00.004+05:30

These are the instructions to crochet the cap I had posted here. The other day, i just clicked on the link for the video, all i got was the site. I could not find the video in there. Then finally, I searched one whole day until I found the video again. This time, I decided that it is better to record it here since I will definitely be making this cap again.

Please note that the instructions are written down in a language that makes sense to me, and should be easy to understand by anyone. Experts in crochet kindly excuse ...!!!

Materials specified

Yarn - 2 (103 yards long) there will be yarn leftover.

Crochet hook - size 10.5

Step 1: Tie a knot with a slip stitch and make 8 chain stitches.Connect both ends to make a tiny ring.

Step 2: 2 single crochet stitches in each stitch (so there will be 16 stitches now)

Step 3: Single crochet stitches in 1st, 2nd and 3rd stitches and 2 single crochets in every 4th stitch.

Step 4: Single crochet all around

Step 5: 2 Single crochet stitches all around

Step 6 : Single crochet stitch in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th stitches and 2 single crochets in every 5th stitch

Step 7: Single crochet all around

Step 8 : Single crochet stitch in 1st, 2nd, 3rd,4th and 5th stitches and 2 single crochets in every 6th stitch

Step 9: Single crochet all around

Step 10: 2 Single crochet stitches in every 7th stitch

Step 11: 2 Single crochet stitches in every 8th stitch

Step 12: 2 Single crochet stitches in every 9th stitch

Step 13: 2 Single crochet stitches in every 10th stitch

Step 14: 2 Single crochet stitches in every 11th stitch

Step 15: 2 Single crochet stitches in every 12th stitch

Step 16: 2 Single crochet stitches in every 13th stitch.

Step 17: After the step 16, counting is not required for a while. Single crochet every stitch for many rows till you get the depth that is required to fit over the head. At this point, the edges of the cap should slightly curl inwards, which means you are doing everything right ...

Step 18: Single crochet 1st, 2nd and third stitches and skip every 4th stitch.

Step 19: Single crochet 1st, 2nd and third stitches and skip every 4th and 5th stitch.

Step 20:To close the end, take a big loop, tie a knot, cut, then tuck the hanging ends neatly into the cap with the crochet needle.

The cap is ready...!!!

The instruction were given in a video by Threadbangers and they called it chrochet hat. So google it and you may just be lucky enough to find it.

An update...

2009-11-22T18:00:00.003+05:30

My parents are coming down for a brief visit... so I am a bit busy with trying to organize my pantry, cupboards and also a few places that may have so far not know a human presence :)

Meanwhile the little one is busy broadcasting the news to one and all, acting smart even before the grandparents are here to spoil her rotten and undo all the good manners that we have inculcated with the greatest difficulty( It takes just minutes in the play school to undo a year's good habits !!!!)

The icing on the cake is that her Suni chitta (my sis) and husband will also join us for the weekend. When I explained that they would be here for a few days and that we could visit them later, she is all set to pack her bags and go with them ... And when we went out for our weekly shopping trip today, she was disappointed that we were not going by plane...

Can't blame her...most of her favourite people can only reached by plane and I guess she has had enough of seeing just boring mom and dad...!!!

We are planning some trips to nearby fun spots the next week. Hope to have new places and things to post about.

Free Kitchen tips for New Cooks

2009-11-16T13:58:00.002+05:30

These are a few tips that I have been compiling for some time, and have come from my own trial and error and a few of my friends' too. I thought I would share these tips with others and may come in handy for those who are starting out as cooks.. Experienced cooks, please ignore this....

Let me know whether you agree or not ..:)

The taste of any dal preparation (lentils) is enhanced with a few drops of lemon juice. Please note that a few drops mean just that, and not spoonfuls....

Once rice is boiled, switch off, cover with a lid and leave it for 10 minutes...most rice like basmati, raw rice etc cook with that . In case it needs more cooking, a few more minutes should do. If you leave the rice boiling for a long time, more than likely it would overcook.

Cook pasta and rice with atleast 1/2 tsp of salt to stop it sticking...

Soaking dried pulses overnight will reduce cooking time more than half.

Wash brinjal, lady's finger etc before cutting so they won't turn mushy when cooked.

When frying fish, always add a bit of lemon juice to the marinade for better taste and smell.

Try not to empty the mixer before switching it off. (Someone I know of, did this !!!)

When making spicy curry, add a pinch of sugar to enhance the taste.

Brown onions while cooking meat ....instead of just turning it soft and yellow...to get the dish taste it's best.

Add at least 1 green chilli to dishes to increase the flavour.

When preparing mutton, add 1/2 tsp of jeera (cumin) powder for better taste.

Will post more of these depending on your opinions...

An eventful weekend..

2009-11-10T10:37:00.003+05:30

Caught a flight to Mumbai on Saturday.

A wedding, meeting up with my sister and brother-in-law who drove down from Pune, a couple of drives around Mumbai, meeting up with some dear college mates and their better halves and kids, shopping, the reception...

And a flight back on Sunday

It was short, yet we all enjoyed the trip a lot. Of course, with gifts like a Barbie and a smart new dress, our daughter could have stretched it out a week or a month...she also tried to bring her new friends home,(children of our friends) by promising to eat rice...!!!for her, that is the ultimate sacrifice!!!

It is amazing, the rapport we never lost with our friends, and that we had with their partners... seems like we were all linked in another life... it was a wrench to say goodbye to them and my sister and Nikhil, but we came back recharged and happy that we had this weekend with them.

Mushroom, sausages and mashed potatoes

2009-11-04T11:41:00.003+05:30

This felt more like an assembly job than actual cooking and it was very very tasty.

Onion - 1 (sliced thin)

Mushrooms - 200 gms (quartered)

Sausages - 400 gms (sliced across into bite sized pieces)

Green capsicum - 1 medium (sliced thin)

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Oyster sauce - 1/2 tsp

oregano -dried - 1/4 tsp

Potato mash flakes - 1 cup

Eggs - 2

Grated cheese - 1/2 cup

Salt to taste

Crushed pepper

Saute the onions, then mushrooms, sausages and the green pepper .Add the oyster sauce and the chilli powder. Salt to taste.

Now lightly sprinkle the potato flakes with a bit of water, keep aside. dont let them become very soggy,just to make them lightly moist.

Beat the eggs, add a pinch of salt, the grated cheese, oregano and crushed pepper.

In a greased baking dish, add the sautéed onion, mushrooms, sausages etc first. Now add the mashed potato flakes on top. The eggs and cheese go on top.

Bake at 180 C for 15 minutes till the egg is cooked and cheese is melted..or you may extend the time five more minutes to get the crust a bit brown.

Serve with pita, lebanese or crusty bread.

Speech pains....

2009-10-30T17:41:00.002+05:30

It has been a comment from many, who met my little girl that she was very very quiet... she did not speak much till she was about 2 years old and that is very rare in the girls of our family....

Most of the time I wasn't bothered, because she would talk at home and with people she was comfortable with. And unlike children of her age brought up in Kerala, she had to deal with three languages at once - malayalam at home, english at playschool and hindi everywhere else. But sometimes, it would get difficult to fend off questions like ..."she is too quiet...have you taken a doctor's opinion...she is not like so and so..blah blah..."

Well if the same people heard her now, they would know she is perfectly fine... she started speaking out one fine day, just like she does at home... her teachers now tell me it is difficult to make her sit quietly. She speaks in malayalam to both of us and to all out Malayalee friends, to the maid and dhobi she speaks in hindi and she speaks to some of her friends and a few of ours' in English.. all perfect well-formed sentences, and purely the specific language. No mixing or inserting other words to make things easier...

So if there are moms out there who worry about their 'otherwise' normal kids speaking a little late, please do not worry.(I was never worried because my daughter was very expressive at home.But I was exasperated with a few well-meaning advices)

Kids are each unique and very special and everyone has their own way of dealing with things... they will speak when they are ready, and not a minute sooner..!

Ramayan play ...and our very own Kaikeyi

2009-10-24T19:03:00.004+05:30

This happened a few weeks back... our daughter's teacher told us that they had been rehearsing the Ramayan at the playschool and that Ichu had Kaikeyi's role.

She had initially been given some role where she did not have to say any lines.. but since she had suddenly started talking, she was given two whole lines...!!!

"I am Queen Kaikeyi...." and ...

"Maharaj, Ram ko jangal bhej deejiye, aur Bharath ko raja bana deejiye..."

Some how, bagging the pivotal role of Kaikeyi (who is instrumental in sending Ram to the forest and gets the ball rolling - enter Ravana to abduct Sita, meeting Hanuman, the war, Rama killing Ravana...) did not seem to entice my daughter enough..... She was more interested in being Ravan because he had a big sword and got to say, "I am Ravan, King of Lanka.... "

When I later shared this fact with a few of the other mothers, I found out that there were a few more tots who wanted to be Ravan..even 'Ram', whose mom told me that he had been practicing his lines thus...

"I am Ravan and these are my brothers... Bharath, Lakshman and Shatrughna..."

Somehow the moral of the Epic seems to fly right above the tiny ones... they were impressed by the weapons Ravan got to use and the loud yells he got to make while fighting...

All the kids were asked to dress from home as befitting their roles... there wasn't much time to prepare or buy anything..so had to make-do with what was at home.

The silver colour 'saree', I had already made, so the next was her crown and a veil to cover her hair.

I sacrificed my white dupatta. 1/3rd of it's length, with a little silver glitter complemented the saree. I had white chart paper..so silver paint and some glitter and bindis was all that was needed for the crown.

A pearl necklace, a black metal chain and a double string of colourful beads and bindis completed the picture. She was quite happy with her outfit .

The second picture is of my daughter and her friend, who was given the role of Shatrughna (Kaikey's step-son),and yet another aspiring Ravan..!! I made his crown and wrist band. The crown suffered a bit at his hands, if you look closely, you maybe able to see the tape job on it ..(actually, quite a bit of it!!)

It was a fun day for us mothers too... I hope there are many more such events to come .....

Stuffed Karelas (bittergourd)

2009-10-20T09:58:00.007+05:30

The first time I ever tasted stuffed karelas was when we visited my mom's second brother and family in Hyderabad. Our aunt made this dish for dinner one day and we all enjoyed it a lot.. at that time however, I wasn't too fond of this bitter vegetable. So though I really liked what my aunt made, I would never had bothered to make it...

All that changed when I was pregnant... guess what I craved most at that time...??? yep... bitter gourd... I had severe 'morning sickness' that lasted the whole day, for the first 4 months... at the least provocation I had to run for the loo.. anything from the smell of rice to the sound of daily TV serials ..!!! but I would drool at the smell of bitter gourd cooking and I sometimes would just saute it with a little onions and tomato and have it semi-cooked... my husband never could understand that.. he told me normal people would puke at smelling half-cooked bitter gourd and there I was, in my delicate condition, shoveling it down like it was the tastiest thing in the world..!!!

Four years later, I still love bitter gourd, and if it is fried to cinders, even my husband likes it with curd and rice. When I bought the tiny karelas, I had decided to try stuffing them..but when i checked for recipes, many of them were very complicated, so I just read them and then decided to go ahead and give it my own twist as I normally do to most of my cooking.

Bitter gourd/ karelas /paavakka - 6 small ones

Wash them well, scrape all the spines slowly with a knife and keep it aside to include in the stuffing.

Slit one side of the karelas. Scrape off the seeds inside.

For the stuffing

Oil - 2 tsp
Onion - 1 diced fine
Tomato - 1 diced fine
Aloo mash flakes - 1 and 1/2 tbsp (or mash a very small boiled potato)
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Jeera/ cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander/ dhania leaves - finely chopped about 1 tbsp

Heat oil in a pan, saute onions, then add the tomatoes and saute till the oil comes out. Add the scraped bitter gourd spines, chilli, turmeric and jeera powders, saute and cook for 5 minutes.Add the mashed potatoes, the dhania leaves and the salt to taste.

Now stuff the bitter gourds and shallow fry in a non-stick pan till brown on all sides.

We had it with rice, curd and omelettes. They will be great with chappatis too.I will definitely make them as soon as possible, since I got a thumbs up from my husband too... !!!

My First Cooked Food - Gothambu (cracked wheat) Payasam

2009-10-14T10:39:00.004+05:30

I have made Gothambu payasam many many times and it is my favourite item to complete a Vishu or Onam sadya.

Other than that this payasam also has the distinction of being the first ever thing that I tried my hand at cooking ..!!! It was when I was in my 6th standard. I was at my mom's place for my Onam vacation and I had a friend in the neighboring house called Razia.

After being shooed away from the kitchen for the umpteenth time,( I had a great fascination for the wood stove) I decided enough was enough... we had to try cooking just like the grown ups...!!

The first thing was deciding what to make.. we finally settled on payasam since it needed no cutting or preparing and the ingredients were easy to procure...

Next was where? ... there was a sort of shed, which provided cover from prying eyes... and we decided the cooking had to be done during the grandparents ' siesta time.

So we made a stove with three bricks, got a pot which had a hole near the neck area and the rest of the ingredients were

Gothambu nurukku (cracked wheat) - 1 glass (approx..)

Water - lots of it

Milk - about 2 glasses

Jaggery - 2 big lumps

We successfully lit the stove.. it was very easy to do so since I had watched my Mattemma or Ammamma do the same many times, kept the water on the stove and waited for it to boil... but since the stove was very tiny and could not hold much fuel, it took forever to even heat.. so we added the wheat and the jaggery and restlessly waited... after waiting for what seemed like hours, the jaggery was all liquid and bubbling away.. we tasted it and found it very sweet ..so I added the milk and then we both decided a little more water was called for....

The end result was a very watery, lumpy (sticky cracked wheat, since we did not know to roast it) and smoky..since we did add a lot of dried leaves for the fire to burn quickly...

And we stirred the payasam with a stick since we did not think of taking a spoon from either of the kitchens..!!! Finally, we took our offering to our grandparents ...we were so thrilled about our first cooking effort, that we decided to chance the scoldings.

I remember my grandfather exclaiming in wonder that it was the best payasam he had ever tasted,(he was a sweetheart) and my grandma grumbling about fire and naughty kids... after that afternoon, my grandma did not sleep unless I was also lying down beside her ........!!!

I had posted the recipe of Gothambu payasam earlier... but when Shama invited me to the 'My First Cooked Food Event', I could not resist reliving that eventful day... :)

It was many years before I tried making the payasam again... but by then I knew a bit about cooking ..atleast enough to realise that you didn't just dump everything into the pot and occasionally stir it ....!!

So this is the better and grown-up version of the Gothambu Payasam.

The art of engraving copper

2009-10-12T12:55:00.004+05:30

Copper was extensively used in India for utensils, jewelery and many other things. But the bowls, jugs, trays, goblets and other items that are on sale in Agra are a class apart.

The copper objects are actually meant for daily use, but what make them markedly different from their counterparts are the engravings done on them. They are then embellished with enamel colours to give added beauty. This is yet again an art that is supposed to have originated in Persia.

If I remember right, there are a few pieces of it collected by my dad.. a miniature set of hookah, jug, matching goblets and tray and also a dancing peacock.

Just check the pictures to see how you like them...

Zardosi embroidery

2009-10-11T19:14:00.002+05:30

Another item that especially stands out when one visits Agra is the exquisite Zardosi work on the garments.

They give a real feel of the richness and artistry of the costumes donned in the by-gone eras. Zardosi is said to have originated in Persia and were favoured by the Mughal royalty.These days wedding garments are invariably beautified with Zardosi work.

Of course if you do not feel like wearing such richness, you may buy pieces that may be framed and hung, or there are cushion covers, purses, satin slippers, hand bags and even pieces that are to be used as rugs... though, how one can put them on the floor is beyond me....!

The Zardosi work is done by using specially made gold, silver and other metallic threads. Embellishments are done with metallic wires, semi precious stones like opals, garnets and such and look stunning.

I took a couple of snaps of the work that were framed and displayed.

The art of Marble Inlay - Parchin Kari / Pietra Dura

2009-10-04T18:29:00.006+05:30

The inlay work on Taj Mahal

An artist carving on a plate.

A lovely fruit bowl... I loved this one.

Display in a shop window...sadly photography was prohibited inside... it was a treasure trove there....
Inlay work on black kadappa stone.... this is slightly (very slightly) less expensive
A superb dining table that can seat at-least 8 persons.

A coffee table....

As I had mentioned in the earlier post on Taj Mahal, the inlay work found on the Marble of Taj Mahal is called Pietra Dura.

There are many artisans in and around Agra, who practice this art, and there are many shops where you can purchase marble souvenirs decorated in this manner.Show pieces (like miniature Taj Mahals, statues of Gods etc) as well as objects that can serve a practical purpose are available... We bought a picture frame with the inlay work, but I I took snaps of a few of the objects that caught my eye...

I also got to speak to a young artisan, who was working on a plate ... it is a long and tedious process and takes a lot of years to master. I asked them if they were unhappy being put to work at a tender age, and he told that if others (the general public) go to school before they have to earn a livelihood, that is what he and others like him are doing....!!! Only, they know what they will do to earn their livelihood early on and they become specialists in their craft....

And the beauty of their creations are breath-taking... it is very difficult to be content with owning just one piece... atleast, I felt like picking up everything in sight...

You may judge for yourselves...

Entrecard dilemma....

2009-10-02T10:28:00.003+05:30

Thank you for all of you who took the time to visit my site and answer my questions.. I did go check out the blog.. as I could infer, the only way to opt out of the 'sponsored ads' and still remain on entrecard, is to pay $ 50 a year.

Well like many others, I am not in a position to shell out that kind of money... but I am also kind of used to entrecard... i love visiting all the great blogs out there and somehow, it is better on entrecard.

So for now, I think I will reserve judgement till the sponsored ads start running... if they are totally unacceptable, I will stop using entrecard...

So friends...what think you of that idea?

Paid ADs on Entrecard?

2009-10-01T12:31:00.003+05:30

Hi I read that a few Entrecard users are discontinuing membership because the paid Ads are going to be back... I am afraid I missed that news... the last notification I found was about the referrals and that they would get extra EC credits...

I have not heard about the paid Ads coming back..is it true??????

Please let me know...

Visit to Agra - the Taj Mahal

2009-09-29T19:04:00.006+05:30

Our first view of Taj Mahal.....

One of the seven wonders of the world, Monument of Love, example of architectural brilliance...

Even taken on a simple camera with no expertise what so ever (by yours truly), it is still an awesome sight....

The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in loving memory of his favourite wife Arjumand Bano, known world-wide as Mumtaz Mahal. She died in 1631 while birthing her 14th child. In 1666, Shah Jahan was also laid to rest beside his beloved queen....

Besides being known as the most expensive monument of love, (it took 17 years for completion - till 1648, and 40 million rupees ), it is also known for the bilateral symmetry and the artistry of the artisans from India, Iran and Central Asia...

Made from Makrana marble of Rajasthan, it has a lot of inlay work done in the Pietra dura style .

The Taj has four minarets which look straight, but are slightly slanted outward so that in the unlikely event of an earthquake or such they do not collapse on the dome.

The main structure with the dome is as tall as it is wide, making it visually pleasing. All four sides of the Taj are identical.

The main entrance where the tombs of both Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan are represented. The actual tombs are on a lower level, and restricted to visitors.

Windows frames are carved entirely from the white marble.

The Marble inscribed with the Holy Quran and the lovely art marble inlay work known as 'Parchin Kari' or Pietra dura. The inlay is semi-precious stones like malachite.

....more of Pietra dura ..inlay work with yellow marble, black kadappa etc.
The back view... just as impressive

The makrana marble, despite it's density, has the quality of translucence. When light is shined on it, the marble is lit from within. In moonlight, the Taj and it's surroundings are supposed to look like paradise on earth.

It was a good trip.. more snaps to follow..

J'Adore tien Blog Award

2009-09-25T09:20:00.005+05:30

A big thank you to Rita for thinking of me while passing on this award... She is a great artist and her creations are very cute and adorable. Do visit her blog rkdsign88 cute & fun arts . A big sorry to her too, for not posting this sooner... I was a bit tied up with a couple of fevers and birthdays :)

The rules area as usual

Add the logo to your blog
Link to the person who passed on the award
Nominate blogs of your choice
Leave a message on the nominee blogs

And so, my nominees are....

My Owl Barn - lovely Owl things - especially loved the cupcakes

365 Days of mine - interesting pics and a unique viewpoint

Gawd's Own Country - a pleasure to read and close to home

Cen's Loft - my day is not complete without a visit here

Ann's Snap Edit Scrap - Loaded with talent

Hot Rocks - exciting jewellery named after songs

Nancy's Arts Crafts and Favorites - Eclectic and interesting

Some of you may already have this award, but I wanted to pass on the award to these blogs anyway.

We are having a three day weekend due to the Navratri functions and have decided to go visit the Taj Mahal in Agra. So hopefully I will bring back loads of pictures of our trip ...Starting out tomorrow.

Semiya payasam (Vermicelli pudding)

2009-09-22T17:51:00.004+05:30

This is a pudding/ payasam I made some time back. Slightly different from the one I make normally.

Semiya/ vermicelli - 1 cup (roasted, or if not , lightly roast in 1 tsp ghee till golden brown)

Saboodana/ chowari/ sago - 1 tbsp

Water - 1 cup

Milk - 1 + 3 cups

Sugar - according to taste ( I used 1/2 cup because I do not like it very sweet)

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Chironji seeds - 1 tbsp (lightly roast the seeds)

Cook the semiya and the sago in 1 cup water and 1 cup milk till the sago is mostly translucent. Now add the sugar, cardamom powder and the rest of the milk and bring to a boil. Add the choronji seeds . You may add cashews and raisins lightly fried in ghee (clarified butter) instead of the chironji seeds to make the traditional semiya payasam

Whew...!!!

2009-09-17T11:37:00.002+05:30

The last couple of days have been a bit tough...my daughter had a high fever the day before and temperature went as high as 103.2F... she lay listless, drinking a few sips of milk and water...we rushed her to the doc and were relieved to hear it was just normal fever...as is usual with her, as soon as we went to the doctor, her fever subsided..

Yesterday, it was fuss time..... demands for water, I had to carry her every second, if I sat down she was on my lap, and tears at every breath taken....!! needless to say, nothing got done, and dinner was home delivery from 'Mystic Punjab'...

By 10 PM, she was in high spirits and singing and dancing....while trying to sleep, she has a big routine of saying her prayers, then 'Good night, sweet dreams..' about 50 times to which both of us have to reciprocate, then 'mindathe kidakku' .. roughly translated as (keep silent and sleep), which is usually what I have to tell her a dozen times each night ... and finally, something new...a big hug and 'Ichunu amme ishtaayi' ...meaning 'Ichu likes amma'......

One hurdle over, thousands to come, the rewards just, and .....life is good ....Thankyou God...!!!