Best of year 2009

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi all,

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY of OUR RELATIONSHIP

IF YOU WANT ALSO,

I WILL NOT COME IN YOUR LIFE AGAIN!

GOOD BYE

from Year 2004

Five years back I got this message in my cell on 31st December at 11.45 pm. First, I did not understand, as it comes screen by screen. Then when I read twice I understood the meaning!

Years just fly  and sometimes we feel we are standing in the same place from many years and sometimes we feel that the year got over so fast!

And the year 2009 went very fast for me!

This year (2009) was special for me in many ways(good and bad). Me and my husband had to take few tough decisions for children and their future. I decided to move back to India for good for my daughter's education. And I was waiting for this! But it was difficult for my husband and my daughters as they are more close with each other and it is tough to stay away from each other. Praying to God to reunite us as soon as possible.

After coming to India, again I joined college! This was the best thing happened as I needed some change like this.! Thanks to mom, who took care of my lil one when I was in college.

This year, I started to post my recipes in my blog which was my dream from one year! And the blogging opened many doors for my experiments. I got many good friends here. Three cheers to blogging.

So coming to Srivalli's event, I am just posting few things happened this year in my blog or with my blog!!

I want to thank Srivalli, for encouraging us to stop and look back our success and failure. It will show us the correct direction to move forward.

1. My first post was : At last I am here!!!!! 

2. Top 5 recipes of the year from my blog:

1.Chapatis and guessing game remixed for the event

2.Jowar rotti ball(ಜೋಳದ ರೊಟ್ಟಿ ಉಂಡಿ)

• 
• 3.Aloo Pattice

• 4. Jowar flour ball(ಜೋಳದ ಮುದ್ದೆ)
  

5. Veg. Juice Pulao

3. Best recipe prepared from other blogs :
Haryanvi Thali

Palak Dal

4. Best Meal of the year :

Mutton Biryani

Meals dal and white kidney beans

5. Best dish of the month :

Antina Undi(Dry fruits laadu)

6.Best post or picture for each month or year:
Sweet Coconut Rice

Fresh Coriander tokku(chutney) and Award!!!

Hottt chilly chutneys

Tomato and Garlic Rasam(Tili saaru)

When I went on checking all the posts in my blog, I was really surprised, because I never thought I will be able to post so many recipes!! I was happy when I re read all the comments, I felt little sad, when there was no comment at all for many posts! And to tell the truth, these comments only make me happy and encourage me to be here in this blog world. 

There were many posts, which no one read!!! But honestly, no complaints! just my observation.

As I have started the blog and following the blogs this year only, all the blogs are new to me! 

I want to thank all the friends here for encouraging me and supporting me with their sweet comments and sharing their awards with me!

Cooking resolutions for the Year 2009! :

I am very bad in keeping my resolutions! That too I never keep new year resolutions. I do not need new year for resolution. But I am planning to learn some baking! 

These are only few things I could bring in one post! 

Sending this to Srivalli's most awaited event Announcing the "Best of year 2009" Event!

It is totally only about my blog and its contents. If my internet connection permits me to do some work, this year,I will come up with part II about my all blog friends, or else I will do that in the next year.

Keep smiling,

Problems come in series!!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Again I am back with problems I faced!

Is it funny or boring to read about problems??? 

This is in short!

From Thursday night my internet connection got disconnected. I complained on Friday! They promised that they will come on Saturday! but no one attended! Again I complained on Saturday, they promised that they will be there in half an hour! but that half an hour stretched to 48 hours! 

In mean time, on Sunday, my younger daughter poured the malt on the keyboard.!!! (She thought even key board needs some food!!)

Being new Hardware Engineer, I tried to repair my keyboard myself, without realizing this keyboard is non repairable. So again I need to run to the market to buy new one! My old multi media keyboard is now replaced with the smaller one! (And the full system has been covered with proper computer cover!! (Which I  always hated to put! )

Today, after complaining many times, technicians(a team of technicians!!) came to solve the problem. There was some problem in the exchange itself!. They took full 6 hours(This is INDIA!!) to fix the problem, But they did it and promised me that it will not happen again! Lets wait and watch!

I will be back with my next post in a day or two!!

Keep smiling,

Fresh chana green rice(ಕಡಲೆ ಕಾಳು ಅನ್ನ )

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi all,

One more interesting and very tasty rice which I love the most and the whole year I wait for this, as I have to prepare this only during November till January end.

We get this only from November till January. I love to eat this just like that. (We call it Kadli geeda in Kannada). Great time pass when chatting with your friends! But I take care not to spread all the skin and leaves on the ground and my environment dirty.

When I was browsing the net for this, I got these links, which explains in detail about this. (http://mathildasanthropologyblog.wordpress.com/2008/05/29/the-turkish-domestication-of-the-chickpea/)

and (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cicer_arietinum_HabitusFruits_BotGardBln0906a.jpg)

And the rice prepared using these chana really has different taste! NO other dry chana can replace this taste as each chana has its own taste. After Avare kalu I love this one very much. But we make lot of dishes with Avare kalu, and this girly chana (What!???!? Now a days, without my knowledge,  I am getting funny words for my kitchen things, girly because of its beautiful fresh curves on its body!!!) is used to make very few dishes.

Here is the recipe,

Long grain or normal rice - 1 cup(soak in a water for a minute and keep it to dry at least for 15 minutes.

Fresh chana(ಕಡಲೆ ಕಾಳು) - 1 cup

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Fry and paste the below ingradients:

(Go on adding one by one after each minute in a tbsp oil and fry till nice aroma comes)

Onion - 1 big, (this needs 2 minutes to fry). After the onion is fried go on adding others.

Fresh coconut -1/4 cup

Ginger - 1/2"

Green chilly - 2 to 3

Cardamom - 1

Cinnamon - 1"

Tomato - 1 small

Pudina (Mint leaves) - 1 bunch

When cool, make into a fine paste and keep aside

Lime juice - 1 tbsp

Heat oil in a cooker. Add the ready paste and fry till it starts leaving oil on the side. Now add fresh chana and salt. Cook it for a minute and add rice. Mix properly and fry for a minute or so. Add hot or warm water, according to how much the rice needs water. (usually what I do is, I do not measure the water for rice, but pour the water till the rice is just covered, but each rice has its own quality. So be sure about the water intake of the rice or else it will turn into kichadi!!)

Cover the cooker with lid and give two whistle. When done, add lime juice before transferring into serving bowl.

Fresh chana green rice is ready to serve. Enjoy each bite of chana!

Keep smiling,

One day like this!!!!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

A Day like this came after many years. Yesterday was a total disaster!(Can I say disaster!) I do not think it that worst also! When you go through my post, you only decide was it  so bad or it was just to test my patience. (After staying abroad for 11 years, this was first time to face these problems!)

First thing was, I was waiting for a plumber to fix a pipe to wash the dishes in the back yard. The water was standing past 2 days and it was stinking like hell, I was more worried about kid's health, as it is not good to keep dirty standing water, The plumber did not came. I called one more plumber. He promised he will be coming in the evening, but did not!!! He called and told he will come in the morning.

Second thing was, our gas cylinder(Both the cylinders)  got over. It is very difficult in our place to get one more easily. We need to go through a process, which needs us to wait for 21 days to book for another. And after booking they need another 15 to 20 days to deliver the cylinder. Monopoly!!! No Government can change the rules. We called the agency they told it is not possible for today, but will try to send next day. We have only 2 neighbors and no one likes to share their cylinder even for a day!

So I  decided to cook rice and sambhar in microwave oven! Thank God I have at least something to survive(is it so big problem, compared to many poor who never gets one full meal for few days or flood victims!! noo!) But main problem here was power. Here the power goes when ever it wants. From morning 7 to 9, then 12 to 1. After noon 3 to 4 then 6 to 7. This schedule is fixed. Other than these timings, sometimes, again it goes at 10 to 11!! Sometimes, they will inform through news papers that the power will not be there from 10am to 6 pm. Yesterday, Some how I managed to prepare rice and sambhar. But my younger daughter wants rice and dal (Malt) everyday, I could not prepare it in oven. She had to be on Rice only! ( Thats fine. She will learn to adjust)
Third thing was, how come I forgot to post about servants. From two days, servants did not come! So that work also was on us. Mom helped to clean the house. Other things I managed to do with ajji. 
Fourth thing was, my daughter's exams are going on. So need to give time to her also!!
And the Morning came without Tea, Coffee for us  and Milk for kids. Our Ajji went to neighbor's house with milk, tea powder, coffee powder to make tea and coffee. Now, for the breakfast, I went to near by Darshini and brought idli plates. My elder daughter ate and took the same for her lunch box.

Against my wishes, I went in search of cylinder in black marketing,(Yes!! that also runs here!!!), but decided to wait for one more day! and came back.

We called the agency to check, again they told we will try!!

So again, I prepared rice and sambhar in oven. I did not wanted to bring outside food, as my both kids had Vomiting last week and both are still on medicine.

And in between this all, Plumber came and checked the problem. He first told it is not possible to do anything. 

Then I stood with him, showed few ways and discussed the alternatives with him, And we came to conclusion.I went with him, to buy cement and sand. One problem was fixed. 

After mom called the agency, 10 times, we got the cylinder. This problem was also fixed.

And Power!! I can not help in this, no one actually!!!

But to my surprise, I did not loose my patience anywhere. I was cool. (if this was the case before few years, I would have yelled at others, would have blamed the system and what all, I do not know!!!)

I just thought, what should be the next step and what are the alternatives for these problems.

Thanks to my patience and everyone who read my day with patience!

Moral of the story is :

Never loose patience and hope!! Face everything with smile!!

Keep smiling,