Sindhi Curry(Veg curry with Gramflour)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

One more healthy traditional food, with lot of vegetables in to it!!!! It is very good in winter and rainy season, as one can just drink it or sip it sitting beside the window and watching rain drops and enjoying the hot soup with cold breeze(At least this is what I do whenever I get chance!!!) or can enjoy with Brown rice or Bhooga chawar.

It takes time to cut all the vegetables and it takes time to cook the curry also, but the result is very tasty that you will forget the pain of cutting the vegetables and waiting for it to cook.!!!

When I was in UAE, I learnt it from my Co-Sister and Sister In Law. And I love it to have any time of day or night!!

Coming to the recipe,

Potato - 2 big, washed, and cubed in to big pieces.

Carrot - 1 big, chopped length wise

Beans - 8 to 10, cleaned and cut in to two.

Cluster beans - 10 to 12 cleaned and cut into two

Brinjal - 1 medium, cut into lengthwise

Drum stick - 2 washed, cleaned and chopped in to 3 to 4 pieces

Ladies finger(Bhindi) - 4 to 6, washed, cleaned and dried. Cut in to 2 pieces and shallow fry in little oil. Keep it aside.

Oil - 1/4 cup

Methi Seeds - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Green Chilly - 2 slit 

Ginger - 1/4" crushed(optional)

Gramflour(Besan atta) - 4 tbsp

Curry leaves - 1 line.

Tomato - 2 medium (or tomato paste or puree - 1/4 cup)

Red chilly powder - 2 tbsp

Amsol - 4 to 6

Salt to taste

Haldi - 1/2 tsp

Dhania or coriander powder - 1 tbsp

The vegetables are optional and you can replace or skip few. But more vegetables really make the curry tasty and healthy.

Add oil in a thick bottomed kadai or cooker. Keep on a medium flame, when oil is hot, add jeera, green chilly, ginger and methi seeds. Fry for few seconds. Now be careful before adding Gram flour. Keep on stirring or else it gets burnt. When good fried aroma starts coming, put hard vegetables like potato, drumsticks, beans and cluster beans. Keep on stirring for a minute. Now add Tomato or tomato puree. Mix and let it cook for a minute. Time is to add red chilly powder, dhania powder and haldi. Again mix and add cook for one more minute. All should happen over medium flame. Add at least 3 cups of water and close the lid and cook for 10 minutes. Now add other soft vegetables like carrot, brinjal and salt. Again boil it for 10 more minutes. And then comes the chance of Bhindi or okra or lady finger to get boiled. Cook it for 2 minutes adjust the seasoning. Add Amsol and curry leaves. Cook for 5 minutes. 

The curry is ready in the cooker and will be waiting for you to take it in a bowl and taste it.

An instant and fastest way to cook is,

After you add gram flour, add all other ingredients except curry leaves and amsol, add water and give 4 to 6 whistles. When cool, add curry leaves and amsol and boil it directly on medium flame for 2 minutes. 

But the first method tastes better even though takes lot of time.

Moral of the cooking is 

"Slow and steady wins the race!!!"

Keep Smiling,

HAPPY MAKARA SANKRANTI

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi All,

Wishing every one a very 

Happy Makara Sankranti

ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ಮಕರ ಸಂಕ್ರಾಂತಿಯ 

ಹಾರ್ಧಿಕ

ಶುಭಾಶಯಗಳು 

Keep Smiling,

Frist award of the year!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

My first award of this year and that too so early! Thank you so much Malar of (Malar's Cuisine)  for making my day! 

Hope I will be loaded with many more from my sweet friends.(just kidding), but who will not love to accept the awards?(Of course, except Aamir Khan!!, hey I am a his one of  admirers rather than a  fan!, so Aamirians, do not get angry!)

Rules for accepting this award:

1) Thank the person giving the award

2) Copy the 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 letting those bloggers know about the award

It is a real test when you have to write about yourself., Check 7 things about me!(except which I already shared before)

Scroll...........

1. I  am a confused person, I take time to decide about any thing.

2. I love eating.

3. I am very bad in dressing.

4. I can cook more than 3 dishes at a time with proper time management.

5. I am an introvert.

6. I love blogging.

7. I love nature and try my ways to protect it.

I hope,now,  you all know me better than before.

I want to share this award with my other friends,

priya  of Priyas recipes.
Lena Rashmin Raj of Lemon n Space
Swapna Raghu Sanand  of Petals!
SE(Denufood)  of Denufood
Malar Gandhi of Kitchen Tantra-tease your palate
Aruna Manikandan of Veggie Paradise..... and
Faiza Ali of Faiza Ali's Kitchen


Keep smiling,

Ginger Pickle

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Simple but healthy, tasty and instant pickle. My daughter and me will eat it like sabji than pickle. We eat it with paratha, chapati, rice, upma and the list goes on. Some times just like that!!!

Here are the ingredients,

Ginger - 1/4 kilo

Lime juice - of 4 to 6 medium

Salt to taste

Red chilly powder - 3 to 4 tbsp

Haldi - 1 tsp

Sugar - 2 tbsp

Oil - 2 tbsp, heat the oil and let it be cool

Soak the ginger in salted water for half an hour. Clean the skin and cut into thin long pieces.

Add in a glass jar with all other ingredients. Check the taste. Keep for an hour for immediate use. Try to preserve in the fridge as it may spoil if kept outside.

Keep smiling,

Plain green biryani rice

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi all,

When I prepared this rice few weeks back, my daughter was like "wow mamma, only chicken pieces are missing in this" She was happy to have this rice after many months.

After coming to India, as I stopped preparing non veg, I totally forgot about this rice. As I have told before, my daughter loves to take rice for her lunch box, I am learning to make varieties. And suddenly this rice came in my mind. When in UAE, I used to make this rice  with  chicken or meat curry.

Now a days,  once a week, this rice is in her lunch box.

Here, I prepared plain with one small potato. If you want you can add Soya nuggets in this.

Coming to the recipe,

Any long grain rice - 1 cup, washed and kept aside.

Onion - 1 cut into long thin slices

Bay leaf - 1

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Water to cook the rice

For grinding,

Fresh coriander - 1 small bunch or 1 cup

Green chilly - 2 to 3 as per your taste or depending upon chilly

Ginger - 1" piece

Garlic - 1 small bulb, peeled

Jeera - 1tsp

Cinnamon - 1/2" piece

Cloves - 3

Cardamom - 1

Put all these in a grinder and make it into fine paste.

Heat oil in a cooker or kadai (I prefer cooker). When hot, add onion and cook till brown. Now add bay leaf and the ready paste and fry for 5 minutes. When you start getting aroma add rice and salt. Fry for a minute. Add water till the rice level. Close the lid and give two whistles.

You open the lid and the aroma will take you  in another world!!!

Keep smiling,

Kitchen Mishaps!!!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Is there any one who learnt cooking before messing up the whole kitchen, self painting your face with flours or burning poor vessels!!! I really feel very bad for the vessels in the kitchen, these are our victims which tolerate all our crime on them. But may be even the vessels will feel happy if our food turns out good, which is not regular for new bees.(hey, just for fun)

Sending it to Kitchen Mishaps - Event Announcement! by Malar Gandhi of  Kitchen Tantra - tease your palate. 

I do not believe in PRACTICE MAKES MAN PERFECT!!   NO! Because no one is perfect in this world.

But  FOR SURE, PRACTICE BRINGS MAN NEAR TO THE PERFECTION.

So Girls, do not loose your hope if you are not getting success in the beginning.

Now coming to the title, I started thinking about my funny, bad or very bad experiences or mishaps. But these are not funny to sit and enjoy the reading.

As I told before, first thing I learnt to make was  Upma. When I learnt(at the age of 7) and started making it, first it was always either more watery or was half cooked with raw onion smell. But as the days passed I learnt to make it tasty and edible.

Next I remember is to make Jowar rotis. I really do not remember how many rotis I might have wasted either while patting it or frying or cooking. But I learnt it after very long time practice.

And then comes the TEA. I always used to get scoldings from my uncle(Father's brother), because he never liked my tea. Either it used to be like hot water or it used be more sugary or some times like only plain milk!!

My most worst mishap is with sago kichadi! It becomes like rubber always. Now also, if kichadi comes out perfect, its like a celebration for me.

Then comes the rice preparations, Till 6 months back , I always got scared to make any type of pulao, bath, biryani!It always turned out to a disaster. No one liked my rice as it was always bland without salt or any masala. But as my daughter loves to take rice for her lunch I forced my self to learn more of these dishes and now I can make variety of rice!

Now a days my most disaster food is baking the cake. My cake always turns out like a stone!!! or comes out with dark burnt ring on the edge. Or my cake is never cooked.

But!! I do not have any pictures taken when these mishaps took place. 

I hope you will visualize the photos and read it. Sorry!

Keep Smiling,

Polished wheat halwa (ಗೋಧಿ ಹುಗ್ಗಿ ) for new year!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Starting my first post in this year with traditional sweet called Godhi Huggi or polished wheet halwa. This is the heaviest sweet which is common in most of the functions in North Karnataka. It is not for weight watchers, as it has lot of dry fruits, jaggery and cups of ghee in to it. And its like, some medicines have instructions written  "not to drive when you take the medicine". You will feel drowsy and lazy after you have this.

Again, one of my favorite sweet.

Here is the recipe,

Polished Wheat : 200gm (Available in Indian store)

Chana dal - 4 tbsp

Jaggery - 200gm, powdered

Cardamom - 4 to 6 crushed

Nutmeg powder - 1 tsp

Poppy seeds - 4 tbsp

Dry desiccated coconut - 1/4 cup

Salt - 1 tsp

Ghee - 1 cup

Water depends on the wheat.

Soak the wheat overnight. In the morning, soak chana dal for an hour or two. Mix wheat and chana dal in a cooker with double the water of soaked wheat. Give 10 to 12 whistles. Yes, wheat takes time to cook. Once cool, open and check the wheat, I mean, take one seed in the hand and press it. If it breaks into pieces then its done. Otherwise you have to grind it to coarse paste.

Once this is done, add powdered jaggery, salt and 1/4 cup ghee and mix well with hand or churner. Keep it on medium heat to boil, keeping in mind to stir in between. once it starts boiling, check the sweetness of the dish and if you feel you need more sweet add some more jaggery(because, it has different taste always, depending upon the sugarcane)

If you feel the sweet is fine, add salt, poppy seeds and coconut. Mix properly and allow it to boil for few more minutes. Now add cardamom powder and nutmeg powder with 1/4 cup ghee. Let it boil for 10 minutes with stirring it often. 

The sweet is ready to eat with more ghee on the top with some spicy chilly and sandige.

Wishing everyone a very happy, prosperous and beautiful new year.

Keep Smiling,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi All,

WISHING EVERY ONE

A

VERY HAPPY

AND

WONDERFUL

NEW YEAR

MAY ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE AND LETS WORK HARD TO KEEP THIS EARTH GREEN AND BEAUTIFUL!

Keep Smiling,

Yeh doulat bhi lelo....(ये दौलत भी ले लो ये शौरत भी लेलो)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Got confused with the title!!

My brother and me are a great fan of Jagjit Singh. We always enjoy listening to his gazals and sing together. My brother remembers all his gazals and sing without any mistakes. He has a huge collection of Jagjit Singh's gazals.

During our school and college days, we always used to wait for his next album. Now also we enjoy the same way.

Why I am writing all this?? Because, last night we went to Jagjit Singh Live in Concert, here in Pune.(Yes! I am in Pune for Christmas Holidays!) It was first time for me!(my brother never misses his concerts in Pune) I was so excited to see Jagjit Singh! It was like a dream come true for me! I never imagined I will get a chance to attend his concert and that too with my brother!

I was in different world for those three hours. Even though we could not see him from close! we could feel his voice in the air! There were big TV screens fixed in three corners. It was an open area and very cold. It was like a heaven, listening to Jagjit Singh's gazals under the open sky with moon and stars, in chilled weather. Then came the Vada pao and hot cup of tea!

The best part was, me and my brother were guessing his next gazal and we were testing our memory by singing the next line before Jagjit Singh will sing!! All the times my brother sang it perfect.

And when Jagjit Singh started the gazal "Hoton se Choolo tum",  every one started to sing with him, In between  he stopped singing and enjoyed our singing! I enjoyed this also very much.

Even his people who were on instruments are very good. He gave each of them a chance to play the gazals on their instrument(there was a guitarist, Flute player, Setar player and Tabala player.) Jagjit Singh looks the same how he was 15 years back, with same smiling face and same enthesuasam when singing.

He finished his concert by singing 'Laari rappa...'

Last night was unforgettable one for me!

Keep Smiling,

Award time again!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi all,
Thank you so much  priya  for sharing so beautiful award with me and all our friends.

And thank you so much for so beautiful greeting card.

One more award from Aruna Manikandan . 

Thank you so much, Aruna! Beautiful award.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY FRIENDS
AND 
HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Keep smiling,

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,