My Blog's First Anniversary with Tea and Biscuit!!!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Even though I registered my blog in December 2007 only, I started posting  in it from March. March 12th was my first post published! So I thought, this day should be the birth day of my blog. I started to blog with lot of doubts, confusions and questions in my mind. But within no time, this one year went off!! I have 192 posts in my blog today which includes, recipes, my thoughts and few things from my daughter.

When I revisited the posts, I was happy to see that, my most of the recipes have been participated in one or the other event. I need some one to push me to do some good work!!! I laugh, when I read my first few posts, as the language is so bad, with lot of grammar mistakes. Now also, I am not so good in writing, but improved a bit! 

I want to thank all my friends here, who always took time to visit my blog, and came up with their sweet comments and suggestions and requests and support. 

"WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BLOG"

I would like to recall my first post, which was an introduction about why I came in to blogging,

Hi All

Its almost more than a year I thought of entering the blog world. But!!!!!!!! this "but" is the mother of laziness!!!

Having 2 kids, managing alone everything, it was impossible for me to sit and share my world with others.

From past one month I am regularly following few blogs and surprised and really amazed about the knowledge, these girls have. Keep up the work. Jai Ho Blogging.

Learning words from blogworld also.

Started to learn now, just laugh and forget at my mistakes. Mistakes makes man not perfect but takes him to perfection. (No one is perfect in this world!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

I will try to share my recipes in next few days and will try to share my views also.

Bye for now.

Keep smiling!!!

And PJ was the first to comment on my post! I was so happy to see my first comment!!! Thanks PJ for giving me that happiness. 

Coming to the recipe for birthday!!! Are you wondering, why am I posting the recipe for Tea!!!

Actually, I wanted to start my blog with tea! Again I thought, it is very basic thing, and I wanted to start with something different. So the tea recipe went on postponing. 

I thought today is the best time for this recipe as it is a birthday of my blog.

Last week, I took photos of making tea! And believe me, I enjoyed making and taking pictures as if first time I was making tea!!!

Here goes the recipe with pictures,

                                      

After water, the tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...(Read more here ). 

Each country, and in each country,each region or state, the method of preparing tea is different. There are many types in tea, white tea, green tea, black tea(my daughter's favorite), herbal tea and KT! It is very interesting and vast subject to study.

So, without much introduction, I am coming to a very normal and regular way of making tea, (as it is the post has become very long!!)

To make two cup of tea,

Water - 1 cup

Hot or warm Milk - 1 cup(do not add cold milk)

(or if you do not like more milk, adjust the qty by adding more water and less milk)

Sugar - 3 tea spoon

Tea powder - 2 tsp

You can add, a pinch of Cardamom powder or dry ginger powder or crushed fresh ginger! OR, some times add half a piece of Parle G biscuit in that and check the taste! It really tastes great! 

Keep the water to boil and add tea powder and wait till it starts boiling. Add sugar and wait for 30 seconds. Now add hot milk and allow it to boil for a minute.  Remove it from the fire and strain in to cups.

Enjoy it with biscuit or any favorite snack.

A game played in our ladies club;

There was a "One Minute" competition in our ladies club for sports day. Every body was given a question to write in one minute, the things we need to make tea! Ladies started laughing, thinking that how much time we need to write the things to make a cup of tea!! 

What do you think what all you need to make a cuppa tea?????

My mother was the only one to write all the things needed. And here is the list,

1.Gas stove

2.Lighter or match box to lit the fire

3.Lifter or Pakkad to hold the vessel

4.Vessel to make tea

5.Tea spoon to put tea powder and sugar

6.Cups

7.Strainer

8.Water 

9.Tea powder

10.Sugar

11.Milk 

Any thing else we need to make a cup of tea???

Need the best wishes and support for my blog to come up with more recipes and other things also.

Keep Smiling,

Stuffed brinjal masala(ಬದನೆಕಾಯಿ ಏಣ್ಣಗಾಯಿ), reposted for the event

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi all
Reposting this recipe for the event. (click here for old link)

(As I was new to blogging and taking photos, the photo is not clear!!)

Very tasty and spicy vegetable masala which is perfect with Jowar rotti. This is a very common food in North Karnataka. And it is compulsory in the menu in marriages. Here is the regular recipe, what my mother makes, and even I follow the same.

Brinjal – 4 to 6 (small)

Onion – 1 big (finely chopped)

Curry leaves – 1 line, chopped

Tamarind paste – 2 tbsp (soak the tamarind in warm water for half an hour then squeeze the juice)

Fresh coriander – 2 tbsp

Gurellu chutney powder – 2 tbsp (Check the recipe here), If you don't have it, no problem, you can add crushed pea nut powder and dry coconut powder. event though taste differs, but that also tastes great.

Red chilly powder – 1tbsp

Jaggery powdered – 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil – 1 tsp

For stuffed brinjal

Oil – 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Jeera – 1 tsp

Slit the brinjal in the middle and keep in the water.

Fry chopped onion in a pan till slightly brown. Remove in a plate, add all other ingredients except oil and mix it nicely.

This masala is so tasty, that we used to finish it with chapatti or rotti, before it was stuffed in the brinjal.

Now remove the brinjal from water and stuff the ready masala.

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. After they start crackle, add jeera, and stuffed brinjal. Fry for one minute. Now add remaining masala and little water. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Stuffed brinjal masala(ಬದನೆಕಾಯಿ ಏಣ್ಣಗಾಯಿ) is ready to serve with hot rottis or chapattis.

Sending this to silpa of Anita' s Kitchen's event Vegetable Marathon:Event Announcement

Keep smiling,

Green Grape Juice

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

As the Summer is already in, the Sun in always dancing with full energy!!!! The right time for juices, shakes and smoothies!!!  and of course for ice cubes in the freezer!

I am eating water melon and writing about grapes!!! 

I never knew or I never tried to know more about Grapes. It was always in my mind, that Grapes has lot of pesticides and it is not good while one has cold. But, when I went through the article, Grapes, it is an amazing fruit with lot of benefits. 

"Like other berries, grapes are highly nutritious and valuable with plenty curative agents. It has high content of vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C.....
It has consumption tips also in the article : Grapes are among fruits that have high pesticide residues. Try to choose organic where possible. If not, take the trouble to soak the tiny fruits in water with some salt and vinegar to rid it of the pesticides.
Soak for about 10~15 minutes, then rinse and pat dry. Store in refrigerator to maintain its freshness for a few days. ..... "Read more here!!

I tried this grape juice first time. Last week, I had this in my aunt's house. I asked her the recipe and sharing with you all with an extra ingredient.

Coming to the recipe,

Grapes - 500 gm,(washed and soaked in salted water for 15 to 30  minutes)

Pinch of Black salt

Jaljeera powder or chaat masala or pani puri powder - 1 tsp

Sugar - 1 tbsp

Ice cubes - few(optional)

Dry ginger - 1/2 tsp

Take grapes, Ice cubes, dry ginger and sugar in a juicer, mixer or blender and turn it into juice with little water. 

Remove and strain it to take out the skin, if any. 

Add other ingredients and mix it well. 

Grape juice is ready to share with your loved ones!

Sending this to Madhuri's event  Serve me Some...  

Sending it to  Dr.Sameena's  event

Juice recipes...

Keep Smiling,

Masala stuffed Brinjal Fritters (ಮಸಾಲೆ ಬದನೆ ಕಾಯಿ ಭಜಿ)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Brinjal fritter is prepared in many ways. It depends on your taste, your time and the occasion. Each region has its own way to prepare this bhaji. I am trying to do it the way it is prepared in Gadag District in Karnataka. When my mother was still working she got transferred to Gadag for 2 years. Every day she used travel from Dharwad to Gadag by 3 types of transportation. First, early in the morning I used to drop her to bus stand. From there she will travel in bus till Hubli, From Hubli to Gadag in train and from Gadag station to her office in mini cab!!! While coming back from the office, she used to  have this bhaji which is a famous street food. I never had this as I never got chance to have it when ever I traveled to Gadag. So I have taken mom's instructions and took her help to make it with little changes, as I felt the taste will be better if I do the changes.

Going to the recipe,

Brinjal - 4, medium, purple

Oil to fry the fritters

Wash, cut brinjal into very thick round pieces(3 pieces in one brinjal)

Again slit the brinjal in to two  pieces, keeping one end intact. Put them in salt water and keep aside.

For batter,

Gram flour - 1/ cup

Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp

salt - very little only for the cover, as we are going to add again in stuffing

Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp crushed

Ajwain - 1/4 tsp crushed

Haldi - pinch

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Hot oil - 1 tbsp

Mix all in a bowl and keep aside.

For stuffed masala,

Green chilly - 4

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Fresh coriander - handful

Salt to taste

Curry leaves few

Mix everything in a blender and make into a paste.

Take the brinjal out in a plate. Drain the water. Stuff the green masala in to it as shown in the photo. 

Heat the oil in a kadai.

Dip the stuffed brinjal in to a batter and fry them in a oil. Remove from oil and keep it on a tissue paper to remove any excess oil.

But, when I tasted these, I felt the stuffed masala is still raw, So I fried the green masala and then stuffed it. This also tastes good. 

So the choice is yours!!!

Sending this to silpa of Anita' s Kitchen's event Vegetable Marathon:Event Announcement

Keep smiling,

Chakka Vachhi for Forgotten Indian Games!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I was wondering, which game I will start to post with for my event "Forgotten Indian Games". I had kept 2 games in my draft. But this one came first in my mind to post.

This is one of the all time favorite game of everyone. Now also it is played in villages. I am not sure about cities. 

You can start playing if there are 2 people to play and can start without much preparation. Do not get confused with the title of the game. It is a pucca Dharwad - Hubli language and we call it by this name only. Once you go through the post you will know the game, and I am sure you all know this game and each state has its own name for this game.

First let me explain about the tools or what we need for this game. It is the cheapest one with more fun.

You need one square board,(we used to take a wooden plank from the kitchen, which was used while eating food to keep the plate) or even the dark  floor is also fine.

 4 tamarind seeds,

This is very interesting step to prepare these seeds and turn these in to dice. Those days, we did not had dice and tamarind seeds was the easiest and cheapest way to get. We used to get seeds from the kitchen and everyone who wants to play has to sit with one seed. Dip it in the water and start rubbing one side on rough stone to remove skin of one side to make it white. This way, the seeds would stay longer without breaking.

One more way was to keep it straight and hit directly on it with hammer to cut into to 2 pieces. It was difficult for children and it used to break after 2 -3 games, the seeds would have been gone.

There was demand for these seeds also, we used to fry these seeds and eat.

chalk piece, 

4 set of 4 small things which can be fit into small squares.( let me call these as coins)

Here small things means, 4 same type beads, buttons, grains, stones, match stick, which you can keep on the board and move them easily.

Two to four people can play this game. The game is more fun if there are full 4 members.

Draw 5 X 5 equal square box on a wooden plank or square board or on a floor with chalk piece.

Draw diagonal lines as shown in the photo. The board is ready to play.

all the four people sit in front of each diagonal.and keep your coins in the diagonal square. That is your house.

The person who is starting first, has to drop the four seeds on the floor and see what he got! (Do not consider the counting first time, it is for God!!! Funny no? that was how we used to play )

Next time what he gets, according to that he has to move one coin. Then the second one will play and move his coins (in the right direction). Like this way that one coin has to pass all the outer squares then enter the inner square. He is the winner who takes all his coins first in the middle diagonal square. Every one has to use all his coins and take to the middle square.

Fun in this game is, when one player has moved his coin to a particular square, and the second player also reaches the same square, the second one will hit the first coin and send it to its house. That coin should start all over again to reach the middle square.

Now coming to Chakka and Vacchi terms.

When we throw the seeds, we get both the faces of the seeds. the white and the black. On that we decide the numbers.

1 white face and 3 black face the score is ONE and we call it as vacchi, it is the lowest score here.

2 white face and 2 black face, the score is TWO and we call it as doni.

3 white face and 1 black face , the score is THREE  and we call it as teeni

4 white face,  the score is FOUR and we call it as chakka

4 black face, the score is EIGHT  and we call it entu, it is the highest score.

 I know this is little longer post~ but I have tried to explain it  as much as in detail I can. I hope you all might have understood the game and I am sure, even you have played this game with different name.

Feel free to comment if you find any mistakes in game rules or language.

This is going  to my event  Forgotten Indian games!! (Edited and re written), ... 

Keep Smiling,

It is a Misprint, its not : it is ,

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

My daughter again with her innocence :

Two days back, there was an article in Deccan Herald with the title -

Keep away your children from TV screen, Computer : Study

I showed it to my elder daughter. My intention was to make her aware of the bad effects of TV and Computer.

But she came with her interpretation :

She told me, 

Mamma, there is a mistake in printing. It should be

Keep away your children from TV screen, Computer , Study!!!!

She thought that the : mark is misprinted and there should be , in that place. 

She told me back that see even paper says we should be away from study!!!!

Any explanation for this!?????

Keep smiling,

Biscuit Poli for Holi

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi all,

In North Karnataka, there is a tradition that during the Holi festival, people prepare poli or stuffed sweet paratha or (ಹೋಳಿಗೆ in Kannada). My mom wanted to make puran poli. But last week, I saw 2 packets of Complan Biscuits in the box, (which I bought 2 months back for my kids). I was thinking what can I make with that. Then, few days back I prepared Chocolate Halwa which I got from Srivalli ( here is the recipe ). There was little condensed milk left with me. So I thought of making poli using biscuit and condensed milk.

It was fun preparing as my mother also joined me and helped me to do this.

I had one Chocolate cream biscuit and one orange cream biscuit packet. First I thought I will mix both the biscuits. But my mother told me to make separate as both taste different. It was good that I listened to her.(I seldom do that!!! :-( ). 

Ingredients :

Chocolate cream biscuit - 1 packet (10 pieces were there in one packet)

Orange cream biscuit - 1 packet

Condensed milk - 3 tbsp for each biscuit

I crushed the biscuits(one by one)  and put it in a blender to make it a powder. Transfered in a plate and added condensed milk to the powder to make a dough.(you can see in the photo). Make small balls to stuff and keep it ready.

 For dough

Wheat flour - cup 

(for healthier reason, I used wheat flour, you can use all purpose flour or maida also)

Pinch of salt

Oil - 1 tsp

Mix together in a bowl and prepare soft dough and keep it aside for half an hour.

Take small ball of wheat flour dough and roll little. Keep one biscuit ball in the middle and cover the dough properly.

Roll it to make a circle. And fry it both the sides. Repeat with other balls.

I could make 4 polis from each flavor. (total 8 polis!)

My elder daughter enjoyed the Chocolate poli and my neighbor loved the orange poli. It tasted really great! I really recommend everyone to try this, especially for the kids.

I hope all of you enjoyed the colorful festival Holi. My both daughters had a blast. Here are the photos : 
  

                     

Keep Smiling,                   

Dhavanai Idly (Food Remake)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi all,

It is so easy to prepare food, when some one is guiding you!! That's why I enjoy very much when ever I follow other blog and cook any dish. And I post it in 'Food Remake' label, as it is very common in Indian film industry to remake the movies from one language to the other. So even my food here is the remake one!!!

As I have mentioned earlier, You will get 14 varieties of idly s  in EC's Simple Indian Food- An Easy Cooking Blog.

This is one of variety from her blog, and she has taken it from Samaikalam Vanga blog. click   here  for the details. 

It is easy to prepare, but when I made it first time, it came out little hard, The second time it was better. 

You try it and let me know about the taste.

Keep smiling,