Instant coconut halwa

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi all,

As I told before, I am always ready for sweet. After meals, I must have some sweet. So this one is the quickest sweet I can make and I love to sit and eat very slowly, enjoying each bite. Here is the recipe,
Fresh grated coconut - 1 cup
Jaggery crushed or powdered - 3/4 cup
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
nutmeg powder - 1/4 tsp(optional, but defintely gives unique taste)
Mix altogether nicely, and keep in microwave oven for 1 minute. Take it out, mix again and keep in oven again for two more minutes.
Coconut halwa is ready to eat.

I am sending this one to Mahima's(http://spicesetc.blogspot.com/) event ,
http://spicesetc.blogspot.com/2009/04/15-minute-cooking-spieces-etc.html

This sweet is going to PJ's Let's Go Nuts! - Event Announcement (for the month of July 09) which is the brain child of Aqua.

Keep smiling,

Haryanvi Thali

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi all,

When I came to know about the event Tried and tasted hosted by Ahwini of (ashwini-spicycuisine.blogspot.com) and which is a brain child of Zlamuska's spicy kitchen, I was excited to know whom we have to follow this time.

And I entered Asha's Foodie's Hope blog. Asha is really talented, creative and deserves so many awards she got on her blog. I was confused what to cook as there are many dishes. Then I went through her RCI event. I was fascinated by all the yummy pictures. I was feeling as if I am in a place where thali's of all the states are available to eat now.

Planning to cook all the dishes very soon, I thought let me start with Haryanvi food. So here is the Thali ready for you all. And I was 100% true to her original recipe. I did not prepare Besan pinni, as I was short of pista.

Check her blog for the recipe to make the Haryanvi thali ready. Here is the link;

http://foodieshope.blogspot.com/2009/02/haryanvi-cuisine-pakodi-di-kadhi-jeera.html

I prepared, Mooli paratha, carrot-ginger pickle, Besan kadhi with pakodi, Aloo Raita and Jeera rice.

I hope you will like it! the way I prepared and arranged in a thali.

And this is going to

Ashwini's Announcing Tried and Tasted event!!!!

Keep smiling,

Green moong chutney

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi all,

Here is the recipe from my cousin Veena, who got married and settled in Sagar. Sagar comes in Shimoga district. The world famous Jog Falls is also in Sagar.

After she got married and went to inlaw's house, she learnt all the customs, the traditional food of Sagar.

It is almost 10 years we did not get time to sit with each other and chat for at least 10 minutes(We were always together before her marriage) and we met only twice in these 10 years!!

Now I do call her once a week and talk. She has promised me, that she will give me recipes of Sagar. So whenever she gives me the recipe I will make at home, and post it here.

Now is the time for this chutney, which is very easy and tasty.

Here is the recipe,

Whole green gram or split green gram - 1 cup

(she told me to use whole green gram, but I used the split one.)

You can use brown chana or kala chana also to make this chutney.

Fresh coconut - 1/4 cup or lesser

Green chilly - 3 to 4

Jaggery - 1 tbsp

Tamarind - 1 tbsp

Garlic - 1 bulb(Small)

Salt to taste

Water to make chutney

(Optional

Curds - as per requirement

Onion - as per taste)

Roast the moong till nice aroma comes, stirring all the time. Let it be cool.

Mix all the ingredients and grind it coarse paste or fine paste.

If you are using whole moong, then grind the roasted moong first 2 rounds, then add other ingredients to it and make it chutney.

The chutney is ready to serve with Akki roti(rice flour rotti),Thali peeth, chapati or dosa or rice.

If you like you can add little curds and chopped onion. It tastes good with akki roti and thali peeth.

I am sending this recipe to

Priya's Spill the beans - Sunday snacks

And my one more dish also is prepared with 14 pulses which is perfect for her event.(http://niveditaskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/06/14-mixed-pulses-gravy.html#links)

Hope you all enjoy the chutney!!

Keep smiling,

Fogotten Indian games!!!!!!!!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi all,

I wanted to write about this last month only. But some how it went out of mind!! Now suddenly I remembered and thought let me share with you.

In the child hood, we used to stay in a chawl. (Many houses together in a big compound, or one big lane having houses built either side of the road.) I had many friends and there was no one to stop us playing the whole day during summer vacations. We used to play many games, which are totally disappeared now a days. Lagori, Halpi, Vattappa, sarbadgi, muttata, hide and seek(stop), kabaddi, gilli dandu, aali guli mani, kuntata, bali churu(broken banlgles), Chakka vacchi, playing house house game with kitchen set and dolls, kalla police(thief and police), dum sharara, goli, writing our own script and playing the dramas.(I do not know the English names for the games, sorry!! These all are Kannada names!) I still do not remember many games.

That included, stealing pickles from the kitchen and then sharing and eating.

Collecting the ingredients for making Chigali(made up of fresh tamarind, jaggery, chilly powder, lime leaves, salt and few more!!). Then making small balls of chigali, sharing and enjoying the spicy, tangy, lemony and salty taste.

Preparing mehandi at home and applying in the evenings.

And not to forget, educational games, like writing names of four things from same alphabet, memory game, Antakshari!!!

Just a thought came in my mind!! Why we can not post all old games one by one, trying to explain it with photo(if possible) !!!

Any one to join me????

I will try to post the games one by one or any one wants to host the event and name it "Forgotten games"

Let me know!!!

Keep smiling