Mix Vegetable Curry in Fresh Coconut Milk

Tried and tasted by Nivedita,Hi All,I remember the game we used to play in our childhood. "color, color which color do you want?" One kid will ask the other kids to guess the color by asking for the hints. It was not only colors, it might be fruits, vegetables, flowers etc. Why am I talking about  this game now? Because you have to guess the vegetables and colors put in this gravy. of course without looking at the picture. And if you ask me, which vegetable do you want, my answer is all the vegetables with all the vibrant colors. Yes! I love all the vibrant color vegetables(except ridge gourd).

My younger daughter is very choosy about the food she eats. So I have to do a research(☺) on how to mix and match the vegetables so that she gets attracted towards the food and eat happily or how I can hide these vegetables in any form to feed her.

So, this is why this curry came in my kitchen. The other day she was hungry and was not in a mood to eat our regular sabji, roti. When I opened the fridge, I saw these colorful bell peppers which I bought it to make Paneer dish. It is difficult here to get colored bell peppers. We get it sometimes in the market. So whenever I I see them, I bring and store. I thought of making fried rice, there was a big no from both the kids. Suddenly I thought of making Thai curry, but when I checked the time, it was 9 in the night. No chance of any supermarket to be opened that time to get ready Thai curry paste, I thought of giving a try without curry paste. And here is the result. I was really very tasty and they both had it happily, even my husband too. Only sad part was it was not enough for four of us! :-( .

And that's why I have not given the title as THAI CURRY.

Thai and Mexican food is my favorite. But, do I hate food from any part of the world!! hehehe! NO way!

Notes :

• Before I start the recipe, You can use any vegetable you have or you like. Bamboo shoot is mainly used in Thai food. Broccoli gives the unique taste. But I do not get bamboo shoot here and was not having broccoli at home.  
• It's always best to use fresh home made coconut milk. The taste always differs with the ready made one. But, if you don't have time to make the milk at home, you can use the ready pack. It takes just 10 minutes to make the coconut milk. Soon I will post the detailed recipe for the same.
• I have used the Ching's secret Red chilly paste and Green chilly paste. You can replace it with any other brand or home made  chilly paste also.
• You can parboil the vegetables if you don't like the crunchy taste. But I have used directly. 

Serves 4

Coming to the recipe,

Ingredients :

Oil - 1 tbsp(I have used olive oil, you can use the normal oil)

Onion - 1 big, sliced

Cabbage - 1 cup chopped

Beans - 1 cup, cut diagonally

Carrot - 1/2 cup, cut diagonally

Green, Red and Yellow bell peppers - 1 1/2 cup, sliced

Fresh green peas - 1/2 cup

Ginger and garlic paste - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Green chilly paste - 1 tbsp

Red chilly paste - 1 tbsp + little more if you want it spicy

Fresh coconut milk - 1 1/2 cup

Water to add.

Cooked rice to serve with the curry. The curry  tastes best with rice than roti or chapati. I love to have it just like that ;-)

Method:

• Keep all the ingredients ready. So that you will not miss anything to add. 
• Heat the oil in a thick pan or kadai.
• Add onion and allow it to brown, Mix it in between. 
• Add the ginger-garlic paste, saute it.
• Add the peas and beans first(they take more time to cook) cook on a slow flame.
• After two minutes, add the bell peppers and saute for a minute. Now add carrots and cabbage at the end.
• Mix it properly and allow to cook for two- three minutes. 
• Add salt, green and red chilly paste. Mix well. 
• Add the fresh coconut milk. mix well and close the lid. Cook for few more minutes. 
• If you feel the curry is thick, add some water to adjust the consistency. 
• Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves(optional)

Off the stove and keep it for few more minutes.

Curry is ready to serve. 

I have a few recipe links from my friends from other blogs. Please do check and enjoy these curries.

* Pongal Kootu by Seema

* Perfect Thai curry from Jagruti.

* Chickpea dumplings gravy by Nayna Kanabar

* Spinach Kofta Curry from Jayashree

* Mushroom matar masala from Avin

Keep Smiling, 

Stuffed tomato in rich gravy

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Is tomato a vegetable or a fruit? Debate continues. Who cares! Aap Aam khao, pedh kyoun gin na? Tomato is used in many recipes for its sour taste and its color also. Tomatoes are used to make rasam, sambhar, salad, chutney, juice and even the  face pack. And it comes handy when we are out of vegetables in the fridge. But only thing is the tomatoes should be ripe and firm. Normally hybrid (salad) tomatoes are used to make this stuffed style. As these tomatoes are firm and don't have juicy pulp inside and they taste sweet also.

I avoid tomatoes as much as possible as my hubby has kidney stone problem. I replace tomato with kokam, lemon, tamarind, curds or dry mango. But tomato is tomato, it has its own texture, color and taste.

A very easy and rich food which looks great on dining table and tastes great too. Let's start the recipe.

SERVES 3

Ingredients:

Fully ripe red hybrid tomatoes - 6

Onion - 1 big or two medium

Red dry chilly - 4 to 6

Almond powder - 1/4 cup or less

ginger - 1/2" piece

garlic cloves - 3-4

or ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp

(you can drop garlic and use only ginger also)

Fresh coriander - handful

Red chilly powder - 1 tsp

Rock salt - as per taste(use the normal salt also if you don't have the rock salt)

Whenever possible I use rock salt as it's better than the table salt and tastes great)

Haldi or turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala - 1 tsp

dry methi or kasuri methi - 1 tsp

Fresh cream - 1/4 cup

Oil - 1 tbsp + 1 tsp to roast the onions

Water to grind into paste

Method:

• Clean, peel and chop the onions.
• Fry onion and dry red chilly with a tsp of oil till brown, add ginger and garlic also before you take it off the stove.
• Keep it to cool in a plate.
• Wash and wipe the tomatoes.
• Trim the stem end of tomatoes carefully to get a flat opening. With a small round spoon take out the pulp slowly without disturbing Its firmness. If pulp is not very watery you can use it in the masala.

• Take the fried stuff, salt, chilly powder, haldi and grind into a little coarse paste.
• Remove in a plate. Check the taste and adjust accordingly.
• Now, stuff the tomatoes with this masala. Once all are stuffed, some more masala will be left out.
• Take non stick kadai (I use pans from Sanjeev Kapoor's wonderchef product which was gifted by my brother. The pans are magical) or a normal one.
• Heat oil in the kadai. Once hot, add the stuffed tomatoes slowly and close with the lid for few minutes. Cook on a slow flame. Open the lid and add the remaining masala. Mix slowly. Close the lid again and cook for 3-4minutes.

• Till that take the fresh cream and beat it with the beater or fork or small blender. Add the cream, garam masala and kasuri methi. Mix gently and cook for a minute. Remove from the stove. Serve hot with phulka, chapati or naan. 
• Note: You can add fresh scrambled paneer in masala. 

Keep Smiling, 

PASTA WITH HOMEMADE WHITE SAUCE

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Prepared this in monsoon and writing the post now.

Pasta, being an Italian dish, is also the  most favorite food of Indians. Kids love pasta in any form. And I love the colors and shapes of Pasta.  Even we Indians make pasta since many years. If you are from North Karnataka, you must be knowing about "GULAGI", "PARADI", "SAVATE BEEJA" and our own "SHAAVIGE(SEVIYAN)". We use these to prepare sweet dishes. These are our Indian Pasta.

Coming to today's recipe, It's the most easiest, quickest and yummiest  food to serve when you are in a hurry and hungry both. My elder daughter loves Pasta. I always make Pasta Masala- Indian style.  But don't know why I never tried this white sauce with pasta. Last month I bought a ready sauce packet and prepared. Though it tasted great, I was not happy. As you know me, I avoid processed food as much as possible. Other day  when my daughter demanded to prepare pasta, I thought of making the white sauce at home.

I was so happy as it tasted exactly the same what we get in the restaurants. I used ready pizza herb mix for the flavor.

Now, coming to the recipe,

Serves 2

For Pasta :

Pasta of any shape and size - 2 cups

Cook  the pasta by following the instructions given on the packet. And keep it ready after draining the water.

For white sauce :

All purpose flour (maida) 2 tbsp

Butter - 5 tbsp

Cold or room temperature Milk -  1 1/4 cup

Salt to taste

Use less salt if your butter is salted one.

Black pepper powder 1 TSP or less. 

Mixed herb - 1 TSP

Method :

Take thick bottomed pan and keep it on the stove. Add the butter when hot. Keep on a medium flame. When butter melts add the APF flour slowly and mix it properly. Remove the lumps and wait till the raw smell goes. Now add the milk slowly in batches. Keep in stirring to avoid any lumps. Very important step. And be sure to boil it on slow flame. Add salt and pepper. Mix and boil till you get the thick sauce consistency. Keep it aside. 

Take the boiled pasta in a vessel. Add the sauce to it and mix gently. Boil it on low flame for a minute or till you see the bubbles. Add herbs and serve immediately.

This tastes good only when hot. This is My plain white sauce pasta which my elder daughter loves anytime. 

Keep smiling,

Restaurant style White Color Veg. Pulao

Tried and tasted by Nivedita,

Hi All,

When it comes to rice, I go weak. I can't stop eating rice in any form, any style and any time.

If I go out to restaurants I always prefer to taste different types of rice preparation. Some I have tried and failed, some were disaster, few I could prepare almost near to the perfection. This is one among those successful recipes.

Though I have tasted this many times but was lazy to prepare at home. But last week I just planned to put my effort to recreate this restaurant style Veg.pulao and I got it almost same or according to my kids it was better than the restaurant taste.😍😊. And again I tried it this week and the result was same.

Without boasting much, I am coming to the recipe.

First time I used basmati rice and second time I used Jeera rice. If we use biryani leaves then it tastes just like Basmati. Nothing much difference except the aroma.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 1/2 cup(Basmati or Jeera)

Mix vegetables - 1 1/2 cup( I have used beans, carrot and fresh green pea. You can add corn and paneer too. I love the paneer and corn in it but i didn't have)

Green capsicum - 1 medium, cubed

Green chilli - 2, slit(avoid if you want bland taste)

Onion - 1 big, finely sliced

Oil - 1/4 cup

Star anseed - 1 whole

Tej patta - 2 big

Jeera(cumin seeds) - 1 TSP

Ginger garlic paste - 1tsp(fresh made tastes good)

Salt to taste

Ghee 1 tsp+1tsp

Cashew nuts -1 tbsp, cut into pieces

Lime juice - 2 TSP

Fresh coriander and mint leaves - handful, cleaned, washed and chopped.

Water - as per the instructions on the packet. Mine is  rough measurement. Usually I take 

 1: 1 1/2 ratio or most of the times it's just an eye measurement)

DRY WHOLE MASALA - 1 1/2 TBSP:

BLACK PEPPER - 20TO25(depends on how strong the quality is and reduce if you want mild spicy taste. PLANNING TO USE WHITE PEPPER CORNS NEXT TIME TO GET PERFECT WHITE PULAO. 

Green cardamom -2(or 1 green and half of black elaichi)

Cloves - 4 to 6

Cinnamon - 1 inch 

Dry fry all the masalas and keep aside(keep it coveres to save the aroma)

Preparation:

• Wash the rice twice and soak it for 15 minutes atleast. Drain the water and keep it aside.
• Cut all the vegetables in to cubes. 

Parboil or steam the vegetables for few minutes, take care not to make it soft. 

• Now coarse powder the dry masalas and again keep it covered.
• Fry cashew nuts in 1 TSP ghee. 
• Cook the rice either in a cooker or open thick bottomed vessel. Add little salt and a TSP of ghee and 1tsp of coarse masala and star anseed. Again rice should be parboiled. 
• Just check the water once rice is parboiled. If there is still water drain it. It's safer to cook it very less water. Because if we need to remove the water,  then all the flavour will go off with the water. Or if you must drain the water, use the water to cook the vegetables. 
• Now, take again a thick bottomed and wide kadai  or another cooker pan and keep it on medium flame.(By the way, my friends laugh at me for keeping cookers of all the sizes, I have cookers from 1litre to 10litres. But I know the importance of using cooker, how it is helpful.)
• Add oil. Once hot, add Jeera and onion together. Fry till golden brown. 
• Now add ginger garlic paste. Saute it on low flame till onion gets brown. 
• Now add the boiled vegetables and saute it slowly for a minute.
• Add remaining garam masala powder and salt. Remember there is already salt in the rice.
• Mix well, add the rice and lime juice.
• Mix it slowly, close the lid and cook on very low flame for 10 minutes. Don't allow it to whistle.
• If using open kadai, then close it with thick lid and keep some weight on it to avoid the rice  getting  it burnt. 
• Once cool, spread the fried cashew and chopped coriander. 
• Serve hot with onion raita. 

It tastes good even after its cold😉. 

To make onion raita:

Onion - 1 big, finely cubed

Fresh curd - 1 cup

Salt to taste

Fresh coriander and mint leaves 1 TSP chopped finely. 

Mix all the above ingredients in a serving bowl. Onion raita is ready.

Waiting for your comments. 

Keep smiling, 

Fresh dates and dry fruits ladoo

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

How are you? I am happy that I could take out time for another post. Actually all these days I thought I can not type on the cellphone and I am not getting time to sit infront of the computer. But, now no more excuses. I will post the recipes from my cellphone itself.

Home made food is always the best and many food act as the medicine too. Having deep rooted culture, our India offers countless ideas or recipes as a medicine.

Here is one among those treasures which acts as magic for many diseases.

Yes, I am talking about laddoos made of fresh dates and dry fruits. I have already posted a recipe of gondh ke laddoo long back. It has it's own benefits and who can eat it. The link is  Here for the recipe. Please visit and let me know.

Now, why again this type? Because this laddoo has NO more ghee, NO SUGAR OR JAGGERY.

Easy to make and can store it for a week.

And benefits!!! From our skin care to iron deficiency to weight loss and constipation!

                

         

So, what are you waiting for? Go through the recipe, I am sure all the ingredients are in your kitchen. It takes only 20-30 minutes make these laddoos.

Recipe :

It makes 15-16 small laddoos (small lemon size)

           

Fresh dates - 1cup, deseeded and cubed

Dry fruits(almonds, cashew nuts, raisins, walnuts) - 1/2 cup

Dry coconut grated - 1/3 cup

Edible Gondh - 1tbsp, fried in a spoon of ghee.

Alalvi (garden cress seeds)- 2 tsp, again fries in the same pan.

Keep these to cool.

Put dates in a blender or mixi for few seconds to get it in to coarse powder. Transfer it into a wide open bowl. Now add the dry fruits and grind to make small pieces or even to a coarse powder.

Transfer this into the same bowl in which you kept the dates.

Add fried Gondh and alalvi and mix it properly. And take a small portion to make a laddoo of small lime size.

Eat it or give it to kids everyday with a glass of milk in the morning after the breakfast. Immunity will increase, if there is low Hb count , this will help to increase it. It's very tasty, healthy and you just can't wait one. But don't eat more than two a day.

Keep smiling,

Hubli style GIRMITT (masala puffed rice)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
 Hi All,
Perfect weather for perfect dish of Hubli. Actually, this dish is perfect for any weather, any time. Some recipes hold a long story and history. Some recipes tell the whole tale about that particular place.
Hey, I really don't know the history of this dish and how it is connected with my Hubli-dharwad city. But we Hubli-dharwadians love this always.
Let me introduce my favourite snack -GIRMITT. (MASALA ONION PUFFED RICE).

If you enter our Hubli city, every corner you will get GIRMITT shops in the evenings.
According to my survey, I have three places where you get the best girmitt. First place goes to the "Hiremath's", whose shop is at Durgad Bail, the second place is near Unkal, the third is the shop at Manjunath Nagar, Gokul road.
The girmitt prepared near Manjunath Nagar  has the raw tomato chutney in it and tastes totally different from other.
Today, I am sharing the tamarind gravy recipe.
Let's start  making this yummy GIRMITT.

Ingredients:

Dry ingredients:
Fresh and crispy PUFFED RICE(kurmura, churumari which is our North Karnataka word) - 3 cups per serve, cleaned.
Powdered sugar- 1tbsp
Powdered roasted gram dal(puthani pudi)- 2 tbsp
Onion- 1 medium, finely chopped
Ripe red Tomato -1 medium, deseeded and finely cubed
Fresh coriander - 1 tbsp, finely chopped,
Sev(mixture) -1 tbsp, optional, I do not add as I feel it spoils the main taste.
Three long green chillies - pricked with a fork and shallow fried with dash of oil and salted.

Ingredients for the gravy :
Onion - 1 big or 2 medium, finely chopped
Curry leaves 10-15(optional), cleaned and chopped
Oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 TSP
Cumin seeds - 1/2 TSP
Red chilli powder 1 tbsp or more if you want it spicier
Green chilli- 1 finely chopped, (drop this if you like it less spicy)
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder- 2 TSP, don't add less as this alters the taste
Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp (if the tamarind is very strong then take l/2 tbsp. Though My tamarind is strong or more tangy, I use full 1tbsp as I like the tangy taste)
Jaggery - 1 tsp powdered
Roasted gram dal powder (Dalia powder)- 1tbsp
Water -1/8 cup

Method:
Heat oil in a pan or kadai.
Add mustard seeds once hot. Allow it to splutter.
Add jeera or cumin seeds and curry leaves.
Now add onions(and green chilli) and saute it.
Cook it till the onion changes to light brown color. Now add salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder. Mix well.
Add the tamarind paste and jaggery powder and 1/8 cup of water
Mix well. Cover and cook it on a slow flame till the oil starts leaving the sides of the pan.
Off the heat and keep the gravy to cool.
Gravy should neither be very thick nor watery.
Now everything is ready to serve.
Keep all the ingredients in hand.
Remeber the gravy should not be hot. It makes the girmitt soggy.


JUST before serving,
Take a round deep vessel to mix. It's easy to mix the girmitt well.
I love this process as the sound creates nice music to hear.
Put 2tbsp of gravy in the vessel.
Add 2 cups of puffed rice. Mix it slowly for 10 seconds. Now add 1/2 tbsp powdered sugar, 1/2 tbsp gram dal powder, 1 tbsp onion, 1 tbsp tomato. Mix it fast and quick.
Transfer it to the serving plate and garnish it with another half tbsp of onion, tomato and fresh coriander(and the sev if you want). Top it with fried green chilli and serve it immediately as it becomes soggy if delayed.

Adjust the spice according to your taste.
It tastes best if gravy is fresh. I don't like to make it a day before or even few hours before.
Hope you all will make this and let me know the taste.


Keep smiling,

MY DAD AND HIS FAVOURITE MASALA UPMA.

Tried and tasted by Nivedita,

Hi All,
 

I would like to start the post with BIG THANKS to everyone.

And a very heartfelt thanks to Jagruti of  http://www.jcookingodyssey.com/, who is more than a friend, a sister and a great human being. She has a great blog with lot of vegetarian dishes. This post is because of her invitation to me to participate in her event. Thank you dear for inspiring me to start writing again. Even last year it was her event which made me to post a recipe. I know I should write and post regularly but somehow I am not getting time to do the same.

Who is that one person who is not alive but you miss him/her  so much that you would love to talk with if you get a chance? Have I gone crazy to ask this silly question? YES and NO. I am sure all of us have this feeling. There are many people in our life who depart from us for forever. My post is dedicated to that one person whom I always miss so much.  'Appaji' my father, who left us 15 years back and whom I could not talk, see or meet during his last days. I was 8 months pregnant with my first daughter and was living in UAE. Though I knew about his illness, but never imagined that his condition is bad. But when I came to know about it, doctor did not allow me to fly as government won't allow to fly at this stage. Then, he passed away. Those days still mobile phones were very new and not all could afford to buy. He was in coma before he left us. But for me he is not dead. He is in my words. He lives in my words. My only wish was to meet him once and to listen what he wanted to say me before he went. Everyone told me that  till the last minute before he stopped talking he was taking my name. And even after for many years he came into my dream either serving me food or having food with me.  My father and I shared this bond. He was a great cook. He enjoyed cooking. And his food tasted heaven. Family friends and relatives waited for a chance to taste the food prepared by him. He used to prepare  rice, sambhar, any vegetables, dosa, idly, chapati, Mirchi, girmit. You name it and he will make it for you. He always stayed away from us as his government job did not allow him to be with us. My mother, being a working woman, stayed back with us in for her job and studies. We always loved to go to his place during our summer holidays.

My father  was 6 feet tall, dark and lean man. He was a man of his words. Always polite, hardworking, caring and dedicated. Not even a single bad habit.  He was a great singer too. He was passionate about photography. He loved reading and was 100% Kannadiga. His handwriting was just like printed one.

His only weakness was he was  not very courageous person. He used to get scared of even a simple cough. May be this was the reason he did not fight his last breath.  What I did not like about him was he was not a decision maker. I wish he could have been a stronger person.  But I pity him for not enjoying his life fully. I wanted him to be there with us now to see our success and settled life. He was always worried about my brother and his future. Now how I wish I could see him enjoying  with  his grand children. He was fond of kids. He always clicked the photos of my friend's children. 

My memory with him starts from his coming home on weekends after traveling for many hours. My brother and I used to sleep off after  waiting  for him till late night. And in the morning he used to wake us up with Amara Chitra Katha story books in his hands. As I grew and started cooking on my own, I followed my father always. Whenever Dosa was prepared at home, it was me who used to make for everyone but at the end he always made me sit and make dosas for me and give. Round dosa, crispy dosa, triangle dosa, cap dosa... Ahh! I still have that taste in my mouth. This is the most closest memory about my dad and me. He always ironed my uniform and kept ready. Whenever he came early from the office, he used to prepare some or the other snacks and wait for us.

And one more what I always will remember is he introduced us to the music. From devotional songs to Gazals, all Kannada folk songs  till the current movie hits. He had huge collection of tapes. Being an officer in Information and Publicity department, he was always on tour. Most of the media people, journalists, radio artists always visited our house. His control over Kannada and English language was very good. Even I wanted to do journalism but don't know why he did not allow me to do.  
Most of my recipes in my blog are his favorite foods. As he loved our North Karnataka food very much. 
He happily ate Jowar roti everyday.  Jowar roti upma, Thaali peeth, If nothing with roti, he loved having dal roti and his the most favorite evening snack girmitt or this  churmari with bhaji,  jowar-vada. How can I forget this magic vegetable which was his favorite and he taught me to love this one Kaarchi-kaimini-bitter-gourd-sabji. 
And the list goes on. Please go through my North Karnataka recipe collection to know more about. 

 I will force myself to stop to write about him as the post may go lengthy. Coming to his favorite foods, he always loved any vegetarian food. Only once in a while he had eggs. He always loved upma. whenever he had to go early mornings for meetings or tour, he used to keep everything ready previous night itself. He will roast Semolina, keep all the required vegetables on a cutting board. Never disturbed my mom or me to wake up early and prepare it. But I always got up as early as 5 O'clock whenever he made upma. I loved his upma. I used to get up eat and again go to sleep after he left the house. 

He loved this masala upma very much. So here is the recipe of masala upma. I know it's very common and regular food but it was my dad's favorite so it is special for me. 

Ingredients:

Semolina or Suji or Bansi rawa - 1 cup(240ml)
(It serves 3 persons)
1.Oil - 1/4 cup
2.Mustard seeds - 1tsp
3.Jeera or Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
4.Urad dal - 2 tsp
5.Chana dal - 2 tsp
6.Curry leaves - 10-15, washed and chopped
7.Onion - 1 big, chopped finely
8.Green chilly - 2, chopped finely
9.Ginger - small piece, cleaned and chopped
10.Dry red chilly - 3 to 4 
11.Tomato - 1 big, De seeded and finely chopped
12.Tamarind juice - 1 tsp
13.Sugar - 1 tsp
14.Salt to taste
15.Pav Bhaji masala or Sambhar masala - 2 tsp ( The taste differs with each powder)
16.Red chilly powder - 1 tsp(skip if you don't like  the spicy taste)
17.Haldi or turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
18.Water - 3 cups or depends on the rawa.
19.Fresh Coriander  - handful and little for the garnishing
grated fresh coconut - 1 tbsp(optional) 
20.Ghee - 1 tsp for each serve.

Method:

Roast the rawa  till you get nice aroma. Take care not to burn it.
Keep it aside. 
Keep the water to boil.
Keep a thick bottomed pan or vessel on the gas stove. 
Add oil and allow it to be hot.
Add mustard seeds and wait till splutters and add urad and chana dal. Let the dals turn into golden color. 
Now goes the jeera, curry leaves and onion. Fry till onions are transparent.
Keep the flame low. 
Start adding the ingredients from NO.8 till No.17 slowly one by one, sauteing in between. 
Saute for a minute.
Add the hot water and allow it to boil for 30 seconds. Again keeping the flame on low, add the roasted rawa slowly and immediately start mixing it. Or else upma will have lumps which will taste very bad. 
now add the fresh coriander and close the lid and cook it for 3 to five minutes. Off the stove and wait for few minutes. Serve it on a plate with fresh coconut and coriander leaves. 

This simple but the most delicious upma prepared from my father made me wake up at 5 in the morning.
Miss you Appaji, you are always in my words and my talks.

These are some more recipes from other wonderful bloggers for father's day celebrations. Thank you friends. 
Jagruti's recipe who created this wonderful event : sugar free mango basil and cashew 
Sweet vermicelli with jaggery by Mina 
baingan kabartha roasted aubergine  by Nayana Kanabar. 
misti-doi by Sujata
Meat Masala Bharwan Baingan - TheYellowDaal - Mains or Sides
Ghari Rotli-Puran Poli - Mayuri's Jikoni - Mains
List is long. Please visit Jagruti's collection of 50 recipes for fathers's day for all the amazing 50 recipes. 
 
 
 

Keep Smiling,

ISKCON HERITAGE FESTIVAL AND FRESH LIME/LEMON CHUTNEY

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi All,

How are you? I know its a long gap. I am not able to give time to my blogging which is very close to my heart. Without giving unwanted and unnecessary reasons, let me share with you a quickest, easiest and tangiest, tastiest chutney. 

I never knew that we can make chutney with whole lime or lemon. And I was careless to know also about the difference between Lime and Lemon. So ignorant I am many times. Now, I am happy  that I know both. 

The information from google I got about the difference between  lime and lemon : 

(Lemon vs Lime - Difference and Comparison | www.diffen.com/difference/Lemon_vs_Lime)

"Lemons and limes are both very acidic but have slightly different flavors and scents. Lemons have a sour, acidic taste, while a lime has a bitter, acidic taste. Both citrus fruits are frequently used in cooking and cocktails, as well a variety of household products."

And NOW the recipe for the chutney :

Before giving the recipe let me thank my dearest and sweetest friend Vaishali for sharing this recipe with me. Last week I went to her house after my  college as we both were invited as judges for Inter school cookery competition organised by ISKCON-HUBLI on the occasion of HERITAGE FESTIVAL.  It was an honor for us to get the invitation from ISKCON. 

When I went her home, she had prepared Mooli paratha for me and with that I was searching something to eat as I know her fridge is always full of chutneys, dips, pickles. Then she told me to take Lime chutney. I thought she is kidding as I never heard about making chutney using lime. I asked her for the recipe before tasting it. When she told whole limes are used in it, I was really surprised. I asked her twice is it really a lime chutney? Then she told me to taste it and see. It was really very good. It tasted like the lime pickle. But when we can't make lime pickle and keep, this is the best way  instead of using ready made pickles. Vaishali is a great cook and has an amazing knowledge about food and recipes. And moreover  a wonderful human being who always is smiling, what ever life offers her. I love her for that and respect her more like an elder sister. 

And again before going to the recipe, let me share our experience about cooking competition at ISKCON. It was a divine experience for me. I want to thank Shri.Ramdas of ISKCON, who followed my blog for few months and selected me and invited me as a judge. I really thank him from the bottom of my heart. And when cooking event takes place, Vaishali is always there with me. It never has happened that I had gone somewhere without her. So she too joined me as a judge. 

One more sweet surprise was I got a chance to meet Anushruti RK, a recipe developer, food writer and photographer of  http://www.divinetaste.com/ . It was a great opportunity for me to meet her and share the responsibility with her. Very sweet, simple and inspiring lady.

Competition was really good. Students had put lot of effort. Here are few photos from the competition. 

 

  

Now, now its time for the recipe:

Ingredients:

Fresh Lime/lemon -3 big or 4 small.

Methi(Fenugreek) seeds - 1 tsp, roasted 

Rock salt to taste

Sugar - 1 tbsp or more if the limes are very sour.

or Jaggery 1 tbsp(Taste differs)

Red chilly powder 2 tsp or more if you want it spicy.

For tempering : (optional)

Oil - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds

A pinch of hing or asafoetida 

Method:

Wash and wipe the lemons.

Cut into four and de seed all the lemons. Please take care not to leave one seed also. Or else chutney will be very bitter.

Take all the ingredients and put in a blender to make it a fine paste.

Transfer it to a bowl.

Temper it with mustard seed and hing. 

Chutney is ready to eat with parathas, hot rice, chapati and just like that. 

Keep Smiling,

LIFE IS FULL OF COLORS, LIFE IS ABUNDANT, LIFE IS LIKE HOLI

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Thank you guys for being with me here though I did not post anything in the whole year. Love you all. 

MARCH is Special month for me for many reasons. First is, its the month I am born ;-) . I love March because it is the season for Mangoes. In my husband's family ,10 of us celebrate our birthday :-). March 1st starts with my Sis-in-law's son"s birthday and March 30th ends with my daughter's birthday.

And I started blogging on March 12, 2009.

Another most favorite reason is its the month where we celebrate the  festival of colors HOLI. Yes!!! this post is all about HOLI. I want to thank Jagruti for inviting me to share about this festival and how do I celebrate my Holi.

Here is the link for Jagruti's space to read about other friends who has shared about their celebration and their view about Holi

http://www.jcookingodyssey.com/2016/03/channar-puli-paneer-gulab-jamun.html

only few photos of my Holi celebrations. 

Holi is the only festival I celebrate with all my tann, mann and dhan :-) ;-)
Though there are so many stories behind this festival and many religious beliefs and customs to follow,  I believe life is like this festival. Its full of all types of colors. All emotions we feel represent each color. And I love all the colors of  life which allows me to enjoy this life every moment.
Coming to the HOLI day. My day starts early with making breakfast and lunch ready and keep it aside so that once we come back after playing, the food should be ready. I can play without any tension. Till two years back, mom was there with us on this day and two maids were there to help mom to make special Holi food. I was not worried, but now as I am alone here, I had to prepare and keep. And  its not only  me, my friends bring their food and keep it in my house. We all play and come back to our house and enjoy the food together. We all go in our bikes in a group and visit almost all the nearby areas. Stopping wherever people are playing,  playing with them, screaming with joy. I am out of the world on that day. Sometimes I keep on shouting "happy new year" , "happy birthday" some irrelevant wishes and dance on the road with friends and kids. People think I have taken Bhaang!!!
After playing, taking bath, we all gather in our house, have the food and drinks and it goes till 6 pm.
Puran poli is must on that day in North Karnataka.
Just to give a twist, I am linking my old recipe of

Biscuit Poli for Holi. 

Its different from traditional Puran poli.

(http://niveditaskitchen.blogspot.in/2010/03/biscuit-poli-for-holi.html)

  

HOLI HAI BHAI HOLI HAI, BURA NA MAANO HOLI HAI :-)

Waiting for this year HOLI. Its only a week ahead, already planned for the day.

My next posts will be on "My journey of thirteen days on raw food diet"

Keep Smiling,

Mangalore Buns Recipe~ Karnataka Special | How to Make Mangalore Buns | Indian Cooking Challenge - March

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

How is everyone?? Hope all is well. Feeling shy to start writing a post here. Its exactly one year that I posted a recipe in my blog. I know you all love me and welcome me back with your arms wide open and support me the way you did always. When I thought of returning back  first thing came in my mind was Srivalli"s Indian Cooking Challenge.

So here I am with you guys, with the simplest yet tastiest Mangalore Sweet Buns which is the challenge for the month of March 2015.

Though I tried it in restaurants and my mom used to make it often, I never thought of trying it at home, The simple reason is its Maida and sugar and Fried....

But when I saw it in challenge, it was an opportunity for me to try it and taste it.

Valli has followed the recipe from  This.. its from www.chefandherkitchen.com.

Please visit Valli

Mangalore Buns Recipe~ Karnataka Special | How to Make Mangalore Buns | Indian Cooking Challenge - March and Pratibha"s website for the detailed recipe.

I have not changed any thing, so just posting the photos. 

We all enjoyed it with hot cup of coffee. I hope you all will also enjoy it. 

And its a great food to take with you while travelling.

Thanks for visiting me again and pleeeze your comments are highly appreciated..

I am waiting..

Keep Smiling,