A dent in the heart!

A bad day…. or may be the worst day so far.  I just want all of you to  yell at me. 

Cars were never facinating to me, although, i forcibly became member of freaky car fan’s club.  I have no brother or a car frenzy father, who could have probably ignited interest in me about cars.  Whatever i knew till my marrige, was  the four wheels and a metal body with seats and a very very status oriented and fun to drive thing. 

Things changed, and my hubby dear looked like a president of that car fan’s club.  To my amusement, he could name all the cars on the tracks(now i know all kids do that, but i wasn’t aware then).  Still i was always away from this  kinky business.  Gently and unknowingly, i was one of them, in span of three years. 

Things changed better,  I got a license in qatar by passing the first test which was a  uphill battle.  The next day, to much of my excitement, i could drive a brand new Honda Civic from the showroom all by myself, upto the porch.  The car was bought with lots and loads of dicussions over  a month, after we lost our astra to a freaky but a terrible accident.  The experience of driving a new showroom car in a different country to me was something ultimate so far.   I was in the air, though, i was drenched in sweat for that five minutes drive.  The dream was, one day just zip across the strees of Doha, at highest speed possible wearing a black gorgles and a black dress.  Nothing of that sort hapnd, apart from escaping few hair line accidents. 

Then comes, our home land,wild and carefree, careless and disobidient.  I was a proud wife to my hsuband when i took a Tata Safari for a  test drive.  We even thought to go for that.  Some how Ford Fiesta captured us.  We closed the deal spending half a day at  Cauvery Ford. My husband was so so cautious and a careful driver, is cautious with all the things that happens on the world which invloves him.  He takes HIS OWN time in deciding things.  Its a virtue by itself and mistakes will be minimal. 

Some how the struggle we went through at Bangalore over months, in conveyance, fighting and yelling at autos, just showed me the importance of owning a vehicle.  Fiesta is more like a member to our family than a car that is just paked outside.  My husband very soon got good hands on the wheel, who was more worried of the fact that he is not used to manual car with wrong side driving.  He had no alternative other than driving and he took few classes,   slowly but steadily took off to be a meticulous driver i would say.  I am so happy for him.

The story begins now.  I am too jittery, i donno what not i am.  May be i am far more careless sort.  Whatever i am, but i loved this little one, who took us around during bad traffics, awful weather and long drives.  Fiesta just listens to you like your cudley pup or a obidient kid.  The shortest distance this car travelled is dropping my daughter to her school which close to the house, with worst driver like me, it got bruised twice near the front wheel.  I decided not touch, but there was nothing like DONT TOUCH from the owner of the car, i some how sorted the issues between me and mind and started off again.  But today was end of one fateful day.  The car was asked to park at the basement and hight of misguidance from me, made a big dent near the rear door of the car. The dent i just dont forget, i could see that even now when i close my eyes.  Its been too bad for me too take it.  I mean most of you would have gone through that experience .. how could one imagine a big dent of about 5 inches long 1 inch deep, on a three months old Platinum color Fiesta looks like? BAD BAD BAD…. a bad day….

Hesarubele Undey - Moong dal laddoo

 At last…. I posted!

Six long months of hesitation to write, coping with slow broadbands, remembering photography, making time for a decent cooking other than routine fast food stuff,…. world was never same for me after moving back to India.

Though i could not post or pass a word of comment to all my blog friends, i often used to make sure that i am still remembered!!(oh yeah i am selfish) I was scared, frightened, where all of you, one day, one by one just knock me off from your blog rolls.

Hoping to continue posting… i have come up with a sweet dish for this new year as a first dish after a long break, first ever sweet dish of my blog.

To start with my where abouts, we are residing in JP nagar, 10th floor of an apartment building. I am off with those  cosy little houses we lived in Gulf, still it was a great life which i always miss.

My aunt who had visited us to celebrate New Year, made these lovely delicious Laddoos made of Moong daal.  I have no clue how much caloried ingridients goes into this. It was a cool stuff anyway.

What goes in while making laddoos,

Yellow gram dal (Moong dal)  2 cup

Sugar   1 and 1/4  cup

Ghee       1/4 cup

Kaju and kishmish(nuts and raisins)   1 cup

Cardamom (Ilaichi)   4 cloves (powdered)

Milk    2 tbsp

How to make:

Roast moong dal in a thick bottmed vessel or a frying pan till golden.  Fine powder it in the mixer.  Powder the sugar too.  Keep aside.  Heat ghee in a Kadai, dry roast moong dal powder in ghee till the powder leaves aroma.  Mix this powder with sugar and Nuts and raisins roasted in a tbsp of ghee.

Make Lemon sized balls, keeping your hand wet with milk.  Prepare balls when the mixture remains hot and warm.  Relish the laddoos, after it gets cooled.

Year 2007

Last sunset of year 2006 at Bangalore…

Wishing a very happy and prosperous new year to all my blog friends and their family!!

For all those who remembers me…

Yeah .. i am breathing, breathing without my life support, My “Bhakshanam”, to which i barely logged on all these days, sticking to the promises i made for my dependents(hubby and kids), No Blogging till we settle down. But i am smart you see, i get the comments mails from all of you, and feel so great and happy for myself to be the part of world. I mean world, as i never felt the world is so close ever before.

Thanks for all, who are still keeping in touch and conveying the defination of friendship.

Will be back soon….

Dal Makhni

No..No.. i am not back yet.  I was feeling sick that i missed Sailu’s JFI -Dal event. Yesterday, i just happen to pass through her blog, found that event is still waiting for the round up. Anyway, i know i am too  late, but i did it!!

Life has been little hectic and more chaotic :)…yes..guessed it right, it would have been better if it was really hectic and less chaotic… i dont know i am not seems to be systematic any more. Kitchen is all packed and set to move this week end (i.e Friday,). Somehow was feeling odd to cut a sorry figure to Sailaja for not participating in the event. Then, I just remembered long forgotten whole black gram still in my store, and went to a neighbour with a cup to get some Rajma(kidney beans).

Dal Makni in my kitchen was a disastrous project couple of years back with a potful of brown water and dive through to find some black dal at the bottom. The imporved rather a tasty(ofcourse, when i add two tablespoon of butter!) version of Dal Makhni, am contributing to Sailu’s JFI - Dal/Lentils.

Soak overnight

Whole Black gram(whole urad dal)         1 cup

Kidney beans      1/2 cup

Boil soaked beans mixture with 3-4 cups of water along with

Turmeric 1/4 tsp

chilli powder 1/2 tsp

till the beans becomes broken and mashy.

Grind

Onion 1/2 of medium size cut into chunks

ginger 2″

Garlic(Indian) 1/2 bulb

Splutter

Cumin seeds  1/2 tsp in oil 2 tbsp in a sauce pan.

Fry

Onion  1  medium finely chopped and ground ginger-onion-garlic paste till transparent. 

Toss in

ripe tomato 1 medium chopped and 4-5 slit green chillies, and fry till the oil separates.

Sprinkle

Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp (preferably Kashmiri, if so 1tsp)

Coriander powder 1tsp

cumin powder 1/2 tsp

Fry the mixture for 5 minutes.

Pour in cooked dal mixture into the saucepan. Allow it to boil for 10 mins.

Stir in 3 tbsp of Butter, (those weight watchers, pls… cant help, its Dal makhni!!), 2tbsp Kissan Tomato puree(taste enhancer), Garam masala powder 1/2 tsp, Salt to taste.

Garnish with 2tbsp finely chopped fresh Cliantro and 1/2 finely chopped onion.

Pantry notes: Kissan Tomato puree, gives that rich taste to the curry. You can omit this if you are adding fresh puree of 2 small tomatoes and have to fry in the beginning along with chopped tomatoes after frying  onions.

“Confessions in groups of five”

I know, i can see my cooking blog turning into personals and memes. I am hardly cooking these days.. okay.. let me cofess. The truth is camera has travelled across seven seas for a marriage ceremony at kannur.  Yep! that is it… no pictures, so no cooking.

Charming, Nandita has tagged me for this meme. 

Five in the freezer

• Fish, staple diet, cooked everyday.
• Frozen peas.
• Freezer door is over loaded with all kinds of masala powders.
• Ice creams and condensed milk in the door section.
• Al-Kabeer frozen foods.

Five in closet

• Lots of cameras
• Loads of cloths(ridiculous and insane!)
• Hidden 'whispers'.
• Box of jewellery.
• Personal certificates and important documents.

Five in car(if i would have one for myself!!:))

• Box of soft tissues.
• A small sandal wood lord Ganesha.
• Collection of Raffi, Bryan adams and Eagles.
• Chocolate wrappers, inevitable choice, i know its hard to get rid of it….
• A crate of water bottles(Its difficult to get water on long drives in Doha) or a gas can (its difficult to see a gas station in India on long drives) and a first aid kit.

 Five in my purse

• A picture of Mother Teresa( i was so much influenced by this great soul, once i even wanted to become a nun :))
• Credit cards, which is of no use in here
• An "I miss you" keepsake card sent by my hubby when we were away.
• A photo of Lord Ventkateshwara.
• Some money if i am out for shopping.

It would be interesting to read what Busy bee Indira and hilarious LG would like to confess.

A decision made!

Indeed, it was a tough but a meaningful decision.  It has been too many years, we ever felt the zephyr of monsoon in the air, ever took a glimpse of clouds that formed just before the rain begins, ever felt the serein. It has been too long, that we got ourselves drenched in heavy downpours that escaped through small umbrellas which was never a use during monsoons.  The rains we always missed, and made several attempts to reconstruct those wonderful drizzling days to our tiny ones with our limited vocabulary.

Finally, one fine morning, in our cosy little warm house at Doha, we took this decision, to relocate ourselves to India for good. Although, rain is an essential factor, more important  is a career move for my partner and i am blessed with loads and loads of people around and never again going to miss my mother's tastes. Hoping My little earthquake is going to tremor with same intensity and high spirits as she used to be here. Atleast she will not get scared  by ants anymore and get the meaning of water falling from sky (Rain!)

The memories of Doha and Bahrain, remains refreshing and warm, and i will do post about it once in a while.

For the nonce, i take a leave from all my blog freinds, for couple of months.  Hoping to join you all very soon and blogging from my home town Bangalore!!

My posts remain intermittent in coming days. Do keep a check here for some amusements and cooking on move.

Requests and orders on hold:

1. Priya of Sugar and spice, in her first comment about Bhakshanam, happy to learn more Karnataka cooking.

1. LG of ginger and mango wanted a 'spotlight' on mann chatti

2. Vaishali of happy burp, feels good if i can cook a vegetarian dish in clay pot:).. .

3. Indira of Mahanandi, eager to know what do my mother includes in Horse gram whole curry.

4. Most of my pals wants the taste of my mother….

I will soon post all these…

I miss my mom!!

I think i just have to do it right now.. its delayed enough.. and all my blog friends tagging me left and right….. i donno i am just sitting and counting stars… i am sorry about it.

My first meme, i was found by these 'Three cook(muske)teers' Ashwini, Nabeela and GM who embarked upon their culinary adventures, and befriended me (like the original  D'Artagnan in the story)… tagged me and here i am… (i know i sound honored.. but its not…) … (Melancholy… rather weeping!)… missing my mother very badly!!!!

My mother was never so good in neat and spick-and-span kitchen platforms during cooking, but used to produce wonderful delicasies.  She says,  when you concentrate more on a very organized and tidy cooking, you will never get a free hand on that hot stove.  Overall you will be thinking, … 'oh, that peas why is it spilled all over there?'… just that and you will forget all about how to make a perfect peas masala…. and end up clearing up the spilled peas in the middle of cooking…  may be she is right in her own way, she is famous for her tasty cooking.

I never got a chance to make this authentic karnataka breakfast and my mother's classic dish Masala akki rotti, with coconut chutney.. once used to be a 'hot cake' in my circle of hungry hippos and moment i open the box, rotti used to dissappear without a clue.

Tholasida akki rotti, my mom's signature dish, i have blogged.

Tomato Gojju, gravy of tomatoe and onion.

Alasandi kalu huli, curry made with black eyed peas and brinjal.

Huruli kalu huli, curry of Horse gram whole, i craved for this during my one of those 'productive' nine month period

Mosoppu, a thick curry preparation, with five different greens cooked and mashed together with little cooked dal and a ground paste. One must taste this with Ragi balls.

My ever tried and never succeeded, mom's Magical Idlis that melts in mouth. Mother has very simple notes for this recipe. Our crazy combo for breakfast used to be, idlis dipped in kus kus(poppy seeds) payasam.

A bun embedded in a jar of sugar, i know its silly but just brings back memories of my school days, when i used to hit home from school during sultry evenings anticipating some surprises, mom offers me this sugar coated bun, and i am so much amused, how mom can reproduce the same 'sugar bun' available from local bakery!!! Then i used to feel.. what a great cook my mom is? (she  has improved a lot!!!atleast she can not impress me up with such things now)

Phirni, she called it pakistani dish, leaving me wonder how and from where did she ever learnt a pakistani dish?!!. Anyway, that was one cool and coolest of dessert i have ever had.

All her umpteen rice treats prepared out of her imaginations, that used to occupy my lunch box waiting for those hungry fox to attack.

There is a lot more… but meme is limited to ten, time and.. length. Off all these, there is something else also i miss is her attitude so far i never understood is, she wants me to learn cooking but never gave me a chance in her kitchen!! It used to be real irritating… but yearning for such moments sitting far off and remembering her…..

I would  like Bindu, Shankari, Mythili, Lakshmi, nav, Reshma, Tony, Sumitha, shaheen, RP to write few words about their most memorable moments spent with mother or unforgettable dish savored back home in mom's kitchen.  

Uppillitta Nellikka - Salted Gooseberries

Has anybody explored sweetness of water?!!!! Just follow here… 

When Indira featured her crunchy cucumber that just reminded me of a very simple and plain preparation in Kannur with Indian gooseberries('Nellikka'). Quickly, i legworked on Indian gooseberries at Family Food centre, a place where we get all Indian stuffs. Berries looked real fresh and glossy  when i bought them first but got myself busy with lot many things and i found these paavam Nellikka(feel-so-sorry gooseberries) hiding in the bag after a week. 

When i opened the bag,a long 'ooooooo…' went out of my mouth.  Later on, i found myself in not-so-bad situation with Nellikka. I peeled the skin off which i am not supposed to do. I had no choice but to get that freshness under the skin.

                       

Better half loves anything that gives tarty soury salty and spicy feeling to his taste.  Its interesting to watch him eating(bad manners i know:-)) his lunch.  Usually i serve afternoon lunch with some rice, curry(mostly fish), a curd preparation, a vegetable fry. He starts lunching by mixing all the curries together with little rice just to get that "right" taste.  He savor it with such a lot of love and interest, i grab a plate for myself just to know what is that feel-good-factor of food. I love to cook food for such people who enjoys just eating and no fuss

A small story behind this Nellikka, which i often hear from him, goes like  this. In those good old days when they were on their way to school they find these Nellikkas salted and stored in big glass jars in small shops by the side of the road and they would walk down to school rather taking a bus so as to save that paisa just to buy those tiny tasty wonders. The best part, he says, should drink water immediately after chewing these Nellikka. And nothing can erase that taste off your memory.

These small memories should be kept alive so that our little ones should enjoy when they grow up listening to this. isn't it?:)  Most nicest thing i can ever do for my pal is to rebuild all those memories of food that he enjoyed over years.

Let's get on with this simple yet mouth watering prep…..

If you can get a jar that is similar to Indira's collection from her Indian utensils section Jaadilu/ceramic pots, would be the best for uppillitta Nellikka(salted Nellikka). If not even a plastic jar will serve the purpose.

I bought less than a quarter kilo of Nellikka and washed and peeled the skin, which you can do if only the skin has some brown patches. You can add a whole Nellikka or can be cut into small bite sized pieces. Slit 8-10 green chillies depending on the spicy feeling your taste buds expect. Keep the chillies minimum, so that if there is no punch, you can always add up few more chillies for extra hot feeling. Chop 5-6 Indian garlic lengthwise into  small pieces. Coarsely powder a teaspoonful of Mustard seeds. Mix all the above mentioned spices including Nellikka in the jar. Pour in a pitcherful of water, so that the ingreidients starts floating in the jar. Add lots and lots of Salt, to make the whole mixture, saturated salt solution. Most of the salt content will be absorbed by Nellikka. Allow it to settle for 2 - 3 days.

                          

You can enjoy munching this whenever you get that itchy feeling on tongue to taste something crazy or i love its piquancy paricularly when i am on a mild antibiotic course that momentarily spoils the taste buds.

For unlimited eupuhoria, make sure to drink water immediately after chewing Nellikka to get that sweetness of water…..

Fenugreek

Clockwise : fenugreek powder, kasoori methi,seeds

Mistress of spices, Mythilli of vindhu has invited bloggers and non -bloggers for this great informative event, and while googling for information, i cleaned up so much about Fenugreek, it was like going back to college days where in we used to spend hours together in the college library reffering something which leads to something else.. ..out of subject, read the same, day and night just out of interest…no regrets if you dont score well in subjects… still you feel you are more informative than others. 

Now, i wish if somebody ask me 'Do you know anything about Fenugreek?' 'Yes i know lot of things about fenugreek…

The Botonical name for fenugreek is Trigonella foenum-graecum, is actually one of the oldest cultivated plants. References to fenugreek were found in records from Egyptian tombs. The plant is indigenous to western Asia and southeastern Europe but it is cultivated throughout the Mediterranean, India and Northern Africa.

 India and some parts of middle east uses fenugreek leaves(methi, menthya, uluva chappu) to make delicious dishes. The leaves are dried(Kasoori methi) and pinch of it is a real taste enchancer gives a total new flavor to the dish. The bittery flavoured seeds are aromatic when roasted.  An extract of the seeds is used commercially in artificial flavorings such as vanilla, caramel, butterscotch and especially maple.

I still remember few years back, one of my friend had asked me to take gulp of a tsp of fenugreek seeds with water for my periodical stomach aches. Trust me! It helps.  I never had a clue that fenugreek has a steroidal component which kills the pain to cetain extent.

The chemical composition of these seeds resembles that of cod-liver oil, which has similar substances that stimulate the appetite by their action on the nervous system, or produce a diuretic or ureo-poietic effect. Can avoid lot of UTI if we add it in our regular diet.

It is used in diabetes in conjunction with insulin. I have heard People who were not able to get control on excess of sugar in the blood, take gruel made of fenugreek seeds.  Its hard to drink, but a kind of boon for high diabetic lot.

Fenugreek relieves congestion, reduces inflammation and fights infection and contains natural expectorant properties.

 Fenugreek seed is widely used as a galactagogue (milk producing agent) by nursing mothers to increase inadequate breast milk supply. This point if noted can be helpful for 'to be mom'bloggers

I just found ample medicinal properties of fenugreek seeds. I did not want to make a Colbert report as Mythili said:). Just google as 'Fenugreek', load yourself with extra infomations.

In India it is mixed with yogurt and used as a conditioner for hair. That one was an odd point, but it helps doesn't it?.

source : Internet