Diwali Celebration 2009

Dear All,

Hope all of U are doing great and had gud festive session, I know I have been away from blogosphere but was busy with work and home.  This year I didn't click many pics of Diwali just one or two here n there.  So here is the Diwali Celebration at my Sis's place and this post goes to Purva's Diwali Dhamaka event and hope I can be more regular in blog ...

Let's start the Diwali with Diyas...here is how sis and nephew recycle last year's diya to new ones....

And the colourful Rangoli...

Here is the lovely dinning table deco...

Here comes the beautiful potpourri....

And let's roundup with Puja place....

Enjoy your day ....

Happy Diwali

Wish U All Happy & Prosperous Diwali

Awards

 

Hello Guys....Hope all are fine....since I have many lovley awards from all the lovely people,  I thought it's better that I putup all the awards atleast now..before moving on let me tell you guys that  I currently in India and may be off blogging mode ....ya ya I know...so I don't think so I'll be able to do anything from there as am going 1st time to  my in-laws place after our wedding ...to think of that!.....so all of you stay gud, have fun and enjoy Navrathri....


And now coming to awards..thanks a lot to all of you for sharing the awards with me :)

Pinky, Shaista, Suma has shared with me Kreative Blogger Award, I love your Blog Award and One Lovely Blog Award I have put up the awards and tag here before.

Shaista, Renu has also shared with me 'A Fabulous Award'

Sireesha, Padam, Vani, Rekha, Mriganayani, PJ  has passed me Honest Scrap

Requirements:

I must thank the person who gave me the award and list their blog and link it

I must list 10 honest things about myself

I must put a copy of The Honest Scrap Logo on my blog.

I must select at least 7 other worthy bloggers & list their links

I must notify the bloggers of the award and hopefully they will follow the above three requirements also.

" Here comes my 10 honest things.."

1) Myself experiment a lot with food.
2) I'm a big fan of chaats and junk food!!
3) I wish to travel around the world!
4) I can do anything for others  but when it comes to me ...am bound by laziness :(.
5) I'm a big movie freak.
6) I don't like people lying to me...it's gets me in real temper specially with my team members and when I know they are lying..and when someone don't amend their way then it's way out for them! I'm getting sick of covering up! I believe if you do anything then bloody stand up for that!
7) I don't like people whom gossip, chit-chat, browse and do all the things in the world other than their work! 
8) I like to make new friends.
9) Family and friends are close to me.
10) I get sudden fits of new hobby, or any other things and they disappear suddenly in thin air too ;).

Sushma, Suma Shaista has shared Scrumptious Blog Award

It is the Scrumptious Blog Award -a blog award given to sites who:

• Inspire you Encourage You
  
• May give Fabulous information
  
• A great read
  
• Has Scrumptious recipes
  
• Any other reasons you can think of that make them Scrumptious!

The rules are:

Put the logo on your blog or post.
Nominate at least 7 blogs Let them know that they have received this Scrumptious award by commenting on their blog.

Share the love and link to this post and to the person you received your award from.

Vidhya, Vani has tagged with me ABC Tag ..


Rules :

1) Link the person who tagged you .
2) Post the rules on your blog.
3) Share the ABC'S of you.
4) Tag 4 people at the end of the post by linking their blogs.
5) Let the 4 tagged people know that they have been tagged by you.
6) Do not tag the same person repeatedly but try to tag different people,so that there is a big network of bloggers doing the tag.

Questions :

1) A - Available/Single - You are bit late...available to only DH now ;)
2) B - Best Friend ? -- hmm got lot of good friends
3) C - Cake or Pie ? Cake
4) D - Drink of choice ? - Depends on my mood .
5) E - Essential item you use every day ?  - Lot of things..the list is long
6) F - Favorite color ? - No favorite
7) G - Gummy Bears or Worms ? - Geee....
8) H - Hometown ? - What should be the correct answer for this....thinking......thinking....still thinking....
9) I - Indulgence ? - Changes every now n then!
10 ) J - January or February ? - What crap is this?
11) K - Kids and their names ? -NA
12) L - Life is incomplete without ? - Love
13) M - Marriage date ? - 5th Dec 2008
14) N - Number of siblings? - 4
15) O - Oranges or Apples ? - hmm both
16) P -- Phobias / Fears ? - Nothing that I know of....
17) Q - Quote for today ? - Life is beautiful
18) R - Reason to smile? - A funny joke perhaps?
19) S - Season ? spring - What got only summer here :p
20) T - Tag 4 people ? - Check the list below 
21) U - Unknown fact about me ? - It's unknown!
22) V - Vegetable you don't like ? - Hmm don't know!
23) W - Worst habit ? - Not doing what I suppose to do!
24 ) X - X-rays you've had ? - Took chest and Left kneex-rays a month back!
25) Y - Your favourite food ? - Good Food, am happy with it..
26 ) Z - Zodiac sign ? - Sagittarius


I would love to pass these awards and tags to Raks, Sheetal, Lubna, Aparna, Sonal, Jeyashri and to Priyanka.  If you have did the tag then ignore them.  Enjoy the awards ;)

Channa Daal Sabzi - Bengalgram Lentil Curry

Hello Foodies, hope all of U doing great with weekend around to relax ;) ...It's always happens with me that I won't have anything with me to cook, don't know about you guys. The same happen again one day I had nothing other than one onion and I had a brain storming session with the agenda of what to do :p...so you guys thought we can only brain storms for our projects ;) ...anyways coming back to this sabzi...I tried it for 1st time...my mom use to make this sabzi which has crunchy taste and a great help when we run out of things.


Here presenting Channa Daal Sabzi to all of you...

Serving: 2-3 persons

Ingredients:

Channa Daa/Bengalgram Lentil - 1/2 Cup
Onion - 1 large
Greenchilli - 3
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Dry Redchilli - 1
Ginger-garlic paste - 1tsp [optional]
Redchilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp [optional]
Curry Leaves - few [optional]
Coriander leaves - [optional]
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tbs



Method:

1. Wash and saok daal in water for 1 hour. [U can soak more than 1 hour too]

2. Slice onion and green chilli.

3. Heat oil in a pan add cumin seeds and let it crack, add dry chilli, onion, green chilli, curry leaves and stir well.

4. Add ginger garlic paste, mix well and cook till onion becomes light brown.

5. Add all the powder masala, stir and cook for a min.

6. Drain water from daal and keep aside.

7. Add daal in to pan, mix well and cook for a min.

6. Add the drain water or fresh water 1cup, give a gud stir.

7. Cover with lid and cook in medium flame for 10 mins.

8. Add salt, stir and cook for another 10mins. Daal should be cook but not very soft, it should be crunchy.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Note: I didn't add coriander leaves and garam masala.
You can also add tomato.

Enjoy your weekend...

FestiveFood:Raksha Bandhan 09 Roundup

Dear All, Hope everyone is doing fine and enjoying the festive season. Today we will checkout Festive Food: Raksha Bandhan roundup, thanks to all for sending delicious entries and making once again this event happening.

Let's celebrate once again Rakhi .....

Dear Rush from Memoirs of Everyday Life has this lovely post over Rakhi about her childhood memeories of Rakhi, past and present :)..you got to really read the post to enjoy it...here is Rakhi sent over her SIL for her hubby and along with Sabudana Kheer she made.

I tied my niece Meenu's Rakhi to my nephew Kedar and made simple dinner but didn't manage to take any pics..here is the Rakhi thali.

During my Chennai trip in Jul 09 I clicked some Rakhi pics in the market here it is to share with you all ...:)

Some funky ones

Ever thought of celebrating Rakhi with Kulfi? No?? Then get the idea from Bhawana's space...she has sent us delicious looking Gulkand Kulfi...with celebration of her blog 2 years...

Preeti from Khaugiri has sent lovely and delicious Naralachi Vadi or Coconut Burfi, check her blog for the other details of Rakhi and Shravan month.

Pari from Fooddelicious has sent this delicious Bread and Butter Pudding which she made along with filling meal. Check her space for all Rakhi details

As I said before Semiya Paayasam (Seviya) has to be a entry for any event..this is the most desirable dessert I think, Priya of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes has sent us all yummy Microwave Semiya Paayasam which she made along with peas pulav, paneer masala and guess what all in microwave....you got to check her post for that :)

Prasu from Prasu Kitchen has sent us Baadusha and Kaju Katli which can be made in jiffy...yummoo..to make all of us drool....

Purva from Purva's Daawat made Kalakand for Rakhi to celebrate with family and friends and read up her post to know the real story behind this yummy sweet.

Kamala from Cook@Ease has shared with us Rakhi celebration and also delicious Rawa Milk Halwa that was prepared to enjoy the festive, here is the gift from her son to her daughter for Rakhi..along with milk halwa, visit her space for the recipe and interesting writeup.

Next up is Rekha from Plantain Leaf made this delicious Coconut Burfi and gladly share with us all for our little event, check her blog for the yummy recipe.

So, that's all from me..Hope you all enjoyed the event as I did. Let me thanks you all once again, if I have missed out any of your entry kindly inform me and have a good day.

Potato & Carrot Fry with Sesame

Allo,

How r u All? Hope everyone gud. Wish you all Happy Teacher's Day again as today it's celebrated in India.  Here is simple potato carrot fry which I tried with some Sesame, since I didn't had much with me only 2 potato and 1 carrot! This is very stir fry but tasted gud with Daal Chawal/ Rice and Lentil or try with roti/paratha.

Serving: 2-3 Persons

Ingredients:

Carrot - 1
Potato - 2
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fennel Seeds - 1/2 sp
Sesame Seeds - 1tsp
Redchilli Powder - 1tsp
Coriander Powder - 3/4 tsp [optional]
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp [optional]
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2tbs


Method:

1. Wash, peel and chop potato & carrot.

2. In a pan heat oil, add cumin and fennel seeds let them crack.

3. Add potato and stir well, cover up with lid and cook in medium flame for 2mins.

4. Now add chopped carrot, stir cover up with lid and cook in medium flame for 4-5mins.

5. Add all the powder masala, mix and cook for a min.

6. Add salt and sesame seeds mix well and cook for 2mins or until potato and carrot turns soft.

Sprinkle little sesame and server.

Enjoy your weekend :-)

Rajma, Chole, Pulav, Paratha with Raitha...Platter for U

Wish You all Happy Teacher's Day, But I think now it days it has become more of commercial;  to purchase gifts n stuff, we use to wish teacher's or perhaps do some decoration in class, some song dance but never had that ohh need to buy this for teacher and buy that.  Things has really change now there's also CD collection for teacher's Day, now can you believe that? ...well whatever ...let's get to our business here..

We went to our sis place one of Sunday as Kedar called again n again to checkout his Birthday decoration!  But by the time we reached he already removed all stuff, so bad !  Anyways so here is what my sis made, we had rava kesari, cake but I forgot to take the pics !  This meal goes to  Rak's Cooking For Guests” Event and Rajma, Chole goes to Viki's Side Dish for Chapathi Event.

Chole, I have blog this recipe before you can check the detail procedure here and for dry version of chole check here

For Rajma she used canned rajma, I have posted the recipe before too..here is the link.

Paratha I posted with details on how to make triangle or square ones here.

For Pulav


Ingredients:

Basmati Rice : 2 cups
Beans - 1/4 cup [ 1" pieces]
Mint Leaves - 1/4 cup [ chopped]
Peas - 1/4 cup
Onion - 1 large [ sliced]
Green Chili - 4-5 [Slit]
Cinnamon - 1" stick
Cardamom - 1
Bay Leaf - 1
Cloves - 2
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Ginger-garlic paste - 1tbsp
Oil/Ghee - 5-6 tbsp
Water - 4 cup or less
Salt - to taste

Method:

1. In a pan heat oil or ghee add bayleaf, cinnamon, cardamom, clove, cumin seeds and allow it to splutter.

2. Add sliced onion and chili fry for a min.

3. Add ginger garlic paste and stir well.  Now add beans and cook for 2mins.

4. Add peas and mint leaves, mix well and cook for a min.

5. Add washed rice, salt and stir.  Add 4 cups of water.  Now to cook in the pan with lid and stir in-between.  OR replace everything in electric cooker or pressure cooker for 10mins.

For Raita:

Ingredients:

Curd - 1 cup
Onion - 1 medium [chopped or slice]
Green chili- 2 [ chopped]
Cucumber - 1/4 cup [ grated]
Carrot - 2tbsp [grated]
Salt - to taste
Cumin Powder - 1tsp

Method:

1. Beat the curd well.

2. Mix all the ingredients with curd and garnish with cumin powder.  Enjoy chill.

Enjoy the meal and your day :-)...

Daal Baati with Khayri

Daal Baati is one of my favorite and whenever I visit Chennai my sister always prepare for me, and this time was no difference. She made Daal Bhaati and Khayri for me and others and it tasted just awesome as ever.

Though I have tried making baati in microwave, oven but never exactly get the taste as my sis one! So here is what I had and sharing with you all.

Here is how baati cooker looks

For Baati

Ingredients:

Wheat Flour - 1Cup

Semolina - 1tbs

Carom Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Ghee/Oil - 2tbs + 5-6 tbs for severing.

Water

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredient and form a stiff dough using water keep aside for 30mins.

2. Make small balls of dough. Heat baati cooker and place the balls.

3. Cover with lid and cook in medium flame for 30mins or until golden brown. Keep turning the baati every now and then.

If you are using microwave then the cooking time will be more, just

place the baati in rack and cook for 20mins, turn the baati and cook

for another 20mins or until golden brown.

Break the baati, pour ghee as much as you want and enjoy with daal.

For Daal:

Ingredients:

Bengal gram/Chana Daal - 1/2 cup

Split Green Lentil / Hara Daal - 1/4 cup

Onion - 1 large [chopped]

Tomato - 1 medium [chopped]

Green chilli - 4 [chopped]

Ginger-garlic paste - 1tsp

Redchilli Powder - 1tsp

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Bay Leaf - 1

Salt - to taste

Oil - 2-3 tbsp

Ghee -

Water -

Coriander leaves - 2-3 tbsp chopped

Curry leaves - few

Method:

1. Soak the daals for 15mins and cook both the daals with water and turmeric in pressure cooker for 15-20mins and keep aside.

2. In a pan or wow heat oil or ghee, add bay leaf and cumin seeds, let it splutter.

3. Add chopped onion, green chilli and curry leaves, mix well and cook for a min.

4. Now add ginger-garlic paste and saute until onion turns light brown.

5. Add all powder masala and stir well. Add chopped tomato and cook until tomato become soft in medium flame.

6. Add cooked daal and mix well, cook for 2 mins with lid on in medium flame.

7. Now add salt and water and cook for 5mins in low flame, garnish with coriander leaves.

Server with ghee.

For Khyari

Ingredients:

Cooked Rice: 2 Cups

Chickpeas Flour [ Besan] - 1/2 cup

Onion - 1 medium [chopped]

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Fennel Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Cashews - few

Raisins - few [optional]

Garlic - 4-5 pods crushed

Redchilli powder - 1tsp + 1tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Bay Leaf - 1

Oil - 5-6 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Water - little + for boil

Curry leaves - few

Coriander leaves - chopped few

Method:

To make Gatta

1. Mix chickpeas flour with 1tsp redchilli, a pinch turmeric powder, salt to taste, few fennel seeds, 1-2tbsp oil and mix well. Add little water at a time to mix and to form rolls of mixture in cylindrical shape and boil in water for 10-15mins or until cooked.

2. Remove the gatta from water and cut in small pieces.

3. In a pan heat remaining oil add bay leaf, cumin, fennel and mustard seeds and allow them to crack, add garlic, chopped onion, curry leaves and saute only light brown.

4. Add cashews, redchilli and turmeric mix well.

5. Add gatta pieces and mix and fry for 2mins. Add rice and give a good stir, add salt and raisins cook for 5mins with lid on in medium flame.

Garnish with chopped coriander and enjoy...

And this delicious spread goes to Rak's Cooking For Guests” Event

And to Sonu's Flavours of Rajasthan a event started by Nayna.

And to Shanti's State Special...this recipes are very famous Rajasthan though different states prepare daal baati in little different way.

Almond Pistachio Milk Recipes | Navratri Fasting Vrat Recipes

Tried this simple Almond milk with the leftover almond pistachio paste I had from Stuffed Almond Dates, and the milk tasted just good with crunch of pista, almonds bites. Do try this simple and delicious and healthy drink for any time of the day.

Birthday Celebration Continues....Part III

Hi Guys, So all gud? Well, am back with another slot of the celebration. Check Part I and Part II here please. Let's go straight to the recipes...before that here's the thali...

Main Menu

Chickpeas Salad - Click here for recipe

Stuffed Capsicum - Click here for recipe

Dum Aloo - Click here for recipe

Paneer Jalfrezi - Click here for recipe

Boondi Raita - Click here for recipe

Daal

Hmmm you really don't want to know my daal blunder!...Ok here is what happened, I was so tempted with Preety's Daal Makhani, so I thought let's try. I know you guys must be thinking wrong timing for trying isn't it? But I did tried the stuffed capsicum, paneer jalfrezi, stuffed dates, chickpeas salad all for the first time too...ya, am like that!!...

so I all set for the Daal and soaked everything and followed her recipe just the same, everything was going well after I finishing making the daal I kept wondering why the dal colour if not same at least somewhere close to Preety's ones...and then it stuck me..OMG! I did a blunder..instead of BLACK Urad Daal, I used the normal (white) urad daal, now can you believe that? I red her recipe so many times but somehow every time I missed the [black urad daal]....hmmm.

So for lunch we had daal, rice, I asked DH howz the daal he said okie...then he asked me what daal it is and I told him it's Daal Makhani...he told me pls don't say that to anyone ;)...hehehe..In my mind it was like what the hack...what to do now. So DH told me just add some khatta to it it should be okie and I did the same added some tamarind paste, salt and trust me the daal taste so gud..infact everyone liked it too :-)...so here is a look on my so call daal makhani!

Paratha

Paratha is normal simple one.

Ingredients:

Wheat Flour - 1 cup
Oil - For brushing
Water

Method:

1. Make dough of wheat flour and water. [You can add salt in the dough too, normally I don't]
2. Divide the dough in equal portions or make medium lemon size balls.
3. Roll in circle, apply few drops of oil and spread. Now fold it in triangle or square.
For triangle:
a. In circle roti apply oil and fold into half.
b. Again apply few drops of oil and fold into half. You will get triangle shape.
c. Roll it again, make sure the edges are not very thick.

For Square:

a. In circle roti apply oil, fold right corner of roti into center it will be 1/3 of roti.
b. Fold left corner into center too. So it will be 2 folds.
c. Apply few drops of oil and now again there will be 2 folds from left and right and you will get square shape.
d. Roll again to make it bigger.

4. Heat a tawa or griller and cook the paratha both sides for 2mins each. Apply oil/ghee or butter.

Jeera Rice

I do have few version of jeera rice, and this one is a bit different again.

Check here the different types of Jeera(Cumin) Rice

Simple basic Jeera Rice
Jeera Rice in Pressure Cooker
Jeera Rice in Pressure Cooker with spices and raisins
Jeera(Cumin) Pepper Rice from leftovers


Seem like am fascinated with jeera rice ;)....let's checkout this version of jeera rice which I made in electric rice cooker.

Ingredients:

Rice - 2 cups
Dry Red Chilli - 10-12nos
Peas - 1/4 cup
Cumin Seeds - 1tbsp
Garlic - 5 pods
Ghee - 3tbsp
Oil - 2tbsp
Water - 4 cups
Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Clean and wash the rice, keep side.
2. Crush the garlic.
3. In a pan or wok heat ghee and oil, add cumin and let it splutter.
4. Add dry chilli and garlic saute for 30secs.
5. Add washed rice, peas and mix well, cook for 2mins.
6. Add water, salt mix well.
7. Re-place the rice and water in to electric rice cooker pot and cook until done. OR cover the pan with lid and cook until done.

White Rice - Perhaps some day I will post :)

And this post goes to Rak's Cooking For Guests” Event