Aloo Masal !

A common receipe which is all time favourite with puris and chappatis!

Ingredients:

• Potato - 5 /cooked and partly mashed
• onions - 3 sliced
• peas - a handful ,boiled
• musturd seeds - 1 tsp
• turmeric pdr - 1tsp
• corriander pdr - 1tsp
• salt - to taste
• oil- 3 to 4 tsp
• celatra leaves - to garnish
• curry leaves - few
• green chillies - 3 to 4 sliced

Method of preparation:

• Heat a kadai,add oil and when hot add the mustud seeds to splutter, add the curry leaves,grren chillies and saute well
• Add the sliced onions ,salt turmeric ,corriander pdr and cook for abt 2 mins till the onions turn tender and golden brown in color.
• Add the boiled potatoes and mix well. slowly add water genoursouly to form a gravy and close the kadai with a lid for the mixture to cook well with the spices.
• Garnish with celantra leaves and serve!

Bringal/egg plant/aubergine curry

I know Bringal belongs to a 'not so popular' category among many people,but a little more oil and dash of different spices can make make this dish top the charts!

Ingredients:

• Bringal - 8 to 10 sliced in equal sizes and soaked in water
• oil - 4 to 5 tsp
• musturd seeds - 1 tsp
• salt - to taste
• turmeric pdr - 1/2 tsp

to be ground into powder:

• red chillies - 3 to 4
• corriander seeds - 2 tsp
• til seeds - 1 tsp
• groundnuts - 1 tsp
• channa dal - 1 tsp

Method of preparation:

• Heat a kadai and when hot add few drops of oil and fry all the ingredients to be made into a powder. cool and grind them
• now in the same kadai add oil generously abt 4 tsp and when hot add musturd seeds, when they spullter add the cut bringals and stir well
• Add the salt,turmeric,and the powder that has been finely grounded.
• lower the heat,cover the pan and cook them for abt 8 mins so that the bringal absorbs the spices and oil.
• garnish with celantra leaves if neccesary and serve!

serving suggestions:

taste best with hot steamed rice with ghee/sambhar rice/rasam rice.

Masala tuvar dal

Try out this new variation of dal.

Ingredients

• Tuvar dal/tuvaram parrupu - 2 cups soaked and pressure cooked
• oil/ghee - 2 tsp
• cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• red chilli - 1
• celantra leaves - to garnish
• salt - to taste
• corriander pdr- 1 tsp
• turmeric pdr - 1/2 tsp

to be ground into a paste

• onion - 1 large chopped
• garlic - 3 to 4 cloves
• red chillies - 3 to 4

Method of preparation:

• Heat a kadai and add oil, when hot add the cumin seeds
• when the seeds starts to splutter add the ground paste from the blender and stir well.
• lower the flame and slowly add the cooked tuvar dal and stir the mixture
• allow it to boil for abt 2 to 3 mins and serve hot!

serving suggestion:

can be served with roti, naan,steamed rice.

Vichar (spiritual inquiry)

Vichar literally means inquiry.It refers to the spiritual reflection .

it includes purity of the intellect, so that you are governed by the intellect and not mind and senses.

Chariot of human personality:

Human personality is like a chariot with horses ,reins and driver.All these must have a certain order. The horses(senses) must be controlled by the reins(mind) and the reins themselves must be controlled by the driver (intellect).In turn intellect must be harmonised by the cosmic mind.

With everything in order , your personality moves to the right path of liberation.However with most people the chariot is left at the mercy of the horses to some extent, but there is no clear direction to the chariot.

What is substantial?

There are five types of inquiry. The first is reflection of what is purposeful,meaningful and subtantial in life.A time will come when you will have a examination, the great examination of death. The very first day you breathe in this world that examination date has been fixed. As you live on your mind must understand what is substantial and what is not.

What is Real?

The next aspect of vicharis inquiry into truth and falsehood,real and unreal. The world is a blend of both.Real is that which never changes, Unreal is constantly changing.We exist when the real world is set aside.you exist with the body as well as without it;the body is variable.You exist with the mind and senses as well as without them. What is variable is not real. That understanding is the goal of the second aspect of the inquiry.

Role of karma:

some people consider karma as the ultimate , in other words they are always thinking as to what to do in order to attain the highest.However it is not a question of what you must do,but what you must understand.Understanding reveals your inner nature,not quantitatively but qualitatively.The role of karma is to free you from mala (gross impurities) like anger ,hatred and greed. If your energies are properly utilised by the right activity,if you have a proper attitude in your action, then you free of anger and hatred. you find that you are in control of your mind.

A great amount of time is wasted when you are dominated by the mala. When your mind is involved in excessive hatred,uncontrolled temper and abnormal fear and insecurities your intellect becomes paralysed and cannot guide you. When you are able to control mala though good karmas done in the right way, your personality comes within the guidance of the intellect

God guides you

when you encounter difficult situations, vichar helps you remain unaffected. In baffling situations you will be able to receive inner guidance. if you become hysterical or agitated you will not find way.When you pray to god during adversity ,one quick response from god is that you mind relaxes and your mind becomes to guide you. God guides you through your own intellect.

Free intellect from ego

In majority of people , the intellect is left unexercised or unused. Intellect remains a servant of me and mine.As your intellect becomes purified ,you are deeply interested in discovering who am i?

Source: Tatvaloka

Saturday night !

We planned indoors this weekend dinner, so i made my fav palak panner, his fav jeera rice along with rotis.

Ingredients for Palak panner:

• Chopped onions - 1
• red chilli pdr -1/2 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste - 1tsp
• green chillies - 2 chopped
• chopped tomato - 1 no
• salt - to taste
• corriander pdr - 1 tsp
• turmeric pdr - apinch
• panner - 10 to 15 cubes
• cream - 3/4 cup
• kasuri methi - 1 tsp
• garam masala - 3/4 tsp
• garlic - 3 to 4 cloves
• spinach - 3 bundles (to be judged depending on the size of the bundles)
• oil - 3 to 4 tsp

Method:

• Clean the spinach (palak leaves) several times until the water is clean.
• Add them into boiling water in a pan for abt 2 mins so that it is well cooked. Do not close the pan as it may change the bright green colour of the palak
• Tranfer them into a blender after it cools and grind along with garlic cloves into a paste and keep aside
• Heat oil in a kadai add cumin seeds , chopped garlic,onions and saute well.
• Add salt,ginger garlic paste,turmeric and wait till the onion is well cooked.
• Add the tomatoes,chilli pdr,corriander pdr,green chillis,kasuri methi and mix thoroughly for abt two to three mins until all the spices are binded together.
• Slowly add the pureed spinach and mix well
• Add the panner( frying the panner is optional if it is soft) to the spinach mixture and cook well
• pour the sumptuous cream on the palak panner ,mix and serve!

Ingrediants for Jeera rice:

• Basmati rice - 1 cup
• water - 2 cups
• green chillis - 2 chopped/slit
• cumin seeds - 1 to 2 tsp
• cinnamon stick - 2
• cloves - 3
• Ghee - 2 tsp

Method:

• Take a small pressure cooker and heat, add the ghee and when hot add the cumin seeds.
• when the cumin seeds splutter add the cinnamon,green chillies,cloves and saute well
• Meanwhile the rice can be soaked in water for 15 mins.
• Now add only the rice and mix well for abt a minute and add 2 cups of water.
• close the pressure cooker .
• turn off the heat after 3 whistles.
• Wait for the pressure to release and serve hot!

Ingrediants for roti (plain):

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 spoons oil
• 1/2 tsp salt ( optional)
• warm water - as required

Method:

• Mix the flour and salt and make a dough by adding enough water.
• Knead the dough well by adding oil and keep for 1/2 hr
• divide into equal portions ( may be 10 to 12) and roll them into rotis ,7'inch diameter thin rounds using wheat flour for rolling
• cook on both sides on the tava and keep aside
• Brush with ghee/oil if needed and serve.

Peas Potato Patiz

Ingredients:

• Boiled Potatoes - 3 to 4
• Boiled Peas - 1 cup
• salt - to taste
• chilli powder -1 tsp
• corriander powder - 1 tsp
• turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
• celantra leaves -few
• oil - for shallow fry
• bread crumbs - 1 cup (spread in a plate )
• maida - abt 2 spoons dissolved in water

Method

• Add all the ingredients except oil, bread crumbs and maida in a mixing bowl, Mash and mix them thoroughly in the form of a dough.
• Role them into patiz of desired shapes .
• Heat oil in a pan as shown below for shallow fry.
• dip the patiz in the maida mixed with water and place the on the bread crumbs so that it sticks to the patiz fully.
• Slowly place them on the hot oil and fry on all the sides.
• serve hot with tomato sauce.

Maharashtrian Poha

Delicacies-in-law !!


I learnt this dish from my ma-in-law and it has become almost a staple breakfast almost twice or thrice a week!

Ingredients:

• Poha/aval/beaten rice -2 to 3 cups.
• onions - 2 finely chopped
• peanuts - fried ,a handful
• turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• salt - to taste
• sugar - 1/2 tsp
• curry leaves - a bunch
• celantra leaves - few to garnish
• musturd seeds - 1 tsp
• oil - 2 to 3 tsp
• green chillies - 2 to 3 finely chopped

Method of preparation:

• Clean the poha several times and soak them in about 1 cup of waterand keep aside.
• Heat a kadai and add oil, when hot add musturd seeds,fried peanuts, curry leaves,green chillies and saute well
• Add the chopped onions and fry them along with salt,sugar and turmeric powder.
• when the onions become traslucent and golden brown in colour, add the poha and mix well.
• Turn of the heat, squeeze half a lemon ( optional) and garnish with corriander leaves.

When served can also be garnished with bhujia or mixture

Alu ki sabzi / potato curry / urulai kuruma

My neighbour Mrs.Mamta Jain gave me one of these variation of alu sabzi which i tried and like to share with you all.

The method of preparing this receipe is quiet uncommon in south indian kitchen !

Ingredients:

• Potatoes - 4 peeled and cut into cubes
• yoghurt - 1 cup
• chilli powder - 1 tsp
• coriander powder -1 tsp
• salt - to taste
• turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• cumin powder - 1 tsp
• gram flour ( besan ) - 1 large tsp
• oil - 2 to 3 tsp
• musturd seeds - 1 tsp
• fennel seeds - 1 tsp
• nigella seeds - 1 tsp
• cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• bay leaf - 1
• cinnamon stick - 2

Method of prepation:

• Take youghurt in a mixing bowl and add chilli powder,turmeric powder,corriander powder,salt,cumin powder and mix well so that there are no lumps formed and keep aside.
• Heat a kadai and add oil, when hot add the musturd seeds,cumin seeds,fennel seeds,nigella seeds,bay leaf and cinnamon stick and saute well till they splutter.
• Now lower the heat and add the yoghurt mixture kept aside and stir till it comes to boil
• Add the potatoes peeled and cut into cubes into the boiling yogurt mixture and stir weel
• pour a cup of water and close the kadai with a lid and cook for 8 to 10 mins which allows the potatoes to absorb the spicy yogurt mixture.
• Garnish with celantra leaves and serve.

serving suggestion:

Can be served with chappatis, rotis,naans.

Best with puris ( my preference)

Welcome to my kitchen

Kitchen cabinets express your style, which is why it is important to keep them clean and in good shape. These tips will help you maintain those cabinets to ensure you have a good-looking kitchen for years to come.

• Like any furniture, dust collects on exposed surfaces, so go over them frequently with a lint-free cloth. Spray lightly with water to avoid spreading dust.


• Pay particular attention to greasy areas around ovens and stovetops. If not cleaned regularly, surface can become stained or damaged.


• Spray a cleaner on the surface, and allow the cleaner to penetrate the grease for a few seconds then wipe off. Cleaners may require more than one application.


• Always clean spills immediately with a small amount of soap and water. Then wipe dry with a clean, soft cloth.


• It's a good idea to wash your cabinets thoroughly at least once a year. Use a little mild soap in a bucket of warm water. Now remove the items from inside your cabinets. Clean the surfaces, inside and out, rinsing frequently. Make sure everything is completely dry before restocking the shelves.

Doll Churchuree

A fusion of Indian ingredients and western cooking

resulted in this mouthwatering dish,a great source of fibre and rich in vitamins!



Ingredients:

• Bengal gram - 50 gms


• moong dal - 40gms


• black dal - 75 gms


• kidney beans (rajma) - 75gms


• whole moong - 50 gms


• oil - 3 to 4 tbsp


• cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
• ginger paste - 1 tbsp
• desi ghee - 2 tbsp
• red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
• apple - 1 cut finely
• salt to taste
  

Method:

1. Soak all the dals together for atleast 2 hrs
2. heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan , temper with jeera. as it starts to splutter, add the drained dal and saute. add abt 750 ml of boiling water and cook until it is 2/3rd done.
3. add ginger paste,ghee and red chilli powderand cook until the dal is done.
4. add the diced cooking apples and the salt ,simmer for another 15 mins and serve.

This receipe is named by the chef from oh!calcutta, Delhi.

serving suggestions:

goes well with roti,naan,parathas,steamed rice.

Mattar Panner ( Peas with indian cottage cheese)

Mattar Panner ( Peas with indian cottage cheese)

Try out this delicious receipe which is most sort after in any restaurent !

Ingredients:

• Panner (indian cheese ) - cut into cubes
• Green peas - a cup
• onions - 2 finely chopped
• tomatoes - 2 chopped
• turmeric powder - 1/2 tbsp
• chilli powder - 1 tbsp
• cumin powder - 1/2 tbsp
• corriander powder - 2 tbsp generously
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• cashewnuts - few broken
• oil - for cooking
• salt - to taste
• green chillies - 1 finely chopped
• cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
• corriander leaves - few
• kasuri methi - a tbsp
• cream - 1/4 cup
• Garam masala - 1 tbsp

Method of preparation :

1. Heat some oil in a pan and add broken cashewnuts and slightly saute them. Do not add too many cashews as this can spoil your sauce/gravy
2. Add the onions and salt and cook till the onions become translucent, add the turmeric powder,ginger garlic paste and saute
3. when the garlic and ginger leave their raw smell, add the chopped tomatoes and cook them
4. Now blend these (onion,tomatoes and cashews) in a blender.
5. Heat some oil in kadai, add the cumin seeds and the blended puree mixture, add green chillies,cumin powder,corriander powder and chilli powder
6. Bring the mixture to a boil in medium heat so that all the raw spices are cooked and the gravy thickens.
7. Add the panner cubes,green peas and kasuri methi powder to the dish
8. simmer the heat and add the corriander leaves and cream.

Now your nice silky,delicious mattar panner is ready!

Serving suggestions: Best with rotis, parathas,naan.

Karthigai Photos

Karthigai (tiruvanamalai deepam)

hyderabad

Golden Lord Vishnu

Krishna Jayanthi

Janmashtami celebration at my place (Hyderabad)

Some interesting paintings

Vinayaka Chaturthi

Vinayaka Chaturthi celebrations at my place in Hyderabad.

Prabho Ganapathe Paripoorana Vazhvarulvaye……(4 times) Chartntu Vanamgi stuthi paadi aadi undan sannidhi saran adainthome Santha chitta Saubagyam yavayum thaantharul satguru neeye Thantharul satguru neeye ……(3 times) Prabho Ganapathe…….. Aadi moola gaNanatha gajanana adbudha davala svarupa Deva deva jaya vijaya vinayaka chinmaya para sivadeepa chinmaya para sivadeepa (2) Probho Ganapathe……. Paarvati baala apaara parAtpara parama bagavatha bhavatarana Baktha janasumuka pranava vinaayaka pavana parimala charana Paavana parimala charana, paavana parimala charanaa, Prabho Ganapathe……………..Ganapathe…ganapathe

Ganesha Saranam Saranam Ganesha Mooshika Vaagana Saranam Ganesha Modakahasta Saranam Ganesha Vamana roopa Saranam Ganesha

Capsicum and Peanut Rice

Try out this crunchy capsicum and peanut rice!

Ingredients:

capsicum - 2 large or 3 small (green)finely chopped

peanuts - 1/2 cup or a handful

red chilli - 3 to 4

channa dal - 1 tbsp

corriander powder - 1 or 2 tbsp

til (ellu) - 1 tbsp

steamed rice - 1 large bowl for 2 people.

oil - 1 tbsp

salt - 1 tbsp

cumin seeds - 1 tbsp

hing - a pinch

Method :

Heat kadai and add oil, when hot add the til seeds, peanuts,redchilli, channa dal, corriander powder and fry for about 5 mins, when it changes colour and gives out aroma ,remove from fire and allow it to cool and blend them into a coarse powder.

keep the kadai back on the fire and add little oil ,jeera seeds/cumin seeds, hing and add the chopped capsicum and fry for 3 to 5 mins.

Add the powdered spices from the blender and salt to taste.

after few mins add the steamed rice, turn off the heat and mix well and serve.

serving suggestion:

tastes best with papad

also can be served with deep fried bindis/ladys finger

Moong dal dosa / pasi parrupu dosai

Usually our traditional southindian dosas are made with lots of preparation, like soaking for hours in water and allowing them to ferment ( for yeast formation ) for another one day. so by the time you eat your dosa you have to wait for 2 days.

Moong dal/pasi parrupu is a great substitute for this traditional dosa made with rice and urud dal. These dosas are faster and easier to prepare.

Ingredients for 2 people / around 6 large dosas :

moong dal - 1 cup washed ( 250 gms )

cummin seeds - 1 tbsp

salt - to taste

oil - for making the dosas ( around 6 tbsps)

Method:

Wash the dal in water several times until the water becomes clear

Soak the dal in water for about 3 to 4 hours

Drain and blend them along with the required amount of salt.( the batter blends smoother with little water)

Add cumin seeds in the batter ( for digestion ).add water if needed to form into a dosa consistency.

Heat non-stick/dosa pan , spread oil and make dosas with the batter.

serving suggestions:

tastes best with aloo(potato) peas curry ( my preference)

also can be served with any chutney or gunpowder(milagai podi)

Beetroot Raita by Anjum Anand

Ingredients:

small uncooked beetroot - 1 peeled and finely grated

yoghurt/curd - 250 gms blended/stirred

sunflower oil - 1 tbsp

mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp

curry leaves - few ( around 10 leaves )

sesame seeds - 1 tbsp

black pepper - 1/2 tbsp

salt - to taste

Method of preparation:

Mix together the beetroot,yoghurt, salt and pepper

Heat oil in a small pan, add the mustard seeds and when they start to pop add the curry leaves and sesame seeds. cook until the seeds are colouring and then pour them into the raita.

serve it immediately or chill until you are ready to eat.

My fav Cook / Chef / Food writer

Discovery Travel and Living is supposed to be one of my fav channels till date and the show ' Indian food made easy ' by Anjum Anand is my fav cookery show.

Anjum is a British Indian food writer and chef. she is passionate about Indian food and shows people how easy and quick authentic,home style Indian food can be made.

I simply love the way she prepares, organises and presents the show.

All her receipes are Indian ranging from

Bengali dish

Punjabi dish

Tamilian dish

keralite dish etc, etc

I just loved the way she prepared lemon rice and avial and served them to Britishers.

Also i have seen her episodes of panner butter masala, palak panner, indian bread ( roti/chappati)

Anyone would enjoy and love to learn cooking when you see her kitchen, her utensils and cutlerys,her blender, oven, the fresh vegetables, grains and rice used. simply awesome !

Also she s cute and i love her mannerisms.

Check out her show on travel and living on weekends 7 pm.

Thai Green Curry

I was jus watching 'chef and the better half ' on NDTV Good Times where you find both husband and wife cooking for you (Nikhil and Natasha). It is jus a fun cookery show wherein you have to concentrate really hard if you want to follow the recipe in between their romances !

Here's a receipe which is similar to our Avial.

Ingredients:

To be made into paste -

cumin seeds - 1 1/2 tbsp roasted

Coriander seeds - 2 to 3 tbsp roasted

green chillies - 3 to 4 slit

ginger - 1 inch cube

onions - 1 chopped

other ingredients for the gravy/sauce:

garlic - 1 tbsp

sugar - a pinch

salt to taste

carrot- 1/2 cup chopped in cubes

broccoli - 1/2 cup chopped ( optional )

cauli flower - 1/2 cup chopped

potatoes - 1/2 cup chopped

baby corn - 1/2 cup chopped

coconut milk - 2 cups thick

1 cup thin

Method:

Grind into a smooth paste with little water all the ingredients mentioned under to be made to a paste

in a pan / kadai add oil and when hot had garlic. saute well and add the paste in the blender and stir by adding very little water.

Add coconut milk little by little , starting from the thick milk and stir continuously.

Add salt, sugar and stir

one by one start adding the vegetables, stir and close the container.

Allow the veg to cook in the coconut milk gravy and when done serve.

Serving suggestion: Taste best with steamed rice.

Nutrition : all the veg and coconut milk have good amount of proteins and vitamins in them.

smt.Vishaka Hari - Divine Voice tribute to tradition

Though I'm not very passionate about carnatic music , i happen to listen to one of the hari katha (discourse/upanyasam) performed by smt. Vishaka hari. she is truly divine. The genuine interest of the carnatic music has given into other forms of music, but she has marvelously revived the culture of music, especially for the younger generation.

Her deep knowledge of scriptures,intimate bhakthi and musical power has refined the art ,far from what one can imagine.The young , middle aged and senior citizens all alike, are eager to see her performance.

juice ! Juice !

Six Starwberries,

one apple - sliced

half orange - peeled

process through a juicer and serve

My fav tamil song

This is my all time fav folk song - listen this song for the beats composed by illayaraja!

Chinna Mani Kuyile Mella Varum Mayilae Engae Un Jodi Naan Poaraen ThaediIngae Un Joadi Illaama Kaetathaan Bathilum SollaamaKukukoo Ena koovuvadaenadi Kanmani Kanmani Bathil Sollu Nee Sollu Nee
(Chinna)
Nillaadha Vaigaiyilae Neeraada Poagayilae Sellaadha Seigaiyilae Neejaada SeigayilaeKallaagi Poanaen Naanum Kan Paarththaa Aalaavaen Kaisaerum Kaalam Vandhaa Thoaloadu ThoalaavaenUlla Ganathadhadi Raagam Paadi Naalum Thaedi Nee Adikkadi Anaikkanum Kanmani Kanmani Bathil Sollu Nee Sollu Nee
(Chinna)
Pattu Thuniyuduthi Uchi Mudi Thiruthi Ettu Adiyeduthu Etti Nadandha Pulla Un Saela Kaatril Aada En Nenjum Saerndatha Un Koondhal Vaasam PaarthuEn Ennam Koothada Maaraappu Saelaiyila Noolapola Naanirukka Naan Saamiya Vaenduraen Kanmani Kanmani Bathil Sollu Nee Sollu Nee
(Chinna)

My marriage and significance of thali(mangal sutra/sacred thread)

Hi all,

I was jus browsing through my wedding photos(june 2008) and thought why not blog about our traditional indian wedding ceremony. Being a south indian (tamilian) the thread is called as thali, its in yellow colour which symbolises auspiciousness in all forms and its a single colour without any fusion of other colours.

I came across an article which says tying of this thali or auspicious emblem on the wedding day became popular only on the 6 th century before which it is tied on their hand to signal their commitment in marriage. I found from the web that the variations change from region to region. it contains shiva lingam - iyers , namam and sudharshana chakra for iyengars. In ancient days the leaves of the tree 'thaala vriksha' were used together in place of thread. tying the thali is similar to the western culture of exchanging rings. Three knots are tied - one by the groom and the other two by his sister

Dinesh's fav dish

Im sharing with you all another receipe which is my husband's fav. This is ofcourse an indian version of a chinese dish 'Gobi/Veg manchurian' (Gobi - Cauli flower) which is popular in north india and is available in punjabi restaurants.

Items req:

For the veg balls -

Cabbage - 2 cups finely chopped

carrot - 1/2 a cup grated

spring onions - 1/2 a cup chopped

cornflour - 2 tbsp

plain flour (maida) - 2 tbsp

garlic - 2 tbsp finely chopped

green chilli - 1 tbsp finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

oil for deep frying

For the sauce /gravy -

garlic - 2 tbsp

green chillies - 1tbsp

ginger - 1 tbsp

vegetable stock - 1 cup ( plain water will also do)

soya sauce - 1 tbsp

schezuan sauce - 2/3 tbsp

cornflour - 2 tbsp dissolved in a cup of water

sugar - a pinch or 2

oil - 2tbsp

salt to taste

Method of preparation:

for the balls -

mix all the ingredients and shape the mixture into balls, little water can be sprinkled to bind them in case it is difficult to form balls

Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown and drain in tissue/absorbent paper

sauce/gravy:

heat the oil in kadai/wok, add garlic ginger and green chillies and fry for few seconds, add the stock and all the other ingrediants and simmer for 5 to 8 mins.

just before serving put the balls in the gravy and bring to a boil

In case of gobi manchurian , cauli flower can be used instead of all the other veg.

varalakshmi vratam

Varalakshmi vratham is one important pooja performed especially by women in South India. It is celebrated on the last friday of the bright fortnight in the month of Adi. For this festival a small portion of the wall facing east will be whitewashed and a figure of gaja lakshmi will be drawn with paint or red oxide along with the kalasam with mango leaves and coconut and then a mandap is drawn around it.

A varalakshmi face tied to a silver vessel(sombu) which has 2 to 4 cups of rice,betel leaves,nuts,turmeric,plantain fruit and coins (gold/siver ornaments). A small coconut smeared with turmeric is placed on the mouth of the vessel

Rangolis (kolam) using rice soaked in water and made into a watery paste is drawn. The Kuthuvilakku(lamp) is lit and pooja is performed with flowers and akshadai(rice smeared in turmeric).

Neivedyam is performed with payasam(kheer),cooked rice,vadai, kozhukattais(modak),coconut and idlis

Then ladies singing traditional songs invoking the deity carry the plank with the kalasam carefully to the mandap and place it there for performing pooja. during the pooja ;noanbu charadu'(string) applied with turmeric paste should be tied in the hand. then mangala aarathi is taken.

In the evening sumangalis(married women) are invited and kumkum,turmeric betal leaves and nuts are offered to them.

The next day, punar pooja is performed to the deity and the kalasam is moved to the northern side and placed in a drum or vessel with raw rice .

Black Pepper / Curry Leaves Chutney

So to start with a simple recipe, I'm giving you all a south indian dish which i made today afternoon for lunch.
Items required:
Black pepper - 1 tbsp
Tuvar Dal - 1 tbsp
Urud Dal - 1 tbsp
Red chillies - 3 to 4
tamarind - lemon size
Curry Leaves - a bunch ( optional)
oil - as required
Mustard seeds - for seasoning
Hing - a pinch

Salt - to taste
Method :
Soak the tamarind in water or we can use tamarind paste about 1 tbsp. In a frying pan add about half a tbsp of oil , when hot add hing , red chillies, tuvar dal and urud dal. Fry till the dal changes colour and blend them in a blender into a fine powder. Now heat a Kadai add a tbsp of oil and when hot add mustard seeds to splutter , now lower the heat and pour the the tamarind paste soaked in water and stir. when bubbles start to appear add the powder already kept in the blender along with salt and allow the mixture to boil for about 8 to 10 Min's

Serving suggestions:
it tastes best with hot rice and ghee, Idli, Dosa

Storage:
Can be stored in room temperature for a day and in refrigerator for about a week

Nutrition:
Black pepper and curry leaves are good for stomach and for glowing hair!

India is a land of diverse culture and ethnicity.Food is an important part of Indian culture, playing a role in everyday life as well as in festivals. Various civilizations have contributed to Indian food and Indian culture.

In my blog i would like to share the richness of our culture, along with different kinds of recipes, their method of preparation along with pictures and videos if possible.Also anything interesting in my day to day activities.