Walnut Chutney

Walnut Chutney is very very simple to prepare and it goes well with Dosa/Idli. Its similar to the South Indian coconut chutney, but far more healthier than that :) Try it out yourself...

Ingredients:

Walnuts: 10-12 in number

Ginger: 1 inch

Garlic: 1-2 pods

Green Chilli: 3 or as per taste

Coriander Leaves: 1 handful

Coconut gratings: 3-4 spoons

Yogurt: 1 bowl

Salt as per taste

Method:

Put all the above ingredients and mix it thoroughly in a blender/mixie adding sufficient water. The chutney is then seasoned with ghee and mustard. If needed add one red chilli to make it spicier.

As simple as that! Try it, taste it and enjoy it!!!

Warm Welcome

Any minute she could knock and say "Mom, I'm all set to come out." We were all prepared to welcome her. I had packed for my hospital almost 2 weeks in advance with all mom-n-baby essentials. My mom had neatly stitched a number of baby clothes & was eagerly looking forward for her arrival. My dad had already booked a ward in the hospital. My husband waited for my call so that he could fly to India immediately. My sister was all set to welcome the little one.

THE DAY finally arrived. It was May 26th early morning. I woke up from bed & knew the wait had come to an end. I quickly freshened. Meantime, my mom prepared some breakfast for me as I needed a lot of energy in the hours to come. I had breakfast & drank a big glass of milk & we geared up towards hospital. My labor pain had begun. On our way, I called Adi. Luck favoring us, he straight away got a direct flight from Singapore to Bangalore.

We reached hospital & in minutes, I was taken to the labor ward. The nurse monitored me & my growing pain. I think, in a woman's life this is the only time when we wish for more intense pain. I wanted more of it. That would shorten the delay. More the pain, lesser the duration of wait.   

My parents were excited, happy, tensed, worried & a whirlpool of emotions filled their hearts. Luckily my baby didn't keep the wait too long. She was quick. By noon she squalled out loud, bringing smiles on everyone's face. She looked like a pink doll... so tiny, so tender, so lovable, so innocent - words are not sufficient to describe this little wonder of the universe.

I was exhausted, true! But it was NOT the movie-kind-of-experience I had expected. I thought I would cry, yell, pull, sweat and all those kinds you get to see in films. It was definitely a memorable experience which can only be felt. It is too personal to share it all here. :) Nevertheless, it was an unforgettable, lifetime go-through that I would cherish all my life. Her first cry, her first touch, her first looks have all formed a pleasant imprint within me.

Welcoming Ritvi on 26 May, 2011

Baby Bloom

Isn't it a wonderful idea to grow a plant/tree to mark the birth of our little one?
Yes! I did just that! To mark the blossom of our little baby, I decided to plant a flowering plant in our (my moms) garden.

We got a large pot with beautiful pink and yellow hibiscus plant.  My mom loves flowers and she would relish adorning it to The Goddess.

Just like how the lovely flower shines with the first rays of the sun, I hope my baby too smiles bright each day of her life...

Just like how the plant absorbs all of nature's goodness and blooms, I pray that my little one too, absorbs all the goodness of this universe... 

Just like how the blossom brings smile on our face, I hope my darling too, brings joy and happiness in everyone's life...

Born on 26th May, I hope both my little flower and the pink-n-yellow flower gets nurtured the right way. Hope they get all the nourishment one can find in this nature.

I have planted a flowering plant in my mom's garden. Also, I have a little avocado plant growing in my in-laws' back yard. Hope to get some fresh n tasty avocado fruits in a few years from now. ;)

Well, for all those who want to do something like this, I suggest you sow a sapling and see both the plant and your little one grow as the years pass by. I suggest you plant a fruit bearing tree. You are helping nature by growing a tree. At the same time, you and your little one can enjoy the fruits it will bear in years to come.

I wanna win...

Please vote for me here

Just Arrived

We've been expecting this for months
Our new baby has finally arrived...
We are deliriously happy to announce
the birth of our little angel...

Born on 26 May 2011, our little girl is doing fine and I am enjoying my motherhood...

Celebrating Life!

My Fav: Masala Puri

Yet another amma's recipe down here. I prepared this yummy chat over the weekend. It has too many ingredients and i keep forgetting them. So I have put it here to help myself recall when I'm lost in the immense deep world of recipes & ingredients :)

Ingredients:
Ingre A:
Potato - 2 (cooked and mashed)
Peas - 1 bowl (cooked and semi-mashed)
Ingre B:
Mint leaves - 1 bowl
Coriander leaves - 1 bowl
Ginger, Garlic - minced or paste
Green chilly 5-7 in number
Black pepper 15-20 in number - powdered or coarsely ground
Cloves 5 in number 
Cinnamon - powdered
Ajwain 1 spoon
Cumin Seeds 1 spoon
Fennel Seeds 1 spoon
Salt as per taste
Ingre C:
Onion - 2 chopped into small pieces
Carrot - 1 grated
Lime juice - few spoons
Ingre D:
Sev, Puri, Boondi, or any variety of such mixtures would do. You can prepare them all by yourself or just run to the nearby shop if you are like me :)

Method:
- Cook potato and peas (Ingre A) and mash them and keep aside.
- Use a blender/mixie to make a green paste of Ingre B by adding sufficient water.
- Now in a large thick bottomed wok, add some oil & once it becomes hot add mustard.
- Add mashed potato and peas to the wok. Also add the blended green paste.
- Add sufficient water (around 2-3 glass or more) and bring it to boil stirring occasionally. Add salt as per taste and let it boil for sometime and your pani is now ready.

Click on image to view in details

Serving:
- In a bowl, add sev, semi-crushed puri, boondi, chopped onion, grated carrots. Then, pour some pani over this mixture. Finally you can garnish it with a few drops of lime juice & some more onion, carrot and coriander leaves. Serve it hot.
- Remember to eat it hot and fresh - otherwise, the mixture becomes soft very soon and its crispiness goes away.
- Note: You can refrigerate the pani for upto 2 days and re-heat as needed.

My First Crochet Project

During my teenage days I have done abit of knitting. But crocheting was a totally new skill for me. I was determined to learn and borrowed few library books, downloaded free tutorials and patterns from the internet. I did have some knotty time with the yarn and the needles.
It was then I found this site which was very helpful to me (links given below). The instructions were so simple and the video helped me a lot to start off.

What you'll need:
- Sufficient yarn : I used roughly 8 rolls
- Crochet Needle: UK Size 12 ( you can use any size depending on your stitch pattern).

Prerequisites:
- First of all, spend at least 2 days learning basic stitches (SC, DC, HDC - a few to name).
- Learn to decode the crochet instructions.
- Last but not the least "dedication" & "commitment" is a must. :)

Once you know the basics, you can begin your project. I personally felt traditional granny squares are the easiest patterns and you will hardly go wrong or make mistakes. I took about 3 weeks to complete this project. I spent roughly 1 hour every day (mostly while commuting to & from office) to complete a 25'' x 25'' baby blanket. Don't forget to block your project at the end to give a proper shape... and now I am so happy n proud about it. Can't wait to begin using it :)

Started on Jan 15, 2011

Completed on Feb 07, 2011

Links:
Granny Square Tutorial:
http://www.hookedonneedles.com/2009/02/learn-to-crochet-traditional-granny.html
Blocking Instructions:
http://www.eunnyjang.com/knit/2006/05/block_me_amadeus_1.html

Mangalore Buns

When I call it buns, don't imagine them to be like bakery buns. These are home made poori-like buns with a little sweet, salt and soury taste in it. Goes well for evening snacks and kids will love it.
With 1 large banana, you can prepare approx 20 buns.

Ingredients:
Banana - 1 (choose very ripe bananas with black spots on its skin)
Sugar - 1 small bowl
Salt - as per taste
Yogurt - 1 small bowl
A pinch of Soda
Wheat flour + Plain Flour - at least 2 bowls
Butter - 2 little blobs
Oil for frying

Method:
- Melt the butter in a large vessel. Peel the banana and smash it well and add to the vessel
- Add sugar, salt, soda, yogurt and mix well so that they blend together and form an even paste
- Now, to this add wheat flour and plain flour (maida) in equal quantities and mix them well until it forms a consistent dough like that of Poori dough. (Note: Wheat:Maida proportion can be adjusted as per your likings).
- Keep the dough aside overnight. (Some even prefer to keep it for fermentation for 24-36hrs for better taste).
- Next day, make small balls out of the dough (like poori balls) and flatten them with rolling pins.
- Heat oil in a frying pan and fry these in medium flame on either side until they turn golden brown.

Serve it hot (plain or with desi chutney). Also note that these buns can be prepared and stored in air tight jars for 1-2 days and has its own taste when eaten that way.

Veg Cutlet

I began drooling as my mom told that she was preparing veg cutlet for the guests that evening. I simply went "J" over it and could not resist further. I called back mom again next evening, took the recipe from her and decided to prepare it myself.

So here's the recipe for you guys to try:
Below mentioned proportion holds good for making 10-12 cutlets. Increase the quantity proportionally as per your requirement.

Ingredients:
Potato - 1 large (cooked and mashed)
Peas - 1 bowl (soaked, cooked and mashed)
Onion - 1 medium (chopped)
Beetroot - 1 small (grated)
Fennel seeds (Saunf) - 1 spoon
Ginger Garlic paste - 2 spoons
Red Chilly powder - 1 spoon
Garam Masala & Salt as per taste
Turmeric
Bread Crumbs and Maida
Cooking Oil

Method:

Part 1: Preparing Cutlet Sabji
- Pour 3-5 spoons of cooking oil into a cooking pan. Once the oil is hot, add sounf, ginger, garlic paste. Saute for few seconds
- Add chopped onion. After it turns golden brown, add turmeric and then the grated beets. Cook for a few minutes until the beets are cooked well.
- Now add cooked mashed potato + mashed peas and mix thoroughly.
- Add red chilly powder, garam masala and salt. Stir and mix until it forms an even paste with the consistency like that of thick parata fillings.
- Switch off the flame and keep aside.

Part 2: Maida batter + Breadcrumbs
- In a bowl, take some water and add maida flour & a pinch of salt. Mix well and bring to the consistency of beaten egg yolk (or like that of dosa batter).
- Keep the breadcrumbs ready in a bowl (since I didn't find bread crumbs in the store, I simply mixed the rusk bits + 1 spoon rava(semolina) in a blender and there I got a pile of powdered rusk which turned out good enough for me).

Part 3: Veg Cutlet!!!
- Make medium sized balls & flatten the cutlet sabji with hands.
- At one side of the flattened sabji, smear a little maida batter carefully and dust the breadcrumbs over them evenly.
- Place them on the hot griddle smeared with oil (Note: the side smeared with breadcrumbs are facing down). Now, on the top surface, smear maida and sprinkle breadcrumbs so that both sides get a coating of maida + crumbs.
- Its not a deep fry, so chill! Just make sure to put sufficient oil so that they get roasted well on either sides. :)

Serve the hot veg cutlets with sauce or desi chutney... along with a hot cup of coffee.

Suggestions:
- You need to roast them really long on low/medium flame so that they turn crispy and crunchy. Yummmm!
- Adding maida gives the crunchy feel. Its only optional. You can omit this part as its a little messy for beginners to smear the maida batter rightly. Just pat over bread crumbs on either side directly, place them on the tava and roast.

A Little Dose of Laughter

Yesterday, on my way to the grocery store, I was getting down the overpass stairs. I was in a hurry but I walked slow taking wide strides... getting down step-by-step. I couldn't walk faster. Why? 'coz I'm carrying rugby in my belly... I feel funny imagining this, but you think I have an option? :)

Then I see this young couple who seemed to have noticed me. They were probably just teenagers or in their early twenties - Seemed more like a bf-gf pair. They started talking to themselves and soon I could guess what it was. The guy held the gal across her waist, the girl almost imitated me - protruding her uber-flat abdomen, keeping 1 hand over her slim waist and pretending to be a mommy soon. And to add on, the guy too got involved enacting to be a responsible hubby. They giggled and passed on some of it to me as well. I couldn't stop smiling.

Funny! Silly! Kiddo! Whatever you wanna call it - I got my little dose of laughter for the evening. Two years back the lane, probably if we came across a preggy woman, I don't think we would enact on the road, but we would have surely conversed of our future plans too - fantasized and dreamt of it.

I am living that dream now... yet, I continue to dream of the many other unseen stuffs. Dreams have become a part of our life, haven't they?

Whats your dream now? Whatever be it, may they all come to reality soon. Sweet Dreamz to you readers! :)

Awaiting Your Arrival

My baby, here I stand awaiting you…

beneath the tree singing songs to you.

Counting months, counting weeks, counting days…

Truly, your existence has brought in such amaze!

My baby, here I stand talking to you…

about all the love and care I have for you.

Counting every single kick and move you make…

I know you are listening to me... you are still awake!

My baby, here I stand dreaming of you…

making all motherly plans for you.

Looking at those shining stars…

I sometimes wonder are you from Venus or from Mars!

My baby, here I stand praying for you…

may God shower all the joy, luck & good health on you.

Child, I consider you as my treasure…

You are now the source of all our pleasure!

My baby, here I write a little note to you…

this is just my way of welcoming you.

With your arrival, comes the moment of utmost glee…

I'm so delighted to say we are soon going to be three!!!

                                                                                - Sunraysgs

Note: This was an entry to one of the contests that I participated online (thanks to Divya for introducing me to it!). Very pleased to say that I won Runners-Up in the contest!

Would love to see ur remarks and suggestions on this :)

*Happy n Excited*

Neer Unde

At least a few of you would have heard of "neer dose". The ingredients of "neer unde" are similar to that of "neer dose". Just that the preparation method is a little different.

Well, I am sure most of you reading this recipe, wouldn't have tasted this before. It is a special Malnad recipe passed on to me from my mom. Try it out when your taste buds crave for something new.

Ingredients:
Dosa Rice - 1 large cup
Coconut gratings - 3-4 spoons
Chili - 3 (or as per taste)
Jeera - 1 spoon
Ginger - 1 inch
Asafetida - for aroma and flavoring
Salt - as per taste
Sufficient water for grinding
Oil

Method:
- Soak rice for up to 4hrs. Grind the soaked rice with all other above ingredients in a grinder until it becomes smooth. Add sufficient water as needed.
- Now transfer the watery mixture into a large bowl and let it ferment overnight (Neer Unde can be made instantly without fermentation. Fermentation give a sour taste which I love, but it is totally optional).
- The following day, smear a large frying pan with just 2-3 spoons of oil and heat it. Now pour the batter into it and stir continuously. It wont take too long for it to thicken. The consistency should be like that of thick whipped butter/sreekhand or like the akki rotti/papad/sandige dough.
- Smear little oil or water to your hand and make flattened balls out of this thick paste when hot.
- Place the flattened balls on oil-smeared-pan and heat it with a covered lid. Your neer unde is done once both sides turn golden brown. pour a spoon of oil if needed.

Neer unde with coconut chutney + coconut oil is my fav combination. Try out and enjoy the Malnad taste. :)

Imp. Tip: Just in case if u mess up with its consistency while preparing the dough (which is tend to happen for a beginner :D), dont worry. You can make round balls, place them in a large bowl & cook in cooker (like idlis). Even that tastes pretty good.

Scrummy Spring Rolls

Yet another Amma's recipe down here.
I prepared it a few weeks back, and it definitely suited the weather. Try it out on a rainy evening. I bet you will love it. :)

Ingredients:
- Vegetables: 1 Carrot, 1 capsicum, 1 onion, beans, cabbage
- Minced ginger & garlic
- oil for frying
- powdered pepper (as per taste)
- salt (as per taste)
- a pinch of soda (optional: makes the dish crispy)
- maida (all purpose flour) - 1 bowl

Preparing the fillings:
- Cut all the vegetables long and thin. In a pan, pour 4 spoons of oil. I used olive oil. Once its hot, put chopped onion, ginger and garlic. Saute until it turns color for 1-2 mins on high flame.
- Then add carrot and beans. Lastly add capsicum and cabbage as they are soft and thus take very little time to get cooked.
- Make sure the vegetables are semi cooked. Add pepper and salt as per taste and mix well. Now you are done with the stuffing.

Preparing the Dough:
- Mix maida, salt and a pinch of soda with water and bring it to the consistency of poori dough.

Preparing the Spring Rolls:
- Make round balls out of the dough and press them flat like that of poori size with a rolling pin.
- Now at the centre of the flattened dough, place the vegetable fillings. Wrap the dough on all sides and seal them by pressing carefully at the edges. (check the image below to see how the wrapped dough looks like). Do the same for all the flattened dough.
(Note: Be extra careful to seal well. Else, it will leak out while frying and you will end up with a messy snack.)

Frying the Spring Rolls:
- Pour sufficient oil into a deep pan for frying.
- Once the oil is hot, put the stuffed dough into the pan and fry either sides on medium flame until it turns golden brown. Repeat the process for the rest of them and you are done.


Spring Rolls: Click on image for a better view

 Serving Suggestions: Cut the spring rolls at centre and serve with tomato/chilly sauce. Serve it hot.