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.