Moving to India!New Hopes!

We are all very much excited about our move to India.we are moving on 11th of April .5+ years of stay in the USA has been a good learning experience in a lot many ways.

I came here immediately after getting married... with lots of mixed feelings... and everyday has been a learning experience.Never had time to set home in India after marriage ... so me my husband and my daughter are leaving with lots of dreams about setting a new home ,visiting relatives and friends..celebrating festivals and much more :).However surely will miss certain things about USA.

Will keep posting after settling down!

CRAZY ABOUT BABY QUILTS

I am very fascinated with stitching artistic quilts for the babies. Here is my latest collection of the mini quilts.And thanks to my singer sewing machine :)
1) "exit to freeway"

2)"scenary"

3)"Sunset"

4)"Butterflies"

5)"Life Under Sea"

karid avalakki chivda

This is one of the varieties of the chivda.In kannada 'karida 'means deep fried.Thick poha is deep fried in oil to make it extra crispy n crunchy.Tastes very yum with hot tea.As the poha is deep fried it is not a healthy food though :P.. so weight wathcers n cal conscious people .. watchout please!

Ingredients:

Thick poha 2/3 cups

peanuts 2 tbsp

roasted chana 1 tbsp

curry leaves a few

cashews a 5-6

almonds 5-6

red chilies 1 or 2

oil for deep frying

and salt,chili powder, to taste and a pinch each of asafoetida and turmeric powder.

method:

heat oil in a kadhai .. Oil has to be hot as need for frying the bhajjis. Take a medium sized metal strainer...holding this strainer in the hot oil first deep fry peanuts,cashews,roasted chana,almonds and the red chili.Strain on a tissue and keep aside.Fry curry leaves as wee.. be very careful while frying as it splashes out the hot oil.

In the same strainer start frying thick poha just a few teaspoons at a time .. frying does not take much time. Strain all the excess oil very well and spread the fried poha on a tissue .Discard the leftover oil.

when the poha is hot add all fried ingredients and salt,chili powder,haldi,hing and mix well.

Enjoy the Delicious fried chivda with a cup of hot tea.

DIWALI PHARAL :-)

Here are the pictures of Diwali 2008 at last... I mean after a long time.

This is the picture of the Rangoli I made with rice flour, in the patio

The following picture is the Diwali pharal .

From top left to right are....

Chakli(muruku) made with kepra chakli mix,Rava besan ladu(tachani besan ladu),Badam halva,Shankar pali,think poha chivda,patata poha(susla),nippattu and cornflakes chivda.

Awards!

This is my first award ever!... awarded by Malar Gandhi of 'kitchen Tantra'.Thank you so much Malar!

I would like to pass this on to five fellow bloggers and they are!

1) ujju of ujju's flavor

2)Veena of veena's flavour

3)Divya vikram of Dil se

4)http://www.foodbuzz.com/foodies/profile/kgsamayal

5)Purva of purva's Dawat.

congratulations Friends!

Please pass it on to any 5 fellow bloggers!

mehandi for diwali

I love mehndi tattoos.My daughter also loves as much as I do, Here are the pictures of the mehandi tattoo done by a ready made mehandi cone.

1)mehandi on my 2 years old daughter's palm.I wish I would have done nice around the mango design and on the fingers also but she is too little to sit still for long time and I had to finish it fast and dry it quickly with a blow dryer(hair dryer) . she hardly kept for 2 hours but still that was sufficient to get nice dark orange colour which lasted for 3 days.

2) my mehandi tattoo Arabic style.

TACHANI BESAN LADDU / RAVA BESAN LADDU

HAPPY DIWALI !

my diwali 'Pharal' is ready. I have made shankarpali,badam halva,chivada,chakli,nippattu(almost got over) and today yet to make karanji(karchikayi/gilaganchi) and cornflakes chivada.

Will post a picture of the pharal items shortly.

Yesterday I made 'Tachani besan laddu' also called as Rava besan laddu.This is second time I am making this after a small trial batch last week. I prefer this laddu to besan ladu ever since I was small . I made it on my own after my mother told me over phone exactly how to make it. And she was very happy when I said that it really turned out very well.

This is my first post of diwali pharal(many more yet to post ) and also for the contest ''sweet celebrations '' by Aparna.. http://mydiversekitchen.blogspot.com/2008/10/celebrating-one-year-of-posts-at-my.html

recipe:

for syrup: 2 cups sugar( u can add 1:1 ratio also... i prefer less sweet)

water just enough to cover the sugar.

few strands of saffron

other ingredients:

1 1/2 cup bombay rava(fine semolina)

3/4 cup besan (ratio is 2 rava: 1 besan)

ghee 4 tbsp + 7 tbsp

few cashews halved

few raisins

pinch of cardamom powder.

Process:

roast rava in 4 tbsp ghee on a medium flame stirring continuously to get nice golden colour and keep aside in another bowl.

roast besan in 7 tbsp ghee till it becomes golden and add the dry fruits and pour in the same bowl of rava.

prepare sugar syrup by adding just enough water to cover the sugar and stir occasionally.add saffron. to check the consistency take some water in a small katori(steel bowl) drop the syrup and if it does not mix into water and forms like jelly... it is ready.(or make one string consistency syrup .What i mentioned is little kachcha syrup))

pour the syrup on the rava besan mixture mix well and let cool.

keep on checking... may be after 2 hours.. you will find that the mixture is just right to roll into balls. add cardamom powder and mix well and make the laddus of the size u like.

Enjoy the delicious 'TACHANI BESAN LADDU'

chole

samosa and chole is my favourite of the Punjabi dishes.

Today I made chole for lunch and it turned out awesome!I did not fry Bhaturas or puris.. as my husband does not prefer oily stuff .I made chapati to go with chole.

Here is the recipe for Punjabi chole .

Ingredients:

1 cup dry kabuli chana(white garbanzo beans or chick peas)washed soaked overnight

2 tomatoes

1/2 large onion

1" ginger root

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp oil

1/4 tsp jeera/cumin

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1-2 bay leaves

1" cinnamon stick( dalchini)

cloves 5-6

1-2 cardamom

3 green chilies slit lengthwise

garam masala 3 heavy pinches(the strong type... recipe n link yet to be posted ..)

1/4 tsp turmeric

salt to taste

water.. 1/2 cup + 1 1/2 cup.

before serving add..................

coriander.. chopped,

onion finely chopped

squeeze lime.

Method:

drain all the water from the chick peas and wash thoroughly. Pressure cook in 1/2 cup water for 3 whistle.

puree tomatoes,onion,ginger and garlic(this was exactly 1 cup after pureeing )

heat a heavy bottom vessel add oil,mustard seeds, cumin and let splutter.Then add cinnamon,cardamom,cloves,bay leaves.

add turmeric,green chilies,red chili powder and add the pure` carefully.

let it cook till all the raw smell is gone and oil oozes out.

add the cooked chickpeas and add 1 1/2 cup water.. add salt ,bring to boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Garnish with chopped coriander and onion and squeeze lime to add some more taste!

Sambhar powder

This is the recipe for sambhar that we make with Idlis
Ingredients:
1 cup coriander seeds
1 1/2 cups dried red chillies(use byadagi chilies..)
1/4 cup Channa dal
1/4 cup Urad dal
1 tbsp methi/ fenugreek seeds,(add little more if u like)
Method:
Dry roast all the ingredients separately
Let cool and grind to fine powder.
store in air tight jar.
This powder has extra chilies in it so be careful if adding chili powder to the sambhar.

Batata poha

Batata poha or the wet variety of poha is called ' soosala' in some parts of North karnataka and it is very easy and quick to make and as such usually guests are offered either this or upma in the North karnataka region.
One of my friends in Indus ladies forum had asked me to post this recipe.. so here is the recipe for her and to you all.

Ingredients:

1. 3 cups thick poha(nirmal brand)
2. 1 onion cut into squares
3. 1 tomato ( not very juicy)
4. 1/4 cup cucumber or potato(I usually use either of these)
5. 8-9 curry leaves
6. 2 -3 strands coriander finely chopped.
7. 3 green chilies .. or as per taste
8. 1/2 lemon/lime
9. oil 1 tbsp
10. mustard 1/2 tsp
11. cumin 1/4 tsp
12. asafoetida ,a pinch
13. udad dal 1/2 tsp
14. peanuts, 1 tbsp
15. dalia 1 tbsp
16. turmeric 1/4 tsp
17. sugar 1/2 tsp
18. salt to taste.

Method:

• in a large vessel heat oil, add udad dal .. let it turn golden and add mustard and cumin.
• add curry leaves,asafoetida,dalia and peanuts,turmeric,cut vegetables and let the vegetables cook. Meanwhile in a strainer quickly wash the poha in cold water taking care that it does not become soft.(if you are using very thick variety of poha , wash ahead and set aside for 10 -15 mins)
• add washed poha stir, and add salt, sugar,and mix well gently.
• cover and let cook for a minute and set aside.squeeze lemon and mix well.
• serve hot garnished with finely chopped coriander.( it is sometimes garnished with freshly grated coconut, hot mix, bhujiya(sev)

serves 4- 5