BEET 'N' RICE & the FOODIE BLOGROLL : Contests and Rewards....... I WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HURRAY!!!!!!! for I won the "Comment to win a copy of Sanjeev kapoor's Party Cooking Book" contest.......

That was the first time I participated in the contest, after checking it, for quite sometime now..... & Yuppie!!!! I won it....!!! I loved it because I would be adding another cook book to my shelf...... & that too of Mr. Sanjeev Kapoor, The Master Chef......!!! I like him because of all the twists & turns he gives to his preparations..... & makes it lovable at the end or rather edible..... which means.... HAPPY ENDING!!!!!! So did my contest..... "had a HAPPY ENDING!!!!! "

As usual I opened my mailbox to check out that days communication to me..... And I read all my comments first...HAPPY!!!!! Then directing them to their respective folders, I check the ones that are just informative or fun or "just Garbage"....... & opened this to see who won it...... & VOILA!!!!!!!!! It was me..... The blessed one..... (at least sometimes I am....) ;-)

I was so happy to read through it.... I even commented to receive that Tote bag.... which is truly cute & serves the purpose too.... but no regrets..... I love what I got...... OK.....!!!! will write more later.... Lets get down to talk about the prep, I wanted to post about......

I love Beetroots...... !!!!! Is it not that I love almost everything existing?????? It sounds kinda repetitive...... So........... let me say, I adore beets a lot.... The primary reason being, it's color........ It is one vegetable, that is blessed with a bright vibrant color...... Just add this into anything, be it plain curd..... The same old curd would seem to appear happy with that new color it adorns..... Like a NEW BRIDE.... who is all pink, blushing & red in her outfit all gracing that nuptial bed!!!!!!! So does the beet seem to grace the bowl..........!!!!!!!!!!!

During childhood, when mom prepared beetroot pallya, I would take a table spoonful of it, beat it into the curds & enjoyed this combo, like it was my own prep...... a yummy dessert...something like a custard....... I shared & ate the same with a lot of pride......

And as I shared earlier, I get bored very soon with veggies prepared regularly..... It is then I get down to prepare a veggie rice or a pulao...... SO that day I had just a, kinda dried up beet, which I did not wanna waste.... So I thought I would add this to the rice & prepare a pulao kinda delight...... Be it whatever, even grass cooked with a little salt, spice & oil would taste yum too..... !!!!!!!!!! That was how this 'Beet'n Rice came into being.....

Beetn Rice

Ingredients:

Beetroot - 1 medium (dried...maybe ;-) sorry!)
Long Grained Rice or Basmati - 2 cups (I used the regular though)
Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped
Tomato - 1 small, finely chopped (optional)
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 1/2 tsp
Green Chilli - 1, slit lengthwise
Coriander Leaves - 6 to 7 twigs, finely chopped
Mint Leaves - a handful, finely chopped
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Water - 1 1/2 cups
Salt to Taste

PS: May add all the whole spices (Ghota Masala) for that rich taste.

Method:

Peel & wash the beetroot, well. Cut them into small cubes & keep aside..... Wash the rice, drain & keep it aside too.

Place a cooker on fire & heat the oil. Now add the slit green chilli & saute for a minute. Then add the chopped onions & fry till translucent. Add ginger garlic paste & stir fry for a minute or two. If adding tomato, then do & fry till it is soft & mushy. Then add the cubed beet & stir fry. Then add the chopped leaves & stir fry further, till all the ingredients blend well. Now add the powdered masalas & combine, stirring at regular intervals. Do not forget the salt......

When all the ingredients have been fried & combined well, add enough water, tighten the lid & wait for 4 to 5 whistles. Remove from fire...... allow the steam to release completely, all by itself...... Now transfer the finally 'Beetn Rice' to a serving bowl....

Now for the accompaniment..... goes with anything & everything..... If nothing more is available.... just make a simple raitha.... for it....

Simple Cucumber Raitha

Ingredients:

Set Curd - 1/2 cup
Cucumber - 1/4 cup, finely chopped
Salt to Taste

Method:

Beat the set curd well.... to a thick & smooth consistency. Add the chopped cucumber & salt & mix well, gently.....

Now serve the above prepared 'Beetn Rice' with this yummy & delectable raitha. Savor with sounds every time you relish a spoonful of this delectable preparation.........

BLOGFARE:

Sailaja has passed on her Beautiful Blogger Blogfare with her friends..... As I consider myself to be one too, did take a pick......... & I would like to thank her, for being so large heart 'ed & passing on the same.........

Hmmmmmmm....... But that doesn't stop there...... as I need to announce my WIN!!! WIN!!! TOFA, my reward, that I was bragging about at the very beginning of this post......

So this is what I commented on the "Comment to win a copy of Sanjeev Kapoor's Party Cooking Book" contest! Hope it is clear..... though not CRYSTAL CLEAR!!!!

Foodie Blogroll : Contests and Rewards




But as I just read now, it says, to write about it when I receive it...... which I have not..... It's OK..... The day I receive it, I would flaunt it in flesh (pages & cover) & brag about it again, too...... I can always write about things, without falling short of words....... And yes! I love & adore that small & cute little Rewards ICON!!!! Don't you ..............???????????

WISHING ALL LUCK & HOPE!!!!!!!!!

UNTIL WE C NEXT...... KEEP THE FAITH!!!!!!!!! :-)

CASUALS FOR KUKU ( First Post this Year, with 'CASUAL' Card for Kuku on his Birthday)

Hey Peeps!!!!!! I'm back with my first posting for this New Year........ Hurray!!!!!!! It's 2010!!!!!!!!!

I hope to see a better year...... free of sorrows & tears..... free of pain....... free of fear ...be it any sort..... Just let yourself free mentally & give way to happiness & joy to make its place in your lives.....

I loved the recent Ad I watched on TV.... based on Indo Pak relation..... (The AMAN KI ASHA - INDO PAK PEACE PROJECT) ..... It was so simple in its make & understanding..... There was only one basic thing to it...... EMOTIONS!!!! And the main base for it is TRANSPARENCY (BE GENUINE.......) Emotions are basically so simple & common across the world..... We make them complicated.....
BE TRANSPARENT...... EMOTIONS WOULD BE CLEAR...... Be it love or anger........

Do not make them so complicated, that you, just see yourself stuck in those tangles & knots..... finding it difficult to make YOUR way to LOVE & in turn making it difficult, for LOVE to make its way TO YOU........ When you realize the wrong you have done, put in all the efforts to not repeat them..... You say SORRY & continue doing the same... no use..... no meaning......

Let us all, let our emotions fly like doves, free & peaceful, around us...... Keeping fingers crossed!!!!!!

By the end of the year my cousin sis in-law flew down to India from UK, & I had to see her at my mom's place...... but could not.... again because of my health..... Later, when I went to my mom, mom gave me the goodies that she left for me...... COOKIES..... Yummy ones.... She had missed my brother's wedding & gave his wifey a jewelery box, which was splendid..... Beautiful & elegant in its own way.... I have no pic of that.....sorry!!!!! But here are the cookies, for u too.........

My New Year eve was boring & sad..... because of my health issues...... But thought would do something or at least prepare something interesting for my hubby...... My Badimaa/ Doddamma called, & asked me to have an early dinner, by evening, because of some bad effects of my stars & the eclipse that was to happen.... Hmmmm..... There we dropped the idea of making the eve interesting....

It never happens that she advices me often or in turn I follow all that she says..... When she was worried & concerned about me & my health, I thought why not I show her, that I cared for her, too..... What she expected was not something out of the world or something that I could not do..... Hence I did with my meals as she said & gave Kuku a usual but late dinner..... Kuku, is bad with his hunger pangs..... Thought why trouble him, with me & my screwed up stars......?????? So that was our New Year Eve.....

But the next day...... I wore my apron to give him a better or best lunch......& I did...... Nothing different, but our usual, that we love............. He was FULLLLLLL...... KHUSHHHHHHH...... He savored the meal with much appreciation & content...... I was happy seeing him happy.....

It is only with him, that I can be what I am, totally transparent, no covers, no pretenses..... HE IS ALL THAT I HAVE..... I THANK GOD FOR blessing ME, with HIM...... But sometimes I see myself failing him too, when I tend to stretch too much.... It is always better to make ONE HAPPY, than DISAPPOINTING them ALL....... I'll remember that..... forever.....!!!!!

When we begin with the new year & its celebrations...... my celebrations kick starts too...... Because 4th of Jan, is my Kuku's Birthday...... The auspicious day of Kuku's birth... The day God sent him for me, on this earth.... Sad that he had to wait for me, for two years..... And then, we both had to wait for 17 years, JAB WE finally MET.... We were both in college, that too different ones .....

Now when I sit back to think, I miss all those days, that we were away from each other.... those cute child like & childish moments that we spent .... those games we played as kids, those fights we fought, those laughs we laughed, those tears we wiped with our hands..... all alone, those growing up issues, those Crush we felt or experienced..... when we were ALREADY DESTINED to LOVE & LIVE for EACH OTHER..... I MISS KUKU in ALL THOSE MOMENTS........... Ooooooooops!!!!

I go nuts, thinking about how would it have been...... Anyways, now I try all that I can, to make up for all those days that I was away from him........ I even feel that at the time of my death... I would still feel, that I have not loved him enough............ Crazy!!!!!! In its true sense....literally....kuku..... Hmmmmm......

Coming back to where we stopped, I sat down to make a card for him on his Birthday........ I wondered what I would give him..... I love him in his casual Adidas T's... I wanted to gift him those.... but as usual he owns many & is into Garments himself... So I thought of this.....
JUST FOR HIM......

He loved, what I made for him..... I could feel his happiness..... & was moved too..... I played the birthday tune for him on comp & gave this card to him at 12:00 mid night.... The next day morning we went to temple & had a quiet lunch at home, since we had non veg already for the new year....& did not wanna repeat.... I prepared kheer for him, to celebrate.....

So here I am today, posting all these kiss-happenings in my life...till this day of the new year...... & looking forward to many more.....

BLOGFARES!!!!!!!!

This new year also got me few appreciations from my blogger friends..... Which I would love to flaunt here........... & of course take this opportunity to thank them for their kind gesture, too.........

I would like to thank For the Gourmet Delights or auxdelicesdesgourmets for passing on this conspicuous TOFA.....

& would also thank Aruna Manikandan for sharing this cute & lovable award with me.....

THANK YOU BOTH!!!!!!

With lots & lots of love & joy, Until we meet Next...... KEEP THE FAITH!!!!!!