AASAAN-E-PARATA & ME!!!!! With all the HAPPENINGS & MOMENTS....In & Of MY LIFE!!!!!

I received the 'Sanjeev Kapoor's Party Cooking' I won, yesterday..... I was so happy.... to have received it.... Wanted to try out something from it.... But I will & post them, for all.... The courier guy who delivered it was funny.... He dropped by, early morning say about 8:30 am.... Usually not the time for couriers.... so we were kinda surprised..... He talked with a funny tone.... And as soon as my hubby was out to collect it..... he asked Kuku "Sir, naayi unta???" (Is a dog there???) ... My hubby was like "hmm???" He repeated himself asking the same.... & Kuku 'pounced' on him, literally, with his not so perfect Kannada "Yaake??? " (Why???) That lean, almost vulnerable guy, freaked out by this, answered "summane kelide sir.." (I just asked!)

This encounter with him (the courier guy) was funny, firstly because of his voice & tone & secondly because he was totally unexpected both in person & his unusual questions.......
SO I WOULD REMEMBER THIS BOOK FOR ALL THE UNEXPECTED FEEL & LAUGHS involved..... Thank You again, FOODIE BLOGROLL!!!!!!!!! for letting my shelf adorn another pricey possession....... :-p

And yes! regarding the prep I'm posting, this is one easy, yummy, healthy, enjoyable & 'at any circumstances' food, which takes no much time & effort...... CONVENIENT!!!!! I say this because, this is one prep that Kuku had been enjoying during his school days.... (without me of course!!!!!...MEANIE :-0) Maa in-law prepared this instantly for his tiffin or break fast, with LOVE & CARE .... This Parata, is delightful with or without any accompaniment...

Since Kuku & his siblings were totally 5, who went to school together, sometimes when in hurry, maa in-law packed bread omlette or bread & jam, for tiffin.... But with the kind of food the kids were used to, it got their hunger pangs to strike them hard, very soon after lunch.... And they would be lured by these road side stalls, with their not so healthy, unhygienic foodies....... Hence maa in-law thought of this prep as an instant one to be packed for tiffins, during those busy mornings that she had to be ready for...... And was healthy & yummy enough to keep the kids at bay from those luring road side foodies...... 2-3 paratas with a little pickle..... was a day minus the tension, for both the kids & the mother.....
Oh!!!! I wish I was with Kuku & his toli to share a bite too..... to feed a bite & to be fed too.... Hmmmmmm.......... Those days I miss being with KUKU...... :-(

As he told me about this, I thought so what if I wasn't around him those days.... Now that I am... I wanna make use of this time.... to satiate myself..... with all those quickies that I can LOVE & LIVE..... with him.... Hence thought of preparing this for him, with lots of LOVE, with his guidance of course...... :-)

So here I am posting about that "FAST FOOD" in its true sense..... A healthy one though..... for all the mothers & the hungry kids.....

Presenting to you is "The Aasaan-e-Parata" ........Dhan Tana!!!!!!!

Ingredients:

Wheat Flour (ಗೋಧಿ ಹಿಟ್ಟು, आट्टा) - 250 gm
Oil - 2 tsp
Onion - 1 medium, (finely chopped)
Green Chilli - 3 (finely chopped)
Ajwain + Mangrela (Carom Seeds or Oma + Black Sesame Seeds) - 1 tsp ( I keep a mix of both)
Salt to Taste
Water as required

Method:

Mix all the above ingredients well & add enough water to knead into a smooth & soft dough. Keep it aside for 30 minutes, covered...

Then make lemon sized balls & with the help of a rolling pin, roll it into flat rounds.

Heat a non stick tawa or a flat iron skillet, & transfer the rolled bread onto it to let it cook. Once a side is done, turn it over to cook the other side... meanwhile spread a little oil or butter on the cooked side & then turn it over again to see it evenly cooked on both the sides... Repeat with the number u wanna have for breakfast, lunch or dinner....

Serve it hot with any accompaniments... u like.... pickle (अचार), sauce, chutney or gravy....... RELISH WITH PLEASING SOUNDS........ Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm............... & Taste to comment ....;-)

And this prep finds its way to FF7SL's event HEALTHY FAST FOOD hosted by RV & Cook like a Bong by Sudeshna

and also makes its way to Gourmet Affair's maiden event SERVED WITH LOVE hosted by Arundhuti..... I send this prep with love & wishes to you, Aru.............

BLOGFARES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MY TOFA's (Token Of Appreciation)

I was conferred with love & appreciations, by the blog fraternity.... So I would love to take this moment to thank them for their kindness & encouragement......

I would like to thank Dolly for she remembered & thought me deserving..... This Beautiful, Blogger Award....

And Renuka for sharing this Kreativ Blogger Award......

To my gladness, I was tagged too by my friendly bloggers....... for the first time, of course!!!! And I was happy to exercise this practice ..... And would like to express my gratitude to Faiza Ali, Vineetha & The Cool Lass, for tagging me with the KREATIV BLOGGER AWARD!!!!!!

So it goes as follows.......

1. Thank the person who tagged u with this TOFA
2. Flaunt the TOFA, on your blog
3. Do Not Forget To Link Them with gratitude
   
4. Share 7 truths about you, for peeps to know YOU
5. Pay it Forward to 7 other Bloggers
6. Link them too, for convenience
7. Let Them Know Of This TOFA, through comment
   

And here I exercise my tag, as below......


SEVEN TRUTHS ABOUT ME:


PERFECTIONIST - No man is perfect, but one can always try to be ... I'm in my work... I prefer things to be so..... I don't do things just for the heck of it..... I'm a perfectionist in everything I do..... Sometimes irritating others, but I do what I believe is right....

HATE - I hate double faced diplomacy.... When u know u r right , why should one hide under the sheets of diplomacy???? Why should one be a Hypocrite???? Show the real u... be it good or bad.... Take it or leave it..... Let the world decide..... But don't cream the bitter gourds.... World still loves bitter gourd, for its bitterness.... At least the other person knows what to expect from you...

EMOTIONAL - I'm basically very emotional.... I cry as much as I laugh..... I am very empathetic. I can feel the pain the opposite is undergoing.... be it physical or mental.... I am emotional about my family.... Very much about Kuku... I always reminisce my past, I feel for my present & expect my future to be emotional too as far as my Kuku is concerned.... I am proud of MY ACHIEVEMENT.....

KARMA - I strongly believe in KARMA. Good deeds always comes back to you with good..... But situations do surprise me, when they differ, from my belief..... But still believe my belief.....

SHOPAHOLIC - I have a very gr8 fascination for all good things.... be it unique things of decor or just mere possessions.... I find pride in those.... I fascinate all good clothes, shoes & hand bags..with perfection of course.... I love to adorn my collections with all that is tagged good & unique.... be it books, mugs, jewelery, clothes, handbags, shoes, artifacts, glam decor, ideas, almost everything existing..... from small to big.... Kuku says, he takes me to a hardware store, I would still find something there to suite myself & buy, of course..... LOL!!!!

TALENT - Very much into arts & crafts (U know)..... And arts..... I sing well & did dance well too... of course during college days.... I was always into extra curricular activities.... I love to perform...but again with perfection..... Kuku always says..... "Baabu mein to talent koot kootke bhara hua hain"..... which makes me feel so happy that I fly.... ;-)

LOVE - There are many other things I love too ..... I have a fascination for languages; I loved English a lot, right from childhood, was always interested in Hindi (which is now my husband tongue) & knew Kannada too, as it is my mother tongue....
Hmmm.... I love to flirt too.... I do not miss a chance to lock my eyes, with guys who seem interesting..... I simply love that.... & I love sharing those experiences with KUKU..... Life's not complete without some fun in it.... Just like our food is not complete, without pickle in it.....!!!!! GOTCHA????

Should have been seven, but I could not strike this off my list, however hard I tried...... as I talk about my health very often & I should let peeps know that I'm not suffering from CANCER, but something that has eaten me enough...... I am......

'MENSTRUALLY CHALLENGED' - The last but not the least is that I am 'M' lly Challenged.... DO NOT READ IT WRONG!!!! Not mentally but may be I would end up being so....Yes! U heard & got it right... I coined that word myself & my doctor appreciated me for doing it.... & few other 'learned' people too....

So I'm PROUD of ALL MY SKILLS & MY WORTH!!!!

Time for PAY IT FORWARD!!!!!!!!

Anybody who blogs, has that thought, it takes to blog.... & the required skills too.... Some of them are extraordinary, some are not so particular about it, some others like me, are trying to catch up everyday..... So it becomes difficult for me to pass it to a limited seven.... but since this TAG demands it..... I here by get these people tagged with it.... (Believe me it has taken a lot of research & fights with myself...to get into this conclusion........)

1. Krishnaveni from Ruchi Ruchi Adige
   
2. Elizabeth from Elizabeth's Craft Room
3. Nitya from Nits Arts & Crafts
4. Coconut Recipes from Coconut Recipes
5. Prasu from My Culinary World
6. Arundhuti S Rama from Gourmet Affair
7. Sushma from Savi Ruchi
   

Kindly accept this TOFA............ & help me & all, Know YOU............

WISHES & JOY TO ALL!!!!!

UNTIL NEXT, KEEP THE FAITH!!!!!

SUN DRIED SWEET POTATO ROUNDS (Genasina Happala, Shakkarkhand Papad)

Congrats!!!!!! to all...... on the last few moments of this year....... Good or Bad.... It has passed..... And the new has already arrived in few parts of this world.....Very beautifully welcomed, as I saw in the news...... At Australia & New Zealand..... Beautiful Fireworks......Oh! how splendid & colorful it all looked.....

All awaiting the new year, with lots of new hopes & aspirations..... in, to & from life .....

Hoping to see a better year..... minus all the bad that we faced this year.......

The recession...that led to the downfall of most of the small business... self employed..... The ever increasing cost of living...... which only sees the rich getting richer & the poor getting poorer..... & the middle class...not knowing where they are heading to...... may be the drains....
Many sad demises, some very close to heart...... some big names around..... some failures..... leading to sadness & drifts...... & many more....

Hoping to see the best...... with accounts prospering..... success to see further success.....peeps discovering the wealth of health, love & care, mistakes realized & set to correction......the newly weds expecting new births..............& many more..........

I personally pray to God, to help me retain all the good that I have & wanted, for me & my family............ God Bless!!!!!

Let us here at BLOGGYWOOD....... celebrate & build more & more cheer readers...... that keeps this part of our lives, LIVELY & ENTHUSIASTIC........... I would love to take this opportunity to thank all my new friends from Bloggywood...who are indeed a part of me now..... & hope to see many more.... in the days to come......

THANKS & WELCOME to ALL OLD & NEW CHEER READERS!!!!!!!!!

This time when dad went to Puttur, he found the sweet potato produce, going waste..... He thought of getting it into a good use.... As my aunt is allergic to it & my dad cannot eat them, as he is diabetic, he thought of a tea time snacky prep out of them....... That was the best, he
thought out of the produce going waste..... No doubts!!!!

Ingredients:

Sweet Potato (ಗೆಣಸು, शकरकंद) - 1 kg
Salt to Taste
Red Chilli Powder - 2 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida (Heeng) powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil
Small Plastic Sheets - 2
Mat or Big Polythene sheets (to dry the papads)

Method:

Wash the sweet potatoes thoroughly & steam cook. Once done, peel off the skin. Now grind the pulp in a mixer grinder without water, fine, as to get a soft & smooth paste. Then, empty the ground mixture into a wide mouthed vessel, oil your hands & knead the paste,
with all the above mentioned ingredients except oil...... into a soft dough (Consistency of a roti dough) Now make small lemon sized balls.

Then press or roll these small balls in between two slightly oiled, stiff plastic sheets, into thin rounds, with the help of a rolling pin.

Do not lift these rolled out rounds, with bare hands..... Just place them onto the sheet or mat, that would be used to dry these papads on.......& remove the plastic slowly, once the rolled round is placed on that sheet. Allow it to sun dry for minimum two days...... (Best under the scorching sun).

Then collect them & store in an airtight container, to be used for days to come.

Deep fry them as & when needed, & enjoy..... For those who are oil conscious, you can just place them in the microwave for 30 seconds....... & enjoy them oil free ......

It is a good Tea Time Snack..... And this goes to the
WYF:Tea time snack event announcement, held by Simple Indian Food........ I know this would be a last minute entry..... but better late than never...... I guess!!!!

Oh! BTW ..... remember those Cups & Mugs, I spoke about in my earlier post..... & my favorite Evening Tea set.????????????

Yes, that was the one...... Yes! It is no more..... I feel sad & sorry for the deceased mug!!!! Who killed it???? Who else..... My love ...... My Kuku , who masters the art of breaking my mugs & cups....... He broke one...few days back.....but I had not come across Malar's Kitchen Mishaps.... then..... If I had I would have captured the mug, rather every bits & pieces of the mug..... Because they were totally shattered around in my kitchen.... We were playing around & accidentally he hit the mug down...... Boooooom!!!!! It went....... but in vain...no snap as I was upset then..... After a few days he sent the other of the lovely pair.... on its way to join its soul mate......by breaking the handle of it..... What use would it be without the handle.....???? So the other went too....
They would be remembered forever.........May they REST IN PEACE!!!!!!!

But yes, he got me new ones to substitute, those favorites.....

I love these now..... God Bless them.... Know not how long would these last....... !!!!!!!!!!?????


After days of looking around for it, I got to taste the new Maggi Pastas..... I liked both the flavors... Yummy!!!!! I had once tasted the pasta that they served at Domino's Pizza...... but Yuck!!!! I personally did not like them.......

But this is without doubts...here to stay..... like their noodles.....the yummy pazzzzzzzta!!!!!!!!

And all said & done, let us all hope for a beautiful tomorrow.......

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!

HAPPY CELEBRATIONS!!!!!!

UNTIL WE MEET NEXT, KEEP THE FAITH!!!!!!!

DAL BHARKE POORI ALOO PAANI Ke Saath(Lentil Stuffed Indian Bread With Thin Gravied Aloo & A Small ThanksGiving!!!)

Bihari Cuisine involves a lot of stuffed edibles, be it a simple Kachori to some Litti Choka..... From Paratas to Samosas..... or even gravies for that matter.....like stuffed karela, stuffed pattal, kofte, etc., to mention a few, unlike my Mangalorean cuisine. The delectable 's in the name of stuffed preps, at Mangalore, are very few like Arisina Ele Hittu & the Karajjikai.... I am totally enthralled by my "Delicacies in - Law"....I tell my hubby often " Tum log kuch bhi, kahin par bhi, kisi cheez mein bhi, bharke bana lethe ho " (" तुम लोग कुछ भी, कहीं पर भी, किसी चीज़ में भी, भरके बना लेथे हो ") Meaning - "Here peeps stuff anything & everything, wherever & in whatever they choose to & prepare stuffs "as far as food is concerned ...... ;-) LOL...

And that is very true too..... I'm always surprised by the Bihari preps I learn about. Sheerly Talented, I must admit.......... HATS OFF to all Biharis!!!!!

I personally enjoy & love them too, but very rich compared to our simple & plain Mangalorean delectable 's. So I would love to share one such stuffed, festive prep from my
"Delicacies in - Law" !!!!!!!!! That is the Dal bharke Poori..............

For The Dough

Ingredients:

Wheat Flour (Atta) - 1/2 kg
Salt to Taste
Oil - 6 tsp
Ajwain + Mangrela (Carom Seeds or Oma + Black Sesame Seeds) - 1 tsp ( I keep a mix of both)
Water as required

Method:

Mix all the above ingredients except water, well... for minimum 5 minutes, so that the mix blends well & smooth enough that u can dust it from your hand....Now add enough water to knead the flour mix into a smooth but firm dough... Keep aside covered for half an hour.

The Stuffing

Ingredients:

Bengal Gram Dal (Chana Dal or the kernels of split Black Chick Peas) - 1 cup
Water - 4 cups
Salt to Taste
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 3 tbsp
Cumin Seeds (jeera) - 1 tsp
Green Chilli - 3, finely chopped
Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped
Turmeric Powder - a pinch (since already added )
Red Chilli Powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1/4 tsp
Kitchen King Masala - 1/4 tsp
Coriander Leaves - 2 tsp, finely chopped

Method:

Pressure cook the dal with water, salt & turmeric powder for 5 whistle, as it takes longer for the chana dal to get cooked.... The dal should be cooked enough to get a thick mash.... not very mushy with water in it.... Once cooked, kindly drain the extra water..... Now mash the dal & keep aside...

Heat oil in a wok or deep bottomed vessel & add jeera & allow it to splutter. Now add green chilli & stir fry & then add chopped onions & fry till translucent. Now add all the masala powders & stir fry further for 2 minutes.. Then add the mashed dal & mix well. Stir fry this mixture until all the water gets evaporated... Now add the chopped coriander leaves & mix. Transfer this mixture into a bowl.

The Dal Stuffed Poori (दाल भरके पूरी)

Make small lemon sized balls of the dough & shape these balls into nice small katoris... or bowls.

Now fill small amounts of the dal mixture into these bowl shaped dough ....

And cover to seal it firmly, with much care.... to avoid the mixture from making its way through the dough as that would not only spoil the shape but would also leave the oil for frying, adulterated & tainted.

Now roll these stuffed & flattened balls with the help of a rolling pin..... Then leave the rolled poori (bread) into the oil & deep fry till golden..... let it puff on both the sides..... The puff would not be as much as a plain poori because of the stuffing..... Once the pooris are done, golden in color...transfer them onto an absorbent paper...

Similarly continue the process with the rest of the dough....

Can be served with plain tomato sauce or ketchup or any veg or non veg gravy to accompany with...... As I had not planned anything till then, I thought of a simple Potato gravy.... called ALOO PAANI...

Aloo Paani (आलू पानी)

Ingredients:

Potato - 4 medium, peeled & washed
Onion - 1 medium, finely sliced
Tomato - 2, finely chopped
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Cumin Powder - 2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 2 tsp
Kitchen King Masala - 2 tsp
Salt to Taste
Water - 2 cups or more for the watery consistency
Oil - 4 tbsp
Coriander Leaves - 2 tsp, finely chopped

Method:

Boil the Potatoes, cut into cubes & keep aside. Heat oil in a wok or a deep bottomed vessel. Now add chopped onions & fry till translucent. Now add tomatoes & stir fry for 5 minutes, on low flame. Now add ginger garlic paste & saute` for a minute. Now add all the masala powders & stir fry for 3 - 4 minutes or till the oil separates. In case if the mixture turns dry, add little amount of water & mix well. The masala should blend well in water. Now add the cooked & cubed potatoes. Stir fry for 2 - 3 minutes, carefully so as to avoid the potatoes from falling apart. Now add good amount of water to get a thin gravy, & bring it to boil. Cook it covered for 20 minutes on low flame...

When done, garnish with chopped coriander leaves...which I forgot to.... Hmmmm.....

Now serve the above made Dal stuffed pooris with the hot Aloo Paani & a bowl of freshly prepared Rice Kheer (खीर) to complete the festive spread. Festive because, this is specially prepared as a prasad (divine food), for the poojas conducted at home, especially Theej....while we break our severe fasting of a day...... It is divine, then, as we really see light after having this, in the darkness caused due to the fast........

These pooris simply taste yum with the kheer to accompany with..... Festive Divinity!!!

Wanna Bite??????
Open Your Mouth & this piece goes in..............................hmmmm!!!! Yum! Yum! Is it not??????

I knew!!!!!!!!!!

This Divine Dal Poori is on its way to EC's, WYF:Specialty food event announcement at Simple Indian Food

along with the below mentioned

Halasina Hannina Hittu.. (Jack Fruit Dumpling)

As suggested by Suma Gandlur, I am also sending my Dal Poori to : Srivalli's My Legume Love Affair..... which is hosted by A Well Seasoned Cook - Susan.

Thank You Suma for letting me know about this event.......

Dasvidaniya!!!!!!!

Now.... Time for Thanks Giving........belated Of course!!!!)

Thank You Esai Selvi from My Kitchen for this lovely butterfly award, for I certainly deserve it, not sure my blog, but me, Yes! .... Since childhood, one of my mamas called me "Chitte" meaning Butterfly, in Kannada. As it is a very cute piece, I simply loved it.

And Thank You Rohini from Curries & Spices, Indu from Kitchen Queen & Esai Selvi again from My Kitchen for passing on this Bold 'n' Gold Award......

Jaago Bhaarath Jaago:

As I punched in these words for my post, I heard lovely music being played, from my living room, for quite a long time.... Went, to check it out.... My hubby was watching his favorite News Channel... The NDTV.... which aired, an One Hour Event, Live, called "A Nation In Solidarity Against Terror" organized in our national capital's India Gate.

The event, intended to express the nation's solidarity against terror.....Oh! Yes!

The date is symbolic to the Mumbai Terror Attacks..... I sincerely "feel" for those who lost their beloveds, their only bread earner & their only reason to live, in this gruesome terror attack.. A year passed..... again in terror.....wondering if our folks were safe out of home, but still keeping our calm, our fingers crossed, thought that "all was well".

This event kindled a thought in me as to - if it was not for 'Mumbai & its Landmarks', had it occurred elsewhere in some remote area, would they have conducted such events???? If Yes, why have I not heard of any such events held in areas which faced similar atrocities???? (forget being aired on TV, with celebs, politicians & sports person making their presence felt....)

Why is this attack blown out of proportion to such an extent???? Would such events give solace to the families of the Martyrs who shed their blood, fighting this attack, to the families of those innocent victims of this horrendous attack or to the families of those brave souls, who stood by, to lend their support in some way or the other & lost something in return???? Would they find solace in such events held?????

Speaking of solidarity against terror, according to me none, who is "HUMAN" would ever talk for it... If the solidarity of the nation was the concern, people in authority would have made arrangements to make the apt & adequate compensations, availing, to the BRAVE families, who deserved it....They would have empathized their feelings... & not made them wait for a year, for the compensations to realize. Instead, arrangements are made to conduct events, with celebs & politicians, ready with their "FOREVER" heard speeches, in the name of NATION AGAINST Terror..... Looks like no events can be held in this country, without the monotonous presence of the so called "CELEBS", "SUPER STARS", "HEROES"...... May be it is a habit now.....

May be compensations would be realized only in their fantasies as may be even this time, just words of promise & hope, remembering the attacks & forgotten till next year, same date..... as ever..........

Irony of Solidarity......

Mean while I even remembered a mail that was doing the rounds then....

The subject being How Fair Is This???? & dated Thu, 4 Dec 2008 6:19 pm....

I hereby paste the content of the mail below.......without changing even a character in it..... It just gets me pondering over the plight of our People in Power & the direction they are heading towards.......

An Olympic shooter wins Gold (Only a game) & Government gives him more than 3 Crores

Rs. 1 crore cash award by State Government of Punjab.
Rs. 2 lakh cash award by Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee
Rs. 25 lakh cash award by the Board of Control for Cricket in IndiaRs. 15 lakh money award by Steel Ministry of India
A free lifetime railway pass by the Railway Ministry of India
Rs. 10 lakh cash award by Chief Minister of Maharashtra state
Rs. 5 lakh cash award by State Government of Orissa
Rs. 1.5 Crore by L N Mittal, Arcelor Mittal
Rs. 10 lakh cash award by the State Government of Karnataka
Rs. 11 lakh cash award by the State Government of Bihar. The Patna Indoor Stadium will be renamed after Abhinav Bindra.
Rs. 1 lakh cash award by the State Government of Chhattisgarh
Rs. 25 lakh cash award by the State Government of Haryana.
Rs. 5 lakh cash award by M. Karunanidhi, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu
A Gold medal by the State Govt. of Kerala.

.
.
.
.
Another Shooter dies, fighting with terrorists (Saving our country and our live) & government pays his family 5 lakhs.



Really great!!!!!!!!!!! Hats off to India!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please forward to all

Today watching that event, pissed me off to an extent that, it got me writing & venting........... It gets tears rolling down my cheeks..... Is that a brave soul worth of????????????

All said & done, the performance & music of Violin maestro - L Subramaniam & his group was totally mesmerizing..... That certainly would have given solace to the hurt souls..... That was something out of the world.....


Last BUT CERTAINLY not the Least..... Piece of Info.....

I would like to thank Tina from In The Garden, for that lovely 'note'd comment, she left on my previous post...(My Proud Collection). Reading it made me feel good & brought a smile on my face & my hubby's. The aftertaste of the 'love' shared still lingers in my smile.....


So, kindly accept it Tina, It's just to pass on my smile to you.....

Happy Celebrations to one & all!!!!!!!!!! Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!

KEEP THE FAITH!!!!!!!

CELEBRATE DIWALI WITH DIWALI DELICACIES...

It's Diwali Time "FINALLY"..... The most, 'sought & looked forward to' festival is the festival of lights.... Everybody from young to old, from the poor to the wealthy, men or women... one & all, await this festival of lights... with much hope... to literally see some change....of the light overcoming the darkness in their life & around them. Many seek the light, that they hoped for after the darkness in their life & for many others it is again total darkness after the gleaming lights are off.

Once again hopes are weaved for the next year, of lights & joy. Some may not like it for their own reasons... but none can ignore this festival....

It is DIWALI again.... let us all celebrate joy & laughter around us, memories to last for your lifetime & even the satisfaction of making someone happy....

"MAKE IT A POINT TO GIVE... ONE CANNOT FATHOM THE 'JOY' IT BRINGS, EVEN AFTER EXPERIENCING IT"

One need not be a millionaire to "GIVE".... Give anything you are capable of with a smile :-)
... MAKE SOMEONE HAPPY.....In my case.... I am quite addicted to it now.... I love experiencing the joy & satisfaction it brings along with some pride. It brings pain sometimes, when I'm not able to. And believe me, "I HATE THAT FEELING".

This Diwali I made an old lady selling Diyas at Bashyam Circle Grounds, happy. Who did u make happy??????????

And when we speak of DIWALI, no Diwali without sweet delicacies.........

When I joined my mom & dad 2 days back, we prepared several delicacies of which other favorites are Akki Unde (ಅಕ್ಕಿ ಉಂಡೆ, Rice Ball) & Karajjikai (ಕರಜ್ಜಿಕೈ, Gujiya).

Karajjikai is a favorite in Karnataka, prepared with dessicated coconut filling. In the Northern parts of India it is prepared with Khova filling & called as Gujiya, which is popularly prepared at times of the festival of Teej in Bihar.

KARAJJIKAI (Gujiya, Arch shaped Crunchy Snack):

Ingredients:

Dough:

All Purpose Flour (maida) - 1/2 kg
Sugar Powder - 1 tsp
Salt to Taste
Hot Oil - 2 tsp
Water as Required

Filling:

White Sesame Seeds (Bili Ellu, Til)
Dessicated Coconut - 1/4 kg
Powdered Sugar - 2 cups
Cardamom Powder - 1/4 tsp

Method:

Mix maida, hot oil, salt & one tsp powdered sugar with enough water to knead the flour into a soft dough of roti consistency & keep aside.

Meanwhile prepare a mix of the filling ingredients in another bowl & keep aside.

Now prepare lemon sized balls of the dough & roll it to the size of a poori, with the help of a rolling pin.

Place a tsp full of the filling mix & seal the dough by pasting the sides, by mere pressing.Seal it thoroughly & take care to see that it does not have any loose ends opened.

Once done, shape the sealed dough with the help of a designed cutter, by cutting the edge giving it an arch shape.

PS: One can also use the Karajjikai moulds available in the market for this purpose.

Keep it aside & continue the process till all the dough is consumed. Now deep fry these gujiyas till lighter shade of golden brown.

Remove them on an absorbent paper & allow them to cool. Once done store them in an air tight container.

Another my personal favorite is Akki Unde, because of its texture. It is very hard & crunchy. I always loved it, since childhood. I used these to fool peeps who were not aware of the texture of this snack. Peeps were like " Oh! these are going to break my teeth". But I must say, & all those peeps who tasted this are a witness to this that, once tasted you get addicted to the yummy taste of these balls. You would only stop, once your jaws ache.

We often offer people around to taste these & judge their teeth based on how confident they are chewing these crunchy balls. Very popular among Mangalorean Christians as these are their Christmas Favorites.



AKKI UNDE ( Crunchy Munchy's):

Ingredients:

Raw White Rice - 3 cups
Jaggery - 1/4 kg
Salt to Taste
Coconut Milk - 2 cup

Method:

Wash & soak rice overnight. Grind the rice with milk to the consistency of dosa batter. Meanwhile mash the jaggery & keep aside. Once the batter is half done add the jaggery & grind till you get a finely smooth batter. Now add salt & mix well.

Empty the batter into a wok or a thick bottomed vessel & place it on low flame, sirring contiuously, till you get a thick dough of roti consistency.

Turn off the flame & remove this dough into an airtight container or box.

PS: It is kept aside in an airtight box, to avoid it from cooling down.

Now remove only a small portion of the dough & mix it well to get a lumps free, smooth texture. Make small marble sized balls & keep aside.

Repeat the process to consume the entire dough.

Now deep fry these balls till chocolate brown.

Remove it onto an absorbent paper & allow it to cool. Store in an airtight container & munch...munch...munch.....

ENJOY THIS DIWALI MUNCHING THIS DELICIOUS DELICACY....HAPPY DIWALI to one & all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This Karajjikai & Akki Unde goes to Priya's Feast (Announcing Diwali 2009 Contest)