Home again...it's so good to be back at my ancestral home...where so many wonderful childhood memories are ....Every corner I see has a story, every step has a memory etched in it..It's a huge vault, of my past ..
Umm...do I sound a bit too much...Yes?So Sorry, but wherever you go and build your own nest...however happy you are in that nest of yours, there truly is no place like home..So do forgive me for blathering on like the emotional fool I get to be when I come to my home...It's the little chicken coming to roost...(AAARGH!!will I never stop??)
Anyway, seriously, it's been great fun. The kids are having their vacations, my brother and his family are also here..so they are all on aroll...having a blast..
Also, We bought this Karaoke set the other day, so now we're all amatuer singers now..all singing lustily at the top of our voices...giving the neighbors no peace and quiet at all...We're having a jolly good time with friends and family dropping by to see our parents, now that they're back from their pilgrimage..reconnecting ,remembering combined memories...yes..it's fun..
Even though am having fun here..I really should not let my loyal readers down..so am going to post a recipe and run off again...
Is there any mallu who hasn't eaten
PAZHAM PORI ??This is one inevitable snack..famous too...wherever you go in malluland..you will see this innoccous looking snack being sold .
PAZHAM PORI
Ingredients
Bananas 2 Nos
Maida 1/4 cup
Egg 1
Rice flour 1/2 cup
Sugar 1/4 cup
Baking soda 1/2tsp
Salt a pinch
Water to make a loose paste
Coconut oil enough to deep fry
Method
1. Peel and cut the bananas into two sections, and then cut into thin slices lengthwise.
2. Mix the remaining ingredients together into a smooth batter, but not too watery.
3. Heat oil in a frying pan.
4. Take each banana slice and dip it in the batter, and fry on medium fire until they turn golden brown.
5.Keep on a paper towel to let the oil drain, and serve either hot or at room temperature.(I prefer it hot...love the crunchy taste outside,followed by the soft and ripe banana inside,...mmm..)
A note..
Remember to use very ripe bananas for this.
Some people add sesame seeds,some others add turmeric powder, apinch...personally, I never add them.
Have you ever, while having your bath, looked down at the soap suds in your hand and remembered the bubbles you used to make when you were small ?
Have you ever, at that realization , tried to blow a soap bubble , just to see if you can still muster a good enough respectable bubble?
Have you ever, at that point...felt that soaring sense of joy when you find that you were as good as before..no...,much more of an expert now?
This is what exactly happened to me last week....which prompted me to have a bubble blowing contest for the kids at their bath time!
Did you know that you can blow surprisingly large bubbles by looping your thumb and first finger into a bubble blowing wand!
Great fun, the kids loved the contest..though there were no winners...since all the bubbles started popping the very second we finished blowing them!!The bickering continues to this day as to who the winner was..each claiming preposterous sizes for their bubbles!
Anyway, the popping part led me on a search for proper bubble blowing liquid on the net...and here's what I found!
An easy to make recipe for bubble liquid...
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1/2 cup of dish detergent (washing up liquid)
5 cups water (soft water is best - if your water is very hard consider using distilled or bottled water)
2 tablespoons glycerine (available at the pharmacy or supermarket). You can substitute light corn syrup (not golden syrup!)
Mix the ingredients together very carefully, so that you they don't get too bubbly. Pour into storage containers and, if possible, leave overnight to blend.
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Bubbles have always held a fascination for me...They're so delicate and ethereal..with no colour at all...yet with millions of colours when they catch the sun's rays..Such pretty little things...I don't think there's any one around who doesn't like blowing bubbles...
Another thing that holds a total sense of enjoyment for me is bubble wrap.
Find some bubble wrap and pop the bubbles, and you will understand what I'm talking about if you haven't done this before..
A weird and wonderful, almost hypnotic game of popping as many bubbles as you can...it invariably ends when all the bubbles are gone from the wrap and you look ruefully at the bubble wrap...Thinking.." did I really pop ALL these bubbles?Now...
Why DID I do that?"
Enough of my wild ramblings..I thought of posting the recipe of Batoora and channa (chick pea curry) as Today's special!
CHANNA BATOORA
Ingredients:
For channa:-
Chick peas 1 cup
Onion(chopped) 1
Tomato(finely chopped) 1
Green chillies 2 nos
(finely chopped)
Ginger-garlic paste 1 tbsp
Chilly powder 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Chaat masala powder 1 tsp
Cumin seeds(Jeerakam) 1 tsp
Oil 1/4 cup
Salt 2 tsp
Coriander leaves for garnishing
Method:
1. Soak the chickpeas overnight.
2. Pressure cook it, along with the onions, tomato, green chilly, and ginger garlic paste, till done.
3. Heat oil in a pan . Add the cooked chickpeas, plus all the other ingredients.
4. Cook, till the gravy thickens.
5. Garnish with coriander leaves.Serve hot.
Ingredients:
For batoora:
Maida 250 gms
Baking powder 1/2 tsp
Soda bicarb a pinch
Salt 1 tsp
curd 1/4 cup
sugar 1/2 tsp
Bread 1 slice
Milk enough to mix the flour
Oil to fry
Method:
1. Mix together all the wet ingredients.
2. Soak the bread slice in this, then beat well, so it crumbles and mixes well in the wet mix.
3. Add the dry ingredients, knead well till you get a soft and smooth dough, then keep aside for 2 hours under a wet cloth cover.
4. Make medium sized balls off the dough.Roll them out to thick big poories.
5. Deep fry them in oil.
6. Using a slotted spatula/spoon drain the bread and transfer to a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Serve hot with channa or any other curry of your choice.
Tip: Can also add a teaspoon of sesame seeds or chopped coriander leaves to he dough at the mixing stage for added visual effect.Also, use as little milk as possible, since if you add too much, the dough will not rise.
Take twelve complete months.
Clean them of all bitterness, hate and envy.
Cut them into 29, 30, or 31 pieces,
but do not cook them all at the same time.
Prepare one day at a time, with the following ingredients:
a pinch of patience, a pinch of courage, a pinch of work.
Add to each day one part hope, faithfulness, and kindness.
Mix well with one part prayer, one part meditation,
and one part application.
Season with a portion of good spirits, a pinch of happiness,
a little action, and a good measure of humour.
Place everything in a vessel of love.
Cook well on the flame of radiant happiness.
Garnish with a smile and serve abundantly.
Hi!! hope you all have a great year ahead..me too!!
I've prepared a long list of resolutions for myself for the coming year...want to hear?
1. Be more patient with my kids. Don't yell all the time!!
2. Start my morning walks again(I started today!!)
3. Go for yoga.
4. Diet...Diet..Diet..Lose at least 10 kgs this year..
5. Experiment more with food.
6. Learn sewing .
7. Do more crafts with the children.
8. Plant a tree every month in some public place.
9. Be more eco friendly..Stop using plastic.
10. Save water.
I think that's enough for now...let's see how I manage..eh?
Today morning..I've been whizzing around my house giving it a good cleaning and dusting. Every single corner is now squeaky clean...just waiting to start the new year all clean and clutterfree!!
Was planning to start my heavy duty diet tomorrow...and then my friend S, drops in with a blueberry cheesecake as a new year gift!!!
Sheesh!!Have ruthlessly divided the cake into portions for the kids and my old watchman(let him grow fat!!hahaha!!)and a portion for my neighbor too!!
there!!wasn't I good!!I didn't touch a single piece!!
BATTER FRIED PRAWNS
Ingredients:
500 gm prawns
1 tbsp crushed garlic
1 tbsp crushed green chillies
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp maida(flour)
3 tbsp cornflour
1 egg white
a pinch of soda bicarb
a pinch of baking powder
2 tbsp Spring onion/celery finely chopped
Oil to deep fry
Method:
1. Shell and devein prawns, leaving the tails on.
2. Mix together crushed garlic, green chillies, oyster sauce, salt and pepper. Add prawns and Refrigerate for two hours.
3. Mix flour, baking powder, cornflour, whipped egg white, sodabicarb, and enough water to make a thick batter.
4. Heat oil till smoking, then put low flame.
5. Holding the prawns by the tails, dip in batter, then drop into hot oil.
6. Fry until golden, turning once. Drain. Serve hot with spring onions chopped sprinkled on top as a garnish and with shezuan sauce.
SHEZUAN SAUCE:
Mix together tomato ketchup 4 tbsp, chillisauce 2 tbsp, vinegar 1 tsp, chopped spring onions, chopped green chillies 1/2 tsp, a pinch of sugar, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of ajinomoto. Heat in a saucepan till well blended, cool, and serve with prawns.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
I ran across this poem a few days back, and i thought it expressed my thoughts so truly and perfectly..
I do not want
a kitchen
All shining and smart
So impersonal I'll feel lost
Give me an old fashioned room
with a few odd things
and runningf water
I need no more-
Dhiruben Patel
Lovely, no? Short and sweet..like the recipe Im going to share with you today.
MALLU STYLE CHILLI CHICKEN
Ingredients
Batter: Egg 1
Cornflour 3 tbsp
Maida 5 tbsp
Chicken Boneless 500gm
Onion 3
Green chillies 15
Oil 4 tbsp
Chilly sauce 4 tbsp
Red colour a pinch
Salt 1 tsp
Chicken stock 2 tbsp
Method:
1. Mix batter. Add enough water to get a loose consistency ,not thick.
2. Add chicken (chopped into small pieces), and keep refrigerated for 2-3 hours
3. Fry the chicken pieces by dropping them in hot oil and keep aside.
4. Saute onion in oil, add green chillies(yes, i meant all fifteen green chillies!!)
5. Add salt, chilly sauce(green chillisauce), and saute again for 5 minutes on low flame.
6. Add the chicken pieces .Mix well.
7. Mix red food colour with stock, then pour onto chicken pieces. Stir for a minute, then turn off heat.
Tip:
1. The chillichicken above is a dry recipe. If you want gravy, add 6-8 tbsp of chicken stock.
2. Use with paratha, chapathi as well as fried rice, noodles etc.
3. If you want, you can do the first 3 steps earlier, and do the rest of the method abt 20 minutes before serving. The pieces won't be too soggy then.
