Random Thoughts

2013-12-05T06:20:00.002-08:00

Recipe: Masala Tea / Ginger Tea / Masala Chai
Cooking time: 7 to 9 mins

Level: Easy

Video:

About the Recipe: Simplest way of making ginger tea. It's very refreshing especially when it's raining outside...

Ingredients:

Water	½ Cup
Milk	½ Cups
Sugar	1 tea spoon
Tea powder	1 tea spoon
Ginger grated	1 tea spoon full

Directions:

Add 1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of water into a container.
Add 1 tea spoon of sugar and 1 tea spoon of tea powder in the mixture
Place the container on the stove and give a stir
Once it's comes to a boil, add the grated ginger to the mixture
Let it boil for more 60 mins and turn the head off
Let it rest for 5 to 7 sec and the strain it.
Masala Ginger Tea is ready
Enjoy it hot

2013-11-27T11:19:00.000-08:00

Recipe: Matar Paratha / Green Peas Paratha
Cooking time: 30 mins

Level: Easy

Video:

About the Recipe: Green Peas Paratha or Matar Paratha is a very simple to make dish. When we are too hungry and out of options, go for it. All ingredients are usually available and we can make this. Can have as snack, or lunch or as you wish.

Ingredients:

Wheat Flour	2 ½ Cup
Green Peas	1 ½ Cups
Coriander powde	1 ½tea spoon
Cumin Powder (Jira )	1 ½tea spoon
Green Chilies	2
Ginger	½ Inche
Salt	2 ½ tea spoon
Garlic Petals (paste)	2 petals paste
Oil
Water

Directions:

Make a past of 1 to 2 chilli

3 to 4 garlic petals

1/2 inc of ginger

1 1/2 tbsp cumin powder
1 1/2 tbsp coriander powder
Make a coarsely grained paste of Green peas and Salt
Add the ginger garlic past to green peas.
Knit a dough
Make small round balls and spread it like a bowl
Add the filling to the dove bowl and enclose it
Roll it till it forms a paratha
Place it over a hot pan
Apply oil to both sides
Heat it till it becomes golden brown from both sides.
Serve got with tomato sauce

Encounter with Mr. Amitji's official blog 'srbachchan'

2013-04-18T10:24:00.004-07:00

Last night I was eagerly awaiting for the dawn without falling asleep. The reason being, everyone’s old pal ‘Pain’ was giving me a company. Instead of it ruling over my mind, I decided to do the opposite. I tried to ignore it that’s when I came across the blog that Mr. Amitji maintains and updates daily. I guess, yesterday I was first amongst all readers of his latest blog. 2.22 AM

First glance made me go through the blog in details. Common tendency in humans, we enjoy knowing more about celebrity and their personal lives. With the same thought I visited his blog. I kept on reading older and older posts. I do not remember when did I stop imagining him as an Actor but more of a writer while reading his posts. His writing, for sure must have inspired many lives and will keep on.

I am sure 9 out of 10 readers will get addicted to his blog. His writing made me turn towards his fathers creation, putting on efforts to read and pass on.

I checked out per day comments on his every single post and being from a software technology domain, I can’t stop thinking that one day guys at Tumblr may have to rebuild a new data base due to size limitations, jk.

Home made mouth freshener Tambul

2013-02-24T19:05:00.002-08:00

Home made mouth freshener ( Tambul )...

Text coming soon.

2013-01-27T10:50:00.002-08:00

Recipe: Ghavan / Pasarat / Pesarattu

Cooking time: 30 mins

Level: Easy

Video:

About the Recipe: This dish is popular as Ghavan, Pasarat or Dhirdha in Maharashtra. In South India it is well know as Pesarattu. This is a very healthy snack and can be enjoyed in the evening.

Nutrient Benefit: It’s a low calorie dish and rich in protein and fiber. Green Split Gram is considered as a very healthy as it is easy to digest.

Ingredients:

Split Green Gram	2cups
Garlic Petals	4 to 5
Chilli Powder	1 to 2 tbsp
Cumin Powder	1 tbsp
Salt	As per taste
Sugar	As per taste
Oil	-
Chopped Onion	1

Directions:

Soak 2 cups of split green gram in water for more than 4 hours.
Retain the water well enough such that its just an inch above the soaked green grams.
Add 4 to 5 garlic petals in the above mixture.
Add 2 tbsp of chilli powder.
Add 1 tbsp of cumin powder.
Salt as per taste (2 and 1/2 ) tbsp.
Add a pinch of sugar in the mixture.
Grind the mixture of Green Gram in a mixer.
If required you can add water. But be a little careful while adding.
More water will make the batter loose its constancy.
The mixture should be thick enough like dosa batter.
Once the batter is ready, heat a pan on medium high.
Add few drops of oil and make dosa from the batter.
Let it be golden brown from both sides.
For garnishing, fry the chopped onions in very little amount of oil.
Fry them till they become golden brown.
Spread almost 1 to 2 tbsp of fried onion on one of the semicircle of dosa and fold.
Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

Variations:

Instead of Green Gram you can also use Yellow Split Gram (mong dal).

Kadhi

2012-12-30T00:18:00.001-08:00

Recipe: Puneri Kadhi

Cooking time: 30 mins

Level: Easy

Video: Kadhi

About the Recipe: Kadhi is a very popular dish. It is one of the main dish of a complete Maharashtrian Thali. We can prepare this dish in many different ways. I have made kadhi in one of the ways in Pune Maharashtra.

Ingredients:

Buttermilk	3 Cups
Besan	1 Big Spoon Full
Hing	1 tea spoon
Clove	1
Cinnamon	1 small
Hing	1/2 tea spoon
Meethi Seeds	1/2 tea spoon
Cumin Seeds (Jira )	1/2 tea spoon
Salt	As per taste
Sugar	As per taste
Ghee	2 tea spoon
Curry Leaves
Green Chillies	2 Chopped
Ginger	Small Piece
Garlic	2 to 3 petals chopped

Directions:

Add the following in a mixing bowl.

2 Cups Buttermilk
1 spoon full beasn
Salt as per taste
Sugar as per taste
Ginger
Garlic Chopped

Heat 2 table spoon of ghee in a container.
Add cumin seeds, meethi seeds, hing, curry leaves, chilli, clove and cinnamon.
Either add this mixture to the buttermilk or add buttermilk mixture in this container.
Heat till it thickens and boil.
Turn off the head and serve hot!

2012-09-09T02:20:00.001-07:00

Recipe: Banana Raita

Cooking time: 10 mins

Level: Easy

Video:

About the Recipe: This recipe is a perfect blend of sweetness, saltiness and spice. It is very simple and easy to make. It can go well with plain roti as well. It serves good as a raita.

Ingredients:'

Banana	2
Coriander Leaves	For garnishing
Salt	As per taste
Sugar	As per taste
Chopped Green Chilies	1 to 2
Yogurt / Curd	2 to 3 spoons

Directions:

Add the following in a mixing bowl.

2 Banana moderately thick chopped
Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Chopped green chilies

Salt as per taste

Sugar as per taste

3 to 4 table spoon Yogurt / Curd

Mix all the ingredients well.

Dish is ready. Refrigerated raita tastes good.

2012-09-08T20:12:00.003-07:00

Recipe: Kothimbeer Vadi / Coriander Fry

Cooking time: 45 mins

Level: Easy

Video:

About the Recipe: Kothimbeer Vadi is a well known dish in Maharashtra. It can be good as a starter or even as evening snack. It can stay well for 24 to 30 hrs. It is a part of a complete Maharashtrian thali generally preferred with curd.

Ingredients:'

Roughly Chopped coriander	1 Bowl
Sesame seeds (till)	2 tea spoon
Salt	As per taste
Sugar	As per taste
Turmeric Powder	1 tea spoon
Red Chilli Powder	1 1/2 tea spoon
Khas khas (poppy seed)	1 tea spoon
Besan	3 to 4 table spoon
Oil
Water

Directions:

Add the following in a mixing bowl.

1 bowl chopped coriander leaves

2 tea spoon sesame seeds

1 tea spoon khas khas

1 tea spoon turmeric powder

1 ½ tea spoon red chilli powder

salt as per taste

sugar as per taste

3 to 4 table spoon besan

add little water (to knead it into a dough).

Mix all the ingredients to make a dough (sticky).

Take a container with edges. Apply oil to the container. Add this mixture dough to this pan. Spread it to have constant thickness.

Pressure cook the container for 5 to 10 mins. One whistle of the pressure cooker will be enough for it to cook.

Cut the pressure cooked dough,which will be somewhat tough, in little squares.
Heat oil in pan. When the oil is hot fry the squares till it becomes brown. Serve the kothimbeer vadi hot along with curd or tomato sauce.

Rangoli...best means of passtime and decoration...

2011-12-25T08:00:00.001-08:00

Gudhi Padwa 2014

Diwali 2013

Vijayadashmi

Bhopal Gharge / Pumpkin Cookies

2011-03-31T16:44:00.000-07:00

Recipe: Bhopal Gharge / Pumpkin Cookies

Cooking time: 50 mins

Level: Easy

Video:

About the Recipe: Bhopal Gharge is a very well-known dish in Maharashtra. Its sweet but still can be enjoyed as a snack. It is simple to cook and is liked by everyone.

Nutrient Benefit: It’s a low calorie dish and can be enjoyed as a dessert with no sugar. Jaggery is healthier than sugar.

Ingredients:

Pumpkin (Shredded)	1 big bowl
Wheat flour	3 to 4 Cups
Jaggery	½ Cup
Ghee (Butter)	2 tbsp.
Oil (EVOO)	For frying

Directions:

In a deep pan take 2 tbsp. of Ghee or butter.
Once the Ghee is heated put the shredded pumpkin in the pan. And keep on mixing till it becomes tender.
Once pumpkin is tender add ½ cup jaggery in the pan. Mix it till the jaggery melts and gels with pumpkin.
Take the mixture off the heat, and allow it to cool. (Approx. 10 min)
Once cooled, add the flour to the mixture to form dough. (Start by adding little amount of flour and keep adding the flour until the mixture turns into soft dough like we make for preparing Rotis)
Make small round shape balls of the dough and roll it into shape of a cookie.
Heat some oil and fry the cookies till it turns light brown.
You can enjoy it either hot or cooled to room temperature.

Variations:

Those who want to avoid deep frying can try baking the rolled cookies in oven. Apply Ghee or butter on both sides of the cookie and heat at approx. 350 °F for about 20 min. In between turn it over once around 10 min since the start.

Palak Paratha / Spinach Paratha

2011-03-18T17:49:00.000-07:00

Recipe: Palak Paratha / Spinach Paratha
Cooking time: 45 mins

Level: Easy

Video:

About the Recipe: Palak Paratha is a well known dish. Palak paratha can be made in several different ways. The way I am preparing is a simple and easy Maharashtrian style. It can be used as snack or even as a lunch item. It can stay well for 24 to 30 hrs so I always prefer to prepare some for the road trips or journey.

Nutrient Benefit: Wheat Flour used in this preparation is more nutritious than all-purpose flour mostly used in other preparations. Palak /Spinach is rich in fiber. Entire dish contains little amount of Oil. Prefer Extra Virgin Olive Oil [EVOO] than canola oil or vegetable oil. The Ajwain seeds (carcom seeds) are well known as a digestive aid, a relief for abdominal discomfort due to indigestion and an antiseptic.

Ingredients:

Wheat Flour	2 ½ Cup
Finely chopped Spinach	1 Cups
Dhane (coriander seeds) powder (optional)	1 tea spoon
Ajwain seeds (carcom seeds / bishop’s weed) (Ova in Marathi)	1 tea spoon
Sesame Seeds (Til)	1 tea spoon
Turmeric Powder	1 ½ tea spoon
Red Chilli Powder	2 tea spoon
Cumin Seeds (Jira )	1 tea spoon
Salt	2 ½ tea spoon
Garlic Petals (paste)	2 petals paste
Oil
Water

Directions:

Add the following in a mixing bowl.

1 cup spinach

1 tsp Dhane (coriander) powder

1 tsp Ajwain (ova) seeds

1 tsp sesame seeds

1 ½ tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp jira cumin seeds

2 ½ tsp salt

Garlic paste

2 to 2 ½ tsp Oil

2 ½ cup wheat flour

½ cup of water (to knead it into a dough). Add more if required.

Mix all the ingredients to make a dough. Let the dough rest for 10 to 15 mins. You can also prepare the dough in a food processor.

Make small round shape balls from the dough and roll them flat like a roti.

Heat a pan on medium flame. Put the paratha on the pan. Apply oil on both sides and let it cook till little brown spots appear on both sides. Then take it off the pan and the Paratha is ready to be served.

Serve it hot; either with pickle or tomato ketchup or with fresh homemade butter (loni) (traditional style)!

Variations: You can even try adding Dahi ( yogurt) to the mixture while making dough.

Sketching is fun...

2011-03-12T09:26:00.000-08:00

Pencil 4B and 6B


Pencil 4B and 6B

Both sketches are inspired from paintings of an artist on orkut who have sketched similar paintings with gel pen.

Recipe - Varan Phal / Dal Dhokhali (Diamond shape wheat cuttings with Tuvar Dal)

2011-01-25T09:59:00.000-08:00

Recipe: Diamond shape wheat cuttings with Tuvar Dal (Varan Phal / Dal Dhokhali)

Cooking time: 30 mins

Level: Easy

Video: Varan Phal Recipe (Dal Dhokhali)

About the Recipe: This dish is very popular in regions of Maharashtra. It is commonly known as ‘Varan Phal’. It is also known as ‘Dal Dhokhali’ in Guajarati cuisine. This is a very simple and easy to cook dish. It is a good option for weekend cooking. It can be used as evening snack or a light dinner option. Believe me it is a best option when you are running short of time and can’t prepare entire meal. This single dish will incorporate all the nutrients of a full cooked meal. I remember my Granny preparing this dish for my Grandpa and we all kids used to jump in…easily she used to make the servings from 2 to 5. I love this dish.

Nutrient Benefit: Wheat Flour is more nutritious than all purpose flour. Toor Daal (Tuvar Dal) is rich in Proteins. Entire dish contains little amount of Oil. Prefer Extra Virgin Olive Oil [EVOO] than canola oil or vegetable oil. This is a common myth that EVOO is not for Indian Cooking style due to excessive heating. But EVOO can still be used as Oil for frying.

Ingredients:

Wheat Flour	1 ½ Cup
Finely chopped Onions	1 Cup
Chopped Coriander /Cilantro leaves	For garnishing
Toor Daal / Tuvar Daal (Pressure cooked)	1 Cup (raw Daal)
Garlic Petals	1 to 2
Red Chilli Powder	2 to 3 tbsp
Turmeric Powder	2 to 3 tbsp
Garam Masala (kala masala)	½ tbsp
Salt	According to taste
Sugar	Pinch or two
Mustard seeds	1 tbsp
Oil	1 to 2 tbsp
Optional
Asafoetida, jaggery in cooked dal, Lemon for Garnishing

Directions:

Pressure cook toor daal with a pinch of turmeric powder, asafoetida and water.
Take 1 ½ cup of wheat flour. Add 1 tbsp of red chilli powder. ½ tbsp of turmeric powder, pinch of sugar and salt according to taste to the wheat flour.
Add water to the wheat flour to make soft dough. (Note: if the dough turns out to be sticky, add a little oil and mix it again.)
Roll the dough to make it flat circular like a Roti but thicker. (thickness of about 2 Roti’s)
Cut it into Diamond shapes and keep it aside.
Heat a pan. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil (EVOO) into the pan.
Add mustard seeds when the oil is hot.
Add chopped garlic / garlic paste into the oil.
Add chopped onions.
Fry till the onions turn golden brown.
Add 1 tbsp of chilli powder, 1 tbsp of turmeric powder, 1 tbsp of garam masala.
Add the pressure cooked toor daal to the pan. (sizzle is expected). Add little water to thin the mixture. (If needed).
After a quick stir add the diamond shaped wheat cuttings in the daal one after one.
Let the mixture boil for 10 mins. Stir 2 to 3 times in between.
Garnish it with raw chopped onion, chopped coriander and lemon juice (optional).
Serve Hot!

Variations:

We can prepare the dish with lentil soup as well. (Instead of Toor Daal.)
Can add some chopped spinach in the toor daal mixture while pressure cooking.
While serving add some butter or ghee on top of it. It enriches the taste of the dish.

A Happy Moment!

2011-01-15T09:11:00.000-08:00

A Happy moment…

I was on my way to the grocery store on my bicycle. I usually see teenagers or some mom with the kids in strollers or some men returning from work to home. But today I got to see two faces from my country. Faces which are similar to mine. The skin tone, the features all were same. I see similar faces from my land daily but the surprising thing about these old faces were that they were wearing my land’s traditional dresses. The old man was wearing a ‘Dhoti’. Attire which I used to see my grandpa wearing all the time as I was growing up since being a kid till the time I was with him. That moment made me remind all the beautiful time I had with my entire family…my mother, my father, my grandparents and my sister. As I passed him on the road he looked at me and gave me a beautiful smile as if I was related to him. I really can’t find words to express how I felt seeing my lands culture in this foreign country. I was so proud of my own country, its culture. I loved it. I felt so close to my country. Few feet ahead his better half was leading the way, stopping often to look back and just check her husband is keeping the pace. I wanted to stop and talk to them and invite them to my place as I would do to my grandparents. Talk to them about things back home; listen to their past experience which is thrilling at times. But I think I have missed the moment. I am still hopeful to see them again and this time I am not going to lose the chance.

Hope! Sometimes its good to give it up!

2010-11-17T23:15:00.000-08:00

Its weird but recently felt like...Sometimes its good to give up hope.
Yes....
imagine...There is a door which is wide open. I am hoping (expecting) stars to enter from the door. I see no stars. But good I did not loose hope.. still expecting stars. Days, months passed by,and I am still hoping stars. Finally a day came when I gave up all my hopes of getting any star. I was not expecting it any more.
Then I realized even though I did not get what I wanted but many things did enter from the open door to which I did not give a damn attention. These many other things might be equally good like the stars which I was hoping to get. If I had not been so concerned only about stars I could have got anything equally good. So strangely I felt..sometimes let your hope go away...you will find some room in your brain for some new expectations, new dreams, new hopes!

Photography...an attempt!

2010-10-26T14:04:00.000-07:00

Weeds competing with the endless sky!!!

 

Its the original snap....feels like sepia mode (but its natural)

Sun: I'm done for the Day..... :)

Pakshyancha thava....

Illuminated......self.

The saviour......

Its like a jewel hiding in a tree.....

leaving the imprients behind!!

hee waat door jate swapnamadhil gawa mazy manatala ka thethe asel rawa?

Twilight!!

It's been a long road
Getting from there to here
It's been a long time
But my time is finally near
And I can feel a change in the wind right now
Nothing's in my way
And they're not going to hold me down no more
No they're not going to hold me down.....

Check out the overall posture of each bird.....its so naturally beautiful....

 

Aakashi zhep ghe re pakhara.....

 

its so naturally beautiful....shades....

To see live so close is really thrilling.....

Add caption

Light but still its dark!

Iwalese rop lavile dwari
tyacha velu gela gaganwari....

Vijaya Dashmi - Dasara

2010-10-13T16:19:00.000-07:00

As a child, I used to spend this day doing lot of activities my parents used to tell me to do. Today I made an attempt to think over the reasons behind each and every activity.

I still vivdly remember my first bicycle bought on this day. And lot of cribbing done by me to get it earlier than Vijayadashmi. But my parents insisted to buy on the day of Vijayadashmi. The reason behind buying on Vijayadashmi was - this day is considered as one of the 3 1/2 auspicious days called as (Sadeteen shubha muhurta). Hindus prefer these days to start any new activity like buying a vehicle, a house, ornaments and any valuables in their life.

The day used to start by decorating the house with garlands made of marigold flowers and mango leaves called as "Toran" in Marathi. Garlands were made for decorating our vehicles too. My mother used to get up early and prepare sweets for us. We used to wash our car and it was fun washing it with my sis and dad. We used to put 'tilak' on the Vehicle and put the garland in the front. The good thing was all of our neighbours used to be there in the parking and we used to have lot of fun. Late in the evening all the vehicles used to shine along with flowers adding to the beauty of each vehicle. It used to feel that if any vehicle is not having the flower garland, it would feel ashamed staying in the parking.

Another good thing I remember about this day and like the most was, my mom used to ask us for one pen, a book, a pencil from either of us. I used to fight with my sister as I wanted to give only my stuff. But finally mom used to accept one each of the items from both of us. The secret behind the fight was, I purposely wanted to give my homework book to my mom to keep in the puja, so that I could get a reason for not studying. I used to purposely ask my mom, "Mom, my pen is in the puja, should I take it?" and mom used to shout back at me saying,"don't touch it!!". I used to feel happy from bottom of my heart. :)

The reason behind worshiping pen, pencil, books, vehicles, a knife on this day is, the Pandavas completed their AgnayatVas and regained their identity on this day. They took back their hidden weapons from the Shami tree. To mark this day we have a tradition of worshiping the weapons.

In the evening all of us used to put on new dress and go to cross city limits which is called as 'Seemolanghan - crossing the boundaries'. The city limit was a bit far away and we used to cross steep roads through valleys. On the way back home we used to stop at a tree called 'Aptya che zahad'. We used to pluck some of its leaves and take back home. I used to compete with my sister as to who had more no of leaves and my parents called it as 'Sonya chi pan' (leaves of Gold). On the way back home we used to go to our grand parent's house to give them the leaves and take their blessings. In return being a kid we used to get sweets. My sis and I used to collect them from all houses which we used to visit on way back home and used to compare how much each had in her bag which obviously used to transform into a friendly fight.

The reason behind crossing the city limits (Seemolanghan) is, Vijaya Dashmi was chosen as the day to cross the border and start the war against the neighbouring kingdoms.
The tradition behind exchanging Aptya chi pan is based on the Kautsa's Gurudakshina Story - Kautsa disciple of Guru Varatantu, had promised him to give gold coins as guru dakshina. So he went to King Raghu requesting him to help keep the promise. King Raghu asked God Indra who in turn asked God Kuber (God of wealth) for the gold coins. God Kuber showered the gold coins on the Apta trees near the King Raghu's Ayodhya city. Based on this story we still exchange the leaves of the Apta tree on this day.

Some of the social groups in the neighbourhood used to get busy in building a replica of Ravan. At night this replica used to be set on fire. It used to be pleasant as those days in October used to be bit cold and the heat from the fire used to give us warmth. Back at home I used to ask my mom why do we set the replica on fire. She used to tell me, on this day Shri Ram defeating Ravan. By setting the replica of Ravan on fire we actually kill the 10 bad qualities, which are represented by ten heads of Ravana as follows: (1) Kama vasana (Lust), (2) Krodha (Anger), (3) Moha (delusoion), (4) Lobha (Greed), (5) Mada (Over Pride), (6) Matsara (Jealousy), (7) Durmana (Nevative Mind), (8) Durbuddhi ( Bad Intellect), (9) Duschitta (Bad will) and (10) Ahankara (Ego).

Listening to stories of Ram and Raavan my Sis and I used to go to bed cherishing the day in our memories. Later in life I came to know the deep down meaning of each activity we did on that day. Even today I still do it and will definitely pass it to my next generations, not letting die the invaluable tradition.

I request you all reading the blog to do the same with me...