Cooking With Siri

Fund Drive for Vaidehi Ashram of Destitute Girls, Hyderabad

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:31:00 +0000

"A laugh, to be joyous, must flow from a joyous heart, for without kindness, there can be no true joy."

~ Thomas Carlyle

Finally the moment is here. The Fund Drive for Vaidehi Ashram about which I have been talking from past few days begins today. :-)

How does this Fund Drive work and How to donate for the cause?

1. Click on Chip-in button below. (It will take a few seconds to load.)

1 raffle ticket = 10$

2. Contribute: Via Paypal or credit. You can donate any amount. Each $10 donation will give you one raffle ticket towards a raffle prize of your choice.

For Example, a donation of $20 will fetch you 2 raffle tickets which can be used to choose on any of the raffle prizes. Scroll down to view all of them in an table format. You can use all your raffle tickets on one prize (in turn increasing the chances in the lucky draw) or on different prizes.

3. Once the donation process is completed, please forward your payment confirmation message to info(dot)siri(at)gmail.com, clearly specifying which raffle prize(s) you are interested in. Within 24 hours, your name and contributed amount will be added to the 'Fund Drive Supporters List' at the very end of this post. If you want to stay anonymous, please let me know in advance. For any correspondence/questions/queries, use the comment section or the email address mentioned.

To donate in Rupees:

1 raffle ticket = 500Rupees.

Please send an email to info(dot)siri(at)gmail.com for the bank account details where you can do a direct deposit and participate in the Fund Drive.

The event will close on 25th February and winners will be announced on 27th February via a randow drawing by the Ashram kids. :-)

What are the raffle prizes being sponsored?

Thanks to the amazing support from my blogger friends, you have 40+ raffle prizes to choose from, depending on where you live. All the raffle prizes are listed below in a table format for easy reference. For a more pictorial description of each of them - Click here.

The following raffle prizes make great gifts, and each item will be sent to the winner neatly packed and shipping expenses paid.

Please note that each one of these prizes can be chosen by multiple donors. A lucky dip will be conducted with the names associated and a winner will be chosen by the Ashram kids.

Code Name	Sponsor	Raffle Prize Description	Shipping
RF1	Siri of Cooking With Siri	Samsung Hero Music E1232B (Titanium Silver)	India
RF2	Madhuri of Cook-curry Nook	4 slots for her Chocolate Nirvana Workshop in J P Nagar, Bangalore	India
RF3	Arundati Rao of Escapades	2 Boxes (1 dozen each) of Home-made Chocolate Truffles	India
RF4	Anu of Love & Lentils	Rs.2000 Gift Voucher to the restaurants at Taj Banjara, Hyderabad	India
RF5	Madhuri of Cook-curry Nook	A Box of 12 Assorted Cupcakes - for 10 lucky winners	India
RF6	Jigyasa and Pratibha of Pritya Books	Signed copy of Sukham Ayu	India
RF7	Preethi of Krya	A goodie bag which has great organic products such - organic millets, organic jams, pickles, soaps, and Krya (India's only organic detergent). these are directly sourced from farmers who grow/make them.	India
RF8	Chandana of Indian Cuisine	Ice Creams & Frozen Dessets by Tarla Dalal and 101 ways to prepare Curries by Aroona Reejhsinghani	India
RF9	Dershana of The Footloose Chef	Kitchen Library Eat Lite (Set Of 5 Books) by Sanjeev Kapoor	India
RF10	My Mom	A gift hamper which has items such as candles, flowers, necklaces etc, hand-made by the Ashram kids.	India
RF11	Sailaja (My little Sister)	Apple iPod shuffle 4th Generation 2 GB (Orange)	India
RU1	Siri of Cooking With Siri	Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens - perfect for food photography	US
RU2	Monica Bhide	Modern Spice: Inspired Indian Flavors for the Contemporary Kitchen	US
RU3	Kavita of Tasty Touch	Gift basket with Wine and Cheese, For non-wine lovers - Chocolate/Coffee and Tea basket	US
RU4	DK of Chef In You	Amazon Kindle e-reader	US
RU5	Sig of Live To Eat	Wüsthof® Gourmet Hollow-Edge Santoku Knife - 7" (OR) Wüsthof® Gourmet Chef’s Knife, depending on winner's choice	US
RU6	Sangeeta of Musical's Kitchen	Gift Sets from The Body Shop - 2 lucky winners	US
RU7	Nupur of One Hot Stove	Cuisinart ICE-21 Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker +Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home by Jeni Britton Bauer	US
RU8	Prerna of Indian Simmer	Food Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots by Nicole S. Young + one professional quality print of any of her photographs (winner's choice).	US
RU9	Smitha of Smitha's Spicy Flavors	Babycakes Pop Maker: CP-94LV - Purple	US
RU10	Nags of Edible Garden	Oriental gift hamper containing chopsticks, customized wall hangings, and spices.	India/US
RU11	Divya of Dil Se..	Rachael Ray's Whistling Tea Kettle(Available colors: Blue, Red, Orange) winner can choose their choice of color.	US
RU12	Sridevi of Sreelu's Tasty Travels	Cuisinart GR-1 Griddler Panini and Sandwich Press	US
RU13	Usha of My Spicy Kitchen	The Food52 Cookbook: 140 Winning Recipes from Exceptional Home Cooks	US
RU14	Usha of My Spicy Kitchen	Polder KSC-310-28 Easy Read Digital Glass Top Scale, Silver	US
RU15	Swati of Chatkor	Atlas Pasta Machine	US
RU16	Swati of Chatkor	EatSmart Precision Pro - Multifunction Digital Kitchen Scale w/ Extra Large LCD and 11 Lb. Capacity	US
RU17	Sakshi of Cracked Chronicles	Lilly Bloom Cross Body Handbag. This gorgeous and ultra-cute bag is very creatively made using recycled material.	US
RU18	Sangeeta of Musical's Kitchen	Grains, Greens, and Grated Coconuts: Recipes and Remembrances of a Vegetarian Legacy by Ammini Ramachandran	US
RU19	Sangeeta of Musical's Kitchen	Masala Farm: Stories and Recipes from an Uncommon Life in the Country by Suvir Saran	US
RU20	Champa of Versatile Vegetarian Kitchen	4 slots of Weekend Baking Classes (6 hours) at her Philadelphia home	US (Philadelphia)
RU21	Vardhini of Zesty Palette	Magic Bullet MBR-1701 17-Piece Express Mixing Set	US
RU22	Padma Fashions	Beautiful Jewellery Set from Padma Fashions	US
RE1	Finla of My Kitchen Treasures	The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas and Sweet Accompaniments by David Lebovitz	Europe/US
RE2	Padmaja of Spicy Andhra	Chasseur Cast Iron Fondue with Forks, Meringue Satin	UK
RE3	Padmaja of Spicy Andhra	Philips Imageo LED Rechargeable Candle Lights, White	UK
RW1	Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook	An Assortment of Props for Tabletop Food photography	Worldwide
RW2	Harini of Tongue Ticklers	Two professional prints for two lucky winners (of winner's choice) from her beautiful photo gallery	Worldwide
RW3	Shruthi of Yummy 4 Tummy	Simple Indian by Atul Kochhar	Worldwide
RW4	RV of Food for 7 Stages of Life	$50 Amazon card	Worldwide
RW5	Valli of Cooking 4 all Seasons	The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches: Recipes, History, and Trivia for Everything Between Sliced Bread by Susan Russo	Worldwide
RW6	Simona of Briciole	Handmade Journal where the paper on the covers is decorated using suminagashi, an ancient Japanese marbling technique. Dimensions: 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches.	Worldwide
RW7	Sonia of Seven Spice	660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer	Worldwide

All the winners will be notified via Email. The winners have to provide and confirm their shipping addresses. The prize sponsors will then send the gifts directly to the winners. Please allow 2 to 3 weeks for the prizes to reach you.

How can Y.O.U help the cause?

1. Through Monetary Contributions to the Fund Drive. These little girls at the Ashram are in need of all our love and support. Please refer the above section - "How does this Fund Drive work and How to donate for the cause?" for more information.

2. Spread the word.

"I love sharing my story. It's endlessly healing." ~ Ben Vereen

Share about this Fund Drive wherever possible - On your blogs, Facebook, Twitter (with hashtag #vaidehiashram) etc. Let your friends and family know about it. Please feel free to use any images and information posted in the Ashram posts below, to make your voice heard. Any help in any form in making this event a success is very much appreciated. :-)

First Visit to Vaidehi Ashram
Second Visit to Vaidehi Ashram

Click the "Copy" button on the corresponding widget and paste it on your blog sidebars so that your readers can participate as well. For more widgets with different colours, widths and platforms - Click here.

Fund Drive Supporters List

Note to Contributors: Within 24 hours, if you don't find your name in the below list or regarding any discrepancy with the details mentioned against your name, please do write to me or leave a comment. Thanks and Apologies in advance. :-)

[Update] - Scroll down the spreadsheet below for the new "Raffle Ticket Board" which has statistics about no. of raffle tickets used on each of the raffle prizes.

Sharing is Caring. Let's us all come together and lend a helping hand to these little girls.

Let them know that We All Care for their bright future..

Read : what fellow bloggers are saying about this Fund Drive.

DK - Giveaway - For a Cause that Matters
Harini - Fund drive for ‘Vaidehi Ashram of Destitute Girls’ with Siri
Nags - Supporting the Fund Drive for Vaidehi Ashram of Desitute Girls, Hyderabad
Preethi of Krya - Republic Day Raffle
Smitha - Here is what she got to say about the Fund Drive and her raffle prize(s)
Simona - Announcing a Special Fund Drive with Raffle
Sreelu - Giveaway & Fund Drive for Vaidehi Ashram of Destitute Girls, Hyderabad
Chandana - Supporting the Fund Drive for Vaidehi Ashram of Destitute Girls, Hyderabad
Vardhini - Fund Drive for Vaidehi Ashram (Hyderabad) - Organized by Siri
Kavita - Make a difference in their tiny worlds!!
Divya - Giveaway - Supporting the fund drive for Vaidehi Ashram of destitute girls
Richa - ....And a Fundraiser for Vaidehi Ashram
Sonia - A plea for support the Fund Drive for Vaidehi Ashram of Destitute Girls, Hyderabad, India

The money raised through this fund-drive on Cooking With Siri will go directly to the Vaidehi Ashram, Hyderabad. All the transactions, payments, distribution process will be properly accounted for and details of the expenditure will soon be published on this blog. All donations are exempted from I.T Under 80-G and accorded permission under FCRA.

Thank You.

My Second Visit to Vaidehi Ashram..

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 14:51:00 +0000

I find myself wondering...
Did I give you your due..
For all that you've done for me
Did I ever thank you?

For all of my childhood memories
For helping me deal with life's stresses
For helping me accept my defeats
And celebrate my successes?

Or for teaching me the value of hard work,
Good judgement, courage, and being true
The laughter, smiles, and quiet times we've shared
Did I ever thank you?

If I have forgotten, I'm thanking you now
You taught me right from wrong....
I hope you know how much you're loved and appreciated
I know you instinctively, knew it all along.

Happy Birthday, Daddy. Love you lots.

~ Author Unknown.

Today is my dad's 55th birthday and after many many years, I got an opportunity to spend the day with my parents. My mom made all his favorite dishes and in the evening we paid a visit to Vaidehi Ashram and gave about 3 Kg of Palak Pakodi as snacks for the little kiddos. :-)

Here are some photographs I clicked while I was there..

This quote is from Ashram's office

L-R: Vasavi, Sivasri, Bhuvaneshwari and Samatha on my lap

Children enjoying the snacks..

Her caretaker tells me, Vasavi is one shy girl who rarely comes near strangers..Hope we become friends one day . ;-)

this little girl was so curious what I was upto.

On the very right is my uncle (my mom's eldest brother) who came with me to the Ashram today..

Kids ready for some play time!

Read more..

My first visit to Vaidehi Ashram
40+ Raffle prizes for the upcoming fund drive (starting January 26th 2012).

until next time,

Weekend Breakfast: Lemon Sevai (Lemon Flavoured Rice Noodles)

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 08:16:00 +0000

This was never supposed to be a proper recipe post for the blog (hence only one photograph). I thought of posting it on my photo blog as I hardly published any (apart from some book reviews) since my Project 365 2011 ended. But, I was so happy with my first attempt that I HAD to write something about it here. :-)

During our many phone conversations, I mentioned to my SIL that I never made sevai, so sent me a packet to try. Today, being a Saturday with some extra time on-hand for a leisurely breakfast, I made lemon flavoured sevai, which turned our super tasty. It is very light on the appetite and quick to prepare.

Idiyappam or String Hoopers is a culinary speciality of many parts of southern India (especially Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka) and Sri Lanka as well.. Some of my Mallu friends say, it is a common sight to serve these white noodle clusters on a large platter along with side dishes including spiced lentils, kuzhambus and curried meats.

Today am gonna go just basic - boiled sevai with tampering of tadka and fresh lemon juice. Y.U.M!

Ingredients:

3 cups of loosely packed ready made sevai
water
salt
few drops of oil
juice of 1 lemon

For Tadka

2 tsp oil
1 tsp chana dal
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp mustard seeds
a pinch of asafoetida/hing
1 green chilli, slit and chopped finely
1/2 tsp turmeric
salt - to taste
few curry leaves

Preparation:

1. Bring to boil sufficient water in a big pan. Add few drops of oil (so the sevai don't stick to each other) and little salt. Once its boiling, add the uncooked sevai to it. With spoon, make sure all the sevai is in the water. Cook for just 4-5 minutes. Drain the water in a sieve or a colander and loosely separate the strands.

2. In a wok, heat oil and add chana dal, urad dal, asafoetida and mustard seeds. Once they start to splutter, add green chillies and curry leaves. Add the cooked sevai to it. Season with turmeric and salt. Turn off the heat and add lemon juice. Gently toss around so that everything is mixed in properly. I used my fingertips to mix.

Serve.

***********************************************************************************************************************************

I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder. ~ G.K. Chesterton

I am super excited to let you all know that we have 25 (and counting) amazing raffle prizes for the upcoming Fund Drive (starting on January 26th). Yipeeeeee!

[Update] Remember I announced two giveaways for 2011 holiday season. Nisha won the 75th Anniversary Edition of Joy Of Cooking. Read her post and get the recipe for Herbed Strawberry Lemonade/Limeade. :-)

Cya all soon,

List of Raffle Prizes for Fund Drive (Vaidehi Ashram of Destitute Girls, Hyderabad)

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:10:00 +0000

A Big, Heartfelt Thank You to all my blogger friends who responded to my request and came forward with their amazing raffle prizes. Love you all. Trust me, from Ice cream makers to Cookbooks to Amazon Kindle to Gift Hampers, we have it all :-)

Before we go to the list, a brief overview of how the Fund Drive will work -

1 raffle ticket = 10$ or 500Rupees.

1. For Example - If a donor contributes 50$ or 5000Rs, then he/she can avail 5 raffle tickets which can be used to bid on any of the raffle prizes below. One can use all 5 on one prize (in turn increasing the chances in the lucky draw) or on different raffle prizes. At the very end, a randow drawing will be conducted by the Ashram kids to decide who gets each of the raffle prize(s).

2. Once the Fund Drive kickstarts on January 26th 2012, those of you, who would like to contribute (Click here for more details about the various payment options) choose your raffle prize(s) and after your donations are complete, please send me an email to info(dot)siri(at)gmail(dot)com with the raffle prize details that you would like to choose.

3. As soon as I receive your email, I will add your name to the Fund Drive Contributors List along with the raffle code names..

4. Random drawing will be conducted and winners for each of the raffle prizes will be announced on Monday, February 27th 2012.

It is as simple as that. If you have got any queries/questions or concerns, please use the comment section or shoot me an email.

Now..Let's have a look at all the exciting raffle prizes being offered for the Fund Drive. Shall we..

Shipping within India Only

Code Name: RF1
Description: Samsung Hero Music E1232B (Titanium Silver)
Sponsor: Siri of Cooking With Siri

Code Name: RF2
Description: 4 slots for her Chocolate Nirvana Workshop in J P Nagar, Bangalore
Sponsor: Madhuri of Cook-curry Nook

Code Name: RF3
Description: 2 Boxes (1 dozen each) of Home-made Chocolate Truffles
Sponsor and Image Credits: Arundati Rao of Escapades

Code Name: RF4
Description: Rs.2000 Gift Voucher to the restaurants at Taj Banjara, Hyderabad
Sponsor: Anu of Love & Lentils

Code Name: RF5
Description: A Box of 12 Assorted Cupcakes - for 10 lucky winners
Sponsor and Image Credits: Madhuri of Cook-curry Nook

Code Name: RF6
Description: Signed copy of Sukham Ayu
Sponsor: Jigyasa and Pratibha of Pritya Books

Code Name: RF7
Description: A goodie bag which has great organic products such - organic millets, organic jams, pickles, soaps, and Krya (India's only organic detergent). these are directly sourced from farmers who grow/make them.
Sponsor: Preethi of Krya

Code Name: RF8
Description: Ice Creams & Frozen Dessets by Tarla Dalal and 101 ways to prepare Curries by Aroona Reejhsinghani
Sponsor: Chandana of Indian Cuisine

Code Name: RF9
Description: Kitchen Library Eat Lite (Set Of 5 Books) by Sanjeev Kapoor
Sponsor: Dershana of The Footloose Chef

Code Name: RF10
Description: A gift hamper which has items such as candles, flowers, necklaces etc, hand-made by the Ashram kids.
Sponsor: My Mom

Image Credits

Code Name: RF11
Description: Apple iPod shuffle 4th Generation 2 GB (Orange)
Sponsor: Sailaja (My little sister)

Shipping within US Only

Code Name: RU1
Description: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens - perfect for food photography
Sponsor: Siri of Cooking With Siri

Code Name: RU2
Description: Modern Spice: Inspired Indian Flavors for the Contemporary Kitchen
Sponsor: Monica Bhide

Code Name: RU3
Description: Gift basket with Wine and Cheese, For non-wine lovers - Chocolate/Coffee and Tea basket
Sponsor: Kavita of Tasty Touch

Image Credits

Code Name: RU4
Description: Amazon Kindle e-reader
Sponsor: DK of Chef In You

Code Name: RU5
Description: Wüsthof® Gourmet Hollow-Edge Santoku Knife - 7" (OR) Wüsthof® Gourmet Chef’s Knife, depending on winner's choice
Sponsor: Sig of Live To Eat

Code Name: RU6
Description: Gift Sets from The Body Shop - 2 lucky winners
Sponsor: Sangeeta of Musical's Kitchen

Code Name: RU7
Description: Cuisinart ICE-21 Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker + Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home by Jeni Britton Bauer
Sponsor: Nupur of One Hot Stove

Code Name: RU8
Description: Food Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots by Nicole S. Young + one professional quality print of any of her photographs (winner's choice).
Sponsor: Prerna of Indian Simmer

Code Name: RU9
Description: Babycakes Pop Maker: CP-94LV - Purple
Sponsor: Smitha of Smitha's Spicy Flavors

Code Name: RU11
Description: Rachael Ray's Whistling Tea Kettle (Available colors: Blue, Red, Orange) winner can choose their choice of color.
Sponsor: Divya of Dil Se..

Code Name: RU12
Description: Cuisinart GR-1 Griddler Panini and Sandwich Press
Sponsor: Sridevi of Sreelu's Tasty Travels

Code Name: RU13
Description: The Food52 Cookbook: 140 Winning Recipes from Exceptional Home Cooks
Sponsor: Usha of My Spicy Kitchen

Code Name: RU14
Description: Polder KSC-310-28 Easy Read Digital Glass Top Scale, Silver
Sponsor: Usha of My Spicy Kitchen

Code Name: RU15
Description: Atlas Pasta Machine
Sponsor: Swati of Chatkor

Code Name: RU16
Description: EatSmart Precision Pro - Multifunction Digital Kitchen Scale w/ Extra Large LCD and 11 Lb. Capacity
Sponsor: Swati of Chatkor

Code Name: RU17
Description: Lilly Bloom Cross Body Handbag. This gorgeous and ultra-cute bag is very creatively made using recycled material.
Sponsor: Sakshi of Cracked Chronicles

Code Name: RU18
Description: Grains, Greens, and Grated Coconuts: Recipes and Remembrances of a Vegetarian Legacy by Ammini Ramachandran
Sponsor: Sangeeta of Musical's Kitchen

Code Name: RU19
Description: Masala Farm: Stories and Recipes from an Uncommon Life in the Country by Suvir Saran
Sponsor: Sangeeta of Musical's Kitchen

Code Name: RU20
Description: 4 slots of Weekend Baking Classes (6 hours) at her Philadelphia Home
Sponsor and Image Credits: Champa of Versatile Vegetarian Kitchen

Code Name: RU21
Description: Magic Bullet MBR-1701 17-Piece Express Mixing Set

Sponsor: Vardhini of Zesty Palette

Code Name: RU22
Description: Beautiful Jewellery Set from Padma Fashions
Sponsor: Padma Fashions

Shipping within India/US Only

Code Name: RU10
Description: Oriental gift hamper containing chopsticks, customized wall hangings, and spices.
Sponsor: Nags of Edible Garden

Shipping within Europe/US Only

Code Name: RE1
Description: The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas and Sweet Accompaniments by David Lebovitz
Sponsor: Finla of My Kitchen Treasures

Shipping within UK

Code Name: RE2
Description: Chasseur Cast Iron Fondue with Forks, Meringue Satin
Sponsor: Padmaja of Spicy Andhra

Code Name: RE3
Description: Philips Imageo LED Rechargeable Candle Lights, White
Sponsor: Padmaja of Spicy Andhra

Shipping WorldWide

Code Name: RW1
Description: An Assortment of Props for Tabletop Food photography
Sponsor: Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook

Image Credits

Code Name: RW2
Description: Two professional prints (of winner's choice) from her beautiful photo gallery
Sponsor and Image Credits: Harini of Tongue Ticklers

Code Name: RW3
Description: Simple Indian by Atul Kochhar
Sponsor: Shruthi of Yummy 4 Tummy

Code Name: RW4
Description: $50 Amazon card
Sponsor: RV of Food for 7 Stages of Life

Code Name: RW5
Description: The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches: Recipes, History, and Trivia for Everything Between Sliced Bread by Susan Russo
Sponsor: Valli of Cooking 4 all Seasons

Code Name: RW6
Description: Handmade Journal where the paper on the covers is decorated using suminagashi, an ancient Japanese marbling technique. Dimensions: 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches.
Sponsor: Simona of Briciole

Code Name: RW7
Description: 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer
Sponsor: Sonia of Seven Spice

Cleveland Amory once said - "What this world needs is a new kind of army - the army of the kind." Yes, we are such an army - this amazing food blogger community which I am proud to be a part of. Thanks guys. You Rock!

Read more ..

My visit to Vaidehi Ashram here.
Second visit to Ashram for my dad's birthday.

cya for now,

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A Visit to Vaidehi Ashram and A Call for Raffle Prizes...

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:45:00 +0000

Compassion is not religious business, it is human business, it is not luxury, it is essential for our own peace and mental stability, it is essential for human survival. ~ Dalai Lama

..and one of my 2012 resolutions was to be more sensitive and compassionate towards people around me. Quite unexpectedly (and thanks to my mom), I got to spend my New Year day at Vaidehi Ashram for Destitute Girls located near our house here, in Hyderabad.

January 3rd is my grandpa's birthday and my mom wanted to do something in memory of him. My grandfather (mother's father) was a man of few words and a heart of gold. He, despite of his hard childhood with no mother since a little kid lead a life of honesty and benevolence and there could have been no better way to celebrate the day, with the little girls of the Ashram.

On inquiring on what they needed the most, myself, my parents along with my uncles pooled together and donated - 60 Kg of Toor Dal, 30L of Vegetable Oil and 20 Kg of Sugar. The very thought that we could do something for the little girls filled our hearts with warmth and happiness. :-).

I wanted to do more for them, hence this post and a Fund Drive that I wish to organise next month. *fingers crossed*.

Vaidehi Ashram is home for about 108 girls (from 3 to 22 years of age) who have no parents or a single parent who can no longer take care of them. Each one have a story of their own which will melt your heart and bring you to tears. The smallest one, Samatha as I was told was wandering on the streets near a railway station with her baby sister, when the police rescued them both and brought into the ashram.

It was New Year. So we were invited with these beautiful rangoli by one of the elder girls.

The lady who runs the ashram and makes sure everything is in order is Mrs.Suvathsala. She is one of the kindest women I have ever met in my life, whose smile is so infectious that you instantly fall in love with her. Everybody in the ashram endearingly call her as Mataji (which means mother). Her accounting skills are impeccable. It doesn't matter how much you donate and what you give to the ashram. You will get a proper reciept for everything and anything. Such is the commitment of the people and volunteers who come here day and night.

Mrs.Suvathsala a.k.a mataji

There are three storeys in the ashram, each of them with a big hall where the children sleep in rows. No beds, just cupboards where they can store their belongings.

All the girls eat their food as one big, happy family - the communal way. You can see in the photograph below my uncle, my mother's youngest brother (in grey suit) serving food to the girls.

Watch the video which I managed to shoot with my DSLR where the children sing and thank the Lord for providing them food and shelter.

Lunch Prayer at the Ashram.

Not a single grain of rice is wasted by any of the children as they seem to know the value of it. Absolutely NO wastage. Isn't it something we ought to learn and implement in our day-to-day lives as well.

If you don't know Telugu, then the below notice board has details of the donors who sponsored their food and clothes for that particular day.

The girls here are multi talented as they participate in various cultural programs organised within the Ashram campus. I have got a special invitation for their Annual Day celebrations sometime in April, this year. :-)

I don't think I can ever forget the way the youngest lot, who are no more than 3 years old ate their food that was served with no qualms or complaints. I have seen children of their age cry their hearts out. But, these kiddos made me realise how valuable life is, especially how much of a difference parents bring in a child's life.

Each year, this bulletin board is updated which has details about which class each of the girls are studying.

When we were there in the Ashram, another group of people came with sweets and fruits to be distributed among the kids.

The girls here are also taught fine arts such as music, painting, dance and handicrafts etc. They are also provided with sufficient knowledge about good food and health which they in turn use to educate and empower women in nearby slum areas, which I thought is quite commendable.

This necklace was made by one of the kids which I bought for a nominal price.

There is one person because of which all this happened. That is my Mother. She got to know about this ashram through one of her colleagues who volunteers here couple of days a week. My mom was looking for a place where she can donate all of my old clothes and that is when she found out about this Ashram. :-)

Ashram Details:

Vaidehi Seva Samithi

17-1-473/V/3&4

Beside Sri Saraswati Sisu Mandir High School

Krishna Nagar, Saidabad, Hyderabad - 500 059

Ph No: 040-24075544

Mobile: 9032152105

Email: vaidehisevasamithi@gmail.com

[Update] If you wish to send your contributions directly, please draw a cheque or a demand draft in favour of - M/s Vaidehi Seva Samithi and send to the above mentioned address.

All donations are exempted from I.T Under 80-G and accorded permission under FCRA.

A Call for Raffle Prizes - Fund Drive for Vaidehi Ashram of Destitute Girls starting from January 26th 2012.

To help out the children at the Ashram, I am planning a Fund Drive from January 26th 2012. Something on the lines of what Indira organized years ago.

This is a call for raffle prize sponsors only. ...A blog post with full details about the Fund drive will follow in couple of days.

A "raffle prize" can be anything interesting which will encourage people to donate & bid for it.

Here is how it works - A handful of sponsors will contribute raffle prizes. Once the Fund Drive begins on January 26th, others who would like to donate money (details about the various payment options will be published soon in a separate post) will bid for any of the prizes that interest them the most.
1 raffle ticket = 10$ or 500Rs.

For Example - If a donor donates 20$ or 1000Rs, then he/she gets 2 raffle tickets which can be used to bid on any of the raffle prizes listed. At the very end, a randow drawing (by the Ashram kids themselves) will be conducted to decide who gets each of the prize(s). If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to drop me an email info(dot)siri(at)gmail(dot)com.

All the proceeds collected during the Fund Drive will go to the Ashram in the form of provisions and any other necessaries they might have. I assure you with all my heart and soul that every penny will go to the care and feeding of those dear girls at Vaidehi Ashram.

Click here for the post which has information about all the raffle prizes and their contributors. A Huge Thank You to all of them for their generous support. I will be updating the list as and when I get more prizes. If you wish to sponsor any, please feel free to drop me an email at - info(dot)siri(at)gmail(dot)com.

until next time,

Amma's Recipes: Cut Mirchi Bhajji (Double Fried Cut Chilli Fritters)

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 16:41:00 +0000

Those of you all celebrating, Wishing you a very Happy Sankranthi. Also known as Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Lohri in Punjab, Bihu in Assam, traditionally this is one of the harvest seasons in many parts of India. Hope this festival brings loads of happiness, prosperity and joy into your homes. :-)

Cut Mirchi Bhajji, best served hot

...there are many recipes are a must-to-make on this day - various kinds of pongals, desserts and appetizers for potlucks are just to name a few.

Mirchi Bhajji, as-is is the best snack ever..

To add to the list is today's recipe - Cut Mirchi Bhajji a.k.a Double Fried Cut Chilli Fritters which are just perfect for any occasion, not just festivals.

Choosing the right kind of peppers is important for bhajji to come perfect!

..a few hours with my mom today and we conjured up one of her recipes which she has learnt from a street vendor, literally speaking. Since then, she is so popular with her bhajjis that our friends, family and even my extended family members drop by for a serving of these deep-fried goodies. Trust me, they are that popular. :-)

{Recipe} Cut Mirchi Bhajji (Double Fried Cut Chilli Fritters)

Ingredients:

2 cups besan/chickpea flour
2 tbsp rice flour/beyyappindi
1 tsp red chilli powder
salt - taste
1/2 tsp eating soda/soda bi carb
10 long green peppers
oil for deep frying
1/2 onion, chopped + cut lemon slices + cilantro, for garnish

**Optional stuffing for peppers - 2 tbsp sesame seeds, 1 tsp amchur powder, little salt, 1/2 tsp ajwain: Grind to fine paste with little water

Preparation:

1. Wash and pat dry peppers. Make a vertical slit to the peppers and remove the seeds and membranes.

2. Fill peppers with little stuffing**.

3. Heat sufficient oil in a wok for deep-frying on medium-low heat. While it gets heated up, lets prepare the besan coating.

4. In a bowl, mix besan, rice flour, chilli powder, salt and eating soda. Add water little by little (without any lumps). Note: To a consistency where it doesn't drip easily and coats the peppers completely.

5. Once the oil is heated (Make sure the oil is NOT smoking hot.), dip each of the peppers into the besan paste. With one finger slide off the paste on one side of the mirchi, so that it cooks completely. (one nifty trick my mom learnt from a street vendor ;-) ).

6. Deep fry the peppers to a golden brown color. Drain them on to paper towel so that excess oil is drained off. Cool to room temperature. stop your urge to polish them off, we have just one more step to go ;-).

7. Cut each of fried peppers into 1 inch long pieces. Deep fry them again in medium hot oil until they turn crispy which will take only a minute. Drain them again on paper towels.

8. Serve with finely chopped onion, cilantro and lemon slices.

Its Double Cocktail time - Cosmopolitan and Margarita

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:36:00 +0000

Food is fun, cooking is a pleasure, and eating a delicious meal is the wonderful end reward...and if you pair it with a lip smacking cocktail, then its like earning some extra brownie points. Isn't it. :-)

Any Cocktail with Cointreau is just perfect!

Since the time I discovered the goodness of Cointreau and the way it forms a wonderful cocktail concoction, each sip has been a delight to drink and share it with my friends & family.

Today, I experimented two of their cocktail recipes - Cosmopolitan and the very classic Margarita. The preparations is as simple as get the ingredients, shake them with ice and pour into a glass.

Enjoy!

{Recipe} Cosmopolitan

Cosmopolitan - its trendy. its colourful. its just yummilicious

Ingredients:

- 50ml (1.6 fl oz) Vodka
- 25ml (0.8 fl oz) Cointreau
- 20ml (0.6 fl oz) Cranberry juice
- 10ml (0.3 fl oz) Lime juice

Preparation:

Pour all listed ingredients into a shaker with ice. Serve immediately.

{Recipe} Margarita

The Classic - Margarita

Ingredients:

- 20ml (0.6 fl oz) Cointreau
- 40ml (1.3 fl oz) Tequila
- 10ml (0.3 fl oz) Lime juice

Preparation: Pour all three ingredients into a shaker with ice. Serve immediately.

Try other recipes as well -

Cointreau Diabolic
Cointreaupolitan

Don't forget to grab a bottle of Cointreau in your next visit and try these recipes..

********************************************************************************************************************************************

Healing Foods: January Announcement -

This month's edition of Healing Foods is being guest hosted by Vardhini of Zesty Palette. She chose the theme as 'Cauliflower'. Send in your entries by 31st January. Sadly, the event will see its end by February 2012 and so does the two give aways...that means you have just two more chances to test your luck. :-) Participate today!

until next time,

Best of 2011 and winners announced...

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 13:20:00 +0000

Another fresh year is here..
Another year to live..

To banish worry, doubt and fear..
To love, laugh and give.
This bright new year is given me

To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree, And sing more joyful songs!

~ Original quote by William Arthur Ward

I love this poem so much that I am mentioned it twice before. It instills hope and makes me look forward for the year ahead. Nobody know what's in store for all of us. that is the magic of unknown but a retrospect of the year that just whizzed by is necessary, so that one can relive and cherish those moments again, one last time. :-).

So, will you all time-travel with me and reminisce my favourite recipes of the year 2011?, just like last year, each month gets a moment for itself.

January

One of the many time-consuming recipes of Hyderabadi cuisine is 'Bagara Baingan'. Now, I have a demystified recipe which needs a little forward planning and when craving for some, can be made it in a jiffy.

February

This is a month of love and there is nothing best than some chocolate truffles. Isn't it? Here is a recipe for Decadent Diary-Free Chocolate Truffles for your loved ones.

March

Almost all of my friends and readers are well aware of my love for Eggs. I can eat them in any form or shape. Here are my top 5 reasons and recipe for Spicy Egg Masala. Yum!

April

It was time to move back to India. But before that, we made a 10-day trip to Hawaii, which was nothing less than amazing. :-) One of my favourite-comfort-meals is my mom's Khara Pongal (or) Ghee Pongal.

May

Mads came up with a new concept of 'Free Spirit Blogging', this month and my first ever recipe posted was - Mysore Bonda, a breakfast cum snack I have been eating all my childhood and even now.

June

It always feels good to be invited and taste food before its even released into the market. I still remember the taste of Keri Pop with the goodness of aam panna and jaljeera. good stuff!

July

Slowly and steadily I started to incorporate and resurrect our very old breakfast items like idli and dosa with wholegrains like brown rice. Couple of attempts, I got the perfect proportions which I follow to this day and work like a charm, every single time.

August

My mom strikes again! with her secret spice powder. Many of my friends and readers have tried this and enjoyed it immensely. Check it out, if you haven't already and make some today.

September

Give me Mexican food, we will be friends-for-ever. :-). I tried to replicate the classic 'Chilli Relleno with Homemade Tomato Sauce'. This recipe was the most that got pinned on Pinterest and also featured in an online magazine as well.

October

It was definitely love at first sip. Ginger. Honey, Lemon in Iced Tea. I am sure the very mention of the combination of flavours will instantly quench your thirst.

November

Perfect to make any time of the year, these vegan pan-fried tofu triangles with sesame-ginger-sauce will make an excellent meal. This recipe also won Harini's Live Vegan A Day challenge.

December

Many many memories are associated with this recipe, Me & my mom had a fun time making and photographing it. - Chana Dal Wadi ki Kadhi and one other recipe which I am really proud of and signifies the holiday season is Vegan Christmas Tree Pie.

Announcing Winners for the Holiday Give Away

.. Now that you know what are my favourite recipes of the year, it is time to announce the two lucky winners for the giveaways I announced last week. These are randomly chosen by my husband via a dip.

Kamakshi wins a full-year subscription of BBC Good Food India magazine

and

Nish is the winner of the 75th Anniversary Edition of the 'Joy of Cooking' cookbook.

Hearty Congratulations to both of you and Thank you for participating in the giveaway. Please send me your addresses to - info[dot]siri[at]gmail[dot]com at the very earliest.

Wishing you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year. May 2012 bring you loads of joy, happiness and good health.

until next time,

Lets Paint It 'Green' II - Hara Bhara Paneer Pulao

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 09:25:00 +0000

The meaning of comfort food varies from person to person and for me it invariably involves 'rice'. The variety of recipes that can be made with our humble grain - sometimes seems just endless. The minute I declare one as my absolute favourite, a new dish pops up and becomes a perfect week night dinner.

...continuing my quest of posting only 'naturally green colored' recipes this week (Click here to know why), here is one such pulao which am sure will appeal to all. The added goodness of greens makes it nutritious and corn kernels with tiny paneer cubes gives it a nice body & crunch. You wouldn't need any other side dish as accompaniment. Serve it with any cool raita and Enjoy!

{Recipe} Hara Bhara Paneer Pulao

Adapted from Tasty Touch

Ingredients:

Greens used for this recipe: 4 cups spinach (palak), 1/2 cup mint (pudina) leaves, 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
3 green chillies
1 tsp ginger, minced
2 cups uncooked rice, (I used sona masoori, basamati would be the ideal choice) soaked in water for 15 minutes
1 cup paneer, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
2 bay leaves
1" cinnamon stick
2 cloves (lavangalu)
1/2 tsp cumin-coriander powder (or) 1/4 tsp each of cumin powder & coriander powder
2 tbsp oil

Preparation:

1. Blanch Spinach: Fill a large pot with water, bring it to boil, add spinach and blanch for not more than 30 seconds, until they turn brilliant green. Using a slotted spoon remove the spinach and plunge into a bowl of cold water, to retain their color. Squeeze out all the excess water. Keep aside. Don't throw away the liquid, we will use it later.

2. Grind together - blanched spinach, mint, coriander leaves, green chillies and ginger with little water into a smooth paste.

3. Heat about a tsp of oil in a pan and fry paneer pieces into slightly golden color. Set aside.

4. In a same pan, add rest of oil and add bay leaves, cinnamon and cloves. Fry for couple of minutes on low-medium flame until fragrant. Add corn kernels and spinach paste. Cook for few minutes until the raw taste disappears.

5. Add rice, salt and cumin-coriander powder. Gently mix everything. Add in 4 cups of boiling water. Cook until rice is completely cooked. Note: Alternatively, you can put everything and cook in a rice cooker.

6. Finally toss paneer cubes into the pulao. Serve with raita.

Here is what other FSB members have posted until now -

Mittu - Blueberry and Lavender Cream Pie [Violet]
Nags - Easy Basic Cake Pops [Blue]
DK - Risotto Alla Milanese [Yellow]
Deepti - Citrus Golden Sangria [Orange]
Lata - White and kidney beans falafels and spicy hot vandikkaran chutney, Filled and Grilled Red Peppers, Jam and Fruit Tart [Red]

2011 Holiday Give Away(s)

Just 3 days left for this season's holiday give away to end. Check out these and enter today - One for peeps in India and other for US residents. You may be the lucky reader who either wins a year long subscription for BBC Good Food Magazine (or) the 75th anniversary edition of the very classic 'Joy Of Cooking' cookbook. Last Date to leave a comment - December 31st 2011, midnight (IST). Winners will be announced on January 1st 2012. :-)

Did you like what you just read. then Subscribe to Cooking With Siri feed (OR)

Be the first one to know what I am going to post next by "Liking" Cooking With Siri page on Facebook and follow me on twitter.

until next time,

Lets Paint It 'Green': Mint Peanut Chutney {Pudina Chutney}

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 09:10:00 +0000

No, it is not St. Patrick's Day yet. I will be 'going green' with my recipes, all of this week for an another reason. (Click here to know why) ~~To know what it is, you gotta wait till December 31st 2011~~. :-).

On an another note, I can't believe that the last week of the year 2011 has already started and I have to post only 6 photographs more to finish my Project 365. Trust me, posting a photograph every day of the year has not been easy. Especially when we had to pack our bags and move back to India in April, I thought of just giving up. But, my love for photography was at its peak then, so couldn't let it go, just like that...and I am so glad I stuck with my decision. Or else, how else would I have captured my little sister's wedding (or) found out my new passion for Black and White photography...

Mint leaves are available in abundance in the markets. Go grab some and make this chutney..

For me, a piquant chutney is what completes a meal. I, sometimes just spread some on a piece of toasted bread and enjoy it as-is. Today's recipe - Mint Peanut Chutney is one such combination which tastes delicious with everything and anything. It is incredibly easy to make and last for a good whole week when refrigerated. Enjoy!

Cook mint leaves and green chillies until wilted.

Grind the chutney to a consistency of jam..

Mint Peanut Chutney {Pudina Chutney}

Mint Peanut Chutney {Pudina Chutney}

Ingredients:

pudina/mint leaves, 1 big bunch (3 tightly-packed cups)
green chillies, 8-10 , halved
sesame seeds, 4 tbsp
peanuts, 4 tbsp
oil, 2 tsp
tamarind extract, 1 tbsp

Tadka -

oil, 1 tsp
urad dal, mustard seeds, cumin seeds - 1 tsp of each
red chilli, 1
hing (asafoetida), pinch

Preparation:

1. In a pan, dry roast peanuts and sesame seeds. Keep aside.

2. Heat oil on a medium-low heat. Add mint leaves and green chillies. Cook for few minutes, until wilted. Season with salt and turmeric. Finally add tamarind extract. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Allow it to cool a bit.

3. Grind together - mint leaves mixture with dry roasted peanuts & sesame seeds. Adjust salt if needed.

4. In a small pan, heat oil and add all ingredients listed under 'Tadka', until slightly brown.

5. Add tadka to pudina chuntey and Serve with hot rice or with dosa or idli. Store the rest of it in an air-tight container & refrigerate until next use.

Here is what other FSB members have posted until now -

Mittu - Blueberry and Lavender Cream Pie [Violet]
Nags - Easy Basic Cake Pops [Blue]
DK - Risotto Alla Milanese [Yellow]
Deepti - Citrus Golden Sangria [Orange]
Lata - White and kidney beans falafels and spicy hot vandikkaran chutney, Filled and Grilled Red Peppers, Jam and Fruit Tart [Red]

****************************************************************************************************************************************

Give Away:

It is Holiday Season and best time to spread some happy cheer all around. Its time to give-away something special to my readers who supported me all along the way. Check out these two give-aways - One for peeps in India and other for US residents and enter today, if you haven't already. Last Date - December 31st 2011.

Did you like what you just read. then Subscribe to Cooking With Siri feed (OR)

Be the first one to know what I am going to post next by "Liking" Cooking With Siri page on Facebook and follow me on twitter.

until next time,

{Recipe} Cointreau Diabolic and two exciting giveaways to win..

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 03:59:00 +0000

Robert Fulghum sure knew a thing or two about partying as he once said - "If you want an interesting party sometime, combine cocktails and a fresh box of crayons for everyone.".. I agree too as a holiday-get-together is never complete without a fizzy, signature cocktail as it gets people into a jolly-good mood. That is when the real conversations will start. Isn't it :-)

..there are tons of cocktails that you can make this season, some within a span of minutes. Today's recipe is one such drink which uses Cointreau as its base. There is cranberry juice that renders a gorgeous color, strawberry puree for a nice, fruity feel and tabasco for a hint of spicy note.

{Recipe} Cointreau Diabolic

Ingredients:

50 ml cointreau
30 ml cranberry juice
20 ml lemon juice
10 ml strawberry puree
2 drops of tabasco

Preparation:

Mix in a shaker with ice. Pour into a Martini Glass. Serve.

Do you have any holiday signature cocktail ideas? I would love to know them all about them :-)

Now, coming to the fun part. I have planned two fun exciting give-aways this holiday season for readers in India and US. Sorry for others, but if you want to gift these for somebody in either of these two countries, you are most welcome to enter the giveaway!.

For peeps in India - A chance to win one full-year subscription of BBC Good Food India magazine.

BBC GoodFood is a magazine internationally popular for its devotion to fine dining. The magazine comes with great recipes for home cooking, and entertaining. Their triple-tested hand picked recipes make the magazine a must have for every kitchen. Each recipe is also paired with entertaining food photos and each issue also reveals culinary secrets from Internationally renowned chefs., BBC GoodFood India also comes packed with restaurant reviews and news on India’s dining scene. For the globe-trotting food-lover, they have recommendations for eating well across the world. In short, it is a must-have for every food-lover out there..

For US residents - A chance to win 75th Anniversary Edition of Joy Of Cooking.

The Joy of Cooking -- selected by The New York Public Library as one of the 150 most important and influential books of the twentieth century -- has taught tens of millions of people to cook, helped feed and delight millions beyond that, answered countless kitchen and food questions, and averted many a cooking crisis. JOY remains the greatest teaching cookbook ever written.

This edition also brings back the encyclopedic chapter Know Your Ingredients. The chapter that novices and pros alike have consulted for over thirty years has been revised, expanded, and banded, making it a book within a book. Cooking Methods shows cooks how to braise, steam, roast, sauté, and deep-fry effortlessly, while an all-new Nutrition chapter has the latest thinking on healthy eating -- as well as a large dose of common sense. In addition to hundreds of brand-new recipes, this JOY is filled with many recipes from all previous editions, retested and reinvented for today's tastes.

How to enter these giveaways - very simple..:-)

Everybody - bloggers and non-bloggers can enter these giveaways. All you have to do is leave a comment when you -

1. 'Like' Cooking With Siri on Facebook
2. 'Follow' me on Twitter
3. Subscribe to the Cooking With Siri blog feed
4. RT this giveaway on your Twitter and/or Facebook.
5. Important: While leaving the comment, please mention your location - India or US, so that you are chosen for appropriate giveaways.

Do one or more of the above and leave a comment that you did so. If you are already following me on facebook, twitter or RSS feed, just leave a comment and you are automatically entered in the giveaway!

Giveaway ends on Saturday, December 31st 2011, midnight. Two winners - one from India and one from US will be randomly picked and announced on January 1st 2012.

Wishing you all Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays!

until next time,

Holiday Special: Vegan Christmas Tree Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:04:00 +0000

"When Christmas bells are swinging above the fields of snow, we hear sweet voices ringing from lands of long ago, and etched on vacant places are half-forgotten faces of friends we used to cherish, and loves we used to know."

~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox (American poet and writer 1850-1919)

The one place that reminds me when I think of Christmas and Snow together is - New York City. As a first-timer in 2007, I was mesmerized by its energy and sheer liveliness in almost every street. If you are one of them, who took long walks on Fifth Avenue, tightly hugging your snow coat with hood & woollen mittens on, strolling near almost every shop's window, while its slightly snowing, then you know what I am talking about. :-)

Food, if you wanna talk about that, then we can go on-and-on for hours and never get tired. Such is the vibrancy of NYC which is so infectious and many vivid memories are etched in hearts & minds of everybody who visits there.

Make holidays fun by baking these cute Vegan Christmas Tree Pies

Today's recipe is dedicated to the big Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony that happens every year near Rockefeller Centre, which marks the beginning of the holiday season and personally for me, it symbolizes how happy & fun holidays are..The tree, traditionally a Norway Spruce, is illuminated by 30,000 environmentally friendly LED lights on five miles of wire, and crowned by a Swarovski crystal star. :-)

..miss you New York City.. I hope we meet sometime, real soon!

Santa is here...to fulfil all our wishes..

Step 1: Roll a dough ball into ~~almost~~ a square. Fold opposite sides towards the centre to create a rough mark.

Step 2: Fold sides back and make cuts perpendicular to the mark, as shown in the picture above.

Step 3: Place some filling in the centre area.

Step 4: Start folding the strips alternatively from the top, until the very end..

Finally, it would look like this - a Christmas Tree Pie is ready to go into the oven..

Pie Filling - Cauliflower, Potato, Peas with Indian spices.

Perfect for potlucks, parties and these are so much fun to make for family & friends..

Christmas Tree Pie..cut open..

{Recipe} Vegan Christmas Tree Pie

Adapted from Veganlovlie

Ingredients:

For the pie crust:

all-purpose flour, 2 cups
canola oil, 4.5 tbsp
water, 5-6 tbsp (to form a soft, non-sticky dough)

For the filling:

cauliflower florets, thinly sliced, 2 cups
potatoes, cut into small cubes, 1 cup
(fresh/frozen) green peas, 1/2 cup
onion, 1 small, finely chopped
tomato, 1 small, finely chopped
garlic clove, 1 or 2, finely minced
turmeric, 1/4 tsp
salt, to taste (Note: Add a little less salt as the pie crust is already salted)
coriander powder, 1 tsp
red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp
olive oil, 2 tsp
soymilk with a pinch of turmeric, for glazing

Preparation:

To make the dough:

Mix oil into the flour and mix in with fingers until it look more like fine breadcrumbs. Then slowly add water, little by little and knead to form a smooth, non-sticky dough. Divide into 3 balls.

To make the filling:

1. Heat oil in a pan on a low-medium heat and add onions & garlic. Cook until translucent and raw smell goes away.

2. Add potatoes and cook them half-way through. Next add cauliflower. Mix in and cook until slightly tender.

3. Add peas. At any stage, don't add any water. The filling has to dry, so that you don't end up with soggy pies..

4. Add tomatoes. Stir and mix well.

5. Season with salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and coriander powder. Cook for couple of more minutes.

6. Allow to cool the filling completely.

Assemble -

1. As per the photographs above, roll, cut and fill the pies.

2. Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F)

3. Place the pies on a greased baking sheet and brush with some (soymilk + turmeric) mixture.

4. Bake for 30-40 mins until light golden colour. Serve and enjoy..

Note: If you are feeling too lazy to make the pie crust, then use store-bought puff pastry, thaw and follow the same procedure.

Happy Holidays everybody..:-)

until next time,

Did you like what you just read. then Subscribe to Cooking With Siri feed (OR)

Be the first one to know what I am going to post next by "Liking" Cooking With Siri page on Facebook and follow me on twitter.

Amma's Recipes: Chana Dal Wadi ki Kadhi [Lentil Dumplings in Yogurt Gravy]

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 04:18:00 +0000

Amma's recipes is one such column on this blog, which is very close to my heart. These are the recipes which my mother perfected over many many years and reflects how awesome a cook she is. It is also fun to just photograph once in a while, without thinking about what and how to make a recipe, worrying whether it would turn out well or not. She Cooks, I Photograph. That is the deal. :-) If you guys have any question, do drop in a line or comment. My mom will be more than happy to answer all of them.

Dad & Mom in the year 1983

Both for me and my little sister, my Mother is the biggest inspiration in our lives. It baffles us how can she be so good at almost everything she does. and my Dad. He is the sweetest and one with most patience in our family. He can go to any extent to get our wants and wishes fulfilled...and both of them make one helluva couple, I must say!

It is me in green and my sister in pink..

My mom was 42 when she did her MA in Economics. With a fulltime day job and two school-going kids at home, it was quite a task to balance out everything. It was my dad who used to help her in everyday chores, so that my mother could concentrate on her studies. That is the time when he also got promoted as sous chef in our kitchen. ;-).. He used to prepare the dal, vegetables, neatly cut into pieces, for my mom to quickly make a curry & a dal for our lunch & dinner. ..a decade later, they still work together in the kitchen, dishing out amazing family recipes for us and their extended families.

Chana Dal Wadi ki Kadhi, comfort food at its best..

Amma and Nanna are in Bangalore right now with me, for a short trip as Mr.TH is out of town, yet again. It is been a while that I updated this blog with any of her recipes, so we teamed up and made this absolutely decadent, easy-to-make 'Chana Dal Wadi ki Kadhi' for you all. The best part of this recipe is, it works well, even in parts. Make these wadis for a quick, evening snack or to pep any of those gloomy, rainy evenings. (or) Make the kadhi by itself for a comforting meal. Enjoy!

Soaked and ground Chana Dal paste, ready to be made & fried into wadis

these fried wadis taste delicious as-is.

Kadhi at the front and Fried Wadis at the back, ready to be mixed together

{Recipe} Chana Dal Wadi ki Kadhi

Ingredients

For Kadhi -

thick yogurt/curd, 2 cups
green chillies, 4 medium ones
ginger piece, 1/2 inch
besan (chickpea flour), 2 tbsp
turmeric, 1/4 tsp
salt, to taste
few coriander/cilantro leaves, finely chopped

For Tadka -

red chilli, 1
urad dal (minapappu), 1/2 tsp
mustard seeds (avalu), 1/2 tsp
cumin seeds (jeera), 1/2 tsp
asafoetida (hing), little
curry leaves, optional
oil, 1 tsp

For Chana Dal Wadi -

chana dal, 1 cup soaked for 2 hours
green chillies, 2
ginger, 1/2 inch
salt, to taste
coriander powder (dhania powder), 1/2 tsp
oil, for deep frying

Preparation:

For making Chana Dal Wadis -

* Grind chana dal, green chilli, ginger, dhania powder and salt into a coarse paste without adding water. (as shown in one of the photographs above).

* Heat oil in a kadai, make them into small flat balls and deep fry. Drain the excess oil by placing them on a paper towel (or old news paper works too!). Keep them aside.

For making Kadhi -

* Beat yogurt for 5-10 mins, by adding about 1.5 cups of water, little by little water.

* Grind green chillies and ginger into a fine paste. Add to the buttermilk with salt and turmeric.

* In a small bowl, mix besan with little water (no lumps) and add to buttermilk above.

* Put this buttermilk mixture on low-medium flame. Keep stirring continuously, till the liquid becomes thick and there is no longer the raw taste of besan.

* In a small pan, heat a tsp of oil and add all the tadka ingredients one-by-one. Add the tadka to kadhi.

* Add the chana dal wadis as well and let them soak in the kadhi liquid for some time. Garnish with cilantro/coriander leaves.

* Serve with hot rice.

Soak the wadis in kadhi for some time, so that they absorb all the flavours...

until next time,

Monday Cocktail: Cointreaupolitan

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:41:00 +0000

But I have had to give up certain things in my life. One is shopping. Two is lunch with the girls. Three is cocktail parties, and four is studying my lines.

~ Joan Collins

Ask me what I would crave for on a hot day, sitting under palm trees with my beach hat on. Or on a wooden bench shaded by a canopy of oak trees, with slight breeze wafting through the hair....

...I would go for a thirst-quenching, subtly spiked cocktail.

Cointreaupolitan

From the classic Mojito (also called as the drink of sailors?) to our Apple Martinis, all of them have their very own flavour profile and story to tell. Stir them, shake them, just neat, on the rocks, straight up, with a kick, or dirty - try them any which way possible, everyone would love a good cocktail....

Today, I made one such surprising and mouth-watering cocktail for you all - "Cointreaupolitan", made with Cointreau, very popular orange liqueur which is made from a perfect balance of bitter and sweet orange peels. it is at the heart of many famous cocktails.

Just 3 ingredients, shake it with ice = One perfect cocktail!!

{Recipe} Cointreaupolitan

Ingredients:

50ml (1.6 fl oz) Cointreau
30ml (1 fl oz) Cranberry juice
20ml (0.6 fl oz) Lemon juice

Preparation:

Pour all three ingredients into a shaker with ice. Serve optionally with orange zest.

Now, for some good news which ~~most of you all already know and~~ got me excited today...a mention about my Project 365 in Deccan Herald news paper. You can read the complete article here. Thanks Rohini. I couldn't have asked for more and it sure is a befitting finale to my 2011 P365. Yipeee.. :-) A huge thank you to everybody who encouraged with their lovely comments which in turn inspired me all along the way. Truth be told, posting a picture, every single day of the year, without missing a day - is exhausting but certainly makes me very happy and....

..now I have a very good reason to raise a toast to all you wonderful ppl. <3 <3 <3..

until next time,

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Black and White Wednesday: Custard Apples

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 05:09:00 +0000

All my childhood I enjoyed savouring on their delightfully sweet flesh. Custard Apples (Telugu: Seetaphal Kayalu) are in season and markets here are flooded with juicy ones....yumm..

Posted for Susan's Black & White Wednesdays.

...missing snow and {Recipe} Chana Masala

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:26:00 +0000

The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found?

~ J. B. Priestley

It was New Year's Eve of year 2006, when I first experienced snow.

It was elusive. It was fascinating.

I still remember, standing near the the window just watching in awe tiny speckles of icy dust form a thick layer all around our house. The place where I studied my Masters, had plenty of snowfall, all winter - starting from October to April. From the very next year, I started to make my own snowman. It was quite exciting to build one along with my roomies, spruce him up which whatever was available at that time wearing our gloves & mittens. It kind of became a tradition until I moved out from east coast to California in summer of 2010.

You all might be wondering why am I suddenly talking about snow today. You see, Mr.TH is out of town on a business trip and Bangalore weather is not helping me cope with living and cooking alone. So, I sat down to browse through my archives and above were few of the pictures, I stumbled upon. The photography bug didn't bite me until recently, hence the pics are very normal-looking, but they still have lots of memories attached to them. :-)

Cold waves are slowly seeping into our part of the world. Hence, today I have got a classic recipe, which warm you up instantly, inside out. Have you ever been one of them who wolf down piping hot chole-paratha with a side of cut onions & lemon slice at many dhabas on the road-side. I sure am a great fan of them. Go grab a can of chickpeas (or) soak some dry ones immediately as we are making some Chana Masala today! :-)

Chana Masala (Chickpea Curry)

Ingredients:

2 cups of cooked chickpeas (Click here to know how to cook dry chickpeas) (or) 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed
1 medium onion, thinly sliced + more for garnishing
1 medium sized tomato, chopped
1/2 tbsp chole masala. (I used Everest brand)
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
salt - to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tbsp oil
fresh cilantro + lemon slices for garnishing

Preparation:

1. Grind about 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas into fine paste. Keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Once they start to splutter, add ginger garlic paste. Sauté for few second and then add onions. Cook them for 4-5 mins on low-medium heat until they turn translucent. Add tomatoes now and cook until mushy. Press the onion-tomato mixture with the back of the spatula.

3. Now add chickpea paste, chickpeas to this tomato-ey sauce. Mix.

4. Season with salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and chole masala. Add about 1-2 cups of water. Stir everything together.

5. On a low heat, simmer the curry for about 15-20 minutes, mixing it for every 5 minutes so that it doesn't stick at the bottom. Adjust the seasoning, if required. Turn off the heat.

6. You can add cilantro and/or lime juice (or) serve them on the side as a garnish along with cut onions. Serve with hot rotis (or any kind of bread). It serves well with rice too.

[Update] - Sending this recipe to My Legume Love Affair # 42, this month guest hosted by Kiran, originally conceptualized by lovely Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook.

until next time,

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Black and White Wednesday: Rosemary

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 05:30:00 +0000

There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance; pray you, love,
remember. And there is pansies, that’s for thoughts.

~ William Shakespeare (Hamlet, Act 4, Scene 5)

Posted for Susan's Black & White Wednesdays.

Baked Potato Spinach Corn Tikkis

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 09:21:00 +0000

Thank God It is a Friday and today, am gonna talk about a really simple-to-put-together baked goody. more on that in a bit.

Baked Potato Spinach Corn Tikkis

Though it was gloomy, foggy morning, my day actually started on a good note, with a package arriving at my doorstep, just as I was about to start off for work. Remember I won Vegan-A-Day challenge by Harini. Well, this is my reward (Krya). I am yet to try this product on my clothes and see the difference. I will keep you guys posted on that.

Coming back to today's recipe. If you do one thing this weekend, then I would strongly recommend to bake these guilt-free beauties for a change. Perfect for ~~lazy~~ bakers like me, it serves as a good, sumptuous appetizer or for brunch. Trust me, it is nearly impossible to eat just one.

Baked Potato Spinach Corn Tikkis

Ingredients:

2 medium sized potatoes, boiled
2 cups chopped spinach, loosely packed
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels (I used frozen, no need to thaw. just microwave with little water for 2-3 mins)
salt - to taste
1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp red chilli powder (optional). [You can substitute with 1 finely chopped green chilli]
1/4 tsp turmeric
about 1/2 cup bread crumbs - to roll the tikkis
2 egg whites (skip it if you want this dish to be vegan)
1-2 tbsp olive oil

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, mash all the ingredients listed above except for bread crumbs,egg whites and olive oil. Check the seasoning. Adjust if necessary.

2. Preheat oven to 200C or 400F.

3. Make small lemon sized balls out of the mixture, roll and gently flatten into a patties. Dip the patty into egg white & then roll in breadcrumbs, so that its coated evenly.

4. Repeat the same process to make all the patties, ready to bake.

5. Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray or little oil and place the patties on it. Don't over crowd. Leave enough space between each one of them. Drizzle little olive on both sides.

6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, by turn on the other side after 10 mins - until the crust is slightly brown. Serve with ketchup.

With great pleasure and pride, I announce that am a Zagat Fork and Tell blogger now. I strongly believe that this will open more avenues where my posts will be read & appreciated by a wide variety of audience :-)

Hope you all have a great (Thanksgiving) weekend ahead.

until next time,

Black and White Wednesday: Bread Basket

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:31:00 +0000

"I judge a restaurant by the bread and by the coffee." ~ Burt Lancaster

Photograph taken at Via Milano, Bangalore during our first-ever Bangalore blogger meet.

Posted for Susan's Black & White Wednesdays.

Check out some bread recipes posted earlier -

Roasted Sweet Pepper Focaccia Bread
Simple Bread Loaf
Sandwich Bread
Cheddar Cheese Bread

Oven-Fried Sweet Potatoes with Cilantro Gremolata

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 15:04:00 +0000

"He who thanks but with the lips
Thanks but in part;
The full, the true Thanksgiving
Comes from the heart."

~ J.A. Shedd

Thanksgiving and food traditions go hand-in-hand. There are many popular veggies that has to be on a thanksgiving dinner table & a sweet-potato is one of them. These lend a nice, bright color and natural sweetness to the entire spread.

Well, I might have the perfect recipe for you which is very easy to put together. Just peel, cut, toss and bake. Not just for thanksgiving, this recipe serves best for any occasion.

Oven-Fried Sweet Potatoes with Cilantro Gremolata

I admit, am simply in love with these fries and is one of the few recipes which I made two batches, back-to-back. These taste especially good when paired with the cilantro gremolata which gives the dish a vibrant, zesty note.

Note: Sweet potatoes are of two popular kinds - in terms of texture & color of their flesh. The ones I used in US are softer and have a orange hue and what I got in my local grocery store are a bit drier, cream-coloured. this recipe works perfectly with any kind of potatoes.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients:

4 medium-sized sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into rounds.

1 tbsp olive oil

salt & pepper

For Cilantro Gremolata -

1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro/coriander leaves

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp lemon zest (or grated orange rind)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 200 C or 400 F.

2. In a bowl, toss gently sweet potatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper.

3. Arrange the slices on a oil greased baking sheet in a single layer.

4. Bake for 30 minutes (or) until tender, turning the potato slices after 15 mins.

5. While the potato slices are baking, make the gremolata - Combine cilantro, lemon zest (or) orange rind, and garlic in a small bowl.

6. Sprinkle cilantro mixture on sweet potato slices & Serve.

Sending these potatoes to Healing Foods: Vegetarian Thanksgiving event, guest hosted by Sreelu of Sreelu's Tasty Travels. Send in your entries as well and win a chance to own one of two amazing cookbooks as giveaways. Perfect for Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Recipe Ideas:

Kale and Goat Cheese Mashed Sweet Potato
Blueberry Yogurt Kanten
Rosemary Cheese Biscuits
Kalyn's Top Ten Thanksgiving recipes

until next time,

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Thanksgiving Recipe: Rosemary Cheese Biscuits

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:46:00 +0000

Sweet potatoes, cranberries, potatoes, sage, pumpkin, squash, stuffing, pies, casseroles, biscuits, rolls......

What does this remind you of? Thanksgiving ofcourse! - a time for remembering, cherishing and being thankful for all the wonderful things one has been blessed with. It 24th November this year and am sure those who are in US have already started preparing elaborative menus, ready to cook up a storm for their loved ones. I have many friends who eagerly wait for this special time of the year to cook, eat & just relax and gain a few extra pounds by the end of it. ;-)

Oh, and there is also 'Black Friday', which is the very next day of Thanksgiving and that is when many retailers race to advertise their deals, open until wee-hours and backslash the prices on most of their products. For past couple of years, due to recession, the mojo to shop for stuff for many has decreased dramatically. I hope it is better this year!...

Ingredients List.

Planning and making a Thanksgiving dinner is always fun. There are loads of delicious recipes that can be done apart from roasting a turkey. How about go vegetarian for one year. :-) Here is a simple recipe for Rosemary Cheese Biscuits which are perfect for any occassion. Make them and watch how they disappear from the table within minutes. Enjoy..

Rosemary Cheese Biscuits

Tastes best when served warm with some soup (or) just as-is.

Adapted from Food and Whine

Makes 6 biscuits (This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.)

Ingredients needed:

1 cup all purpose flour (maida)
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt (adjust if the butter or cheese is salted)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
6 tbsp cold butter
1 tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tbsp dried rosemary
1/2 tbsp dried basil

Topping: 1 tbsp melted butter + 1/4 tbsp garlic powder (optional) + finely chopped fresh coriander

Simple Ingredients. Easy to Make Recipe.

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven for 200 C/ 400 F

2. In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and garlic powder. Whisk. Add chunks of cold butter. Using fingers or fork, mix the ingredients until it is coarse and pea-sized.

3. Add canola oil, cheese, rosemary and basil. Now, slowly add milk and stir everything together until the dough is moistened, no longer dry or powdery.

4. Drop 1/4 cup portions using large spoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet (or) on silpat sheet directly.

5. Bake for 15-20 mins, until bottoms are lightly browned. Note: the top will still be white.

Once out of the oven, brush with melted butter. Simply love it!

6. Meanwhile, melt butter and add garlic powder (avoid it if you don't want it to be garlick-y) and fresh coriander. Once the biscuits are out of oven, using a brush spread the garlic butter on their tops.

Serve as-is or as an accompaniment to any soup....

Wanna grab one?

A special mention about the biscuit-tasters of the day - Pooja, Satish and Vissu (my dear colleagues at office). They loved them and am sure you will too..!

until next time,

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Black and White Wednesday: Breakfast Today

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 11:02:00 +0000

Look who is more cuddly than an idly. :-)

Related Posts: Idli 101

Posted for Susan's Black & White Wednesdays.

Here are some more I drew long time ago -

Blueberry Yogurt Kanten

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:53:00 +0000

There is a very famous saying by Ernestine Ulmer - "Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first". But sadly that will definitely not be the case for me. I would rather choose any other savory dish as my last meal ;-).

Let me give you an example. 26 of Bangalore food bloggers met up for a meet last Saturday. It felt so wonderful to meet and interact with so many of us under one roof. Food was the common point for almost all of our discussions. After a trio of appetizers and main course, here is what was served as our dessert - White and dark chocolate lasagna and Lemon meringue with strawberry coulis. Trust me it tastes as wicked as it sounds. I saw so many happy faces around, digging in and some literally licking their spoons. Well, it was me who just couldn't eat more than a spoonful. The lady beside gave me a stern look which said - "You got to be kidding me!". She is one huge chocoholic herself!. What to do? Sugar and me just don't go together. That's the reason, my last dessert recipe was posted way back in August which was a Prune-Almond Phirni.

White and dark chocolate lasagna (front) Lemon meringue with strawberry coulis (back)

When Anu announced the theme for FSB for October, she asked all of us to cook with foods that we don't really like much or ignore and I could think of only one thing - Dessert. I am great fan of sweets small enough to satisfy one's cravings , like today's recipe - 'Blueberry Yogurt Kanten', a dessert which doesn't call for any fat. Hence no extra calories to be worried about. If something sweet is on your mind for any parties or potlucks, this recipe is a perfect match. Make it the previous day, cover and allow it set in the refrigerator overnight. I am sure you and your guests will love this super-tasty dessert.

What is Agar-agar? - a nutrient-rich, high-fiber, no-calorie sea vegetable used to gel desserts. It comes in the form of bar, powdered or as flakes. It is normally recommended to opt for agar-agar flakes as they are easiest to use and dissolve.

Blueberry Yogurt Kanten

Kanten, the gelatin-like Japanese dish made with agar agar, is just as refreshing for any time of the year - fall, winter or summer. The addition of yogurt make it substantial and gives it a melt-in-mouth feel. Many other flavor combinations can be made into a kanten - cranberry-pear, green tea-kiwi, cherry-apricot, peach-berry etc. the basic recipe remains the same. This is a very forgiving recipe. Feel free to decrease or increase the amount of sugar, juice or agar-agar mentioned. Play around with the amounts until you get the right consistency. A word of caution is that, agar-agar works differently for each brand. It is recommended to closely follow the instructions on the package. Also, the consistency of the pudding is dependent on the texture of the ingredients used. Nonetheless, the tastes beats them all. I am certain you will fall in love with agar-agar once get a hang of how to use it. Read the notes below.

Adapted from Big Vegan: More than 350 Recipes, No Meat/No Dairy All Delicious

Note: I have used normal yogurt for my recipe, hence it is no longer vegan. Original recipe suggests 'Vanilla Soy Yogurt'.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup blueberry crush mixed with 1/2 cup water (or 1.5 cups unsweetened blueberry juice + 1/4 cup sugar)
1.5 tbsp crushed agar-agar flakes
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 cup yogurt/curd

Preparation:

1. In a saucepan, combine blueberry crush, water and agar-agar flakes. Let them soak for 30 minutes.

2. Stir in almond extract and bring the mixture to a simmer on a low heat. Whisk until the agar-agar is completely dissolved. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Note: Donot boil the agar-agar mixture or you will reduce its thickening power. Bring it to a simmer slowly over a low heat & whisk often.

Blueberry Crush

3. Take off the heat and cool to room temperature. In a blender, mix in yogurt and blueberry mixture and puree until smooth.

4. Pour the mixture in shot glasses or small ramekins and refrigerate until set. (atleast few hours). Cover and keep in the refrigerator until serving.

Notes:

1. If any lemon, orange or lime juices is an ingredient, you may need to increase the amount of agar-agar used as citric acid sometimes retards the agar-agar's ability to congeal.

2. It is always safest to test the kanten before removing it from the stove. Put a spoonful of kanten in the refrigerator for about 15 mins. If the kanten excessively hard, liquid can be added. If it is too soft, dissolve a small amout of agar-agar in juice, cook it and add to the rest of the ingredients.

Sending this easy dessert recipe to Healing Foods: Vegetarian Thanksgiving event, this month guest hosted by Sreelu of Sreelu's Tasty Travels. Send in your entries as well and win a chance to own one of two amazing cookbooks as giveaways. Perfect for Thanksgiving. Isn't it. :-)

Hope you all have a wonderful week ahead.

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until next time,

Vegan-A-Day: Pan Fried Tofu Triangles with Soy-Sesame-Ginger Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:46:00 +0000

'Now I can look at you in peace; I don’t eat you anymore.' ~ Franz Kafka, while admiring fish in an aquarium

Almost every cuisine in the world boasts of many dishes that revel in their beautiful flavours of various veggies, fruits, seeds, beans and aromatic oils. Indian cuisine is no different, where for every 3 people, 1 is vegetarian. For ages, eating a satisfying plant cuisine is strongly imbibed into our traditional, every day food along with complex spice combinations.

Now, being a vegan is like taking a step further - living without meat or any kind of animal products. It is often a misconception that Veganism is like depriving yourself from what you love to eat. I think, all it needs is a little creativity to think beyond a plate of calorie-rich proteins.

When Harini threw the 'One Day Vegan' challenge at us, I wondered What it’d be like to be a vegan, just for a day?. I was curious to know how does it feel like to live without eating any animal products (in my case, it is just milk with cereal for breakfast & yogurt/buttermilk at the end of every meal)? - A challenge that would put all my ideas to test and it really did!

I asked TH to do this challenge along with me, but let me tell you upfront: He is a die-hard-yogurt fan. With a lot of convincing, he agreed to this Vegan challenge with me. Our breakfast and lunch went well, just as planned, but by dinner time, he just couldn't stop himself from having that one glass of buttermilk! While, I went on to successfully complete my challenge. Yay! :-)

Here is our menu for the day:

Breakfast: Wholegrain Idlis with Sambar (Click here for the recipe)

Lunch: Pan fried Tofu Triangles with Soy-Sesame-Ginger-Sauce and rice (recipe follows)

Dinner: Roti and Nimbu Masoor Dal (made with Olive oil) (Click here for the recipe)

As a part of this challenge, Harini is also having a giveaway by collaborating with folks from Krya, whose main motive is to - "create natural, environmentally sustainable products that one can use around the home." Read more about them here, who they are and what they do. :-)

Recipe: Pan Fried Tofu Triangles with Soy-Sesame-Ginger Sauce

Ingredients:

200 gms of tofu (I got mine from M K Ahmed, Bangalore - Ka Kim's variety)
2 tbsp canola oil
salt and pepper
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced

For Soy-Sesame-Ginger Sauce -

2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp chilli sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp water
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp sesame seeds, lightly toasted

Preparation:

1. Place the tofu on a cutting board and a bowl with filled water on it (for 10-15 mins). Make sure the pressure is not too much which can crumble the tofu. Pat it dry with a paper towel. Cut into triangles.

2. Season the tofu triangles on both sides with salt and pepper and then spread each side with some garlic. Lightly coat the slices with the flour.

3. Heat oil in a skillet and add these flour coated tofu pieces. Cook on both sides, until slightly crisp golden brown. Set them on paper towels, to drain off the excess oil.

4. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients listed for Soy-Sesame-Ginger sauce. Make sure you have a balance of flavours and neither of them is too over-powering.

5. Drizzle some sauce on the tofu triangles and Serve with rice on the side. Yum!

Verdict: One thing I realised is that, it is not that hard to be a vegan, especially for we, Indians. It is a way of life, once has chosen to live and I commend them for that choice. Truth to be told, I really really missed my tangy buttermilk with ginger & coriander, which I am so used to having at the end my dinner. Time to get inspired from Lataji and make her 'Vegan Moarkuzhambu' I guess. :-). Thanks Harini for this challenge, now I know, how & what it feels like to be You, even though it was just for a day! Kudos.

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until next time,

Black and White Wednesday: Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 09:32:00 +0000

"Ideas are like pizza dough, made to be tossed around." ~ Anna Quindlen

Some pizza recipes previously posted -

Fool -proof No Knead Pizza
Veggie Flatbread Pizza with Bean Puree

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Posted for Susan's Black & White Wednesdays.