Cooking With Siri

Amma's Recipes: Nagori Poori | Puri with Paneer Korma

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:55:00 +0000

“A mother's love is something we keep locked deep in our hearts; always knowing it will be there to comfort us.” ~ Harmony Ferrario

Nagori Poori, all puffed up and ready to be devoured.

Yesterday was Mother's Day - a day that celebrates the essence of a mother, her importance in our lives, to cherish the everlasting bond we share with them and acknowledge their selfless love.

...well, if I may ask, do we really need a special day to express our feelings and make our mothers feel special? Honestly, all my mother would want is to hug her and plant a kiss on her cheek. That in itself is a mother's day for us. :-). I have talked about her many times before and I never get tired of it. She is an inspiration to me and my little sister and would strive to be like her when I hit 50!

Make sure the dough is stiff.

uncooked poori.

Today's recipe - Nagori Poori is a recipe I bookmarked eons ago and the korma recipe is my mom's classic and a long time family favorite. It is very versatile and works best with any combination of vegetables, meat, eggs and paneer/tofu.

The weather here in Hyderabad is quite unpredictable these days. Durring one such chilly, gloomy days, my mother made these with spicy paneer korma on the side. Amidst some funny family conversations and while watching a old black & white Telugu movie, these pooris were devoured until the last morsel and gone in matter of minutes. :-)

Now, its your turn to enjoy! Buon appetito..

Paneer Korma.

{Recipe} Nagori Poori with Paneer Korma

Adapted from here. NDTV Cooks

Makes 5-6 medium sized pooris

Ingredients:

1 cup maida/all purpose flour
2 tbsp ghee
2 tbsp yogurt/dahi
1/4 tsp ajwain/carom seeds
salt- to taste
1/2 cup or less water
oil - for frying

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, mix maida, ghee, ajwain, salt and yogurt. Add water little by little and knead to a stiff dough.

2. Make small lemon sized balls of the dough and roll out into small rounds.

Note: Click here for step by step pictures of frying a traditional poori.

3. Heat oil. Slide one-poori-at-a-time into hot (not smoking) oil and it almost instantly rises up. For puffy pooris, the trick is to press down slightly. Fry until light golden brown. Drain all excess oil and drop them onto a paper towel. Serve immediately to enjoy them at their best taste.

Paneer Korma:

Cut paneer into small cubes and fry them in oil until light golden brown. Drain excess oil on paper towels. Follow this post for the korma recipe. Just add the fried paneer at the very end.

We all scream for poori!!!

Previously posted Amma's Recipes:

Instant Mango Pickle
Chana Dal Wadi ki Kadhi (Lentil Dumplings in Yogurt Gravy)
Cut Mirchi Bhajji (Double Fried Cut Chilli Fritters)

Kova Billalu & Kobbari Undalu (Ammama's recipe)

Eggplants stuffed with a Spice paste

Spice Powder for Dry Curries

Poori Bhaji/Poori Koora

Coconut Chutney and Babycorn Kurma

Vegetable Biryani

Aloo/Tofu Kurma (Version 1)

until next time,

Black and White Wednesday # 31 Gallery + Two Surprise winners.

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Wed, 09 May 2012 10:52:00 +0000

"Black and white are the colors of photography. To me they symbolize the alternatives of hope and despair to which mankind is forever subjected."

~ Robert Frank

Experimenting with Food in Raw

Sihi of Wandering Ladle

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Simplicity

Sharmila of The Yellow Turmeric

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Paris in NYC

Kavita of Tasty Touch

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“You don’t take a photograph, you make it." - Ansel Adams
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Chocolate Fudge Doughnuts

Nags of Edible Garden

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Cardamom Cookies, easiest ever

Scarlett O'Hara of The Meal Algorithm

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On the Kitchen table

Alessandra - Alessandra Zecchini

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“Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one I’m going to take tomorrow."
~ Imogen Cunningham

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Vada

Rajani of My Kitchen Trials

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Making caciocavallo: Stretching the curd

Simona of Briciole

Taleggio in the mold: early phase of draining

Simona of Briciole

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“I always thought good photos were like good jokes. If you have to explain it, it just isn’t that good."
~ Anonymous

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Fish & Chips, Pub Food

Shri of TiffinCarrier Anticque's

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Vintage Snack

Rosa of Rosa's Yummy Yums

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Aluminium Kitchen Tools

Cinzia of Cindystar

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“In photography there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality.”
~ Alfred Stieglitz

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Whistles

Raks of Rak's Kitchen

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i-Kitchen book

Cinzia of Cindystar

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Penne Pasta

Jaya of Spice and Curry

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”There is a creative fraction of a second when you are taking a picture. Your eye must see a composition or an expression that life itself offers you, and you must know with intuition when to click the camera. That is the moment the photographer is creative. Oop! The Moment! Once you miss it, it is gone forever.”
~ Henri Cartier-Bresson

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Mizuna Apple Almond Salad

Mireille of Chef Mireille's Global Creations

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Shopping at Naviglio Grande Antiques Market, Milan

Cinzia of Cindystar

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White Beans

Brii of Briggishome

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Toppings for your drink
Lata Raja of Flavours and Tastes

Flavours for your drink
Lata Raja of Flavours and Tastes

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I feel brand new again
La belle Aurore

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Pumpkin Yogurt Gravy
Sara of Sara's Corner

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Here is the entry from original host of BWW herself - Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook

Leading the Way

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...and here is my Black and White submission

Playing With Fire (photographed at Shiro, Bangalore)

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Thank you all for participating in this week's Black and White Wednesday event. I never realized world in monochrome could be so beautiful. To make things a little interesting and as a small of token of thanks, I randomly chose two participants from the list above to give away award-winning books by Jigyasa and Pratibha. (Cooking At Home With Pedatha fame)

....and those two lucky ladies are: Alessandra - Alessandra Zecchini and Rosa of Rosa's Yummy Yums. Congratulations. Please email me your shipping details at the earliest.

Cya and until next time,

Kolhapuri Teekha Aloo (Spicy Potatoes With Kolhapuri Spice paste) #FoodieExchange

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Mon, 07 May 2012 17:43:00 +0000

Potatoes cooked with Kolhapuri Thecha [chilli-garlic spice paste]

I love surprises, especially when it involves 'food'.

Last month, a "FoodieExchange" was organised by Charis of Culinary Storm where each of the participating bloggers from different parts of India are paired together and send each other a goodie bag filled with little surprises.

...and here what I received from "the moody foodie" (jeetendra), a blogger from Maharashtra.

[L-R] - Kolhapuri Thecha, Sindhi papad, Kutti (a maharashtrian sweet made with wheat flour, ghee, sugar & nuts)

I quite liked the taste of "kolhapuri thecha" and today's recipe is the simplest way to make use of it - with potatoes and spring onions added for a herby feel. This paste so versatile that am sure it can be used in every and anything. - even in these, to add a spicy, indianized note. I can't wait to try. :-)

"the thecha".

..devoured on it - one bite at a time!..

Below are the bloggers who participated in this round of "Foodie Exchange" -

Deeps of Naughty Curry
Madhuri of Cook Curry Nook
Sarita of The Clean Toothpick
Pratiksha of Honeyed Pandemonium
Jeetendra of Moody Foodie
Apeksha of Veggie Wiz
Poorna of Presented by P
Ameya of Kitty in the Kitchen
Sid of Chef at Large
Ruchira of The Great Cookaroo
Geetha of Fragrant Kitchen
Renuka of Pinch of Salt
Marsha of The Harried Cook
Sangeeta of Health Food Desi Videshi
Rekha of My Tasty Curry
Nikhil of Nonchalant Gourmand

It was so good that me and my laws polished it off and had to make again for Mr.Husband's dinner.

{Recipe} Spicy Potatoes With Kolhapuri Spice paste

Ingredients:

4 medium sized potatoes, washed, peeled and cubed.
3 bunches of spring onion, trimmed to remove roots (if any) and finely chopped leaves & white bulb as well.
(1 tbsp of kolhapuri thecha masala + 2 tbsp of olive oil) --> Mix well. Note: Reduce or increase the amount based on the spice level you can handle. I would recommend add little by little.
1 tsp olive oil
salt - to taste

Preparation:

1. Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a flat, shallow pan and add potato cubes. Cover and cook until half done.

2. Add chopped spring onion leaves and bulb (the white part). Mix and cook for 3-4 minutes on medium-low heat.

3. Now, add the (thecha + oil) mixture and season with salt. Gently toss until potatoes are coated. Cook until done.

4. Serve with rice or roti. Tastes best when eaten hot.

until next time,

19th Annual Day Celebrations at Vaidehi Ashram, Hyderabad

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Wed, 02 May 2012 17:34:00 +0000

For the beautiful word begets the beautiful deed. ~ Thomas Mann

Here on this blog, you must have read many stories written on Vaidehi Ashram (a Flickr set of all the photographs taken there) and some generous souls even offered a helping hand to make a difference and help realize the tiny dreams of Ashram girls. The authorities at Vaidehi Ashram thank US even today for our gesture. :-)

April 29th was the day when the Ashram came to life with just two girls 19 years ago and I was invited to their annual day celebrations. Honestly I was representing all of Y.O.U over there. The entire courtyard in front of the ashram was filled with people who helped the ashram in one way or the other and a small number of relatives of the girls who stay in the Ashram. There were some distinguished guests and most importantly many squeaky, little excited girls running all around who were seen practicing their performances back stage. It was a pure delight to watch them sing and dance. There was also a special performance by four to ten year olds (22 of them) who were rescued last year in 2011.

I wanted you all to be a part of the celebrations as well. Here are some pictures I took while I was there and also a small video of girls performing at the very end of the post.

Its been 19 years since its inception. It is heartwarming to know it gave a new life and shelters hundreds of homeless girls.

Beautiful them. Beautiful We.

the one in the middle will be a great dancer one day. Look at her terrific expression! :D

All set to rock the stage.

the formation.

singing songs.

the ashram girls are trained in self defence too.

displaying their Nunchaku skills.

[Update] - I will be guest hosting Susan's Black and White Wednesday this week. Click away and send in your entries to info DOT siri AT gmail DOT com by Monday, May 7th. The gallery will be published on May 9th.

Amma's Recipes: Hyderabadi Double ka Meetha ( Bread Pudding with Nuts and Raisins) - Revisited

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 18:30:00 +0000

Amma's recipes is a 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 on this post. My mom will be more than happy to answer all of them.

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller

Such is the case with photography too. You see the same vegetable, do the same chore, visit the same place, but every single time you will find something new, something unique to photograph - the same notion with which I did Project 365 last year. Though, I find little time these days to pick up my camera and click random shots, I do miss Project 365 terribly. That's when, I secretly admire all the lovely shots by fellow 2012 Project 365-ers - Sharmi, Smitha, Lubna, Nithya, Usha and many others. They are doing a splendid job by posting something new everyday. All the very best to all of them and Hope to see you till the very end. :-)

Hyderabadi Double Ka Meetha

Milk Bread from our nearby bakery

There is a certain charm in revisiting the classics. Isn't it. Especially today's recipe is quite old made new, history scrubbed of loads of nostalgia. Ask any Hyderabadi about their favorite dessert and guaranteed most of them will say - Double Ka Meetha. Such is its legacy and a gastronomic delight devoured by all, forgetting about counting calories for a moment. Even today, no Hyderabadi dawat is complete without a generous serving of meetha at the very end.

Fresh Khoya

When in US, atleast in places where I stayed fresh khoya is a rarity, hence my previous version makes use of heavy cream. But, now that we are in India and almost every nook & corner has a doodhwala, my mom's version is rich, creamy and sinfully indulgent.

Bread slices, shallow fried in ghee

the Ensemble - bread, milk, fried dry fruits, sugar syrup and milk with khoya

{ Recipe} Hyderabadi Double ka Meetha ( Bread Pudding with Nuts and Raisins)

Ingredients:

1 loaf milk bread
ghee - for shallow frying
3 cups milk
1/2 cup khoya
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
a pinch of cardamom powder
saffron strands or orange food color (as I was out of saffron)
1/2 cup or more dry fruits and raisins - I used cashews, raisins and almonds

Preparation:

1. Slice bread into thick pieces.

2. Heat ghee in a wide pan and shallow fry bread pieces until slight golden brown. Drain them on paper towels. In rest of ghee (add more if needed), fry the dry fruits.

3. In a sauce pan, boil milk and add khoya. On a low heat, reduce it to half. Add saffron (or food color) and cardamom powder.

4. In another sauce pan, add water and sugar. Boil for 12-15 mins to make sugar syrup.

5. In a wide bowl, arrange the bread slices, sprinkle dry fruits, pour sugar syrup and reduced milk. With hand gently break the bread into small pieces while mixing everything. Make sure its not too mushy.

Serve warm or chilled with vanilla ice cream.

Note: Refrigerate if any leftovers. On the next day, heat up some milk, add the meetha and then serve.

until next time,

Cherry Tomato Focaccia with Garlic and Basil

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 18:30:00 +0000

"The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water, is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight." ~ M.F.K. Fisher

Until few years ago, the term "homemade-freshly-baked-bread" was non-existent in my food dictionary. I never knew bread can me made at home. Well, that does sound silly today, but at that time that's what I thought. Over and above, I suffered from what I call "yeast-o-phobia". All you bread-bakers know what I mean. At first, bread making may sound like a daunting task, quite intimidating too. It seems difficult just for the fact that - at any step one could go wrong and end up with a chewy, inedible bread. Trust me, it happened to me too!. After couple of batches of bread dough ending up in the trash can, I conquered my fear almost four years ago. It was an exhilarating experience and there is no looking back since then! :-).

nothing beats the taste of freshly baked bread - house smells divine. that's for sure!

One of my all time favorite bread recipes with yeast is - No Knead Pizza by Jim Lahey. From New York Times to Huffington Post, almost everybody featured it. My personal experience with recipe gave awesome results and it works for its sheer simplicity. If you are a novice bread baker, then I would go for Jim's recipe and fall instantly in love making bread at home!

Let the magic of yeast begin..

....and if ever you want for a bread which rarely fails and very forgiving, perfect to dip in olive oil sprinkled with salt or balsamic vinegar, then this is it: Focaccia. I tried my hand for the first time with Roasted Sweet Pepper Focaccia Bread in a cast iron skillet. Oh my, the taste still lingers in my mouth. It was that good to be one of popular posts on this blog and got featured on food52 as well.

bread dough...after two hours, doubled in size

Today's recipe - Focaccia with cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and hint of garlic is an ultimate classic combination. One could easily take this idea and come up with other topping such as - rosemary, roasted garlic, mixed herbs, caramelized onions, olives etc. In any form or shape, I promise you will end up with an absolutely delicious piece of bread.

cherry tomatoes with basil..

The trick here in this recipe is to let the tomatoes, basil and garlic sit in olive oil as long as possible to get an excellent infused oil, which works best as a topping for focaccia. If fresh herbs are not available, use dried ones. It is important to use olive oil (extra virgin, if possible) and please note that such flavored oils mostly depend on personal taste and involves some trial and error to get the right amount of zing that suits one's palate.

cherry tomatoes, fresh basil leaves and garlic induced in extra virgin olive oil

focaccia .. fresh out of oven..

Cherry Tomato Focaccia with Garlic and Basil

{Recipe} Cherry Tomato Focaccia with Garlic and Basil

Ingredients:

Makes 2 medium sized loaves

For Bread Dough:

1.5 cups of milk
1 tsp sugar
2.5 tsp of active dry yeast
3 cups of all purpose flour
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or just olive oil works too)
1 tbsp cornmeal or semolina (coarse sooji)

For Topping:

20-25 cherry tomatoes, halved
10 basil leaves, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (or just olive oil works too)
salt

Preparation:

1. In a sauce pan, dissolve sugar in milk. Heat until luke warm and transfer in a small bowl. Add active dry yeast and let it proof for 10 mins. (it will form foamy bubbles and slightly increase in volume)

2. In a large bowl, add 1.5 cups of all purpose flour and salt. Add in the yeast mixture with olive oil. Mix. Add in rest of the more flour little by little until the dough is slightly sticky. Transfer on a floured surface and knead for 4-5 mins. the dough should be smooth and elastic. Place in a greased large bowl. Make sure there is enough room for the dough to double. Cover with a plastic wrap or damp towel and leave in a warm place for approximately 2 hours.

3. For the topping - heat olive oil until warm in a pan. Add garlic, basil and cherry tomatoes. Cover and let is stand for atleast 30-45 mins.

4. On a greased baking sheet, sprinkle some corn meal or semolina. Slightly punch down the risen dough and divide into two portions. Gently roll into desired shape. Transfer onto the baked sheet and gently stretch. Cover again with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let it rise for another 45 mins.

5. Preheat oven to 425 F or 220 C. Poke indents on the dough and generously drizzle tomato-basil-garlic olive oil. the oil must pool in the indentations. Sprinkle some salt and bake for 20 minutes. Once done, let it still for 5 mins and Serve with olive oil or balsamic vinegar on the side. Yum! :-)

~*~Have a great week ahead folks!~*~

until next time,

Black and White Photography: Bread and Wine

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:33:00 +0000

A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou. ~ Omar Khayyam

Original Photograph

Posted for Black and White Wednesdays hosted by Susan

until next time,

Indian Spiced Peanuts | Fried Masala Peanuts

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:36:00 +0000

“What keeps me motivated is not the food itself but all the bonds and memories the food represents.” ~ Michael Chiarello

Such is the case with me too..

Most of the recipes featured on this blog until now are associated with a certain reminiscence of the past.
For instance, the most popular recipe is Vegetable Biryani and Mixed Vegetable Korma. These two remind me of our leisurely, late-afternoon Sunday lunches when all four of us are at home, with no pressure of homework, watching an old classic on Doordarshan. You see, we never had cable connection until I was 18 years old as my parents thought it would distract us from our studies :-). Atleast two times a week, my mother used to make Khara Pongal for breakfast, which is a sumptuous meal in itself and fill our tummies until lunch time.

Every weekend we used to stay back at my grandmom's house. Very often, my uncle used to get fresh khoya from a nearby doodhwala and within an hour, each of us used to devour on these delicious sweet treats, at which my ammama is a pro - Khoya balls (Kova Billalu). If craving for something spicy, we always used to fall back on some Mirchi Fritters.

I could just go on and on linking recipes from this list :-)

spicy, crispy, crunchy peanuts - perfect for munching..

Today's recipe - "Spiced Peanuts" or simple said, desi-ishtyle "Fried Masala Peanuts" is one such easy recipe which falls perfectly under the "Munchies" category, for that time of the day - between lunch and dinner, when our stomachs grumble a little and crave for a spicy treat. It was just pure fun to dig our little hands into the jar and nibble on these while my mom is not watching. ;-)

Go on, make these for your loved ones too, gift them a jar-full and I promise, they will be super-duper happy!

Peanuts or Groundnuts

Spice mixture - chickpea flour, rice flour, salt, chilli powder, garam masala

Peanuts coated with spice-flour-oil mixture, ready to be fried.

Fry them until light golden. they gain a little more color once they reach room temperature.

these make an excellent gift to near and dear ones. :-)

{Recipe} Indian Spiced Peanuts | Fried Masala Peanuts

Ingredients:

3 cups peanuts
1.5 cups besan (chickpea flour)
2 tbsp rice flour
1.5 tbsp chilli powder
1 tbsp garam masala
salt to taste
5 tbsp oil
vegetable or canola oil for frying

Preparation:

1. Dry roast peanuts. Keep aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add rest of ingredients with peanuts. Add water (little by little) and mix the nuts with spices so that its evenly coated with the mixture. (see pic above). It shouldn't be wet.

3. Heat oil in a kadai. Once hot, carefully drop a small batch of spiced peanuts and fry until golden brown. Drain them on paper towels (or newspaper works too!) to remove excess oil. Cool them to room temparature and then store in air tight container. Munch when you crave for some with hot tea or cool beverage on the side :-)

Variation(s) - the same recipe can be easily adapted to any kind of nuts like cashews, almonds, pistachios etc.

..or just grab some when hungry or as snack with hot tea on side. Bliss!

cya next time,

Black and White Wednesday: Stone Mortar and Pestle

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 18:30:00 +0000

There is a hidden charm in pounding spices in our old stone mortar and pestle. My mother still uses it in her kitchen and whenever she does, it reconnects with my true roots and traditions. I somehow feel any ~~spice~~ paste made in this tastes better and is more flavorful than a food processor. All the latter does is make a million pieces of whatever thrown in it. With grinding in a mortar and pestle, it releases fragrant oils and smells which makes the cooking process even more memorable and enjoyable.

..definitely a must have in every kitchen. :-)

Posted for Susan's Black and White Wednesdays.

{Update} on Vaidehi Ashram Fund Distribution

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 07:52:00 +0000

..{scroll down for more recent updates}

{Updated} - Click here to read all the posts written on Vaidehi Ashram.

Repeating myself on what Thomas Carlyle quoted "A laugh, to be joyous, must flow from a joyous heart, for without kindness, there can be no true joy." and each one of Y.O.U played a passionate role in bringing true joy and happiness in the lives of Vaidehi Ashram girls. Sometimes it feels like a dream that we actually managed to raise more than 3 Lakh Rupees in a matter of just 30 days.

A Big Hello from all of us here at Ashram :-)

When I shared this news with Ashram authorities, they were ecstatic beyond words. There were tears of joy, happiness and gratitude all around, some expressed awe and some disbelief ;-). They thanked from the bottom of their heart for your generosity and kindness. :-).

Now, its time for proper action so that money reaches the deserved and serves it purpose. This post will be updated regularly to post updates about how the money is being disbursed.

Total Amount raised during the Vaidehi Ashram Fund Drive = Rs 3,20,107 [3 Lakh Twenty Thousand One Hundred and Seven Rupees]

How the money is disbursed..

Emma Goldman once said - "No one has yet realized the wealth of sympathy, the kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child. The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure.".

Believing the fact that empowering these little girls will make them better and smarter women tomorrow, the first amount (Rs 28,360) disbursed is for the school fees of 80 Ashram kids for the month of March. The check is drawn directly under the name of Sri Saraswathi Vidya Peetam, the trust that runs the school.

Signature and Account No. blurred out for security purposes

[Updated on April 16th 2012] - A cheque for Rs 45, 650 has been given in the name of Sri Saraswathi Vidya Peetam to the Ashram which will cover the school fees for the months of April and May 2012.

Signature and Account details blurred out for security purposes

{L-R} Ms Suvathsala, My mother and ashram wardens - receiving the cheque

Remaining Amount: 2,46097 Rupees (as of April 16th 2012)

{..please come back for more updates...}

It also gives me immense pleasure that many have called the Ashram reading about them on our blogs and offered to financially help the girls. My heart filled with pride that we all successfully mobilized people around us to do some good. :-)

My mom and grandmom with kiddos.

Previous posts on Vaidehi Ashram -

My first visit to Vaidehi Ashram
40+ Raffle prizes for the fund drive (January 26th to February 26th 2012).
My Second visit to Vaidehi Ashram
Fund Drive for Vaidehi Ashram of Destitute Girls, Hyderabad
Announcing Raffle Prize Winners for Vaidehi Ashram Fund Drive

until next time,

Summer is here: Instant Mango Pickle | Mamidikaya Mukkala Pachadi | #IndianFoodPalooza

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 19:15:00 +0000

With much less effort, one can make this version of mango pickle, in a giffy!

I read it in an article recently - "Food is part of a continuum, changing yet connected to the past." So true. Isn't it? Pickles and chutneys likewise form an integral part of Indian cuisine, especially for us, who live in the southern part of India. These make a amazing accompaniment making our day-to-day meals memorable with their spicy, tangy flavors. Each one may have his/her absolute favorites and I bet for most of them its "Mango pickle".

Our first produce - home grown mangoes. Nothing tastes better than these!

Today's recipe "Instant Mango Pickle" - is a dish that is old made new, history scrubbed of nostalgia. Known as "aam ka achaar" in hindi, no indian meal is complete without a dash of this pickle. This recipe is special as its made with mangoes grown in our back yard. :-)

"This is like a taste explosion." ~ George, tasting his first mango, in "The Mango" (Seinfield)

The original Mango pickle is a tad bit laborious, but this version is quick and easy. All you need is raw mangoes and spices such as mustard powder, chilli powder, fenugreek-cumin powder, turmeric, salt and oil. Give it a try and am sure you will love it too, as much as we did!

Raw mango cubes, ready to be dressed up into the spices!

Use the best chilli powder available as its a key ingredient which lends a vibrant red color to the pickle.

freshly ground mustard powder. (No need to roast the mustard seeds before grinding)

Mix them all....

Spicy, tangy Instant Mango Pickle ready! tastes best after 2-3 days.

..couldn't wait for that long, so quickly mixed with some white rice and devoured till my hearts content! Darn! my mouth is still watering.

{Recipe} Instant Mango Pickle | Mamidikaya Mukkala Pachadi

Ingredients:

4 cups of cubed raw mangoes (choose firm ones)
2 cups of chilli powder
1.5 cups of mustard powder (grind black mustard seeds into a coarse powder)
1.25 cups of salt
1 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp fenugreek-cumin powder (dry roast cumin seeds and fenugreek [methi] seeds separately. grind them together into powder)
2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
3 cups of sesame/gingelly oil or vegetable oil. ( 2 cups of oil on Day One; 1 cup of oil for Day Two)

Tadka - 1 tsp each of urad dal, mustard seeds and cumins seeds + 5-6 whole red chillies

Preparation:

1. In a pan, warm 2 cups of oil.

2. In a large bowl (make sure it is bone dry) mix with (dry) hand or a spatula - raw mangoes, chilli powder, mustard powder, turmeric, salt, methi-cumin powder and warm oil.

3. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a wok and add the tadka ingredients one by one. Let them splutter. Turn off the heat and then add ginger-garlic paste. Add to the mango pickle mixture. Mix well.

4. Next day, Mix the contents once. Warm another cup of oil and add to the mango pickle mixture. Mix again.

Notes:

1. Don't refrigerate the pickle immediately. Water is released out of mangoes for next 3-4 days and the color will change to a shade of bright red.. Keep mixing the pickle atleast twice a day during this time. Store in an air tight container on Day Five and then refrigerate.

2. When refrigerated, this pickle will stay fresh for 1 month.

My dear friend Prerna of Indian Simmer along with Kathy and Barbara are celebrating #IndianFoodPalooza all month long. Sharing today's recipe with them and for all those who love Indian food. You will find this recipe quite simple to make at home. :-)

until next time,

Cointreau Rendevous Prive

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 17:59:00 +0000

From past few weeks, things are a little lull at my end. The Fund Drive has taken a major part of my time and over that my hectic work schedule is keeping me pretty busy with no time for my camera. Sadly nothing new is cooking as well. It is the same rice & dal for lunch and roti & curry for dinner. Hopefully I will get my mojo back and will dish up something for you guys.

Image Credit: Cointreau

When I heard about Cointreau Rendevous Prive, I thought its as enticing as it sounded.

Cointreau Rendez-vous Privé is a stylish and private cocktail evening which can be hosted in your home by professional Cointreau mixologist. It is an opportunity to surprise your guests with an intimate and convivial atmosphere made for, and by trained barman of Cointreau Rendez-vous Privé, with everyone enjoying connecting around Cointreau cocktails. With everything on hand to create a pop-up cocktail party. It is something that has recently been launched in India and is available in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore & Hyderabad. If you wish to host such a party, get in touch with Cointreau guys at remy_india@remyasia.com. Click here for more information.

Now, you would be wondering what to make for the cocktail party, if you host one. Don't worry I have got that covered for you.

Previously blogged Cointreau cocktails and recipes are below. Click away and make these easy concoctions for an enjoyable cocktail party. You see, that's how the conversations and good times happen. ;-)

Cointreau Diabolic - Recipe here.

Cosmopolitan - Recipe here

Margarita - Recipe here

Cointreaupolitan - Recipe here

hic..hic..

On an another happy note, Pavithra of Dishes From My Kitchen won a 50 mm f 1/8 Canon EF lens as a raffle prize for the Fund Drive. I am sure she will make the best use of it. Congratulations again Pavi. The lens is on it way and should reach you soon. :-)

until next time,

Announcing Raffle Prize Winners for Vadehi Ashram Fund Drive

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 18:40:00 +0000

"Gentleness, self-sacrifice and generosity are the exclusive possession of no one race or religion."

~ Mahatma Gandhi

With the help of all you amazing people out there who supported the Fund Drive, one way or the other, the Fund Drive raised $5836.43 (translates to Rs 288903.28) + Rs 31203 => 3 Lakh Twenty Thousand One Hundred and Seven Rupees (Rs 320107) for the kids at the Vaidehi Ashram. How cool is that. :-)

A Thank You Note from the Ashram Kids to all of you!

My heartfelt thanks to all the contributors for their enthusiastic and passionate response in making this Fund Drive such a big success and to fellow blogger friends for their belief in the cause and sponsoring these wonderful prizes. It is indeed a blessing to know each one of you. A special mention who spread the word about the drive by writing on their blogs.

As promised, it is time to reveal the lucky raffle prize winners. A random drawing was conducted at Ashram today and here are the winners. :-)

Shivani

Sravani

An official email has been sent to all winners. Please respond by forwarding your shipping address. 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 will the money be spent?

During our visit to the Ashram today, my mother and I inquired about what are their immediate necessities for which the money can be put to use.

80 kids study at Sri Saraswati Sisu Mandir school and the monthly fees is about 25,360 Rupees. We are planning to sponsor their school fees for 3 months. (March, April and May) --> Rs 76,080.

We also received a list of month's supply of provisions needed to feed the kids at the Ashram. The list is currently being sorted out and a part of remaining Rs 2,44,027 will be spent on the essential groceries. Watch out for this space. I will post more updates and photographs as we start disbursing the money.

Translating in English, the below Quote of the day -

"Say NO to laziness not only in actions, but also in thoughts."

Words cannot express my happiness at seeing the glowing faces of the Ashram Kids and the very thought that we could do something for them. This was possible only because of our collective effort.

A Big Thank You to each and everybody!.

If you wish to continue to support the Ashram kids, below are some projects you might be interested in -

1. Adopt a girl for one year (Includes clothing, food, education and other necessities)    Rs 20,000/-

2. Vidyanidhi (Education costs a girl for one year)   Rs 5,000/-

3. Mangala Nidhi (One time deposit to cover a day's food expenses commemorating any auspicious occasion every year) Rs 20,000/

4. Smrithi Nidhi (One time deposit to cover a day's food expenses in remembrance of your beloved every year)    Rs 20,000/-

5. Kishori Vikas Yojana Nidhi (Expenditure to run one Centre of Development Project for Adolescent Girls for one month)    Rs 1000/-

6. Vaidehi Mahila Vikasa Samithi (One month expenditure to train Unemployed Youth & Women. Also includes cost for food and shelter) Rs 10,000/-

7. To sponsor a meal for all the Ashram girls:   Rs 2,000

Please send them an email at - vaidehisevasamithi@gmail.com or call at 91-9032152105 / 91-40-24075544 with the project details.

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

To send your contributions directly in the form of a cheque or a demand draft, draw it in favour of - M/s Vaidehi Seva Samithi and send to the above mentioned address with a cover letter specifying your details.

Bank Details for direct deposit: The Ashram authorities have requested a cover letter for the direct deposit contributions as well as they have to know who you are for filing their taxes to Govt. Of India.

For foreign donations only: Vaidehi seva samithi A/C No.5219946953, State Bank of Hyderabad, Disulkhnagar (FCRA) .

For Indian donations only: Vaidehi seva samithi A/c No.2818101000609, CANARA BANK, Saidabad, Hyderabad

Ashram PAN ID (Tax ID) - AAATV2720Q.

Related Posts:

My first visit to Vaidehi Ashram
My second visit to Ashram
Fund Drive for Vaidehi Ashram

until next time,

Be My Guest and {Recipe} for Soya Sesame Khakhras

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 03:19:00 +0000

It is always touching when a fellow blogger wants to know more about you and wish to feature you on their blogs. Many months ago, Nupur of UK Rasoi asked if I wish to Be Her Guest,.

I said, Why not? :-)

I also made some easy, oil free Soya Sesame Khakhras for her.. Get the recipe here.

Thanks Nupur for having me as your guest.

Black and White Wednesday: Noodles

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 18:30:00 +0000

Noodles always reminds me of adorable Po of Kung Fu Panda series. I watched both the movies and fell in love with Jack Black's voice over. :-) Noodles are usually my late night, weekday dinners which I usually put together in matter of minutes. Boil noodles. Stir fry Veggies. Add Eggs. Season with Soya Sauce and/or Hot Sauce. Toss Noodles. Done!

Posted for Susan's Black & White Wednesdays.

until next time,

...a disastrous thali encounter and an update on the Fund Drive..

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 02:47:00 +0000

As Thomas Keller aptly said - "Food Should be Fun". Good Food, I mean, which evoke happy, burp-y feelings in your tummy. It could be anything from a simple french toast to very mundane South Indian meals.

Sometime last week we visited a newly opened restaurant called "Aviyal" in Hitech City, Hyderabad for lunch. We ordered their south indian meals as we were in a mood for tamizh food . Except for the ghee-pepper rice (below pic) and yogurt bowl, everything else was a major put off. Oil floating on a red kuzhambu, salty-uncooked okra curry, a watery palak dal, tasteless rasam - No, nothing such sort appeals to me!. We walked out mid-way and devoured on a cheesy Papa Johns pizza instead, right below the restaurant.

that is our story with Aviyal.!

Now coming to some amazing news regarding the Fund Drive for Vaidehi Ashram. We raised more than 3 Lakh Rupees in a month's time for the Ashram kiddos.. Isn't that great!

I cannot express in words how happy I am.

I am sure you are too. :-)

Coming to the raffle prize winners, I was supposed to announce them yesterday but few of the donations are currently in pipeline and because every small amount will make a difference to the kids, am waiting for the transactions to go through.

I promise, am going to announce them on Monday, March 5th and also let you all know how the amount will be disbursed to the Ashram.

A Big Thank You to all 157 generous people who contributed for the cause. A Special Hug all of my amazing blogger friends whose raffle prizes added the fun element to the drive.. :-)

until next time,

Amma's Recipes: Eggplants Stuffed with a Spice Paste

noreply@blogger.com (Siri) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:29:00 +0000

"Sweater, n.: garment worn by child when its mother is feeling chilly". ~ Ambrose Bierce.

...and there is such profound truth in this quote. Isn't it? This is one of my favourite ones and I remember reading it in an article couple of years ago. It just stuck to me since then.

Today's Recipe: Eggplants Stuffed with a Spice Paste (scroll below for the recipe)

My mother is an inspiration in my life who has a great influence on me. Though, I look more like my dad, my thoughts & my mind are just constituted like her. We are very emotional by nature and We see the world as black-and-white, no grey shades in between which is the case most of the times..:-)

It was because of her that I happened to visit the Vaidehi Ashram, quite coincidentally I must say. It was first week of January, during one of my usual visits to Hyderabad my mom casually asked me if I was free to visit the place with her. I said "Yes", frankly expecting nothing in return.

Happy are those children who have a mother to whom they can pour out their hearts and always count on her understanding, and a father in whose strength and loyalty they are so confident that they seek his advice and help all their lives. Many people long to be such parents to their children, and could be, if only they possessed enough wisdom and love. ~ Eberhard Arnold

... that one visit did change my life for good. I visited them again, this time with a pretext of my dad's birthday to spend some time with the girls. Fast forward few days..I took up this ambitious Fund Drive for the Vaidehi Ashram. Words cannot express how happy and humble I feel with the unprecedented response I received until now. More than ~~2 Lakh Rupees~~ 2.84 Lakh Rupees have been raised with the help of 115 generous souls from all across the world.

Just to give you an idea what this money can do - It costs about 4,000 Rupees to feed all 108 children for 1 day. That means, with the money raised until now, the girls can eat their stomach full 3 times a day for 50 71 days! :-)

You can still participate. The Fund Drive is open till Feb 25th 2012, mid night. Click on the Chipin button above. More details here.

Now that we are talking about my mom, it is only befitting to share one of her signature recipes. Isn't it? - Eggplants/Brinjals stuffed with a spice paste made of ginger, salt, cumin seeds and red chilli powder. Simple as it sounds, it tastes just divine when served with hot rice and a dollop of ghee on the top!. My mouth is already watering.. :-)

Eggplant slit, ready to be stuffed

a simple spice paste of - ginger, cumin seeds, salt, turmeric and red chilli powder

{Recipe} Eggplants Stuffed with a Spice Paste

Ingredients:

10 long green eggplants (small, round ones or long, purple ones can also be used), chopped into pieces and slit (see pic above)
2 tbsp oil

For Spice paste: Grind the following into a coarse paste (see pic above)

2 inches or 25 grams of ginger, washed, peeled, roughly chopped
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp red chilli powder (or more, if you can handle the hear ;-))
1/4 tsp turmeric
salt - to taste

Preparation:

1. Stuff a little spice paste (not too much) into each of the slit eggplant. Keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan (which has a cover) and add the stuffed eggplant pieces. Pour about 1/2 to 1 cup water. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 10-15 mins, until fork tender. Toss them around carefully for every 5 mins.

3. Serve with rice or roti.

tastes best with rice and roti..

For Dinner tonight - Fresh Cilantro/Coriander ready to be dunked into a pulao..

Some more recipes featuring cilantro/coriander -

Hara Bhara Paneer Pulao
Rosemary Cheese Biscuits (substitute rosemary with cilantro and add some garam masala for an indian twist)
Paneer Methi Chaman
Roundup of Herb Mania: Coriander (for many ideas from fellow bloggers)

Cilantro, though devoid of its vibrant green color, still looks beautiful. Isn't it?

Posted the above pic for Susan's Black & White Wednesdays.

Bon Appetit everybody..

until next time,

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

{Updated} - Click here to read all the posts written on Vaidehi Ashram.

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	10 Boxes, one of each lucky winner (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.

[Updated on February 14th 2012] - Many have inquired about costs involved in sponsoring education, food etc for the Ashram girls. I visited them again and gathered the below information about various projects currently happening. Please send them an email at vaidehisevasamithi@gmail.com or call +91-40-24075544 (or) +91 9032152105 to discuss regarding the project you wish to sponsor. If you need any other help from my side in terms of coordination, please let me know. I will be more than happy to do it.

1. Adopt a girl for one year (Includes clothing, food, education and other necessities)    [20,000/- Rupees]

2. Vidyanidhi (Education costs a girl for one year)   [5,000/- Rupees]

3. Mangala Nidhi (One time deposit to cover a day's food expenses commemorating any auspicious occasion every year) [20,000/- Rupees]

4. Smrithi Nidhi (One time deposit to cover a day's food expenses in remembrance of your beloved every year)   [20,000/- Rupees]

5. Kishori Vikas Yojana Nidhi (Expenditure to run one Centre of Development Project for Adolescent Girls for one month)   [1000/- Rupees]

6. Vaidehi Mahila Vikasa Samithi (One month expenditure to train Unemployed Youth & Women. Also includes cost for food and shelter) [10,000/- Rupees]

7. To sponsor a meal for all the Ashram girls:   [2,000/- Rupees]

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..

[Updated on February 14th 2012] - Many have inquired about costs involved in sponsoring education, food etc for the Ashram girls. I visited them again and gathered the below information about various projects currently happening. Please send them an email at vaidehisevasamithi@gmail.com or call at +91-40-24075544 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +91-40-24075544 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or +91 9032152105 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +91 9032152105 end_of_the_skype_highlighting to discuss regarding the project you wish to sponsor. If you need any other help from my side in terms of coordination, please let me know. I will be more than happy to do it.

1. Adopt a girl for one year (Includes clothing, food, education and other necessities) Rs 20,000/-

2. Vidyanidhi (Education costs a girl for one year) Rs 5,000/-

3. Mangala Nidhi (One time deposit to cover a day's food expenses commemorating any auspicious occasion every year) Rs 20,000/

4. Smrithi Nidhi (One time deposit to cover a day's food expenses in remembrance of your beloved every year) Rs 20,000/-

5. Kishori Vikas Yojana Nidhi (Expenditure to run one Centre of Development Project for Adolescent Girls for one month) Rs 1000/-

6. Vaidehi Mahila Vikasa Samithi (One month expenditure to train Unemployed Youth & Women. Also includes cost for food and shelter) Rs 10,000/-

7. To sponsor a meal for all the Ashram girls: Rs 2,000

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!

[Updated on February 14th 2012] - Many have inquired about costs involved in sponsoring education, food etc for the Ashram girls. I visited them again and gathered the below information about various projects currently happening. Please send them an email at vaidehisevasamithi@gmail.com or call at +91-40-24075544 or +91 9032152105 to discuss regarding the project you wish to sponsor. If you need any other help from my side in terms of coordination, please let me know. I will be more than happy to do it.

More details on the Fund Drive for the Ashram Girls - Click here.

1. Adopt a girl for one year (Includes clothing, food, education and other necessities)    Rs 20,000/-

2. Vidyanidhi (Education costs a girl for one year)   Rs 5,000/-

3. Mangala Nidhi (One time deposit to cover a day's food expenses commemorating any auspicious occasion every year) Rs 20,000/

4. Smrithi Nidhi (One time deposit to cover a day's food expenses in remembrance of your beloved every year)    Rs 20,000/-

5. Kishori Vikas Yojana Nidhi (Expenditure to run one Centre of Development Project for Adolescent Girls for one month)    Rs 1000/-

6. Vaidehi Mahila Vikasa Samithi (One month expenditure to train Unemployed Youth & Women. Also includes cost for food and shelter) Rs 10,000/-

7. To sponsor a meal for all the Ashram girls:   Rs 2,000

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.

Click here to read all the posts written on Vaidehi Ashram.

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 2500Rs, 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: 10 Boxes, one for each lucky winner (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.

[Updated on February 14th 2012] - Many have inquired about costs involved in sponsoring education, food etc for the Ashram girls. I visited them again and gathered the below information about various projects currently happening. Please send them an email at vaidehisevasamithi@gmail.com or call at +914024075544 or             +91 9032152105       to discuss regarding the project you wish to sponsor. If you need any other help from my side in terms of coordination, please let me know. I will be more than happy to do it.

1. Adopt a girl for one year (Includes clothing, food, education and other necessities)    [20,000/- Rupees]

2. Vidyanidhi (Education costs a girl for one year)   [5,000/- Rupees]

3. Mangala Nidhi (One time deposit to cover a day's food expenses commemorating any auspicious occasion every year) [20,000/- Rupees]

4. Smrithi Nidhi (One time deposit to cover a day's food expenses in remembrance of your beloved every year) [20,000/- Rupees]

5. Kishori Vikas Yojana Nidhi (Expenditure to run one Centre of Development Project for Adolescent Girls for one month)   [1000/- Rupees]

6. Vaidehi Mahila Vikasa Samithi (One month expenditure to train Unemployed Youth & Women. Also includes cost for food and shelter) [10,000/- Rupees]

7. To sponsor a meal for all the Ashram girls: [2,000/- Rupees]

Click here to read all the posts written on Vaidehi Ashram.

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,