27 February, 2013

Spicy Tomato and Garlic Thokku Recipe | How to Make Spicy Tomato and Garlic Chutney/Relish

Learn how to make Tomato and Garlic Thokku ~ Spicy tomato and garlic chutney/relish for Dosa and Idli

One thing I never thought of becoming when I donned motherhood hat among other very colourful and interesting hats I wear day to day life was getting absent minded and forgetful! Someone who could remember couple of dozens of 10-12 digit phone numbers or every family and friends’ birthdays or anniversary dates was starting to find it difficult to even remember her own cell phone number.

22 February, 2013

Ananas Sasam/Pineapple Sasve Recipe | Pineapple in Coconut-Mustard Curry

Learn how to make Ananas Sasam/Pineapple Sasve ~ Pineapple cooked in a sweet, sour, hot and pungent coconut and mustard curry

After spending one week at home, I am back at work today. Last Friday I found myself a target for one of the worst cases of migraine in the last couple of years and all I could do was just lie down on bed after popping few painkillers. The idiot box was quiet on and the book I was reading was left untouched on the coffee table. The heavy curtains were drawn close to stop the brilliant sunrays entering the room as I tried very hard to sleep in the dark bedroom.

14 February, 2013

Microwave Masala Peanuts/Masale Kadle Recipe | How to Make Masala Peanuts in a Microwave

Learn how to make Microwave Masala Peanuts/Masale Kadle ~Simple and quick recipe for crunchy and spicy gram flour coated roasted peanuts cooked in a microwave in less than 15 minutes

Love to me is something that is very different from the stories told in romantic movies and the types of ‘happily ever afters’ in fairy tales and mills and boon novels. Love is not a dozen of red roses, a box of Belgian chocolates or heart shaped balloons. Love is not a gift of expensive bottles of perfumes or an exquisite diamond ring. Love to me is not romantic candle light dinners or a holiday in a romantic city! The very definition of ‘Love’ has changed over the years and now it means a whole new world of things to me…

12 February, 2013

Palak-Methi Pulao Recipe | How to Make Simple Veg Pulao/Pulav/Pilaf

Learn how to make Palak-Methi Pulao/Pulav/Pilaf ~ Basmati rice cooked with spinach, fresh fenugreek leaves, green peas, coconut milk and flavoured with whole spices and fresh herbs

I know it is bit late to talk about New Year’s resolution. I made one but never talked about with anyone as most of my New Year resolutions becomes things of past within a week’s time! So I kept quiet all this while thinking this year’s resolution too will vanish in thin air! It’s now almost a month and half since we welcomed 2013 and I felt I can share it with you all as I have successfully managed to stick to it and also enjoying it.

08 February, 2013

Stuffed Bread Pakoda/Pakora Recipe | How to Make Bread Pakoda/Pakora

Lean to make Stuffed Bread Pakoda/Pakora ~ Deep fried savoury bread slices stuffed with spicy mashed potato and coated with spicy chickpea flour batter

Every night after patting Lil Dumpling to sleep I stand next to the window, looking out at the night sky. Some days I see the full moon, round and bright, shining down on us with little twinkling starts against deep blue background! Some other days the same moon peeks out of dark grey clouds heavy with unshed rain. Most days I watch little drops of rain falling gently from the sky and kissing the earth, pitter pattering in a small puddle formed by one missing brick from the pathways right under the street light. On some other days, the rain is accompanied by gushing wind, howling in the dark night like a lonely wolf parted from its family and looking desperately for them. And then there are nights when torrential rain falls angrily on ground, tearing the sky like Monsoon rains in my home land!

05 February, 2013

Afghani Borani Kadoo or Kadu Bouranee Recipe | Afghani Sweet & Savoury Pumpkin/Butternut Squash

Learn how to make Afghani Borani Kadoo or Kadu Bouranee or Kadu Borani ~
Pumpkin or butternut squash cooked in sweet tomato and onion gravy with a hint of spice, a traditional Afghan recipe

For one month we watched my 3 and half months old Lil Dumpling, lying on his soft blanket chewing his chubby fingers or a teether, rolling from his back to tummy and tummy to back, cooing, gurgling and giving me that oh-so-adorable gummy, toothless smiles which made my heart flip over and happier, and watching his drool wet the colourful blanket underneath him. And then suddenly from the day he turned 4 months old he showed more interest in the food we were eating, watching us closely as we placed every morsel of delicious food cooked by my Amma in our mouth. He started noticing the way our mouth moved, chewing the aromatic and flavourful food. All of a sudden his otherwise favourite meal, milk, looked pale to him in comparison to the colourful food on our plates. For a baby who enjoyed banging spoons and his toys on the tray attached to his high chair, he began noticing the food spread out in our dining table and soon his coos and gurgles were replaced by high pitched demanding cries with his mouth imitating chewing action whenever we all sat down at meal time!