Cakes For Mom's Birthday

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM

Today is the last day of this month.. I should have posted this post on the very first day of this month itself. 1st Jan being my mom's birthday is always a special day for all of us.. No matter if she is here with us or away with my dad, I always make it a point to either bring a cake or bake it at home itself. Last year I could do neither of it as I was away on a trip. This year too mom is with dad and the first day of the year been too busy for me, I opted to bring a cake from the cake shop . This job I gave to my youngest sis and she bought the one below.

This is an out an out chocolate cake. And I didn't liked it much. Besides it had too much of chocolate chips over it so not my type. And over and above she didnt even wrote my mom's name over it.. When I asked her about this, I got the reply what difference does it makes as mom is not here with us... Felt bad as I should have only went and bought a good one... Thats the reason I thought of baking another cake this month.. And I wanted to make blackforest rasgulla cake from masterchef..

This is my blackforest rasgulla cake, nowhere near to what they've shown on television. As always I was short of certain ingredients at the last moment.. Even the decoration gave way as I couldnt make those chocolate logs... And my siblings started making fun of it. No matter, I am an optimist so still went ahead and though the presentation is not as good as it should have been, the taste was quiet good. So my dearest mom this is for you.. I know you are not here to taste it, but once you come back, I will surely make an another one much better for you again. Love u a lot.... God bless u mom.... Thanks for always been so wonderful a person and a sonpari to me - helping and being by my side whenever I  am in need....

Life In Diaries

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM

Life in diaries...  Diaries have always been an important part in my life. Earlier when in school it would be made out of scrap papers to note down homework for the day. In college it would be usually to note down my feelings about life... Sometimes it would be writing down good quotes that I came across. When my mom went for Haj and when she usually had to stay with my dad that time I used diary to note down daily expenses. After my college my diary turned into my daily planner - writing down all the things for the day

Its like I developed some kind of attachment with diaries in my life. Therefore today while cleaning my cupboards I came across all these diaries that were a part of my life. I still wonder for what purpose I had kept them still and after going through them got a smile on my face. Me the 'raddiwali' of my family. Though they hold lots of beautiful memories and I was really happy to have them all back but my people won't allow me to collect any more such stuff which they think is of no use anymore. They don't understand the emotional values attached to it. Therefore before giving them out to the actual raddiwala I decided to click their pics and post it on my blog where they will serve as my memories for ever....

Baghare Baingan

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM

My attraction with brinjals began with the serial Baingan raja. That was a kid special show usually aired on national channel. I was a school going kid that time and used to love the title song of that show. " Jhug jhug jiyo mere baingan raja. Raj tumhara sabse pyara. Jhug jhug jiyo mere baingan raja." I started loving brinjals during that time itself. And to add to it my mom used to say that baingan bharta was my nana's favorite dish. And thats why that became mine favorite too. Although I've never seen my nana but I love him very much. After baingan bharta I loved brinjal fries that mom used to make usually during ramzan iftaaris. I would eat only these two preparations of brinjals otherwise I wouldn't even touch it.

I accidently came across this recipe of baghare baingan. Some 3 - 4 years back we had visited some acquaintance in Hyderabad. That was the first time we were visiting that city. There I tasted karela ka khatta and loved it soo much.. After coming back to mumbai I surfed for an authentic recipe but couldn't get any. But however I got this recipe on fauzia pakistani's website. Its an amazing recipe and I love to eat it with rice any time of the day. I even have it in the evening just before tea..

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

Brinjals = 1/2 kg, tender, round and small

Onions = 2 medium, sliced

Red chillies = 5

Tamarind extract = 2 tbsp

Ginger garlic paste = 1 tblspn

Peanuts = 2 tbsp

Grated coconut = 2 tbsp

Sesame seeds = 2 tbsp

Cumin-coriander powder = 2 tbsp

Red chilli powder = 1 tbsp (or as per taste)

Turmeric powder = 1/2 tsp

Cooking oil = 4 tbsp

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

1. Wash the brinjals, cut the stem, leaving the canopy in place and cut 3/4 of the lengthof each brinjal into a criss cross, leaving the attached at the other end.

2. Heat 2 tblspn of oil in a thick wide pan and add the brinjals. Sprinkle some salt and leave the brinjals to cook until well done and soft.

3. In the meantime roast the peanuts, sesame seeds, coconut and red chillies. 

4. Heat oil in a pan. Roast the sliced onions till brown.

5. Add some water and blend all the ingredients into fine thick paste.

6. In a pan, add cook the paste for sometime. Add water if the paste is too very thick. Add salt.

7. After a while add the tamarind extract and cook till the raw smell of tamarind is gone.

8. Add the cooked brinjals and cook on a low flame until oil seperates.

9. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice.

Brinjals cut in criss-cross manner.

Sending this to Healing Foods - Eggplant hosted by Kavita and the event started by Siri

Apple Strawberry Lassi

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM

At times when my siblings leave early for their routine and I am left alone for breakfast, a bowl of porridge and a glass of smoothie is my favourite breakfast menu. Call it a easy to make breakfast than to make rotis and other stuff for one person. Love this season as variety of colorful fruits are seen in the market and strawberry - just simply love it.

This again is a newspaper cutout recipe. I had apples and instead of just again making apple milkshake thought of this change and loved it..


RECIPE:
 
Ingredients:
Apples = 2
Strawberries = 8-10
Plain fat yoghurt = 2 cups
Fresh limejuice = 1/2 tsp
Cold water = 2 1/2 cups
Sugar = 3 tbsp
Crushed ice as required
 
Method:
1. Blend all the ingredients.
 
2. Serve chilled.


This goes to Breakfast Club Challenge, its main host Helen.

 

Instant Dessert

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM

With the winters in its full swing I am very much tempted to eat spicy fried stuffs. Things that tops the chart are pani-poori, sev-puri, and bikaneri samosas. With the onion prices touching sky, I've controlled a lot over kanda bhajiyas (onion pakodas), otherwise thats an easy and frequently made dish at our place during winters. Turning to healthy options and fruits being my favorites, I laid my hands on this newpaper cutout recipe and loved it instantly. Its very healthy and filling.

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

Apple = 1/2 piece

Pineapple = 3 round cut pieces

Olive oil = 1/2 tsp (optional)

Grated paneer, raisins, dates and shredded almonds for garnishing.

Method:

1. In a non stick pan add olive oil and saute chopped apple and pineapple pieces.

2. Cook till tender.

3. Remove from flame. Garnish with grated paneer, raisins, dates and shredded almonds.

Note: I was too lazy to grate the paneer here, so just cut them into strips alongwith dates.

Sending this to Tasteofpearlcity's Any One Can Cook : Series 13.

Crocheted Squares

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM

These are few squares that I had crocheted using stash wool. Thought of making something out of them but the thickness varied for each square and they are just like that with me still.... Love their colors but clueless how to use  them altogather.....

Methi-Makki Rotis

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM

After posting paneer haryali how could I not post methi makki rotis. It is one of the best thing I've ever tasted with paneer haryali. I am simply in love with the sweet taste that this roti carries. Apart from the wheat, rice, ragi, bajra, jowari rotis which I've made number of times before too. Makai rotis stole my heart  in first time itself. And over and above, I enjoyed making them...



RECIPE:

Ingredients:
Makai flour = 2 cups
Methi leaves = 2 cups
Green chillies = 2-3
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Finely cut methi leaves and green chillies.

2. Mix into makai flour with salt and knead it with lukewarm water.

3. Rest the dough for 1/2 hr.

4. Prepare rotis by wetting the hands. Do not roll them, just flatten them on a plastic sheet by using palms and fingers.

5. Roast them same as we do for rotis/chapatis. Be generous on using asli ghee while roasting the rotis. Serve hot.

Paneer Haryali

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM

The climate here is very chilly nowadays. And so is my taste - chillies, hot, spicy, sweet. Thats what I am going through nowadays, I wanna have all these taste togather. So I started digging into my newspaper cutouts. There I saw this paneer haryali with methi makai roti. That very moment I thought it would be perfect for a cold winter dinner.. I had made paneer haryali before too and it was loved by everybody. But tasting it with methi makai roti was a first time experience and it was heavenly...



RECIPE:

Ingredients:

For Paste:
Palak = 1 cup
Methi = 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves = 1/2 cup
Garlic = 6 flakes
Ginger = 1/2 inch piece
Green chillies = 3
Curd = 1/4 cup

For Curry:
Paneer = 250 gms
Onions = 1 big, sliced
Mawa = 2 tbsp
Kaju paste = 2 tbsp
Salt = to taste
Haldi = 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala = 1/4 tsp
Water = 1 cup



Method:
1. Blanch palak and methi leaves. Grind to a paste with all the ingredients.

2. Heat oil and saute onion till golden brown.

3. Add the ground paste and stir fry for 2-3 mins.

4. Add mawa, kaju paste, salt, haldi, garam masala and water. Let it simmer for some time.

5. Add paneer pieces and let it cook further for some more time.

6. Garnish with grated paneer ( here I was exhausted of paneer so I used til) and serve hot with methi makai rotis.

This goes to Food palette series green at torviewtoronto



Why No One Killed Jessica....

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM

Today I saw no one killed jessica at my friend sami's place. I never wanted to see that film but ultimately after watching didi's wedding video tupi started with that film.... I got so involved in that film that some instances I felt i've lived them.. And yes this kind of thing I have lived up in the past. Like sabrina in the last part I too left hope for all the good things. Felt there is no thing like justice anymore in this world... When people like jessica are killed infront of major of the people it is termed as murder, but what with those people whose own family give them slow deaths and term it as sickness... Is it not a murder? I know it is a murder and i've seen one of this kind.. Fought with my own people to lemme fight for her justice, but they were the one who stopped me for being a girl and as why I am getting involved when she was not at all related to me...

Whether she was related to me or not is not important. What was important was that that could be me too someday. Though she was no one related to me but still gave me lots of love, motherly affection. I was a very very bubbly and chirpy girl but this incident has taken all that from me... I cannot forget it but I try not to remember it. It only hurts me, people have lost heart, have lost feelings.. All are just busy with their own life, time kahan hai.. And kyun kisi ke liye kuch karna hai, what does its going to matter anybody.... Everybody has developed an ego - a very bad ego.... We don't at all care what others are going through...

I am really feeling very bad and lonely today.. I  could have done something for that lady but I couldn't do it. I couldn't hold up for long and started crying for the scene when sabrina comes at 5 p.m. at India gate. My friend knows I am over-sensitive and thats why she didn't let me watch the whole movie and took me out for a panipuri and malai kulfi treat.

I followed jessica's story earlier through newspapers but because it got media attention it became a campaign, a sensation. But there are many more people where media hasn't reached.. What about them... One more person I remember and she is the wife of that sweeper whom kasab and his mates killed near the c.s.t. That poor lady after her husband's death her in-laws took the money that govt. provided for them and disowned her stating that she has no right to stay with them as her husband is no more.. In which century are we living and are we really living or just existing without any purpose...

Feeling very hurt, don't know why I am writing all this but really I don't think I alone can do anything for anyone... My family my friends stop me at every step just because they feel I am over-sensitive and get involved with people's feelings too much.. I should maintain a distance with every relation. But is it wrong to share my love, share my time for those people who need me. Is it wrong to give some happiness even to those people who are not even remotely related..

When my friend saw me crying she said why am I crying just watch it like a movie... I really felt very bad for her these words. Will she say the same when something happens to me ( she loves me a lot). That time the thing will be different. For everyone of us, until and unless something doesn't happens to us or to those people whom we are closely attached to we never wake up... We don't care.. Is it correct?

Finally for Jessica,,, though the culprit is behind bars, but I am sure he must be enjoying there too at his will. He has recently applied for a bail too.. And probabaly he may get it too.. It won't matter to anybody now. But in our coutry justice is always delivered very late. And justice delayed is justice denied. It holds no importance when all the feelings, all the hurt, all the pain has dried down.....

Methi Rice

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM

I am a great fan of leafy vegetables. I love to have them even everyday but my siblings get bored having them every other day.  I love to experiment with it and add more color to my greens. The yellow-green combi in food always attracts me towards it. The above recipe is from one of the newspaper cuttings I always wanted to try. My people don't appreciate leafy veg in rice so I am always skeptical to prepare it. However couldn't stop myself from trying this when I saw this event at torviewtoronto blog.

Once again as usual I repeat, please excuse my photography. Its when I cook something therez no other thing in my mind than to just devour it off as soon as possible. So presentation and photography becomes a big hurdle    ;-D  

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

Rice = 1/4 kg

Oil = 2 tblspn

Dried red chilli = 1, broken into pieces

Hing = a pinch

Rai = 1 tsp

Urad dal = 1 tsp

Chana dal = 1 tsp

Green chilli = 3, chopped

Kadipatta = 8-10

Methi leaves = 2 cups, washed, cleaned and finely chopped

Haldi = 1/2 tsp

Salt = to taste

Juice of 1 medium sized lemon.

Method:

1. Cook the rice and allow it to cool completely.

2. Heat oil, add red chilli, rai and hing. When it starts to splutter, add both the dals, green chillies and kadipatta. Fry till dals turn golden brown.

3. Now add methi leaves and cook for sometime, stirring continously in between.

4. Then add haldi and salt. Stir fry till fenugreek is cooked.

5. Before removing from heat stir in lemon juice.

6. Add methi leaves mixture to the rice. Mix well. Cook for another 5 minutes, just to get a faint color of the leaves to the rice...

7. Serve hot.

I forward this recipe to the Food Palette Series Green at Torviewtoronto. Thank you for organizing such lovely events.

Gulgule

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM



When I ate this the first time I instantly fell in love and I was just a school going kid that time. I used to ask mom to make this often but while growing up I slowly slowly forgot all about this.  This ramzan, I had kept a few bananas in the refrigerator. The bananas were already very ripe and by keeping them in refrigerator its skin turned black. My siblings refused to eat it. Thought to make banana milkshake out of it but suddenly remembered this long lost recipe. Though the gulgulays are lill sweet my siblings loved it very much, but they find it hard to appreciate. So next time when they wanted me to prepare it again, they quietly kept bananas in the refrigerator again... :-)

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

Bananas = 2

Grated Jaggery = 2 tblspn

Elaichi powder = a pinch

Wheat flour = as much needed to mix.

Method:

1. Mash the bananas. Add grated jaggery and elaichi powder in it. Mix well.

2. When all the above ingredients are mixed well add wheat flour as much as needed to make the paste little thick.

3. Keep it to rest for 15-20 mins.

4. Deep fry till golden brown.

Malai Gola - Celebrating New Year

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM

This is my first post in the new year. Yesterday me and my friend met, and this was our first meet since the new year began. It was not a planned visit but turned out to be very great. Just simple fun and loads of yak-yaking... I reached her home and she came at my place to pick me up... Gadbad ghotala....  Then when I called her up she told me to wait at her place. After that we both left to see the exhibition that neelam didi said is going on the exhibition ground. And it is quiet a good distance away from our place.. We however decided to walk. We usually prefer walking as we get more time to talk and talk.. Thats what we love the most when togather.

On the way we ate paneer panipuri near to Navratna. It was awesome and toooo tasty yesterday. I still have doubts that he gave us one puri less. And we did argue on that for a while. Ultimately when reaching the exhibition ground we realised there is no exhibition going on there. Not ready to give up the fun mood we decided to go to center one mall and have something cold. That panipuri wala bhaiya had made some teekhi paanipuris.. After reaching the food court we were just roaming undecided what to have. Finally we stopped on to the malai gola counter and ordered that. We also asked for sitaphal icecream bt that was not available. However we settled in with malai gola and I should say it was very very very very yummy... Filled with nuts, malai, kala-khatta, strawberry syrup, khus syrup etc. Then we thought of having something spicy with it and samidha bought in double grilled sandwich. All these was so filling that we really really got talli after all these.

We came back walking and continuing our talks. We were so filled that we couldn't even have dinner. Life is very beautiful and it becomes more beautiful with such moments. Nothing special but when we have good company with us, it becomes more beautiful and the time we spend with each other becomes memory for life....