3 Awards and a Tag :)

Hari Chandana has passed on 3 wonderful awards which comes with a tag. It's a great feeling to be awarded, I appreciate the encouraging gesture Hari :) . Tags (meme) was something which I used to enjoy reading in others blogs...now that I've done it myself , it seems fun :) Thanks so much Hari. I've tagged 13 (sorry rules are made to break aren't they? :)) friends and request them to accept the awards :) and also request them to tag 8-10 (feel free to pass on the encouragement) people and keep the chain going :)

The meme for Kreativ blogger is here. The other two wonderful awards has a tag attached :) so here I go.....sorry abt the alignment :(

What is your current obsession?
Eating Healthy
What are you wearing today?
T-shirt and trousers

What's for dinner?
Roti, double beans sabzi.

What’s the last thing you bought?
Flowers

What are you listening to right now?
Kailash Kher's song - Saiyyan

What do you think about the person who tagged you?
Hari Chandana is one of the youngest food bloggers I’ve known. She’s very enthusiastic and has shared some authentic recipes. She’s an amazing artist too. As a person she seems to have an aura of happiness :)

If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
Dehradun/Shimla

What are your must-have pieces for summer?
Cotton Tees, Jeans, cotton chudidars, facial wet tissues, hankies

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
Dehradun/ Mussorie/Darjeeling/ Mount.Abu/Shimla….. Himalayas

Which language do you want to learn?
Would sound weird ;) I have this fascination to communicate with animals and birds :)

What’s your favourite quote?
I’m not sure if it’s a quote ….these are the magical lines which keeps me going :)
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cant change;
The courage to change the things I can…And
The Wisdom to know the difference.

Who do you want to meet right now?
Guruji Shri Shri Ravi Shankar

What is your favourite colour?
BLUE, pink, yellow, maroon.

What is your favourite piece of clothing in your own closet?
Jeans, all T-shirts

What is your dream job?
Would like to render service to an animal rescue centre and old age home

What’s your favourite magazine?
Good Housekeeping, Prevention, Femina

If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?
At the moment nothing ;)

What do you consider a fashion faux pas? (Faux pas mean error in etiquette.. )
Bindi with jeans/trousers
Not being comfortable in what u r wearing

Who are your style icons?
None

Describe your personal style?
Simple

What are your favourite movies?
Jab We Met, Life is Beautiful, Sound of Music, Jungle book, Sherk

What are three cosmetic/makeup/perfume products that you can't live without?
Kajal/Perfumes/chap stick

What inspires you?
Compassion, Prayers.

What do you try to cook when you have cooking blues (When you feel real lazy to cook some thing)?
I prepare vegetable khichdi :) It’s as simple as fill it (cooker), shut it forget it ;)

Give us three styling tips that always work for you:
Keep it Simple
Mix and Match
On a ‘Bad hair day’ lightly oil your hair or apply combing serum and tie it up

What do you do when you “have nothing to wear” (even though your closet’s packed)?
Never faced this situation ;)

Coffee or tea?
I love tea at any given time of the day. I dont mind coffee too.

What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?
Read, Listen to music, watch cartoon shows :), call up family/friends

What is the meaning of your name?
Suparna is another name of Goddess Parvati. It is also the name of Lord Vishnu himself. It is one of the many names given to Lord Vishnu’s divine Vehicle Garuda, the eagle. Suparna also means leaf.

Which other blogs you love visiting?
I love visiting all the blogs

Favorite Dessert/Sweet?
Rasagulla.

Favorite Season ?
Rainy season.

Respond and rework – answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, and add one more question of your own. Then tag eight or ten other people.

I am replacing the "Tea or Coffee?" to "What Kitchen gadget would you like to own? Which is the one gadget/utentsil without which you just can’t work?

I would like pass on the awards and tag to:
Sushma Mallya
K
Usha
Varunavi
Rajeshwari
Nithya Praveen
Viki
Smitha
Chitra
Vani
Parita
Srilakshmi
Shri

Please accept these awards ladies :) and keep the chain going :)

A wonderful Award :)

Hema, Smitha, Ammu, Sushma Mallya, Srilakshmi, Shri and Chitra have generously passed on the award ‘Kreativ Blogger’ to me. I whole heartedly thank you for considering me for this award. It’s a huge encouragement …and it’s fulfilling feeling to share and encourage.

This award comes with the following rules:

1. You must thank the person who has given you the award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who has nominated you for the award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 other Kreativ Bloggers (it’s tough as all are creative in their own way :))
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on which of the blogs to let them know they have been nominated

Now coming to the 7 things about me…
1.Lizards scare me to death :) If I happen to see lizards I get nightmares and wake up screaming for days….
2.I love kids and their innocent questions :) so I chose to be a Montessorian
3.I am a big movie buff :), I love music and listen to it even when cooking (I feel I cook better that way).
4.I love to read short stories by Indian authors. The simplicity of language and expression is unmatched. I love reading childrens’ books like comics, chandamama, folkstories, Amar Chitra Katha, Tinkle, etc.
5.I am a religious person. I start my day with an elaborate puja including chanting several mantras.
6.I am a good mimic but my performances are reserved for my husband alone.
7.I love donkeys :)….LOL ya that’s true, they are such lovely creatures, always underestimated for their work :(. On the way to my weekly temple visit is a washer men’s colony. They tie their donkeys outside their houses. Their innocent looks and beautiful eyes are so cute. I love to click their pictures :)

I would love to pass it on to many more than just 7 friends including the ones who have passed on the award to me :) but as they have already been nominated I’d like to pass it on to some more of my lovely Kreativ friends. Instead of 7 nominations I would like to make it 10 so here they are:

1. Aquadaze
2. Ann
3. Sadhana and Muskan
4. Priya
5. Sangeeta
6. LG
7. Gita
8. Deesha
9. Sushma
10. Priti

Tomato Santosh, Roasted Curry Leaves Spice Blend

TOMATO SANTOSH Roasted Curry Leaves Spice Blend

Tomato Santosh is a superb side dish which makes an equally good accompaniment with both rice and rotis. It could be had with bread too. This is one of the few dishes which I had learnt from my Amma after marriage. It’s very simple to make and can be stored refrigerated in air tight containers for a couple of days. The name is quite interesting isn’t it?! Wonder why it is called Santosh(happiness)! any guesses?

Recipe for Tomato Santosh:
7-8 tomatoes, roughly chopped
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp sambar powder or red chilli powder
1 fistful peanuts, roasted, skinned, coarsely ground
8-10 curry leaves
2-3 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Sugar/crushed jaggery to taste ( I used 1-2 tbsp)
2-3 tsp oil

Tempering:
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds

Method:

In a Heavy bottomed vessel/Kadhai heat oil and put mustard and cumin seeds. Once it begins to crackle add the tomatoes and sauté for a few seconds, then add turmeric powder, Sambar /chilli powder, peanut powder, salt, sugar/jaggery mix well and let it cook for a minute or two.
Next add the curry leaves, and coriander leaves mix all the ingredients gently. Check for the spice balance, add and adjust (if) as required.
Cover and simmer with occasional stirring till done (i.e. till water evaporates)
*you can add ½ tsp amchur powder if the tomatoes are’nt tart enough.

Roasted Curry Leaves Spice Blend

This spice powder recipe is from one my treasured cook books “660 Curries” by Raghavan Iyer. Recently I made – Dahi Elaichi Rajmah from the same book (will post it soon), this dish calls for a roasted curry leaf spice blend. This spice powder is very flavourful and aromatic; it can be used in many bhajis and stiry fries and many more recipes that ur creative mind can churn out :) . But It’s sure worth having it handy on the kitchen shelf. Here's the recipe

Ingredients:
2 tbsp toor dal
2 tbsp urad dal
1 tsp oil
½ cup firmly packed fresh curry leaves
6-8 dry red chillies
¼ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp asafoetida powder

Method: Heat a teaspoon of oil in a small skillet and roast all the ingredients except turmeric powder and asafoetida. Stir fry until the leaves feel dry and crinkly, the dals turn golden brown; the chillies blacken slightly and smell pungent. This takes about 2 minutes.
Transfer the ingredients into a plate and allow it to cool. Once it is cooled completely grind it into a fine powder. Add the turmeric and asafoetida and mix well.
The ground blend will be yellow-brown with specks of green and the aroma will be sweet and complex very different from the ground whole spices.
Store in air- tight containers.

Shelf life: Up to 2 months.
NOTE: If you don’t allow the spices to cool, the ground blend will acquire unwanted moisture and make the final powder ‘cakey’

*** Many of my blogger buddies have passed on a wonderful encouraging award to me, Thanks friends I feel humbled and honoured. I'll be posting it very soon.. :)

Happy Weekend! Enjoy! Take Care :)

Broad Beans and Carrot Dry Fry

Ingredients:

250 gms broad beans, cut length wise,

1 carrot, cut length wise

1 onion, finely chopped

1-2 tsp oil

For the coconut masala:

1/4the cup fresh grated coconut

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 green chilli

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

*Grind these ingredients with very little water.

For the spice flavours:

1 tsp sambar powder or kitchen king masala

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp amchoor powder

salt to taste

Some corianderleaves finely chopped for garnishing.

Tempering:

1 tsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 sprig curry leaves

Method:

Pressure cook the cut broad beans and carrot, once cooked set it aside.

In a kadhai/wok heat oil add mustard seeds and curry leaves once they begin to pop add chopped onion and fry till translucent.

Next add the ground coconut paste, On a medium flame fry this masala for sometime.

Put the dry spice powders.. Sambar powder/kitchen king powder, coriander powder, amchoor powder, salt and mix well stir fry for sometime.

Finally add the cooked broadbeans and carrot to the kadhai and mix well so that the vegetables are well coated with the spice masala base.

Cook without covering for sometime and switch off the flame.

Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with rice or rotis.

Happy Weekend !! Enjoy! TC

Paneer Manpasand

Ingredients:

250gms Paneer, cubed

Make a smooth paste of the following ingredients

2 medium sized onions

1 inch ginger

5 cloves of garlic

For the flavour:

1tsp of cumin seeds

Salt as per taste

½ tsp of sugar

1tsp of turmeric powder

1 tsp of red chilli powder

1tsp cumin powder

1tsp coriander powder

5 cloves

1 cinnamon stick (finger length ) broken into pieces

1 tomato, chopped finely

3-4 tbs of mustard oil

Make a smooth paste of (Coconut based):

Fresh coconut ¼ cup

Peanuts ¼ cup

1 onion

2 green chilies

Salt as per taste

1tsp of mustard oil

Method:
.Heat mustard oil in a pan add cumin seeds, sugar, cloves and cinnamon

.Add the smooth paste of onion, ginger, garlic . Sauté for 2 minutes on high flame

.Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, salt, the coconut based masala paste, and chopped tomato and sauté for 5minutes on high flame. Stir continuously so that the masala does'nt get burnt.

.Now add water and let it simmer for 5 minutes or till the gravy becomes dry and the oil seperates from the masala paste.

.Add approximately 2 cups of water(adjust more or less accordingly), Add cubed paneer pieces and cook covered for 5-8 minutes .

.Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis.

Recipe source:http://paneerrecipe.in/paneer-manpasand-recipe/

some changes have been made in the original recipe to suit our taste buds :)

Gojju Avalakki/ Hot-Sweet-Sour spiced Poha

Gojju avalakki/Hot -sweet n sour spiced poha has remained one of my favourite poha preparation ever since I had tasted it at my best friend S's place during my childhood days. I used to think this dish is really difficult to put together, coz it has all the flavours so well balanced, and the poha has just enough amount of moistness to it ;) This heavenly taste was long forgotten until recently I stumbled upon the same dish/recipe at Ramya's blog http://maneadige.blogspot.com/ My joys knew no bound, without wasting much time I just jotted down the recipe and prepared it the very next day for breakfast. S liked it a lot too :) it goes without saying that this recipe will be a treasured one for me :)

Thanks to Ramya.

here's the recipe link from Ramya's blog:

http://maneadige.blogspot.com/2008/06/gojjavalakki-huli-avalakki-crushed-and.html

Here is the recipe for reference:

Gojju Alavakki/ Hot-Sweet-Sour spiced Poha

Ingredients:

Thick quality beaten rice (Aval/Poha)- 2 cups

Peanuts- fistful

Coconut grated- 2-3 tbsp

Rasam powder- 2-3 tsp (I used MTR)

Tamarind pulp-1-2 tsp( you could add more or less to suit your taste)

Crushed Jaggery- 1-2 tbsp

Fenugreek seeds- 1/2 tsp

Black/White sesame seeds- 2 tsp

Curry leaves- 1 sprig

Mustard seeds-3/4 tsp

Chana dal- 1 tsp

Urad dal- 1 tsp

Red chillies- 2, halved

Oil- 2 tbsp

Asofetida-1/4 tsp

Method-
1.Take small amounts of beaten rice and coarsely powder it by pulsing the mixie a couple of times, Make sure you don't powder it finely.

2. Wash the coarse powder once or twice in running water,drain the excess water and keep it aside for a few minutes and allow it to soften.

3.For the Hot-Sour-Sweet tasting Water or Gojju in Kannada:

In a vessel take about a cup of water add rasam powder, Jaggery, salt, asfetida, turmeric powder. Check for the balance of taste. Now this is ready.

4. Put the washed Aval/beaten rice in a wide mouthed vessel and pour in the prepared hot-sour-sweet tasting waster little by little to it. STOP WHEN NECESSARY, DO NOT MAKE THE MIXTURE TOO SOGY. Mix well and allow it to set for sometime.

5.Meanwhile, dry roast the fenugreek seeds and sesame seeds till it gives out nice aroma. cool it well and powder it and set it aside.

6. Make tempering: In a kadhai/wok heat oil and add mustard seeds, chanadal, urad dal,curry leaves, hing, red chillies and peanuts once its done pour it over the poha. Add the fenugreek-sesame powder to the seasoned poha and mix well.

7.Garnish with grated coconut and coriander leaves.

Chocolate Pudding with Banana and Crackers

Chocolate is one of S's and my favourite indulgences. The July edition of "Prevention' magazine had a very easy chocolate pudding. The picture on the recipe page was so attractive that I had to make it that very day! so here goes the recipe....

CHOCOLATE PUDDING WITH BANANA AND CRACKERS:

Ingredients

3 Marie/digestive biscuits crushed

1 ripe banana, sliced

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 tbsp cornstarch

1/8 tsp salt

3 cups skimmed milk

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

1&1/2 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips( I used crushed bitter chocolate bits)

Method

1. Crush the biscuits and divide the biscuit crumbs evenly among 6 custard cups. Press into bottom. Top with banana slices and press again gently. Reserve a few banana slices for garnish.

2. Mix sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in a large saucepan. Stir in milk little by little and whisk over medium flame until pudding thickens and comes to a boil.

3. Cook one minute longer. Remove from heat an stir in vanilla essence.

Pour into the prepared custard cups. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for atleast 2 hours. Top each serving with some chocolate chips and garnish the reserved banana slices.