Sorekaayi Chapathi

Cooking Time : 25 mins.
Preparation Time : 5 mins.
Makes 15 chapathis

Ingredients:

2 cups godhi hittu (whole wheat flour)
¾ cup grated sorekaayi (bottle gourd)
½ cup curds
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1½ teaspoons chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon jeera powder
1 teaspoon oil
salt to taste

Procedure
1.Mix all the ingredients and knead into a soft dough using water only if required.
2.Divide the dough into 15 equal portions.
3.Roll out each portion thinly into a circle of 125 mm. (5") diameter.
4.Cook each Chapathi on both sides on a non-stick pan until brown spots appear on the surface.
5.Serve hot with Raitha or pickles.

There I Go On a Holiday!

Tomorrow, We will be flying to India, to my city Bangalore!! Hmmm, I m loving this!!

Visiting Bangalore after 2 years! Yet another exciting thing is that I will be taking my daughter for the first time to my hometown. My In-laws, My father, My Grandparents and lots of them looking forward to see our little Angel!

I am thrilled about this trip. We are all set to fly, packing done! But last minute shopping list is growing! May be at Duty Free Area.Reaching there by our own "Indian". Friday morning @ Bangalore!

Heard that it is raining there ! Wow!! What a difference it is going to be.
Here we are burning with 45 degrees + !! Hmmm...I can smell that wet mud already!!!

Everyone there, looking forward to see you all!!

Microwave Jeera Rice

Preparation: 15 Mins
Cooking Time : 20 Mins
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

2 Cups Basmati Rice
2 Tb spoon Ghee
2 Irulli (Onions) chopped
2 Tbspns Jeerige(Cumin Seeds)
1 Lavanga(Clove)
1 Elakki(Cardamom)
Salt to Taste
Coriander to Garnish

Procedure:

1.Wash basmati rice until clear, and soak in warm water for 10 mins.

2.Take a glass bowl, put ghee and microwave for 2 mins.

3.Add Cumin seeds, Clove and Cardamom and microwave for 2 mins until aroma spreads.

4.Add onions, stir it and microwave for 2-3 mins until onions turns pink.

5.Add 3 Cups water, soaked rice, and salt to taste.

6.Mix well, add a tspn of ghee and taste the water for salt and Microwave it for 15-16 mins.

7.Garnish with Coriander and Serve hot with Dal/any Side Dish.

Note: You may add cashewnuts along with Jeera, to enhance the taste.

Mixed Dal!

Cooking Time : 15 min
Preparation Time : 20 Mins
Serves 6.

Ingredients :

1 Cup Masoor Dal (Red Lentils)
1 Cup Toor Dal
1/2 Cup Moong Dal
1 Teaspoon Mustard
1 Teaspoon Jeera
3 Green Chillies
2 Onions Chopped Fine
1 Tomatoes Chopped Fine
Ginger 1" Grated
Turmeric 1 Teaspoon
Coriander Chopped Fine
Ghee Topping
1/2 Teaspoon Oil
Salt to Taste

Procedure

1.Add a pinch of Turmeric and and a few drops of Oil to the Dal Mixture, add sufficient Water and pressure cook it until 4-5 whistles.

2.Heat the oil, add Mustard, Cumin seets,and Turmeric.After it crackles add green chillis and ginger until chillies are fully fried.

3.Add onions and fry until light brown and then add Tomatoes, saute for 2-3 minutes.

4.Add Boiled Dal and add Salt to Taste.Allow it boil for couple of minutes.

5.Switch off the stove, allow it cool for 2 minutes Garnish with Coriander and spread a Tsp of Ghee over it and close it with the lid for a minute.

6.Serve hot with Chapathis or Jeera or Ghee Rice.

Mixed Dal !

Bendekaayi Curry!!

Cooking Time : 15 min.
Preparation Time : 20 min.
Serves 6.

Ingredients
1/2 kg. bendekaayi (ladies fingers)
1 teaspoon jeerige (cumin seeds)
1 teaspoon saasive (mustard seeds)
1 tablespoon uddina bele (urad dal)
3 whole red chillies
5 to 6 karibevina soppu (curry leaves)
1 irulli onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teacup fresh curds
3 tablespoons oil
salt to taste
oil for deep frying

To be ground into a paste
1 coconut and 2 tspoons Cashew nuts

Procedure

1. Cut the Ladiesfinger into 1" Pieces
2. Deep fry in oil until crisp.
3. Heat the oil, add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and urad dal and fry. After a while, add the red chillies and curry leaves and cook again until the seeds begin to crackle.
4. Add the onion and saute until golden in colour.
5. Add the tomatoes, chilli powder, turmeric powder, the paste and salt and fry until the oil separates.
6. Add 1-1/4 cup of water to the curds and churn. Add to the mixture. Add cocunut paste. Add the bhindi and cook for a few minutes.
7. Serve hot with Rice and Uddina Happala.(Urad Papad).

Also tastes good with Chapathis.

I am in Love, All over again !!

I am in love!
I am in love all over again!!
With my new world -
A blessing that is bestowed on me!

I am in love with the smell of her body,
with her baby voice,
her soft skin, beautiful smile,
her glowing cheeks, and heavenly eyes.

She makes me laugh,
She makes me cry,
With her charming face,
With her gentle touch.

I am in love all over again!!
I am in love with my new world -
A blessing that is bestowed on me!
Oh my Mridu, You are my Love,
Love that happened again after Abhi!

Life seems so beautiful with both of you in my arms!
You mean a world to me!!

Kannada Songs that brings chill to me !!

barede neenu ninna hesara
bhAratha booshira mandira sundari bhuvana
biLigiri rangayya
dONi sAgali munde hOgali dUra tIrava sErali
EE sambhashaNe
Endendu ninnanu agali
entha maruLayya idu entha maruLu
hELE geLati priya mAdhava bArane indu
Hrudaya rangoli aLuthalide indu, manadali ariyada
hUvU cheluvellA tandenditU
jalala jalala jala dhare
jotheyali jothe jothe yali iruvenu heege naanu
karpoorada bombe naanu
Mellusire savigaana.
mooDala maneya muttina neerina
nambide ninna na.mbide ninna naada devateya
Nagu... endide manjina bindu, nali endide gaali
nagutha haadale
Naguva nayana madhura mouna, midiva hrudaya ire
nambide ninna nAda devathe
nAvADuva nuDiyE kannaDa nuDi nAviruvA tANave gandhada guDi
nee bandhu ninthaaga
Neerinalli aleya oongura
ninna kaNNa kannaDiyalli kande enna rUpa
ninna kaNNa nOtadalle
nudisalu neenu nudiyuve
olave jeevana sakshathkara
Omme ninnannu kaNthumba kANuvAse elliruve
poojisalende hoogaLa thande
sEvanthige hoovinantha
shubha mangaLA sumuhUrtavE shubhavELe
sUryandu chandrangu bandAre munisu
tam nam tam nam nanne manasu
teredide mane O bA atithi
thanu ninnadu e mana ninnadu ranga
uttar druvadim dakshiNa druvakoo
vasanta baredanu olavina Ole
yArige yArO eravina samsAra
yAva janmada maitri I janmadali bandu
yugayugagaLe saagali

My heart goes hmm... with the very thought of these songs!! Do add on more to this list!!

The Book I Read - The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

This book is about life’s trails and tribulations. Discovering who you are, following your dreams and knowing where your destiny lies.

The narrator of this story is Paulo Coelho This book, like all fables, is written on many levels. Apparently, the story of a Shepherd in Spain who, unlike so many people, follows his dreams. He does get a little help from the supernatural, but many of the stories most interesting thoughts come from his musings on nature. His travels take him across the Mediterranean into Africa, where he meets several archetypal characters (the Man Afraid of Change, the Waiting Woman, the Wise Shaman, the Warrior Chief, and the Cynical Fool), learns about himself and his dreams, and finds his destiny.

An interesting way to look at this story is to ask the question: who is the title character? Alchemy is such a potent idea–the changing of one element into another has had a grasp on the human mind for as long as we have known about elements. But, of course, alchemy has secondary meanings–an alchemist transforms. Is the boy an alchemist, for transforming himself and the lives of those around him? Is God the alchemist, for transforming the destinies of humanity? Is the reader the alchemist, for taking the fable and transforming its words into something personally meaningful?

Favorite quotes / passages that I found insightful:

Ø The secret of life is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.

Ø Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.

Ø “I’m like everyone else — I see the world in terms of what I would like to see happen, not what actually does.”

Ø God created the desert so that man could appreciate the date trees.

Ø “When you want something, the entire world conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

Ø “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”

Ø “At a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fates. That's the world's greatest lie. Whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it.”


Ø "As he mused about these things, he realized that he had to choose between thinking of himself as the poor victim of a thief and as an adventurer in quest of his treasure"

Ø "There is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe... The soul of the world is nourished by people's happiness."


Ø "The desert takes our dreams away from us, and they don't always return. We know that, and we are used to it. Those who don't return become a part of the clouds, a part of the animals that hide in the ravines and of the water that comes from the earth. They become part of everything... They become the soul of the world."

Ø "It is said that the darkest hour of the night comes just before the dawn."

Ø "What happens once will never happen again. But what happens twice will surely happen a third time."

Ø "The fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself."

Ø "The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never forget the drops of oil on the spoon."


Personal Opinion

I loved this book because it can inspire someone to follow their dreams and listen to their heart. And not care what other people think of them.

When I was reading this book I was going through a rough time in my life. This book lifted my spirits and encouraged me to keep trying, to keep traveling and following my dream. Better to seek your Personal Legend and fail than to give up without even trying.

Yes, I would recommend this book to others because it can motivate and inspire people to do well for themselves and the people around them.
But, some people complain that the book is too simplistic, that you would be stupid to believe that there is some "plan" for your life that you should have followed; that you should wake up, take your head out of the "touchy-feely" clouds and get back to work.
If you are prone to such thoughts, perhaps this book is not for you. However, if you enjoy waking up your soul from time to time, there is no better place to do it than in the clouds.

Do read The Alchemist; it is just such a good book. It will definitely give you a “Wisdom-buzz” or an "Esoteric - buzz".

60 and many more!!

The day was June 11 2007; I picked up the phone to wish my Parents (read Grand Parents). Occasion

was their 60th Wedding Anniversary.

Can you imagine 60 years of togetherness!! I felt wow!!

Ajji (Granma) and Thatha(Grandpa) were delighted to be wished by grand children and great grand son.

Thatha (87) and Ajji (74) were excited and had so much so to share but did not know what to say in such a short time.Ajji said, we had not yet married at this time 60 years ago!!! It was 8:00 AM when i had called them, I just realized they were waiting for 1:30 PM their Mahurtham time (auspicious time when they tied the knots).

Thatha says, they have relished every moment of their togetherness in all the situations, I have personally witnessed their ups and downs for 20+ years!! And have seen how they remained rock steady as support to each other!

Thatha told me the other day that now they eat every meal in the same plate, and the first bit of food is for Ajji, And want to be with each other every moment as no one knows what's in store for the next day! You know what they mean don't you?? My eyes were moist when I heard him say that!

Here, I would love to share a two line story on how they got married! Ajji used to visit Thatha's shop to buy milk everyday. One day, Thatha had gone to visit a relative's house to see a prospective bride and he noticed this little fair girl (14) next to the prospective bride and chose to marry my Ajji!! Elders agreed and that's how it all happened.

Unlike our usual, Brahmin family customs, no horoscopes were matched or is matched till now!

Although I hang up the phone that day, their cheerful tone, their thoughts are lingering around me till now!

I found a new meaning from them for this institution of marriage!
A Temple of Togetherness!
Thatha and Ajji call it 60 years of Celebration!!!!

Only both of them stay in a small house, happily, enjoying their every moment! It is a joy to spend time with them. Looking forward for my visit to India, to meet them.

Wishing more and more years of comradeship!