First my son was down with flu. Then I was down with fever. So I couldn't blog. For that reason I'm posting two recipes here...

Have fun cooking...

Corn and Potato Kebabs


Cooking Time : 15 mins.
Preparation Time : 10 mins.

Makes 4 kebabas.

Ingredients

1 cup sweet corn, boiled
1 cup potato, boiled and grated
2 tablespoons chopped coriander
2 green chillies, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 to 3 tablespoons bread crumbs
salt to taste

Other ingredients
oil for grilling

For serving Green Chutney

Ingredients
2 cups chopped mint leaves
1 cup chopped coriander
1 large onion, sliced
juice of 1 to 2 lemons
1 tablespoon sugar
4 to 6 green chillies
salt to taste

Method
1. Combine all the ingredients and grind to a smooth paste in a blender using very little water.
2. Refrigerate and use as required.

How To Proceed with making Kebabs

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
2. Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions.
3. Using a thick seekh (metal skewer), press each portion of the corn mixture on it using your fingers to make a 100 mm. (4") long kebab.
4. Brush each kebab generously with a little oil.
5. Cook the kebabs over a charcoal or electric barbeque till the kebabs are evenly browned (approx. 3 to 4 minutes), on all sides.
6. Cut into pieces and serve hot with green chutney.

Handy tip(s) :
1. If you do not have metal skewers use thin breadsticks instead. The will make interesting edible skewers.

Masala Peanuts

Cooking Time : 1½ mins.
Preparation Time : 5 mins.

Makes 1 cup approx.

Ingredients

½ cup salted peanuts, unskinned
½ cup Bengal gram flour (besan)
2 teaspoons chilli powder
1 teaspoon fennel (saunf) powder
1½ teaspoons black salt (sanchal)
1 tablespoon oil
2 to 3 tablespoons water

How To Proceed
1. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl ensuring the batter coats the peanuts evenly.
2. On a greased microwave safe plate drop each of the coated peanuts separately and microwave on HIGH for 1½ minutes.
3. Remove and cool. Store in an air-tight container.

The first thing that I did coming over to UK was start reading ' Ponniyin Selvan'. I was first so sceptical about reading it because it looked so huge. But it was unputdownable. Awesome is a milder way of describing the book. I don't have words to express how engrossing and haunting the book was. I couldn't stop thinking about the characters and twists in the story even in my sleep. I used to wake up in the middle of the night to continue reading it. I've never been forcefully drawn by a book which nagged, pestered, bullied me into completing it. What an experience! Too good to be expressed in words, you have to read it to believe it.

Ok, I'm back from my break. Actually, we (My husband, baby and I) had moved to Uk and I was settling down for the past two months (what a long time to settle!?!). Anyway, now that I'm back at blogging, we'll as well get started on our 'recipe of the week'...

Lentil and Vegetable Broth

Cooking Time : 20 mins.
Preparation Time : 20 mins.

Serves 6.

Ingredients

For the stock

2 tablespoons yellow moong dal (split yellow gram), washed
2 onions
2 large tomatoes

For the topping

1 onion, chopped
1/3 cup cabbage, shredded
1/3 cup spinach (palak), chopped
2 tablespoons baked beans
1 tomato finely chopped or tomato ketchup
1½ teaspoons oil
salt and pepper to taste

How To Proceed

For the stock

1. Cut the onions and tomatoes into big pieces.
2. Add the moong dal and 4½ cups of water and cook in a pressure cooker.
3. When cool, blend in a liquidiser and keep aside.

How to proceed

1. Heat the oil and sauté the onion for 1 minute.
2. Add the cabbage and spinach and sauté again for 1 minute.
3. Add the stock and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add the beans, tomato, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
5. Serve hot, with Celery Garlic Toasts.

Happy cooking.

Its pickle time...

Sweet and Sour Tomato Pickle

Cooking Time : 50 mins.
Preparation Time : 40 mins.
Storage upto 1 year : Refrigerated.
Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Ingredients

500 grams firm ripe tomatoes
1 3/4 cups (350 grams) sugar
1/4 cup carrots, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled
10 to 12 peppercorns
3 cloves
1 black cardamom (elaichi)
12 mm. (1/2") piece ginger, chopped
4 whole red chillies
1 teaspoon glacial acetic acid
1/2 teaspoon nigella seeds (kalonji)
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (jaiphal) powder
1/8 teaspoon mace (javitri) powder
2 tablespoon almonds, peeled
1/2 teaspoon salt

How To Proceed

1. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water. Peel the skin and cut each into 2 halves. Squeeze out the juice and seeds. Keep the tomato flesh and juice aside separately.
2. Strain the tomato juice discard the seeds. Add the sugar to the tomato juice and leave aside for ½ hour.
3. Chop the tomato flesh into large pieces.
4. In a pan, add the tomato juice-sugar mixture, tomato pieces, carrots, garlic, peppercorns, cloves, black cardamom, ginger and red chillies and cook over a very slow flame, stirring occasionally.
5. Cook for about 40 to 45 minutes until the mixture has reduced to less than half its original quantity and the syrup is of one string consistency.
6. Remove from the fire and cool completely. Add the acetic acid, nigella seeds, chilli powder, nutmeg, mace, almonds and salt and mix well.
7. Bottle in a sterilised glass jar and store refrigerated for upto 1 year.

Handy tip(s) :
1. Glacial acetic acid is a concentrate that is used in commercially prepared vinegar (95% water+5% acetic acid).
2. You will find it at all chemist shops.

Hopefully, I'll be flying over to UK this weekend along with Sriram. Guru's office is yet to confirm my travel.

Some disturbing stuffs I hear about the Tsunami relief activities are the blog for the day. Most of these are unofficial accounts. There was a training that my mom had to attend (she is an elementary school teacher in one of the Govt. aided schools) on Tsunami relief. They were discussing about the relief activities and the topic of distribution arose invariably. The huts near the beach were actually rented by the fishermen folk and they were the worst hit losing lives and property. But then the owners of the huts have gone ahead and claimed relief materials saying they were the ones affected by Tsunami. Similarly, there is another instance where relief materials and money are being distributed to people not affected by Tsunami. Our maid was mentioning this to me today. Her neighbour (an old lady) had gone to the local temple for her son's irumudi tying ceremony. They stayed there overnight as the son had to leave in the middle of the night. Next day morning, relief team arrived and distributed materials and this old lady was the first to stand in the line. This is how healthy, normal people act.

Too bad. My heart goes to those who are being cheated.

Amitav Ghosh has been writing about what is happening at Andaman and Nicobar Islands in The Hindu. The three part column is ending tomorrow.

Today's recipe... Cajun Spiced Potato Chaat (Crisp fried potato wedges, topped with Rasili chutney) Serves: Four to six Time required: 45 minutes 400 g potatoes oil for deep frying For the marinade: salt and pepper to taste 2 tbsp oil 1/2 tsp red chilli powder For the rasili chutney: 1/2 cup Manchurian sauce 2 tbsp tomato ketchup 1 tbsp chilli-garlic sauce For the garnish: 1/4 cup fried noodles 2 tbsp grated cheese 2 tbsp chopped assorted peppers To prepare the potatoes: 1. Wash the potatoes and cut into wedges, keeping the skin on and parboil, remove and set aside. 2. Mix together the marinade ingredients and marinate the potato wedges for a few minutes. 3. Heat the oil in a pan and deep fry, until crispy and golden brown. Remove and keep aside. To make the rasili chutney: 1. In a bowl, mix together the Manchurian sauce, tomato ketchup and chilli garlic sauce. Chill. To serve: 1. In a serving plate, arrange the potato wedges attractively, top with the rasili chutney and garnish with the fried noodles, grated cheese and sautéed brunoise of peppers. 2. Serve immediately.

This week's recip...

Thai Stir-Fried Noodles With Tofu

Cooking Time : 10 min.
Preparation Time : 10 to 15 min.
Serves 4.

Ingredients

2 cups rice noodles
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup tofu / paneer cut into cubes
8 small onions, peeled and halved
1 tablespoon soya sauce
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons roasted peanuts
1 tablespoon oil
salt to taste

For the sauce

2 to3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons soya sauce
4 tablespoons castor sugar
4 tablespoons peanut butter
salt to taste

Method

1. For the noodles
2. Heat the oil in a wok, add the ginger, garlic, tofu, onions and soya sauce. Saute these till the onion browns.
3. Add the noodles, bean sprouts, lemon juice and salt. Mix well.
4. Place on a serving dish and sprinkle chopped peanuts on top.

For the sauce

1. In a saucepan, combine all the ingredients with 1/2 cup of water and bring to a boil. Keep aside.

How to proceed

1. Serve the stir fried noodles and sauce side by side, so guests can pour as much sauce as they like over the noodles.

Handy tip(s) :
1. The sauce might need a little more water, so adjust the consistency as you go along.

Here's a report on Tsunami Relief Work in TamilNadu by AID India

Contact Information at AID Chennai for Tsunami Relief:

AID Chennai Office - 044-28350403, 55615629 (Kalpana, Prabha, Bharati, Smitha)
AID's Relief Coordination Office in Chennai
Old No 20, New No 34, Rathinam Street (Near Besant Road)
Gopalapuram, Chennai - 600086

Information Team in Chennai
Kalpana/Bharati/ Smitha/ Prabha - 044 - 28350403, 55615629
Prabha - 98403-51132
Smitha - 98401-73800
Vibha - 98402-63275
Srivaths - 94443-19635
Lokesh - 044-28115058
Overall Coordination Team in Chennai
Ravishankar - ravia@alumni.cmu.edu 94440-84910, 28350403
Chandra - chanvish@yahoo.com 9382330752, 044-28350403
Smitha Kalyani - smithakalyani@yahoo.com 98401-73800
Vibha - vibha_ravindran@rediffmail.com 98402-63275
Kalpana - kalpa@vsnl.com 044-28361033

Pondicherry Coordination Team
Pondicherry Science Forum
46, Vinayakar Koil Street, PR Gardens, Reddiarpalayam, Pondichery - 605010
Phone: 0413-2290733, 2290908

PSF Contact People: Raghu - 94432-25288
Senthil Babu 94432-58998
S. Ramachandran - 94430-69075
R. Dakshinamoorthy 94432-34522

Field Contact Persons:
Nagai Charles/Devraj 098411-62323
Killai Damu/Malavika 094442-41918
Tirukadaiyur Jagadish 098655-61131
Parangipettai KPN/Shakila 098425-29056

Overall Coordination Team
(This is a moving team - call only if necessary for coordination)
Balaji Sampath 94440-61033
Senthil Babu 94432-58998
Ravishankar 94440-84910

Though late posting on the Tsunami front...

We all have read about the recent havoc hitting South Asia. For those who want to take part in the relief work or get updated on what's happening where on the relief front...

http://www.kiruba.com

http://www.sumankumar.com

http://www.google.com/tsunami_relief.html

www.aidindia.org

http://www.lazygeek.net/archives/cat_chennai_tsunami.html

India post-Tsunami

www.rediff.com/news/tsunami.htm

www.aidindia.org/CMS/

https://www.aidindia.org/aidadmin/DonateToRRF.jsp

www.homestead.com/iref/

www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/sos-children-charity/first-report-Tsunami-India.htm

http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily/news/features.php?action=fullnews&id=54645

http://www.indiadaily.com/breaking_news/19372.asp

http://www.smh.com.au/news/Asia-Tsunami/Indias-rich-and-poor-heed-the-call/2005/01/03/1104601300246.html?oneclick=true

We are going to Thirupathi for Sriram's mottai and ear-piercing ceremony. Hope we get darshan without much hassle.

M.S. Subbulaxmi's demise was one of the incidents that shook me hard. She was a great legend and a devotee. We can keep listening to her 'Katrinile varum geetham' and 'Sabhaapathikku' forever. Though I'm not a great carnatic music lover, I've been listening to her songs for a long time now. Too bad, she had to pass away. That also brought a thought onto my mind. No matter how rich or intelligent a person is, only the good things that he/she did remains after one dies.

Today I went to the passport office to file passport for Sriram. The whole procedure was hassle free. I was out within two hours. A government office working efficiently is surely a good sign.

Today's recipe...

Potato, Pasta and Pesto soup

Cooking Time : 18 mins.Preparation Time : 10 mins.Serves 4.

Ingredients

1 cup potato, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 cup carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup onions, finely chopped
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons macaroni or shell pasta
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

To be ground into a pesto

12 to 14 basil leaves
2 or 3 walnuts, halved
1 large clove garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil or oil

For the garnish

4 tablespoons grated cheese

How To Proceed

1.Heat the butter in a pan, add the potato, carrots and onions and sauté for about 3 to 4 minutes.
2.Add the milk, macaroni, 2 cups of hot water, salt and pepper and simmer for about 10 to 12 minutes until the pasta is cooked.
3.Just before serving, reheat the soup, add the parsley, prepared pesto and mix well.
4.Serve hot, topped with the cheese.

Handy tip(s) :
1.You can add 2 teaspoons of ready pesto instead of the paste mentioned above. Add the pesto just before you serve the soup as it will retain its colour

I was stuck yesterday at a friend's wedding reception. So I couldn't post my weekly recipe.

So here it goes today...


Spring Soup

Cooking Time : 45 mins.
Preparation Time : 15 mins.
Serves 6 to 8.

Ingredients

2 onions
2 potatoes
4 spring onions or leeks
2 carrots
100 grams cauliflower
100 grams green peas
5 to 6 french beans
1 tablespoon plain flour (maida)
100 grams fresh cream
4 tablespoons grated cheese
2 tablespoons buttersalt
and pepper to taste

Method
1. Cut the onions and potatoes into big pieces, add 6 teacups of water and cook in a pressure cooker.
2. When cooked, blend the mixture in a liquidiser and strain the stock.
3. Slice the spring onions and carrots and cut the cauliflower into small pieces.
4. Heat the butter in a vessel and fry the onions, carrots, cauliflower, green peas and french beans for 5 minutes.
5. Add the stock and the flour mixed in a little water and boil until the vegetables are cooked.
6. Add the cream, half of the cheese and salt and pepper.
7. Serve hot with the balance cheese.

Recipe of the week:

Spicy Stir-Fried Noodles

Cooking Time : 10 mins.
Preparation Time : 10 mins.

Serves 3 to 4.

Ingredients
100 grams rice noodles (dried rice vermicelli)
6 to 8 basil leaves
3/4 cup paneer (cottage cheese), cut into cubes
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 to 2 green chillies, finely chopped
1/4 cup french beans, thinly sliced
1/4 cup carrots, cut into thin match sticks
1/4 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/4 cup peanuts, roasted and chopped
1 tablespoon soya sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons oil
salt and pepper to taste

For the garnish
6 spring onions (including greens), chopped
2 tablespoons red cabbage, sliced

How To Proceed
1. Place the noodles in a large bowl.
2. In a pan, boil about 1 litre of water with some salt. When it comes to a boil, pour the water over the raw rice noodles. Cover and keep aside for 10 minutes or till the noodles are soft.
3. Drain and keep aside.
4. Heat the oil in a pan, add basil leaves and saute for a minute. Drain and keep aside.
5. In the same oil and saute the paneer. Drain and keep aside.
6. Heat the same oil again, add the garlic, green chillies, french beans, carrots, mushrooms and celery and saute for 2 minutes.
7. Add the rice noodles, peanuts, soya sauce, sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper and 4 tablespoons of water and toss well.
8. Serve hot garnished with spring onions and red cabbage.

Handy tip(s) :
1. Prepare this recipe as close to serving time as possible as it is not a good idea to re-heat it.

My sister in law is a huge fan of Sujatha. I'm starting to catch the bug. This week Anandha Vikatan had a good article in his Katradhum Petradhum. Similarly, AV also had an interesting article from actor Kamal Hassan in his weekly Love pannuda mavane. I generally don't read this column, because I think it is juvenile, but then this week's column made a good read. (I don't know why the column's title doesn't match the content, though)

Also read one of Sujatha's not-so-old novel 'Anithavin kadhalgal'. The story was good.

I'm having trouble with my nine-month old baby. He is refusing rice. Wonder what to do. Anyway, if there are any experienced parents around, pls enlighten me.

I'm getting hi-tech. Had set up an alert to my mobile from yahoo to know if my husband sends mail!!! Good, now I dont have to keep worrying if he sent a mail or needs royal beating to send one!

This is going to be a new feature in my blog. Every week I'm going to post a recipe (vegetarian) on Wednesdays.

So here goes today's recipe...

Broccoli and Baby Corn Stir Fry

Cooking Time : 5 mins.
Preparation Time : 10 mins.

Serves 4.

Ingredients
3/4 cup broccoli or cauliflower (blanched), cut into big pieces
1/3 cup baby corn, sliced diagonally
1/3 cup capsicums, cut into big pieces
1/3 cup onions, cut into big pieces
2 tablespoons french beans (parboiled)
a few pieces cucumber, diagonally sliced
7 to 8 cashewnuts, lightly toasted
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon cornflour
a pinch sugar
2 pinches black pepper
2 tablespoons oil
salt to taste

How To Proceed
1. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan on a high flame. Add the garlic and stir fry over a high flame for a few seconds.
2. Add the capsicums, onions, broccoli, baby corn, french beans and cucumber and stir fry for 2 minutes.
3. Mix the cornflour with ½ cup of water and add to the mixture.
4. Add the black pepper, sugar and salt and cook for 1 minute.
5. Serve hot topped with the toasted cashewnuts.

Only today I included comments section in this blog. People, please feel free to post your comments.

I was reading a book by Colleen McCollough - The Touch. It is definitely a must read. I have been always attracted to literature like this one. You know where there is a melancholic under current that the reader can sense discreetly, where the writing style more of narrative, where the characters are so strongly etched even though the upcoming events are predictable. The author has done lot of homework on characterization and I could after a point in time predict what the character would do. It was not like the movies or the books that come dime a dozen these days, where the author follows a story and the characters can give any kind of reaction irrespective of what their mindsets are. In this book, I could sense that the characters moved the story and not the other way round. It was a very good experience reading it.

Some of the other books that I have read with strong characterization are:

Chocolat by Joanne Harris
Casa Rossa by Francesca Marciano
All of Ayn Rand's works

All these works are extremely readable. I think the sense of tragedy and irony, especially the working of mind or heart or whatever it is, is the one that makes these so enjoyable.

Hello.

I'm back after my hiatus.

Hmm, after a long time (almost after three months) I am blogging again.

The reason for my absence is Sriram. He entered this world on the 31st of March. Since then he has kept me busy. Really busy.

He is a very adorable kid. He is just two and a half months old but I don’t have the feeling that he is that small, except when he climbs down the jo jo and cries because he couldn’t move around or cries for milk. Otherwise he acts as if he understands everything we tell him and smiles in acknowledgement. He doesn’t cry much – though he cries for two things – milk and sleep. Otherwise he is a happy kid making everybody speak to him and he also talks back in his language. He is very intelligent also. Even when he was a month old, he kept both hands on his eyes to avoid the light from disturbing his sleep. He used to turn and sleep on his belly when he was 15 days old, though now he has forgotten the game because he is learning new ones. He likes the jo jo a lot. He started hanging his leg out to sleep since he was 20 days old. Poor thing, because of that he has to be the brunt of several mosquitoes.

More of my son's prathapangal will follow