Unfortunate end to a wonderful summer!!!

This was one summer we were looking forward to with much enthusiasm – my parents would be visiting us for a good 4 and a half months. And visit, they did, they landed here on the 23rd of May and we were all enjoying the togetherness, visiting places, eating mom’s tasty treats, my daughter happily playing with gramma and grandpa! What more could I want? Life was sooo good! But,the happiness was short lived! Unfortunately, on the 1st of Sept 2007, my dear dad, who was perfeclty normal and healthy, while chatting with us, had a sudden heart attack and he was gone in minutes! He had passed away before we knew what hit us!

Did he come all the way, crossing the mountains and oceans only to go back to the banks of the Cauvery in a box!!!????

This just doesnt seem right!

Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust(so say the elders)!!!!

Whats more scary is he made death look so easy! He was talking to us one moment and he’s gone the next???

Anxiously, I think, can I not go back in time and erase this one moment??? Could there have been something that we could have done to avoid this? Couldn’t he have lived atleast another 10 years? He was only 64!? How I wish this was all a bad dream? Couldn’t he……if only……why him…….I wish…….the thoughts are never ending….

But, the truth stares back at me! He’s gone, never to come back again!

I now see him, not walking and talking with us, but, in that picture, adorned with a garland!!! ANNA, I just dont understand as to what your hurry was to go and sit in a picture? Leaving us with all the emptiness in the world? This is just not fair!

With a heavy heart, I pray that His soul rests in peace ! I pray to my dad asking for his blessings!

I believe His guiding light lives on…….His spirit lives on……….His legacy lives on………And we (are trying to) live in his memories!

ANNA, we all love you and miss you soooo much!

On a Blogging break…..

I am enjoying the spring gardening, busy welcoming the summer! Happy and safe summer to all my friends and blogger buddies! Here’s a lovely rose flower that bloomed in my little garden. Hooray!

Puthandu VazhthukkaL!!!

Happy Tamil New Years Day to all! May this new year bring peace and happiness to all!

Clockwise from left top Thondakkai karamudhu/palya,Manga pachadi,paruppu vada
bottom- appalam, morkuzhambu,payasam, rice and paruppu.

In my house, a typical New Year spread  would contain 2 kinds of karamudhu(dry veg dish, usually garnished with coconut),paruppu, manga pachadi, morkuzhambu, vadai/thayir vadai, payasam, appalam, vattal. I tried to do as many of these as possibly today also, but just missed out on the thayir vadai! May be next time! Today I will try and elaborate on just 3 of these – typical festival dishes – Mangai Vepampoo pachadi (Mango-Neemflower Pachadi)and Arisi Thengai Payasam(Rice-Coconut payasam)! Both of these are very simple and yummy dishes!

Paruppu Vada/Ambode

Since we do not use onion garlic during festivities, I made this with Dill leaves. This version is pretty popular in Karnataka actually! And I happened to have it at a birthday party recently. I am used to making pruppu vadas, but, my version is crispy only if eaten hot. After a while, it would become soft. But, my friend’s way of making it, keeps it crunchy for a long time! The trick is to use the food processor to grind the dal, so the dal doesn’t become completely smooth, but, remains grainy!

Ingredients:

1 cup channa dal soaked for about 2 hours
1/2 bunch dill leaves(about a cup whenpicked and chopped)
15-20 green chillies
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. First chop the chillies in the food processor.
2. Then add the drained channa dal and dill leaves.
3. Process them until the dal is grainy.
4. Add salt to taste.
5. Pat them into small circles on your palm and deep fry until golden brown.
6. Remove to paper towels and serve.

For the Manga-Vepampoo pachadi, you will need:

1. 1 Med raw mango
2. 5-6 green chillies
3. 1/2 tsp jaggery crushed
4. Vepampoo 1 tsp
5. Oil
6. Salt to taste
7. Mustard to temper
8. Curry and coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

Chop the mango into big cubes.
Boil it with csliced green chillies and salt.
When its cooked(not too soft), add the jaggery.
Temper with mustard seeds and fried vepampoo(fry the neemflowers a spoon of oil till the start turning brown and the oil starts smoking)
Garnish with curry leaves and coriander leaves. Enjoy!

Arisi-Thenga payasam:

Ingredients:

1 tbsp raw rice soked in water for about 1/2 hour.
2 tbsp coconut
elaichi
dry fruits of choice 2tbsp
Jaggery to taste(approx. 1/2 cup)
Milk – 1 cup (approx.)

Method:

1. Grind the soaked rice and coconut to a nice smooth paste.
2. Boil the jaggery with a tablespoon of water until you get a nice aroma.
3. Add the ground mix and keep stirring(a whisk works best) until it starts boiling.
4. Add elaichi, dry fruits and regular milk to make the payasam consistency to your liking, remove from heat.
5. Enjoy!

Winter Blues in April!!!

Update April 15th: We managed to dodge the snow this time! Its pouring dogs and cats though! But, I dont have any complaints!!!

Anyone remember the movie The Day After Tomorrow??? Well, we are seeing a preview of that movie here in Central Penn, this weekend. Weather channel has forecast a severe winter storm warning for this weekend with snowfall between 6 to 12 inches!!! Man! This is the second week of April…….we are officially well into spring! Cant take snow nomore! I am at my wits end! I just packed all our winter clothes, and trying to get some spring cleaning done . No one would believe how incredibly jealous I am of people who are enjoying the sun and the sand at this time! I am especially thinking of my parents, sister and everyone in Bangalore! They are all in high spirits for tomorrow’s Tamil New years day and here I am………..lost all my enthu and sitting and whining on and on………Oh! BTW, did I mention I am seriously on the lookout for an apartment with a fireplace , in case the movie does come true!

Look at these Cuties!!!

Wow! Look at them! Aren’t they cute or what??? Every time I look at them, I feel like just taking one and popping in my mouth!!! Do you feel the same?? As a matter of fact, you can! These are edible! Yes! thats right! You can eat them, except for the stem and leaves. They are a kind of Thai snack/sweet, made from Mung beans, I call them Thai Mung bean sweet!

We frequent this Thai restaurant in Harrisburg ever sooo often, that the chef/owner has become a great friend of ours! Ofcourse, she makes some great food too. Anytime we go there, she makes sure she comes out of her busy kitchen and talk to us and also, gives my daughter a special treat. The last time we were there, she gave our little one this snack. She said its made of mung beans and its very healthy too. I was more interested in taking a picture of these little cuties, I wouldn’t let my daughter touch them until we came home and took a picture of it! And, yes, she did get to eat them after that, and we did too, and it tasted delicious! Thought of sharing the picture here! Enjoy!

Seeking Lord Sri Ram’s blessings!!

The birthday of Lord SriRam is celebrated as Sri Rama Navami. Read more about Sri Rama Navami here.
As this festival falls in the beginning of spring/summer, cool neivedyam/prasad/offerings such as Kosumbari (cucumber salad), panakam(Indian lemonade) and neer mor (spiced buttermilk) are offered.
Today, in celebration of Sri RamaNavami, I also made Cucumber kosumbari, ambode(dal vada/paruppu vada), panakam and neer mor!

Happy Ugadi!!!

Yuga Yugaadi kaledaroo Yugaadi Marali Baruthide
Hosa Varushake Hosa Harushava
Hosathu Hosathu Tharuthide……

The unforgettable Da Ra Bendre’s poertry is what comes to my mind on this wonderful day, every year!!! As the poem indicates, Ugadi brings a fresh perspective to life. Ugadi is celebrated by the people of Karnataka, Andhrapradesh and Maharashtra during late March-early April, heralding the arrival of Spring! Joy is in the air everywhere, people look forward to Spring to celebrate life, to renew hope. People in Karnataka partake offering of Bevu-bella, signifying the bitter-sweet in life.

As the new year dawns, may it bring happiness and prosperity to you and your loved ones! Happy Ugadi!!!

Quick Lunch for a lazy day!!!

Quick Lunch for a lazy day!!!

Its such a gloomy day outside today here, the kind that makes you lazy…not wanting to do anything. But, on the other hand, after spending half an hour with my personal trainer, I had worked up a real good appetite!!. Felt like I have to have something warm and quick but something different from the everyday fare. After a lot of IMs exchanged with hubby dear, we finally settled for “Bruschetta”, one of his favorite quickie foods.

I remember reading somewhere “never shop when u r hungry” and thats exactly what I did. Started out shopping for the crusty bread for bruschetta and ended up buying some Angel Hair pasta too!!! All of a sudden, I have this urge to eat pasta with Bruschetta. “Should make a good combo”, I thought to myself and came home excited.

But, it was not until I started to cook the pasta, that I thought about the sauce to go with it! I did a quick search on the web, but, finally ended up concocting my own! This is how I made it:

Ingredients

4 small tomatoes
1/2 big onion
1/2 green bellpepper
4 Green chillies
1/2 carrot
1tbsp of ginger garlic paste
1 12oz. pac of Roasted Garlic Angel Hair pasta
2 tbsp coriander leaves
4 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste

Method

Cook the pasta as per instructions on the box.
Drain and keep it aside.
Cut all the veggies and saute it in 2 tbsp olive oil.
Puree them in the mixie.
Bring the puree to a boil in a wide mouthed sauce pan along with 2tbsp oil and salt.
Finally toss the pasta, mix well and serve.

For the Bruschetta, we just got the crusty Italian bread, drizzle olive oil and put them in a 350deg oven for abt 8-10 mins or until it et slightly crisp. Take it out, spread the store bought Bruschetta sauce and sprnkle some mozzarella cheese and put it back in the oven for a couple of minute more, until the cheese melts.

Thats it folks! Lunch is served! Enjoy!