A Topsy Turvy Ploughed Land (?)

Getting up early in the morning and going out on a trip gets interesting when the first rays of the sun hit the horizon... This time, I could even catch the glimpse of "False Dawn" however I was so mesmerised that I missed to capture those moments. In case if you happen to travel, keep this in mind and watch for False Dawn. I will try if I happened to, again.

God given Multidimensional Camera - our eyes, can grasp the beauty with HD effect. What is seen here is much less compared to it. 

When the First Rays of Sun hit the sky..... It looked like a topsy turvy ploughed land to me... then hues of colors the rays of the sun bought is beyond the capacity of this camera...

Sharing that glimpse with you...

Pigeon Gyan

While crossing the road in the morning, saw a pigeon which came under the wheels of a vehicle n breathed it's last. As usual I said Om Shanthi and moved ahead in thoughts.....

The provision shop keepers throw grains on the platform n few grains do end up in the road. The pigeons ignore the humans, vehicles n the predators passing by. They are fully engrossed in eating to their tummy full. They don't move n least bothered about what will happen to them. They just live the present.

Morning being less traffic hours, the vehicles speed through the empty roads... The person driving the vehicle may ignore the pigoens feeding on the road or he might have got fed up of this daily sight and show the anger by running over them or it must be too late to apply a break for him or just an anticipation that they will fly as the vehicle approach them. Whatever it is, the loss is to the pigeons.

The pigeons are so greedy that their greed prevent their mind from alerting them to fly away.

The crow which was feeding on the dead pigeon was clever as it was flying away as and when a vehicle approached and it also was careful about the humans passing by and it's Predators as well.

#Nature'sLesson

The greed clouds up the mind ; thus a person becomes blind to look at good things and thus leading to self destruction.

Living the present is good. But one shouldn't so engrossed in the present to fail to see what's coming in future.

The pigeon couldn't take even the single grain that it had gobbled. It left them along with it's body.

Greed only leads to destruction.

There are people who has the character of a pigeon as well as the crow.

Life moves on in this planet irrespective of these facts....few learns n few ignores ... we can make a difference by being a good learner n practice it ; thanking god for this wonderful lesson!

May this Sunday be a peaceful and happy one to you all.

Om Shanthi!

A Foggy Morning

It was a foggy  and a very good morning. Yes, winter has arrived!

At 5.00 am, the scene outside made me feel that I was ported to heaven during sleep.... With that fog surrounding densely with very poor visibility.

Because of peak hour busy schedule I could only peep at the beauty. (Sorry, no pics of that beautiful sight).

The fog completely blocked the visibility. You will see the difference in the other pictures, that I have shared below...

I was enjoying my coffee, standing by the window, looking at the beauty outside..... Then this thought came in that there is always danger behind the beauty!

Those who drive that early foggy morning may be facing the same visibility issue....so prayed for positivity... That drive should be safe for everyone... ( I am not that much an angel... My hubby drives carefully but not everyone else on the road 😉)

Pictures taken subsequently at various times while sun was still rising....

I felt as if I was ported to heaven for sometime because of dense fog and poor visibility that even my neighbouring buildings became invisible.

In the picture below, it looked to me as if the skyscraper rose up from earth all of a sudden piercing the clouds beneath (As I was already on cloud 9 with the arrival of the winter ;-P) and made me remember the Jack's Magic Beans story.

Even the otherwise fighting Pigeons finds Unity at that hour as their morning feeding area was nearby!

The different sounds of the bird n this fog scene made me feel that I was on the floating clouds.... The  honking of the vehicles from the nearby road, brought me back to the reality! 😁

I was trying to take another sip of the hot Filter Coffee,then realised that the cup is empty! 😁

[# coffee gyan???] 😉]

When too many things accumulated from past and present with a worried future, our mind tends to have this foggy condition. We may not be able to see the solution or the task / goal that we need to do... We just get carried away by illusion thus making our mind numb.

If we organise our mind by editing unwanted stuffs, we can get clear thoughts.

As sun rise, it's ray clears away the fog. Same way an experienced elder's advice and wisdom or a Guru's bhodana clears the obstacles in the path of life and lead us in the righteous path.

Music has no language barrier.... The lyrics are in Tamizh but you will definitely enjoy the song and the soft music in the video below :-

Matru Devo Bhava ; Pitru Devo Bhava ; Acharya Devo Bhava!!

_/\_

Wish you a wonderful weekend!

Om Shanti!

Sun Dry Idea for Appartment Life

Hi There,

Today I am posting an "Idea" to all those who stay in high rise and doesn't have a Balcony and Terrace Access to sun dry certain items.

If you get sunshine near your window, then you can try this.nnYou can make vathal and vadams (papads) in small quantity near your window. But you may have to watch over them now and then to ensure safety of the passers by below.

If you have strong clothesline near the window, you can try this.

Here is how I do... I spread an old bed spread and clip them well to secure and place the plates. I sometimes use a light cardboard piece and place them over the bedspread and then place my papads over it.

Crispy Pattice

Hi There!

Yesterday I was remembering my good old days... then I was going through my old diary and I came across this recipe which was shared by my friend during my college days. She used to bring this along with a yummy onion based chutney in her snack box and I always savoured it a lot!  I had made it few times and it stole the limelight when guests visited us as it made a wonderful starter dish or tea time snack or for snack box.

I realised that I am yet to share it with you all. Hence today I am sharing the recipe for this crispy snack with you.

It is easy to make and delicious too. You can serve it with Tomato ketchup or sauce or the tamarind -dates (tangy sweet) chutney or with green spicy chutney.  

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Ingredients :-

For the rava :-

1. Rice - 8  portions
2. Toor dal (Pigeon Pea) - 1 portion
3. Channa dal (Split bengal gram) - 1 portion

Other ingredients :-

1. Salt to taste
2. Curry leaves - 8 nos finely chopped (Optional)
3. Green Chillies - 2 nos finely chopped (or as preferred) - Optional
4. Water -  For 1 cup rava add 1.5 cups of water
5. Oil for frying

• First measure and take the ingredients given for Rava and dry grind it together in a mixer to fine Rava (semolina)  consistency. This will add to the cirspness of the snack.
• Measure the Rava in a cup.
• We will use 1.5 cups of water for 1 cup Rava
• In a pan pour the measured water and bring it to boil.
• Add salt to taste, green chillies and curry leaves.
• Add the rava and mix it well till it becomes thick dough.
• Turn off the gas and let the mix cool down.
• Make small pedas out of it and keep it ready.
• Heat oil and reduce the flame to medium heat and fry the rava pedas in batches slowly till they turn golden in color and crispy (you can feel it thru the sound it makes while you try to take them in the perforated laddle).

Yummy Crispy Patty is ready!

• Store in an air tight container and they stay crispy for long time. That is why this dish make a nice snack or starter as you need not wait and fry them especially when you have guests visiting.

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Two show you the crispiness, I have made a small video... at the end of the video you will hear them crushing with the same crispiness under my teeth ;-D :-D

Suggestion :- You can make a bigger patty. Just add Boiled carrots and green peas and green chillies. and use this as a crispy burger patty in burgers. 

Thayir Molagai - Mor Molagai - Kondatam Molagu - Dry curd Chilly

Today I am Sharing with you a traditional recipe for Thayir Molagai / Mor Molagai / Kondatam Molagu / Dry Chilli.

The Chilli that is soaked in buttermilk and sundried adds a nice flavour and make it yummylicious and the best of the best accompaniment to the humble curd rice.

The store bought ones are just soaked in salt and dried. Hence they miss the flavour and taste of this home made version.

This recipe requires direct sunlight, Patience and Care. Patience is required as we need to slit or pierce each chilli and then the process of 14 days to complete making this. Direct sunlight is must to dry the chillies everyday till it is ready to fry. Care is to  mix them well for first four days after soaking and to dry them in sun and again at the end of the day, put them back into the remaining buttermilk. The outcome rewards you with excellent taste and worth all the appreciations you will receive.

I used the spicy variety of dark green chilli to make this. There is no need for any exact measurement except the consistency of the buttermilk.

I used the following for making one batch.  It takes upto 14 days to make one batch of this yummy chilli preparation.

1. Green Chillies - 1/4 kg
2. Lightly sour buttermilk - upto 1 litre
3. Salt to taste

I tried making a self shot video to explain the 1st stage preparation process. Hope it helps.

Wash the Green Chillies and pat them dry.

Pierce each chilly and or lightly slit them. This process is very essential to avoid exploding of the chillies when they are fried in oil in later stage during use and also to help it soak in the buttermilk and absorb the salt.

Put them in a vessel. I use a Kal Chatti (stone vessel).

Put salt and pour the buttermilk till the chillies are soaked well.

Soaking period - minimum 4 days (every day, remember to mix them atleast twice in a day)

If you notice, the green color is fading as it gets soaked in buttermilk each day.

On the 5th day, take them out of the buttermilk and spread on a sheet or a plate and sun dry them. Reserve the buttermilk. We will use it again and again for soaking till all the buttermilk is absorbed and becomes dry.

After sun drying them, at the end of the day, put them back in the remaining buttermilk.  

Repeat this process of sundrying during day time and putting them back in the remaining buttermilk to soak overnight , till all the buttermilk is absorbed.

Finally sun dry them for 2-3 days more till they are nice and crispy and store them in an air tight container.

Whenever you need them, shallow fry or deep fry them in Oil and serve with Curd Rice.

This chilli after fried, can also be crushed in curd / buttermilk and had as a side dish for Dosai.

Frying :- For frying, once is oil is hot (in medium flame), put the chillies and lower the heat immediately. once they are crisp and bubbles slows down. Drain them.

Storage of chillies :- Store in an air tight container. For the fried ones, put a tissue paper at the bottom of the storage container and then store them.

Suggestion : In the similar manner you can make other Vathals (soaked in curd and sun dried using Sundaikai [Thai brinjal / Turkey berry] and Manithakkali [Makoi / garden night shade]

Ellodharai - Ellu Chadham - Til Chaval - Sesame Rice

Hi There!

Today I am sharing with you a healthy rice recipe made using black Sesame seeds / Til (hindi) / Ellu (Tamizh)

Sesame seeds are good source of Calcium, Iron, Magnesium etc.

Traditionally this rice is made on Saturday and offered (Neivedhyam) to one of the Navagraha Bhagvan  - Shanishwaran (Shanishwar).

For Shani Bhagavan Slokams you can click "Here"!!

Sesame oil is considered as the best oil and good for heart health. Using sesame oil (til oil) will enhance the flavour and taste of this rice.

Here is the recipe for this quick and easy rice variety.

You will need :-

1. Cooked Rice - 1 cup

For powdering :-

1. Sesame Seeds - 1 tbsp
2. Urad Dal - 1 tsp
3. Red chillies - 1 No. (or as per your preference)
4. Black pepper corns - 1/2 tsp
5. salt to taste

For tempering :-

1. Asafoetida - 1 pinch
2. Sesame oil - 1 tbsp
3. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
4. Curry Leaves - 5 nos.

Procedure :-

• Heat a wok, dry roast the ingredients given for powdering and coarsely powder them.

• Heat sesame oil and add mustard seeds. Once they start spluttering, add the asafoetida powder and then the curry leaves.
• Switch off the gas and add the ground powder, salt and then the cooked rice.

• Mix them well

Ellodharai is Ready!!

Sukha Bhel - Dry Bhel

Sukha Bhel is one of the snack that you enjoy as a street food in the city of Mumbai. Sukha means dry... unlike the bhel puri where the tamarind and green chutneys are added to it, this has a humble green chilly chutney mixed with herbs to make the bhel more interesting.

In the Gas Station here, there is always a big queue for filling and waiting is definitely not an interesting thing until the arrival of Bhel Wala. Few hesitate and few like me just get out and explore the taste of the street food.  This tasty bhel help time pass till our turn arrives. I tasted it again and again and I tried to find the different flavours that comes in the bhel and experimented in my kitchen lab and finally presenting the nearest one to the authentic bhel recipe.

What you need for the Bhel :-

1. Bhel (Murmura / Pori / Puffed Rice)
2. Coriander leaves - finely chopped
3. Onion - finely chopped
4. Tomato (optional) - finely chopped
5. Fine sev
6. Roasted channa dal
7. Lemon
8. Green Chutney for sukha bhel

For the sukha bhel Green chutney :-

1. Finely chopped Onion - 1 tbsp
2. Garlic pod - 1 no. (big)
3. Finely chopped coriander leaves - 1 tbsp
4. Curry leaves - 6 nos
5. Green Chillies - 10 nos. (or as per your preference)
6. Chat masala - a pinch
7. Lemon juice - 1/4 tsp
8. Salt - use only a little as the puffed rice, roasted gram and the sev has some salt
9. Roasted gram (chutney dal / pottu kadalai) - 2tbsp

Grind together the ingredients mentioned except lemon juice... add little bit of lemon juice and give a final grinding.

For making the Bhel :-

Keep the ingredients ready and Mix them just before serving.

In a mixing bowl, add the ingredients given for the Bhel and mix well. 

You can serve in a bowl or roll a cone out of paper or the pamphlets and make it more intereting.

Garnish by squeezing few drops of lemon juice and sprinkle little coriander leaves and the roasted gram and little sev on top.

Tasty and flavourful Sukha Bhel /Dry Bhel is ready!!!