Cheedai / Seedai tips - prevent explosion

Janmashtami special cheedai / seedai :-

How to make a cheedai making 'terror' into a 'pleasure'? i.e. How to prevent cheedai / seedai from exploding? Here are few tips which I practice and makes my cheedai making successful everytime right from the first time.

1. Seive the flour well.
2. Very lightly roast the flour
3. Roast the sesame seeds till they pop
4. Never shape it to a perfect round. Use 3 fingers and roll between them.
5. Keep less oil and put more cheedai / seedai balls

100% if you follow the above, it will not explode. 

If you still are left with some fear..... no need to wear a helmet. Just keep a perfect lid handy, put the perforated laddle in it towards the wall and partly cover the kadai (not fully) to your side and the openening facing towards the kitchen wall.  don't worry, after two batches, you will get the confidence to fry it without the lid. :-)

May your life be crisp like a cheedai, sweet like the sweet flattened rice and smooth like the butter. May the lord fill your life with his blessings.

Wish you all a happy Janmashtami

Crochet Baby Krishna on peepal leaf

Govinda aala re aala jara matki samhaal brijbaala.......
Agaya mera Kishan Kanhaiya!

Krishna on pipal leaf - we call him 'aalila krishna' - the cutest pose where the baby pulls its leg and try to put the finger in its mouth.

Mera shyam tera nam, bole man, subho shaam........

........
Mera Jeevan Teri Puja, Aur na mujhko sujhe duja koi kaam ....

 

Hear the beautiful song here :-

(remember this sweet devotional song by Singer Mohammed Rafi?)

I heard this many times in AIR - morning devotional programme.

I used acrylic yarn for this project as I had no cotton yarn in stock.Used golden thread for the ornaments. The hair, dress, peepal leaf are all crocheted.

May Lord Krishna bless you 

 

Crow Pheasant / chembothu

Crow pheasant, though has the name 'crow' as part of its name, actually belongs to cuckoo family.  Like the male cuckoo this bird also has red eyes and makes a quick calling sound like the cuckoo but the voice of this bird is deep.

 It makes a deep resonant call. My recordings don't have its call hence I googled to share the same with you. Just click the link and clik the play audio.

http://www.junglewalk.com/popuptop.asp?type=a&AnimalAudioID=10966

In the busy traffic at our place, recording a clear voice is not possible as the horn sound of vehicles will make the voice of the bird fade. But I am longing to make one to put it in my collection.
 
I first heard it at my aunt's place which was then a villlage. But could not catch a glimpse of it in the thick tall trees.

Recently I started hearing the familiar call in our place but could spot it only few times. Once I saw it crossing the road (like a road runner). Many a times it comes out during the peak morning hours. But when the rains started I could see it quite often.

Captured few shots of the 'crow pheasant' (Chembothu / कौवा तीतर) when it came in the open. A crow had built its nest in a tree and this crow pheasant visited the tree like usual and the crows started chasing it. Then it took refuge in a nearby tree where I could get a good glimpse of it.

I tried to capture the picture to my level best quickly with my humble camera.

 

What a beautiful coat of colours it has! I admire God's creation each and every time I peek into my surroundings. Thanking God for bring these feast to eyes to my window.

water colour - village scene

Sharing some water colour paintings from my collection :-

a village scene