DADDY I PRAY THAT YOU REST IN PEACE..........

Hyeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

I know I have been absconding from the blog world........life has been topsy-turvy to say the least. I lost my Dad a little above 2 months ago. He went away peacefully. Come what may, I will never be able to fill the void created by his passing away, but am somewhat at peace when people console saying that he was a good soul and will be seated with God right now....I believe them and I believe that my Dad is happy whereever he is today.

I will always remain his little girl, his doll, his little angel....I dont think there was anybody in this world whom he loved as much as he loved me.....yes nobody...and my family will whole heartedly agree to this statement....even today when I open the doors of the home where he lived, I feel his warm hug, his outstretched arms waiting to hug me and hold me tight, there was nobody in this world who could wipe away my tears without asking me a word, and yet comfort me. Just a sneeze or a cough would make him worry endlessly. When I am there I miss him fretting over me with something or the other to eat or drink, and I remember how irritated I used to get, just hoping he would leave me alone and not fret so much.

For years he handed over the first cup of tea into my hands, and a kiss on my foreheard, every morning - even before I could open my eyes..........my mother always complained he spoilt me rotten, but I loved every bit of it, and miss all that affection so much.

He lay so peacefully and so warm and with such a beautiful smile on his face that it was hard to beleive that he has gone....a day I dreaded so much, and it was there, and I was facing it.....it was as if a part of my heart had been torn away, and even today as I write, I feel a peice of my heart missing.

My Dad lived with just 20% of his heart functioning for as long as 10 years!! He was indeed very brave, and it was his sheer willpower and urge to live on without complaining that saw him through such a long period...Doctors amaze at his capability and zest to live.

I love you Daddy and miss you sooo much.

I hope to restart blogging very soon & I hope all my blogger friends are doing well

MIXED VEG - SPECIAL

There are some things that you would not be regularly cooking, they are going to be a special treat for a special time. Things that would be on the richer side of calories....but they really make for a treat at times, or maybe just like that you would like to prepare the dish. I call this dish "special" coz I make it rarely & it does taste yumm, but I would rather restrict myself & Rajeev to such a treat once in a while.

I made this recently to take over to a cousin's house as a pool-in, coz his wife was making the rest of the food. It turned out really good - how wouldnt it have....anything fried n smothered in cream would taste awesome - wont it??? Maybe you could try it for yourself.



Ing
1/2 cauliflower - cut into florets
4 carrots - scraped & slit into two & diced into 1 inch pcs
1/4 cup - green peas
3 potatoes - scraped & chopped into fingers
100 gms - paneer
8/10 stalks of green beans
1 capsicum - diced into cubes
1/2 tspn - jeera / cumin seeds
4 tbpn - cream
4 tbspn - thick curd
1/4 tspn - turmeric / haldi powder
1 tspn - garam masala powder
1 tspn - dhaniya powder
1/2 tspn - red chilli powder
3/4 onions - finely chopped legthwise
3/4 tomatoes
4/5 flakes of garlic
1/2 inch ginger
4 cloves
1/2 inch pcs of cinnamon broken
2 pods of cardamom - crushed

Method -
In a wok heat some oil for deep frying.
When first add the cauliflower florets & fry them - remove them on a tissue when done
next add the potatoes & fry them till done - remove on a tissue
Next add the carrots & take remove them on a tissue when done.
Boil the beans & the pease together (you can use the microwave to retain the colour)
Take another pan & take some oil in it
Add the khada garam masala i..e, the cinnamon, cloves, jeera & the cardamom
Add the onions and fry till pinkish brown
Meanwhile puree the tomatoes, garlic & ginger
Add this into the pan & fry till the oil separates
Add the turmeric & fry
Add the red chilli powder, garam masala, corriander & fry well
Now add the cream & fry till it is well blended
Add the curd & again fry till well blended
Now add the chopped capsicum & some salt
Close the lid & cook till capsicum is done - stirring in between
Once this is thru, add the fried cauliflower, potatoes & carrots along with the beans, peas & the diced paneer cubes.
Mix everything well with a light hand, to ensure that the veggies retain their shape & dont get mashed up.
Close the lid & let cook for a minute or two.
Garnish with corriander leaves

This goes very well with parathas, chappatis or as a side dish to rice.

Do try this "special" dish & let me know.

CHILLI PRAWNS

I know its been ages since I vanished from the blog scene. I owe it to a humungous amount of work pressure & a wee bit of lethargy. I honestly havent blog hopped too. My list of "To Post" keeps growing bigger.

Good Friday paased, Holi passed & then Easter paased without much ado. There were three holidays, n we could have gone on a mini-vacation but for my hubby's Exams approaching soon. I didnt wanna make him any guilty too, but then he was good n did spend quite a good amount of time with me, taking me out for "JODHA AKBAR" which we've wanted to watch since its release. I had other preferences, but chose to give into something mutually acceptable. That's how adjusting I am....

I dont regret watching the movie, except for all the bloodshed depicted. Hritik Roshan was a treat to the eyes. Looking as majestic as ever. I dont feel anybody else could have done justice to the role of Akbar in the movie. Aishwarya wasnt bad either, with minimal makeup, the mindblowing jewellery & gorgeous costumes she did look beautiful. The sets were superb. It is surely worth a watch on the big screen. The small one wont do justice to the entire effect.

Now not wanting you all to wander away, I am going to post something very close to my heart......this is absolutely my version, n I love every bit of it.















Ing -
250 gms - prawns
2 big onions - sliced finely
1/2 inch pc - ginger
4 flakes - garlic
1 big tomato - finely chopped
1 tsp - red chilli powder
1/2 tspn - turmeric / haldi powder
1/4 tspn - garam masala powder
2 stems of curry leaves
2 tbspn - maggie hot and sweet sauce
1 green chilli - chopped fine
salt as per taste

Method -
In a non-stick pan heat some oil.
Add the grated ginger & garlic
Fry well
Add the onions, n fry till pinkish brown
Add the tomatoes & fry till oil separates
Now add the curry leaves, turmeric, chillies & garam masala
Mix well to blend
Add the washed prawns, put in some salt
Cover & cook till prawns are tender & well cooked.
Add the sauce, the chopped green chilies & more salt
Cook till all moisture is dried up.

I generally eat mine with some bread, but they will go well with plain white rice...The sauce gives a wonderful tang to it which I soo love very much.

CHERISH

Its been a long time I have been putting away posting this.....I dont know why. But now I have to absolutely do it, coz I feel guilty whenever I think of it.

Before the year ended I had posted the Best of 2007, wherein I had mentioned that I had received a gift from Hotel Choclat....after much hue & cry - I finally got the packet one day.

I was excited beyond words - not that I had never won a competition before, but this really meant something for me.. Cooking is a passion in my life, n me having won for soemthing which is so close to my heart - really really meant a lot to me. N moreover I had soo many people who seemed so absolutely proud of me - my husband, my MIL, my parents, my friends - all of them....& I was gleaming. When I opened the packet I was shocked to see that the packet had been messed with, n there were open wrappers lying in the box. I suspected this coz the box did weigh lighter than the first time it had come for delivery & was given back because of an unpaid Customs Duty Bill from the Consigners behalf. Me being me - was not ready to give up on ethics, n I needed to get the courier guys by the neck to find out where the box went. Then there was suddenly my husband, who very calmly said - "you know what, just let it go - even this one box is very precious & enough for us". I was totally touched & I was left without a word to say....I just gave him a big hug n said "so be it". There were 16 pcs that I got, I honestly kept one pc each for all those who had so eagerly waited for the box to arrive, n the rest (which was very very little) we both shared. I treasure the book - hopefully I shall be able to give some of the recipes a try. My name shows here in the winners list

I will always, always cherish this memory in my heart. No joy can match this profound love.

Pictures are all that I can share with you - my wonderful friends - without whom I wouldnt be doing I what I am doing today with a good part of my day i.e., BLOGGING.

Thank you.

CHOCOLATE BROWNIE WITH APPLE TOPPING

I am not a apple lover, but my husband is - I have this recipe for a long time, n I took it from the Hersheys site - n when I had some leftover apple pie stuffing, I didnt know what to do with it, so I thought I'd make this recipe finally. Of course, me being me, did make a few alternations here n there...but it was one of the best things I've ever baked. I didnt like the topping bit, but I had someone at home to devour it...so didnt bother me much..
















Ing -
For the apple topping
1 apple
2 tbspn of raisins
1 tbspn cherries chopped
1 tbspn walnuts chopped
4 tbspn - sugar or brown sugar
1/4 tbspn - cinnamon powder
a dash of lime juice
1/4 tbsp - flour

Just mix everything togeter & keep aside.

For the brownie
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar (if you like a much sweeter cake you can make that 3/4)
1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
2/3 cup butter / oil / shortening
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method :
Preheat oven to 180 C.
Seive the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in bowl.
Cream the butter & sugar.
Add water, egg and vanilla essence - beat until smooth and well blended.
Mix the flour into the paste & beat well to incorporate.
Grease a loaf tin & pour the batter into it.
Carefully spoon apple topping evenly over chocolate batter - DO NOT STIR.
Bake for 1 hr or more till the topping is set & a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

This is a keeper of a recipe. I might not add the topping the next time, but the brownie was sure excellent. It had a very lovely taste & an excellent texture.

N there's one thing I've seen all cakes taste better the next day ;-)

URAD SABUT AUR RAJMA

I think no Cuisine uses "lentils / daals" the way Indian cuisine does. The recipes are endless, the spices used is exhaustive & the results are always excellent. Some like their thick n creamy, there are others who like the watery consistency, n still others who prefer it mid-way i.e., not thick but a bit watery.

I prefer mine thick. Perfect to scoop up in a morsel of chappati, or mush it up with rice, or better - eat as it is.

I love black daals better than yellow ones too. I guess these are also personal preferences. Coz my husband likes yellow rather than black - so I keep it fair, n make both equally.

This particular combo is a favourite of mine. This version that I am giving you is the simpler one. The same combo is used to make the famous Daal Makhani, which I shall make some other day & post the recipe separately. This is a simpler & less caloried version, but the taste is great in its own way.






Ing -
1 katori - urad sabut (black one with skin on)
1/4 katori - rajma
1 inch pc of ginger
5/6 flakes of garlic
3/4 flakes of garlic (separate)
a pinch of hing
1/2 tspn - turmeric / haldi
3/4 - green chillies
1 jumbo onion or two medium ones
a pinch of sugar
salt as per taste
1 tspn - garam masala
1 tspn - jeera / cumin seeds
Either juice of 1 lime or 1 tspn of amchur powder

Method

Soak the daals overnight.
Take a pressure cooker, add 1 tspn of oil in it.
Grate the ginger & the garlic (or make a paste of both) & fry the same in that oil.
Add salt, & the lentils & cook for about 20 mins.
In a kadai - heat some ghee (for the real taste) or add half-half ghee-oil, or if you are way too concious just add any oil of your preference.
When hot, add the jeera till it sputters. Chop the garli flakes kept seaparately & fry till just about brown.
Add the hing.
Add the garam masala & stir well.
Separately add the lime juice or amchur into the daal & mix well. Test the salt & add if more required.
Now add half the tempering into the daal & mix well.
The rest of the half use for garnish

I served this hot plain rice & some gaajar-shalgam pickle & aloo paappad for a fulfilling lunch

UPDATED - GINGER WINE

Hi there

I know its late....but this is the Ginger Wine my mom made for this Christmas so I am updating it with pics.

Hope you like it....the wine was as tangy & sweet as ever!! Loved it to the last drop!!