Please vote for me for Indusladies - Mother's day blog contest -

PLEASE "vote" for me............

I've written a blog for Indusladies - Mother's day blog contest ....

http://www.indusladies.com/forums/blogs/sumykm/my-circle-life-entry-mothers-1811/

Please enjoy reading it and DON'T FORGET "Vote for me". My entry is mentioned last ...oops!!!...last 50th entry (sumykm's blog entry)...somehow they missed it and had to remind them to include my post for the selection............

The voting page is http://indusladies.com/partners/poll.php

Please also invite your family, friends and every one who is so inclined to vote for me.

Enna koduma da sami!!!!

My children’s summer camp ended last week on thursday. It was for just 1 week..They enjoyed thoroughly with various activities like painting, coloring, making small bugs, butterflies, trees etc, puppet show and some movies… Damage has been done already!!! I could see the Michelangelo and Picasso’s drawings on the walls..all the place..front room..bedroom…”Amma, Dinosaurs…I drew it”..My son goes..What can I do?..Supressing my BP, I give a grin praising him “Waah!...grt8”….turning to my hubby with “I-am-sorry” look….”A big amount will be deducted from the advance when we vacate the house, that is it” My hubby’s helpless reaction....…

What to do next? To make them busy and preoccupied…I was running out of options....It’s Friday and FIL had planned to take them to SIL’s place...ok, couple of hours to kill time..They will enjoy the bus ride too from home to SIL’s place…I bid goodbye to them and left to office in the morning…Surprisingly, around 11 o’ clock, my mobile displayed a call from “Home”…I was wondering why from Home?..landline number…My daughter was crying over the phone on some issues with my son…Monu didn’t give me crayon for coloring….Pacified her sitting at office…what else can I do other than telling some supporting words to her….I interrupted her “Why you didn’t go to Aunties home?..”..She came back sadly..”Ummmhhh, no..Acchachan (FIL) told that they have to return by afternoon…So we didn’t go..”..Oh…OK!!!....Continued the conversation as a typical mother to enquire whether she had her breakfast …She is no mood to reply…She returned to the first sulking question…Monu is not giving me crayons…sobs!!!...I told her to give the phone to Monu…She called out loudly “Monnu..amma vezhikkunnu!!!” (amma is calling you)….words reverberating inside my head….”Monnu…amma-annu da..” (It’s amma)…”Paavam elley vava…crayons kodukku da… Monu”…” (Give crayons to Vava also)….”Avallu scissor tharinilla ammey ennikku…”…(She is not giving me scissors”…Here I go..for another round of negotiation or whatever…..It took me to another 10 minutes to solve his issues….Sigh!!! Back to some office work….

In the evening, back home, after dinner, in between their bed time stories, I asked once again, why you didn’t go to Aunties place?..She gave me the same answer…..”Koracchu samayathil thaaney thrizhu veranam innu paranjhu..adukaranam poyilliya”…(have to return within a short time..becoz of that we didn’t go)….

Next morning (Saturday), when I offered bed coffee for my dear hubby, he said that FIL is going to SIL’s place …I was little unhappy as I’ve cooked a lot for lunch thinking that FIL will be around..He pacified me saying “we can have it for dinner, dear”…I continued..”Yest, the kids were supposed to go to SIL’s place but because they have to return by lunch time, they didn’t go”..My hubby nodded his head and says “That is not the reason..”..

Me ..”Then what?”…
Hubby : “ Vava said to Daddy(FIL) that amma(me) did not want us to go to Aunties place”

Me : “What ?? I didn’t say that”..”Did she say like that to Daddy?”
Hubby :”Yeah, that is why daddy didn’t take them there yesterday”…
Me: “What???”
Hubby : “Ammam ma”

Me : “Seriyana allu, she told me some other reason”..

Hubby raising his eyebrows…heaved a sigh….

Me, totally pissed off, “I didn’t tell her not to go “…
Hubby, back to his philosophical thoughts..” They reflect what you and I speak….”..blah blah….

I continued ..”Enna koduma da sami..”…
“Ok, even if she says like that…FIL has believed her and he also didn’t take them”…..”Look how much of weight age is given for a grandchild…not a daughter in law…Shey….”…..
I continued pollambifying….”Already I have a “BAD” certificate among in-laws..now this is like adding to the fire…”…”Ennakkey aappa….Seriyana allu….Kuuzhi thoondi pothachuduva pollarukku….pothachittu…ennaku theriyadu innu sollikkittu theriva pollairrukku…Adi paavi magha…”…(Pulling my legs!!?!…Great lady she is, she will dig hole and bury me in it..and she will walk around saying I don’t know)…..

My hubby, as usual, does not comment on these statements I make…laying ..turned down…in the bed eyes closed…..He makes sure that he is not trapped on some deposition I rattle…Typical marketing guy….playing safe..or saving his a**…

Totally dumbstruck, I narrated to my cook…She laughed to glory “Appadiya, indha kaalathu pasanga nambhavey mudiyaathu….” (Is it? These days kids, one cannot trust them….)
Still unsatisfied …..I called up my amma in Kerala, I lamented endlessly about my daughter’s double game. Amma was laughing….”Madhi madhi..kannu vekkelley di avalla…”..(Enough, enough, don’t cast evil’s eye on her)……

It happens …It happens ……..unbelievable……..

Sambha Godhambhu Uppuma

A quick and easy one…..for breakfast or dinner.

To make Sambha Godhambhu (broken wheat) uppuma:

1. Chop 2 onions and slit 2 green chilies, 2-3 red chilly. Chop 1 carrot/ 10-15 beans. Can also add some groundnut and pottu (chutney) kadalai. Some curry leaves for seasoning.

2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadai, add 1 tbsp mustard seed, few uzhudu dhal seed, few kadala paruppu and groundnut and pottu (chutney) kadalai. Sim the burner so that these seeds do not get charred. When the seeds change the color to light brown, add 2 onions chopped, slit 2 green chilies, 2-3 red chilly and fry it until they are done. Add chopped vegetables (carrot and beans), curry leaves and stir fry. Then add 2 and ½ glass of water for every glass of Sambha Godhambhu. Allow the water to boil thoroughly.

3.Then add the sambha Ghodhambu to the above mix slowly. As you pour it in the boiling water, stir it continuously so that no lumps are formed and mix it thoroughly. Close it with a lid and simmer the burner. Let it cook for some 5- 10 mintues. Frequently, indulge by mixing it so that the bottom portion comes at the top and top portion goes at the bottom.

Voila, yummy sambha Ghodhambu uppuma!!!!!

Good for diabetic people…and for health conscious people…:D

Ragi Illa Adda

let me post the Ragi Illa (banana leaf) Adda…

The stuffing goes into the adda:

To the grated coconut, add 1-2 tsp of sugar (according to your taste). Then add some powdered cloves to it and mix thoroughly. Instead of sugar, one can add grated jaggerry too.

How to prepare Ragi Adda:

Add some salt to water and pour it on the ragi powder and rice powder and mix it thoroughly so that it becomes a dough just like one prepare for chappathi. One can also add some jeeram seeds while doing the dough.

Take a ball of dough(tennis ball), and press it smoothly on a small piece of banana leaf ( 10 * 10 cm) to make it a layer covering the whole of the leaf.

Then spread the stuffing over this ragi + rice dough layer and fold the whole layer by half like a notebook fold.

Keep inside iddili cooker or the normal pressure cooker without whistle.
Allow it to cook for 10-15 mintues.

Godambhu Illa Adda

Let me post the Godambhu (Wheat) Illa (banana leaf) Adda…

The stuffing goes into the adda:

To the grated coconut, add 1-2 tsp of sugar (according to your taste). Then add some powdered cloves to it and mix thoroughly. Instead of sugar, one can add grated jaggerry too.

How to prepare Godambhu Adda:

Add some salt to water and pour it on the wheat/atta powder and mix it thoroughly so that it becomes a dough just like one prepare for chappathi. One can also add some jeeram seeds while doing the dough.

Take a ball of dough(tennis ball), and press it smoothly on a small piece of banana leaf ( 10 * 10 cm) to make it a layer covering the whole of the leaf.

Then spread the stuffing over this wheat dough layer and fold the whole layer by half like a notebook fold.

Keep inside iddili cooker or the normal pressure cooker without whistle.

Allow it to cook for 10-15 mintues.

Ari Illa Adda

I remember my amma inviting my brother and me from a long day at school with hot hot simmering Illa Adda…

I tried to prepare couple of it with different dough……..

First let me post the Ari (Rice) Illa (banana leaf) Adda…

First let us see the stuffing that goes into the adda:

To the grated coconut, add 1-2 tsp of sugar (according to your taste). Then add some powdered cloves to it and mix thoroughly. Instead of sugar, one can add grated jaggerry too.

How to prepare Ari Adda:

Boil some water, add some salt and pour it on the rice powder and mix it thoroughly so that it becomes a dough just like one prepare for chappathi. One can also add some jeeram seeds while doing the dough.

Take a ball of dough(tennis ball), and press it smoothly on a small piece of banana leaf ( 10 * 10 cm) to make it a layer covering the whole of the leaf.

Then spread the stuffing over this rice dough layer and fold the whole layer by half like a notebook fold.

Keep inside iddili cooker or the normal pressure cooker without whistle.
Allow it to cook for 10-15 mintues.

Javvarissi uppuma/ Sagoo uppuma/ sabudhana (Maharastrian Dish)

Here is something special that you can try for a breakfast or as evening tiffin....

How to make Sabudhana:

1.Soak 1 cup of fine Javvarissi in water (water level should be ½ inches above the sagoo level overnight. In the morning, the Javvarissi would have become soggy. The javvarissi should be separate and soft.

2. Fry the ground nut ( required quantity) in a kadai and grind it coarsely in a food processor. To little bit of coarsely grinded ground nut powder, add 2 green chilly and grind it sprinkling little water. Mix the ground nut powder and the ground nut powder grinded with green chilies with the soaked sagoo.

3. Boil 1 potato and mash it with your hands. Mix it with the above mixing.

4. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadai, add 1 tbsp mustard seed, few 1 tbsp of jeerakam seed, add few urdhu dhall seeds, add 1/2 cup finely chopped onions, some chopped cashnew nuts/ badam, 2-3 green chilly [cut lengthwise]. Sim the burner. Fry till light brown. Add curry leaves and stir fry.

5. To the above, add the sagoo mix. Mix it well and cook until the sagoo becomes completely transparent. Sprinkle some salt to taste and mix well. Remove from fire, add juice of 1 lemon and mix well. Then add 3tbsps grated coconut (optional) and mix well.

Jamki work

Here is another one…..that I’ve stitched on a black plain crape chudithaar.

For the neckline, I’ve stitched a line of chain stitch…then a line of glass straw beads….then third line is chain stitch…followed by the fork shaped jamki design….the ends ending with a jamki…..

The body of the chudithaar has a star shaped design..same work…jamki at the center and it points outwards in all direction ending with a jamki…

In the hands too, I’ve followed a star shaped jamki work and 2 fork shaped jamki work….

Peacock Button work

Here is another simple one…..

I’ve just stitched some peacock buttons in some order which hopefully has ended up in some reasonable design…

Embroidery work

Please look into some of my embroidery works that I’ve worked on a white plain cotton chudithaar…

The neckline and arm line and the middle line from the neck till the bottom of the chudithaar is Couching or laid work. I used the blue woolen thread as surface thread and the second finer thread is the normal kamal thread for anchoring.

This is followed by a line of feather stitch. This is running around the neckline, arm line, and the middle of the chudithaar.

For the shoulder line, I’ve used buttonhole stitch.

Payaru thoran

I don’t know what to call this bean (Legume)..I call it “payaru”…”Chonna (red) payaru”..

There are other types ”Paccha (green) payaru” …”paasi payaru” for making pongal….Rajma…konda kadala…Channa….Let us not waste time in naming these beans….I called it plain…”payaru”….

I wanna to join the event listed way below…..Hence thought I would cook some beans….the typical pozhukku….(boiled) which is my favourite and my friends used to tease me in my school days “malayali dish”……every other day my amma prepares any of the legumes as side dish…with curd rice…Yum….

How to prepare Payaru thoran:
1. Soak the payaru (2 cup..according to your wish) overnight
2. Wash it with fresh water and pressure cook it for 2-3 whistles. You can add a pinch of salt while pressure cooking or later.
3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadai, add 1 tbsp mustard seed, few uzhudu dhal seed, few kadala paruppu. Sim the burner so that these seeds do not get charred. When the seeds change the color to light brown, add 2 onions chopped, slit 2 green chilies, 2-3 red chilly and 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder and fry it until they are done. Add salt to taste. Add curry leaves and stir fry.
4. To the above, add the boiled payaru. Mix it well and cook it for 2-3 mintues.

Payaru thoran..... I’m sending to Cococooks who is guest hosting "MLLA-10th helping",an event started by Susan.

Dinner is ready!!! ….Still waiting….

Finally I got a project after a long gap, which played an important role in making me an ardent blogger..But time to go back to some serious coding and stuff…The mahila sangam that I had been boosting off, often and on, is no more..We all got split..sobs!!!…I’m taking it with a positive stroke that everything is for good…new project, new location, new friends …everything new new…..I liked my office…The project has kicked off with a great bang..The whole of this week is training, training , training……Not able to even type in some few sentences for my blog…Still catching up….Anyways, good in all perspective………Reaching home late at 8 0’clock these days catching all possible transport facilities to reach home…auto, share-auto, bus….

I got this call from dear hubby at 6:45pm while I in the share-auto going back home ..”hey, how to make avil uppumma?”..”what?”…I exclaimed surprisingly…My hubby has never cooked for me so far all these 9 years of marriage…

I have heard pathetic stories that he burnt the cooker gasket cooking rice without pouring water in the bottom….or it is over cooked like payasam….or cooked rice and had got curd, or the puliogarey/ lemon rice mix from super market when I leave him alone while going to my native place.

My daughter too joined the call along with husband over the speaker phone. I gave my usual step-by-step procedure. “Wash and drain the excess water..”..My daughter is instructing my husband word-by-word as I’ve instructed. Then to make it simple, I asked him to grate coconut and add sugar to it and mix thoroughly. I was wondering what would be the output….

Very inquisitively, called up once again to find out the progress…”Dinner is ready..dear”…Still ½ hr to reach home……”No worries..”….”Still waiting?”…I was remembered of an ad…some refrigerator ad…..

Reached home and to my surprise, my children were enjoying the aval uppumma..seasoned with onion and chenna dal seeds and grated coconut over it. Waah!!!!....I tasted it and asked him how did he do the whole thing?.....My daughter answered me “ we washed and put turmeric powder..then kaduku ittu thaalichu “..But then, the yellow color was uniform throughout which I hardly get when I prepare…So mused…I asked what is the secret behind this uniformity..yellow?...My husband quickly responded “simple, kept on putting turmeric powder till we got the required color”…Ah!!! Lemme check the bottle how much turmeric powder is remaining? OK…No worries….Didn’t argue with him?.....Appreciated for his great effort…..

But I’ll tell you…the dinner was superb …Aval uppuma was yum…ingredients being love, love and lots of love……………..

Washing Machine breakdown

With this fast paced life, how can a women, especially a working women like me, can live without a gadget/instrument/machine which does the work or which helps me to finish my work much easier than a manual labour..Hats off to the ladies of last century, especially my amma’s era…I wonder how she, being a homemaker, managed herself, at my age now, with 3 kids and my Acchan around..doing her household chores…all by herself ..with no servant maids around...I bow my head to my Amma and other ladies who still continue with their traditional way of taking care of household chores………………….

But in case, if these friendly gadgets becomes foe at crucial time, it will be like screw up…..It adds to fire….and especially when the breakdown happens when I’m not around……

I’m reminded of an incidence……I was trying frantically to get a job …in an area which I had experience….the same old IT….I was attending interviews almost every alternative days…grabbing on the 1st opportunity when consultants and company’s calls…walk-in’s during weekends….On a typical Saturday, I was running out of the time….rushing up to quickly finish my daily household chores….and which I was not able to finish…and silently delegating to DH…..He doesn’t approve of such delegation…but no way out…you know….He returns the “I-will-not-do” nod…I was off to one such interview which was scheduled at 9:30 in the morning…I was late as usual…but never mind, so many people had turn up…hence it was not noticed……By the time, I finished my first round of interview, it was half past 12. I was asked to wait for my HR round…I went to food court to grab something to fill my hungry stomach…. when I saw a missed call from my DH…..I called him to enquire how he is doing with the children…….all by himself…., making them take bath, feeding ….pavam, handling all by himself…He is far better than me at it, though…He says “ Is the washing machine broke down?..”….I exclaimed screamingly over the overcrowded pantry “No”….”what happened?”…The whole room is flooded with soapy water ….”what?”…”Yeah, some leak…maybe some hole at the bottom of the machine, I believe”….”What did you do?...tell me the steps that you followed….”…He goes….Ah! He has forgotten to close the inlet pipe….”Close the tap”….and redo from this step….He goes “you come and do…”…

My washing machine is a automatic but kind of semi-automatic…. Manual interference is allowed.....The inlet pipe does not work with its fullest capacity…It takes hours for the inlet pipe to fill the bin…Hence I never open the inlet pipe and manually fill it with 2-3 buckets of water till it gives a screeching sound…”KEee”…Then I shut it and manually select the “program”..and “select” button…It starts running and keeps mum in between…then it goes for the next step…”Soak”… for another 10-15 minutes…Then once again it goes “Keeee”…and goes to the next step automatically “wash”….then there is a continous “cluck cluck” movement for next 10-15 minutes and the whole soapy water get drained out through outlet pipe…Then it goes for a vigorous drain action….and goes for the next “Keeee”…..Now at this step, I interfere and manually pour some 1-2 buckets of water for the final rinse with fresh water….when the water level reaches the correct level…it yells back at me with “Keee”…I shut the lid once again….and once again it goes back to the vigourous rinse action….and goes automatically to the next action “Spin”….the bin goes energetically for the anti-clockwise motion for the final drain of water from the cloths and goes to “Dry” step …hot air gushes from the sides to remove the left out wetness of the final washed cloths…It takes almost 45 mintues to 1-hour for the whole job to get over……


When I reached my home, it was 3 in the afternoon..I decided to do a FIR of the whole situation…The room where the washing machine was kept was closed…..I opened it to see the whole room flooded with soap water….I carefully reached the machine and started my investigation…...and Ah!!! I smelled the reason why? My DH does not know this step by step procedure…He has opened the inlet pipe and left it open throughout the process…somehow my machine since it got used to this manual intervention, didn’t understood that it has to close the inlet duct, I believe….hahhaha..what should I say?....the water started overflowing from the bin….

Now that the ball is in my coat, armed with broomstick and bucket I washed up the whole room…..and once again started the washing machine right from the beginning….At the end of the whole hungama, not only the cloths got washed and cleaned ,the whole place became spotless, sparkling to the evening sun…...

Blunder turned picturesque

Any guess what is this picture is? Floor Tiles !?!….Stickers??? Nope…you are wrong……….Look closely…..

OK…I’m not keeping the suspense anymore…..It is one of the flaws that most ladies face in their culinary activities. I was boiling the chopped pieces of Chenna kezhaghu (Elephant foot) in water with pinch of salt….…I was diverted to one of my children’s fight in the midst of cooking… invaded from the kitchen to solve, pacify the issue more often that happens between my daughter and son….Totally forgot about the dish which is on the stove……My nose is longer than my tongue…Came back with a bang on sniffing the burned smell of the root…Ah! Shoot….lucky me the bottom of the kadai didn’t get that burnt/charred……I liked the portrait, though…I called my hubby to show him the creative depiction…..He came back with his digi to click this photo….

Vishnu Sadhya…..

It’s the evening of 13th April, 2009 before the vishu day..keralite’s new year day (first day of Malayalese month of Medam )….I was frantically trying to find some kani konna (photo courtesy : Internet)…to keep for the kani the next day early morning, the D day (14th April 2009)…Hardly any tree around my place….Searched searched lane by lane……. efforts turned out to be fruitless and returned back home .. ….satisfied half heartedly that we got vellarikkiya (yellow cucumber) atleast and other fruits…other types of flowers…..(photo courtesy : Internet)…In the pooja room, in an ottu urulli, rice is spread out first…..we kept mirror, vellarikkiya , some gold coins…..all denominations of Indian rupees and coins…...Gold necklace….silk saree…. …all fruits…apple, orange, grapes, banana, mango, coconut …some dhaniya varieties….then Vellakku…coconut cut into half…filled with oil …and a thick thiri lit inside it…all deities photographs are decorated with fresh mallippuvu malla…
(photo courtesy : Internet)…
It reminds me of my childhood days… I had spent most of my Vishu celebration in my mother’s home…I have 5 uncles (mammen) and 3 aunties (ammayi), Velliama, memma (mother’s younger sister), ammama (grandmother), my 12 cousins (3 younger to me) …It was a huge crowd …ho…a big joint family….there….with lots of noise around ….every room, kitchen, and mittam (front yard)…and backyard…lots of cows…chickens, ducks….We, bunch of kids, will chase these ducks continuously making their throat to come out…running around the parambu…and chetans (big brother’s) dragging us from one side……sitting on a pala (at one side)…scratching our backside….collecting mango’s early in the morning whatever has fallen in the night….., gathering cocunuts to one place after a thengukayarel…..lots of work….then cleaning of jackfruit…..humongous task…aunties will drop down couple of jackfruit…not so ripe one…for the chakka mazhukkuvaratthi preparation….which goes with kanji…. We, bunch of cousins, after applying some coconut oil on the hand gets involved in plucking the jackfruit chola… remove the chavana and chandi and kooru…. Aunties cut these chola’s into small pieces for preparing kuttan…or if the fruit turns up to be apt for the chakka upperi, then they will cut into elongated strips...They make chakka varati too in a big urulli……Then it is also mango season…So both mango and chakka makes our stomach churn and we end up in vayar-illakkam (loose motion) making frequent visits to parambu…pieing here and there……landing up in problems when our adorable Vellimammen (big uncle)..when he unknowingly stamps on one of our dropping…”Dya, iyi pizhleru avidey ividey thoorivechiunndu….da, thenghindey choovatill thoori ya madi..nalla vallamma…chey, njan ariyadey chavitti…nasam”… those days were fun and enjoyable...Ah..those days were memorable…..Sorry for the digression as usual….

So on the early hours of Vishu morning, team of people would come and place the “Vishu Kani” (a stand with god’s pictures …and the whole package itself) in front of the main door and knock, knock us and quickly go and hide themselves by the side of the house….We open the door and open our eyes to see the first sight of kani… They give us the bhasmam (ash powder which we apply it on our forehead) and sometimes kaineetam…..my uncle would give them some kaineetam too….In one of the occasion, my brother got 25 ps coin while he was given the bhasmam and my ammama was happy and said that he will become rich in future!!!! Ah, what a implication!!!....

The times when we don’t go to Kerala for vacation, my amma assemble the “kani kanal” in the pooja room the previous night. In the morning, my acchan wakes me up and blind fold us with his palm and escort to where this whole decoration is done…We open our sleepy eyes to see the well lit pooja room with Vellakku ..and “Lord Krishnan’s photo”…and “Kannada”…My acchan would say “Mukam kannadillu nokku…cherikku…”…We’ll look at each item displayed with wide eyes…pray.....Believe is that the fortune of the rest of the year depends on the first object they see on the Vishu day …whatever we experience and taste the first day, will be carried forward throughout the year…So they say “Kannu narachhu kannanam”…(see everything in abundance)….. …..Then we will be asked to take bath..and visit the nearest temple wearing new dress…Kodi…then the much awaited program of the day..”Kaineettam”… this custom will ensure prosperity for their children in future....it is a 1 Rs. Coin from Acchan..or if it is in Kerala, from each and every uncle and aunty and ammama…We will get a huge collection by the end of the day to buy some mittai from the nearest petti kada or colorful bar-ice which comes on the road in a ice-petti….In the evening, we burst some fire crackers, Patassu, to mark the day.

Then amma will be busy with her endless sadhya list….sambhar, mooru kuttan, olan, avyial, kalan, kuttu karri, puzhi-inzi or inzipuzhi, pappadam, payasam, upperi, etc etc….and we ate on banana leaf with everything spread on it…sitting on the floor…and running our hand here and there to avoid payasam from running out of the leaf….burping to glory….and after that a sound afternoon nap….Go for a malayalam movie that will be screened by the “Kerala Samajam” …..and dinner will be the left overs of the lunch preparation…..Ah! those days……

Thanks to my cook. She turned up early in the morning…I helped her with couple of dishes....Had plenty of time to watch couple of shows on Asianet and Sun TV…juggling between the two…My lilliputs hampering in between with Pogo…..My hubby’s cheriamma and his son visited us…We enjoyed the vishu kani in Asianet…they were screening it for sometime...Having got up early in the morning to see the kani, my children went for a second round of siesta in the morning…they slept for solid 2 hours…which helped me in many ways to finish off the remaining household chores…..Around 1 0’ clock, we had our sadhya and my children were delighted to have their lunch on banana leaf which my hubby was lucky enough to grab few pieces from the market…..Funny part is, my children enjoyed the sadhya with cheetos aur “Chotta bheem”…!!!! What a modernization….

Coming to my part…
Here are my Sadhya …….

Sambhar….with mango slices and drumstick….



Morukuttan …..with elavan and lady’s finger…


Bean’s thoran


Mango pacchadi




Brinjal puli kozhambu



Vermicelli Payasam




Paruppu Vada



Happy vishu…

Ragi Sevai Uppuma

We hit the beach yesterday evening (Sunday, 12 April 2009)…. Easter day..…We found some place to sit comfortably and peacefully….my children came armed with their beach play set..they were having gala time…throwing sand at each other….making big mountains….house and whatever they could imagine….After they got bored with the sand, my hubby and children rushed towards the water to enjoy the cold water touching their small feet …..got drenched in the water from top to bottom…..My hubby’s school mate and his family met us up the beach..….We spend some time together and departed when it started to become dark….We snacked on some sondal and masala pori….on the way back home……

Prepared Ragi Sevai uppuma for dinner…A quick and easy one…..

To make Ragi Sevai uppuma:

1. Soak the Ragi Sevai in water for 2-3 minutes. Add salt to this water while soaking. Sieve it so that water drains off completely. Make sure the Ragi Sevai should not become more soggy. Keep it aside. After say 5 minutes, pressure cooker it for 5 minutes.

2. Chop 2 onions and slit 2 green chilies, 2-3 red chilly. Can also add some groundnut and pottu (chutney) kadalai. Some curry leaves for seasoning.

3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadai, add 1 tbsp mustard seed, few uzhudu dhal seed, few kadala paruppu and groundnut and pottu (chutney) kadalai. Sim the burner so that these seeds do not get charred. When the seeds change the color to light brown, add 2 onions chopped, slit 2 green chilies, 2-3 red chilly and fry it until they are done. Add curry leaves and stir fry.

4.Then add the cooked Ragi Sevai to the above mix, and mix it well thoroughly using fork(sim the burner)…….. Voila, Ragi Sevai uppuma!!!!!

Aloo Bread Sandwitch

This weekend, I had been doing some cooking for my family….This is what I made for my children….Kids would love to have a grab….Try it….

To make stuffing for Aloo Bread Sandwitch:

1. Boil couple of big potatoes in a pressure cooker. Once done, peal off the skin and chop it into small pieces or one can mash it with hands and add little salt to taste. Keep it aside.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadai, add few uzhudu dhal seed and few kadala paruppu. Sim the burner so that these dhal seeds do not get charred. When the seeds change the color to light brown, add 2 onions chopped and 2 chopped tomatoes, 2 green chilly, curry leaves and stir fry it. Add salt to taste.
3. To the above seasoning, add chopped or mashed potatoes and mix thoroughly.

To make Aloo Bread Sandwitch:

1. Place the stuffing in between two bread slices.

It could be plain sandwitch bread. I used atta bread.

2. Keep it inside the bread toaster. And remove once it’s surface becomes slight brown.