Beach, Bop ..an evening of pure Bliss

Just returned from the Douglas Beach House at Half Moon bay. The evening was ripe, view was good and we forgot our world a little when Prasanna played Kaathyayani and the Snake Banger's Ball.
An evening well spent in the midst of sheer brilliance and abundant creativity,..we are ready to sleep now for we have to face our earthly mundane tasks tomorrow.

Why is it So hard to change?

K celebrated his birthday recently. Hmm..wasn't much of a celebration, it was a week day and we both were getting ready early - him for his official trip and me to school. We had a quick moment when I dropped him at the airport and drove off to my school. The usual jazz station music did not seem interesting, maybe I wasn't in the mood, so the car was quiet. K's sister had recently visited us for a week and we had a good time together, so this newfound silence alerted me to think something and occupy my mind with something other than the noise from the fellow cars in the freeway. It was a fine morning and the view was quite good. Suddenly I realized it was going to be five years since we got married! Which made me realize we, especially I, haven't changed much in the duration. Sure we have changed our houses, works and the neighborhood, we have been visiting different places but I am talking about the person I am inside. I still feel like the young girl who came here after marriage, looked around and thought I am going to adapt and contribute something to this new world of mine while retaining my original srivilliputtur self. I feel like I have not adapted at all. I still yearn for the fresh, known faces  that smile and greet while I put kolam in front of our house. I still yearn for the fresh breath of tropical air from the coconut, naarthangai and lemon trees with the unparalleled view of Srivilliputtur gopuram(temple tower) in the background. I still yearn for the sight of my dad coming home from the temple with the freshly offered milk to God in his hand and my mom wearing a madisar, offering me the most aromatic coffee in the world with her mookkuthi glittering like a shiny star reflecting the soothing morning light. Most of all, I still yearn for the sight of my paati (paternal grandmother) sitting in the marakkattil (wooden cot) or the oonjal (wooden swing) in the front room with the coffee tumbler in her hand and the prabhantham book/ hindu paper on her side. I still yearn for the arrival of my thaatha (maternal grandfather) with the vellaiappam and kesari (snack and sweet) sitting in the oonjal waiting for me to come from school. The list goes on and on......Then I wonder will my children ever be able to enjoy, observe and appreciate these things as I did. Or the least will they able to understand what these meant to me or they will be consumed with the convenient flashy modern life this country is offering and brush off the things I hold close to my heart. K says most of us have filtered memories. Something catches my attention. Construction going on ahead. Hmm..I have to take a detour through another freeway. Maybe I will be better off sticking with the nearby exit and the surface road. It will take another 10-15 minutes. Gotta go early and finish up my homework....

Usili usili

Even the smell of paruppusili invites the cheerful stomach. If you cut out the fat part in it, it is infact a very good source of protein and fiber. I personally love the texture and the wholesome, filling taste when it slides into the mouth. Well,Vazhaipoo(banana flower) paruppusili is one of my favourites. The vazhaipoo and the whole thing rich in protein,fiber,vitamin A,vitamin C screams goodness. It is very good for feminine health too.
Preparing Vazhaipoo requires special skill and consumes quite some time. Oiling our hands, separating the stems, my favourite is to imagine the end product entering my mouth while I am on the process..;))

Almond flavoured Oatmeal raisin cookies

I like the chewy,textured oatmeal cookies than the crispier ones.And i like almonds too .So here's are the cookies with the combination of almond's flavour and oatmeal's texture.Actually cookies use very little or almost no water which makes them not to raise so much and crispy.Using butter makes them very tasty but more crispy.So I added oil(normal vegetable oil).I found the basic recipe on a Oats box in the supermarket.I dont remember the name.I made a few changes to it.They turned out to be real goodies.

2.5 cups of old fashioned oats(slightly toasted)
1 cup of molasses (i ran out of brown sugar
so i substituted with molasses)
1/2 cup of granulated white sugar
(1/4 +3/4) cup of vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon almond flavouring
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
1 cup of finely chopped almonds
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1+1/4 cups of all purpose flour

After two or three attempts I figured this is how to make good cookies out of this recipe:

Toss the oats with 1/4 cup of oil.Keep them aside for 1/2 hour.Toss them again with 1/4 cup of flour so that it coats the oats.Meanwhile,mix the molasses,3/4 cup of vegetable oil,flavourings.Add almonds to it.In a seperate container,mix the remaining flour ,sugar,baking soda,baking powder and salt very well.Mix both the mixtures.Fold the oats well in to that till it forms a round firm dough.
Using a rounded table spoon,scoop the dough into two cookie sheets.6 per sheet,equally shaped will be good i think.Preheat the oven to 350 F.And bake them at 350 F in the top and middle racks for 12 minutes(Change the sheets after 6 minutes).Cool them for a minute and then tranfer to a plate and cool them for 5 minutes.
Hot oatmeal chewies with almond flavour right to your mouth!!

Cafe Gratitude-Review

K and I were sitting there in the couch on a lazy afternoon with a cup of tea watching TV while watching some program referring to this awesome restaurant called Cafe` Gratitude in San Francisco.We didnt listen at first but what caught our attention was it is a raw food vegan restaurant and that they have a good selection of entrees which are all good.
So we both wanted to give it a try since it sounded different.We expected some sort of salads and soups and usual vegan soy stuff....on that day it was raining heavily and we were like 'it better be good'.But turns out that place is really EXCELLENT.We never thought that vegan food can be much more flavourful(we are vegetarians ..still) and the thin is they were all raw.We both adored our desserts.We ordered assorted crackers with olive,hummus and sourcream dips for our appetizer,indian pilaf and sushi rice bowl for main courses,some almond milk as drink,chocolate fudge and layered coconut cream pie for the dessert.
Everything was so good and the dessert was awesome.My Indian friends ,dont limit yourself to the indian restaurants around here and give this place a try if you ever happen to be in bay area.It is a little pricey but it is worth the experience for sure!!

After a long time...

Thanks to my friends for being patient and asking me once in a while about my blog.Itz been almost eight months since my last post...Eventhough I started writing for a few times in the past,i couldn't bring myself to finish it and i still cannot bring myself to accept the fact that my beloved grandmother is no more with us.I can never forget her image during her final days.
Starting with my wonderful trip to Yosemite with my dear husband till the loss of beloved grandma,i encountered almost all the possible emotions.
I was sitting nearby her thinking about the wonderful moments i had with her for i dont know how long and she was laying there without even a trace of movement.A mother of eight children,she was a witty and smart lady with a vibrant knowledge.She was a passionate cook,an elegant crafter and a lovable person.I think Perseverance is what kept her going through the tough times and the sufferings she encountered.She used to tell me cute and short stories for almost everything saying that it never occured to her to share them with her own children when they were young.
She was 63 years older than me and yes we had quite a few disagreements between us and yet we were able to get along very well.I have always considered myself as her favourite grandchild.Once I was explaining to her about how computers work with internet connection and told her that people can see or hear each other across the globe.Some years later when i was discussing a problem with my mom,grandma interfered and suggested me to use the video conferencing through computers...I was literally standing there with my mouth agape in total surprise at that 83 year old lady who came up with a solution within a matter of seconds..From telling me how to maintain a work relationship with my male friends till convincing me to marry K when my other family members were kind of thinking about sending me across the globe,there were numerous occasions i watched her with utter surprise.Being with her i learnt a lot of things..and along with her memories ,those things will always be with me guiding me.
I should share one thing else i will go sick.During her final days,I was helping my mom to clean my grandmother(she is my mom's mother-in-law)and as mom patiently continued cleaning the wounds,i could not tolerate the smell and got out of the room.A minute later when i returned my mother was still working with the same care and affection without even a tiniest reaction in her face.God knows how many times she did this during those days and everytime with the same care and affection.I was so ashamed of myself for being intolerant and i can never forgive myself for that.But I was and am still so proud of my mom for taking care of her in such an endearing manner.She took good care of grandma all those years but the finals days should have required a lot of endurance and patience coupled with passionate affection.I am ashamed to think of myself as her favourite grandchild for my mom was there standing beside her affectionately caring and feeding her while i ran out like nobody.When I heard that grandmother passed away after having her last sip of her meal from my mom,i was overwhelmed with various emotions.This post and the blog is dedicated to my wonderful mother and my great grandma.

Crazy with Avacados

Thanks to my maami(aunt),this is an amazing fruit i got used to after coming here.Filled with mono unsaturated fat which lowers cholesterol and antioxidants,it is so healthy.Other than using in salads,thanks to my friend sowmya i tried thugaiyal and it was a good accompaniment to have with rice.
One day,i made idli and intended to make some chutney.When i saw inside the refridgerator all i had was 2 avacados and 2 carrots.I just wanted to make the carrot chutney but there was not enough.I half heartedly added the avacado to the chutney and Hurray...the chutney was so good and an instant hit.This is a great side dish for idli,dosa,dhokla,rice....This is a healthy food you can make instead of the coconut chutney.It can be used as a dip too.

Ingredients:
1 ripe avacado
2 carrots chopped or grated
1/2 of a medium sized onion
1/2 tsp mustard(kaduhu)
1 tsp of black and bengal gram dhal
(udaicha ulutham paruppu and kadalai paruppu)
3-4 dry red chillies(milahai vatral)
1 1/2 tsp salt

Heat a tablespoon of oil,add mustard,dhals,chillies and asafoetida in the same order after the mustard crackles.When the dhals slightly change their colors,add the onion and carrots.Saute until the carrots' color start to change.Remove from fire and let it cool for 3-4 minutes.In the meanwhile remove the outer skin and the pit of avacado.When the carrots are cool,grind them along with the avacado with the salt.If u want a thick dip,have it as it is.Or add 1/4 cup of water.Enjoy!
This is my second entry to WBB.

idli with avacado chutney and milahai podi

Almond ,date cake with honeyed raisins and walnuts

I wanted to try an eggless cake with spices and nuts and i read in a vegan site that both flaxseeds and bananas can be substituted for eggs.Two ripe bananas were in my refridgerator for the past one week and i was thinking of baking.I really was in the mood for baking and here is my Almond,date cake with honeyed raisins and walnuts.I added some cinnamon and nutmeg to give a woody flavor.

After 15 minutes of work and 25 minutes for baking,the outcome was quite pleasing and satisfying.The cake was good,moist and springy.It is a good thing to have as during a lazy weekend morning with a cup of coffee or remove the edge part,cut two slices,sandwich them with whipped cream mixed with sliced strawberries,pour some on the top as well and u have got a wonderful dessert.......

Here is the recipe,
2 ripe bananas,
1 tbsp baking soda,
1/2 tsp baking powder,
1 cup oil,(u can use melted butter too)
1/2 cup milk,
1 cup of sugar,
1.5 cups of all purpose flour,
1/4 cup of powdered almonds(i used trader joe's almond meal)
1/4 cup chopped dates
and
1/4 cup of raisins and walnuts
( soaked in 1/2 cup of honey for 15 minutes)

1 tsp of cinnamon and nutmeg each(u can use allspice powder too)

I whisked the bananas into a smooth paste,added the almond powder,baking soda and powder.Beat it until fluffy,add the oil,sugar and then the flour.Blend them well using the whisk.Then add the milk if its is tight.(It was tight for me).Beat until the mixture blends well and becomes flowy.

the mixture

Spread the chopped dates and pour the mixture in the greased cake pan,pour the honeyed mixture on top carefully.
Preheat oven to 350F.Bake for 25-30 minutes until the inserted fork comes clean.

fresh out of the oven

the cake

I am submitting this as my entry to WBB#12 Spice It Up.

Jack fruit seed kulambu

I simply love jackfruits...the very sight of that fruit makes me happier.I have the beautiful memories of having jackfruit with honey and jaggery with my amma(mom) and paati(grand ma) in the olungai at our home back in srivilliputtur.Olungai is the pathway that connects the hall and the backyard.When the jackfruit season is over,we used to eat the roasted and steamed palaakkottai(jackfruit seed) seasoned with salt and chilli powder.It was a delicious and filling snack.My Paati loves jackfruit too.But she used to say she had left it in kaasi(varanasi-a holy city in northern india).Some people say that if someone can leave three things they love so much in kaasi(they should never touch them again),they are strong enough and good things will happen to aid their strong will.
Well,coming to the point,palaakottai kulambu is one thing i love.The seed is not sweet like the fruit and it has its own unique taste which combined with the tamarind and seasonings give a good flavor.I really wanted to participate in JFI-jackfruit and i did try to find a jackfruit.Wherever i find the word grocery i marched right inside and asked about jackfruit.I even tried the produce market and the fruit has been sold out.Maybe i didnt try enough.
Anyhow,I patted myself with a "better luck next time" and determined to post an article.Here it is ....without a photo.
Here is the palaaakottai kulambu recipe,
Take 9-10 jackfruit seeds,slightly roast them.Boil one and half cups of light tamarind water along with sambhar powder,the jackfruit seeds,salt,turmeric and asafoetida.After 5 minutes of boiling,remove from fire.
Thiruppumaruvathu/thaalipathu are the prevailing words for seasoning in tamil.
Well for thiruppumaara/thaalikka,take mustard seeds,bengal gram ,black gram seeds,a pinch of fenugreek seeds,asafoetida,4-5 dry chillies and curry leaves.
Heat oil and add the ingredients in order and put them in the kulambu.Boil for a minute.
Here is the palaakottai kulambu.

Chowchow(Chayote squash) thugaiyal

Here I am with another recipe of my mom.I used to hate ChowChow or chayote squash.Whether its the thorny outer skin or the taste,i dont know..somehow i didn't like it until my mom found a wonderful way to make me eat it.Yep,she started making chow chow thugaiyal.Now-a-days i even like the chow chow poricha kootu.Chow Chow puli kootu was another way my mom followed to make me eat it..will write about it another day.The truth is I have started craving for my amma's kootu's.
Well,here is her thugaiyal recipe.

Ingredients:

Chow Chow(chayote squash) - 1 medium sized(peeled and cut into small pieces)
Tamarind(lime-sized) or
Tamarind paste - 1 Tablespoon
Shredded Coconut - 1 Tablespoon
Mustard seeds - 1 Teaspoon
Black Gram seeds - 1.5 Teaspoon
Bengal gram seeds - 1.5 Teaspoon
Red (dry) Chillies - 4 or 5
curry leaves - few

Heat a spoon of oil in a skillet,put mustard seeds and when it starts crackling,add asafoetida(perungayam),turmeric powder,black and bengal gram seeds(ulutham paruppu and kadalai paruppu.)When it starts changing its color,add chillies,coconut and curry leaves.Roast the chow chow pieces along with them.Let them cool for sometime and grind them all into a smooth paste with tamarind paste and two teaspoons of salt using very little amount of water.Now the chow chow thugaiyal is ready to be eaten.
I poured the tamarind paste in skillet while roasting and added half a bunch of cilantro(kothumalli) for the flavor.
This thugaiyal tastes better with plain rice,curd or lemon rice and with idlis.



chow chow thugaiyal with brown rice and asparagus curry

A Visit to my Husband's alma mater-UC Santa Barbara - A Trip Down Memory lane

On this weekend,we went to my husband's alma mater-University of California Santa Barbara.


The view of the lagoon from the university center

A University situated on the beautiful coastline of the pacific ocean.The beautiful landscape,the buildings rising from the bedside of the lagoon,the lively town....everything was a feast.Even the trip to the university was so beautiful that we were travelling along the pacific coastline on one side and the dashing californian mountains on the other.


The Pacific coastline


The central tower and its reflection in the lagoon

The weather was also very pleasant.We-(me,my husband and his parents) had a great time there.With the M.S.Subbulakshmi's great annamacharya renditions on the background,we enjoyed a drive which pleased all our senses.
One trivia I learned about UCSB was it has bicycle lanes paved all over campus and one of the highest density of bicycles in the country.The bicycle racks were each different from the others.
A trip down his memory lane,my man was all about his college days....


The central tower


Another view of the lagoon

An utterly enjoyable experience full of fun during which we,all of us,even made up a poem....
Here it is :)

santa barbara veeduhal
malai mael koduhal
oorvalam pola kaaru
therke pohuthu paaru
uyare malaimuhadu paaru
manasil inba aaru
inge kadalalai mothum
kaatralai meniyai thazhuvum
ithu iyarkaiyin aanantha kolam
athuthan ennavar kalloori kaalam

Masala Chai

Eventhough I like Chai,I was not a huge fan of chai when i was in India.My family especially my father likes my strong ginger tea very much which we have occasionally but we take coffee normally.After I came here,thanks to my sister-in-law(she hates coffee),i got used to evening time tea ceremony.Eventhough we both like indian chai most,we used to buy Trader Joe's Earl Grey and Irish Breakfast tea bags.
After some time, reading about all the goodness of loose tea leaves,I started buying loose tea and there started my journey for a perfect chai.I even tried these indian chai bags along with the loose tea.But somehow i was not satisfied.After trying out different things,atlast i was satisfied with this recipe of mine.Even though it involves some effort,the result is quite satisfying and of course an evening with a cup of masala chai is always a treat.
Here is my recipe,

Tea leaves - 1 and a half Teaspoon
Cardamom pieces
(aelakkai) - 2
Cinnamon powder
(pattai) - 1/4 teaspoon
Cloves(kraambu) - 3/4 pieces
Pepper(milahu) - 2-3 pieces
Ginger(inji) - a small piece
Dry ginger powder
(sukku) - 1/4 teaspoon
Water - 3/4 cup

Boil the water,add ginger.When the water begins to change its color,add cinnamon powder,dry ginger powder.Then add the tealeaves and let it boil for 2-3 min.Add crushed pepper.Then add 1/4 -1/2 cup of milk.Boil for some more time and add powdered cardamom and clove pieces.Let boil for a minute.
Drain them into a tea cup and here is a hot cup of chai!If you want it more flavourful and strong add the sugar and let boil for 2 more minutes.
You can add some fresh mint leaves if u like.I made it for two people and here is the picture.

Masala chai with its ingredients

In-Law's Wedding Anniversary

Today,my husband's parents are happily stepping into their 33rd year of togetherness.
We are so happy to be with them this year.We made my mother-in-law slid the ring we presented them into my father-in-law's finger.It was fun.
HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY TO MY DEAR IN-LAWS!

Welcome to my page

I am from Srivilliputtur,the birthplace of Sri Andal,a great poetess/goddess.I was nurtured,taught and moulded by the wonderful mixture of tamil traditional culture there.I am a vegetarian who simply loves food adore the art of cooking,baking and presenting food in an effort to please both the taste buds and eyes.
My mom used to say that every thing you carefully prepare with love and affection as offering to others will never taste bad.Being in the internet world,this blog is my attempt to share the signature recipes of my paatis(grand ma) and my amma (mom) and my fond memories and experiences.I firmly beleive that this will give a meaning to their dedication for the art of cooking. I have added to this eclectic themes from cuisines around the world while retaining the Indian soul in every dish.Due to my husband's help and my sister-in-law's encouragement,here it is....

My First Post - Amma's MysorePa
Whenever I think of Deepavali MysorePa is the first thing that comes to my mind.A few days before deepavali,during a nice evening ,the pleasant aroma of mysorepa fills the entire house and we will get ready for deepavali and the array of bhakshanams that will be in our evening snack plates in the forthcoming days.Everytime she makes it perfect in every aspect - the yellowish brown color,the texture and it will melt in your mouth the instant you put it in your mouth.Here is her recipe,

Ingredients :

Powdered sugar - 3 cups
Water - 1 cup
Freshly prepared
and hot ghee - 1.5 cups(melt butter in stove or use microwave)
Milk - 2 tablespoons
Bengalgramflour- 1 cup

In a nonstick or a heavy bottomed vessel,boil the water,when small bubbles start to form pour the sugar.When the sugar fully disappears,put the milk in small amounts and remove the semi white residue that forms with a spoon(this step is optional).In the meanwhile ,sieve the flour,roast it very slightly.Put the flour into the boiling sugar solution at once.You have to be careful here and stirring continuously.When the flour is thoroughly mixed (it will take only a minute),pour the hot ghee slowly while stirring continuously(you can do it alone if you have the skill and confidence or you can make your sweet husband do it!),the ghee should fully mix with the flour.Stop stirring when the mixture starts to rise slightly and tiny bubbles form at the sides.
Immediately pour it in a well greased plate and level it.(if it came perfect you need not level it on your own).Let it be for 10 minutes.Cut shapes using a knife and let it cool for another 10 minutes before it melts in your mouth..
In my opinion,the flawless hot and fresh ghee is what does the magic.
Here is the picture after my trial.Eventhough it lacked my amma's kaimanam(the special touch of her hand),it came out quite good.