Love Legumes - Mochai Pulikuzhambu

'Failures teach you that life's nothing but an already prepared draft.... and whenever you face them, it always seems you've been rehearsing for a play that's never going to be staged.'  But never stop rehearsing until your last breath.... because only doing something will keep you alive. You never know which of the plays would be staged and when.... Always remember that only the rolling stone catches no moss. So move on and on... no matter whatever tries to stop you. 

This mochai pulikuzhambu is a very quick curry you can prepare for your rice. That too, when you have the frozen ones in hand, its all the more easier!!!!! 

Healthy Veggie - A Tindora Stir-fry

Tindora is one of the veggies that came onto my plate only after I entered the kitchen. Its popularly known as Kovaikai in my place. Whenever I cook this veggie, I get a comment at home stating that its a 'Goat's Munch'.... meaning it was grazed only by the cattle a few decades earlier until its health benefits were revealed to our race. This humble veggie not only keeps a check on the blood sugar level but also an antioxidant and an immune system modulator.

Life is never fair !!!

IF you can keep your head when all about you 

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;

If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools: 

If you can make one heap of all your winnings 

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

- Rudyard Kipling

Cauliflower Curry

This curry is quite simple to make but very flavourful and delicious.... Cauliflower known mostly for its cancer preventing qualities is also rich in dietary fibres and is also a low caloried veggie..... and capable of playing a vital role in dieting.... (unless you deep fry them for a manchurian or 65 !!!!!!!!!!) 

Zuchinni Bread

Belated 'Women's Day' wishes to all women and especially to those in my life...... A special thanks to you dear mom and sis.... for being my strength...... as always.... :-)

I baked this bread a week before not only to have a healthy snack, but also to finish up the zuchinni he bought from the market that week.... I was surprised to see such a huge zuchinni.... It was nearly 4 kg, just one zuchinni... it was such a HUGE one.... ( I should have taken a snap of it!!!) 

Honey Wheat Fruit Muffins

The budget for this this financial year is all to be set out today..... Hopefully it would be a gifting budget as this is the last budget before the elections in the centre, due in 2014..... So I think there might not be much to worry about..... Already the prices of all the commodities have been sky rocketing and there are already much reasons to be concerned of.... 

Spinach Poriyal

 

I've not been able to update for the past few days due to my health conditions.... and now getting back to normal, I wanted to post this Spinach Poriyal... When I just scrolled down my posts, I was surprised to see that off-late I've posted quite a lot of recipes with one Green or the other.... I gave a pat on my back.... Healthy Cooking!!!!!!!!! The post today is a very simple one.... yet a healthy and delicious recipe...

Dal Palak Curry

I think you would have come across the photos of Balachandran Prabhakaran shot dead..... What a horrible scene.... that too showing that 12 year old boy eating snacks just minutes before he was shot dead was all the more horrorful.... Where is this world heading? What would have that boy known about the politics revolving around him? Who ever might have done it, there could never at all be any justification.....

Capsicum Curry

Do you know that capsicum is botanically a fruit, which are considered a vegetable in the same manner as tomatoes? They are also known as sweet pepper, paprika, bell pepper, jalapeno and chilli.... So if you hear any of these names, don't be confused, they are all the same colourful ones you shop in the market... As far as I searched round the net, I did not come across any differences in the health benefits depending on their color... they all are packed with the same nutritional values as their coloured counterparts except that the green ones are younger with a more intense flavour while the others are sweeter and milder, all suitable for eating either fresh or cooked.....

Blueberry Coulis topped Panna Cotta

Have you ever had panna cotta? If not, its high time you taste one..... This is one of the best desserts I've ever had... I came across this recipe in Edible Garden and since then I wanted to give it a try.... but postponed it as it involved cream and sugar which he totally avoids..... so making it for myself and having to not share it, though an idea at its best.... but in action, the thought of all calories for one person, held myself back.... So when we invited friends for dinner, at once this dessert popped into my head.... and there I was completely overjoyed with the outcome..... Everyone loved it.... and it was a hit at home....

Vendakkai Pulikuzhambu

What is your stand on death sentence for any crime or terrorism? The News channels are buzzing for the past two days on the hanging of Afsal Guru. He was convicted on the parliament attack case of 2004... I clearly remember this incident.... some of those security personnel gave up their lives to safeguard the parliamentarians. It was said that one of the security guards was holding tight on to the gates even after he was dead... I was taken aback by his duty consciousness then, and realised that even when peole like us sit down complaining about politicians and politics, there are some, who carry out their duty sincerely.... to the core. If it was not for them, most of our politicians would not be breathing their lives today.... How are they going to pay back??????

Dal Broccoli Stir-fry

Atlast the movie 'Vishwaroopam' has finally reached the screens a couple of days back..... I saw the movie yesterday, it was good.... the tremendous effort of the artist is visible in all aspects and it needs a special mention for the effort itself.... The screenplay was good and quite interesting.... It was a movie worth the wait.....

Mushroom Dry Curry

Mushrooms are literally excellent packets of nutrition.... and I usually have them atleast twice a week as they are a great weight loss food.. which are incredibly tasty... the rarest of combinations you could find.... In addition it is loaded with abundant disease fighting properties and is an excellent source of potassium which lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of stroke..... all such things kept apart, they are very very tasty....

and it can even be the only reason for me loving these white buttons....

Moong Dal Palak

"Letting go doesn't mean giving up, but rather accepting that there are things that cannot be changed".....I do not know who said this line, but when I read them, my mind whispered.... so, there are people experiencing things like me.... but, this is what is ignored, when you utter... this is what, people who always have things falling in the right place deny to accept.... so its not that bad as you always feel, at letting things go.... it has to happen at some point...... to feel peace at mind....

Eggless Butterless Orange Cake

For over the past few days, the tamil film 'Vishwaroopam', has literally attained vishwaroopam, due to its controversies in release... Its really disheartening to see that freedom of expression in art is slowly tainting... Already India has lost an explicit artist like M.F.Hussain, who did not even have his last breath in his homeland.... 

Zuchinni Stir-fry

Zuchinni is one of the veggies which holds a place in my market bag, not because its easily cooked but mostly because of its health benefits. It is one of the low calorie vegetables with absolutely no saturated fats or cholesterol. So is there a reason to look for cooking beyond this? I've already posted Oven baked crispy Zuchinni and Zuchinni Pachadi. Here's another on to this collection.....

Green Peas Gravy

Though the fresh green peas has a lovely hint of sweet taste, that's always missing in the store bought frozen ones, yet they also contain that pack of nutrients which always come handy when its an off season for the veggie. Here, I'm mostly left with these frozen ones.... and they can be made into healthy gravies in no time... Remember, these peas are rich in antioxidants.......low in calories and rich in dietary fiber .. And with no cream added to the gray in their making process... they are all the more healthier... So what are you waiting for????? The original source of the recipe is here and I've added my touches to make it even more low caloried...

Egg Curry

Yesterday, as we were on a walk along the waterfront, I was really very amazed to see the rise of the moon from the waterline..... remember it was a full moon day.... and with a boat sailing across..... it was just picture perfect... I blamed myself for leaving my canon baby at home.... unattended... when it could have been fed heavily with this sight.... Oh poor baby :-(  .....

Pavakkai Masala / Bittergourd Curry

One of the veggies that I've always avoided since my early days is this bitter gourd ... I totally hated them for their bitterness... Amma used to love these and she tried all her means to put this into my tummy... she even tried out deep frying them into chips...  but still I averted them all together.... I think I was in a pre-conceived notion that they could never taste pleasant... and moreover in those days, I hardly gave any thought to 'Eat Healthy, Live Healthy' .....

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!! This is my 75th post... I wanted to put up something special......... and special to me, means something from the cake family.... Yes! this is a blueberry muffin with a streusel topping.... (Though I'm an ardent fan of plain cakes, I made this one on an extra special note.... doesn't that sound interesting?) 

Idli Podi

One of the versatile ingredient of every south indian household is this 'Idli Podi'. Though I wasn't a very big fan of this podi, before coming here.... now I've become one of its greatest admirer, not only b'cos it cuts out my preparation time by half but also b'cos it carries all my amma's manam with it, every time I heap it on to my plate.... Amma made me a huge pack when I started from India and it lasted for almost an year :-) .... Whenever I popped out the packet... I could feel her in it... It reminds me of the day she made this podi, the whole house was filled with that aroma... she had that fragrance all over her for that entire day.... "Miss you so much amma.... Wish you were here with me......" 

Semiya Pulao

'If  something happens in your life, it just happens.... why should it mean something?' -What a wonderful line!! Isn't it? This is from the 'Life of Pi'....It was so astounding, and it made me wonder.....that if only we could stop the search for meanings, for all the happenings in life...... how happy could we be? That is the most blessed way you can ever live....Am I sounding too philosophical?? Ok then, we'll move on to today's recipe....

Keerai Masiyal

When I saw this week's 'Neeya Naana' show, at first I thought that the topic wasn't one concerned with human interest..... as it dealt with 'faces'. But in due course of the show, especially towards the end, it turned out to be heart melting..... I was totally surprised when the 'lady with the half face' was so calm and composed with no grudge at all.... even towards the man who hurted her to this extent... It made me feel ashamed of complaining at life many-a-times for quite silly things which can just be passed over like nothing... and infused the thought that 'Life for many out there, is more miserable than what they deserve'....

Oven Baked Crispy Zuchinni

There I come with another Zuchinni recipe.... I had two of them left after making the Zuchinni pachadi and wanted to bake something with them.... I came across this, and it excited me to the core... that I immediately made them for lunch... and had it along with rasam rice.... I liked it a lot, though he did not show much enthusiasm.... as he felt that it has to be more hot!!!!! 

Mushroom Peas Korma

Bored of the usual Mushroom gravy?? Yes, I was!!!! So, when I started to look out for an out-of-the-box recipe, I came across this one...  Try this out..... It's quite a different one with mushrooms. It goes along well with both rice and roti.... The original recipe called for coconut, but as usual I avoided it.... but the taste was still good... And also I roasted the items before grinding... which added a flavor to the gravy.... So just grab a pack of these buttons and try your hands at these.....

Zuchinni Pachadi

Zuchinni is one of the veggies that was introduced to me only very recently.... It can be quickly cooked..... and very healthy indeed...... This time I tried out a chutney with it... It came out really well with a tangy taste and was a very good side dish for dosa's.... The next day I had it mixed with rice and ghee.... it was tooo divine.....The original recipe is here... Just give it a try.....

Pumpkin Pie

Have you ever seen the movie 'Waitress'? It is quite a good one to be watched..... If not for the full movie, atleast the first few minutes (title card scenes) should definitely be seen if you love to see food on screen. Especially here, it is, in and out pies, pies... pies.... I bet you'll start drooling before the movie starts.... It is a visual treat for food lovers like me..... 

Thalsa

Whenever there's Biriyani made at home, it is always married to, either the Kathirikai kosthu or this Thalsa. The most important factor to be kept in mind is that this recipe is a ZERO OIL recipe.... When Biriyani is made with all the world's richness... this thalsa stands by it with all the humbleness.... (I hope even weddings in life are all about this....though each may be contradicting to the other... yet together they always stand divine.... Hope I'm not getting tooo philosophical!!!!!!!!!!!)

Mutton Biriyani

Wish you all A very very Happy New Year :-) Hope you all receive bundles of surprises on the happier note in this 2013..... I thought of opening this year with a special post.... a grand one indeed..... what else could it be than a Biriyani!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The recipe source is my mom (the special ever loving lady of my life).. I don't know how far mine could stand on par with hers..... but still this is wonderful enough to bring smiles in all the faces after the very taste of it.... Its quite simple enough.... so just give it a try and see the magic!!!!!!!!