tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16165303369586926882024-02-19T08:40:52.856+01:00SchmetterlingWordsflying high and far...schmetterlingwordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09037170615147590250noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616530336958692688.post-24172164122881466502012-09-30T14:41:00.001+02:002012-09-30T14:41:38.798+02:00Keukenhof, The Netherlands<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justified;" trbidi="on">
It seems a Herculean task to get back to blogging after a long gap. Yes, this time, it has been a very long break and I must say, I didn't regret making it. However, I'm glad to be back again and have already started peeping into fellow bloggers' updates. Now, I wish to share with you all some of the beautiful memories we had during our unforgettable trip to the Netherlands.<br />
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It was in the Spring of this year that we visited the flower paradise on earth :) I should say, it was a long cherished dream fulfilled for me. I had been waiting for more than four years for this trip. Every year in Spring we planned visiting the Netherlands and somehow it would get cancelled. So, until we stepped into our car and half way through, I didn't believe we were really making it.<br />
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We were four in number, along with another couple and we started from home on a Thursday morning. We had booked an apartment for four days in <i>Noordwijk</i>, a coastal town in the South Holland province. Noordwijk was a pleasant surprise for us. We were initially concerned if it would turn out to be a boring place. We were completely wrong there. After checking in to the hotel around 4 in the evening and little refreshing, we walked straight to the beach in front of the hotel.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixumnS_sibq4-XcCUSePc5s7hyOqcaddttbLAlhuGsDG6i6cKDNUHJ6WeVODnbJ_wtA7F9Yt1Isrhzb98nTlvvrfH6CWMX21UkifHt6z4YZWMm-pyoHPFvpsxPDM8LRD2ZIqpd0rZMGLqc/s1600/Noordwijk_Sunset.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixumnS_sibq4-XcCUSePc5s7hyOqcaddttbLAlhuGsDG6i6cKDNUHJ6WeVODnbJ_wtA7F9Yt1Isrhzb98nTlvvrfH6CWMX21UkifHt6z4YZWMm-pyoHPFvpsxPDM8LRD2ZIqpd0rZMGLqc/s1600/Noordwijk_Sunset.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset over the Atlantic at Noordwijk beach</td></tr>
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I must admit, it was the best beach I had ever seen till date. It was sheer tranquility. A vast stretch of fine sand. A thin film of crystal clear water over the fine sand for a few feet followed by the waves of the ocean. At that evening time, we had the beach almost to ourselves and we witnessed a very beautiful sunset. A few kids were flying kites in a distance. There was a gush of cold wind on one side and the mild warmth of the golden setting sun on the other side. All we could hear were the waves and the songs of the sea gulls. We spent a good hour enjoying the serenity and taking snaps. After the sun has set, we took a long walk along the beach and returned to the hotel.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwefIuYcABsB_x_QzJB_sZySSVYaqTvK7L3rgbYk1M44eLitL-OEe8iXVZ-u8swF4_YfHcvLbSSRCDpQLD75NXCsF0LA85lEUM56l7-PEENlyeizBAs5U6iu7QV0rut2hSrQEZdxZzGn8u/s1600/Noordwijk_Lighthouse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwefIuYcABsB_x_QzJB_sZySSVYaqTvK7L3rgbYk1M44eLitL-OEe8iXVZ-u8swF4_YfHcvLbSSRCDpQLD75NXCsF0LA85lEUM56l7-PEENlyeizBAs5U6iu7QV0rut2hSrQEZdxZzGn8u/s1600/Noordwijk_Lighthouse.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lighthouse at Noordwijk beach</td></tr>
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It was a beautiful morning the next day. We had a hearty breakfast at our hotel, where they served at our table in person (not like the usual buffet breakfast). There were huge spongy black breads and I was wondering how black bread could be so soft ;). And, it was soon time for the highlight of our trip. We headed to the Keukenhof. For those who do not know, <i>Keukenhof</i> is just a big park, where beautiful flowers of the Netherlands are put in display during Spring and visited by thousands of tourists every year.<br />
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The Keukenhof is located in <i>Lisse</i>, a small town in South Holland, south-west of Amsterdam. It is a good 30 mins drive from Noordwijk to Lisse and the way goes through the renowned bulb region of Holland. Tulip is my favourite flower and naturally, I was super excited to witness vast farmlands cultivating Tulips. It is only a few weeks in April-May every year during Spring and we were there at the right time to see the flowers beautifully blooming in every farm in rows of different colours. Some of our friends who have visited the region before have told that when they went the farms were empty or that the Tulips were still buds, etc. So, it is very important to be there at the right time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdvyKT1zTnuWakT163lAXqD0vGWX1BGNszhjiVyicFTyDa9lm7VwzhDKC0m1Fuc4iXqK8fAnIFeLsjOKFqqyw10hY-zANwL1eXGYsiG3nQlGubVrwBbUfbkgJazXHmc0TaTpTWgppM9rd/s1600/Noordwijk_Tulipfarm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdvyKT1zTnuWakT163lAXqD0vGWX1BGNszhjiVyicFTyDa9lm7VwzhDKC0m1Fuc4iXqK8fAnIFeLsjOKFqqyw10hY-zANwL1eXGYsiG3nQlGubVrwBbUfbkgJazXHmc0TaTpTWgppM9rd/s1600/Noordwijk_Tulipfarm.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tulip farms in the bulb region of the Netherlands</td></tr>
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Here, I must not miss to tell you the charming country the Netherlands is. We were seeing the rows of beautiful Dutch houses with typical red bricks as the outer walls. Each house has a small garden in front, which is being passionately maintained by the owners displaying colourful flowers. Also, most houses have big french windows and a small platform before the curtains would sport an array of artistic Deco items, which kept me ogling at every house.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuZn0lZqIZPf9xdoaMz2R_0lOWJhqu104agBRMaGX7EZFBNjDyWsYiiJYRrV2rmzRoJMgg_4H3Q8AyQBXgfXzjWtpDdPK1FdmqJP-6eWxQiy1fHBcfOMOizlqGFhmo6aGtBAZKSCE4iIJS/s1600/keukenhof_pink_tulips.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuZn0lZqIZPf9xdoaMz2R_0lOWJhqu104agBRMaGX7EZFBNjDyWsYiiJYRrV2rmzRoJMgg_4H3Q8AyQBXgfXzjWtpDdPK1FdmqJP-6eWxQiy1fHBcfOMOizlqGFhmo6aGtBAZKSCE4iIJS/s1600/keukenhof_pink_tulips.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful pink tulips at the Keukenhof</td></tr>
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Enjoying these scenaries, we reached the Keukenhof. Right from the entrance, we were busy taking photographs. We were filled with awe on seeing the hundreds of varieties of Tulips in different sizes, shapes, and colours.They were beautifully arranged along with other flowers and we spent the entire day there at the park. The weather was gloomy for about one or two hours and then it was fair and sunny. My favourite were the pink and purple ones.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLdNekQRVK_vG7ybhDOfKIm7FBW8FFzCKXVULILoPo1kUjUKwEhUANZvNRBgRrHrK6B3fAuuBU2YZNpFeWjAYFlDtHrkLKu4Wt5AgNhiko4cLF1cPTBjwcs8CBU7BMfFzLQPsO94dauZs/s1600/keukenhof_daffodils.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLdNekQRVK_vG7ybhDOfKIm7FBW8FFzCKXVULILoPo1kUjUKwEhUANZvNRBgRrHrK6B3fAuuBU2YZNpFeWjAYFlDtHrkLKu4Wt5AgNhiko4cLF1cPTBjwcs8CBU7BMfFzLQPsO94dauZs/s1600/keukenhof_daffodils.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daffodils at the Keukenhof</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoCCvRy8ziWgoudTpZ7kiQu6kIPq6ijxZ4zgILGwQlT-oArWD-qFWr78IPocOCID1S0xuUcqUmMizpliUOHAUOE7s1hhQMHm8NQ91YsjfaaD0toRVpROeJX20vzQYtWHrS2_ENiFriaOl/s1600/keukenhof_hayacinth.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoCCvRy8ziWgoudTpZ7kiQu6kIPq6ijxZ4zgILGwQlT-oArWD-qFWr78IPocOCID1S0xuUcqUmMizpliUOHAUOE7s1hhQMHm8NQ91YsjfaaD0toRVpROeJX20vzQYtWHrS2_ENiFriaOl/s1600/keukenhof_hayacinth.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rows of purple Hyacinth at the Keukenhof</td></tr>
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It is not only Tulips which steal the show. Other Spring babies like Daffodils and Hyacinth are also to be witnessed in full bloom almost in every farm. I have learned Wordsworth's famous poem "The Daffodils" at school and it was then that I saw those in real life. Hyacinth was completely new to me. They were small sized flowers compared to the other two, but also to be seen in many colours like Tulips. The significance is their enchanting smell.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgenZalSQtFyjLhPpRvDb-x3mvabFxapP4WOlJSKTuIPy0tUJosDNHIL4FHTwMwOmaIbuYz28l_MW5hLf5QRrkBh7aGlvHSnNBm3c55xuyO2GpQUoEg15fA2k0ecwOdMsZMKHDyAheSAXQO/s1600/keukenhof_tulips.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgenZalSQtFyjLhPpRvDb-x3mvabFxapP4WOlJSKTuIPy0tUJosDNHIL4FHTwMwOmaIbuYz28l_MW5hLf5QRrkBh7aGlvHSnNBm3c55xuyO2GpQUoEg15fA2k0ecwOdMsZMKHDyAheSAXQO/s1600/keukenhof_tulips.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Keukenhof</td></tr>
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We could never get tired of witnessing thousands of flowers, but then they were about to close the park and we had to leave. I had a good night's sleep, dreams full of flowers.<br />
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As this post has become unexpectedly long, I'm saving the rest of my narrative for the next part. Hope you have enjoyed my experiences till now ;)</div>
schmetterlingwordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09037170615147590250noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616530336958692688.post-86035547418048905172012-07-23T12:00:00.000+02:002012-07-23T12:00:21.251+02:00Healthy Morsels - Baby and Toddler Foods Roundup<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" trbidi="on">
Dear Food Bloggers,
We, Healthy Morsels Team is really happy to get connected with you all through this roundup after a long gap. Our sincere apologies for the delay in the roundup, due to unavoidable circumstances we postponed this roundup for a few weeks. We are now here to thank everyone who have been with us all through this journey.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhbcs5jKD74NkSuq3xwG53zNEVBOR00rm5gHEqwHDxuNjZcKwJQxCcnjuf4A_BbpGBPe1OWjKVhpeiqHxoQiueGTjtc5sxVNny0Uh5KbTssVgZXENtXNarDW_vgzE0iVNkoILRPjwPutZ/s320/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhbcs5jKD74NkSuq3xwG53zNEVBOR00rm5gHEqwHDxuNjZcKwJQxCcnjuf4A_BbpGBPe1OWjKVhpeiqHxoQiueGTjtc5sxVNny0Uh5KbTssVgZXENtXNarDW_vgzE0iVNkoILRPjwPutZ/s320/3.jpg" /></a></div>
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Our Healthy Morsels began with the most exciting part of every woman’s life, pregnancy and then continued as one of the important responsibilities of women, feeding the baby. No matter whether she has one kid or five kids, every mum cares and takes responsibilty for every single food which a baby intakes. As we all know, the first food and the food which is given in the early years for a baby or toddler plays an important role with the health of the baby.<br />
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Our wonderful food bloggers and experienced mums have shared some of their fantastic recipes and useful tips with us. Please don’t forget to go through all the recipes which we received for the event. We hope that these recipes will be a treat to your baby and toddler and it’ll also make life easier for all new mums. To view all the entries for Healthy Morsels - Baby and Toddler Foods click <a href="http://schmetterlingwords.blogspot.de/2012/05/healthy-morsels-baby-and-toddler-foods.html">here</a>.<br />
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We would like thank again to each and everyone who supported us through this event and making it a grand success. We sincerely hope that we would receive the same support and enthusiastic participation in our future events too. Every single contribution lies behind the success of this event. As a token of appreciation and to express our gratitude we would like give this badge to all the participants of Healthy Morsels - Baby and Toddler Foods. Please accept our heartfelt thanks by collecting this badge.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMIImMMeOGrp6tQEzSAETnuUq7-Xu-ZmSVFCnNE3pD4NOtCZ9qYU6bd9qvMeJp-e3poa2VaSbESCPb3-ruwyzdZ37vnxp9WShlrt13sb7BlQXE-xO7h1oGz-3H47dg3IbfCciClLLerJoF/s320/particpationlogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMIImMMeOGrp6tQEzSAETnuUq7-Xu-ZmSVFCnNE3pD4NOtCZ9qYU6bd9qvMeJp-e3poa2VaSbESCPb3-ruwyzdZ37vnxp9WShlrt13sb7BlQXE-xO7h1oGz-3H47dg3IbfCciClLLerJoF/s320/particpationlogo.jpg" /></a></div>
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We would also like to thank our non blogger friends, who were kind enough to share their recipes with us.<br />
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Souha has send us a rich creamy dessert Keskul and here she explains the recipe to us
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<i>KEŞKÜL</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrS5v1J26cIhQm7Ifaveyb0p7Kelm5LMVfiV7JB7MCmc7Ha1WFwL0cZgQnttqWmKY601UExSLinNtXe6FrYXjwUcmR0w4utRF4YGp5BiqU7ndAsdE__E9ef0H1d9y_0GNzYwHE5sGS9E/s1600/keskul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrS5v1J26cIhQm7Ifaveyb0p7Kelm5LMVfiV7JB7MCmc7Ha1WFwL0cZgQnttqWmKY601UExSLinNtXe6FrYXjwUcmR0w4utRF4YGp5BiqU7ndAsdE__E9ef0H1d9y_0GNzYwHE5sGS9E/s400/keskul.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Keshkul (KEŞKÜL) is a Turkish dessert made of milk ,rise flour , corn starch and almonds these are the main ingredients, some Turkish people add one egg yolk others don’t but this recipe has more rich flavor because off apple and cinnamon I think this recipe is suitable for Baby and Toddler. </i><br />
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<i>Ingredients: </i><br />
<i> 1/3 cup ground almonds </i><br />
<i> 4 cups milk (1 liter) </i><br />
<i> 4 tablespoons granulated sugar </i><br />
<i> 3 tablespoons rice flour </i><br />
<i>1 tablespoon of corn starch </i><br />
<i>5 apples </i><br />
<i>½ cup granulated sugar </i><br />
<i>½ cinnamon </i><br />
<i>Preparation : </i><br />
<i>1-Peel the apples, Put in a pan , add sugar put the lid on and cook apples with its own water on a low heat when it is semi cooked add cinnamon continue cooking with the lid off until tender put aside to cool.</i><br />
<i>2 -Put the milk in a dip saucepan , Add powdered sugar , rice flour and corn starch and cook until the consistency is thick ,add ground almonds, stir well.</i><br />
<i>3 –put half of the cooked apples in 4 serving pots pour the pudding let to cool completely ,decorate with the rest of apples.</i><br />
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Thank you Souha for coming up with this delicious recipe !
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Please check out some <a href="http://simplewomansimplelife.blogspot.de/2012/05/baby-toddler-foods.html">useful tips</a> from a mom who took time and effort to document her still fresh experience with her darling daughter even after 12 yrs ! A special thanks to you <a href="http://simplewomansimplelife.blogspot.de/">Fathima</a> for contributing to this event. We are sure your daughter would love to read this to her little ones in the future :)
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A special thanks to <a href="http://mystylerecipes.blogspot.sg/">Jemini</a> for her contributions by sending many recipes like <a href="http://mystylerecipes.blogspot.sg/2012/05/mung-bean-green-gram-poridge.html">Mung Bean Porridge</a>, <a href="http://mystylerecipes.blogspot.sg/2012/06/rich-and-healthy-ragi-kazhi-for-kids.html">Sweet Ragi Kazhi</a>, etc. Also, check out some of her tips for <a href="http://mystylerecipes.blogspot.sg/p/feeding-your-baby.html">Feeding your baby</a>.
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Now, the most awaited moment to see the nominees for Healthy Morsels - Baby and Toddler Foods. It was really a tough job to select only 3 out of 80 beautiful entries. We have nailed it to 3, based on the following<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>the close relevance to the theme Baby and Toddler food </li>
<li>bringing out the nutritional benefits in the posts and finally, </li>
<li>the number of entries contributed. </li>
</ul>
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Our three nominees are Swasthi, <a href="http://swasthfreak.blogspot.in/">The Health Freak</a> has really wowed us with her eye catchy recipes, her recipes like <a href="http://swasthfreak.blogspot.in/2012/04/carom-flavoured-potato-rice-for-baby.html">Carom Flavoured Potato Rice</a> will definitely glue your kids to their seat.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OcIAd1mgU8c/T5jvywzE05I/AAAAAAAAAJE/VSc_72I6ADc/s640/WP_000245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OcIAd1mgU8c/T5jvywzE05I/AAAAAAAAAJE/VSc_72I6ADc/s400/WP_000245.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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As a token of appreciation from the Healthy Morsels team, she is getting this<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYKvYkYlzA8F4LVspDic9bvne6OCaBg2jgpZxLdVsJruQo4IR12cLPruKKqFYOpQblN_iQZ9lve3p7Dos8EW_Yqmb0cWYENBFInGsDNmIecAubxCAKbEQteH9abHqmGUbwC92qgI_d5Y/s1600/Certificate_Swasthi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYKvYkYlzA8F4LVspDic9bvne6OCaBg2jgpZxLdVsJruQo4IR12cLPruKKqFYOpQblN_iQZ9lve3p7Dos8EW_Yqmb0cWYENBFInGsDNmIecAubxCAKbEQteH9abHqmGUbwC92qgI_d5Y/s400/Certificate_Swasthi.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://samaiyalattakaasam.blogspot.in/">Jaleela Kamal</a> shared with us many yummy recipes like <a href="http://samaiyalattakaasam.blogspot.in/2010/10/blog-post_09.html">Ginger Syrup for Cold</a> and some useful tips too, which would be definitely handy for all mums.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Nae1Ae6Qya2U7H52idt-VbWmzDERzi_aygo_jA-NPQfrXJXpr6GTqJlIRUo5ILVEFUsIJ6yHT63BDs71c9zdd9bLBrYaHrvstvjt-Ng4tJOrMIWhQEeHh7ivA6B-xUgBVXLsmrr-dRbW/s1600/ginger1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Nae1Ae6Qya2U7H52idt-VbWmzDERzi_aygo_jA-NPQfrXJXpr6GTqJlIRUo5ILVEFUsIJ6yHT63BDs71c9zdd9bLBrYaHrvstvjt-Ng4tJOrMIWhQEeHh7ivA6B-xUgBVXLsmrr-dRbW/s400/ginger1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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As a token of appreciation from the Healthy Morsels Team, she is getting this<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqXe3Oe3PcujrpBNOlUuoK8i-Yy_4fmkjR9kk5AoU_jaOSOFuUE2oodO3VZV7t6UavLcuclITWSHB14jtHiOZACS_-fPJrOHk9Dk3c8IiGZLLs8oZaqWQtSPjVr95RzjoTwqEhGxh1pc/s1600/Certificate_Jaleela+Kamal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqXe3Oe3PcujrpBNOlUuoK8i-Yy_4fmkjR9kk5AoU_jaOSOFuUE2oodO3VZV7t6UavLcuclITWSHB14jtHiOZACS_-fPJrOHk9Dk3c8IiGZLLs8oZaqWQtSPjVr95RzjoTwqEhGxh1pc/s400/Certificate_Jaleela+Kamal.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
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Finally <a href="http://asiyama.blogspot.in/">Asiya Omar</a>, who came up with wholesome and healthy ideas like <a href="http://asiyama.blogspot.de/2012/05/banana-curd-rice.html">Banana Curd Rice</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmjmvz1rQ2m4bJ3e5qXzA1IVhQjMxxn6ejp8rZz-7473cRmZih-AA_AL14Piim3s54w_dxv0AbQVNVQt_13_oIy9rLtKIGNkktP1J1s4dAqBTEnyAFy6UX_seSulN1Sl6uagXmW9Qda4/s1600/banana+curd+rice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmjmvz1rQ2m4bJ3e5qXzA1IVhQjMxxn6ejp8rZz-7473cRmZih-AA_AL14Piim3s54w_dxv0AbQVNVQt_13_oIy9rLtKIGNkktP1J1s4dAqBTEnyAFy6UX_seSulN1Sl6uagXmW9Qda4/s400/banana+curd+rice.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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As a token of appreciation from the Healthy Morsels Team, she is getting this<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9QOm_ZOx0gzqm-5jXyAb143ZONGB1Nq_IE03LbENU0rYolsKjiAU56FpZs_yt_QVMa1T9vH4Xx1InF0S_7eWLrklIFyowuPs3xrdjVO1xxmlIwjmHoVSEsDezsUyTxP55RGVn1vZs0es/s1600/Certificate_Asiya+Omar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9QOm_ZOx0gzqm-5jXyAb143ZONGB1Nq_IE03LbENU0rYolsKjiAU56FpZs_yt_QVMa1T9vH4Xx1InF0S_7eWLrklIFyowuPs3xrdjVO1xxmlIwjmHoVSEsDezsUyTxP55RGVn1vZs0es/s400/Certificate_Asiya+Omar.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
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Congratulations ladies and thank you for sharing your recipes and tips with us. Once again on behalf of our Healthy Morsels Team, we would like to thank everyone for making this event a successful one and we would love to have your support all through this journey.<br />
<br />
Healthy Morsels is taking a break in Ramdhan, we'll continue the journey after Eid with a new theme.</div>schmetterlingwordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09037170615147590250noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616530336958692688.post-71967012749968287232012-06-16T09:29:00.000+02:002012-06-16T09:29:07.947+02:00Nethili Vadai - Anchovies Fritters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justified;" trbidi="on">
As you might have noticed, I have just vanished from the blog world for quite some time now. Reasons have been many. Loads of work and then I have taken off from work for a few months on health grounds. These few days I get away, I wanted to relax and rest my body and soul. Right now, I'm in India with family and just enjoying the serenity. Though I'm busy all day, I have no stress now and I like it very much. In the meantime, I have finished my German Driving Theory Exam - which I kept postponing for about one year. <br /><br />
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Coming to driving, after having learnt the many rules and regulations, traffic signs and how to behave in different situations, coming here to India and noticing the traffic, I just feel shocked. Nobody obeys rules!! The bitter truth is that, most of the people do not know about traffic rules. However, the traffic flows and functions in some kind of understanding against one another. And, it has been so for ages!! It is indeed a wonder.<br /><br />
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Well, now, I just want to share quickly with you, one of my favourites at my in-laws place. My husband hails from a town located in the southern most part of India and famous for its culinary specialities, which are mostly a tasty blend between the Tamilnadu and Kerala cuisine. Located relatively close to the sea, there is never a shortage of sea-food at home. My mother-in-law prepares wonderful varieties out of them and Nethili vadai (Anchovies fritters) is just one simple delicacy which is sure to please anyone's taste buds.<br /><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fFJztBNa5o4/T9wzjIO_naI/AAAAAAAAAto/4TEblYZy77c/s1600/Nethili-Vadai-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fFJztBNa5o4/T9wzjIO_naI/AAAAAAAAAto/4TEblYZy77c/s1600/Nethili-Vadai-02.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>Preparation Time:</b> 30 mins<br />
<b>Makes:</b> 15 pieces<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
Anchovies - 250g<br />
Gram flour - 3 Tbsp<br />
Curry leaves and cilantro - a handful, chopped<br />
Salt - to taste<br />
<br />
<b>To grind:</b><br />
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup<br />
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp<br />
Sombu powder - 1/2 tsp<br />
Turmeric - a pinch<br />
Green chillies - 2 long, slit lengthwise<br />
Ginger garlic paste - 1 Tbsp<br />
Small onions - 10<br />
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<b>Method:</b><br />
Clean the anchovies. Take the anchovies in a heavy bottomed vessel, add some salt and a little water and cook them.<br />
<br />
Grind the ingredients given under "To grind" to a coarse paste. <br />
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Drain the water from the cooked anchovies and add the ground masala paste to them. Add the gram flour and the chopped green leaves to them. Mix them all together like you would for preparing vadais or other fritters. <br />
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Heat oil in a kadai. Take small balls out of the mixture, tap them lightly, put into the hot oil and fry them golden brown.<br />
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Crispy Nethili vadai (Anchovies fritters) are ready. <br />
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You may enjoy these crispies as such with ketchup or as a side dish for meals. :)
</div>schmetterlingwordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09037170615147590250noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616530336958692688.post-80860205541573769702012-05-05T11:00:00.000+02:002012-05-05T21:21:57.670+02:00Healthy Morsels - Baby and Toddler Foods<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" trbidi="on">
The excitement, the careful planning, amidst the underlying fear when you introduce the first morsel to your toothless baby, is an unforgettable developmental milestone of the still fresh parents.
The joy and the enthusiasm with which this ceremony began slowly starts to fade when your fast growing tiny tot gets pricky about eating and you have less control over his/her eating habits. It is quite a common scenario that the kiddo reluctantly takes in the food, takes 10 minutes to swallow down that morsel, starts spitting just because he/she is not in a mood to eat or throws away the food, being hooked up with a new toy lying around, messes up the floor with those grains or half eaten vegetables and your dinner table suddenly becomes a battle ground, a rather sweet tender one!<br />
<br />
An ancient tamil poet Thiruvalluvar has beautifully captured this scenario in two lines<br />
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<blockquote>
அமிழ்தினும் ஆற்ற இனிதேதம் மக்கள்<br />
<br />
சிறுகை அளாவிய கூழ்.<br />
<br /></blockquote>
meaning, the food that has been messed up and scattered by the tiny hands of a child is sweeter than nectar!<br />
<br />
It is a sweet challenge and a huge responsibility for every mother to feed the baby healthy, for it is the first three years of life that are very important in the development of a child. Nourishing the baby with the essential nutrients, slowly planning the introduction of every type of food, checking against possible allergies are all very critical.<br />
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Amidst this, making the toddler eat is a very big challenge. What not she does to make the food more interesting? From selecting the child's favorite food, cutting it in more interesting shapes and forms to presenting it on his plate colorful and attractive!! Apart from these, there needs to be stories told, songs sung and birds or animals shown!! It indeed takes a lot of patience, time and creativity to handle a child. Especially, if there is more than one child at home, then it adds up to her thought process of providing all the essential nutrients to satisfy everyones palates. The joy when your "mission" is accomplished is indescribable!<br />
<br />
With this theme in mind, we, Healthy Morsels, are embarking on our next series <i><b>"Baby and Toddler Foods"</b></i>.
So, let's share our experiences, tips, advices and knowledge especially with all those new mothers who are new to this challenge and let's get benefitted from each others life experiences! Maybe your own child would some day love to hear about the fuss and foodie pranks he/she created and how, not the baby but rather you, managed to win this battle with the food! We love to hear all about your experiences.<br />
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<br />
The rules for sending your entries have been consolidated here:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Food items (breakfast ideas, mid-meals snacks, soups, purees, etc.) that can be given to babies and toddlers until the age of 3 years can be sent.</li>
<li>Vegetarian and non-vegetarian entries are allowed.</li>
<li>Bloggers are requested to link your entries through the linky tool given below. </li>
<li>Non-bloggers are requested to link your entries to our FB <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/367450959955504/">Healthy Morsels group page</a> or send per e-mail to: <i>healthymorsels at gmail dot com</i></li>
<li>Your recipes must be linked back to either one of our announcement pages.</li>
<li>We highly appreciate the use of our logo, so as to spread the word.</li>
<li>Archived posts should be updated with the link back to the event announcement.</li>
<li><b>Strictly avoid</b> linking recipes which include pork, alcohol and gelatin.</li>
<li>Last date for sending in entries: <b>June 20th, 2012.</b></li>
</ul>
Rush in your entries! Share with us your experiences with your little prince or princess and make this series as exciting as the previous one.<br />
<br />
Healthy Morsels Team<br />
<br />
<a href="http://tasteofpearlcity.blogspot.in/">Taste of Pearl City</a><br />
<a href="http://schmetterlingwords.blogspot.de/">SchmetterlingWords</a><br />
<a href="http://leckerandyummyrecipes.blogspot.de/">Lecker and Yummy Recipes </a><br />
<script src="http://www.linkytools.com/thumbnail_linky_include.aspx?id=143714" type="text/javascript"></script>
</div>schmetterlingwordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09037170615147590250noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616530336958692688.post-49459915109987912922012-04-29T00:21:00.001+02:002012-04-29T10:42:27.263+02:00Healthy Morsels - Pregnancy Roundup<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" trbidi="on">
A BIG heartfelt thanks to everyone for your invaluable contributions to Healthy Morsels - Pregnancy. We are extremely happy about your overwhelming response, amazing tips, interesting facts about pregnancy & postpartum diet. We thank each and everyone for sending your recipes relevant to the theme and making it a grand success! As said, Healthy Morsels is an event with u all for us all ! We really felt connected and enjoyed your company during this entire sail.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhbcs5jKD74NkSuq3xwG53zNEVBOR00rm5gHEqwHDxuNjZcKwJQxCcnjuf4A_BbpGBPe1OWjKVhpeiqHxoQiueGTjtc5sxVNny0Uh5KbTssVgZXENtXNarDW_vgzE0iVNkoILRPjwPutZ/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="273" width="900" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhbcs5jKD74NkSuq3xwG53zNEVBOR00rm5gHEqwHDxuNjZcKwJQxCcnjuf4A_BbpGBPe1OWjKVhpeiqHxoQiueGTjtc5sxVNny0Uh5KbTssVgZXENtXNarDW_vgzE0iVNkoILRPjwPutZ/s1600/3.jpg" /></a></div>
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Also, we are extremely pleased with the lively interactions, question-answer sessions, useful tips being shared in our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups/367450959955504/">Healthy Morsels Facebook group</a>. We highly underestimated its role when it was created. But thank you buddies for your enthusiasm, involvement and sharing your thoughts with us :)<br />
<br />
Now it's time for the most awaited round-up of Healthy Morsels-Pregnancy. Our special thanks to the non-bloggers who have joined us with their mouthwatering recipes.<br />
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<b>Simi Ethiraj</b> has sent a healthy Avocado spread ! She says....<br />
<br />
<i>"We have heard a million times that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But not many of us have the time in the morning rush to prepare a good breakfast, sit down at the table and enjoy it. Here is a recipe that takes hardly any time, yet tasty and nutritious.</i><br />
<i>1 ripe avocado </i><br />
<i>4-5 walnuts (chopped) </i><br />
<i>4-5 cherry tomatoes (chopped) </i><br />
<i>1 tbsp olive oil </i><br />
<i>Freshly crushed black pepper </i><br />
<i>Herbs of your choice (cilantro, parsley, chives, etc.,)</i><br />
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<i></i><br />
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<i><i><br /></i></i></div>
<i>
Cut the avocado into half and scoop the flesh out with a tablespoon. Mash it with the back of a spoon. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Spread on warm toast and enjoy.</i><br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPis0DgmHuYlODg6efscisy10OdbG5VXcbFuf_0BUscwPgjeI4Xecj6tFvFTLOkV88TcxUml0aZ4_MgG0M5BLqryY0y2zUaLhXIENW5wb1xTee1Ru35eTMVDCZEdBC0KNPyjoEeaVnYegX/s1600/avocado+2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPis0DgmHuYlODg6efscisy10OdbG5VXcbFuf_0BUscwPgjeI4Xecj6tFvFTLOkV88TcxUml0aZ4_MgG0M5BLqryY0y2zUaLhXIENW5wb1xTee1Ru35eTMVDCZEdBC0KNPyjoEeaVnYegX/s1600/avocado+2.jpeg" /></a></i></div>
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The buttery taste of avocado with crunchy walnuts and sweet cherry tomatoes makes it a tasty spread. According to whfoods.org, avocado is a good source of folate and walnuts of omega-3 fats. This makes it an ideal breakfast or snack choice for expecting mothers and others alike."</i> </div>
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<b>Yasmin</b> has sprouted mung beans for us.</div>
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<i>
2cups sprouted mung beans<br />
1tbsp apple cider vinegar<br />
1 tbsp canola oil or maize oil<br />
Salt pepper to taste<br />
1cup diced red bell pepper<br />
1cup grated carrot<br />
2 spring onions<br />
1/2 cup fresh minced coriander leaves<br />
Juice and finely diced zest of 1/4of a lemon<br />
1/2 tbsp vegetable stock powder<br />
<br />
Procedure:<br />
Boil the sprouted mung bean with veg stock till just done.<br />
Do not over cook as sprouts get cooked faster than the unsprouted beans and just use as much water just to immerse the sprouts.<br />
Mix cider vinegar with oil to the cooked mung sprouts after it has cooled down.<br />
Add lemon zest,salt and pepper to taste and mix carefully so not to break the sprouts.<br />
Add capsicum ,spring onions , minced coriander and carrot.<br />
Give a slight toss to mix all the ingredients.<br />
Garnish with fresh coriander.</i>
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<br />
One of our facebook group members, <b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups/411925342157081/">Souha Kamand</a></b> has sent a Syrian Tabouli Salad with parsley.<br />
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<i>Ingredients : </i><br />
<i>3 bunch fresh parsley </i><br />
<i>4 tablespoons fine bulgur (cracked wheat ) </i><br />
<i>2 medium onion </i><br />
<i>2 medium tomato </i><br />
<i>½ teaspoon all spice </i><br />
<i>1 teaspoon salt </i><br />
<i>¼ cup lemon juice </i><br />
<i>¼ cup olive oil </i><br />
<i>½ tablespoons dry mint or fresh mint leaves </i><br />
<br />
<i>Preparation : </i><br />
<i>1. Wash the parsley well . </i><br />
<i>2. Chop the onion finely ,add ½ teaspoon salt and all spice rub onions with your fingertips ,set aside for 10 minutes, soak bulgur in lemon juice set aside until softened. </i><br />
<i>3. Meanwhile chop parsley very finely ,put in a deep bowl ,chop tomato finely, add to parsley add mint , the rest of salt ( keep some diced tomato for decorating ). </i><br />
<i>4. Squeeze chopped onion with your hand ,add squeezed onions to parsley, olive oil and bulgur , Stir to combine ,taste Tabouli add more salt and lemon juice if necessary. </i><br />
<i>5. Put Tabouli in a serving dish decorate with tomato . </i><br />
<i>Tip : Tabouli is best made as close to serving time as possible.</i><br />
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Thank you Simi Ethiraj, Souha Kamand and Yasmin.<br />
<br />
Well now, lets take a look at the collection of our dainties in Healthy Morsels-Pregnancy. Your knowledge and wisdom are safely preserved <a href="http://leckerandyummyrecipes.blogspot.de/2012/03/healthy-morsels-journey-begins.html">here</a>, <a href="http://schmetterlingwords.blogspot.de/2012/03/healthy-morsels-journey-begins.html">here</a> and <a href="http://tasteofpearlcity.blogspot.in/2012/03/healthy-morsels-journey-begins.html">here</a>.<br />
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Please take time to go through the blogs for foods advisable for <a href="http://paaka-shaale.blogspot.de/2012/03/menthya-matvadi-palya-fenugreek-and.html">increasing the milk supply</a>, foods that <a href="http://simplewomansimplelife.blogspot.de/2012/03/puliangudi-special-ulundhamparuppu.html">strengthen the pelvic muscles and the backbone</a>, veggies that help <a href="http://spicyfoood.blogspot.in/2012/03/capsicum-and-chick-peas-curry.html">lowering blood pressure</a> during pregnancy or <a href="http://zaiqa.net/?p=6057">traditional healthy treats for the new moms</a>. They are just a few examples from many other interesting recipes we received.<br />
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We would like to thank you all once again for your love and support, without which we definitely could not have achieved this success. Please accept our sincere and heartfelt thanks by collecting this badge.
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Congratulations all, you are now a member of the Healthy Morsels crew !! Hope and wish you continue your contribution and support on the oncoming exciting themes as well :)<br />
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Without much waiting, let's now get straight to the nominees for the Healthy Morsels Finals. For those of you who are new, please refer our <a href="http://leckerandyummyrecipes.blogspot.de/2012/03/healthy-morsels-journey-begins.html">announcement page</a> for details. It definitely was a tough job in selecting three nominees from a whole batch of 170! We had zeroed in to 3 entries based on<br />
* the close relevance to the theme Pregnancy<br />
* bringing out the nutritional benefits in the posts and finally,<br />
* the number of entries contributed.<br />
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So working it out carefully, we came up with the following nominees for the finals, who are honored as a <b>"Member of Hall of Fame"</b> in our <a href="http://schmetterlingwords.blogspot.de/p/healthy-morsels-hall-of-fame.html">Honors Board page</a> in all our three blogs and also in our Facebook group page.<br />
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The Hall of Fame members in alphabetical order are.....<br />
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<b>Archana Vivek</b> of <a href="http://archguru.blogspot.de/">My Culinary Endeavours</a> for sharing useful recipes related to Postpartum diet like <a href="http://archguru.blogspot.de/2012/02/milagu-kozhambu-pathiya-samayal-bm-13.html">Milagu Kozhambu</a>
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and as a token of appreciation from the Healthy Morsels Team, she is getting this:
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<b>Asiya Omar</b> of <a href="http://asiyama.blogspot.de/">My Healthy Happy Kitchen</a> for sharing her wealth of knowledge, documenting her <a href="http://asiyama.blogspot.de/2012/04/this-is-what-i-have-got-to-say.html">pregnancy experience</a> and sending recipes like <a href="http://asiyama.blogspot.de/2012/03/moringa-flowers-egg-fried-rice.html">Moringa Flowers Egg Fried Rice</a>
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and as a token of appreciation from the Healthy Morsels Team, she is getting this:
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<b>Jaleela Kamal</b> of <a href="http://samaiyalattakaasam.blogspot.de/">Samaiyal Attagaasangal</a> for sharing essential tips and recipes like <a href="http://samaiyalattakaasam.blogspot.de/2012/04/blog-post_15.html">Mutton Soup</a>
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and as a token of appreciation from the Healthy Morsels Team, she is getting this:
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Many many Congratulations Asiya, Archana and Jaleela !!!!!! Cant appreciate your efforts and your involvement more!<br />
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On the whole, it was a most exciting journey with the theme Pregnancy. Stay tuned for the next event very soon!! :)<br />
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<b>Healthy Morsels Team</b><br />
<a href="http://leckerandyummyrecipes.blogspot.de/">Lecker and Yummy Recipes</a><br />
<a href="http://schmetterlingwords.blogspot.de/">SchmetterlingWords</a><br />
<a href="http://tasteofpearlcity.blogspot.de/">Taste of Pearl City</a></div>
</div>schmetterlingwordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09037170615147590250noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616530336958692688.post-23527837002265185902012-03-25T13:46:00.000+02:002012-03-25T13:46:15.353+02:00Palak Lamb<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justified;" trbidi="on">Wow, can you believe? This is my fiftieth post. Ok, ok... I agree I write a post once in a blue moon. Nevertheless, my blog in fact keeps growing slowly and I sooo love it for that. Fine, over to the post... ;o)<br />
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Recently I got a craving for lamb, since it was quite a long time that we had lamb meat in our diet. So, we purchased lamb from our favorite butcher and on that Sunday when we planned to cook it, I was not in a mood for an elaborate <a href="http://schmetterlingwords.blogspot.de/2011/07/lamb-biryani.html">Lamb Biryani</a>. Neither did I want to cook the same old curry. Wanted to try something different and suddenly this idea of Palak Lamb popped up. Believe me, I had tasted this dish in some Indian restaurants here. Though the curry would be decent, the lamb would always be a big failure. So, there I got the trigger for an adventurous ride of making my own. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHURmQKTbGCEhckpssUSTjbYpAeReBagOyiFnEuwzruM6PkA-xOKyYaHBC3DQLYYsB-7kCodv5xRp7J4DpJUQxHPY1qVL4Eu9i_fh-KaC1H_yfniVQva3-Ulh7ws_ifqRra9Oq_7sbZi0d/s1600/PalakLamb-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHURmQKTbGCEhckpssUSTjbYpAeReBagOyiFnEuwzruM6PkA-xOKyYaHBC3DQLYYsB-7kCodv5xRp7J4DpJUQxHPY1qVL4Eu9i_fh-KaC1H_yfniVQva3-Ulh7ws_ifqRra9Oq_7sbZi0d/s1600/PalakLamb-1.jpg" /></a></div><span id="fullpost"><br />
My husband suggested that I look for a recipe somewhere on the net, but I was bent on making my own and did not refer anywhere. I had the exuberant taste in mind - how it must taste and just went on doing myself. I have noted down the recipe I used and have given below.<br />
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<b>Serves:</b> 6<br />
<b>Preparation Time:</b> 45 mins<br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
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Lamb - 1 kg<br />
Fresh Spinach Leaves - 400 g<br />
Onion - 2 big, finely chopped<br />
Green chillies - 2 to 3<br />
Tomatoes - 2, finely chopped<br />
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp<br />
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp<br />
Red chilli powder - 2 tsp<br />
Coriander powder - 2 tbsp<br />
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp<br />
Corainder leaves - fresh, a handful, chopped<br />
Whole gram masala - Cloves, Cardamom, Cinnamon - a few pieces each<br />
Lemon juice - juice of half a lemon<br />
Salt - to taste<br />
Oil - 3 tbsp<br />
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<b>Method:</b><br />
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Remove the visible fat from the lamb completely. Cut it into bite sized pieces and clean thoroughly. In a bowl, add the lamb pieces, 1 tbsp of ginger garlic paste, 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder and the juice of half a lemon. Sprinkle some salt and mix them well with your hands. Cover with a fresh foil and refrigerate for about 1/2 hour. <br />
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In the meanwhile, chop the onions, tomatoes and chillies and keep them ready. <br />
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Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the whole gram masala pieces. When hot, add the cumin seeds, chopped onions and a pinch of salt and sauté well till the onions turn translucent. Now add the remaining 1 tbsp of ginger garlic paste, chopped green chillies and 1/2 tsp turmeric. Sauté for a few minutes till the raw smell goes off and add the chopped tomatoes. Give a stir and let the tomatoes cook and become soft and mushy. <br />
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Now add the red chill and coriander powders and sauté for about a minute. At this stage, add the marinated lamb pieces and chopped coriander leaves. Mix them all well and adjust the taste if necessary. Close the lid of the cooker and put on the whistle. We have not added a single drop of water till now as it is not necessary. The meat would cook well in its own juices and from that of the tomatoes. Let it cook for about 5 - 6 whistles.<br />
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In the meanwhile, clean the spinach leaves and chop them roughly. In a broad pan, heat about 1/2 cup of water and add the spinach to them and close with a lid. This is to blanch the spinach. Please do not overcook it. Once cooked, drain the spinach leaves, let them cool a little and with an electric blender, puree it to a thick consistency.<br />
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After the pressure is out of the cooker, open the lid and there you find the most delicious curry. The meat would be cooked well and it must be so soft that it could easily be removed from the bones. This is the perfect stage. Now add the pureed spinach and give a gentle mix. Done !!<br />
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This goes well with pulavs, cooked white rice, naans, rotis and turkish breads.<br />
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<b>Verdict:</b> <br />
You know what, this was the best Palak Lamb that I have ever tasted anywhere. I have now taken an oath never to order this dish in restaurants anymore. The curry smelled so fresh with spices, the meat so well cooked and soft. We had it with hot white rice and every spoonful was delicious and yummy. My husband too appreciated it a lot and we both took ourselves extra servings. Home made is always the best!! Well, being a foodie is more of an advantage. Just follow your taste instincts and you will get to eat what you want. :)<br />
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<b>Tips and Health Info:</b><br />
Lamb meat is a rich source of protein and contains a high amount of unsaturated and Omega 3 fatty acids, folates and vitamins. So, it is not all that bad. However, one third of the fat from Lamb are saturated. So, a moderate amount of consumption is recommended. Take care with the selection of fresh lamb meat while purchasing and with the hygiene while preparing.<br />
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Spinach, as we know is a good source of plant iron and rich in folic acid, vitamins and calcium. So, this delicious and healthy combo is a real treat to pregnant women and to others too.<br />
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<b>Toxoplasmosis</b> is a condition, caused by a parasite called Toxoplasma. Most of the human population is susceptible for infection with the parasite, though the effects are not so dramatic. For a pregnant woman, it is of special concern because there is a chance that the baby gets affected from the mother, which might result in severe consequences for the baby. Only a small percentage of women of child bearing age is actually immune. In Germany and many other countries women are tested during the early stages of pregnancy. If the mother is found to not have enough immunity against Toxoplasma, the doctor advises to take the precautionary measures. Whenever consuming meat, it must be thoroughly cooked. Raw or undercooked meat including sausages, where the parasites are more probable to occur, must be completely avoided. Also, only pasteurized milk should be consumed. For more info, please refer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxoplasmosis">here</a> and <a href="http://www.babycenter.com/0_toxoplasmosis-during-pregnancy_1461.bc">here</a>.<br />
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Such meat preparations where we cook the meat thoroughly is advisable for pregnant women, where one can enjoy the delicious richness of meat along with their health benefits without any worries :)<br />
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Sending this as an entry to <a href="http://schmetterlingwords.blogspot.de/2012/03/healthy-morsels-journey-begins.html">Healthy Morsels - Pregnancy</a> and <a href="http://roshellechefaldente.blogspot.in/2012/02/event-announcement-gimme-green.html">Gimme Green</a> by Chef Al Dente.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kxwM9huYuILe3MU9WRzG3OcLNyKU0AInwtTjldN-lB3NEuVN4VrNnBNdTjKObmU82WuRn1q1CjD7eyuGNL-zvYTWC9rB-0cZhyphenhyphen7P_nEqR9uv4cJs066hl6dwdTbmuEqqiP2voeQo9r-7/s1600/HealthyMorsels_Pregnancy_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kxwM9huYuILe3MU9WRzG3OcLNyKU0AInwtTjldN-lB3NEuVN4VrNnBNdTjKObmU82WuRn1q1CjD7eyuGNL-zvYTWC9rB-0cZhyphenhyphen7P_nEqR9uv4cJs066hl6dwdTbmuEqqiP2voeQo9r-7/s200/HealthyMorsels_Pregnancy_2.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLAUsWVzUDLcUHhEW7hqlqg0jMCoKkeEuKBpsTl7pk0Dkl01cAMbDokNwj1U460jKBUiuGkbyGZYCorqq1xDRTuHkTx3RI-1HZjNCv4HoBJV4Ubis30qzYhKBOvVBYW3DWDDhmDFJZJxzA/s1600/gimme+green+logo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="44" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLAUsWVzUDLcUHhEW7hqlqg0jMCoKkeEuKBpsTl7pk0Dkl01cAMbDokNwj1U460jKBUiuGkbyGZYCorqq1xDRTuHkTx3RI-1HZjNCv4HoBJV4Ubis30qzYhKBOvVBYW3DWDDhmDFJZJxzA/s200/gimme+green+logo2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></span><br />
</div>schmetterlingwordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09037170615147590250noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616530336958692688.post-64143734291802981802012-03-20T19:00:00.002+01:002012-03-23T08:42:47.215+01:00Thoughts to munch on - Healthy Morsels<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" trbidi="on">Dear Foodies,<br />
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This is a quick and short post to thank you all for the support which you give for our group event Healthy Morsels. We are really happy and excited to see all the entries flowing in this short period, so thank you again.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/367450959955504/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PqQMkt1Zzv4/T2woKCLnixI/AAAAAAAAAsg/eKsZkoJmsfs/s400/HealthyMorsels-Plain.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
We would also like to take this opportunity to inform you about our humble group which we have created in Facebook. Earlier in our announcement post,we have given a small note about our Facebook page, Healthy Morsels- Food Blogger's Event. This page has now been transformed into a group with the same name as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/367450959955504/">Healthy Morsels- Food Blogger's Event</a>.<br />
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The core theme of this group is to have many interactive sessions among both bloggers and non bloggers. The discussions would be related to the current theme of the event. We would like to invite you all to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/367450959955504/">Healthy Morsels group</a>, join in our discussions and share the knowledge with us. Please visit our group by clicking the link <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/367450959955504/">here</a> and let's start our healthy interactions from here... Feel free to also invite your elderly family members and friends to our group, so that they can also benefit by participating in the discussions and sharing their thoughts and wisdom.<br />
<br />
A kind request: Bloggers please do not post any recipes in the Facebook group. You can continue to link your entries for the event, as always, in the <a href="http://schmetterlingwords.blogspot.de/2012/03/healthy-morsels-journey-begins.html">Linky</a> given in our blogs. Non-bloggers are welcome to post their recipes related to the theme in the Facebook group page.<br />
<br />
Looking forward to your continued support and encouragement....<br />
<br />
Yours, <br />
Healthy Morsels Team<br />
</div>schmetterlingwordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09037170615147590250noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616530336958692688.post-88110570393214930972012-03-14T23:49:00.000+01:002012-03-14T23:49:27.699+01:00Green Beans Salad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" trbidi="on">A long gap again since my last post. For the past few days, I have been busy with my first event on blogspace, <a href="http://schmetterlingwords.blogspot.com/2012/03/healthy-morsels-journey-begins.html">Healthy Morsels - Pregnancy</a>. Praises be to the God, it is going well and I'm thrilled and excited about it. Apart from that, work has been very busy, paired with travel and I hardly get any "me" time. Just wish to take a long long leave and relax. Well, it is time again for Blog Hop, an event by Radhika of <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/2011/12/announcing-blog-hop-wednesdays-version.html">Tickling Palates</a>, something I have been ceremoniously doing and enjoying as well. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjHO79r4fhPDO3cp_9yef21PJ2zRP9cKrXrYJlOSaaZoQGICt1ig4NCc8-A2hC4zFYpUOxz2JGkVn2644UyuUT7ZgK9vbjYBkhhQSexz-tkhCIpUVmCRNXXHasxUSMkxZIWYPpSn8kEu-/s1600/Green-Beans-Salad01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjHO79r4fhPDO3cp_9yef21PJ2zRP9cKrXrYJlOSaaZoQGICt1ig4NCc8-A2hC4zFYpUOxz2JGkVn2644UyuUT7ZgK9vbjYBkhhQSexz-tkhCIpUVmCRNXXHasxUSMkxZIWYPpSn8kEu-/s1600/Green-Beans-Salad01.JPG" /></a></div><span id="fullpost"><br />
This time, I got to visit Sweatha's blog - <a href="http://tastycurryleaf.blogspot.com/">Tasty Curry Leaf</a>. You know what, the very first post that popped up as I opened her space attracted me and I made my mind - this is it what I'm going to try. Nevertheless, I browsed her space good and I found lot of interesting and different dishes. She has posted a variety of food from international cuisine and I'm sure everybody would get something to their liking there. <br />
<br />
Coming to the salad, this is a very simple, easy to prepare warm salad. For the original recipe, please look <a href="http://tastycurryleaf.blogspot.com/2012/03/green-beans-with-cherry-tomatoes-and.html">here</a>. I pepped it up a little, so providing the recipe here.<br />
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<b>Preparing Time:</b> 15 mins<br />
<b>Serves:</b> 2<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
Tender Green Beans - 200 g<br />
Cherry Tomatoes - a handful<br />
Fresh Basil leaves - 2 stalks<br />
Garlic - 2 pods<br />
Butter - 1 Tbsp<br />
Walnuts - 4 to 5<br />
Pepper - to taste<br />
Salt - to taste<br />
<br />
<b>Method:</b><br />
<br />
Cut the beans to bite sized pieces. Blanch them in hot boiling water until just cooked and tender. This might take about 7 to 10 mins. Take care not to overcook them.<br />
<br />
In the meanwhile, heat the butter in a heavy bottomed pan. Slice the garlic pods to thin slices. Wash and tear the fresh basil leaves. Add the garlic and basil leaves to the pan and sauté a little. <br />
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Wash and halve the cherry tomatoes. When the basil leaves wilt, add the tomatoes and walnuts to the pan and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add required salt now. <br />
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Drain the beans, add to the pan and give a stir. Done !! Garnish with freshly ground pepper and serve warm.<br />
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<b>Verdict:</b><br />
<br />
I prepared this lovely salad for an evening dinner and we both really loved it. It was light, healthy and tasted fantastic with the light note of butter, basil and garlic. It can be pepped up with different types of nuts or cheese. I'm sure this would make a good show as a warm salad in party buffets. Thank you Sweatha for this comforting salad recipe. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RTyIRp4PgLO7EjIwrV3-Vr0hqR0rxYEE-LNRyD99czg04xjYSVccO3Va2wN11YMM_TqGh4kIPg5U9MaokOrpA4FRJReQhsNYvBhjC6nRcCvlBZTbcELEvEJQBD6CkPpILuEAzl1KY6SF/s1600/Green-Beans-Salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RTyIRp4PgLO7EjIwrV3-Vr0hqR0rxYEE-LNRyD99czg04xjYSVccO3Va2wN11YMM_TqGh4kIPg5U9MaokOrpA4FRJReQhsNYvBhjC6nRcCvlBZTbcELEvEJQBD6CkPpILuEAzl1KY6SF/s1600/Green-Beans-Salad.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>Health Tips:</b><br />
<br />
Green beans are a rich source of dietary fibre, helps reduce cholesterol and a good source of vitamins and minerals. Fresh beans are rich in folates, which is very essential for the cell division phase and hence a must in the preconception and early pregnancy periods. For more info, refer <a href="http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/green_beans.html">here</a>. <br />
<br />
Carrying women can prepare such simple salads, which does not take much effort and at the same time helps in the healthy development of the foetus. Care should be taken not to overcook such vegetables so as to maintain their nutritional values.<br />
<br />
Sending this healthy salad as an entry to Tickling Palate's <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/2012/03/blog-hop-wednesdays-week-15.html">Blog Hop Wednesday Week 15</a>, Taste of Pearl City's <a href="http://tasteofpearlcity.blogspot.com/2012/03/any-one-can-cook-series-43.html">Anyone can Cook Series 43</a> and to our own event: <a href="http://schmetterlingwords.blogspot.com/2012/03/healthy-morsels-journey-begins.html">Healthy Morsels - Pregnancy</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZyVf5rwpGzw/Tm9rzVr_8KI/AAAAAAAAB_c/rksiA-O-JhU/Blog-Hop_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" imageanchor="1" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZyVf5rwpGzw/Tm9rzVr_8KI/AAAAAAAAB_c/rksiA-O-JhU/Blog-Hop_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyR582bA0Aed7rpqfnWsBhgG4EW9uFe3FJJovw-hAKlwT4SzpnSZZwU9Z9q0udZ5g5Ow3ysH6FMcoaH5Q616bh3xY7Q4OG5eW3ID_pq_9CeR8o7B6T0rgsJ7sGzXiPc2kpkb3qVtU_BiYu/s320/anyonecancook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyR582bA0Aed7rpqfnWsBhgG4EW9uFe3FJJovw-hAKlwT4SzpnSZZwU9Z9q0udZ5g5Ow3ysH6FMcoaH5Q616bh3xY7Q4OG5eW3ID_pq_9CeR8o7B6T0rgsJ7sGzXiPc2kpkb3qVtU_BiYu/s200/anyonecancook.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kxwM9huYuILe3MU9WRzG3OcLNyKU0AInwtTjldN-lB3NEuVN4VrNnBNdTjKObmU82WuRn1q1CjD7eyuGNL-zvYTWC9rB-0cZhyphenhyphen7P_nEqR9uv4cJs066hl6dwdTbmuEqqiP2voeQo9r-7/s400/HealthyMorsels_Pregnancy_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kxwM9huYuILe3MU9WRzG3OcLNyKU0AInwtTjldN-lB3NEuVN4VrNnBNdTjKObmU82WuRn1q1CjD7eyuGNL-zvYTWC9rB-0cZhyphenhyphen7P_nEqR9uv4cJs066hl6dwdTbmuEqqiP2voeQo9r-7/s200/HealthyMorsels_Pregnancy_2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></span><br />
</div>schmetterlingwordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09037170615147590250noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616530336958692688.post-60885985487520428482012-03-01T13:00:00.027+01:002012-03-25T18:50:06.880+02:00Healthy Morsels - The journey begins...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" trbidi="on">We, <a href="http://leckerandyummyrecipes.blogspot.com/">Lecker and Yummy Recipes</a>, <a href="http://schmetterlingwords.blogspot.com/">SchmetterlingWords</a> and <a href="http://tasteofpearlcity.blogspot.com/">Taste of Pearl City</a>, are happily announcing the launch of the much awaited "Healthy Morsels", a joint venture from us. As some of you would have already guessed, the idea behind is very simple - to nourish ourselves healthily. We are faced with different nutritional needs at different phases of our lives. Through "Healthy Morsels", we aim at identifying these needs and to enrich our knowledge how best these needs could be adressed. This is an event with you all for us all.<br />
<br />
"Healthy Morsels" would be a running program, with every cycle focussing on a particular theme. Each theme would roughly signify a particular stage of human life. Our beloved readers, bloggers and non-bloggers alike, are all invited to cook or bake something, which you consider is best suitable with the theme. That is, you could prepare a food item which is best consumed during that period, write about it and share it with us. Since the objective is to benefit from the wisdom of each other, it would be great if you could share useful health tips and the nutritional benefits of your food in accordance with the theme. At the end of each cycle, we would post a round up of all the shared entries for the theme, which would be a reference source for everyone in the future.<br />
<br />
Excited with the idea and wish to be part of "Healthy Morsels"? Of course, you would be having questions. We love questions!! We have tried to answer some of them below.<br />
<br />
<b>What do I share?</b><br />
<br />
You can share with us a recipe for a food item, which could be a starter or a beverage, a main meal or a dessert, even cookies or other goodies. We accept <b>both vegetarian and non vegetarian</b> recipes.The only criteria is that it should <b>match with the theme in focus</b>. Sharing of additional information about the health benefits along with the recipe is appreciated. Archived recipes are accepted too, if you think it matches well with the theme. There are <b>no limits to the number of entries</b> you would like to share.<br />
<br />
<b>When do I share?</b><br />
<br />
A new theme for "Healthy Morsels" would be announced every two months, on the first day of a month. You could share your recipes from the day of announcement till the 15th of the following month (totally 45 days). We would be preparing the round-up and posting it in two weeks time. At the start of the next month, a new theme would be announced.<br />
<br />
<b>How do I share?</b><br />
<br />
If you are a blogger, after posting your recipe in your blog, you can link your post with the help of the Linky tool found at the end of the announcement post. Since it is a team event from the three of us, you can link it to any of our blogs. It would be automatically linked to all the three blogs.<br />
<br />
If you do not own any blog, of course, you are still entitled to be a part of the fun. We have created a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/367450959955504/">Facebook page</a> specially for you where you can share your recipes and photos with us. If you are not a big Facebook fan, you can still send your entries to our gmail ID: <b><i>healthymorsels@gmail.com</i></b><br />
<br />
<b>Any constraints?</b><br />
<br />
Yes, we have thought out a few simple rules, which would just help us to better organise.<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Your recipes have to be linked back to either one of our announcement pages.</li>
<li>We highly appreciate the use of our logo, so as to spread the word.</li>
<li>Archived posts should be updated with the link back to the event announcement.</li>
<li><b>Strictly avoid</b> linking recipes which include pork, alcohol and gelatin.</li>
<li>Bloggers are requested to refrain from posting your recipes at the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/367450959955504/">FB page</a> and use the Linky exclusively. This would give room to other readers who do not have a blog to share their ideas too with us.</li>
</ul><br />
<b>What do I gain?</b><br />
<br />
Apart from the implicit benefit of getting to know about different ideas, new recipes and useful infos, "Healthy Morsels" does come with a fun factor. At the end of every cycle, we would be publishing the round up of all received entries. Among them, we would select three entries, based on the relevance to the theme and the beneficial content provided. These special entries would be finding their place in our <i>"Healthy Morsels - Hall of Fame"</i> - an appreciation to the ones who have excelled. The <i>"Healthy Morsels - Hall of Fame"</i> would be published in our blogs as well as in our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/367450959955504/">Facebook Page</a> and it would remain there forever. Members entering the <i>"Healthy Morsels - Hall of Fame"</i> would receive a special Logo as an acknowledgement.<br />
<br />
At the end of six cycles, we would be having totally 18 members in the <i>"Hall of Fame"</i>, three for each theme / category. We would be conducting a poll for public voting for these nominees, where one winner for each category would be selected based upon the number of votes received. These 6 winners would be receiving a special recognition, which remains a secret at this moment.<br />
<br />
<b>I have another question!</b><br />
<br />
At any time, feel free to contact us with your queries or concerns at our gmail ID: <b><i>healthymorsels@gmail.com</i></b>. We would try to answer as soon as possible. Apart from that, you are heartily welcome to share your suggestions and likes in our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/367450959955504/">FB page</a> too.<br />
<br />
<b>Well, what is the first theme?</b><br />
<br />
Our first theme goes <i>"Pregnancy"</i>, an extra-ordinarily special phase of human life. Carrying a new life within, the most beautiful moment for a woman, is exciting as well as thrilling. Our taste buds start right from the mother's womb. A woman is clouded with different thoughts and emotions during this time. The physical and emotional balance of a woman is very decisional for the healthy development of the child within. So, you mothers and mothers-to-be, share with us the sweetest moments you have experienced before, during and after your Pregnancy, how good you nourished yourself, what did your mothers advise you to eat and how beneficial was the food intake for you. All men out there, feel free to share your experiences like what you cooked specially for your carrying wife / partner, how excited are you about your new arrival, etc. with us. Please link your entries from March 1, 2012 to April 15, 2012.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kxwM9huYuILe3MU9WRzG3OcLNyKU0AInwtTjldN-lB3NEuVN4VrNnBNdTjKObmU82WuRn1q1CjD7eyuGNL-zvYTWC9rB-0cZhyphenhyphen7P_nEqR9uv4cJs066hl6dwdTbmuEqqiP2voeQo9r-7/s1600/HealthyMorsels_Pregnancy_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kxwM9huYuILe3MU9WRzG3OcLNyKU0AInwtTjldN-lB3NEuVN4VrNnBNdTjKObmU82WuRn1q1CjD7eyuGNL-zvYTWC9rB-0cZhyphenhyphen7P_nEqR9uv4cJs066hl6dwdTbmuEqqiP2voeQo9r-7/s400/HealthyMorsels_Pregnancy_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<b>More Information on Pregnancy?</b><br />
<br />
Good nutrition should always be a priority, but when you're having a baby it becomes even more important. After getting pregnant the first thing that a woman thinks is to eat well so that she and her baby have a healthy and relaxed pregnancy time. While in pregnancy, all the nutritional needs are increased in order to meet the needs of the developing baby, it is vital to stick to good health habits. She needs lot of stamina to deal with the early pregnancy symptoms like fatigue, nausea and morning sickness and also for enduring the various pains and to have a safe delivery. Also, pregnancy is the time when her eating habits during these magical 40 weeks directly affects another life.<br />
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The decision to incorporate wise food choices into her eating plan before and during pregnancy will give proper strength to her uterus for holding the fertilized egg, will help to promote a healthy environment for her baby, normal birth weight for the baby, improved fetal brain development, a speedy recovery of the body after delivery. We all want to give our children the best start in life, so it’s not surprising that a lot of pregnant women get a little panicky about what they should and shouldn’t be eating. It is also this time, the people who love and care for her will also advise what to eat and what not to eat. She enjoys this special attention for the next nine months and even after that :).<br />
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Some important steps to a healthy pregnancy include eating a balanced diet; gaining the right amount of weight; enjoying regular physical activity; taking a vitamin and mineral supplement if recommended by a physician; and avoiding alcohol, tobacco and other harmful substances. It is better to eat healthy rather than eating anything!<br />
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A well-balanced diet should include the following foods:<br />
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<b>Folic Acid:</b> It is essential for the normal development of the baby's spine, brain and skull, especially during the first four weeks of pregnancy. It is, therefore, important to start taking vitamin supplements with Folic Acid before one gets pregnant to reduce the risk of neural tube defect. Sources include fortified foods like cereals, pastas and breads, supplements and natural food sources of folate. Celery and Spinach are great sources of folic acid and iron. It is advised to consume spinach in its natural form without overcooking and thereby not destroying the folic acid. Other folic acid rich foods include Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, parsnips, eggplant and asparagus, fruits like papaya, kiwi, dates, figs and even bananas. The best way to get the most of the folic acid is without cooking, just to fix up a bowl of salad with a tasty dressing and enjoy.<br />
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<b>Whole grains: </b>High-fibre breakfast cereals, brown or wholewheat breads and rolls, maize meal or oats porridge, brown rice, pasta, cereals, and brown rice.<br />
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<b>Whole fruits:</b> Apples, pears, peaches, nectarines and melon. Since acids can cause heartburn, caution should be taken with the amount of acidic fruits intake like oranges, pineapples, lemons and limes.<br />
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<b>Vegetables:</b> Leafy greens, bell peppers, eggplant, squash and mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, zucchini, dark green lettuces, green beans, asparagus.<br />
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<b>Healthy fats:</b> Extra-virgin olive oil, walnuts, almonds and avocados.<br />
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<b>Protein:</b> Chicken, fish, beef, red meat, turkey, tofu, nuts, legumes (beans), milk, eggs, cottage cheese, whole grains, wheat gluten, soy cheese.<br />
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<b>Iron:</b> Maternal iron deficiency anemia is a pregnancy risk. High-iron foods include spinach, leafy greens, beans, fortified cereals, red meat, chicken and fish.<br />
Vegetarians can increase iron absorption by combining plant-based sources of iron with vitamin C-rich foods. For example, spinach salad with mandarin oranges or cereal with strawberries.<br />
<br />
<b>Calcium: </b>During pregnancy, calcium is needed for the healthy development of a baby’s teeth, bones, heart, nerves and muscles. When a pregnant woman does not consume enough calcium, the developing baby takes it from her bones. Calcium-rich foods include low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt or cheese or calcium-fortified cereals and juices.<br />
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<b>Magnesium: </b>Whole grain breads, cereals, brown rice, nuts, tuna,eggs, spinach, whole-oat oatmeal, black tea, strawberries, avocados.<br />
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<b>Foods that could be avoided:</b> It is better to avoid extra calories from added sugar and fats, which can lead to unhealthy weight gain. Cutting down on foods like regular soda, sweets and fried snacks is advisable. Some cheese are unsafe during Pregnancy. For details, please refer <a href="http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/nutrition/foodsafety/cheeseexpert/">here</a>.<br />
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<b>Post Delivery:</b> A mother's diet immediately after delivery not only determines which nutrients her little one gets, but her food choices can also affect her entire breastfeeding experience. Her diet impacts the amount, taste and quality of milk she produces. Zinc, calcium and iron are some nutrients critical to breastfeeding. Drinking atleast six to eight cups of liquids like water, milk or juice helps with milk production and prevents dehydration and constipation; limiting caffeinated beverages like coffee, tea and soda which pass through the breastmilk causing the baby irritable and fussy; avoiding alcohol,smoking and second hand smoking which interfere with the milk flow and is dangerous to the health; taking a multivitamin supplement thats is specially formulated for breastfeeding moms are some of the things to be taken care of.<br />
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<b>Sources of information:</b><br />
<br />
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/nutritionpreg.asp<br />
http://health.ninemsn.com.au/pregnancy/exerciseandnutrition/691104/nutrition-during-pregnancy<br />
http://pregnancy.familyeducation.com/prenatal-health-and-nutrition/pregnancy-nutrition/44300.html<br />
http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6808<br />
<br />
For Postpartum(After Delivery) Nutritional information:<b> </b><br />
http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/postpartum-nutrition-guidelines-ga1.htm<br />
http://babyfit.sparkpeople.com/articles.asp?id=803<br />
<br />
<b>Disclaimer:</b><br />
<br />
There are many pregnancy diet recommendations, but we believe a diet should be individualized to a person’s unique physiology. Please always consult a registered physician before planning on any diet as pregnancy affects every woman differently. This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE.<br />
<br />
<i>We eagerly await your enthusiastic participation in the "Healthy Morsels" journey. Bring along your experiences and expert tips and advices from your moms and grandmas. Lets make this sail more eventful and fun-filled and leave a legacy ! :)</i></div><br />
<script src="http://www.linkytools.com/thumbnail_linky_include.aspx?id=133729" type="text/javascript"></script>schmetterlingwordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09037170615147590250noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616530336958692688.post-41682638175795709012012-02-22T10:00:00.006+01:002012-02-22T10:00:07.215+01:00Healthy Morsels - Coming Soon...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" trbidi="on">Three girls, three different personalities, crossed their ways in Germany. They had one special thing in common among others - they are great foodies!! The trio, Umm Mymoonah of <a href="http://tasteofpearlcity.blogspot.com/">Taste of Pearl City</a>, Reshmi Ahmed of <a href="http://leckerandyummyrecipes.blogspot.com/">Lecker and Yummy Recipes</a> and Aysha of <a href="http://schmetterlingwords.blogspot.com/">SchmetterlingWords</a>, got inspired by each other, to learn about food and healthy diet, different dishes, different cuisines, from cooking to baking, started blogging and sharing our culinary expeditions with the world. We have tread a good way so far, but being the lady of the house, the quest to consciously feed the family with healthy yet tasty food has always been a sweet challenge to us.<br />
<br />
The human body and mind, when it comes to food, are faced with different needs at different stages of our life. A balanced diet is essential for a healthy body and a healthy soul. Our ancestors have understood this simple mantra very well and laid importance in the art of food making and healthy diet. A Tamil proverb goes, '<i>Unave marundhu</i>', meaning 'Food is medicine'. A proper nutrition itself is a medicine and works preventive against diseases. This shows how important food is for a healthy life. Today's life is more complex than the life some 50 years back. The fast pace of today's life just makes it more important than ever to take care of our eating habits.<br />
<br />
With just this goal, we as a team, are now embarking on a <b><i>"Healthy Morsels"</i></b> journey, carrying along with us, you foodies on our board, hoping to run a tight ship and aiming to benefit every member of the family at all ages. The whole idea of <b><i>"Healthy Morsels"</i></b> is about sharing the wisdom of good nutrition and healthy life style with the global community. Not everyone of us is a doctor. Neither are we all dietitians. But still, we can learn from each other - from the hidden treasures of family traditions, from the hearths of learned professionals and from the indispensable expertise that comes with experience - the key to a healthy life.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJKkudhdDaU_SK1w3ktab6YSEUTF0z_WwNm9-POAlxENO64sElSodYopEDvIL8pQWZ-cJMwixhfR49wiMmHQHswjk79Nlc8iacC8pzkfqKWFZpAmQ9BcOc22M8MGLHsYJy7RWqKNHDfs3w/s1600/ComingSoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJKkudhdDaU_SK1w3ktab6YSEUTF0z_WwNm9-POAlxENO64sElSodYopEDvIL8pQWZ-cJMwixhfR49wiMmHQHswjk79Nlc8iacC8pzkfqKWFZpAmQ9BcOc22M8MGLHsYJy7RWqKNHDfs3w/s400/ComingSoon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border: none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Knowledge shared is knowledge gained. Are you all ready for this exciting ride with us??<br />
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About the hows, whens and whats, just stay tuned for a few more days…</div>schmetterlingwordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09037170615147590250noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616530336958692688.post-10225122282920361702012-02-09T23:58:00.000+01:002012-02-09T23:58:52.424+01:00Fig Rolls<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" trbidi="on">I wonder at what auspicious time I wrote my last post. Since the very next day, the winter in Frankfurt is being severe. It snows and it is unbelievably and unbearably cold. Sometimes there is no snowfall, the sun shines, yet it is unbelievably and unbearably cold. I wear several layers of clothing, the heating is on the upper high, yet it is unbelievably and unbearably cold.<br />
<br />
Tja, with such low temperatures ranging around -6 C to -14 C even during the days, what can one expect? I have heard, the lakes in Frankfurt parks have frozen and people are playing, skating, etc on the frozen lake. I'm yet to see that during the weekend. I hope the river (River Main, a tributary of Rhine flows through Frankfurt) doesn't freeze. My colleagues optimistically add, "It is not that bad yet, you know!!". However, I see huge ice blocks floating on the river and I'm just scared. :(<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPgsMbe56zr0YbtgoWwRKItpEA6vXKaOcPNTs-4lvLeufR7owpyuiunSMTtGgf0fKt_qb-_ijTCNeYb0sO6ZkpGfk38P9YnwZV4DP_Lcmf7K9g1MMTK1lmxjvoF-cJdPW0i5LOlXN3v4l/s1600/Fig-Rolls-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPgsMbe56zr0YbtgoWwRKItpEA6vXKaOcPNTs-4lvLeufR7owpyuiunSMTtGgf0fKt_qb-_ijTCNeYb0sO6ZkpGfk38P9YnwZV4DP_Lcmf7K9g1MMTK1lmxjvoF-cJdPW0i5LOlXN3v4l/s1600/Fig-Rolls-02.jpg" /></a></div><br />
These are the times, I hate going out or doing anything at all. I just want to cuddle up in the bed and sleep all the time. It takes me extra will power to get out of the bed, get ready and go to work. The thing I hate the most is the 5 minutes I wait for the bus, shivering in the cold, wiping my nose every now and then. Whatever it is, once I get to office, sitting at my place with a cup of warm tea and enjoying the snow fall outside the window does not fail to amuse me. :)<br />
<span id="fullpost"><br />
Fine, enough of my blabbering and over to the post. This is another entry to the most awaited Blog Hop Wednesdays. This time, I got to visit Vaishali's <a href="http://ribbonstopastas.blogspot.com/">Ribbons to Pastas</a>, an excellent blog with a variety of finger licking goodies to try out. I very much wanted to try a dish from her Sindhi cuisine, which is something very new to me. But, due to time constraints, I rather picked up a simple dish. This is an easy to prepare sweet/snack, yet very very nutritious. I hope you would remember my <a href="http://schmetterlingwords.blogspot.com/2011/12/dry-fruits-burfi.html">Dry Fruits Burfi</a>, that I prepared a few days back. There were some dried figs left over and with these Fig Rolls, I found the perfect use for them.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sLja3BJttacn-GtAbcYtL6uH_g5yMD5KuE2l8VCoevC5aD4APWWmslDpRKwgzinme7jwZzbiqj7lthQy7FgN4nCASxGOHAEk3nnnis4zscKtIMwiZJFKAUphAJvfWKGlr0-wB4fbpdXG/s1600/Fig-Rolls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sLja3BJttacn-GtAbcYtL6uH_g5yMD5KuE2l8VCoevC5aD4APWWmslDpRKwgzinme7jwZzbiqj7lthQy7FgN4nCASxGOHAEk3nnnis4zscKtIMwiZJFKAUphAJvfWKGlr0-wB4fbpdXG/s1600/Fig-Rolls.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I followed the original recipe almost exactly, however I would provide it here. For step by step instructions, please refer the <a href="http://ribbonstopastas.blogspot.com/2011/02/nutty-fig-roll-as-soon-as-u-finish-meal.html">original recipe</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Preparation Time:</b> 15 mins<br />
<b>Makes:</b> around 15 pieces<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
Dried Figs: 200g<br />
Dates: 5, chopped<br />
Mixed nuts: 1 cup (pistachios, chopped almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, etc)<br />
Ghee or Butter: 1 Tbsp<br />
<br />
<b>Method:</b><br />
Cook the figs with very little water in a microwave for about 4 minutes. Blend the figs in a blender. Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan. Add the blended figs to the pan and roast for a few minutes. Take off the flame and let it cool. Now add the chopped nuts and dates to the fig and mix well.<br />
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Roll the mixture into logs and cover it with a fresh foil. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. Just before serving, take the logs out. Cut them into pieces and serve as a snack.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGHkrADfdvyVqcfxRkT_x40Bpc3jv59OjvHabaEvY8XzFNwpaiXYYz3kB9RbKUeiUlW0fRcpNdnR3XEAQ4uHdC-ZrvfR8y6UWHYM_lQRwWq4njkz08uBOWT44NbMy5gfW1jE8lzBqcqf3/s1600/Fig-Rolls-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGHkrADfdvyVqcfxRkT_x40Bpc3jv59OjvHabaEvY8XzFNwpaiXYYz3kB9RbKUeiUlW0fRcpNdnR3XEAQ4uHdC-ZrvfR8y6UWHYM_lQRwWq4njkz08uBOWT44NbMy5gfW1jE8lzBqcqf3/s1600/Fig-Rolls-01.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>Verdict:</b><br />
The fig rolls were very tasty and packed with nutrients. We both really loved them and I would be making them again when I buy figs next time. The choice of nuts is entirely yours and you can make them with those available at hand. I have garnished them with powdered hazel nuts. Another variation would be to roll them as small balls instead of logs. And then again, roll them over coconut rasps. Oh! I just love this idea!! Thanks to Vaishali for the lovely recipe.<br />
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Sending this to <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/2012/02/blog-hop-wednesdays-week-14.html">Blog Hop Wednesdays - Week 14</a>, hosted by Radhika of <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/">Tickling Palates</a> and to <a href="http://tasteofpearlcity.blogspot.com/2012/02/any-one-can-cook-series-41.html">Anyone Can Cook Series 41</a> of <a href="http://tasteofpearlcity.blogspot.com/">Taste of Pearl City</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/2012/02/blog-hop-wednesdays-week-14.html" imageanchor="1" style="float: left; margin-top: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZyVf5rwpGzw/Tm9rzVr_8KI/AAAAAAAAB_c/rksiA-O-JhU/Blog-Hop_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="http://tasteofpearlcity.blogspot.com/2012/02/any-one-can-cook-series-41.html" imageanchor="1" style="float: left; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyR582bA0Aed7rpqfnWsBhgG4EW9uFe3FJJovw-hAKlwT4SzpnSZZwU9Z9q0udZ5g5Ow3ysH6FMcoaH5Q616bh3xY7Q4OG5eW3ID_pq_9CeR8o7B6T0rgsJ7sGzXiPc2kpkb3qVtU_BiYu/s200/anyonecancook.jpg" width="150" /></a></div></span></div>schmetterlingwordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09037170615147590250noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616530336958692688.post-91810515009039890632012-01-29T11:04:00.024+01:002012-02-05T12:16:49.469+01:00Mini-Brötchen with Olive Chutney<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" trbidi="on">Winter this year in frankfurt is relatively mild. And, different. Different in the sense that, it is not snowy and white, as i have witnessed the last three years. It is just cold, gloomy, rainy and windy. Last winter, Frankfurt saw record level snow fall. In December 2010, it snowed in Frankfurt like never in the last year 40 years. It caused complete chaos in the highways, trains ran with unbelievable delays and even the international airport saw a complete still stand. This time, we hardly spot snow fall. I just wonder what's happening. Anyways, there is still more than a month to go, before we could say Winter is over. Let's see!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIi0__hN0vs6uMU6ea4jA1GMU7a9AZroh4xPlzoT0bPMfZ9_qimuv-jZXZLZfTpjbFKwHR8Z6HHYCVDTd2tRR80l08tGf2trYNLyu1bhLnTX-AbxrdKboia1VREVz9leqx1ZRMLH6x_ZH/s1600/Olive-Chutney-Mini-Broetchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIi0__hN0vs6uMU6ea4jA1GMU7a9AZroh4xPlzoT0bPMfZ9_qimuv-jZXZLZfTpjbFKwHR8Z6HHYCVDTd2tRR80l08tGf2trYNLyu1bhLnTX-AbxrdKboia1VREVz9leqx1ZRMLH6x_ZH/s1600/Olive-Chutney-Mini-Broetchen.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Ok. Let's move on to the topic. What I'm going to share this time is a speciality in one of our favorite eat-outs.<i> Pizza Pasta Factory</i> is a chain of restaurants and they specialize in Italian dishes, like the name says. After we order our favorite pasta, we get this lovely combination of Brötchen and Olive Chutney as our starters. I like it so much that I wanted to make it at home for a long time. Last weekend the idea materialized. Believe me it is damn easy and tastes awesome.<br />
<span id="fullpost"><br />
Basically, <i><b>Brot</b></i> means bread and <i><b>Brötchen</b></i> means bun in German. German breads and buns are quite different from those in other places, especially in North America. The Germans like their buns to be a little hard with crisp crusts. During my initial days here, I used to wonder why are breads and buns so very hard here and it is a pain to just chew them. I was used to only the soft "Modern Bread", "Milka Bread" and the milk buns and coconut buns, back in India. Here, white breads are not common, if not rare. Crisp crusts are seen as a sign of good quality bread/buns. I got slowly used to these and I'm just loving them now.<br />
<br />
These little buns or <i><b>Mini-Brötchen</b></i> are such crusty buns made out of the basic pizza dough. Well, we just have to prepare pizza dough and roll some of it into small berry sized balls and bake it. The rest of the dough can, of course, be reserved for our favorite pizza. I'm providing the recipe anyways, just in case, you haven't prepared pizza dough on your own.<br />
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<b>Mini Brötchen: </b><br />
<br />
<b>Recipe Source:</b> Adapted from Jamie Oliver's <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pizza-recipes/pizza-dough">Pizza Dough</a><br />
<b>Preparation Time:</b> 15 mins<br />
<b>Setting Time:</b> 1 hr<br />
<b>Baking Time:</b> 30 mins<br />
<b>Makes:</b> around 30 pieces<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
All purpose flour - 400g <br />
Dried Yeast - 1 packet<br />
Brown Sugar - 1 Tbsp<br />
Extra Virgin Olive oil - 2 Tbsp<br />
Sea salt - 1 tsp<br />
Lukewarm water - 300 ml<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPNHkBFpCVmhNEXzUL_BpGfmDeTeYyaxiBc11dxT0HQ7XYUxeqD7xhJHCPvGqcRND-GE3P90Bcy9MbWXGpiSOQarnect2nG6eBKWrLWwaBsyt19PgJSZZPq4LPNVH3KzPlg5XfRB3cL2as/s1600/Mini-Broetchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPNHkBFpCVmhNEXzUL_BpGfmDeTeYyaxiBc11dxT0HQ7XYUxeqD7xhJHCPvGqcRND-GE3P90Bcy9MbWXGpiSOQarnect2nG6eBKWrLWwaBsyt19PgJSZZPq4LPNVH3KzPlg5XfRB3cL2as/s1600/Mini-Broetchen.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>Method:</b><br />
Sift the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Add yeast, brown sugar and olive oil to the luke warm water and leave for about 5 minutes. When the water becomes frothy, start adding it little by little to the flour and mix well. Knead well with floured hands for about 5-10 mins until the dough becomes soft and springy. <br />
<br />
Place the dough in an oiled bowl. Cover with a wet clean cloth. Set this in a warm place for about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to about 180C. Now, take the dough in a well-floured clean surface. Punch the air back and knead a little. Start taking berry sized balls out of the dough. Roll them a little and arrange the cute balls in regular intervals on a baking sheet placed on a baking tray. Bake them for about 25-30 mins or until the upper crust turns golden brown. <br />
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<b>Olive Chutney:</b><br />
<br />
This one is absolutely easy to prepare and tastes awesome with any type of bread.<br />
<br />
<b>Preparation time:</b> 5 minutes<br />
<b>Makes:</b> 1 1/2 cup chutney<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
Olives - 300 g, pitted<br />
Red Chili - 1, like the one shown in picture, chopped<br />
Garlic - 3 small pods, chopped<br />
Juice of 1 lemon<br />
Olive oil - as needed<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3z-brvdPZp3LkyotBFSyzGqySIL-F7WWZjPJF-BC-lqM7058OBL08WrzzZiS7RZWT8FMoptvEaE7E1gEpT6S0Yx2p3mMCbHCFxjrjyU41-0Rryx2Mq2-tlibj7BySkca7hGmpPHZCTNk/s1600/Olive-Chutney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3z-brvdPZp3LkyotBFSyzGqySIL-F7WWZjPJF-BC-lqM7058OBL08WrzzZiS7RZWT8FMoptvEaE7E1gEpT6S0Yx2p3mMCbHCFxjrjyU41-0Rryx2Mq2-tlibj7BySkca7hGmpPHZCTNk/s1600/Olive-Chutney.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>Method:</b><br />
<br />
Blend everything except oil in a blender until coarse. Store in refrigerator until serving time. Just before serving, drizzle enough olive oil as needed for the consistency you like. This goes well with any bread.<br />
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We loved the combo very much. This is so simple, yet it would be a show stealer when inviting guests or in a party. Hope you enjoy them as well as we did. <br />
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Sending this as an entry to Zesty Palette's <a href="http://vardhiniskitchen.blogspot.com/2012/01/zesty-palette-series-3-new-u-event.html">New U</a> and Girlichef's <a href="http://www.girlichef.com/p/byob-bake-your-own-bread.html">Bake Your Own Bread</a>. Also sending to Taste of Pearl City's <a href="http://tasteofpearlcity.blogspot.com/2012/01/any-one-can-cook-series-40.html">Anyone can Cook: Series 40</a> and to Now Serving's <a href="http://priyasnowserving.blogspot.com/2012/02/sesame-cucumber-chutney-event.html">Dip In - Chutney Chow Down</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://vardhiniskitchen.blogspot.com/2012/01/zesty-palette-series-3-new-u-event.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFy95YAAyuMFW_TY33e34iAArcCbDvorMsink4CYT8Cu_aYLIdeloiyUKhVyv9kKjLLcdQ3dPvirWaxAxY3PVLS4XaHjEeJURbF_OBkzaPD6kaiqruY4CnvUzQuVEWE2jhey36RSDEhU7m/s200/New+U-Large.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.girlichef.com/p/byob-bake-your-own-bread.html" imageanchor="1" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1oJcD9goqMXo-w-m4t_unIT6LbIrGX_2_j0F66qMsaoXMkYdvO4URjBVHAD_7RXIlYTT1KyQ4a5084bHEstlyLKEnwQHaNIFHjA_x8Kb68Z_Ce9XFJ1mRcG5owbVD1-KfrYFdynOuyaB/s1600/BYOB+words+only.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="http://priyasnowserving.blogspot.com/2012/02/sesame-cucumber-chutney-event.html" imageanchor="1" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7168/6808545173_10f940448c.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="http://tasteofpearlcity.blogspot.com/2012/01/any-one-can-cook-series-40.html" imageanchor="1" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyR582bA0Aed7rpqfnWsBhgG4EW9uFe3FJJovw-hAKlwT4SzpnSZZwU9Z9q0udZ5g5Ow3ysH6FMcoaH5Q616bh3xY7Q4OG5eW3ID_pq_9CeR8o7B6T0rgsJ7sGzXiPc2kpkb3qVtU_BiYu/s200/anyonecancook.jpg" width="150" /></a></div></span></div>schmetterlingwordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09037170615147590250noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616530336958692688.post-86192912128806805982012-01-14T22:42:00.000+01:002012-01-14T22:42:36.767+01:00Mirchi Ka Salan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" trbidi="on">A new start into the new year. New hopes. New responsibilities. New wishes. New resolutions. Wishing everybody a wonderful year ahead. So, I'm back with a new post into the year. The times are tough again with a packed schedule at work and no internet at home. Yes, absence of internet has become a real handicap. Since more than two weeks there is no internet and phone connection at home and we have realized the hard way how dependent we have become on this. It is really difficult, at least not impossible, to get things done without being connected on the net.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-bSpWJQgj7jJhYiBplK8j1CNtlfQH-1KRed9R-LC1tJ8YPcmVhcXQYViosX2TU7qw6tA5lBj6gEyyQ_A3pey7VNeSDG8YVU24tZ7Y6WJApNSl_t-QDoXkZMvKjW14g_glC9RailSv8c6d/s1600/Mirchi-Ka-Salan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-bSpWJQgj7jJhYiBplK8j1CNtlfQH-1KRed9R-LC1tJ8YPcmVhcXQYViosX2TU7qw6tA5lBj6gEyyQ_A3pey7VNeSDG8YVU24tZ7Y6WJApNSl_t-QDoXkZMvKjW14g_glC9RailSv8c6d/s1600/Mirchi-Ka-Salan.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Fine, at last we got ourselves a surf stick, instead of waiting for the new contract to reach us. So, this explains my delay in posting for the Blog Hop event this time. Nevertheless, I do not want to miss the fun and here is my entry from Veena's blog Veena's <a href="http://veenasvegnation.blogspot.com/">Veg Junction</a>. Veena has a lovely collection of vegetarian recipes and the moment I saw this curry, I was excited to try it.<br />
<br />
<span id="fullpost"><br />
Capsicum or Bell Pepper is a good vegetable which has always taken a back seat in our hearth. My husband is not a big fan of capsicum and even I ignored it. Recently I saw in the television about the nutritional benefits of capsicum. It is rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants. Mirchi ka Salan was "the apt curry" to put the bell peppers to good use, at the same time, suitable to Indian taste buds.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLma5eXCY0kbEHWBjp36AlrsxN2sID4YXs4VTjwjivmSdEAa_i7HH_l6rN18xKQV23ZEFVpxticr5ZwkpiwP9mrFN5ukCOluQ-mcooiNbvyFbMTDxFLr6XARZC-uK_wE8dODeoIdEoGIt/s1600/Mirchi-Ka-Salan-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLma5eXCY0kbEHWBjp36AlrsxN2sID4YXs4VTjwjivmSdEAa_i7HH_l6rN18xKQV23ZEFVpxticr5ZwkpiwP9mrFN5ukCOluQ-mcooiNbvyFbMTDxFLr6XARZC-uK_wE8dODeoIdEoGIt/s1600/Mirchi-Ka-Salan-01.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The original recipe can be found <a href="http://veenasvegnation.blogspot.com/2011/04/mirch-ka-salan.html">here</a>. I almost followed her recipe, but for a few changes. I did not have sesame at hand. But, instead I added some pepper corns which added to the pep of the curry. Here is my version of the preparation.<br />
<br />
<b>Preparation time:</b> 40 mins<br />
<b>Serves:</b> 4<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
Coloured bell peppers - 1 red, 1 green and 1 yellow<br />
Ground nuts - 3 Tbs<br />
Pepper corns - 1 Tbs<br />
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp<br />
Onion - 1<br />
Tomato puree - 1/2 cup<br />
Coconut - 5 Tbs, grated<br />
Ginger - 1 inch piece<br />
Garlic - 2 cloves<br />
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp<br />
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp<br />
Nigella seeds - 1/2 tsp<br />
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp<br />
Coriander powder - 2 tsp<br />
Turmeric - a pinch<br />
Tamarind - marble sized<br />
Salt - to taste<br />
Oil - as required<br />
<br />
<b>Method:</b><br />
Heat a little oil in a pan and roast the ground nuts, pepper corns and cumin seeds for about 5 minutes. Cool and grind the mixture and keep aside.<br />
<br />
Slice the bell peppers into thin strips. In the same pan, add a little oil and shallow fry them for about 5 minutes. Keep aside.<br />
<br />
Slice the onions. In a blender/mixer, take the onions, grated coconut, ginger and garlic and blend well. Soak the tamarind in hot water and set aside.<br />
<br />
Now, for the cooking, heat a little oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and when they crackle, add the fenugreek and nigella seeds. Now add the blended onion paste along with tomato puree. Fry till the raw smell fades off. Now, add the dry ground nut mixture and cook for a few minutes.<br />
<br />
Add on the dry spices and salt. Let this cook well with required amount of water. Now, comes in the tamarind juice and fried bell peppers. Let the gravy cook for a few more minutes and turn off the heat when done.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDzIQWdy1BUk7Ak0JgM6T5fIYQvnKTrShOY3HFNouF3FnK07bU-F8NdZGIBWAZI8jlq3-_Ku9xgUbSipwICwkEVm4f6psaY2ibtmqbsebEgnwzV0ZUZ6QyaSlk_IGxFDcv4plAPwSbb9Q/s1600/Mirchi-Ka-Salan-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDzIQWdy1BUk7Ak0JgM6T5fIYQvnKTrShOY3HFNouF3FnK07bU-F8NdZGIBWAZI8jlq3-_Ku9xgUbSipwICwkEVm4f6psaY2ibtmqbsebEgnwzV0ZUZ6QyaSlk_IGxFDcv4plAPwSbb9Q/s1600/Mirchi-Ka-Salan-02.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>Verdict:</b><br />
The curry goes well with rotis and chapatis. We had it with hot steaming rice. You know what? My husband who first twisted his face on hearing that I'm gonna try this curry, actually wiped off the plate. He said, the curry tasted really very well. The combination of coconut, ground nuts and peppers were absolutely wonderful. Since I didn't have sesame seeds as mentioned in the original recipe, I used sesame oil for cooking instead. It gave a nice aroma to the dish. The spicy and tangy curry was a delight. I'm definitely gonna prepare this more often in the future. Thanks to Veena :)<br />
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Sending this post to <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/2012/01/blog-hop-wednesdays-version-20-week-13.html">Blog Hop Wednesdays Version 2.0 - Week 13</a>, an event hosted by Radhika of <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/">Tickling Palates</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZyVf5rwpGzw/Tm9rzVr_8KI/AAAAAAAAB_c/rksiA-O-JhU/Blog-Hop_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZyVf5rwpGzw/Tm9rzVr_8KI/AAAAAAAAB_c/rksiA-O-JhU/Blog-Hop_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" /></a></div></span></div>schmetterlingwordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09037170615147590250noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616530336958692688.post-38099774737791582432011-12-28T22:28:00.000+01:002011-12-28T22:28:24.360+01:00Dry Fruits Burfi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" trbidi="on">It is almost a month since my last post. A big sorry to all my dear readers!! I was so caught up with my work. I wonder how critical situations come up exclusively at the year end. However, I'm happy that I could fix them all to the satisfaction of the customers and I'm eagerly waiting for the new year now. This kept me completely away from the Blogosphere. I neither looked up my own space nor visited other blogs too. Hopefully, the new year permits me more time for my hobby :)<br />
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Another <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/2011/07/announcing-blog-hop-wednesdays.html">Blog Hop series</a> today, an exciting event hosted by Radhika of <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/">Tickling Palates</a>. This time I got the opportunity to visit <a href="http://nimmuguru.blogspot.com/">Nirmala's Kitchen</a>. She hosts a variety of authentic Indian recipes in her blog and as usual, had a little confusion what to try. Recently, during one of my conversations with my German colleague, I was telling him that sweets make an integral part of any festival or special occasion in India. He said, "Oh! Do you make sweets too? I thought, Indian cuisine is mostly with spices and curries". Then, I explained him the importance of sweets in India and also gave him a brief intro to some renowned sweets like Gulab Jamun, Rabri, Jilebi, etc.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlF5FiUP2-IPudqzAvVb5fuqju2VQUJemHWtsfU77vn6FiML3sx0bURdKoxJNNGIcXX5kRpGl5VHsmb25gTc0BB6FhlFvn2jaO9sBioZ99sSAl28pRgs_kLP_IZYMv6O_RYfjh8s_D0aBj/s1600/Dry-Fruits-Burfi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlF5FiUP2-IPudqzAvVb5fuqju2VQUJemHWtsfU77vn6FiML3sx0bURdKoxJNNGIcXX5kRpGl5VHsmb25gTc0BB6FhlFvn2jaO9sBioZ99sSAl28pRgs_kLP_IZYMv6O_RYfjh8s_D0aBj/s1600/Dry-Fruits-Burfi.jpg" /></a></div><span id="fullpost"><br />
After all these, I got a craving for our Indian sweets. If I say, I have a sweet tooth, it would be an understatement. I think, all I have are sweet teeth :) And, look at this, Nirmala has a variety of sweet dishes to offer. And I selected this Dry Fruits Burfi. It was a little different and packed with healthy dry fruits and hence gave a try. The original recipe can be found <a href="http://nimmuguru.blogspot.com/2011/11/mawa-dry-fruit-burfi.html">here</a>. I made some small changes and hence giving you my version too.<br />
<br />
<b>Preparation Time:</b> 40 mins<br />
<b>Makes:</b> 20 - 24 squares<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
Mawa - 1 cup<br />
Powdered Almond - 1/2 cup<br />
Powdered Cashews - 1/2 cup<br />
Dried figs - 1/4 cup, finely chopped<br />
Dates - 1/4 cup, finely chopped<br />
Pistachios - 1 Tbsp, finely chopped<br />
Sugar - 1 1/2 cups (or less)<br />
Water -1cup<br />
Cardamom powder - a pinch<br />
Ghee - 2 tsps<br />
<br />
<b>Method:</b><br />
In a heavy bottomed large pan, heat a teaspoon of ghee. Roast the chopped figs, dates and pistachios lightly. Then, add the powdered almond, cashews and mawa. Mix well and roast gently. When it gets a little brown and emanates fine aroma, remove from heat and save aside.<br />
<br />
In the same pan, heat water and sugar to prepare the sugar syrup. When the syrup attains one string consistency, add the cardamom and the mawa mixture. Mix well and cook in medium heat till it leaves the sides of the pan and gets into one big ball.<br />
<br />
Grease a square tin with the rest of the ghee and pour the hot mass into it. Spread and let it cool for some time. Cut into squares and serve.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPSFG1iT3LRBMAI0bKPPbVUP72ZXudY8AVVR7LO3uHV6zjJqpE-K0O5vQsQ-UuzxnyIngyWCtZr5yGFRmAvXDzsn3UM9NDIrf7iH1ZZAxCDpPYsfdZuUrtZ_y399-aFUjCQFsDE33bslFZ/s1600/Dry-Fruits-Burfi-01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPSFG1iT3LRBMAI0bKPPbVUP72ZXudY8AVVR7LO3uHV6zjJqpE-K0O5vQsQ-UuzxnyIngyWCtZr5yGFRmAvXDzsn3UM9NDIrf7iH1ZZAxCDpPYsfdZuUrtZ_y399-aFUjCQFsDE33bslFZ/s1600/Dry-Fruits-Burfi-01.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<b>Verdict:</b><br />
We found the Burfi extraordinarily tasty and different from the usual Besan ones. It is packed with healthy ingredients and rich with dried fruits. I'm sure, they would definitely delight kids and adults alike. However, I used less sugar than mentioned in the original recipe and yet it was a little too sweet. May be the added dates brought in those extra sweetness. So, if you want it just delectable, it is advisable to reduce the amount of sugar to be used.<br />
<br />
I would definitely be making these Burfis again. May be try it with jaggery too. Thanks Nirmala for this sweet power packed snacks. Sending this as an entry to <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/2011/12/blog-hop-wednesdays-week-12.html">Blog Hop Week 12</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZyVf5rwpGzw/Tm9rzVr_8KI/AAAAAAAAB_c/rksiA-O-JhU/Blog-Hop_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZyVf5rwpGzw/Tm9rzVr_8KI/AAAAAAAAB_c/rksiA-O-JhU/Blog-Hop_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" /></a></div></span><br />
</div>schmetterlingwordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09037170615147590250noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616530336958692688.post-78539980962209039202011-11-30T23:43:00.000+01:002011-11-30T23:43:58.177+01:00Banana Fritters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" trbidi="on">Everyone and everything here awaits Christmas now. It gets dark around 5pm and wherever you turn, you see cute little lights and candles, adorning huge and small christmas trees. The shops, malls, houses, railway stations and even my office has got the new Christmas look now. In Germany, Advent is celebrated as a tradition awaiting Christmas. It marks the four weeks before Christmas. Every week, one of the four candles in the advent wreath is lighted until Christmas. You can find more info in <a href="http://www.german-way.com/christmasAdv.html">http://www.german-way.com/christmasAdv.html. </a>It is really fascinating to know such things about the traditions and cultures in the lives of people in different countries. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--ZdAPAEKhJ4/TtauuqNFk5I/AAAAAAAAArw/kPBFMw8N6xQ/s1600/Banana-Fritters.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--ZdAPAEKhJ4/TtauuqNFk5I/AAAAAAAAArw/kPBFMw8N6xQ/s1600/Banana-Fritters.JPG" /></a></div><span id="fullpost"><br />
Now, coming to the post, this is yet another entry for the <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/2011/07/announcing-blog-hop-wednesdays.html">Blog Hop Wednesdays</a>, an event by Radhika of <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/">Tickling Palates</a>. This time, I got the chance to visit <a href="http://comeletseat.blogspot.com/">Jabeen's Corner</a>. I have been following her space for quite some time now and I really find her space interesting. The way she narrates things sometimes makes me feel as if I'm hearing her in person and the liveliness in her tone is contagious. I'm glad I got a chance to try something from her blog. As always, we (I and my husband) were browsing through her posts and when we saw <a href="http://comeletseat.blogspot.com/2009/09/banana-fritters-pazham-pori.html">Banana Fritters</a>, we at once knew - that's it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9JQl7Em_yWQ/Ttauv0t2UaI/AAAAAAAAAsA/EZYblMes2KU/s1600/Banana-Fritters02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9JQl7Em_yWQ/Ttauv0t2UaI/AAAAAAAAAsA/EZYblMes2KU/s1600/Banana-Fritters02.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Banana Fritters, known as 'Pazham Pori' regionally, is a famous tea-time snack in Keralite households. As I'm writing the post, it brings me some of the unforgettable memories in my life. I very well remember where I first tasted these gorgeous snack. During our final year Engineering studies, we, a group of four friends were staying at one of our Keralite friend's house in Trivandrum, for doing our Project Work. Her mother is a wonderful cook. Inspite of her full time job, she passionately cooked varieties of tasty dishes for us all. Every evening, after we return tired from our day's work, we would find something special and tasty awaiting us in the dining table, along with tea. We used to savour these as hungry birds, chit-chatting and drinking tea. One such evening was when I got to taste these. It was wonderful that even banana can be fried and it tasted really awesome. <br />
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After that, it was in my in-laws place where I tasted them again. My husband's native is a town located quite close to the Kerala border in Tamilnadu and strongly influenced by Kerala cuisine. Every often, my mother-in-law would prepare these simple delicacies. It would all vanish within a few minutes, as everyone in family likes them. I, myself, have never prepared these and it's quite been some time sinced we ate them last. Well, now you could imagine my husband's enthu on seeing this in Jabeen's Corner.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HFk3kVh1Fjk/TtauvDT0DoI/AAAAAAAAAr4/U1_oHPewTvI/s1600/Banana-Fritters01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HFk3kVh1Fjk/TtauvDT0DoI/AAAAAAAAAr4/U1_oHPewTvI/s1600/Banana-Fritters01.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I went ahead straight away and prepared these last Sunday. The recipe is so so simple, that there is really no need to repeat it. You can find it <a href="http://comeletseat.blogspot.com/2009/09/banana-fritters-pazham-pori.html">here</a>. Just prepare the batter, dip the banana pieces and fry. You'll be surprised at the number of pieces easily going into your mouths within minutes.<br />
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<b>Notes:</b><br />
<ul><li>The banana should be really ripe enough for a good taste. Long yellow coloured variety (Yethampazham) is well suited.</li>
<li>I did not use turmeric, as like my mother-in-law's recipe.</li>
<li>The amount of sugar can be adjusted according to the sweetness of the banana. It can very well be replaced with honey or maple syrup.</li>
</ul>Thanks again Jabeen for the recipe. Happily sharing this with Tickling Palates' <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/2011/11/blog-hop-wednesdays-week-10.html">Blog Hop Wednesday - Week 10.</a><br />
</span></div>schmetterlingwordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09037170615147590250noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616530336958692688.post-32720455593804023142011-11-26T13:28:00.000+01:002011-11-26T13:28:03.195+01:00Meen Kuzhambu<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" trbidi="on">Hurrayy!! I have spotted the first snow of the year. The sight of fresh snow is always a delight to me. A thin layer of soft white powder is seen over roof tops of houses, on car glasses, on the pavement, on every single blade of grass and on every single grain of sand. When I tread over the snow covered pathway, I can feel the softness even under the thick boots. I wonder how it would feel if I touch it with my barefoot. Even the thought brings a chill to me. Ooohhh! Shivers!!<br />
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Most of us would love to watch the rain through a windowpane. It brings an unexplainable pleasure on watching the rain drops dance and drizzle. Where the beauty of rain is in the rustle, the beauty of snowfall is in its elegant hush. Sitting on the couch, cuddling on a soft pillow, a cup of tea in the hand, seeing the gentle snow silver everything outside the window - believe me, it is a very serene moment. If you have got snow where you live, go get yourself a break and don't miss to enjoy what nature offers you.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrI_FWEyZG4hAW9hdVqlGIMCFNMVnrxNIvf4DNe_97GVqgTEkTbcRP5RSXvqZDfUAmrG_IuMxueDw30Ck3HgLXcL1tIFUd3xtBntj5j1jz9X5WPyk4M0QYryzuVDKSz7r_NZYhLXOckYTn/s1600/Fish-Curry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrI_FWEyZG4hAW9hdVqlGIMCFNMVnrxNIvf4DNe_97GVqgTEkTbcRP5RSXvqZDfUAmrG_IuMxueDw30Ck3HgLXcL1tIFUd3xtBntj5j1jz9X5WPyk4M0QYryzuVDKSz7r_NZYhLXOckYTn/s1600/Fish-Curry.JPG" /></a></div><span id="fullpost"><br />
This weather brings a never ending craving for warm and spicy foods. Last weekend, my husband brought home some fresh fish. My only thought went to the spicy tangy tasty fish curry my mom prepares. Ever since the day I was old enough to appreciate the tastes of food, I am in love with my Amma's Meen Kuzhambu (Fish Curry). I have tasted other lovely preparations of fish too, but this one always tops my favorites list.<br />
<br />
Though I could not attain the 100% perfect taste (Amma's Kai manam), I think my preparation was almost as tasty. I'm giving the recipe here and feel free to try and adjust to your tastes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wOh7BObnu5BNlq7Eif3hyzyQqZCnSp6Ex0XzfqaauV9dk8AD8Y-Wx74pbMuF-4DPftkqNw8e-PiUWFbA0s3fAztcFsDms4tHrkZt64AmY1iZhvNny3pcmg4lsJeDeDQsWluX9fp83q-p/s1600/Fish-Curry-02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wOh7BObnu5BNlq7Eif3hyzyQqZCnSp6Ex0XzfqaauV9dk8AD8Y-Wx74pbMuF-4DPftkqNw8e-PiUWFbA0s3fAztcFsDms4tHrkZt64AmY1iZhvNny3pcmg4lsJeDeDQsWluX9fp83q-p/s1600/Fish-Curry-02.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<b>Serves:</b> 3-4<br />
<b>Preparation Time:</b> 30 mins<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
Fish - 1/2 kg<br />
Onions - 2 big, chopped<br />
Tomatoes - 2, diced<br />
Green chillies - 2, slit lengthwise<br />
Fresh Coconut - 1/2, grated or diced into small pieces<br />
Red Chilli powder - 2 tsp<br />
Coriander powder - 1 tsp<br />
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp<br />
Lemon juice - from 1/2 lemon<br />
Tamarind - marble sized<br />
Salt - to taste<br />
<br />
Cooking Oil - 2 Tbsp<br />
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp<br />
Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp<br />
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp<br />
Curry leaves - from 2 twigs<br />
<br />
<b>Method:</b><br />
Clean the fish and cut into pieces. Take 1 tsp of chilli powder, a pinch of turmeric, enough salt and the lemon juice in a bowl. Mix and rub the mixture over the fish pieces gently and keep aside.<br />
<br />
Soak the tamarind in warm water in a small bowl. Keep aside.<br />
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Blend the grated coconut in an electric blender with little amount of water. Extract the juice out of it. Save this as the first milk. Blend the same coconut again with some more water. Extract the juice out of it and save this as the second milk.<br />
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Heat oil (I used gingelly oil) in a wide shallow vessel. Add mustard seeds and urad dal. When the mustards crack, add the fenugreek seeds and curry leaves. Now, add the chopped onions and green chillies and sauté well. When the onions have become soft and translucent, add the diced tomatoes. When the tomatoes are well cooked, lightly mash them and add 1 tsp of chilli powder, coriander powder and enough salt. Cook the spices for a few minutes without burning them.<br />
<br />
Now add the fish pieces and one cup of first coconut milk. Close the vessel with a lid and cook in medium heat. Meanwhile, extract the juice out the soaked tamarind. After about 10 mins of cooking, add the tamarind juice and one cup of second coconut milk. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for a few more minutes.<br />
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When little droplets of oil separates out of the curry, it means completely cooked and switch off the heat. Enjoy with fresh steamed rice.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7J2XXdwTYoA2qNr3ILqngJguUwQ-IavrOXAzd1ABQP-fZjF-g1w-VShfbdZcB8Kh3IPsRksqhoqvVIsnHlbAdp_OciPEqNW1SlMFr9uHFyiWNVcPIwCNRd30ZxXfgnYqV4GZOPH6dZrS/s1600/Fish-Curry-01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7J2XXdwTYoA2qNr3ILqngJguUwQ-IavrOXAzd1ABQP-fZjF-g1w-VShfbdZcB8Kh3IPsRksqhoqvVIsnHlbAdp_OciPEqNW1SlMFr9uHFyiWNVcPIwCNRd30ZxXfgnYqV4GZOPH6dZrS/s1600/Fish-Curry-01.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<b>Notes:</b><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Depending upon the size of the coconut, you would get 2-3 cups of milk. I got 1 cup of first milk and two cups of second milk, out of which I used one cup only. </li>
<li>My mother blends the coconut in a stone grinder until it get so soft that she adds the coconut directly to the curry instead of extracting the milk. </li>
<li>Always use a wide shallow vessel for fish curries. Do not mix the curry often with a ladle while cooking, as it might break the fish pieces easily.</li>
<li>Depending upon the type of fish used, the cooking time might vary. So, keep a careful eye while cooking. I used Red fish / Ocean Perch. You can use any solid fish suitable for curries.</li>
<li>The curry tastes better when cooked in an earthen vessel. It tastes even better when served on the next day.</li>
</ul></span><br />
</div>schmetterlingwordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09037170615147590250noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616530336958692688.post-2618248860177765382011-11-16T10:30:00.001+01:002011-11-16T23:22:23.522+01:00Chicken Sukka<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justified;" trbidi="on">Before I could realise, my Blog has turned one. For the past one year, blogging has been more than just a hobby for me. I haven't written a hundred post. However every single post is dear to me and I'm just glad that I'm writing them. It gives me immense pleasure on seeing the growth of my blog with a good number of committed readers. However, I must confess that I'm not writing regularly due to time constraints :( Many ideas still remain just ideas. I hope, the new year would bring a good swing in my blog. Lets hope for the best.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C7vIhkCJYnA/TsLTO03gCUI/AAAAAAAAArc/Z7Ty_bKjPGg/s1600/Chicken-Sukka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C7vIhkCJYnA/TsLTO03gCUI/AAAAAAAAArc/Z7Ty_bKjPGg/s1600/Chicken-Sukka.jpg" /></a></div><span id="fullpost"><br />
This is yet another post for <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/2011/07/announcing-blog-hop-wednesdays.html">Blog Hop Wednesdays</a>. This time I got to visit Charishma's blog - <a href="http://cheriesstolenrecipes.blogspot.com">Cheri's Stolen Recipes</a>. It is a blog she writes together with her mom. So I expected some traditional recipes and I got more than I wanted. Being a Mangalorean, she has posted a lot of traditional <a href="http://cheriesstolenrecipes.blogspot.com/p/mangalorean-recipes.html">Mangalorean recipes</a>. Every dish was awesome and I was literally drooling at the pictures. My husband and I were sitting selecting the recipes and we really had a tough time choosing one, since we had opened five to six tabs just of her Mangalorean recipes. Finally it was agreed that I make Chicken Sukka this time and the rest later one by one. Believe me, I'm not exaggerating!! Thanks Cherie for such awesome dishes :)<br />
<br />
The original recipe be found <a href="http://cheriesstolenrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/06/kori-aajadina-chicken-sukka.html">here</a>. I made very little changes and here is what I used. You are free to change the measurements to suit your taste buds.<br />
<br />
<b>Preparation Time: </b>1 hour<br />
<b>Serves:</b> 3 to 4<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients: </b><br />
Chicken - 1 kg <br />
<br />
Cloves - 4<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Okgp3lBr6nQ/TsLYk5_fl-I/AAAAAAAAArk/_Osw1z71QTc/s1600/Chicken-Sukka-Masala.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Okgp3lBr6nQ/TsLYk5_fl-I/AAAAAAAAArk/_Osw1z71QTc/s1600/Chicken-Sukka-Masala.JPG" /></a><br />
Cinnamon - 2 small sticks<br />
Onion - 1 thinly sliced, 1 finely chopped<br />
Turmeric - a pinch<br />
<br />
Cumin seeds - 2 tsp, roasted<br />
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp, roasted<br />
Coriander seeds - 2 Tbsp, roasted<br />
Pepper corns - 20, roasted<br />
Red chillies - 5, roasted<br />
Garlic pods - 4 (with skin)<br />
<br />
Coconut - 1 cup, grated<br />
Cumin seeds - 1 <br />
Garlic - 2 pods<br />
<br />
Salt - to taste<br />
Oil - to saute<br />
<br />
<b>For seasoning:</b><br />
Shallots - 4 big, finely chopped<br />
Ghee - 2 Tbsp<br />
Cashews - a few<br />
<br />
<b>Method:</b><br />
Cut the chicken into grob pieces. Wash and clean with salt and turmeric and keep aside.<br />
<br />
In a wok on medium flame, heat some oil. Add the cloves, cinnamon, thinly sliced onions and turmeric and saute till the onions turn soft. Now, add the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, pepper corns, garlic pods and the red chillies one by one and saute for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool down. After it is cooled, blend this spice mixture to a coarse paste with little water.<br />
<br />
Dry roast the coconut with cumin seeds and 2 garlic pods. Preserve this aside.<br />
<br />
Heat a wide bottomed pan and add cleaned chicken to it. Now add three fourths of the spice mixture, salt and 1 chopped onion to it, mix and cook with the lid closed for about 10 minutes. <br />
<br />
Blend the rest of the spice mixture with the coconut mixture, again to a coarse paste, with enough water. Now, add this to the chicken, close the lid again and cook again until the chicken is well cooked and soft.<br />
<br />
For seasoning, heat the ghee and saute the finely chopped shallots and cashews till light brown. Add to the curry and switch off the flame. Chicken Sukka is now ready to be enjoyed.<br />
<br />
<b>Verdict:</b><br />
Just Fingerlicking good!! The relatively clean plates after the meal stand testimony to the taste of the curry. At first, I was quite surprised by the number of red chillies Cherie has used in the recipe, but however later realised that she has used the mild spiced ones. I was still apprehensive, yet I found that the coconut added reduces the heat of the chillies and increases the taste of the curry multifold. <br />
<br />
I have observed that in many of the dishes, she has not used any pre-prepared curry powders. Instead, she roasts and blends the spices freshly before using in the curry. Of course it might be time consuming. But, believe me, it is really worth the effort. I could really feel the freshness of the spices in the curry. The taste reminded me of the curries my mother prepares. My mom blends spices every time for most of the curries in a traditional stone grinder (Ammi in Tamil) even to this day.<br />
<br />
<b>Note:</b><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I did not have the mild spicy Kashmir red chillies. So, I was a little conservative with the use of the red chillies.</li>
<li>A combination of boned and breast pieces of the chicken would be fine for the dish.</li>
<li>I blended the spices in an electric blender. I recommend blending in a stone grinder for better results. </li>
</ul><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ip6010ess14/TsLTN0sY15I/AAAAAAAAArU/UZtU-29S1E4/s1600/Chicken-Sukka-01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ip6010ess14/TsLTN0sY15I/AAAAAAAAArU/UZtU-29S1E4/s1600/Chicken-Sukka-01.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a><br />
</div><br />
Garnish the dish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with roti or steamed rice.Sending this as an entry to <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/2011/11/blog-hop-wednesdays-week-9.html">Blog Hop Wednesday-Week 9</a> event by Radhika of <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/">Tickling Palates</a>.<br />
</span><br />
</div>shafhuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357158412345045393noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616530336958692688.post-5100538009217274942011-11-02T16:04:00.004+01:002011-11-02T20:18:49.263+01:00Kadhi Palak<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justified;" trbidi="on">Goldene Oktober (Golden October). I have fallen in love with this phrase which perfectly describes the Fall in Germany. The temperature drops. It is chill everywhere, yet not sharp as a knife. Poets associate the season with the mood of meloncholy. However, to me, the season brings an elegant serenity with it. <br />
<br />
I make a stroll in the morning through the parks and fields, to take a whiff of fresh air. The leaves on the trees gradually turn into different shades of green, yellow, orange, red and brown - pale and bright. Some could no longer hold on to the trees and with a heavy heart fall off to the ground, just to make a soft bed over the wet grass below. There is still a mild fog. I hug on to the warmth of the pullover and I can see my own breath. Piles of pumpkins and dozens of apples are stacked over for sale by the farmers along the fields. The sun shines lazily through the branches of the trees, pouring its golden rays through the branches and coloured leaves, elevating their beauty to a splendid grandeur. Is this not a golden October?<br />
<br />
Well, this is something I wanted to share with you before October ends, but I couldn't make it. Now that it is November, winter is on the doorsteps and trees are becoming more naked with every passing day. I got to prepare myself to face the winter.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yS5byFdwBUQ/TrBoDs8KXsI/AAAAAAAAArM/hpWl9DTmikY/s1600/Kadhi-Palak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yS5byFdwBUQ/TrBoDs8KXsI/AAAAAAAAArM/hpWl9DTmikY/s1600/Kadhi-Palak.jpg" /></a></div><br />
In the recent past, I have seen many blog posts with lots of sweets and savouries marking the festive season in India. I hope everyone had a memorable and safe Diwali. Now, coming to the purpose of the post, it is yet another entry to the exciting fortnightly event - Blog Hop Wednesdays, organised by Radhika of Tickling Palates. As per the rule of the game, I got the opportunity to visit Anamika of <a href="http://tastejunction.blogspot.com/">Taste Junction</a>. Oh, I really wonder why I have missed her blog so long. Not just the food and the photography is amazing, but also her write ups give me an interesting read. I'm especially fond of her musings in the <a href="http://tastejunction.blogspot.com/p/random-musings.html">Scribbles</a> page. Her blog reflects in a way the wonderful personality she is. Thanks again to Radhika for giving this chance to know such lovely blogs and bloggers.<br />
<span id="fullpost"><br />
Choosing a single dish was again a challenge. Baking was a big no and so I searched in <a href="http://tastejunction.blogspot.com/p/cooking.html">Cooking</a>. She has many dishes up her sleeves which are new to me. Finally, I settled down to Kadhi Palak, which was also the lunch menu on last Sunday.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AUTq_Pimt1Y/TrBoCUs9UfI/AAAAAAAAAq8/AxRHgNg1JZo/s1600/Kadhi-Palak-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AUTq_Pimt1Y/TrBoCUs9UfI/AAAAAAAAAq8/AxRHgNg1JZo/s1600/Kadhi-Palak-01.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The original recipe can be found <a href="http://tastejunction.blogspot.com/2011/05/kadhi-palak-spinach-in-spiced-yogurt.html">here</a>. I followed it almost exactly except the following small changes.<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I added two large chopped shallots while sauteing.</li>
<li>I added few sprigs of flat-leaf parsley at the end. </li>
<li>I forgot to add the Kasuri methi.</li>
</ul>I had never prepared any Kadhi before, so this was my first attempt. I was afraid if the yogurt might curdle or if the besan would get more thick than necessary. Nothing of the kind happened. It tasted so delicious and creamy, that I would definitely be making it again and often. My husband too liked it a lot. The spinach and parsley are green leafy vegetables, which are a good source of antioxidants, iron and vital vitamins. This does not take much time and effort to prepare, yet makes a satisfying and healthy meal.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qUFwHq1Ne-g/TrBoDJz4DHI/AAAAAAAAArA/5sNFRU62a04/s1600/Kadhi-Palak-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qUFwHq1Ne-g/TrBoDJz4DHI/AAAAAAAAArA/5sNFRU62a04/s1600/Kadhi-Palak-02.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Sending this as an entry to <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/2011/11/blog-hop-wednesdays-week-8-edition-2.html">Blog Hop Wednesday-Week 8</a> event by Radhika of <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/">Tickling Palates</a>, <a href="http://cooking-goodfood.blogspot.com/2011/10/only-event-for-november-and-giveaway.html">Only Curries</a> event by Pari of <a href="http://cooking-goodfood.blogspot.com/">Foodelicious</a>, guest hosted by <a href="http://janakipattiskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/10/only-curries-event.html">Janaki's Kitchen</a> and to <a href="http://priyasnowserving.blogspot.com/2011/11/fast-food-not-fat-food-7.html">Fast Food NOT Fat Food</a> by Priya of <a href="http://priyasnowserving.blogspot.com/">Now Serving</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rYBTrgxNf5s/TQfCelg0mzI/AAAAAAAABtU/We-Bq_1zvfI/s1600/event+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rYBTrgxNf5s/TQfCelg0mzI/AAAAAAAABtU/We-Bq_1zvfI/s200/event+logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zkwFSZ5_A9Y/Tq7GJnyksUI/AAAAAAAAJmU/JXcPdv-Ck2I/s1600/Only_Curries.png" imageanchor="1" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zkwFSZ5_A9Y/Tq7GJnyksUI/AAAAAAAAJmU/JXcPdv-Ck2I/s200/Only_Curries.png" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZyVf5rwpGzw/Tm9rzVr_8KI/AAAAAAAAB_c/rksiA-O-JhU/Blog-Hop_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" imageanchor="1" style="float: left;"><img border="0" height="169" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZyVf5rwpGzw/Tm9rzVr_8KI/AAAAAAAAB_c/rksiA-O-JhU/Blog-Hop_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="200" /></a></span></div>schmetterlingwordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09037170615147590250noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616530336958692688.post-90645936419184414892011-10-21T22:13:00.001+02:002011-10-21T22:28:28.125+02:00Mango Kalakhand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" trbidi="on">In India, this is the time when an array of holidays line up the calendar marking the festival season. Celebrations are aplenty and festivals in India are always marked with good food and lots of sweets. I thought, it would be an apt time to share a simple sweet recipe.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1F1ZASe6z3O9y2rM28qFZvCU150Yds-ki6LtkcdPdoku0HHfIiD-d3pOmFbQ_VJf4zQbbzdMdz4hQCdkWT64BiXtzlcr-EhF0nWqDwtA96CnGuZ3F-g4Fw0zxx75XwykM0mVafL7PXG_b/s1600/Mango-Kalakhand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1F1ZASe6z3O9y2rM28qFZvCU150Yds-ki6LtkcdPdoku0HHfIiD-d3pOmFbQ_VJf4zQbbzdMdz4hQCdkWT64BiXtzlcr-EhF0nWqDwtA96CnGuZ3F-g4Fw0zxx75XwykM0mVafL7PXG_b/s1600/Mango-Kalakhand.JPG" /></a></div><span id="fullpost"><br />
I first learnt making Kalakhand from Taste of Pearl City. She showed me <a href="http://tasteofpearlcity.blogspot.com/2010/04/badam-kalakand.html">her recipe</a> and motivated me to try it. My very first try was a hit. Since then, I've made them quite often, experimenting every time with different flavors. When I made this Mango Kalakhand, I was too excited at the bright orange color, that I thought, this really deserves being photographed. Now that I have these photos uploaded, I thought I could share the recipe too.<br />
<br />
<b>Serves:</b> makes about 12 pieces<br />
<b>Preparation time:</b> 18 mins<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
Ricotta cheese - 1 cup<br />
Sweetened Condensed Milk - 1 cup<br />
Mango puree - 1/2 cup<br />
Saffron- a few strands soaked in warm milk<br />
Cardamom powder - a tiny pinch<br />
Ghee or butter to grease the bowl<br />
<br />
<b>Method:</b><br />
<br />
Take a medium sized microwave safe bowl. Grease with a little ghee. Add all the ingredients in the bowl and mix them well. Microwave it in high for 5 minutes. Take the bowl out, give a stir and microwave again for 5 minutes. Repeat taking the bowl out and stirring and microwave again, but now in 2 mins intervals. Continue until the mixture is no more a liquid and has attained a steady consistency. Take care not to burn.<br />
Now, take the bowl out and spread the mixture in a square tray and let it cool. Cut and enjoy!!<br />
<br />
<b>Note:</b><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>It took in my microwave a total of 18 mins until done. That is, after the first two cycles of 5 mins microwaving, I did three times 2 mins microwaving and two times 1 min microwaving. Just make your best judgement according to your microwave.</li>
<li>You can use mango puree from fresh mango pulp. Canned puree (Alfonso) works good as well.</li>
</ul>This is sure to delight mango and sweet lovers alike. You can experiment with other flavors too. Chocolate flavor is our favorite too, where you might add a little of cocoa instead of mango puree.<br />
<br />
This goes as an entry to Tickling Palates' <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/2011/08/announcing-diwali-special-sweets.html">Diwali Special - Sweets and Savories</a> and Anu's Healthy Kitchen's <a href="http://anuzhealthykitchen.blogspot.com/2011/08/diwali-festival-of-lights-event-aug.html">Diwali - Festival of Lights</a> and Kirthi's Kitchen's <a href="http://krithiskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/10/announcing-serve-it-series-serve-it.html">Serve It - Festival Potluck</a>, co-hosted by Denny of <a href="http://www.ohtastensee.com">Oh Taste and See</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Wish you all a Happy Diwali!!!</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtiGasVhmTtyVyXZpjJmz_LokStqGShn9a0pzp-NtuHM3EbuehdrMB6xqsZnSMoocl-WqH6T3H9F00QNtw7ryX9XRcSOCMU7DVpQkK8vvleD5JI90sbOPn7j16vGg799F-157IUY8KzBy7/s1600/festival1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float: left; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtiGasVhmTtyVyXZpjJmz_LokStqGShn9a0pzp-NtuHM3EbuehdrMB6xqsZnSMoocl-WqH6T3H9F00QNtw7ryX9XRcSOCMU7DVpQkK8vvleD5JI90sbOPn7j16vGg799F-157IUY8KzBy7/s200/festival1.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sTfyX3jVGus/TlSQqKU2QoI/AAAAAAAAB34/kyvGpB_4GY4/Diwali-Special_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" imageanchor="1" style="float: left; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sTfyX3jVGus/TlSQqKU2QoI/AAAAAAAAB34/kyvGpB_4GY4/Diwali-Special_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rfBZoJAlhg8/TleYzvdVkFI/AAAAAAAAD0k/5Pn8qyOAu08/s320/Diwali+Event+LOGO+-+Anu%2527s+Healthy+Kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float: left; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="151" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rfBZoJAlhg8/TleYzvdVkFI/AAAAAAAAD0k/5Pn8qyOAu08/s200/Diwali+Event+LOGO+-+Anu%2527s+Healthy+Kitchen.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></span></div>schmetterlingwordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09037170615147590250noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616530336958692688.post-56949768929264398552011-10-19T17:12:00.001+02:002011-10-19T21:02:24.149+02:00Aloo ke Kofte with Peas Pulao<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justified;" trbidi="on">I wouldn't like to bore you all with the same story again. That I have been busy all these days. Work along with travel :( which has called for an uninformed break from Blogging altogether for a few days. It wouldn't get any better this week or the week after. I'm occasionally opening my dashboard and indeed checking a few fabulous posts from fellow bloggers every now and then. Though I get impressed, I'm unable to leave my comments then and there. I hope they wouldn't be cross at me.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iXpY4XIisNI/Tp2-udVPExI/AAAAAAAAAp4/aq-d_nR4IIU/s1600/AlooKeKofte-PeasPulao03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iXpY4XIisNI/Tp2-udVPExI/AAAAAAAAAp4/aq-d_nR4IIU/s1600/AlooKeKofte-PeasPulao03.jpg" /></a></div><span id="fullpost"><br />
Well, I missed the last round of <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/2011/07/announcing-blog-hop-wednesdays.html">Blog Hop Wednesdays</a> and this is a sincere attempt to cope up with that. Last Sunday this was our lunch. You got it right. I tried the Aloo ke Kofte from <a href="http://nishaskitchen.blogspot.com/">Nisha's Kitchen</a> and Green Peas Masala Rice from <a href="http://prabhamani-ensamayal.blogspot.com/">Prabha's Samayal</a>. Both are very talented bloggers and indeed I had a really tough time to pick up one recipe from either of their blogs. There were a lot which I wanted to try. But, my idea was to make a lunch and the dishes have to go well with each other. The final outcome was really great and I'm glad about my choices. <br />
<br />
<b>Aloo ke Kofte</b>:<br />
<br />
The original recipe can be found <a href="http://nishaskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/12/aloo-ke-kofte-potato-kofte.html">here</a>.<br />
<br />
I followed the recipe almost exactly, except a few changes in the measurements to suit our taste. It was enough to serve two hungry persons.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nujmSMr0yE4/Tp2-8Z5BL_I/AAAAAAAAAqA/5h90YwSvY6M/s1600/AlooKeKofte-PeasPulao.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nujmSMr0yE4/Tp2-8Z5BL_I/AAAAAAAAAqA/5h90YwSvY6M/s1600/AlooKeKofte-PeasPulao.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>Peas Pulao</b>:<br />
<br />
The original recipe can be found <a href="http://prabhamani-ensamayal.blogspot.com/2011/04/green-peas-masala-rice.html">here</a>. Here, I made a few changes and hence providing the recipe as I did.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OBN1TmahGNY/Tp2_GHUuUxI/AAAAAAAAAqI/7FW0Qjt6yB8/s1600/AlooKeKofte-PeasPulao01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OBN1TmahGNY/Tp2_GHUuUxI/AAAAAAAAAqI/7FW0Qjt6yB8/s1600/AlooKeKofte-PeasPulao01.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>Preparation Time:</b> 25 - 30 mins<br />
<b>Serves:</b> 3 to 4 persons<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b>:<br />
Basmati rice - 2 1/2 cups<br />
Frozen Green Peas - 1/2 cup<br />
Mustard/Jeera - 1/2 teaspoon each<br />
Onion - 1, chopped into thin long stripes<br />
Tomato - 1 chopped<br />
Turmeric powder - a pinch<br />
Green chillies - 2, slit lengthwise<br />
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp<br />
Fennel seeds -1/2 tsp<br />
Water - 4 cups <br />
<br />
Whole garam masala - a few cardomom pods, cinnamon, cloves<br />
Pandan leaves (Rambai ilai) - a few chopped (optional)<br />
Coriander leaves - few stalks, chopped<br />
Ghee - 1 Tbsp<br />
Oil - 1 Tbsp<br />
<br />
<b>Method:</b><br />
<br />
In a rice cooker, heat some oil and/or ghee and add the whole garam masala one by one. In goes now the mustard seeds, jeera, fennel seeds and chopped pandan leaves. Add the chopped onions and green chillies. Sauté them till the onions get translucent. Now add the ginger garlic paste and turmeric and saute till the raw smell goes.<br />
<br />
Add in the peas, tomatoes, chopped coriander leaves and required salt. Sprinkle very little water, cover with the lid and let them cook for 5 minutes.<br />
<br />
In the meanwhile, wash the rice and keep it ready. Now, add the rice to the cooker along with required amount of water, give a stir and let it cook. <br />
<br />
After the rice is ready, fluff with a fork and garnish with coriander leaves before serving. <br />
<br />
<b>Note:</b><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I prepared the pulao in a rice cooker completely. Alternatively, you can prepare the peas masala separately in a non-stick pan or wok, cook the rice separately and mix both.</li>
<li>The addition of ghee and pandan leaves gave the pulao a very distinct irresistible aroma. Yet, they are purely optional.</li>
<li>I ommitted the addition of coconut and blending as mentioned in the original recipe. If you wish some extra flavour, go ahead with coconut. Alternatively, you can replace one cup of water with coconut milk instead of blending.</li>
</ul><b>Verdict:</b><br />
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I added some koftes into the gravy and some were saved to snack upon later. The Kofte and the pulao made an incredibly good combination. It was a hearty and comforting meal that we both enjoyed. The fine aromatic mild spiced pulao along with the spicy gravy was a melt in the mouth. My husband asked me, "Why don't you prepare such a meal everyday for me?". Ha ha haa. If I have the time, I would surely love to cook everyday such meals for him :) This alone shows how well we enjoyed this. <br />
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Thanks again Radhika for arranging such a lovely event and making us try new food everytime. Sending this to <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/">Tickling Palates</a>' <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/2011/10/blog-hop-wednesdays-week-7.html">Blog Hop Wednesdays Week 7</a>.<br />
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</div>schmetterlingwordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09037170615147590250noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616530336958692688.post-29065022442253595942011-09-28T23:04:00.001+02:002011-09-30T10:44:36.673+02:00Apple Walnut Cake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" trbidi="on">Once again a prolonged absence from active blogging. I have enough reasons for my being busy, the main one being that I am into a new project in my office. New work means new challenges and I'm focussed right now on getting myself acquainted to learning new things. However, I had the weekend to myself and was able to prepare for the Blog Hop. So, here goes my entry for this week's Blog Hop.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6bK71Q3Xcz8/ToOJ0tnXVMI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/5MTQqA1v_E8/s1600/Apple-Walnut-Cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6bK71Q3Xcz8/ToOJ0tnXVMI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/5MTQqA1v_E8/s1600/Apple-Walnut-Cake.jpg" /></a></div><br />
This time I got the oppurtunity to visit Jayasri's <a href="http://samayalarai-cookingisdivine.blogspot.com/">Samayal Arai</a>. A very versatile blogger - one finds a variety of food from pastas to couscous. I find her blog a global one, with many types of food from across the world. Browsing through her recipes and reading her write-ups was a pleasant experience. She has an impressive collection of eggless baking recipes too. So, I tended towards trying one of her baked goodies. <br />
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My choice was to try the <a href="http://samayalarai-cookingisdivine.blogspot.com/2010/06/eggless-applewalnuts-and-flaxseed-bread.html">Eggless Apple Walnut Bread</a>. But, just while preparing, I found that I had actually ran out of flax seed meal. However, I just went ahead to bake it anyway trusting heavily on the other ingredients mentioned in the recipe. I made quite a few changes to the recipe and hence I'm providing the recipe below. This is a jist of the measurements I used. The original recipe can be found <a href="http://samayalarai-cookingisdivine.blogspot.com/2010/06/eggless-applewalnuts-and-flaxseed-bread.html">here</a> and feel free to experiment.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YWHlk0MJ0Do/ToOJ3g3IBkI/AAAAAAAAAoU/k1ZaoKmIvKE/s1600/Apple-Walnut-Cake01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YWHlk0MJ0Do/ToOJ3g3IBkI/AAAAAAAAAoU/k1ZaoKmIvKE/s1600/Apple-Walnut-Cake01.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>Ingredients</b>:<br />
All purpose flour - 150g (1 cup)<br />
Whole Wheat flour - 100g (3/4 cup)<br />
Butter - 40g<br />
Cinnamon - 1/4 tsp<br />
Nutmeg - 1 tsp<br />
Apple Puree/Apple Sauce - 1 cup<br />
Vanilla Essence - 1/2 tsp<br />
Baking Soda - 2 tsp<br />
Baking Powder - 1 tsp<br />
Buttermilk - 150ml<br />
Sugar - 100g<br />
Maple Syrup - 4 tbsp<br />
Walnuts - a handful (coarsely chopped)<br />
Salt - a pinch<br />
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<b>Method:</b><br />
Preheat the oven to 180C. Butter a pound cake tin and keep it ready.<br />
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In a bowl, sift together the two flours along with the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Keep it aside.<br />
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Take the buttermilk, apple puree, melted butter and the maple syrup in a blender and give it a pulse just to make them come together as a single thick liquid.<br />
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In a large bowl, take the blended liquid items. Add vanilla essence and sugar and whisk it for a minute with a hand blender.<br />
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To this, add the sifted flour little by little, whisking gently. Throw in the chopped nuts and fold them along.<br />
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Pour the batter into the prepared baking tin and bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mYpZRU-qzEo/ToOJ4VYFBzI/AAAAAAAAAoY/QG7ApBfaiRY/s1600/apple-walnut-cake02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mYpZRU-qzEo/ToOJ4VYFBzI/AAAAAAAAAoY/QG7ApBfaiRY/s1600/apple-walnut-cake02.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>Verdict:</b><br />
The bread's consistency and taste resembled mostly that of a cake. It was so sooo soft and fragile that it just melted in my mouth. With the apt amount of sweetness and aroma, it was an absolute pleasure to the palates. I would like to just repeat Jayasri's statement - it is the softest cake that I've ever baked.<br />
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I never felt the absence of egg or even the flax sead meal in the cake. I would definitely be baking it again and thanks a ton Jayasri for providing such a wonderful eggless treat.<br />
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A small note: The original recipe calls for about 30-35 minutes of baking. My oven took however longer. Please adjust according to your oven settings. Sending this lovely cake to <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/">Tickling Palate</a>'s <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/2011/09/blog-hop-wednesdays-week-5.html">Blog Hop Wednesday - V</a> and <a href="http://ramyasrecipe.blogspot.com/">Ramya's Recipe</a>'s <a href="http://ramyasrecipe.blogspot.com/2011/09/abc-series-begins-for-apple.html">ABC Series - A for Apple</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFv1V2F740T5Z0VbaAQYp6lHlQnyjxvl59my85dYY1j5wULTif5UKjB5hGc8Pxbw55RKfaQJrBKTDSCiY2maV8-8obe_CUTJ84mCeyavMrM3tImJuIYx7A3bykm4RTqBeOf9_MjDXA3Y/s200/Apple+event+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFv1V2F740T5Z0VbaAQYp6lHlQnyjxvl59my85dYY1j5wULTif5UKjB5hGc8Pxbw55RKfaQJrBKTDSCiY2maV8-8obe_CUTJ84mCeyavMrM3tImJuIYx7A3bykm4RTqBeOf9_MjDXA3Y/s200/Apple+event+logo.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZyVf5rwpGzw/Tm9rzVr_8KI/AAAAAAAAB_c/rksiA-O-JhU/Blog-Hop_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" imageanchor="1" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZyVf5rwpGzw/Tm9rzVr_8KI/AAAAAAAAB_c/rksiA-O-JhU/Blog-Hop_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="200" /></a></div></span></div>schmetterlingwordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09037170615147590250noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616530336958692688.post-74369146513233521742011-09-14T21:03:00.001+02:002011-09-14T21:04:40.572+02:00Dulce de Leche Brownies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" trbidi="on">I can't believe it is time again for the next Blog Hop round. Time - it flies by incredibly fast. Not just initiating the event, Radhika of <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/">Tickling Palates</a> does a remarkable job by sending remainder mails to all the participants just in time. This is of immense help to someone like me, who always run after things at the last minute. There by, here is my update for today's <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/2011/07/announcing-blog-hop-wednesdays.html">Blog Hop Wednesday</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgnhpX5D-WluGtcknrIkGAFJsHlWNXYAs0Ty50epjcOziCU1f9zLOUd4b6d5UxXuMakYB_kOZVMP8dw_qvzGuZ1-6XWIK2RpGISEoXV5_CN9eXU26it8gyKCHqA0zSBzPRM4kiRS1h_C5/s1600/Dulce-de-Leche-Brownies02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgnhpX5D-WluGtcknrIkGAFJsHlWNXYAs0Ty50epjcOziCU1f9zLOUd4b6d5UxXuMakYB_kOZVMP8dw_qvzGuZ1-6XWIK2RpGISEoXV5_CN9eXU26it8gyKCHqA0zSBzPRM4kiRS1h_C5/s1600/Dulce-de-Leche-Brownies02.JPG" /></a></div><span id="fullpost"><br />
This time, I got to follow Divya's <a href="http://divyascookbook.blogspot.com/">EasyCooking</a>. She is a very established blogger and an experienced cook, blogging since 2008. That is, more than three and a half years!! It is really inspirational to see such bloggers. I suppose her passion towards cooking is what drives her. Keep going Diyva!<br />
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Initially, it was a little confusing what to try from the mighty number of more than 480 posts. But then, the situation was so, that I could easily pick out one. We were invited to a friends' house on Saturday, as their parents have come over to visit them here in Germany. So, I wanted to bake something for them and take along. Thus, I confined my search to baking. Thanks to her excellent recipe index, I got what I was looking for.<br />
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I selected this absolutely yummy-licious brownies. I had some Argentinean Dulce de Leche, sitting in my fridge and this looked like an excellent opportunity to put it into good use. Ever since I got to know about Dulce de Leche, I'm in love for that. In Frankfurt, it was not a problem to find an Argentinean shop where you get ready made yet authentic Dulce de Leche and you don't have to make the boiling condensed milk experiments and all. I've already baked some muffins with them which were gorgeous. This time, these pretty Dulce de Leche Brownies caught my attention and I gave a try.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLt9mIzCHKPZ8YZdtOGxSUon3weVXPxxIiGtpw-tYdiuzXmWZ9HzRzbB0lpPcwXOPi9-iTT6LoLWB8A715uR_xuhCCuyI-4ZNEm87zre8eQ59rOvTEBXxB4ogLk-mM0VIKW8oeJUh2jh0T/s1600/Dulce-de-Leche-Brownies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLt9mIzCHKPZ8YZdtOGxSUon3weVXPxxIiGtpw-tYdiuzXmWZ9HzRzbB0lpPcwXOPi9-iTT6LoLWB8A715uR_xuhCCuyI-4ZNEm87zre8eQ59rOvTEBXxB4ogLk-mM0VIKW8oeJUh2jh0T/s1600/Dulce-de-Leche-Brownies.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I was contemplating for quite some time what to substitute for the eggs in this recipe. Silken Tofu had been a good substitute many a times. Unfortunately, I didn't have it at hand. I was not sure what else would work best without compromising the taste and texture. Time was running and I had to get them ready before evening. After much thought, I gave up and just used eggs. In fact, I was baking for friends and I'm more than happy if they like it [though I can't taste it :( ].<br />
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The original recipe can be found <a href="http://divyascookbook.blogspot.com/2011/03/dulce-de-leche-browniesto-celebrate-3rd.html">here</a>. I followed all the measurements exactly as mentioned, except adding Dulce de Leche a bit more generously. The spreading of DDL on the brownie batter was real fun. I waited an anxious 30 minutes. The result was visibly wonderful. I just let it cool completely, took few snaps quickly and off to the party.<br />
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The verdict from the friends was that it tasted absolutely wonderful. My husband was glad to describe more precisely. He found that the brownies tasted a little bit on the bitter side, yet very very tasty to his palates. He found little islands of soft DDL in the brownies which added more to the taste, along with the crunchy nuts in between. The texture was soft and just like he would expect a brownie to be. What more to say?!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEOZ5tmsqfsq_-B4fOoK6UR6fbFhyphenhyphen9IxNq8cVJa2tqgWSIdVRNz2krLUmM6e1gud7MoDuv532I7TDpwM3KxPVVyCB0k_jiCpZ14vYn6jg_oWelRb3gIq9DA6AQVjym3f8JAYcXhohK6oLV/s1600/Dulce-de-Leche-Brownies01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEOZ5tmsqfsq_-B4fOoK6UR6fbFhyphenhyphen9IxNq8cVJa2tqgWSIdVRNz2krLUmM6e1gud7MoDuv532I7TDpwM3KxPVVyCB0k_jiCpZ14vYn6jg_oWelRb3gIq9DA6AQVjym3f8JAYcXhohK6oLV/s1600/Dulce-de-Leche-Brownies01.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I just can't wait for the day when I would try an eggless version of these beauties. Waiting to secure the next pack of DDL again. Ya ya, it makes me get indulged!! But, who wouldn't want to? As a small note, I would like to add that as Divya suggests, if you have the time I mean, refrigerate them overnight and warm a little before serving. You would definitely love them!! Sending this to <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/2011/09/blog-hop-wednesdays-week-4.html">Blog Hop Wednesday IV</a>.<br />
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</div>schmetterlingwordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09037170615147590250noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616530336958692688.post-88213553630713422092011-09-08T01:54:00.002+02:002011-09-08T01:59:15.234+02:00Bodensee<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" trbidi="on">I'm back with a travel post this time!! We had taken holidays last week in view of Eid ul Fitr. This time, we were invited to our friends' house in the north of Germany. After prayers on Tuesday, we set out to their house and had a good time there. We returned home next day evening. The rest of the week was still there and it was almost like summer was slowly waving a goodbye. We wanted to go out somewhere and it was a spontaneous plan and we're glad we did it. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHmqjWsrkeldLTYY_6SuWdlw2N8MGfoSQFJ2AuddSBi16dRhGo50Z0Rkl2bi3-EDjRz-_wJtYUWXyKdocmpCX_ak_RrpSGBj_Yogxw8jcg31UB-wPlyzZg0B_fDzHQR1j589YDQXKlm-db/s1600/Mainau.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHmqjWsrkeldLTYY_6SuWdlw2N8MGfoSQFJ2AuddSBi16dRhGo50Z0Rkl2bi3-EDjRz-_wJtYUWXyKdocmpCX_ak_RrpSGBj_Yogxw8jcg31UB-wPlyzZg0B_fDzHQR1j589YDQXKlm-db/s1600/Mainau.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<span id="fullpost"> <i>Constance</i> (<i>Konstanz</i> in German) is a small city located on the banks of Bodensee. So, what is Bodensee? It is the third largest fresh water lake in Europe, known just as <i>The Lake Constance</i> in English. Not to be confused with the ones by the same name in the USA and Canada. The lake forms a natural boundary between the three countries - Germany, Switzerland and Austria. It is to the south of Germany bordering the states of Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg and is fed by the River Rhine flowing from the Alps into the south of the lake. The lake is a beauty by itself, a favourite spot in Summer for sailors, sport lovers and tourists.<br />
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We started on Saturday morning by car. It was a longer drive than expected due to weekend traffic. Around 3 in the afternoon, we reached Constance and checked into our hotel. Our initial stop was to the <i>Mainau Island</i>. It is a small island in the lake on the German side. The entire island is maintained as a garden and is fondly called the <i>Blumen Insel Mainau</i> (The flower island Mainau). As the name suggests, the island is studded with numerous beautiful flowers. We reached the island by a ferry running from Constance. Right from the entrance, it is all fragrant and colourful everywhere you turn around. Different flowers bloom in different seasons. This time, Dahlias were in full bloom.<br />
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My husband was busy trying to capture all those nature's beauties into his lenses. Even I was making my own round with my mobile clicking around with excitement. There are good round trip suggestions for everyone around the island. One can easily cover the entire island by walk in a couple of hours. It was a very memorable walk through the gardens. There is a little area called Schmetterlinghaus (Butterfly house). Could you imagine how much I was amused? It housed many lovely colourful butterflies - big and small, flying all around. We were glad we got some nice clicks of these winged beauties too. The trip back to Constance on the ferry with the decorative lightings in the evening was again wonderful and memorable. <br />
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The next day was expected to be raining. We rightly chose to stay indoors and made a visit to the Sea Life. <i>Sea Life</i> is a chain of aquariums in Europe and the USA. It was in my wish list for a long time to visit the aquarium. The life under water is always a fascination to me. Do you know the octopuses are highly intelligent and have a good memory and problem solving skills? Do you know the sharks must always keep swimming so as to avoid sinking?<br />
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We got to see lot of flora and fauna in the aquarium including star fish, jelly fish, clown fish (the Nemo fish), rays, sharks, turtles, sea horses, octopuses and of course, penguins and lots of other small and large fishes. I also got to touch a star fish and it was an extra-ordinary experience. The aquarium is surely a great experience for children and adults alike!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqlSExSEBZ2n3xRw6vEUE2lEZl3g6_JzppLNpVInAAamVL8o4eIL0fmvSyoAiyWgUwb8z0Mhu5LgN4fAqCfIgpfAXz8Yx5X-1c6wz2nUxl3IVZF4tNVSytKcG3FYbI8sc0-p3D21VgVxn/s1600/SeaWorld02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqlSExSEBZ2n3xRw6vEUE2lEZl3g6_JzppLNpVInAAamVL8o4eIL0fmvSyoAiyWgUwb8z0Mhu5LgN4fAqCfIgpfAXz8Yx5X-1c6wz2nUxl3IVZF4tNVSytKcG3FYbI8sc0-p3D21VgVxn/s1600/SeaWorld02.jpg" /></a></div><br />
After lunch, we started our drive back to home. It was mostly raining during the travel, but the traffic was quite ok. Thus, our holidays came to an end and from Monday, back to work and the routine continues. Yet, it was a memorable little picnic during the weekend and I'm eager to make another little trip. Hopefully soon!! :)<br />
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<b>Information:</b><br />
<a href="http://www.mainau.de/home.html">Insel Mainau</a><br />
<a href="http://www.visitsealife.com/Konstanz/en/">Sea Life at Constance</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Constance">Lake Constance Wiki</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mainau">Mainau Wiki</a><br />
</span><br />
</div>schmetterlingwordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09037170615147590250noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616530336958692688.post-13366254034768619702011-09-01T20:28:00.000+02:002011-09-01T20:28:53.930+02:00For the 7 links challenge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" trbidi="on">I've been blogging for quite some time now and it is a time to reflect upon my work so far. Priya of <a href="http://priyasnowserving.blogspot.com/">Now Serving</a> has invited me to play the game of the 7 links challenge. Thank you Priya for giving me this wonderful opportunity, where I get the chance to look back and do a self-rating of my posts so far.<br />
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1. The most beautiful post<br />
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This one has been real tough. Each post has been written with commitment and prepared with compassion. When both these elements come together, the end result would indeed be beautiful. Anyhow, for the game's sake, let me name a couple of them which are close to my heart: <a href="http://schmetterlingwords.blogspot.com/2011/07/bruges.html"><i>Bruges</i></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://schmetterlingwords.blogspot.com/2011/07/bruges.html"><br />
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEG0b7_qqzfelXJIHR-a37Q2gTBVWJkvJ85yTg-Hn9nK-j3pciMO_X0HlWgennQPqTuBnFtSeirElDBw8GH6Zty18uv7331JbUOhQzZCLk6OKFENk_9yimzNeiLykhYQgBtXZM6lQyQZ5l/s1600/Bruges-Lake_of_Love.JPG" /></a></div><br />
and <a href="http://schmetterlingwords.blogspot.com/2011/05/hello-in-there.html"><i>Hello in there</i></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://schmetterlingwords.blogspot.com/2011/05/hello-in-there.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZhYJ83c5iRU5kZ8fjKT2BGMcmZgXlN4iBpa-P6SZriiMlhoB7ACvXLKl9d2NTklF098VGYgQBOaT4AsjBpEWJKu62JMrkX2RXBYgve_zljZ6Mv0SN6cDaJMr1RHvswicY8bMjmFiw1EW/s320/TreesPath.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
2. The most popular post<br />
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<a href="http://schmetterlingwords.blogspot.com/2011/06/strawberry-shortcake-cookies.html"><i>Strawberry Shortcake Cookies</i></a> - This one was quite easy to choose. I just oriented myself on the number of comments received.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://schmetterlingwords.blogspot.com/2011/06/strawberry-shortcake-cookies.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBhxusYb0t9f-s6-kT27pXIR_4RgCTq5-Vyl84NvPYbT6CO_IUnrxBJx2ayvsf_OuQDAakKbvPG87JRJhHoZ_eGuDc5bS9cMEfoC5EtH6RuFZFtzhGhdkHEBuLhm-_329mSbLGcIqINW0/s1600/StrawberryCookies.JPG" /></a></div><br />
3. The most controversial post.<br />
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<i>I do not have any</i>.<br />
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4. The most helpful post.<br />
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<i><a href="http://schmetterlingwords.blogspot.com/2011/07/lamb-biryani.html">Lamb Biryani</a></i> - Most of our friends who have visited us and tasted this Biryani have liked it and asked for the recipe. However good we explain, a written recipe is always better. I think, this is also my longest post so far. I am happy that I have taken the pains to write down all the step by step instructions with pictures and documented it for ever, so that anyone can refer to it anytime. That way, it rightly deserves to be called the most helpful post.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://schmetterlingwords.blogspot.com/2011/07/lamb-biryani.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZ3wjMijOnqK9ZoFjqnRHFAyULVLCsHw7h5jMrUugUACwQzcabsew9AY_1tfVAhGLs-nqRt226gXcX5-IYuqVUy-EO5E5l1fvcui9BOqbJ-Gs7yThDMU1VqjETaQ6-fzXjdyEFuxQLdE5/s1600/LambBiryani05.JPG" /></a></div><br />
5. A post that was surprisingly successful.<br />
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<i><a href="http://schmetterlingwords.blogspot.com/2011/05/kohlrabi-dhal-curry.html">Kohlrabi Dhal Curry</a></i> - I never expected this post would gain so much popularity. I have also noted that many google search has directed to this post of mine and I'm of course, happy about that.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://schmetterlingwords.blogspot.com/2011/05/kohlrabi-dhal-curry.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ar4H2hFy4J_OseqEdJu7FJ0D4inHp17HOlms19mgtYFfkNfvVp5Uhp6Ne9akm6LyUzk11go2p7nrwBxuax1UTmT7aAZpB8Kg98XtJ3qIk90AwddxDQvYI7lNAAh2kVleJz5xFZYpyWbJ/s1600/Kohlrabi-DhalCurry.JPG" /></a></div><br />
6. A post that did not get the attention it deserves.<br />
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<i><a href="http://schmetterlingwords.blogspot.com/2011/02/risotto-ai-funghi.html">Risotto ai Funghi</a></i> - This is a very yummy Italian recipe, which I'm also proud of getting it right at the very first try. Back then, I did not have as much as readers as today and so it naturally went less noticed.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://schmetterlingwords.blogspot.com/2011/02/risotto-ai-funghi.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEflKzs9pj-dEubpJ9IXqTO5wPTO7uYY0biE0aUDMXxRY08H5eDS1a2VlRv7A7aU_coA7w0R4ZpSjL0YD0ZXrunx_LLbLNpMbixEfZ7z0L9Ih9Mbpfu0CHMxbDfb1r1KNIi15ZmNDW6yt/s1600/RisottoFunghi.JPG" /></a></div><br />
7. A post I am most proud of.<br />
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<i><a href="http://schmetterlingwords.blogspot.com/2011/08/basil-pesto.html">Basil Pesto</a></i> - There are many reasons why I'm proud of this post. Trying a dish from a foreign cuisine is not always easy. That too making it the traditional way is quite a challenge. I'm glad that it tasted very authentic and lasted long on my very first try. Apart from that, the snaps have come out beautiful and it was the first one to be accepted by <a href="http://foodgawker.com/post/archive/schmetterlingwords/">Foodgawker</a> ;-)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://schmetterlingwords.blogspot.com/2011/08/basil-pesto.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrcIpXWELJ09UbKDcghLjsbhJOBR-ctiPHK0UGSmCsiZkkBz1LU4tF7drRWeefFfAZzKYIs7jNXj8Hqiry8Wd9FL7VQKkFr8olEwru1AruwUpJOEV8IF-CMtDApxLShMCl-4uuah2NgqL/s1600/BasilPesto02.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Hope you continue to support my blogging journey as ever. So, why end the fun here? I'm taking the privilege to tag the following fellow bloggers too:<br />
<br />
1. Shilpi Bose of <a href="http://itistastyma.blogspot.com/">It is Tasty Ma</a><br />
2. Nashira of <a href="http://nashplateful.blogspot.com/">Plateful</a><br />
3. Priya Sreeram of <a href="http://eq-myblog.blogspot.com/">Bon Appetit</a><br />
4. Nisha of <a href="http://mykitchenantics.blogspot.com/">Look Who's Cooking too</a><br />
5. Ambreen of <a href="http://simplysweetnsavory.blogspot.com/">Simply Sweet 'n Savoury</a><br />
6. Umm Mymoonah of <a href="http://tasteofpearlcity.blogspot.com/">Taste of Pearl City</a><br />
7. Aipi of <a href="http://usmasala.blogspot.com/">US Masala</a><br />
<br />
And hey, the list is not limited. If you have not yet been tagged, but feel like it is fun to share your thoughts, feel free to join the challenge. :)</span></div>schmetterlingwordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09037170615147590250noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616530336958692688.post-71520422581272322302011-09-01T18:21:00.002+02:002011-09-01T20:34:39.703+02:00Raisins Bread Knots<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKjQtL8xN1WUFOloy8EfFMthp60xwKpV0dg0wF0FZoHtMyV-8dksnBq0Ckkg65lSbJvau14l7ghLQOzXalv2sCFsmnmFL-tchomIsS3kntafWgq8y2w-RVCRk-JMQ8NZNOBB-evbZhsW1/s1600/BreadKnots.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKjQtL8xN1WUFOloy8EfFMthp60xwKpV0dg0wF0FZoHtMyV-8dksnBq0Ckkg65lSbJvau14l7ghLQOzXalv2sCFsmnmFL-tchomIsS3kntafWgq8y2w-RVCRk-JMQ8NZNOBB-evbZhsW1/s1600/BreadKnots.JPG" style="cursor: move;" /></a><br />
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It was a wonderful month of Ramadan. I still can't believe it is over very soon. Eid was on Tuesday for us. It was a lovely day and on the Almighty's grace, it went on very well. We had been invited to a friends' house in the north of Germany. After prayers, we set out there and we had a memorable time there. We returned home only very late last night. This post is exclusively for the <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/2011/07/announcing-blog-hop-wednesdays.html">Blog Hop Wednesday</a>, a blog event by Radhika of <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/">Tickling Palates</a>. Even before Eid, I explained my situation to her and she kindly gave me one day excuse. So, I'm posting for the event today.<br />
<span id="fullpost"><br />
This time, I got the opportunity to visit Neha's blog - <a href="http://muchmorethanahomemaker.blogspot.com/">From my heart</a>. Her blog is young, but within a short time, she has posted some really wonderful and unique recipes. I really liked a few of them and had a tough time choosing. At last, I asked my husband to pick one. He finally closed in on these cute little bread knots.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUTEkn9ZPQW83ltgqtGFtod3JQ6F25lgcVU-xUcjrL_9H_D2YYB7wSYCLNSFKREdhWk-yk9aCPoxn9-JAB-k9Hxn7wuypvIVy8r3lignsbKIuMqYOXXp7pxnaey60kdL_YjW8cnsQ9jb7/s1600/BreadKnots01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUTEkn9ZPQW83ltgqtGFtod3JQ6F25lgcVU-xUcjrL_9H_D2YYB7wSYCLNSFKREdhWk-yk9aCPoxn9-JAB-k9Hxn7wuypvIVy8r3lignsbKIuMqYOXXp7pxnaey60kdL_YjW8cnsQ9jb7/s1600/BreadKnots01.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
The original recipe can be found <a href="http://muchmorethanahomemaker.blogspot.com/2011/08/bread-knots.html">here</a>. I followed it almost exactly, except for the following changes:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I omitted washing the bread knots with egg-whites. Instead, I brushed the knots with a little olive oil before baking. This gave the knots a beautiful upper crust.</li>
<li>I added some raisins along with the flour while kneading, which was a great idea indeed. We really loved biting into those sweet pieces. (Ok baba, I admit, it was my husband's idea!!) </li>
<li>I used Nigella seeds instead of Basil seeds.</li>
</ul>I enjoyed preparing these pretty knots very much. They were easy to make, but tasted great. Initially, I wondered how to make those knots, but later realized that it doesn't really matter. It was fun twisting and turning the dough. Unleash your creativity and you get wonderful shapes. I think, most of mine turned out to be like snails rather than knots. As I said, it really doesn't matter. We took some of these to our friends too and they too liked it a lot.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFt6aDm32MmzJcCP-EfgZTM0r0yEIUUoWoudaqjUDAFd7_9wqSfKGFP-W56xCDXa8NNggJyXPZdWmgtuZR3hykfX5kR-jlfsMom41R3nX7dYp1ivA7gJ9ohGNTcA8FCLC8zhFC5ZFlL0K/s1600/BreadKnots02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFt6aDm32MmzJcCP-EfgZTM0r0yEIUUoWoudaqjUDAFd7_9wqSfKGFP-W56xCDXa8NNggJyXPZdWmgtuZR3hykfX5kR-jlfsMom41R3nX7dYp1ivA7gJ9ohGNTcA8FCLC8zhFC5ZFlL0K/s1600/BreadKnots02.JPG" /></a><br />
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It is best served warm. You can either bite into them as such or enjoy with marmalade or honey. A dash of honey is my personal choice. Have it as breakfast or as tea time snacks. I'm sure you would like them either way. Sending this to <a href="http://ticklingpalates.blogspot.com/2011/08/blog-hop-wednesdays-week-3.html">Blog Hop Wednesday - Week 3</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AVKcawUsNvA/TiZVaCDR2MI/AAAAAAAABfE/rymlmkJe7qM/images%252520%2525281%252529-1_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AVKcawUsNvA/TiZVaCDR2MI/AAAAAAAABfE/rymlmkJe7qM/images%252520%2525281%252529-1_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" /></a></div></span></div>schmetterlingwordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09037170615147590250noreply@blogger.com15