A Spicy Tamil Lunch and the Rains!

We have not seen sun for the past 3 days. Its windy, cold and the downpour is heavy!
This is the time when the family craves for a wide spread of  'Vegetarian South Indian Lunch'. As you might have read earlier in many of my posts, we enjoy brunch by 10.30 every morning, straightaway.
Come monsoon, I love to stay tucked inside the warmth of duvet enjoying the cozy feel and have to struggle pulling myself up from the bed. Once up, the wonderful weather prompts me to be active and I will soon be brimming with energy!
Today morning had been one such day, when a full fledged lunch was made, photographed and blogged! ;)

1. Pacha Thakkali Sambhar - The method is same as the Drumsticks/Murungakkai Sambhar. Raw garden fresh organic green tomatoes were used instead of drumsticks.

2. Vendakkai Vathakkal / Stir-fried ladies finger. I don't have the recipe yet, will post soon.

3. Poosanikkai Morkuzhambu . The recipe is here. I have also posted Bonda Morkuzhambu here.

4. Appalam.

5. Kathrikkai Puli Kuzhambu - I have the detailed recipe of Mochai-Kathiri-Murungai Kuzhambu here. I used only Kathirikkai/Brinjals today.

6. Rasam - Yes, it is the same Thakkali Poondu Rasam :)

7.Curd.

8.Lime pickle & Mor milagai- I have posted Citron/Narthangai pickle here. Lime is used to make this pickle instead of citron.

I also had Vazhaithandu Koottu and plain dal and forgot to add here. Anyhow it is fine not to overcrowd :). I didn't have a mood to make Payasam but had Maja Blanca, a Filipino dessert, to complete the meal.

Oh yeah! I am geering up for the Christmas Bakes..... :)

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Paal Pongal ~ 'The Rice and Milk Meal ' prepared for the Tamil Harvest Festival, 'Pongal'.

The devil called 'anxiety' gets hold me all of a sudden. I hear the door knocking in the middle of the night. I lay sleepless all night. The next day doctor confirms  I am hypertensive. Old advices. New course of drugs. In the morning I wake up to find there had been no water supply and the over head tank is already empty. To top up, the power shut down is extended. The kitchen door gets self locked ( or is there anybody inside since I heard some weird knocking sound the previous night!!) and I break in through the back yard door, smashing it (driven by some mysterious power ) to find no one inside. Relief for a moment but the stress shoots up again. I shout for no reasons. I blame the government for extracting exorbitant taxes from me giving back nothing I deserve! Water, electricity, safety...

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Best of 2012 ~ Wrapping up for the year!

Mother earth has outlived the Mayan prediction and saved its beloved beings once again! The human race, amidst dilemmas debates about the end of the world, celebrated Christmas with peace and joy as always and is looking forward to the birth of yet another hopeful year!

For us, bloggers? Yes, another year to wrap up; to review, feel proud and to showcase the best posts of the year.
In spite of the hard work and the time involved for a blogger; food or general, he or she would admit the fact that the amount of enjoyment while working and the cheer that went along with them while sharing with their friends and readers!

So now talking about me, I believe I had been blogging without long breaks in between as I do otherwise.
I took special attention to the quality of posts and  pictures. I had taken extra efforts for the stepwise and they have paid well too!


The posts/recipes are selected considering appreciations in the form of  positive comments, mails, messages, google searches, 'likes', 'shares', 'pins' and also feed backs after trials from the readers.

Coming to the toppers...

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Top 10 Recipes of 2011

Zoom Zoom and it's yet another year to wrap up!

Year 2011 had been quite eventful with active blogging; varied recipes, a balanced attempt of traditional dishes and bakes, owning a new dslr and a bunch of new friends!

To my surprise, the year toppers  are puddings and cakes on the contrary to the usual traditional recipes in Spicy Chilly. Again, the top five are sweet dishes!! High time I changed my site name to something 'sweet' than spicy and chilly, I believe ;)

        Tender Coconut Pudding has its credits to top the year.
   The photography and the step wise pictures were much appreciated by my dear friends and readers :)




                      The Devil's Food Cake comes next!

      Godhumai Jira, the Maharashtrian sweet I learnt from my in-laws had been tried by many who wrote back to me positively! The step wise illustrations were said to be easy to follow.

        The Homemade Donuts I tried from Swapna's were appreciated for the perfection and photography!

           

                      The rich and creamy Almond Carrot Kheer, I learned from amma comes next!

                   

    Parotta posted step by step was much appreciated by the readers and regarded as the most practical recipe!

                             Vella vadai, for its novelty

         Veechu Parotta, a recipe made easy, again with step step by step illustrations..

                                Stuffed spicy baby brinjals 

                     and when my little one's favourite pizza turned out to be your favourite too :)



The top non-recipe post and also the one which received the most number of comments is Ode to my Angel ;  for my sister!

I am glad about my blogger buddies who never fail to appreciate the posts and leave encouraging comments, even though I delay visiting their lovely spaces  in return. I know I had been lethargic in blog hopping.
I hope I never failed to encourage the budding bloggers and a few lovely readers who gave tips to improve a recipe, pointed out errors and threw light on things which were new to me!

Thanks for being so sweet! :)  

Happy Holidays and Wishing you all a Healthy, Happy and Prosperous 2012


Cheers,
Bharathy :)

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Renovation of the Ancestral Bungalow ~ Part I

I am sure many of you  remember the ancestral home post done last year.

My in-laws who were living there have shifted to the near by town, again in a sweet apartment and are hale and happy with the modern facilities they were deprived of in the ancient house.

So what's happening with the 100 year old bungalow?

It's undergoing renovation with all the wood works and antiques being restored!
This massive responsibility is taken over by my husband and his uncles.


He wanted me to click, while the renovation is in progress, at intervals as he feels they would remain as a priceless treasure for posterity!

He again insisted me to share the same with my readers, though I had been reluctant about how much you would appreciate :)..

Anyway I thought of doing it as a few parts as the renovation progresses...

                                                                         The Entrance          

                                                              The centre of the house

                             
                                                            The Backyard

                                            A pillar with wooden carvings, restored

                                                           The sepia effect here is natural!

                                                      Backyard view from inside the house

While husband was supervising the works with his uncle and I was clicking, Bhagyam the maid of the mansion was preparing some simple food for tea for all the hungry tummies.

Will keep you posted about that next!

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For the hands that cooked, for the fingers that typed...

It has been almost 4 years since I am into blogging and 2 years since I'd commercialised the space. I had my plans to buy a DSLR when the amount hit 1000 USD, but when that was gifted by the dear husband earlier this month, I chose to buy a (my very first) diamond ring, to beautify the hands that cooked and the fingers that typed...

Place where the ring was purchased ~ GRT, Chennai
Particulars of the ring ~ 21 stones, 0.49 cents in total, cost 46.500 INR.

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Our Cooking Station!

Swapna: Bharathy?

Me: ..yes...

Swapna: ..I've been thinking of this for some time..

Me: ..abt what?

Swapna: See..you have a bit of  *nadan recipes ..

Me: yeah..

Swapna: While I specialise on bakes..

Me :true...

Swapna: Why dont we put them together?

Me ..merge our blogs, Swapna?

Swapna: not exactly!

Me:.....then?

Swapna: Put all our recipes together in one place and host them together. A complete list or recipes that would turn some help to a reader..

Me: Great Idea!! :)..gimme some time and I am up!!

*nadan - traditional


Above is a chat section from gtalk, which happened a fortnight ago.

If I hadn't mentioned about my relationship with Swapna, well, here is it.

We hail from the same town and were class mates in College. I used to be so surprised by her presentation skills during our 'practical cooking sessions' and tailoring classes back in those days; her creativity and prefection in everything she did!
I remember rushing to her mostly after a 'disaster' with my cooking and taking notes explained in a patient way from her!
This patience explains her utmost skills in cross stiches and crochets in her lovely world of stitching which you would have surely come across and appreciated!

While I organised the recipe list, Swapna cheerfully worked with the template. As a matter of fact, she worked and still works harder on the same than me.
We enjoyed every moment improving it and are surprised to see the long, complete and varied recipes which gave way to this humble 'Portal' of ours!

Our Cooking Station is born!
Hope our baby cheers you up as it does with us too :)

Cheers,
Bharathy

P.S- I am taking a month's break from blogging. So you may find me inactive with no responses to comments and queries. Hope you would bear with me until I get back :).

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Ode to my Angel

I still remember the day, brother and me waiting impatiently for amma who finally entered the house with a white bundle, carefully wrapped.

She lay there calm and quiet in amma's warmth. The joyous moment, of welcoming the bundle of joy with soft kisses on the rosy cheeks...

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Recipe featured in 'The Hindu'

Iam much delighted to share the happy news with you that I got featured in today's mygrandma'sRECIPES, a column in The Hindu meant exclusively for foodies, featuring traditional recipes learnt from the grandmothers!

Having known about this column in Chennai edition of The Hindu, I was looking forward to the same in my town too!

A week ago I came to know about this column being introduced in my town as well, which just couldn't hold me back :)

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Cherupayar (Whole Green Gram) Payasam

It was a rainy Sunday morning while my aunt visited us with a container of this hot payasam.I was in Kottayam nursing mom, then.

The Payasam that was served immediately in large bowls, tasted heaven!!..the cooked cherupayar melting in mouth with flavourful coconut milk and sweetness of jaggery with that distinct aroma of Kerala cuisine, the bits of coconut pieces to compliment...

I finished my bowl of payasam, hurried out for another bowl I could grab from the kitchen, flowers from the garden, saree from mom's wardrobe, bronze pan, camera and I was all set. :)..Click..Click...

So what next? write down the recipe! ;)

I found my aunt already in her level 2 conversation( progression to a serious mode from the lighter level 1 form;)) with my parents but couldn't help pestering her for the recipe.. ;)..after all a dad's sis can always be taken for granted, right? ;)

Hope you had a wonderful Onam. Belated Greetings to you all!

I know I am a little late to post this delicacy, which I meant to post for the day.

They say; better late than never!

so here's it..

Get ready with:

Whole Green Gram(Cheru payar)- 1 cup
Jaggery- 250 gm
Coconut milk- 4 cups
Cashew nuts, broken into halves and fried in ghee- a few
Coconut sliced into small pieces, fried in ghee -1 tsp
Cardamom powder- to flavour

How to Make it:

Fry the whole green gram in a hot pan. Cook the gram in 4 cups (more or less) of boiling water. In the meanwhile, boil and melt jaggery in 1/4 cup of water in a sauce pan. Cool and strain so as to remove the impurities. Keep aside.

When the gram has cooked soft, add the above jaggery syrup. Simmer the mixture until it turns thicker stirring all the while taking care not to burn the bottom. Remove from fire and mix in the coconut milk. Add the coconut pieces and cashew nuts. Bring it to a slow boil and turn off immediately not to let it simmer.Stir in the cardamom powder.

Serve warm Cherupayar Payasam with Onasadya.

The Payasam tastes great when chilled too (well, I love it this way :))

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Chicken Biriyani

Mothers are always the best cooks for children.
So is my amma!

Well, I am staying back in Kottayam after the grand college re-union we had last Sunday and preparing myself to assist amma for a minor surgery which is to take place tomorrow early morning.

The Chicken Biriyani you see here was specially made by her, yesterday, for all of amma's and appa's siblings, when they were here for lunch!

I guess, this is my first post on a chicken recipe and I swear I am not much used to cooking non-veg dishes as my husband, children and in-laws are basically pure veggies.

Excuse me for the bad/medium quality pictures which were shot at random by Rajesh, brother's best pal and me :)

As I am still packing to go to Cochin to accompany her for the surgery at dawn, which is a few hours away, I better would post the recipe as soon as I get back..

So......see you soon, girls! :)...with your encouraging comments as always!! :)




Updated on 6th Aug- 10.00 pm

Thanks to all of you who had dropped in here with much concern :)
We just got back from the hospital and amma is fine.

and here's her version of Chicken Biriyani ..

You Need:

Basmathi rice- 1 kg (we used India Gate-Classic variety)
Cleaned chicken pieces- 1.5 kgs
Small bunches of coriander and mint leaves

To pulse coarsely:

Ginger- a 4" piece
Garlic- 15-20 medium sized cloves
Green chillies- 10 nos

To sauté:

Ghee- 2 cups
Refined oil- 1 cup
Cinnamon- three 2" pieces
Cloves- 10 nos
Cardamom- 10 nos
Star anise- 3-5 nos
Big Onions- sliced length wise-2 kgs
Tomatoes- 3 large-diced
Carrots-2- or 1 cup after dicing
Turmeric Powder-1/2 tsp
Dhania/coriander powder-1 tsp
Garam masala- 2 tsps (we used Eastern brand)
Chicken masala powder- 3 tsps (Eastern)
Cashew nuts(split into halves) and raisins- 50 gms each

Juice extracted from one lemon



Method:

• Wash and soak rice for half an hour in water.

• Cook rice in a large pot of water with salt and 2 tsps of oil added to it.Cooking time should be around 15 mins. and drain while just cooked and not mushy. Spread rice on a flat tray or a broad and flat utensil to cool.We used the traditional Uruli.
  

• Heat half the amount of ghee (1 cup), fry cashew nuts until golden brown followed by the raisins.

• Remove and keep them aside. Sauté the spices; cinnamon, cloves, cardamom & star anise.Remove and keep aside. Throw in half of the sliced onions and sauté until deep brown.

• Transfer the fried onions along with the ghee to the cooked rice on the tray followed by the nuts, raisins and the spices. Add half the amount of coriander and mint leaves too. Mix gently and leave it alone.
  

• Heat the remaining 1 cup of ghee and oil together. Sauté rest of the sliced onions, carrots, ginger-garlic-chilly paste in that order till raw smell disappears. Add the tomatoes and the powders (turmeric, dhania, chicken and garam masala) followed by the chicken pieces. Stir well to coat the masalas to the pieces. Add a cup of water along with enough salt to taste and bring to a boil. Simmer the curry until it thickens, coats and the spices seep in the soft cooked pieces and until the oil separates. Turn off and garnish with the remaining coriander and mint leaves. Add lemon juice lastly.
  

• Mix in the curry with the rice gently.

• Serve hot Chicken Biriyani with pappadam, raitha and lime pickle.I love mango pickle and enjoyed my share likewise :).
  

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Wrapping up for the Year!..

I had been doing some justice to blogging this year in spite of the commitments I had to take up right from the start when compared to last year when I was hibernating with 'no recipes' most of the months ! :)..

The year 2009 had been eventful for me.
The best and the proudest moments belong to the evening spent with Sanjeevji.
Treasurable, cherishable for a blogger, right?? :)

Again 2009 is the year I started blogging with my new(no more new, now ;)) template, put up with the help of my sister, the year I decided to commercialise my space with Food Buzz , hoping that would push me back to consistent blogging and the year I started hosting the pictures using Flickr with a Pro account shared again with my :-) !.. last but not the least, the 100th post which got in this space(at last :)) by the middle of the year..

Honestly, until a few minutes back I never thought of posting a re-cap, while I was doing a lazy "look back" and was totally surprised to see the feed back for all the 30 recipes posted for the year!!.I was glad to learn that at least half of them were well approved and were tried and appreciated by readers and blogger buddies.

Goes to Srivalli for the event of Best of 2009!.Thank you Valli, for urging me for the 'look back'..:)



And now to brag about the Toppers ;)..



Chocolate Cake!


Little did I realise that this would top the hit list when I blogged the all time favourite of my siblings and mine.Probably the only Non-Indian recipe which was appreciated so far from this space ;)




Wheat Flour Dosas- Again an unexpected hit, which I counted in as a simple- humble- homely recipe.Many of them tried and claimed that this has become a part of their breakfast menu.A few of my buddies went a step ahead and shared the pictures of the dosa with much appreciations :)..Girls, you always make me feel so proud! :)



Godhumai Appam- A lucky ' Go Wheat' year for Spicy Chilly, I guess ;), is the hit number 3! :).Easy to make snack with much available ingredients should be the reason of approval of this one..




Dates Pickle- Something which I made for myself and never thought of blogging..:)..many of them tried and got back to me with good feed back. Glad to note that, guys! :)



Olan- the mildly spiced Ash gourd stew from God's own country..




and Vattayappam or the Rice Bread for their Regional Authenticity , I believe..




Peas Biriyani..




Khaman Dhokla- A challenging recipe I enjoyed making :). I can see Valli chasing me with a stick as this was the only challenge for the ICC which I took up and eventually got under the 'hit list' ;) ..Ouch!! :D





The best recipe tried from a fellow blogger of the year is undoubtedly the classic Praline Vanilla Sponge Gateau adapted verbatim from the cute space owned by Ria, who is already in her wedding blues!..All the best, sweetie :).
I make this often ever since as everyone who do the same!.

I had not been much into blog hopping, this year but I did come across fabulous blogs and I regret for not book marking promptly. All I can recall are two, which I had fallen in love with the very first time visit..Ria and Ree :)


I know I had not been contributing for events too, which I am trying to gear up more with the approaching months.Varied recipes, more of baking, better pictures are taken into consideration as well..:)..that's all for the resolution part I can think of now :)!

To sum up, I did have a contented and pleasurable year of blogging but am sure, still I have Miles and Miles to go..

I Sincerely Thank all my readers, followers and blogger buddies from the bottom of my heart for supporting me as always and I wish and hope this will continue for ever...

Wishing you all a Fabulous Year ahead, filled with Peace, Joy and Prosperity!.

Cheers,
Bharathy :)

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What I did before Blogging…

After two years of blogging..err.. “Food” Blogging, up with the 100^th post and the celebration,

I badly need to admit something, honestly..

I Hate Cooking!!..

.... I see a few confused faces... but, this is for 'Real'........ Apologies !!.. :)

I prefer cooking as an ‘Art’, something creative, something traditional, a delicacy or may be something presented in a stylish way.

...but definitely not to tire myself one after the other the whole day, whipping something up in a hurry burry way meant for breakfast, children hurrying to reach school on time and V to office…and a sumptuous lunch prepared with fullest effort mostly going “Unrelished”or “Untouched”, failing to be have had on time or even if ; in a hurried way.

The snack time next which calls at 4pm; children of course back from school but gulping down/swallowing in a haste, again to step out for extra classes/tuitions(inevitable in our surroundings)...

...then comes the 'mighty' Dinner time; chidren having the same, watching TV / fighting / (the Tom & Jerry way) and V having it as a part of some ‘nightwalking’, after 12 midnight, better explained as a wee hour breakfast..

Those are the normal weekday scenarios.

Yet, I do have the Sundays, all for myself, cooking for the family, with pleasure, care, the favourites, something tried repeatedly, authentic and simple…

I strain less, receive a very satisfactory feed back and something to be happy about is that the family gathers round the table and is ‘Together’ which means a real LOT to me :)

I can hear you scream now ;)…

"Then why on earth do you need to blog, wasting the much wanted Cyber space?"

I Love photography, food photography to be precise and friends…the lovely virtual friends who make my day, the moments I treasure, being something unexplainable…

Above all, blogging has drastically become my major hobby which has helped me to find myself, making a tremendously confident 'Me'!..:)

This post, the 101^st, throws light to the hobbies I was obsessive about, before the blogging days…

Let the Pictures Speak :)..

My Sister gave a helping hand to finish this hand painted saree..

If only she'd not been stalking my place, I'd have 'cleverly avoided' mentioning her name and got the credits all for myself :-(...... ;-) ;-)...

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