Coasters

These coasters is one project that i just finished. I managed to do 1 a day! The pattern is simple and taken from a Crochet Pattern Book by Nihon Vogue. This book is excellent and has diagrams to represent the patterns which make it so much more easier to follow.

Christmas Snowflakes

I crocheted these snowflakes from wool that i got at Walmart...they had them in Christmas colours with gold thread entwined. The designs for these snowflakes are from different websites. ( Thank God for the internet and all the wonderful people out there who share their talent & ideas with the rest of the world!)

Some of websites are:

http://www.sarahanns.com/crochetworks/snowflakes.html

http://chezcrochet.com/page71.html

http://members.aol.com/JSchlossma/6ptso.html

Seasons Greetings to one and all.......

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Baby Blanket

My baby blanket is finally ready! It took me about 2 months to finish it. Now that its done i am happy i finished it and it was not one of my projects which have been abandoned!!

I followed a pattern that came with the wool. It was pretty easy. I felt the border could have been a little bigger but i was too lazy to add a few more rows...so just stuck to the pattern.

Green Masala Chicken

This is a recipe i made up myself and it tasted really good. ( If i can say so myself!)

Chicken - 250gms cut into small pieces

Onion - 1 chopped fine

Cinnamon - 1" stick

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

For masala: Grind with very little water to a paste

A handful of cilantro, chopped

4 green chillies

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 inch piece of ginger

1 tsp of pepper corns

Heat about 2 tbsps of oil in a kadai. Put in the cinnamon stick. Add the onions and fry well. When i did it the onions became slightly burnt but it tasted all the better! After that add the ground masala and salt, fry for a few minutes adding one sprig of curry leaves. Add chicken pieces and mix well till the chicken is well coated with the masala, cover and on slow fire let the chicken pieces cook.

When the chicken is cooked, keep on frying till the water evaporates and the masala is thick.

Goes well with rice & dhal, rice and rasam, curd rice & chapaties.

Had very little left to take the picture...that's why the quantity in the picture is not the whole 250 gms of chicken!

Pen & Letter Stands

This is an interesting way of using tins (eg. canned food) and boxes (eg. cornflakes).

Pen Stands - After washing the tin thoroughly and taking out the label, you can cover the outside by sticking different types of paper. Use feltpens, paints, buttons...whatever is lying around. Be creative. ( i have not really used my creative side on these pictured above!)

Boxes - Cut down the top of the box to the size you want. Cover with paper and decorate. Really simple. Easy way to organise your stuff like papers, address books, letters, cheque books, envelopes, clips, pins etc.

Beading

One of my favourite places to be is Micheals - the art and craft store! This is where i picked up an interest to learn beading. I would go through the books there and couldnt beleive how easy it looked to be creative and make lovely beaded jewellery!

I decided to do the beading workshop that they had advertised. It was just for 3 hours and i would learn the basics. I'm glad i did, it was a nice learning experience. I was so excited - i had just made my first bracelet and matching earrings!

From then on i have been practicing making different types of earrings & bracelets. It is an enjoyable art and recommended for anyone who is creative and enthusiastic about art and craft.

Pepper Mutton

Mutton - 1/4 kg

Onion - 1 chopped

Grind - 1 tbsp pepper corns, 3 green chillies, 3 big flakes garlic, a small piece ginger, a small bit of cinnamon.

Pressure cook the mutton with a little turmeric powder.

Heat 2 tbsps oil in a pan, add the onion and fry well. Add the ground masala, mutton and salt to taste. Keep on frying till the mutton is well coated with the masala and cooked. (Water can be added a little at a time in case the masala dries up too much and is sticks to the bottom of the pan ) Add curry leaves, fry till it is dry.

Bean and Egg Fry

I learnt this recipe from my mum, it is very simple and tasty.

Beans - 250gms, cleaned and diced

Onion - 1 chopped fine

Garlic - 4 flakes cut fine

Ginger - a small piece cut fine

Green chillies - 2 cut fine

Soya sauce - 1 tbsp

Salt and pepper to taste

Eggs - 2 beaten

Heat 2 tbsps of oil in a pan, fry onions, garlic, ginger & green chillies. Add beans with pepper and salt to taste. Keep stirring for about 10 mins till beans are almost cooked. Sprinkle soya sauce, keep on stirring. Once beans are fully cooked, add the 2 beaten eggs, keep on stirring till the eggs coat the beans and are fully cooked.

Chayote Squash Chilli Fry

This is an extremely easy recipe that i learnt from my husband. I had no idea what chayote squash was! Now we eat it every week!

1 chayote squash cut into cubes after taking out the seed.

Put in a microvawable dish, cover with water and micro high for 5 mins. Take out and drain.

Heat oil in a pan, add 1 tsp of mustard, 1/2 tsp jeera. When the mustard splutters, add 1/2 tsp chilli powder and a pinch of turmeric, add squash and mix well. Keep stirring and till the squash is well coated. Add salt to taste.

Goes well with curd rice, chapathies, rice and rasam.

Crochet

I Love Crochet!

I became interested in needlework & craft by watching my great grandmother, grandmother and mother effortlessly create lovely treasures. I was so amazed that just with thread and a needle or hook you could make such intricate designs, at the end of it you feel a sense of achievement! I have to make a special mention of my great grandmother who never sat idle even for a moment even at the age of 90! She was always busy crocheting and her work was absolutely stunning, hope that i could be half as good as her one day.

My Mum thought me the basics of crochet and from then on there has been no looking back. Once you learn the basic chain and the rest of the stitches, you can follow patterns or just create your own. The possibilities are endless....doilies( my favourite!), edgings, table mats, kitchen pads, baby blankets, tablecloths & runners, sweaters etc

I have not yet ventured into tablecloths & clothing, but hope in the future i can be proud to say i have done so!

Above are pictures of a few doilies i have done.

Methi Chapathi

This chapathi is a variation of the usual chapathi that i make every other day. The kasoori methi gives it a nice taste.

2 cups wheat flour

1/2 tsp salt
2 tsps curd/yoghurt

1 tbsp kasoori methi
warm water to mix

In a bowl mix the flour, salt, curd, kasoori methi. Add the water and knead into a soft dough.
Keep aside for about 1 hour.

Roll out into chapathis and fry with a little oil.

Capsicum & Potato Rice

1 capsicum cut into cubes
1 potato, cut into small cubes and boiled
1 onion sliced

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

2 green chillies chopped fine

Cilantro, a handful chopped

3/4 tsp chilli powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

salt to taste
For seasoning:

Oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp urad dhal

1/2 tsp channa dhal

Cooked Rice - 2 cups (can be adjusted according to taste)

Heat oil, add urad dhal, channa dhal & mustard seeds, when the mustard splutters, add the onion and green chillies, stir till onion turns pale, add ginger garlic paste and cilantro. Mix well and fry till the raw smell goes away. Add capsicum and potatoes, keep stirring till the capsicum is cooked. Add chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste.

Last add the rice and mix thoroughly. This rice tastes nice when eaten with potato chips, pickle or papad.

Egg Pulao

This recipe was adapted from the Mangalore Ladies Club Cook book, i added the chilli powder to spice it up.

2 cups basmati rice cooked
Juice of 1 lime
4 Eggs boiled

1 onion sliced

Corriander leaves( cilantro) chopped - a handful

Grind - 5 green chillies, 1 tsp aniseed, 1 tsp ginger garlic paste.

Cinnamon 1 inch

3 cloves
2 cardamom
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 onion sliced and fried for garnishing.
Salt to taste

Heat 1/4 cup oil, add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Add sliced onions and fry till pale. Add the ground paste. Fry for a few minutes, add 1/2 tsp chilli powder. Add chopped corriander and salt to taste. Stir and add boiled eggs along with lime juice. After a few minutes add the cooked rice and mix well.

Garnish with fried onions and coriander leaves.

Samosa?

For a long time now my husband has been asking me if i could make samosas. I have not tried before, so i decided i should attempt making them. For the pastry i used the recipe from Mamta's Kitchen http://www.mamtaskitchen.com/recipe_display.php?id=10461.

The filling was made by my husband which turned out really good.

The end product was tasty. I made 2 shapes as my husband preferred the bigger ones with more filling and i liked the smaller ones which actually looked like samosas!

For Pastry:
2 cups plain flour or maida
4 tbs. cooking oil
1/2 tsp. salt
Water to make dough

Making Pastry:
Place flour, salt and oil in a bowl. Rub with your fingers, like pastry flour. It should look like bread crumbs.
Make a firm dough adding a little water at a time. I tend to make mine in a food processor, it is easier and quicker. If making by hand, knead it well.
Keep aside for 20 minutes, covered with a moist cloth and then knead again.

For the filling:
1 potato boiled and chopped
1/2 onion chopped

3 green chillies, chopped

1/2 tsp garlic paste

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp chilli powder

1/4 tsp each of cumin and mustard seeds

salt to taste

Curry leaves

Cilantro

Peas( we used frozen peas)

Heat oil, season with jeera and mustard and curry leaves. Add onions and green chillies. Fry till pale, add the garlic paste and powders. Mix well, add the potatoes, peas and salt to taste. Fry for two minutes, lastly add the cilantro.

Making Samosas:
Mix 1 tsp. flour with 2 tbs. water, to make a 'glue'. Keep it aside.
Divide the dough into 8-10 portions and make balls, using greased hands. Keep covered with a moist muslin/cloth.
Roll one ball on a greased surface, into an 7-8 inch circle, 2-3 mm. thick. Cut it into half using a knife
Lift one half in your palm and mak a cone, by folding the straight edge in the centre and overlapping.
Glue the overlapping edges (4-5 mm. overlap) and press gently to give a good seal.
Now fill the cone with approximately 2 tbs. of the meat mix.
You should have enough edge left at the top (4-5 mm), to get a good seal. Using the 'glue', press and seal edges together.
Make all samosas like this. Keep them covered with a moist cloth. If pastry is allowed to dry, it is more likely to burst during frying.
Heat oil in a wok or karahi, on medium heat. Test by putting a small piece of dough into it, it should sizzle and rise to the top quickly.
Put as many samosa as will spread out easily in your wok and fry gently to golden brown. If you fry too fast, the pastry will not be stiff.
Take out and place on absorbent paper on a plate so that the excess oil drains away.

The bigger samosas that i made is done by just rolling out a circle, putting the stuffing in the centre and folding over in a semi circle and closing off the edges.

Radish & Capsicum Fry

I was searching for recipes using radish , finally i gave up and decided to try my own. Since i had capsicum too, I tried out this combination today and was pleasantly surprised!

(The radish/daikon that we get in the supermarket here are pretty big, so i used just half.)
Radish - 1/2 cut into rounds first and then quartered.

Capsicum - 1/2 cut into squares.

Garlic - 4 cloves chopped

Red chillies - 2 crushed

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

A little turmeric powder

Salt to taste

For seasoning - 1/2 tsp jeera & 1/2 tsp mustard

Oil - 1 tbsp

Heat oil in a pan, season with mustard and jeera. Add crushed red chillies and chopped garlic, fry till garlic is slightly brown. Add the capsicum and radish, chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Keep stirring till everything is well combined. Lower the flame and let it cook for about 20 mins, stirring in between. The radish will be crunchy.

If you wish you can cover and cook longer till the radish becomes soft and fully cooked.

This goes well with curd rice, rasam and rice or chapati.

Chicken Fry

This recipe is one of my favourites because its so easy and quick! Easy, Quick n Tasty is my sister Hira's style of cooking which is slowly but surely influencing me! Thanks Sis for all your tips and help when you get my distress calls! Here's one for you which you probably know already being the versatile cook that you are!

Chicken - 300 gms ( 3 boneless thighs cut into smaller pieces, approx 9)

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp chilli powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsps of lime juice

Salt to taste

1 tbsp oil

1 tbsp ghee

2 sprigs of Curry leaves

Marinate the chicken with ginger & garlic paste, chilli powder, salt to taste, turmeric powder and lime juice. Keep aside.

After about 1 hour when the chicken is well marinated.,

Heat 1 tbsp of oil & 1 tbsp of ghee in a pan, add curry leaves and fry for a minute, then add the marinated chicken. Keep frying for about 20 mins till the chicken is cooked stirring now and then. Your chicken fry is ready. This tastes good with rice and rasam.

Rasam

One of the few recipes i learnt from my Mum was Rasam, i dont think any south indian can survive without rasam! My brother will agree whole heartedly as he is a rasam fan!!

This recipe is simple and you dont need rasam powder.

1 tomato

2 flakes of garlic

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp jeera powder

1/2 tsp pepper powder

1 heaped tsp corriander powder

Chop the tomato into 8 pieces and put in a bowl, mash the garlic flakes and add to the tomato, add all the powders to this, mix together. Pour about 1 cup of water and set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a vessel, put in 1 red chilli, 1/4 tsp each of methi (fenugreek), urad dhal, channa dhal, jeera. Add 1 tsp mustard and a pinch of asfoetida. When the mustard starts spluttering add 1 sprig of curry leaves. Immediately add the tomato mixture along with 1/2 tsp of tamarind paste dissolved in 1 cup water. Add salt to taste. Give it one boil, switch off and garnish with cilantro.

You can add little more tamarind depending on your taste.

My attempt to share with the world my experiences of learning cooking!

Even though i lived with my Mum for 27 years, i did not learn much cooking from her as i was of the impression that when i have to do it i will! I am sure most of you would agree that was a very grave mistake which i am going to regret for the rest of my life! To become a fantastic cook like my Mum seems to be a distant dream! Mum i miss you!!! Luckily Mum is just a phone call away and i have been able to ask her for recipes when i need them.

My whole family is full of excellent cooks not only the women but some men as well! So for me the standards of becoming a good cook are extremely high as i have to compete with all my family members who have had so much experience. By the end of it all i hope i become at least half as good as all of them!

Since i joined my husband, I have started cooking(out of neccessity!) in my own kitchen and my dear husband is the guinea pig! I am lucky that he is straightforward and gives me an honest opinion so that i can better myself. In fact now i love to experiment and try out new dishes.

The reason i have started this blog is because i have been inspired by my fellow bloggers who have been my constant companions in my kitchen almost everyday! Thank you and hope that i can share some of my tried and tested recipes with all of you, as and when possible. Of course all these recipes are not mine but mostly from my Mum. So i will give credit where credit is due! Thankyou Mum!

So everyone here goes...this is my first post and definitely not my last! Will start posting the recipes soon.