Hi Everyone,hope you had a great Easter break.We did!and now Babushka is back in Kinder! I have so many things to write-but they have to wait:( my laptop crashed and regular posting will resume after I get it back:) hopefully soon! Drive test coming up in less than two weeks n I am freaking out! Will reply to comments once the laptop is back-I m going blind trying to read comments on my iPhone. More later,till then, be good my lovelies;)
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The bag I was working on,is finally put together:)
Here’s a picture of Work in Progress:
And now the completed bag:
And how can any of my projects be complete without them being modelled by my favorite model?
I still need to line it,but,I am glad,I finished crochetting before Easter:)
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Last week,I found a bunch of fresh Methi(fenugreek leaves) in our local Indian store and I can’t tell you how thrilled I was. Winters are here in the Southern Hemisphere and if Paratha is not a winter food what is:)
My childhood was spent in a small town in Rajasthan,called Lakheri,where fresh produce was abundant.And my father’s family was well-loved and respected there,so as a result,we always,ALWAYS had more than enough fresh produce at home. Dinners in the winter months was mostly some kind of a vegetable paratha or vegetable pulav and soup.
So,the moment I laid my eyes on that fresh green bundle,I knew,I was going to make Methi Parathas.
Now if you have finished drooling,here’s the recipe:Methi Paratha
Ingredients:
4 cups of whole wheat flour
1 medium bunch of fresh fenugreek leaves
2-3 tbsp fresh yogurt
1 green chili
2 flakes of garlic
2 tsp sesame seeds
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cummin-coriander powder
salt to taste
warm water for kneading the dough.Method:
1. Pluck and wash the fenugreek leaves.Pat dry and chop finely.
2. Make a paste of yogurt,green chili and garlic.
3. Take the whole wheat flour in a wide plate and add all the ingredients and knead into a firm dough.Keep it aside for 15-20 minutes.
4. Take a lemon sized ball of dough and roll out into a flat round.
5. Roast on a pan.Apply a little oil on each side,and toast a little more.Serve hot with yogurt/raita/pickle or chutney.
Here’s my mom’s recipe for Tomato chutney. Its my ultimate favorite chutney and it gets made in no time,at all.
You need :
4-5 medium sized tomatoes
2-3 flakes of garlic
1 green chili
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp cummin seeds
Salt
red chili powder
a pinch of sugar.Method:
Wash and cut the tomatoes in to chunk sized pieces.
Heat oil in a pan and add cummin seeds.When the cummin seeds start splattering,add the tomatoes and let it cook on a medium flame.
When the tomatoes start getting squishy,add chopped green chili and garlic. We don’t add the garlic and green chili before the tomatoes,so that maximum flavor is retained.
Add salt,red chili and sugar and let it cook till the tomato turns into pulp and all the water dries out and all you are left with is tomato pulp.
This chutney is a great accompaniment for parathas and also tastes great with toast.I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we do and if you do try any of these,do leave me a comment and tell me,how you liked it:)
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Last week,DH got a great deal on Blu-ray DVDs and he picked up the Harry Potter Series. We introduced our little Diva to Harry Potter and since then,we have been watching HP,every night..and if she has it her way,even in the mornings.
So,anyway,on last Sunday,we went out for a late lunch-early dinner and after we came back,sat down for a marathon run of HP. While we were watching the movies,I got two things done-
1) Made Carrot Halwa
2) Completed the crochet squares for my bag.
Here’s my stack of Crochet Squares:
And as for the Halwa,here’s the recipe:Ingredients:
8-10 Large carrots
1 1/4 cup whole milk
200 gms fresh Ricotta
3 tsp ghee
1/2 cup sugar(you can change this as per your taste)
Raisins and cashewnutsPreparation:
Wash,peel and grate carrots.
In a thick bottomed pan,heat the ghee and add the grated carrots.Toast for a minute or two.
Add the milk and let it simmer on a medium flame,stirring occasionally.
When the milk is almost reduced,add the ricotta and mix well.
Also add the raisins and cashew nuts at this time. Let it cook on a low flame,till all the liquid dries up.
Finally,add sugar and mix well and again let it cook,till the water from the sugar evaporates.
Then,serve yourself a generous portion and dig in! 🙂
Note: This could take 2-3 hours,because you are cooking it on a low flame,but its worth waiting for.
This yields quite a bit- I got a my biggest pyrex bowl full..I am guessing nearly 1L.Just cool it to room temperature and keep it refrigerated.Reheat portions as you require.It should be good for a week to 10 days,if it lasts that long.Just remember to use a dry spoon everytime,you take the halwa out.My oldest winter memories are of a big pot of carrot halwa,sitting in the fridge and portions of it re-heated for dessert after lunch/dinner or even occasional breakfast of halwa-paratha.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do:) If you do try it,please leave me a comment and let me know how you liked it:)
