New Year greetings to all our blogger friends :):)

Another fresh new year is here

Another year to live

To banish worry, doubt and fear,

To love and laugh and give

This bright new year has given me

To live each day with zest

To daily grow and try to be

My highest and my best

I have the opportunity

Once more to right some wrong,

To pray for peace, to plant a tree,

And sing more joyful songs

Chitchat

Ego-Centric

Sini

Pineapple Rava Kesari

When I think of a quick sweet dish, my first choice is the Rava kesari. Here, I have given you with a slight modification of the traditional kesari. I added  some chopped Pineapple to give it a different flavor. Hope you all like it. Enjoy the recipe.

Ingredients:
Rava or Semolina - 1 cup
Pineapple - 1/2 cup chopped pieces
Sugar - 2 cups
Water - 3 cups
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Cashew nuts - 12
Orange food colour - a pinch
Raisins - 15
Cardamom - 4 pods powdered.

In a thick bottom pan, add a tablespoon of ghee and fry the split cashews and transfer to a small dish. Then, add one more tablespoon of ghee and roast the rava in medium flame, till it turns light brown in colour and keep it aside. Pour three cups of water in the same pan and add the food colour. Once the water has come to a boil, simmer the heat to the lowest. Then, add the roasted rava and the pineapple pieces slowly, stirring it continuously and avoid lumps. Close the pan with a lid  for two minutes and allow the rava and the pineapple to cook well in water.

Open the lid and check if it is cooked. Then, add sugar and keep stirring. When the sugar is absorbed well and the kesari becomes thick, add the remaining ghee, little at a time and keep stirring. Kesari is done when it leaves the pan. Garnish with Cashewnuts, raisins (I like to add it without frying in ghee) and cardamom powder.

An easy and tasty sweet to prepare within 15 minutes. The pineapple added to it gives out a special  and authentic taste.

'Dieters Law - The food that tastes best has the highest number of calories.'

My friend Kamala

Acquaintance with Kamala is only two months old. I had been to my hometown for the preparation of an upcoming wedding in the family. Visiting my hometown after a span of six months required a lot of cleaning and setting up the house. Now, since there was a wedding coming up, this needed much more than the usual. Usually, I  get someone or the other to help me out. This time even after a couple of days of landing, there was no one in sight.   I tried all my resources but of no use.

Then there was the doorbell. When I opened, I saw a beautiful woman in her late twenties dressed in a synthetic sari with simple jewels in her ears and neck. There was this anklet full of gungroos which caught my attention. The look on my face posed enough questions which brought me answers from her. She is a part time maid who had heard from someone that I am in need of someone to help me out. When asked about the salary structure, she would not speak about it and left to my discretion to decide. She had already decided to work for me.

She had passed her tenth standard, married with two sons studying in local school. Her husband is related to her and working as a carpenter. She is the eldest of three daughters and very dear to her father. Her father was not happy that she started working as domestic help, but the financial condition in the house did not allow her to sit at home. She was already working in two houses and assured she would find time to squeeze to help me with the daily chores.

I started waiting for her everyday as she was very good in her work and apart from work, she used to give me ideas of re-arranging the house. She updated about the latest exhibition going on at halls near our house where I could find good decorative items for the home. Sometimes, she used to accompany me too. Also, she would not just finish the regular chores but would extend helping hand to mine too. Slowly, I started to realise that we have developed a beautiful relationship.

When talking about her family, she would always speak high of her husband and children. I was happy for her. 

The wedding day was nearing and she won the hearts of all the guests at home. I could see the gleam in her face when I introduced her as my friend who comes to help me. I bought her a nice sari for the wedding which she planned to wear it with matching bangles and jewels on the wedding day. I was amazed at her  enthusiasm.

She was a great support at the wedding and like a family member she was there always ready to lend a helping hand. The wedding day was finally over and within a couple of days, there was no one at home except Kamala and me. I had to again wind up the house and leave to my place of residence. Suddenly, I could no longer see the smile in her face. When enquired, she told she was feeling sad that I would be leaving.  Within a few days, she brought the house back to normalcy.

I was to leave the next morning. When she came on that day, she tried hard to avoid me. When asked numerous times, she finally told that her husband had not come for almost a week as they had a big fight over some petty issues. He was too drunk on that particular day and was difficult to control him.

The next morning, as I was getting ready to leave, I heard the doorbell and saw Kamala there. I understood that she had cried all night as her eyes were red and lacked sleep. She wanted to speak to me for sometime, she said. She spoke and spoke for half hour. Then, I knew that her life was not a bed of roses as I thought. She hid all her suffering with her ever beautiful smile and not let out her feelings or expected any sympathy. From her dialogue, I figured out that her husband was not going to return to her. I had already planned that during my next visit, would help her to set up a small simple business at home which would give her extra income and also boost up her spirits as I know that she would never take money from me even as loan.

I left India with a heavy heart and continue my prayers that Kamala becomes strong enough to face the long future in front of her but at the same time appreciating her self esteem and dignity of not disclosing her true life status or to take undue advantage of the situation. As I ponder, I look with pride at such people who still keep up the human relationship alive in this materialistic world.

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."  -  Anaïs Nin

Rajma

Rajma and chapathi is one of the loved weekend menus in my house. I have always wondered why choley (channa masala) was more popular as I found rajma to be tastier. Hope you enjoy this recipe passed on from my mom.

Ingredients:
Rajma (Kidney Beans) - 1cup
Onion- 2 medium sized
Tomato- 1 medium sized
Ginger- 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala- 1/2 tsp
Oil- 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Corriander to garnish

Recipe
1. Soak the kidney beans overnight in water.
2. Pressure cook the beans with salt and water
3. Heat a 1tbsp oil in a pan
4. Cut the onions in big slices and lightly fry them in oil (this will remove the raw smell of onions).
5. Add the tomatoes and cook them. Leave this mixture to cool.
6. Grind the onions and tomatoes into a fine paste.
7. Heat 1tbsp oil in a pan and add ginger, the ground paste and garam masala into it. Keep the heat at medium low and let oil ooze out of the mixture.
8. Add the kidney beans and some more salt (if required).
9. Garnish with some finely chopped corriander leaves.
Bon Appetit!

Penne with Vodka sauce

This is the one of the most loved dinner at our place. When my cousins had come over during the Thanksgiving, I prepared this and it was an instant hit. Sharing this simple recipe with you.

Ingredients and Preparation of the Marinara sauce:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
4 to 6 basil leaves
2 dried bay leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrot and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and taste for seasoning. If sauce tastes too acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, to round out the flavor.

Pour half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and then pour 1 to 2 cup portions into plastic freezer bags. Freeze for up to 6 months.

Ingredients and Preparation of Penne
1 pound Penne
1/2 quart Marinara sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream (at room temperature)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup Vodka

In a pot, boil Pasta with little salt. When it is al dente, strain the water and keep aside.

In a pan, pour Marinara sauce and stir the cream into the Tomato and add Vodka also to it. Simmer over low heat until the sauce is heated through. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted and well blended. Add ground pepper.

In a plate, put the pasta and top it with the sauce and ground pepper.

Your Penne with Vodka sauce is ready to devour. You can also make the same version without Vodka by omitting it and follow with the rest of the ingredients.