Deepavali(Festival Of Lights) Celebrations

Last weekend we had Deepavali (Festival Of Lights). It is one of the most awaited festivals for all the Indians. It is eagerly awaited by all, young or old or of any religion. Mostly because of all the crackers that you get to burst!

This was my first Deepavali here. I had assumed that it would be a lack luster affair since we were in a foreign land. I was in for a pleasant surprise. One day before the festival, I got a call from one of my friend’s to come to her house for Arishina and Kumkuma (It is a custom among South Indians to invite people to their houses during festivals and religious ceremonies and then give them beetle leaves, Kumkuma, Arishina (turmeric) to the ladies before they leave). It was a surprise for me since I had not expected this here.

On the 2nd day of Deepavali, we went to her apartment. This apartment complex has a lot of Indians. We see that all the houses have been decorated with serial lights and there were Diya’s (Clay Lamps) in the doorsteps of most of the houses. It really was a very festive atmosphere with all the children and adults dressed up in traditional Indian clothes and generally having a good time. They were also bursting crackers (non-bomb varieties like sparklers)! We also went to a few others friend’s houses.

On the Bali Padyami day, (Third Day) we had invited a few friends over to our house. We had a small get together, lit a few candles and generally had a good time with friends :).

This was a really different way of celebrating Deepavali for me. The grandeur of the festival back in India is a different plane of existence! We used to have so many varieties of food to eat, so many crackers to burst, and the new clothes that you would get to show off. How can I forget the constant reminders from elders to be careful while bursting the crackers!!

We missed all this fun and noise this time!! :((

The Story of Lord Krishna and Avalakki( Puffed Rice )

I had promised while writing about the HuLi avalakki recipe that I would one day tell you why Indians don’t refuse anything made out of avalakki (Puffed Rice). The reason behind this goes to the times of Mahabharatha.

This is a story involving Lord Krishna and his friend Sudhama. Let me first give a brief introduction to the people involved in the story for benefit of those who are not familiar with the Hindu Mythology.

According to Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna is 8th avatar (Incarnation) of Lord Vishnu. He was born during the Dwapara Yuga. I.e. around 3000 BC. He is the central character of the great Hindu Epic The Mahabharatha. He is also considered as the author of the Bhagavad-Gita. All the Hindus revere him as the embodiment of Love and Joy.

Sudhama was a Brahmin friend of Lord Krishna. They studied together as little boys in Guru (Teacher) Sandipani’s Ashram (something similar to a residential school).

They complete their education and are ready to part ways. Before leaving the ashram, Lord Krishna will have told Sudhama to approach him if he was in any trouble and needed any help.

As time passes, Krishna becomes the King of Mathura. Sudhama is a poor Brahmin and has to feed a large family. He is so poor that his wife will have to keep borrowing from neighbors to feed the family. When the poverty becomes unbearable, Sudhama’s wife begs Sudhama to go his friend Lord Krishna and ask him for his help. Sudhama agrees to do so. However, he does not have anything in his house to take as a gift to his friend. Sudhama’s wife therefore once again borrows a handful of puffed rice from her neighbors. She prepares a snack out of it and gives this to Sudhama to take as a gift to Lord Krishna.

Sudhama takes this and goes to meet his friend with great uncertainty about how he will be treated by his friend who is now the king. Krishna receives his friend very well and accepts his friend’s offering of puffed rice with great joy saying that it is his most favorite snack.

He eats one fistful and gives him all the worldly riches. He eats another fistful and gives Sudhama everything in the after world. He goes ahead to eat another fistful, at this point, Lord Krishna’s wife Rukmini prevents him from eating and asks what about us (Wives)? Lord Krishna calls all his 16,108 wives, distributes it to them and saves one fistful for Sudhama's journey back. Wow! And Sudhama had brought only one fistful as offering to the Lord.

Although Krishna treats Sudhama as a very good friend, Sudhama is too proud to ask Lord Krishna for any help. So he goes back home without asking for anything.

He is however pleasantly surprised when he comes back home. He finds that he has been bestowed with lots of riches and his poverty has been eliminated due to Lord Krishna's grace.

This is the story of Lord Krishna’s connection with puffed rice. Now I’ll come to the part about why we Hindu’s are not supposed to refuse anything made out of puffed rice. You guys must have guessed it by now!! Yes, it is because it is Lord Krishna’s favorite snack! :).

Naturally there is this question of why is Puffed Rice Lord Krishna’s favorite snack.
That is because, no rice plant can grow from puffed rice, unlike regular rice grain, which can grow into rice plants if sowed into the ground. Therefore, puffed rice is like Moksha (i.e. you are relieved from the cycle of birth and death). And Lord Krishna is the one who grants Moksha. It is a symbolic way of putting this point across.

I’m sure there may be many questions in your minds after having read this. Let me know your questions and I’ll try to answer them to the best of my ability!

Note: I have added a few more things apart from what I had originally written. One of my very good friend’s gave me more insight into the story. I thought it would be very interesting to know for you guys also.

Baale Hannu Pachadi ( Banana Salad)

Description: The dish I am writing about now is made from ripe bananas. This is especially helpful if the bananas are too ripe to eat. You won’t feel like throwing it away but then, u won’t feel like eating it too since it is very ripe.

Making a pachadi out of it is a good way of not throwing it away! The other way that I know of using a ripe banana is to crush it nicely either in a blender or using your hands and putting it over your face like a face pack! It gives a very good glow to your skin J.

This pachadi can be eaten with chapattis or pooris or different kinds of bread.

Preparation Time : 5 minutes.

Cooking Time : 10 minutes

Ingredients:
1. KaLitha BaalehaNnu (Ripe Bananas): 3 (Let it be ripe but not so ripe that it is almost watery. If it is like that, put it over your face ;))
2. huLi majjige (Curd or Buttermilk that has turned a little sour): ¼ liter or 20 Ounce
3. saasive (Mustard): a little
4. jeerige (Cumin seeds): 1 teaspoon
5. uppu (Salt): as per taste
6. hasi meNasina kaayi (Green Chillies): 4-5 or as per taste. Cleaned and Chopped You can use red Chillies also if you have them.
7. karibEvina soppu (Curry leaves): a little
8. kottaMbari soppu (Coriander leaves): a little. Cleaned and Chopped.
9. eNNe (Oil): 2 teaspoons.
10. oNa maavina puDi (amchur powder / Dried Mango Powder): a little (Optional. Can be used if the curd is not sour)
11. ingu (Asafetida): a little. As per taste.

How to Prepare:

1.Mash the bananas till they are soft and mushy. It is better if you mash them with your hands. Blender does not work so well. (Of course, wash you hands thoroughly before you mash them!).
2.Heat Oil in a pan and fry the mustard until it sputters.
3.Add cumin seeds, chopped Green Chillies, curry leaves and asafetida and fry for some more time.
4.Put the stove off and add the curd or buttermilk.
If you only have the thick curd, add some water to it and make it more watery. If the curd is not sour, you can add some amchur powder (Dried mango powder) to it.
5. Add the mashed bananas.
6. Add salt as per your taste and mix it well!
7. It is now ready to eat.


Servings: 2 Servings.

PS1: The names of ingredients are how they are called in Kannada, my mother tongue. Their English equivalents are given in brackets.

PS2: The recipes that I am posting are those that I have tried personally and have turned out well. They are recipes that I am collecting from my mother, mother-in-law, aunts, uncles, friends, cousins and my husband.

PS3: I think I have covered whatever needs to be covered. Please let me know if you would like to see any changes in the way the recipes are presented.

PS4: Enjoy your cooking. I definitely am enjoying it immensely!

Recipe - Hesaru Bele Paayasa(Split Mung Beans Kheer)

Description:Kheer or paayasa as we call it is one of the many items that are prepared during festivals, weddings and many other occasions. Kheer can be prepared from many items like rice, different lentils like mung beans (Hesaru bele), Tuvar beans (also called as thogari bele or split Congo pea or split pigeon bean), vermicelli (shavige or semia ), rave (semolina) etc.

Hesaru bele paayasa is a sweet kheer that is made out of mung beans that have been skinned and split so that they are flat and yellow. They are easily available is all the Indian stores. It is labeled as mung Daal. I haven’t tried to look for it in other stores. I am however sure that they are easily available.

Hesaru bele is supposed to be very good for health. You can drink it as a kheer or as a side dish with dishes like Idli, chapatti, Poori etc.

Preparation Time : 5 minutes.

Cooking Time : 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1. kobbari turi (Grated Coconut): a little. It is optional
2. hesaru bELe (Mung Beans): 50 grams
3. haalu (Milk): about half liter (about 40 Ounce).
4. thuppa (Ghee): 2 tablespoons
5. bella (Brown Sugar/ Sugar / Jaggery): about 30 grams or as per taste
6. oNa draakshi (raisins): a little
7. gOdambi (Cashew Nuts): a little
8. Elakki pudi (Cardamom Powder): 1 tablespoons.

How to Prepare:
1.Fry the mung beans in ghee till they are slightly golden brown in colour.
2.Cook these mung beans in a pressure cooker.
3. Take the cooked mung beans in a vessel or pan.
4. Add milk, brown sugar, grated coconut and powdered cardamom to the beans and boil the mixture for about 10 minutes.
5. Fry raisins and cashew nuts in ghee and add it to the above mixture.
6. Boil the kheer for another 10 minutes.
7. It is now ready to eat.

Note: If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can boil the beans in water and milk till they are nicely cooked and soft. This will take about 45 minutes or longer.

Servings: 2 Servings.

PS1: The names of ingredients are how they are called in Kannada, my mother tongue. Their English equivalents are given in brackets.

PS2: The recipes that I am posting are those that I have tried personally and have turned out well. They are recipes that I am collecting from my mother, mother-in-law, aunts, uncles, friends, cousins and my husband.

PS3: I think I have covered whatever needs to be covered. Please let me know if you would like to see any changes in the way the recipes are presented.

PS4: Enjoy your cooking. I definitely am enjoying it immensely!

Recipe - Tomato Saaru(Rasam)

Description: There are many ways of preparing tomato saaru. I'll get onto all the ways eventually. This is the way one of my friends prepared the rasam when we had visited her. We loved it a lot! I got this recipe from her and she has graciously allowed me to publish it :). There is no way you can go wrong with this :).

Preparation Time : 5 minutes.

Cooking Time : 10 minutes.

Ingredients:
1.Kari Menasina pudi (Black Pepper Powder): 2-3 teaspoons or as per taste.
2.Jeerige Pudi (Cumin seeds Powder): 1-2 teaspoons.
3.Sasive (Mustard): 1 teaspoon
4.BelluLli (Garlic): about 3-4 florets or as per taste (chopped). This is optional.
5.Uppu (Salt): As per your taste.
6. kottaMbari soppu (Coriander Leaves): a handful
7. Enne/Thuppa (Oil/Ghee): 2 tablespoons.
8. neeru (Water): 4-5 cups
9. Karibevu (Curry Leaves): a little
10. huLi (Tamarind paste): a little
11. Tomato: 3
12. ingu: (asafetida powder): a little. This is optional
13. oNa meNasina kaayi (Red Chilies): 2-3

How to Prepare:
1. Pour the water in a vessel.
2. Add salt and pepper powder.
3. Add lot of fresh coriander leaves, tamarind paste, garlic and coriander powder.
4. Add the tomatoes to it.
5. Squeeze all these in the water either using a ladle or your hand. (Of course you have to wash your hand thoroughly before that!)

6. Take some oil in another pan.
7. Add the mustard seeds and let them crackle.
8. Add the curry leaves and red chilies and fry for a while.
9. Add a pinch asafetida powder.

10. Add all the contents of the pan into the vessel (with squeezed items in it).
11. Boil everything for about 10 – 15 minutes.
12. It is done.
13. You can drink it like a soup or have it mixed with hot rice

Servings: 2 - 3 Servings.

PS1: The names of ingredients are how they are called in Kannada, my mother tongue. Their English equivalents are given in brackets.

PS2: The recipes that I am posting are those that I have tried personally and have turned out well. They are recipes that I am collecting from my mother, mother-in-law, aunts, uncles, friends, cousins and my husband.

PS3: I think I have covered whatever needs to be covered. Please let me know if you would like to see any changes in the way the recipes are presented.

PS4: Enjoy your cooking. I definitely am enjoying it immensely!

Recipe - Huli Avalakki (Puffed Rice Snack)

Description: HuLi Avalakki is puffed rice prepared into a really yummy breakfast! It’s so easy to prepare that it is almost like a fast food! I haven't heard of anybody who hasn't liked it till now.

Dishes prepared out of puffed rice have a bit of mythological history attached behind them ( Check it out here if your are interested to know what the story is ). Because of this, we in India are not supposed to refuse to eat anything prepared out of puffed rice if it is offered to us!

Anyway, I'll get on to the recipe now.

Preparation Time : 5 minutes.

Cooking Time : 10 minutes.

Ingredients:
1. avalakki (Puffed Rice): About 150 grams
2. kobbari turi (Grated Coconut): a little . It is optional
3. uddina bele (Black gram): 1 tablespoon
4. kaDle bele (Bengal gram): 1 tablespoon
5. saasive (Mustard Seeds): 1 teaspoon
6. huLi (Tamarind water/ Concentrated tamarind): as per taste
7. bella (Brown Sugar): about 10 grams or as per taste
8. uppu (Salt): as per taste
9. karibEvina soppu (Curry Leaves): a handful or lesser
10.oNagida meNasina kaayi (Red Chilli): 2-3
11.meNasina pudi (Red Chilli Powder): 1 tablespoon or as per taste.
12.eNNe (Any Oil): 3-4 table spoons
13.arishina (Turmeric Powder): 1 teaspoon
14.neeru (water): 2 small glasses

How to Prepare:
1.Coarsely grind the puffed rice in a mixer.
2.Heat the oil in a pan and fry the mustard until it sputters.
2. Add the black gram, Bengal gram, curry leaves, red Chillies and the grated coconut and fry them for about 1 or 2 minutes.
3. Turn the stove off and add water to the same pan.
4. Add turmeric powder, salt, brown sugar, tamarind and red Chilli powder and mix them well.
5. Add the puffed rice and mix everything well.
6. Keep this aside for about 10 minutes till all the water is absorbed by the puffed rice and it becomes a little dry.
7. It is now ready to eat.

If it is watery even after you soak it for a while, grind a little more puffed rice and put it into the water. If you feel that it has become very dry, then you can just sprinkle a little water. You will learn exactly how much water you will need only by trial and error :).

The good part is, once you learn to do it right , you have a really tasty and yummy snack that can be prepared in a jiffy :).

Servings: 2 Servings.

PS1: The names of ingredients are how they are called in Kannada, my mother tongue. Their English equivalents are given in brackets.

PS2: The recipes that I am posting are those that I have tried personally and have turned out well. They are recipes that I am collecting from my mother, mother-in-law, aunts, uncles, friends, cousins and my husband.

PS3: I think I have covered whatever needs to be covered. Please let me know if you would like to see any changes in the way the recipes are presented.

PS4: Enjoy your cooking. I definitely am enjoying it immensely!

Recipe - Beetroot Soup

Description: As always a very easy and tasty soup ! Takes only about 20 minutes and best of all… its really tasty and nutritious! You can serve this soup hot or cold. Add a few breadcrumbs if serving hot and cream or curd if serving cold.

Preparation Time : 10 minutes.

Cooking Time : 15 minutes.

Ingredients:
1. Beetroot:1
2. Carrots: 2
3. Tomato: 1
4. alogaDde (Potato): 1
5. belluLli (Garlic): 2-3 florets
6. IruLli (Onion): 1
7. uppu (Salt) : as per taste
8. kari meNasina pudi (Black Pepper Powder): 1-2 teaspoons or as per taste
9. kottaMbari soppu(Coriander): a little.

How to Prepare:
1. Cut, peal and boil all the vegetables in a pressure cooker. Let the vegetables cool for a while. The lid of the blender might be blown off if you try to blend the vegetables when they are hot.
2. Add the pepper powder, salt and blend the boiled vegetables in a blender.
3. Add a little hot water if the soup is very thick at the time of blending.
4. Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve either hot or cold.
5. Boil/microwave the soup once again if you want to serve it hot at a later time. Garnish the soup with coriander and breadcrumbs just before serving.
6. Refrigerate the soup for sometime if serving cold. Add fresh cream or curd just before serving.

Servings: 2 - 3 Servings.

PS1: The names of ingredients are how they are called in Kannada, my mother tongue. Their English equivalents are given in brackets.

PS2: The recipes that I am posting are those that I have tried personally and have turned out well. They are recipes that I am collecting from my mother, mother-in-law, aunts, uncles, friends, cousins and my husband.

PS3: I think I have covered whatever needs to be covered. Please let me know if you would like to see any changes in the way the recipes are presented.

PS4: Enjoy your cooking. I definitely am enjoying it immensely!

Recipe - Carrot Soup

Description: As always a very easy and tasty soup ! Takes only about 20 minutes and best of all… its really tasty and nutritious! You can serve this soup hot or cold. Add a few breadcrumbs if serving hot and cream or curd if serving cold.

Preparation Time : 10 minutes.

Cooking Time : 15 minutes.

Ingredients:
1. Carrots: 2
2. Tomato: 1
3. alogaDde (Potato): 1
4. belluLli (Garlic): 2-3 florets
5. IruLli (Onion): 1
6. uppu (Salt) : as per taste
7. kari meNasina pudi (Black Pepper Powder): 1-2 teaspoons or as per taste
8. kottaMbari soppu(Coriander): a little.

How to Prepare:
1. Cut, peal and boil all the vegetables in a pressure cooker. Let the vegetables cool for a while. The lid of the blender might be blown off if you try to blend the vegetables when they are hot.
2. Add the pepper powder, salt and blend the boiled vegetables in a blender.
3. Add a little hot water if the soup is very thick at the time of blending.
4. Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve either hot or cold.
5. Boil/microwave the soup once again if you want to serve it hot at a later time. Garnish the soup with coriander and breadcrumbs just before serving.
6. Refrigerate the soup for sometime if serving cold. Add fresh cream or curd just before serving.

Servings: 2 - 3 Servings.

PS1: The names of ingredients are how they are called in Kannada, my mother tongue. Their English equivalents are given in brackets.

PS2: The recipes that I am posting are those that I have tried personally and have turned out well. They are recipes that I am collecting from my mother, mother-in-law, aunts, uncles, friends, cousins and my husband.

PS3: I think I have covered whatever needs to be covered. Please let me know if you would like to see any changes in the way the recipes are presented.

PS4: Enjoy your cooking. I definitely am enjoying it immensely!

Recipe - Haalu MeNasina Saaru(Black Pepper Rasam)

Description: Haalu MeNasina Saaru is once again a very easy and tasty rasam to prepare and takes only about 15 minutes max. It is very good for health. Infact, back in India, it is something that is given for people recovering from fever and other minor ailments. You can eat it with rice or just drink it like a soup.

Preparation Time : 5 minutes.

Cooking Time : 10 minutes.

Ingredients:
1.Kari Menasina pudi (Black Pepper Powder): 3-4 teaspoons.
2.Jeerige Pudi (Cumin seeds Powder): 2-3 teaspoons.
3.Sasive (Mustard): 1 teaspoon
4.BelluLli (Garlic): about 20 florets or as per taste (chopped)
5.Uppu (Salt): As per your taste.
6. Bella/ Sakkare (Brown Sugar / Sugar): a little
7. Enne/Thuppa (Oil/Ghee): 2 tablespoons.
8. Haalu (Milk): 1 Glass
9. Karibevu (Curry Leaves): a little

How to Prepare:
1. Heat the oil/ghee and fry the mustard till it sputters.
2. Add the pepper powder, cumin powder and the curry leaves.
3. Add the garlic and fry till it turns golden brown.
4. Add milk, salt and brown sugar and boil the mixture till it becomes a little thick.

Servings: 2 - 3 Servings.

PS1: The names of ingredients are how they are called in Kannada, my mother tongue. Their English equivalents are given in brackets.

PS2: The recipes that I am posting are those that I have tried personally and have turned out well. They are recipes that I am collecting from my mother, mother-in-law, aunts, uncles, friends, cousins and my husband.

PS3: I think I have covered whatever needs to be covered. Please let me know if you would like to see any changes in the way the recipes are presented.

PS4: Enjoy your cooking. I definitely am enjoying it immensely!

Leaded Toys!!

Yesterday, hubby came home and said that one of his friend's sons had a high level of lead in his blood. They came to know about this when they went for an annual check up for the kid.

The truly disturbing thing is that the kid got the lead because of the toys that he has. It seems the toys that have been sent here (mostly from China) have a high level of lead in their paints. When the kids put these toys into their mouths, it gets ingested into their bodies and enters the blood stream.

Millions of toys from many big brands, which were made in China, have been recalled here.

You better be careful when you buy toys the next time. It is better to altogether avoid buying toys if they have a particular label. You never know, the toys might all get dumped there since they have been banned here!

Here is a link that gives more details on the effects of lead in the blood stream

Apple Picking @ Apple Charlie's

Fall has come in a little late this year. That’s what the folks out here say anyway. I have to believe them since I don’t have any personal experience. One of the major fall activities out here is apple picking.

 

It was one of our first fall time activities :).
It works this way. These folks have apple orchards. They convert part of their orchards into a visitors' area. They have animal shelters, one or 2 rides, shops that sell all apple related stuff like Apple Cider Juice, Apple Pies, Cakes etc.

 

They also convert a small portion of their orchards into apple picking areas. The trees are very short almost like shrubs and they are full of apples. They throw this area open to the public to come and have fun.

 

They charge you a fee (about 15 Dollars for one cover or a basket). You take what you pick is how it goes. It is a fun activity to pursue once in a while. It feels good to eat the apples that you have plucked yourself from the trees.

 

It's really good for these farmers too. They kind of eliminate the middlemen and sell their stuff directly to the end users. They surely make much more money than if they had sold it to a middleman.

Mathadu Mathadu Mallige

First there was Lagaan , which was adopted as part of their curriculum in a premier business school for the study of leadership.

Then there was Lage Raho Munna Bhai which inspired the NRIs in the US to protest peacefully during the Green Card controversy.

Now, there is a Kannada movie Mathadu Mathadu Mallige which has inspired farmers in Nandagudi town in Karnataka, to protest against the SEZ that is being planned in their area. I haven't watched the movie yet. But will definitely do so when it is released here!

Way to go people. Way to go!!!

My First baseball game

We had been to the Tiger’s (they are the local Detroit team) baseball game. We bought the tickets in black (I must admit that I was happy to know that such things happen here also :)).

Since we were in early, we looked around the stadium, got our pictures taken, watched the players practicing and chatted with people next to us.

Just before the game started, the electronic boards were advertising that we could get Pizzas that usually cost about 8 dollars for just 1 dollar if the Tigers scored 8 or more runs. That was really something to look forward to!

They served beers and cocktails inside the stadium. As the game progressed, people were sloshed and became wild and rowdy. The F and B words were being uttered every time the players botched things up!

The best part was, whenever things became a little quiet, the electronic boards would display things like CLAP CLAP or MAKE NOISE or ROAR ROAR or MAKE A MEXICAN WAVE and people would immediately start doing those things!!!

It was more interesting to watch the people and their antics than the actual baseball game (I didn't understand the game at all).

The tigers won the game but scored only 5 runs. We didn't get the 1 Dollar Pizza that I was wishing we could get :(.

Beep Beep Beep !

It’s turning out to be quite a week!

Yesterday, I was making BenDekaayi BaLaka . I was in the kitchen and hubby was in the hall. Suddenly, we heard loud beeps like that of an alarm clock, only louder.

I continued making my stuff thinking that hubby is tinkering with the clock. Suddenly, I saw hubby running at top speed towards our room. I got curious and went behind him. I saw that he was frantically pulling out something that was fixed on the ceiling and pulling at some wires.

I asked him what had got into him and why he was trying to bring the house down. Hubby told me that he was trying to disable the fire alarm! It had starting off because of the smoke from frying the BaLaka!!!

Till then, I used to think that stories of fire alarms going off due to cooking were only urban legends!

Atleast we now know that the fire alarm actually works in our apartment!

Recipe - BenDekaai BaaLaka (Ladies Finger / Okra Fry)

Description: Bendekaayi Fry is one of the easiest dishes to prepare and it tastes yummy! You can eat it with Chapattis, Rotis or Curd Rice. Most of the times, we end up eating it just like that!

Preparation Time : 10 minutes.

Cooking Time : 15 minutes.

Ingredients:
1.Bendekaayi (Ladies Finger): 1/2 Kg.
2.Jeerige Pudi (Cumin seeds Powder): 1 tablespoon
3.Dhaniya Pudi (Cilantro Powder): 1 tablespoon
4.Accha Menasina Pudi (Red Chilli Powder): 1 spoon or as per taste
5.Uppu (Salt): As per your taste.
6. Palya Pudi/ Garam Masala /Curry Powder: 1 spoon (This is optional)
7. Enne (Oil): 3 tablespoons.
8. Nimbe Rasa (Lemon Juice): A Little.

How to Prepare:
1. Cut the bendekaayis into 2 halves (This saves both cutting and cooking time).
2. Fry the Bendekaayi in oil till it loses its water and starts to turn a little brown.
3. Add the jeerige pudi, dhaniya pudi, menasina pudi, salt and garam masala/curry powder and mix it well.
4. Add lemon juice in the end.

Servings: 2 - 3 Servings.

PS1: The names of ingredients are how they are called in Kannada, my mother tongue. Their English equivalents are given in brackets.

PS2: The recipes that I am posting are those that I have tried personally and have turned out well. They are recipes that I am collecting from my mother, mother-in-law, aunts, uncles, friends, cousins and my husband.

PS3: I think I have covered whatever needs to be covered. Please let me know if you would like to see any changes in the way the recipes are presented.

PS4: Enjoy your cooking. I definitely am enjoying it immensely!

Its so easy to cheat !

Question : Can you be billed by anybody on your phone account without even you knowing about it?

If your answer is no,I must tell you that you are in for a big surprise!

All that any XYZ supposedly registered company needs, is an email ID and a phone number. They can simply say that they have provided some dumb service to your phone(It could be a personal voicemail service ,long distance call facility or something else). They can then send a bill to your parent phone company (i.e companies like AT&T or Verizon etc. with whom you have a contract) and include this extra cost along with their bill cost.So, when you get your next bill, you see some extra cost for something that you haven't even heard of !!

Those who are here might have understood what I'm trying to say . But others who are new or in a different part of the world might not understand what I'm trying to say!

Let me explain what happened to me.

I am looking online for colleges or universities which can provide online certification programs that are GOOD and REASONABLY PRICED.I used to give a random search and fill up forms where I had to give them my email ID and phone number so that they can follow up with my request.

My hubby had already warned me NOT to do anything that had to do with giving away credit card numbers or SSN or any private data.But phone numbers were apparently OK(atleast that's what I thought).

To be fair, I did get several calls from various universities about the various courses that they were offering.

However,we got our telephone bill yesterday and we saw an extra charge of nearly 50 dollars for some service we hadn't even subscribed for ! The description said that it was for something called as ILD services and had two 1-800 numbers.

I then called our Cingular customer service guys and asked them what this extra charge was for . They told me that some third party had billed this charge on the phone number and that I had to call them to find out why they had charged us this amount.

I called the 1-800 numbers . One person said that I had filled a form online to provide a personal voicemail box and that they were billing me for that service.
The second person said that they were charging us for long distance call facility!

Apparently, I had filled some online form with my email id and phone number and asked for this service.They also said that they had sent mails to the email ID provided about how much they would be charging for these services. Since the mail did not bounce nor did they get a reply asking for removal of the service, they simply went ahead and charged us for it.

Needless to say, that I was not even aware of this ! This was something really unthinkable for me.

I then asked them to reverse these charges since we did not really subscribe for them. Both the companies have promised me that they will reverse the bill in 1 or 2 billing cycles.

Cingular customer support guys have also been good enough to wait for the next 1 or 2 billing cycles for this third party charge to be reversed.

I sincerely hope that these two companies do what they have promised to do !

Later, I learnt that all a person needs is a valid email ID and a phone number to start charging that number for imaginary services!

Lessons from this spooky experience.

1. NEVER GIVE OUT YOUR CREDIT CARD NUMBERS.
2. NEVER GIVE OUT YOUR SSN NUMBER.
3. NEVER GIVE OUT YOUR PHONE NUMBER.
4. NEVER GIVE OUT ANY OTHER PERSONAL DETAILS.

If you absolutely need to give your personal details, make sure that they are to people who are authorised to see them. Even then, make sure that they donot write it down anywhere.

Even in restaurants, it is best to pay by cash or a prepaid hotel card instead of a credit card ! It seems that there have been several instances of identity theft that have happened in this way.

Its always better to be careful than sorry !

Latest and newest Family member !

I'm late by about 2 weeks for this announcement ! Better late than never right !
She is Jayashree Madhava(as her father calls her now). She entered this world on the 12th of September 2007.

Welcome into the family darling !!! I know that you will have a wonderful time with us !

What I like about here

The hands down winner is FOOOOOOOD !!!!!
I'm a foodie. There is no question about it ! I love to eat.The variety in food and tastes that we have back in India, is enormous . Every state(every district in fact) in India has such a variety in the food that they eat and the way that they prepare this food.

I didn't really explore the vast menu that we have out there. Didn't really think much about it too. Maybe a few of the so called North Indian dishes ,a bit of Andhra Food and other obvious favourites. But otherwise, I didn't really explore this aspect of our culture.

Here , I'm really getting a chance to correct that mistake . Here too there is a vast variety of foods that we can try. Probably more than what we have back in India.

People from different parts of the world have come in here and brought in different aspects of their culture along with them . Food is naturally the best part of it !!

There are restaurants which cater to all the different tastes of the world. Indian , Chinese, Mexican, Lebanese, Ethiopian , Italian , Japanese. You name the country and you get the food of that country :). The best part is that we get the vegetarian versions of them!!

We are having loads of fun trying out the different kinds of food and taste.
Guys, please make it a point to eat something new that you haven't eaten till now. It really is great fun !!

Trip to Cincinnati

An account of our trip to Cincinnati . This is my hubby's account of our trip. My hubby's cousin lives in Cincinnati. I'm still exploring how to add photos for these blogs. I will upload them soon.

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My maternal aunt and uncle have been visiting US. They joined my cousin in Cincinnati. This is their fourth visit to US. Every time they visit US, it is customary for me to visit them. More over Cincinnati is just 4 hours away from Detroit. R’Cho needed a family outing. It had been a month after our trip to Mackinaw Island. So we decided to go to Cincinnati in the last weekend of June.

We started on Friday. We left Farmington around 7 pm. It took us 4 and half hours to reach Cincinnati. We reached my cousin’s home by 11.30 pm. All of them were awake and waiting for us.

On Saturday morning, aunty suggested that we go around the town and look for garage sale. We woke up late. Aunty had prepared huli avalakki for breakfast. By the time we got ready it was 10.30 am. We set out on garage sale in the downtown area. My Cousin had printed out about 130 locations where garage sale was going on. The first few were unimpressive. Most of the stuff was sold out by the time we went to see.

In one of the sales, R’Cho picked up a couple of books. The garage sale bug had bitten her. I was looking for ceramic items. I found none during the course of the day. We visited more than 25 garage sales. Aunty picked up a doll and baby clothes. In one of the garage sale, R’Cho and I played with a pair of golden retriever. They liked us so much that they wouldn't let us go. We returned home for lunch.

The lunch was delicious. Aunty didn't disappoint us. There was vangi bath, huralikai saru and huli. We ate sumptuously. After lunch we went for a walk. I wanted to check out the old ceramic shop which I had visited on previous occasions. The shop was shut. In its place a yoga center had opened. We walked down the Market Street doing window shopping. There was no agenda in Cincinnati. There are not many places we could visit in Cinci. My cousin gave us the option of either going to a movie or to the river side. We opted for the latter.

We went to see River Ohio at two places - one was overlooking the river from a hilltop; second one was on the shores of Ohio River in Kentucky. The hilltop view was excellent. The weather was nice. It was cloudy and warm. We took a stroll in the park adjacent to the hilltop view. Uncle bought us ice cream. From hilltop we went to shores on the other side of the border. The walk way was uneven along the shores with few benches to sit. One could see downtown Cinci on the opposite banks. All of us relaxed on the bench before heading back home. For dinner we had masala dosa. My cousin prepared it. After dinner R’Cho , aunty and I played chouka bara. We were playing the game after a long time. It was interesting and had great fun.

I helped my cousin to set up with her computer. I set her up with scanner, web cam and speakers and the printer.After breakfast, we went to Office Depot to get the cable and cartridge. The cartridge and cable cost more than $80. Instead of buying these items, my cousin opted for going to a new printer. I explained to uncle the concept of capitalist society. Here it is easier to buy a new and better product than buy spare parts for old ones. Most electronic stuff wouldn't have a shelf life of more than 2 years. Here we dispose things off before the first sign of trouble. That is American way of life. Back at home, Uncle showed me his nail cutter which he has had for the last 70 years!!!. That nail cutter was made in US! He was saying that it is an antique since it is so old !

After a sumptuous lunch, R’Cho and I played kaimale kashi and chouka bara. Kaimale kashi was a cake walk. Aunty helped R’Cho win chouka bara game. It was almost 3 pm. We left Cinci by 4 pm. We asked aunty and uncle and my cousin to come over and stay with us. They didn't give any firm commitment.

It took us 4 hrs to drive back with 2 breaks in between. There were lots of mamas(cops) on the highway. Despite this, we reached home by 8 pm. This was the first family outing for R’Cho in the US. She enjoyed the company of Aunty and her stories.

Anger / Possessiveness

I can think of a few instances in my life, when I have been hit by intense feelings of anger and possessiveness. I'll try and recount a few that I remember even now.

Instance 1
Sometime during my school days, one of my school friends (I don't even remember his name now) called my dad appa (father). I was so angry with him, that I started fighting with him for that! My dad consoled me saying that that was how some people spoke. It did not necessarily mean that he would become his dad :). That calmed me down a bit*.

Even now, when some of my friends call my parents appa or amma or my sister as their sister, I think, NO WAY DUDE! THEY ARE MY PARENTS! OR SHE IS MY SISTER NOT YOURS!!

Instance 2
This happens whenever I come to know that one of my cousins’ or very close friends say that they are getting married. The first emotion is, I’m really happy for them !! and then when I see their future fiancés, I feel this bout of intense anger !!! I get really really angry with them for stealing away my cousin or friend and that I have to share them now** !.

I used to think that this was really small of me . But I have come to know that that’s the way a lot of my friends feel too :).

I'm not the only odd one out here! So guys , tell me about instances when you have been hit with these emotions . It’ll make me feel so much better !

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* I'm sure that my father doesn't even remember this incident. It’s still crystal clear in my mind!

**PS for my Bhavas(3 of you) and Attiges(2 of you) and married friends : Don't worry , I get over it in about 5 - 10 minutes after meeting you people :). You guys are too good to be angry with for a long time :-).

PS for all those close to me who are yet to get married : Now you know what I'll be feeling when I see your soul mates for the first time now :).

I/O Brush

One of my friends has sent a really fascinating video about the I/O brush. I must say, that I assumed that it might be one of those hoax mails. When I googled it out, I found that it is an emerging technology. Folks in the MIT Media library have developed it.

The definition of an I/O brush is as follows

" I/O Brush is a new drawing tool to explore colors, textures, and movements found in everyday materials by "picking up" and drawing with them. I/O Brush looks like a regular physical paintbrush but has a small video camera with lights and touch sensors embedded inside. Outside of the drawing canvas, the brush can pick up color, texture, and movement of a brushed surface. On the canvas, artists can draw with the special "ink" they just picked up from their immediate environment."

You might not understand what they are talking about just by reading the above explanation. Just watch this video and you'll know.

You can learn more about this technology here

The Cheating Business

It seems, that there is a pub in England, which has invented a machine called as the fibbing machine. This machine is nothing but a small telephone booth in the pub, which has predetermined noises, like the noises that are generally heard if a person is struck in traffic or is in an airport or some other such familiar noises.

All that a person has to do is, go into the booth, select the noise that he/she wants to be played in the background, call home and tell his/her spouse/parents/girl friend or boy friend that they are stuck in a traffic jam or that there is some problem in the airport or the railway station, etc.

This pub has become a big hit and is being patronized by a lot of people who want to buy extra time from people at home for whatever reasons.

No prizes for guessing who is using this machine the most. Yes, about 60% of the patrons are men.

The interesting thing is that a woman has invented this machine!! . The lady is the manager of the pub.

Gandhigiri in the US

A very interesting incident has happened out here. It is a really great example of life imitating the movies. This time, it is a very positive imitation I must say.

For the benefit of folks who are not here, the events leading up to this incident is as follows .

1. The US Department Of State issued a bulleting in mid June saying that the dates for Green Card processing have all become current . (Details about what a green card is and what is the process to get it are all not relevant here).

2. July 2nd was the day from which the applications would be accepted.

3. Most of the non-immigrant population out here put in a lot of effort to make sure that all the required for filing of this process would be comppleted by July 2nd and were all set for the D-Day .(People have waited for years for the dates to become current).

4. On July 2nd, the Department of State announced that there was some confusion and that they have already got enough applications for this year and therefore will not be accepting any applications at all now.

Once this happened , thousands of people were obviously disappointed. There were several forms of protest against this announcement . There were lawsuits that were being filed and protest letters that were written.

Some of our countrymen have decided to adopt one of the ideas from the movie Lage Raho Munna Bhai . They are sending flowers , thousands of them, to the head of the DOS and wishing him well :).

For those who are curious to know what the DOS is doing with these thousands flowers, they are sending them to the soldiers in an army medical hospital and wishing them well :).

Check this out !
http://www.ibnlive.com/videos/44667/immigrants-refused-green-cards-take-to-gandhigiri.html

Recipe - Southekaayi Gojju (Cucumber Gojju) - Version1

This is a easy recipe to cook and takes hardly 10 minutes to prepare. This is one of the ways to prepare. I will publish the other ways to make the gojju in subsequent blogs.

By the way, I donot know what they call gojju in English. I will be really greatful if anybody can tell me!.

Preparation Time : 10 minutes.

Ingredients :
1. Kadle bele(Bengal Gram): 1 and ½ spoons
2. Menthya(Fenugreek): 1/2 spoon
3. Dhaniya: 1/2 spoon
4.Vonamenasina kaayi (Red Chillies): 5-6
5.Southekaayi (Cucumber): 1
6. Hunasehannu (Tamarind): 1 tablespoon.
7. Uppu (Salt):as per taste.
8. Bella (Jaggery/Brown Sugar): as per taste.
9. Ingu(Asafoetida): A little
10 Saasve(Mustard): 1 spoon.
11 Yenne(Oil): 1 spoon whichever oil you use for daily cooking.

How to Prepare:
1. Fry kadle bele, menthya, dhaniya, red chillies till light brown.Donot use oil.
2. Grind the above ingredients into a fine powder.
3. Cut cucumber into small pieces.
4. Mix salt, tamarind and Jaggery with water.
5. Add the powder and the cut cucumber to the water and mix well.
6. Use ingu, saasve for garnishing with a spoon of oil.

Servings : Eat with rice. Serves about 4 people.

PS1 : The names of ingredients is how they are called in Kannada , my mother tongue. Their English equivalents are given in brackets.

PS2 : The recipes that I am posting are those which I have tried personally and have out turned well. They are recipes that I am collecting from my mother, mother-in-law, aunts, uncles, friends, cousins and my husband.

PS3 : I think I have covered whatever needs to be covered. Please let me know if you would like to see any changes in the way the recipes are presented.

PS4 : Enjoy your cooking. I definitely am enjoying it immensely!

Recipe - Gasagase Payasa (Khus Khus Kheer)

Preparation Time : 15 minutes.

Ingredients :
1.Gasagase(Khus Khus) :4 spoons
2.Akki (Rice) :2 spoons
3.Badami(Shelled Almonds) :5-6 numbers
4.Elakki(Cardamom) :a little
5.Jaggery(recommended) or Sugar : As per your taste(Depends on how sweet you want the kheer to be).
6. Thuppa (Ghee) : 1 table spoon.
7. Godambi (Cashew Nuts) : 5-6.
8. ONa Drakshi (Dry grapes/ Raisins) : about 10 grams.
9. Hasi kobbari(Dessicated Coconut) : 3-4 spoons.
10. Haalu(Milk) : 1 glass.
11. Kesari(Saffron) : a little.
12. Paccha Karpura(Edible camphor) : very little.

How to Prepare:
1. Soak Khus Khus , rice,badami and elakki in water for about 2 hours.
2. Grind the soaked khus khus, rice, badami, elakki and dessicated coconut into a fine paste.
3. Boil the paste in water along with jaggery or sugar and edible camphor.
4. After about 1 boil , add milk and boil again.
5. Fry the godambi, drakshi in ghee and add to the boiled kheer.
6. Add a little saffron.

Servings : 4 - 6 glasses.

PS1: : Use either jaggery or sugar not both. The kheer however tastes best if you use jaggery.

PS2 : Jaggery is also called as brown sugar.

PS3 : Saffron and Paccha Karpura are optional.

PS4 : The names of ingredients is how they are called in Kannada , my mother tongue. Their English equivalents are given in brackets.

PS5 : The recipes that I am posting are those which I have tried personally and have turned well. They are recipes that I am collecting from my mother ,mother-in-law, aunts , uncles, friends, cousins and my husband.

PS6 : I think I have covered whatever needs to be covered. Please let me know if you would like to see any changes in the way the recipes are presented.

PS7 : Enjoy your cooking. I definitely am enjoying it immensely!

Paris Hilton

I am totally new in this country, and want to know learn more about this country, its history, culture etc. What do you think is the best and the fastest medium to learn about these? It is of course the TV. That’s what I did too . I went and switched on the TV.

What did I see? A major disaster had struck! And what was that disaster? Paris Hilton had been charged for DUI (Driving Under Influence) and would be sent to prison!!!!

Every time I switched to ANY channel at ANY time of the day, I got to hear something about her.

On the news channels, I got to know things like what Paris ate, what was her hairstyle, what did she do, how did she spend her time, what did she wear, what did she say? Did she laugh? Did she cry? Were her nails chipped? Was the food healthy enough? Did she lose weight in the prison? How much are the prison authorities spending to ensure her safety in the prison? etc. etc etc.

That was only news that happened here as long as Paris was in the prison.

I don't want to listen the P word anymore. I switch onto some other channel, and I saw jokes being made about her.

Switch onto some OTHER channels and hours were spent debating if it was right that she was sent to the prison or not!

Apparently, Paris Hilton is more important and newsworthy than the president, more important than the war crisis with Iraq that the US is into right now, more important than even the presidential campaign that is currently underway.

So, in the first few weeks until she was released from her prison, if you had asked me what I know about the US during those weeks, I would have said PARIS HILTON ! Cos that was only what I got to see :).

If you guys out there don't know what I'm talking about and have become curious, Don't ask me!

ONE

About 8 months ago, if anybody had come to me and said that I will be in the US now, I would have laughed at their face and called them names .

A lot of my friends who were already here kept on trying to convince me to come here and try the country out. I, somehow had a very closed mind and always held this option as a closed one.

I remember back in the college days, when one of my very good friends who wanted to come here (at that time atleast) asked me also to apply along with her. I had admantly refused then.

I also remember another of my friends who took the trouble of calling me from the US to India and asked me to send her my resume atleast .
Now , I am here and sitting at home and thinking about how all these things happened to me .

All it took was about 30 minutes of time that I spent with a stranger then(now an integral part of my life!) one evening in MG Road 9 months ago !! :) .

So people do you believe in destiny ?