Best of 2008! - Packing up for the year..

I admit, being a sporadic blogger this year :) ..popping up now and then giving reasons such as family commitments, lots of travel, poor connectivity and so on ;)..(well, they ARE solid excuses, aren't they?? ;))

Again, amazed to realise the fact that the authentic recipes have ‘clicked’ this year too making them the so called ‘hit posts’..

..so, not much to brag about and better restricting to the top 5 of the year..

Spicy Baby Potatoes

The simplicity of preparing the dish, the availability of the ingredients might have been the reason of this 'hit recipe' :)


Kuzhippaniyarams

Never had in my distant most dreams that this one would ‘click’, while hurriedly entering Suganya’s ‘Healthy eats’ event, at the last moment. Since it was for this young lady who rocks with her stunning pictures, I remember working a real lot with photoshop(exploring for the first time, ever) for better pictures...and finally, the hark work paid! ;)..


Jack fruit Dumplings/Chakka Kumbil Appam.

Yet another authentic recipe from my home town, which hit the list.


The recipes which many of my blogger friends tried, appreciated and got back with good results (supposedly ;)) were..

Chettinad Karakkuzhambu



And Ghee fried Bananas

This post is for Srivalli who hosts the event, Best of year 2008! :)
..needless to mention again, the great GREAT time we shared while co-ordinating Arusuvai earlier this year.. :)..

I sincerely thank all my blogger pals and readers for their loving and kind support throughout these wonderful days of blogging making each moment lovely and meaningful.

I am eager to experiment more with new cuisines, post recipes consistenly, participate in more events and visit blogger pals’ place with words of encouragement, without fail, as always!.

Wishing you all the very best, the Season can bring!..

Love,

Bharathy :)

Read More »

Tweet

Mexican Wedding Cookies!..

No Christmas is complete without cookies, so lets bake some!!..Says the sweet lady here :) .

This interesting recipe was found out from her place :)..
Keeping the page open, I rushed to the stores to make sure I was equipped with the raw materials..and YES!..; I couldn’t wait any longer…
Of course we don’t have any lovely snow fall here to compliment, but the season of festivity, the winter..…alas!!..they were real melt-in-the-mouth, perfect with a cup of hot tea.

The original recipe source- Mexican Wedding Cookies by Paula Deen from http://www.foodnetwork.com/

To yield 15-20 cookies

Get ready with:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for coating baked cookies
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting hands
1/2 cup pecans, chopped into very small pieces (I used walnuts)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Line cookies sheets with parchment paper.
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar at low speed until it is smooth. Beat in the vanilla. At low speed gradually add the flour. Mix in the pecans with a spatula. With floured hands, take out about 1 tablespoon of dough and shape into a crescent or a shape of your choice. Continue to dust hands with flour as you make more cookies. Place onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 40 minutes. When cool enough to handle but still warm, roll in additional confectioners' sugar or use a small strainer to dust in. Cool on wire racks.

Sharmi, these were baked specially for your lovely Cookie Baking Event. :).

Planning to bake another batch, fresh, this weekend as I am visiting my parents in Kerala for Christmas holidays. Feelling really proud to have thus entered dear Happy Cook's very first and sweet event of Home Made Christmas Gifts :) .

Read More »

Tweet

Kovakka Mezhukkupuratti / Stir-fried Tindoras

Tindoras don't really find a place among my regular lunch spread as my better half and kids totally dislike the vegetable.

Since we were more exposed to Kovakka, as children; though been regarded as a tasteless green veggie, yet well enough with this preparation; I make this stir fry once in a while just to satisfy my craving of those childhood days...

Here's my version of Kovakka/Ivy gourd Mezhukkupuratti.

Ingredients:

Kovakka/Tindoras-2 cups-sliced thin, lengthwise.

Redchillies-2

Shallots/Small Onions-7-8 nos

Garlic- 2 flakes

Coconut Oil- A tbsp

Curry Leaves- a sprig

Mustard seeds-for seasoning-1/4 tsp

Salt- to taste

Method:

1. Wash the vegetable.Cut off the tips. (as Inji says here, slice them along lenghthwise as thin as possible so as to avoid pre-cooking). Somehow I ended up slicing them a little chunky as they were from my own garden and was not easy to get 'em sliced thin and again was forced to pre-cook (cooking till half done in a closed pan with salt, with just enough water).

2. Pulse the onions, red chillies and garlic in the mixie for not more than 5-10 seconds or crush them coarse using a hand mortar.

3. Heat oil in a non-stick pan, splutter mustard seeds, sauté crushed onion- garlic- chilly mixture till raw smell disappears, for a few seconds.Throw in curry leaves.

4. Add the vegetable and mix well so as to get coated with the spices. Keep the pan open, on a medium flame, tossing well, once in three minutes.

5. Remove from fire when they are roasted or acquire a golden brown hue, here and there.This would take 20 minutes time, more or less. Remove from fire and serve hot with rice.

Read More »

Tweet