29 mai 2009
Malaysian Prawn Sambal
Malaysian Prawn Sambal
Ingredients
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
10 shallots
3 garlic cloves
A piece of ginger
1/2 tsp dried shrimp paste (optional)
***
500g tiger prawns ( fresh/frozen)
Tamarind (lemon size)
2 onions (thinly sliced)
2 tomatoes (thinly sliced)
Curry leaves / Coriander leaves
Oil for frying
Method
Blend first five ingredients into a fine paste .
Add 1 tsp oil , mix well & keep aside.
In a bowl of water soak tamarind & keep aside.
Shell, devein and wash prawns using salt and turmeric.
Heat oil in a sauce pan.
Add the blended paste & fry for a few minuites.
Add prawns & stir fry for another 2mn .
Add tamarind juice (discard the pulp), sliced onions & tomatoes.
Cover & cook for a few minuites.
When the prawns are cooked, remove from fire .
Garnish with chopped curry / coriander leaves.
Serve with rice or any other Indian bread.
26 mai 2009
South -West Monsoon hits Kerala.
25 mai 2009
Chinese Scallion Pancakes
Chinese Scallion Pancakes
Ingredients
500 g flour
200 ml water
75g butter
1 tsp salt
8 spring onions (scallions)
Sesame oil /Veg oil
Method
Boil water with butter & salt .
Add to the flour & knead well.
Cover the bowl with a damp cloth & keep aside for 1 hour.
Wash & dice spring onions.
Spray some more flour & knead it again .
Make evenly sized balls.
Take a lemon sized ball & flatten it using a roller.
Brush some oil , sprinkle diced scallions & roll out as in photo given below.
Stretch it & roll out as spirals.
Repeat the process with other dough balls.
Now roll out the scallion pancakes.
Heat a non stick pan . Spread oil on it .
Cook the pancakes both sides.
Serve hot with Veg / Non Veg curry.
Chinese serve these pancakes with ginger dipping sauce.
22 mai 2009
Gavi Gangadeshwara Temple - Bangalore
Gangadeshwara Cave Temple 
Gavi Gangadeshwara Temple is an ancient monolith temple carved around a 3000 years old natural cave (vedic period). "Gavi" means cave in kannada. Ancient temple was built around 9th centuary and poojas were conducted by Sage Gouthama & Sage Bharadwaja. Now their ancient dieties are kept beside the main shrine. Later in 16th centuary Kempe Gowda renovated it to celebrate his release after 5yr imprisonement by Rama Raya.
Every year in January (14th/15th) , devotees visit this temple to watch a spectacular event. On Makara Shankranthi Day evening (between 5pm-6pm) , sunrays passes precisely in between the horns of the Nandi Bull( infront of the temple) and falls directly on the Shiva Lingam (inside the cave) and illuminates the diety.The architect of this temple combines vastukala with astronomy. This reveals the extrordinary talents of our vedic ancestors.
Gavi Gangadeshwara Temple is situated in the Shivaganga hill - This 1368m height hill have four faces resembling "Nandi" from East, Ganesh from west, Linga from south & Cobra from the north. There are two temples Honnadevi Temple & Gavi Gangadeshwara Temple . A natural stream called Pathal Ganga flows in between these two inner sanctums.In the temple there are 33 dieties and 2 shrines God Gangadeshwar (Lord Shiva) & Goddesss Honnadevi( Parvathi). Parikrama ( place around the sanctum sanctorum where the diety is installed) runs through a bifurcated cave pathway. It is said that one path leads to Shivagaga (Temple town) & other to Kashi. This cave pathway is very small & one needs to bend / crawl to complete the circuit.
19 mai 2009
Bangalore - Capital of Karnataka
Bangalore - Garden City of India
Photo taken from the top of one of the Kempe Gowda Towers
Legend says that in 13th centuary , Hoysala King Veera Ballala got lost on an hunting expedition . Tired and hungry, he was offered boiled beans by an old lady. Overwhelmed with gratitude, he named this area as "Benda-kaal-ooru", which means "City of Cooked Beans". Later British renamed as Bangalore.
Bangalore / Bengaluru is the capital of Karnataka state & the fifth largest city in India. This city is famous for it's tree lined avenues, beautiful gardens, monuments & above all a pleasant climate. Now there are so many nick names - Garden City of India, Retired Man's Paradise, Fashion capital of India, Silicon Valley of India, Byte Basket , Hi-tech capital of India etc..
The arichitect of modern Bangalore is Kempe Gowda (1513- 1539) a chieftain under Vijayanagar Empire. He was impressed by Hampi , the beautiful capital of Vijayanagar Kingdom. He wished to build a new city & expressed his desire to the king. King not only granted permission to build a new city but also donated 12 hoblis (revenue subdivisions) with an annual income of 30,000 varahas (gold coins). Yelahanka town is the one of the oldest (more than 500 years) in Karnataka. At present it's the northern periphery of Bangalore City.
Kempe Gowda Tower situated on the top of a 3000 million year old rock in LalBagh Gardens. 
Kempe Gowda built a mud fort with eight huge gates & four watch towers to mark his territtory. The four towers are situated- inside Lalbagh park, one near Mekhri circle, near Kempambudhi lake & one near Ulsoor lake. City was divided into commercial localities called "Pet". Even now some places are known by those names eg Chickpet (little town), Doddapet (big town),Taragupet (grain market), Halipet(cotton market) etc.. He built so many temples & lakes in & around Bangalore. Bull Temple at Basavangudi , Gavi Gangeswara Temple at Gavipuram & Ulsoor lake (Halsur / Alasur) are some of them.
15 mai 2009
Jackfruit seeds Stir Fry - Kerala Special
Chakka Kuru Thoran
Ingredients
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 green chilli
3 tbsp dessicated coconut / freshly grated coconut
2 shallots
Few curry leaves
25 Jack fruit seeds
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Curry leaves
For tempering
1 tbsp coconut oil / any other oil
1/2 tsp musturd seed
1 dried chilli
Curry leaves
Method
Remove the outer white skin of the jackfruit seeds & soak them for an hour in water.
Using a knife scrape the brown inner skin & cut it lenghthwise.
Coarsely grind first five ingredients & keep aside.
Cook jackfruit seeds in water along with salt , chilli & turmeric powder.
When half cooked, add the blended mixture.
Cover & cook for another 5-10mn.
When the water is completely dried , remove from fire.
For tempering, heat oil in a pan & splutter musturd seeds.
Then add dried chilli & curry leaves.
Then add this to the stir fry.
Serve as a side dish along with white rice.
Bollywood - Ghajini
13 mai 2009
Mouthwatering Plantain treats from Kerala
Plantain treats of Kerala
Banana Chips & Sharkara Upperi ( fried banana coated with jagerry ) are the famous tea time snacks of Kerala, but Upperi (quartered banana chips) are served along with rice.
Plantain farms of Kerala 
Plantain Market (Tirur - Kerala)
