28 août 2009
Mini Bottereaux / Berlin Doughnuts
Berlin Doughnuts
Ingredients
500g flour
2 eggs + 2 egg yolks
50g butter
60g sugar
A pinch of salt,
15 g fresh yeast
10cl milk
I tsp vanilla essence
Oil for frying
Method
Dilute yeast in luke warm milk.
Mix all the ingredients to get a stiff dough .
Cover the bowl with a damp cloth & keep aside for 2 hours.
Make marble sized dough balls & keep aside for another 2 hours.
Must leave space inbetween the balls & must cover with a damp cloth
Deep fry mini Bottereaux, till it turns golden brown.
Turn over & fry the other side.
Remove using a slotted spoon & drain on a kitchen paper.
Toss them in granulated sugar / icing sugar.
14 août 2009
Panchamritam For Janmashtami
Panchamritam 
Ingredients
8 cubes of jaggery
3 tbsp water
2 bananas (mashed)
Chopped dates + Chopped cashews + raisins
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp Ghee
1/2 tsp cardomom powder
Tulasi leaves / Basil Leaves
Method
Gently heat jaggery & water to make a thick syrup.
Strain it & keep aside.
Heat a sauce pan with butter.
Fry chopped nuts until golden brown.
Add mashed banana + jaggery syrup + dates & raisins.
Stir well with a wooden spatule on the medium heat.
When it's of a thick consistency, remove from fire.
Add cardomom powder & mix well.
Garnish with tulasi leaves.
Today is Janmashtami - Birthday of Lord Krishna. On this auspicious day , Hindus prepare some sweet. Panchamritam is a divine offering made of five ingredients - Milk, Yogurt, Honey, Sugar Candy & Ghee. ( Panch means five & Amritam means nectar). This is usually prepared in temples as an offering for the diety. After abhishekam (bathing of the diety with this nectar) , this is distributed to the devotees. "Pazhani Panchamritam" is said to cure all ailments . Pazhani Temple is in Tamilnadu & the diety is Sri Murugan .
Om Jai Jagdish Hare
"Om Jai Jagdish Hare" is the famous devotional song of North India, composed by Pandit Shardha Ram Phillauri in 1870.
OM JAI JAGDISH HARE Om jai Jagdish hare Jo dhyave phal pave Mat pita tum mere Tum pooran Paramatam Tum karuñã ke sãgar Tum ho ek agochar Deen bandhu dukh harta Vishay vikãr mitãvo Om jai Jagdish hare |
He who's immersed in devotion Thou art Mother and Father Thou art Godly perfection Thou art an ocean of mercy Thou art beyond all perception Friend of the helpless and feeble Surmounting the earthly desires Oh Lord of the whole Universe |
Translated by Dr D. K Bhanot.
10 août 2009
Dwellers of Etang du Corra , Achères, Yvelines.
L'Etang du Corra
L'étang du Corra, is a tranquil picnic area appreciated by young & old.
The lake & the central island is a paradise for aquatic birds.
Eurasian Coot/ La Foulque macroule - Fulica atra
( Noire avec une crête blanche)
Common Moorheu/ Poule-d'eau - Gallinula chloropus
(Noire avec une crête rouge)
They are commomly called "Black water hens". 
Loons / Bernache du Canada - Branta canadensis
Loons build their nests with aquatic vegetation near water.
They have webbed toes which enables them to swim.
Grebe / Grèbe huppé - Podiceps cristatus
Grebes build floating nests with aquatic vegetation.
They usually carry their chicks behind them & dive.
They are excellent swimmers & divers.
Important characterestic of these birds is that they have webbed toes. 
Mallard / Canards - Anas platyrhynchos
Malards are commonly called ducks.
Drakes are green headed & females are light brown.
They have webbed feet.
Swan / Cygne
Swans are largest water fowl with pure white/ black feathers.
Male & female adults look alike . They have webbed feet .
Baby swans/ cynets are protected by Cob & Pen.
07 août 2009
Bollywood - New York
05 août 2009
Spicy Salmon Cake
Spicy Salmon Cake
Ingredients
125 g yogurt
150 g flour
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1 tsp salt
180g finely shredded smoked salmon (saumon fumé râpé - Coraya)
2 shallots (finely chopped)
A piece of ginger (finely chopped)
1 red chilli (finely chopped)
Curry leaves (finely chopped)
1 tsp cumin seeds
Chopped walnuts / almonds
Method
In a bowl beat eggs.
Sieve the flour and baking powder together and fold into the egg mixture.
Add yogurt & olive oil & mix well.
Stir in salmon, ginger, shallots, chilli, nuts & curry leaves.
Pour the batter into the greased cake pan (rectangular).
Bake for 45 mn - Th 180°C.
Serve as a starter.
03 août 2009
Karnataka High Court - Attara Kacheri, Bangalore.
Karnataka High Court
Karnataka High Court, popularly known as "Attara Kacheri" is located infront of Vidhan Soudha. It was constructed during Tipu's reign , to accomodate 18 departments of Revenue & Secretariat. This neo-classical building was designed by Major Gen. Richard Hieram Sankey & constructed under the supervision of Rao Bahadur Arcot Narayanaswamy Mudaliar. This red colored, two-story building with Corinthian columns was completed in 1864. On the ceiling of the central hall, there's a portrait of Sir Mark Cubbon (Commissioner of Mysore) & there's also an equestrian statue of him behind the building. It housed public offices ( Revenue + Secretariat + Judiciary) till 1956. When Vidhana Soudha was constructed , legislative section was shifted there & this became Mysore High Court. In 1973, it was renamed as Karnataka High Court.
