Hobbies

Colombo Chicken Curry / Colombo de Poulet

aarathi — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:11:00 GMT

Colombo Chicken Curry

Ingredients
1 kg chicken
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 onions finely sliced
1scotch bonnet pepper (asura parangi)
1 tsp ginger + garlic paste
3 potatoes (cubed)
1 courgette (cubed)
2 bay leaves
2 dried springs of thyme

Colombo Masala
2 cloves
1 tsp malabar black peppercorns
1 tsp musturd seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp coriander seeds
Method

Dry roast all the masala ingredients & then grind to fine powder.
Dunk chicken pieces in flour & fry till light golden brown.
Warm the oil in a casserole . Add bay leaves & thyme.
Then add finely sliced onions.
When it turns golden brown, add ginger-garlic paste.
Then add fried chicken & colombo masala.
Stir for a while & add water .
Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 25min, stirring from time to time.
When half cooked, add potatoes & courgettes.
When the chicken is cooked thoroughly, remove from fire.
Add lime juice & just swirl the casserole.
Garnish with freshy chopped parsely & serve with rice / any type of bread.

Colombo Curry is the speciality of French Islands - Martinique & Gaudeloupe. Colombo Curry powder / Poudre de colombo is French Caribbean Curry powder. Readymade ones are available in supermarkets. But I prefer freshly ground curry powder.

Butter Cake

aarathi — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:56:00 GMT

Butter Cake

Ingredients
100 g flour
30g custurd powder ( vanilla flavoured)
100 g sugar
125 g butter
4 eggs
3 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp condensed milk
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
A pinch of salt

Method
Dilute custurd powder in luke warm milk.
In another bowl beat eggs & sugar.
Sieve the flour and baking powder together and fold into the cake mixture.
Add diluted custurd powder, condensed milk & mix well.
Pour the batter into the greased cake pan.
Bake for 40 mn - Th 180°C .

Potager du Roi / King's Kitchen Garden, Versailles.

aarathi — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:19:00 GMT

Potager du Roi

In 1670, King Louis XIV appointed Jean-Baptiste La Quintinie (1624-1688) as the director of the royal fruit & vegetable garden. As per his request he constructed a vegetable garden in a swampland popularly known as "l'Etang puant / Stinky Pond. The site was drained & filled with the rich soil from the Satory hills . The renowed architect, Mansart constructed the garden's terraces & walls. The garden is structured around a cental area called "Le Grand carré / Grand Square. The Grand square is again divided into 16 small squares organised around a circular fountain. Behind the walls there are 12 fruit tree gardens ( Apple & Pears).

The King's Kitchen Garden covers 9 hectares of fruit & vegetable gardens at the heart of Versailles. Every year, this garden produces 40 tons of fruit & 25 tons of vegetables. At present this garden is conserverved by National School of Horticulture- ENSP. This garden is in the UNESCO's World Heritage List.

The Potager du Roi and the Cathedral Saint-Louis

Beans Garden

Pumpkin Garden

Tubers & Salads

Tomatoes & Chillies

To see the enlarged pictures just click - Album photos suburbs of Paris o
http://aarathi78.canalblog.com/albums/__photos_des_yvelines___/index.html

Koki - Sindhi's Roti

aarathi — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:59:00 GMT

KOKI

Ingredients
500 g flour
2 tbsp ghee
1 tsp salt
2 green chillies (chopped)
2 shallots (chopped)
1 tbsp crushed coriander seeds
1 tbsp crushed cumin seeds
1 tbsp crushed dried pomegranate-anardana seeds(optional)
Chopped coriander leaves
200 ml water
Oil
Method

Mix all the ingredients & keep aside 1 hour.
Make evenly sized balls.
Take a lemon sized ball & flatten it using a roller.
Heat non stick pan . Spread oil on it .
Cook the roll out paratha.
Spread some oil & press the edges.
Flip & cook the other side.
Repeat the process with other balls.
Serve hot with veg / non veg curry.

This is the traditional breakfast item of Sindhi's.

Enjoy Street Bharathanatyam by Jai Khalsa

aarathi — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:49:00 GMT

Ganesha Pushpanjali by Jai - A dance in honor of Lord Ganesha, the elephant God, who is the remover of obstacles.

Click & appreciate this talented non desi dancer

Apple Fondant / Fondant aux Pommes

aarathi — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:28:00 GMT

Apple Fondant

Ingredients
4 apples (peel,core & thinly sliced using a mandoline)
20g butter
50g sugar
50g flour
20g custurd powder
10 cl milk (luke warm)
2 eggs
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
A pinch of salt & cinnamon powder
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Cream together the butter, sugar & salt .
Add beaten eggs.
Sieve the flour and baking powder together and fold into the cake mixture.
Dilute custurd powder in luke warm milk.
Add this along with apple alices & mix well.
Pour the batter into the greased cake pan.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 30-35 mn.
Serve with tea.

Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam - dhol taro dhol

aarathi — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:07:00 GMT

Movie : Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999)
Actors : Salman Khan & Aishwarya Rai
Song : dhol taro dhol by Vinod Rathod & Kavita Krishnamurthy

Coconut Almond Rolls - Happy Diwali !

aarathi — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:08:00 GMT

Coconut Almond Rolls

Ingredients
225 g dessicated coconut
125g icing sugar
3 tbsp condensed milk
A pinch of saffran / yellow colour
1/2 tsp cardomom powder
Filling
10g butter
25 almonds
2 tbsp sugar

Method

Heat a sauce pan & mix the first four ingredients.
Stir continuosly on medium heat.
When the mixture becomes thick add cardomom powder.
Remove from heat & let it cool for 15mn.
Coarsely grind almonds alonsg with sugar.
Add butter & cardomom powder.
Roll as shown in the photo.

Pat the coconut mixture on a plastic wrapusing a spatule.
Place the roll out almond mixture in the middle.
Roll in the plastic wrap & place in the refrigerator for 5 hours.
Cut in slices & serve your loved ones.

Aloo Kachori - A Rajasthani Snack

aarathi — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:40:00 GMT

Potato Kachori

Ingredients
500 g flour
200 ml water
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
oil for frying
Filling

4 medium size potatoes (Quartered)
2 onions (thinly sliced)
2 green chillies (half slit)
A piece of ginger (chopped)
1 leek (thinly sliced)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp musturd seeds
1 tsp urud dal seeds
Curry leaves / coriander leaves
Salt to taste

Method
Boil the quartered potatoes in salted water until tender (20 mn).
Drain & let it cool.
Peel , mash it & keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan. Splutter musturd seeds.
Add urud dal & fry .
Fry chopped onions till light golden brown.
Add sliced leek, chillies & ginger.
Fry for a while & add tumeric powder & salt.
Add water & simmer for 10mn.
When the water has dried up, add the mashed potatoes.
Garnish with fresh coriander leaves & keep aside.
***
Mix first three ingredients & knead well.
Cover the bowl with a damp cloth & keep aside for 1 hour.
Take a lemon sized ball & flatten it using a roller( 8/10 cm discs).
Place the filling in the middle & wrap it with greased hand.
Flatten the ball with ur palm & keep aside
Repeat the process with other dough balls.
Heat plenty of oil.
Gently slip kachori's in hot oil.
When it pops fully, splash hot oil on the top.
Turn over & fry the other side.
Remove using a slotted spoon & drain on a kitchen paper.
Serve hot with chutney of ur choice.

Kachori's can be served as a starter / for tea.

Words By Boyzone - RIP Stephen Gately

aarathi — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:31:00 GMT

Song: Words by Boyzone.
Album: A Different Beat 1996.