Awards and MEME.

I was postponing this Award Ceremony for many months, blame my laziness and i could'nt find time on finding the award nominees, now after 2 week's spending 1 hour a day, iam finally up here. I silently follow most of the blogs, Now Iam passing the awards to ladies whom all i Silently observed, loved their food creations, got inspired from them. and ofcourse Iam passing the awards to the ladies who all encouraged me on every single post. If there were not enough words from you all, i would not have attained this place and i would'nt have turned much passionate towards this blog and taking pictures for this blog.
I also thank non-bloggers by giving comments on my blog after trying few dishes.

I want to Thank few blog pals here for patting me and boosting me up. Nirmala, Cilantro, Kitchen Flavours, Jayashree, Bharathy, Srivalli and Happy Cook. Thank You all for your Wonderfull Encouragement.

Before having a look on awards, I have some Vadai and Thayir Vadai for you all..

Now Comes the Award Ceremony....DrumRoll Please......

Thank You Kalai for Passing me bunch of awards. Kalai passed me YUM-YUM blog award, Yummy Blog Award, Thank You for Friendship award, Perfect Blend of Friendship, and Giant Bear Hug award.

Yum-Yum Blog Award

Yummy Blog Award

Thank You for Friendship Award

Perfect Blend of Frienship Award

Giant Bear Hug

Thanks a Lot Kalai...

Iam Passing the above awards all to

• Cham,
• Bhagyashri,
• Sowmya,
• A&N,
• Deesha,
• Srilakshmi.
• Nirmala.
  

Cooking Pleasures, Parita, Priya and Bharathy Passed me Kreativ Blogger Award.

Thank You All for Passing me this Award.


Kreativ Blogger Award.

The Kreativ Blogger award comes with some rules:-

1. You must thank the person who has given you the award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who has nominated you for the award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 other Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on which of the blogs to let them know they have been nominated.

7 Things About Me:

• I Write Tamil Poems.
• I Eat More Junk Food.
• I Hate to eat Fruits.
• I DayDream a Lot.
• Iam Night Owl.
• I Love to Travel Alone.
• I Love to Cook for my Brother, as he is the only one, who eats whatever i cook.

Now Iam Passing this Kreativ Blogger Award to

• Sathya,
• Cilantro,
• Namratha,
• Divya Vikram,
• Foody Guru Srimathi,
• Ammu
• Sweatha.

Thanks a Lot Girls for encouraging me.


Bharathy showered lot of awards with love on me, Giant Bear Hug, Brilliant Weblog, Inspiration Award, Beautiful Site Award, Scrumptious Blog Award, One Lovely Blog Award, Yum-Yum Blog Award and Best Blog Darts. Thanks Bharathy for the Love Showered on me.

Best Blog Darts

Yum-Yum Blog Award

Scrumptious Blog Award

One Lovely Blog Award

Beautiful Site Award

Inspiration Award

Brilliant Weblog

Giant Bear Hug

Now Iam Passing all the above awards to

• Kalai,
• Kitchen Flavours,
• Mona,
  
• Renuka, and
• Hema.

Please Collect the awards Girls. Enjoy!!

Kitchen Flavours passed me 360 degree Foodie Award, Thanks a Lot KF. Happy Ramzan Dear!!

360 degree Foodie Award

Now Iam Passing the 360 degree Foodie Award to,

• Priya,
• Ashwini,
• Trupti,
• Cooking Pleasures,
• Parita,

Accept the award from ur little fan girls.


Ashwini Passed me Circle of Friends and Blogging with Purpose Awards. Thanks a Ton Ashwini.

Blogging with Purpose

Circle of Friends

Now Iam Happily, Friendly Passing the award to

• Gita
• Nithu and Shriya
  
• Vanamala
• Meeso
• Subhie Arun
• Vani

Trupti Passed me Yummy Blog Award, a long time Back, Iam sorry Trupti, Thanks a Lot for the Award Dear.

Yummy Blog Award

Now I Pass on the Yummy Blog Award to

• Uma,
• Siri,
• Super Chef,
• Pavithra,
• Chakhlere,
• Sharmilee and
• Raks.

Kindly Take this Award from your Little Fan.

Renuka, Hema and Priya Sriram Passed me I Love Your Blog Award.

Thank You All, for making my Blog Proud. Thanks for the Honour to my Dear Blog.

I Love Your blog

Now for the rules:
1) Add the logo of the award to your blog.
2) Add a link to the person who awarded it to you.
3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs (Only if you like).
4) Add links to those blogs on your blog.
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blog

Now I Pass on I Love Your Blog Award to

• Anushruthi,
• JZ,
• Rekha,
• Aparna,
• Ramya,
• Esai,
  
• Jayashree and
• Ramya.

Please accept the Award from your Little Fan.


I had been tagged by my Dear Mentor Bharathy.

**The rules of the Tag are : Respond and rework – answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, and add one more question of your own. Then tag eight or ten other people.

So Iam tagging following blog friends. if you have already done the tag, leave it.

• Nithu
• Sharmilee
• Raks
• Cilantro
• Priya
• Pavithra
• Chitra
• Srimathi (Foody Guru)

1. What is your current obsession?

Watching Serials and Eating Sweets.

2. What are you wearing today?

Cotton Nighty.

3. What’s for dinner?

Dosai - Radish Kurma.

4. What’s the last thing you bought?

Few Baking Dishes.

5. What are you listening to right now?

Above Fan makes two different sound's. Iam Waiting to listen my Son Crying "Amma" after waking up.

6. What do you think about the person who tagged you?

I Learned techniques of Cooking from her blog. She is my Vitamin Tablet in this Blogosphere. I Love Her!!

7. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?

In my Home Town Pondicherry.

8. What are your must-have pieces for summer?

Cotton Chudi's and a Mudpot to have Cool Water.

9. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?

To my Grand Parents Home.

10. Which language do you want to learn?

Hindi and Kannada to Teach my Son.

11. What’s your favourite quote?

Live the Moment:)

12. Who do you want to meet right now?

My Brother.

13. What is your favourite colour?

Always Orange.

14. What is your favourite piece of clothing in your own closet?

Every Dress which I did'nt Buy.

15. What is your dream job?

To Manage a Hospital, yes i did diploma in Hosp. Mgmt.

16. What’s your favourite magazine?

Kumudham. (Tamil Magazine)

17. If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?

Will Buy a Cycle.

18. What do you consider a fashion faux pas? (Iam Changing this qtn.)

Which country you want to visit?

Australia

19. Who are your style icons?

Always Amala and Nathiya.

20. Describe your personal style.?

Casually Dressed.

21. What are you going to do after this?

Clean the House, Toys are scattered throughout the Home.

22. What are your favourite movies?

Tamil - Idhayathai Thirudathey, Telugu - Bommarillu, English - Serendipity

24. What are three cosmetic/makeup/perfume products that you can't live without?

a small pond's powder.

23. What inspires you?

Silence and Fresh Air.

24. Give us three styling tips that always work for you:

Nice Bindi, Jasmine Flowers on tied Hair, Stiff Cotton Chudi's.

25. What do you do when you “have nothing to wear” (even though your closet’s packed)?

I will Buy New Clothes.

26. Coffee or tea?

Warm Milk with 2 tsp Sugar.

27. What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?

I Prefer Loneliness.

28. What is the meaning of your name?

Lavi - Lion

29. Which other blogs you love visiting?

Every Blog Inspires me, I love my stay in every blog.

30. Favorite Dessert/Sweet?

Basundi

31. Favourite Food.

Sambhar Sadham and Thayir Sadham.


Sorry for collecting the awards so lately..


Congards to all Award Winners!

Enjoy your awards Girls!!

Kathrikkaai Kadala Kuzhambu / Eggplant Chickpea Curry

Today Morning i saw this curry recipe in my favourite TV show- AVM Managayar Ulagam. I had all the ingredients ready in hand, so went ahead without any hesitaion. The Real name of this curry is Kathrikkaai Kuttai Kuzhambu, it means Thick Eggplant curry. It seams, this dish is from Thanjavur Cuisine, which is my favourite. Trichy and Tanjore are the best places offering vegetarian food in TamilNadu. Karaikudi is the best for Non-Vegetarians. Coming to the Curry, it tasted so different and was great with Hot Rice.

If you are having purple brinjal's in hand, and overnight soaked chickpea, then this is very easy dish to make.

Kathrikkaai Kutta Kuzhambu

Ingredients:

Purple Brinjal's - 10
Brown Chickpea - 1/4 cup (soaked for12 hrs)
Gingelly Oil - 1/4 cup
Mustard - 1 tsp
Split Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves - 10
Sambhar Powder - 2 tbsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Tamaraind - a small lemon size or 1 tbsp Tamarind paste
Jaggery - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida Powder - 1 tsp

Ghee - 1 tbsp
Grated Coconut - 3 tbsp's

Method:

First Wash the Brinjal's and cut them into small pieces and put them into a cup of water to avoid the colour change.

In a Heavy Bottomed Kadaai, Heat the Oil, add the asafoetida powder, mustard and let the mustard pop. Add the split urad dal and curry leaves and wait till it get roasted.

Now add the Sambhar Powder and fry the powder in the oil for a minute or till a slight colour change occurs. Now add the brinjal pieces and fry them for a minute, till they start shrinking and change its colour.

Now add soaked brown chickpea to the brinjal and mix well. add turmeric powder and salt to the brinjal, chickpea and mix well.

Add the tamarind water and mix well. close the kadaai / Pan with its lid and let it rest on the stove for about 10 minutes in a medium flame. Add Jaggery in between and stir well.

Let the Curry gets thick and then switch of the flame.

Heat a tbsp of ghee in a pan and add the grated coconut to the ghee and fry it till it turns golden colour (refer the picture). add the roasted coconut to the curry and serve hot with rice.

This curry got a well balanced tangyness, spice and tasted little bit sweet bcoz of jaggery.
The chickpea was cooked in just 10 minutes and tasted well in the curry. The Highlight was the Purple Brinjal's which took the masala's into it and tasted excellent, iam drooling on typing this.

Dont Miss to try if you are a Eggplant / Kathrikkaai Lover.

Jackfruit Seed Roast / Palakottai Poriyal

We Love Jack fruits..Whenever we have it, i used to save the seed and prepare curry along with eggplant and drumstick. the combination of all the three in the curry is the best combo not to miss. When i got a pack of Jack fruit seeds, my domestic helper suggested me to try Poriyal/Roast with it. I readily went ahead and we loved it a lot. Here is how i made..

Get Ready with 20 Jack fruit Seeds / Palakottai, wash them thoroughly and pressure cook them with little water and salt for up to 5 whistles. On pressure Cooking, cool them and remove the outer white skin( this is a time consuming process, but you got to do it.) them cut the seeds into into half and set aside.

Heat a tbsp of oil in a pan, add 1/4 tsp mustard,1/4 tsp urad dal, a stalk of curry leaves, 2 dry red chilli and fry them. Now add jackfruit and let it coat with the oil, add a pinch of turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp sambhar powder, and mix well, so that seeds get coated with masala. Keep stirring in slow flame for about 5 minutes till the raw smell of masala powder goes off.

Serve it with Sambhar Rice or with Rasam Rice. iam sure you will enjoy the combination.

Easy Egg Fried Rice

Rice stirred along with finely stripped Vegetables, Pepper and Soy and Tomato sauces is always my choice, when i have to prepare dinner only for me. Egg Fried Rice is fully packed with vegetables and add-on option Egg's Protein in it. Certainly this is my choice of one pot meal. I like my Fried Rice plain and i dont prefer to eat it along with sauce or some manchurian's.

Spring Onions are must in Fried Rice for me, the flavour and the taste of spring onions really uplifts the Fried Rice.

Iam sending the following Picture for CLICK-ALLIUM hosted by Jugalbandits.

How to Prepare?

Prepare the Rice and set it aside to cool down. I pressure cook the Rice with little less water than i usually have water for Rice and also i just leave 3 whistles to escape, where usually i wait for 5 whistles. 2 : 4 is the normal ratio, for any variety Rice 2 : 3 3/4 ratio will do.

Ingredients:

Rice - 2 cups (cooked and cooled)

Egg's - 2

Carrot - 1 (finely chopped)

Red Onion - 1 small (chopped)

Spring Onions - 3 (finely chopped) -- Green Leaves and White Onions chopped Finely

Garlic - 4 (finely chopped)

Cabbage - finely chopped 1/4 cup

Pepper - 1 tbsp

Vinegar - 1 tsp

Soy Sauce - 1/2 tsp

Ajina motto - 1/2 tsp

Salt - as required

Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

In a Wok or Pan, add a tbsp of oil and heat it, add the finely chopped garlic and saute it till it turn into golden colour, add the Onion's and saute it along with garlic.

Add the Spring onion's - white onion and saute along. Now add all the vegetables, Carrot, Cabbage and saute them along with the onion and garlic.

Add Salt, Pepper and fry along the vegetables. Break 2 egg's on to the Pan and Keep stirring, till the egg's get scrambled and get seperable from vegetables apart from sticking along with vegetables.

Add Soy Sauce, Vinegar and stir along. now remove from the flame and add rice to the vegetables in the pan and mix the rice well along with vegetables. Take care not to break the Rice while mixing. Add a pinch of ajina moto and mix well.

Now Garnish with Spring Onion's Green Part and serve Hot.

Enjoy the Fried Rice with Tomato Sauce.

Zucchini Morkozhambu /Zucchini in Buttermilk Gravy

Yes I prepared Mor Kuzhambu with Zucchini. Today i could not find any vegetables for making a curry or sambhar in my Fridge. I had a Zucchini, which i bought to try soup with it. Finally Morkuzhambu took over the Soup and it did'nt fail to impress us. I got to have a pie of inspiration from Priya, I really wonder, how she plays on ideas with Zucchini. Zucchini Vadai, and Chocolate Bread with Zucchini are must to look for in her blog. Thanks Priya for the Award.

How to Prepare?

Zucchini - 1 [cut into cubes and saute them in a pan with a tbsp of oil for about 3 minutes, till they start to get roasted, add little water, till the Zucchini are covered and let it get cooked for about 2 minutes].

Soak the Dal in warm water for one hour.

Toor Dal - 1 tbsp

Chana Dal - 1 tbsp

Grind the above Soaked with the following Ingredients.

Dhania - 1 tbsp

Ginger - of 1/2 inch size

Dry Red Chilli - 5

Cumin/Jeera - 1 tbsp

Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp

Yogurt / Thick Sour Curd - 1 cup

Turmeric Powder - a pinch

Salt - as per taste and

1/4 cup of water.

Add the Grinded Paste to the Zucchini in the pan and stir well. let it get heated for a minute. after a minute Transfer it to the serving bowl.

Heat a tbsp of oil in a small pan for tempering, add 2 tsp of Mustard + 1 tsp of Cumin + pinch of hing + 1 tsp of urad dal + 2 dry red chilli and few curry leaves. roast for about half minute and add to the Zucchini in the serving bowl.

Enjoyed the Morkuzhambu with Bitter Gourd Chips. it was a great meal!

Coconut Laddu - An Instant Easy Sweet Bomb

Yesterday I observed Varalakshmi Pooja, Pooja made me so calm and my mind is relaxed now. This is one festival i look for, and iam glad this year's pooja went well. I prepared Sakkara Pongal, Vadai, Sundal, Semiya Payasam, Thayir Vadai, Neyy Appam, Pacharisi Idli, Rice and Dal. All the Neivedhyam's Turned out so perfect, with correct sweet and salt.

After the Pooja, i ended up with 3 whole coconut's, The idea of preparing the Coconut Laddu's came to me, when i was craving for some sweet, I wanted to prepare Commercut, but i did'nt know how to, so ended up with the instant sweet bomb's. Yes they are like Bomb's, when you have each byte of the Laddu, the juicy coconut-jaggery combination wets your tongue and the nut's added gave a good crunch, so isnt it better to call it as bomb.

Ingredients:

1. Grated Coconut - 1 cup
2. Shredded Jaggery - 1 cup
3. Cardamon Powder - 1 tsp
4. Chopped Cashew's - 3 tbsp's
5. Chopped Almond's - 2 tbsp's
6. Raisin's - 1 tbsp

Method:

In a Thick Bottomed Pan or in a Kadaai, add the Grated Coconut and Jaggery and keep stirring, till the Jaggery melt's and starts sticking to the coconut. Add the Cardamon Powder and Mix well.

Keep stirring on slow flame for about 5 minute's, till the coconut Jaggery mix starts sticking to the kadaai and slightly get browned.

Remove from the flame, when the coconut-jaggey mix, sticks to the Pan and add all the dry
fruits, Cashew's, almond's, and Raisin's. Chopped Dates will also be a great addition.

Cool them for 2 minute's. apply oil on your palm and start shaping the coconut-jaggery mix into ball's. if its too hot, wait till the heat is bearable by your palms and start shaping them into balls.

You can have it instant or allow them to set for about 5-6 hrs. it gets firm and tastes good too.

So if you have excess coconut on hand, dont miss to try this laddu and treat your family.

Have a Great Weekend and Enjoy!!