Tomato biriyani

Monthly Mingle - Give Thanks

We Indians as a nation have a problem with uttering the words Thank You. Before you flame me, let me explain. It is not that we don't feel thankful....it is just that we have a problem putting it into words. We genuinely do feel the emotions associated with being thankful...our body language, our actions...all these show the other person that we truly appreciate what they are doing, but we still find it akward and uncomfortable to say it. Still don't agree?? Think back and tell me....honestly, how many times have you said these words to your mom, dad, sister, brother, best friend? Now, how many times have you felt thankful? There....I rest my case.
Meeta of WFLH made me sit up and think of all the people that I'd like to give thanks to.
I am thankful for having a loving husband who puts up with my idiosyncracies, who takes up diaper and feeding duties on weekends so I can have some extra sleep, who encourages me to make my dreams a reality and gives me every opportunity to do that.
Iam thankful for a wonderful family - my always supportive and understanding mother, my father who is a pillar of strength, my grandparents from whom I've known nothing but love, and my fantastic brother.
Iam thankful that I've been blessed with a beautiful daughter who has truly made me understand how such a tiny being can fill your heart with so much love.
Iam thankful to all the friends that I've made through life, who've helped in shaping different aspects of my personality. Every person that I've come in contact with has in some way knowingly or unknowingly contributed to my being.
Iam thankful that I found my way into the world of blogging. I thank each and every one of my blogger buddies who cares enough to let me know that they've read my blog and that they appreciate it. A special thank you to Meeta for choosing such a wonderful theme.
Iam thankful for my mistakes and failures because they have made me strive harder to become a better person.
Iam also thankful that I have a lovely home, food to eat, and above all that there are people who love and cherish me.
What could say thank you better than a simple meal lovingly prepared and served with a smile??? That's what I have done today...I've made some tomato rice. It is very easy to make...so once you are done with the cooking you have plenty of time to sit and chat with your loved ones and your family is sure to love it.

What you need:
Onion - 1, chopped
Ginger - small piece, chopped
Green chilli - 2 or 3, minced
Garlic - 1 pod, chopped
Tomato - 3, chopped very fine, or pureed
Basmati rice - 1 cup
Salt - as required
Red chilli powder - as required
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Butter - 1 tbsp
Cardamom - 4 pods
Cinnamon - small piece
Cloves - 4
Black pepper corns - 4

Soak rice in water for 20 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
Powder cardamom, cinnamon, clove and peppercorns coarsely. Melt butter in a pan. Add the powdered spices, pepper, ginger, garlic, green chillies and onion. Saute until onions turn slightly brown. Now add the tomatoes, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Fry for a few minutes. Add the rice and stir well. Add 1.5 cups of water and cook in a pressure cooker until one whistle. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and serve hot.
Njoy!!!

Mangakari (Cut mango pickle)

Mangakari (Cut mango pickle)

Growing up in Kerala, we used to have an abundant supply of fresh mangoes in our backyard. Once we were done eating our fill of raw mangoes, kadumanga pickle, manga kootan and umpteen other dishes, the tummy would crave for the simplicity of this pickle to go with some rice and curd. It does not have a long shelf life unlike other pickles, but you don't have to worry about that 'coz you can be assured that you'll finish this long before you start thinking of how long it'll stay good for.

What you need:
Raw mango - 1
Red chilli powder - 2 tsp (adjust to taste)
Gingely oil - 6-8 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Asafoetida - a little

Peel the mango and cut it into tiny pieces. Add salt, asafoetida and chilli powder to it. Mix well. Heat the oil. Add mustard seeds. Once the seeds pop, pour the oil over the mango pieces. Mix and let it stand for a couple of hours.
Njoy!!!

Oh So Good.....From the pages of fellow bloggers to my kitchen

Meena's Gobi Manchurian is spot on....it tastes just like something you'd get at a restaurant with the bonus that you know exactly what is going into it. I stuck to the original recipe with some very minor changes like adding half a chopped bell pepper and changing the amount of sauces used to my taste. I also skipped the green onions. The dish looked so good that it is no surprise it didn't take us long to finish it off. This recipe is definitely a keeper.

Another recipe that I tried and absolutely loved is Sangeetha's Bisi Bele Baath. I have always made BBB with store bought BBB masala. Never again. Now that I know what authentic fresh ground masala does to the dish Iam not ever going to buy the ready made powder that's sold any more. The dish is a little on the spicy side...so tone down the chillies if you aren't much of a spice lover. I love my food HOT. So to me the recipe is just perfect.
Thank you Meena and Sangeeta for sharing these wonderful recipes.