Oh! to be far from the madding crowd!

Amid all the chaos, the heat, work blues, ppl ppl ppl....... me heart yearns to get away from it all. Somewhere i can literally let my hair down, feel the wind through my hair, and sigh at the sight of the waves lapping at my feet. The moment when i can lie down and close my eyes and listen to the music thats playing only in my ears. when i can soar through the sky and drift aimlessly..... The perfect vacation needs detachment from all things that hold us down, physically as well as mentally. The exact moment when you want to lie down on the sand and close your eyes is not the one you want to be worrying about babies, food, accomodation arrangements etc. 

The perfect vacation is when when i have a good book in my hand, one that doesn't distract me, so engrossing that all around sounds are muted..... The prefect vacation is when i have my fav music playing all around me. The notes flowing over me, so that i feel the emotions that the singer is feeling..... The perfect vacation is when i dont have to gross over my looks and can be in what ever condition i prefer to be..... The perfect vacation is when i am inspired to cook elaborate meals at a languid pace with no guests peeping over my shoulder to smell and inhale the flavours..... The perfect vacation is when i can sit on my terrace and feel the rain drenching me all over and feel the stress seeping out of me..... The perefct vacation is also when i see my son playing with his favourite bubbles and i see my hubby having the time to jump to his tunes... and i hear their laughter resounding all around me... That is my version of a perfect vacation or holiday..... tell me yours.....

Masoor dal Paratha

Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour for the parathas as per your requirement.
For the stuffing:
Masoor dal - 250 gms.
Onions - 2 large. finely chopped.
2-3 green chillies finely chopped.
Coriander powder
Turmeric Powder
Chilli powder
Salt
Garam Masala
Kasoori methi / fresh corriander leaves.
Lime juice.

Method:
1. Make regular dough using the wheat flour. Make required amount of balls and keep.
2. Soak the masoor dal overnight. Cook it in an open vessel with a pinch of turmeric. When the dal is just cooked but not sqashed removed from fire, drain and keep.
3. To prepare the stuffing, heat oil in a wok / kadai add the onion, when its golden brown. Add green chillies and fry.(ginger is an optional ingredient). To this add the cooked masoor dal, and all the powders and salt.
4. When a nice aroma starts to come switch off and add Corriander leaves and 1/2 tsp lime juice, mix n keep.
5. Roll out a 4" size roti and place a spoon or 2 of the stuffing, bring all the sides together and make a ball. Roll out the paratha slowly and slow cook on your tawa with a little oil.
6. Serve with yogurt and your favourite mango pickel.

Aubergines bangali style!!!

Small purple brinjals : 1 kg
Thick Yogurt : 500 gm.
Oil for frying
Masala powders:
Turmeric prd
Coriander pdr
Garam masala prd
salt
sugar
pepper
roasted jeera pdr.

Method:
1. Cut the brinjals into thin ringlets. Put them in a tray and sprinkle salt and turmeric.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add the brinjal ringlets. fry until golden and completely cooked.
3. Heat another pan / wok. Make sure that the pan is on low flame as we are going to heat the yogurt. when the pan is warm, add half the yogurt and stir. make sure that the yogurt dosent break. Add salt, sugar, jeera, coriander, pepper and garam masala prds. stir agian.
4. Pour this into the bowl containing the remaining yogurt. stir in the brinjals and garnish with coriander leaves.

Baingan bartha

Ingredients:
One big Eggplant ( it should be nice and firm and a nice glossy skin)
1 onion large finely chopped
2-3 green chillies- slit
2 cloves garlic optional.
1" piece of ginger, chopped.
2 Tomatoes chopped.
1 cup thick yogurt.
salt
turmeric powder
chilli powder
garam masala powder.
Method:
Wash and wipe clean the eggplant. Brush oil all over the eggplant. place it over the flame on the gas stove to char the skin. keep turning all over and make sure that all sides get done well. once its done, put the eggplant immediately in cold water. peel the skin and blend the flesh part coarsely.
Take oil in a pan, add jeera, onion and fry. when the onion becomes golden, add the ginger and greenchillies. fry.
Add turmeric pdr and salt. Now add the yogurt, and fry for few minutes.
Now add the roast eggplant. cook with the lid closed on the pan for 10 mins.
Add chilli pdr and the tomatoes. cook till done. add a teaspoon of garam masala, and garnish with corriander leaves.
serve hot with parathas or rotis.

Penne with spicy tomato sauce.

Ingredients:

500 gms Penne pasta

500 gms Roma tomatoes (if u dont have those then

5-6 large regular tomatoes will do) - finely chopped

2 large red onions - finely chopped.

1 bunch spring onions or celelry.

1 cup skimmed milk / white wine.

crushed or ground pepper.

2 tsp of paprika.

10-12 fine black olives.

5-6 cloves of garlic - crushed and chopped.

extra virgin olive oil / or any good quality vegetable oil will do.

salt.

fresh / dried basil.

dried oregno / italian seasoning.

Parmeasan / mozzerella cheese.

Method:

Take a large vessel with lots of water (pasta needs lots of room to breathe) and salt and oil, and bring to a boil. Add penne to it and kepp stirring occasionally. Approx 8 mins later the pasta will be done. It should be al-dente - have a bite left in it... drain and keep aside. save some of the cooking liquer for later.

In a large bottomed pan, add a large glug of oil, garlic, onions, spring onions. and fry. then add the tomatoes and celery. lastly add the olives -chopped. keep frying.

Add salt and pepper. paprika, oregno,basil and anyother spice of your choice.

when the sauce starts to cook down, add either 1 cup milk or a dash of white wine.

once the sauce is nice and creamy , add the penne into it. adjust the sauce adding the cooking liquer.

serve hot with a topping of cheese.

happy eating.

Ladies finger crispies!!

Ingredients:
Ladies finger : 1 kg.
Onion : 2 large. (finley sliced)
Besan : 2 -4 tbsp
Coriander pdr : 2 tbsp
Turmeric pdr : 1 tsp
Chilli prd : 1 tbsp
Garam Masala : 3 tbsp
Dry jeera prd : 2 tbsp
Salt : to taste.
Oil : a generous glug.

Method:
Slice the ladies fingers very thinly in a diagonal direction and keep aside. In a large vessel, apread the sliced ladies fingers and add all the masala powders and the salt. then add the besan, and mix it with your hands. Lightly toss it so that all the masala and the besan coats the bhindi. keep aside for 15 mins.
In a pan add the oil, add finley sliced onions and fry. add salt, and little chilli prd. when the onions are sufficiently browned, add the ladies fingers. fry and cook over low flame, until done.
Note: if your not concerned about fried items, then you can do deep fry also. in that case leave out the onions.
Serve with a squeeze of lime or lemon juice and garnish with corriander leaves. great combo for rotis or even rice and dal.

The perfect holiday!!!!

I am sure we all have wanted to go on that perfect holiday!!! and are forever in search of that elusive destination, that has all on offer. Wonderful scenery, great food, climate at the same time dosent our pockets in a big way. mmmmm..............i did it!!!
really, i can honestly boast of one such place, thats simply superb!! and no, im not just saying to prove a point. the husband and I decided to mark our 5yr anniversary by going on a much deserved holiday. the last time we took time off was,............well. that was a long time ago.
Literally, before the bulge and the baby. this time around it was not just as a couple, we would be going as a family!! what a change in profile. it changed everything. from the kind of place, activities that we could go.. ofcourse! we had to think of the lil one. and so, the great journey began, starting with us-3, then we added the in-laws ( they too needed a much deserved break from baby-sitting), and then wait............... we added unlces, aunts and cousins too. I know, it seems like a big fat indian holiday. but before u rule away our holiday plans, let me assure u that though the husband had the same apprehensions too, it wasnt all that bad, infact i wud say that it was a super-duper holiday!!!
well, we went to this beach resort on the konkan coast- "sai vishram". It was picture perfect. Beautiful beaches, lovely food, great service etc. Sai vishram is 160 kms north of mangalore. there are lots of buses that can take u directly there from bangalore. We got there on the evening of 1st may. It was pretty late to get a good view of our lodgings, but, mmmmm........ we felt the breeze As well as heard the waves. Our lodgings were actually "tents" on the coast. Literally speaking the beach was 50 feet from our tents. The tents, itself, was a quite large and well tailored, with windows that had the mesh sewn on them. It was simply beautiful, the sound of the waves lulls one to sleep instantaneously!!
The next day i was up at dawn to savour the moment and the scenery too. i wasnt disappointed. the view that i had was breathtaking. the lawn in front of our tents was fresh green carpet grass covered with flowers. there was a burst of colours and greens. as far as the eye cud see it was green, green n green. all kinds of trees, bushes, shrubs and grass. coming from a concrete jungle it was indeed breathtaking. i took a huge breath, wondering in all that beauty and serenity. it felt exhilarating at the same time a little sad that these sights were so rare.
we take our lives so seriously that we do not take time to enjoy all these small things that can actually bring so much joy!!!