Tirupati Laddu ( Prasadam )

Tirupati laddu
Tirupati laddu, made at Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh, is intensely sweet and made of tiny syrup soaked balls called Laddu Padi (Timings: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.)

Panyarams (Laddus) are sold on all days to pilgrims in the counter outside the temple. Tokens for Laddus can be obtained from bank counters erected in the 'Q' line for Laddus. One Laddu Token is issued per person in the Vaikuntham Queue Complex, on payment, for SarvaDarshan pilgrims. They have to collect their laddu after darshan from the counter outside the main temple.

Laddu Padi Timings : 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Arjitham Big Laddu Padi Rs. 2500/- (30 laddus)
Rs. 1500/- (15 laddus)
Rs. 1000/- (10 laddus)

Five persons are allowed for Srivari Darshan. Laddus will be given after darshan. Laddu Padi tickets are sold at Vijaya Bank. This is sold as Prasadam of Lord Venkateshwara.

Visit .....Tirumala official homepage http://www.tirumala.org/

Aloo Paratha- an all time favourite dish

A paratha (or parantha) is a flatbread that originated in the Indian subcontinent. It is usually made with whole-wheat flour, pan fried in ghee or cooking oil, and often stuffed with vegetables, especially boiled potatoes, radish or cauliflower and/or paneer (Indian cheese). A paratha (especially a stuffed one) can be eaten simply with a blob of butter spread on top but it is best served with pickles and yoghurt, or thick spicy curries of meat and vegetables. Some people prefer to roll up the paratha into a "pipe" and eat it with tea, often dipping the paratha into the tea.

Aloo paratha ( 1 st recipe )

Ingredients

Potatoes: 2 

Green chilli (chopped): 3 

Salt: to taste 

Amchoor powder: 5 gms 

Coriander (chopped): 5 gms

Onion (chopped): 1

Lemon juice: a few drops

Oil: 50 ml 


For dough:


Flour: 250 gms

Water: to knead

Salt: a pinch

Method

Make a stiff dough with flour, water and salt. Divide it into equal balls and keep it aside.

Meanwhile boil the potatoes, mash them, mix the rest of the ingredients and stuff the mixture in the dough. Roll out the stuffed dough and cook on a griddle. Apply oil on both the sides. Make sure the parathas get a nice brown colour. Serve with curd or butter.

Recipe Credit - Chef O P Khantwal

Ingredients for Aloo ( potato stuffing ) 2 nd recipe

Boiled & mashed potatoes -3

Onion chopped to fine- 1

Handful of coriander leaves chopped fine

Salt - to taste

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Method

Mix all the ingredients together. Place the mix on a flattend portion of dough. Make into a ball with the filling inside. Roll into the paratha form ( neither too thick nor too flat). Cook on a tawa till done. Apply Ghee / Oil generously ( for traditional) or little oil for health consious.

Aloo ( potato ) stuffing in Atta dough

Serve hot Aloo Paratha with pickle and curd. ( Sprinkle pepper powder on curd to make the taste different).

Nutritious Salad & Puri - Potato Masala

Ingredients for Nutritious Salad

Red Kidney beans, Chick peas, Black eyed peas and Kabuli ( white ) Channa- 1 cup ( soak overnight and pressure cook for 20 minutes )
Tomato - 1 ( cut into cubes )
Onion - 1 ( cut into cubes )
Lime juice - 1 teaspoon
Salt - to taste
Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method

Mix all the ingredients together and garnish with coriander leaves.

Health Benefits of nutritious pulses salad

Pulses are 20 to 25% protein by weight, which is double the protein content of wheat and three times that of rice. For this reason, pulses are sometimes called "poor man’s meat". While pulses are generally high in protein, and the digestibility of that protein is also high, they often are relatively poor in the essential amino acid methionine. Grains (which are themselves deficient in lysine) are commonly consumed along with pulses to form a complete protein.

Health in Pulses

Pulses have significant nutritional and health advantages for consumers. They are the most important dietary predictor of survival in older people of different ethnicities and in the Seven Countries Study, legume consumption was highly correlated with a reduced mortality from coronary heart disease.

Puri & Potato Masala

Ingredients for '' Puri dough "

Whole wheat atta - 1 cup

Maida- 1/4 cup

Saffola Atta Mix -3 teaspoon

Salt - 1 teaspoon

Warm water for mixing

Oil for frying

Mutton Biryani From Sharief Biryani- Chennai

Mutton Biryani with Raita [ salad ] and Baingan Pachadi

Sharief Biryani

Shenoy Nagar Main Road

Next to Nilgiris and Shenoy Nagar Park

Chennai # 26190027/ 29

When my aunt recommended biryani from Sharief, I thought I will give a try. This Biryani is neither spicy nor oily. Tastes well. Apart from Biryani, other Gravy and Tandoor menu is also available. A copy is featured here.

Try this for a change.

Low Calorie Fish Curry in Earthern Pot ( not spicy )

Kudampuli (Kokum or Garcinia indica)

Ingredients

Seer Fish - 250 gm

Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon

Small onions - 15

Tomatoes - 2

Green Chilly -2

Kudampuli (Kokum or Garcinia indica) -4 cloves ( soak for 1/2 hr in salt water for better result)

Ginger - Garlic Paste -2 teaspoon

Red Chilly Pasted - 6 nos

Curry leaves- 10

Salt - to taste

Cooking oil -1 teaspoon

Preparation

Marinate fish cubes with turmeric powder and salt for 1 hour. Heat Earthern pot. Add cooking oil. Shallow fry small onions, tomatoes, green chilly, ginger- garlic paste and curry leaves. Add red chilly paste, fry it slowly. Add kudampuli , fish pieces , salt and a glass of water. Cover with the lid. Cook till done.

This Fish curry is not very spicy and the cooking oil used is only 1 teaspoon. Apart from red chilly no other masala / spices used. Goes very well with Rice.

Hot Chole Batura from Adyar Ananda Bhavan- Chennai

Evening special '' Hot Chole Batura ''

Rasagula

Sweet Appam

Also available ... Ghee Mysore pak, Kaju katli, varities of sweets , snacks , Sambar powder, Rasam powder, Idli Milakai podi and Karuvepilai podi.

ADYAR ANANDA BHAVAN

House of Exclusive Indian Sweets ( pure ghee sweets )

Chennai #24469977

Handicrafts from North-East India

Peacock Natural Bamboo Colour with fret cut design

Bamboo Room separator is very useful to divide big rooms

Rhino's happy family

Fruit basket

From time immemorial, North-East India (Mainly Assam - or Ahom and Tripura) has curved out a name for itself in the field of Handicrafts. The gifted artisans could produce wonderful objects of craft from simple material like cane, bamboo and wood. Their rare artistic skill has been streamlined in the manufacture of exquisite household pieces. North-East India's unique topography and the gracious nature bestowed their choicest blessings on the hereditary artisans of North-East India. Here three distinct cultures viz. Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam have converged together to give shape and content to a unique tradition that found eloquent expression through immemorable work of art and crafts made out of very simple material like cane, bamboo, clay, wood palm leaf etc. With passage of time, there have been changes in the demographic character of the state. Cane & Bamboo occupy a distinct place in the life of North-East India. From cradle to grave, there is hardly and occasion, complete without the use of cane and bamboo.

Cane/Bamboo handicrafts of North-East India are acknowledged to be among the best in the country, due to their beauty, elegance and exquisite designs. A vast range of items is produced, including Furniture, Panels, and Partitions, Table mats and other mat products, Lamp shades etc. North-East India handicrafts are also being exported to various countries. Today the magnificent skill of artisans has been directed to produce a wide range of more than 200 exquisite products. Presently, about 10,000 skilled artisans are engaged in production of various handicrafts in the state.

For interior decoration, North-East India handicrafts offer a wide range of false ceilings, paneling, plaques, pot containers (planters) etc. made of gossamer thin bamboo mattress, Ornated with wood inlay and cane and bamboo. The household items have blended utility with artistic beauty. Panels and Partitions provide another wide range of utility items made out of solid but thinly splitted bamboo pasted on plywood. Lamp shades made of fine strips of cane & bamboo add distinct tough and glamour to the living room. Exhibiting a rare combination of tradition and talent, the products would brighten up the interiors demonstrating the taste and feeling of the connoisseurs.

A few of these wonderful handicrafts which form part of my collection are featured below.

Ragi ( Finger Millet) and its Health benefits

Photo of Ragi (Finger Millet) and Ragi Flour

In India: Ragi (Kannada, Telugu), Taidalu (Telangana), Kelvaragu,Aariyam (Tamil), Panjapulle ([Malayalam]) Maduva (in some parts of north India), Nachani (Marathi).

Nutritive value of Ragi per 100 g

Protein 7.3 g
Fat 1.3 g
Carbohydrate 72 g
Minerals 2.7 g
Calcium 3.44 g
Fibre 3.6 g
Energy 328 Kcal

Benefits

Wheat Free, Made with Non-Gluten Ingredients; Whole Grain Flour; Dairy Free; Rich In Thiamin; Good Source of Fiber & Iron; A Sodium Free Food; Low Fat; Vegetarian.

Indian consider this food as a Panacea to ward off all ill effects of heat during the summer months. It's favoured as part of prescribed diet for diabetic.

Preparation as food

In Karnataka, Ragi flour is boiled in water and the resultant preparation, called Ragi Mudde is eaten with Sambar or mutton curry.

It can be prepared into ada, Dosa and Puttu.

In India, finger millet or ragi is mostly grown and consumed in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Ragi flour is made into flatbreads, including thick, leavened dosa and thinner, unleavened roti. Ragi grain is malted and flour from the malted grain is consumed after mixing with Milk/Boiled water/Yoghurt.

Ragi flour is usually eaten as Ragi mudde (literally, Ragi paste. Also called Ragi balls, for the round shape.). The mudde which is prepared by boiling the Ragi flour in water until the water is condensed. The resulting preparation is then rolled into a spherical form and consumed, after applying Ghee with Sambar.

Finger millet in its commonly consumed form as a porridge.

In Maharashtra [India], bhakari (kind of pita bread) is prepared using Ragi (Nachani) flour.

In North-west of Vietnam, Finger millet is used as medicine for women when they born. Some minority used FM flour to make alcohol (BacHa alcohol is a good drink of H'mong minority).

In southern parts of India, Pediatricians recommend Ragi food for infants till the age 6 for its obvious benefits and nutrition value.

To have combination of all the essential nutrients in one meal for the kid, this Ragi Sprouts Porridge is the ideal one. The flavour and taste will be really appetising.

Recipe

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ragi Sprouts Porridge

Ingredients

Ragi - 1 cup
Wheat grains - 1 cup
Green Moong Dal - 1 cup
Almonds - 2-3
Pinch of green cardamom powder

Ragi Sprouts Porridge Preparing Method

1. Soak ragi. Leave till sprouts come out.
2. Dry roast the sprouted ragi on a girdle (tawa).
3. Also roast wheat, green moong dal, almonds.
4. Mix all the roasted items.
5. Grind these to a fine powder Add green cardamom powder for flavour. Store in an airtight container.
When ready to use just add milk and sugar/salt to 2-3 spoonfuls of the powder to make a tasty and highly nutritious meal for your baby.
Jaggery can be added instead of sugar. Ragi Sprouts Porridge is also an diet food.

'' Saffola'' Atta Mix- Helps Cholesterol Management

You can add it to any atta preparation like dosas, idlis, rotis, dhokla and porridge. Rotis stay as tasty as ever. It's completely natural and wholesome mix. With goodness of Oats, Barley, Fiber & soya protein and easy , tasty and affordable way to manage cholesterol.

To use: Add to atta while making rotis. For best results, consume 2 heaped tablespoons daily.( 1 heaped tablespoon per meal per person ).

Nutritional Facts

Serving Size : 1 heaped tablespoon 20 gm

Serving Per Content 25

Calories 75

Total Fat 0.5g

Cholesterol 0 g

Protein 6.5 g

Soya Protein 6 g

Total Carbohydrates 11g

Dietary Fiber 2g

SAFFOLA the heart of a Healthy Family

Atta mix ...add to Atta.. helps Cholesterol Management.

Ferrari magic India Discovery ( photos )

The Ferrari Magic India Discovery features two Ferrari 612 Scaglietti that will make a trip from Mumbai, around the whole India, and back again. The Ferrari Magic India Discovery began in February 25th and will end on May 8th after covering 11,000 kilometres. These photos have been taken from Chennai.

'' Saffola '' salt for a good health

Nature:

Saffola Salt is made from salt that has been naturally extracted from the sea, then refined and enriched with the Minerals, Calcium and Potassium.

Heart:
Saffola Salt is specially formulated to provide reduction in sodium. It is generally accepted that, maintaining normal body weight, promoting physical activity and lowering sodium in diets may help in the management of high blood pressure.

Family:
Saffola Salt can be consumed by the entire family including children as it also provides essential nutrients Calcium and Iodine.

Taste:
With Saffola Salt you need not compromise on the taste of your food. Use as you would use your regular cooking salt.

Nutritional Facts

Serving size 1/4 teaspoon ( 1 gm )
Amount per serving ( approx )

Sodium 353 mg
Potassium 46 mg
Calcium 4 mg

SAFFOLA SALT PLUS ( lower Sodium + Iodine + Minerals )
The Heart Of a Healthy Family
Visit http://www.saffolalife.com

'' Avial '' ...A famous dish in '' Kerala cuisine ''

Vegetables for '' Avial ''

Ingredients for coconut paste [ grated coconut, green chillies, curry leaves, turmeric poweder, chilly powder, jeera]

Coconut paste

Avial

Aviyal (Malayalam അവിയല്, pronounced [aʋijal]) is a dish that has a unique place in a typical Kerala Cuisine. It is a thick mixture of a lot vegetables, curd and coconut.It is seasoned with coconut oil and curry leaves.

Aviyal is considered an essential part of any Malayali Sadhya (feast).

Story of Avial

According to the legend, it is supposed to have been invented by Bheema (strongest of the Pandava brothers) during their agnaathavaasa – the life in anonimity. Ballav (Bheem's name during this time) assumed the duties as the cook in the kitchen of Virata, did not know how to cook. One of the first things he did was to cut different types of vegetables, boiled them together and put some grated coconut - and thus formed the “Avial”. Over the years it changed only very little. Some prefer it with thick gravy.

Common vegetables that are used to make aviyal are yam, plantain, drumsticks, carrots etc. Some people prefer to substitute curd with raw mango or tamarind pulp. This dish can be made into a gravy and eaten with rice or be made into a semi-solid side dish. The word "aviyal" is also used to denote an assortment or a mixture - this sense being derived from the way the dish is made.

Method

Cut all the Vegetables to finger size.
Boil all together in a cup of water till 90 % done. Add ground paste, thick curd and salt as required and boil for a few minutes.
Take off the stove and add 3-4 drops of coconut oil and a bunch of curry leaves [ optional ].

The World's biggest jewellery showroom opens today in Chennai

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JOY ALUKKAS

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email : customer@joyalukkas.com

visit http://www.joyalukkas.com/

Roasted Grill Chicken from Arabian Delights- Chennai

Roasted grill chicken.....
A Traditional Middle Eastern Food

Kubbus [ bread ] & Shawarma also available.

Arabian Delights

C-37, 12 th Main Road

2 nd Avenue, [ Next to Nathella Sampathu Chetty Jewellers ]

Anna Nagar West

Chennai # 9840050566, 26201710, 55664857

No 46-A, 3RD Avenue

Anna Nagar East[ Near Rountana ]

Chennai # 52172047

Jhoola / Swing from Ahmedabad

Relax after a day's work / watch TV / do embroidery inside your home on a '' Jhoola '' like this. My Aunt bought this from Ahmedabad. Available in various designs.

My Craft Work

Painting on Wooden Pot

Cross-stitch work