Ria's Collection

Friday, September 23, 2011

POSTCARD FROM KASHMIR - LAKE NAGEEN

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Iam back home,in Kannur. Got here late last night and I still feel that I am moving even if I sit on a chair :) The whole trip of ours (Amma & myself) was so much fun! We had a wedding to attend in Goa and then the reception in Delhi, so we thought of visiting our relatives and family who lived in between :) So for the last 2 weeks we travelled from Kannur to Goa to Delhi to Haryana to Agra to Gwalior to Kashmir back to Delhi and finally back to Kannur.

It definately feels good to be back home, to stretch your legs and to sleep on the same bed you have been sleeping for years together.I didn't know we missed our home much until Amma started making lunch this afternoon. She was sauteeing Tindoora/Kovakka for a  Mezhukkupuratti and our home was filled with the aroma of coconut oil! Seriously, there's no place like home!

So here's a photograph I took from Lake Nageen. Please do not mistake it for the Dal lake which is the most popular one among the Indian tourists. Lake Nageen is less crowded and therefore is preferred more amongst the foreign tourists.We decided to go there because of it being less crowded. Actually we were the only tourists who were there at that time therefore it was a very pleasant experience.The 'shikara' (the boat you see in the photograph)is very comfortably done up that we can actually sleep in it :)

I shall be back with some more photographs for all those who haven't been to the 'Paradise On Earth' - Kashmir.

Till then,

Thursday, September 15, 2011

THE 'TITLE' I EARNED...PACHAKARANI 2011


There's so much to tell you all, so very much! Sadly that will have to wait as I'm travelling right now covering 3-4 states in a day's time, in India.I'm off to Kashmir tomorrow to spend sometime with my family, Jobin's sisters family. So when I return, I shall update you with some pictures that I took from here and there during my small trip. Also, I must tell you that I am so badly tanned by the Goa sun! It seems it was raining there all this while but the days we were there, the sun was shining gloriously and I feared I would look like a pakora in my bestest cousin's bridesmaid dress, which I did in the end :-)

Okay, now about the picture you just saw above. Some of you must have read it on newspaper or read about it on Facebook There was a competition that me and Amma had enrolled  for and we were lucky enough to be selected together. It was such a happy moment for the two of us ! There was a preliminary round where I baked a Triple Veggie Quiche & BBQ Chicken Meat balls. I came first in the 'Malabar' zone and was qualified for the finals at the State level. Amma came second. Then the finals were held in Kottayam on Sept. 6th at Windsor Castle. I made my forever favourite Chatti Pathiri & Mocha Chocolate Mascarpone Verrine. Those were my winning dishes. I never thought I'd win. I just wanted to participate along with Amma as it's very rare for a mother-daughter duo to reach finals together. All these dishes were made on the spot so we really have to prove it to them that we can do it :)

The title I earned is 'Pachakarani 2011' which means I'm the Queen of Cooking for 2011 at the Kerala state level. It was conducted by a very popular Malayalam magazine 'Vanitha' in collaboration with Whirlpool.It's such a huge honor for me as there were so many seasoned cooks competing along with me for that title. We were judged by the Executive Chefs of Taj & Dietitians. I've been to the finals of the same 4 years ago in 2008 where I came 5th. This time, I was able to prove better :-) I am so happy for Amma too since she bagged the 2nd place :) We were the most happiest souls on earth that day.

When this photograph came on the newspaper, we were travelling so Appan had to scan and send it to me yesterday once he reached home :)

Will be back with more updates,shortly! I hope all of you are doing well! Thanks to all who wrote to me after seeing this article on the newspaper :-) You guys make me feel so loved & special!! Thank you :)

Monday, August 29, 2011

LIFE IS WORTH LIVING!

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We were busy for the past 2 days. What did we do, you may ask?They ate and enjoyed shopping around my little town, Kannur. I enjoyed seeing them eat and driving them around this little town.I got to meet these 'komali's'/clowns almost after 2 years. They couldn't come for our wedding but we made up for all that now! :)
BFF's

We are the hostel friends. None of us studied in the same class or even the same college.Some of them are my juniors but as friends, we are one good gang. We've met each others friends and some of them are our good friends now. We know each others family and now we feel like we all are part of one big family.
Fun at the Beach!
No matter how far away we are from each other or how rare we speak or write a note to each other, we know we are in each others thoughts.It's amazing to realise that nothing's changed between us even though some of us are married! We are still the laughing bunch of crazy girls, who still don't care about who's looking at us except for when I remind them that people may recognise me who lived all her life in Kannur! :-) I am so blessed to have such a great bunch of real real, real good girlfriends!
Life is worth living
Wherever you are,
Deep down in dungeon
Or high on a star.

Life is worth living
It all has a plan
When God knows
you're giving
The best that you can.

The saint and the sinner,
The great and the small,
We all are God's children
And He loves us all.

So pray when you're happy
And pray when you're blue,
For life is worth living
When God lives with you.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

CONVERSATIONS

Appan

This is the kind of casual conversations we have at home :Different cuts of meat and how to eat use them!


The book Appan is refering to, is from my Grandmother's cookbook collection. It is such an amazing book,The Cookery Year by Reader's Digest.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

GUESS WHO?

Janu Chechy

Any guesses as to who this lady could be? I've mentioned her in my Kannur Meen Curry post...she is Janu Chechy, our help at home for the last 30 plus years. She's been in our household even before my parents got married so obviously long before I was born.A lady with a big big heart. A lady who is the only support for her family.She cooks one of the best 'Kannur Meen Curry','Pachhadi' & 'Puliyum Molakum' ever!

The dish she is holding is her popular 'Puliyum Molakum'. There's no cooking involved in it actually. It's just a combination of some of my favourite things...Tamarind & Coconut Oil.She has been making this for me from the time I can remember. I eat it straight from the bowl but she tells me that I should eat it with some rice or else, it will affect my stomach.

When I was young,like really young I used to ask her every single day as to what she had for breakfast,lunch & dinner. She used to tell me various things she had and one of those days she mentioned about the 'curry' she used to take along with her for work while she worked in the paddy fields long back...very many years ago, when she was young. She called it 'Puliyum Molakum'.

PULIYUM MOLAKUM

You will need:
Tamarind
Water
One small red onion, diced
Green Chilies,chopped
Red Chili powder
Ginger
Salt
Sugar
Coconut Oil

Method:
Soak the tamarind in some water and squeeze out it's pulp.To that, add rest of the ingredients to taste.
I love a big fat drizzle of coconut oil over it.This is an awesome dip for Bhajji's or you can eat it straight out of the bowl.

So when she made Puliyum Molakum for me as soon as I reached home last month, I asked her to pose for me, for a photograph which she did very happily! Today, I saw her searching for onions so that she could make another bowl full for me...just for me :-)

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

COFFEE CREAM WHEEL

Coffee Cream Wheel
We are on a roll these days.Rolling from one part of the country to another.It's just the beginning of our journey. When we booked the tickets, Amma & I insisted that we go in a train so that we get to rest atleast for that many hours!To be at home, is the best thing to ever happen to many of us and that's even more awesome if you can lose some weight, even though you are gorging on endless yummy Amma-made food!

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This recipe is sensational. It is such an easy one and something you just cannot go wrong with! Did it seem that easy to you? If you just look at it, you wouldn't think so but when you actually make it, you would wonder how something so simple to make can turn out to be so tasty! Amma got this recipe from Amma's twin sister, Daisy.
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Yes,my Amma,Susy, has a twin.They are identical twins, in almost everything.Sharing recipes is one of their favourite hobbies which is also passed down to me.I recently started writing another diary with just homemade recipes...mostly passed down from my aunt's and cousins. I hope to fill it by the time this vacation of mine, is over.
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I have been itching to put this recipe here for a long time while I was in Minneapolis but it never happened. Today, finally it is here for you all. This is an excellent make-ahead snack/dessert and it freezes very very well! The only thing that you need to remember here is that, you have to refrigerate it. Don't leave it outside for too long or else the filling will become soft yet the taste won't be compromised :-)
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You can make these really small, like a candy or big like a summer sausage. It's totally upto you as to how big or small you want these to be. Whatever size it maybe, make sure you wrap it well so that once you store it in the fridge, it doesn't get any 'fridge' taste. I always feel if desserts are not covered when left in the fridge,it get's a fridge taste and I don't like it. So whatever you keep in the fridge, cover it well. You don't want all the flavours to be mixed up or do you? ;-)
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So are you all ready to make this easy peasy snack/dessert with some biscuits, butter and sugar? Say YES! please! :-)

IMG_3126COFFEE CREAM WHEEL
Recipe source: Amma via Daisy Mummy

Ingredients:
250 g Marie biscuits/ Graham crackers, powdered superfine
150 Sugar, powdered fine
1/2 c Warm water plus 1 or 2 (if needed)
1 tbsp Instant coffee granules
100g Salted butter,softened
1/4 tsp Vanilla extract

Method:
In a large bowl, dump in the powdered biscuits.Dissolve the coffee powder in warm water and add it to the biscuits and knead to form a smooth dough. It should not be too dry nor too wet. You should be able to kind of knead it. It will be smooth and soft, almost like a Chapathi dough.Divide it into 4.
Cream the butter and sugar. Add vanilla and beat to mix. Reserve.
Take a rectangular sheet of foil and roll out one ball of dough. It should be about 1/4" thick,as seen in the photographs above.
Spread some buttercream over it making sure it's spread all over. It need not be very thick,just a good coating would do.
Now, start rolling from the shorter side. You should roll it away from you, with out the foil. Take the help of the foil to lift the dough and to aid in rolling.
The dough will crack at the first roll but it's OK, it won't be seen in the end. Keep rolling and  it will come off the foil easily.
With the seam side down, wrap the assembly in the same foil and secure the ends tight. Refrigerate till firm.
Cut into thin circles with a serrated knife, carefully with the seam side down.
Enjoy!!

Verdict: Dee-li-cious! If you like, you can serve it with an ice cream of your choice. This is something I've grown up eating and it's still one of my favourites!
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