Ganesh Pooja

Ganesh  Chaturthi Wishes

May Lord Ganesh protect you and your family and bless all of us with peace and joy. Subh Ganesh Chaturthi.

- Srilaja Kanth

Varalakshmi Pooja wishes

Varalakshmi Pooja Wishes

Varalaxmi Vratha or Mahalakshmi Vrata is a sacred day in Hinduism. The ceremony is performed by married Hindu ladies on the Friday before the full moon in the month of Sravana in the Hindu calendar (corresponding to July/August in the western calendar). Those who cannot perform it on that day, can do it on any other Friday in that month. This is an important Vratha, meaning a vowed religious observance in Sanskrit. Varamahalakshmi Vratha is performed more commonly in the southern India.


Puja is performed by married Hindu women to seek the blessings of the goddess Mahalakshmi, wife of Lord Vishnu, who is considered to be the abode of wealth and prosperity. There is a legend that says that this vratam was recommended by Lord Shiva to his wife Parvati to gain wealth and prosperity.


On the day of Varalakshmi vratam, women clean their homes and decorate their front yards with rangolis (colorful designs traced on the floor). Later, they take a bath and deck themselves with beautiful clothes and jewellery. They invite neighboring laides to their homes and offer them tamboolam, an offering consisting of betel leaves, fruits, betel nuts, vermilion, turmeric and dakshina (money). Hence this festival is observed largely by women, invoking the blessings of Lakshmi on them, their husbands and their children.


God bless all of us.

- Srilaja Kanth

Uttapam Recipe

Uttapam Recipe

Uttapam or Flat Rice Bread is a very popular South Indian dish, sometimes called an Indian pizza or pancake. It is often eaten with sambar or chutney. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

1 Cup lentils or urad dal

2 Cups raw rice

1 Cup beaten rice

Chopped onions - 1/2 Cup

Chopped Green Chillies - 2 or 3 (depening on your spicy)

Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbps

Grated Carrot - 1/4 Cup

Chopped Tomato - 1

Salt to taste

Oil

Preparation:
1. Soak in water lentils/urad dal, rice & beaten rice separately for 5-6 hours.
2. Wash and drain the water, place in blender and grind them seperately to smooth paste or batter (same as Idli) using some water.
3. Mix them and add the salt and keep in for whole night for fermentation.
4. Heat a nonstick pan or flat griddle. apply some oil or ghee or butter on it.
5. Pour some batter on it to a thick circle.
6. Sprinkle chopped carrot, chopped onion, finely chopped green chilis, chopped cilantro, tomato.
7. Cook over low heat until small bubbles appear on the surface, until golden color.
8. Cook it on the other side.
9. Its good with Peanut chutney and Sambar. Enjoy it.

Father's Day Wishes!!!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!

- Cilu's Food

Badam Burfi Recipe

Badam Burfi / Almond Candy Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup - Whole Almonds (Badam).

3/4 Cup - Sugar.

1/3 cup - milk.

Pinch of Cardamom powder.

2 tbsp - ghee or butter.

Preparation:

1. Put almonds in a microwave-safe container, Soak in water, Cook for 6-8 minutes.

2. Peel skin off of the almonds.

3. Grind the peeled almonds in blender with sugar, milk to get a smooth paste.

4. Take a frying pan or wide pan and heat ghee or butter (melt butter to form ghee).

5. Ghee or butter melts, add the above paste and cook on medium heat, stirring continuously until it starts to thicker.

6. Add cardamom powder, keep stirring until it becomes very think and leaves the side of the pan.

7. Take a wide plate and apply some ghee.

8. Pour the above onto it, smoothen surface of the mixtute and let it cool for 15 - 20 min.

9. Cut into square pieces or any shape which you like.

Happy Mother's Day

Mother's Day wishes!!!

Hope you have a bright and wonderful Mother's Day.

Non-Veg : Tandoori Chicken Tikka

Tandoori Chicken Tikka Recipe

Ingredients

1 lb skinless and boneless chicken breast.

1 1/4 red chilli powder (add more for spicy).

1 tbsp coriander powder.

4 tbsp plain curd/yogurt

1/2 tbsp tandoori masala.

pinch of garam masala

pinch of black pepper powder.

pinch of turmeric powder.

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste

2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves.

1/2 tbsp chat masala powder.

1 tbsp salt or salt to taste.

1/2 onion, 1 tamato, 1/2 green bell pepper (if required).

Preparation:
1. Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Clean and wash chicken pieces with vinegar and lemon juice (1/2 tbsp). Chicken pieces dry with paper towel and set aside.

2. Cut onion, tamoto, green bell pepper into 1-inch pieces.

3. Take a bowl, mix yogurt, ginger & garlic paste, red chilli powder, tandoori mix, lemon juice, garam masala, turmeric powder, oil, black pepper powder and salt to taste mix until smooth. Add finely chopped coriander leaves and mix well.

4. Add onion, tamoto, belle pepper pieces and mix well.

5. Apply this marinate to chicken pieces. cover the bowl and set aside or refrigerate for 30min or one hour.

6. Pre heat oven for 1 or 2 minutes @ 400 degrees F.

7. Thread the chicken onto skewers, leave a gap between each piece.

8. Place the skewers in the preheated oven. Broil at maximum tempatature 500 degrees F for 15 to 20 min or until chicken is tender.

9. Turn the sckewers over and broil another 8 to 10 min.

10. Place the skewers on a serving dish or take the tikka off the skewers if you wish, Sprinkle the chat masala and serve.

Chinese Chicken Fried Rice

Chinese Chicken Fried Rice Recipe

Ingredients

Rice:

2 Cups Basmati rice

3 Cups water

1/2 tbsp oil

1 cup of Skinless and boneless chicken small cubical peices

1/2 tbsp ginger & garlic paste, 1/4 tbsp red chilli powder

1 tbsp oil

2 Eggs

1/2 cup Carrot pieces

1/2 cup Green Beans pieces

1/2 cup chopped cabbage (cut into thin long strips)

1/2 cup chopped Spring onions

1 tbsp minced Garlic or finely chopped Garlic

1 tbsp finely chopped Ginger

4/5 chopped Green Chillies (add more for spicy)

1/4 tbsp Garam masala

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp oil

2 tbsp Soya sauce

1 tbsp rice Vinegar

Preparation:

1. Cook rice as usual (add 1/2 tbsp oil) on the stove or cooker. Remove from cooker, spread on plate and cool.

2. Boil the chicken or keep on microware, drain the water and marinate boiled chicken with 1/2 tbsp ginger & garlic paste, 1/4 tbsp red chilli powder and salt to taste.

3. Add a 1 tbsp oil to a hot frying pan, add marinated chicken and stir fry 1 to 2 min. Remove from pan and keep seperate.

4. Add a little oil to a hot frying pan, beat the eggs and stir rapidly to break it up. Remove from pan and keep seperate.

5. Heat oil in the frying pan on high heat.

6. Stir fry Ginger and Garlic.

7. Add Green Chillies, Carrot, Beans pieces and stir fry 1/2 min

8. Add Soya sauce, Vinegar, salt, Cabbage, Spring onions, Fried chicken (Step 3) mix well and stir fry, take care that vegetables are not overdone, they should be crisp.

9. Add Cooked rice(Step 1), Fried eggs (Step 4), Garam masala, black pepper powder and slowly mix well with the vegetables without breaking the rice grains.

10. Serve hot.

Chinese Vegetable Fried Rice Recipe

Chinese Vegetable Fried Rice Recipe

Ingredients

Rice:

2 Cups Basmati rice

3 Cups water

1/2 tbsp oil

1/2 cup Carrot pieces

1/2 cup Green Beans pieces

1/2 cup chopped cabbage (cut into thin long strips)

1/2 cup chopped Spring onions

1 tbsp minced Garlic or finely chopped Garlic

1 tbsp finely chopped Ginger

4/5 chopped Green Chillies (add more for spicy)

1/4 tbsp Garam masala

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp oil

2 tbsp Soya sauce

1 tbsp rice Vinegar

Preparation:


1. Cook rice as usual (add 1/2 tbsp oil) on the stove or cooker. Remove from cooker, spread on plate and cool.

2. Heat oil in the frying pan on high heat.

3. Stir fry Ginger and Garlic.

4. Add Green Chillies, Carrot, Beans pieces and stir fry 1/2 min

5. Add Soya sauce, Vinegar, salt, Cabbage, Spring onions mix well and stir fry, take care that vegetables are not overdone, they should be crisp.

6. Add Cooked rice, Garam masala, black pepper powder and slowly mix well with the vegetables without breaking the rice grains.

7. Serve hot.

Strawberry Smoothie Recipe

Strawberry Smoothie Recipe

Strawberries are good source of vitamins and nutritional value. These are things that stress can deprive us of and drinking fruit smoothies containing strawberries can help replenish us and keep us healthy.

Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese and potassium.

Ingredients
4 Big Strawberries

1/2 cup Milk

2 Tbsp Sugar

3 tbsp Vanilla ice cream

Preparation:

1. Pour all ingredients into the blender.

2. Blend for one min until smooth.

3. Pour smoothie into glass and serve.
 

Sri Rama Navami Wishes

Sri Rama Navami Wishes

 

Rama Navami is the day on which Lord Rama, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu, incarnated in human  form in the land of Ayodhya. He is the ardha ansh of Vishnu or has half the divinitive qualities of Lord Vishnu. The word “Rama” literally means one who is divinely blissful and who gives joy to others, and one in whom the sages rejoice.

Ram Navami falls on the ninth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Chaitra (March/April) and coincides with Vasant Navratri or Chait Durga Puja. Therefore in some regions, the festival is spread over nine days. This day, marking the birthday of Lord Rama, is also observed as the marriage day of Rama and Sita and thus also referred to as Kalyanotsavam.

For this festival we prepare Panakam(Telugu)/Panaka(Hindi) sweet drink prepared with jaggery and flavored with dry ginger powder, cardamom and black pepper. We also prepare Vada Pappu (yellow moong dal) as naivedyam or prasadam to Lord Sri Rama.

Panakam/Panaka Recipe 

Ingredients:
     2 tbsp grated jaggery
     1 cup water
      1/4 tbsp dry ginger powder
     1 or 2 crushed cardamom
     1/4 tbsp black pepper powder
Preparation:
1. Mix jaggery in water and let it dissolve completely. If required filter mixed water.
2. Add black pepper powder, crushed cardamom, ginger powder and mix well.

Vada pappu is split yellow moong dal (2 tbsp) (pesara pappu) soaked in water for half an hour and strained. Mix 1/2 tbsp jaggery with soaked moong dal.

Fruits Salad Recipe

Fruits Salad Recipe

Fruit salad is a dish consisting of various kinds of fruit, served either in their own juices or a syrup. In different forms fruit salad can be served as an appetizer, a side-salad, or a dessert. When served as an appetizer or as a dessert, a fruit salad is also known as a fruit cocktail.

Fruits salads can be taken as an in-between meal or together with your breakfast. Fruits help digestion because they are rich in fiber, which you need to keep a healthy digestive system.

Amongst the vitamins and mineral that fruit salad gives are:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Fiber
• Potassium
• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
• Folate
• Vitamin B3 (niacin), etc.,

Fighter of diseases: 

The diseases that fruits salad helps prevent or fights are:

• Obesity
• high blood pressure
• joint inflammatin
• Some cancers
• allergies
• heart disease
• stroke
• type 2 diabetes and so on and so on.

Fruit salads have natural sugars:
The difference between fruit sugar and processed sugar, is simple: fruits have natural sugars and nutrient-dense while added sugar in processed food is calorie dense.

However, there are a number of home recipes for fruit salad that contain different kinds of fruit, or that use a different kind of sauce other than the fruit's own juice or syrup.

Here is the Fruit Salad Recipe:

Ingredients
1 Apple
1 Pear
1 Orange
15-20 count seedless Grapes (red and/or green)
1/2 Medium size Cantaloupe
1 Banana
1 1/2 Cups Mango pulp
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 cup milk

Preparation:

1. Wash fruits.
 

2. Peel and cut small pieces Apple, Cantaloupe, orange, banana.
 

3. Cut small peices pear, grapes.
 

4. Take a bowl mix all fruits, mango pulp, sugar, honey, milk and mix well.

5. If the fruit salad is going to be serve within an hour of making it, you can put in the banana (add last). Or, put the banana in just before serving it. Otherwise banana will be turn brown.


6. Keep in the refrigerator for an hour.
 

7. You can serve top it up ice cream (or) just have it plain. Choice is yours. Enjoy!!!

Ugadi Wishes - Ugadi Subhakanshalu

Sri Vikrutinama Samvatsara Ugadi Subhakanshalu 

Ugadi is celebrated as New Year Day in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The name Ugadi is derived from the name "Yuga Adi", which means 'the beginning of a new age'. It is celebrated on the first day of the Hindu month Chaitra, which marks the onset of spring. It is believed that Lord Brahma, the creator according to Hindu mythology, began creation on this day. Preparations begin well ahead of the festival. Houses are given a thorough cleaning, people don new clothes and special dishes are prepared.

Ugadi,  also known as Yugadi, is the Telugu New year and Kannada New year. Ugadi 2010 date is March 16. Ugadi or Yugadi means the beginning of an era. Hindus in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka celebrate their New Year as Ugadi whereas the people of Maharashtra celebrate it as Gudi Padwa. In Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka on Ugadhi day Ugadi Pachadi is prepared and distributed among the people. This festival is also celebrated as Cheti Chand or Sindhi New year.


Ugadi Pachchadi is the special recipe prepared on Ugadi day in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. This recipe signifies the combination of every aspect of life. Ugadi Panchanga Shravanam is done on Ugadi. Astrology predictions and yearly horoscopes are told by Brahmins on this day to common people.

• Neem Buds/Flowers for bitterness
• Raw Mango for tang
• Tamarind Juice for sourness
• Green Chilli/Pepper for heat
• Jaggery and ripe banana pieces for sweetness
• Pinch of Salt for saltiness

This mixture with all six tastes (షడ్రుచులు) , called Yugadi Pachhadi  (ఉగాది పచ్చడి) in Telugu and Bevu-Bella in Kannada, symbolizes the fact that life is a mixture of different experiences (sadness, happiness, anger, fear, disgust, surprise) , which should be accepted together and with equanimity.

********

I hope this Ugadi will bring cheer, prosperity and peace in your life. Let us pray that we gain enough strength to accept the highs and lows of life with equanimity.

- Srilaja Kanth

Carrot Pickle Recipe

Carrot Pickle / Gajar Ka Achaar Recipe

Ingredients
2 Cups Carrot pieces
4 tbsp Red Chilli powder

Salt to taste (or) 2 tbsp Salt

1/4 tbsp turmeric powder

Sufficient Oil (or) 1/2 cup oil

1/4 tbsp Lemon juice

1 tbsp Sliced Garlic (or) Minced Garlic

Roast & Powder

1 tbsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tbsp Methi seeds (or) Fenugreek seeds

Tempering

1/4 tbsp mustard seeds

1/4 cumin seeds

2 red chillis

4/5 curry leaves

Preparation:

1. Peel and wash carrots, cut into small pieces.

2. Roast Mustard and Methi/Fenugreek seeds, make a powder.

3. Mix well carrots, red chilli powder, salt, turmeric powder, garlic, lemon juice, oil and mustard & methi powder.

4. Tempare 1/4 tbsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tbsp cumin seeds, 2 red chillis, 4/5 curry leaves with 1 tbps oil.

5. Mix and keep it aside overnight. Next day put it in Jar and store in Fridge.

Hint: Use dry spoon on jar otherwise Pickle will be bad.

Jalebi Sweet Recipe

Jalebi Sweet Recipe

Ingredients

Jalebi batter

1 cup all purpose flour (maida)

1/3 cup of corn starch

1 tbsp basen powder

sufficient curd

1 tbsp sugar

Pinch of food color

Oil for deep fry

Syrup:

2 cups sugar

1 cup water

1/4 tbsp Cardamom powder

1 tbsp lemon juice

Preparation:

Jalebi batter

1. Mix yogurt, all purpose flour, corn starch, basen powder, sugar to a paste. Keep it overnight to ferment.

2. After fermentation add pinch of food color, pinch of baking soda and mix well.

Syrup

3. Take a bowl 1 cup water add 2 cups sugar, lemon juice mix well. Heat to a boil on medium heat. Keep cooking, you should get a single thread consistency sugar syrup. Add Cardamom powder to syrup.

4. Heat oil on wide pan for deep frying.

5. Take a ketchup bottle or polythene ziplock bag, cut the corner. Put jalebi batter in the bottle/bag. Gradually swirl the batter outward in a circular motion about 2" to 3" round.

6. Deep fry them both sides until they are golden and crisp all over but not brown.

7. Take out from fryer and keep on kitchen paper/towel to remove excess oil.

8. Place Jalebi in the warm syrup 2 or 3 min on both sides.

9. Server on hot.