My Musings

It is long since I participated in a “JIHVA” event. When I saw that the ingredient for September was Rice – I knew it would be too bad to let the chance to participate go by. Rice is the staple food in most of the South Indian homes. Personally I feel that there is nothing to beat the smell of freshly cooked rice – the whiff from the white pearly steam that comes out when you open the lid of the vessel containing rice that you put in the cooker or from the vessel that you cook directly on the Gas. Ummmmmm heavenly. When it is hot, just plain rice with a dollop of Ghee mixed in it also taste like the best food on earth. Rice that has been stored for a day, eaten with thin curds is considered one of the best ‘cooling foods’. Then there is my all-time favourite – Thair Chadam (curd rice). There would probably be no Tam-Bram who does not like this ‘symbolic-recognition-of-tamilians’ curd rice! Rice is also considered as an auspicious food item. In Kerala, it is the first solid food that i...

I have been quite silent here for a while. Have been a bit busy – at work and otherwise (see next post), and also not in the mood to write anything new – because everytime I opened my blog, I would see the post of Bertie and feel low. I have a bad news to share – we lost our Bertie on 21st of Feb, 2007. We cared for it well, changed its water often, never forgot to give its meal – and yet! A freak accident of nature I guess. I don’t want to dwell much on it. It was my first ever pet in life and losing it like this in just 3 and half weeks after we brought it home is indeed painful. I saw the new Jihva event on Indira’s site and that cheered me up. It is based on one of the most favorite vegetable all over the world – Potato. There is probably no cuisine that does not include this very staple food item. It is one of the simplest vegetables and its taste appeals to all alike – kids or grown-ups. It is one of the most wonderful of vegetables that can be cooked in a million varieties. If ...

The holidays are almost coming to an end, and so is the year. But none of my plans advanced even so much as a millimeter - Gosh! I do so hate myself. The only good thing about this week was watching old episodes of "Friends". We got the 1st season and the 10th season from the library - and it was probably the bestest thing ever - to sit with the Mr. and laugh till our sides split - watching the spontaneous friends ... Awww... why am I not one of the "Friends"? About the title of the blog, Well I happened to "food-browsing" - when I found that there is going to be a new Jhiva event - and this time it is one of my favorite food ingredients - Coconut. Being born in a palakkad based family, I guess it is really difficult to have grown without having to eat this delicious "fruit"?? every day in some form or the other. In fact it was only after marriage, and due to the stubborn insistent of the "cholestrol" conscious hubby, that I have reduce...

There are probably very few humans who do not like Potato. In India, there is a variety of items that can be made out of this very simple "child of Mother earth". I was very surprised to find that, here in the US too, it is one of the most often used vegetable. Mashed potatoes, Hash browns , fries, pototoes (cooked in their skins - as Enid blyton puts it) ... these are some of the very few varieties that the so-called more privileged people know of. I am putting across here one of my most favourite ways of cooking potato, my mother's very own recipe. Ingredients 2 medium sized potatoes 1 onion - chopped finely. 1 tomato - chopped finely. 1 small cup peas corriander leaves for garnish. 2 Cups water Oil, Mustard, split Urad Dhaal for Seasoning Red chilli powder - 2 tsp Salt to taste. Way to Proceed Cut the potatoes into quarter pieces and boil in the cooker. I use a small Hawkins cooker to boil my vegetables (something I learnt from my mom-in-law).It is so simple using this...