Some people would ring me up for recipes or for tips to save grocery items from getting rotten, stale or spoilt.
Once such request came (a long time back) from a lady living in Anna Nagar, Chennai. She wanted me to advice her on how to use and what to make of 2 kgs of almonds sitting on her shelf.
2 kgs is a big quantity. Yet 4 or 5 items can be prepared to use up the lot.
I gave her the following suggestions:
1. Dry roast 250gms until crisp. Add a little salt and pepper powder while still warm to enhance taste. Wait until its thoroughly cool. Makes a good snack.
2. Soak a handful of almonds in warm water. De-skin and garnish her breakfast cereal with them.
3. Soak a handful of them in warm water, de-skin, add 1/2 cup of fresh coconut gratings, 1 red chilly, salt to taste. Grind them all into a course paste. Season with spluttered mustard seeds and curry leaves in hot oil. Good as chutney for Idly or Dosa.
4. Soak a handful of them, de-skin and grind to a paste. Boil and cool 250ml of milk. Add 2 teaspoons (or to taste) sugar, a pinch of cardomom powder, mix in the almond paste, refrigerate and a cool drink is ready to enjoy! That's almond thandai.
5. Dry roast and pound it with some red chillies, salt, asoefotida. Store in a clean, dry glass jar. Will stay fresh for 2 weeks. Can have with steamed rice. Good for health. That's almond spicy powder.
I went on with some more recipes on the phone like making a porridge/payasam or a thick gravy for some spicy curry, etc., etc.
All this while she was listening with rapt attention and in perfect silence. I had to ask whether she was still holding the line :D
She said she understood all I told her. Still she had one doubt.
The almonds were at least one year old (read stale)! Is there any way in which these could be revived, made alright, the smell removed, made fit to eat....?
I felt like a punctured tyre at that moment.
I told her there was no way we could make those almonds alright now except to junk them. The oil in the nuts would have turned bad. The taste would be so repulsive that some of us could suffer from food poisoning if we force ourselves to eat it, just because they are costly and we don't want to waste them. (That's when we remember to share it with someone!).
By this time I was laughing uncontrollably at the funny situation.
Anyway I could not put the phone down without giving her 2 more tips on how to save 2 kgs of fresh almonds from going bad, at least in the future :D
1) Pack them in a nice plastic pouch or ziplock bag and place them in the freezer. They will not spoil so fast as when they are left outside. I gave her another idea of splitting quantities into, say 200gms and storing in the freezer. When she needed them for a dish she could pull out just one pack and use it so that the other packs are not opened and re-sealed again!
2) If she could not use the entire quantity then she could share half of it with her relatives or friends when its still in good condition. Almonds are good anti-oxidants and such sharing will not only contribute towards good health but also create loads of goodwill! But this is the hardest part. Of parting with stuff which is still good. Its so easy to share when its spoilt or about to spoil. More on that subject sometime later!
Cheers!
Mahalakshmi
Friday, November 5, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Shah Rukh Khan & Hema Malini - Stories of Hurt & Rejection
Read a comment made by the Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan on his meeting with Steven Speilburg at some international movie festival (Cannes or somewhere). This must be long time back, though.
Khan was very excited to see Steven who was sitting right next to him in some film festival abroad. Unfortunately there was no response from the great man who looked through our Khan like he was some transparant glass! Khan was upset and commented that Steven must have thought Khan to be some fan-type of person, trying to get some attention. He vowed to prove that he was no fan-type but great star material. Everyone knows his movies have opened at theatres abroad, to housefulls and he has made a name as a successful star.
Yet two things come to my mind:
a)If not for fan-types will these stars survive? But for these fan-types a hero's movie cannot expect to run, why deride them by referring to them this way?
b)Khan should be thankful that someone prodded him on to perform better even if it was just to show that he was no ordinary celebrity-crazy fan-type.
It always happens to all of us in our own lives.
Someone insults us or we think they insulted us.
We remember that insult but they never even have the faintest idea that they insulted or hurt us.
This slight or hurt often propels us to work harder even if it is to prove someone else that we have talent or skill.
I recall reading way back, how a very young Hema Malini, who got a chance to meet Vyjayantimala who was a big star then, din't bother nor oblige her with an autograph. Hema Malini felt very let down due to this. She was nicknamed as the 'dream girl' and later went on to prove herself to be a very successfull Bollywood actress of her times.
Vyjayantimala may not even remember this episode. For Hema Malini, it must have acted as a propeller to work harder to show she was something who mattered in the movie world.
Fan types or not, success is got due to channelling our energies due to someone's failure to recognize us or our talents.
The person who hurts is not important but the hurt getting converted into positive action from inside us is very important. The fire to prove is lit and its upto us to keep the fire burning until we succeed.
I am sure there will not be a single human, who may not have gone through some kind of rejection, failure, hurt in life. We cannot lie down feeling sad forever. We have to get up, get going, perform some action which leads us to overcome this rejection, this failure or this hurt.
Success is most often achieved this way.
May the Festival Of Lights show us all the right path.
May we all prosper with good health, wealth and joy.
Happy Diwali.
Mahalakshmi
Khan was very excited to see Steven who was sitting right next to him in some film festival abroad. Unfortunately there was no response from the great man who looked through our Khan like he was some transparant glass! Khan was upset and commented that Steven must have thought Khan to be some fan-type of person, trying to get some attention. He vowed to prove that he was no fan-type but great star material. Everyone knows his movies have opened at theatres abroad, to housefulls and he has made a name as a successful star.
Yet two things come to my mind:
a)If not for fan-types will these stars survive? But for these fan-types a hero's movie cannot expect to run, why deride them by referring to them this way?
b)Khan should be thankful that someone prodded him on to perform better even if it was just to show that he was no ordinary celebrity-crazy fan-type.
It always happens to all of us in our own lives.
Someone insults us or we think they insulted us.
We remember that insult but they never even have the faintest idea that they insulted or hurt us.
This slight or hurt often propels us to work harder even if it is to prove someone else that we have talent or skill.
I recall reading way back, how a very young Hema Malini, who got a chance to meet Vyjayantimala who was a big star then, din't bother nor oblige her with an autograph. Hema Malini felt very let down due to this. She was nicknamed as the 'dream girl' and later went on to prove herself to be a very successfull Bollywood actress of her times.
Vyjayantimala may not even remember this episode. For Hema Malini, it must have acted as a propeller to work harder to show she was something who mattered in the movie world.
Fan types or not, success is got due to channelling our energies due to someone's failure to recognize us or our talents.
The person who hurts is not important but the hurt getting converted into positive action from inside us is very important. The fire to prove is lit and its upto us to keep the fire burning until we succeed.
I am sure there will not be a single human, who may not have gone through some kind of rejection, failure, hurt in life. We cannot lie down feeling sad forever. We have to get up, get going, perform some action which leads us to overcome this rejection, this failure or this hurt.
Success is most often achieved this way.
May the Festival Of Lights show us all the right path.
May we all prosper with good health, wealth and joy.
Happy Diwali.
Mahalakshmi
Monday, November 1, 2010
Too Late!
We are caught up in a world of activities which, at times, leaves us no time to keep promises.
This was told to me by a person who was feeling very bad and needed to sound out her emotions one day.
A friend 'Z' was sick with cancer. 'Z' had asked her good friend 'X' to stitch her a blouse since the one stitched earlier by 'X' was comfortable. X promised to get one ready. Time passed by. Then one fine day after almost an year after the request, 'X' sat down to stitch the blouse at last. Then the blouse was lying at home for anther 6 months for want of time to see and give it to 'Z' when she passes by that side which never happened.
Then came the news that 'Z' passed away. X felt so bad that she could not find time to give her friend 'Z' the joy of wearing the blouse which was in fact ready 6 months ago. Perhaps the friend was not fated to wear the blouse.
X could never get over this frustratingly, sad feeling.
When we think of giving someone something or helping out someone, it better be actioned quickly as tomorrow may be too late.
Mahalakshmi.
This was told to me by a person who was feeling very bad and needed to sound out her emotions one day.
A friend 'Z' was sick with cancer. 'Z' had asked her good friend 'X' to stitch her a blouse since the one stitched earlier by 'X' was comfortable. X promised to get one ready. Time passed by. Then one fine day after almost an year after the request, 'X' sat down to stitch the blouse at last. Then the blouse was lying at home for anther 6 months for want of time to see and give it to 'Z' when she passes by that side which never happened.
Then came the news that 'Z' passed away. X felt so bad that she could not find time to give her friend 'Z' the joy of wearing the blouse which was in fact ready 6 months ago. Perhaps the friend was not fated to wear the blouse.
X could never get over this frustratingly, sad feeling.
When we think of giving someone something or helping out someone, it better be actioned quickly as tomorrow may be too late.
Mahalakshmi.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
The Making Of Crisp Dosas At Kakinada
When I was in college, I was selected to represent at an inter-collegiate sports event. We travelled as a group to Kakinada from Hyderabad in the year 1972.
We had such fun singing songs, joking, eating together. It was an unforgettable trip. We won prizes for our college.
What made me think of Kakinada today all of a sudden?
I was on my way to attend a function at Madipakkam. On the way I saw a person sweep a hot plate with a broom (slender leaves of a coconut tree are slit leaving thin and long twigs which when dried, are bunched together, secured with a string and then used as a broom).
Hot plates are used to spread the dosa batter. After each batch of dosa, the hot plate is sprinkled with water and the surface swept with the broom, then the next batch of dosas are made.
I saw this at Kakinada in the hostel we were put up for the sports event. In the kitchen, I could see the chefs sprinkling water on the hot granite slab, sweeping it away with a broom, then spreading dosa batter. Those dosas were heavenly as they were cooked evenly on slow fire from wooden logs underneath. The hot plate was a thick granite slab. These were big surprises for me. I learnt that brooms were not meant just for sweeping the courtyards and bathrooms, it can be used on the kitchen hot plate too!
That granite slabs can be used instead of tawas for making large scale dosas or rotis.
The broom and hot plate in a Madipakkam roadside hotel, brought back memories of that Kakinada trip today.
Mahalakshmi.
We had such fun singing songs, joking, eating together. It was an unforgettable trip. We won prizes for our college.
What made me think of Kakinada today all of a sudden?
I was on my way to attend a function at Madipakkam. On the way I saw a person sweep a hot plate with a broom (slender leaves of a coconut tree are slit leaving thin and long twigs which when dried, are bunched together, secured with a string and then used as a broom).
Hot plates are used to spread the dosa batter. After each batch of dosa, the hot plate is sprinkled with water and the surface swept with the broom, then the next batch of dosas are made.
I saw this at Kakinada in the hostel we were put up for the sports event. In the kitchen, I could see the chefs sprinkling water on the hot granite slab, sweeping it away with a broom, then spreading dosa batter. Those dosas were heavenly as they were cooked evenly on slow fire from wooden logs underneath. The hot plate was a thick granite slab. These were big surprises for me. I learnt that brooms were not meant just for sweeping the courtyards and bathrooms, it can be used on the kitchen hot plate too!
That granite slabs can be used instead of tawas for making large scale dosas or rotis.
The broom and hot plate in a Madipakkam roadside hotel, brought back memories of that Kakinada trip today.
Mahalakshmi.
The Preserves
Yesterday I had extra time at the kitchen so I took out some rice vadams to deep fry in oil to accompany Bisibele baath.
These preserves are prepared at the onset of summer just like pickles. These are standby items when vegetables are not easy to get or too costly and scarce. But not anymore with better connectivity!!
Vadams are made by soaking rice flour and cooking them with spices. Then it is spread thin on white muslin cloth and put out in the bright sun to dry. It dries and dehydrates to a 3rd of its original size.
When deep fried it expands to 5 to 6 times its size. I marvel at it whenever I deep fry these snacks.
Vathals on the other hand are dehydrating vegetables when they are plenty and in season like cluster beans, potato, ladies finger, green chillies soaked in sour curds with spices, etc. The vadams and vathals are all substitutes for vegetables as they act as stand-alone side dishes as well as tea-time snacks.
A thought occured to me about the tiny seed which is in fact a packed protein growing into a big tree. We humans can dehydrate flour of rice or lentil and deep fry to get 5 to 10 times the size. Mother nature is so good at making a seed grow into a big tree with support from other natural elements like water, air, sunlight that its a marvel. Before mother nature, we are really nothing.
Mahalakshmi.
These preserves are prepared at the onset of summer just like pickles. These are standby items when vegetables are not easy to get or too costly and scarce. But not anymore with better connectivity!!
Vadams are made by soaking rice flour and cooking them with spices. Then it is spread thin on white muslin cloth and put out in the bright sun to dry. It dries and dehydrates to a 3rd of its original size.
When deep fried it expands to 5 to 6 times its size. I marvel at it whenever I deep fry these snacks.
Vathals on the other hand are dehydrating vegetables when they are plenty and in season like cluster beans, potato, ladies finger, green chillies soaked in sour curds with spices, etc. The vadams and vathals are all substitutes for vegetables as they act as stand-alone side dishes as well as tea-time snacks.
A thought occured to me about the tiny seed which is in fact a packed protein growing into a big tree. We humans can dehydrate flour of rice or lentil and deep fry to get 5 to 10 times the size. Mother nature is so good at making a seed grow into a big tree with support from other natural elements like water, air, sunlight that its a marvel. Before mother nature, we are really nothing.
Mahalakshmi.
Labels:
Dehydrate,
Mother Nature,
Side Dish,
Snacks,
Tiny Seed Grows Into Big Tree,
Vadams,
Vathals
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