Badam = Almonds. Halwa = Gooey Sweet. Diwali is a special time for us in our family. My dear mom was born on Diwali day in the year 1927.
I could not take her out on her birthday as there was office work to attend to. But I did manage to make the badam halwa day before yesterday. Well the process was the same. Only I wanted the sugar to be light so instead of 1:1:2 of Paste-of-Soaked-Almond-Ground-with-Milk:Ghee:Sugar I made it with the same ingredients but in 1:1:1 ratios.
It turned out to the right gooey consistency so I offered the first spoon to God and the same one to my mom for tasting. She pronounced the result which made my smile turn to a sour expression :( It was not sweet enough. I had no time to redo it as I was rushing off to office.
Yesterday before going to office I wanted to rectify the sweet, so added 1 more measure of sugar and had the whole thing going on fire again. The best thing with halwa is that you can put it back on fire and stir until you get it right even if you made a mistake the first time around!
This time it passed my mom's taste test. I was glad my mom did not want to compromise with lesser sweet in our traditional sweets like the badam halwa.
The wheat halwa is one of my all-time favorites. Its called the Tirunelveli halwa too. This has to be made with 1:1:3 of Milk-of-Wheat:Ghee:Sugar! This one is such an addictive sweet that you tend to have spoon after spoon of wheat halwa before you even realize you have had too much of it. Your teeth ache from it more so if one has cavities yet you want to go on eating it. The taste of sugar, wheat and clarified butter make it taste so very divine.
Cheers.
Mahalakshmi.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
The Van Drivers Conference!
On the main road in Adyar, there is a stand for Carriage Vans. Though it is not a recognized parking place, the vans are stationed here all the time and people come here to hire these to transport anything locally.
Whenever I pass this road, I find a group of idle drivers chatting away to pass time. Two dogs also join this group. The dogs are treated as equals and food and tea is shared with these lovable creatures. One has a coat of salt and pepper all over with a white patch below, his eyes bright and defined as if with a black liner and another one has biscuit color coat of hair - both street dogs. The drivers love this pair. The dogs have the full freedom to rest inside any empty van if the sun is too hot or if it rains. At times I see these dogs dancing and wagging their tails so vigorously to the driver's endearments as if they understand every single word being spoken to them!!
This bonding between men and dogs is special and so very open. It makes me feel happy each time I pass that way. I look out for this conference of men and dogs at the venue - just opposite to the Vijaya Raja Kalyana Mandapam on the 1st Avenue Road, Adyar, Chennai.
I wish I could click a pic. Shall upload when I am able to.
Mahalakshmi
Whenever I pass this road, I find a group of idle drivers chatting away to pass time. Two dogs also join this group. The dogs are treated as equals and food and tea is shared with these lovable creatures. One has a coat of salt and pepper all over with a white patch below, his eyes bright and defined as if with a black liner and another one has biscuit color coat of hair - both street dogs. The drivers love this pair. The dogs have the full freedom to rest inside any empty van if the sun is too hot or if it rains. At times I see these dogs dancing and wagging their tails so vigorously to the driver's endearments as if they understand every single word being spoken to them!!
This bonding between men and dogs is special and so very open. It makes me feel happy each time I pass that way. I look out for this conference of men and dogs at the venue - just opposite to the Vijaya Raja Kalyana Mandapam on the 1st Avenue Road, Adyar, Chennai.
I wish I could click a pic. Shall upload when I am able to.
Mahalakshmi
BMW and T.Nagar, Chennai
The other day while travelling down to office meant passing through the main road in T.Nagar - Pondy Bazar. Added to the usual rush was the Diwali festival shopping crowd.
My auto was inching from one traffic signal to another. Out of the blue, the latest model of a black Mercedes Benz drove across vehicles at a cross road. All eyes were on that black beauty. Heads turned, eyes transfixed to the driver and then the car. None moved despite a lot of honking of horns at least until it moved well beyond everyone's sight!
Definitely it does mean a lot to drive in the best one around.
Its been a long time wish to drive around in a BMW. This is yet to come true.
There was a time when I thought I should at least hire the BMW once and take a round of the city in it! That day will come very soon as I am a die-hard optimist.
Happy Diwali.
May this festival of lights brighten our lives and bring us a lot of cheer, peace, good health and prosperity.
Mahalakshmi.
My auto was inching from one traffic signal to another. Out of the blue, the latest model of a black Mercedes Benz drove across vehicles at a cross road. All eyes were on that black beauty. Heads turned, eyes transfixed to the driver and then the car. None moved despite a lot of honking of horns at least until it moved well beyond everyone's sight!
Definitely it does mean a lot to drive in the best one around.
Its been a long time wish to drive around in a BMW. This is yet to come true.
There was a time when I thought I should at least hire the BMW once and take a round of the city in it! That day will come very soon as I am a die-hard optimist.
Happy Diwali.
May this festival of lights brighten our lives and bring us a lot of cheer, peace, good health and prosperity.
Mahalakshmi.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Going To School
Day before my husband and I had to visit his brother's place for a family function.
Brother has a grand daughter who goes to school since Vijaya Dasami, a day when small kids are admitted in pre-school just to get used to the idea of going to school. From 9am to whatever time a kid is comfortable with but not beyond 1.30pm.
The kid cries a lot to go to school. School time is tension time when all other members of the family are engaged with only one task of somehow sending the kid to school. As if on cue, at 8.30am there are any number of excuses why she will not get dressed or eat her breakfast!
But the mother is not in a mood to give up as she gets her free time only during the kid's school time!
All this struggle until the child reaches her 1st grade where the school will function from 9am to 3.30pm giving the parent more free time.
Then there's college, then going to work, getting married, raising a family and becoming a parent and coping with children and bringing them up.
Until next then.
Mahalakshmi
Brother has a grand daughter who goes to school since Vijaya Dasami, a day when small kids are admitted in pre-school just to get used to the idea of going to school. From 9am to whatever time a kid is comfortable with but not beyond 1.30pm.
The kid cries a lot to go to school. School time is tension time when all other members of the family are engaged with only one task of somehow sending the kid to school. As if on cue, at 8.30am there are any number of excuses why she will not get dressed or eat her breakfast!
But the mother is not in a mood to give up as she gets her free time only during the kid's school time!
All this struggle until the child reaches her 1st grade where the school will function from 9am to 3.30pm giving the parent more free time.
Then there's college, then going to work, getting married, raising a family and becoming a parent and coping with children and bringing them up.
Until next then.
Mahalakshmi
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
