Sweet Sesame Crackers ~ Til Papdi

 It is always good to have friends and even better if you have friends, who you can share your interests with, like cooking or reading. I am blessed to be surrounded  by like minded people and the joy doubles when I can learn new things from them. This sweet sesame crackers is something I have learned making from my friend M. She had made them and bought to one of our 'Get Togethers'. It was such a great hit and we all enjoyed munching it. M was generous enough to show me how to make it before the day ended. The ones she made for me ended the very next day and since then I have been contemplating to try it on my own.

 After much procrastination, I tried them today and they came out good. Yes, I did call her to confirm the measurement and it is simple enough for any one to give it a try. All you need is sugar, sesame seeds and a little ghee. These sesame seeds crackers are generally made during Makar Sakranti, a festival is celebrated in the month of January. But, you can enjoy munching them at any time.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup white sesame seeds
3/8 cup sugar(basically the measure for sugar is 3/4th of sesame seeds)
1 tsp ghee for toasting
2 tbsp sesame seeds and 1 tbsp ghee for dusting and greasing.

Click here for printable version

Process:

1. Heat a pan and add ghee for toasting into it. When melted add the sesame seeds and toast for about a minute. The seeds will not change colour. Transfer the seeds into a bowl.
2. Now melt the sugar in the pan. Stir slightly. While the sugar is melting, grease your clean work top area and spread a tbsp of sesame seeds on a small area. Grease your rolling pin as well.
3. When the sugar has melted add the toasted sesame seeds and using a spatula mix mix to form a sugar - sesame lump. Using a spoon put it over the sprinkled sesame seeds work top area. Now put another tablespoon of sesame seeds over the lump and run the rolling pin over it. Try to spread it as thinly as possible and as quickly as possible as it tends to set very quickly. If at any point the dough sticks to the rolling pin grease it again quickly and try sprinkling a little more sesame seeds over the sticky part.
4. After spreading it thinly, run a knife or pizza cutter over it to cut it into pieces. Move the pieces into another plate and cool to room temperature. Store them in an air tight container.

A very good snack to much on, but it can get addictive and in my place it gets over in no time! Linking it to Lets Cook#12 Sweet Somethings

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Aloo Patakha ~ Spicy Potatoes

e

It was only a few days back that we were welcoming the new year and now the first month of the new year is already gone. I hope all of you are still sticking to your new year resolutions and implementing all the new plans you had in mind.

I had been trying to eat healthy as much as possible and I hope to continue the trend. When I talk of eating healthy, the first blog that comes to my mind is this. It is an amazing space with a variety of recipes and there is not a single deep fried dish. I have bookmarked and have tried a number of dishes from her space and they turned out every bit delicious! The recipe of today's post comes from there too.

Potatoes are very versatile and I make something of it very often. The day I spotted the very small variety of baby potatoes in the supermarket, I knew instantly what I had to make of them. This dish is versatile too and you can have it as a chat all by itself or as a curry with chapattis. There was a time when I didn't use garlic in my cooking because, I found the smell too overpowering and it was only slowly with time I began to appreciate the flavour it added to dishes. Still, I use it in moderation so that my dishes would have a very subtle garlic flavour. But, this one is an exception. Although I have used less garlic than stated in the original recipe, it has a predominant garlic flavour, which I actually LIKED in this dish. I have made only a few tiny changes to the original recipe, I grilled the boiled potatoes instead of baking them and I reduced the garlic and chilli to my taste and increased the tamarind. Thank you Rachana for this amazing versatile recipe.

Recipe Source: Veggi Fare

Serves 2

Ingredients 

400 grams baby potatoes, boiled and peeled

4 tbsp - sunflower oil + to grease the baking tray
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp - coriander powder  

3-4tbsp - tamarind pulp
salt  to taste

To be coarsely ground together:

 
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped  

4 pieces - whole red chillies
2-3 inches of ginger
1 tbsp - cumin seeds 

little water to help in grinding

Lemon juice and loads of finely chopped coriander leaves to garnish

Click here for the printable version

Process

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C on grill mode. Grease the baking tray with a little oil. Place the potatoes and mix lightly so that the oil coats the potatoes. 
2. Place the tray in the upper rack of preheated oven and grill until slightly golden. It took 15 minutes in mine and I tossed them around once in between so that they were grilled uniformly.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds, bay leaves and the coarsely ground paste.
4. Saute the paste on a medium heat for a couple of minutes. Add the coriander powder and salt and cook for another 6-7 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally. 
5. Add the baked potatoes. Mix lightly, cover the bowl and let it cook for 10 mins, stirring occasionally. 
6. Add the tamarind pulp. cover and let cook for another couple of minutes. 
7. Remove from the heat, but leave the pan covered. To enhance the taste and the flavours, prepare a few hours in advance.
8. Serve at room temperature, after garnishing with the lemon juice and coriander leaves.

Linking it to Spice Your Food and Health With Spices- Cumin seeds by Tomato Blues. It is an event started by Anu, New Year, New Dish by Nupur , This Month Potato Mania by Siri and to my Event Healthy & Hearty.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer ~ #3 Twilight Series

Eclipse, the third book of the Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer and it is by far the most interesting book of the series I have read so far- fast paced, happening and truly a page turner!

If you really want to enjoy a book in a series, you should always start from the first book of the series as the story begins there and keeps on building on it and many a times there are references in the later books of some incidents in the former books. The same is the fact with Eclipse. The story starts more or less from where it was left in the second book. With the kind of luck Bella has, danger can't be away from her for a long time. So, we find her again in mortal danger and even with the gifted abilities her vampire friends have, they are unable to find out who is the enemy in the present context. That adds to the uncertainty, thrill and suspense in the novel which keeps on building and keeps the reader glued to the book till they have turned the last page. As I said, a lot is happening in this book. Unlike the former books in the series I didn't find a dull moment. Of course, Jacob Black adds to complexities and problems in Bella's life and Bella is forever in dilemma about how she feels for him.

I know a few people who hated the 'Twilight Series' and some who loved it. I can safely say I fall in the later group. But, among the characters, I like Jacob more than others. Edward is too perfect and Bella is somewhat flawed and weak. I find Jacob's emotions more human and can relate to them better. I hope to read the next book in the series soon. I find the series entertaining, if nothing else.

You can find the review of the previous book of the series here and here.

Linking it to A2ZChallenge for Letter E.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

#26 Teaser Tuesdays ~ Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer

"Once I mastered the simple alphabet, Mr Holcombe introduced me to a few simple words: 'dog, 'cat', 'mum', 'dad'. That was when when I first asked him about my dad, hoping that he might be able to tell me something about him."
Page: 13

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! Share the title & author, too, so that others can add the book to their TBR Lists!

Last Man in Tower by Aravind Adiga

This is the third book by the author, his first one being 'The White Tiger' which won the Man Booker Prize in 2008. I had read this award winning book sometime last year and had enjoyed it. Though 'Last Man in Tower' explores a story in similar lines, I cannot say the same about this book. No doubt, it is a very well written and a well researched story but there is something about it being so pessimistic, that it kind of creeps on you and leaves you devastated in the end. I cannot help but do a small comparison of the two books I have read of the author.

The White Tiger was fast paced but Last Man is Tower starts slowly. The author has spent a good number of pages in painting - the characters,their emotions, pictures from their daily life, the surroundings and the overall atmosphere. It adds to ambiance in the novel but at some point it starts to creep on the readers. I felt, the book radiated many negative vibes and that is why it took me a long time to finish it. I have realized that what I read affects my moods and emotions in some way of the other and even after reading a few pages, I felt heavy and had to keep it aside. In 'The White Tiger' protagonist was from the lowest strata of society and it was rich rags to riches tale. It dealt with how an honest person can get corrupt in the process of seeking power and money. Last Man in Tower is about the middle class people who are forever trying to elevate their status in society and when an opportunity knocks on their doors, they are ready to stoop as low as can be possible to avail of it, even if that involves sacrificing some one's life! That is the cliche, as much as I can see that there is truth in the story, I don't believe there cannot be exception to it.

Here is the blurb from the book:

Real estate developer Dharmen Shah’s offer to buy out the residents of Vishram Society—a formerly respectable, now crumbling apartment complex that abuts the infamous Dharavi slums—is more than generous. But one man stands in the way of Shah’s luxury high- rise: Masterji, a retired schoolteacher who will not leave his home in Vishram’s Tower A. Shah is a dangerous man to refuse, but as the demolition deadline looms, Masterji’s neighbors—friends who have become enemies, acquaintances turned co- conspirators—may stop at nothing to score their payday.

An electrifying, suspense-filled story of money and power, luxury and deprivation, peopled by brilliantly drawn, unforgettable characters, Last Man in Tower exposes the hearts and minds of the every men and women of a great, booming city—ordinary people pushed to their limits in a place that knows none.

With the real estate prices sky rocketing in India, there can be such instances but, is really all humanity wiped out of the Indian middle class? It is a powerful novel with a theme that is relatable in many ways but I do feel it paints a very wrong picture of Indian society, the middle class in particular. I didn't really enjoy the book but I would not stop any one from reading it. It certainly left me squirming with uneasiness but it did me ample thoughts to ponder on!

I have seen the second book of the author, Between the Assassinations, in the library but I am wary about picking it up. I think I will leave a good long gap before reading another depressing and pessimistic story about India.  


Linking it to A2ZChallenge for Letter L and South Asian Challenge.
Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!