Diwali Wishes| Recipes| Books update!

Time seems to have put in wings! It is Diwali time again.

Wishing You All A Very Happy And Safe Diwali.

Coming back to blogging, I feel guilty of not giving due attention to my blog of late. With so much happening in life, blogging actually have taken a back seat. I wish there were more than 24 hours a day. There are a lot of books whose reviews I need to post. But, seriously, I have not been able to sit and put my thoughts into reviews. So, I thought it would be a good idea to make a list so, that I can get started from there. Here goes the list:

The Immortals of Mehula by Amish Tripathi
The Secret of Nagas by Amish Tripathi
The Sins of the Father by Jeffrey Archer
Revolution 2020 by Chetan Bhagat
What Young India wants by Chetan Bhagat
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

I know these book reviews will keep my blog going for a while. But, since it is Diwali time here are some sweets and savouries that you can choose from.

Sweets:

Kalakand

Carrot and Almond Kheer

Bread Rasmalai

Savoury:

Nimki/Namak paare

Onion Bhajji

Samosa

Once again wishing you a joyous and safe Diwali. Cheers!

Dal Makhani/ Makhani Dal ~ Rich and Creamy Lentil Preparation

Dal Makhani is one of the popular lentils dishes in India. It has its origin in the state of Punjab, but these days it is widely enjoyed all over India. Dal Makhani literally translates to 'Buttery Lentils' and hence it is very creamy and rich with oodles of cream and butter. If traditionally made it can take up to a day to prepare it as it needs to be cooked slowly over low heat in a tan-door  But, thanks to the pressure cookers these days, we can prepare this dish a lot quicker. I learnt this version from a friend if mine. Lets see how I make it.

Dal Makhani:

This recipe will serve 4 people.

Ingredients:

½ cup of whole urid beans.
1/4 cup of red kidney beans (rajma)
3 large tomatoes pureed or 4 tbsp of concentrated tomato puree (I used concentrated tomato puree, as it gives a nice colour)
1 small onion chopped
2 chopped green chilies.
1 tsp grated ginger.

2 cloves garlic minced

2 tbsp oil

2 bay leaves

1 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 tbsp butter.

3-4 tbsp cream
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp red chilli powder or more to taste
2 tsp roasted cumin powder
Salt to taste.
Handful of chopped coriander and more for garnishing.


Procedure:

1. Soak both the beans for 5-6 hours or overnight.  Wash them thoroughly and cook them in a pressure cooker.

2. In a frying pan add 2 tbsp oil. When heated add the bay leaves, cumin seeds and chopped green chilies. Saute for a minute and then add the ginger and garlic. After 30 seconds add chopped onions and saute till the they turn golden brown.

3. Add the tomatoes puree, red chili powder, salt and cumin powder and cook for 5-7 mins. To it add the boiled beans. With the back of the spoon/spatula mash the beans a bit. Add water to get the desired consistency.

4. Now add garam masala, cream and salt. Heat for another 10-15 minutes on low heat. You can slow cook it a bit longer if you have more time.
5. Transfer in a serving bowl. Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with a dollop of butter with rice or roti.

Tip: Dal Makhani always tastes better if you prepare it a day in advance. It helps to develop the flavour. You can increase the measure of butter and cream if you want it richer.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Have a nice weekend!

Tomato Soup with Herbed Croutons and Garlic Butter

As days are passing by, it is getting colder here. The most comforting thing you can have in such weather is a hot bowl of soup. This soup is by far my favourite soup and gets a place in my menu very often. Here is how I make it.

Ingredients:

6 medium sized tomatoes
1 small onion
1 large carrot
2 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Sugar to taste, optional

1 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic grated
A generous pinch of Italian mixed herbs or basil

2 slices to breads
A splash of olive oil, about 1 tbsp
1/2 tsp mixed herbs

Process:

1. Chop the tomatoes in large chunks. Peel the carrot and chop it in chunks. Slice the onions and mince the garlic. Add all these in a pressure cooker and add about 200 ml of water and cook it till 1 whistle on medium high.
2. While it is cooking mix butter, grated garlic and mixed herbs/basil and prepare a flavored butter.
3. Remove all the edges from the bread and cut into small equal pieces. Toss them with olive oil and mix herbs and spread them on a lined bling tray. Put them in a a oven preheated at 180 C and bake for 3-4 minutes. Toss them again and bake for another 3-4 minutes. Keep an eye, as they get burnt very easily. When baked, they will be crisp and light golden in color.
4. One the ingredients in the cooker are cooked. Cool them a bit and then churn into a fine purée.
5. Sieve the purée to make it smooth. Heat a pan and add the liquid mixture into it. Add salt, sugar and pepper to taste. If you want the soup to be thinner, add water accordingly.
6. Serve it hot topped with a little flavored butter and herbed croutons.

Tip: If your soup gets thinner than you like then it can be rectified in the following way. Mix about 1/2 tsp of corn flour( or more to make it more thick) in 3-4 tbsp of water to make a smooth paste. Add it to the boiling soup. Keep stirring and the soup will get thick.

Enjoy this soup on a cold evening!

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Siege of Mithila by Ashok K. Banker

 Siege of Mithila by Ashok K. Banker 

One genre of books that I have started enjoying a lot recently is, without a doubt 'Indian mythology' or 'mythological fiction'. The two great epics of the Indian history are Mahabharata and Ramayana. I have already read two Mahabharata centered book – Jaya by Devdutt Pattanaik and Palace of Illusionsby Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, so my next choice of mythological book was Ramayana centered. One of my blogger friends suggested me to read the Ramayana series by Ashok K. Banker. That I did as I got the first book of the series from the local library here. I enjoyed the book thoroughly only to discover later that the library does not have any other books of this series and hence I had to wait for my India visit to get my hands on the rest of the series.

Synopsis:

The bestial demon hordes roar towards Ayodhya having swept all before them. Rama cannot return home to defend his family. He must journey to Mithila—a city lying directly in the path of destruction—to join a small band of heroes planning a valiant stand against the armies of darkness. Can Rama unearth a hidden dev-astra to help in his battle against his nemesis, the demon lord Ravana?

Of course, we all know that Rama will be able to defend the city of Mithila. That is the beauty of Banker’s writing, despite knowing (almost) what happens in Ramayana, the reader’s interest in the story doesn’t waver even for a moment.  The author’s has used his own imagination in sketching the characters and in describing the events that place during the course of the novel. The story builds on where it was left in ‘The Prince of Ayodhya’, so if you want to read this book, I would suggest you to read it as per the series.

For me that star character of this book was Sita, of course, apart from Rama and Lakshmana. She is introduced not as a delicate princess but, as a warrior princess who is well versed in the art of archery and swords play. The demon lord Ravana is depicted as pure devil whose only aim it to conquer Ayodhya. There is Manthara who to please Ravana plots one evil plan after another to poison the sisterly relationship between Queen Kausalya and Queen Sumitra. She even schemes to get rid of Rama. There is also the story of Ahalya and how Rama releases her from her husband’s curse. The story seems to pace slowly as by the end of the novel we only reach till the swayamvar of Sita. But, the novel is filled with numerous sub plots and stories that keep the novel interesting and enlightening. All the sub plots culminate toward the bigger picture and a momentous climax. 

Ashok K. Banker takes you on an amazing fascinating journey, from Ayodhya to Mithila. It is an enriching experience. You will feel drawn towards the world of Ramayana as you turn pages of this book, that is the magic of Banker’s writing. I am very looking forward to reading rest of the series.

Highly recommended.

Untruly Yours by Smita Shetty

Untruly Yours by Smita Shetty

"To some Natasha Iyer has it all - living the life of an affluent NRI, wife of a prominent psychologist and mother to a cheeky 11 years old. However, behind closed doors, cracks are beginning to appear in her seemingly comfortable relationship with her professionally consumed husband , Rakesh.

Although Rakesh seems content with his alpha neatness- fetish , melodramatic wife and bright son; Natasha yearns for romance, passion and excitement. Ironically, the psychologist husband fails to read between the lines and Natasha is left to her own devices to deal with her unresolved emotions.

An unexpected call from India takes her through a journey of self discovery with her devastatingly handsome work colleague, Steve. She uncovers in some aspects urban India has changed considerably but equally, deep rooted social issues still prevail in the so called modern, educated, changing society. A chance encounter with her blast from the past - Veer, adds to the emotional roller coaster ride. Her one-man - women status of many years has failed to equip her with vital tools to deal with the unanticipated surge of attention from Steve and Veer.

As she attempts to master the finer points of courtship, flirtation and seduction; her life spirals out of control. Natasha is compelled to make tough decisions about her love,friendship, marriage and parenthood."

Untruly Yours is the debut novel of the author - Smita Shetty. The story line is obvious from the blurb. In the 150 pages of this fast paced chic-lit novel, the author tells the story of Natasha who seems to feel that the spark in her relationship with her husband has vanished. She is restless and yearns for some excitement in her life. If you look a delve a little more deeply into the character of Natasha, you will discover that there is a bit of Natasha in most women. Sometimes, the zeal of life is lost in the daily mundane chores, one feels people takes you for granted and it brings a feeling of love-less-ness and loneliness. Many a times it is far from the truth and it is just a passing phase. The author has told the story of a woman passing through this phase of life and how she copes with it.

The strength of the novel are it's character - entirely believable and relatable. In particular the author's description of Natasha' s MIL as Godzilla of Godzilla as hilarious. The story is packed with a lot of drama and has a lot of laugh-out-loud moments. I thoroughly enjoyed turning pages after pages, only that there weren't too many of them. I think the author could have done with another 50 pages towards the end. I felt the ending was quickly wrapped up. A special mention for the cover of the book, I loved it. It is chic and stylish and catches your attention. At least, it was so in my case.

If you are looking for a quick, light read go for this book for sure. I am sure most of my female friends will be able to relate to at least something in the novel.

I received a free copy of the book from the author in exchange of an unbiased review.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!