FirstEvent-BSIOnion

Thanks for Michelle to give me an option to present this week's BSI ingredient. BSI stands for Blogger Secret Ingredient. This was started by Beth. 

Week #89 (2nd Aug to 8th Aug) BSI event is hosted by Debbi

This is a kind of Iron-Chef-style recipe challenge, where
a. Each week a new host picks an ingredient
b. Readers can submit a recipe.
c. The contest starts on a Monday, and recipes need to be submitted by Sunday night of that week.
d. Then the next day the host chooses a winner and picks someone to host new week's contest.

Jac keeps update of all events in her blog, and I guess I am late to host this event.

BSI Ingredient for Week #88 & Week #89 is Onion.

Onions are available thro' out the world in different colours. In India it is available in Red and White, but when I visited Paris in this April I was surprised to see green onion.

Send your recipes to me latest by July 31st 10pm at hemasrini dot 2007 at gmail dot com. You can either link to a blog post or send the entire recipe by an email - please send photos if you have got them.

NOTE: once you've sent your recipe, please post a comment on my blog, just to double-check that I received it. At this time, odds are pretty good for an entry to win!



The winner will receive "Aachi Chilli Powder" from India.

If you are considering hosting, please let me know in your email. Prizes are entirely the discretion of each week's host. Be forewarned - if you participate, I may send an email to hit you up to host next week's round (it's easy, and you'll meet and be viewed by all kinds of foodbloggers)


To recap -


Hosts:


Pick an ingredient, preferably one that is in season and readily available and not too expensive;


Link back to all the other previous weekly hosts;


Review the recipe submissions by Sunday night of each week;


Pick a recipe that is your favorite; and


Post the winner Monday morning and send the winner a token prize of your choosing.


Participants:



Do not have to have a food blog to participate


Do not have to submit a photograph


Can submit a recipe via email to that week's host if they don't have a blog - the host will post your recipe for you! 

Contribution follows:

Sweet Savoury Semolina - Akheela

 





Mulagu Varthu Puli - Abraham

Ulli Theeyal - Abraham

Saffron Marinated Paneer Cheese - Janet

BSI - Onion - Beth

Winner is Janet
 

Past blog hosts and their ingredients have been:

Week 88: Hema's Blog - Onion

Week 87: Quips, Travails, and Braised Oxtails - Black eye Peas


Week 86: Making Good Choices – Applesauce


Week 85: Non-Dairy Queen - Raspberries


Week 84: Healthy Exposures - Bulgar Wheat


Week 83: Clarity in Creation – Peaches


Week 82: Mo’s Kitchen - Rice


Week 81: Waisting Duxie - Swiss Chard


Week 80: Fuss Free Flavours - Capers


Week 79: Jenn Cuisine - Honey


Week 78: Living Free - Cashews


Week 77: Affairs of Living – Artichokes


Week 76: One Frugal Foodie - Sunflower Seeds


Week 75: Part of the Whole - Beets


Week 74: Dinner at Christina’s - Sour Cream


Week 73: The Chef in My Head - Goat Cheese


Week 72: 5 Star Foodie - Asparagus


Week 71: Eats Well With Others – Carrots


Week 70: Burp and Slurp - Brussel Sprouts


Week 69: Fun Fearless Foodie – Parmesan Cheese


Week: 68: Natalie’s Killer Cuisine - Cocoa Powder


Week 67: Eat, Live, Travel, Write - Lemon Zest


Week 66: Travel Eat Love - Coconut Milk


Week 65: Run Beans Run - Tofu


Week 64: Chicago Marathon Val - Mushrooms


Week 63: Biggest Diabetic Loser – Cheddar Cheese


Week 62: A Fit and Spicy Life – Balsamic Vinegar


Week 61: Peanut Butter Fingers - Nutmeg


Week 60: Jenn Eats Nutritiously Now - Garlic


Week 59: Home Cooked Em – Cinnamon


Week 58: The Balanced Broad – Flax


Week 57: Cookin Fanatic - Blue Cheese


Week 56: Foodie in the City - Ricotta Cheese


Week 55: Savvy Eats - Maple Syrup


Week 54: Sound Eats - Dried Fruit


Week 53: Mega Nerd Runs - Acorn Squash


Week 52: Healthy Tipping Point - Pancake Mix


Week 51: Live, Laugh Eat - Almond Butter


Week 50: Balance, Joy and Delicias! – Cauliflower


Week 49: Healthy San Diego Living - Chickpeas


Week 48: Thought 4 Food - Yogurt


Week 47: London Foodie in New York - Chocolate


Week 46: Johnstone’s Vin Blanc - Oats


Week 45: Guilty Kitchen - Figs


Week 44: Ordinary Recipes Made Gourmet - Peanut Butter


Week 43: The Sophisticated Gourmet - Brown Sugar


Week 42: My Kitchen Addiction – Lime


Week 41: Nutmeg Nanny – Coffee


Week 40: Chaya’s Comfy Cook – Broccoli


Week 39: Healthy Delicious – Plums


Week 38: Zoe - Feta


Week 37: ChezWhat- Potatoes


Week 36: Cinnamon, Spice & Everything Nice – Blueberries


Week 35: Girlichef -Greens


Week 34: The Ungourmet – Watermelon


Week 33: Bread + Butter – Bell Pepper


Week 32: Burp and Slurp -Corn


Week 31: Say Yes to Salad – Kabocha


Week 31 1/2: Simply Fabulous Now – Cherries


Week 30: Thinspired – Bananas


Week 29: To Be The Whole Package – Almonds


Week 28: Kristas Kravings – Lemon


Week 27: From French Fries To Flax Seeds – Coconut


Week 26: Plentiful Plants – Avocado


Week 25: Training Fuel – Eggs


Week 24: Dinner at Christina’s – Cabbage


Week 23: Hey What’s for Dinner, Mom? – Strawberries


Week 22: One Bite at a Time – Basil


Week 21: Just Sweet Enough – Black Beans


Week 20: What I Ate Yesterday – Kale


Week 19: What’s for Dinner – Orange


Week 18: BranAppetit! –Spinach


Week 17: Tales of Expansion Dates


Week 16: Biggest Diabetic Loser – Zucchini


Week 15: Sweet & Natural –Peppermint


Week 14: bella eats [and runs] – Ginger


Week 13: Coffee Talk – Walnuts


Week 12: For the Love of Oats – Pumpkin


Week 11: Trying to Heal – Sweet Potatoes


Week 10: The Inner Workings of a College Graduate – Eggplant


Week 9: Itzy’s Kitchen – Pears


Week 8: The Fitnessista – Cranberries


Week 7: Tri to Cook – Lentils


Week 6: Rhodey Girl Tests – Polenta


Week 5: Eating Bender – Butternut Squash


Week 4: Care to Eat – Apples


Week 3: On a Lobster Placemat – Mushrooms


Week 2: Hangry Pants – Tomatoes


Week 1: sportsnutritionliving – Quinoa 

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Banana Smoothie

Sunday, June 20th was my father-in-law's birthday. I don't know to make sweets and was not interested in making same Kheer, so thought of making this dish. Today, I searched names to name this dish. 

Ingredients:
a. Banana - 5
b. Sugar - 6 tsp
c. Milk - 4 tbsp
d. Cashewnut - 4
e. Kismis - 4
f. Badam - 4
g. Ghee - 4 tsp

Method:
a. Chop banana, add sugar, milk and blend the mixture
b. Slice cashewnut and badam
c. Heat the ghee and add sliced cashewnut, badam, kismis

Serve to eat.

Serves: 2 to 3 people.

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Aloo Pudina Bhat

Its been since a long time from the time I last posted. Hence thought of writing this post.

I had some pudina leaves left over in my refrigerator. I thought of making normal pudina chutney and to mix it with cooked rice today morning for breakfast. My husband gave a good suggestion to mix with aloo and to make it as aloo pudina bhat. Taste was yummy.

Ingredients:
Pudina (mint leaves) - 1 bunch
Green Chillies - 6 (add more if it should be more spicy)
Salt to taste
Coriander Leaves - few
Ginger - 1 small piece
Aloo - 3
Oil - 1 tbsp for frying
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves - few
Cooked Rice - 1/2 kg

Method:
a. Blend pudina, green chillies, coriander leaves, ginger and salt and make it as chutney
b. Cut aloo into small pieces and wash them
c. Heat oil and add mustard seeds wait for it to crack
d. Add curry leaves and salt
e. Put aloo and fry them till it becomes soft
f. Add pudina chutney to the mixture and mix them well
g. Add coriander leaves on top
h. Mix cooked rice with aloo-pudina gravy

Serve: 4 to 5 people

This post is going to BSI Contest hosted by Moi.

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Gojju Powder

Gojju is a kind of dish prepared to add either with indian breads like chappattis, rotis or with rice.

Gojju can be made up of any vegetable viz., Lady's finger, Brinjal, Onion, Tomato, Onion with tomato.

Gojju Powder is a powder which needs to be added for spicing the gojju. It can be stored like sambar powder, or rasam powder.
Ingredients:
Urad Dhal - 1 cup
Gram Dhal - 1 cup
Fenugreek Seeds - 1 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Red Chillies - 1 1/4 cup (more or less based on the hot/khara u want)

Method:
Fry each of the ingredient separately till it changes its color (but not to black :) which is over fried).
Blend the ingredients

Onion Gojju:
Heat 4 tsps of oil
Add 1 tsp of mustard and wait till it splutters
Add 1 tsp of urad dhal, 1 tsp of gram dhal and wait till it turns its color
Add few curry leaves
Add Salt
Add onion and fry it till it changes its color to light brown
Add little tamarind water and a glass of normal water and allow the mixture to boil
Finally add gojju powder

Thus, the onion gojju is ready.

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Pongal - New Year

Every year Pongal is celebrated on 13th, 14th and 15th of January. It is also considered as a New Year for Tamilians (especially for harvesting group).

The people would take out the paddy crops and make it as rice.

13-Jan is celebrated as Bhoogi Pongal.

• In Andhra, people collect almost all waste materials from their entire area and burn all of them. They call that as "Bhoogimantalu".

14-Jan is celebrated as Surya Pongal.

• People get up early in the morning prepare different dishes. Draw Surya(sun) and Chandra(Moon) and keep all the dishes for naivediya for god including sugarcane in banana leaves.
• Andhrites and Kannadigas mix groundnut seeds, til, hurigadale(roasted gram), small pieces of chopra, small pieces of jaggery and share with their relatives and friends saying "Yelu Bella tindu ole matadu" means "eat til and jaggery and speak good things".

15-Jan is celebrated as Mathu Pongal.

• Non-vegetarian people will avoid eating non-veg on 13th and 14th will prepare different non-vegetarian dishes on this day.
• In the evening, farmers decorate their cows, buffaloes, oxen, bulls and make them to jump across the fire by thanking God to give them good crop. And praying for the same till the next year.

Andhrites and Kannadigas call this festival as Makara Sankranthi, while Tamilians call this festival as Pongal.

I thank Saras to post on Pongal.

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2 Important things for Interview

Today is Swami Vivekananda's 147th Birthday, as I am inspired by this person here is a post.

Two qualities which I find interesting in Swami Vivekananda was: 

a. Inspired speech

     While attending interviews follow a saying "Communication is the weapon" to win them. Might be the interviewee just know the concept what a interviewer questioned but he/she should get into that scenario and then speak about it. Definitely the interview would be a hit.

b. High level thinking

    Swami Vivekananda used to go through the preface and index of the book and tell what contents might be there in the book, which would match accordingly. This shows that person was very intellectual, and had high level thinking quality.

Both of the above qualities are must to face an interview.

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Beans Pappu

Beans Pappu:

Ingredients:

• Beans - 1/4 kg
• Onion - 2
• Tomato - 2
• Toor Dhal - one hand full or 50g
• Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
• Oil - to fry
• Curry Leaves - for seasoning (few leaves)
• Coriander Leaves - for seasoning
• Sambar Powder - 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Cook toor dhal and tomato
• Cook beans separately 
• Smash the beans and remove all the water from it (it shouldn't look like beans)
• Heat oil, add mustard seeds when it splutters add curry leaves
• Add salt
• Fry onion till light brown
• Squeeze tomato completely add it to the mixture
• Add toor dhal and smashed beans
• Add sambar powder and little more water
• Serve for 3 to 4 people.

NOTE: Water should be less in pappu.

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Travel Idea - Coorg

Coorg is a best place to be seen, which is also called as Scotland of India.

There are many homestays and resorts within anyone's budget right from Rs.1000 to Rs.6000 per day with/without food.

Coorg Misty is a resort to be seen. It is about 4kms from Kakabbe Junction. The rooms has thatched roofs and gives a feeling of a village with all modern amenities.

The dimension of a room includes a big hall with double cot and a small room with two cots one above the other with a western toilet cum bathroom, which is very spacious.

Its really known for its hospitality provided by Mr.Daniel (9448448629) and the Restaurant Chef Mr.Deepak (9980196079) and their friendly staff. They provided the best menu of both veg and non-veg food with a relaxed time of 2 hours.

Bharat Online is an event organizer who serves its customers' with different options and suitable for the budget given. Risto (9900001019) will definitely provide you the best service required as he did for us (a team of 30 enjoyed his service). 

From NDS, Bangalore we had been to this place on 10th December and returned back on 12th December in a bus provided by SRS Travels.

Near to this resort there is a natural waterfall and nalakanda palace. Away from city with a cool climate and without any pollution, a silent place indeed to be seen.

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Urgent Chutney

Urgent Chutney:

Ingredients:
Green Chillies - 3 Nos
Groundnut Powder - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Coriander Leaves - 1 tbsp (optional)
Curry Leaves - 2 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Tamarind Paste - 2 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp

Method:
1. Smash the chillies, groundnut powder, coriander leaves and add salt to taste
2. Add tamarind paste to the mixture
3. Heat the Oil and add curry leaves and mustard seeds. Add this to the mixture.

Serves: 2 Persons

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Home made Ghee

Home Made Ghee:
a. In the morning we buy milk and boil it, during this time the cream is formed.
b. In the night we put this milk into the refrigerator for next day usage.
c. In the next day morning before boiling this milk take out the cream and store in a container.
d. Add one tsp. curds every 3 days once.
e. Repeat the same till you found the cream is half/full container depending on the quantity of ghee you require.
f. Once the container is half/full with cream put it into mixer grinder and grind it for sometime, the cream and butter milk will get separated. (Do this in the morning)
g. Leave the cream also in butter milk till evening.
h. Remove the cream alone and boil it to get ghee.

NOTE: Full Fat milk to be used to prepare ghee.

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