Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Terengganu, reason to visit: during tea time (the last part)

assalamualaikum, and good day! :)

You know when i was younger, mum always tease me for being choosy towards some people and state. As an example, i told the whole world i was born and grown up in KL, and i am a pure KL ppl. (poyo gila, i know). i dislike the fact that i'm a mix blood of Chinese (Kelantan) and Malay (Terengganu). I was shocked and uncomfortable when i was 1st enter MRSM Kuala Lipis, years ago, because most of the people came from Terengganu and Kelantan. it was just me, grown up in a town BUT one thing for sure, i do respect all of them. and it turns the other way later on, they began to like me as i began to love them :)

But the fact is in my blood, no matter what i said or did, would not change the world. I'm a Kelantanese, with a mix of Terengganu, and this one thing that you could obviously see is my taste in choosing traditional kuih and breakfast. I love akok, kerabu (all kinds of kerabu -- perut, mangga, sotong, kerang, etc), laksam, bahulu, and all sort of we called it "kuih orang tua". Every year, every each year, we went back to dad's hometown to celebrate Aidilfitri, or sometime Chinese New Year, i did choose the best attire to wear. most of the time, i prefer to wear baju kurung. the strongest reason is, i just really do respect the people and both states which we do know as the most religious states in Malaysia.

i remember when i was 15, i went to Pasar Siti Khadijah, with baju kurung. i was pissed off and sad, a little to see some of the teenagers, the pure Kelantanese, now become mat rempit and some of the girls even wear a very short sleeve shirt, with tudung. i was like, "oh come onnn, can u at least, give a little respect towards your tudung or state?" pfttt. YES, that WAS me by that time, i hate to be there, but i do resepct them. but now, everything is change. I got like hundreds of friends from both states, which are very nice, and polite. :)

okay, i'm way beyond the main topic. as i told before, i went to Terengganu to attend a wedding ceremony of my relative. like, 2 pupu, which is mum's cousin, daughter. and, people, this is the food!

gulai, KERABU PERUT, ayam percik. ohhmegodd, i ate as much as i could. :P


we took few family pictures, rest for a few moments, and then get ready to drove back to Kuantan. on my way to Kuantan, abah decided to use the other road where you could see the view of the blue sea all the way back. which is very nice. :)

i was sleepy. it was a hot sunny day, yet tiring. and my stomach is full. i could shut down my wire anytime :P


this is my sleepy face. :P


.....suddenly, mum decided to stopped by at Marang, since i wanna have a fresh coconut drink. and yes, dah semangat balik! ngee.

if you ask me hundred years later, i would still answer HER as the woman i love the most.


ABAH, it's you! (i know u're reading this :P)
someday i'll get married with my prince, but u will always be my king!


mama simply amazed by the view and the wind. look at the blue sea!


fresh coconut with ice - RM 3 each.


fresh ikan kembung, you could choose a variety of fish.


and yes, all time faberetttt, sotong goreng tepung!!! :D


see, how tempting the foods are and the sea is, that i could still eat even though my stomach is full. it looks like my tummy could co-operate and give some empty space for this tea time :P

aaaa. really can't wait for Hari Raya. going to hunt for more food! till then, take care ppl!


OT Tip - Calming, Organizing and Alerting Activities

My mother-inlaw Debbie gave me some handouts that she has in one of her therapy rooms to share with all of you this week. If you have a child who is hyper, lethargic, or needs some activities to organize their mind and bodies before learning, these activities will be a great thing to have in your back pocket! Debbie and I both use a lot of these activities with our special needs kids at work, but you can use them for any kid, no matter what! Any kid can benefit from these ideas.

First, are some ideas for Organizing. Great for kids with ADHD or Autism.
- Heavy work (gives input to muscles and joints and causes fatigue)
- Wall pushes with hands and feet.
- Jumping on trampoline
- Popcorn jumps  (jumping from a squat position and then landing back in a squat position)
- Wheelbarrow walking
- Crawling through tunnels
- Obstacle course
- Putting up/down chairs
- Sitting on "move and sit" therapy ball during during classroom activities
- Passing the weighted balls
- Scooter board on belly and bottom (wall push offs) 10+ reps
- Resistance Bands

Now for some Alerting Activities. Great to use with kids who are more quiet and tend to be lethargic. Also great to use after sitting activities to get the juices flowing again! Just make sure you do some type of calming activity after an Alerting activity before asking your child to sit back down to learn and work again. 


- Bouncing on a therapy ball with adult's help.
- Bright Lights
- Faster music with a strong beat
- Vibrations on arms, hands, back
- Using two fingers on both sides of the spine, give light upward strokes 3-5 times.
- Swinging fast with adult stopping the swing and bouncing it to challenge child's balance.
- Jumping on trampoline


Calming Activities:

- Rocking slowly over ball on belly
- Turning off the lights
- Swinging back and forth on belly with head lower than body
- Swinging in a large circle with child facing an adult (no spinning)
- Laying under a heavy blanket
- Weighted vest/lap pad
- Soft music (spa CD)
- Bean bag squeezes
- Child laying on beanbag while adult rolls ball over top giving some pressure
- Use of body sock/lycra material to wrap in
- Light touch (for some children) have student rub their arms with a feather (This could also be an alerting activity depending on your child's sensory needs. Be sure you know what type of sensory activities your child will respond to for calming).
- Using two fingers on both sides of the spine to give form downward strokes 3-5 times.

Have a topic you would like us to cover? Leave a comment or send me an e-mail! We would love to hear from you!

Disclaimer: I am a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant. The advise in these tips is not a replacement for medical advise from a physician or your pediatrician. Please consult their advice if you suspect any medical or developmental issues with your child.  

CEOs at Soul Daddy

May 4

Did you know that a cabal of restaurant CEOs get together several times a year to scheme and plot?

Okay, maybe that’s not exactly true. They don’t really plot. They get together and talk about the restaurant businesses and visit restaurants in different cities.

And I guess I wouldn’t call them a cabal. “Some guys” is probably more accurate.

But I don’t really know. Which Wich chief executive Jeff Sinelli just told me about them. They’re in New York now, and Jeff asked me to join some of them at Soul Daddy, the winner of America’s Next Great Restaurant, for a quick bite.

So I went to the South Street Seaport and met Abe Ng, president, CEO and chief sushi officer (so says his business card) of Sushi Maki in Miami, and David Goronkin, who doesn’t have a business card because he’s between jobs. He used to be the boss at Bennigan’s, and on June 1 he starts as CEO of Real Mex Restaurants, which operate the Chevys, El Torito and Acapulco chains.

We picked at the food, and then Jeff asked for a manager and quizzed him about the restaurant.

I didn't have to do anything. I just sat there and sampled the wild rice salad while Jeff interviewed the guy.

It turns out that America’s Next Great Restaurant was filmed last year, and the winner, Jamawn Woods, didn’t know he won until it was announced on Sunday. But in the meantime, Steve Ells and the other investors in this next great restaurant got to work hiring staff and securing real estate and generally making the restaurant happen in three places at once — Los Angeles, New York and Minneapolis.

That they kept the restaurant’s identity under wraps all that time is amazing.

The manager confirmed that the New York restaurant was packed on its first two days of business. But it was pretty quiet when I met the CEOs there at 5:10 on its third day of business. It was a crappy, rainy day, which might have had something to do with it.

The food is supposed to be soul food that's good for you.

We tried the ribs and the chicken and the pulled pork sandwich, the black-eyed pea salad and the wild rice salad and the sweet potato salad and the cabbage slaw. We had a cornbread waffle and some cheese grits.

The manager told us that the menu items were developed based merely on their names, which the investment partners gave to their development team in Denver.

And I don’t like to badmouth a place, so I’ll say I liked the waffles and the cheese grits. The rest of it tasted like it was good for you.

It would be harsh to say it’s soul food without soul, but, well, I guess I just did.

Jeff, Abe and David had dinner plans with Drew Nieporent, who was going to show them Tribeca Grill, Nobu and Centrico, so that was probably fun.


Hold the Mayo


Or not. Depends upon what you are slathering it upon. Corned beef or pastrami sandwiches on rye … well not so much, unless you are my mother. Take her into any good deli and she will inevitably order corned beef on white bread with lettuce, tomatoes and mayonnaise. You can only imagine the horrified look on my New York born-and-bred husband’s face when she does that. Really, Mom?

That aside, there’s a lot you can do with a good dollop of homemade mayonnaise. Stir it up with some chopped fresh herbs and scallions, thin it with a little lemon juice and serve it up with a nice piece of grilled fish. Combine it with a healthy dose of horseradish (preferably the homemade variety) and maybe a little sour cream and give your steak a big wallop of flavor. Add some garlic and turn it into an aioli for shrimp or grilled vegetables. Do something similar with a hit of pesto.  Or, have yourself a retro little salad by blending mayonnaise and ketchup into a thousand island dressing, then spooning it over a big wedge of chilled iceberg lettuce.

What would a BLT be without mayo? Dry and boring, that’s what. Potato salad? Deviled eggs? Pimiento cheese? I'll stop ranting now.

So without further ado, here is a recipe for mayonnaise. Try it just once and you’ll never go back to those processed versions (sorry, Hellman’s). Like most of what I post here, it’s ridiculously easy and it will live for several weeks in your fridge, giving you lots of time to experiment. Oh, and just think how impressed your friends and family will be!


MAYONNAISE  (adapted from Scott Peacock's "The Gift of Southern Cooking"

1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 egg yolks (I use extra-large)
1 1/2 cups peanut or canola oil
1 tablespoon hot water

Place the vinegar, lemon juice, sea salt and mustard into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Blend briefly until dissolved, then add egg yolks and whisk until smooth.  While mixer is running, add the oil drop by drop at first, then in a slow stream until all of it has been incorporated and the mixture is emulsified.  Beat in the hot water until mayonnaise is smooth and creamy.

Store in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container.

Yield:  about 1 1/2 cups





*  I always make this in my electric mixer, but you can do it in a food processor instead.  You can also make it by hand with a big bowl and a balloon whisk which means you won't need to do any weight-lifting at the gym that day.

*  I know I post a lot of Scott Peacock’s recipes here, but there’s a reason for that and it's because they are trustworthy. I’ve used them in both a restaurant kitchen (Watershed) and my own home kitchen for years and I can vouch for that. I would tinker with them, but instead I will stand by that old adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

*   I also know some of you are going to look at this recipe and say “Oh no, this calls for raw eggs and I can’t go there.” That’s your choice, and I certainly respect that. I’ve made the choice to use organic, free-range eggs for my mayonnaise and have never had an issue. Farm fresh eggs are even better. It goes without saying that if you know where your eggs come from, the lesser the chances of contamination.   As you know from earlier posts, I think it's well worth the trouble and expense to seek out farm fresh eggs.


A new Rickshaw’s coming to town


May 4

I just got off the phone with Rickshaw Dumpling Bar owner Kenny Lao, who’s opening his second location in Manhattan next week.

Or maybe it's his sixth location. It kind of depends on how you look at it. 

The new restaurant is at 459 Lexington Avenue. That's the northwest corner of Lexington and 45th.

“We're aiming to open early next week,” Kenny said. That's when the butcher paper you see in the picture will come off of the windows.

He already has one brick-and-mortar store on 23rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth avenues, and he also has a fleet of four food trucks.

It was what he learned from his food trucks that told him where to open his next restaurant. 

“We realized with our trucks that there was a large base of customers here in Midtown who loved us. We responded to how well the trucks do parking around here, as well as to requests from customers, and we started looking for a new location.”


Kenny’s optimistic about the restaurant’s prospects.

“We think it’s going to be fantasmo,” he said.

That would be an improvement over the last store he opened, on Eighth Street, near NYU. It failed to thrive and closed after the economy went south.

The health inspector has been by, the permits are in place, but Kenny’s still trying to figure out his new magnetic menu board, which you can see in the picture. He says keeping all of those letters in a straight line is a lot harder than it looks.

The denizens of Midtown East have gotten familiar with Rickshaw's classic pork, chicken Thai basil and edamame dumplings, but at the new shop they’ll have the whole gamut to choose from, including Peking duck, kimchi beef, Szechuan chicken, and mustard green veggie dumplings, along with steamed buns, three salads instead of the single one that's available at the trucks, a bunch of sides and four different noodle soups.

Some new items are being added with the new opening, too, including warm sesame noodles.

Those are made from fresh Shanghai noodles and what Kenny calls “a really creamy sesame paste sauce with scallions and cucumbers.” 

He’s also adding a cucumber wakame salad and herbaceous Vietnamese spring rolls — not the fried kind, the other kind — with a peanut dipping sauce.

Ciabatta Bread and my first Giveaway!!


Oh No! Silly me...the giveaway is not a ball of mushy drippy dough!  Look BEHIND the blob for a clue...


This week, it was time for me to turn to page 52 of Artisan Breads Every Day by Peter Reinhart.


What new bread is in store for me now?  Answer:
Ciabatta bread or Pain à L'Ancienne (Rustic Bread)


...and then I'll tell you about my first Giveaway!


Since I have started teaching myself how to bake breads, it just amazes me each and every time, that you can go from a lumpy, gloppy, mass of very few ingredients to a beautiful, crusty, golden loaf of delicious bread.  


How did they do that in the ancient days?  Since I have begun to cook from scratch, questions of food history swirl in my mind.  Especially questions about the discovery of yeast.  



How in the world was yeast discovered and then used in baking?
Yeast goes back some six thousand years, when it was discovered by the Egyptians.
Beer was produced and brewed in the same areas as bread was being made.  It is suspected that the liquid ale was used in a batch of bread. The rise was more spectacular than a normal loaf of bread and so the same "ale" water was continuously used.  No one really knows how it all came about.  This is just a theory. 



O.K., I just had to satiate my curiosity on bits of bread history so...
now...


I'm going to take a foray into the "Giveaway" world.  I would like increase the number of followers to "Snippets of Thyme".    Do you see the apron worn in the top two photos?  Yes, behind the doughy orb?



That is the giveaway!  A hip, cool, gorgeous cooking apron for all of you food bloggers out there as well as anyone wanting to look hip in the kitchen. My cousin recently made this apron for me as a gift and I just love it!  I don't feel all fuddy-duddy wearing an apron because it is so darn cool!  


**(If any of you have little ones at home, you can also visit her store "Bayouland Babies".  Jena makes onesies, sundresses, jumpers, and adorable little cloth baby dolls.)

Keep following below and I'll tell you how you can get my giveaway...


My favorite...poached egg on freshly made bread

Here is what you must do:


1.  Kindly click on  "follow/subscriber" here on my blog site as well as Twitter and become a new follower.


2.  Announce to your Twitter and Facebook peeps (or anywhere!) that I am having a "giveaway" and provide my url (rileymadel.blogspot.com)


3.  Go to my comment box and type: This Apron is Too Cool for School







I will be using a random name generator to pick the lucky winner.  
The winner will be announced by May 12


Ciabatta Loaf Recipe:

Ingredients:

4 1/2cups (20oz/567g) unbleached bread flour
1 3/4 teaspoons (0.4oz/11g) salt
1 1/4 teaspoons (0.14oz/4g) instant yeast
2 cups (16oz/454g) chilled water (about 55ºF or 13ºC)
1 tablespoon (0.5oz/14g) olive oil

Do ahead

Combine the flour, salt, yeast, and water in a mixing bowl.  If using a mixer, use the paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed for 1 minute (Snippets Notes:  Because if you don't put it on lowest speed, you might be wearing a lot of white on your face).  If mixing by hand, use a large spoon and stir for about 1 minute, until well blended.  The dough should be coarse and sticky.  Let the dough rest for 5 minutes to fully hydrate the flour.

Drizzle the olive oil over the dough.  Mix on medium-low speed using the paddle attachment, or by hand using a large wet spoon or wet hands, for 1 minute.  The dough should become smoother but will still be very soft, sticky, and wet.  Use a wet bowl scraper or spatula to transfer the dough to a clean, lightly oiled bowl.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface.  With wet or oiled hands, reach under the front end of the dough, stretch it out, then fold it back onto the top of the dough.  Do this from the back end and then from each side, then flip the dough over and tuck it into a ball.  The dough should be significantly firmer, though still very soft and fragile.  Place the dough back in the bowl, cover, and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.  Repeat this process 3 more times, competing all repetitions within 40 minutes.  (Snippets Notes:  I just stretch and fold right there in the bowl as opposed to taking the dough out and moving it to the counter)

After the final stretch and fold, immediately cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate over night or for up to 4 days.  The dough will rise, possibly to double its original size, in the refrigerator.

On Baking Day...

Remove the dough from the refrigerator about  3 hours in advance for ciabatta.  About 1 hour after taking the dough out of the refrigerator, line the back of a sheet pan with parchment paper and generously dust the entire surface with flour.  Use a wet or oiled bowl scraper to transfer the dough to the work surface, taking care to handle the dough as little as possible to avoid degassing it.

Dust the top of the surface of the dough with flour and also flour your hands.  Using your hands or a metal pastry scraper, gently coax and pat the dough into a rough square measuring about 9 inches on each side, still taking care to degas it as little as possible.

About 45 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 550ºF (288ºC) or as high as it will go, and prepare the oven for hearth baking.  Slide the dough, parchment and all, onto the stone;  if you aren't using a stone, put the entire pan in the oven. (Snippets Notes:  This is a shallow pan that you fill with water and slide in the oven right beneath you bread.  It will steam the dough and make a really nice crust)  Pour 1 cup of hot water into the steam pan underneath the pan holding the bread, then lower the temperature to 450ºF (232ºC)

Bake for 12 minutes, rotate the pan and bake for 15-20 minutes more, until the crust is a rich brown.  Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

My Greed Is Fine. Yours, Not So Much

Green evangelist George Monbiot has penned a lovely article wailing about the logical contradictions in the environmental movement. It's a treasure trove of logical contradictions in itself. Just picking one was difficult, but here we go.

Greed is the problem.
Accommodation makes sense only if the economy is reaching a steady state. But the clearer the vision becomes, the further away it seems. A steady state economy will be politically possible only if we can be persuaded to stop grabbing.
Accomodation refers to the act of developing sufficient "clean" energy sources and infrastructure to support the economy. Leaving aside for the time being the nonsense about "clean" sources, we come to the root of the problem: all of you out there who want something they don't have need to stop it immediately. Of course, if what you want is for me to agree with George Monbiot, that's OK.

Greed comes in lots of forms. It's shorthand for wanting more of something. George limits his definition of greed to material things, but he's larded up with greed just like anyone else. His entire career is filled with greed. The guy is a writer and an editorialist at that. George is greedy for people to think like he does. George wants you to buy his newspaper or patronize his advertisers so he can continue writing to convince more people that he's right. Greedy, greedy, George!

George wants more! No matter how much he has, he always wants more!

Rasa penat.

Ain rasa penat.tekak Ain sakit, perit, even nk telan air pun sakit.huhu.
Balik rumah Ain rasa pening kepala, rasa nk termuntah.
Hm, im not feeling well!
Tapi kerja Ain masih byk..still got lots of file to wrap up.
N then, next week im going to spend 3 weeks with same client.
Dah la jauh, around Senai. Confirm balik lewat, ntah2 Wesak Day pun kene
keje jugakkk.. Mana tau kan? Client plak dgr citerr shit gakk la..huhu.
Tadi da kene warning a.k.a advice from my senior.hihi.
She said "U better put more effort in this job or else U cannot wrap up the file."
Then, Ain cakap "Okay" je laaa.. hihi ;)
Itu tanda-tanda awal yang client ni agak "Teettt". hihi.
Tadi balik rasa mls nk makan tapi perut berbunyi-bunyi,Huhu.
Diet punya pasal sanggup tahan diri dari makan.Haha.
Last-last lapar gakk n pegi masak megi je.
Al-maklum la Cik Ijit a.k.a chef balik kampung sbb off duty arini.
Okay la, Doakan Ain cepat sihat.Pasni nk g selongkar ubat ape yg leh dimakan.

Bye-bye.

BEAN SPROUT CUTLETS


Ingredients:
Bean sprouts .... 1 cup
Potato ............... 2 small
Corn flour ........ 1 tsp.
Bread crumbs .... 2 tbsps.
Salt .... to taste
Methi leaves ...... 1 tbsp.
Coriander leaves ... 1 tbsp.
Green chillies ......... 1 chopped finely
Amchoor powder .... 1/2 tsp.
Red chilli powder .... a pinch.
Garam masala ......... 1 tsp.
Caraway seeds ......... 1/2 tsp.
Oil

Method:
1. In a pan boil 2 cups water, switch off the gas.. add a little salt and leave the sprouts in hot water for 5-10 minutes.
2. Drain the water. In a pan heat a little oil and stir fry the sprouts for 2-3 mins. Let them cool.

3. Add all the masalas and the mashed potato along with the crumbs and corn flour.

4. Check the salt. Make cutlets and deep fry or shallow fry them on a non-stick pan.


Enamel : "A Layer of the History of Modern Advertising in Indonesia"

I was visited this exhibition in Erasmus Huis Jakarta, this exhibition really entertaining for me and my friends. You would see from some pictures that i took there. But you are probably need to be there to enjoy the atmosphere and giggle for the advertisement.

This exhibition is for free and for public.
So guys, you can come from Monday to Saturday in work hours.
from April 14th to June 17th 2011.
Tell me when you have visited this exhibition ;)

By the way, i always love Erasmus Huis and its events. Always great and worth to attend.
How about you?







Don't you think those pictures above are exciting?

Cheers,
Ketty Tressianah

Saving Up And Paying Cash Makes You Happier

The Wall Street Journal has an article out on 8 ways to buy more happiness. One of the way, happily, coincides with Dave Ramsey's take on credit cards.
Credit cards, car loans and even mortgages allow people to consume now and pay later. The price is interest -- and mounting debt for the incautious -- so there's a financial argument to be made for saving up and paying cash whenever possible. But there's a happiness argument, too. Consumers who buy right away on credit rob themselves of a free source of enjoyment: anticipation ... Delayed pleasures are just as intense, and consumers accrue additional pleasure by looking forward to them. Think of it as "compound happiness" interest.
I can remember the delightful anticipation in my youth when I saved up to buy games or fish and plants for my aquariums. Unable to buy on credit, I was always longing, in a pleasant way, for another fish tank so I could breed my fish, sell them and use that money for other things. In retrospect, having to save up for things didn't just give me happiness from looking forward to my purchase, it made me more creative as I found new ways to get to my goals quicker.



Excitement unbounded! Well, for me, at least.

Recipe of the Week Blog Hop

Just wanted to let you all know that my Recipe of the Week blog hop will be returning next week. I am on a cleaning spree this week, so I have not had a chance to try any new recipes or time to post much this week. Looking forward to seeing you all back here next Tuesday for the blog hop!

Thanks for understanding!






SOYA 65



Ingredients:

Soya Nuggets……... 3 cups

For marination:
Maida…………… 3 tbsp
Cornflour……….. 3 tbsp
Ginger-Garlic Paste…. 2 tsp
Ajinomoto………. 1/4 tsp
Red Chilli Powder…. 1 tsp
Coriander Powder….. 1 tsp
Salt to taste

For sautéing:
Garlic……..10 to 15 cloves (chopped length-wise)
Slit green chillies ..... 5 to 6
Yogurt ………..... 1 cup
Curry Leaves……. 1/2 cup
Ajinomoto………. a pinch
Red Food Colour…… 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder…. 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder….. 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves…….. for garnishing

Method:
1. Soak soya nuggets in water for 10 minutes. Boil them for 5 minutes. Drain well to remove the excess water completely and let them cool .
After they are cool enough to touch, squeeze between both palms to remove all the moisture from the nuggets. Take care to see that no water remains in the nuggets.
2. Marinate the nuggets with all the marination ingredients adding a few drops of water.
3. Fry the nuggets for a minute.
4. Heat 2 tbsps of oil. Add chopped garlic and green chillies and stir for a minute.
5. Now add curry leaves and immediately add yogurt. Also add red chilli powder, coriander powder, salt, ajinomoto and red colour. Mix well until one boil.
6. Add the fried nuggets and stir till the sauce thickens and coats the nuggets.
7. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot.

INSTANT MINI IDLIS


Ingredients:
Semolina ..........1 cup
Sour yogurt ... 1/2 cup
Baking soda..... a pinch
Salt ................... to taste
Eno ..................3/4 th tsp.
Lime juice or vinegar

Method:
1. Mix the semolina, yogurt, baking soda, salt adding a little water to a thick consistency.

2. Put eno and squeeze a little lime juice or vinegar over it. Mix it well into the batter.(Remember that eno should be added to each portion of the batter seperately just before steaming the idlis.)

3. Grease the mini idli mould and pour the batter with a small spoon.
4. Steam them for about 10 minutes.
5. Remove from the mould and sprinkle podi (dal powder) and serve as a cocktail snack.
6. You can also serve plain idlis with sambar.

Banana Split Pie Recipe

Ingredients:
  • 1 graham cracker crust
  • 1 (4 oz.) pkg. sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 2 c. low-fat milk
  • 2 bananas, sliced
  • 1 (15 oz.) can crushed pineapple
  • 1 c. Cool Whip
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/2 c. pecans, chopped

Procedure:
  • Mix pudding with milk and beat until thick, pour into crust. Put
  • Banana pudding. Squeeze pineapple to remove all the juices.
  • Sprinkle over bananas. Cover with Cool Whip, sprinkle pecans on
  • Top. Well, cool.

Banana Split Pie Recipe

Ingredients:
  • 1 graham cracker crust
  • 1 (4 oz.) pkg. sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 2 c. low-fat milk
  • 2 bananas, sliced
  • 1 (15 oz.) can crushed pineapple
  • 1 c. Cool Whip
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/2 c. pecans, chopped

Procedure:
  • Mix pudding with milk and beat until thick, pour into crust. Put
  • Banana pudding. Squeeze pineapple to remove all the juices.
  • Sprinkle over bananas. Cover with Cool Whip, sprinkle pecans on
  • Top. Well, cool.

Aloo Achari Recipe

INGREDIENTS
  • Baby potatoes, boiled and peeled 500 grams
  • Fenugreek seeds (methi dana) 1/4 teaspoon
  • Mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon
  • Fennel seeds (saunf) 1/2 teaspoon
  • Dried red chillies 4
  • Mustard oil 2 tablespoons
  • Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon
  • Onion seeds (kalonji) 1/2 teaspoon
  • Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon
  • Garlic paste 1 tablespoon
  • Ginger paste 1 1/2 teaspoons
  • Salt to taste
  • Black salt (kala namak) 1/4 teaspoon
  • Sugar 1 teaspoon
  • Vinegar 3 teaspoons
METHOD
  • Grind together fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds and red chillies to a coarse powder. Heat mustard oil in a pan till it begins to smoke. Add cumin seeds, onion seeds and sauté for half a minute. Add turmeric powder and potatoes and stir. Add garlic paste and ginger paste and quarter cup of water and mix. Add the ground spices, salt, black salt and sugar and mix well. Add vinegar and quarter cup of water and cook till dry. Serve hot.

Aloo Achari Recipe

INGREDIENTS
  • Baby potatoes, boiled and peeled 500 grams
  • Fenugreek seeds (methi dana) 1/4 teaspoon
  • Mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon
  • Fennel seeds (saunf) 1/2 teaspoon
  • Dried red chillies 4
  • Mustard oil 2 tablespoons
  • Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon
  • Onion seeds (kalonji) 1/2 teaspoon
  • Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon
  • Garlic paste 1 tablespoon
  • Ginger paste 1 1/2 teaspoons
  • Salt to taste
  • Black salt (kala namak) 1/4 teaspoon
  • Sugar 1 teaspoon
  • Vinegar 3 teaspoons
METHOD
  • Grind together fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds and red chillies to a coarse powder. Heat mustard oil in a pan till it begins to smoke. Add cumin seeds, onion seeds and sauté for half a minute. Add turmeric powder and potatoes and stir. Add garlic paste and ginger paste and quarter cup of water and mix. Add the ground spices, salt, black salt and sugar and mix well. Add vinegar and quarter cup of water and cook till dry. Serve hot.

Anti Cholesterol Shake Recipe

Ingredients
  • 1 medium sized orange, seperated into segments
  • 1/4 medium sized papaya, cut into pieces
  • 1 banana, cut into pieces
  • crushed ice to serve

Method
  • HOPPER / JUICER
  • Juice all the ingredients except bananas.
  • Blend the bananas to a purée in a blender and add to the juice.
  • Add some crushed ice in 2 glasses and pour the juice over it. Serve immediately.
  • MIXER / BLENDER
  • Blend all the ingredients using little water (if required) till smooth.
  • Strain the juice using a strainer or a muslin cloth.
  • Add some crushed ice in 2 glasses and pour the juice over it. Serve immediately.