I am missing my India so much for today my country will be glowing like an illuminated galaxy on planet Earth for today is the "Festival of lights" called Diwali or Deepavali . Each and every house will be sparkling in terms of cleanliness,decoration,happiness and celebration in all .
I recall how I used to celebrate Diwali at home during my childhood days...I used to look forward to this festival...peace and happiness was totally in the air....everyone used to be darn busy at my home ..my brother busy in buying firecrackers ,my mom busy in making sweets and other delicacies ,my dad decorating our balcony with a red colored star lantern and lights and he would be painting the wicker furniture by himself , which was like one of the first furniture he bought after his wedding and so that holds a special sentimental value to him and because of his dedication even after 35 years of my parent's wedding that wicker is still intact and looks quite brand new and I loved watching my dad painting ...each stroke with utter love :)..not to mention festival was in air and heart :) ...
Oh by the way where was I, what did I do then ??? well, someone needs to supervise all these things right :P ...yes yes I was busy in making sure I had better crackers than my neighbour :P & so compelling my brother to buy more crackers , taste testing in the kitchen with my mom ...unfortunately the count of the sweets got down somehow :P...and disturbing dad while he was painting or decorating asking him to narrate some mythological fables (which he was pretty good at :) )and moreover,I would totally forget about books,pen,paper ,subjects,school ...I made sure TV was working fine as well by gluing to it and watching all festival special programs and by afternoon we would have our relatives for the yummy lunch made by mom so welcoming them :P ,by evening after offering prayers (me half-heartedly) as my half concentration would be on the Hindi movie being aired :P and later on myself and my dad would be decorating our home especially the verandahs,courtyards,roof tops with loads of diyas and candles and eventually cracking all firecrackers ..errrr I mean my brother dear ..I would be happy with the sparklers or bidi bumm (a local firecracker stringed together at a stretch) and best part ,watching all around ,every house bright and light with diyas (earthern lamps) all over and everyone cracking firecrackers outside ...I just loved this speechless sight and sound .....the smell of those firecrackers still lingered in the air for another few days as well....
Ahhhhh miss those days and as usual I owe my parents for their quality time with us ,for celebrating every festival with great pomp and show and enlightening us about our rich colorful Indian culture every now and then...though it's been a while since I celebrated with my parents ..In US you can hardly feel any glowing sight or sound around ..people go to temples,may or may not prepare festival special at home ,have a get together ,light a few diyas and DONE. However it's such nostalgic memories which somehow reignite and recreates the festivals at heart ....again thanks to my mom and dad for those memories makes me smile and ecstatic during every festival :)....
Basically (To those who don't know) Deepawali means "Row of lights".It's celebrated with immense fervor especially in the northern part of India ,where houses are cleaned and decrated with lighting lanterns and earthern lamps called Diyas with oil and wicks in it or even candles all over the house ,savoring varities of delicacies ,aromas of tranceful incense sticks flowing in to the air and loads of firecrackers bursting into the sky ...A lightful,brightful, one of a kind sightful festival :) ...A few people worship lord Rama,others Goddess Lakshmi,a few Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi's wedding,in Bengal,Goddess Kali and Lord Ganesha and Jain religion celebrates the attainement of Mahavira's nirvana ...in short another festival of enjoyment and enlightenment spiritually,physically,mentally and heartily :) ... A medium to express gratitude and celebrate life.
I celebrated my Diwali this time lighting few diyas and watching a dhamakedaar cinema,the new release Hindi movie, "Krrish 3",a surreal Sci-fi superhero Bollywood movie.Needless to say , I thoroughly enjoyed it .The special effects,the thrilling actions,tad of emotions here and there,sci-fi storyline and especially the superhero himself stole my heart.The main protagonist of the flick,the dapper actor ,Hrithik Roshan certainly did 100 % justice to his role and so was one of the mutant of the movie,Kaya a.k.a ravishing actress Kangana Ranaut and the villain ,Kaal aka Handsome Vivek Oberoi also did good and the main heroine Priyanka was fine too .However,when it came to songs ,they were bit disappointing though Hrithik's stellar moves somehow compensated that as well ..in all I had a blockbuster diwali celebration this time :)..No regrets !!..something is always better than nothing afterall!!
This Diwali I made an easy breezy Doodh peda/Pal kova,an Indian festival sweets made with milk powder,condensed milk and butter in microwave within 15 minutes .So, it's sweet in every way .. Taste wise and preparation time wise :).
Doodh Peda
Ingredients
Condensed milk (I used fat free) - 1 can
Milk powder - 1 1/4 cup
Butter, melted - 2 tablespoon
Cardamom powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Kewra essence- 1 tablespoon (optional)
Yellow color (optional)
A round spoon & small cake mold (for design) (Optional)
Preparations
+Mix together condensed milk, milk powder, butter, cardamom powder, kewra essence and yellow color well in a microwavable container.
Microwave it for two minutes or until they start bubbling.
Take it out carefully, stir again and microwave for another 2-3 minutes.
Take it out and allow it to cool a bit.
Now make it into a dough and divide them into small lime size balls.
Press each ball between palms like a patty and keep them aside on a parchment paper.
Design it as you wish. Allow it to cool and set completely.
Instant peda is ready :).
Note :
You can use any of your favorite essence.
The container used for microwaving should have ample space for milk+ boiling...though you can stop when you see the mixture is gonna spill and start again after a few seconds.
Mine is a 1000 watt microwave. So you may have to adjust your cooking timings as per your microwave's power capacity.
You can garnish with pistachio or almond bits as well.
Once cool put them carefully covered in the refrigerator to set them fast.
Happy Diwali to all my readers !!Have a blast but carefully :)
Today is another auspicious day for Indians across the world as on one side, Kerala, Southern most part of India is celebrating its 57th birthday famously called "Kerala Piravi" ,Northern India on the other side is celebrating the festival of wealth and prosperity,"Dhanteras" .
A snippet of an enchanting Kerala
After India got independence , the land of coconuts(Ker-ala) or God's own country was formed on Nov 1,1956 .However, according to the Hindu mythology , Lord Parasurama, an avatar of Lord Vishnu threw his axe into the sea and that's how Kerala was created and that's why it's popularly called ,"God's own country".
Anyways, today is the birthday of my home state, Kerala.. So,I hereby wish my native place ,"Happy and prosperous birthday" !! May the beauty & significance of this state, the soothing backwaters, the tropical greenery, sublime beaches, sea-cliffs , rocky coasts, monuments and temples always be the center of attraction & spread natural happiness for people far and wide.
Though it's the birth-day of Kerala,there is no as such grand celebration like the main festival of the state,Onam or Vishu.It's not celebrated at home but they are as a small tribute ,celebrated and cherished at schools,colleges,offices etc in a mini traditional way ...
I remember during college days in Kerala,we had many cultural programs and we used to clad ourselves in ethnic wear-Set-saree ,a beautiful Kerala special saree in off-white with golden borders and there is something about that costume, it's so simple yet it can make any lady look divine :)....and long hair adorned with jasmine garland and gold jewelries ....in short every girl looked/looks like a Goddess and so are the men wearing the traditional cloth made with the same material ...ohhh I am so fond of set-sarees by the way ...:)
Talking about the golden jewelries, it's the apt time to buy gold as the price dropped well and guess what ,the right occasion too as during the festival ,"Dhanteras", it is considered to be auspicious to buy anything gold especially as it is believed to bring good luck ...well, ladies what are we waiting for ..Let's go shopping ..I bet hubbys won't mind either :P ...
On the eve of these festivals ,I made one of mine and my hubby's favorite Kerala snack,"Pazham pori" or "Plantain fritters Kerala style" or locally called "Ethakka appam" which is prepared by coating the plantain slices with flour and deep fried in coconut oil (for the authentic Kerala taste).
Banana Fritters/Pazham Pori/Ethakka Appam are actually a quintessential Kerala snack, one of the most sought after item sold in local trains and shops in every nook and corner in Kerala and can be easily made at home as well. Hardly anyone can detest or resist it.In fact , Pazham Pori is an evergreen favorite Mallu (short form of Malayalee) munchy delight !!!
Pazham Pori can be prepared in different ways .I am going to show you THREE ways of making Ethakka Appam in this video .
And my FOURTH way is a special Ethakka Appam recipe.This is how I make special Pazham Pori at home :
Pazham Pori|Ethakka Appam|Banana Fritters
Ingredients
Ripe Plantains /Nenthra pazham - 2 nos.
All purpose flour/Maida - 3/4 cup
Rice flour - 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon(optional)
Sugar - 1-2 tablespoon
Salt to taste
Shredded coconuts - 2 tablespoons (optional)
Cardamom powder - 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
Cumin seeds, crushed - a pinch (optional)
Baking soda - a pinch
Water - 1-1 1/2 cup
Coconut oil (Preferably) /Any cooking oil , for deep frying - 1-2 cup
Preparation
Mix the flours , turmeric powder, baking powder, sugar, salt, shredded coconuts, cardamom powder, crushed cumin seeds and water to form a semi-thick batter with a dropping consistency and keep it aside for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile peel the plantains and cut them into half and slice each half vertically into four thick long slices .
Heat oil in a wide or deep pan for deep frying .
Once oil is hot , reduce the flame (medium-low) and dip one by one each plantain slices into the batter and deep fry it both sides until light golden brown.
Using a slotted ladle allow the excess oil to drip off and then transfer the fried plantains on to the tissue paper to absorb the rest oil.
Serve hot with a cup of tea.
Notes:
The plantains should be ripe but not overly ripe.Based on the ripeness adjust the sugar for the sweetness.
The batter should be any lump free and if it's thin enough to coat the plantain slices properly add little AP flour and if too thick add little water until the batter is of coat-able consistency.
Turmeric powder is for color.So adjust it accordingly.
Serve and eat them "Hot" for the best taste.
No matter how many Banana fritters you eat in Kerala,it will never be enough .
