DRY PAAN... best homemade paan/ mouth freshner

Dry Paan 

by Latha Murthy

Festive season is here. I hope you all had a wonderful Dasara. Most of us have experienced that after every festival or function we are left with plenty of betel leaves which is a must in our festivities. People who are preparing themselves for the confinement of their daughter/daughter-in-law.can prepare this which will be very handy specially when you are going abroad to help them out.

This time do not wonder or despair try this simple dry paan which is healthy and tasty. 

Ingredients

1 cup finely chopped Betel leaves 

1/2 cup of Sugar. 

optional to be mixed later : betelnut powder (supari), saunf/Fennel seeds , diamond sugar .

Method.

Wash and dry the betel leaves without traces of water. Remove the nodal part ( thumbo kudi) and chop the leaves into fine bits.

In a kadai, add sugar and leaves together ( please remember absolutely no water). Keep stirring occasionally , the sugar starts to melt. Before it completely melts take it out of the heat and keep stirring. Soon the crispy paan is ready. 

Simple isnt it... The consistency can be mastered in a few trials.

After this cools store in a airtight container for a long time.

For added taste add saunf,diamond sugar and ready supari . It can be used without all these too.

Have a great season . Do let me know how it is . 

Stir Fried Hakka Noodles

 I have always wanted to get Hakka noodles right and Tarla Dalal's recipe came just to my aid this time. I did make a few changes like adding pepper powder instead of red chillies. It turned out a great dish. Here is the recipe for you.

STIR FRIED HAKKA NOODLES

Ingredients


2 tbsp oil
3 tsp chopped garlic pods
2 carrot finely chopped
1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup finely sliced capsicum
1/2 cup chopped spring onions whites
1/2 cup peas and corn kernels
3 cups boiled Hakka noodles
2 tsp soy sauce
Pepper powder to taste
salt to taste




To Garnish
1/4 cup shredded cabbage or 
1/4 cup chopped spring onion greens




Method


Boil 6 cups of water with a dash of oil and salt .When the water is boiling add a pack of Hakka noodles , turn the heat off after a minute or so.. close the pan and let the noodles cook .Then drain the water and keep the boiled noodles aside.


Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan over a high flame.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for a few seconds.
Add the cabbage, capsicum ,carrot and spring onion whites and stir-fry over a high flame for a few  minutes.


Add peas and corn kernels, add salt and let the vegetables cook.
Add the noodles, soy sauce ,pepper and salt. Mix well and stir-fry for 2 minute.
Serve hot , garnished with spring onion greens.

Methi Theplas - Roti (flatbread) with Fenugreek Leaves

Gujarati Thali is the one I have been searching for in Mysore in a long time. Even though there was a mention here and there the only time I had it was one Navratri Dandiya time few years ago. I searched for Theplas ( after girls saw three idiots , they do know names of a few Gujarati dishes now I guess I will have to make them!!!) I came across Roma Sharma's Blog. This theplas turned out very tasty. The measurements were so great that doubling up too yields perfect results. Thanks Roma.


Theplas are basically spiced parathas. They are excellent for travelling as they are not spoilt for more than a week.This variety is great either as a meal, with tea or just a snack in the kids lunch box.


Here's the recipe friends

Methi Thepla

Ingredients :
1 cup Wheat flour /Atta
1 tablespoon Besan /kadalehittu/gram flour
1 tablespoon Oil
Pinch of Haldi powder /turmeric
1/2 teaspoon Mirchi powder /red chilli powder
1 teaspoon Dhania powder /coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon Jeera powder /roasted cumin powder
5 pods of Garlic, finely chopped
1 cup of Methi (Fenugreek ) leaves, fine chopped
1/4 cup Curds /Sour Yogurt
1/2 teaspoon Jeera/Cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon Til/Sesame seeds
Pinch of Hing (Asafoetida)
Salt (to taste)
Sugar (to taste) (optional)
Oil to roast.


Method


Mix all the above ingredients with just about half a cup of water to a  dough. Knead it till it is soft. Allow it for about 5 to 10 minutes . With a little dry flour roll out rotis.. small circular ones. Cook on both sides with a little oil on a hot flat pan or tawa...
Enjoy hot thelpas with set curds  .They are great with masala tea too.

Smiley in the Sky

SMILEY IN THE SKY

as on December first 2008,18:23 PM

It was a fascinating view. Last evening when I was having my usual walk.. my friend said.. "hey ladies look at the moon today.. it looks like a smiley." Wow what a view it was!!!!!!!!!!!! I just cannot stop smiling remembering even after three hours....two small stars and the moon like a smile... a proper smiley.I just managed to take some pictures... None of which do the justice to such a beautiful sky...It was a visual feast.
After a few pictures one of the Friends said they were no mere stars they were Jupiter and Venus.. and this was one of the rare events of the decade.Jupiter, Venus, and a sliver of a crescent moon formed a spectacular, tight triangle in the evening sky, near the horizon. They were so tightly packed that I was able to cover them with my thumb at arms length..
Venus is the most impressive.On the right in the pictures, it was brighter. Although it’s 93 million miles from Earth about now, it shines with a brilliance.
View the moon with a slightly averted glance and you’re likely to pick up the dull but noticeable glow of Earth light reflecting off the darkened lunar surface.
the small dot on the left is Jupiter. Jupiter’s brightness isn't great, as we have to remember it some slack. Despite it’s enormous size, it’s currently about 472 million miles away.It is likely to be there for another 44 hours I was told.

After coming home and googling
this was what I found... on the net about yesterday's event
[b]“Look towards the southwest and you will see something very pretty - Venus and Jupiter beaming together through the twilight. The two closely-spaced planets are about to be joined by the slender crescent Moon for a spectacular three-way conjunction,” Nehru Planetarium director N. Rathnashree told IANS.
The three brightest objects in the night sky will be gathered so tightly together that you can hide them all behind your thumb held at arm’s length.
The Nehru Planetarium will put out telescopes at Old Fort in the capital.
“Although clear to the naked eye, a small telescope will make the evening even more enjoyable. We will be putting up some telescopes at Old Fort in the evening for people to have a clearer look of the celestial triangle,” Rathnashree said.
“It is a rare activity. The winter sky is very clear and you can have a spectacular look of the celestial activity,” said Ajay Talwar, a member of the Amateur Astronomer Association.
The celestial triangle will be visible from all parts of the world, even from lightly polluted cities.[/b]

I was fortunate enough to witness. A moment of the lifetime , may be it isn't as rare a phenomenon as I think, but I have not seen anything like this... so I feel..blessed really!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have managed to load some pictures for memory and for those who have not been able to witness.

Have a great week ahead..