IFCA Food Bloggers Contest!
1. Tell us which is your favorite dish & why?
MY FAVOURITE DISH IS YUMMY BISI BELA BHATH ..... AND THE REASON IS BECAUSE OF THAT YUMMY BISIBELA AND BHAGALA BHATH MY DAUGHTER SARADA SRIDHAR MADE ME A PROUD MOM OF 28 CANCER CHILDREN....PL READ THIS REAL STORY.....
mother & Daughter
I called my husband, 'How long will you be with that newspaper? Will you come here and make your darling daughter eat her food?'
I tossed the paper away and rushed to the scene. My only daughter Sharu looked frightened.
ild, quite intelligent for her age. She has just turned eight. She particularly detested Curd Rice. My mother and my husband are orthodox, and believe firmly in the 'cooling effects' of Curd Rice! I cleared my throat, and picked up the bowl.
I called my husband, 'How long will you be with that newspaper? Will you come here and make your darling daughter eat her food?'
I tossed the paper away and rushed to the scene. My only daughter Sharu looked frightened.
ild, quite intelligent for her age. She has just turned eight. She particularly detested Curd Rice. My mother and my husband are orthodox, and believe firmly in the 'cooling effects' of Curd Rice! I cleared my throat, and picked up the bowl.
'sharu, darling,why don't you take a few mouthful of this Curd Rice? Just for Dad's sake, dear.
sharu softened a bit, and wiped her tears with the back of her hands.
'OK, Dad. I will eat - not just a few mouthfuls, but the whole lot of this.
But, you should...' sharu hesitated. 'Dad, if I eat this entire curd Rice, will you give me whatever I ask for?'....
Oh sure, darling'.... 'Promise?'......... 'Promise'.
I covered the pink soft hand extended by my daughter with mine, and clinched the deal.
'Ask Mom also to give a similar promise', my daughter insisted.
My wife put her hand on Sharu's, muttering 'Promise'. Now I became a bit anxious.
'Sharu dear, you shouldn't insist on getting a computer or any such expensive items. Dad does not have that kind of money right now. OK?'
'No, Dad. I do not want anything expensive'.
Slowly and painfully, she finished eating the whole quantity.
I was silently angry with my wife and my mother for forcing my child eat something that she detested. After the ordeal was through, Sharu came to me with her eyes wide with expectation. All our attention was on her.
'Dad, I want to have my head shaved off, this Sunday!' was her demand.
'Atrocious!' I shouted, 'A girl child having her head shaved off? Impossible!' 'Never in our family!' my mother rasped.
'She has been watching too much of television. Our culture is getting totally spoiled with these TV programs!'
Sharu darling, why don't you ask for something else? We will be sad seeing you with a clean-shaven head.'
'No, Dad. I do not want anything else', Sharu said with finality.
'Please, Sharu, why don't you try to understand our feelings?'
I tried to plead with her.
'Dad, you saw how difficult it was for me to eat that Curd Rice'.
Sharu was in tears. 'And you promised to grant me whatever I ask for.
Now, you are going back on your words. Was it not you who told me the story of King Harishchandra, and its moral that we should honor our promises no matter what?'
It was time for me to call the shots.
'Our promise must be kept.'
'Are you out your mind?' chorused my mother and wife.
'No. If we go back on our promises, she will never learn to honor her own.
Sharu, your wish will be fulfilled.'
With her head clean-shaven, Sharu had a round-face, and her eyes looked big and beautiful.
On Monday morning, I dropped her at her school. It was a sight to watch my hairless Sharu walking towards her cl-assroom. She turned around and waved. I waved back with a smile. Just then, a boy alighted from a car, and shouted, 'Sharu, please wait for me!'
What struck me was the hairless head of that boy.
'May be, that is the in-stuff', I thought. 'Sir, your daughter Sharu is great indeed!' Without introducing herself, a lady got out of the car, and continued,' That boy who is walking along with your daughter is my son Harish. He is suffering from... ... leukemia.' She paused to muffle her sobs.
Harish could not attend the school for the whole of the last month. He lost all his hair due to the side effects of the chemotherapy. He refused to come back to school fearing the unintentional but cruel teasing of the schoolmates.
'Sarada sridhar visited him last week, and promised him that she will take care of the teasing issue.
But, I never imagined she would sacrifice her lovely hair for the sake of my son! Sir, you and your wife are blessed to have such a noble soul as your daughter.'
I stood transfixed. And then, I wept. 'My little Angel, you are teaching me how self-less real love is!'
sharu softened a bit, and wiped her tears with the back of her hands.
'OK, Dad. I will eat - not just a few mouthfuls, but the whole lot of this.
But, you should...' sharu hesitated. 'Dad, if I eat this entire curd Rice, will you give me whatever I ask for?'....
Oh sure, darling'.... 'Promise?'......... 'Promise'.
I covered the pink soft hand extended by my daughter with mine, and clinched the deal.
'Ask Mom also to give a similar promise', my daughter insisted.
My wife put her hand on Sharu's, muttering 'Promise'. Now I became a bit anxious.
'Sharu dear, you shouldn't insist on getting a computer or any such expensive items. Dad does not have that kind of money right now. OK?'
'No, Dad. I do not want anything expensive'.
Slowly and painfully, she finished eating the whole quantity.
I was silently angry with my wife and my mother for forcing my child eat something that she detested. After the ordeal was through, Sharu came to me with her eyes wide with expectation. All our attention was on her.
'Dad, I want to have my head shaved off, this Sunday!' was her demand.
'Atrocious!' I shouted, 'A girl child having her head shaved off? Impossible!' 'Never in our family!' my mother rasped.
'She has been watching too much of television. Our culture is getting totally spoiled with these TV programs!'
Sharu darling, why don't you ask for something else? We will be sad seeing you with a clean-shaven head.'
'No, Dad. I do not want anything else', Sharu said with finality.
'Please, Sharu, why don't you try to understand our feelings?'
I tried to plead with her.
'Dad, you saw how difficult it was for me to eat that Curd Rice'.
Sharu was in tears. 'And you promised to grant me whatever I ask for.
Now, you are going back on your words. Was it not you who told me the story of King Harishchandra, and its moral that we should honor our promises no matter what?'
It was time for me to call the shots.
'Our promise must be kept.'
'Are you out your mind?' chorused my mother and wife.
'No. If we go back on our promises, she will never learn to honor her own.
Sharu, your wish will be fulfilled.'
With her head clean-shaven, Sharu had a round-face, and her eyes looked big and beautiful.
On Monday morning, I dropped her at her school. It was a sight to watch my hairless Sharu walking towards her cl-assroom. She turned around and waved. I waved back with a smile. Just then, a boy alighted from a car, and shouted, 'Sharu, please wait for me!'
What struck me was the hairless head of that boy.
'May be, that is the in-stuff', I thought. 'Sir, your daughter Sharu is great indeed!' Without introducing herself, a lady got out of the car, and continued,' That boy who is walking along with your daughter is my son Harish. He is suffering from... ... leukemia.' She paused to muffle her sobs.
Harish could not attend the school for the whole of the last month. He lost all his hair due to the side effects of the chemotherapy. He refused to come back to school fearing the unintentional but cruel teasing of the schoolmates.
'Sarada sridhar visited him last week, and promised him that she will take care of the teasing issue.
But, I never imagined she would sacrifice her lovely hair for the sake of my son! Sir, you and your wife are blessed to have such a noble soul as your daughter.'
I stood transfixed. And then, I wept. 'My little Angel, you are teaching me how self-less real love is!'
HOW TO MAKE THIS YUMMY SAMBHAR SADAM....
BisiBelaBath/sambar sadam
Bisibela is a famous dish in Karnataka. The name Bisi bele bhaath is a phrase, which literally means "Hot Lentil Rice", as in Kannada, Bisi means hot, bele means Lentils and bhaath means a dish made of rice (Def-wiki). Since it is cooked with lentils, vegetables and rice and it can be called a one pot meal. Many think it is a very elaborate process but actually it is very simple. I learnt this from my Kannada neighbour years before.We used to go for walk together and the only thing that was common between both of us was cooking. So our conversation was usually about food and recipes. Once I asked her about this bisibela bath and she told me how to prepare it . The very next day I prepared it and liked it so much that I used to make this often. I am a great fan of this rice dish. It tastes great when served hot with papads and onion raita .This is her recipe and the only change I made was, to omit adding a little jaggery she told me to add in the end. Bisi bele bath masala is available in grocery stores also. So if you do not have much time on hand, you can use the masala available, as that is also equally good. Now to the recipe
Ingredients Needed
Raw Rice - 1 cup
Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Tamarind - small lemon sized ball
Pearl onions -15
Beans - 4-5
Carrot - 2
potato - 1
peas - handful
Tomato - 1
Capsicum - 1
Masala (fry and dry grind)
Kopra/Dry coconut powder -1/2 cup
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Red chillies - 6-7
Channa Dal - 2 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Fenugreek - 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
Cloves - 2
Cardamom -1
Khus khus -1 tsp
Heat a tsp of oil, roast the above ingredients, adding coconut at the end. Roast everything till it becomes slightly brown in colour and dry grind it. You can prepare this a few days before if you are using kopra as it will not get spoiled. Store it in an airtight container.
For the seasoning
Mustard -1 tsp
Fenugreek - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - little
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Method
Pressure cook rice with 4 ½ cups of water for 4 whistles.
Pressure cook dal with a cup of water and keep aside. Mash it well. I usually soak dal for 15 -20 minutes in hot water as it takes less time for cooking.
Heat a tbsp of oil and add the ingredients for seasoning. When mustard splutters, add onions and sauté till it they become transparent. Then add all the vegetables (except capsicum) and sauté for a few more seconds.
Now add tamarind extract, needed salt and the masala powder. Let it boil well till the raw flavour goes.
Then add cooked dal, cooked rice and 4-5 tsp of ghee and mix well .
Heat a tsp of ghee and sauté the capsicum till slightly cooked. It should be crunchy.
Garnish Bisibelabath with the capsicums and serve it hot with chips or papads or onion raita.
Bisibela is a famous dish in Karnataka. The name Bisi bele bhaath is a phrase, which literally means "Hot Lentil Rice", as in Kannada, Bisi means hot, bele means Lentils and bhaath means a dish made of rice (Def-wiki). Since it is cooked with lentils, vegetables and rice and it can be called a one pot meal. Many think it is a very elaborate process but actually it is very simple. I learnt this from my Kannada neighbour years before.We used to go for walk together and the only thing that was common between both of us was cooking. So our conversation was usually about food and recipes. Once I asked her about this bisibela bath and she told me how to prepare it . The very next day I prepared it and liked it so much that I used to make this often. I am a great fan of this rice dish. It tastes great when served hot with papads and onion raita .This is her recipe and the only change I made was, to omit adding a little jaggery she told me to add in the end. Bisi bele bath masala is available in grocery stores also. So if you do not have much time on hand, you can use the masala available, as that is also equally good. Now to the recipe
Ingredients Needed
Raw Rice - 1 cup
Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Tamarind - small lemon sized ball
Pearl onions -15
Beans - 4-5
Carrot - 2
potato - 1
peas - handful
Tomato - 1
Capsicum - 1
Masala (fry and dry grind)
Kopra/Dry coconut powder -1/2 cup
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Red chillies - 6-7
Channa Dal - 2 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Fenugreek - 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
Cloves - 2
Cardamom -1
Khus khus -1 tsp
Heat a tsp of oil, roast the above ingredients, adding coconut at the end. Roast everything till it becomes slightly brown in colour and dry grind it. You can prepare this a few days before if you are using kopra as it will not get spoiled. Store it in an airtight container.
For the seasoning
Mustard -1 tsp
Fenugreek - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - little
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Method
Pressure cook rice with 4 ½ cups of water for 4 whistles.
Pressure cook dal with a cup of water and keep aside. Mash it well. I usually soak dal for 15 -20 minutes in hot water as it takes less time for cooking.
Heat a tbsp of oil and add the ingredients for seasoning. When mustard splutters, add onions and sauté till it they become transparent. Then add all the vegetables (except capsicum) and sauté for a few more seconds.
Now add tamarind extract, needed salt and the masala powder. Let it boil well till the raw flavour goes.
Then add cooked dal, cooked rice and 4-5 tsp of ghee and mix well .
Heat a tsp of ghee and sauté the capsicum till slightly cooked. It should be crunchy.
Garnish Bisibelabath with the capsicums and serve it hot with chips or papads or onion raita.
2. Why should you be nominated to win this contest?
I LUV COOKING AND COOKING IS MY PASSION AND I COOK FOR 28 CANCER CHILDREN EVERY SUNDAY, AND I FEEL HAPPY WHEN I COOK AND I WANT TO LEARN MORE IN COOKING ....
If you are a chef, no matter how good a chef you are, it's not good cooking for yourself; the joy is in cooking for others - it's the same with music.
Cooking is like painting or writing a song. Just as there are only so many notes or colors, there are only so many flavors - it's how you combine them that sets you apart.
No comments:
Post a Comment