Lightbulb of the Future?

Philips Electronics has submitted the first entry into the Department of Energy L Prize Competition for a replacement for the ubiquitous 60 watt incandescent lightbulb. And here it is!





















This is an LED entry.

The criteria to win the coveted prize are:

* Efficacy > 90 lumens/Watt (pretty bright)
* Power draw < 10W (very low power consumption)
* Output > 900 lumens (pretty bright)
* CRI (color rendering index)> 90 (tomatoes will look like tomatoes)
* Color temperature 2700-3000K (warm white)

More entries are expected by DOE, which will award up to three winners in the 60W category.

The first to meet all competition requirements will receive the cash prize; all three winners will be eligible for federal purchasing opportunities and promotions and incentives offered by the L Prize partners.

Peggy

CHICKEN BRIYANI

I am beginning this blog with a tasty Briyani recipe.



Ingredients:

Chicken pieces-750gms
Briyani rice-2 ½ cups
Ginger paste-1 tbsp
Garlic paste- 1 tbsp
Chilli powder- half sp
Turmeric powder- half sp
Salt to taste
Ghee-half cup
Finely sliced onion-3
Finely crushed tomato-2
Slit Green chillies- 5
Chopped coriander-1 cup
Chopped mint leaves- 1 cup
Curd-3 tbsp

Powder coarsely the following ingredients:

Cinnamon-1” piece, cloves-3, cardamom-3. fennel seeds- half sp

Grind the following ingredients to a fine paste:

Cashew nuts-5, poppy seeds-1 sp, shredded coconut-4 tbsp
Lemon juice-1 ½ tbsp

Procedure:

Wash the rice and soak in enough water.
Heat a vessel and pour the ghee. Add the onion and fry it to golden brown.
Add the ginger garlic pastes and fry them well.
Add the ground powder and fry for a few seconds.
Then add the tomatoes with the turmeric powder and fry them until the tomatoes are well mashed and the ghee floats on top.
Add the washed chicken pieces with enough salt and cook on medium fire.
Add the curd, greens and the chilli powder.
Cook the chicken until it is done and all the water is evaporated..
Lastly add the lime juice and cook for a few seconds.
Add 5 cups of water with the rice.
When the rice is half done add enough salt.
When all the water is evaporated keep the briyani in dhum for 20 minutes in the gas oven.
Pour ghee around the sides in intervals.
Serve hot with onion curd salad.

Thai Velli/Friday Kolam and By the Book

During the month of Thai/Makaram, every one cleans their courtyard on Thursday evening to decorate with the kolam. So when you see everyone in your neighborhood indulges in the cleaning and decorating, even someone who has not mastered the art of kolam, will be inspired to try your hand at it. Its infectious. Here is my attempt for this Friday.

(9 dots 9 lines)

By the Book :

My dear friend Jayashree has tagged me to show the most loved cookbook. Few years back, if someone has asked me about cookbooks, I would have had a  look like 'Me cooking from a book' kind. I never thought I will follow a cookbook, may be because I have not seen anyone in my family following one. Its kind of passing the recipes from Mother to daughter kind. I was under the impression that cookbooks are for the newbies who are to learn even  how to light a stove too.  After marriage too, I didnot feel the need for one. Whenever I had any doubt regarding any of our traditional recipes, I could call my Mom . (Then she was staying at local call distance). My MIL used to tell she learnt most of the traditional dishes from Meenakshi Ammal's book way back in 1950's.  Later when I heard my co-sis swearing by Mallika Bhadrinath often, I was inspired to buy one for myself. Mallika's 100 Vegetarian recipes (II series) was the first book I got.  It took sometime for me to start trying from the book. After blogging, things have changed in a big way. I got to know about various cuisines, cookbooks. I keep a diary of the recipes I try and now I have close to 15 books. I still have somebooks where I haven't tried even a single recipe. 

                                            

Those of you who wish to showcase your most cherished cookbook, feel free to take up the tag and link back to Jayashree's post