Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Monsoon Munches - Kondai Kadalai Sundal - Spicy chick peas salad

MONSOON MUNCHES

KONDAI KADALAI SUNDAL

Kondai kadalai sundal is a festival dish and is distributed and savoured as 'prasadam' after offering it to the deity. Usually black chick peas is used for the purpose. It is a very healthy and wholesome snack which can be comfortably munched away any time. With the addition of a little extra spice and onions, this dish peps up your mood on a cold and gloomy day.
My sister serves salads in papad cones as evening snacks. Here I have served the Sundal in papad cones to add a crunch to the monsoon munch.

INGREDIENTS


Black chick peas - 200 gms
Finely chopped onions - 4tbsps
Fresh coconut gratings - 4 tbsps
Chopped coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
Green chillies - 4
Fresh ginger - 2" piece
Salt - 3/4 tsp
Cooking oil - 2 tbsps
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Split black gram dal - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Lime - 1 small

METHOD

1. Soak black chick peas over night.
2. Wash and drain the soaked chick peas and pressure cook till soft, until three whistles.
3.Grind green chillies, half of the coriander leaves and ginger into a smooth paste.
4. Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds.
5. When the mustard seeds splutter add black gram dal and roast until golden in colour.
5. Add the ground paste, asafoetida and turmeric powder and saute until you get a pleasant aroma.
6. Blend in cooked chick peas and salt, stir and cook till dry.
7. Squeeze in the juice of lime and switch off flame.
8. Mix in the chopped onion, grated coconut and the remaining coriander leves.
Relish the hot and spicy Kondai kadalai Sundal as it is, or served in papad cones.


To make the cones, cut the papad into two and roast in a microwave oven.It takes about a minute or so for the papad to become crisp after roasting. Roll the just roasted papad immediately into cones before they become brittle.

Monday, August 02, 2010

Apricot Halwa/Qubani Ka Meetha

Every time when me or my brother comes home we get some dry fruits for appa amma. This time my brother got some dried apricots. Amma tried one and poor thing she didnt like the taste @ all. Now Appa, doesnt even want to come near that!!!! So, Poor Apricot was there in our freezer for the past 3 or 4 months!!!! Thought of Rescuing those Apricots, Made some halwa!! turned out yummy!!! 
Ingredients
3 cups Dried Apricot, Stuffed Loose
21/2 cups of Sugar
1/2 Cup Badam
6-8 pods of Cardamom
1/2 cup Ghee/Clarified Butter
Pinch of Pachai Karpooram or Cinnamomum Camphora or Edible Camphor

Method
Soak Apricots in Water, Water level should be to just immerse them. Leave it for 24 hrs. By this time, the apricots would have absorbed all the water and be very soggy!!! Grind it to a paste with whatever water remaining the bowl in which it was soaked. Keep aside.
Take sugar in a heavy-bottom pan and add water just to immerse the sugar, Let it boil and syrup reach single-thread consistency or otherwise "kambhi paagu". When u touch the sugar syrup and stretch it between your thumb and index finger u should get a single thread of Sugar syrup. In this mean time, Roast the almonds in Ghee and break it coarsely. 
Once the sugar syrup reaches this consistency, Mix the Grind apricot paste to the syrup and mix well. Now Comes the little effort part, STIRRING!!!!. Keep the Flame Low, Let the Halwa get a bit thick, Add Ghee little by Little and Keep Stirring, Just Keep Stirring, Just Keep Stirring,Stirring, Stirring, ha, ha, ha, we Stir!!!! (Suddenly Remembered Dory, The Little Blue From Finding Nemo!!!). Add the Pachai Karpooram/Edible Camphor and Broken Almonds and Mix Well.
Once the Ghee starts separating and the halwa doesnt stick to the sides of the pan, put off the flame and transfer it to Clean Plate. Serve this halwa to your kids in their Bread toast/Chapthi's, they will just love it and u too get a satisfaction of giving them something healthy and Home-made!!!! Serve this Halwa with some Cream, and your Qubani ka Meetha is ready!!!!
Note: Edible Camphor should be used very little, just a pinch or else you will get a bitter or rather unpleasant taste of it in the halwa.


Sending this Qubani Ka Meetha to Iftar Moments Event @ Taste of Pearl City by Umm Mymoonah and also to 
Festive Food - Rakhi 2010 @ Indian Khana by Priti And to 'Only' Kids Delight @ Foodelicious by Pari and to Dish Name starts with A @ Akila's Kitchen

 

Take Control of Home Heating and Cooling With an Internet Thermostat

Monitor and Set Temperatures Anytime, Anywhere!

You've probably seen or heard of people using the Internet to monitor their home's security or to keep tabs on nannies and babysitters. These days, many homeowners are using the power of the Internet to remotely monitor something else in their homes -- their thermostat.

An internet thermostat in your home can be programmed and controlled remotely through a computer network system. Like other programmable thermostat controls, these units have a keypad unit which allows you to set a schedule for temperature adjustments, but internet thermostats let you make changes to the schedule from anyplace outside the home with an internet signal. No matter how far from home you are, and no matter how long you plan to be away, you can have complete access to your heating and cooling system.


How an Internet Thermostat Works:
The internet thermostat is connected to your home or office computer network. Home networks are generally wired using Ethernet cables or wireless connections, or some combination of the two.

An internet thermostat is linked to your home’s network through an Ethernet cord, and therefore connects to the internet in the same way that your computer or web-ready video game device does. Once the unit has been set up, you simply log on to a special website where you’ll have full access to your temperature settings.

To ensure the security and stability of your system, most internet thermostats must be hard wired —- meaning they have to hook up to the internet using a physical connection like a cord or cable. Though wireless internet thermostats do exist, these are generally more vulnerable to outside interference. For added security, you’ll be asked to set up a username and password to access your internet thermostat. This prevents unauthorized use of the thermostat.


The Benefits of an Internet Thermostat:
The most obvious benefit of a remotely programmable internet thermostat is that you have complete control over the temperature in your home no matter where you are. It's perfect for those who work out of the home -- you can adjust the temperature before you leave the house for the day and turn it back to a comfortable level just before you return home. This makes your home more comfortable and helps save energy and money on utility costs.

You can also monitor the temperature in your home or office at any time. This is an invaluable resource if you travel frequently, have a vacation home you use only during certain times of year, or are away from home for long periods. Having the ability to monitor your HVAC system lets you see if there are problems with the unit, and makes it possible to adjust the indoor temperature if the weather changes unexpectedly.

Another benefit of an internet thermostat is that you no longer have to worry about temperature settings. If you forget to adjust the thermostat before you leave for work or vacation, simply log on to your system from any internet device and change the settings.


What You Need to Set Up an Internet Thermostat:
If an internet thermostat seems like a good fit for your home, you’ll need a fully operational home computer network. Generally, home networking requires a gateway, a modem or wireless router, a computer, and access to the internet. Most of us have all of these items in our homes already, even if we don’t have a network configured. A certified HVAC contractor can help you determine which components you need to complete your network, and will assist you in connecting the internet thermostat to the other devices in your home.


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