Free Hot Water Anyone?

How Do Solar Water Systems Work?
Solar panels are properly positioned at your property to directly collect the suns energy, that energy is transferred to the water pumping through the panels. It is then stored in a tank for use in either your domestic hot water or even to heat your house! Solar is also great for heating your pool in the summer or year round.
Why Solar? Is It Right For Me?
The cost of living is constantly on the rise. We have very little control over the cost of our utilities (gas, electric), however, with solar thermal systems You Own Your Own Utility Company! You don't have to worry about the rising cost of gas or electric simply because you are getting your energy from the Sun for Free! Can you answer yes to any of these questions?

• Do you want to eliminate 60-80% of your water heating bills?
• Would you like to utilize an unlimited supply of usable energy?
• Are you looking to increase equity in your home?
• Do you have concerns for you health, your family and the environment?

If you said yes to the above questions then Solar Is Right For You.

Can You Afford It?
Yes! You have probably already paid for it and didn't even realize it. It never fails, every month the utility company sends out a bill and every month you pay it (reluctantly no doubt). So, over time, you've most likely bought at least one or more solar system and have nothing to show for it. The Federal Stimulus Package is offering a Tax Credit of 30% total costs, now is the time!

Check out this article for more information on this topic:

http://Renewable-Energy/2007-02-01/Go-Solar-for-Free-Hot-Water.aspx

Curry leaves Rice(Karuvepilai Saadham)

I realized that I haven't posted much South Indian recipes. From now on, I will make it a point to post traditional recipes from the South once in a while. My latest post in my health blog is all about curry leaves. They are very good for you. I almost forgot about this rice until I saw it in Sriharivatsan's blog. I tried this last weekend and loved it. I have made some changes to her recipe and here is my version.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
Fresh Curry leaves-1 cup
Oil-1/2 tsp
Urud dal-1 tbsp
Hing-1/4 tsp
Red chillies-4
Mustard seeds-1 tsp
Whole pepper-1/2 tsp
Rice-3/4 cup(uncooked)

Method:
Cook rice and set aside.
Heat oil in a pan. Fry all the above ingredients together till curry leaves turn crisp and urud dal turns golden brown. Cool and grind to a coarse powder. Mix with hot rice and ghee. Serve with pappad.

Note:Rice should be cooked in such a way that the grains are separate and not mushy.

Maida Tattai - Flat Savoury Crispy Snack

MAIDA TATTAI- FLAT CRISPIES MADE OF PLAIN FLOUR

At the age of fourteen, my father lost his mother while she gave birth to her daughter. My grand father was never around to take care of the kids, as his job in the railways often took him out of station or sent him on the ‘line’. My father’s grand mother (my great grand mother) had a tough time bringing up my hyper active father and his new born sister almost single handed. My great grand mother lived up to her 96th year to narrate amusing anecdotes about our father to us.

Father made his reluctant aunt open the ‘ugranam’ (storeroom) where a variety of meticulously prepared savouries like tattais and murukkus were stored. After ransacking the stock meant to last for at least a couple of months with all his friends, he threw a sweet thank you at his bewildered aunt and marched away into the garden with his gang, only to return for refueling after a vigourous out door game!

I have never taken any interest in learning to prepare these savouries as our needs were always taken care of by the elders in the family. Later on professionals were summoned to prepare them during functions at home. Nowadays these and many more savouries and sweets are available in shops which have sprung up every where in plenty.

Here I have tried to prepare maida tattai for this post with the instructions of my enthusiastic mami (maternal uncle’s wife) who has mastered the art of traditional as well as innovative cooking.

INGREDIENTS:
Maida or plain flour – 1 glass (my one glass can hold approximately 250 gms of an ingredient which is equivalent to what we call a ‘pav’ in Kannada.)
Rice flour – 1/3 glass
Roasted and powdered black gram dal (urad dal) – 1 heaped tbsp
Soaked and drained Bengal gram dal (chana dal) – 2 tbsps
Asafoetida – ¼ tsp
Salt – ¾ tsp
Spice powder (my Sambar powder) – 1 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Ghee or butter – 2 tbsps
Oil for frying

PREPARATION OF MAIDA:
The required amount of maida is bundled up in a clean cloth and placed in a clean dry vessel.This vessel is then placed in the pressure cooker and steamed for 15 minutes without the whistle. After steaming, the maida will look like a hard dry piece of plaster of Paris. Crumble this into a fine powder using your hand.
METHOD:
1. Take a glass of the prepared maida in a wide mouthed vessel.
2. Add rice flour, roasted and powdered black gram dal, salt, asafoetida, ,spice powder, soaked dal and cumin seeds.
3. Add ghee or butter and mix the ingredients well till they look like bread crumbs.
4. Heat 4 tbsps of oil and pour all over the mixture and blend with a spoon.
5. Add water little by little and make a dough, like you would for a chappatis.
6. Make small lime size balls out of the dough.
7. Flatten one by one by pressing the ball between the palm of one hand, and the mount under the thumb of the other hand.
8. Make the tattais as thin as possible and fry them in batches of four or six in hot oil.
9. Drain them on absorbant paper and store in an air tight jar after it cools down.

Some Notes from my trial: Tattais will crumble and break away in the oil, if the oil is not fuming hot. My first few tattais crumbled away into the oil. I then realized it is to do with the oil temperature. You can reduce heat if needed, when the tattais are half done and change colour, lest they may get burnt. Tattais do tend to need lots of oil, so if you are feeling indulgent, this makes an ideal accompaniment with tea or coffee!! Overall, the result was a very delicious and cruncy snack.