Pineapple pachadi

Pineapple pachadi

This is a very tasty side dish for rice and easy to prepare.

Chop pine apple(half of a pine apple) to small slices.

In a pressure cooker, cook pine apple with turmeric powder and salt till 3 whistles.

Grind 1 cup coconut,4 green chillies, jeerakam to a smooth paste.

Add the paste to cooked pine apple and boil till it mixes well. Now add whisked curd and mix it and remove from gas.

Heat oil, add mustard, curry leaves, red chillies and fenu greek and add it to the pachadi.

A little care can make them feel special

She is childless and a widow. Whenever I see her she is cheerful and tells a lot of stories in a single breath. No regrets, no complaints nothing. What she needs is just someone to be by her side and tell all what she has to tell. She has stocked a box full of chocolates to all the kids who visit her.

These days in our day to day chores and busy life we fail to spend time with elderly. We had a period where kids grow up with the grand mas, hear a lot of stories with them. Now everywhere kids go to play schools.

We used to seek blessings of our elders before an exam, interview, marriage etc.

After retirement, many elders feel they are being treated as burden.

We can learn a lot from the elders.They have years of experience and wisdom.

These days many elders are being abandoned by the children. They tend to forget that we all will be becoming old one day .If we don’t treat our parents well,  what can we  expect from our children.

I have seen many parents tend to lack care and affection in their old age.  What they need is the presence of the children and not their money. The loneliness they feel in a big empty house is a terrible feeling for them.

Many would like to enjoy the warmth and joy of family life. But their circumstances prevent that. Elderly people should be treated as blessings

Ada Dosa

Ada Dosa

1. Raw Rice - 1 cup
2. Ponni Rice - 1 cup
3. Uzhunnu - 1/2 cup
4. Toor dal - 1/4 cup
5. Kadala Parippu - 1/4 cup
6. Cheru Payar - 1/4 cup
7. Pepper -1 spoon
8. Hing - a pinch


Soak the ingredients overnight. Grind it with 4 small onions and curry leaves and 2-3 red chillies in the morning. Make tasty and nutritious dosa with the batter. 

Dried prawns fry recipe - Unakka Chemmeen Varuthathu

Dried prawns fry recipe - Unakka Chemmeen Varuthathu

1. Fry prawns for 5-10 mins till it becomes brown in a nonstick pan
2. Wash it and then remove the head and tail
3. Cut small onions and crush in a mixie
4. Crush 2-3 red chillies, ginger and garlic
5. In pan, add little oil and add crushed onion and fry till it becomes brown
 color
6. Add crushed ginger garlic, curry leaves and little salt
7. Add chilly powder
8. Add roasted prawns and fry in low heat till it becomes brown

Best lyrics I enjoyed in the recent times

Best lyrics I enjoyed in the recent times

A song that I heard which I liked very much. This song Ananda Yazhai from the Tamil film Thanga Meenkal made me listen it repeatedly.I watched the video and again it was awesome. A song which pictures the love between a father and daughter.

Beautifully sung by Sriram Parthasarathy, beautiful lyrics by Muthukumar and beautiful music by Yuvan Shankar Raja.

I couldn't understand the meaning fully, but it didn't create any problem in enjoying the song.

I searched for the lyrics and the meaning and here it is.

magalgalai petra appakkalukku mattumdhaan theriyum (Only the fathers who have daughters will know)
mutham, kaamathil serntha-dhillai endru (that Kissing is not Sex or is not related to Sex)

anandha yaazhai meetugiraai, adi
nenjil vannam theetugirai
anbenum kudai-yai neettugirai
adhil aayiram mazhaithuli koottugirai

you are playing the happy veena
you paint lovely colors in heart
you share a umbrella of love
you collect thousands of rain drops under it

iru nenjam inaindhu pesida ulagil
baashaigal edhuvum thaevai illai
siru pullil urangum paniyil theriyum
malaiyin azhago thaanga villai

Language is not a necessity when
two hearts share the thoughts
beauty of a dew drop on a grass
might reflect a mountain

unthan kaigal pidithu pogum vazhi
adhu podhavillai innum vendum-adi
indha mannil idhu pol yaarumingey
engum vaazhavillai endru thondruthadi

Path led by your tiny finger holding
on to my hand never gets over
I feel that there is no one on this earth
living like us

anandha yazhai meetugiraai adi
nenjil vannam theetugirai
anbennum kudaiyai neetugirai
adhil aayiram mazhaithuli kootugirai


thoorathu marangal paarkkuthadi
devathai ivalaa kaetkkuthadi
thannilai maranthey pookkuthadi
kaatrinil vaasam thookkuthadi
adi koyil etharkku deivangal etharkku
unathu punnagai pothumadi

Trees are looking at you
and presume that you are an angel
flowers blossom at the sight of you
and the fragrance fiils the air
why do we need temple, or Gods
when your smile hangs around

indha mannil idhu pol yaarumingey
engum vaazhavillai endru thondruthadi

I feel that there is no one on this earth
living like us

anandha yazhai meetugiraai adi
nenjil vannam theetugirai

you are playing the happy veena
you paint lovely colors in heart

unmugam paarthaal thonuthadi
vaanathu nilavu sinnathadi
megathil maraindhey paakkuthadi
unnidam velichcham ketkuthadi
athai kaiyil pidithu aaruthal uraithu
veetukku anuppu nallapadi

Moon in the sky looks small
when compared to your smiling face
moon hides its face under the cloud
and asks for brightness from you
hold her on your hand, offer consolation
and send it back to her home

indha mannil idhu pol yaarumingey
engum vaazhavillai endru thondruthadi

I feel that there is no one on this earth
living like us

anandha yazhai meetugiraai adi
nenjil vannam theetugirai

anandha yazhai meetugiraai adi
nenjil vannam theetugirai

you are playing the happy veena
you paint lovely colors in heart
you are playing the happy veena
you paint lovely colors in heart

This song won the National Award for best lyrics.

Step out of your comfort zone

It is only when we Step out of your comfort zone, that we enjoy life fully.

I  have observed that if we are chained up in our beliefs, we are limited in achievements. An artificial mental boundary is created within which we feel we are secured and out of which you experience great discomfort.

I have met quite a few who themselves think they are weak and not able to handle the responsibilities. Excuses excuses everywhere and are tied up in their beliefs. They blame their circumstances, their choices etc.

They are  accustomed to the comforts of "I cannot","it is too difficult" and helplessness.
We tend to forget that we are becoming weak by allowing others to do things for us.

But the other set i.e strong people don’t sit around feeling sorry about their circumstances or how others have treated them.  They take full responsibility in life, do all the hard work and knows life is a mix of good and bad moments.

If we are used to our comfort zone, we are not learning, growing, developing, or progressing in life.
As long as we remain in our comfort zone, life continues as usual.

There are many ways to get out of this comfort zone

Make more friends
The more we associate with people, the more our world and mind expands. Make connections with people who can influence you positively.

Challenge yourself and take responsibility

Mistakes may happen, but it  allows you to discover a lot of exciting things in the journey.
Celebrate your victories, and efforts.

I have met many people who fear change so much and they  stagnate the growth of the organization/associated people. They are against innovations and new ways. 

When we push our boundaries, our comfort zone grows, and we grow.

We all are used to the safe known path.

Learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable

Examine your core beliefs. Don't be rigid in your thoughts.

Do all that is necessary in life and give the best to your life. Take risks in life whenever needed.

Two easy recipes - Cabbage Koottu and spicy kozhukkatta

Two easy recipes - Cabbage Koottu and spicy kozhukkatta

Cabbage Koottu

Ingredients

Toor dal - 1/4 cup

Cabbage - 1/2

Sambar powder - 2 spoon

Chillies - 4

Mustard - 1 spoon

Method

1. Pressure cook tool dal with turmeric powder for 3 whistles

2. Add Cabbage chopped into fine pieces, salt, sambar powder, curry leaves, little ghee(optional) and cook for 3 whistles

3. Grind coconut, Jeerakam, Red chillies and add to it.

4. Season it with mustrad, red chillies, Urad dal, Curry leaves and 1 spoon coconut fried till red.

This is a good side dish for rice or chappathi.


Spicy Kozhukkatta

Method

1. Grind rice powder(2 cup), 1 red chilly, 1 spoon pepper, 1/2 spoon jeerakam in mixie with little water

2. In a pan, add some oil, fry mustard, red chillies, green chillies and chopped onions and the ground mixture and fry the mix till it becomes thick

3. Make small balls of the mix and steam it for 10 minutes.

Can be prepared easily and served as a tea time snack.