“ I’d been thinking about sharing my own Cooking Experience, views, inspiring quotes  and more for a while now. That’s when I decided to start my own blog… …”

"karmanye vadhikaraste ma phaleshu kadachana"

                                        "Vakratunda Mahakaaya Suryakoti Samaprabha
                                      Nirvighnam Kuru Mey Deva Sarva Kaaryeshu Sarvada"                                                                                                                                       

 Namaste!

"The Spirit within me salutes the Spirit in you"

“I’d been thinking about sharing my own Cooking Experience, Online Business and more for a while now. That’s when I decided to start my own blog…”

 

How can I start my blog with out saying about My India, no... Our India, the Greater India!
I am really excited and don't know where to start.... This is actually my humble attempt...Forgive me for my mistakes...I am proud to be an Indian! Love you India...

 

Indian Culture, the most Ancient Culture of the World And Mother of All Cultures!

Of all the cultures of the world known to man, Indian culture is perhaps the oldest, and, according to many historians, the mother of all cultures. Scientific history has yet to discover much about India and to correct many of its notions which are inconsistent with Indian traditions well-preserved in Sanskrit works.

India has a rich and diverse philosophical tradition dating back to the composition of the Upanishads in the later Vedic period, the oldest of these constitute "...the earliest philosophical compositions of the world."

"She is grave and old and stupendous. Her accents are for the calm and gracious. Her temples are laden with symbolism....and internal beauties. It is true, that India is royal...India has been royal at heart from her very foundations of her memory." 

India's greatness is in her humility; her weakness is her strength. She is both wiser and more effective than the West.

The Legends


“My Life is My Message” --- Mahatma Gandhi
The way he gave shape and character to India's freedom struggle is
worthy of a standing ovation. Mahatma Gandhi played a pivotal role in the freedom struggle of India.
 Our Beloved Bapu,

He, the saint of Peace and Nonviolence,
Taught the world at large;
That hatred and violence Bring nothing else but curse,
 "Rise, awake and shake off the slavery”
 
The Immortal Philosopher Of India --- Swami Vivekananda

From time to time many philosophers were born in India who carried forward the tradition of truth seeking Vedic saints. Swami Vivekananda is the present age representative of those traditional values. He was the epitome of loyalty human ideals of generosity, kindness, celibacy, etc. For him even a small creature was a part of the Supreme Being.
His power of contention was incomparable. The whole world was impressed by this personality at the Chicago World Religion Congress. After this he gave discourses in various countries of the western world. As a result the true picture of Indian Vedanta emerged before the world.

In Praise of India.

Our sublimest delusion is that India is backward. This predicates, of course, that we are progressive. If backwardness and progress depend on the rate at which one can gobble up vanities perhaps India does not need our aid.....India's devotion to being good rather than being clever comes nearer the heart of a true civilization. Cleverness dies on the tongue like a social pleasantry, goodness echoes round the universe in an un extinguishable reality. We in the West are too busy to see that science without soul is like words without meaning.

                                                                           ---W. J. Grant
                                                                      

When I read Bhagavad Gita and reflect about how God created this Universe everything else seems so superfluous.   

We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made.

                                                                  ---Albert Einstein                                                                                                               

 After the conversations about Indian Philosophy with Tagore some of the ideas that had seemed so crazy suddenly made much more sense. That was a great help for me.

                                                                                      ---Werner Karl Heisenberg

               (German  theoretical physicist and one of  the key creators of quantum mechanics)

From the Vedas we learn a practical art of surgery, medicine, music, house building under which mechanized art is included. They are encyclopedia of every aspect of life, culture, religion, science, ethics, law, cosmology and meteorology.

                                                       ---William James, American Author

India is, the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grand mother of tradition. our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.

                                                                                  ---Mark Twain, American author
                                                                        

India was the motherland of our race, and Sanskrit the mother of Europe's languages: she was the mother of our philosophy; mother, through the Arabs, of much of our mathematics; mother, through the Buddha, of the ideals embodied in Christianity; mother, through the village community, of self-government and democracy. Mother India is in many ways the mother of us all.

It is true that even across the Himalayan barrier India has sent to the west, such gifts as grammar and logic, philosophy and fables, hypnotism and chess, and above all numerals and the decimal system. 

India will teach us the tolerance and gentleness of mature mind, understanding spirit and a unifying, pacifying love for all human beings. 

                                                                            ---Will Durant, American historian

Our present knowledge of the nervous system fits in so accurately with the internal description of the human body given in the Vedas (5000 years ago). Then the question arises whether the Vedas are really religious books or books on anatomy of the nervous system and medicine.

                                                  ---B.G. Rel                         

If I were asked under what sky the human mind has most fully developed some of its choicest gifts, has most deeply pondered on the greatest problems of life, and has found solutions, I should point to India.

                                                                        --- Max Mueller, German scholar

The surgery of the ancient Indian physicians was bold and skillful. A special branch of surgery was dedicated to Rhinoplasty or operations for improving deformed ears, noses and forming new ones, which European surgeons have now borrowed.

                                                   ---Sir W. Hunter, British Surgeon

                                                                  

India Conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border

                                                                            ---Hu Shih
                                                                       (Chinese Philosopher, Essayist and Diplomat)

The  Indian way of life provides the vision of the natural, real way of life. We veil ourselves with unnatural masks. On the face of India are the tender expressions which carry the mark of the Creator's hand

                                                                             ---George Bernard Shaw

They were very advanced Hindu astronomers in 6000 BC. Vedas contain an account of the dimension of Earth, Sun, Moon, Planets and Galaxies.

                                                                             ---Emmelin Plunret

They were very advanced Hindu astronomers in 6000 BC. Vedas contain an account of the dimension of Earth, Sun, Moon, Planets and Galaxies." ('Calendars and Constellations'). 

                                                                            ---Emmelin Plunret

 

                     

 

                                                         

Kerala Special Recipes

Hi, I would like to share some of the very common, simple and easy Kerala recipes that we love to eat on and often.

•  Pavakka Theeyal

Pavakka (small slices)  - 1

Sawala  (small slices) - Half

Green Chillies   - 3/4 nos

Sliced Small Onions  - 3 nos

Dry Chillies   - 6/8 nos

Shredded Coconut  - 3/4 Table Spoons or One Teaspoon Chilli powder

Coriander   - 1 Table spoon or One Teaspoon Coriander powder

Curry leaves     - a few

Turmeric  - 1/4 tsp.

Tamarind paste   - 1/4 tsp.

Salt      - As reqd

Coconut Oil  - 3 tsp.

 1)Heat Coconut Oil in a pan.

2)Add the Bitter gourd pieces, Turmeric powder, salt & sauté well until light brown.

3)Add sawala, green chillies & curry leaves along with this and sauté again for another 3 to 5 mins.

4)Take another frying pan and fry the grated coconut, shallots, coriander seeds and red chillies, till brown.

5)Make a thick paste by grinding all the fried ingredients first and then add a little water and grind again.

6)Add the ground coconut paste, tamarind paste, salt, water in to the fried bitter gourd, sawala etc. mix.

7)Cook for 10 minutes on low flame utill the gravy thickens.

 

• Sambar

                                   

Toor Dal - 1 cup

Onion (big size) - 1 no (You can also use 1 cup of shallots  instead of Big Onion)

Carrot - 1

Potato - 1

Chena/Elephant yam - 4/5 pieces

White Pumpkin/Winter Melon/Cucumber/

Drumsticks -  4/5 pieces

Eggplant  - 2 small

Small Beans (Amara Payar) - 10/15nos

Salt - As required

Green Chilies - 8/10 nos

Tomatoes  - 2 no

Okra (Lady's Finger) - 3nos

Tamarind Paste - 2tsp

For Seasoning:

Coconut Oil - 1tbsp

Mustard - 1/2tsp

Red Chilies - 2nos

Shallots - 2nos finely chopped

Curry leaves - a few

Salt - to taste

For Masala:

Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp

Red Chili Powder - 2tsp

Coriander Powder - 2tsp

Fenugreek Powder (Uluva) - 1/2tsp

Asafetida (Kayam) - 1/4tsp

Sambar Powder (Optional) - 2tsp

Garnish:

With chopped  Coriander leaves (Cilantro).

Preparation Method:

1) Cut the vegetables in square shape (medium size).

2) Pressure Cook the toor dal along with the cut vegetables (except tomato, green chilies and lady's finger) & enough water (2/3 cups) and salt.

 3) In another pan splutter Mustard Seeds Coconut oil, add dry Red Chilies, Curry Leaves,  finely chopped Shallots and add Asafetida, Fenugreek Powder , Chilly Powder, Turmeric Powder and Coriander Powder, Sambar Powder and fry in a low flame.

4) Add Tamarind Paste, fried Masala along with the Chopped Tomatoes, Green chilies and cut Lady's finger to the cooked vegetables and cook together for another 5 minutes or until the gravy thickens.

5) Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with Idly, Rice, Dosa & Chapathy.

• Tomato Stew

Tomato - 4nos (chopped)
Small onions, chopped (Shallots) - 2/3nos
Coconut oil - 2tsp
Dry Red chilies  - 3nos
Green chilies, cut slit open length-wise - 8nos
Mustard seeds - 1/2tsp
Curry leaves - A few
Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp
Coriander powder - 3tsp
Red chili powder - 1/2tsp
Black pepper powder - 1/2tsp
Thick coconut milk - As required
Salt - As required

Preparation Method:
1) Heat Coconut oil in a pan.

2) Add mustard seeds and when they splutter, add small onions red chilies and curry leaves.

3) Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, black pepper powder, green chilies, tomatoes and salt and cook for 3 minutes.

4) Add a cup of water and cover the pan and allow the contents to boil.

5) When the tomatoes are cooked and 1/2 of water is dried up, add the thick milk of coconut.

6) Cook for another 2/3 minutes, do not allow to boil.

7) Serve hot with Dosa/Idly.

 

• Kerala Spicy Mutton Curry

Mutton(Goat leg) - 1 kg(cut into small pieces)

For Frying:
Coconut Oil - 1/2 cup
Onion Big - 2nos (finely chopped)
Green chilies - 6nos (split into pieces)
Ginger - One medium piece (finely chopped)
Garlic - 6 cloves (finely chopped)
Curry leaves - One bunch
Coriander powder - 2tsp
Chilly powder - 2/3tsp

Make a Fine Powder of
Fennel seeds (Perumjeerakam) - 1tbsp
Black Pepper (whole) - 1tbsp
Cinnamon stick (Karugapatta) - 1 inch piece
Cloves - 2nos

For Marination:
Salt - As reqd
Turmeric Powder - 1/2tsp
Black pepper powder - 1/4tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2tsp
Chilly powder - 1tsp

Coconut milk - 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves - Few

Preparation Method:
1) Marinate mutton with the ingredients for marinating and keep it for 15 - 30 minutes.

2) Heat oil in a pan, splutter Mustard Seeds and fry finely chopped onion, green chilies, ginger, garlic and curry leaves until golden brown. Add all powdered masala ingredients like coriander, chili, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds etc. and stir well till oil starts separating from it.

3) Cook marinated mutton in a cooker until 2-3 whistles or until done. Keep it aside.

4) After the mutton is well cooked, transfer whole mutton along with the gravy into the frying pan and mix it with the paste (fried ingredients) and cook till the gravy thickens.

5) Add coconut milk and cook for 2 minutes (Don't allow to boil again).

6) Decorate with coriander leaves and serve hot. Good with Rice & Pulisseri, Chapathy, Appam, Idiyappam, Parotta etc.