Make Berry Topping / Jam / Puree / Sauce at Home

I love berries in any form – cheesecake, smoothie, ice cream, or eating as is.  But there are seasons when they’re super expensive and there are days when I forget about them in the overstuffed refrigerator and end up throwing away.  So I started to freeze the berries rather than wasting them – by rinsing them well, draining water, placing on tray in freezer, and then storing in a Ziploc the next day.

Freezing blueberries

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Vermicelli Pudding - Seviyan ki Kheer

Like I explained the variable X and concept of basic kheer, here I’m using X = vermicelli to make Sevaiyan Kheer (Vermicelli Pudding).  This is a pretty simple dessert recipe.  Especially if someone’s coming over and you can’t think of any other sweet dish to make – you can easily depend on kheer.  And once you get the basic one right, you can definitely add other combinations to it.  Like Carrot-Vermicelli Pudding (Gajar-Sevai ki Kheer)?  Why not.

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How effortless is it to contact you? Blogging Tip # 1

In my one year of blogging, among the other things I have learned, one is to make it easier for readers to approach the blog author.  The simplest way is to include a “Contact Me” page, write your e-mail address over there, and expect readers to e-mail you.  But for a reader to ask a quick question, having to copy-paste the address and send an e-mail requires some effort.  Result?  The reader may skip to some other website.
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Lauki ki Kheer: Bottle Gourd = X

When I tried Sweet Potato Kheer the first time, I used the basic concept of making kheer (pudding).  You could replace the sweet potato with X ingredient and make different kinds of puddings.

X	=	raw rice grain	=	Chawal ki Kheer	=	Rice Pudding
X	=	raw vermicelli	=	Sevai ki Kheer	=	Vermicelli Pudding
X	=	grated carrots	=	Gajar ki Kheer	=	Carrot Pudding

Get the picture?

Here I’m using X = grated bottle gourd = Lauki ki Kheer = Bottle Gourd Pudding.

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Thought for the day: Dare

"We follow people; We act as they say.

Scared of being rejected; We follow their way."

When I wrote those lines, I was at the age where peer pressure was the strongest influence.  Sometimes I gave in; sometimes I stood up for myself.  Along the years, among the lessons, one of the things I have learned is that I don’t have to be scared of rejection.  Heck, I don't even have to try to please everybody.  And if I want to accomplish something in life, I must first strongly believe in myself.  Do I have to do what others do?  No.  I will dare to be me, I will:

Do you?

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Kurkura Karela - Crispy Fried Bitter Gourd

I don’t think bitter gourd (aka bitter melon) has many fans.  I used to hate it.  If I heard mom say she made “karele ki sabzi” (bitter gourd fry) I used to go “ewwww”.  And one among the million differences my husband & I have is he loves bitter gourd sabzi.  So around mid of last year I tried making it first time.  Even after rubbing it in salt it was so disgustingly bitter that I swore I’d never make it again.  But then you know, when your husband really likes something, you just feel like giving it another try.

Kukura Karela - fried bitter gourds & onions, rubbed with a salty-spicy-tangy masala mixture

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What do you give / take / like from USA?

Last year a friend asked me what kitchen items to bring from India to USA.  I was thinking even apart from kitchen items there is so much you can get from India, for yourself or as gifts for others.  Things that have an Indian touch – in terms of traditional clothes (kurti, salwar suit, sari, etc) and accessories (bangles, earrings, handbag, etc), Indian art / painting, small idol statues, food items (like dessert boxes or Haldiram's snacks), etc.  There are SO many options.

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Pattagobi ki Sabzi; Cabbage Vegetable?!

In Hindi we say Bhindi ki Sabzi, Aloo Gobhi ki Sabzi, or Tamatar-Palak ki Sabzi and it is understood – but is there an appropriate translation in English for the ‘sabzi’?  I don’t know.  I don’t think I can call them ‘curry’ if they’re dry, can I?  Calling it Okra vegetable, Potato-Cauliflower vegetable, and Tomato-Spinach vegetable, respectively sounds vague.  Then what is the right word to use – stir-fried?

Oh well, here I’m sharing two styles of Pattagobi ki Subzi (Stir-fried Cabbage?) that I usually cook and like the taste of.

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Simple Coconut Crunch Cookies (eggless)

I’m beginning to realize one doesn’t need hundred different measurements, proportions, and ingredients for some recipes – getting a basic recipe right then working around it creates a new dish.  Or a new cookie.  Like these coconut cookies.

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Let the Q and A begin!

Since I mentioned last time I enjoyed reading search queries, I thought of following up with some examples from March 2012.  With the hope that you not only get entertained, but you and I also learn something new together.

Let the Q & A begin.

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Tadka Noodles

The day I had made Hakka Noodles for a dinner get-together, I had boiled excess noodles so reserved some for later.  Since our intake of soya sauce, chili-garlic sauce, ketchup and vinegar was high that week, I did not want to reuse the noodles for anything Indo-Chinese.  While I was beginning to make my regular dal, with the tadka and veggies, I added the remaining noodles instead of lentils – and so was the birth of Tadka Noodles, the Indian touch to Chinese noodles but NOT a part of Indo-Chinese cuisine.  I believe you can call this dish a cousin of Semaiya Pulao / Seviyan Upma / Vermicelli Pulao.

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