April 04, 2007

IMAM BAYILDI AND CARROT-WALNUT CAKE

Have a wonderful Easter celebration! :)

(Pic:www.bibi.org)

Have noticed that my blog is a "Kind Blog" now? (check my sidebar)

That means I pledge to be nice to everybody and leave kind comments and "Choose civility" when communicating with you! And I expect the same from you.If you don't like any blog and what they write, you can always choose to leave that blog rather leaving sarcastic,tongue in cheek and hurtful remarks and make any blogger unhappy! Or if you must say something,then choose civility and communicate your thoughts politely and tastefully. You know what they say "If you can't say something nice,you better not say it at all!" (I came to know about "Choose civility" message from Anali's blog!)You too can become Kind blogger(click on the link),that is only if you think like me!:))

What's on the menu this week?:

A yummy Eggplant dish called "Imam Bayildi",

and a Carrot-Walnut cake/Bread for the the Easter bunny!:)

Some more beautiful Spring colors of NC on display too.

A big purple Eggplant to make the dish which made Imam faint with delight!:D

I chose to make Imam Bayildi after surfing the net for Arab recipes out of curiosity,found many interesting dishes with Eggplants,Chickpeas and meat!When I chanced upon the hilarious story behind this delicious dish,couldn't help but to share the story and the dish with all of you this week!:)


Here is that hilarious story!

TURKISH IMAM BAYILDI (The Imam Fainted!):

"There are many stories about the origin of the name of this dish. One of them we heard while visiting Ankara, Turkey's capital. A long time ago a Turkish Imam (a clergy man ), known for his love of good food, surprised his friends by announcing his engagement to the young daughter of a wealthy olive-oil merchant. The friends did not know about her ability to cook. But they presumed part of her dowry would include olive oil. They were right. For her father gave the groom twelve jars, each one large enough to hold a person, of the precious oil. After her marriage the bride proved to be an excellent cook and each day prepared a special dish for her epicurean husband. One of them, eggplant cooked in olive oil, became his favorite. And he ordered that his wife prepare it each night for dinner. This she did for twelve consecutive days. On the thirteenth, however, the dish was missing from the meal. Queried about its absence, the bride replied, "Dear husband, I do not have any more olive oil. You will have to purchase some more for me." The lmam was so shocked that he fainted. And since that day, according to the story, his favorite dish has been known as Imam Bayildi, The Imam Fainted!"
Story is from "Epicurean", and the recipe idea is from the "Recipezaar" with some of my own changes.

Let's all swoon together now! Here is that truly delicious Imam Bayildi! ;D


To make these, you Need:

1 large eggplant,salt,3 medium red onions, finely sliced into rings,4 sliced Plum Tomatoes,6 thick slices of Bell pepper of any color you like, 4 tbsp Extra Virgin olive oil and 1 tbsp butter,2 large cloves garlic,1/2 Cup or more water or stock,2 tbsp parsley, 1 tsp cumin,pinch of cinnamon,Lemon juice ,chilli flakes.





Slice the Eggplant inti two lengthwise,score with knife making sure not to cut the skin and scoop the middle as shown.Discard seeds etc.Sprinkle some and lemon juice quickly.Heat a pan with some olive oil,saute the sliced onions till soft and reddish on the edges with little salt,cool.Saute the garlic as well.Now ,rinse the Eggplant slices,dry and place in oven proof dish.Drizzle olive oil,salt,lemon juice,chilli flakes and Cumin and cinnamon pd.




Pile up with onion and garlic.Place some cut butter on them,layer with peppers and Tomatoes.Pour water or stock on top.Sprinkle parsley now or you can do that after it's cooked.Bake in the 375F oven for 30-40 or until done or you can microwave it too,first covered and then open until done.I can not give you the exact time,check often for soft Eggplant.




That's it! A beautiful tasting and looking Imam Bayildi is ready to dig in and swoon.Don't worry about 1 1/2 cup Olive oil Imam's wife used.You don't really need that much olive oil for this to taste as good as her's!!Really!!!:D

A plate of Imam Bayildi with slice of bread on the side:
Pita would be a great bread with this,I didn't have it on hand and also plain rice will taste excellent with this too.Hope you try!

Well..let's bake a easy Carrot-Walnut cake for our Easter bunny, shall we?!:D

Here is a quick ,rich,moist and no butter Carrot cake or bread,my favorite dessert!This is a quick bread rather than the regular carrot cake but equally delicious.I didn't post step by step photos,since you just need to gather up all the ingredients,mix and bake in a jiffy.Carrot-Walnut cake is glazed Cream Cheese frosting.You can skip that if you like or just dust some Sugar pd on top.(Recipe from Beatrice Ojakangas "Quick Breads")

Carrot-Walnut Cake:


You Need:Makes 1 large or 3 small loaves.

2 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts,1/4 cup Raisins, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar packed, 3 teaspoons baking powder, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 cups finely shredded fresh carrots, 1/2 cup milk, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 egg.

How to bake:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Spray with no-stick oil inside one 9 1/2 x 5 1/2" loaf pan or three 5 3/4 x 3 1/2 inch loaf pans.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, nuts, sugars, raisins, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt until well blended. Stir in the remaining ingredients just until moistened. 4. Spoon into pan or pans. Bake 50 to 60 minutes for a large loaf, 35-45 minutes for small loaves, or until they are baked in the middle.

5. Cool on a rack before glazing.Place a wide plate under the cooling rack to glaze.

Glaze:

1. mix 1/2 pack of Cream Cheese, 1cup powdered sugar or more or less than you like,1 tsp Vanilla essence,drop or two Orange food color,and add enough milk to make it thin enough to pour to coat the cake.

2. Heat this for 40 secs in the microwave,not more than that.Whisk and pour on the cake with a plate underneath the cooling rack to catch the extra glaze.

3. Let the get firm on the cake and replace the plate with another and pour the glaze again on the cake until evenly coated.Garnish with baby carrots and walnuts.

3. Cover and chill the cake if you like or keep it in the cake dish covered.Tastes great the next day with all the goodness of Carrots and Walnuts!:)

Another look:


Have fun baking and enjoy the Easter!:)

Beautiful North Carolina in Spring!






Have a great weekend while I sneeze up a storm!!;D






Keeping with Arabian dishes theme, here's a delicious "Umm Ali" if you have missed!Enjoy!:)

135 comments:

Sia said...

ha ha ha....that was a funny story of Imam Bayildi! with that kind of oil i am sure even my hubby would have fainted;)
he will faint any way if i try to feed him brinjal. badane andre sutta badane mukha madtare;) but i am in for Imam Bayildi n gonna have it all alone:) yipppyyyyyyyy.... cant resist this kind of temptations:)
first Umm ali n then Imam Bayildi! next what ashakka?

Sandeepa(Bong Mom's CookBook/DesiMomzClub) said...

Hey Asha,
Loved the Spring Colours are they in your garden ? Shall go through recipes at leisure

BTW had sent you a mail and did a post too, check out

Thanks
sandeepa

TNL said...

Love that "Kind Blog" banner, Ashaji. Thanks for the links....

Imam Bayildi story is cute! and it looks really good, Love that it has eggplant in it, and the Carrot-Walnut cake is perfect for Easter....I am going to celebrate Easter this year, now the kids are older..they love the bunnies and eggs!

you know, I once told my brother that the "Easter bunny shot himself" cos I didn't want to share any of my Goodies with him...boy, that was a BAD idea. Ma got him double the candy cos he was heartbroken.

Pooja said...

Hi Asha,
Am i the first o ne today ? hurrreyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!
missed your so many posts here , and just checked all of them, needless to say they all are great.
Imam Bayildi looks so healthy and delicious too, gotta try it sometime. :)
in your prv post read about the comment s that made you laugh , and sile spreaded on my lips too, one more addition you cna get from me is the recipes like Imam Bayildi , i almost at the first time mis pronounce it, this it i read it as imam baldi :)) . then got a look again , ad my mind was surprised to read that , and got the correct name :D . sometimes i wonder from where you choose such names....
but truely its too good . thanks for sharing carrot walnut cake too. will be active within a week on blog. so stay tuned and have fun.
hugs
-Pooja

ChrisB said...

Asha I cannot believe you have no other comments showing up yet, I'm sure I'm not the firsat to comment on the lovely story to go with the eggplant recipe and the carrot-walnut cake both are must try for me. I also love the photos. Hope you manage to keep the allergies under control. Enjoy the weekend :)

indosungod said...

Asha Imam Bayildi looks delicious and easy to prepare.

"Carrot Walnut cake" ready to dig into. Flowers from your garden?
Looks beautiful.

karmic said...

Simply delicious as always. I looked up the Imam Bayildi, when you mentioned it the comments on my blog once. It was a funny read.
This dish is great, we had it at the local Turkish restaurant when we lived in New Haven.

The cake looks great too. And as do the pics of Spring in NC. By the way, I can do a decent imitation of the NC drawl. I used to know someone from there and I kind of like how it sounds. :)

Enjoy the rest of the week and hope it is sneeze free.

Anonymous said...

Hi Big S! I am now curious to know if the Imam did buy more olive oil for the wife:)....I guess he did. I would, for a yummmy dish as this. Cake looks awesome and the flowers are soooo pretty. I think its time to visit NC. Let me start bugging hubs.

By Deepa and Supriya said...

Hi Asha,
See I am checking your blog early 'coz my laptop may go today :)..the Imam Bayildi looks yummy but I'll pass on the carrot cake :) I will have to visit your blog atleast a couple of times before the weekend...I have a surprise planned for uj (his b'day)...so hope you don't mind me borrowing a couple of recipes.
I might have some springflower pics too on Monday...Dallas Arboretum is having a spring flower festival :)
Thanks!

sra said...

Asha, lovely pictures once again. Do put in the captions so we know what flowers they are!

Hyderabadi's said...

I love carrot-walnut cake, i usually buy it from 7-11, but I can try it now... Thanks for sharing the recpie

Gattina Cheung said...

Asha, your blog just gets prettier and prettier! Thanks for this beautiful easter's "greeting card"! Happy Easter!
Great to have you guys starting out the message of "choose civility". It's just a basic manner :D
Ah-ah, about eggplant, I wasn't good when come to choosing veg, I got a bitter one last week :(
And what a lovely deco on this carrot cake! I've mixed toasted dessicate coconut into the frosting, very good!

FH said...

Hi Sia,just came back form dropping off Trisha.Wasn't that funny?I think poor Imam fainted bcos 1 /2 cup Olive oil she used!;D I would too! Anyway,it's tastes great,we had it as side dish.Badnekai kandre sumaru janakke agalla,yaakenta gottilla!Namage tumba ishta,makkalu thinnolla!:D
Next Mom's dishes:)

I will Sandeepa,little hectic this week,I will check today:)
These flowers are some from our neighbors and some are mine.See you later:)

HAHAHA!! Serves you right for being a little devil on Easter!!Your mom rocks!;D
Imam Bayildi was great hope you try:))

Hi Pooja,great to see you girl.Hope you will be back:))You always make me feel good like a little sister would.Thank you.
Imam Baldi!!;D I bet he was too!! Wo knows?! I didn't choose the name,the dish was called that.But it does taste good.Try it.

Hi Chris,I had some errands to run in the morning after I posted this,just came back moderate.
Hope you try Imam's dish,it's great.
Popping a pill a day for my allergy,can't help but cope with it.Thanks Chris:)

Priya said...

A nice recipe for eggplant and its my all time favorite.. Imam Bayildi story is so fun and happy easter to you and your family:))

Aahaar Vihaar said...

Hi Asha,
What a funny background for imam bayildi:-))). The dish looks gorgeous and the photographs too. Easter feast with carrot cake for dessert will be perfect.

Your blog is the one that links almost all the events from the fellow bloggers. But one suggestion here, it would be great if you could add the deadline date too. Dining hall blog already does that, but it would be nice to see it in your blog too. Just a suggestion, think about it. Thanks.

FH said...

Hi Indo,thanks.Give it a try,feels like comfort food:))
Flowers are some from my garden,yellow tree is from the neighbor.Enjoy:)

Hi Sanjay,every Arabic dish has diff, recipes from diff. countries.Umm Ali was like that too.You want southern drawl,you have to watch Paul Dean.She has naturally that way!;D
When we got o local Home Depot,I don't understand a thing they say but my kids and Arvind understand them perfectly!:D
Sneeze free,not a chance!It did rain one day and that's about it,blazing Sun again.Got my medicine,I will cope:)

HAHA! Hema,I think it's his monthly supply of Olive oil,Imams are not that rich,you know!;D
Very colorful but in few weeks,everything will be green.Hope you try the dish,it's yummy:))

UH OH! Get a new one girl.Laptops are imp. for us you know!;D
You are more than welcome to try any recipe you want from me.Happy Birthday to him from me,make it special!:))
Can't wait to see flowers,I love colorful ones.

FH said...

Hi sra,thanks.I have no idea what they are but I can search in Google and will update.That big tree last week was Dodwood though:)

Hi H! Hope you do,it was great.I love Cream cheese frosting but didn't put too much this time.Enjoy:)

Thanks and Happy Easter to you Gattina.Coconut sounds good,I will add next time:)
Eggplants should smaller and shiny on top when you buy.Slice,add salt on top and let it sit for 10 mins and wash it off.Sometimes it takes the bitterness out.

Thanks Priya,hope you have a great Easter too.My kids are too old for Easter eggs hunt but they loved the cake:)Enjoy.

Hi AH,thanks girl.Hope that story made you smile today!:))
You are right.I was thinking of putting up dead line dates too because sometimes I forget and hurry thru with some eventsas well:))I will try and do it today.

KA said...

That's a funny story, you have added some fun in my otherwise bland day.
I so wish I was living in North Carolina now.

Mishmash ! said...

Hahahha....i liked the Imam bayildi story :)) but just with the display of eggplant i can make my hubby faint, he has some strong aversion to it, got it from hostel i guess ! Liked the presentation of the cake. and Happy Easter/Spring holidays to you too :) I am trying that arab dessert for sure :)

Shn

Little Miss Muffet said...

the pics of flowers are lovely :) and the eggplant dish sounds so interesting..will defi try it ..

Ayesha Seerin said...

The cake looks delicious...
your family should be having a really tough time maintaining weight :-)

FH said...

Hi KA! Thank you,that was my goal!Every post should bring smile on your face,you know.What else is there in day to day life?It's good to smile.Glad you like d it,enjoy:)

Hi Shn,apparently many guys don't like the Eggplants! Hmm..!! Wonder why?! Arvind likes it with rice rotis,plantation style.
You too have fun:))

Hi M! Hope you do try that dish,super simple if you make it in the Microwave.But you don't get that roasted taste from the oven.Enjoy.

HAHAHA!! Ayesha, kids are okay but Arvind and I are on the plump side which is okay.We are in early 40s after all!;D
I am planning to make you plump too!!:D

Manasi said...

Hehehehe! Nice story!
Luv the cake... wish I cud hv a couple of slices of that!!!
Like the H of hope in the banner and also like the 'choose civility' button...
Those flower snaps are lovely, do u know the names?

Richa said...

hey asha,
just 4tbsp oil?? we need more like the original ha!ha!
thanks for this new dish.
I enjoy the carrot cake from cheesecake factory, time to bake it home i guess!
thanks

sallywrites said...

Love the recipes. I think I may make some carrot cake...........

Great pictures Asha...........

Spring. Gorgeous!

Joyce said...

Your blog postings get better and better. So professional and so entertaining. Thanks for all the effort you expend!

Li'l Lite said...

wonderful dishes,beautiful flowers,funny story :)))
and i completely agree with the 'be kind when commenting'.gr8 post :)

FH said...

Manasi,unfortunately I don't know the names but I can find out and update.Thanks girl:))

Hi Richa,1 1/2 cup Olive oil will kill us even though it's healthy!:D
You can't beat the taste of Cheese factory stuff but you get the satisfaction of making it at home:)

Hi Sally,Carrot cake tastes great,not better than the commercial ones but bad either.Thanks,hope you try:)

USHA said...

Hi Ashaji,

That was really a funny story of Imam Bayildi,its was intersting to read a story behind the recipe..isn't it?Receipe is good.

I loved your carrot -walnut cake like any, wow!!look at that freezed cream flowing over the cake Hmmm....mouth watering ....

Beccy said...

Let me atart at the bottom, what beautiful spring flowers your garden must be stunning.

I'll have the carrot and walnut cake without the walnuts thanks, (I'm not a hugh nut fan but love carrot cake and am delighted to try another recipe).

I love the Iman Bayildi story and it looks good too.

swapna susarla said...

Hi ashaji
What a variety dish with eggplant..loved it very much.Wonderful pictures..

FH said...

You are welcome Joyce.It'a always great to hear from you:)

Thanks dr!:)) I love that little Kind blog button,it's cute!

Hi Beccy,some flowers are from my neighbor,it is colorful everywhere now!:)
You can skip the nuts and add the raisins Beccy.Improvise!I know Walnuts have this odd smell:D

Thank you Swapna.Hope you try that,it's yummy!:)

marriedtoadesi.com said...

Love the new header! Nice story too, enjoyed reading it and the pics.

Kanch

Anonymous said...

hi Asha
I really like your blog the creativity and effort you put in making this blog, is very much appreciative. I do want to make a correction on your definition of Imam it does not mean mohammedan priest it means basically a muslim clergy man. In islam there is no such thing as mohamedan, muslims believe that Mohamed is a prophet. I would appreciate if you can make that correction. If you ever wanted to make a segment on islam and the variety of foods muslims eat I would glad to participate. Anyhow keep up the great work and happy cooking:)

Seema Bhat said...

Asha
Thanx for the lovely easter greeting and loved your badnekai dish( I am sure I will not remember the name of it tho'). Badnekai nammibrigu all time fav. And oh boy your garden looks awesome. Illi innu eenu shuru agilla.Coming to the cake I loved the way you decorated it with sliced baby carrots. Loved it.

musical said...

Thats a lovely recipe, Asha. and great story (chuckle, chuckle) :).

bee said...

why is the kind blogger proclaiming her hatred for celery sticks? lol.

your carrot cake looks yumm.

bee, the celery hater.

sunita said...

Asha, loved the story and the recipes...can see myself baking that cake...it's so my type...I'm going to love it.

Mythreyee said...

Carrot Cake is one cake that I love to have with a dollop of ice cream. The eggplant recipe is very interesting. Though I am not a big fan of eggplants, My husband loves this vegetable and for that I hunt for recipes like this one. I am sure even I will like this kind of prepared eggplants. Thanks for sharing.

FH said...

Hello K,thank you.Supriya made that blog header for me:))

Hi Fathima, that story is from that Arab site with a link written by a westerner, not mine at all!:) That what he wrote,I just reproduced here without my input at all.I can fix that though,thanks.Check back,you will see that correction.Actually,I would love to visit your blog ,do you have one?Thank you Fathima:))

Thanks Seema.Namagu ishta Badnekai!:))Try this,you can have it with rice too:)Spring has sprung everywhere,it's beautiful.

Hi Musical,you sweet little girl.Glad that made you chuckle.Good for your soul,isn't it?Enjoy,hugs:)

FH said...

Bee the celery hater,HAHAHA!
first, Marilyn Wann says that,not me but it suits my sentiments and it doesn't mean she hates it either!
I add celery to many dishes,just don't eat them as lunch or dinner on it's own as some "slim ppl" do!;D
You know what I HATE!Allergy shots,I am not at all kind to them.:P Enjoy the day and smile.

Hi Sunita,great.Hope you make for Easter and have fun.

Hi Myth,I know lot of ppl don't like Eggplants.May be bcos it's soft and doesn't feel good sometimes to eat!:))
Try the carrot cake instead,you will love it.Ice cream!!Never thought of eating with that.I will try,still got some.Thanks M, hugs:)

RML said...

Hi asha,
Nice story and recipe too.
The eggplant is mouth watering.I sure would try this and let u know.
What a wonderful bloom of flowers!
Have a nice Easter!
Madhuri

Lisa Johnson said...

Hey Asha! I love all those beautiful flowers. No wonder your allergies are driving you nuts! It snowed here today. No Spring flowers for a while.

The carrot cake looks lovely and thanks for the shout out! : )

Anonymous said...

Asha, I just came from Aroma saying I hope you're feeling better -- now I see you're still sneezing. That allergy doc on vacation? :)

The imam bayildi looks great. I first read about that in James Beard's Theory and Practice, my first cookbook ever! It's still in the pantry, falling apart it's so well-read. Your version looks nicer with the veggies in slices rather than all cooked to pieces. Also love that carrot cake (my fav!). Thanks for sharing these :)

Your flowers and forsythia are beautiful too -- what's the name of the very first purple one??

Feel better!!

Shionge said...

Hiya Asha...I am sorry that others are being nasty and certainly hope that they get the message about being kind.

First I must say I have never tried egg plant but the the other version, which is the brinjal I think it is quite similiar right? It looks so easy and yes looks yummy too :D

Ahh....the flowers, you make me want to buy some flowers now hahahahha...

Carrot cake, you do know how to tempt us with another look :)

Thank you and Happy Easter to you Asha

Anonymous said...

Wow! what a colourful spring Blooms you've out there!I envy all North carolians:)Asha,Happy Easter to you too!Liked your walnut carrot cake,it's yummm.

Sai said...

Lovely post! Loved your story as well.

BTW carrot walnut cake is my most favorite cake!

Anonymous said...

wow ASha loved both dishes.
ayio yake badnekayi andre E makkalige agola?? i have tried all ways to feed my daughter but in vain, have not succeeded.

badnekayi mulagayi madidru, have to use potato/bendekayi for her

Sig said...

:):) very funny story.... Like the name too first Umm Ali, now this... :)
The pictures are beautiful!

Cynthia said...

Asha, your blog is such a celebration of life. Happy Easter to you and your family too!

Coffee said...

I am one person who can run miles away from eggplant!!!! But this dish makes me give a try to it once!!!! Liked the story behind it :)

Carrot walnut cake looks cool!!!!! I liked your msg about 'Kind Blog'. :)

Keshi said...

Woman when do I get to board a plane to ur place and have lunch n get back here for work?

YUMMMMMMMMY pics!

Those flowers...awww ur in Spring and Im in Winter :(

Anyways have a beautiful Springy long weekend with ur folks sweetie. Im off for a abt 5 days :) HUGGGGGGGGZ! Have fun n TC. Ciao!

Keshi.

Suma Gandlur said...

That is a funny story. Yesterday, when I was searching for Arabic recipes, I think I came across this recipe. Must be good.
Carrot cake looks delicious too. Wow! You must be enjoying spring. We were in 30s today and even saw some snow.

Sneha said...

Hey there!!! It's been SO long!
Well, honestly I HAVE been taking sneak peeks at all the yummy things you've been putting up out here (AND on Aroma). couldn't resist!
my exams are finally over and i'm back to 'normal' mode :D

that cake looks sinful! no comments on the brinjal, though! hehe

i so hope u'll bring us more easy-teenager-type recipes that i can try out this summer! it's so much fun hanging out here. the flipside is that someone has to wipe all the drool off the keyboard lol

cya!

deepsat said...

you know asha, i can look at the spring pics and eat your cuisines forever and ever!!

happy easter!!

;-))

FH said...

Thanks Madhuri:) Hope you try one of these.

Anali,I can't believe it SNOWED there! OMG!! Well...Spring is quite late for you then.Thanks for the info about Choose Civility,I think reading itself that making some flip!;D

Hi Linda,thanks:)I have no idea about the name of that flowers but it smells divine!
I am on the meds but it just takes the edge off but doesn't completely stop,wish it would!
I have heard of James Beard's award for the good cookbooks.Must be good:)

Hi Shinoge,nasty pple become nastier I guess as they age,poor things!!They don't bother me!:D:D
Don't worry,many of us are kind blogger,we are lucky to have them as friends,right?:)
Brinjal and Eggplants are same.In England they call it Aubergine too.Any large Brinjal will do.Have a great Easter Shi, hugs:))

FH said...

Lera,India doesn't have seasons.Well..not much like here anyway,right? Every 3 months we go thru' these beautiful transformation,which also brings flu etc too! ;D But It's enjoyable.Enjoy the recipes.

Hi Sai,Carrot cake is my fav,order t every time when in the restaurants.YUM! This is light version of that, with no butter!Enjoy:))

Roopa,all the kids are like that.Hope they start to like it as they grow older.Badnekai Mulagai;naanu aloogedde hakbeku!:D So they can pick just aloos and eat them.My son says he would love to kill all my Brinjal plants so he doesn't have to eat Brinjals!:D
Btw,there is a Desi momz club,you can check for kids issues,it's new and I am contributing too.

Hi Sig,I know!;D Umm Ali and now this.You must be so confused!!Seroiuuly, it's fun to read about these stories behind the dishes.Something to smile and ejoy the disg as well.Hope you try:)

Oh Cynthia,you are such a sweetheart!:)) Thank you so much.I want everybody to smile when we go thru' the daily life.At least,I hope we all do!
Have a great Easter and enjoy with your family,GOD bless:))

J said...

Oh, my comment got eaten!! Blogger is getting hungry seeing your posts!! Nice name and hilarious story, Asha! :) The brinjal alone is enough to make me and hubby faint, the only exceptions being bharta and moutabel. Love the carrot walnut cake, my kinda food!:) hope you've bid farewell to your allergy! Take care,Asha. Hugs.

FH said...

Thank you Coffee.You are a kind blogger too and I love you:))You always make me smile with your many !!!!!!!!! and :)))))) when you comment!HAHA!

Yeah Keshi,that's a good idea.Do you have a private jet?:D
You enjoyed your spring and summer all these days and now it's our turn!!:))Enjoy your break and hugs.

Suma,still snow?! Man,hope it's over soon and you get some flowers around you.It's little colder here but in 70s later.
Eggplant dish tastes good with mostly Indian spices except Olive oil.Try it:))

Hi Sneha,hurray,exams are over.Now you can relax and cook some yummies.This carrot cake easy for you and there are many veg and non veg soup you could try.Go to recipe Index for easy to find recipes.
Aroma has some quick recipes too.Enjoy your break,if need any specific recipes,let me know:))
Have fun.

Hi Satheesh,see looking at the pics and enjoying the flowers here on Lappy are easier than getting out to take those photos and sneeze the heck out after wards,isn't it?!!:D
Very clever!!!Enjoy the flowers and the dishes and be happy.
Happy Easter to you and your family:))

Viji said...

Very nice asha, the cake look awesome. Your immam Bayildi is quite interesting. Beautiful snaps. Tks for sharing. Viji

Kribha said...

Hey Asha,
my hubby is not a big fan of egg plant , so I'll have to try it on the days I'm eating alone. As for the carrot cake. YUM YUM. can't wait to try it.
The "kind blog" concept is really cool. would like to use it in mine too(although I have only one active visitor which is YOU!). Thanks

FH said...

Hi J! Same thing happened to me twice today,comment just disappeared!!Had to type again! Grr..:)
Thanks ,hope you try the caroot cake atleast!:))As long as Spring is out there,my allergy stays.That's okay,part of my life!Thanks J ,hugs to you too:)

Hi V! Thanks girl.Spring makes me happy,so new and unusual recipes!;D

Hi Kribha,you can have that Kind blog logo,you are a kind blogger to me!:))
I know so many ppl do not like Eggplants!Try the cake though and enjoy Kribha:)

Anonymous said...

Very Interesting story Asha :) I enjoyed it. Carrot cake looks so yummy. My hubby's fav. thanks for the recipe. Colorful spring pics :)

Reeta Skeeter said...

Do u exercise ur kids a lot?? wid a mommy like u kids shud b reeeeeealllly fat! :D that says all about the post as well i guess :) cheers!

Anonymous said...

Hadn't heard of Imam Bayildi. Nice story and the dish looks delish! Nice post there, Ash! Hope you're having better spring weather than us here. Temp in the 40s here this week! Grr...
Lovely flowers, btw!

FH said...

Hi Jas,it was funny ,wasn't it?Glad you are smiling.Try the carrot cake,it's yummy.You love flowers,they are in your every post!:))Enjoy.

Hello Skeeter,long time no see!
You missed my kids B'day post(I took them out now).See that's why you don't know they are skinny err..my son is.My girl is at healthy weight.As for parents,we could use some excerise!HeHe!! Thanks Reeta,have a great day:))

Hi Vani,good to see you.Until yesterday,we had at 85F!! Today it's a little cold but still at 60s.I heard that it snowed in some states.That's terrible!
How is M? No updates from you.Sandeepa,I and few others have Desi Momz club now to discuss child issues etc,check out my sidebar and contribute if you can:)Hugs.

Mandira said...

you have a beautiful garden asha. Love the recipe.. I see I have a growing collection of eggplant recipes. Aswin also has spring allergies, so I can understand!!

Ayesha Seerin said...

aaaaha .. spare me .. Its not even been a year since i got married ...

FH said...

Hi Mandira, soory about Aswin's allergy.It's terrible to got thru' these months although it's beautiful.But on a positive side,it will end as soon summer here!:))
Yes,everybody's front yard is beautiful now.Enjoy Mandira:))


HAHAHA!!! Ayesha,run away for this blog as fast as you can or can you?! Hmmm...!!! Hey,enjoy good life and good food I say!;D

Brilynn said...

That cake looks delicious!

Shivapriya said...

Nice story. Everything looks delicious.
Beautiful spring pictures.

SJ said...

Hi Asha, Hilarious story... though I am not a huge eggplant fan, the story that comes with the dish has tempted me to try it out!
Lovely flowers? Are they from your own garden - if so, you should post some gardening tips for folks like me who manage to kill most of my plants :-(

FH said...

Thanks Brilynn!:))

Hello,SP!! They are beautiful,aren't they?Lot blogger are posting many flowers which makes feel so good!:))

HAHA!! SJ, some are mine and some are from neighbors.Most of mine are bulbs (Perennials?),you plant them once and they come up nicely every year on their own!Low maintenance:)
Thanks.

Anonymous said...

oh Asha..that is a funny story, the poor guy fainted on realizing he had to spend some change getting olive oil! Wonder what he would think about demands for diamonds and gold ;)! The dish however looks absolutely delicious and swoon worthy!

Maneka Nirmal said...

it was realy a nice story..he.he
as always,the food is gr8..enjoy ashaji...

Me said...

The eggplant dish looks delicious!

Anonymous said...

Asha, That civility button is such a nice thought. I like your way of appreciating new bloggers by making it a point to comment.

Spring colors are beautiful so are you still sneezing?:)))) The recipe looks yum yum..........yummy........

Deepak Gopi said...

You are a great designer also :)
I wish I could eat that cake made of Carrot.But I fear Brinjals.
Happy easter to u and family

FH said...

HAHA!! Monisha,I think gold was probably cheaper than 1 1/2 cups of Olive oil for that poor guy!:D
It was funny.I do hope he fainted after tasting it,bcos it's really delicious!

Thank you Maneka:)) Glad you are smiling too.Enjoy.

Hi Orhan,it's really delicious.New recipe for me and I loved it.I should start cooking other countries dishes more!:)

Reena,you are a kind blogger!:))
I replied to your article at momz club,hugs to you.Enjoy the recipes.
Although I LOVE spring,sneezing gets worse in the mornings ,then lessens during the day!Thanks for caring:))

Hi Deepak,somebody made it for me!;D Thanks,you too have a great Easter.
Why do most men don't like Brinjal?! Did something traumatic happened to you guys in childhood that involves Brinjal? HAHAHA!!

ServesYouRight said...

Asha,

Fabulous recipes and such interesting names! Heres hoping the allergies go away soooon!

Smita

FH said...

Thank you Smita:)) From your mouth to God's ears!!!Have a great weekend and happy Easter.

Lotus Reads said...

Hi, Asha!

I love your new font, it's beautiful! You make so many lovely changes to your blog...I wish I was as proficient with html.

I was so happy to see a recipe for Imam Bayildi, I remember I first tasted it on a holiday in Istanbul, it is delicious!

Umm Ali, is also something to die for...we'd eat it all the time when I lived in Dubai.

Thank for this mini Middle Eastern culinary trip...it brought back fond memories!

FH said...

Hi Lotus,you are welcome.How lucky you are to taste the real deal!:))
I had many variations of the same recope ,so I had to adapt to my yaste.Umm Ali was really tasty though,a cross betn bread pudding and Baklava!YUM!
Thanks Lotus.New Beta blogger has lot of choices,really enjoying tweaking this and that!:D
Have a great weekend.Hugs.

Dr. Soumya Bhat said...

Hi asha,
as usual a nice post again.Love egg plant in any form..thanks for sharing...Lovely plants and beautiful colors also..thanks

mommyof2 said...

I just wrote a fuming post on my blog (first time and hopefully last time;-)and came here to read about kind blog;-)Now let me go & find out murg recipe you posted:-)

vasilisa said...

Great story! Makes it so appetizing! (And really, men can be quite unreasonable sometimes :-) )

And I love the idea. I've been making some eggplant-pizzas before. This is gonna be a whole new twist to try.

Cyberkitty said...

Happy Easter to you and your family ! Interesting story about Imam Bayildi !

FH said...

Hi Sowmya,thanks girl.I love Egplants too but it's $4/lb!I get just three,got to pay dearly but price doesn't stop me from buying!;D
Got to plant some next month.
Sowmya,contribute ayurvedic info for Desi Momz clup!(Sidebar)

HAHA!! MO2,you can write a fuming and angry post yourself but don't leave or tolerate rude comments,that's the message:)I will take a look.
Enjoy Keasri murg and join us at Desi Momz club and vent there!!;D

FH said...

Hi Lisa,glad to see you and hope you didn't miss the Tomato post.Yummy recipes there.
HAHA! Men!! He was probably worried about the next supply of Olive oil!
I love Eggplants too,never topped Pizza with it,sounds good.This dish would be great on Pizza as well:))
Check out Desi Momz club,you can ask and receive child related queries.It's fun and informative.

Thank you CK! Hope you are fun too there:)) That story made me try the dish as well,it is hilarious.
Have a great weekend.Hugs:)

Kajal said...

Hi Ahsa,
Great, great.............. Pictures of flower and recipe.
I love natural flower pictures.
Imam Bayildi looks very delicious.
No more words...................for your great post.
You can do so many things.
Great job.:)

FH said...

Thank you Kajal:) Hope you are having a great weekend.Give Imam Bayildi a try,I am sure you will love it.
Colorful flowers are everywhere these days,so beautiful!Great to be alive and well,right?!:)

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha,
I was very impressed with your recipe blogs and artistic photos of everything! And I am not even a blooging generation-person, I just stumbled onto your site. Wonderful work
Yes, I am Asha too

FH said...

Hi Asha,thank you:))
You are only other Asha I met so far!Glad you liked my site.Feel free to browse when you have time and enjoy.
I started blogging from last July,before that I had no no idea these foodie blogs even existed!:D
Now, I have made so many friends,I feel lucky:)It's a great community,most of them are wonderful.You are welcome to join us too.
Have a great weekend,hope you come back and say hello again:)

Menu Today said...

Hi Asha,
I love eggplant. Your pictres inviting me, I like to try your carrot and walnut cake.Great Post Asha asusual. Thanks for sharing.

FH said...

You are welcome MT!:)

Hope you try the Eggplant dish,it's really delicious! Hope Easter day going well for you:)

Anonymous said...

Ashaji, that was a great story about the eggplant dish - your posts are getting even more interesting :-) I will surely try this recipe as I love eggplant and it seems easy enough even for me !

And what lovely colours of spring !

Prema Sundar said...

So U are rocking with Arabian recipes this week... Arabian dishes are new to me ..Haven't heard of the name but nice to read the story about Imam.
Thanks for the links to the 'kind blogger'.
Loved the carrot cake too. All the recipes u post are wonderful and really surprise me .. Glad we have u in the food blogger world Asha.

Anonymous said...

brinjal looks heavenly :)
now on to surf somemore of yours

FH said...

Abha,cook it in the microwave covered until it's soft,you can make this in a jiffy.Tastes almost like Baingan Bharta too:))
It's very colorful every where now!

Aw..!! Prema,thank you so much!I am lucky to have friends like you,I really do.You do deserve that Kind blogger icon,you are sweet girl.Get it:))
I was searching for Meeta's Arabian event,I found many interesting recipes,it's new to me too.I liked both of them!:)

Hi Anusha,thanks girl.There are plenty Eggplant dishes in Recipe Index!Enjoy.I love Baingan too!:))

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha,
Pictures of spring are too good, particularly when we here in India are struggling to keep the summer heat at bay.

FH said...

HI Kulpreet,good to see you:)Hope you and the family doing well.
It's Spring here ,it is beautiful.But summer will be here and they predicting that it will be severe!Fortunately,99% of homes here are air-conditioned.
Thanks for visiting,keep it cool and safe!:))

Shilpa said...

Haha, what a funny name! Doubt the imam will be the only one fainting! Happy Easter (well, it's a public holiday for me today!)! :)

FH said...

YAY! Enjoy the break! Easter or not,it's always nice to have some time for ourselves:)
It is funny,poor guy.Good that he just fainted,didn't have a heart attack instead!;D

Padmaja said...

interesting story there asha!!!
loved u'r brinjal recipe and tell me who can resist that cake eh??

FH said...

HAHA!! You ae right,Eggplants dish and cake both are very tempting dishes of course.Hope you try at least one these P!:))
Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha,
I enjoy going through your posts:)
The brinjals and carrotwalnut cake look tempting.Lovely photographs:)

Smitha said...

Yummy looking carrot-walnut cake. Its too much of a coincidence that I visit your site after a couple of weeks and you have 3 back to back posts of THE THREE recipes i've been looking for or thinking about! - The Carrot cake, focaccia and vadas (who'd have thought!!) - Spooky eh?

Keshi said...

Asha babez I hope u had a lovely Easter with ur family n friends. HUGGGGGGZ!

Keshi.

Prema Sundar said...

Hi Asha,
I need a small favour from you.
Your blog title looks good. Iam planning to change mine too. How did u combine the images of ur recipes together in the title. Do u use any software for this or are there any websites for help. Please email me at prems.sundar@gmail.com.
Thanks

Padmaja said...

hi asha!!
i trying to find u'r email id and can't find on your blog.
Can you please give me u'r mail id as i have query about urad dal and thought of u first to solve my problem.
my mail: paddukoti@yahoo.com
thank you

FH said...

Thank you Archana.Hope you try the Carrot cake,it's really good !:))

HeHe!! Smitha,I am very intuned with my readers and can read their minds!;D Enjoy.I post every wednesday here at FH,3/week at Aroma!

Hello Keshi girl.You are baaack!:))5 days of relaxation, eh? We don't have Easter but had a 3 day break.Arvind was on call all three days,so didn't go anywhere.I will see you later:)

FH said...

Hi Prema,i didn't do that at all.Supriya made that for me with photoshop software which I don't have!She took my own photos and did that.I just pasted it.If you have photoshop or Adobe,you can do that yourself:) I wil mail you later.

Hi P! I used to have email,but spammed very bad!:)I took it out.I will mail you later and see if I can help you!:)

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha,

That was really hilarious. Both the dishes look yummy.Guess the easter bunny visited u for a bite of your cute carrot cake.
It's Wednesday tomorrow.So what's hiding up your sleeve?

Warm Regards,
Kate.

Anonymous said...

Hi asha,
I have been a fan of your blog for quite sometime but for some reason it wouldnt allow me to leave a comment on your blog..may be because i dont have a google account. Atlast I left a message for you at kajal's blog because i would see your comment regularly on her blog. Hope this reaches you.
Vinita

Mallika said...

Hi Asha, I'm sniffing like mad too... just like you. Boo hoo.

I so agree with the kind words campaign. But you are a natural so it be effortless for you.

Sometime I also wonder how genuine the kind comments left on blogs actually are. So my extra addition is - if you leave a kind comment, make sure you are being genuine.

Karen Xavier said...

Hey do you mind if I link your blog to mine? came here through TDNA. Nice blog you got here... you must be a gifted cook...

FH said...

Hi Kate,good to see you:)
Yeah,bunny and Mr.Imam both visited me!:D Thanks girl.Tomorrow,oh just some mom's recipes,authentic Karnataka veggie stuff!

Hi Vinita,last template I had gave lot of trouble,but this one works work well.I got you now,you don't have to say it anywhere else:))

FH said...

Hi Mallika,I feel you girl.I am taking a tablet everyday which makes my throat so dry,at least that stops sneezing!
You are right about the comments,but I would rather have "thank you Asha" than some rude comments as some tend to do and very good at making blogger uncomfortable.Fortunately,most who come to me are great gals and guys are always sweet!:)
Hope you are taking care of your allergy,it feels like you have flu all the time ,doesn't it?!I hate it.

Hi Shadow,welcome to FH!:))
Yes, you may blog roll me,no probs there!Thank you for visiting.
I don't know about the gift but I have been cooking for 20years!!That should help!;D
Hope you try some of these,any q's or feedback is always welcome:))

Anonymous said...

That was a wonderful story story!!
You know i always tell my husband at least to check what's there in the kitchen, that once in a while!!
The Imams are looking temptating!
I have a doubt Ashaji; How do you come to know abt the latest post in others blog?Do you check everyday??Plz tell if u have any shortcuts!!

Sreelu said...

Asha,

Lovely colors I would love to have a tree thats so yellow in color,Is it seasonal or does it change to green with season.

Anyways thanks for all your kind comments on my blog trust me its been a lot of encouragment to me

Regards,
Sreelu

FH said...

Dhanya,thanks:))
Hope you try some of these.
I always post here on Wednesday and I also use my blog roll to see the updates.I will tell the rest you later.

Hi Sreelu,I am more than happy to comment in your blog,you got some good stuff!:))
About the tree,you do get different colors in that,I am not sure what they are called though.They have already turned into green!White are just the blossoms,they fall off in 3 weeks!

musical said...

That Imam Bayildi keeps me coming back for more ogling. I forwarded this recipe to a former eggplant hater.....the pictures made her try this out and now she's hooked!

Thats your Imam Bayildi :)

dhanya said...

Ashaji,
You have introduced me to an amazing stuff!!Now i know the reason behind ur prompt reply. I ll also be a sincere blogger except for a month as i'm on vacation:))...Thanx in ton!!

Seema said...

Indeed Carolina is a beauty !!!

Carot walnut cake...unresistable !


Asha...hope you had a great time at Easter!

FH said...

Whoa!!! Musical,you and I together converted one ti love the Eggplant!Hurray for us!:D
Good job M,thank you.Hugs.

Dhanya,you are welcome:)
I used to do what did before too,it was a nightmare,then somebody told me about this:)Glad you can come here faster now!;D Enjoy your vacation.

Hi Seema,good to see you!:)
It's beautiful here now,you would have weaved many poems!!I can't write poems to save my life!:D
Enjoy.

Seema said...

Ashaa...your blog is absolutely 'happening' dearie...
1. the yummmyyyy food
2. the flowers n the beauty too !!!
so all in all its rockss !!!

Now lets make a deal...u lemme have all the lip smacking food n i will write poems for ya heheee !

Take care n have a good weekend !

FH said...

Hi Seema, DEAL!!! I will feed your tummy and you feed my heart!!That's a great deal!:))
Thank you.Yeah!Spring is here alright and blooming everywhere here.
Enjoy your weekend as well.

Meera's Blog said...

hi asha:)thanks for your chocolate cake and walnut cake recipes:)i enjoyed baking them and came out very well.thanks again:)

FH said...

Hi Meera,so nice to hear that and glad you enjoyed both.Thanks for the feedback.Hope you bake more!:))

Unknown said...

hi asha,i love the purple flower cover plant(grass cover) in your pictures...i ahve seen it around here but do not know what it is called....do you have a name?please please...help me!!

FH said...

Supriya,thanks for visiting:))

I am not sure about the names of those flowers but I have found a website that can tell you all about ground cover plants and flowers with pics.Check it out and find one you like.Hope this helps.

http://www.directgardening.com/

Unknown said...

hey asha,i found more about the mystery plant,i emailed the home and garden info center at univ of MD...
The plant is Phlox subulata or creeping phlox. They can be planted in full sun to partial shade. There are many cultivars that have different colored flowers. In fact, 'Candy Stripe' has white flowers striped with pink.

FH said...

Good for you Supriya,thanks for telling me too.I am not very knowledgeable about the types of plants!I just pick them if they look good!:D
Also check that site I gave you.You can order them and they have many more beautiful flowers than this too.I really liked that web site.

Sumi said...

Hi Asha,
I tried your carrot cake today for a dinner for friends.It turned out very good and everyone liked it very much.Thanks for the recipe.

FH said...

Glad you liked it Sumi, I love this cake too, easy to make!:)

Thanks for the feedback, appreciate it.