January 03, 2007

MY HOME AND A RECIPE FOR PEARL ONION THEEYAL WITH SPICED BUTTERMILK!

Hurray!! My first post in 2007!:D

Thank you for all your wishes and comments.I had only 3 days of access to the Internet in FL so I couldn't visit or thank you all!Our vacation was exhilarating but VERY exhausting!I don't even want to SAY "Theme Parks" for the next 3 yrs!!:D We came home a day late and I am still too tired to start the routine(the dreaded unpacking!)Kids went back to school today!So my buddies,at last I have some time to visit all of you this week!:)

I was thinking what would be the great way to start my first post in 2007 besides recipes.I thought why not show all of you where I live, cook and dine with my family and a sample of what I did on my vacation.

Here it is! Welcome to my home!(Updated photo!) Let me show you a little bit of my life! Are you ready for a long post?!:)


This is a very typical "Southern Colonial Design" brick home with 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms, 3 garage in a 'Cul De Sac' with a living room and a family room, quite a big front yard, back yard with white fence. It's built in 1991, that explains big space and a quiet older neighborhood! Oak Hollow Lake is just a block away! Newer homes have hardly any space, built like match boxes, pop up everywhere within 3 months with no privacy at all!

My beloved Kitchen! (Update: Old kitchen I must say, it's been demolished and a brand new kitchen has been replaced!)
I have one too many gadgets,so I had to take some off of my counter but I usually like them all within my reach!They all went back promptly after I took this photo!The chair you see is a breakfast nook with a Dinette and a big Baker's Rack which I love with lot of house plants on it!

Again,it's a typical "Southern White Kitchen" which most Carolinians LOVE! Whiter the kitchen, faster the house sells! It was little odd for us to see so much white when we bought this house but now I understand why they want it white.When the Sun hits the kitchen and dining room every morning,it glows like you are literally in Heaven with all white cabinets lit up in white light!Infact,I had to wait until 7pm to take this photo with lights even on a cloudy day bcos it was too bright! No winter depression here folks!:D
That door you see leads to dining room.

Our Dining room! (Update: No more Wall paper! It's been stripped and painted with a beautiful luxurious red paint)


This was hardest room to photograph,it was too bright even at 5pm.With it's rectangle shape although it is a quite a big room,it was hard to capture that in this picture!You see the family room with sofa leading to the dining room.Other door on the right leads to the Kitchen.

Here is my recipe for Theeyal this week! Vacation goodies I bought are at the end:)

Theeyal is a classic south Indian/Kerala dish which is a gravy made with Pearl onions and ground coconut with delicious combination of spices.This particular recipe I had it for long time was from a Kerala info web site which I cannot find it anymore but you can find a similar recipe and others here too as this is a very common dish with similar ingredients.

Delicious Pearl Onion Theeyal as I made it:

You can use any other vegetable in this gravy but I have always used Pearl onions and nothing else.You can also skip red chillis and use sweet paprika.But Theeyal should have little "heat" from the red chillies to taste good with rice.I love the soft texture and sweet flavor of sauteed Pearl onions in spicy coconut sauce. Served with plain rice and few side dishes, papads,pickles and a chilled glass of south Indian style spiced Buttermilk, a major YUM factor!!:)

To make Theeyal, you need:




Peel the skin and keep them whole.Take 6-8 Pearl onions if they are big like here, or 15-20 if they are very small,Cilantro,1-2 Tomatoes.Heat oil and butter,saute onions until they almost cooked,reddish all over.Sprinkle some salt and keep aside.Take a small lump of tamarind and squeeze the juice out with little hot water.Discard the solids.



To make ground masala: Heat 1 tsp oil,saute all these:1/4 cup Coconut grated,2 whole Red Chillies,1 tbsp.Coriander seeds,1/4 tsp. Cumin seeds,5-6 Peppercorns,,1/2tsp fenugreek seeds one by one until golden brown.Grind these with 1/4 tsp turmeric pd,1/4 tsp each salt and sugar(optional) and 2 tomatoes,few cilatro until smooth with enough water.




Heat 1 tsp oil, add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds,1 dry chilli, few curry leaves,pinch of hing or Asafoetida.When splutters,add onions, 1 cup of water,ground masala, tamarind water and simmer until little oil shows on top.Adjust the salt and add chopped cilantro.
That's it! Wasn't that easy?!




Here is how I serve a typical south Indian Theeyal for lunch or dinner with rice ,a yogurt salad or raita and a green bell pepper stir-fry along with some papads and a delicious spiced buttermilk to wash it all down:



Green Bell Pepper Stir-fry and a Cucumber-Carrot-Onion-Yoghurt Raita :




To make Green Bell Pepper Stir-Fry:




Chop 2 Bell peppers and 1/2 onion into 1/2" cubes,keep aside.Heat 2 tsp canola oil,add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds and cumin seeds,1 tsp Chana dal, urad dal,2 green or dry red chillies chopped,fry for 1 minute.Add onion,stir-fry for 2 mins until reddish,add in bell peppers and salt.Stir-fry until soft for 2-3 mins.When little soft,add cilantro,1tbsp dry dessicated coconut and mix well.Serve with any rice and gravy dish. Or with freshly made chapatis.





Cucumber-Carrots-Yoghurt Raita/Salad:


Chop 1 cucumber peeled and seeded, 1/2 red sweet or white onion, 1-2 carrots to a uniform size ie 1/2" cubes.Place them all in a bowl.Add 1 cup plain yoghurt,salt, pepper, chopped cilantro and mix well.You can squeeze some lemon juice if you like but not necessary.


Variation: Add 1 chopped tomato as well into this and season.Instead of adding pepper, Heat 1 tsp oil,add 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds,1 chopped green chilly or red chilli flakes for little heat,few curry leaves.When it splutters,add to yoghurt Raita and mix.


Here is how to make Spiced Buttermilk, my style!:)


Here is how to make it:





You Need:

1 cup Fat-free plain yogurt,1 cup water,2 tbsp minced onion,1 small peeled minced garlic,a small slice of ginger and salt.(I forgot to add ginger in the picture!)








Heat 1tsp oil,add 1/4 tsp mustard,1/2 tsp cumin seeds,2 curry leaves,few cilantro leaves,1/4 tsp minced Jalapeño.Stir until reddish and take it off the heat.








Add yogurt etc in the first list and all the seasoning and 3-4 cubes of ice to a blender and blend well until frothy.Strain in to a tall glass,discard the solids and serve.It makes a tasty refreshing chilled buttermilk drink for a summer day as well.You can replace Jalapeño with pepper pd if you like but fried green chilli imparts a smoky taste to this buttermilk.




NOTE: My grandmother's makes her buttermilk this way:
1. Pound ginger and garlic with little water,squeeze out the juice and add to the buttermilk.Add seasoning(made as above)and add minced raw onion in to buttermilk.
2. Mix well with a whisk.No blender is involved,can be eaten with rice with a crunch of raw onion bits.Tastes sooo good with rice!
But granny's way is little hard to drink as a beverage,don't you think with all those chunky bits?:D Then you have to do it my style to get all the flavors but no bits of spices to chew!

Now, your delicious typical South Indian lunch/dinner Thali/plate is ready to serve.

Enjoy!!:)

*********************************************************************************************************************************
Here are some of fellow Bloggers delicious recipes I tried last month and loved, which go very well with rice:

Vani of Mysoorean's yummy Mixed Vegetable Kootu :

Do you see my newly discovered veg., Zucchini pieces there?!:D


You Need:
3 Cups Mixed Vegetables (boiled),2 cups Toor Dal (cooked),1 cup water,Salt.
To Grind:
1 tsp Jeera,1 tsp Mustard seeds,1 tsp coriander seeds,4-5 dry red chillies,3 Tbsp shredded coconut,2 Tbsp rice(uncooked) ,1/2 tsp turmeric,1/8 tsp hing.
Season with:
1/2 tsp urad dal,1/2 tsp chana dal,1 tsp ghee.
How To: Grind the above ingredients,no need to fry.Mix the cooked dal, vegetables, ground paste ,salt and water together and bring to a boil.Season and add to the Kootu.

Menu Today's delicious Kollu Rasam (Kulith):

Posted by Picasa
You Need:
Kollu 1/4 cup (soaked overnight and cooked)Huruli,Horse Gram,Tamarind water 1 cup,Rasam Powder 1-1/2 tsp,Turmeric Powder 1/4 tsp,Curry leaves,Coriander leaves,Garlic one pod,Salt,Mustard seeds,Cumin seeds,Ghee,Hing.
How To:
1. Boil Tamarind water by adding Salt, Turmeric, Hing and Curry leaves.
2. When the raw smell of Tamarind goes add cooked Kollu a little.
3. Grind the remaining Kollu with one garlic pod.
4. Dilute this Kollu paste with cooked water or water pour on boiling Tamarind water.
5. Add Coriander leave, when the Rasam is about to boil.
6. Temper the Mustard, Cumin and pour over Rasam.
Rasam Powder
Coriander seeds : 3 cups, Pepper ½ cup,Jeera (Cumin)1 cup,Dried red chilles ½ cup,Red gram dal 1 cup,Fenugreek seeds ½ tsp,
How To:Dry roast the above ingredients separately ,cool it powder it.Powder should not be very fine.Store.

Some goodies I bought in Florida:)
We stayed in 'Caribe Royale' Hotel which I recommend to anyone who is visiting FL.It has the most beautiful swimming pools and a choice of villas, rooms and suites to suit your family.A 5-10 mins drive to all Theme parks.

From Prime Outlet Mall in Orlando,I found what else but a "Le Gourmet Chef" kitchen store!:D I bought(while Arvind waited outside as usual!)a jar of Wasabi,New Orleans "Death" Chilli sauce with garlic,Mango Butter,Pineapple-Coconut Marmalade,few soup bowls,cute butter knives,two piece Microplane fine and coarse grating tool,Palm veg Peeler,Texas Champagne sauce and my fav, a stainless steel Pestle and Mortar!!:))
From St.Augustine we visited on the way back home,a historical and beautiful town; I bought beautiful Mexican Sun clay artifacts for kids' bedroom and Mexican clay pot which goes in to my Curio in the family room.




From Indian River Native American store:
This was a very pretty hand made shell Chandelier which I love.I can imagine how much effort and time goes in to making these which is much more than what we pay for!







An Indian Spider-Man!!
Next to super duper Spider-Man ride in 'Island of Adventures' at Universal Studios Theme Park,there is Marvel Comic store where you can find all the marvel comics.When I saw this Indian Spiderman,I screamed with delight! His name is Pavitr Prabhakar(Peter Parker)a village boy who wears Dhoti and pointy Rajastani pumps,and protects Mumbai!MJ is Meera Jain(who dresses like Brittany Spears btw),aunt Maya(Mary)and Uncle Bhim(Ben)and the bad guy is Nalin Oberoi!(Norman Osborne!):D



He calls his enemy a "bhaijaan", ( Mumbai Don!) "Jaaneman" ,"sala" ,"thakeley" and "mere ujde chaman, bechaare degchi ke dhakkan" and says words like "abbey", "badmash" etc!:D:D

My kids didn't like it and gave up reading after the 3rd page! It is geared for Indian kids in India I guess bcos of all the Hindi slangs they use. I enjoyed it though! Buy it if you can in your cities!I don't think this book that rare in US but to me it was a great fun find in FL!:))

Last but not least! A Orlando Science Museum show: "Our Body" The Universe Within!!!


This is a real deal! Not made of wax or plastic but REAL bodies preserved and dissected vertically and horizontally every 3" apart from head to toes.A amazing mobile Museum which goes to Science Museums in major cities for few weeks.We are not allowed to touch or photographed these bodies. What you see above here was a real picture of a real body with skull open to reveal the brains on a fridge magnet.It might come to your city,make sure you don't miss it, if you are not a faint hearted soul that is:)
It's a great display and very helpful to science or Anatomy and Physiology students.My kids loved it! To my surprise,these bodies are all of Chinese people,I do not know why!!They even have a Pre-Natal section!Human body is sooo amazing,every nerve and muscle are split apart and displayed as it is,as they are in our male,and female bodies.One guy has a hanger with his own whole body skin completely stripped in one piece hung on it and holding it in his own hand!! WHOA!!!Are you still there?!!:D

Museum also mentions that the earliest surgeries were done and a surgical book was written in India called "Susruta Samhita"(in Sanskrit) around 200 BC! But after some time, when Hindus started believing that when you cut up the bodies their souls will be eternally wandering,they stopped the surgeries and stopped learning about the human bodies!THANK GOD our brilliant Indian surgeons got over that belief quickly!:D

Enjoy all of these and have a great weekend:)

140 comments:

Pavani said...

Wow Asha, you're ho,me looks amazing. Looking at the matchbox size apartments in NJ and NY, your home seems like a mansion to me.
As usual wonderful and colorful spread of food. Will definitely try your pearl onion theeyal soon.
I like your huge bag of goodies from FL. What did ur husband say after your shopping?? :-) Just curious.
Cheers
Pavani

Anonymous said...

Hey!!! Happy new year dear :)You seem to have had a joyful vacation!!

And what a lovely house!!! Can I self invite myself to your place ;) ;)

And I am 100% with you for "our body" show. They even had that in Singapore. And I was just awed by the whole thing!!!! My mouth was open like "AW" the whole time while I was viewing it. And being a doc myself, I was totally bawled by it!!!!

Ok ok.. before this comment becomes a post, I better shut my mouth up :P ;)

www.mykhazanaofrecipes.wordpress.com

karmic said...

You have a lovely house. Great recipes as always. Glad you enjoyed your trip.
lol@Indian spiderman.
To my surprise,these bodies are all of Chinese people,I do not know why!!

There is a bit of a controversy over the "our body" exhibition. I believe the guy who came up with this is German, I can't recall his name. The bodies are Chinese as it is easier to procure bodies in China and there have been some Qs about them being obtained without proper permissions or may be they were prisoners. I heard about this on NPR. You might be able to google it if you want to find out more. :)

USHA said...

Hi Ashaji,

As usual your post was very informative and interesting too...

I don't have words to appreciate which part.....my mind filled with your post and pictures...

You are really great.....

ChrisB said...

Glad you had a good holiday ( you'll soon forget the exhausting bit). Your house is lovely and I just love your kitchen. Mine is 20 yrs old and needs a face lift (well actually it needs gutting and replacing but that won't happen now I am retired) but I manage. Lovely looking food enjoyed looking at all the links thank you.

sra said...

Hi, I love your kitchen - on my comp, it shows up as a sunny cream and not white. Interesting read about the Marvel comics too! Nice post!

Lakshmik said...

Hi Asha

Nice pictures of your house. And I liked the onion theeyal recipe too. I have saved it.

wheresmymind said...

I'm green with envy over that beautiful kitchen!

Nee said...

Hey Ashamma!
Guess who's back too?! Just catching up on my favorite blogs. Happy New Year to you! Will write when I am a little less jet-lagged!

L,
Nee

Bong Mom said...

Hi Asha
Good to see you back and with a BANG too. Loved your kitchen, so pristine. Also all that light, I too like a lot of light in my kitchen and so my kitchen bay window has no curtatins.
Your house is lovely too. I spent so much time looking at the photos that haven't read the recipes yet :)
Happy new Year

jayakarthik said...

asha wooooow, its indeed a looooooooong post, i loved reading it, hey regarding the humanbody, seriously i wonder how our body works so well with all the bad things happening around us.
hey wonderful house u have there, wish i could built one like that back in india(which is highly impossible to get constructed in chennai)
buttermilk looks different, we prepare it differently
will try the way u mentioned it. thanks for sharing this wonderful post asha.

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha

Great receipes and equally good info, even though i stay in Fl, i never knew abt all these, thank you, " Happy New year", keep the good receipes & other info coming

Shoba

Anonymous said...

Asha

Your house is so beautiful, give some tips on home decoration & item to find where too. Thanks


Shoba

UJ said...

Hey Asha,

Happy New year to you.

A house similar to yours would cost about 1 million dollars in bay area. I am sure it was affordable to buy that one.

As always nice recipes and thxs for sharing ur personal pics.

Usha

FH said...

sra,I know!:)) I took that at night so you don't get a flash in your eye!

Chrisb,I need a new kitchen too!Not a white one this time!Enjoy!

You are welcome Usha.Enjoy and happy 2007!

Sanjay,Arvind told me that too but I said "no,you don't know that!":D
Well,I will have to know now that you told me the same!Thanks:)

Hi Rooma, me too!:))I was amazed at all those but felt little sorry for those dead ones as well.I still see those images in my mind.Well,enjoy 2007!:))

Thanks Pavani,this house is getting smaller for us now that we have growing kids but not that bad:)
These are just kitchen knick knacks really, but I dropped 100s of moola in Adidas and Nike stores for kids!:)He dosen't say anything except "I am hungry,let's go eat!" even though he doesn't shop at all himself!:D

FH said...

Hey JayaK,BM recipe is good,try it.Isn't that house design cool and simple too.Not in Madras but in rural farm house would wonderful like this!:)Enjoy!

Sandeepa,thanks.Hope I will see your kitchen too soon!Love to see where you all cook and enjoy.Something other than the usual recipes!:)

Hi Jeff,I am so glad you liked it!:)) Did you spot my green Kitchen aid? I am buying a meat grinder attachment for that soon!

Hi Nee! You are back already?! That went so fast girl!Aww.you must be missing all like crazy!Well,back to reality now and welcome back.I will visit you today,actually I just stsrted looking at blogs today too!:))

Hi LakshmiK,thank you.Try the Theeyal.It's a very good recipe,you can add other veggies too!:)

Sangeeta said...

Hi Asha,

Happy New Year. You have a beautiful house - thanks for sharing the pix. With a kitchen that big, I would be hosting my own food show - LOL :).
You recipes for the Pearl Onion Theeyal and Spiced buttermilk is awesome. I am definitely going to make these two.

Have a great one !

Manasi said...

Hi Asha, What do I say that the others haven't? but yes, I LOVED looking at the snaps .. ur home is so nice...and inviting (that's a hint to u!!LOL) the kitchen, aaaahhhhh! how I would love to cook in there, I have a matchbox... make that a 'corner' of a matchbox kitchen where 2 people is a mob! And with ur yummy dishes, it must be a genuine pleasure to sit at the cosy dining table and eat all meals! Theeyal looks yumm... must try it soon! Thank u for sharing it with us...!
P.S : Ur shopping is real nice! Question :(sorry if i sound nosy) How do u get ur hubby to be patient when u r shopping?

FH said...

Indo,thanks.I try to keep it organized as much as I can but with kids it's little hard!:))Enjoy!

Hi CM!I have heard that too about housing costs in CA!This costs a quarter of what you said!For million bucks, you get a mansion here with acres and acres of land!Beautiful too in the Blue ridge mountains!But ofcourse,NC is not CA!:D

Hi Shoba,thanks.We furnished this house about 12yrs ago with local famous 'Thomasville furniture' etc.Other than that,it's a collection of things over the years really.If you need a specific item,let me know and I will see if I can help.
Btw Shoba,these are all from Orlando ,Indian River and St.Augustine!You are lucky to be in FL and I know most of the time we take it all for granted!Like I have never seen Delhi or Taj Mahal although I was born and raised in India!:))

You know Sangeeta,it's great idea to start a food show in this kitchen.It's bright enough,donot need any lightings at all!:))Enjoy the recipes.

Bong Mom said...

Hi Asha
You know you should send your kitchen for a "My Kitchen" event. See Gattina's posts for details

Bong Mom said...

Hi Asha
You can send your kitchen pics for a "My Kitchen" event. Gattina's blog has the details

starry said...

Hi!Asha glad to see you back after your vacation.You indeed have a really beautiful home.I just invited myself to your home to have that meal.it looked so delicious.its only a little after 9am and you have made me hungry.everything looks delicious.I think the indian spiderman is cute.would love to get hold of that comic.Thanks for all the recipes.

Sneha said...

wow!!! your house is sooooooo pretty.. sigh.. thanks for sharing these pictures with us :))
well, iam not really a theme park person but ya, shopping for one thing suits me fine!! :)
the buttermilk looks delicious but we usually have it during those hot-hot indian summer days.. it tastes like mannah that time!
cheers!!

Pooja said...

Hey Asha,
its a real treat for me in this new year. :) . Nice pictures of your home and kitchen, and i Love your dining area the most ! so nicely decorated along with candles. :) .
reading your posts have always been fun for me , and this time it is very informative too...
and finally about your dish, i think you are excellent with this kind os traditional south indian dish. once in a while i also make some kind of this dish. now next time I will try the whole dish of yours here...
and finally , this buttermilk, OMG , its killing me. I am sucha big fan of buttermilk, and today only I was missing it in my dinner, and after seeing your pic, i think the first thing I will do tomorrow morning is to make some buttermilk to sooth my soul... :)
really a nice post. feels close to you by knowing more about you .
-Pooja

Seema Bhat said...

Asha:
Oh boy you have a big Palace like house there Asha. I have just fallen in love with your kitchen. When we were in look of a house to own 2 years back, i.e. when we moved from NY to NJ i so much wanted a big huge kitchen with granite but unfortunately , here when u buy already built house/townhome i guess you have to compromise somewhere...isn't it. Just loved your kitchen. Nice and bright and huge too. Lot of counter space too which is good for all the kitchen gadgets as well as indian cooking. Loved the recipes as well. Love ya gal!! you the best
Cheers
Seema

swapna susarla said...

hai ashaji
it is great to see u back..your house is looking nice.
the pictures are beautifull..
nice trip u had..fully indian recipes as u said before.i am so curious about watching ur blog..thanks for everything...
happpy new yaer...

Anonymous said...

Hey Asha!

Wish I had known you were coming to Fl! I would have definitely invited you home (Jax). Missed my chance this time. Isnt St.Augustine a lovely town? I never miss a chance to go there. Nice recipes as usual and such a pretty home.

sallywrites said...

Waht a gorgeous house Asha! And more great recipes!!
Happy New Year!!

Sally

FH said...

Hi Sneha,I don't think I like Theme parks anymore!GOD ,it's tiring to walk and wait for the rides solong.Shopping is great ofcourse!:)Enjoy.

Hi Lalitha,get that Spider-Man if you can,it's fun!You are always invited to try those recipes too!Enjoy!Have a healthy 2007!:)

Hi Sandeepa,is there a event for Kitchen too?!I will check her blog right away!Thanks :)

Hi Manasi,you are invited too in my kitchen!:)I know in the big cities,you get small houses,depends on where you live I guess.But you churn great dishes in there madam so don't you worry!:)
Arvind just goes to some electronic stores or Starbucks to spend time and we meet up some time after!Suits me fine;)

FH said...

Thanks Sally.You too have a great time with your family!:)

Hi Hema,you are in Jax! Cool!!We visited St.Augustine for few hrs on the way home.It is beautiful,what a history too!Well,may be next time,we will say hi and bye as we are always in rush to get home from Orlando!:)

Thank you Swapna.I am glad you enjoyed the recipe and have fun this weekend!:)YUP! Only Indian until the last week of Jan!SuperBowl is coming!!:))

Hi Seema,thank you! I know,it's so great to have somany cabinets.Those are all full and I need more space for my gadgets now!:)But you know,for 3 yrs I used tolive in a apartment and I was happy there too!It's all in the mind really.Enjoy it all!

Hello Pooja.Thanks girl!You are so sweet as always.Enjoy the buttermilk and other recipes too.Have a great weekend!:)

Anonymous said...

Thanks Asha for the kind help ( u had said"If you need a specific item,let me know and I will see if I can help.") Infact i am newbie when it comes to decorating the house, we too have a big space between the ceiling in kitchen & the roof of cabinets, which we can be used to keep some decorating item, i just have kept one silk plant, but have no idea what else can fit into & where to look for, any help would be appreciated

Thanks

Shoba

By Deepa and Supriya said...

Homely!! looks like you had a good time in FL. And thanks so much for the desi recipes..I will make something from ur post right now...after all the partying over the last 2 weekends...all I want is some good indian food..even if it is soemthing as simple as anna saaru!!!

Beccy said...

Welcome back Asha, sounds like you had a busy and fun vacation.

Loved your post, loved your present!

FH said...

Hi Beccy,yes! You got that right!Fun but very busy!:D Oh well! that's over now,no more vacation until June!Thank you,have a great weekend.

I know what you mean Orchid!After all thet parties,eating and desserts,what a relief to back and sit down for ordinary meal!:))Anna,saaru sounds great,hey!you are from K'taka too!Excellent!Enjoy.

Hi Shoba,as you can see I have some flower baskets and house plants which grow laxuriously with plastic retainers for water drainage.If you had a blog or e mail ,I could research a little and let you know.Or type"do not publish" and them give me your e mail so I can write to you.I will try and find some web sites for you:)

Sana said...

your blog is inspiring. i enjoy it a lot

Anonymous said...

I LOVE your kitchen! Very bright, airy and most of all, spacious! Lots of cabinet space.
I must say, your kootu looks way, way beter than mine, Asha! :)
Happy 2007 to you, Asha and your lovely family!

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha! Very nice Southern Home!

Happy New Year!!!!

Manjula said...

Beautiful & spacious banglow. Great pics too.

Enjoyed reading the lengthy writeup.

FH said...

Hi Sana! Welcome to my blog and I am glad you enjoyed it all.Have a great weekend!:)

Hi Deana! Thanks and you too have a great 2007!:)

HI Vani!Thanks and Thank you for the Kootu recipe,I will try the other kootu as well sometime later!:))Have a great weekend!

Thanks Manjula for reading all that!:D Enjoy and have a hreat weekend!:)

Anonymous said...

Welcomw back Asha.
Hope you had a nice vacation with ur family.
Your house looking beautiful.
Thnks for sharing it!!

Anonymous said...

WOW Ashaben..wonderful home you have and a lovely kitchen too...delighted you had a great holiday and with some retail therapy thrown in...I loved the Theeyal dish. These pearl onions are these simply small onions or a specific variety. I am going to try it for sure and the buttermilk is great, I love it with a tempering of garlic, coriander, green chillies and mint…hmmm…thanks for sharing…take care ben…

Keshi said...

hey Asha u have a very BEAUTIFUl home! WOW such a lovely place u live in. So neat and clean and homely at the same time. Well-done girl!

That onion theeyal is a must-try now...I will search for it at Indian restaurants from today :)


**REAL bodies preserved and dissected vertically and horizontally every 3" apart from head to toes

Yep thats right...they had the same exhibition here in Syd last year. I was a bit chicken to go view it LOL! Kinda freaky!

btw India holds alot of great history to medicinal practices. I'd love to read more on that Susruta Samhita...d u know where I could get more info from?

tnxxx Asha n hugggggggggz!
Keshi.

FH said...

Hi Jas.Thanks friend.We did enjoy it but it was very tiring as well!:))Happy 2007!

Hi Dilipbhai,thanks !Glad you liked the recipes!:))Pearl onions are special Madras Onions like big marble sized to use in this dish but if you can't find those,use small shallots red or white.Let me know how did you like it!

Hi Keshi thanks.*House* It's big compliment for me!:)
That show is not for weak hearted at all indeed!:D I am not sure you get Theeyal in the restaurant Keshi unless it is very authentic Kerala one!Get your mum to make it for you!
Susruta Samhita ia very old book,may be they have it somewhere translated in English!Google it so you can read about it,I will try too and let you know.Arvind studied Gray's "Anatomy" like all med students,didn't know much about this book either!Isn't that sad for us Indians?!
Oh well..hugs to you too Keshi!Have a great weekend!:))

saakshi said...

Hey Asha, WISH U AND UR FAMILY A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Ur home looks beautiful gal. I totally love it, especially the kitchen, the heart of the home.
May this year be a happy and a prosporous one .

Shionge said...

Welcome Back Asha and Happy New Year. Thank you too for sharing your beautiful house and your lovely kitchen & dinning place.

I'll do anything to have that lovely place to cook for my family. Hats off to you too with such a big house, I bet you must lots of cleaning to do too.

Yummy Yum Yum!!! Thank you for the wonderful 'treat' :D

Glad to have you back :D

Anonymous said...

Hi!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Have A Blessed New Year to u n ur family.
Nice home n great kitchen.
Good daY!

deepsat said...

beautiful house!!! nice pics and the recipie.. as usual yumm!!

indian spiderman?? LOL!! i wanna read that!! hope they make a movie out of it soon!! with spiderman running around the trees and singing & dancing!!

;-))

divya said...

happy new year!!

Creativecook said...

Dear Asha,

Thanks for stopping by my blog. What a great post, have to try the buttermilk.

Rinku

Deepak Gopi said...

Hi:)
Your house isvery beautiful.
I hate theeyal.I dont like its taste.
Good day:)

Ilva said...

Thanks for your contribution! You have such a nice kitchen!

Anonymous said...

I love your house...love, love, love it! I've wanted to live in North Carolina for as long as I can remember. I love visiting there, the people, the landscape...everything.
I love the traditional colonial homes too. Yours is just gorgeous!

Viji said...

Dear Asha, Sweet nice home and a nice kitchen. A good write up as usual. Very interesting to read. Wishing you a happy and healthy new year again. The recipes are good. Viji

Unknown said...

Wow..you are back with a bang..theeyal my fav.looks delicious.hope u had nice vacation and ofcourse shopping..Orlando, we used live there before moving here to IL.I just miss that beautiful sunny place :).Glad u get to enjoy there.BTW..i just posted yogurt based dish..and now here you are with spiced butter milk...yummy..
And last but not least, "Home"...such a open, wonderful home u have there...clean and tidy kitchen....

Kalpana said...

Everything is soooooo wonderful. I enjoyed ur travel. Thanks. Your sweet home looks good. Need to try out ur recipes. Hope, it's soon.

Menu Today said...

Hi Asha,
Happy new year 2007.
Hope u had a nice trip.
Nice to know you made kollu rasam.Thanks.
Great Post. :-)

Julia said...

hi Asha! happy new year!
wow, I loved your first post in 2007, what a beautiful house you've got! (I actually thought at first that you were kidding considering the size...!)
Great stuff from Florida, I’ve heard as well about that bodies museum - I thought they were in Amsterdam now(!) Scary stuff...but still interesting...
Up to the second post! ;)

Gattina Cheung said...

Asha,
Happy to see you back! And your beautiful big house. You make me laugh when mentioning kitchen whiter sell faster. But very true on no winter depression.
And beautiful zucchini curry you made! yes, I love this local veg a lot, will try on it too. Talking about your goodies, oh gracious, everything so beautiful... Mango butter, sound heaven!

Al Nims Media said...

Hey, your house looks postcard-perfect.

FH said...

Hi Rinku,you are welcome.Enjoy and have a great weekend!:)

Happy 2007 Divya and good luck with your studies!:)

Deepsat!Thank you. It is great fun reading.Pavitr running around the trees with MJ in DHOTI and PUMPS man!:D:D Get that book if you can.

Hi Bhargavi,you too have great 2007!:)Thanks.

Thank you Shinoge! You got it right,lot of cleaning the house and mowing and trimming the lawn here.It's tiring sometomes!But human greed makes us all buy bigger and better things if we can afford it!:D:D Thank you sweetie,happy 2007!:)

Hi Saakshi,thank you madam!:)May you and your's have all the dreams come true this year.Have a great one!:)

FH said...

Mahesh,I love all kind of yoghurt dishes,I will check it out ofcourse!:))From sunny FL to Windy IL! Man!What a change! I like Chicago though,it's like mini India around Devon Str! Thanks and happy 2007!

Thanks Viji,great to see you in your post!I would love to see everybodys kitchen too!:))Enjoy!

Kristen.I think NC is great too.Mountains,plains and beautiful beaches with light houses and the weather!I used to live in MN,although beautiful,it is sooo cold there.Thanks and happy 2007!:)

Thank you Deepak! A Keralite hating Theeyal?!HUH!!!:D:D
For a Mysorean as myself,Theeyal is great tasting and a great find.I have come to love Kerala cooking by looking at all those Kerala bloggers' yummy dishes.
Have a great weekend Deepak:)

Thank you Ilva!Glad Sandeepa told me about your event.Can't wait to see the round up!Happy 2007!:)

FH said...

Thank you Kishore!:) you could easily build that design in the estates!It would be very grand!:)Happy 2007!

Hi Gattina,it's true.The real estate agent would take us to these homes and say "it has white kitchen!":D But it works well in the south bcos of all the sun shine we get.Thanks and enjoy!Happy 2007!

Hi Julia,they are in Orlando right now.It was little scary but fascinating!Very educational for High School kids.
Thank you about the house,it's not very big but 2500sq ft and well built(British!)design.Enjoy.Happy 2007!:))

Hi MT!As always your recipe Kollu Rasam was fabulous,we loved it.Thank you for everything friend.Happy 2007!:))

Kalpana, thank you and give the recipe a try.It tastes wonderful.Have a great weekend and happy 2007!:)

Seema said...

Heyyy that was a hit post !!!

Compliments on having a lovely house...n ofcouse the house has such a loving homemaker...awesome..loved yr dining room the best !!! The laws are lush green !

Theeyal ..yeah so true typically kerala dish...i love it..a true keralite hehe!

That chandelier is beautiful...so pretty !!!

Vini K said...

Hi Asha,nice to see you back and my,aren't you back with a bang!Where do I start now!I just love your so beautifully equipped and designed white kitchen.I like white too,cos of all the light it spreads.The dining room is awesome,as teenagers would say.Truly,yours is similar to my dream home,infact.

Theeyal looks great!and don't get me started on the spiced buttermilk!if only I was not allergic to milk curd and buttermilk!(sigh!)

wow,look at the goodies you got.My husband would never let me go to any such store for fear that his wife may be lost forever in there!:)

Nice reading about the spiderman.and the science museum did scare me a bit..

I guess I am coming back to read your post again from start to finish even though I did that just now!:)

TNL said...

Ashaji:

Happy new year! Love that White Kitchen of yours...and it is so spacious too! I absolutely love the houses in the Carolinas, they're so beautiful!

You have a beautiful home, may the Sun always shine bright in it.

Will come back and read the recipes and comment on that later, (hehe).

Hugs,Trupti

FH said...

Thanks Trupti,you are such a beautiful girl,inside and out.Wish you all the best in whatever you do.I appreciate it.Hugs to you too.
Come back now, y'hear!(hillbilly style):)I know it's a looong post!:)

Hi ViniK.I tell Arvind to stay out before I go in!:D Orelse, I have to hear lot of 'why do need that,why do you need this!'Thank you and happy 2007!:)Enjoy.

Seema,glad to know to know you are a Keralite and you approve!:)I have come to love Kerala cuisine,we have somany great Kearalite bloggers too.I love the cuisine.Enjoy and happy 2007!:)

Sri said...

my fav onion theeyal, its been a long i made one. you have beautiful kitchen...wow indeed must be like heaven, during daylight.
Loved your pretty hand made shell chandelier...its so beautiful. I wish i had a stainless steel mortar too!!!you got lots of goodies from fl.

Little Miss Muffet said...

i love ur house! i seem to have a fascination for roomy houses and i'm so depressed about moving soon to a smaller aprt :(...i especially loved it when u said that there is so much light in the rooms..ur right, that can't possibly let u be depressed! Hope u have a great yr ahead :)

Catherine said...

Wow! I wish I had your kitchen and was eating all these delicious dishes! I have a galley type kitchen with almost no surface space for my gadgets (or anything else). My next kitchen....

Margie said...

Hi Asha
Wishing you and your family a wonderful new year full of much joy!
It is such a treat to keep into your very lovely home!
I love your kitchen!
Now, when I think about you, I'll see you in your beautiful kitchen...cooking up all your amazing and tasty dishes!
That chandelier is so very beautiful!
I have been to that museum in Denver..."Our body, the universe within" It is so amazing!
Thanks for the wonderful post, Asha!
Wonderful as always!
Great recipes, beautiful pictures!
Have a lovely weekend!

Margie

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha,

First, a Very Happy New Year to you and your family.Great to know that you had a wonderful time at Orlando! Your home looks so--- huge and cosy. I too noticed the white coloured cupboards in your kitchen; they look really bright and amazing. The theeyal reminds me of vatthal kuzhambu sans the coconut.Everything looks so-- yummy.Thanks,
Nalini

FH said...

Hi Margie,thank you.That was the idea, to imagine me in my kitchen!:)I would love to see all your homes and kitchens too!I loved that show too,little scary but interesting.Have a great weekend Margie:))

Hi Catherine,I am lucky to have many cabinets now but I used to live in an apartment many yrs ago,so I know how it feels not to have many cabinet space.I am a gadget freak too!:))Well..in your new kitchen have lots of space bulit and enjoy.

Hi Ms.Muffet:) Thank you and yeah,big space is great specially when you 4 people rushing in and out in the morning without ramming each other!May be you can find a better apartment with a bigger kitchen as you get familiar with new city.I know it's harder in the big cities to find one.

Thank you Sri.I love Theeyal too, and thank God I found that recipe.Hope you try.Yup! I keep buying gadgets to fill up more space!:))Enjoy.

Anonymous said...

What a lovely, lovely house ! Loved it !! And don't worry about the long post, it was a good read :-)

Thanks for visiting my blog and New Year wishes. Happy New Year to you and your family too :-)))

Mythreyee said...

Asha, thats sure a Magnificent Home with a wonderful Kitchen. I love Pearl Onions. It's intense flavor makes the dish more tasty. Will try this coming week end. thanks for the wonderful post. I enjoyed reading it.

Priya said...

Just beautiful and peaceful to watch what you share here. I wonder when your blog is gonna show up in blogs of note in blogger asha.

Pdk said...

Hi Asha..
hope u had a great new year... Ur house is looking very cute.. i like your spacious white Kitchen...
will have to try some of your recipes soon and will let u know abt when i do...
Really nice of u to visit my web page and leave ur comments .. really feels good to be read... thanks a lot..

take care..
talk to u later.

Cheers
Priya Dilip

Isha said...

does you hubby have any equally rich nephews .. :D .. ahem ahem haha.. gorgeous house.. :P .. now im definitely coming over!!

Isha said...

oh n about the bodies.. its a widely available technology in almost all universities across the world.. the technology is akin to "laminating" a piece of paper.. the bodies are coated with a plastic derivative.. its quite cool.. it avoids the hassles of leaving them in formaline and the smell n etc.. :) not at all scary!! except for when you see like toe nails n stuff and you realise it really is the real deal haha .. :)

Anonymous said...

Wow! I seem to have missed for so long,getting to see so many things in one post! Awesome pictures as usual :) Asha,you do have a lovely house ,Thanks for sharing in your fun filled holiday Travel experiences,I am just loving your travel posts & your writing makes me feel like I'm right there with you , not that I don't already love your foodie posts..This one looks so looks so wonderful and so festive .Have some pearl onions at home, Asha your "Theeyal" looks very appetizing will try this out..:)) Happy weekend!

Anonymous said...

Hey I love the way you present your dishes...! nice blog..should try out your dishes sometime n give you feedback :)

Anonymous said...

Hi your blog is so attractive looking..loved reading your recipes! :) Should try some too and give you feedback.. Jus one suggestion Asha, Why don't you give month-wise links to your posts or something? Trawling through all of that is laborious! N one strong reason one might still persist is because the stuff is good :)

FH said...

Hi Isha,we are not THAT rich here but doing well!;D Yes!he does have many ultra rich nephews back in India(old money) but I wouldn't put you in there!!They all expect(elders)obedience from the females!Nyah!you are better off in Aus!:)
You are welcome anytime here though!:)

Hi PriyaD,thank you.I visit all my fav gals everyday if I can!:))It does feel good to be appreciated,bcos it's hard to blog.Enjoy.Happy 2007!

Thanks Priya.All your comments,appreciation and affection you show me is greater than any other recognition in this blogging world,really!I am happy as I am and love to continue quietly.I just want all bloggers to appreciate each other without any pettiness and illwill,that,s all!:)Happy 2007!

Hi Mythrayee,thank you.Hope you try Theeyal and enjoy!:)

Hi NZ,thanks.Hope you are enjoying your break and relaxed to start a new year!:)Enjoy.

FH said...

OMG!! Isha,thank for that.I was wondering how the heck are they NOT smelling and falling apart!:D Apart from the toe nails ,it is creepy to see body hair everywhere and eye lashes too.At first I thought 'they are fake' but when I saw the hairs!!Eww..
I hope Trisha grow up to be as smart as you sweetie,I really do.She wants to do Med school too!I would be a very happy mommy!

Hi Deepa,thank you for that.I appreciate it.I do have a recipe Index with photos and all!Click on my profile to go there and choose whatever you like to try.Waiting for feedback,any q's do not hesitate to ask! Oh! also if you click on the arrows on the side bar on months,it will show all the post titles too but it's easy to go to Index to find.Hope you do!:)

Hi Lera,thank you madam!:))Glad you enjoyed my travel thingie.It's longest post I have ever done and little embarassing but we go on vacation just twice a year so you are all safe!:)Try Theeyal,I know we B'loreans are not familiar with it,new taste for us.It's wonderful.
Happy 2007!:)

mommyof2 said...

Beautiful:-) I love brick front homes:-) all the dishes look yummy..:-)

FH said...

Hi MO2!! You lucky lucky girl!:))Make sure you buy some Lotto tickets!Thank you and have a great weekend.Hope G is doing okay now!:)

Latha said...

Hi Asha,

Happy New yeat to you and your family!
What a lovely home! And what a delicious post. I had 1/2 a serving of soup for lunch and your thali with the rice, theeyal, salad, bell pepper curry etc. has made me sooooo hungry!
I'm glad you had a wonderful vacation in FL, a good start to the wonderful year!
Cheers
Latha

Nancy said...

Welcome home! The Mixed Vegetable Kootu looks AMAZING!

Sai said...

Dear Asha:

Your home looks lovely...I am imagining the street and the lake closeby.

I knew about Sushruta Samhita and also the weird concept about the soul being attached to the body hence all the funerary rites!

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha:

Your blog is just amazing and inspiring!!!!!!! I have a question, I was seeing your recipes for chutney and I saw the chana dal chutney. Do you use normal chana dal or huri kadle. Please clarify. Actually am planning to make rava dosa and that chutney tomm. for break fast.... thnk you:) and keep up the good work.

vasilisa said...

Wow, that's one amazing house! And so clean! (how do you manage?) Seriously, with all the cooking that you do, how do you keep the kitchen so spotless? I'm thoroughly impressed.

I'm glad you had such an eventful time. Welcome back! We missed you :-)

Dalicia said...

i'm glad that you saw this exhibition :) pretty amazing isn't it?

also, after this exhibition you really want to take better care of your body. don't u think so?

FH said...

Hi Dalicia,you are right!It's amazing to see all your body parts right infront of you.Not only that,it makes you think we are all the same inside regardless of how we look outside!:))

Hi Lisa,thanks!:)Well..it's not so clean if you go near it but I keep it reasonably clean.I do cook a lot,clean it up right after so I don't have to do once a year spring cleaning!:D East that way.Have a great weekend Lisa.

Hi Prithvi,nice to meet a Kannadiga,I always enjoy Kannada words!:)Now,Chana dal chutney is made of Kadale bele,red split pea kind.There is also another No-Coconut chutney which goes very wel with Rava dosa which is of Huri kadale,yellow roasted chana dal.Feedback please!:))

FH said...

Hi Latha,are you back?!I am so glad ,I often thought of you and missed your recipes too.Yeah,we vacation twice a year,so done for last year!It was great.Put down the soup and start cooking girl!:)
Happy 2007 to you and your's.

Hi cz! Glad you enjoyed the Kootu,now time to make it!:)Happy 2007!Thank you.

Hi Sai,that show was amazing.That is why I wondering why Chinese because they are Buddhists,most of them,who believe the same as us about the soul but there they are hanging around er...nailed in for eternity!!Check Sanjay'a comment why!Have a great weekend Sai,and yeah one day I will put up the street etc too!:))

Anonymous said...

What a comeback, Asha! Thanks for sharing your beautiful home and kitchen.

Pearl onion theeyal looks absolutely delicious. I have bookmarked this recipe to try.

FH said...

Hi Sailaja,I am always thrilled to see you here.I am glad you liked it,enjoy.Hope to see your yummy dishes more and more in your blog this year.
Thank you friend. Happy 2007!:))

Lotus Reads said...

Dearest Asha!

Thanks for sharing your beautiful house with us! I love all of it, but especially the kitchen which looks so lovely and cheerful (no wonder you prepare so many lovely wonderful dishes in it) ;)

As always, I am grateful for the recipes - I will definitely try the green pepper stir fry and the lovely buttermilk,mmmmmmm.

So great to have you back, Asha, please stay put for a while, OK :)

*hugs*

Roopa (KitchenAromas) said...

Hi Asha,
Happy New Year to you & your family! Theeyal looks delicious - I had not heard of theeyal before, it is not a Karnataka signature dish, is it? :)
Thanks for stopping by my blog (Kitchen Aromas) & hope you visit often!
- Roopa

FH said...

Hi Lotus,you are as beautiful as the Lotus itself!Thank you.Okay,I am not going anywhere until June again!:)Enjoy the recipes and have a great week!

You too have a safe and happy new year SP!Your blog is getting more and more interesting these days!:D:D Thanks and be happy!

Hi Roopa,happy 2007 to you and your's too!:)Thank you for visting.
Theeyal is 100% Kerala dish which I love.Blend of those spices and Madras onions make it so delicious!:)Give it a try.I do have many K'taka dish,go to recipe Index.I will try to visit all my fav bloggers as much as I can,that includes you too!:))

Sofi said...

happy new year asha ji! :)

i love your pictures; you house looks beautiful!

i hope you have a lovely year. and your blog is so popular i can hardly keep up!!

ServesYouRight said...

Asha - what a wonderful write-up. Full of your characterestic exuberance and good cheer. You're like 'Bhagyadalakshmi' :-) Good wishes to you and all your lovedones for a wonderful New Year!
Smita

FH said...

Hi Anjaan,hope you had a great Id and new year!Thank you. I am humbled by all your attention and affection.I don't take it granted!:)

Aw..!! *Bhagyadalakshmi*!:)
Smitha,you made me tear up girl and I am not the emotional kind usually!Thank you so much,it really made smile too.You are a sweetheart.Same to you too,have a great year!:)

Shah cooks said...

loved reading about nad taking ur house tour. Love the small element of clutter visible in ur kitchen.. a testament to ur daily round of whipping up delicious stuff. Nice start to the new year!

Lisa Johnson said...

Hi Asha! Thank you for sharing your home with us! I love your kitchen! Now we see where all the magic happens! : )

I thought I left a comment before, but I don't see it, so I guess I didn't. If I did already, sorry for the duplicate!

Keshi said...

:) tnxx Asha!

Keshi.

Mona said...

hi Asha[ I love that name & the meaning ' hope']

Good to see you back and in super form. Wow! you seem full of beans[ pun intented]

It is taking ages to download the pics of your home, tho I enjoyed the text.You are amazing with all that hard work you put in with this blog.Kudos to you!

The dinning table area is marvelous!..the rest could not be downloaded:(...anyway..good to see ya!

Anjali Koli said...

Hi Asha thanks for a tour through your home. Love your post. Looks like you really had a great time.

FH said...

Thanks Anjali!Felt like sharing and then somebody told me there is a kitchen event going on!So it fits perfectly!:D

Hi Mona,thank you.I wonder why you couldn't download,probably busy time there.Yeah,we enjoyed to the point that I will not think going on a vacation for a long time!:)It was tiring walking through that Theme Park day after day!Have a great week Dizzy.Hugs!Try and look at all goodies again.

You are welcome Keshi!:))

Don't be sorry Anali!It's perfectly okay!:)Thank you.Kitchen is quite old but looks good still.Enjoy.

Hi Shaheen,infact I took out lot of gadgets off the counter to snap that.I have even more stuff there.Yup!it's fully working kitchen,everything reachable in a jiffy.No showing off a model kitchen here!:D:D Thank you.

Unknown said...

U have such a biutiful kitchen. How I wish I had such big one.

Krithika said...

Again a nice post ! nice to see pics to your home. thali looks delicious

FH said...

Thanks Pushpa! Glad you are back.I miss your recipes!Happy 2007!:))

Hi Krithika,thank you.I try my best!:)) Enjoy. Happy 2007!

Neer said...

heyyy Asha!! beautiful home and yummy lip smacking stuff there!! :)

thank you!

Nidhi said...

Hey Asha,

A long and interesting post :0). Your home is beautiful, specially your kitchen and that strawberry in that...

I love the recipe of that pearl onion curry and the way you serve it to your family and those papad..yummy!

Thanks for sharing the pics with us.

Nidhi.

FH said...

You are welcome Neers! Enjoy! Hope all good things come together for you this year!:)

Hi Nidhi,thank you sweetie.That strawberry oven mitt is my fav,you got a keen eye on things!:)
Guess what!I recorded yesterday's Emeril's show with your recipe on it and I will watch it today and give you the feedback!:))Congratulations!I am proud to know you!

Hyderabadi's said...

Hi Asha,
Happy New Year.
You have a beautiful home:)
I will try out your pearl onion curry, its so tempting.

FH said...

Hi Hyderabadi!Thank you.Hope you had a great celebration on new year's day.Happy 2007!Enjoy the Theeyal!:))

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha:

The dosa and chutney was a big hit:) Thank you so much for the delicious recipes!!!!!!!!! Kepp up the good work..

FH said...

Oh Prithvi,thank you so much for the feedback!
I didn't check your comment the night before but I did only in the morning.You were planning to make it that morning.I felt so guilty!:)I answered you as soon as I could so you use Chana dal for chutney.Glad you told me that it was a hit.Enjoy.Next time make that alu palya for Masala dose too,it's really great tasting!

Deepak Gopi said...

:)Only after lifting from wiki I knew that Jan 12 is Vivekanandas Birthday

Sia said...

hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii asha:)
wishing u and ur family a hap-happy new year:) good to see u welcome 2007 with so many recipes:) got to catch up with u soon:) tc girl... missed u a lot:)
cheers
sups

FH said...

Hi Deepak,thank you very much for that beautiful pic and info abt Swami.V!I really enjoyed it.Not many people know about him which is a sad thing.I saved that picture,hope you don't mind if I display here with credit to you on the 12 to honor him?!:)

Hiiii Sups!I missed you too my homegirl!:D Can't wait until you start posting amma ,atte's recipes.YAY!!Welcome back,we were all waiting for you!:))Hugs!!

Mrs. K said...

Enjoyed seeing your home, asha. Looks beautiful & cosy. Theeyal looks great too. You know waht, I bought a small bag of pearl onions couple of weeks ago for making theeyal. But I used it on all other things, and finished it off without making theeyal. So I am taking yours. Yum yum!

FH said...

Hi rp. Thank you madam!:)

Pearl onions are best for Theeyal.I love it,try next time when you get some.I love most Kerala dishes!:)

Meena Kandlakuti said...

Hi asha,
U have got a very beautiful home....and lovely kitchen.Any body would love to cook.Thanks for sharing and enjoyed reading.Wish U And ur family very very happy new year.

FH said...

Thank you Meena! I am so glad you are back.Everybody is taking a long break these days!Wish you a very happy and healthy new year too!:)

Ultimate Foodie said...

Hi Asha!
A very happy new year! fantastic photos..i esp. like ur kitchen...so bright and sunny!

Revathi said...

Wow Asha
I should say a rollercoaster post.. started with a good peek of your house followed by a peek at your meals and then peek at ur vacation goodies. I really loved the way you prepared the meals. At my home its just rice and some curry. three course meals are a rarity !! Happy new Year to you and your family - filled with good health and joy !!!!

Life said...

hello anapurna :) .......

shocked with the name...no ur anapurna for ur family..u prepare such lovely dishes for ur family and make them happy.......so i called u with that name :)

hey u have good house..it remind me of my bunglow which i sold last year.......i like ur dinning hall and table as well...it looks so royal!!!!

have nice time anapurna

Take Care
Vikas{V}

FH said...

Hey Ultimate foodie,thank you.After living in a apartment for sometimes,it seems to us that this house is a blessing indeed!:))

Hi Revathi.Are you back?I am so glad.I miss you guys.Thank you.Arvind likes some side dishes too everyday,so I try and make them.I only cook INdian just 4 days a week,so it's not that hard.Enjoy, and blog more!:)

Hi Vikas.Thanks for that!:))Bhagyadalakshmi and now Annapurna,I am collecting great titles and I don't mind!:D:D You had a bungalow in Mumbai? You must be a very rich dude!:)Enjoy the good fortune and always be humble.Good advice?I think so.Happy Sankranti V!

Me said...

Your home is as beautiful as the food!

FH said...

Thank you Orhan!!:))

Anonymous said...

Beautiful home and lovely foodie photos.

FH said...

Hi Tanna,welcome to my blog and thank you very much for visiting !:))

g said...

Wonderful home and great recipe!
Happy new year

Mahek said...

hi
asha
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

You have a great great house!!!!!
and you have kept it really well.
thanks for sharing your home with us .

mahek

FH said...

Hi G! Thank you! I can't wait until you come back and start posting all those yummies!:))Happy 2007!

Hi Mahek,thank you.I haven't seen you in a long time girl!:) I have to visit you,been so busy these days.Happy 2007 to you!:)

Anonymous said...

Asha: That spicy buttermilk is mouthwatering. Good summer drink:-))

FH said...

Thanks Priya. You can have the buttermilk anytime all year round,lot of calcium.We need it,don't we? You can chill that in summer,of course!:)) Enjoy.

Srivalli said...

wow asha..your kitchen is rocking...thanks for sharing...

Finla said...

Asha you have a beautiful home.
I know it is a old post, but i was only reading it today. Beeing new blogger

FH said...

Thanks Sri and Happy cook, enjoy! :)