Eggplant Curry for Briyani

Brinjal is one of my favorite vegetable. I simply love anything prepared with brinjals. This Brinjal curry is a very simple curry which goes well with Briyani. Today My friend Priya requested a recipe for an eggplant curry and I’m happy to post this recipe . 

Ingredients:

Brinjal – 1 lb

Tomatoes – 2 chopped

Green chillies – 3 slit 

Onion – 1 medium chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Cumin/ Jeera powder – 1/2 tsp

Garam masala – 1/2 tsp

Tamarind juice – 1/4 cup

Water – 1 cup
Salt – to taste

Mustard and urad dal - 1/2 tbsp
cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Dry red chillies – 2

Oil – 4 tbsp

 To Grind:

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Red chillies - 2

Grated coconut – 2 tbsp

White sesame seeds – 2 tsp
Peanuts – 4 tbsp 
Cashew nuts - 3 tbsp

Garnish with:

curry leaves- 1 sprig

cilantro/ coriander leaves (chopped)- 1 tbsp

PREPARATION:

Wash and clean the Brinjal,  Slit it and fry in oil 4 minutes.        Dry Roast the  items mentioned except coconut and then grind them  . Grind the tomatoes also.

Soak the tamarind in 1 cup water for 20 minutes. Squeeze it and get the extract.

In a separate pan, heat the cooking oil and splutter the cumin seeds, mustard and red chillies  then add the chopped onions and saute it to golden brown.

Add the Ginger - Garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes out. Now add the tomato paste and add some salt and saute for few min. Add the green chillies and then add the ground paste and cook for 10 or 15 min. The pan may get sticky so add water little by little. Now add the  tamarind extract.  When the Raw smell of the paste goes off, add the brinjals but take care not to smash them ... just cook as it starts boiling and  turn off the fire.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot. It goes well with any kind of Briyani or for Steamed Rice!

POLYMER CLAY CRAFTS!

When I was browsing blog posts in the Etsy group I found various polymer clay figurines and doll house sculptures which inspired me a lot. Evening my beloved hubby dropped me in the Michaels' and I shopped lot of materials regarding clay ... clay .... clay. 

Two years ago they figured out a way to create canes using Play-Doh and now came up with a new idea to use natural clay as a mold for polymer clay. Since natural clay curing temperature is much higher then polymer clay curing temperature you can use it as a "shape holder" to create many shapes of polymer. Give it a Try!! HAVE FUN!

These are my first babies... !

Hope you liked it! 

Mutton Kulambu\Mutton curry!

Mutton Kulambu....my family's favorite. My mom cooks almost on all Sundays :)...! She really deserves a Iron Chef crown. This is one of a kind mutton curry, try out this recipe if you want to relish the taste of real south Indian tasty mutton curry. This will definitely bring you the nostalgic memories of home cooked food.

Ingredients:

• Mutton – 2 Lb.
• Onion – 2 Big finely diced
• Tomoto - 4 sliced
• Green Chillies - 4 to 5
• Ginger & garlic paste – 3 tbsp
• Potato - 2 (cut into big cubes)
• Chilli powder – 1 tbsp
• Coriander powder – 3 tbsp
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tbsp
• Garam Masala – 1 tbsp
• Curry leaves
• Shredded coconut - 1/2 cup
• Fennel seeds - 1 tbsp
• Salt

Dry Grind:

• Black pepper corn – 1 tsp
• Coriander – 1 tsp
• Caradamom – 4
• Cloves – 4
• Cinnamom – 2 medium stick
• Red chilli – 2
• Fennel seeds - 1 tbsp

Heat the pan and dry roast the above ingredients and grind coarsely. 

Pressure cook mutton, 1/2 cup diced onion, 1/2 cup diced tomato, 1 tbsp of ginger garlic paste and 1 tsp each of black pepper corn, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric powder and salt to taste.

Heat oil in a pan & add all the dry masala ingredients. When it splutters add the finely cut onion and saute for 3 to 4 mins. Now add the ginger garlic paste. Saute the paste until the aroma goes off. Add the Tomato and saute everything together for 5 mins or tomato becomes juicy. Now add the powders one at a time and then roast for little time. Add the Potato cubes and saute it. Add 1 cup of water and stir for 5 mins. Add some salt to taste. 

When it starts boiling add the pressure cooked mutton and all of the pressure cooked water and ingredients. Grind the coconut along with 2 green chillies and fennel seeds. When the mutton pieces are cooked well add the coconut masala and mix well. Let it boil for 5 min. Garnish with coriander leaves. Mutton kulambu is now ready to be served. Serve hot with Rice, Chappathi or Parotta.

Don't Cluck!

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 

While walking through the forest one day, a farmer found a young eagle who had apparently fallen out of his nest. He took it home and put it in his barnyard with his chickens and there it stayed for years. It wasn't long before the little eagle learned to eat and behave like the chickens.

One day a naturalist passed by the farm and saw the eagle confined in the barnyard with the chickens. When he inquired about this strange sight, the farmer told the man his story. "Unfortunately," said the farmer, "the poor little guy just never learned to fly." "Still," the naturalist sighed, "he has the heart of an eagle and can surely be taught. Will you allow me to work with him?" The farmer agreed, but with much disbelief.

The naturalist picked up the eagle and lifted him toward the sky and said, "You belong to the sky and not to the earth. Stretch forth your wings and fly." The eagle, however, was confused. He did not know who he was, and seeing the chickens eating their food, he jumped down to be with them again. The naturalist took the bird to the roof of the house and urged him again, saying, "You are an eagle. Stretch forth your wings and fly." But the eagle was afraid and jumped down once again to be with his chicken friends.

Finally the naturalist took the eagle out of the barnyard to a high mountain. There he held the king of the birds high above him and encouraged him again, saying, "You are an eagle. You belong to the sky. Stretch forth your wings and fly!" The eagle looked around, back towards the barnyard and then up to the sky. Slowly, he stretched his wings, and with a triumphant cry, he soared away into the heavens.

Somewhere along the line, we like this poor young eagle, looking for good day to happen in our lives.

• Don’t sit in your nest and wait for something to happen – Make it happen! Be active!

• Don’t flock! Don’t do what the others do and don’t care what they think about you! Put everything in God’s hands and step out of your way.

• Don’t run and hide when the storms of life confront you. Pray and Pray you will succeed. 

We are eagles! We were created to fly and even soar! God has great purpose for our lives! If we would only realize who we are in Him!

Lean on!

Give your burdens to the Lord. He will carry them. He will not permit the godly to slip or fall. Psalm 55:22

Giving over our burdens means to LET GO of them. Quite complicated to think? Yes it is. Just leave them on God's shoulders and accept His answers. Giving up our burdens is a prayerful and submissive act of our will. 

God cradles us in His eternal arms. As long as we choose to stay in his arms, we cannot get out of his reach or hidden from his sight. His arms keep us from falling.They keep us.

We must truly give our lives, not for our own glory, but for His. Until we do that, we'll never be able to see all the blessings and opportunities the Lord has prepared for us.! Good Day!