National Blog Posting Month

 Hello All,

Its that time of the year.... November which means that its National Blog Posting Month or NaBloPoMo. Its month long writing exercise that takes place every November where bloggers blog every day of this November.

There is also NaNoWriMo (thats National Novel Writing Month) where writers write daily at a particular time of the day and work towards finishing their novels. Since I am starting from today, I will just be posting something every day to ensure continuity and also as they say if you do something consistently for over 21 days then it becomes a habit.

So here we go....

Todays Thoughts : 

November is a month of creativity,

Where Writing becomes easy activity,

One step at a time,

Words will follow just fine

Book Review: Real Murders by Charlaine Harris (An Aurora Teagarden Mystery)

Book Review: Real Murders By Charlaine Harris

(An Aurora Teagarden Mystery)

I was always a voracious reader and books my best friends since childhood.

I am partial towards mystery and thriller genre and have been a huge Agatha Christie fan all my life.

So I am always on a lookout for any interesting and good fast paced mysteries to read.

Being huge fan of Full House and subsequently Fuller House on Netflix, I read about Candance Cameron Bure working in Aurora Teagarden mysteries as part of Hallmark Movies and Mysteries Original.
Intrigued, I googled regarding the books on which the series was based and the author Charlaine Harris since I had not read any of her books.
I saw couple of movies and really liked the protagonist and the story line and decided to read the books.

About the Author(Taken from Wikipedia) : Charlaine Harris is an American author who specializes in mysteries. She is best known for the adaptations of her series The Southern Vampire Series, which was adapted as the TV series True Blood
Harris began the lighthearted Aurora Teagarden books with Real Murders, nominated as a Best Novel 1990 for the Agatha Awards

Book Review

Book : Real Murders
Author : Charlaine Harris
Published : 1990

The first book " Real Murders" in the series has an interesting premise and would definitely appeal to all fans of mystery genre.
In this book, we are introduced to the protagonist "Aurora Teagarden"or Roe as she is popularly known. Roe works as a librarian in a Lawrenceton, Georgia, a growing suburb of Atlanta. She is a member of club called Real Murders, consisting of 12 people interested in crime and murder who meet once a month to analyze historic famous murder cases.
The members comprise of interesting mix of people in the town and are known to Aurora.
The book begins with Aurora preparing to discuss a famous murder " the Wallace case" in the monthly meet of Real Murders scheduled that evening.
When she reaches early, she discovers the dead body of a fellow member and even more shocking is the fact that the murderer has staged the dead body to resemble the famous " the Wallace case" which she was supposed to discuss that very night.
So begins series of copy cat murders resembling the famous murders to be discussed by Real Murders club members making all members a potential killers or targets and confounding Aurora, who must use her sleuthing skills to uncover the murderer before it is too late.

Fast paced and racy, the book had me hooked and needless to say that I just couldn't put it down and finished it in one go. Incidentally its my first buy on my own Kindle.

The premise and plot are extremely interesting and the author has sketched the details of the small town and all the prominent characters of the disapproving mother, fellow librarian, friends and policeman very well.
I personally loved the small town charm and feel and the detailing of characters which reminded me somewhat of Miss Marple and her small town folks.

I understand that there is a series of 2 hour movies done by Hallmark Movies and Mysteries Original based on the books and I would recommend reading the books and watching the same.

Thalipeeth / Multigrain Pancake

THE THEME FOR THIS WEEK IS KIDS DELIGHT : TRAVEL FOOD

Todays dish is Thalipeeth.. Its traditional Maharashtrian breakfast dish and my personal favorite also is great for long travels and also extremely healthy and nutritious.

Choosing recipes for Kids Delight was done keeping in mind healthy and nutritious dishes which were tasty and enjoyed by kids

Benefits :

• It contains nutrients, fiber and essential minerals.
• Rich source of proteins and carbohydrates.
• Good for metabolism.

Traditionally, thalipeeth bhajani was always made at homes and so every household had their own version and proportions.

Thalipeeth Bhajani can be made of jowar, whole wheat flour, bajra, besan and rice flour.

The ingredients are dry roasted and then grinded together in powder like consistency.

This mixture can be stored in air tight containers for months.

Nowsdays, thalipeeth bhajani is easily available in any shop or store.

                    Thalipeeth / Multigrain Pancake

Ingredients :

• 2 cups thalipeeth bhajani
• 1 Medium onion 
• Water
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon curd (optional)
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder / finely chopped green chillies
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
• salt to taste
• Few springs of coriander
• 1 teaspoon Oil
• Oil for roasting

Method : 

1. Take 1 medium onion and finely chop it/
2. In a large bowl mix thalipeeth bhajani and finely chopped onion and mix well.
3. Add chilli powder / green chillies, turmeric powder, coriander powder, ginger and salt and mix well.
4. Add water as necessary to knead a dough
5. Add coriander, 1 teaspoon of oil and curd & mix well
6. Make a ball and flatten it with your palm on a non stick pan. 
7. Place the flatten dough on heated girdle/tava. 
8. If nonstick pan is not being used, ensure that some oil is spread on the girdle before you place the flatten dough so that it doe not stick. 
9. Cover with a lid and let it cook for sometime on medium heat. 
10. When it starts crackling, that is an indication that thalipeeth is cooked from one side. 
11. Flip it on the other side and let it cook uncovered.
12. Serve it hot with curds, pickle, homemade butter (loni) or chutney.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM

Methi Thepla / Fenugreek Flatbread

THE THEME FOR THIS WEEK IS KIDS DELIGHT : TRAVEL FOOD

The dish today is Methi Thepla. Methi Thepla is originally from Gujarat and is a very popular healthy and nutritious breakfast / snack all over India.

When one thinks of travel food, Methi Thepla is one of first dishes that comes to our mind such is the popularity of this dish.

My reason for choosing Methi Thepla is due to my association with it in all my recent travels. Due to self imposed dietary constraints and not being excessively fond of in flight meals,  Methi Theplas were my saviors in all my travels especially those long journeys abroad.
They are easily available, easy to carry and eat & extremely nutritious and healthy.

Health Benefits :

1. Fenugreek leaves are rich source of minerals such as calcium and magnesium. 
2. Calcium helps in strengthening teeth and bones 
3. Magnesium has anti-ageing properties 

                 Methi Thepla / Fenugreek Flatbread

Ingredients :

• 1 cup fenugreek / methi leaves 
• 1 cup whole wheat flour (atta)
• 2 tablespoons besan / gram flour
• 2 tablespoons curd
• 1 tablespoon rava (optional)
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder (as per individual taste)
• 1 teaspoon haldi powder
• 1/2 teaspoon jeera / cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dhania powder / coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ajwain 
• salt to taste
• Water for kneeding the dough
• Few springs of coriander
• 1 teaspoon Oil
• Oil / ghee for roasting

Method : 

1. Clean and finely chop methi leaves and keep aside
2. In a bowl, mix together whole wheat flour, besan, rava and mix well
3. Add all spices and salt and mix well
4. Add finely chopped methi leaves and mix well
5. Add curd and oil & mix well
6. Kneed in a fine dough and add water bit by bit as required
7. Make small round shape balls of this dough and make round rotis
8. Heat pan and roast the thepla on it
9. Once cooked, flip it and add oil / ghee as required
10. Serve it with curd, pickle, chutney or sauce

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM

Amboli / Multigrain Pancakes

THE THEME FOR THIS WEEK IS KIds delight : travel food

The dish today is Amboli or Multigrain Pancakes

Amboli or Multigrain Pancakes is a dish that belongs traditionally from Konkan region.
Earlier, grandmothers would make amboli peeth or powder at home by dry roasting different grains and grounding them to make flour which could be stored for months.
Normally grains used are toor dal, urad dal, channa dal, rice, wheat.
The mixture and proportions differ as per family.
Nowsdays, there are readymade amboli mix readily available in markets like you get besan.
This is great travel food and is liked by kids.

Benefits :

1. It contains nutrients, fiber and essential minerals like magnesium, copper and iron.
2. It contains whole grains hence it is filled with essential fatty acids, B-vitamins, starch and fiber. Magnesium will help build strong bones and teeth.
3. Also, it helps with metabolism.

Amboli / Multigrain Pancakes

Ingredients :

• 1 cup amboli peeth / powder
• Water
• 1 tablespoon rava soaked in water
• 1 tablespoon curd
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• salt to taste
• Few springs of coriander
• Oil

Method : 

1. Soak rava in water for half an hour
2. Mix amboli peeth in water and add rava and mix well
3. Add curd, ginger paste, garlic paste, chilli powder and salt and mix well
4. Add finely chopped coriande and mix well 
5. Make sure that there is no lumps and make it to batter consistency
6. Heat oil on tava / gridle / pan and when hot, add one ladle full of batter to make pancake
7. Drizzle oil on sides if required and oil is not needed if using nonstick pan
8. Cover and cook
9. Check if cooked and flip it and cook uncovered
10. Serve hot with chutney, pickle, curd or sauce

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM

Groundnut Jaggery Laddoo / Shendanyache Ladu

THE THEME FOR THIS WEEK IS" IS EVERYTHING ROUND A LADDU? " 

The series finale as they say or the last laddoo on the list is Peanut & Jaggery Laddoo or as we say in Marathi Shendanyache Ladu 

This was super hectic and great fun because I was cooking and clicking and posting on same day.

Benefits of Peanut & Jaggery :

1. Jaggery is loaded with antioxidants and minerals such as zinc and selenium.
2. Jaggery provides resistance against infections. 
3. Jaggery helps increase the total count of haemoglobin in the blood
4. Peanuts are rich source of protein and vital vitamins
5. It is excellent especially during fasting

   Groundnut Jaggery Laddoo / Shendanyache Ladu

Ingredients :

• 1 cup crushed groundnut powder or paste
• 1/2 cup grated jaggery
• 1 / 2 teaspoon homemade ghee for binding as necessary
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg powder (optional)

Method : 

1. Dry roast the peanuts on hot gridle or tawa or kadhai.
2. Allow them to cool & remove the skins
3. Grind them to finely coarse paste
4. Grate jaggery to fine paste like consistency
5. Mix 1 cup peanut powder & 1/2 cup grated jaggery together and make sure that there are no lumps
6. Add ghee as necessary for binding them together
7. Jaggery is natural binder so ghee is minimally required
8. Add 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg powder & mix well
9. Shape the laddoos in round shape & they are ready to eat
10. They can be eaten during fast
11. Alternatively roasted and peeled groundnuts can be mixed together with jaggery in a blender

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#86

Rice Flour Laddoo (Tandulyache Ladu)

THE THEME FOR THIS WEEK IS" IS EVERYTHING ROUND A LADDU? " 

Wishing everyone A Very Happy Gudi Padwa & Ugadi & Chetti Chand.
Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra is the beginning of New Year and is considered as one of the 3.5 shubh muhurats for any kind of purchase or for any new beginnings.

I feel that my blog revival is also a new beginning for the blog & what better way and day to do so than on Gudi Padwa..

My today's post is on making Rice Flour Laddoo or Chawal ke laddu or as we call in Marathi Tandulyache Ladu

Rice flour too has its set of benefits :

1. High in beneficial fiber
2. Excellent gluten free option
3. High in protein

More than the benefits, the reason I particularly choose this dish is because of my childhood memories associated with it.
I have fond and welcome memories of summers spend at my Maternal Uncle (Mama) place during holidays. My maternal grandmother (Aaji) was an excellent cook and like all Aajis extremely enthusiastic about cooking especially for grand kids.. She would excel in making different types of ladus and vadis as we call them in Marathi. Aaji would especially make this tandulyacha ladu whenever we were visiting as it was my personal favorite. She would also send homemade tandulyachi pithi (rice flour) with us so that my mother who was working would quickly make them for us.

Back then she would make the rice flour at home the traditional way by cleaning, washing rice & drying it on a cloth at home. Then roasting it and making flour by grinding it to a particular consistency. 

Nowadays readymade rice flour is easily available in markets but as purists would say the taste differs...

I always lament on not noting down Aaji's traditional recipes and also not been trained by her due to my lack of interest in cooking back then.

This is my first attempt at making the ladus and I would like all of you to bear with me for the uneven shapes of the laddoos.

            Rice Flour Laddoo (Tandulyache Ladu)

Ingredients :

• 1 cup Rice flour (tandulyache pith)
• 1/2 cup homemade ghee
• 1/2 cup sugar (proportions may vary as per individual taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg powder (Jalphal)

Method : 

1. Heat 1/2 cup ghee in flat bottom pan or kadhai on stove top.
2. Add rice flour and roast well until you smell the aroma.
3. Ensure that rice flour is properly roasted as less roasting would result in laddoo sticking in throat and over roasting will burn the flour and give burnt taste so properly roasting is key element of this dish.
4. Some people use less ghee to begin with and as they roast rice flour if needed add additional ghee.
5. Once it is properly roasted, switch off the heat & wait for it to cool down.
6. Add 1/2 cup sugar to the rice flour and mix well.
7. Add 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg (Jalphal) powder and mix well.
8. Make round shaped laddoos.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#86

Ragi Laddoo (Nachani Ladu)

Today's post is how to make Ragi Laddoo or as we call them in Marathi Nachaniche Ladu

Ragi or Nachani or Red millet or Finger millet has great health benefits like :

1. It is extremely rich source of fiber 
2. It helps lower cholesterol levels. 
3. It helps weight control, diabetes and also cools the body
4. It is cost effective and easily available.

The Theme for this Week is" Is everything round a laddu? " 

So extremely healthly and easy to make recipe that I am going to share is Ragi Laddoo or in Marathi Nachaniche Ladu

                  Ragi Laddoo (Nachaniche Ladu)

Ingredients :

1 cup Ragi Flour 

1/2 cup Homemade ghee

1/2 cup powdered sugar (depends on individual taste)

1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg / Jalphal 

Method : 

1.  Heat 1/2 cup ghee in flat bottom pan or kadhai on gas.
2. Add 1 cup Ragi plain flour (do not use Ragi satva) in it and roast it well until it comes together and you can smell the aroma. 
3. Roasting the flour in ghee is the most critical aspect of making the laddoo as if it is less roasted, it would stick in the throat and would taste uncooked; whereas over roasting would burn the flour and leave bad aftertaste.
4. When the ghee starts to separate, switch off the gas and let it cool down
5. When the mixture is slightly cooled, add powdered sugar and mix well and ensure that there are no lumps.
6. Add 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg and mix well, taking care that there are no lumps.
7. Prepare round shape laddoos of the mixture.
8. Do not wait for mixture to cool down completely otherwise it would be difficult to mix well.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#86

Finding Your Own Rainbow

In my series of optimistic and thought  provoking blogs, the next one talks about finding your own bit of Rainbow even when the clouds are dark and grey (the weather has been acting strange lately and we are experiencing all seasons in a single day here in India)
Have you ever wondered why the sight of rainbows make us happy?

It's just a thought that things are happy and good in the world and we have something to look forward to..

similarly we need to find that rainbow within us..That particular happy spot within whenever we are feeling low or faced with any obstacles or challenges in life, personally or professionally and we don't see any ray of hope.. dig deep within and you shall seek your own happy spot your own rainbow from where you can draw strength and courage to face and overcome the odds and obstacles in your life...

Always remember that every dark cloud has silver lining and there is daybreak after every dark night...

So channelize within your inner self and draw out your Rainbow or happy place and let it give you Hope and Strength to face and overcome

Sending positive vibes your way ...

Picture credit to my Best Friend Devayani who is like a Rainbow to me 😃

The Power of Optimism and Positivity

I know that in today's highly stressful and difficult times and with the kind of lifestyles we lead, we all do need moral support and some boost to overcome any crisis or obstacles that we may face..

So generally, whenever we are faced with some crisis or at any odds in our personal or professional lives, we tend to give in to our basic instinct which is,mostly for many if not for all of us, self doubt and negativity.....because we are humans at the end of the day and we may feel weak or vulnerable at times and pressure does tend to get to us....

I say not all because there are some  of us who face obstacles and difficult times positively...with tenacity and will power and we wonder how do they do that...is it because they are stronger than us or what?

I think the secret is that those people have channelized their inner strength and positivity and we need to do the same..
The most important point to be remembered is that Each and everyone of us is strong within but it is we who need to find that inner strength to overcome the obstacles...
We need to channelize the inner positivity and optimism inside us and tap it out for it to shine through because remember You are your best support and only You are capable of pulling yourself through in dark times...isn't it true?

We must always remember that Faith, Belief and Hope are true fundamentals in our life...

We must have faith and belief in the God Almighty, our spiritual Gurus, our family and friends, our close ones who envelope us with their love, blessings and prayers and act as our shield against difficult situations....

Remember it's always important to be surrounded by positive thinking people..they will boost you in your difficult times whereas if you are surrounded by negative people they will pull you down even further so be careful whom you choose to keep company..but that shall be for another post 😁

Our own Will power and self confidence will overcome all odds and obstacles is something that each one of us must believe it and then see the difference it does.. obstacles will come and go but we must not lose our Faith, Belief and Hope

It's something that each one of us has within us so we don't need to worry..
It's just the matter of discovering it and channelizing it for good use...

So on this optimism and positive note, let us be happy and thankful for what we have and pray for Happiness and Good Health in all our lives....Pray to channelize the power within...

The optimism works wonders...

Try it to experience it and write back if you would like to share any of your personal experiences..I will be happy to hear them

Wordless Wednesday

From wanting to write biweekly or at least weekly to not writing for over 3 years.. Its been long and uneventful absence from the blog sphere.. I have been inconspicuous and how... But now I am back into my world (pun intended) and for good..

I realized that the best motivation to write regularly came from within and no amount of New Year resolutions and  push from well meaning friends and family was going to do the trick :)

I got inspired by my favorite blogger Preeti Shenoy  who has been doing blog marathons for a month every year since 2010 regularly.. Hats off to her dedication....

Her first post blog Push your boundaries is a challenge to push ourselves beyond the conformity and challenge ourselves so that we can test ourselves...

I have been miserably inactive in blogspace and have been just finding excuses to not blog..

Hence, on spur of the month, I decided to challenge myself and start blogging again though not  quite sure if I can run the entire marathon with her...

To all my readers out here... I would need your support and encouragement for blogging more regularly :)

My blog post is Wordless Wednesday : A picture from my recent family trip to Goa...

Have a great day guys and see you soon..

Doon Special : Marathi Play : Indeed Very Special

From my resolution of wanting to write biweekly or at least weekly blogs regularly to actually not writing for over 3 years.. Its been long and uneventful absence from the blog sphere.. I have been inconspicuous and how... But now I am back into my world (pun intended) and for good..

I realized that the best motivation to write regularly came from within and no amount of New Year resolutions and  push from well meaning friends and family was going to do the trick :)

Instead of waiting for a special occasion or perfect day to write again I choose to write today & coincidentally as Face Book memories reminded me that it is Siblings Day.. Happy Siblings Day it is...

So this post is dedicated to all my siblings...

The Festival of Colors ascended upon us in all its colorful splendor.. though the celebrations were low key this time due to the water problems faced in Maharashtra....

Thursday being holiday on account of Holi and me having recently recovered from foot fracture due to freaky rick accident, I decided to step out and watch a Marathi play with family.. after a gap of four long months....

We decided to watch Marathi play "Doon Special" due to rave reviews and the long list of awards that the play had won in MIFTA , Zee Natya Gaurav and MaTa recently...

The play based on H.M.Marathe " News Story" is produced by Atharav Theatre and Mishri Theatre & is  written and directed by debutante Kshitij Patwardhan, music by Anmol Bhave & sets by Pradeep Mule
The star cast includes superbly brillant Jitendra Joshi and lovely & beautiful Girija Oak Godbole

The play has lot of firsts... It is first production of Jitendra Joshi who returns to Marathi theatre after long gap and director Kshitij Patwardhan's first play and also marks debut of Girija Oak Godbole in Marathi theatre

The list of awards won by the play in all departments like music, sets , best actor, best actress, supporting actor, best director and best play were announced in the beginning of the play setting our expectations even higher...

The play, set in 1989, is a chronicle of events which occur in the life of Milind Bhagwat (Jitendra Joshi) who is Chief sub editor working in night shift in a newspaper office in Pune.. The incidents unfold with Bhagwat coming face to face with his ex love (Girija) after 10 years and occur during the night between 9:30 P.M. and midnight to be precise..

The tagline of the play that it would transcend the audience from the laptop era to the typewriter era in a special way holds true..From the film posters in the background to the advertisements on DD and radio the play takes you back to 1989 and gives you nostalgic feeling of seeing the era gone by....the typewriters. the loud ringing phones... the sets all are an integral part of the play and can be considered as a individual character which is an integral part of the play and one of the important contributors in the the play's success

The trump card of the play is superb acting by the lead actors, the immensely talented Jitendra Joshi and the effortless natural Girija Oak Godbole.. They are ably supported by Rohit Haldikar...

The crisp and fast paced story line and the natural and effortless acting by the cast make this play a winner on all fronts...

My recommendation for indeed Very Special play which should not be missed.. "Doon Special "

this play takes place in a newspaper office in Pune between 9.30 pm to midnig - See more at: http://www.mumbaitheatreguide.com/dramas/marathi/don-special-marathi-play-preview.asp#sthash.vuZtkQ0K.dpuf

Happy New Year !!!!!

Wishing everyone A Very Happy & Prosperous New Year !!!!

My New Year Resolution this year has been to write regularly .....which effectively translates in my blogging regularly.......

So, without any further ado, here's what I plan to do.....

My goal is to write at least 2 blog posts every week .....Yes,yes.... all you wise people shaking their heads out there..... I know I am being over ambitious......... but then as my mother always quotes, Not failure, but low aim, is crime. in the words of  Lowell, James Russell.

So lets aim high and try harder to reach the goal .....That's my motto for 2013.......

I intend to review or rather express my views on books I read, movies I see or some current topic or issue...... I also intend to blog about the dishes I cook or restaurants that I visit.....

My next week blogging plans include review of Preeti Shenoy's "The Secret Wishlist" and review of Sudha Murty's "The Day I Stopped Drinking Milk: Life Stories from Here and There" 

So watch this space for more...........

Oats Dosa

The dish for Day Two of Blogging Marathon 2 under the theme Low Fat/Low Cal Break fast is Oats Dosa.

The benefits of having oats for breakfast are many. Oats is low calorie food, providing high level of fiber, low level of fats and high level of protein. Diet consisting of oats is very helpful for any weight loss.Oats stabilize blood sugar level and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes.Beta-glucen in oats helps reduce cholesterol. It contains lignans which protect against heart disease and cancer.

Oats Dosa is easy to make and is extremely delicious to eat.

Oats Dosa

Ingredients :

Oats - 3/4 tablespoon

Salt - as per taste

Curd - 1 tablespoon

Water 

Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Coriander powder - 1/4 teaspoon 

Cumin powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Coriander leaves - few

Method :

Take oats in a bowl and mix well with curds. Buttermilk can be used alternatively.

Keep it for 10 mins at least.

Add red chilli powder, salt, coriander leaves, cumin powder, coriander powder and mix well. 

Add water if required to make batter to good consistency.

Heat non stick pan / tava / girdle

Spread the mixture on it and flatten it.

Cover with lid and let it cook.

Flip the side after it gets cooked from one side.

Cook without lid.

Notes : Vegetables like carrots, onion, tomato can be added.

Use buttermilk incase curd is not available, In that case, do not add additional water.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 20

 

Oats Thalipeeth

We begin Blogging Marathon today and the theme that I chose for this week is Low Fat/Low Cal Break fast.

Today is my personal favorite Oats Thalipeeth.

Regular readers of this blog would know by now that "Thalipeeth" is one of my favorite dishes.
I have already blogged about Carrot Cabbage Bhajaniche Thalipeeth and Sabudana Thalipeeth in earlier Marathons.

Today, I would be blogging about a healthier version of Thalipeeth i.e. Oats Thalipeeth.

Nowadays, everyone is extremely fitness and health conscious. One is always counting calories before eating any dish.
There are many theories on the way one should lead healthy lifestyle. But noone has debate that a hearty and healthy breakfast plays an important role in ensuring that we lead a healthy lifestyle.

When one joins any gym or goes for any diet related counselling, one of tips given is eating Oats for breakfast.
Most of the people eat oats with milk like porridge or cereals. But personally, I am not very fond of eating oats with milk. So, I would always be on a lookout of different recipes with oats especially savory recipes as I do not have sweet tooth.
I have collected some oats savory recipes and would be sharing 3 such recipes with you for this week's Blogging Marathon theme of Low Fat/Low Cal Break fast.

Today on the first day of Blogging Marathon, we have Oats Thalipeeth.

Oats Thalipeeth

Ingredients :

Oats - 1/2 cup or 5 tablespoons
Onion - 1/2
Tomato - 1/2
Coriander leaves - few
Salt - as per taste
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Cumin powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Water - for binding
Oil if required incase of using non stick pans
Sugar - pinch (not necessary)

Method :
1) Finely chop onion and tomato.
2) Wash and finely chop coriander leaves.
3) Wet the oats using some water gently with your hands. (Use minimum water. Do not soak the oats in water)
4) Let the oats rest for atleast 10 minutes.
5) Take oats in a large bowl and add chopped onion, tomato and coriander leaves
6) Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt.
7) A pinch of sugar may be added as per choice and preferance.
8) Mix all the ingredients well.
9) Add slight water only if required to form dough for thalipeeth.Dough should not be hard.
10) Make a ball and flatten it with your palm on a non stick pan.
11)Place the flatten dough on heated girdle/tava.
12) If nonstick pan is not being used, ensure that some oil is spread on the girdle before you place the flatten dough so that it should not stick.
13) Cover with a lid and let it cook for sometime on medium heat.
14) When it starts crackling, that is an indication that thalipeeth is cooked from one side.
15) Flip it on the other side and let it cook uncovered.

Oats Thalipeeth is ready to be eaten with tomato sauce or coriander - mint chutney.

Notes :
Unless bhajani thalipeeth or sabudana thalipeeth, the dough of oats thalipeeth tends to be soft and mushy.
Use soft hands for making the dough and flattening it.
Oats Thalipeeth may require more time to finely cook as compared to the normal thalipeeth
Oats does not have any individual taste hence ensure that seasoning is adequate otherwise the oats thalipeeth would be bland and tasteless.
 You could add carrots, peas or garam masala for enhanced flavors.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 20

Dudhi Pakodas / Bottle gourd Fritters

The Final i.e Day Seven of Blogging Marathon finds us with Dudhi Pakodas or Bottle gourd Fritters.

As we all know by now that Blogging Marathon is a brilliant and novel initiative started by the fantastic Srivalli and it is now in its 14th Edition... 


The idea of dudhi pakodas came quite suddenly. During lunch one day while chatting with my niece and nephew, I realised that they hated dudhi in any and every form and would never touch it with a barge pool.However, when we prepared Dudhi Kofta Curry, the kids ate it happily without knowing that the star ingredient was the dreaded Dudhi / Bottle gourd.
Not only that while frying the dudhi koftas, the kids began eating them like pakodas and needless to say ensured that some of us adults had to be satisfied with eating only Curry that day without the koftas :)))
So, I decided to prepare dudhi pakodas specially for them again and I added my own twist ..mint.. giving it slightly different but wonderful favor...

Dudhi Pakodas / Bottle Gourd Fritters :

Ingredients :
Dudhi (bottle gourd) - 1 kg
Besan / gram flour - 1 cup
Ginger - 1 inch
Garlic - 7/8 cloves
Coriander leaves - few
Mint leaves - few
Curry leaves - few
Green chillies - 2 
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt - as per taste
Sugar - pinch
Oil - 1 teaspoon and also for frying
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin powder - 1/2 teaspoon


Method :
1) Peel the skin of dudhi / bottle gourd and finely grate it.
2) Squeeze the dudhi and drain all the water.
3) Take dudhi in a large bowl and add besan / gram flour slowly to this till you get good consistency.
4) Grind green chillies, coriander leaves, curry leaves, mint leaves, cumin seeds, ginger and garlic together and make a fine paste.
5) Add this paste to the dudhi mixture and mix thoroughly.
6) Heat one teaspoon of oil and add in this mixture.
7) Add salt, turmeric powder and sugar and mix well.
6) Heat some oil in a heavy bottom pan (kadhai) for frying.
7) Make round balls of dudhi mixture and deep fry them in oil on medium flame.


Dudhi Pakodas / bottlegourd fritters are ready to be savored.
These are specially approved by my niece and nephew.


Sending this to Srivalli's Kid's Delight, guest hosted by me themed on Easy to Make Snacks under30 mins......  

Do check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing Blogging Marathon#14........