Beetroot tikki

Havent really got the mood to post something everyday so far....Today Im in a mood to share something with you guys. Srini and I recently wanted a healthy yet yummy snack for tea time. I had made a version of beetroot and aloo tikki some time earlier. But this time, I made it without aloo to make it perfect healthy.

Grate 1 beetroot(beet). Add 3 green chillies(finely chopped),asafoetida(1/4 spoon),garam masala(1/2 spoon),chilly powder(1/4 spoon),turmeric powder(a pinch),bread crumbs(2 cups) and salt (as required and oil of course(for frying)


Mix all the above in a container without adding water.Prepare a soft dough out of it.If it is too watery, then add the bread crumbs little by little to thicken the dough.Now take a lemon size ball of the dough. Press it in your palm like patties.

Heat oil in a kadai. When it is hot enough(you ll know this when the drop of dough immediately floats to the top), dip the patties in bread for a coating.

Drop the patties in this hot oil carefully and fry them till the color changes to brown and it becomes crispy.

This goes well with tomato ketchup or tamarind chutney. I served it with chana masala.

Miracles do happen....

I have never believed in miracles till I got to view one.Let me share with you some instances of Baba's miracles which I have heard of before I mention about the one I happened to witness.

• One of my colleagues brought viboodhi(ashes) to office one day.He said there was a sudden sprinkle of white powder from the wall just above Shirdi Baba's picture.On feeling and smelling it, he and his family members realised that it was viboodhi(Udi). I was amazed at this on hearing it for the first time. Though there were a lot of skeptical questions in my mind, I quietly believed it and praised Him.

•  I used to visit the Shirdi Baba temple in BTM often when I lived in Bangalore.I always used to feel the divine bliss everytime I prostrate before Baba's idol there. I used to forget my presence at that moment completely.  One day, there was an unusual crowd gathered in the temple. I thought it must have been some auspicious day. Later I found that this miracle had taken place and that people from near and far had started visiting this temple. One of the eyes of Baba, which were closed , suddenly opened and remained so for some time. I was so surprised and sad that I was not lucky enough to have seen that in spite of having visited it so many times.Again, there were a lot of questions in my mind on this incident.I quietly praised Him again.

•  It was a Saturday and I cribbed a lot that I had to go to office for work on a weekend.It was on that afternoon when I, along with my friends, were busy doing some validation in office, that I received a phone call from a friend who stayed nearby. She said that she was witnessing a Baba miracle in a supermarket shop nearby.I told my friends , who were with me and all of us were eager to witness the same. We informed our colleagues and the four of us headed towards the shop. The news of the miracle was spreading far and wide and people had started to throng the place.I entered the shop only to find that Baba's cheeks shone and his feet were wet. On noticing Him closely, we found that honey was flowing from His eyes and toes. We were elated . My eyes filled with tears on witnessing this wonderful sight.The shopkeepers distributed honey and ghee to all who were present there.On enquiring about when they first identified about this, the owner of the shop stated as follows,

" I had asked my son to bathe the idol of Baba in the evening.Suddenly the cheeks started glowing. We thought that it was because he had washed Him with panneer(rose water). Later, my little  grand-daughter went near the idol and licked the water near Baba's feet.She said that the water is brown in color and it is sweet.On hearing this, we went near and checked out only to be amazed that it was a mixture of honey and ghee which had started flowing from His feet.Happily, we shut the shop as usual and retired back home. The next morning we opened the shop only to find that the whole floor was filled with honey and ghee(There was not a single ant or fly there)...."

      We were overjoyed on hearing this and left the place happily.We were all the more happy that we     had been lucky to have witnessed the miracle and thanked Him for this(and for having called us for work on a Saturday!!!) As I had stated above, I had not believed in miracles before I actually saw this and my faith in Him, has increased all the more. I am attaching a picture of Baba here for all of you who read this, to witness.

                                                     Om Sai Ram....

The joy of being a homemaker

I am forced to write this post today after I got some responses for my previous post. I know that the timing of my previous post was inaccurate.Anyways,I would like to share some of my new (joyful) discoveries about myself here.Rather, how my opinion has changed on certain things.

I thought that people who play games and watch cartoons were puerile  I discovered that I like being so.Had never assumed that I could spend so many hours on gaming(Thanks to fb, I am addicted to Candy crush Saga  and Criminal Case and Pyramid Solitaire Saga and oh, did I forget, Half the Sky Movement..)I realized there is a joy in this addiction.

I thought that people who baked cakes and made tasty biscuits are experts in all forms of cooking until I explored my way in preparing dishes from various cuisines.Come on, I am used to the conventional homely cooking right from those days before marriage.And now, I talk to Srini about inaugurating a new restaurant back in my home country. I realized there is a joy in cooking the impossible(possible).

I thought that not-so-fat people who hit the gym were wasting a lot of time and energy.And now,here I am, hitting the gym almost everyday(trying to) in order to keep fit.I realized there is a joy in the rejuvenation I achieve everytime I burn out a few calories(even if it is, just 80 calories a day:D)

I thought that I had lost my golden voice(as some of my friends used to say back in college).I started to recollect some good old collection of devotional songs which I had learnt during childhood.I began to practise them and record my own versions of those songs. I realized there is a joy in singing again (even if I don't sound like a nightingale.)

I thought that sleeping was the best hobby ever and had always wanted to take short naps in afternoons when I couldnt, as I was working.Guess what, I hate to sleep in the afternoons now. I found that I loved to utilise this time in learning new things.I gathered a couple of my friends, who I think are in the similar state as I am, and started learning a language.We learned a few words of French.I realized there is a joy in conversing in a new language with them(even if it is just the basic Salut!!!Comment vas-tu???. which means, Hello, How are you???)

I thought that watching English movies were boring.I had always preferred desi ones to English.And now, here I am, watching movie after movie ,English,and only English. I realized there is a joy even in watching English movies(be it an action movie or a thriller or a romance or a comedy)

I thought blogs are for those who wanted to improve their vocabulary.Yeah, I have always written short articles for school and corporate magazines. And here I am, penning down all my thoughts.I realized a joy in sharing my views(even if it is just a doodle, as my blog title says!!!)

Hey,does the whole thing above look similar to what you have read somewhere else?Holy crap!!!No,no. I am not plagiarizing.:)
This is the way every H4B dependant spends his/her time.The next time someone asks me what do you do the whole day when your husband is off at work, I am not gonna use the cliche,"Velai -Illa pattadhaari"(meaning, jobless degree holder, in Tamil).That is a phrase I have borrowed from one of my friends..:P. Instead,my answer is,"I have no time to finish off all the things in a day which brings me so much joy. "