Pumpkin Thai Curry

Pumpkin is not a favorite vegetable in my house except for my daughter sangeetha. So, I do not have many receipes on this. Today, I wanted to try something different than the normal style of cooking. I came across this receipe , that is  Pumpkin Thai Curry. I made this curry vegetarian. If you want it to be non vegetarian, I think prawns would be fine. Definately want to make this again when sanggi is down for holidays.

 

It is quite simple and I had all the ingredients so this is it....

The ingredients....

Pumpkin                       -  2 cups

Cherry tomatoes.          - 4

A few daun limau perut or kafir leaves

Lime                              - 1 or more as you wish

Red chillies.                   - also as you wish

Curry paste

Onion paste                 - 2 teaspoon.  )

Garlic paste                 - 1 teaspoon.  )

Ginger paste                - 1 teaspoon.  ) 

Lengkuas/ galangal     -  1 teaspoon

Paste.                                                )

2 teaspoon coriander powder.           )

2 teaspoon curry powder.                  )

Half teaspoon turmeric powder.         )   Mix all these ingredients with about 1 cup of water

I cup of coconut milk

Salt to taste

Method

Pour the paste in a wok and let it come to a boil , add in the pumpkin and more water to allow the pumpkin to cook. Throw in the daun limau perut.  Once the pumpkin is cooked add in the cherry tomatoes. I used cherry tomates because of its sweet taste. You may use the normal tomates. Add the chopped red chillies and enough lime juice to give it a slight sourish taste. Lastly add the coconut milk and turn off. The curry is ready. 

Raw mango rice and indian banana masala

My niece Sukania came over last week. She told that her friend's mum made a very delicious dish with raw mangoes and rice. Many of you would have tried or tasted this dish, for me it is new. So, this morning when I found a mango from my tree, thought might try out the  raw mango recipe. She said it is very similar to tamarind rice or lemon rice. So, here it is ...my version

The side dish for this I made curry banana masala. Having with papadam or even our Malaysian keropok will be fine. If you are non vegetarian , I assume ikan billis goreng or salted fish will be fine too.

Raw Mango Rice

    We can use left over rice or fresh cooked rice. Grate the mango. 

  

   Heat oil and add mustard seeds, green chillies, saffron, curry leaves.

   Add  cooked rice, dhall and salt to taste. Turn the fire off and add the grated mango and 

   Stir slowly and serve with the side dish.

    

   If you find the mango is not sour enough, I suggest you add some lime juice too.

   

    Curry banana masala

    

    Slice the curry banana, add turmeric powder, curry powder, ginger, garlic paste , besan

    flour (tepung kacang kuda) and salt.

    Heat oil, add some kumin seeds chopped onions, curry leaves. Fry till pink , add the mixed banana.

    Slow the flame and stir with sprinkling some water till the bananas become soft and slightly 

    brown. Lastly add some chopped coriander and roasted and powdered cumin powder.

   This dish, will along with dhall curry too.

   So, Selamat mencuba to all. With the fasting month not too far away... this will be definately an   

   appetizing dish too.

    

My Greens

After a year, this is how my garden is. I am definately not a green hand or finger person. Since I have the time and little space it all started. The pleasure of seeing the blooms is so nice. It's still a learning process. My sifu is my sister in law Lachme and also with the help of my maid, also Lachme. 

Now , let me take you for a walk  around my a premature garden. First the flower garden and followed by vegetable... So be patient and follow me...

My Tulasi Port. This is an auspious plant in most in hindu homes.

  

   This is Bunga sundal malam....ya nama pun pelik...but it's flower has got a sweet 

   fragrance.

    

    Now on my vegetables.

    Feeling happy, after the long wait.

    

    My spice, pudina, rosemary and thyme

    Yaaa....terung ( brinjal 

  

    My all time favorite maize. Planted them in poly bags. I think I have about 8. I think  

   If you look carefully, you will see a pot of curry leaves and some baby brinjal plants.   

   These are chili plants also in poly bags.

  

The lovely banana ......yes also fruiting too..

    Who can miss these......serai, pandan and daun kesum , which I think is blocked.

Seemantham,Lenggang Perut or Baby Showere

Baby showers or semantham, this is an indian tradition with some ritual carried out on the new mother to be. This tradition is called as baby shower by the Europeans . Even local Malays have this tradition as lenggang Perut. Likewise, we call it the seemantham or valaikaapu.

This is one of the samskara that is done for the well being of mother-to-be and the foetus, in spirit of celebrating motherhood. The brides parents, relatives and friends are invited.

Must be wondering why this .....

Yes, i just carried out this tradition for my daughter Rekha.  This tradition is done in the  7th or 9 the month of pregnancy.

The seemantham is carried out in the bridegrooms house .  Where after the ceremony the mother to be will be brought back to her parents house and she will stay on until her delivery and send back to her inlaws on the 1st or 3 rd month after her delivery.

The brides parents will bring gifts for their daughter  like a new saree, bangles , those who can afford May even get a gold bangle. Traditionally she will give a bangle made of 5 metals( I'm poon kappu) , a neem leaf bangle,  the other bangles should be glass bangles and preferably green and red colour. 

No ceremony without sweets , boo-rulu, arusulu, theepugaarulu ( telugu intti sweets),  laddu jelebbi, fruits and specially made rice dishes in odd numbers of  3, 5 or 9. They can be sweet ponggal, tamarind rice, curd rice, lemon rice, tomato rice, linseed rice, pudina rice and so on.

The pregnant mother is seated on a chair.  The ceremony carried out with a prayer for Lord Ganesha who is the remover of obstacles.

The mother to be's mother will start the ceremony by  sprinkling rose water and applying sandal wood paste and kungguman  on the hair partition of her daughter.  9 items will be put on her lap. That is 5 different fruits and 4 sweets or the other way round. Next, the 5 metal bangle, neem bangle, gold bangle and the other bangles. All ladies will come forward to apply the sandal wood paste, kungguman and put the bangles for the mother to be. The ladies in return will be given a tamboolam, with 2 betal leaves, a banana and bangles. The man will bless the mother to be will sprinkling yellow rice on her.

The mother to be is also fed with 3, 5 or 9 types of rice prepared with all the different flavors.

When all the invited guest have blessed the mother to be , she will now go to the alter in her house and  place all the sweets and fruits put in her lap. Aaarathi is done to the mother to be ward off all eveil eye.

The guest will now be served with a feast. 

This is my version. If there is anything that I have missed please share so the tradition will be carried on.

Here are some shots during rekha's seemantham.

Home made bread

Today after so long made some coconut buns and cinammon bread.

Feeling good because they turned out really good and with compliments from from home chefs......Manorekha and hubby...

Thoughts.....

I open mail today and these is the message that I received. To share with all of you....

The Light Remedy 

April 15th, 2014

You are strong... The moment you do not

think weak thoughts

You are happy... the moment you do not

posses the weak thought...

You are at peace... the moment you

observe the weak

thought and let it

vanish...

And...

You are complete... the moment you

are yourself and nothing

else...

Why carry the burden... when there is

surrender...

Why fear the misery... when there is

faith...

Why fear the fear... when there is the

heart (love)...

Why give up on yourself... When within you

there is God...

Every thought begins with the "I"...

Fear begins to arise as one becomes attached and controlled by his own thought...

When you desire to be happy you lose your peace...

When you think you are at peace you are actually in transition between attempting to be at peace and fearing to be not at peace...

You have to let the thought pass... Fear is born when a thought becomes stationed...

When you try to control a thought you become controlled by it...

Peace cannot be received by an outside source... Peace is the very nature of the Atma (spirit)...

(Inspirational message received by Seema M Dewan)

 

Awaken the Divine within you...

  Love All, Serve All  

Sai Divine Inspirations on Blogspot

Sai Divine Inspirations on Facebook

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Chinese New Year 2014

Whether  we are celeberatiing Chinese New Year or not it is holiday time where everyone is buzy balik kampung. 

I grew up in Rawang, where all my neighbours were Chinese. The one thing I remember is the fire crackers. They just go on and on. With each one competing  who has the longest string. Even, in Segambut where I lived the last 30 years was also fun. The irritable fun. It starts at mid night and goes on till the next morning. 

The 2, is the lion dance, they have different groups and each one performing better the the other. My sibling and me will rush out the moment we hear the signature sound of the drums. I think even my children and my nieces and nephews do that till today and we truly enjoy it.

Than comes, the market. Not only the Chinese buying for makan besar preparation , the non Chinese too buzy because those days we did not have hyper markets and most of the traders were Chinese. They will close like 3 to 5 days. My mum also would buy vegetables and stock up.

How can I forget ......the mandarin oranges boxes and boxes of them, flowers and the prayer items. Definately a festive mood whether I am celebrating Chinese New Year or not.

This year my Chinese New Year is in Sungai Buloh, where I think I can have peaceful sleep to night with only a very small population of Chinese in my township and everyone seems to have balik kampung. Time to sit back and wait for my family and friends to come around.

Happy New Year ...Kong Hee Fatt Chye...