Entertainment 4 All: December 2010

ROOMALI ROTI

Ingredients:

* 11/2cup Whole Wheat Flour (Atta)
* 50 gms Maida
* 1/2 tsp Baking powder
* 2 tbsp oil
* Water to knead

How To Make Roomali Roti:

* Mix wheat flour, maida, salt and baking powder and sieve them together.

* Pour oil in the flour and add water bit by bit and make a smooth & elastic dough and set aside covered with moist muslin cloth for 1/2 an hour.

* Now make small balls of the dough and roll like a thin chapati of about 12" diameter circle using little dry flour (it should be thin as a tissue)

* Heat an inverted griddle(tawa).

* Place the rumali roti carefully over it and cook till done. Fold it like a handkerchief.

* 2 Serve rumali roti hot with indian curry.

Computer Quotes

Computers will never take the place of books. You can't stand on a floppy disk to reach a high shelf.
-- Sam Ewing

They've finally come up with the perfect office computer. If it makes a mistake, it blames another computer.
-- Milton Berle

Always be wary of the Software Engineer who carries a screwdriver.
-- Robert Paul

The only way to make your PC go faster is to throw it out a window.
-- Robert Paul

Crazy Dog Pictures

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New Seven Wonders - The Winners

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Palak paneer

Ingredients:
* Spinach 1/2 kg
* Paneer 100 grams
* Onion 1
* Butter 3 tbsp.
* Bay leaves 2-3
* Cumin seeds 1 tsp.
* Salt to taste
* Black pepper powder 1/4 tsp.
* Ginger-garlic paste 3/4 tsp.
* Green chilli paste 1/2 tsp.
* Garam Masala Powder 1 tsp.
* Vegetable oil as required

Preparation Method:
1. Mix ginger-garlic paste, green chilli paste and some water with spinach. Pressure cook it for about 7-8 minutes (just before the first whistle).
2. Cut paneer into small cubes. Keep 3 cubes separately for decoration.
3. Heat oil in a pan. Fry the paneer pieces on 'medium' heat till they turn slightly brown. Set the paneer pieces aside.
4. Heat 2 tbsp. of butter. Fry bay leaves and cumin seeds. Add chopped onion. Fry until the onions become pink.
5. Add salt, black pepper powder, garam masala. Stir well.
6. Add paneer and cooked spinach (grinded). Mix well.
7. Put palak paneer in a baking tray .
8. Add rest of the butter. Bake for 1/2 hour at 180 deg C.

Grate the paneer kept aside for decoration. Decorate. Palak paneer is ready to serve.

Sweet Corn Soup

Ingredients:
* Large corn cobs ( bhutta) 6
* Water 6 cups
* Cornflour 2 tbsp.
* Sugar 1-1/2 tbsp.
* Soya sauce 1 tsp.
* Chilli sauce 1 tsp.
* Vinegar 1 tsp.
* Salt to taste

Preparation Method:
1. Pressure cook the corn kernels till tender.
2. Keep about 1/4 cup cooked corn kernels aside for later use.
3. Grind rest of the corn kernels and cook it in a pan on medium heat.
4. Mix cornflour in 4 tbsp. water and add .
5. After adding cornflour bring the soup to boil and then cook on low heat. Slowly the soup starts getting thick. Continuously stir it so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
6. Add sugar, salt, soya sauce, chilli sauce, vinegar.

Serve hot with corn kernels (step 2) dipped in it.

Optional - If fresh corn is not available,you can use canned sweet corn tin. But add 3 cups of water instead of 6 cups.

Boondi Raita

Ingredients:

* Yogurt 2 cup
* Milk/Water 1/2 cup
* Pain boondi 1/2 cup
* Red chilli powder 1/4 tsp.
* Cumin powder (Roasted) 1/2 tsp.
* Black pepper powder 1/2 tsp
* Salt to taste
* Coriander leaves chopped finely 1 tbsp.
.

Preparation Method:

1. Add boondi to warm water and let it stand for 2-3 minutes so that it becomes soft. Then drain it.
2. Beat the yogurt and milk to get smooth consistency. Add salt, black pepper powder and chili powder. Mix well.
3. Add boondi and mix well.
4. Sprinkle roasted cumin seeds powder on the top.
5. Chill it for 1-2 hours.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve chill.

Egg Fried Rice

Ingredients:
* Rice 2 cups
* Onion 1 medium
* Green chillies 4
* Eggs 3
* Ginger Garlic paste 1 tbsp
* Mint leaves 1/2 bunch
* Bay leaves 3
* Garam Masala Powder 1 tbsp (Use Readymade)
* Vegetable Oil 3 tbsp
* Salt according to taste
* Coriander Leaves for garnishing

Preparation Method:

1. Fry rice in a pan for 3 minutes. Let it cool down.
2. Wash the rice and drain it
3. Add 3 cups of water and cook it.
4. Cut the onions in long slices. Split the green chilies and cut in half.
5. Boil the eggs in water until cooked well.
6. Now add the vegetable oil to skillet and after the oil is warm enough add the bayleaves, onion to the oil.
7. Stir the onions and once they turn half brown add the chillies to the oil. Stir them so that they do not get sticked to the skillet. Add the ginger / garlic paste and stir well.
8. Cut the cooked eggs into long slices. Add the egg pieces and stir well.
9. After 4 minutes add the garam masala and stir for mixing properly.
10. Leave it on heat on 2 minutes and add the mint leaves before turning off the heat.
11. Now add the cooked rice and gently mix, so that that rice does not break.

Decorate with Corriander leaves and serve with any raitha.

About Kanaka Durga temple - Vijayawada

Kanaka Durga temple placed on Indrakeeladri hill overlooking Vijayawada, constructed by the ever-great warrior in the epic Mahabharatha Arjuna as per the legends, encloses the captivating a massive 4 ft high idol of Durga in a standing position overcoming the demon Mahishasura depicting the scene of piercing him with her trident. The idol is in position of eight powerful weapons in her eight hands and is adorned with splendid ornaments and beautiful flowers.

Vasantotsava, Dussehra and Shivratri are the important festivals celebrated here. Numerous devotees from and around the city visit here during the Dussehra festival, to offer prayers and request for the blessings of Durga.

About Simhachalam

Simhachalam, near Visakhapatnam is one of the most important Vaishnaviteshrines of South India. It has Sri Varahalakshmi Narasimha Swamy as the presiding deity. Simhachalam temple is known as the second richest temple (after Tirupati) earning a revenue of Rs. 520 million. He gives "nijaroopa darshan" (holy appearance in true form) for only 12 hours in a year and on all the remaining 364 days and 12 hours, the Lord is covered with sandalwood paste. The darshan described as chandana yatra or chandanotsavam which falls every year in Vaisakha masa commences on May 9 this year.

The deity at Simhachalam, the lion-man incarnation of Lord Mahavishnu appears like a Sivalinga when covered with sandalwood paste. The original shape of the deity in the tribhanga posture has two hands with the head of a lion on a human torso.

The Simhachalam temple faces the West unlike so many others which face the East. An east-facing entrance, according to religious belief, brings prosperity while the west - facing one brings victory.

LEGEND

The local people believe that an ancient image of Sivalinga was converted into Varahanarasimha form (the present idol of the temple) by Ramanuja, the founder of the Visistadhvaitham of Hinduism. It signifies the celebration of Kamadahana (burning of the god of Love) festival. The origins of the temple are shrouded in mystery.

An inscription dated as far back as 1908 AD of the Chola king Kuloththunga is testimony of its existence. Another inscription shows a queen of the Velavadu chief Gonga (1137-56 AD) covering the image with gold while the third inscription says the eastern Ganga King Narasimha built the central shrine in 1267 A.D.With more than 252 inscriptions describring the antecedents of the temple, it is historically important.

Sri Krishna Devaraya after defeating Prataparudra Gajapathi visited the shrine twice in 1516 AD and 1519 AD and offered numerous villages for maintenance of bhogam (worship) along with valuable jewellery, of which an emerald necklace is still in the temple. For the last two centuries, the family of the Raja of Vizianagaram are the temple's trustees.

Cover Your Ears

Baby Drinking Milk

Teacher- Student Jokes

Teacher: Bittu, TAMSO MA JYOTIR GAMYA" shloka ka kya arth hai?
Bittu: Tum so jayo maa, mein Jyoti ke pass ja raha hoon.

TEACHER : What is the chemical formula for water?
BITTU : "HIJKLMNO! "!!
TEACHER : What are you talking about?
BITTU : Yesterday you said it's H to O !

TEACHER : BITTU, go to the map and find North America.
BITTU : Here it is!
TEACHER : Correct. Now, class, who discovered America?
CLASS : BITTU!

TEACHER : BITTU, how do you spell "crocodile"?
BITTU : "K-R-O-K-O-D-A-I-L"
TEACHER : No, that's wrong
BITTU : Maybe it's wrong, but you asked me how I spell it!

TEACHER : BITTU, give me a sentence starting with "I".
BITTU : I is...
TEACHER : No, BITTU. Always say, "I am."
BITTU : All right... "I am the ninth letter of the alphabet."

TEACHER : "Can anybody give an example of "COINCIDENCE?"
BITTU : "Sir, my Mother and Father got married on the same day, same time."

TEACHER : "George Washington not only chopped down his father's Cherry tree, but also admitted doing it. Now do you know why his father didn't punish him?"
BITTU : "Because George still had the axe in his hand?"

BITTU : Daddy, have you ever been to Egypt?
FATHER : No. Why do you ask that?
BITTU: Well, where did you get THIS mummy then?

TEACHER : What a pair of strange socks you are wearing, one is green and one is blue with red spots !
BITTU: Yes it's really strange. I've got another pair just like that at home.

TEACHER : Now, BITTU, tell me frankly do you say prayers before eating ?
BITTU: No sir, I don't have to, my mom is a good cook.

Carrot Halwa

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 kg Carrots
• 200 gm Sweetened Condensed milk
• 2 tbsp Ghee
• Handful grated cashew nuts and almonds
• 2 tsp Cardamom Powder

How to make Carrot Halwa:
* Wash and grate the carrots finely.
* Transfer the grated carrots to a pressure cooker.
* Cook for about two minutes.
* Remove the lid from the cooker.
* Allow excess water to evaporate.
* Keep churning the carrots occasionally.
* Pour milk and ghee over the cooked carrots.
* Simmer till all are well blended.
* Remove from the flame.
* Sprinkle with grated cashew nuts, almonds and cardamom powder.
* Carrot Halwa is ready to serve.

Beetroot Halwa

Ingredients:
• 1 kg Beetroot (peeled off, washed & finely grated)
• 2-1/2 Cups sugar
• 1/2 Liter milk (boiled)
• 2 to 3 Cups of water (sufficient to boil the beetroot)
• 8 Cashew nuts
• 8 Raisins
• 2 tbsp Ghee

How to make Beetroot Halwa:
* Pour water in a shallow pan (kadahi) and add grated beetroot.
* Put a lid on the pan and simmer well until water gets evaporated.
* Add sugar and half of the milk, stir constantly until the mixture achieves a thick consistency.

* Now add ghee and stir well.
* Add remaining milk and simmer again for just 1-2 minutes on low heat.
* Take off heat and garnish with cashew nuts and raisins.
* Beetroot Halwa is ready to serve hot.

Ariselu

Ingredients:
• 1/4 cup Sesame Seeds
• 1 kg Rice
• 3/4 kg Jaggery
• Oil for deep-frying
• 1 cup Water

How to make Ariselu:
* Wash the rice and soak it for about 6 hours.
* Drain the water and keep the rice on a cloth for drying.
* Make fine powder by grinding it in a mixie.
* Shred the jaggery and put it in a pan.
* Add water to the jaggery and dissolve it by boiling.
* Make thick syrup of this mixture on low flame.
* Gradually add ground rice to it and stir constantly. There should not be any lump formation.
* Remove the pan from fire.
* Prepare balls out of this mixture.
* Press the balls on a plastic sheet to shape them in the form of round puris.
* To decorate, roll the puris lightly in the sesame seeds.
* Heat oil in another pan.
* Deep-fry these puris on low flame till dark brown.
* Ariselu is ready.

Jalebi

Ingredients:

• 2 cups All Purpose Flour
• 1-1/2 tbsp Rice flour
• 1/4th tsp Baking powder
• 2 tbsp Curd
• 3 cups Sugar
• 2-1/2 cups Water
• 1/2 tsp Cardamom (powdered)
• Ghee or Vegetable oil for frying

How to make Jalebi:

* Mix the flour, rice flour, baking powder, curd in a bowl.

* Mix well, add water and whisk until smooth.

* Set aside for about 2 hours to ferment.

* Whisk thoroughly before use.

* Prepare one string syrup by dissolving sugar in the water.

* Just before the syrup is ready add cardamom powder.

* Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan or kadhai.

* Pour the batter in a steady stream into the kadhai to form coils.

* Make 4-5 at a time.

* Deep fry them until they are golden and crisp all over but not brown.

* Remove from the kadhai and drain on kitchen paper and immerse in the sugar syrup.

* Leave for at least 4-5 minutes so that they soak the syrup.

* Take them out of syrup and serve hot.

* Jalebi is ready.

Puran Poli

Ingredients:

1 cup - all purpose flour/maida (sifted)
1 cup - bengal gram dal
1 cup - grated jaggery (remove stones/dust etc)
1/2 cup - grated coconut, fresh preferred ( but incase of non availibility, forzen can be used too. thaw it first)
1/2 tsp - cardamom powder
pinch of turmeric
approx 1 to 2 tbsp - broken cashews