The Perfect Appam - To Tickle Your Taste Buds

In every woman's life, there are recipes which are passed from mother to daughter and those passed as part of the extended family through in laws.This appam recipe is one of the tasty ones which I learned from my mother in law.I remember writing down the exact measurements and procedure from her after marriage and this recipe has always delivered the most wonderful, heavenly tasting appams.
Here in Sydney, I have found two places recently, where you can find delicious appams.The first place is the famous Sydney Murugan Temple, where appam is available by the name of String Hoppers on Friday and Saturday.This appam is relatively small, has coconut cream in the center with something brown and sweet.I love it, though its taste is a bit different from what we make at home.Similar appam is available in an Indian and Srilankan Take Away shop located in Wentworthville, on the road from the station to Udaya Stores, the one place where you can find stuff for all your South Indian kitchen requirements.

My mother-in-law says that the appams she tasted in Malaysia were the best ones to date.The appams which I am talking about is a staple food of Kerala and pronounced aa-pams.They can be served with coconut milk, veg stew or a similar non-veg gravy.

Ingredients:
Avil/Poha - 1 Cup
Pachai Arisi/Raw rice - 3 Cups
Urad Dhal  - 3 Spoons
Salt - To taste
Cooking Soda - A pinch
Coconut Water - 1 Cup( if available)
Yeast - 1/2 tsp or very little for fermentation(Optional)

Important: Appa Chatti is required for perfect appams.

Procedure:
1.Soak the poha, rice and urad dhal separately for 2 hours
2.First grind the poha and Urad dhal together  to a fine paste and keep the batter separately.Then grind the    rice separately to a very fine paste and mix it well with the other paste.
3.Add the required salt, and the pinch of soda
4.Keep for fermentation.It usually takes about 10-12 hours for it to be fully fermented.
5.The fermented batter can be kept in the refrigerator and freshly used.
6.1 cup of coconut milk or coconut water may be added to the fermented batter for extra taste just before use.
Making Appams:Place the appa chatti in the stove and wait till it is properly heated.Coat the chatti with a spoon of oil using a tissue paper, before making appam, i.e., pouring the batter. Pour a ladle of batter into the appa chatti and give in a swirl, so that the batter gets evenly coated.The batter is thinner in the sides and more in the middle.The appa chatti is a concave shaped vessel, and hence helps in achieving its shape.Close the appa chatti and wait for a minute or two till the appam is well cooked, before taking it off with the suitable ladle provided with the chatti.
Some Tips and Tricks
Over the years, these are the small things I have found regarding appams.

• Many people use cooked rice instead of poha.It is said to give very soft appams.I have personally never tried it.
• If you want to make appams tomorrow, it is best to prepare the batter fresh sometime today.
• If you live in a cold place, place the batter in a pre-heated oven to help in the fermentation.Fully fermented batter is very important to make appams.Without  proper fermentation, appams will not be fluffy or taste good.
• Using yeast : I use dry yeast and do not add the cooking soda.Add 1/2 spoon of dry yeast to a little of warm water with a bit of sugar.Add the dissolved yeast water to the batter before keeping for fermentation.
•  When you take batter from the vessel, it is best to use it up fully.So I usually take the batter in a small bowl and use it up fully.Never mix the used batter back to the unused one.Else it will become watery.

A List Of Antinutrients And Unacceptable Additives.

Every once in a while, I take some books which inspire a better way of living.Being the mother of a 3 year old child, whether I am giving her the right kind of food is almost always a constant thought in my mind.Every mother out there would readily agree when I say that the toughest thing is not always deciding what to give our children, but rather having a clear idea of what not to give.So when I came across Optimum Nutrition For Your Child by Patrick Holford & Deborah Colson, I was thrilled to find something which might help me become clearer on the subject.


Not everyone has the chance to read this book and so I thought to share some important information in short with everyone.When buying stuff, whether it is biscuits, chips or anything, you can simply check the ingredient list for the following.If you have a print out of this page in hand or a link to this blog page, it will help make informed decisions.

If you study in school, you can actually look at the back of the Coke/Pepsi, Lays and other fast foods while you shop to be aware of what you are eating and how it is going to affect you.

A Short List Of Anti Nutrients:

Cadmium -  Found in Cigarette Smoke and Exhaust Fumes.Also found in small amounts in refined foods
Aluminium - In  aluminium foil used in Food Packaging, from aluminium cookware.Its absorbed more when there is a deficiency of Zinc.Adequate Vitamin C can help the body handle aluminium.
Mercury - Small amounts from cosmetics, amalgam tooth fillings, low energy light bulbs.Found in fish, especially larger ones like tuna,swordfish,marlin,shark.
Lead:Not much around since the advent of unleaded petrol.Found in paint.Check for lead levels in toys for children.

Acceptable Additives:

 Colors: E101 -Vitamin B2, E160 - Vitamin A(Carotene)
Antioxidants: E300 - 304 (Vitamin C), E306- 309 ( Tocopherols like Vitamin E)
E322 - Lecithin
 Stabilisers: E375 - Niacin, E440 - Pectin

Unacceptable Additives:

E129: Allura red AC

• Used: coloring in snacks,sauces,preservatives,soups,wine,cider
• Avoid: for asthma,rhinitis( incl hay fever) , hives.

E123: Amaranth

• Used:Coloring in jams, jellies, cake decorations

• Avoid: For asthma, rhinitis, hives or other allergies.

E951: Aspartame

•  Used: Sweetener in snacks,sweets,desserts and diet foods
• Effects: Long term high dosage may result in headaches,blindness,seizures.May affect people with PKU

E210: Benzoic Acid

•  Used: Preservative in foods, drinks,low sugar products, cereals meat products
• Avoid:For asthma, rhinitis, hives or other allergies. 
• Effects:could temporarily inhibit digestive enzymes functioning,deplete glycine levels

E151: Brilliant black BN

• Used: Color in snacks,sauces,cheese,drinks
• Avoid: For asthma, rhinitis, hives or other allergies.

E320:  Butylated Hydroxy - anisole (BHA)

•  Used: Preservative in fat containing foods,meat,confectionary
• Effects:Possibly carcinogenic( cancer causing agent) to humans - International Agency of Research on Cancer.Also may result in chemicals which may change the DNA structure.

E212/E213: Potassium/Calcium benzoate

• Used:Preservative in many foods including drinks,cereal,meat products,low sugar products.
• Effects:Could hinder digestive enzymes from functioning,deplete amno acid glycine levels.
• Avoid:For asthma, rhinitis, hives.

E226: Calcium Sulphite

• Used:Preservative in many foods such as biscuits,burgers,frozen mushroom
• Effects:Make old food appear fresh.May result in bronchial probelms,flushing reddening of skin,low BP,tingling,anaphylactic shock.
• Avoid: For bronchial asthma,cardiovascular or respiratory problems, or emphysema - International Labour Organisation.

E621: Monosodium glutamate(MSG)

• Used:Flavor enhancer
•  Effects:People sensitive to MSG may experience pressure on head,tightnss of face,burning sensations,headache,nausea,chest pains and seizures.
• Many baby food producers have stopped adding MSG to their products

E124: Ponceau 4R, Cochineal red A 

• Used: As coloring
• Effects:Worsening of symptoms for asthma, rhinitis, hives. 

E211: Sodium benzoate

• Used: Preservative
• Effects:Hyperactivity in Children,may promote oxidative damage

E249: Potassium nitrate

• Used: Preservative in cured meats,canned meat products
• Effects:Lower oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.Could combine with other substances to form nitrosamines which is a cancer causing agent.May have atrophying effect to adrenal gland.

E216: Propyl p-hroxy-benzoate, proply-paraben,paraben

• Used: Used:Preservative in cereals,snacks, pâté,meat products,confectionary
• Effects:Frequently identified as cause of chronic dermatitis

E954: Saccharin and its NA,K and Ca salts

• Used:Sweetener in diet and no added sugar products
• Effects: Possibly carcinogenic( cancer causing agent) to humans - International Agency of Research on Cancer.

E223: Sodium metabisulphite

• Used:Widely used as preservative and antioxidant
• Effects:May provoke life threatening asthma.A woman developed severe asthma after eating a salad with vinegar based dressing containing E223.

E221: Sodium sulphite

• Used: Preservative in wine and other procssed foods
• Effects: Associated with triggering asthma attacks.Most asthmatics are sensitive to sulphites in food

E512: Stannous chloride(tin)

• Used: As antioxidant and color retention agent in canned and bottled foods and fruit juices.
• Effects: Acute poisoning - nausea,vomiting,diarrhoea and headaches.
• Has been reported from ingestion of fruit juices containg concentrations of tin greater than 250mg/l.

E220: Sulphur dioxide

• Used: Preservative
• Effects: Reacts with a wide range of substances found in food as well as vitamins,minerals,enzymes,essential fats.Most common adverse reaction is bronchial problems, especially in those prone to asthma.May cause hypotension, flushing,tingling, anaphylactic shock
• Avoid:  For conjunctivitis,bronchitis,bronchia, asthma, cardiovascular disease or emphysema.

SE110: Sunset yellow FCF, Orange/Yellow

• Used:Coloring
• Effects:Some animal studies indicated retardation,severe weight loss related to this additive
• Avoid:For asthma, rhinitis, hives. 

E102: Tartrazine

• Used: Coloring
• Effects:May cause allergic reactions in perhaps 15 per cent of population.May cause asthma attacks.Has been implicated in bouts of hyperactivity disorder in children.Worsening of symptoms for asthma, rhinitis, hives. 

Spread the word around.While it is not possible to check each and every thing we eat or give our children.Information at our hands gives us the power to make healthy and wise choices.

Source:Patrick Holford and Deborah Colson,Optimum Nutrition For Your Child (Piatkus, 2008)
Clause: The above post is intended for information  and education only.

Please feel free to drop in your comments and suggestions.

Five Minute Wonders - Tasty Soy Nuggets Side

This is a five minute life saver during times of emergency, especially if you have some soy nuggets boiled in and left over for later use.I made this during one of those times when I was tired and got up a bit late to do preparations to cook a main dish and a side for lunchbox purposes.I had boiled these Soy Chunks the previous day with the intention of using them in a gravy for Chappathis and since I thought so much was not required, I drained them and squeezed the water out and stored them in an air tight contained for later use.
The preparation for this recipe is very easy and can be done in a jiffy.

Tangy Steaming Soy Side

Ingredients:

Soy Nuggets: 1 Cup
Onion: 1 Medium chopped finely
Carrot - 1 Medium peeled and grated
Sweet Corn Kernels - 1 Small cup or a  handful( frozen may be used)
Salt - 1 Tsp ( Adjust according to taste)
Chilli Powder - 1 Tsp
Jeera Powder - 1/4 Tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 Tsp
Mustard - 1 Tsp
Jeera - 1/2 Tsp (Optional)
Green Chilli - 1 Small (Optional)
Coriander Leaves - A Small Bunch finely chopped
Oil- 1- 2 Tbsp
Lime - 1/2 (Adjust to taste)

Ingredients

Method:

1.Keep a vessel of water to boil with some salt and soak the soy nuggets in boiling water for some time.The nuggets will become soft and increase in size.Drain the water and add some cold water, so that it is easy to handle.Squeeze the nuggets well so that the absorbed water is well drained.You don't want this side to turn out soggy.

Add salt to boiling water

Adding Soy Nuggets in

Draining The Water Out

Squeezing Out Water From The Soy

Soy Nuggets Ready For Use

2.In a heated Kadai, pour oil and add the mustard seeds and Jeera.Once they splutter, add the onions, green chilli and corn.Stir for a while until the onions are well cooked.

Add Mustard And Jeera To The Oil

Adding In Onions, Corn & Green Chilli

 3.Add in the salt, Chilli Powder, Jeera powder and Turmeric powder and stir well.

Adding The Powders

4.Add in the grated carrot as well and stir well.

Adding In The  Grated Carrot

5.Add the Soya Nuggets in and give them a toss so that the spices are evenly coated over the nuggets.

Adding In The Soya Nuggets

6.Leave in low flame on the stove for 2- 3 minutes.
7.Remove from the stove and add in the Lime juice.

Adding In The Lime Juice

8.Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

The Final Touch - Garnish With Coriander Leaves

9.This is a good side dish for Kootu, Sambar etc.
10 The light hot and tangy taste will be enticing and refreshing.
11.It can also be eaten as a light finger food for evening snacks for the kids.

Some Tips and Time Savers:

• For 5 minute preparations, you need to have the  boiled and squeezed Soy Nuggets in hand.Since the first step can be done ahead, you can do it the previous day or before to save you time
• Lime Juice in the end gives a tangy flavor to the dish.This is very important for the right taste.However, you may try using amchur powder if Lime is not available in hand.
• Coriander leaves add the final touch of beautiful specks of green  with the brown, orange and yellow colors of the dish as well as brings in its own flavor to the dish.You do not want to omit them.
• The oil may be adjusted.The suggested amount ensures that there is enough oil for the Soy Nuggets to get a thorough coating of the spices.
• Boiling the Soy nuggets with  some salt helps the nuggets to absorb some salt so they do not taste bland.

Our Long Sydney Weekend - Sights and Sounds

This was the first time in a long time that a long weekend was coming up in Sydney.So we made fantastic plans as all of us usually do.Saturday was reserved for Flemington Market for the weekly vegetable shopping, Sunday for sight seeing at the Royal Botanical Gardens and eating out and Monday for relaxation at home.As it always happens, the best laid plans seldom come to pass and this was so true in our case.With Saturday around the corner, I was feeling so tired and weak on Friday.However, despite my weakness or otherwise, work needs to get done during the week , so as not to upset the cycle.And so Saturday came, with me running a fever and aching all over.

Resting And Wondering: This was a day, when I was feeling very down, physically and emotionally after a very long time.It was also time spent in bed contemplating my foolishness in trying to plan every moment of my life, where there is  no guarantee of the next minute from this one.After a lot of rest, a dose of Paracetamol and a good nights sleep, everything came to normal on Sunday.By the way, Flemington plans got cancelled, as I was too weak to look after my daughter on my own.

Sunday - Man Proposes, God Disposes: Every outing requires enormous planning, especially with regard to the food.Since we are vegetarians by choice, there is not much by the way of food options.Having a kid who is fussy about what she eats, has a way of keeping you overly cautious and prepared with food options to satisfy her.So there was rice, rasam and beetroot for her and me as well, since I still had throat pain.There was Dosai and Kurma for my husband.All the food preparations and house cleaning done, we started out at about 11:30 AM as opposed to 10- 10:30AM, which had been the plan.By the time we had reached Central, it was almost 12/12:30.Since there was a bit of shopping to do for odd things like a hat, shorts etc we visited the Haymarket and loitered around for an hour or so.This place can be called the Ranganathan Street of Sydney.It is one of those shopping stops, where you find a variety of stuff  cheap and can shop for the odd souvenirs to give to your family and friends, after a visit to Sydney.

Haymarket At Noon

Inside Haymarket

It was almost 1:30/2:00, when we came out and  deciding to eat, went hunting for a place to do just that.With the sun burning over out heads, the best option was my husband's work place in the CBD, near  Darling Harbour.We went in and had food.My daughter did not eat much, having slept on the way.This was the first time, I had experienced the proper Sydney sun.Everyone was walking around with caps and hats to escape the blazing sunlight, accompanied by a hot breeze.By the time, the food sat in our stomachs, it was already 3:30, and with the sun still shining bright overhead, we did not have the heart to walk around to the Royal Botanical Gardens.

A View Of The Harbor From Above

Change of Plans to Hyde Park  : We decided to change our plans and pay a visit to the Hyde Park and relax.With beautiful statues gracing a sparkling fountain, big yellow snails and lush green lawns, surrounded by aged majestic trees, giving that much needed shade, this seemed like our small piece of heaven to chill out and unwind.There was also the view of the Saint Mary cathedral Church, with age old architecture preserved so beautifully, that it gave the place a feel of Europe.This park was so fantastic with couples, families and lovers gracing the lawn all over and having a good time.After lying in the grass, and staring at the skies for a long while, all that sleeping energy, came back in full force, and it seemed that we would be able to conquer the world, having rejuvenated the body and mind.

Hyde Park Entrance

Water Fountain At The Hyde Park

Saint Mary's Cathedral:Since we seemed to have abundant time in our hands, with  no plans to visit the Gardens, we decided to go in and look around the church.I do not know much about architecture and nor am I a Christian.But the church was this one beautiful construction with tall ceilings, beautifully stained glass with drawings depicting various scenes from the bible and life of Jesus.The statues of Lord Jesus and Mother Mary were so realistic and evoked emotions of the pain and suffering, as well as love and compassion that Christianity preaches.With Organ music in the back ground and lovely yellow light filtering through the windows, it was almost so easy to believe that we were loved and there was a savior , to listen to our troubles and shoulder our burdens.This was one of the times, when it felt that I was just a small dot in the vast universe filled with numerous fellow beings.

For any tourist visiting Sydney, I would recommend The Church as well as Hyde Park among the top ten places to visit and enjoy.

A Walk Along Darling Harbor : Its strange how a change of plan can leave you with so much free time.We decided to take a small walk along the harbor through the wharf.With a view of the Opera House, surrounded by food, drink and entertainment, and the vast blue sea on the side, Darling harbor was a sight to behold.The best thing for us though was that there were various events going on in different parts of the sidewalk, absolutely free.

And Finally Some Fun: Our first stop was near the  entrance of the walkway where a gentleman was playing a Didgeridoo.We got ourselves some ice cream and settled down to enjoy this uniquely Australian experience.Just as each and every place has its speciality,  listening to the Didgeridoo is great fun.The best part was watching the awe and contagious excitement of the young ones around, who seemed fascinated by the sight and sound of a strange looking man playing a strange instrument.

Didgeridoo Player In Action

On various corners of the sidewalk, there were talented musicians playing their instruments.You could get a CD of their music if you were impressed for a cheap 10$.I got a CD of Sax music played by one of the gentlemen along the shore.I have a sample here, if you would like to enjoy.

Then , there was the air juggler, who attracted quite a crowd for his performance.Stand on a bicycle fixed in a stand held in place by three ropes held by three men, the juggler entertained the crowd with his humor and performance.

The Juggler: " Please watch my show and contribute something.If you are an American, please contribute a 100$. I love America.No seriously, I request you to spare me 50$ or 20$. If you do not wish to spend that much, please give me 10$ or even 5$. I know that you will all leave me something for being stupid enough to stand in the air, because you are all Angels."

The Juggler

The act started with the gentleman standing/ balancing on the bike and juggling a stick of fire, a knife and an apple.
In the end, when some of  us started leaving, he even humorously added - " Please don't leave without contributing something, like that lady over there.Please Please, I am tired of eating apples.I love you for your kindness.Please leave a little something for enjoying my show."

By the time we had walked around for a while, it was 6:30 and we had to catch a train back home to Parramatta.It had been a fun and exciting day and since our daughter had not eaten properly, we cancelled our eating out plans and came home early to make something for everyone for the night.

 What We Missed: It was around this time that Parramasala, a cultural event was taking place in Alfred Park near Church Street from 4th October to 7th October.Though I started out on Monday evening to see what it was, unfortunately it ended just that afternoon by 4:30.So we missed out on that.There would have been delicious food and cultural events such as songs and dance. Though the weekend did not pass according to our plans, we enjoyed those unplanned moments more, and became more acquainted with the fine sights and sounds of the Darling Harbor.There are still many more attractions along the harbor side like the Maritime Museum, Madam Tussauds Wax Museum, Water life Aquarium and many more, which we have kept aside for another day, along with the Royal Botanical Gardens.
For anyone planning to visit Sydney, a visit to the Darling harbor is a must to see the city in all its nighttime glory.

Please feel free to leave your comments and suggestions.

Making Some Anjappar Style Egg Biriyani

It is funny how life gives us the chance to create so many wonderful memories.We moved to Sydney back in May 2013 and so much time has passed by.It only feels like yesterday that we came here.When you are not in India, the fondest memories are always of good food served in famous restaurants.Fortunately, in Parramatta Sydney, there is a newly started Anjappar Restaurant to cater to the South Indian palette.It is not everyday that one is able to go to the Anjappar Restaurant to savor their delicious  Dum Biriyani.

Delicious Steaming Home Made Anjappar Style Biriyani

For the many Indians abroad, who do not have good Indian Restaurants nearby, everyday is spent looking for good food.How nice it would be, if you could conjure up some delicious Biriyani in your own kitchen.Just recently, I got a delicious recipe from my neighbor and friend Surya, who is very well versed in Chettinad specials.The best thing which I like about this recipe is its simplicity and guaranteed great taste.While Surya tried her Biriyani with chicken, I tried it with eggs since I do not eat meat.

Without further ado,I present to you my tested version of Anjappar Style Egg Biriyani.

Serves: 2 People

Ingredients:

Eggs - 2-3
Basmati Rice - 1.5 cups
Water -  3 cups( Ratio 1:2)
Onion - 1(Medium/Big) finely chopped
Tomato - 1 Big
Ginger-garlic Paste - 2 Tsp
Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Dhania Powder - A little
Fennel Seed Powder( saunf powder) - A little
Jeera Powder - A little
Curd - 1/2 Cup
Salt -  1.5 tsp Adjust as per taste.
Mint Leaves - 1 Small Cup finely chopped
Corriander Leaves - A Small Bunch finely chopped

Basmati Rice 1.5 Cups

Onion and Tomato Chopped fine

Mint and Coriander Finely Chopped

 For Seasoning:

 Ghee - 2 Tsp
 Oil - 2 Tsp
 Bay Leaf - 1
 Clove- 1
 Saunf - 1 Tsp
 Elaichi - 1
 Kalpaasi - Little
 Cinnamon - 1 Inch piece
 Green Chillies - 2-3( For Mild)

Spices To Season

Method:

1.Soak the Basmati Rice in water for 1/2 hour.Drain and roast well in Ghee and keep aside in a bowl.

Basmati Rice Soaked In Water

Basmati Rice Roasted in Ghee

                                                        

Roasted Rice In A Bowl

2.Boil the eggs in a vessel with a bit of salt for 5-7 minutes and keep aside.You can remove the egg shell later and keep.

Keeping The Eggs to Boil with Salt

Boiled eggs With Shells Removed

3.In a kadai or pressure cooker, add the ghee and oil and all the ingredients for seasoning

Heat Oil And Ghee In A Kadai

Add The Seasonings

4.Next add the ginger garlic paste and finely chopped onion and saute well.

5.Add the finely chopped tomato and cover with a lid for 2 minutes for it to be well cooked and mashed

Adding Tomatoes

Cover With Lid

 








6.Add the Mint, coriander leaves, the salt ,chilli powder, dhania powder, fennel and cumin powder as well.Add in the curd as well.Saute for 2 minutes for the flavors to get absorbed.

8.Add in the water and allow to come to a boil.

9.Next add in the Basmati rice and stir for 2 minutes.Add a small dollop of ghee in the end.

10.Transfer to pressure cooker, if using a vessel and pressure cook for 3 whistles and 3-4 minutes in sim( low flame) after that.

 

11.Once the gas is switched off, open the cooker after ten minutes and add the boiled eggs.Your delicious Egg Biriyani is ready.

Notes:

• The measurement of the water to rice depends on the Basmati rice used.Some require only 1.5 cup water for 1 cup of rice.If you would like your grains of rice to be a bit moist, use a bit more water.I personally use 2 and a quarter cup water for 1 cup of rice as my husband prefers it a bit overcooked.This part requires a bit of experimentation for you to find your own perfect way with the water and rice.
• Soaking the rice in water and draining and roasting it in ghee ensures that the strands of rice stay apart and fluffy.
• Adding a bit of salt when boiling eggs help in easy removal of the shell, while keeping the boiled egg intact.
• Good Biriyani requires a generous dose of oil and ghee.While using the said measurements will give satisfactory results.Just a bit more will ensure the delicious taste.
• Adding Mint and coriander leaves are very important.It is one of the main ingredients for the authentic taste of the biriyani.
• Ginger and garlic freshly pounded, gives a fresher taste.You can use the ginger garlic paste available from stores as well.
• 2-3 chillies is for mild.If you would like very spicy Biriyani, the amount can be increased between 4-5 and a bit more of chilli powder can be added.
• Too much masala spoils the taste.So be cautious.
• I have not tried this Biriyani in the usual rice cooker.I find that Pressure cooker works best. 
• Actually , now I make the whole biriyani process in the Hawkins pressure cooker and cook it direct.This avoids the need to transfer from a vessel to the cooker.

Please feel free to write in your comments and suggestions.

Would You Like Love Potion No 8/9 ?

Well, Are you one of those who does not have any luck with the opposite sex.?If so maybe there is this potion which would make you irresistible to all of the opposite sex.This is the theme for the film Love Potion No 9.I am a great fan of Sandra Bullock(of the Speed and Miss Congeniality fame) and that she is the heroine of Love Potion No 9 is just one of the added incentives for me.

Though this film came out as early as  1992, the music and the presentation in a dimmed crystal sets the tone which seems suitable for all times.You are introduced to Paul Matthews, who is having no luck whatsoever with any women.It goes to the extent that his friends place a bet on if he would be able to go and talk a beautiful woman into going out with him.He works as a biochemist and has feelings for his dorky co worker Diane Farrow, who is presumably in love with a hunk.Now whether her love is reciprocated by the said hunk is yet another story.

As luck would have it, Paul and his friends go to a gypsy Madame Ruth( just for spooky fun for the month), who foresees that he has  no chance with any woman in his life.She hopes to remedy this situation with a drop of Love Potion No 8.As is the case of cynical scientists, Paul firmly believes it is all hogwash and just disposes of the said potion in the dustbin.In the mean time, his friends set him up with a hooker named Marisa with whom he spends some time talking things out.It is only when his cat tastes it and has all the neighboring cats lined up, does he search for it and tries to find what are the components of the said potion and its effect.

With his coworker Diane, he studies the characteristics of the potion and for the greater good, they both decide to present themselves as test subjects to further study the effectiveness of the Love Potion.Diane captures the attention of a wealthy car moghul as well as the Prince of England and also transforms from the dorky duck to the simmering swan during this time period.Paul has a series of short lived affairs with various women he encounters in various places.Paul and Diane at some point realize their attraction for each other and give it a go.By the time Paul has come to a realization that she is his love, her ex Gary has won her affection by using the same Love Potion from the said gypsy and is all set to marry Diane.Paul, though finds out about it only later.

How Paul tries to unsuccessfully convince his friends, how Marisa enters the scene, uses the love potion 8 unwittingly make up for some real LOL scenes.Paul, again goes to the gypsy who gives him Love Potion No 9, which will purify and override the effects of Love Potion No 8.If there was ever any true love involved, Love Potion No 9 will prevent that from fading.Paul makes it to the wedding with the Love Potion No 9.But will he succeed in getting Diane to drink it ?Will it be happily ever after? All these are questions better answered watching the film.Further more, what happens when you down a whole bottle of Love Potion No 8, as Marisa does?

Of all the films out there, this is an out and out comedy, with a wonderful uplifting story line and the last 15 minutes of guaranteed laughter to give you those feel good moments.So, I ask you  - Would you like Love Potion No 9?

My Experiment With Gardening

Just recently, I was searching in my shelf for some mint leaves which I thought were in stock.These are life savers when you want to dish up some really tasty Biriyani.I am now privy to what goes on to make the perfect Anjappar Style Egg Biriyani - all thanks to the most perfect recipe from my neighbor Surya.Thanks a ton there Surya.Now back to my tale, unfortunately, I was out of stock and so had to cancel my Biriyani plans for that day.However one good thing which got started was that, I got searching on if I can grow my own Mint plant.And behold, there was this blog which had full information on how to proceed.The best thing was that anyone could do it and all you needed to start with were freshly purchased mint with stems.

Getting Started:So anyway, one thing led to another, and I put in  my first set of mint cuttings in a soil filled cardboard box,with a sprinkling of water, which was covered with a plastic bag to retain moisture.I waited patiently for two weeks, checking daily and continuing to keep it moist by adding water in drops.Out of the ten cuttings which I kept, almost 6-7 survived and grew roots. I transferred them from the cardboard egg tray to a proper pot.At first it looked like the leaves were all turning grey and falling away.However, fresh shoots started appearing and since then ,these plants have started flourishing.I am confident that in a while, I will have my own mint garden to depend on 24/7.

                  The mint cuttings after a week in the card board box

                   They are kept in shade and covered by a plastic bag

      My Mint Garden - Freshly growing since transferred to a pot

Opening New Doors:Now that I have my own mint garden, I have become very eager to try to grow other stuff as well.You may as well call me a seed maniac, because hardly a day goes by, without me keeping aside something to experiment and see if it grows, from the seeds we get from the usual vegetables and fruit.It is wonderful to be a part of the miracle, that is nature.Having also got seeds for tomatoes, brinjals, lady'sfinger, angled luffa(peerkangai), zinnia(flower) and green snake bean(pythangai), I am waiting for these to start germinating..The most trying thing that a new gardener experiences is the waiting.Gardening is teaching me a lot of patience, because you have to patiently wait for your seeds to germinate and care for them as tenderly as you would for your child.

Shoots of Angled Luffa - From Seeds Purchased From The Chinese Supermarket 


Why I Would Like To Continue:If you witness nature's miracle and are a part of it, it is very difficult to remain unaffected.There is abundant sunshine here in Sydney.We have our own big backward, which has a patch of land as well as big floor of grey tiles over which pots may be placed.My husband who also loves gardening, has made big plans for growing a lot of things in our backyard.If we are lucky and able to stay on here for a while, we would hopefully get to taste the fruits of our labor, literally.
Till then I am keeping my fingers crossed and praying that my seedling babies grow up to become strong and healthy plants.Gardening seems to be a great stress reliever as well as confidence booster.The sense of accomplishing something, when your seed grows -it just cannot be described in words.
As always, feels free to drop in your comments and/or questions if any.