December is here already?

Gosh! Are we already in the last month of the year? When did the rest of the months come by and where did they go? It seems like y’day that I bid adieu to a very distressing 2011 and welcomed 2012 with full of hope for a better tomorrow.

The year didnt disappoint, I can say that for sure . It has largely been a memorable year for us. And I’m deeply grateful to God for that.

In fact, to be honest, I sort of hoped that this year would move past at a more leisurely pace so I could take in all the positive vibes and joyous moments that the year has had to offer me and my family.

But the year seems to have gone by in a flash! And I haven’t even had the time to let these moments sink in. Or have I? Am I getting greedy? My heart craves for more such moments.

When I think of the tough and draining 2011, I shudder!

Right then I feel blessed when I realize how so beautifully has this year made up for all the depressing times of the previous one.

And now, its that time of the year again when I have the same nagging sense of unsurity slowly creeping inside me.

Am I ready to say goodbye to this year yet?
Can I not hold on to it for some more time?
Will all the good moments lived and cherished in this year be carried forward to the next year?
Will the happiness last for years to come or will it be short-lived?
Will the coming year unfold for us things that we may not have prepared or asked for?

Just when these moping thoughts begin to needle me, my mind drifts away to look for some positivity around. And I realize that I dont have to go very far. Because this also is the time of the year that brings a smile on my face..

for everything looks so beautiful and festive..
for the weather is so nippy, cheering me up every time a soft breeze brushes my cheeks..
for my plants look so happy when they wish me each morning with their freshest blooms…

for I feel ever so kicked up to pick up a book to read..
for I feel ever so driven to scribble something( even if gibberish), to give free passage to the words brewing inside me…

for this so is my favorite time of the year..

For I feel so blessed to be…

Touchwood!

A sense of uncertainty mixed with a sense of hope for the coming year…

This is how I feel as each year draws to a close.

Uncertainty because theres always a sense of jitteriness about what the future may hold, and hope because, despite the uncertainty, there is this unfailing hope that everything will be fine….just fine. Although I have no control over life’s unpredictability, there’s this want to start the new year with a fresh perspective, on a happy note, all the while telling myself that the coming year will have far better things to offer than the previous one.

This year in particular being a little rough on me and my family, what with the surgeries and constant health-scares to have plagued my parents, the anticipation of what’s in store for me in the coming year is even more so.

Yet, this is one time of the year when I feel extremely positive because it is such a beautiful time of the year, isnt it? Everything- from the lovely weather to the wide array of festivals to the smiling faces of people to the well-illuminated houses to the beautiful decorations adorning all the malls and roads, not to mention the promotional-flyers of supermarkets and malls finding a space in between the sheets of my newspaper every other day alerting me of their festive offers and sales-every single thing seems to cheer me on towards staying positive, staying happy .

When, R & Namnam geared up to set up the christmas tree a few days back, what set me thinking was how little it mattered that we didnt follow the religion that normally was associated with christmas. What mattered was how symbolic the festival was with happiness and cheer. In fact a friend and I were even discussing about how this was one of those festivals which transcends religion, caste and creed…how over the years, it had come to mean more about staying happy, spreading joy and being hopeful of better things to come than the birthday of Jesus Christ.

In this world where there are diverse religions, festivals are occassions which reiterate their co-existense.

When my Punjabi friend comes upto me to wish “Happy Onam’ or when I hug my Arab friend to wish her,’ Eid Mubarak’ or when an American joins his Sikh friend to burst crackers on Diwali, or when, in an Islamic country like Qatar, I find malls and retaurants beautifully decorated with christmas trees and stars or when I find ‘konnappoo‘ being sold in shops around Vishu

Konnappoo (image courtesy Google Images)

it makes me realize how beautifully religions can co-exist in this world. How we can respect each other’s religion without having to compromise on our ideologies and beliefs.

And this is the time of the year when I miss being home the most for I know how beautifully festive my city looks all around. In fact the yearning to fly down to soak in the festivities starts to creep inside me much earlier…when the second half barely trickles in. With so many festivals lined up one after the other my heart fills with so much of happiness that as the year closes in, more than feeling sad about bidding the current year goodbye, I find greater joy in looking forward to the coming year with more fervour.

On that note leaving you with our Christmas tree and heartfelt wishes that the coming year will have loads of joy and happiness in store for you and your loved ones

Wish you a Merry Christmas and a very happy & a blessed New Year

Onam wishes out of a non-post!

I’ve deleted 4 drafts till now and yet I refuse to give up. I intend to post something today as I have already resolved that I AM going to press that ‘publish’ button, come what may. Even if it means just wishing you all a “Happy Onam’

Yes, its Onam tomorrow. Even though we haven’t planned any lavish celebration, I do intend to cook a mini-sadya. The good thing is that tomorrow is a Friday and R will be home. But the downside is that my domestic help will be on his weekend off which means that I’ll have no option but to seek some helping services from R and Namnam !

No pookalam this time although Namnam has already contributed her bit by scattering some rose petals all over the floor and claimed that ‘it is pookalam’.

And another highlight of the day was when Namnam wished to know the significance of the festival and learnt the story of Maveli. So fascinated was she by the story that she narrated it to R when he came home for lunch, albeit with some nudges when she kept mixing up Maveli with Vamanan and vice-versa

Anyway its time for me to sign off. I do realize that blogging has become a ‘once in a blue moon’ affair and I’m not very happy about it. I hope to get back to it as soon as Namnam’s school reopens next week. So long till then.

Heres wishing one and all a very happy Onam!

Onam aashamsakal!

Tomorrow is Onam.A festival of great significance to Malayalis.A festival that symbolizes fervour &enthusiasm.A festival about dancing,feasting,merry-making.A festival that signifies happiness,prosperity &togetherness.A festival I look forward to celebrating every year.

Onam,like I have mentioned in my earlier post,falls in Chingam,the first month of the Malayalam calendar.More information about the festival is available here
If you have read my earlier mentioned post,you would also have read about the virtual ona sadya that many of us offered to serve you all today.

A sadya comprises of Rice, Sambhar, Erisseri, Kalan, Olan, Aviyal, Thoran, Koottukari, Pachadi, Inji-puli, Pickles, Upperi/chips & Payasam(dessert).And it is particularly lip-smacking when devoured in a banana-leaf! I’m sharing recipes of two dishes here,which I’ll surely be making tomorrow.For the rest of the recipes ,do visit my mother’s page,‘AMBROSIA’.

SAMBHAR

Ingredients:
a)Vegetables(Drumstick,Ladies Finger,Brinjals cleaned&sliced into long pieces) – 1 cup
b)Sambhar Dal(Red Gram Dal) – 1 cup
c)Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon
d)Tamarind juice – 3 tablespoons
e)Coriander Powder – 1 tablespoon
f)Grated Coconut – 2 tablespoons
g)Fenugreek seeds -1 teaspoon
h)Asafoetida powder – 1 tea spoon
i)Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tea spoon
j)Whole Red chillies – 3-4 for masala and 2-3 for seasoning
k)Curry Leaves – 2-3 sprigs
l)Salt -2 teaspoons/as per taste
m)Vegetale oil – 1tablespoon for the masala and 2 teaspoon for seasoning

Sambhar made @ Deeps' on Onam(02-09-2009)

Method:
1. Wash the dal.
2. Pressure cook it with 3cups of water,turmeric powder & salt,till tender.
3. Boil & cook separately all the vegetables except ladies-finger

4. For masala,
* heat oil in a frying pan.
* splutter fenugreek seeds
* add red chillies&coriander powder
* when turned brown,add grated coconut and fry till the raw smell is replaced by an aroma.
* add asafoetida powder,sauté for a few seconds and turn off the heat.
* once the mix cools down,grind it to a smooth paste.

5. Add the vegetables(including ladies finger) to the dal and bring it to a boil.
6. Add the tamarind juice and stir all the mix together
7. Now add the ground paste and keep boiling for another minute.
8. Turn off the heat.

9. For seasoning
* heat oil in a pan
* splutter mustard seeds
* add red chillies & curry leaves
* saute for a second

10.Season it onto the curry.

The Sambhar is ready to be served!

ERISSERI with Pumpkin

Ingredients:
a)Ripe Pumpkin(cut into cubes) – 1cup
b)Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
c)Grated coconut – 1 cup
d)Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
e)Chilli powder – 1/2 teaspoon
f)Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
g)Whole red chillies – 3-4
h)Curry leaves – 2-3 sprigs
i)Coconut Oil – 2 tablespoons for the paste and 2teaspoons for seasoning
j)Salt – 2teaspoons/as per taste

Erisseri made @ Deeps' on Onam(02-09-2009)

Method:
1. Cook pumpkin after adding just about enough water(the water-level should be at par with the pumpkin),with turmeric powder & salt

2. For the paste
* Heat oil in a pan
* Splutter cumin seeds
*Add grated coconut & chilli powder
* Fry till brown.
* Once the mix cools down,grind it to a smooth paste.

3. Add the paste to the vegetable and boil and mix well.

4. For seasoning
* Heat oil in a pan
* Splutter mustard seeds
* Add red chillies & curry leaves
* Add a few coconut-scrapes
* Saute for a second

5. Season it over the Erisseri and serve!

This is how an authentic Ona-sadya** looks like

Hope you enjoyed the spread(especially you,Hitchy! )

And yes,if and when any of you post recipes on the occasion of Ona-sadya,please do let me know so that I can hop by and book a place for my share and drool!

On that note,to all my fellow Malayalis “എന്റെ ഹൃദയം നിറഞ്ഞ ഓണം ആശംസകള്‍”!
And to others,here’s wishing  a very happy & prosperous Onam

PS: **Image courtesy Google Images

EDITED TO ADD:Thank you once again for the loving wishes and making this day even more special.I’m sorry I’ve not had the time to visit many of you.I intend to make it up by resuming my blog-hopping soon
We had a wonderful Onam today.I made Erisseri and Sambhar proof of which I’ve uploaded above ! Namnam & I had the perfect company in our good friends,another mom-daughter duo,J & O to decorate a pookalam.Here are two images of our creation

Pookalam

Happy Onam