Kerala Style Pork Curry

Ingredients

For the curry

• 1 onion chopped finely

• 5-6 big garlic cloves, peeled n diced

• 1 inch ginger, finely chopped

• 1-2 green chillies, roughly chopped, with or without seeds according to preference

• 2 tbsp white vinegar

  
  

  1 tsp white mustard seeds

• 1 tbsp cumin seeds

• 4 cloves

• 4cm/1½in piece cinnamon stick

• ½ tsp black peppercorns

• 1 tsp ground turmeric

  
  

  1/2 cup coconut milk

  
  

• 4 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1kg/2lb 4oz boneless pork shoulder or chops, cut into 4cm/1½in chunks

• 1 tsp salt

To finish

• 2 tsp coriander seeds

• 1 tsp tamarind concentrate 

• 3 green chillies, thinly sliced lengthways, without seeds

  
  

  Method: 

  
  

  Wash and drain pork pieces. Marinate with a pinch of salt and keep aside.

  
  

  Make a paste of chopped ginger, garlic, green chilles and vinegar.nkeep aside.

  
  

  Dry roast mustard seeds, cumin, cinnamon, cloves and peppercorn. Grind together to a powder with turmeric powder and keep aside.

  
  

  In a heavy bottomed pan, heat oil (vegetable/canola). Add the raw pork pieces and fry well till brown on all sides, for about 10-12 minutes on medium high flame ( 7 on my regulator on a scale of 9).

  
  

  Once the pork is fried well on all sides, take out with a slotted spoon and keep aside.

  
  

  In the same oil, add finely chopped onions. Fry till lightly browned. Add the ginger garlic green Chilli and vinegar paste. Fry for a couple of minutes till the oil leaves the sides. Add the fried pork pieces and fry for 2 minutes. Add salt and dry spices powder. Fry for a couple of minutes more. 

  
  

  Mix 1/2 cup coconut milk with 1 cup water. Add this to the pan into the pork. Bring to boil. Add more water to just cover the pork pieces as necessary. Adjust salt. Cook covered for 5 minutes. 

  
  

  Transfer this to a pressure cooker. Cover and whistle for approximately 6-7 whistles on medium flame. After this take down the pressure cooker, take out the steam. Keep aside. 

  
  

  Dry roast coriander seeds. Grind to a powder.

  
  

  In 1/2 cup water add the tamarind concentrate and mix. 

  
  

  Add the coriander powder and tamarind water to the pork curry. Cover and put the pressure cooker on the stove for 2 more whistles.

  
  

  Garnish with coriander leaves, green chillies and serve with steaming hot basmati rice!

  
  

  Enjoy!

  
  

Slouchy Beanie - Crochet Project

My second crochet project was a skull cap which slouched at the back. These things are quite a trend these days.

Things needed:
1. Red Heart Wool - Grey coloured
2. Crochet Hook - Size I.

I made a foundation cain measuring the circumference of my head. In my case approximately 50 stitches. I joined the last with a slip stitch with the first.
Then I chained upwards 2.
I then did double crochet all all around and did approximately 15 rows. The cap at this stage looks like a cylindrical loop. I joined the top and tied it up.

Finished.

Crochet Infinity Scarf

Things you need:
1. Multi coloured wool
2. Crochet Hook size I.

This is a very easy beginner's project. I made a foundation chain of about 70 stitches and joined them with a slip stitch. Then I chained one above and did an extended double crochet stitch all around till I made 8 rows (or the width you think is proper).

The wool itself was so colourful that it looks amazing when finished!

All my friends appreciated it.

Hope you like it too.

Easy DIY Home Decor Project - Birds in a line

Easy DIY Home Decor Project - Birds in a line

A winter afternoon at home I sat and wondered what could I make to brighten up my apartment a bit. Now, I have to admit I have a knack for little projects that change the appearance of a space. I usually am not the kind of person to run to the craft store and buy stuff because most of the time I get an idea and I search for things that are already lying at home.

So this day, I gathered the following things lying around in my apartment.

1. An empty cereal box ( an empty Kellogg's corn flakes box)
2. A pair of scissors
3. Black wool from my knitting bag
4. Board Pins (we have wooden walls, so board pins are easy to put in)
5. Black Marker, Pens, Pencils
6. Scotch Tape
7. Photograph Prints

And I was good to go.

Steps:
1. Cut the cereal box to make a flat cardboard on which you can draw.
2. Draw bird shapes of 4 - 5 types on the grey plain side. Cut out some birds, trace them on the remaining card board and cut all of them out.
3. Colour the birds with a black falt tip marker.
4. Hammer / push in pins on the wall.
5. Tie black wool cut according to the lengths between pins on the wall.

6. Stick your birds with scotch tape loops or double sided tape.
7. Stick personal / family photographs in between.
Done!
Mine looked as follows:

The room looks cheerful now... and its directly opposite my bed.. so it brings a smile on my face every day morning when I wake up!

A WALK TO REMEMBER

What is it with the day today? Suddenly it seems to me that nothing in life is "Nothing Much" at the moment. 

Nothing much to do in office (not that I don't have work, I do, but it seems as if the amount doesn't count), Nothing much to do at home (all being taken care of), nothing much to talk to anybody (be it my friends or my husband, all of whom are far away).

Life has become so monotonous these days. The more connected we are through the various social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google Hangouts, BBMs and Whatsapps, the more distant we are from each other. Gone are the days when we would just sit at the college lawn and relax with a cup of tea staring into the sky or the trees beyond. Time flew by then... It was then that there was nothing much to do with only occasional assignments from professors.

Days like these just take me back to the days I felt free and enjoyed my life in Ahmedabad. Oh yes, its the same city you've probably heard me rattling about since I left it 2 years ago. Its been more than 2 years now. Many say its boring. Many say what's so new and exciting about it! But I enjoyed staying there. Every moment of it be it the clean roads, the parrots and pigeons flocking around, (and  occasionally peacocks too), to all the variety of snacks like dabeli and vada pav and fafda and jalebis and theplas. Low calorie good food! Also, the beautiful places I have been to in and around the city. 

Just the other day a colleague asked me, Hey could you help me plan a trip to Gujarat? I was planning to go for one with my family! His humble request made my day ! I couldn't stop myself from planning it for him the same day and finalising it with him in 2 days time. I was the happiest. Just to revive my memories!

THE HERITAGE WALK, OLD CITY, AHMEDABAD.

Its as early as 8.30 am in the morning of a Sunday (yes you heard it right! A Sunday), that a soul stirring walk is organized from the Swaminarayan Temple of Ahmedabad. People participating in the walk are made to register with a nominal amount and sit for a half an hour special slide show running through the pages of the city's history, unfolding beautifully its birth from an ancient 10th century AD site known as Ashaval to the present walled city re-founded during the period of the mighty Ahmedshah. From the balcony one can see the pigeons flying about the temples facade, the beautiful art work at the temple's roof leaves one mesmerised

Its a two and a half hour long walk, arranged by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). We then moved on from finishing our darshan at the Swaminarayan temple to the Kavi Dalpatram Chowk where lived the legendary poet.

From here we eased through ways reminiscent of the city's textile era through the various 'Pols' (guarded communities or self contained neighbourhoods) of the old city. The winding lanes and people going on with their day to day activities add to the charm. Pigeons play an important role in shaping the liveliness of the city and a Gujarati life. The old Compass pole showing your direction and also the 'chabutaras' (or pigeon feeding posts in each lane) added to the glamour.

 

What was fun seeing was a wall full of small holes and numerous squirrels on it eating small fragments of bread or biscuits that is given by the people. They seem oblivious to the numerous pair of eyes looking at them and quite confidently keep nibbling at their food rather than be afraid to go in their holes. After all who is in majority here! 

We walk along taking in every detail explained beautifully by our guide, capturing them in our cameras 

and filling our pockets with small goodies from the shops and pan masala stalls on the road filled with lovely colours!!

And we finally end up at the mighty Jumma Masjid with its huge breathtaking structures and intricate works of art.

As we finish our lovely tour with amazing companions in the heart of the old city, surrounded by hordes of people starting their day, laying out small things to sell of beautiful colours and small children not asking for alms but rather a" pen" to write with made my day that day.

I went back to the walk many a times and each time I have had the same satisfaction as I had the very first time of when I explored "THE CITY".

What is it of exploration of a city when you don't walk down its lanes and just let everything normal go around you. 

Its pure Bliss!

Colours

The colours that we see in everyday life are the shadows of our own perceptions. How I perceive the world around is very different from what you see...making the colours of my life very unique and thus creating my own little niche in this wide world...

I do not ask you to be exactly like me..I do not ask you to have the same colours..all I ask you is to synchronise yours with mine...so that together we have a

beautiful picture to paint for our lives...