Navarathri Day 5.
Rice, lentils, sweets.
Lemon rice, split peas/channa sundal, boli.

Lemon rice.
Squeezed juicy baby lemons over freshly cooked steaming rice, tempered with
Chopped ginger, turmeric powder, mustard seeds, cummin seeds, white and broken chick pea lentils, curry leaves, dried red chillies, fresh green chillies, dried fenugreek leaves hing/asaefotida, broken cashew pieces and peanuts.
Garnished with coriander leaves.
Used a lot, and yes, I do mean, with no reservations, a lot of ghee/clarified butter and gingerly oil.

Split pea sundal.
Par Boiled lentils tempered with chopped ginger, turmeric powder, mustard seeds, cummin seeds, curry leaves, dried red chillies, fresh green chillies, hing/asaefotida, broken coconut pieces, raw mango bites, fresh grated coconut.

Boli. Puran poli.
A sweet flatbread stuffed with a sweet lentil filling made from husked spilt bengal gram (chana dal) and jaggery.
By husband. Yes, he’s good 👍😎

Prayers at home. Students had come for rehearsals for temple programmes.
Packed prasad for them to take home.

#therapy #foodtherapy #healing

#onepotmeal #lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani #bluffsbybavani #inmykitchen #kitchendiaries

My Navarathri posts continues. Just a few more to go.

Navarathri Day 6.
Kathrikai/brinjal rice, black channa lentils, nei urundai/ghee flour balls.

Kathrikai satham. My version. No tamarind or cinnamon bits.
Tempered mustard seeds, white and broken chick pea lentils, broken cashews in gingerly oil and ghee/pure clarified butter.
Added chopped ginger, dried red chillies, fresh green chillies, hing/asaefotida
beautiful green fragrant curry leaves.
Added brinjals with turmeric powder, salt and crushed black pepper and cummin.
Then the just-cooked rice.
Garnished with coriander leaves.
Simple light and good for the tummy with the black pepper cummin mix.

Black channa sundal.
Boiled lentils tempered with mustard seeds, chopped ginger, cummin seeds, curry leaves, dried red chillies, fresh green chillies, hing/asaefotida, broken coconut pieces, raw mango bites, fresh grated coconut.

Nei urundai.
Beautiful golden molded balls of flour, sugar and ghee/pure clarified butter. One bite and it melts-in-the-mouth. Courtesy husband. Clever man, that 😎

After work, prayers and rehearsals.
Packed prasad for the children to have at home.

#therapy #foodtherapy #healing

#onepotmeal #lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani #bluffsbybavani #inmykitchen #kitchendiaries

Navarathri Day 7.
Tomato rice, rajma/red kidney beans sundal, mysore pak/gram dhall flour.
Rice, lentils, sweets.

Tomato rice.
Added hot rice to a chutney of tomatoes, chilli powder, coriander leaves, methi leaves, chopped ginger, turmeric powder, mustard seeds, cummin seeds, white and broken chick pea lentils, curry leaves, dried red chillies, fresh green chillies, hing/asaefotida, broken cashew pieces.
Garnished with coriander leaves.
Light, sumptuous, wholesome, vegetarian, onion garlic free.

Red kidney beans sundal.
Boiled lentils tempered with mustard seeds, chopped ginger, cummin seeds, curry leaves, dried red chillies, fresh green chillies, hing/asaefotida, broken coconut pieces, raw mango bites, fresh grated coconut.

Mysore pak.
A besan/chick pea/gram flour, raw sugar and ghee/pure clarified butter melt-in-the-mouth Fudge.

After work, prayers and rehearsals.
Packed prasad for the children to have at home.

#therapy #foodtherapy #healing

#onepotmeal #lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani #bluffsbybavani #inmykitchen #kitchendiaries

Navarathri Day 8.
Kiribath/Coconut milk rice. Channa sundal. Kalkandu/rock sugar rice.
Rice, lentils, sweets.

Coconut milk rice.
Cooked rice with ginger, pandan/screwpine leaves, and coconut milk. Pressed down rice onto a plate snd cut rice into diamond shapes.
Made a chilli chutney on the side.

Channa dhallsundal.
Boiled lentils tempered with mustard seeds, chopped ginger, cummin seeds, curry leaves, dried red chillies, fresh green chillies, hing/asaefotida, broken coconut pieces, raw mango bites, fresh grated coconut.

Kalkandu satham.
Cooked rice in milk, rick sugar. Added fragrant saffron threads and ground cardamom powder.

Temple programme with students that evening after puja.

#therapy #foodtherapy #healing

#onepotmeal #lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani #bluffsbybavani #inmykitchen #kitchendiaries @ Auckland, New Zealand

#sareespeak #womenofsareespeak #rawsilk #silk #veldari

#SS 44/100/2020

Attended a Angkuraarpanam/celebration of new beginnings, of a well renowned Bharatanatyam Institute, moving into new premises, in Hamilton, a one and a half hour’s drive from Auckland.
What a bold, commendable move by the Dance Director. The morning started off with puja, havan, then a Bharatanatyam performance by 3 young dancers, followed by awarding of certificates to dancers who had completed the recent dance examinations. Presented some certificates to the delightful talented upcoming artistes.
Once again, am bowled over the dedication and one-mindedness of the parents and children.
Draped a Red and Green Raw Pattu/silk, Veldari/checked podavai/saree. Red gold checked body, green pallu and blouse. The yarn has 3 silks and 1 gold cotton thread, braided and then yarned. 4 braids form a patch which is the reason raw silk sarees are thicker than normal silk. This 3 silk and cotton combo, adds the Shine to the Saree.
The pictures taken had to have the others cropped off.
Have also added 1 old photo with the same saree so that the full saree can be seen.

Gourmet chocolates.
Handcrafted artisan chocolates.
A gift from a dear student.
Note the dark one with the music notes imprint, in the middle of the box.

#therapy #foodtherapy #healing

#onepotmeal #lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani #bluffsbybavani #inmykitchen #kitchendiaries

#sareespeak #womenofsareespeak #printedsilk #silk #SS 43/100/2020

Draped the same saree twice a few days apart.
One for a morning function, a quick, easy, light drape, and
The other, for a casual dinner at a friend’s home.
Saree is a light, paper thin printed silk with grey and yellow flowers, and yellow and gold borders.
Mum’s saree.
She left it behind, when she visited last April to June. Mum and sis in law visited for a few months last year and when they left, we went on a European vacation. In hindsight and don’t we all wish we had hindsight,
we would have extended their stay, extended our vacation and visited more countries..
Mum also left another beautiful Kerala kasavu saree, but that’s for another post.
This saree, simple yet loud, is much like my mum.
Big hearted, compassionate, her name is Annapoorani and she cooks and feeds like Annapporani.
Anyone who walks into our home is overfed, and food is packed and sent to friends and family.
Draping this saree is comforting, and I feel her love and warmth on my skin through the soft caress of the silk.
Missing you, Mum, not sure when we will be able to physically visit each other.
Photos are of me after the morning function, a little tired, and after the dinner, drowsy after the wonderful meal.
Blouse is a gold embroidered matching mismatch.

Tonight’s dinner.
Fettucine tossed with crushed black pepper, chilli flakes, olive oil and parmesan cheese.
With a tomato basil pasta sauce with more parmesan cheese.
Quick, simple, easy to prep, abd even easier to wolf down.

#therapy #foodtherapy #healing

#onepotmeal #lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani #bluffsbybavani #inmykitchen #kitchendiaries

#sareespeak #womenofsareespeak

#organza #korasilk

#SS 42/100/2020

Sunday. A day of classes from 9 to 2. In between, an entire class was cancelled as the girls had college and uni exams. Managed to cook a quick stir fry broccoli and soy dish.
A buzz from music teaching, music making with 5 to 55+ year olds.
A light lunch, a hot cup of masala tea to pick me up.
Attended with husband the annual Carnatic music examinations awards ceremony.
Absolute pleasure watching our Kiwi kids, born here or having migrated as children, dressed in traditional clothes, walk up the stage to accept certificates and excellence awards.
Not only because of their achievements
But
Because, they have strived to learn this artform, so far away from their motherlands.
Children, who converse in English for most of the day,
Sing in Sanskrit, Telugu, Tamizh, Kannada, Hindi,
Read music notations in some of those languages,
Attend lessons during the week,
Practise daily.
And my heart swells with pride, as I applaud these beautiful children, accepting the rewards of their hard work and dedication,
Draped in this gorgeous organza kora silk Saree, with gold borders and pallu, gold Veenas and percussion instruments embroidered all over. Gifted by my sambanthi to be, two Navarathris ago.

#therapy

#foodtherapy

#healing

A dinner.
Methi theplas or my take on methi roti.
Fenugreek leaves, besan flour, wholemeal flour, chilly powder, cummin/jeera, ajwain/omam/bishop seeds/oregano, kalonji/black caraway, sesame seeds.
Mixed, kneaded, rolled into thin rotis.
Served with sides of
Charred brinjals, potatoes. Inspired by a friend at work.
And a
Mango chutney.
Soul food.
An extra serve of Masterchef 2020.

#onepotmeal #lockdownsimplemeal #minimalisticmeals #recyclefood #leftovers #NoJudgementPlease is this even a hashtag? #servelovegive #cookwithlove #cooknoairs #vegetarian #vegan #eggless #mykitchen #simplefood #kitchendiaries #comfortfood #bitesbybavani #bluffsbybavani #inmykitchen #kitchendiaries