🍒Very Berry!!! #1

Tags

Food, India, Indian cuisine

Kuler chatni

Hey everyone 🙋
Today’s post is a foodie one
With two different recipes in two different posts involving the sour berry, the Indian plum

Jujube- Indian plum

I am a South Indian married to a Bengali, so when I came across this particular recipe I cringed thinking how could anyone make a sweet dish out of something which is supposed to be spicy and sour..
The berries are called Kul in Bengali..Elandapazham in Tamil…Regipandlu in Telugu
(The southern part of India)

A small flashback though..

Having grown up in the south, everyday outside my school just before summer this particular berry used to be sold in carts…All for a meagre 25 paise..
My pocket money used to be one rupee per day, which was a lot in those days..,
I used to buy these for 25/50 paise while walking back home..
The vendor used to drizzle them with salt and chilli powder mix..😋
One had to be cautious while consuming them as they were the residing places of miniature fruit worms..
I know it sucks but one can’t resist eating the good ones though..
We used to get these dried, packeted ones sold for just One rupee…we used to call them BORROMS!!
How the word came into picture I do not know..

So when I first saw my Mil making a sweet dish out of this I quickly pocketed a few to be eaten with salt and chilli powder…yummy yum

Below is the Bengali style recipe Of this yummy berry..

It’s a simple one with variations..I will stick to one taught to me by Mil…

So here we go..

🍒Wash the berries without much pressure on them( they tend to burst open and get gooey)
🍒Gently press each berry to check for fruit worms

Clean the berries

Clockwise…Dried red chillies..Sugar..Black mustard seeds..

🍒Take a wok and add some oil and a tablespoon of black mustard seeds..

🍒Once they splutter add in little turmeric and one or two dry red chillies..( I am using the kashmiri variety here )
Saute them and add in the berries..
🍒Add in sugar and a cup of water depending on the amount of berries

🍒Saute all till you get a thick syrupy consistency

🍒The flavour is that of sweet and sour…Sweet from the sugar and the berries contributing to the sourness

🍒An alternate method would be to add in raw mangoes or even tomatoes to balance out the sweetness..

Do give it a try and let me know how it tasted…Until next time have a great week ahead everyone 🤗🤗🤗

Advertisements

HWD!!!

Tags

India, Just thoughts

Hey everyone 🙋

Here’s wishing all my women blogger friends a very happy women’s day…be the change..

The women in my life…

My granny…for always taking care and being for me throughout…

My sis in law…for being there for me during my pregnancy…

My Grand mil …who is currently taking care of my daughter..being her teacher guide and friend…

My Mil for helping me pursue my career by taking care of my daughter…

Now that’s me😉

Happy women’s day !!!

Have a great weekend ahead 🤗🤗🤗

Tell Tale Thursday #5

Tags

India, Just thoughts, Short stories, Tell tale Thursday

Hey everyone 🙋

I am back with yet another tell tale thursday picture prompt …thanks to firsttimemommy
You can check out her amazing inputs on child care and wonderful short stories..

#TellTaleThursday with Anshu &Priya>

anshu bhoj

priyareflects

Here’s the prompt:

The Railway Station!

Brings back many memories of the bygone days…
One such is of the time she had to stay away from her love…not knowing what was store for her in the future…

Read along…

They walked hand in hand…She wouldn’t let go of his..She was a mess internally but seemed very calm outside..He too was surprised that some one like her who was an endless bundle of energy was soo calm that day..
She knew it could be or maybe it was the last time ever she was seeing him..maybe..nothing was certain at that moment..

He was going away to his city..to a new life..having completed his medical school He had nothing left here except maybe her.. maybe..

The train arrived at their platform..having placed His luggage they both stood silently watching the crowd hustling by..
As the train cooed she panicked..
It was time for Him to leave..they hugged and kissed without a care as to who was seeing them..

He boarded the train..She stood there watching him leave..witholding her tears..
He mumbled a love you..She mumbled back something…She saw him leave and was completely shattered..

The months passed by they stayed in touch through mails and messages…She met him after a year and half..He had changed completely..yet He was Hers..

She was nudged from her reverie by her husband as she stood there on the same platform waiting to board the train, the very same train,to her In-laws place..His place..(Though 4 years late, She married only Him)
She had her hand in His..Happy and glee..!!

Have a great weekend everyone 🤗🤗🤗

Tell Tale Thursday #4

Tags

India, Just thoughts, Short stories, Tell tale Thursday

Hey everyone 🙋

I am back with yet another tell tale thursday picture prompt …thanks to firsttimemommy

You can check out her amazing inputs on child care and wonderful short stories..

#TellTaleThursday with Anshu &Priya>

anshu bhoj

priyareflects

Here’s the prompt:

She heard a loud crash at about 3 in the noon..
8 months pregnant,she ran or atleast tried to get fast to where the sound was coming from..

She heard a lot of commotion, of people shouting and sounds of branches giving away..
She stood still in her balcony.. Before her lay the magnificent tree..

The same tree she had seen and nurtured since the house was built..
No one knew why and how
it had come crashing down..

The huge branches crashed against the electric poles and the compound walls of the opposite house…
She could not bear to see the very tree beneath whose shelter she had spent those rainy days on the balcony watching the rain droplets tickle the window grills..
The same tree cause of which the summer months were cooler..
Her favourite pastime being standing in the balcony at 2 in the morning wherein the cool breeze from the tree brushed against her..
When the whole world was asleep, she used to just stand and watch the tree taking in the calmness of the night…
The many summers she had spent reading a book or enjoying an evening Tea under the shelter of the tree..

The sight of the squirrels playfully chasing each other on the branches or the cawing of the crows would never be seen or heard again..
It took quite a while for her to overcome the shock and get used to absence of the tree…
One fine morning a month later she woke up to another commotion..She hurried to the balcony with her new born..
This time to see her Dad and few neighbours standing at the same spot busy planting a new sapling..
Her dad looked up and she beamed with joy..
Soon another tree would sprout there and would grow up with her daughter..

Hope you enjoyed reading this one..

Have a great weekend everyone…🤗

Tell Tale Thursday #3

Tags

Just thoughts, Short stories, Tell tale Thursday

Hey everyone 🙋
I am back with yet another tell tale thursday picture prompt …thanks to firsttimemommy who sets my brain working by posting these picture prompts .. you can check out her amazing inputs on child care and wonderful short stories..

#TellTaleThursday with Anshu &Priya>

anshu bhoj

priyareflects

Here’s the prompt:

Romantic getaway gone wrong..

Disneyland…

Just like any girl she grew up on fairy tales and stories of lands far far away..
It was her childhood dream to always visit disneyland and boy did it come true when her husband surprised her with a trip to Hong Kong..
She was super excited to see the woven tales of Snow white, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Sleeping beauty and many more characters come to life in front of her..The castle mesmerised her..
All in good spirit until the better half started asking her to hurry up cause he did not want to miss out on any attractions in the park..
They fought..had difference of opinions and she tagged along reluctantly..
Finally she had had enough and told her better half to leave her and go complete seeing the whole park by himself, while she chose to sit and savour the sights around her..
He actually walked away..she wasn’t expecting that..

Heartbroken, she watched the fireworks show,the hallmark of the theme park held at the end of the day wherein musical stories were being retold and displayed on the castle..her dream castle!!
She missed him..
Both were in the same place yet far away, lost in the crowd..
They reached the meeting point of the tourist bus, she still angry and annoyed that she had to see it all without him..
He fuming that he had indeed missed her and glad she was there safe..

Hope you liked it..Have a great Valentine day…until next time..🤗🤗🤗

V day is here again!!!

Hey everyone🙋

Love is in the air….yet again😉

Few days left for valentine’s and the internet is already abuzz with rose day, chocolate day, promise day..god knows what all days..
No I don’t belong to the old gen neither do I belong to the very new gen..
I am kind of stuck between the two trying to figure out when and how did this hype for V day begin, when did it become sooo very commercialized and exaggerated..

Simultaneously thanking my stars that I wasn’t born in the 2000s cause I really don’t want to go through this torture of buying or gifting stuff to the beloved..(just my opinion)
The new young gen can continue with their idea of being and falling in love..
I came across these pics where in the brain dominates the poor emotional heart ..a kind of brain heart game…

This is basically pretty much all of it summed up…

While my situation is this

Cause remember shoe love is true love…😜

Have a great week ahead everyone..🤗

Tell Tale Thursday #2

Tags

India, Just thoughts, Short stories, Tell tale Thursday

Hey Everyone 🙋

This is in response to a blog post #telltalethursday by first time mommy you can check out her amazing inputs on child care and wonderful short stories

#TellTaleThursday with Anshu & Priya>

Here’s the prompt:

The sepia tinted pics..Brought back memories of those bygone days when a picture meant a lot…a camera reel loaded with 36 shots..with no space for retakes..
One shot captured is final.. whether you look fat or have hair covering your face..candid as we call them now, it was all in the moment..

The beauty and sceneries were more embedded in the heart and soul and not in those hard-disks loaded with multiple shots which we hardly ever go back and look..
As I was immersed in these thoughts, my two year old daughter came over to ask me “Mumma pic..”
I complied by clicking a series of pouty pictures for an Instagram post..
So Ironic I know…(sigh)

This is my version of the tell tale prompt..not a story just thoughts..

Sunday JFL #4

Tags

Humor, Just thoughts

Still continuing with my fairy tale obsession…here are some more laughs…from where I left…😉

Sunday JFL #3

Actually true!!!😛

Happily ever after!!!

Uh oh!!!

What is this shit???I wanted Nike’s!!! holds good…

Pinocchio rules!!

And that is how you time pass…

Oh no…😝

Have a great week ahead everyone…🤗

🇮🇳Republic day..me and weekend thoughts…🇮🇳

Tags

Humor, India, Just thoughts

Hey everyone..
🙋

(This was supposed to be posted a couple of days ago..but never too late…)
In an attempt to try and post regularly here I am..
A few weekend updates/thoughts..

🇮🇳So firstly we celebrated Republic day so “Happy Republic day” to all the Indian’s worldwide…

🏡Just back from a festive holiday visiting the in laws and again we get an off thanks to the national holiday..Republic day…so I make the most of it and visit my dad at my hometown..

🏥Work wise I am still going strong( touch wood) trying to achieve goals I keep setting for self!!

🎊It is the better half’s birthday 🎂 this month and I am still looking out for a gift for him..soo boring….cause he apparently has everything I could ever dream off getting him..( I always write this line..cause it is the same everyear)

🦄I somehow seem to harbor a new obsession of sudden urges.. currently it being colouring my hair red or ombre or oh wait..reddish burgundy type??!!! Omg…red hair…so let me see how far I get to it..

👡Another I want want thing is shoes.. few of my reader friends would know of my obsession with shoes..sandals..wedges..flats..(only the comfy things mind you)😛

Shoe love is true love!!!

So I ended up buying 5 pairs of them as if the world is going to end and swallow up all the footwear…The expression on my dad and better half’s face when they saw these were priceless🤣

💄Lipsticks and me are never far off…I still am looking for that baby pink with soft subtle tones..the search is on…

🇮🇳Reality check this was supposed to be a republic day post 🙈 but being me ..Nee.. you know… so once again Happy Republic Day my fellow Indians..🇮🇳
Be the change..

Sunday JFL #3

Tags

Humor, Just thoughts

Hey everyone 🙋

Fairy tales!!!🤩
Such an integral part of one’s growing up years especially for us girls…but what if it was full of twists and turns..😉
Sharing a few laughs which I came across..

Until next time dream away…Have a great week ahead 🤗