How to make Vegetable Lasagne

Thanks to me being in UK, I could learn this Italian Dish. An extremely heavy, yummy, and cheesy main dish! Try it out!

Serves: 3

Ingredients:
Lasagne strips - 4 (depending on the size of your baking dish)
Mozarella cheese - 300 gms (shredded)
(TIP: you can use a mix of cheddar, parmesan and mozarella instead of using Mozarella alone)


Veggies:
Carrots - 1 cup
Cauliflower - 1 cup
Peas - 1 cup
Cabbage - 1/2 cup
Oregano seasoning - 1-2 teaspoons
Salt - just a pinch

White Sauce:
Butter - 1 tablespoon
Maida - 1 tablespoon
Milk - 1 cup
Pepper powder - a pinch


Method:

To make the white sauce:
1. In a dry pan, add butter, maida and pepper powder and fry the maida till it turns light brown.
2. Add Milk and keep stirring in low flame till it becomes a thick paste.
3. Add about 1/4 cup cheese and stir till it melts.

For the veggies:
1. Cut the veggies into small cubes.
2. Boil them (with salt) in the microwave for about 10 mins till they are half-cooked.
3. Drain the water and add oregano seasoning. Mix well.

* Once the veggies and the white sauce are ready, grease a baking dish with butter.
* Pre-heat the Oven.
* Add a layer of vegetables, cover the layer with a layer of thick white sauce.
* Place lasagne strips on the white sauce layer.
* Repeat the vegetable and white sauce layers.
* After the final layer of white sauce, add grated cheese. Make sure it covers the whole top surface.
* Bake in the oven at about 200 degrees for 45 mins.
(Tip: to find out if the lasagne has baked, insert a knife or a fork and make sure the lasagne strip is soft. Also, note if the cheese has turned color)

Lasagne is ready to eat! Enjoy

New Year - A New Beginning

2011 has dawned... and for me, its a very New Year and hopefully a great start to help me launch myself into the "Bio-field", as all you non-biologists would call it. Ever since school, I've had this special interest in making the world a better place to live in and I think right now, I can see myself puttin my thoughts into action as I'm now a Research Analyst working for a company that deals with sustainable resources.
just like every other fresher, I had this impression that workplace is where you sit in a 'wheeled-chair' gazing into the computer, stuck to ur work - partly wondering what to do and waiting to get bck home n sleep. But for me, its a totally different scenario. My office is highly eco-frndly and I'm in total love with it! Personally, I feel that ppl here hv made the working environment stress-free. Though I haven't properly started working, I have the feel that i can handle the pressure that is to come in the near future. I am a little excited and am hoping to learn more from this place.

NESAM.. let's help!

There is always joy when you do something that helps people who are in need. I am fortunate enough to be spreading joy in this manner with the help of an NGO called NESAM. NESAM in Tamil means affection. NESAM was first formed by my mother’s friend, Mrs. Prema. My mother was working with a nationalized bank. She and her colleagues used to contribute a part of their salary for people who were in need of money. They then planned to do the same in a large scale, and thus NESAM was formed in 2001. I happen to be a part of NESAM too, and we help children homes that are in need of financial support. Annually, we buy notebooks, and all stationary for children in all the orphanages we know. We also conduct summer workshops, celebrate Diwali, Christmas and New Year parties with about 1000 children every year.

Every year, we celebrate Christmas, with children from 15 homes and we have planned to do the same this year too. This time around 1000 children are coming. We are in need of volunteers and sponsors to help us in organizing and entertaining the children. I would be grateful and happy if you can come over. I am also planning to buy some essentials for these children and for this I would like your help. Please let me know if you are willing to donate some money for this cause I will give you more details or if you’d like to volunteer, please let me know.

I hope you can donate a small amount for this noble cause.

To see what we do at NESAM, please check http://nesam.shutterfly.com

Roti Noodles

I got to learn this new recipe from a TV show. Tried it tonight and trust me, it was brilliant! i tot its worth sharing! Pl try it out n lemme knw hw it tastes!

Ingredients:

Left over rotis - abt 6 or 7

1 big onion - sliced

1 tomato sliced

1/2 capsicum - sliced

garam masala - 1 teaspoon (can use pav bhaji masala for a different flavor as well)

garlic (optional)

dhaniya powder – ½ teaspoon

turmeric powder - a pinch

red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon

tomato ketchup - 1 1/2 tablespoon

soya sauce - 1/2 teaspoon

salt - to taste

chopped coriander

lemon juice - 1/2 teaspoon (optional)

Method:

For the noodles:

1. Heat the left over chapathis to make it soft.

2. Roll them length wise tightly and cut them with scissors to form spiral pieces, as in the picture.

3. Unwind the spiral pieces to get long noodle-like strips.

To make the masala (tastemaker):

1. Heat oil and add onions garlic and salt (Tip: If you add salt along with the onions, the onions tend to cook faster).

2. Add capsicum once the onions are cooked.

3. Add garam masala, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and dhaniya powder.

4. Once these are cooked well, add tomatoes, roti strips, tomato ketchup, soya sauce and stir for a few minutes.

5. Add coriander leaves and mix well.

Hot Roti Noodles is ready to eat. Enjoy a healthy, delicious meal!

ganesh chathurthi

I was wondering why ganesh chathurthi is celebrated with ganesha having an elephant face??? he wasnt born with one!!! is it just that ppl dunno hw he looked without one??? LOL

HI HI HI HI

i know its been long... and I'm back..

well, this is just a formal 'hi to everyone' again! u guys should hopefully be reading my blog more often from now on.. again, HOPEFULLY!!!

lol

ciao

THATHA, CAN U HEAR ME????

I loved him more than anybody else in this world!!! Pretty orthodox yet very modern, the most respected person in our family...My grandfather, Mr. V.Krishnamurthy was a perfect man by all means – from having worked as a perfect bank manager to a perfect grandfather. He was a specialist at making “Kozhukattais” (steamed dumplings with very tasty sweet or savory lentil and coconut fillings, in a rice flour pocket). He meant a lot to us! I was fortunate enough to have him to repeat the story of Prahaladan (a young man who showed an amazing level of devotion in spite of severe threats to his person). I used to admire his fantabulous usage of words, his expressions, and his soft voice that could not even harm an ant! Can still recollect his voice… How can I ever forget that??

Thatha was admitted in Vijaya Hospital for a bypass surgery.. Few days after the surgery, when he was shifted to the normal ward, he told my sister, Jayanthi aka Jandy n me that we were the most special grandchildren he had! We shared a real special thatha-pethi (grand-daughter) relationship. I loved to hear his childhood stories. Year after year, his health deteriorated, but he made sure he never lied down on his bed unless the pain was totally unbearable. He started using crutches, and I couldn’t see him walking with a support! Truly not my thatha!!

It was on December 17^th, 2006 5.30 pm that I spoke to him last. I really thought I could meet him within a few days and spend more time with him. He couldn’t speak much. His voice seemed to have disappeared. He sounded frail. My college was reopening on the 18^th and I had been to my granny’s place to get aasirvadham from the elderly folks. His room was partially dark, with a 0W bulb illuminating the room. I went next to him, kissed him on his forehead n said, “Thatha, am leaving now. I’ll be back on the 24^th to see u sitting on the chair and hear u say, ”Vanthutiya kozhandha, eppadi iruke?”(Have you come child? How are you?). Am sure that’s gonna happen and am gonna miss you till the 24^th. Take care”. And for this, he replied saying, “You may come and see me, but I won’t.” I was dumbfounded. I didn’t know what to say. I just said “Nothing’s gonna happen. You take care”, and walked out of his room. No one knew he told me this. On the 21^st of December, he was hospitalised for giving saline. We all expected him to get discharged the next day and I didn’t really consider it to be very serious.

I found someone knocking my door at 5.30 am on the 23^rd. My warden was standing outside, trying to wake me up from a very sound sleep. Finally, I managed to open the door. It took me 5 minutes to understand what she said. Thatha was no more. My mom had tried calling me, but I couldn’t hear my phone ringing. So she had called my warden and informed her. The next minute, I found myself throwing things into my bag, haphazardly, and ran out of my room without even brushing my teeth. I tried not to cry. Within a matter of a few minutes, I was standing out of my college gate, felt like an abandoned child. My cousin, Neeraj, who was also studying in the same college as mine, was already in Chennai. I was all alone. I faced the most distressing moment of my life. My dad n brother-in-law were giving me options as to how to reach Chennai in the shortest time. “Take a flight”, “ No, take Pandyan Express from Ariyalur”. I preferred the latter option since there were no flights from Trichy to Chennai in the morning. After 15 minutes of desolation, I saw the headlights of a bus. Reached Thanjavur at 6 and found out that it would take 2 hours max to reach Ariyalur; which means, I’ll miss Pandyan express again! I was lost.. totally lost!! My only option was to get into a government bus to Chennai. I took the first bus.. which was scheduled to leave at 6.30 am. I was the only passenger on board, and to my dismay, the bus didn’t start till 7.30. I found the driver and cried to him, explaining my situation. And I really don’t know what happened, within half a minute, the bus was full and the driver started the bus. The journey was not pleasant at all. I was waiting to see thatha for the last time. The bus moved slower than a bullock-cart, making my situation worse. The roads were horrible; all twists and turns, bumpy, making me feel nauseous. My mobile battery was almost dead and I was askin my frnds if they knew the “special” code to give my battery the reserve life or whatever. In between all this, my dad n brother-in-law kept calling me and updating me about the ceremonies happening there. The cremation was planned for 3 o clock.. gave it so much time just for me.. for me to have a last look at my grandpa. But to my dismay, the bus reached Tindivanam at 2.30! Which made sure that I wont reach Chennai on time! My mobile battery was dead.. making all connections void. I reached Chennai at 5 pm, half-dead! Was very angry with everyone around. I didn’t see my thatha!! The person who I loved more than anybody else had gone! All that I got to see was his metallic hip-plate.

Its two years since he’s gone, but none of us feel his absence. Of late, my uncle says he’s been able to talk to my thatha in his dreams! It may sound funny, but the details he gives is stupefying. Thatha gives details about his past, how he feels in his new home with his parents! I kept my Degree certificate under his photo one night and the next day, he told my uncle that he was very happy and that he would always be beside me in all my endeavours. Well, now, even though I miss him, I know he’s there next to me, all the time. I talk to him now and then, though I don’t get a reply, am sure he can hear me and am sure he’ll talk to me one day!