Another Month, Another Feast and A New Color

Isn't it tough choosing food colors? I realized we use so few, so this time I am all set to challenge myself as much as you - the color for November is purple and black - if you have cooked anything that has any of these colors or both together send it in! I am sure you people are going to come up with some wonderful stuff this time, and it is going to be a whacky round up:)

The logo:


The rules:

1. Cook and post between 1st and 30th of November, 2008 - please do not relink earlier posts.

2. Send in any vegetarian dish (No eggs) as long as the end product has hues of purple, black or both!

3. Raw vegetables are not allowed except if used as such in salads or juices etc.!

4. If your food is cooked from any other blog or site please link your post with the name of the blog/site rather than 'here'.

5. Please link your post to this post announcing the event.

6. Email me at - sunshinemomsblog(at)gmail(dot)com, replacing the (at) with @ and (dot) with . alongwith these details
6. If you do not have a blog, just email the recipe and a picture.

----------------------------------------------------------

FIC-Brown Round up

Here we go - this time down to earth..no red carpet rolled out for my dear friends... just walk in with dust on your feet - sometimes getting your feet muddy makes you feel most alive - if green is the colour of youth, red of vivacity, brown is life itself! Brown is the soul, the crust, the real you!! How about indulging in some brown therapy for your tummy?

This time I stuck to the tried and tested alphabetical order of names of participants, so that hopefully I do not leave out any entries including mine;)

A

A fried Lolo? No no...not Karisma Kapur! This one tastes so good and it comes from the Sindhi Rasoi of Alka!! Drool:)


Anudivya of '.....and a little bit more' loves her food healthy and yet she loves sweets. Try these healthy date laddoos. They are devoid of butter and sugar and yet the picture makes you crave.....



She also sent these prize winning almond puris - want to why the health nut sends in a fried sweet dish? Check up her blog:)



Aparna of 'My Diverse Kitchen' is bitten by the baking bug, and hot from her oven comes a tasty pear galette! Savor the look or just go ahead and bake one.


Arundathi's Whole wheat pancackes speak of the goodness of wheat, buttermilk and brownsugar and her inspiration for these is her namesake - Arundati of Escapades! Somehow these remind me of Indian Crumpets! Probably it's because of the dollar size? Look at the syrup oozing...ummm!


B

Last time Bharti talked of ecological footprints in her green post. This time our 'health nut but chocolate loving Lady' has done a beautiful write up on the 'evils' of packaged food which drove her to make her own healthy and tasty chocolate pudding for her daughter from Alton Brown's recipe! A look....or a lick?


Updated on 5th Nov. 2008 - I just missed the flour that started it all - Bharti's Spelt bread which has the earliest Biblical bread references! Go back in time:



Bhawna of 'From my Palate' made 'Makhane aur Beej ki Mithai' - I haven't seen much of these and loved the recipe as it's delicious and new to me!

C

Chitra and Dibs of Chitra Amma's Kitchen too have some lovely Diwali treats in store

Bournvita Fudge - that reminds me of those days...when we tried stuffing our mouths with spoonfuls of bournvita when Mom was asleep!! This is such a nice kiddie treat



Dibs made this whole wheat flour halwa, godi halwa esp. for her nephew as made by Papu Pati:



D
Deeba is passionate about baking - and it shows!! How?? Take a look at the apple crisp - doesn't it say - grab, pick, eat? I am getting passionate after seeing this one;)


Divya Vikram of 'Dil Se' serves everything - a porridge, a side dish and a bread:) Here they are

Raagi Porridge - healthy, nostalgia arousing and nutritious. If you are fond of savouries try this version.....


......and if you have a sweet tooth try this. I have fed my kids with both the versions when they were little, and my older one likes the sweet version even now!


Baigan ka bharta. Enjoy!


Spiced Mango Bread - At this time of the year? It is meant to keep you tempted till Summer:)



Divya Kadua of 'Easy Cooking' has always been inspired by cookery shows. The Rajma Yam Masala she presents here is one such recipe from Lakshmi Nair's show. An usunual but interesting combination!


E

 Easycrafts has this tasty and simple vegan puttu - now, now!! Don't rush off there is more.....


...... Peanut masala bath



J

Jayasree of Experiments in Kailas Kitchen comes up with traditional athirasams. These are made usually at weddings and such functions but you can have them at home as this one is her Mom's recipe - has to taste great!


She (Jayasree) also sent in this double bonanza of date cookies and an eggless date cake - Looks like its treat time in Kailas Kitchen:)




How about a pazha pradhaman - a flavorful mix of ripe bananas, jaggery and coconut milk - my dil goes droo....oo....oo....oool! Also from Jayasree.


L

I had to jog her memory a bit to get these yummy dill flavored mosuru vade here from Lakshmi of Taste of Mysore! These completely remind of me of the vadais you get at Bangalore. This style of flavoring is subtle, tasty and native to Karnataka.


Here's a second recipe from Lakshmi (Ragi Idli) - inspired from Indira of Mahanandi, this one is sure to make weight-watchers and dieters happy.......


............and a third one - this time the dishes are straight from the party table! Enjoy these hot onion pakodas alongwith the payasam prepared by her friend:) Thanks Lakshmi!


Lakshmi Venkatesh of Kitchen Chronicles sent in three yummy recipes:

Power packed soya manchurians - Lipsmacking!!


After that earthy delight she decided to transport her readers to another land. "...Schwarzwälderkirschtorte, which means Black Forest Cherry Cake. It is made up of layers of chocolate cake with Kirsch, whipped cream, sour cherries and chocolate curls." Sounds like a fairy tale?? Looks like one too:)



Lakshmi's Dumrot Halwa took me back to Bangalore Iyengar Bakery! If you haven't tasted dumrot, do try!




Lubna of Yummy Food loves chocolate - why and how? Just gaze at this eggless chocolate icecream :). Doesn't that speak volumes!

She also baked eggless chocolate brownies just for me - lucky, am I not? Don't worry - I am sharing it with all of you:) I can't have you gaping while I sink my teeth into that choco chip trench!!


Lubna, my azeez friend, also presents these lazeez double ka meetha:). Try resisting them! Bet you can't!



M

Mahimaa of Indian Vegetarian Kitchen presents some crisp cutlets for us to snack on while going through the rest of the recipes:)


Mahimaa has just shifted to a new place, and you know what she does to keep herself from feeling lonely? Well, she dishes out delicacies. Are you ready for this Indian Fast Food? Presenting 'Bread Chana'.



Meera wants us to Enjoy Indian Food, and she tempts you with a delicacy from Khambat - Halwasan!




N

Nidhi of Sizzling Bites offers some really tempting sizzling bites. Rains or no rains, we do not require an excuse to have a hot plateful of moong ke mangode! Would you resist?


P

Pallavi of All Thingz Yummy sent in a whole wheat vegan banana bread as the 100th recipe of her blog! Congrats Pallu! This is a celebration bread:


PG of My Kitchen Stories is first time on FIC, and she has a chocolate story to tell - Just my thing - Chocolate Muffins:)


PG's pumpkin halwa inspired by Indira of Mahanandi -



Priti of Indian Khana too has a second version of eggless date cake in celebration of Eid. She makes sevaiyan but just happens that it is already posted hence the cake:)


Priya of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes has sent in two delicious entries:

Karela chips - If you are a bitter gourd lover like my daughter, this will be a favourite dish!


Vegan Choco Almond Shake - Want some guilt free energy?


R

Radhika of Tickling Palates sent in two tasty and different sweet dishes - both learnt from her friends.

Karjikkai - Made in Coorg style this one may look familiar but has a different filling.


Naanu-Maanu - A cute name and a tasty sweet from Orissa!


Ramki of One Page Cookbooks has sent in this page that shows us 'n' number of ways with a poori changing just the base, the additives and the filling. Click to go:)


Rupa - the Virtual Vegetarian ushers in some Mediterranean flavors with a tasty side dish bursting with colors - Brown Beans with Herbs.



S

Sailaja of 'Sailu's Kitchen' has a wonderful blog peppered with traditional Andhra recipes. This pulihora or Tamarind Rice is one such delight -




Sharmila of Kichu Khon tried out this 'instant moong dal halwa' - no pre-planning, no jhanjhat, she says! She had to find a recipe as it is her husband's favourite - ah....she obviously has made a place in his heart:)


Sharmila makes these lovely quick plump gulab jamuns - sigh....this used to be my favourite sweet!!



Shreya of Mom's Cooking celebrated Diwali with Mehendi, sweets and savouries. Here are the delightful results - Murukku, and Unni Appam - yummmm!



Sia of Monsoon Spice spices up the brown parade with a creamy and sumptuous 'Maa Di Daal'.




Sireesha of Mom's recipes sent in some low cal baked veg rolls - a tasty appetizer that may end up a meal by itself!


She is the queen of her kitchen. Chocolate Nankhatais from Supriya - No wonder she is the Queen:)





Soma of e-curry made some stuffed pears - all spiced up and ready to be devoured!



Sunshinemom of Tongue Ticklers...... (me) - Two of my favourite foods - bread and mushrooms

A vegan Swedish Tea Ring:



Dhingri Badaami or Mushrooms in almond gravy:




Sushma of Savi-ruchi is first time on FIC - Welcome! Check out her step by step recipe for this vegan paradi payasam (Kheer prepared with rice, jaggery and coconut milk).



Sushma also presents the Mangalorean delicacy - Golibaje. Some how I seem to hum 'Oh goli taaro...goli baje, goli baje.....' instead of dhol baje, from 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam':) But its true - I am fida over this bajji!



Sweatha of Tasty Curry Leaf too had a double offer this time: Delicate lace cookies and decadent brownies - better scrape the bottom of the dish and enjoy the brownies - the recipe promises to taste great!

Microwave double choclate brownies

and Pecan Lace Cookies


T

Not a fitting name, but she insists on calling herself 'The budding cook', and then serves some professional looking crisp, perfect adais!! Does she sound like a budding cook at all???


Tigerfish of Teczcape presents mushrooms, my favourite veggie done exactly the way we at home love it!! Try these buttered mushrooms with onions and herbs -


U

Welcome to FIC, Ujwal! Ujwal's Kitchen is a lab, and brings in the flavors of Navratri - the decorations and the festivities that go with Ayudha Pooja when she prepared this rava payasam. The USP? the payasam is made with coconut milk and jaggery, and it is vegan!


Ujwal's Kitchlabs is still carrying the festivities - here are some delectable Diwali faral - Shankarpali (From Vaishali of Happy Burp!) .....



.....and Malpuris from "Oota Upahara" by Jaya V. Shenoy.


Uma from Essence of Andhra loves pickles and chutneys! This time she has sent in some hot and tangy cucumber pickle - how about having that with some steaming hot rice?


How do you celebrate any event - with a sweet of course! Uma presents these delicious, low cal, healthy date laddoos. Grab them if you can;)


V

Vaishali of Holy Cow! presents a sweet vegan dessert - a tarte tatin! This promises to tantalize those taste buds and gives some wings to my imagination;)!


Vaish moves to this part of the hemisphere - another great comfort food for the Indian tongue:)
Sambar with rasam and potato bhaji!


Vandy of 'Vandy's Culinary Adventures' takes us on a traditional trail with her delicious gulgules. She says these are a must for 'Karva Chauth' - an annual fast observed in North India.



Vidhya of My Recipes is on FIC for the first time - Welcome Vidhya. I am glad to have 'panakam' - a delicious vegan coolant and a tasty 'naivedyam' (offering to Gods) here.


Aside: One of my friends at office enlightened me when she said that what I thought to be a typical Tamilian 'naivedyam' takes different forms throughout India, slightly varying from region to region. Makes sense when you see the method and the nomenclature:

Panakam in extreme South, panak in the Konkan Region, Panha in Maharashtra and Panna in the North. I am not giving any recipe links as the internet is flooded with many versions!

Hope this round up fires up your ovens, and gas tops as it is doing mine!! Don't forget 'Purple and Black'. If there are any omissions do leave a comment so I can get back and rectify.

Labels: