Singapore F1 Grand Prix

The world's first night race is going to make history on the Marina Bay street circuit tomorrow. There is absolutely no doubt that it is going to thrill millions of racing fans across the globe. After reading the straitstimes about the arrangements made, it is really great and hats off to the teams responsible for this great event. The lighting system is going to be one of the important aspects which would make it a mind-boggling spectacle in the evening. The racing circuit is also very new to all the drivers and it is going to of great challenge to them. The world top racing drivers, led by Kimi Raikonnen of Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton of McLaren, Nick Heidfeld of BMW, Fernando Alonso of Renault, Felipe Massa of Ferrari are going to perform at their best putting their skills and experience into maximum use. Watching the race with a backdrop of Singapore Flyer and tall skyscrapers is going to be a real feast for the eyes. The live coverage of this sport, is going to put Singapore in the global map of F1 world racing. Dont forget to watch the nerve wracking event (september 28, 2008) which makes it a unique experience.

Kancheepuram Idli

If you are bored eating the regular idlies, for a change you can try this. It is easy to make too.

Ingredients
Idli rawa - 2cup
Urad dhal - 1cup
Pepper - 2tsp
Jeera - 3tsp
Mustard - 2tsp
Hing - little
Curry leaves - few leaves
Cashews - 12nos
Curd - 1/2cup
Salt- little
Oil - little
Ghee - 2tsp

Method
1. Add 1/2 cup water to idli rawa and set it aside. Soak urad dhall for 2hrs. Then grind it with little water. Remove when it is coarse. Mix it with iddli rawa adding salt and curd. Allow it to ferment for 7-8hrs.
2. Heat kadai, add 4-5tsp oil (gingely oil preferred), when hot add hing, mustard, powdered pepper and jeera, curry leaves and pour it into the batter. Then add 2tsp ghee and fry cashews and pour it to batter. Add water, if the batter is very thick.

3. Take a round vessel, spread ghee or oil and then add the batter. Pressure cook it for 15-18min. Once done remove, cool a bit and cut it into different shapes and serve with green chutney or iddli-podi with gingely oil.

suji appam

One of the oldest sweets. I just love it. My mom has come here and i requested her to prepare it for me. Even my kids loved it.

Ingredients

(for outer covering)
Maida - 1 1/2 cup
Suji - 1/2 cup
Oil - 10 to 12tsp

(for the inner filling)
Suji - 2cup
Jaggery - 1 1/2 cup
Cardamom -3 nos
Ghee - 3tsp
Oil - just enough for deep frying


Method
1. In a mixing bowl add the maida, suji and with water make it into a dough. Pour oil on top mix well and leave it for 3-4hours.
2. In a vessel take 1 cup of water add the jaggery and heat it till the jaggery melts. Strain it and keep aside.
3. In a heated kadai add 3tsp of ghee and nicely fry or roast the suji till it is golden brown and add cardamom and then jaggery water. Mix thoroughly till it turns into a ball. Set aside. Let it cool.

Above picture : Maida dough and suji-jaggery mixture

4. In a greased paper or a plantain leaf apply little oil, take a small lemon sized maida dough and spread it out in a round shape. Take a lemon sized suji-jaggery mixture, keep it inside and close the outer maida layer. Prepare the rest of the mixture in the same way.

5. Take one ball in a greased paper and press it into round shape.
6. In a kadai, add oil and once it is heated, drop one by one the suji appam and turn side to side and remove in a tissue paper once it is golden brown.

Eco-friendly Idli

Idli is on the best tiffin, that is suitable for all ages. It is steamed and therefore easily digestable. Eating it in the same way makes it very boring. So, i tried by adding spinach in it. All of us liked it.

Ingredients

Idli batter - 5cups

Spinach - 1 bundle/bunch

Green chilli - 1

Corriander powder - 1/4tsp

Garam Masala -= 1/4tsp

Method

1. Wash the spinach thoroughly. In a blender add the green chilli, corriander powder, garam masala and spinach. Grind it into a paste adding very little water if needed.

2. Mix the above mixture into the idli batter.

3. Pour the batter into iddli moulds and steam it for 10-12mins. Hot eco-friendly iddli's are ready to serve with coconut chutney.

Oats Dosai

Oats is a very good food ingredients which can be used by people who are on special diets. It has good amount of fibre in it. It can be used in baking also.

Ingredients

Oats - 1cup

Rice flour - 1cup

Maida (plain flour) - 1cup

Sooji (rava) - 1cup

Onion - 1no

Pepper - 10nos

Jeera - 2tsp

Curry leaves - little

Corriander leaves - little

Carrot - 1/2no.

Salt - little

Oil - little

Method

1. Grate carrots, cut onions and crush jeera and pepper into flakes.

2. In a mixing bowl, add oats and then pour little warm water. Allow to stand for 10min.

3. To the above, add the sooji, maida, rice flours and add carrots, onions, curry leaves, corriander leaves, crushed jeera and pepper. Add salt and water and mix thoroughly. Allow it to stand for 1/2 hour.

3. In a heated tawa, pour one laddle full of flour into round shape. Pour little oil on sides, then turn it to the other side. Cook both sides and remove when it turns into golden brown.

Serve it hot with chutney.