India Trip 2009

I went to India in August. As always India Trip was memorable and rejuvenating !

Here is a clip of a shocking yet hilarious encounter of street celebrations on Ganesh Puja. (link)

From IndiaTrip2009

Singing and dancing on streets yet in a different way. Moving traffic stopped and everybody was staring at the artists. I couldn't control myself and captured this moment. Yes I was shocked!

I didn't bother to do too much Photography in this trip. I was just enjoying and at times cribbing too. Here are few more pics from the trip.

Expressions!!!

Note:
This is my sample drawing of famous Calvin Hobbes. It took me 1.5 hours to make it but being lazy, actually sitting down to start drawing it took me few weeks. I am planning (just planning yet) a bigger project and hopefully I will be able to finish it in few months. Lets see...

here is the original:

From CalvinHobbes

Impromptu Sherando Lake Camping

We did an impromptu early spring camping at Sherando Lake Camping
Sherando Lake is one of the good places to camp near Charlottesville.

• Its easy to find a campsite here
• Its not too crowded
• Its beautiful and peaceful like all parks
• A car camping and day hike is pretty convenient
• Try to take the address and direction of lake before you start. GPS cannot find the lake by its name

During winter all camp sites are closed. Usually campsites/park opens for public in end march.

We were lucky to get group camp site which is free in winter.

We did not take many pictures. Thanks to the good company we had, here are few pictures...

Happy Holi!

Holi is one of my favorite festivals. Can't remember any one holi when I was not soaked in colored water and my face is not looking like a color pallet. People used to recognize me only by my smile ( colored teeth too!)

If you have been playing holi all your childhood these things should be coming to your mind:

• Spring, sunny day with wind
• Flowers beginning to bloom and dust all around
• Bucket of colored water, pichkari, gubbare(water balloons)
• Holi songs, hasya kavi sammelan on TV
• Neighbours coming to your house with a plate/bag of colors
• A plate of gujiya, namkeen and Gulal ready in your porch for guests
• Bhang, Dahi bhalle and Gujiya :)

Here in US, I miss Holi. Still there are many places, where Indian community is pretty big, people play real holi nowhere less than the one we used to play in India. But what I miss most is Gujiya! Its not easily available in shops and not so easy to make.

Finally, this year I made Gujiya. Being a first timer it tastes really good! Special thanks to Mr. Husband for the help.


I prefer to put photographs but Poonam suggested that I should also write recipes of dishes I make. So here you go!

Dough:

• 1-1/2 cup maida/ all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup oil

Filling:

• 250 gms mawa/khoya
• 150 gms granulated Sugar(crushed like bura)
• 3 tbs kishmis/raisins
• 1 tbs shredded coconut(optional)
• 1 tbs cut cashews(optional)

Sealing:

• 1 tbs maida + 2 tbs water (mix to make a watery/liquidy paste)
• Gijiya maker or Dumpling press or Pierogi maker
  • We didn't find the gujiya maker so had to seal the gujiya manually(it takes away all the beauty)

Oil to fry

Method:

1. First make the filling so that it can cool while you work on dough
2. In a pan, roast mawa/khoya for some time so that it turns light brown/pink.
   • If you use fresh mawa, it will first melt into liquid and then it will start to solidify. keep stirring. Do not over cook.
   • If you use mawa from Indian grocery store ( usually its 'Nanak khoya'). It will not melt and you need to mesh it before roasting. otherwise it will have lumps.
3. Add sugar to mawa. add dry fruits and coconut.
4. Heat for 2 mins. keep stirring
5. Taste for sugar or anything needs to be added. Tasty filling makes tastier gujia.
6. Let it cool
7. Now make dough. Heat the oil for dough little bit. Add oil in the flour.
8. Make dough. It should be hard dough. harder than the Indian puri dough but not too hard.
9. Make small balls of dough. less than 1 inch should be fine.
10. Make thin round sheets
11. Now, add 1 or 2 spoons of filling in the center of round sheet
12. Put sealing mix at the edges of sheet to make a circle.
13. Carefully turn one half of sheet on the other half. take care the filling doesn't come in between the sealing.
14. Press the edges. You can use fork to seal and make design. You can fold the ends to make the design. Overall stress is on carefully folding so that it wont open while frying.
15. Make few and cover with wet cloth.
16. 16) when ready deep fry on low flame. I had little higher flame for few and gujiya turned out to be golden brown. Usually its more on whiter side.
17. See photograph. Few sealed with fork, few folded, few darker and few lighter:) .. (first timer).. All are tasty!

NOTE:

• You can get Gujia maker, Pierogi maker, Dumpling press online or in the market. Need some research.
• You can use dumpling sheets/ wanton wrap sheets. It makes the process way easier.
• Some would prefer to bake in place of frying. Authentic Gujia is deep fried.
  

Happy Holi!

Gobi65

Which Indian dish became famous after 'Bend it like Beckham'?
- Alu Gobi

I like Alu Gobi but due to various reasons I looked for a new Gobi dish.
Reasons:
- One of your friends or in-laws make very good Alu Gobi. You have tried many times and still its not that good.
- You are bored of same old
- Missing Indian Chinese

Here is an easy, different, tasty dish Gobi65 (Thanks to internet and thanks to all those talented people out there writing interesting blogs). This was my contribution to last Pot luck we went to. Success!

I have a sweet tooth ...

Chocolate Layer Cake recipe
Baking, hands on photography, long walk on a sunny winter weekend and good food. This is how my Valentine's day went.

Happy Valentine's Day

Painting as a meditation !

Based on an article I read in Yoga Journal where bread baking serves a meditation.
 Let dough rise and the mind fall quiet when you bake bread as a meditation.

I personally enjoy painting and cooking and would call it my meditation. A moving meditation. I think for some people its reading or driving or photography. Anyway.. if this could be my meditation I would do it everyday.

Hands on painting after many-many years.

 

Not sure why I chose this particular one. May be because I am obsessed with sunset and sunrise. If you observe, change in colors of almost everything around with changing atmosphere has an impact on you. I looked at the picture as 'Beauty in desert'. Here is the inspiration photograph by National Geographic:

2008 was an year of 'Change'

When I look back to year 2008. As usual so much happened in one whole year and I can make a looong list of things. Overall I would say year 2008 was an year of change. From personal life to the life of friends and family, to economy, to politics... change everywhere.

I have made a summarized list of my 2008 at the other blog 'Bawri Baatein'

Wonderful 12 days road trip from San Diego to Charlottesville was one of the high points of last year. Obviously start of a new life with some adventure:)



We started from San Diego on 5th April and reached Charlottesville safe and sound on 16th April. On our road trip we crossed 11 states in 12 days. Main attractions were Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, Great Basin, Arches National Park and Gateway Arch. Took Hwy 101, 1, 50, I-70 and I-64.

It was a wonderful experience. Saw variations in landscape, climate as well as living styles and accent. What we saw and experienced was impossible to capture in camera. Took loads of pictures and videos and it's tough to choose few out of so many.



Resources:
- TripTik travel planner and maps by AAA (went to AAA center. very helpful!)
- http://www.roadtripamerica.com/
- http://www.roadtripusa.com/
- Book: Road Trip USA
- Online trip planner Rand McNally (Not so robust, its a buggy tool)
- Healthy eating on road LA Yoga, March'08

Happy we did it and ready to do it again!

Happy New Year 2009!

Happy 2009!

Finally, after lot of thinking and re-thinking I have created this blog. Its been in my mind for a long time but I was not able to come up with a name which I like and it is available too. Rangeen Ainak (Colored Glasses) is the perfect name which I was looking for. World from my eyes, full of colors, happiness, beauty, creativity.. and the list is long.

I am sometimes(read always) unable to express and put together thoughts in presentable form. May be I have too much information to share or may be I need correct inspiration/guidance or may be I need correct specifications/requirements(when at work:) ).

Anyway, Here I am planning to put all the beautiful things, interesting ideas, inspiring projects and may be more...

As of now, a recap of 2008 will be a good idea:) [coming soon]

Keep visiting,

Best of health and happiness ever!