Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Rasam Powder with raw ingredients - 2

I have been making this Rasam powder for a long time now. It is easy to prepare, lasts long and the Rasam comes out very tasty too. I learnt it from my mother. All the ingredients are raw (not roasted or fried). You can vary the proportions slightly, depending on the availability at home and the taste does not alter too much. Dry ginger is optional.

Ingredients:
Dhania (Coriander seeds) – 2 tbsp.
Jeera (cumin seeds) – 1.5 tbsp.
Black peppers – 1 tsp.
Toor dal (Pigeon Pea) – 3 tbsp.
Dry ginger – 1 cm. piece

Method:

Dry grind all the ingredients to a coarse powder in the mixie. Store in a glass bottle.


Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Beautiful Igreja do Salvador Church in Loutolim, Goa

On our tour of Loutolim, Goa, we stopped at the intersection of several roads, and there stands  the magnificient Church of Igreja do Salvador. One cannot pass it by and not see the interiors. That is what we did. The exterior is beautifully maintained, it looks clean and fresh.
the interiors are magnificient with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, Paintings hanging on the walls,  solid wood pews, golden altar. 
Following are a few photographs to illustrate the grandieur. If you are in Goa, This church is a must see!

Front facade of the church

South entrance to church

Interesting four shutter main door

View from inside the main entrance

Grand altar

Close up of the ceiling over altar

Wooden false ceiling in the entrance foyer

Detail of the above ceiling!

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

BIGFOOT / ANCESTRAL GOA, LOUTOLIM, GOA

We were driving around and wanting to go to Rachol, that we passed Loutolim. We came some awesome places, and we never got to go to Rachol at all. May be some other time.
I had heard about Bigfoot or Ancestral Goa. The reality was better. I always like the daily life of a place shown in 3 dimensional figures and actual objects. It makes it very easy to understand. Bigfoot is one such place, where the life style of Goans as well as the plants and birds natural to Goa are raised here.

My area of interest is to understand how people lived and what they did for a living and the tools and implements used in their daily life.


There is adequate parking inside for your vehicles, and there are also benches and shade where we had our breakfast. 


Loutolim is not quite hilly, but again it is not quite flat either. The terrain is interesting and they took advantage of the levels, to make a jigsaw of pathways and steps.


Bigfoot also has a legend of Parashuram. 


Rain coat / cover is made out of coconut palms gives freedom of movement, light weight and totally made of natural materials. Since coconut trees are native to Goa, the coconut palms are available in abundance.


How salt is made out of drying sea water in the pans is shown here. 


Fishermen carrying fishing nets going to the sea?


The famous Goan bewerage, Fenny, made from Cashew fruit. The process is depicted here.

The tourists can sit in this carriage and take photos!


The potters with their wares.


A family is buying Goan sweets.


Traditional Goan catholic house. The residents are in their traditional attire.


There is a shop selling soft drinks, tea and coffee and snacks, which is a great service. There are also a few shops selling clothes and footwear for the tourist!
We enjoyed a couple of hours and learnt a few insights into the traditional Goan way of life.

Bertradaburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

We made a trip to Eifel, in the middle of April, 2021, in western region of Germany. It was a day trip and a pleasant drive to the Bertradab...