"Kozhukattai - Recipe"

Sep 15th is Vinayagar Chathurthi. I know the things that come into your mind now...kutti Vinayagar idol with the beautiful umbrella (kudai :-)), sundal, vadai, payasam and our very favourite kozhukattai.




I tried doing kozhukattai for the first time yesterday. Luckily they came out very well. So here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

Rice Flour
Salt

Oil

Jaggery
Grated Coconut
Water
Powdered Cardamom

Method:
Boil water for some 20 mins. Add little salt and oil to the rice flour. Add water slowly and keep preparing dough with the rice flour. The consistency should be in such a way that you should be able to make the outer kozhukattai layer with it perfectly. Keep the dough aside.


For preparing the poornam, you need jaggery and grated coconut. I prefer not to use the frozen coconut. Fresh coconut tastes better. Boil very little water and to that add jaggery. Let it boil for sometime. When the jaggery gets dissolved in water completely, add the grated coconut and cardamom. Stir for sometime and switch off the stove when the poornam is ready.


Smear your hands with oil and prepare kozhukattai layer with the dough. Keep little poornam inside it. Close it. Prepare all the kozhukattai. Keep them in idli plates and pressure cook them.



Tasty Tasty kozhukattai ready!!!

"Life is beautiful"

Oooooooh...you are right. It is the Italian film that am going to talk about in this post. This is my most favourite movie. Friends, if anyone of you have not seen this movie yet, please watch it as soon as you get a chance. This is worth it.

I am really surprised that I liked an Italian film so much than any Indian movie. The story of this movie is the real hero. A gist of this movie for people who have not seen it and for those who are not able to recollect the complete story:

This movie is written and directed by Roberto Benigni. He happens to be the hero of the movie too. When I started watching the movie, I was wondering "Oh! Is this guy the hero? what kind of movie is this?" - the same reaction that comes from me when I watch new tamil heroes (Son of this old hero or that famous director` and who look totally unacceptable). But after I saw this movie, I started researching about how many awards this guy got. Yeah...he is mind-blowing.

The story starts with hilarious things that Roberto(Guido in the film) does to attract Dora. Guido is a jew but Dora is not. Finally, Guido succeeds in his attempts and steals Dora from her rude fiance during her engagement. They are living happily and Dora gives birth to Joshua, the sweet little boy.

Guido and Joshua are being taken to the Nazi concentration camp. Dora demands to join them and she is permitted to do so. This is where the real Guido character starts to demand our attention. In order to keep up Joshua's spirits, he makes up a story that the whole camp thing is a competition and the prize is going to be a tank. The way he covers up things everytime to please the little Joshua is the best part of the film. He manages to make Joshua believe that the whole camp thing is a game. Finally when Americans come to liberate the people in the camp, Guido makes Joshua hide in a box saying that this is the final test for the tank and goes to find Dora.

Did the family remain alive after the Americans liberation attempts or not is the climax of the story.

Do watch the movie!!! I was so touched by the movie and the character of Guido. It reminds us of our parents who has sacrificed so many things for us. They are the sole contributors of what we are now. Hats off to them!!!