The Perfect Appam - To Tickle Your Taste Buds

In every woman's life, there are recipes which are passed from mother to daughter and those passed as part of the extended family through in laws.This appam recipe is one of the tasty ones which I learned from my mother in law.I remember writing down the exact measurements and procedure from her after marriage and this recipe has always delivered the most wonderful, heavenly tasting appams.
Here in Sydney, I have found two places recently, where you can find delicious appams.The first place is the famous Sydney Murugan Temple, where appam is available by the name of String Hoppers on Friday and Saturday.This appam is relatively small, has coconut cream in the center with something brown and sweet.I love it, though its taste is a bit different from what we make at home.Similar appam is available in an Indian and Srilankan Take Away shop located in Wentworthville, on the road from the station to Udaya Stores, the one place where you can find stuff for all your South Indian kitchen requirements.

My mother-in-law says that the appams she tasted in Malaysia were the best ones to date.The appams which I am talking about is a staple food of Kerala and pronounced aa-pams.They can be served with coconut milk, veg stew or a similar non-veg gravy.

Ingredients:
Avil/Poha - 1 Cup
Pachai Arisi/Raw rice - 3 Cups
Urad Dhal  - 3 Spoons
Salt - To taste
Cooking Soda - A pinch
Coconut Water - 1 Cup( if available)
Yeast - 1/2 tsp or very little for fermentation(Optional)

Important: Appa Chatti is required for perfect appams.

Procedure:
1.Soak the poha, rice and urad dhal separately for 2 hours
2.First grind the poha and Urad dhal together  to a fine paste and keep the batter separately.Then grind the    rice separately to a very fine paste and mix it well with the other paste.
3.Add the required salt, and the pinch of soda
4.Keep for fermentation.It usually takes about 10-12 hours for it to be fully fermented.
5.The fermented batter can be kept in the refrigerator and freshly used.
6.1 cup of coconut milk or coconut water may be added to the fermented batter for extra taste just before use.
Making Appams:Place the appa chatti in the stove and wait till it is properly heated.Coat the chatti with a spoon of oil using a tissue paper, before making appam, i.e., pouring the batter. Pour a ladle of batter into the appa chatti and give in a swirl, so that the batter gets evenly coated.The batter is thinner in the sides and more in the middle.The appa chatti is a concave shaped vessel, and hence helps in achieving its shape.Close the appa chatti and wait for a minute or two till the appam is well cooked, before taking it off with the suitable ladle provided with the chatti.
Some Tips and Tricks
Over the years, these are the small things I have found regarding appams.

• Many people use cooked rice instead of poha.It is said to give very soft appams.I have personally never tried it.
• If you want to make appams tomorrow, it is best to prepare the batter fresh sometime today.
• If you live in a cold place, place the batter in a pre-heated oven to help in the fermentation.Fully fermented batter is very important to make appams.Without  proper fermentation, appams will not be fluffy or taste good.
• Using yeast : I use dry yeast and do not add the cooking soda.Add 1/2 spoon of dry yeast to a little of warm water with a bit of sugar.Add the dissolved yeast water to the batter before keeping for fermentation.
•  When you take batter from the vessel, it is best to use it up fully.So I usually take the batter in a small bowl and use it up fully.Never mix the used batter back to the unused one.Else it will become watery.

Our Long Sydney Weekend - Sights and Sounds

This was the first time in a long time that a long weekend was coming up in Sydney.So we made fantastic plans as all of us usually do.Saturday was reserved for Flemington Market for the weekly vegetable shopping, Sunday for sight seeing at the Royal Botanical Gardens and eating out and Monday for relaxation at home.As it always happens, the best laid plans seldom come to pass and this was so true in our case.With Saturday around the corner, I was feeling so tired and weak on Friday.However, despite my weakness or otherwise, work needs to get done during the week , so as not to upset the cycle.And so Saturday came, with me running a fever and aching all over.

Resting And Wondering: This was a day, when I was feeling very down, physically and emotionally after a very long time.It was also time spent in bed contemplating my foolishness in trying to plan every moment of my life, where there is  no guarantee of the next minute from this one.After a lot of rest, a dose of Paracetamol and a good nights sleep, everything came to normal on Sunday.By the way, Flemington plans got cancelled, as I was too weak to look after my daughter on my own.

Sunday - Man Proposes, God Disposes: Every outing requires enormous planning, especially with regard to the food.Since we are vegetarians by choice, there is not much by the way of food options.Having a kid who is fussy about what she eats, has a way of keeping you overly cautious and prepared with food options to satisfy her.So there was rice, rasam and beetroot for her and me as well, since I still had throat pain.There was Dosai and Kurma for my husband.All the food preparations and house cleaning done, we started out at about 11:30 AM as opposed to 10- 10:30AM, which had been the plan.By the time we had reached Central, it was almost 12/12:30.Since there was a bit of shopping to do for odd things like a hat, shorts etc we visited the Haymarket and loitered around for an hour or so.This place can be called the Ranganathan Street of Sydney.It is one of those shopping stops, where you find a variety of stuff  cheap and can shop for the odd souvenirs to give to your family and friends, after a visit to Sydney.

Haymarket At Noon

Inside Haymarket

It was almost 1:30/2:00, when we came out and  deciding to eat, went hunting for a place to do just that.With the sun burning over out heads, the best option was my husband's work place in the CBD, near  Darling Harbour.We went in and had food.My daughter did not eat much, having slept on the way.This was the first time, I had experienced the proper Sydney sun.Everyone was walking around with caps and hats to escape the blazing sunlight, accompanied by a hot breeze.By the time, the food sat in our stomachs, it was already 3:30, and with the sun still shining bright overhead, we did not have the heart to walk around to the Royal Botanical Gardens.

A View Of The Harbor From Above

Change of Plans to Hyde Park  : We decided to change our plans and pay a visit to the Hyde Park and relax.With beautiful statues gracing a sparkling fountain, big yellow snails and lush green lawns, surrounded by aged majestic trees, giving that much needed shade, this seemed like our small piece of heaven to chill out and unwind.There was also the view of the Saint Mary cathedral Church, with age old architecture preserved so beautifully, that it gave the place a feel of Europe.This park was so fantastic with couples, families and lovers gracing the lawn all over and having a good time.After lying in the grass, and staring at the skies for a long while, all that sleeping energy, came back in full force, and it seemed that we would be able to conquer the world, having rejuvenated the body and mind.

Hyde Park Entrance

Water Fountain At The Hyde Park

Saint Mary's Cathedral:Since we seemed to have abundant time in our hands, with  no plans to visit the Gardens, we decided to go in and look around the church.I do not know much about architecture and nor am I a Christian.But the church was this one beautiful construction with tall ceilings, beautifully stained glass with drawings depicting various scenes from the bible and life of Jesus.The statues of Lord Jesus and Mother Mary were so realistic and evoked emotions of the pain and suffering, as well as love and compassion that Christianity preaches.With Organ music in the back ground and lovely yellow light filtering through the windows, it was almost so easy to believe that we were loved and there was a savior , to listen to our troubles and shoulder our burdens.This was one of the times, when it felt that I was just a small dot in the vast universe filled with numerous fellow beings.

For any tourist visiting Sydney, I would recommend The Church as well as Hyde Park among the top ten places to visit and enjoy.

A Walk Along Darling Harbor : Its strange how a change of plan can leave you with so much free time.We decided to take a small walk along the harbor through the wharf.With a view of the Opera House, surrounded by food, drink and entertainment, and the vast blue sea on the side, Darling harbor was a sight to behold.The best thing for us though was that there were various events going on in different parts of the sidewalk, absolutely free.

And Finally Some Fun: Our first stop was near the  entrance of the walkway where a gentleman was playing a Didgeridoo.We got ourselves some ice cream and settled down to enjoy this uniquely Australian experience.Just as each and every place has its speciality,  listening to the Didgeridoo is great fun.The best part was watching the awe and contagious excitement of the young ones around, who seemed fascinated by the sight and sound of a strange looking man playing a strange instrument.

Didgeridoo Player In Action

On various corners of the sidewalk, there were talented musicians playing their instruments.You could get a CD of their music if you were impressed for a cheap 10$.I got a CD of Sax music played by one of the gentlemen along the shore.I have a sample here, if you would like to enjoy.

Then , there was the air juggler, who attracted quite a crowd for his performance.Stand on a bicycle fixed in a stand held in place by three ropes held by three men, the juggler entertained the crowd with his humor and performance.

The Juggler: " Please watch my show and contribute something.If you are an American, please contribute a 100$. I love America.No seriously, I request you to spare me 50$ or 20$. If you do not wish to spend that much, please give me 10$ or even 5$. I know that you will all leave me something for being stupid enough to stand in the air, because you are all Angels."

The Juggler

The act started with the gentleman standing/ balancing on the bike and juggling a stick of fire, a knife and an apple.
In the end, when some of  us started leaving, he even humorously added - " Please don't leave without contributing something, like that lady over there.Please Please, I am tired of eating apples.I love you for your kindness.Please leave a little something for enjoying my show."

By the time we had walked around for a while, it was 6:30 and we had to catch a train back home to Parramatta.It had been a fun and exciting day and since our daughter had not eaten properly, we cancelled our eating out plans and came home early to make something for everyone for the night.

 What We Missed: It was around this time that Parramasala, a cultural event was taking place in Alfred Park near Church Street from 4th October to 7th October.Though I started out on Monday evening to see what it was, unfortunately it ended just that afternoon by 4:30.So we missed out on that.There would have been delicious food and cultural events such as songs and dance. Though the weekend did not pass according to our plans, we enjoyed those unplanned moments more, and became more acquainted with the fine sights and sounds of the Darling Harbor.There are still many more attractions along the harbor side like the Maritime Museum, Madam Tussauds Wax Museum, Water life Aquarium and many more, which we have kept aside for another day, along with the Royal Botanical Gardens.
For anyone planning to visit Sydney, a visit to the Darling harbor is a must to see the city in all its nighttime glory.

Please feel free to leave your comments and suggestions.

My Experiment With Gardening

Just recently, I was searching in my shelf for some mint leaves which I thought were in stock.These are life savers when you want to dish up some really tasty Biriyani.I am now privy to what goes on to make the perfect Anjappar Style Egg Biriyani - all thanks to the most perfect recipe from my neighbor Surya.Thanks a ton there Surya.Now back to my tale, unfortunately, I was out of stock and so had to cancel my Biriyani plans for that day.However one good thing which got started was that, I got searching on if I can grow my own Mint plant.And behold, there was this blog which had full information on how to proceed.The best thing was that anyone could do it and all you needed to start with were freshly purchased mint with stems.

Getting Started:So anyway, one thing led to another, and I put in  my first set of mint cuttings in a soil filled cardboard box,with a sprinkling of water, which was covered with a plastic bag to retain moisture.I waited patiently for two weeks, checking daily and continuing to keep it moist by adding water in drops.Out of the ten cuttings which I kept, almost 6-7 survived and grew roots. I transferred them from the cardboard egg tray to a proper pot.At first it looked like the leaves were all turning grey and falling away.However, fresh shoots started appearing and since then ,these plants have started flourishing.I am confident that in a while, I will have my own mint garden to depend on 24/7.

                  The mint cuttings after a week in the card board box

                   They are kept in shade and covered by a plastic bag

      My Mint Garden - Freshly growing since transferred to a pot

Opening New Doors:Now that I have my own mint garden, I have become very eager to try to grow other stuff as well.You may as well call me a seed maniac, because hardly a day goes by, without me keeping aside something to experiment and see if it grows, from the seeds we get from the usual vegetables and fruit.It is wonderful to be a part of the miracle, that is nature.Having also got seeds for tomatoes, brinjals, lady'sfinger, angled luffa(peerkangai), zinnia(flower) and green snake bean(pythangai), I am waiting for these to start germinating..The most trying thing that a new gardener experiences is the waiting.Gardening is teaching me a lot of patience, because you have to patiently wait for your seeds to germinate and care for them as tenderly as you would for your child.

Shoots of Angled Luffa - From Seeds Purchased From The Chinese Supermarket 


Why I Would Like To Continue:If you witness nature's miracle and are a part of it, it is very difficult to remain unaffected.There is abundant sunshine here in Sydney.We have our own big backward, which has a patch of land as well as big floor of grey tiles over which pots may be placed.My husband who also loves gardening, has made big plans for growing a lot of things in our backyard.If we are lucky and able to stay on here for a while, we would hopefully get to taste the fruits of our labor, literally.
Till then I am keeping my fingers crossed and praying that my seedling babies grow up to become strong and healthy plants.Gardening seems to be a great stress reliever as well as confidence booster.The sense of accomplishing something, when your seed grows -it just cannot be described in words.
As always, feels free to drop in your comments and/or questions if any.

Stargazing Memories

One of the wonderful things which I love about Sydney is that, this is one part of the world where I can see the stars.If you have been in the crowded places like Chennai or New York recently, you would understand why this is a strange fascination for me.One of the fast disappearing scenes of this modern world is the sight of the beautiful starry night sky.Maybe due to too many lights in use or whatever other reason, you no longer get to see any stars in many places.
Gazing at the starry night holds special memories for me.When we were kids living in Chennai, there used to be the occasional power cut then.This is not like the scheduled power cuts, which are happening nowadays in Tamil Nadu, especially in the very hot summers.Those were times of carefree childhood.I remember how along with my sister, I used to frequent the  fenced roof top, and sit there having many silly as well as heart to heart conversations.We would recount what happened in the day, sharing secrets as only sisters can.She used to tell me about all her fights and we used to talk about the various teachers and how they were always giving us endless tests.She is happily settled in some other part of the world and I am also busy with my family.But whenever I gaze at the night stars here in Sydney, I am taken back to my childhood with her, filled with precious memories.
There is something so very final about being surrounded by the vast sky, which makes you realize how small you are and an insubstantial part of the universe.It also makes you feel really silly for worrying about things over which you have little or no control.It reminds you to look to your passion and not waste that precious time doing something just for the sake of it.
Even if I wish for it, those carefree days of childhood are not withing my reach.It is only my  slowly fading memory which keeps them alive.At that time, I remember being excited thinking about what the future had in store for us - where we would be 10-15 years later and what we would be doing - what things would have changed.Today is one of those times of nostalgia, when I wish I had the chance to go back to those days and just stay there forever.

On A Windy Friday Evening !

I have been in Sydney for almost 4 months now.Amazing how time flies by.It seems as if we just landed here yesterday.The place where we live is somewhere around the center of civilization.Though it is lonely here and you do not even know who lives next door, you eventually stop letting that bother you after some time.As one of the children in a household, where both parents were employed, you actually get used to being alone by yourself a lot of the time.
Nowadays, I can honestly say that it is actually a drain of energy when associating with people and going to places and events, just because it is the in thing to do.However, there is the shopping complex a fifteen minute walk from our apartment, which I religiously frequent and a friend living next door with whom I chat every other day.I am in love with Sydney.There is no other way to describe this experience.If you are in US, you do not even know what you are missing out on.
Maybe what makes it so beautiful here is the casual, laid back charm of the place and people.It seems to have the combination of the modernity  that is US, the wilderness that is Australia and the mix of multilingual culture, with the overall effect that it makes one feel at ease.
My daughter will be turning 3 years old this month.As a stay at home mom, 24 hours do not seem enough to do the job of looking after the house, cooking, cleaning and looking after my daughter.As a person, who loves to search for good books and movies, I find very limited time to do what I like.I have been freed up a bit since this last month, as we have put our daughter in a daycare/preschool setup.It is quite costly here, especially as the refunds and benefits are only for permanent residents and Australian citizens.We're very lucky to be able to afford this, even on a three day a week basis.

Well, you cannot be in Sydney/NSW without talking about weather.They say that winter starts around the start of June and ends around the end of August, with July being the coldest.The weather changes about 3 to 4 times a day.Sometimes the morning starts out being very sunny, with the afternoons turning cold, the evenings turning warm and the nights turning coldest.This week has been especially windy and cold.All my shopping plans for the week keep getting postponed.I especially wait for the weekends, where we can sleep a bit longer, without having to get up in the cold to complete the daily cooking and cleaning in time for breakfast.

I wanted to write all this, sitting at home today, a windy Friday evening.
Each day is an adventure, and experience teaches you a lot of things which you would not have learned, had you simply been part of a family.The best thing about Sydney for me is that there is the public library within walkable distance, to satisfy my craving for books.I do not have to depend on anyone to get there and absolutely love the freedom and independence.Sure I miss my family, but they would not want me to sit here feeling sad and what seems most important is to live in the present and enjoy the golden sights and sounds that this land has in store for me.
Feel free to drop in a line, if you liked this read