Richa Gangopadhyay

 Telugu Actress Richa Gangopadhyay ..

 

Thai Sweet Chile Sauce Recipe

Thai Sweet Chile Sauce Recipe

We’ve had a despicably cold summer in the Bay Area, the coldest since 1958! Dreary overcast skies greet us every morning. If we’re lucky, we get a few hours of sun and then it’s cool again.

Yesterday, my husband reminded me of the sweltering heat wave last August. My friend, novelist Monique Truong, just wrote to me about Brooklyn’s humidity.

I ought to be relieved to not experience global warming, huh? But as crazy as it sounds, the physical discomfort of sweating during the dog days of summer seems dreamy right now.

I figured that since the sun can’t burn through the clouds that I could at least enjoy flavors that evoke hot weather. That’s the genesis of this Thai sweet chile sauce.

Ever since I opened a bottle of the commercially-made stuff, I’ve wanted to make my own. The bottled version is terribly gloppy and cloying, without much personality. It didn’t seem like rocket science to prepare so I tinkered around in my kitchen to come up with this sweet chile sauce recipe.

I’ve made this twice now and suggest that you leave about 1/4 of the seeds intact to get some heat. Leave all the seeds if you want an inferno effect.

Fresno chiles, sold at many regular markets, are a great stand-in for long chiles that would traditionally be used in Thailand. The cilantro stems are my workaround for using cilantro roots.

What to do with Thai sweet chile sauce? Serve it with grilled pork steaks, pork ribs, or classicThai grilled chicken (gai yang). Vegetarians can try dipping the grilled okra in the sauce.

I've had it in a stir-fry of eggplant and Thai basil. You can mix this sweet chile sauce with fish sauce and some water for a sweet-savory dipping sauce. I hope you’re enjoying sunshine wherever you are.

Recipe

Thai Sweet Chile Sauce

You can tinker with the flavors afterwards by adding sugar or vinegar and re-cooking.

Makes about 2 cups

1/3 cup coarsely chopped cilantro stems and roots

2 cups water

3 to 4 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic

4 ounces Fresno chiles, mostly seeded and coarsely chopped

1/8 teaspoon salt

About 2 cups distilled white vinegar

1 1/3 cups sugar

1. Put the cilantro stems and water into a sauce pan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover. Let steep for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, use an electric mini chopper to grind the garlic, chiles, and salt to a coarse texture. Set aside.

3. Strain the cilantro liquid through a mesh strainer. Measure the liquid. You should have about 1 3/4 cups. Transfer to a saucepan. Add the same quantity of vinegar as you had of the cilantro liquid. Add the sugar and chiles and garlic mixture. Stir.

4. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat to simmer. Let simmer until the volume has reduced by half. (How much time this takes depends on the size of your saucepan. Use a shallow, wide pan to hasten the process.) The resulting sauce should be slightly thick.

Remove from the heat and set aside, uncovered, to cool completely. Expect the sauce to thicken further and concentrate in flavor.

Use immediately or transfer to a jar and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.

Nakheel Tower DUBAI.

  Nakheel Tower-Dubai

The latest design attempting to breach the dizzying heights of the Burj Dubai has been revealed as the multibillion dollar Nakheel Tower. Designed by the developments wing of major investment company Nakheel, the tower will be more than a kilometre high, covering a space of around 270 hectares, and will become home to around 55,000 people, a workplace for 45,000, and is hoped will attract millions of visitors each year. More images and video after a jump...

Nakheel Tower will comprise of four individual towers within a single structure, a distinctive crescent-shaped podium encircling the base and complementing the structure’s remarkable height. The multibillion-dollar development, commissioned by Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, chairman of Dubai World, will also include 250,000 sq m of hotels and hospitality space, 100,000 sq m of retail space and huge expanses of green spaces, including canal walks, parks and landscaping. The Tower itself, cited geographically central to Dubai at the intersection of Sheikh Zayed Road and the Arabian canal, will aim to complement surrounding developments, such as Jumeirah Park and Discovery Gardens.

In terms of design the architects have sought inspiration not just from Islamic design but also from the Islamic principles of inclusion, innovation, diversity, excellence, growth and progress: “These are the principles that have motivated and guided Islamic culture throughout history. Now they are shaping the cities of the future,” explained Sultan Bin Sulayem. To this end, the architects have sought inspiration and incorporated elements from the great Islamic cities of the past such as the gardens of Alhambra in Spain, the harbour of Alexandria in Egypt, and the bridges of Isfahan in Iran.

Sustainability and safety will be key to the development of the tower, with the latest standards and technology incorporated in its development, Sultan Bin Sulayem believes it will “send another message to the world that Dubai has a vision like no other place on earth.” Via Link

 

Forget the 3,280 feet-high 200-floor Nakheel Tower because it’s no longer going to be the highest skyscraper in the world. The new upcoming beast is this amazing 1.55-mile-high skyscraper planned for the Jumeirah City project in Dubai. The building is so tall that its main elevator is in fact a vertical 125mph bullet train. This city-in-a-skyscraper will consume 37,000 megawatts per hour per year, with a 15MWH peak usage, but as the plans show, it has been designed to generate most of it using wind, thermal, and solar power.

Onionz Limone Chutney

Onions Lemon Chutney

let me tell you the story about onions lemon.

ya see, onions was a big talker. until one day, the boss told me to give onions the silence treatment.

know what I'm slaying?


i did a real clean job.





'cause that's what i do.


  I'm not slaying' a cupola-few innocents didn't get caught in the mix.





these things happen.





regardless,





i get the job done.

onions lemon chutney
adapted from jellies, jams & chutneys by thane prince 

1/2 pound red onions (about 1 medium-large) diced
1/2 pound lemons (about 3 medium)
4 & 1/2 ounces dried apricots, chopped
4 garlic cloves,
1 1/2 inch slice of ginger
3 dried red chiles
7 ounces demerara sugar - or raw
1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 pint canning jars or smaller


yeild: 1 & 1/2 pints approximately


1. squeeze the lemons and set juice aside.


2. scrape the flesh from the lemon peels and discard. slice and then dice the cleaned lemon shells.


3. peel the garlic and ginger and process to a paste with the dried chilis. you can use a mini processor, a wet/dry spice grinder or a good old fashioned mortar and pestle.


4. put everything into a preserving pot including the reserved lemon juice. heat on medium low until the sugar melts and then turn up the heat to medium high and bring to the boil. simmer until mixture thickens - about 20-30 minutes. you know when it reaches sufficient thickness when you slide your stirring spoon across the bottom of the pot and the chutney wavers on either side for a second or two before it melts back over itself.


5. this chutney is quite thick and like me, you may have a bit of trouble getting all of the air pockets out of the sides. be sure to use a knife or back of spoon to run around the inside sides and give the jar a little bang and side to side shuffle on the counter-top when filling.


6. hot water bath process for 10 minutes.


to allow the flavors to fully flourish it is best to let this chutney rest for 2-3 weeks before indulging. this recipe can easily be doubled.


this little chutney packs a powerful punch, and definitely has an eastern flair. i would say skip the ubiquitous chutney & sharp cheese pairing with this one and go right for the curries, stir-frys and one dish indian and southeast asian inspired meals. or simply use it stirred into a rice or grain as the exotic flavoring agent.


(ok, i couldn't wait - we had it last night with rice and a quick indian shrimp stir-fry and it really was the perfect pairing! i served it alongside one of our go to lemon pickles and it was so good we ended up stirring this onionz limone right into our rice and forgoing the lemon pickle altogether! go figure! )

tigress can jam march: allium success


i have a confession to make - i am not a big chutney fan.


(there i said it) ok, now that i've let the jam out of the jar - i'll explain that it's not 100% true. i actually love chutney - the fresh kind, the kind that is served all over the eastern hemisphere in varying degrees. the kind that is traditionally ground between pestle and grinding stone at heights closer to the floor than the counter-top, and taste the best the day they are made.


but the hot water bath preserved kind that stems from the british's take on the real thing? well, not so much. however, i wanted to push the onion skin for this month's can jam and find a preserved chutney i could relate to. and lo, at a point or two in the cooking process i was thinking, "oh, no, fail!" but eventually the flavors and textures came together to a seriously mouth-watering condiment. it is sweet yes, but not cloyingly so, and the pungency & spice will bring me back to the preserving pot for this one. i can certainly see it as a larder staple as i imagine it will pair with many-a-things going on in my kitchen. and i dare say it's prompted me to explore more chutneys of the preserving persuasion.

How To Make Ketchup.

 How To Make Ketchup

Only to find an onslaught of these:





the way i saw it, there were only two choices; me or them.





it was brutal.

sweet tomato (R.I.P.) ketchup

4 pounds very ripe tomatoes, peeled & chopped
1 cup sugar (i use raw)
1 & 1/2 cups white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 head garlic, peeled & chopped fine
2 & 1/2 tablespoons ginger, peeled & chopped fine
1-2 dried red chiles, pounded in mortar & pestle (or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon flakes)
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
juice & zest of one lime
1/2 pint or smaller mason jars


yield: approximately 2 pints


1. if you have ever tried to peel a raw tomato before then you know what i'm saying when i tell you to boil a pot of water, and drop them in whole. take them out after 30-60 seconds, just until their skins split and drop them in a waiting bowl of ice water. peel. if this is the first you've ever heard of this, you're welcome.


2. while you're waiting for the water to boil, zest and juice the lime. chop the garlic and ginger, if you have a wet/dry spice grinder, or a small food processor with which to make a smooth garlic-ginger paste use it here.



(side note - this is my first local northeast lime! i grew it!)


3. prepare the whole dried chiles in the mortar & pestle if using. i like to bruise whole spices to bring out the flavor; toss in the cumin, fennel and fenugreek seeds and pound lightly once or twice, do not crush.




4. add the tomatoes, garlic-ginger paste, spices, vinegar, salt, and lime zest & juice to a non-reactive pot. add the sugar and heat on low until the sugar dissolves. once the sugar has dissolved turn the heat up and bring to the boil.


5. once the boiling point is reached, bring the heat down and simmer for approximately 1 and 1/2 hours, until desired ketchup-y thickness.


6. while the ketchup is simmering prepare jars & lids for hot water bath processing. process full jars for 10 minutes.

Pakistan's Historical and Most Famous Places

Beautiful Pictures of Pakistan

Dance of a Peacock - Pakistan

There is a peaock breeding barn infront of the Guest House where I'm staying. It has more than 30 peacocks from different colors. Unfortunately, all kept behind the chain link.

Faisal Mosque, Islamabad, Pakistan

The Shah Faisal Masjid in Islamabad, Pakistan - is among one of the largest mosques in the world. Its Pakistan’s National Mosque. It is a popular masjid in the Islamic world, and is renowned for both its size and its architecture covering an area of 5,000 square meters with a capacity of 300,000 worshippers. It’s relatively unusual design fuses contemporary lines with the more traditional look of an Arab Bedouin's tent, with its large triangular prayer hall and four minarets.

Jahangir Kothari, Karachi

Single RAW HDR processing on photomatix from my Canon 400D.Photo at Jahangir Kothari parade, Karachi, Pakistan.

The Tomb of Jam Nido at Makli Hills, Thatta, Sindh, Pakistan

This is the tomb of Jam Nido, a Summa ruler who reigned from 1461-1508.One of the largest necropolises in the world, with a diameter of approximately 8 kilometers, Makli Hill is supposed to be the burial place of some 125,000 Sufi saints. It is located on the outskirts of Thatta, the capital of lower Sind until the seventeenth century, in what is the southeastern province of present-day Pakistan.

Shrine of Bibi Jawindi, Uch Sharif in Beautiful Pictures of Pakistan

Uch or Uch Sharif is located in Punjab, Pakistan. Uch is also known as "Alexandria at the Head of the Punjab", is a historical city in Pakistan. Once it was an important city of ancient India. It is believed that in 325 BC Alexander the Great founded a city called Alexandria at the site of the last confluence of Punjab rivers with the Indus river.

Arambagh Mosque, Karachi

An illuminated view of colorful lights installed over the Aram Bagh Mosque in connection with Shab-e-Barat.

Derawar Fort, Cholistan, Pakistan

Derawar Fort is an ancient fort located in Cholistan Desert in Pakistan. The Fort was built by Deoraj, a prince of Jaisalmer. It was in possession of royal family of Jaisalmer when it was captured by Abbasis in 1735. In 1747, the Fort slipped from the hands of Abbasis in the reign of Nawab Bahawal Khan due to his pre-occupations at Shikarpur. Nawab Mubarak Khan took the stronghold back in 1804.

The Astore Valley in the Northern Areas of Pakistan

Astore Valley (el. 2,600 m (8,500 ft)) is located in Astore District in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. The valley, adjoining the eastern side of mountain Nanga Parbat, is about 120 km (75 mi) long, having area of 5,092 km2 (1,966 sq mi).[citation needed]The entrance of the valley is located about 60 km southeast of Gilgit with four side-valleys. The valley has more than 100 villages with a total population of 71,666 (Census 1998)[citation needed], including Chilm, Bubin, Gorikot, Eid Ghah, Fina, Bulen, Chongra and Tari Shing. Chilm is the most beautiful village among all the villages of Astore, because it is the starting point of Deosai, the world's second highest plateau. The majority of people practice subsistence agriculture and livestock is the main source of livelihood complemented by seasonal work in down districts of the country. Due to its diverse landscape and climatic conditions the valley provides excellent habitat for a variety of commercially important medicinal plants.

Warrior and his Sword in Beautiful Pictures of Pakistan

Before the opening of four in line tent pegging category only he was honored to lift this peg with sword instead of Lance.

Sunset at GT Road, Pakistan

Even though it is Winter, sunset is still colorful and bright in Pakistan.

Beautiful Pakistan - View from Lord of the Rings

This is a view of Tupopdan mountain, one of the most amazing places along Karakoram highway.

The Karakoram is a ‘who’s who’ of the world’s tallest peaks – including K-2, second only to Everest. And its valleys deliver a glut of glaciers, the longest outside the polar regions, with some creeping right to the road edge. The 240-kilometer Hunza Valley is an ancient and remote kingdom in the northeast of Pakistan, nestled close to China and the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan. The simplicity of village life belies the valley’s strategic and economic importance. Not so many years ago, travel through its narrow gorges and high passes was treacherous as local brigands supplemented meagre agricultural outputs by raiding silk route caravans, trading slaves and capturing loot.

Pakistan - Amazing Scary Suspension Husaini Bridge

This is a shot of Mt. Tupopdan (6106m) taken at the sunset with new and old suspension Husaini Bridge in foreground. Probably one of the more instantly recognizable pictures you'll see in books and promotional pictures of Pakistan is of the numerous suspension bridges that cross the rivers in and around Northern Pakistan. And in saying that, one of the more famous day treks around the region is known as the Two Bridges trek which as the name suggests sees you crossing two bridges on a five hour trek in the area surrounding Passu and the neighboring villages before ending at Borit Lake.The trek itself is probably more of a pleasant stroll than a strenuous effort but the setting and the scenery is some of the best I've seen so far. Apart from crossing the two bridges you meander through farming villages, traverse steep ravines, cross potato and pumpkin fields as the farmers wave hello and end the day by enjoying a nice cold drink by an alpine lake.

Pakistan - Fairy Meadows - Circles of Life

The mountain in the picture is Nanga parbat (also known as Nangaparbat Peak or Diamir) is the 9th highest mountain on Earth and the 2nd highest in Pakistan. Nanga Parbat has tremendous vertical relief over local terrain in all directions. To the south, Nanga Parbat boasts what is often referred to as the highest mountain face in the world: the Rupal Face rises an incredible 4,600 m (15,000 feet) above its base. To the north, the complex, somewhat more gently sloped Rakhiot Flank rises 7,000 m (22,966 feet) from the Indus River valley to the summit in just 27 km, one of the 10 greatest elevation gains in so short a distance on Earth. Nanga Parbat is the fastest growing mountain on Earth and it is still growing about 7mm a year.

Falaksair Peak Swat Valley in Amazing Pictures Pakistan

Wonderfull view of snow covered peak Falaksair from Swat valley (Pakistan)

Shahjahan Masjid-Pakistan

The Shah Jahan Mosque was built in the reign of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. It is located in Thatta, Sindh province, Pakistan. In the town of Thatta (100 km / 60 miles from Karachi) itself, there is famous Shahjahani Mosque with its beautiful architecture. This mosque was built in 1647 during the reign of Mughal King Shahjahan, also known as the builder King. The mosque is built with red bricks with blue coloured glaze tiles probably imported from another Sindh's town of Hala.

posted By: Mehar

37 Students were killed in This Accident

Kallar Kahar accident: Inquiry teams meet survivors, record statements

The inquiry teams are appointed by CM Punjab and motorway police. PHOTO-AFP

FAISALABAD: Inquiry teams appointed by the Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif and Motorway Police have reached Faisalabad to conduct investigations into the Kallar Kahar bus accident that claimed at least 35 lives, Express 24/7 reported on Thursday.
CM’s inquiry team comprising of Najam Saeed and DIG Rana Iqbal, met the children who survived the bus accident and recorded their statements.
The Motorway Police team comprising of DIG Dr Shafiq and DIG training Sheharyar Khan also visited the Allied Hospital in Faisalabad and talked to the survivals.
Talking to the media, Dr Shafiq said that the Motorway Police do not have enough force to monitor vehicles on all interchanges.
The DIG said steps were being taken to avert such accidents in future.
A final report on the accident will be presented to the Punjab Government within two days.

30 students among 37 killed as school bus crashes in Kallar Kahar

A member of the inquiry committee told The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity, that the report recommends that a criminal case be filed against the school administration for negligence.
However, the move could endanger the future of 1,235 students who study at the school.
According to a report presented on Wednesday by a three-member inquiry committee constituted by the Faisalabad DCO, the bus that crashed on the Lahore-Islamabad Motorway on Monday, killing 37 people, including 33 children, had completed its fitness and technical life ten years ago. However, the Road Transport Authority (RTA) had declared the bus unfit for use on a long route.
The report says that according to Faisalabad district’s excise and taxation department, the bus was originally purchased by a federal government department in 1981. “Its fitness certificate expired in 2001 and one year later, the department auctioned it off as scrap to a contractor who reshaped it and rebuilt it privately,” the inquiry report reads. “The Faisalabad excise office registered the bus again on January 3, 2003, and the RTA gave a fitness certificate on May 19, 2003.”
Currently, the bus is owned by a transporter Samiullah from Rahim Yar Khan and was only allowed to be used for inter-city travel.
The inquiry report also found that, contrary to previous claims, the bus could only accommodate 57 passengers, not 72. The school administration had collected Rs700 from each student, totalling Rs70,000, and paid only Rs12,000 to the transport company. The rest was shown as profit earned by the school administration. The school, the inquiry report concluded, had fleeced its students.
The committee has also recommended that a case be registered against the transport company for allowing its vehicle to move without a permit.
Meanwhile, of the 34 injured children, 19 have been discharged and 14 are still under treatment in Allied Hospital, Faisalabad. The hospital’s superintendent, Rana Bashir, said that the condition of the injured children is improving.