The voices against Bt Brinjal are steadily growing louder and Martyrs’ Day saw a country wide protest against the move to introduce GM foods. The protest against Bt Brinjal in India  has now became a global issue and getting a global attention since the country tries to find out the benefits and harmful effects of genetically modified variant.

What are GM and Bt foods?

GM stands for genetically modified. This is done by the scientists through tweaking in the genetic code – DNA, in plants of certain crops. The main purpose of such tweaking is to develop desired qualities like pest resistance or higher nutritional content. So, these types of crops are known as GM or engineered crops and the food products made from such crops are known as GM foods or Genetically modified foods. An example for GM food is Corn flakes made from GM maize.

Bt is actually derived from a soil bacterium called Bacillus Thuriengiensis. Bt is a particular type of GM foods. The examples for Bt food is Bt Brinjal and Bt cotton. Bt has a gene that directs the production of a protein, which is toxic to certain larvae (bugs). These bugs are called bollworms and fruit and shoot borers. These bugs are the main destroyers of Brinjal. 

How the genetic modification is done in Brinjal to make it Bt Brinjal?

Introducing a bacterial gene into a brinjal DNA is almost impossible naturally but these modifications are done by genetic scientists in DNA structure. They can find out which gene is performing what function. Research has showed that Bt has a gene that directs the production of protein, which is toxic to bollworms and fruit and shoot borers. This gene was taken out of the bacteria and introduced into the Brinjal plant’s DNA and this genetically modified cell is allowed to grow into a plant and its seeds contain the code for pest resistance.It kills Bollworms when they start eating the plants grown from these seeds and there by saving the crop. 

What are controversial aspects of Bt Brinjal?

Some studies have shown that bollworms are developing resistance to the toxin released by the inserted gene. The other controversy is that when the bollworms and borers are resisted, the plant gets vigorously attacked by other insects like japhids, aphids and mirids, which suck juices rather than eat up the material. In India, these suspicions were heightened by the initial experience of Bt cotton and the initial hybridisation done by Mahyco and its franchisees was not suitable for Indian conditions and during 2002-2004 large crop failures were reported in Maharashtra, Andhra and other parts. These areas also witnessed a rising number of farmers’ suicides due to indebtedness, the reports were linked to the use of GM crops.

Is it safe to use GM foods?

Apart from productivity related issues, the health effects and the environmental consequences are the major concerns related with the use of GM foods. They are routinely tested for direct harmful health effects like toxicity, causing allergies, gene transfer to body cells or bacteria residing in the intestinal wall. Although no direct evidences has come up of GM foods causing toxic or allergy effects, but some cases of gene transfer have been found.

The environmental concern is that the inserted gene is going wild and getting transferred to other plants in nature. No chronic effects have yet been documented but alert has been given in the use of GM crops.

If Bt Brinjal is released, 10 more crops are in the pipeline like rice, potato, tomato, corn, ground nut, mustard, cabbage, cauliflower, pigeon pea and okra (lady’s finger).

Let’s hope for our good health.

Salmon or Jew fish. In Malayalam, it is called Kora. It has soft muscles and very tasty fish when it is fried or curried. It is very easy to clean since its skin is covered with scales. No need to take the skin out. It is available for Rs. 180/- per kg in Bangalore

Sania Mirza, an Indian tennis player, recently called off her public engagement with her childhood friend, Sohrab Mirza, on the grounds that she was not compatible with her fiancé’. She might have thought that a broken engagement is much better than a broken marriage. I wonder why marriages fail in spite of so much love between the partners.

Why do couples part their ways soon after their marriage?

By marriage, we are getting into a life long commitment and in reality marriage takes a lot of work to make it successful. The concept of marriage is to be together and happy. Selfless effort from both parties, good communication and trust between the partners is needed to make the system of marriage to work.

Lack of compatibility is one of the reasons for a failed relationship. People learn, grow and change over the years and so is the relationship. In most cases, the couple don’t give enough time to make the marriage to work. In the fast paced life, most couples treat marriage like its disposable and don’t take their vows seriously. Most of young couples have a feeling that they can get someone better than the present.

Experts say that most couples file for divorce within six months of their wedding and the number of cases where couples have been married more than ten years is very few. In most of the cases, immediately after the marriage, couples realize that they are not made for each other.

In most of the families in India, the children are never allowed to make their own decisions and then suddenly you are supposed to choose your life partner. In such a situation, most of them do not the have the courage to tell their family about what they want themselves out of a wedding. Often family pressurize them to get married especially after an engagement has been announced. For this attempt, support of the family is the most needed factor than anything else.

I have even gone through the same situation of calling off my engagement. I had a affair for quite sometime and due to certain reasons our relationship couldn’t end up in marriage as i expected. After three years of breakup, he got on with his life and married and settled in his life. My parents also insisted me on getting married and at last my engagement also fixed but my heart kept on telling me he is not my man and this is not going to work out successfully. After lot of discussion, fixed the date of engagement. A week before the engagement, i mustered all my courage and spoke to my brother about my true feelings, thinking that he will stand by my side. He didn’t let me down and he could convince my parents somehow. Then also they were telling, everything will be alright after the wedding takes place. But I didn’t have such feeling and they were forced to call off the engagement.

For the prospective brides and grooms, before you get in to a lifelong relationship, at least listen to your heart. Your heart will tell you what you want out of a marriage. A decayed marriage is worse than anything in this and it reaches to a stage of no return.

This is one of my favorites. It is a cousin sister of the usual puttu or funnel cake. It is one of the break fast items made in Kerala homes.  This is my neighbor has  given me and her preparation is different. She pressured it out into strings using a Idiyappam maker to the funnel and later steamed it. Still, it was very tasty.

I had this dish many times when my mom prepared for the bread fast but felt it very tasty when my grandmother prepared. She used to soak white rice (raw rice) overnight and early morning she pounded this rice to a fine powder and roast it until the raw smell disappears in broad Brass vessel. Then rub the roasted flour (when it is warm itself) with water and salt. Since the flour is warm, it absorbs lot of water and forms small small lumps. For the normal puttu, this lumps will be rubbed in between the palms to break it put for Mani puttu, lumps are left as it is, since it is made of small balls of rice flour. Then Coconut scraped is put first to the funnel or puttu maker then flour lumps and repeat the procedure until the coconut comes on the top. Steam water in the pot portion of the puttu maker and fix the funnel on the top, cover and cook at high flame for 3-4 mins and reduce the heat and cook for 1-2 mins, until the steam eject through the lid holes of the funnel. Press it out and serve it with fish curry or chicken curry of your choice.

Yesterday, started with a bad note. I didn’t have any mood to enter the kitchen even though my kid had to leave to school around 8.45 am. Somehow I managed to make Puttu (Funnel cake in English but for I use coconut shell as puttu maker instead of the usual aluminum funnel) and Cherupayaru (green gram) thoran. Puttu, cherupayaru thoran and fried pappad are the ideal breakfast combination for me. Since I was very lazy to fry pappad,  i thought of frying sardine, already marinated and kept in the fridge. So the three meal of the day i managed with the same curry.

Usually cherupayaru thoran is prepared as a side dish for Kanji (rice porridge) during the rainy season. Regular intake of cherupayaru compensate the protein requirement in our body. Try, you will also enjoy it.

puttu, cherupayaru thoran and maththi varuthathu

Lunch for my kid Rice, cherupayaru thoran and chemmeen fry

My lunch rice, maththi varuthathu and cherupayaru thoran

Rice flour and banana steamed together with coconut scraped, for my daughter

Ingredients for Cherupayaru thoran:

• Green gram or cherupayaru – 1 cup ( soak over night in enough water)
• Coconut scraped – 1 cup
• Garlic flakes – 5-6 no’s (crushed)
• Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Green chilly – 3 no’s, broken
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
• Red chilly powder – 1 tsp
• Salt to taste

Seasoning:

• Oil – 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
• Onion – 3-4 no’s, small and chopped
• Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

Method of Preparation:

• Pressure cook soaked green gram with 1/2 cup water and salt to taste ( 2 whistles will be enough and let the pressure subside within by itself)
• Rub coconut scraped, garlic, cumin seeds, turmeric and chilly powder with a pinch of salt
• Heat oil in a wok and season all the items given and fry coconut mixture for 2 mins
• Stir in cooked green gram and saute for 3 mins over simmer
• Serve it with anything of your choice

Crab dishes are one of the favorites at my home. Both dad and daughter like crab dishes. Yesterday when i went to the fish stall in Bangalore, i saw big two crabs which has blue colour on its shell as well as on its legs. To be frank, i heard many times about the blue crab but never got a chance to see it. When the shopkeeper said it is the so called famous blue crab, even though i was bit hesitant to buy due to its smell while cooking, my daughter wanted to get it. So i brought home both the crabs and it weighed around 800 gms together. I made a masala recipe out of it. I heard many are saying that it is better to avoid shelled fishes like prawns, crab and mussels, if you have Cholesterol problems. I don’t know how far it is true.

Soft shelled Blue Crab meat is low in fat and rich in Calcium. It is a good source of high quality protein and contains certain vitamins and minerals like Copper and Zinc.

Even though the name says blue crab, it turned to pink when it is cooked.

Ingredients:

• Blue grabs – 800 gms, shelled and cleaned
• Onion – 2 big, thinly sliced
• Tomato – 2 no’s, medium cubed
• Green chilly – 4 no’s, broken
• Ginger – garlic paste – 2 tbsp
• Red chilly powder – 1 tbsp
• Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
• Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste

Whole spice:

• Cinnamon – 2” piece
• Cloves – 8 no’s

Seasoning:

• Cooking oil/ coconut oil – 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Dried red chilly – 2 no’s, halved
• Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

Method of Preparation:

• Heat oil in a earthen ware, fry whole spices, crackle mustard seeds, fry dried red chilly and curry leaves
• Add ginger-garlic paste, green chilly and fry till the raw smell disappears and fry onion till the oil separates
• Add chilly, coriander and turmeric powder and fry over simmer
• Add tomatoes and fry till it turns to a paste form
• Stir in crabs and salt to taste, add 1/2 cup of water, cover and cook till the color turns to pink
• Leave it open till the gravy thicken to the required consistency, let it cool to the room temperature

Serve it with roti or rice or with anything of your choice

My daughter doesn’t like carrot or egg dishes. Basically she doesn’t like any of the vegetarian dish or egg dishes. But I have a feeling that if she doesn’t eat these things she doesn’t grow properly. I know it is so foolish to think like that but i became like this. Somehow she liked the dish and enjoyed her lunch. Carrots are fat free, saturated fat free, low-sodium, cholesterol-free, a good source of fibre and high in vitamin A and rich in mineral salts and vitamins (B,C,D,E). No other vegetable or fruit contains as much carotene as carrots, which the body converts to vitamin A.

Ingredients:

• Carrot – 1 medium sized, chopped into small pieces
• Egg – 2 no’s, medium
• Coconut scraped – 1/4 cup
• Small onion – handful, finely chopped
• Green chilly – 3 no’s, chopped
• Garlic – 4-5 flakes, crushed
• Cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
• Red chilly powder – 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves – 2 sprigs, chopped
• Coconut oil/ cooking oil – 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
• Dried red chilly – 2 no’s, halved
• Salt to taste

Method of Preparation:

• Beat egg well with a pinch of turmeric powder and salt to taste
• Rub coconut with remaining turmeric powder, chilly powder, crushed garlic,  cumin seeds and a pinch of salt
• Heat oil in a non-stick pan, fry mustard seeds, add onion when mustard seeds stop crackling
• Add halved red chilly and chopped  curry leaves
• Add egg and scramble, add coconut mix and stir in well
• Add chopped carrot and stir in well for 1-2 mins for 2 mins
• Cover and cook for 2 mins over simmer
• Remove the lid and keep of stirring for 1 mins
• Remove from stove and serve it hot with roti or naan or rice of your choice

This fish curry is usually prepared by the boat traders. Now most of the trade in Kerala is taking place through road. Before the introduction of bridges and roads over the rivers, most of the trading done by boat traders. All the cargo or the goods are carried from one place to another by the boats and the people who were engaged in this trade also lived in the boats only. They used to carry almost everything when they travelled and they have developed their own cooking style. I am here with the fish curry recipe of the boatmen of Kuttanadu. I learned this from my maid who is basically from Alappuzha and her father used to be one among them. Whenever she cooked, the gravy had a higher consistency than i cook. You can preserve it without refrigeration for 3-4 days without getting it spoiled. Try this, definitely you will love it.

Ingredients:

• Pomfret – 1/2 kg
• Kokum – 6-7 pieces
• Red chilly powder – 3 tbsp
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
• Small onion – hand full (crushed)
• Ginger – 1” piece, crushed and chopped
• Garlic – 15 flakes, crushed
• Green chilly – 4-5 no’s, crushed
• Salt to taste
• Curry leaves – 3-4 sprigs
• Coconut oil – 2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Dried red chilly – 3-4 no’s, halved
• Fenugreek seeds – 10-12 no’s

Method of Preparation:

• Cut and wash fish, strain and keep aside
• Make a paste of red chilly powder and turmeric powder with little water
• Heat oil in a earthen ware, fry fenugreek seeds
• Add mustard seeds when fenugreek seeds turn brown in color
• Add halved red chilly and curry leaves when mustard seeds stop crackling
• Add crushed ginger-garlic & small onion, saute until the oil separates
• Add chilly paste and saute over simmer until the raw smell disappears
• Add soaked kokum and 2 cups of water with salt to taste, let it boil
• Arrange fish pieces and cook without covering for 5-8 mins in sunlight
• When the fish is done, reduce the heat and let the gravy thickens to your required consistency
• Sprinkle one tbsp of coconut oil over the curry and keep it aside for cooling.

Serve it with Kappa or rice of your choice. It is an ideal combination for roti also.

I was not planned for my daughter’s B’ day since her dad was away for some official work, my daughter ichu went and asked her friends and my neighbours whether they would come for her B’ day party. After seeing all the excitement i couldn’t tell her no since she is just 6 years to forget a B’ day party. I told her many times we will have a party when her dad is back home. But she was excited all over and dreaming about the cake, dress, gifts etc.. So i decided to go ahead with the idea of a dinner. Evening I invited her friends for the cake cutting and provided snacks and dinner was arranged for their parents.

Menu for the kids:

• Cake and potato chips
• Vegetable cutlet with tomato ketch up
• Vada with coconut chutney
• Paneer (cottage cheese) and Mushroom puffs
• Ice cone

Menu for the Dinner:

• Plain rice topped with fried raisins and cashews
• Plain Naan ( a kind of roti made by fermenting the dough for 8-10 hrs with yeast)
• Chicken prepared with peppercorn
• Fish curry (Kerala boatmen’s style)
• Rich Vegetable stew with cashew paste and coconut milk
• Chat prepared with Chana, cauliflower, potato, tomato, capsicum (green bell pepper)
• Dessert was Spanish saffron and Pista flavored Ice cream

This is the chicken dish i made on my daughter’s B’ day dinner party. Everybody commented good about this and i thought of sharing it with you. Kappa i cut it into 1” cubes and pressure cooked with little salt (4 whistles), drained the starch and mixed with coconut, cumin seeds and curry leaves and mashed well and had it with chicken prepared in pepper.

Ingredients:

• Chicken – 1.4 kg skinned and curry cut
• Peppercorn – 2 tbsp (coarsely ground)
• Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp
• Ginger-Garlic paste – 5 tbsp
• Green Chilly – 10 no’s (broken into 2-3 pieces)
• Onion – 1 big, finely sliced
• Cinnamon stick – 2” piece
• Cloves – 8-10 no’s
• Curry leaves – 10 sprigs
• Salt to taste
• Coconut oil / cooking oil – 3 tbsp
• Coconut milk – 1 cup

Method of Preparation:

• Wash chicken in enough water, strain and marinate with ground peppercorns, turmeric powder and salt to taste for 1 hr
• Heat oil in a wide heavy bottomed pan, fry cinnamon and cloves
• Add Ginger-garlic paste, saute until the raw smell disappears
• Add onion and  broken green chilly and fry until the oil separates and fry curry leaves
• Stir in chicken and cook without covering the pan
• When the chicken is done well, add 1 cup of coconut milk and let it cook in the milk
• Remove from stove when the chicken pieces become dry and covered with masala
• Serve it when it is slightly warm with roti or rice or noodles of your choice