Because I was Tagged... Okra stirfry.

Hema of Salt to taste has been very sweet to pass this award on to me. Thank you Hema. I deeply appreciate your lovely gesture.

She has also tagged me in her quiz. That is all this post is about.

Though she had sent it about a week ago, I took my time to go about this post. But, by now this has been well circulated and all of you seem to have had fun answering. So I don't want stale matter in your spaces. With deep and sincere appreciation, I pass the award on to all fellow blogger friends.

Now, to honour Hema's post read what she quizzed me on and enjoy yourselves.

What is your current obsession?
Collecting pottery and bamboo baskets.

What are you wearing today?

Saree, because I went grocery shopping.

What’s for dinner?
Mini idlis in sambhar.

What’s the last thing you bought?
Of course groceries, but last thing that I bought for myself is a silk saree from India.

What are you listening to right now?
Birds chirping in my garden and tick of the clock.

What do you think about the person who tagged you?
Hema, is an adorable mother and a simple Indian girl.

If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
Any where. Doesn’t matter if I have a well stocked kitchen to go with it.

What do you try to cook when you have cooking blues (When you feel real lazy to cook some thing)
Make a soup of sorts with all veggies and have. Or cook up a simple upma.

What are your must-have pieces for summer?
Body spray, face wash and hand tissues.

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
Home to my family or to Kansas to see my daughter, is that paid for too?

Which language do you want to learn?
I’m a beginner in French would love to learn higher levels.

What’s your favourite quote?
Lance Armstrong’s “A BOO is louder than a CHEER”
I read this in Quotable Quotes section in a particular issue of Readers’ Digest and it stuck in my mind.

Who do you want to meet right now?
My daughter.

What is your favourite colour?
White.

What is your favourite piece of clothing in your own closet?
My yellow Garden saree. It holds loads of sentiments.

What is your dream job?
If you enjoy doing whatever you are doing, that is your dream job.

What’s your favourite magazine?
Readers’ Digest.

If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?
Send it to CRY foundation.

What do you consider a fashion faux pas? (faux pas mean error in ettiquette.. )
Wearing something you let others know that you are not comfortable in.

Who are your style icons?
Nobody. I do appreciate people with dress sense but no icons.

Describe your personal style
Errr…there is no particular style.

What are your favourite movies?
Mouna raagam, most black and white oldies, Amar prem, Anand , Mera naam Joker,
Sound of music, Home alone.....

What are three cosmetic/makeup/perfume products that you can't live without?
There aren’t any that I can’t live without.

What inspires you?
Hymns, vedic chants, music, greenery.

Give us three styling tips that always work for you:
Be confident about yourself.

Stand erect and tall.

Don’t wear anything that doesn’t please you.

What do you do when you “have nothing to wear” (even though your closet’s packed)?
No choice; have to dig out something from all those ‘nothings’ in there.

Coffee or tea?
Tea, black.

What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?
Watch cartoons or cry really hard and bring it all out.

What is the meaning of your name?
It is a Sanskrit word for Creeper. Though I was named Kamakshi, after my great grandmother, Lata is official.

Which other blogs you love visiting?
Each and everyone I visit, though I am not following, I read from aggregator.

Favorite Dessert/Sweet?
Payasams with jaggery and milk sweets all the way.

Favorite Season ?
Certainly not winter.

I hope you've enjoyed this.

I shall post also a quick fix Okra stirfry, microwave version.

Vendaikkai kari -100% microwave cooked.

The all time favourite vegetable cooked entirely in the microwave, in minutes.

Ingredients:
250 grams of fresh, tender ladies fingers.
Salt to taste
2 teaspoons red chilli powder
1/4teaspoon asafoetida powder
2 teaspoons oil
1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
2 teaspoons channa dhal
1 tablespoon thin extract of tamarind or very dilute yoghurt

Wash ladies fingers and wipe them dry. Cut to desired size.
Mix the salt, chilli powder, asafoetida powder, one teaspoon oil and the tamarind extract.
Let it rest for 5 minutes.
Put the rest of the oil in a microwave safe bowl and heat it for 30 seconds on high. Add the channa dhal and mustard seeds, return to the microwave and cook on high for 1 minute.
Open and add the prepared vegetable.
Cook covered on micropower high for 6 minutes stirring once or twice in between.
Let it stand for another 5 minutes before removing from the microwave.
A very delectable yet simple side dish is ready.

This goes to Microwave Potluck Party event hosted currently and has been initiated and run successfully for the past two years by Srivalli of Cooking 4 all seasons.