Tag Archives: UAE

My Kitchen with Kenwood

When the latest Kenwood sale was on, I visited their showroom in Abu Dhabi. I was fascinated to see the wide variety of kitchen products. As a home-maker, I depend on certain Brands for preparing staple traditional foods. I value them as unavoidable necessities in the kitchen.

When it comes to my role as a Food Blogger, I believed I was more flexible. But, after visiting the Kenwood showroom, I realised I had been unknowingly collecting products of Kenwood, as a result of my ever-increasing cooking aspirations, for more than 10 years. From the basic Kenwood chopper to the latest Meat mincer to an Ice cream maker, I found my Kitchen filled with Kenwood appliances. A silent revelation isn’t it?

It seems like a long story to narrate, with my first Kenwood device purchased about 12 years ago. That was the basic chopper, which is a quintessential thing in the kitchen even today. The blades are as sharp as newly bought ones.

Indian gravy dishes- South Indian or North Indian, normally involve ginger-garlic-onions that have to be finely chopped, as a first step. This chopper finishes off the laborious job of chopping, in a jiffy.

Puttu – Steamed rice flour cylinders

This could be supposedly the best use of a contemporary appliance, put to use in a traditional dish. Puttu is a staple breakfast meal of Kerala. It is a much sort after healthy meal in Tamilnadu, especially during special ceremonies. My favourite childhood breakfast and dinner meal used to be Puttu with Banana, and still remains to be one.

Puttu is a rice or millet cake, steamed in the shape of a cylinder. It is made with powdered white or brown rice; powdered millets like Finger millet or Pearl millet. My latest version of Puttu is made with Bamboo Rice powder. Blending just enough water to make a lump free moist powder is the tricky part in making this delicacy. The Kenwood chopper helps in creating a lump free, yet perfectly moist puttu mix to be steamed. Once water is sprinkled over the rice or millet powder, I add the moist mixture into the chopper and give it a quick grind. The result is a lump free moist powder. This mix brings out the best ever, soft steamed Puttu.

This handy chopper is an easy travel partner too. When you thrive for home cooked meal on a holiday, chopping to tears is the worst thing to happen. This certainly solves half the stress of an annoying job in a hotel kitchenette.

Next in next.

National Day Celebrations – December 2019

By evening, all roads led to Corniche...

And when the sun started his setting journey, more and more cars..

Zoom for a close up view of the traffic..

One of the highlights of this year’s decorative lights on the roads we noticed, was the inclusion of UAE’s first astronaut, Hazza Al Mansouri, who returned back after 8 days in space. It is a proud moment for the country and it is truly a great gesture of honour, the Government has showered upon the pioneer astronaut. He is certainly a symbol of Inspiration. It would be every parent’s wish that their child dreams big, aims big in life and achieves it too.

The Astronauts

These pictures show the immense pride that comes from the transformation of a country from a Desert Landscape to a Land of Greenery and Tall Raised Buildings… a perfect portrayal of Concrete Development with an Eco friendly Environment. Modernisation with a sense of History, Civilisation and above all Tolerance is what the world needs today. And that’s what the UAE proudly stands for.

The Marina Eye Observation Wheel

48th National Day of the UAE – 02/12/2019

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I am still in awe, absorbing the fast pace of growth of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. More closely of Abu Dhabi, because this is where I live. I watch Abu Dhabi’s coastal beauty and desert sands alongside the high raised buildings and their manicured landscape. Who said desert is short of greens? – Abu Dhabi has more than enough green for one’s eyes with neem and banyan trees to name a few, grass patches and many more plants and trees, alongside the tree of the soil – Date Palms. The credit of turning Al Ain and Abu Dhabi turning green undoubtedly goes to the Father of the Nation, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Malls and Shopping seems to be the foremost attraction. But, the land has so much more to offer…. Malls are just one huge part of tourism and weekend retail therapy. The brainwork that has gone into engaging tourists in vivid activities in the region is mind blowing. Exploring into those attractions would follow in future posts in this section.

On December 2nd (which is almost today in the UAE), the UAE celebrates its 48th National Day. The day marks the formation of the UAE – which is a Federation of the seven Emirates – Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm al Quwain.

The facts that I learnt from various articles and visits to important historic places in Abu Dhabi and Dubai are listed here –

The collection of independent Sheikdoms in the Gulf were called the Trucial States, after signing a Treaty with the British in the year 1892.
The first oil well was discovered in 1958, off the coast of Abu Dhabi
The leaders – Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi and Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum of Dubai, visualised a great future for their respective Emirates, and focussed on the development of the Gulf Region at large.
The British announced their withdrawal on 16th January 1968. Very quick to react, Sheikh Zayed of Abu Dhabi and Sheikh Rashid of Dubai, established a Federation between the two Emirates on 18th February 1968.
Sheikh Zayed, the Visionary, always sought a Federation of the seven Trucial States, along with Qatar and Bahrain to become 9. His relentless efforts were the key to the formation of UAE, which stands as a well developed Federation of Seven Emirates.
The British protectorate treaty expired on December 1st 1971. The very next day, on December 2nd, the Union of Six Emirates – the UAE – was formally established. Ras Al Khaimah joined the federation on 10th February 1972.

(https://www.government.ae/en/about-the-uae/founders-of-the-union

https://gulfnews.com/lifestyle/community/how-the-uae-was-born-1.1610731)

National Day Celebrations 2018

We are all set to watch the air show in the afternoon, dancing fireworks show and the laser and light show at night ~~tomorrow~~ today. But I couldn’t resist posting the pictures I enthusiastically clicked last year, while we witnessed our first national day celebrations in the UAE.

The well lit streets were glittering. These are pictures from Al Ain, a garden city and oasis town, which is an hour and a half’s drive from Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi Corniche was a glorious sight to walk and click. Here are a few pictures-

*The Fairmont Marina, Abu Dhabi displays 47the National Day*

The emirate of Abu Dhabi got to see some of the finest performances on air. We were among the luckiest to have captured the air show from the Balcony of our tall raised residence.

Here is a glimpse of the colour filled Air show before the Sun set and the Fire works in the night, that lightened the skies of Corniche – the beautiful Beach of Abu Dhabi. We truly enjoyed our first National Day in Abu Dhabi.