5 Million(50 Lakh) Hits to Kalpavriksha Kamadhenu – Thank You

It is with great joy that I am writing this post to inform all of the visitors that this blog has exceeded 5 Million (50 Lakh) hits and close to 480,531 visitors.

The site has 871 posts, and just in 2014 we had 112 posts published which is indeed amazing. In 2013, there was a total of 995,429 visits. However, it exceeded to a million hits in 2014, to be exact it was 1,174,765. I hope with many more posts the coming year, we can reach 2 million in 2015.

Once again, five million thanks to all the contributors, and to all those who visit and comment, and also to those who visit and don’t comment.

I am humbled by all the emails, and comments I receive each and everyday. I am also honored to read from many of your emails that I was able to motivate you and also influence you. It brings great joy to know that this blog and I myself can influence so many of you. Thanks for sharing those emails.

And how I can forget to say THANKS to ALMIGHTY LORD and our BELOVED RAYARU. Without his grace none of this would be possible.

See you all in 2015. A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR 2015.

Spinach Beans Sambar – ಸೊಪ್ಪು ಕಾಳಿನ ಹುಳಿ

The most healthy and nutritious sambar you can ever make. This goes well with Rice, chapathi and Roti. This sambar is so filling, tasty and very healthy. I usually never make Sambar with just the powder, but this one was very tasty.

Wait until you see the next post where I made an amazing roti out of something left over and used this sambar for accompaniment.

Ingredients for the masala:

Ingredients for the huli:

1. 1 cup toor dal
2. 2 big bunches of Spinach, washed and chopped finely ( I used frozen Spinach)
3. 1 cup white beans, washed and cooked ( I used canned)
4. 1 cup Garbanzo(chick Pea) beans, washed and cooked ( I used canned)
5. 3-4 tsp huli pudi
6. 3 tsp tomato paste
7. 1 tsp tamarind paste
8. Salt to taste
9. For seasoning – Oil, Mustard seeds, Jeera, Haldi, Hing, curry leaves, 1 red chilli

Method:

1. Pressure cook toor dal along with spinach and both beans.
2. I used frozen spinach and canned beans, so added it to cooked toor dal later.
3. In a big vessel, add 3 tsp oil. Add mustard seeds, jeera, hing, curry leaves, and haldi.
4. Add tomato paste and tamrind paste.
5. Now add the Huli powder.
6. When it starts boiling, add the cooked toor dal, spinach and beans. Add salt to taste.

Serve with Rice or chapathi.

You can find Sambar Powder recipe here:

• Sambar Powder

Visit to Sri Kamadhenu Kshetra at Bangalore – 2014

Ms. Shubha Murthy had sent a couple of emails to talk to Sri. Gurushesha, the founder of Kamadhenu Kshetra. I wanted to talk to Sri. Gurushesha while I was in Bangalore so waited until I traveled to India.

My visit to India for work was the most stressful one. I had to work for the project in Bangalore, and also manage a few of my projects in the USA. Most week days I worked for 14-15 hours. No sleep, and with jet lag made the trip very hectic and stressful.

Even before I traveled to India, I knew I wanted to visit Mantralaya and see our beloved Rayaru. I wanted to thank our beloved Rayaru personally and hence wanted to visit there.

When I returned from Mantralaya on 21st, early morning, my co-sister Ms. Vasanthi called me and asked if I was able to visit Sri Kamadhenu Kshetra. As I had just come back from Mantralaya, I told Ms. Vasanthi that I would rather talk to Sri. Gurushesha over the phone than visit Sri Kamadhenu Kshetra. Vasanthi said she will talk to Sri. Gurushesha and keep me posted. Later in the evening she called and told that Sri. Gurushesha really wants to talk to you, and it would be great if you could make time to visit Sri Kamadhenu Kshetra. My Mom said ” when someone is asking you to come, why not go there, Rayaru wants to go visit, so please go”. I called back Vasanthi, and said that I would be coming.

Next day being Saturday, Sri. Gurushesha sent us a taxi, so Mr. Ramesh ( my brother-in-law), Ms. Vasanthi and myself traveled to Sri Kamadhenu Kshetra. we reached there around 9.30 AM. I was given a royal treatment by everyone at the temple, including Sri. Gurushesha. This was the most humbling experience for me. I would have missed the opportunity to see our Beloved Rayaru and the experiences I heard from Sri. Gurushesha about Sri Kamadhenu Kshetra.

Sri Kamadhenu Kshetra is undergoing major construction, and lots of activities are being performed. How I wish I could be close to Sri Kamadhenu Kshetra and help in many of these activities. If you are in Bangalore, you should definitely visit Sri Kamadhenu Kshetra and get the blessings of our beloved Rayaru and also Sri. Gurushesha. It is an unbelievable place, and our Rayaru is truly there helping his devotees. Sri. Gurushesha has done tremendous work and I am amazed to see his energy while talking to devotees. In spite of his busy schedule, Sri. Gurushesha spent almost the entire morning giving me a tour of the construction, talking to me, telling me some of the miracles. To top it all, Sri. Gurushesha gave me some amazing books on our Beloved Rayaru. I hope to share some of the songs and miracles soon. My koti koti ( millions & millions) namaskaras to our beloved Rayaru and also Sri. Gurushesha.

A million thanks to Ms. Shubha Murthy, Ms. Vasanthi and Mr. Ramesh. Without their persistence I wouldn’t have the chance to visit Sri Kamadhenu Kshetra.

Below are some amazing pictures I took, a few were taken by my brother-in-law(Mr. Ramesh) as well.

1. Lord Venkateshwara picture in Sri. Gurushesha’s room.

2. Beloved Rayaru picture on one side of the wall in the same room.

3. Sri Kamadhenu Kshetra

4. You need no introduction for this gurugalu

5. Construction update:

ರಾಯರ ಕೂಟು – Spicy Kootu Made in Sree Raghavendra Swamy Mutt

This November 20th, when I visited Mantralaya with my parents, we had food at the Rayara Mutta. Dad and I sat down to eat food, and Mom since has knee problems ate on the table a bit far away from us. My Dad and I enjoyed the kootu, which was spicy, hot and full of vegetables. The vegetables used were winter melon ಬೂದ ಕುಂಬಳಕಾಯಿ, sweep pumpkin ಸಿಹಿ ಕುಂಬಳ ಕಾಯಿ, Ridge Gourd ಹೀರೆ ಕಾಯಿ.

As soon as I told my daughter when I came back here about my trip and the amazing food we had at Rayara mutt, she shopped with her father and brought all these three vegetables including fresh ground nuts and asked me to make it exactly the same way.

I had already posted the recipe for Kootu, so just the vegetables were replaced. It tasted just like the ones we ate at Rayara mutta. Give it a try, and keep me posted.

Ingredients for grinding:

• 5 red chillies ಕೆಂಪು ಮೆಣಸಿನಕಾಯಿ
• 10 black pepper ಮೆಣಸು
• 3 tso urad dal ಉದ್ದಿನ ಬೇಳೆ
• 3 tsp channa dal ಕಡಲೆ ಬೇಳೆ
• 3 tsp coriander seeds ಕೊತ್ತಂಬರಿ ಬೀಜ
• 1/4 cup fresh coconut ತೆಂಗಿನ ಕಾಯಿ grated
• 2 tsp tamarind  ಹುಣಿಸೆ ಹಣ್ಣು paste

Vegetables:

• 1/2 winter melon ಬೂದ ಕುಂಬಳಕಾಯಿ cleaned, and cut into 1 and 1/2 – 2 inches thick
• 1/2 ಸಿಹಿ ಕುಂಬಳ ಕಾಯಿ Sweet Pumpkin
• 4-5  Ridge Gourd ಹೀರೆ ಕಾಯಿ

Other Ingredients:

• 2 cup toor dal ತೊಗರಿ ಬೇಳೆ, washed and cooked in pressure cooker
• handful of peanuts. ಕಡಲೆ ಕಾಯಿ / ಶೇಂಗಾ ಬೀಜ / ನೆಲಗಡಲೆ
• curry leaves ಕರಬೇವು
• mustard seeds ಸಾಸಿವೆ , hing ಇಂಗು , and turmeric ಅರಿಶಿನ for seasoning
• 1 tsp jaggery ಬೆಲ್ಲ

Method:

• Fry all the ingredients listed in grinding, except coconut and tamarind

• Add the coconut to this fried ingredients.

Next, add the tamarind and grind all these in a mixer.

• Take a microwave safe vessel, and cook the winter melon ಬೂದ ಕುಂಬಳಕಾಯಿ, sweep pumpkin ಸಿಹಿ ಕುಂಬಳ ಕಾಯಿ, Ridge Gourd ಹೀರೆ ಕಾಯಿ until they are tender. A little bit on the harder side. I cooked all of them separately.

• In a big vessel, add oil. Around 2-3 tsp. Next add all the ingredients listed in the seasoning. Add also the peanuts.

• Fry for a few minutes, and next add the cooked winter melon ಬೂದ ಕುಂಬಳಕಾಯಿ, sweep pumpkin ಸಿಹಿ ಕುಂಬಳ ಕಾಯಿ, Ridge Gourd ಹೀರೆ ಕಾಯಿ..

• Mix all the ingredients well, and now add the ground mixture

• Let this boil for a few minutes. Make sure it doesn’t  burn, this happens if the steel vessel you are using doesn’t have a thick bottom.
• Now, add the cooked dal, jaggery and let it boil for 15-20 minutes.

• Once the Kootu is done, serve with Rice, and fried Happala and sandige.

• Enjoy the spicy winter melon ಬೂದ ಕುಂಬಳಕಾಯಿ, sweep pumpkin ಸಿಹಿ ಕುಂಬಳ ಕಾಯಿ, Ridge Gourd ಹೀರೆ ಕಾಯಿ or as it is called ರಾಯರ  ಕೂಟು .