Nippat (vegan snacks)

 

These were an instant hit at home! I used this recipe - in fact that is my favorite blog for any Karnataka recipe. This was probably the second or the third time I was making them. I'd tried them years back (using some other recipe) and with less experience. It was not a successful experiment. Then this year during holidays I decided to give it a try again. Anytime you try something totally new, be ready to fail and make sure you have lot of patience as it's not going to be easy.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice flour
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp sooji
• 1.5 tsp red chilli powder 
• 1/2 tsp Asafoetida
• 4 tbsp raw peanuts
• 4 tbsp dalia (Roasted gram dal)
• 1.5 salt
• 4 tsp oil + oil for deep frying
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp water water

Method

1. Grind the peanuts and roasted gram dal coarsely. I used the food processor to do that.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients. 
3. Heat 4 tsp oil and add it to the above mixture of flour and nuts. Keep aside for 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Then, add water little by little to make it a medium dough. Not too hard, not too soft.
5. Divide the dough into 24 pieces to make the Nippatu, the spicy crackers.
6. Heat the oil on a medium heat. For me, setting it to "4" worked. A little less than medium is just right.
7. Grease a parchment paper. Take a piece of dough and roll it out.
8. Roll out 4-5 and then fry them in the oil. Make sure the oil is hot enough. To test, put a tiny piece of dough in the oil and it should float up immediately.
9. Fry it until it turns golden brown color on both sides.

Good Omens

Author: Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett

 I had so much fun reading this book! It reminded me of Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy. So if you liked that book, I think you will like this too. It is full humor and the kind of humor that I only saw in HHGG!

Crowley is a demon and Aziraphale is an angel. While at odds because of their profession, they do get along well because they are the only two from their world on this earth who have been living on the earth for so long. They have not only adjusted to the lifestyle on Earth but also understand humans. 

There is a book of prophecies, The nice and accurate prophecies of Agnes Nutter, written 100s of years ago. However, all it's prophecies have come true in one way or another. It says that the world is going to end this Saturday. So the armies of Good and Evil start preparation to come out as winner when the apocalypse happens. Crowley and Aziraphale are not very happy about it because they like to live on Earth. There is something or rather somebody who can prevent this from happening. They can prevent it from happening and they can also make it happen. The armies of Good and Evil search for him, each for their own benefit.

After reading this book I'm tempted to read more from this author. It was sheer joy reading this book!

Silent patient

 Author: Alex Michaelides

This was a good thriller! If you are looking for one then consider adding it to your list! I could not guess till almost the end what was happening (well it could just be me :))!

The book is about Alicia Berenson, a famous painter and Theo Faber, a criminal psychologist. Alicia leading a happy married life, is all of a sudden accused of shooting her husband. Not once, not twice but five times. From then on she refuses to talk, her paintings become sought after and highly valued and at the same time casts bad light on Alicia. 

Theo Faber, is intrigued by Alicia's refusal to talk and wants to take up the challenge of getting her out of this state. Towards that end, he gets a job at the center where Alicia is moved to and gets assigned to her case. His journey with her has less ups and more downs. He gets some breaks where he thinks he's having success and that pumps him up. Only later to find out he has had a setback. Be it Alicia causing self-harm or harming another inmate at the center. His treatment for Alicia consumes his personal and professional life. At the end, he does have success but that changes everything.

It was quite a thrilling book for me and kept me on the edge. One of those books which given time I would have liked to finish in one sitting :)