Aama Vada

Ingredients :


1.Channa Dal - 1cup,
2.Red chillies -2
3.Small onions - 8
4.Curry leaves - finely chopped
5.Giner - finely chopped
6.perum jeeragam
7.kayam
8.salt
9.green chilies

Method:

Soak channa dal and red chillies in a bowl of water for 4 hours.
Then coursely blend it in a mixie.
Mix small onions, ginger, green chilies, curry leaves, perum jeeragam, kayam(a pinch) and salt to taste.

Make little balls and flatten with wet hands.

Deep fry in oil till crispy brown.

Serve with hot hot tea on rainy rainy days :)

Sheikh Zayed Mosque

Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan was a great visionary who was instrumental in unifying the warring bedouin factions and forming the United Arab Emirates.When he passed away on Nov 2nd 2004, Sheikh Zayed Mosque was built in his memory.

Jay Uncle told me that anything and everything in golden color in the mosque is actually made of gold.WOW There were so many pillars with golden palm leaf design and so many writings in gold!

Mom and I had to wear abaya to enter the mosque.It was a fun experience.One lady helped us with it.The scarf kept sliding off my head.Half my time was spent in readjusting it.

Every pillar had intricate designs with colored marble inlaid in them and topped with golden palm leaves.So much of hardwork in each pillar!

Ceiling with intricate designs

Diamond encrusted windows

Flower clock showing prayer timings

Chandeliers made of precious stones

Heavily carpeted ac prayer hall

Sheikh Zayed's tomb is also housed in a small building beside this mosque where they have prayers everyday.Photography is prohibited there though.

After soaking in all the beauty we went back home totally bedazzled.

Dubai Reloaded

Unni and I went to Dubai again and this time decided to stay with our cousins Devi chechi and Unni chettan.We went by bus and Unni chettan picked us from Bur Dubai Bus Station.

 Chotu and Diya gave us a warm welcome.We had tea with them and decided to go for a short trip before dinner.

 The kids ran off to get dressed and wear their shoes.

 We went to an Indian restaurant to buy food and came home.Chotu wasn't happy with this, he wanted to get out of the car and run around.He was so upset with us that he decided to stay in the corridor and not come inside the house.

 Finally he came in and things went back to normal.Unni chettan put some cartoon cds for them and the kids were happy again

Kidos watching Boban n Molly

 The next day after a refreshing sleep we all got up and started planning for the day.Kids were busy playing as usual.

Diya showing me her scrap book

 After breakfast,we decided to go out and explore Dubai.

 We went to some garden outside a palace.Everything was so green there, hard to believe it was once a dessert.

 We then headed off to a nice restaurant for lunch.Diya and Chotu got baloons from the staff.

 Next stop was the Metro.The Metro stations were really pretty and the trains too were neat and well maintained.

We saw the whole of Dubai during our metro ride.By then it was already evening, time to go home.We then headed straight to the bus station and went back home to Abudhabi.