The Marchant of Happiness

Sending some love, hugs and sugar cubes to sweetheart  http://lillysuesbitesandbrews.com/  and darling http://fae-magazine.com/ for nominating me on Liebster Blog Award. Thank you and I accept the award with honor and pleasure. Rules: 1. Thank and link to the blogger who gave you the award. 2. Copy and paste the award in your post. 3. Pick 5 other blogs with less than 200 followers to award. Leave a comment on their blog to let them know about their nominations. My nominees:

http://myeasychineserecipes.com

http://khadizaskitchen.com/

http://twistedcheft.com/

http://www.withaspin.com/

http://youreverydaycookradha.blogspot.com/

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Dedicating a bunch of sunshiny cookies and tea to darling Ada of http://morefoodpls.wordpress.com/, http://fae-magazine.com/ and amazing  http://myeasychineserecipes.com/  for giving me Versatile blogger award. Thank you! Rules:  1. Display the Award Certificate on your blog. 2. Link back to the person who nominated you. 3. Present 15 awards to 15 deserving bloggers.

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The prettiest Hibiscus from my garden goes to my sweetheart Angie of http://thenovicegardener.wordpress.com/  for nominating me on The Shine On Award. Thanks a million! Rules: 1. Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you. 2. Acknowledge that blogger on your blog, and link back. 3. Share seven random, interesting things about yourself. (I’m a good listener, I live outrageously simple, my husband is my best friend, love sightseeing, I don’t watch TV-movies, I try to stay away from worldly-material temptations, I smile a lot)  4. Nominate up to 15 bloggers for the ‘Shine On’ Award, provide a link to their blogs in your post, and notify them on their blogs. I nominate for both above Award:

http://www.thelady8home.com/

http://thenovicegardener.wordpress.com/

http://morefoodpls.wordpress.com/

http://honkifyourevegan.com/

http://allthatcooking.com/

http://messykitchenstories.com/

http://eat-love-and-be-happy.com/

http://yireservation.com/

http://www.cookistry.com/

http://coloryourrecipes.com/

Homepage

http://lillysuesbitesandbrews.com/

http://www.kitchenflavours.net/

http://cubesnjuliennes.blogspot.in/

http://cookfearless.com/

– Thank you all, for being a source of beauty, creativity and positiveness ♥ Delighted to have you all in my life ♥

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Wrinkled, crippled, thin and heavy with the burden of her loneliness, she remained afloat instead of sinking. But at a point, her old, feeble limbs and bones couldn’t hold her existence anymore; she tottered and fell. Norma, my neighbor, caught the smell of her own death but decided to live and built herself a herb-garden. The Phoenix was back on her wings again!

I could see through my widow her back-braking hard work in the heat and rain, turned the front yard, with peace hung heavy all over, into an oasis. She turned barren dirt, dust and black rocks into gold that sings soothing, somber hymn when the days grow dim. I love sucking up lungful of breaths of that growth, beauty and green.

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Her garden is more like a shrine, glistening graceful halos, hosted by a merchant of happiness; like a dreamscape built of eternal sunshine, an ancient fantasy.

She helped me growing wild, purple Bean clusters, lush and brazen, smudging smoky-green hue on the fence with an ecstatic protectiveness.

She taught me how to fortify the fortress, my garden, with a never-ending infatuation.

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The smell of wood smoke from her kitchen, warm and moist, has been sending the song through my chimney everyday  which I have been trying to sing for years.

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One sizzling summer high noon, when the sun climbed higher in the sultry sky, breathless, I  stopped in her spotless home upon her invitation. Instantly I was draped by the twirling, swirling scent of  deep, ancient, mythical Shrimp curry and steamed rice. The smack of aroma came through so vividly that my frigid soul came alive instantly.

Rooted in nature, it looked ordinary but went extraordinary as I took my first bite unleashing a universe of exuberant fragrance. Lovely austerity of the white-greenish curry levitated my heavy self immediately. Cheerful Shrimps were heightened with a touch of bare minimum spices. Half-melted onion sauce and fresh, smooth coconut paste were clinging to the shrimps with a penetrating soft sweetness.

The most beautiful ‘Tastemaker’ in the world with a spiral braid swinging at her back with Hibiscus tucked in, created hypnotizing alchemy in the pan. She made a meal that taste like a poem ♥

Recipe doesn’t belong to a labor-intensive or rule-braking repertoire. It is rather quite relaxed:

1 medium onion/shallot – paste

Garlic paste – 1 tbsp

Ginger paste – ½ tbsp

1-2 green chilies – paste

Salt to taste

Vegetable/olive oil 3 tbsp

Coconut milk – 1 cup

Shrimps 1 lb (10-12 large pieces, cleaned)

Saute first seven ingredients adding ½ cup warm water. Let it slowly evaporate until it had shrunk to a dense, caramelized gravy. about 10 minutes. Add shrimps and coconut milk. Cover. Cook for 7/8 minutes. Serve with rice.

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Happy 98th Birthday, Norma, The Merchant of Happiness! Thank you for allowing me to touch the dreams everyday you have sown in your precious garden.

 Category: Fish, Seafood      Tagged:

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