RAVA SPECIALS

i. Rava Laddu

Basic Information

Prep Time: 30 min to 1 hour

Cook Time: Under 15 min

Yield: Makes around 10 medium-large sized balls

Ingredients

• Rava / Semolina - 1 cup
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Ghee - 25 gms
• Milk - 25 ml
• Cardamom powder - a pinch
• Cashew nuts - 10 whole nuts
• Raisins - 10 nos
• Grated fresh coconut - 25 gms

Method

1

Heat 2 tsp of ghee in a kadai. Once the ghee is hot enough, simmer the flame and roast cashew nuts

2

and raisins.

3

Once the raisins balloon up, remove. Then roast the grated coconut.

4

Remove once done. Keep all these aside. Add the remaining ghee and roast the Rava till its well roasted and aroma starts coming out.

5

In a bowl, take all the roasted Rava, Nuts, Coconut and add the Cardamom powder. Then add the sugar. Mix well.

6

Then slowly add the warm milk into the bowl. Check if you are able to gather as balls.

7

When you find that milk added is enough to get you laddos, transfer it back to the kadai and cook in sim for 2 mins. Mix well and then cover it and let it rest for 2 mins. Notes : For some reason I found this step unnecessary for me since it formed into perfect balls for me at the get go and even without following this step it came out super yummy. Then immediately make balls or laddoos.

8

Notes: While roasting the Rava, make sure you have the flames in sim, else there is a chance of the rava getting over roasted. Its enough to add only the required amount of milk to get you form balls. Depending on the rava and the sugar at times we may not use all the 25 gms Since we add milk, its best to consume within 5 days of making them. If you store them in fridge, you can have them for a week. The other version followed is

The rava after being roasted can be powdered using a blender. Add sugar to this and make a powder. Add a little ghee to this mixture and make small balls out of this.

ii.Rava Kesari 

Basic Information

Prep Time: Under 15 min

Cook Time: Under 15 min

Serves: 2 people

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Semolina (Rava, sooji)
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1-2 tbsp broken cashews
• 2-3 tbsp Ghee (clarified butter)
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
• Pinch of saffron
• Few drops of food coloring (optional)
• Few drops of flavor essence like pineapple, mango, rose etc (optional)

Method

1

In a skillet heat the ghee. Roast the cashews until brown.

2

Remove the cashews and set aside.

3

In the same pan, roast the semolina for 2-3 mins in low flame. It will start being aromatic. The purpose for doing this slow roasting is dual. One for avoiding lumps while adding water later and also to get rid of the rawness of the semolina. Alternatively bring the water to a boil.

4

Now slowly add the water to the semolina,

5

making sure to keep stirring the pan

6

so that the semolina does not form into lumps.

7

The semolina should be completely cooked and you can find it out by touching it. It will be  soft, will not stick to the sides and will come together as one mass.

8

At this point add the sugar. Make sure to add sugar only after the semolina is well cooked.

9

Sprinkle it over evenly on the surface.

10

Keep stirring while the sugar melts.

11

and comes together into a thick pudding like consistency.

12

At this point add the saffron, cashews and food coloring if using (I added 1 drop of food coloring this time. I usually don't.) You can also dissolve the saffron in few drops of hot milk and add it.

Tips:

For different tastes/variety you can add few drops of essence at this stage like pineapple, mango, rose, vanilla etc.

Remove from pan and Serve it hot garnished with cashews if desired.

  III.Rava Upma

Basic Information

Prep Time: Under 15 min

Cook Time: Under 15 min

Serves: 2 people

Ingredients

• 1 cup semolina (not semolina flour)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp black gram dal (urad dal)
• 1/8th tsp asafoetida
• 1 dried red chilli, broken into small pieces
• 1-2 green chillies, thinly sliced, as per taste (optional)
• 1 inch piece, ginger root, peeled and chopped finely
• 1-2 tbsps cashews
• Salt to taste
• Curry leaves and cilantro(optional) to garnish

Method

1

Dry roast the semolina in a skillet until aromatic and toasted

2

Set aside and in the same skillet, add 1 tbsp oli/ghee and temper with mustard seeds,urad dal, red chillies and saute till the mustard seeds start popping.

3

Immediately add rest of the ingredients except semolina and salt. Saute for 30 sec to 1 min

4

Add 2 cups water and let it come to a boil. Add salt.

5

Now add the toasted semolina, slowly while continuing to stir the mixture.

6

Be careful and keep stirring otherwise the semolina will get lumpy. This step takes approx. less 1 minute to cook.

Serve warm garnished with cilantro is using. A little ghee drizzled on top will help to take this dish to the next level!:)

IV Rava idli

Ingredients:
1 cup wheat sooji/rava (medium thick)
1/2 tea spn mustard seeds
1/2 tea spn grated and crushed ginger
2-3 finely chopped green chilies
1 tea spn chana daal
1/4 tea spn soda
3/4 cup grated carrot
1 tbl spn cashews(optional)
2-3 strands of coriander leaves
2 tbl spn grated coconut(fresh or frozen)
1 cup yogurt/curd
1-2 tbl spn oil
Salt

Method:
Roast sooji till a nice aroma comes out.
Heat oil and add mustard seeds. When they start popping, add ginger, green chilies, chana daal and fry for some time. Switch off the heat and immediately add sooji, mix well.
Add salt, soda, carrot, coriander leaves, coconut, yogurt/curd and mix well. Leave it for around 30mins.
Grease an idli stand. Keep half cashew and then put the mixture on top (so that when the idlis are removed, the cashews can be seen at the top). Steam for around 12-15mins.
Serve hot.

Serves: 2
Preparation time: 30mins (excluding standing time)

V Rava Dosa

Ingredients

3/4 cup semolina (rava)
3/4 cup rice flour (chawal ka atta)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
2 green chillies, chopped
a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
a few curry leaves (kadi patta), chopped
a few cashewnut (kaju) pieces and a few dry coconut (kopra) pieces (optional)
1/4 tsp baking soda
3 tsp oil
ghee for frying
salt to taste

Method

1. Mix both the flours and add the soda bi-carb, salt and enough water (approximately 4 cups) to make a very thin batter.
2. Heat the oil in a small vessel, add the cumin seeds and fry until they crackle. Add the green chillies, asafoetida, curry leaves and fry for a few seconds. Add this mixture to the batter.
3. Heat a tava and grease it lightly with ghee. Pour 1/2 cup batter in a circular manner. If you like, add a few cashewnut pieces and coconut pieces.
4. Pour a little ghee in the holes of the dosa, fold in a triangular shape and cook until crisp.
5. Serve hot with coconut chutney.

VI  RAVA PAYASAM

Ingredients: • 1 litre Milk • 100 gms Wheat Rava • 200 gms Sugar • 1 tbsp Cashew Nut • 1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder • 2 tbsp Ghee • 1 cup Water • 1 tbsp Raisins

How to make Rava Payasam:

• Heat little ghee in a frying pan. • Fry cashew nuts and raisins in ghee. • Fry wheat rava in the remaining ghee until the raw flavor gets lost. • Boil 2 measures of water in a thick vessel. • Add fried wheat rava and cook. Add sugar. • Allow the mixture to boil for about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the flame. • Boil and add the milk to payasam. • Mix cashewnuts, raisins and cardamom powder. • Rava Payasam is ready to serve.

Device Brings $1,000 Genome Within Reach

Sequence machine: The Ion Proton Sequencer chip.
Life Technologies

Ion Torrent introduced its new tabletop sequencer at CES this week.

• BY ERICA WESTLY

Audio »

Thanks to advances in chemistry and software, researchers can soon sequence a human genome for $1,000 in a day.

Back in July, Jonathan Rothberg, CEO of the Connecticut-based biotech company Ion Torrent, predicted that by 2013 his company would develop a chip that could sequence an entire human genome.

This week, the company surpassed that prediction with a new tabletop sequencer called the Ion Proton. The company introduced the device at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Tuesday, although the sequencer is only available to researchers at this point.

At $149,000, the new machine is about three times the price of the Personal Genome Machine, the sequencer that the company debuted about a year ago. But the DNA-reading chip inside it is 1,000 times more powerful, according to Rothberg, allowing the device to sequence an entire human genome in a day for $1,000—a price the biotech industry has been working toward for years because it would bring the cost down to the level of a medical test.

"The technology got better faster than we ever imagined," Rothberg says. "We made a lot of progress on the chemistry and software, then developed a new series of chips from a new foundry." The result is a technology progression that has moved faster than Moore's law, which predicts that microchips will double in power roughly every two years.

Ion Torrent's semiconductor-based approach for sequencing DNA is unique. Currently, optics-based sequencers, primarily from Illumina, a San Diego-based company, dominate the human genomics field. But, while the optics-based sequencers are generally considered more accurate, these machines cost upwards of $500,000, putting them out of reach for most clinicians. Meanwhile, at Ion Torrent's price, "you can imagine one in every doctor's office," says Richard Gibbs, director of Baylor College of Medicine's human genome sequencing center in Houston, which will be among the first research centers to receive a Proton sequencer.

The new Ion Torrent sequencer will also allow researchers to buy a chip that sequences only exons, the regions of the genome that encode proteins. Exons only account for about 5 percent of the human genome, according to the National Human Genome Research Institute, but they are where most disease-causing mutations occur, making so-called exome sequencing a faster and potentially cheaper option for many researchers. Although it's the same price as the genome chip, the Ion Torrent exome chip can sequence two exomes at a time, bringing the per-sequence cost down to $500.

"Some researchers want to sequence single genes, others want to do exomes, and others—for example, cancer researchers—will want to sequence whole genomes, so all three are going to coexist," says Rothberg. "It's about finding the right tool for the problem."

Whether Ion Torrent's new technology will be enough to make it the dominant supplier of these tools remains to be seen. A day after the company debuted the Proton sequencer, Illumina also announced that it, too, had reached the $1,000 genome milestone.

"It's a volatile field, and there's no sentiment to keep researchers from switching to new technologies," says Gibbs. Still, Ion Torrent clearly has the price advantage. For researchers who already have Illumina's latest sequencer, the price to upgrade will be only $50,000, but the retail price will be $740,000, which will likely scare off most newcomers.

Home security - south African style. this is something!

Startup Makes 'Wireless Router for the Brain'

Mind control: This optogenetics system makes it possible to control brain cells with light in freely moving animals. The prototype plugs in to an implant in an animal's brain.
Kendall Research

Kendall Research's devices could make optogenetics research much more practical.

• BY COURTNEY HUMPHRIES

Audio »

Optogenetics has been hailed as a breakthrough in biomedical science—it promises to use light to precisely control cells in the brain to manipulate behavior, model disease processes, or even someday to deliver treatments.

But so far, optogenetic studies have been hampered by physical constraints. The technology requires expensive, bulky lasers for light sources, and a fiber-optic cable attached to an animal—an encumbrance that makes it difficult to study how manipulating cells affects an animal's normal behavior.

Now Kendall Research, a startup in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is trying to free optogenetics from these burdens. It has developed several prototype devices that are small and light and powered wirelessly. The devices would allow mice and other small animals to move freely. The company is also developing systems to control experiments automatically and remotely, making it possible to use the technique for high-throughput studies.

Christian Wentz, the company's founder, began the work while a student in Ed Boyden's lab at MIT. He was studying ways to make optogenetics more useful for research on how the brain affects behavior. Optogenetics relies on genetically altering certain cells to make them responsive to light, and then selectively stimulating them with a laser to either turn the cells on or off. Instead of a laser light source, Kendall Research uses creatively packaged LEDs and laser diodes, which are incorporated into a small head-borne device that plugs into an implant in the animal's brain.

The device, which weighs only three grams, is powered wirelessly by supercapacitors stationed below the animal's cage or testing area. Such supercapacitors are ideal for applications that need occasional bursts of power rather than a continuous source. The setup also includes a wirelessly connected controller that plugs into a computer through a USB. "It's essentially a wireless router for the brain," says Wentz.

The wireless capabilities allow researchers to control the optogenetics equipment remotely, or even schedule experiments in advance.

Casey Halpern, a neurosurgeon at the University of Pennsylvania and one of several researchers beta-testing the device, says the physical impediments of current optogenetics techniques are tremendous. "You almost can't do any behavioral experiment in a meaningful way," he says.

Halpern, for instance, studies feeding behavior, and would like to understand how activating or inhibiting specific groups of neurons change the way mice eat. The ability to test that question right in the animal's cage without a human in the room makes it more likely the animal will behave normally.

Wentz says that while the cost of the initial setup is comparable to a single laser system, it can be scaled up far more cheaply. This, coupled with the ability to remotely control experiments, would make it easier to conduct optogenetics experiments in a high-throughput fashion.

Kendall Research plans to make it possible to collect data from the brain through the device. The data could then be wirelessly transmitted to a computer. Sanjay Magavi, a research scientist at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, says while "it isn't yet clear how this will be used in industry," there's increasing interest in using optogenetics in animals to develop more sophisticated models of disease for preclinical drug testing.

Succeeding in Work

“With folded hands the king said the following words which were auspicious and good to hear: ‘Seeing your pure lotus feet today I am very much obliged to you.’” (Janaki Mangala, 21) rāu kaheu kara jora subacana suhāvana | bhayau kṛtāratha āju dekhi pada pāvana || The pious king tirelessly works to maintain the standard of law and order, to ensure that his subjects are properly taken care of and that the rules and regulations of the administrative class are not violated. Yet it is a little difficult to know when that work is successful, whether or not the effort expended has been appreciated or made a significant impact. With the blessing of the sight of the pure lotus feet of the servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, however, the past work proves fruitful, and the king becomes obliged to the kind person who provides the affirmation. Who doesn’t want to make a difference? Who doesn’t want to matter? A word of caution in this regard, though, for the worst tyrants in the world made an impact on history. Going on a killing spree, causing mass starvation, and bringing otherwise capable people to utter destitution make a tremendous impact on society, but not for the better. The common unstated purpose to the desire to make a difference is to positively affect someone else’s life, to show that your work has meaning. The Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, are so intricate that they reveal the root cause of this desire. At the heart of the living being’s vitality is the spirit soul, which has inherent properties, the foremost among them being the desire to serve. If you look around, you’ll see that there is a common trait shared in all behavior. One person is the CEO of the company while another is a worker, but both of them are offering service. The boss is seemingly independent, not having to answer to anyone, but unless there are customers to buy the product or service, the title becomes meaningless. Hence the company head, who is the face of the organization and thus equivalent to the business, serves the customers. The worker serves the company and the customers serve their own interests by purchasing relevant products. In the animal species the tendency towards service is also present. Motherly affection is seen just as much in the cow as it is in the human being. The cow brings forth heaps of milk when its child starts to cry, just as the Supreme Lord, who is also the Supersoul, rushes to the scene when His devotees cry out His names in a mood of love and affection. Hearing the chant of, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare   ”, the Supreme Person takes it as a signal for help, that one of His innumerable children is requesting His loving association. The work the spirit soul takes up when in a particular form of body can end up either successful or unsuccessful. This binary view isn’t as limiting as it seems, for work can be repeated or directed to other areas. The larger the scope of the work, the more people it affects, the more important it is to see a successful outcome. Next to the authorities governing the material elements at large, the ruler of the state has the most responsibilities. His actions affect a large number of people. Therefore, for his work to be successful, kritartha, he needs someone who can see the bigger goal and assess whether or not that is being satisfied with the actions undertaken. How do we find someone who has this proper vision? The fact that spirit exists within all species is not known to many. In fact, the external features of the species make just the opposite realization commonplace. I see that a dog and a cat have different behaviors and outward features, so I think that they are inherently different. At the same time, I know that there is variety within the human species, but in the end everyone has the desire to serve, to make a difference. “That knowledge by which one undivided spiritual nature is seen in all existences, undivided in the divided, is knowledge in the mode of goodness.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita   , 18.20) The wise seer studies Vedic philosophy under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master    and quickly realizes that spirit is present within all forms of life, from the tiny ant all the way up to the large elephant. As spirit is the catalyst to action, it can be thought of as a singular, large energy pervading all of space. Perceiving the presence of spirit and its equal influence within the species is one thing, but actually knowing what is good for spirit is another. With spirit comes the penchant for service. Those who can take their desire to make a difference and direct it towards pleasing the one person who can accept the most service thereby attain the greatest profit for themselves. The ruler’s duty is thus quite clear: allow for everyone in society to reach that stage of spiritual evolution, where their service is offered to God. How to fulfill this obligation is a little tricky, as not everyone will immediately be open to accepting the ultimate mission in life as genuine. Some will be too distracted to contemplate the truths of spirituality. Just because a perfect success rate is not practical doesn’t mean that the king should abandon the pursuit. Rather, the work assigned to the king is very important and should be carried out as a matter of obligation, with not too much concern placed on success or failure. Think of a school system with the different grades. The first grader can’t understand algebra and the laws of physics, but this doesn’t mean that their time in school is wasted. Through performing the work prescribed to their grade-level, they can gradually advance to the higher stages of knowledge. The head of state ensures that the conditions in society are conducive towards the realization of the self, which then leads to service to the Superself, or the Supreme Lord. Though the king is supposed to be detached while carrying out his obligations, it is still nice to know whether or not progress is being made. If there are some errors, the advisors to the king, the brahmanas, can come on the scene to rectify the situation. A brahmana is a priest who understands the all-pervasiveness of spirit. If he gives a blessing to a king, saying that their work is being done properly, the king feels most obliged, for he knows that his effort is not going to waste. One king a long time ago got that very blessing, which indicated the success of his work, when he was visited by one of the most famous sages in history. King Dasharatha of Ayodhya one day had the honor to greet Vishvamitra, who was living in the forest as a hermit. The brahmanas of the time chose the pristine wilderness as their home because it had conditions better suited for sacrifice and penance, two key aspects to any genuine discipline of spirituality. The brahmanas would teach others about their relevant occupational duties, and since the kings had the most influence through their work, they required the counsel from the brahmanas the most. Vishvamitra visited Dasharatha and was duly honored by both the king and his family. The muni in turn gave his blessings back to them, which made Dasharatha supremely happy. Vishvamitra was a servant of the Supreme Lord, so to see his feet, to take the dust coming from those feet and place it on the head, is the greatest blessing one can ask for. That association results in purity in thought, humility in demeanor, and the chance to receive knowledge on how to make future work profitable. The supreme profit for the living entity is to be immersed in God consciousness. Through a properly situated consciousness, even routine work becomes a kind of yoga, or divine trance. King Dasharatha was a fighter who administered the kingdom of Ayodhya, yet he was a yogi as well, as the Supreme Lord had appeared in his family as his eldest son. It was this son, named Rama, that Vishvamitra came to borrow, for he needed protection in the forest from the attacking night-rangers, who had suddenly increased in influence. Dasharatha knew that Vishvamitra’s association made all his work successful, so he couldn’t go against the request, though he was reluctant to. Because of that faith in the spiritual guide, the entire world would be benefitted. Lord Rama   , Bhagavan who carefully arranged this beautiful sequence of events, would travel through the forests with Vishvamitra and Lakshmana   , the Lord’s younger brother. The trio would inadvertently make their way to the kingdom of Videha, where a grand contest with a bow was being held. If not for Dasharatha’s acquiescence, Rama may never have made it to that contest, where King Janaka’s beloved daughter Sita was awaiting. Through the help of the combination of Vishvamitra and Dasharatha, the marriage of a lifetime took place. Question: Does the opposite condition of not meeting a devotee mean that your work is unsuccessful? If through the prosecution of his work Dasharatha hadn’t met Vishvamitra, it would have indicated that the king was not worth visiting at the time. The bona fide brahmana is the spiritual master of society, but he doesn’t disseminate the confidential information of the Vedas to just anyone. If something is very important to you, why would you discuss it with people who won’t understand that importance? Will you trust a young child with an expensive vase that could break easily? Will you hand over your family fortune to a money manager who doesn’t understand the value of hard work and money? The distribution of transcendental knowledge occurs through the proper qualification of both parties, the sender and the receiver. Vishvamitra felt that Dasharatha was worthy of his association, and the king made sure to abide by dharma, or virtue, so that the priestly class would be pleased with him. The servant of the Lord and the sincere recipient of transcendental knowledge make the perfect combination. Through their interactions others can learn so much as well. In the case of Vishvamitra’s visit, the love shared between the involved parties and their affection for Shri Rama set the best example for countless future generations to follow. The rules and regulations may shift based on time and circumstance, but the primary dharma of the soul to love God never goes away. Bring it to the forefront of your consciousness by hearing always about the Lord and humbly accepting the sincere words of instruction kindly offered by the devotees, whose lotus feet act as boats offering safe passage across the ocean of material suffering. In Closing: Person works hard for a reason, not easily to quit, So that in the end some success, tangible profit. For the ruling king, the duties are increased, With influence many people are reached. Success or failure in tasks nice to know, For from it dedication to virtue can grow. King Dasharatha fortunate for Vishvamitra to meet, Validated work through seeing sage’s pure lotus feet. The two’s love for eldest son Rama mind should note, Devotee’s mental company acts as rescue boat.