Family food!

 

Palak Paneer, Veg Pulao and Aloo paranthas

I found this template online. Simply LOVED the phrase - An ordinary day sprinkled with stardust! 

More than 1 reason to call this post family food :) :) :)

Dark Chocolate

I read Alice Munro's Too Much Happiness - the first book this year. I didn't realise that she is a Nobel laureate when I had picked up the book. I had not read anything in months, and just wanted to ease myself into reading by picking up something short, something thin. With a previous recommendation for the author's work, I borrowed this collection of short stories. 

The title makes you think that the book must be sad and tragic but the stories are not! Her stories have got a bitterness to them - second marriages, break ups, murders, infidelity. But strangely one does not feel the need to sympathise with the characters or get angry at them. They have all been created perfectly to match their actions.

Bit like dark chocolate - the taste of it lies in it's bitterness. I can only take it in small bites though. May be the author realises this, and hence the stories are all just the right length. She doesn't waste time setting the scene - it is always happening, always in action.

I am not a fan of dark chocolate, but I do like to try everything :)

Holi Special!

Gujiya preparation for the festival of colours!

Anniversary - Guest Post

I would have written a post myself but it just sums it all perfectly! ~~

"I think there was only that one moment when I first heard it when it was "really? Is this actually happening?" - before that 'moment' it was just 'we are all such good friends' that I didn't consider that, and afterwards, it seemed so natural! :D
Having said that - I LOVE to brag about you. When that topic of best friends comes up and I casually mention, both of them are in UK etc. etc. and end with "and they are married to each other".  The "oh! That's awesome " accompanied with the envious look is always a triumphant moment for me."

Thank you SSS :)

Of course, Thank you God, Thank you Parents & Thank you my dearest S!

Sachin Tendulkar

Media all over the world has been sharing stories of how Sachin Tendulkar is saying bye to cricket. Emotional videos, messages, pictures are flooding social websites. Everybody has something to say about how it effects them. 

And deservedly so - Sachin Tendulkar is an icon, for cricketers, for spectators, for Indians and for Non-Indians. He has earned fame and respect from one and all through his cricketing prowess and his off-field humility. He has made Indians feel nationalistic on more occasions than any politician could do in past 65 years. 

Personally, I have made scrap books out of Sachin's pictures in newspapers and magazines. I have admired his ability to make it look so easy, I have admired his determination and I have admired his realistic personality - for as long as I remember. I am the generation who grew up with Sachin. 

All the news channels flowing with Sachin's retirement news, have made me avoid them in past couple of weeks. Two different (or may be related) reasons for this - 1. I don't want to be saddened, I wouldn't be able to take it - to watch him go. 2. I refuse to see this as Sachin's 'farewell'. He exists. And he will continue to - in his humanitarian projects, in his prospective role as a member of parliament, as a cricketing genius, as shining India's brightest star. He has just stopped playing - but he continues to be the man I have admired for many more reasons other than his profession. 

So for me, live on Sachin - I have not said good bye to you :) :) :)

A Window into the Unknown

Cosmic coincidence? Perhaps. 

In last few weeks I was introduced to the Jewish religion from more than 1 sources. First it was the BBC series - The Story of the Jews and then a birthday gift from S - The Marrying of Chani Kaufman (Eve Harris). 

It is fascinating - the concept, the ideology, the depth of history and sociology associated with the followers of this religion. Also, the fact that it is a closed community makes curious cats like me want to know more - what, why and how of Jewish people. 

As a student, I never read about religions - the closest thing to religion in our school curriculum was moral education - being virtuous! (which I think is one of the best things in our education system at the moment, and wish for it to stay as non-religious). And in my neighbourhood, though much diverse, I had not come across people following Judaism. 

So this was a road to discovery - an ancient world; brand new for me. It is enchanting and confining in it's archaic laws and rituals. There is a reason behind the rules, but in this modern age - to be able to see that reason and abide by it - must take complete and utter surrender from mortals. 

The Marrying of Chani Kaufman is slightly different from other immigration based novels as it talks more of struggles within the community than those posed by the outside world. However, the main thought is still of a submissive generation being replaced by a rebellious one. The dilemmas of conformity, the dilemmas of being accepted by your own as well as those outside. 

However, I am not entirely convinced of its place in the Booker Long List for 2013. Perhaps it is the first book to give an insider's view of a community so closely knit? Which would then justify the praise it has been bestowed. 

Here, it is not a rare sight to spot a large family with fully covered women and men in monochrome clothes and I would be lying if I said they didn't make me think who/why. At least the answer is not beyond comprehension now.

Pinch me!

It took a while to sink in - just the news!

The reality of it, the implications may even take months to settle down :) 

After a decade of knowing each other, a few years of courtship and a couple of years of marriage - S & I will finally move in (Amen) - at the end of this year!!!

It is as big a news for us - as the realisation of being together was :) :) :) But it means much more - a house morphing into a home, man and woman transforming into a Mr. & Mrs., dates becoming occasions and festivals finally becoming festivals. 

It sounds strange - that after all this time the idea of living with S still gives me butterflies in the tummy :D I know it may be far from it - but I wonder if a conventional bride/groom would feel the same? Being pushed into a brand new household with almost stranger husband/wife - trying to adjust - trying to accommodate each other's needs and desperately trying to not be 'not good enough!' So much pressure it is!!

Cliche it may be, but true as well - I have not seen a marriage like mine in my family - I have not seen husbands and wives being best buddies - life partners yes, but buddies - strangely not. So I do go around saying that my married life is quite different from most others. And now I think is the time to find out the truth! 

Thank you so much God - let the fun begin :)

Jalebiii!!

I thought I  had a ready mix at hand - but I didn't.

So here is how I prepared my Jalebis from scratch -

Batter - 8-10 heaped table spoons of plain flour, 3 table spoons of gram flour, 5 table spoons of sugar, 1 table spoon of baking powder. Add water to achieve cake-mix consistency (so that it drips of the spoon in strands rather than drops).

Syrup or Chaashni - 1 portion of sugar & 1.25 portion water - left to boil for about 1 hour, then cooled to thicken such that it coats the back of the spoon.

Process - Let the batter rest for about 30 min. Then fill it in a squeeze ketch up bottle.

Heat cooking oil in a wok (kadahi) on medium heat. Test if the oil is hot enough by 1 drop of batter - it should bubble and rise immediately. If the oil is heated enough then start squeezing small circles of batter from the bottle. Don't worry too much about the shape :)

Dip hot jalebis into chaashni for 20-40 seconds and put aside.

Yummy jalebis are ready :)

Jaana to hai...magar..JALEBII!! Iconic advertisement - cannot not think of it every time I make Jalebis :) :)

Preparation!

Sweetened with Syrup

Dig in!

Acknowledgement -

Bajiya's Cooking - Took the basic batter proportions from her recipe video.

Little Women

I have to stop this - the urgency of finishing a book over the weekend - it leaves no time for anything else during the much coveted weekend :(

The book - it is a pleasant read in most parts. Almost 70% of it can be read without any effort or skipping pages. But then comes the elongated 30% - which seems a bit of a drag and too predictable. 

I guess in 1860's when the book was written, it was not fashionable to surprise the readers with an anti-climax or keeping it sharp. 

Overall - a very good read for secondary school (Yes! I was delayed by about 2 decades :D)

Everything happens for better

This is what I take away from last week.

Life can take unexpected twists and turns, throw things at you which you wouldn't dream of. After all, we are mere players in a puzzle He has already laid out. We tend to get too focused on our little piece and forget to look at the bigger picture. Ignore the fact that there is a Controller sitting high and mighty - joining us up to make that picture.

Last week I experienced some of the most tormenting hours of my life. It was a rude awakening to the frailty of us beings. But as I said - He is watching over & let us through unhurt. 

The implications are far reaching but nothing which can't be overcome. Everything seems to have been put in perspective. I will be honest, I can't help feeling a pang about the consequences, but then I quite well understand the point of view. Hence, the learning - this shall be all for good! Good will come out of this and more as our Puppeteer is far more imaginative than we can ever be.

Just as this week comes to close - I have got another reason to tell myself to believe - everything happens for better. That after all life can only be planned to a degree, we didn't create it, and we can barely control it. Sometimes the Controller may make us take longer routes, but it shall all be for good. Amen.

Capsicum Paneer

I started with the an image of 'restaurant style kadahi paneer' in my head for this dish - Red, thick gravy, chunky pieces of paneer, oily and spicy. 

However, it ended up being a very homely, not too unhealthy, sufficiently spiced capsicum paneer :) So instead of calling the final dish with any standard paneer dish names like kadhai paneer, paneer makkhani, chili paneer etc. I called it 'Capsicum Paneer'. 

Here is how I made it - 

Ingredients:

Gravy base - 

1. Ginger - 30 gms

2. Garlic - 2 cloves

3. Onions - 4

4. Green/red chillies - 2 

Vegetables - 

1. 2 green capsicums (as these are the least sweet variety)

2. Ginger - 20 gms - cut into sticks

3. Red onions - 1 big or 2 small

4. Fresh Tomatoes - 2 cut into wedges

5. Tomato puree - 400 gms

6. Paneer - I made the paneer at home too - for serving 15 people - I used 2 litres of full cream milk

Home Made Paneer

Fresh ingredients

Spices - 

1. Jeera - 1 heaped tea spoon

2. Cloves - 6-7

3. Haldi - 1 tea spoon

4. Red chili powder - 1 tea spoon 

5. Dhaniya powder - 1 tea spoon

6. Garam Masala powder - 1 tea spoon

Method - 

1. Make paneer at least a couple of hours ahead of using it in the dish and refrigerate It gives time for the paneer to firm up making it easier to cut into cubes. 

2. For the gravy base - either finely dice all the ingredients or use a food processor to get a almost paste consistency by putting everything together. 

3. Cut the capsicum and red onions into thin long slices. Cut the tomatoes as long slices as well. Slice the ginger into thin long sticks.

4. Cut the paneer into any shape you fancy - triangular, squares or rectangular. If the paneer is crumbly then better to keep the shape simple. Don't throw away any crumbs as they can be used in the gravy base.

5. Take enough oil in a deep pan to cover its base. Now shallow fry the paneer - till it is a golden colour and keep for draining the oil. Then in the same oil fry the capsicum till they are half cooked and slightly scoured. Add red onions and ginger without taking out the capsicum. Let the onions go translucent and slightly golden. 

6. When the capsicum and onions are cooked, push them to a side in the pan so that some oil is visible. In this oil, add all the dry spices. Once the spices are roasted, add the fresh tomatoes. 

7. When this is cooked, add the tomato puree and cook on medium heat until the gravy is dark red in colour and starts to leave the sides of the pan. Add salt to taste. Add any other spices like chili powder or garam masala to taste at this stage. If you want to give it a milder flavour then you can also add curd at this stage to the gravy.

8. Lastly, stir in the fried paneer gently so as to not to break the pieces and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes. 

Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot with any flat bread or rice!

Ready to dive in!

Around the world in 24 hours!

As explained in the previous post - 'Around the world in 80 days' was ordered unplanned. But it gripped me from beginning to finish like magnet to iron. 

It has such a nice old world charm to it - I find it irresistible. The English gentlemen of lore - a dream like person with all the chivalry that ever was, with all the knowledge ever discovered and with all the worldly smartness one would ever need!

The travelogue of a rich, handsome British young man around the world on sea and land (no airways in those days!) is witty, thrilling and captivating. The descriptions of the places they go through are succinct yet accurate (a bit dated though - the subcontinent has changed beyond recognition!). 

The book is written in an unique style - minimal characters with sharp attributes and each playing critical role at various points. Loved the crispness of the whole story. Just as the protagonist's task of circumventing the world in 80 days was daunting, I am sure the author's task to write about the numerous places in 150 pages (along with the story plot) must have been challenging. 

Who am I to endorse a classic like 'Around the world in 80 days' but at least I can appreciate it!

The True First Kindle Book

Correction: In the 'Cloud Atlas' post I mentioned that Cloud Atlas was my first Kindle book. This is not true - And I have only realised it after reading a true Kindle book & the experience was much different. 

I was looking for books for a couple of pre-teens girls as gifts. Not knowing what would they like I was inclined on tried and trusted classics. Browsing through 100s of titles on Amazon - found 'Around the world in 80 days' with a price 0.00 for Kindle edition!

Having recently acquired a wireless connection, I was keen on using my Kindle more, so purchased it then. I must confess - already a fan of Amazon's one click ordering, I was all the more impressed how quickly the book was downloaded on my Kindle after clicking 'buy'. Great stuff!

Reading a proper Kindle book on Kindle is much different from reading any old pdf. The pages are rightly sized (no need for scrolling), I can attach notes, highlight, book mark sections and even look up meanings of the words without leaving the page. It also calculates the speed at which you read and tells you how long left before you finish it :) - I had not heard of that before!! The only thing I would have liked more - was the ability to copy and paste in notes.

But come what may - nothing beats a paper book. Love the smell of paper, love turning the pages, love reaching the end of a book and then reading the back cover, I simply love every part of a book.  Nothing beats the addition of a book to a shelf in my room. Love admiring them whenever I enter the room, love reading the titles on the spine, love rearranging them :)

I love my books. I love the escape they give me - the way they take me to empty spaces!

Argh!

WARNING: Absolutely random!!

It is such a weird state of mind - I love my purchasing power but I hate the work I have to do to get it.

I love the fact that S is doing great in his work but I hate that he has to stay away from me for it.

I wait for the weekend to come from 12.01AM on Mondays, but when it arrives, I don't know what to with myself!

I have started feeling tremendous pressure at work. And feel like running away from it. But there is no where I could run to :(

I don't know how to get out of it.

Why is wanting not equal to getting?

The Waiting Game

It is strange - I have spent most of my life waiting. I don't know about others, is this normal?

I don't remember since which year in school - I have waited for the holidays, I have waited for the holidays to get over and waited for another year to start. 

I have waited to get into a college. I have waited for the college exams and then waited for the results. I have waited to get an internship and waited to get a job. 

People say the best time of their lives is when they were in school and college, but I think my days have never been there. I don't remember going through a day without waiting for something. My student memories are not made up of sweet memories (in most part) but of endlessly waiting for the next event!

College over, job started -> Waiting for post graduation, waiting for admission exams, waiting for results, waiting for the scholarship, waiting for the visa. All this wait - in hindsight, must have definitely made me cranky and unpleasant to hang out with. Because I was never there - never in present with the people around me physically.  I must stick out with my wait of the 'future'. I am always waiting for things to change which stops me from enjoying what is there now. 

Post graduation - Yes it was an achievement, yes I allowed myself a bit of jubilation. And yes, it was all about post graduation for those 10 months of my life - but it was as if I am on a mission to moon - precise, practical and prudent every minute of those 10 months - not making memories out of my 'foreign' education! (Add to it the added pressure of getting married!!) Now, when I look back, or look at my batch mates I feel like I missed a trick. There has to be a middle ground where you can have fun and not compromise on the mission.

We are married, in stable jobs, living in pleasant cosy places - still I am restless, I am seeking the unreachable 'better tomorrow'! Part of me thinks (even in this reflective mode) that my want/wait is justified. It is not easy to simply ignore the wrongs and keep focusing on the rights. We try that, and have spent nearly 2 years doing so. It doesn't change anything, apart from 'getting used to'. I don't want do it anymore. I want to set the wrongs right, I want to have the missing pieces complete and I want to start enjoying the normal now - Now!!!

Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas is my first Kindle book. 

So before I write about the book, a bit about the experience. Over last couple of months there has been a lot of travel in my work. Thanks to dear S I had Kindle to give me company :) Though while travelling, I rarely get a chance to read, I asked S for a book to have a fall back (nothing more boring than having to travel alone without a book!). 

The reason it was Cloud Atlas was because when waiting for our flight from Rome, I noticed the couple ahead of us in the queue reading Cloud Atlas (husband) and Capital (wife). It connected to some vague memory in my brain reminding me that I had once thought of reading this book. One of the first Amazon reviews I read for the book said not too read too much about the book before reading it & enjoy the stories as they unfold. So I took the advice and didn't research any further.

The book was loaded on Kindle and lay there unread for quite a few weeks. Then on one of those trains back home where I was alone, I started reading it. The first few pages I admit, I read rather mechanically - just for the sake of reading. But then as a couple of characters began to emerge, I got used to reading the book. 

The book is written across different time periods in history & future of human kind. It may throw you off for sometime and may seem a bit all over the place.  However, there is something unique in each part of the books which keeps you glued on to discover more. I wonder if each of the 6 stories have actually got potential to be expanded into books in their own right!!

Confession - the links between various stories are not abundantly evident (or at least to me). A couple of stories actually refer characters by name and it is clear that you have read about this person in another part of the book but what is their role is still difficult to gauge. Only when I completed reading the book I did some Internet search on it - I wanted to know what had I missed. Reading some of the reviews made the hints clearer. 

Now that I have read the book and have read its reviews the least I can say is Cloud Atlas is a challenging book. It expects its readers to pay attention to the details and then sweat themselves out in figuring the connections! It is not a casual read which would make sense even if you skip pages or read half asleep. Every line could be as critical as next!

So may be it was a wrong choice for travel/part time reading but then I don't know when would I ever pick up a book to play the tiring game of 'so what did he mean by that...' with the author!

Travel Tales - Rome

Having written the 2nd post under 'Travel Tales' I feel compelled to at least write something about Rome - one of our more extensive travels!

We spent 4 days in this grand Italian capital - and I must confess, this short write up is neither going to cover it all chronologically nor possibly will describe the experience in great detail. But what I endeavour to do is to present an essence of our trip here. 

Rome was not our first choice for this holiday - we were looking at Turkey for a couple of weeks when someone suggested Venice and Italy became another country to look at. Though still quite confident about Turkey, we started reading about various Italian cities. The more we read about it, the more we felt attracted towards it. S & I were looking for a budget  holiday so there was also an economics element in picking up Rome. The flights were reasonable, and we found a very nice hotel at bargain rates! The visa process took about 2 weeks and then a month of excited wait :)

We arrived in Rome on flight nearly missed from Paris at 11 PM! Outside the Ciampino Airport, it felt a bit unsafe and strange when no taxis came for about 20 minutes. My mind started thinking of the infamous Italian Mafia :D We checked in at about midnight. The hotel was decent (feels even better on thinking back!) Tired, we slept almost instantly. 

Next morning, Rome gave us a hearty welcome with bright sun and clear skies. We had a nice breakfast and left for the city centre. First day in Rome was allocated for the Vatican City. And this tiny country deserves a full day of your attention. The Vatican Museums are one of the largest campuses I have set foot on.The Sistine Chapel is divine! (pun intended) The paintings, the altar, the ambiance all make you feel so spiritual. St. Peter's Square and St. Peter's Basilica are awe inspiring.
Had a lovely time street shopping and enjoyed Italian coffee. Satisfied with our day we had a good night's rest. 

Second day in Rome was for city sight seeing - Castel de St. Angelo, The Pantheon, Piaza de Venezia, Piaza de Popolo and a scrumptious Italian dinner. These ancient monuments in Rome (except Piaza de Venezia which is 19th Century) are treasures of human stories. Each place has a special tale to tell and a special place in this eternal city.

In the evenings, while waiting for our train back to the hotel, we would map out our next day's routes. For the 3rd day we had - The Roman Forum, The Colosseum, Trevi Fountain and Piaza Navona. The Roman Forum is a 'city centre' of the modern day. It housed temples, shops, community halls and memorials. Looking at it, one realises that the human mind has worked along the same lines for centuries. And that the current social set up is probably not easy to get rid off! The Colosseum - it is truly a marvel of human ambition. The sheer structure, the mechanics and the design is mind boggling. To think of constructing something of it's stature without any electrical or mechanical aid gives me goose bumps. It was one of the best sites in Rome for me. 

We also visited Trevi Fountain that day - another one of sclupting geniuses in Rome - it was one of S's favourite from the trip :)

Piaza Navona was a delight too - a haven for artists it was full of painters and sketchers. We got a caricature done too (still to find a frame for it!!)

  

On the last day we covered all the remaining sites - The Spanish Steps, Villa Borghese, Capitol Museum, The Zoological Park and a visit back to the Trevi Fountain. 

We also spent some time roaming around the various Piazas and street markets shopping for souvenirs. Enjoyed a very delicious lunch and made our way to the airport!

Rome didn't let us down in any way - the local transport was good, people were warm, food was tasty and weather was kind :) We were really glad that we chose it to be a part of our first European holiday!

Travel Tales - Belfast

Last weekend S & I decided to have a 'meet in the middle' adventure at Belfast, Northern Ireland. 

We were not expecting to have a lot in the city to do or visit. So we thought we will spend the day at The Giant Causeways. 

But on our city tour, we discovered much more than expected!

Even after years of the peace agreement, the city is more divided than I could imagine - there is a wall running through the residential area to stop violence. It felt as if the common man was more involved in these troubles than the military could ever be. The bitterness lingers on and from what I picked, I am not sure if it is getting any less intense.

It was eerie to go through these areas with war torn buildings and rebel murals. It made me realise that how lucky I am to have never been near a conflict site.

But as always hope survives, there was a brand new development quarter in another part of the city, hailing Belfast's claim to fame - The Titanic.
Our tour guide joked - "Titanic was sent off the coast of Belfast in perfectly good order, it was not their fault that she had an English captain and a Scot navigator".
 

 We also went to the University area and the Botanic Gardens. The gardens were thronged with people, out and about to enjoy a glorious summer day! We had to queue for more than 20 minutes to get our ice creams :)

With an insight to Belfast's story at the Ulster Museum, the trip ended up being much more than just a romantic adventure!

No Border Control!

Muggle to Magic!!

Daal Makkhani

Made this for the first time a couple of weekends ago. Took some guidance from various recipes off the internet, some handy hints from mother in law and some additions of my own! Below is the resulting recipe -

Ingredients (for 5 people):

Base - 

1. 150gm Sabut Urad

2. 1 cup Rajma (Red Kidney Beans) if not soaked or 1 400gm tin of red kidney beans soaked in salted water

Cooking Medium - 

3. 50gm butter

4. Clarified Butter (ghee) - 2 table spoon 

Spices - 

5. Cinnamon Sticks - 4-5

6. Bay Leaves - 2

7. Cumin Seeds - 1 tea spoon

8. Ground chilli powder - 1 tea spoon

9. Turmeric Powder - 1 tea spoon

10. Coriander Powder - 1 tea spoon

Gravy (Tadka) - 

11. Ginger - 20gm

12. Garlic - 2 cloves

13. Onion - 3

14. Tomatoes - 3

15. Green Chillies - 2

Garnish - 

16. Fresh Coriander leaves

17. Fresh Cream - 125ml

Advance Preparation:

Soak the daal and rajma (if not tinned) overnight for faster cooking.

Recipe:

• Boil the soaked daal and rajma with a little bit of salt in pressure cooker (use the same water in which it was soaked). If soaked overnight, then 5-6 whistles should be enough. Check the daal for being soft as undercooked daal could spoil the dish! If there is extra water in the pressure cooker then keep it aside because you will need it to bring the thick daal to right consistency before serving :-)
• For the gravy -Peel the onions and quarter. Wash the tomatoes and quarter. Cut the chillies into halves. Peel the garlic cloves. Peel and slice ginger. Put everything together in the food processor bowl and pulse until smooth. Alternatively you can chop (dice) these ingredients very finely and mix them together.  
• Heat the butter and ghee in a pan on medium heat. When it starts to bubble add the dry spices. Roast for a couple of minutes or until the cumin seeds change colour to golden. Then add the gravy paste. 
• Keep stirring the paste until it - a. Changes to a dark red colour b. The raw tomato smell is gone c. The gravy leaves the sides of the pan and starts coming together. This could be anything between 15-20 min. 
• Drain any excess water from the pressure cooker and stir in the cooked gravy. Let it boil on low heat for about 20 min. Keep adding the excess water if the mixture becomes too dry.
• Once boiled & bubbling, add in about 100ml of fresh single cream and boil again for about 20 min. At this point the daal will begin to change colour from greenish brown to rusty brown. 
• Add salt to taste. 

Serve hot garnished with fresh cream, coriander leaves and ginger sticks.

Whilst cooking

Final Dish