Sabzi or Sabji

I like words. I like to find out where they came from and what they become in their new setting, in short etymology. I found that Sabzi is derived from Persian word Sabzi to mean "greenness; greens". Now it should not surprise any moderately educated person that most of the nouns that are used in modern Hindi are borrowed from other languages.

Particularly Persian. Once upon a time, an educated man, I mean person, was one who was proficient in Persian. The Mughal emperor Akbar's biography was written in Persian!

Some people, particularly folks that advocate for Hindutva, try to "Indianize" Hindi by purging Hindustani of words derived from impure, foreign, Islamic sources by bringing in words that are derived from Sanskrit.

How would they feel if they found out that ancient Persian and Vedic Sanskrit are similar? Horrors! Vedas shares words with a "mleccha language", ancient Persian!

Let me start with my recipe for a sabzi. Here is a list of ingredients.

• Potatoes
• 5-6 tbsp of cooking oil.
• 1 tsp of mustard seeds. 
• 1 tsp of jeera
• 2 tsp of urad dal (I like seeds that are not broken but it makes no difference to taste)
• optional 1 tsp of chana dal
  
• 0.25 tsp of hing (asafoetida).
• 4-5 curry leaves; more if you like the taste (I do), don't care if you don't 😃.
• 2 Green Chili *
• 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder **
•  2 tsp of salt. ***
• 2 tsp of Sambar Powder. ****

Another detour : I learned how to make this dish when I was in high school and my mother was studying for her B.Ed. Potatoes were plentiful in Delhi, it was easy to make, and importantly it was my sister's and my favorite food. Our father was easy; he simply ate whatever was put in front of him! My mother on the other hand did not like deep fried stuff in general and potatoes in particular, but she had a unique passion for studying that compelled her to work day and night. Needless to say I did not share this madness! She was simply happy someone fed her.

Back again to my recipe. Take 3-4 medium sized potatoes. Wash them thoroughly to remove any dirt or soil. I do not peel the potatoes. Cut them into disks and then into small cubes of uniform size. After I cut them into disks, I use a device to do this. Use a blade depending on the cube size you desire. Keep cut potatoes in cold water; exposed to air it changes color, although it does no harm to the potatoes or impact the taste. Rinse it again to remove any remnant dirt and starch that leaks out.

Recipe

1. Pour cooking oil in a flat bottom pan and set it on a medium flame. I prefer non-stick pan.
2. Once the oil heats, Add mustard and let it roast (Mustard should explode) 
3. Add jeera and let it brown. If the mustard has exploded the oil is hot and jeera might char. So be ready for next step.
4. Add urad and chana dal. Let them roast till they change to a reddish hue.
5. Add Hing, Curry leaves, and Green Chili. Heat till you see incipient signs of charring.
6. Add potatoes to the pan. 
7. Add 2 tsps of salt. 
8. Add Turmeric Powder. 
9. Cover pan and let the potatoes cook on a low flame.
10. Taste a piece to see if it has cooked.
11. Add 2 tsps of Sambar powder
12. Without making the potatoes mushy, turn them over so all of them can get to the bottom of the pan and get required heat to acquire crispness
13. Do this as many times as necessary to make it uniformly crisp.
14. Turn off heat; transfer potatoes to a serving dish. Eat when warm as this dish does not taste as good 2-3 hours later.
    

Customize to suit your palate

1. * For spicier taste, add more green chilies.
2. ** Turmeric is a acquired taste. I like more of it plus it also gives food a beautiful hue!
3. *** Taste to see if you need more salt. Easier to add salt than remove salt from food!
4. **** Add more Sambar powder if you like more flavor.

What Are We Leaving Behind For Our Children

When one loses a war, the enemy is merely stronger

When one loses an economic war, the enemy is smarter

The West was not even in a war with China

But it decided to throw down its guns unilaterally

By inviting them and giving them unlimited access to its economy

By teaching its enemy how to defeat it

By firing its own foot soldiers from its factories

While hollowing out its own industrial base

All in the name of providing cheap gewgaws to the masses

Did the masses ever ask for cheap stuff?

And how would it pay for cheap stuff when it does not have a job

Who cares?

Wall Street does

Wall Street is happy

But it wants more

The tiger has tasted human flesh

It can no longer do an honest day of hunting

It only wants more human flesh

But how?

Buy cheap

If Malaysia is expensive go to China

When China gets expensive go to Bangladesh

Do not operate the thumbscrew yourself

Outsource that too

Make the Bengalis squeeze their own people 

Like another famous corporation did 250 years ago

Pay less

Minimum wage my foot

Split the people and bust their unions

Divide et Impera

Unions are all corrupt anyway

Kill regulations

Cut corners with safety

What is more poison in our water

What is more salmonella in our eggs

What is more pesticide in our fruits

Why have regulators

Government does not work anyway

Divert attention and Spread Misinformation

Blame Blacks, they do not do a honest days work anyway (Trump, Cornyn)

Blame Hispanics; they are all rapists anyway (Trump)

Blame women; they are all sluts anyway (Rush)

Blame Jews; Holocaust is not real anyway (Neo Nazis)

Blame gays and queer; they are not people anyway

Blame working women; they should Lean In to being trad wives anyway (pun intended)

Guns do not kill

Plastics do not hurt

Solar is a boondoggle

Buy and Sell Power

Spend millions to buy elections

Stuff the courts with your people

Pit one country and state against another in a bidding war

Buy media outlets and prevent diverse views

When will things change for the better?

Will it ever change?

What are we leaving behind for our Children?