My recipes

My recipes

• Upma
• Sambar
• Rasam 
• Milagu Rasam
  
• Chili Paneer
• Quiche
• Vatta Kozhambu
  

Jannavi's recipe for Upma

This recipe, like the previous ones, started with a question - How do I make Upma that could serve 3-4 persons?

General rules

• Wash all vegetables before use. 
• Cut fine; unless otherwise specified (when in doubt cut it even smaller). 
• Always add less salt, it is always easier to add more at the end. 
• Lastly I prefer having all my ingredients in place before cooking to avoid looking for things in a hurry.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of Sooji 
• 4 tblsps of cooking oil.
• 1.5 tsps of Mustard seeds.
• 0.25 tsp of Hing (asafoetida).
• 1 tbsp of Urad dal (or more if you like the feel of roasted Urad dal)
• 1 tbsp of Chana dal (or more if you like the feel of roasted Chana dal)
• 5 Curry leaves
• Ginger chopped finely
  
• 3-4 Green Chili cut in halves or quarters
  
• Coriander leaves, cut finely
  
• 2-3 tsp of Salt.
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric
  
• 2 Onions cut not too finely
  
• Green peas
• 5 cups of water (1-2.5 ratio of Sooji and water) 

Recipe

1. Dry roast Sooji in a pan. Keep stirring the Sooji to prevent charring. 
2. Once Sooji is roasted from white -> yellow/light brown, set it aside in another vessel to cool.
   
3. Pour 4 tblsps of cooking oil in a flat bottom pan and set it on a medium flame.
4. Once the oil heats, add mustard and let it roast (Mustard should explode) .
   
5. Add Hing, Urad, and Chana. Heat till Urad/Chana turns golden yellow.
   
6. Add Curry leaves, Ginger, Green chili, Coriander. Heat till you see incipient signs of charring.
7. Add onions to the pan. 
8. Add a little Turmeric and 2 spoons of salt. Add 1/2 cup of water.
   
9. Cover pan and let onions cook on a low flame.
10. Add peas and let it cook on a low flame
11. Add 3-4 cups water, let it slow boil for 3-4 minutes
12. Turn down the heat 
13. Slowly pour Sooji to the biling mixture. I use a whisk at the same time to make sure that lumps do not form (Thanks Meena R)
    
14. Add remaining water and extra salt to suit taste. 
15. Stirring a few times and turn off the heat.
    
16. Take it off the fire and pour it into a serving dish.
    

Maami's Recipe for Sambar

 

This recipe, like the previous ones, started with a question - How do I make Sambar that could serve 3-4 persons? I was in Toronto and my cousin's mother-in-law, or maami as I call her, taught me how to make it. The general taste is very similar to my mother's Sambar.

General rules

• Wash all vegetables before use. 
• Cut fine; unless otherwise specified (when in doubt cut it even smaller). 
• Always add less salt, it is always easier to add more at the end. 
• Lastly I prefer having all my ingredients in place before cooking to avoid looking for things in a hurry. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup of pressure cooked Thuvar dal*
• 3 tblsps of cooking oil.
• 1.5 tsps of Mustard seeds.
• 1.5 tsps of Methi seeds.
• 0.25 tsp of Hing (asafoetida).
• 4-5 Curry leaves.
• 2 dried Red Chili
  
• 2 Green Chili
• 1/2 tsp of Turmeric powder
  
• 2 spoonful Tamarind paste
  
• 2 tsp of salt. **
• Cut 2-3 cups of vegetables. Okra, Eggplant, Green Pepper. Cut them not too small.
  
• 2 tsps of Sambar Powder. ***
• 3-4 cups of water. 

Recipe

1. Pour 3 tblsps of cooking oil in a flat bottom pan and set it on a medium flame.
2. Once the oil heats, Add mustard and Methi and let them roast (Mustard should explode)
   
3. Add Hing, Curry leaves, Red Chili, Green Chili. Heat till you see incipient signs of charring.
4. Add vegetables to the pan. 
5. Add 2 tsps of salt. 
6. Add Turmeric Powder. 
7. Add a cup of Water. 
8. Cover pan and let vegetables cook on a low flame.
9. Take 2 tsps of Tamarind paste, add water, and make a solution.
10. Pour Tamarind solution into pan.
11. Add 2 tsps of Sambar powder
12. Let vegetables cook on a medium flame for 3-4 minutes. You should see the Sambar powder foam at the top. This is necessary to remove the "raw" taste of Sambar powder.
    
13. Add cooked dal
    
14. Add extra water for consistency and extra salt to suit taste. 
15. Let it come to a boil.
16. Take it off the fire and pour it into a serving dish.
    

Customize to suit your palate

1. * I have substituted Moong Dal without any difference in taste.
2. ** After adding water, taste to see if you need more salt.
3. *** 1 spoon of Sambar powder if you like milder taste.

An ode to a feminist

A lesser man, oops, I mean drone

States his mind or what passes for one

yet when it comes for me to tell my tale

a woman nurtured and blossomed at Yale

Told, Woman, deal with pots, pans, or a kettle

Else be sentenced to stand in Pillory

You know, coz my name is Hillary

He stayed true to me not

the one with whom I tied the knot

Nary was a skirt safe from him by a long shot

Be it in Bhutan, Hindustan, or Cayman

Be it on a woman

or on a kilted Scotsman

But stayed I faithful besides this kook

Till death do us part, like it says in the Good Book

Yet tis I that is very publicly

Sentenced to stand in Pillory

Naturally since my name is Hillary

 

I tried improving health-care

as I cared for your welfare

Taught myself about Cipro and Mycin

Being a smart woman was my sin

My attempts were mocked as Hillary-care

House and Senate asked me, How dare

And so was I sentenced to stand in Pillory

Seeing as my name is Hillary

 

I won the party nomination

With a desire to lead the nation

Against a foe that hardly had a notion

knew not betwixt valley and hill

nor between parsley and dill

Hardly could he even pay his bill

Tear into me did Faux News on cable

Over me the country chose a deplorable

Dont be woman and dream was the parable

Again was I sentenced to stand in Pillory

Considering we all know my name is Hillary

---- The End ----

 

Why did I write this poem? 

I have always been an admirer of Hillary Clinton. I liked her when she was the First Lady and tried to tackle Healthcare. I despised the virulent misogyny, particularly in the Republican party (then and now) that doomed her well intention-ed effort.  That she was a smart woman annoyed, and I am sure, angered those in power.

I supported her as a Senator and the quiet way she went about her duties. 

I supported her when she lost the Democratic Party nomination to President Obama. It hurt me personally when he got away so easily with "You are likeable enough" on prime time TV. Do you think he would dare to patronize his children, Sasha and Malia or Michelle. But I loved the way Hillary gracefully accepted the defeat and partnered with Obama and became The Secretary of State. And, was she good!

I was devastated when she lost the elections in 2020. 

I could not talk about this to anyone. I just could not. 

I still cannot.

I am sure I cannot talk about the subsequent 4 years either without sounding totally deranged.

This poem, about a person I admire, as if she wrote it, is my way of sharing my grief, my pain, my anger, my coming to terms, and making peace.

Hope you like it too.

PJ

Less educated guy goes diamond shopping for/with his wife

Guy - wadda hira lana oy.

Merchant -  1 caret?

Guy - pagal hai? are main gaajar karidhne nahin aaya? bada sa hira la.

Merchant - Yes sir, would 1 caret do?

Guy - sunayi nahin deta? kaan mein wadda sa hearing aid daal liyo.

Wife - Honey you are so funny, diamonds ke size ko caret hi kehte ha.

Man - Angrez bhi pagal hai, gaajar aur hire mein fark hi nahin jaante.

Man - Accha sun, sone ka haar laana?

Merchant - Would that be 20 carets or 22 carets?

Man - behara hai kya. Meine hire ki baat nahin ki. Sona ka haar la

Wife - Sweetie pie, sone khara hai ya nahin hai, caret se hi pata lagate hai

Man - To kya mein tujhse kahoon 5 Kg chaval le aa, to tu kya 6 foot ki saadi layegi kya!

he merely wields a fork, knife, or a spoon

Across the plains of Serengeti
where the Lions stride with the wapiti
walks the brave Maasai hunter
even he knows better like all wise men do
that he might sling an arrow better than the best
a rhino in its eye stare
back down an elephant mad
but the kitchen turns this intrepid man
tamer than a house cat, meeker than the lamb

For he knows that for his own good
that it is best if he opens his mouth not to roar
only to shove a piece of food

as he merely wields a fork, knife, or a spoon

There once lived a dark queen that stepped
nary a foot in the kitchen
When asked what the poor should partake
unwisely offered the advice to eat a cake
she that knew not a skillet from a forks tine
hence was consigned by the french man to the guillotine

alas if only she had opened her mouth
to shove that same piece of cake

since she merely wielded a fork, knife, or a spoon

For fools that know not
between coriander and cumin the difference
God in his infinite (un) wisdom gave such men a tongue
such men ought know that at best a decorative it is
better yet a tool to move the food in the mouth side to side

considering they merely wield a fork, knife, or a spoon

what does such a man know if he knows
not what a ladle or a skillet is used for
when such man's mouth doth open
and sound emanates
may they only utter superlatives
best or better yet best-est
when describing the efforts of the dear
I mean dear-est

on the grounds that he merely wields a fork, knife, or a spoon

speech is merely silver while silence is golden
so stay quiet you fool

for you merely wield a fork, knife, or a spoon

if such men's mouths do open
and sounds do emanate
other than wonderful-est, amazing-est, best-est
or simple the classic-est word of all greatest
when describing the efforts of the sweet-est
heresy it is
deserve they
as the Queen of Heart quoth
Off with their heads

For such men are better off without anything above their shoulders

all things considered they merely wield a fork, knife, or a spoon

gasp that such men exist that know not
if this a poem, an ode, perhaps a haiku be
lips part and out comes the sound of prattle
or worse yet the sound of a rattle
surely capable are they at the dining table of the vilest crime

But recollect what our one and only Lord prayed on the cross
Forgive them for they know not what they do

taking into account they merely wield a fork, knife, or a spoon

Ramzan - My experiences

For several years, I have thought about fasting during Ramzan. Some times it would be 3 months after, other times it would be in the middle of it. Luckily, this year, I checked the calendar on Wednesday, April 22nd and learned that Ramzan starts on the next day. So I started fasting starting Thursday. Since I did not look into the details, I found out that it actually starts Thursday evening and actual fasting starts Friday morning! So it ended up starting my fast a day earlier.

Since it was Spring, each day starts a little earlier and the day ends a little later. By the end sunrise was around 5:30AM and sunset nearly as late as 8:30PM. Since I cannot get up that early, it ended up that I ate only one meal a day for 31 straight days.

It is not technically correct that I observed Ramzan, that would require that I do not eat medicine or swallow it with water. Besides that to be a person of faith one must pray 5 times a day. So without being guilty of cultural misappropriation, I think it is safe to say I fasted intermittently.

I looked at the clock with more eagerness waiting for the sun to set than as a school boy waiting for the last days of school to end and summer to begin! Jan said, that food tasted better when one has not partaken in a morsel for 24 hours. What we missed most in the first week was caffeine. But we switched our routine and started drinking coffee just before going to bed! Oh what would we not do for the fix!

Overall it was a great experience and one I intend to repeat next year.