Recipe corner - Go Banana !!!

This is the best thing I experimented lately. Try it out ...

Ingredients:

3-4 Green (Raw) Bananas - sliced thinly
Salt and black pepper pwd. - to taste
Oil for cooking - 2 tbsp.
1/4th tsp cumin seeds (optional)

Proceed:

1. In a non-stick pan, heat oil. Temper cumin seeds (optional).
2. Add the thinly sliced green bananas. Saute at high flame.
3. Add salt and pepper. Saute at sim until cooked and crisp.
4. Serve with staple rice and lentil, or chapati.




P.N.
1. The more you toss it on high flame, the crispier it gets. Tastes like chip sans the oil, frying and mess !!!
2. Do not forget the non-stick pan - will stick at the sides of a non-coated pan ...


Happy Munching !!!!!

The Deceitful Archer

To Err is human, but to repeat it, is surely not !! Especially when it comes to "spoken words".

We all have read, heard or experienced this, that words are like an archers arrow. Once propelled, never ebbs. So are words, once said cannot be taken back. The damage done with them, can never be repaired.

Education teaches us the meanings of words, where how when to use them. But to use them with prudence, is what we call literacy. Education gives us knowledge about our rights and responsibilities, but to know where to draw the line is literacy.

Being at a high profile designation, should make a man humble at opinion, aware of his voice, and cautious of his choice of words to voice that opinion.

"Cattle class" was humiliating, and "SA can be an interlocutor" is detrimental. Makes me wonder "Does education make a man literate?" NOT ALWAYS !!

Recipe Corner - Babycorn in tomato gravy

Ingredients :

For the Gravy:
3 big tomatoes
1 big onion
1 clove
1 green cardomum
a pinch of ajwain seeds/caraway seeds
1/4 tsp khus khus seeds/poppy seeds
2 tbsp coarsely ground cashew nut
1 green chilly
1/4th inch ginger
1/2 tsp corriander pwd
1/4 tsp turmeric pwd
1/2 tsp kitchen king masala
red chilli pwd to taste (1/4 tsp to make it medium hot)

For the veg:
5-6 pcs babycorn diced into 1 inch pcs
1 green capsicum chopped
oil for cooking
3 tbsp yoghurt
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
1/4 tsp sugar

For Garnish:
finely chopped corriander leaves
a knob of butter


Proceed:
1. Heat oil in a non-stick pan and saute the chopped capsicum.
2. Make a paste of the ingredients for the gravy and add to the capsicum.
3. Add salt to taste, a little water, cover and cook.
4. Once the gravy and capsicum is near cooked, add baby-corn.
5. Add yoghurt (keep stirring while adding yoghurt). Cover and cook.
6. Add sugar, ketchup.
7. Granish with finely chopped corriander leaves and knob of butter. Serve...

Essence of Life ....

A small inspirational story from a book am reading “The Speaking Tree”

Osho tells the story of a King. This king, a prudent ruler, an impartial judge, a valiant hero, was an ardent devotee of a rishi. Once, to bless the king, the rishi gave him a talismani ring, with a folded slip of paper inside it. He asked the king to open this paper only when he faced extraordinary situations, of tragedy or triumph. It will keep you grounded, and would help you keep your head in any situation, said the rishi.

In his long reign, on many occasions the king unfolded the paper to experience the magic of the talisman. On the paper, was written a simple line “This, too, shall pass!!”

What we have today may not be there tomorrow!! So cherish every moment of life. If good, thank God for it. If bad, thank God for the lesson learnt out of it.

In good times, keep your humility. And bad times, save your sanity!!!

Missing Talents !!!

From Ugly Betty to Baby borrowers to Americas got talent, we have seen the Indian versions of them all.

Next source is 60mm 3 hours divided into little chips of 1/2 an hour, crushed and blended with a plethora of wasted senseless emotions, extended painfully to last atleast 3 months.

Or our own drawing rooms laced with a bunch of criminal minded scheming family members, with little less or no moral values.

Is that all the talent we have for our Indian television's daily soap industry ?

I wonder what makes people see them, day in and day out, without blinking a lash.. Hey, by the way, I have my favourites too !!! Keep watching mindlessly... and Enjoy.

A cute valentine thought !!

Husband to his beloved wife :- U + I = US .... Why is that ? Shouldnt it be UI ?

Wife :- Thats because I changed my surname after I met U.

A ride down memory lane …

The first time I travelled by a public transport vehicle, sans any family member, was when I was in class Xth.

On that sunny afternoon, we four friends, missed our school bus, and had to ride back home in a state bus, BEST.

It was the first time I was travelling by bus. Was a little anxious. I recall clenching one of my friends arm all the way, fearing that the bus would jerk stop, and I will fall, break my crown, and what not…

After a while the apprehension was gone, anxiety transformed into excitement. Gosh, The Payal Murarka, had finally taken a state transport bus, shedding away all her fears… It was history for me in the making, to be noted in my small little red diary, later to be added in my “biography”, someday if I write, who knows!!

So busy was I with my own world of thoughts, didn’t realize that my friend tired of letting me hold her hand like a baby, had let go off me.

Vrooommmm …. The bus stopped at its destination with a jerk, and I flew backwards, falling into the lap of a young man, Eeeeeeuuuuuuuuu…...

Even as I grumbled, the man looked at me, smiling to himself (or was that a smirk), maybe thanking God, as if saying “Welcome girlie”!!!!!!!!!

The incidence never found any place in my diary… I was so discomfited back then. My friends couldn’t stop giggling once we unboarded..

Now when I look back, each time I recall this incident, I cant help smiling… at myself!!

Moral of the story: Sometimes when you really embarrassed/upset about something, look back at it with a different perspective… Maybe you will laugh at it and enjoy the fact that you ever lived that moment!!

Mind Candy !!

A frog, once called up a psychic to know his future.

The voice at the other end welcomed its listener and asked what do you wanna know ? Click 1 for career, 2 for love, 3 for health, 4 for .... so on and forth.

The frog clicked 2. After a few questions, the voice said " I see lady luck smiling at you, my dear. You will meet the love of your life today..."

Frog is thrilled to hear all this. Hears further.

"... You will meet her at 2.00 this noon. She is a very pretty girl. Fair and beautiful, and with her soft and tender hands, she will hold you..."

The frog, excited, jumped with joy.

"... Your lady love is in her early twenties, and would be very interested in you. She would wanna know all about you, inside out..."

Frog is ecstatic now. Cannot wait to hear further.

"... and you will meet this pretty damsel... in her biology class lab!!!"

WE

"We are forgiving. We are always inviting, we are peace-loving!!"

Heard this before? Yes, I have heard it too. But, the point here is I have heard it, I never 'said' it. Did you say it?

Then who is this "WE"? And who is the person saying of behalf of you and me?? With all due respect to the "cultural ambassadors" of our nation, isnt the title a self-explanatory one? Cultural Ambassadors... not peace-makers, judge to forgive, or a national declared "host" to invite any outsider.

I wonder why they never raise a voice over the fact that a terrorist is still alive after a year of trial? Or will they ever raise any, if another airplane with innocent people is hijacked and this terrorist released in ransom...

And now a TWIST in all this mess, a political party demands apology from our cultural ambassador... Yes!! The apology should come. The aim is right, but the PATH to achieve this aim, is that right too?

The apology should come. But to our nation, to our martyrs, to the innocent victims of terrorism, NOT to any political party or leader!!

Alongwith should come a pledge from each and every, that they are "representatives" belonging to various fraternities, not the "monarchs" of our nation!!

Aal is well !!

Last weekend, I saw 3 idiots.

Aamir as a carefree teenaged student is just so adorable !! And his 'Aal is well' worked so well in the movie, it almost revived a dead baby. Remember, the new born doesnt cry, everyone is so upset, and then Sharman says 'Aal is well', and the baby kicks for the first time. Then all his college mates scream 'Aal is well', Kareena Kapoor says it too, and the baby starts screaming its lungs out and kicking his arms and legs... Watta beautiful scene that was !!

Today Sensex shedded a good 450 pts. Heyyyyy, you guys thinking... Whats the connection dodo? Why the hell are you talking about sensex here, right? Well, read on...

This noon at 12.11 pm, when Sensex was 300 pts down, I recd a msg saying "Sensex -300 relax people, say 'aal is well'. Ahhhh, yes. I said it, Aamir said it works and he is the "hero". I uttered 'Aal is well' and my fear was gone. I was feeling much better. Calm, relaxed, breathing safe !!

At 1.18 pm, another msg came in "Sensex -400 keep saying 'all is well'".........

All day I kept saying 'Aal is well', the baby (Sensex) never revived... At EOD, my trading account is screaming.... 'Aal gone in the well' !!!

अरुणोदय

सुप्तावस्था को लेकर विभावरी तमिस्रा दूर हुई ।
नवीन जागरण का सन्देश लेकर व्योम में मिहिर का प्रवेश हुआ ॥

जागो जागो देखो सुप्रभात की स्वर्णिम किरणेँ छाई ।
सागर में नील लहरों ने भी ली अंगड़ाई ॥

अवनि में उदक वेग तेज हुआ ।
प्रभंजन वेग भी तेज हुआ ॥

इस माधुर्यमय दृश्य को देखकर, दिल मोद से प्रफुल्लित हुआ ॥






Written by Manju Murarka nee Jajodia, in 1964, Class 8th, for school magazine of Balika Shikshasadan, Kolkatta.