Paneer + peanut gravy + Andhra tadka

Well, if you think this is some sort of a recipe, you will be disappointed and not at the same time. Paneer is Indian cottage cheese, popular solely in North India, Andhra (short for Andhra Pradesh) is a state in southern India while Tadka is an Indian word for seasoning.

It all started on a pretty hot evening. My room mate 'S' (not to be confused with the S in my previous post. In fact, all my current room mates are S's) announced we were going to have some Paneer dish for dinner and set about preparing it. I for one, hate Paneer. The chewy feeling that it gives totally puts me off. I can tolerate it only if its in some Paratha (Indian bread). So seeing a chunk of Paneer lying on the counter ready to be sliced was enough to get me skeptical about dinner. But S, lets call her Ms.Chef, seemed resolute. 

Now, Ms.Chef is crazy about peanuts and started roasting them vigorously with red chillies. As if Paneer was not enough, she next announced that its going to be peanut gravy. WHAT?!? Really? Did the other S (I'll call her Ms.Energy because I have not seen anyone more enthusiastic about life than she is) who was washing vessels allow both her jaw and a vessel to drop? I would never know because my senses stopped functioning for a while. I was aghast. Ms.Chef was of course nonchalant and said "Aye baavuntundiiiiiiii" (the way she drags every final syllable in Telugu words) - meaning "hey, it would be good". 

The third S in our house happened to pass by and was equally mortified at the thought of the ultimate paneer peanut combination. In an attempt to address the impending doom, she suggested meekly.. "Er.. would it not be better if you just cooked it the usual North Indian way.. in tomato gravy?"... For a moment we thought Ms.Chef would give in. She considered things for a few seconds and announced again - "Ok. lets add tomatoes to the peanuts". DEAD !!!

Well, the peanut, red chillies, onion, tomato gravy was made, Ms.chef kept smiling (should I say wickedly?) at us while we tried every theory to prove that the whole thing is going to make us puke and die (forgive the hyperbole). To what avail? The "Aye baagane untundiiiiiiiii. Meeku teleeduuu"  (Hey, its going to be ok, you guys dont know) song continued and ended with Ms.Chef doing the unthinkable. She seasoned this dish with South Indian Tadka (Mustard, cumin, pulses). Now any self respecting Indian would admit that this is a strictly unholy combination.  If paneer+peanut can make one die, this tadka combination would force the dead to turn in their graves. But it seemed Ms.Chef would not rest until we "rest"ed for ever. END OF STORY !!!

Epilogue: The dish turned out to be life-giving and not life-taking. In other words, super yummy - "pure unpolluted awesomeness". We ate it for two days, licking our fingers and drooling for more (very much like dogs). In fact, anybody who reads this post and can guess who Ms.Chef is in real life and also knows her personally, should beg/request/demand/command her to cook the same for him/her. I do not know if its the peanuts or the tadka or the paneer or the chef's skillful hand or "love" (if you will :P) or all, but Paneer +Peanut gravy +Andhra tadka is one of the best Paneer dishes I ever had with Rotis (Indian bread). 

* bows solemnly to Ms.Chef*

Pay it forward

I know I left my previous post incomplete and hence forever in the "to be continued" state. I somehow did not feel like writing more because the experience was so disheartening. What should have been simple and in fact my right as a good tax paying citizen became traumatic and cumbersome. The passport office was just one example of what we have learnt to endure over the years. Sometimes when I look around, I begin to think if the world is all a bad place where mistrust, selfishness and envy rule the roost. But almost immediately I know I am wrong. If the world was indeed such a dismal place, it would have ended long ago. There is still a lot of goodness (albeit hidden) and I remember one such instance that comes to mind.

S is my very dear friend. I do not clearly remember how our friendship started. It must be one of those days in office where you go about looking for people to have lunch with. S came across as a confident, charming, very outspoken person. Anyway, coming to the point, S had a friend P who was in a not-so-rosy situation then - he was broke and getting married. P desperately needed help in making his house a home for his bride. Needless to say, S actively took part in the whole process. She was looking to give him something that he would not have otherwise been able to afford - something that is necessary for his home (dining table, TV etc.). This kind of amazed me because what she proposed to give him was actually pretty expensive. I might think twice before I got MYself those things, leave alone gifting a friend. When I asked S how, in THIS world where people do not even share their salt with others, she could so easily choose to part with tens of thousands of rupees for a friend, not as a mere loan but as a generous gift. Her reply is the essence of this post.

"When I was in college and had very little pocket money, one of my friends used to pay for my many meals. I was uncomfortable after a point and told her to please not do that anymore. Then she told me in case I felt guilty or obliged, I could help another friend in need, exactly how she helped me in my times of need. So I help P today and probably tomorrow, he will remember this and help some of his own friends."

I recently reminded S of this story and she was puzzled that I remember it even now. It might be a normal episode for her but it had a deep impact on me - it is because some people still have these selfless values that our world is still inhabitable, else we would have all killed each other long ago and that would have been all.

Nidhi

I dont remember when our friendship started. Was it when we participated in the annual office party? Was it in the dressing room when we exchanged and discussed our personal problems? Was it when I barged into her cabin and asked her to sign as one of my marriage witnesses and she readily agreed even though she did not attend the function? Or was it... the list is endless. I only remember always wondering how this chubby lil girl is coping with so many problems and still is managing to live a life. I would expect many including myself to become zombies in no time. In fact, I WOULD become a zombie given how stressed I can get. There were also times when I thought she was being foolish - (with money, with emotions), getting stuck in small things. I realize today that its perfectly ok to overlook even the most obvious of weaknesses in a person if he/she is truly worth it. And Nidhi falls into that category for me. Work and home have kept me busy. I have hardly gone downstairs in months, to her cabin, for a chat. I dont call her during weekends to find out how she is doing. I am not up to date with the latest happenings in her life. But what I do incessantly do is pray that she finds happiness and peace in life. I mean, its just impossible to not wish good for her. And today, when she is finally leaving the company, I somehow , try as much as I may, dont feel sad. Probably its because I have always wanted her to go to a better place in future, personally and professionally. Or, Probably its also because they say - "When you love someone truly, you LET GO - for their happiness". :)

Sha-La

One of my dearest friends, DJ, had an urgent need to look for new accommodation. So we both found ourselves room hunting on a not-so-pleasant evening ( to be read as dirty, dry n cold evening). Our first halt was at this place with a Marathi "rector". She was so ferociously Marathi she could bite. While I ied my best to mumble a few marathi words I knew in response , DJ caring the least. At the end of our short visit, the rector declared the inevitable.."if you have to bring your brothers, they have to wait downstairs. Cant go up with you". Whoa !!! DJ dint have so many 'brothers', so that wasnt a problem anyway :P.

Our next halt was at this place which had a weird French-Indian name in a lane where even a man and his dog cant walk comfortably alongside. We parked our bike outside the gate and I started muttering my usual.."Oh God please dont have a dog pounce on me now" prayers while lil DJ pushed open the gate. We were looking around when Voila !!! There, in that slightly creepy moment, we had our first glimpse of Sha-La. Hearts stopped beating, mouths started opening and breathing stopped happening. Pulses weakened as we looked around for support. Who should stand in front of us but a voluptous young woman who was dressed to kill. Yes, she could kill even women. We managed a weak.."Room dekhne aaye hai" and she went in calling out.."ahooo.." (Marati housewives address their husbands like this). And who should come out but a thin, dark man with glasses as thick as Sha-La's lipstick (I would bet if she were ever given anaesthesia on her lips, it would never reach her veins). He was the caretaker.

DJ was excited about the place but I wasnt able to decide who( the man or his wife) gave me the creeps.. I convinced myself that it is Sha-La. The next afternoon, PG and DJ went again to see the room and PG convinced me that the guy wasnt as shady as I thought he was. DJ decided she loved the place and we went again in the evening to settle things. Then the Sh-La effect struck PG. Her memory and eyesight might have become temporarily busy processing Sha-La while she had a weird conversation with the caretaker which went like..

"Accha.. ShantaRam kahaan hai..?"
"Madam, me hi Shantaram hoon."
"Kya? to subah wo kaun tha?"
"Wo bhi main hoon"
"Kya? Aap ho? To aapne subah aapke chashme pehne the kya? oooooooooooooo"

While I stood sadly witnessing PG gathering her senses again :D

Anyway, DJ stays in the Sha-La apartment and we hear stories of how her saree pallu is always about to fall and how her lipstick is always so red and so thick... PG and I wonder when we will get over the Sha-La effect. A glimpse could paralyze you for life. Thats Sha-La short for "Shady Lady" :D

Hope !

Sometimes, a series of failures can miraculously transform one's life. My most recent setback has brought to me, a new perspective to life and left me eternally indebted to some very special people. In fact, this blog post is dedicated to them!

I recently realized that 'a good friend' is someone who always, ALWAYS leaves you better than he/she found you. When I think of such people in my own life, the first person that comes to my mind is my mother. I do not understand how I did not realize this before but she has a refreshingly intellectual and spiritual way of helping me cope with my problems. She has already positively impacted and touched many lives around her in a variety of ways. While many ladies her age busy themselves in watching TV soaps, my mother spends her time learning The Gita, Yoga, reading great books,teaching the blind, serving in voluntary organizations and counselling school-going youth.

And then there is this set of extraordinarily awesome people to whom I always turn for positive energy - a few friends without whom I might have been non existent by now. I do not have their permission to use their names but whenever I see/talk to/meet them, I always end up aspiring to be a spectacularly wonderful human being, atleast to live up to their trust in me. They, like my mom, seldom emotionally sympathized with my problems. Instead, they assured me of my true potential and of the vast expanse of brilliant light beyond the seemingly dark situation.

As one such friend once told me - "Even when all appears to be lost, there is hope. You still have your brilliant mind, your healthy and wholesome body, your education, your knowledge and much more. This much is enough for you to lead a great life". How true !

Even in moments of distress, those words make me look forward to life because there is so much more to learn, so much more to give, so much more to love, so much more to be loved, so much more to see, so much more to understand, so much more to travel, so much more to read, so much more to laugh....the list goes on... yes! Life continues to be beautiful :)

Word "Power" !.

A dear friend very recently spoke a few wonderful words to me ...

"Happiness and strength lie within you. Do not look for them outside. Find the strength you need within yourself. So don't feel awful when situations turn topsy- turvy, instead just get simply awesome because that is what you really ARE".

The last sentence, especially, continued to resonate and reverberate in my head long long after I heard it. It also reminded me of the power of words. The right words, spoken at the right time can create magic. The other day, after a really long time, S and I found some time to relax with some soulful music. This was very important for us because we were both feeling an inner urge to relax and slow down for a while, some welcome respite from our otherwise super hectic and tiresome days. One of the songs said -

"Ek Khushboo Aayi thi, Main Bhataktaa Jaata Tha,
Reshmi Si Maya thi, Me Thaktaa Jaata Tha,
Jab Teri Gali Aaya, Sach Tabhi Nazar Aaya,
Mujhme hi Wo Khushboo Thi, Jise Tu ne Milvaaya"

(Meaning: I smelt a fragrance and wandered in search of it. This silk-like delusion exhausted me a lot. But I realized the truth only when I finally came to You. The enchanting fragrance was right here, within my own self, and not elsewhere)

Well, a lot of things are easier said than done, especially good things. But I feel it is better to be inspired at least for a while than to remain unmotivated forever. Okay, at least you sleep well and sound after hearing nice stuff, don't you? (Holds true for me :) )

For patient, interested and curious readers, this is a nice link I recently tumbled upon. From my side, I strongly urge you to visit and READ the contents because the problem addressed is breathtakingly common.

Peace !

The Fifth of September

Birthdays are always special. For one thing, they remind you that time is running out :( and for another, they remind your friends/loved ones of you :). This birthday was no exception. When V called from US, fond memories of yester years came back.

I remember two incidents particularly. For some strange reason, we used to be obsessed with our belongings in office (this was when we were just interns in y!). Even to go to the cafeteria for lunch, we used to make a huge scene of whispers, signals and signs, pack our cubicles up, zip our bags, put them on and be off, get back after lunch, unpack the whole thing and start working with a grave face, not realising all the while, that we were causing acute embarrassment to ourselves and immense entertainment to passersby.. until one day, a snobbish senior of ours confronted us.."edukku neenga BITS oda maanatha vaangaringa? Unga bagsa yaarum tookindupoyidamaata." (Why are you spoiling the BITSian name? Nobody is going to flick your bags). If I remember right, we hung our faces, jolted at the idea of having to leave our dear darling bags behind.But we did it ! (for the sake of you-know-what).Ugh! We hated ourselves.

Another one is the y! cafeteria. We had free lunch (that makes it yummier, doesnt it?). Anybody who has graduated from BITS would agree with me when I say that we were famished and deprived of good food all four years. On the other hand, B'lore offered us such huge variety that one could still be famished because one could never choose what to eat first. So this is what V and I did. After the above mentioned ritual of packing our sacks and marching to the cafe, we would place ourselves in the most comfortable corner of the cafe and start our next elaborate ritual.. eating! First it would be rotis, sabji, dal with papad. Then it would be rice with rasam/sambar. Then some sweet. Then curd rice (V cant exist without this :P ). And each of these courses would have second helpings. we wouldnt be satisfied even then. Fruits would follow next. Finally when there is nothing else to eat, we would pick our sacks and march back - going fat and chubby all the while, of course :P. One day, unfortunately, we had to share our table with a few guys who spoke Telugu with each other. V and I conversed in English/Tamil and observing that, one of them, dared to comment on our food.."Ammo! Veellu enta tintunnaru! Ippudu banana kooda tintunnaru. Ganta nunchi tintunee unnaru." (My!How much would these girls eat? After all that food, they are eating bananas now and they have been eating for an hour!!). That was the end ! It hurt our feelings. our hearts cringed and turned and cried (you can add more verbs for some more spice). We decided gravely and in sorrow, took an oath. No more gluttoning, no, not at the cost of our dignity. :D. We cursed the guy would become sooooo fat that he wouldnt ever get married. How dare he ! And how poor us !

Then there was so much more. The early morning blues, bathroom struggle, discussions, PG aunty, M kutty (she used to always play my fav songs whenever we went to eat), Mungaru Male, falling in love with Sonu Nigam, the bus journey - the running,panting and sleeping, my shloka reading in the bus, SHOPPING (we shopped like crazy - mostly window shopping in big places, actual shopping in small places), staring at the Central, our pride in our first bank account and pay check, the PAN card office, running in B'lore rain, the ISKCON temple ordeal (S was left behind and we all screamed at the conductor), popcorn prasadam, GURU SONGS (all of us were crazy about "Tere Bina". We would melt and dream and cry :P ), the dhobi lady and the little kid (Umesh), the distance education supervision and extra money, the long long walks on MG road, bunking office and walking to Commercial Street (When? in the afternoons), the volvo buses, the all day bus pass, the DOGS (I hate B'lore dogs. I remember I cried when a pack of those killed a kutty boy. It was all in the papers), Mohan Nayak (Ha! V and I can never forget that guy and his "Madam.. rose madam.." lol), fights in PG, yells, tears, strikes (we wont have food in PG strike. Ha!), house hunt with S (once I remember we got scared seeing the house owner lady and ran. She looked like some.. Uf! never mind now), trips back home, train journey alone for the first time, home alone with S and all night chats, brief interludes in the y! gym and resolution to come even on weekends (which never happened), Sai Baba mandir and the walks on Sundays, creepy guys who keep calling you, turn up at ATMs and ask you to come to Cafe Coffee Day ( after which you would run for dear life)... much much more...

REALLY, it pays to be silly and stupid sometimes, in small things. Looking back, they provide the loveliest of memories. And thus today has begun and would be spent, in nostalgia.