It still feels sad

An old manager of mine left the PCM group and when I read the mail for a moment I was not happy about it though I had always thought I would. I personally do not like her much nor do I dislike her. She has been there with me through my ups and down as my manager not done anything bad or good but most of all my association with her goes back to the time when the group was just formed.

With her most of the old timers have left the group and it is filled in with new people who maybe are more capable but still things have changed so much that there is no warmth of late or I do not feel it.. I could reach out to her for all the concerns I had, probably write a personal mail if required, invite her for a coffee, talk about family, work, share my happiness but now with all the new people around I don’t think I share the same association.

It really feels sad to see her go.

Kochu with Shrimp

Ingredients

1. Arbi - 10 pieces
2. Shrimps - half a bowl
3. Onion - 1/2 large
4. Ginger - small piece
5. Garlic - 3 cloves
6. Green chilies - 3
7. Oil
8. Salt
9. Tumeric
10. Red chilly powder
11. sugar a pinch
12. Tej pata
13. Hing
14. Panch poran
15. Water 1 cup
( you can make this at home, the ingredients are Jeera, Sauf, Kalo jeera, Methi seeds, Poppy seeds. The ratio is 2:1. 2 are for Jeera and rest all 1)


Steps

1. Marinate the shrimp with salt and turmeric for about 10- 15 min
2. Boil, peel and cut Arbi
3. Slit the green chilies
4. Chop onion, ginger, garlic very finely
5. Heat oil in a kadai
6. Fry the shrimps and keep them aside
7. In the same oil Add in hing, tej pata, panch poran
8. Add garlic, ginger, green chilies
9. Add in the chopped onions and fry till golden brown
10. Add in a pinch of sugar
11. Add salt, tumeric powder, red chilly powder
12. Add the arbi, shrimps and fry for a while
13. Add in little water and let it boil
14. Serve it hot with rice

Besan wali Arbi

Ingredients

1. Jeera – 1 tbs
2. Ajwain – ½ tbs
3. Methi seeds – ½ tbs
4. Sauf – ½ tbs
5. Besan – 4 tbs
6. Oil
7. Salt
8. Turmeric a pinch
9. Red chilly powder
10. Dhaniya powder
11. Amchur
12. Hing
13. Arbi
14. Garam masala


Steps

1. Boil arbi, peel and cut and keep it aside
2. Heat oil in a kadai
3. Add hing, Jeera, sauf, ajwaain, Methi seeds.
4. Add the besan and keep stirring
5. Once the besan is brown in color
6. Add salt, dhaniya, amchur, turmeric and Arbi
7. Stir for sometime and keep it on low flame add in garam masala
8. Once the arbi is fried well t is ready to be served with dal and rotis.

Arbi

Arbi in Hindi and Kochu in Bengali, the other words for Arbi are taro or colacassia.
I love arbi especially my mom’s besan wali arbi although I have tried it out ample number of times it does not come out like her but still of late I have managed to do a better job, it is very quick and simple.

I am also adding my MIL’s version of cooking Kochu with Shrimp which has been a big hit with my friends and all wanted to know the recipe. This one is also very easy and simple.

To see how Arbi actually looks like check this out

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:P1080339.JPG

Aloo gajar aur Methi ki sabzi

Potatoes – 1 large
Carrots – 3 medium
Methi (dry)
Salt
Tumeric – 1 teaspoon
Red chilly powder – 1 teaspoon
Dhaniya powder – 1 teaspoon
Amchur – ½ teaspoon
Jeera powder – 1 teaspoon
Garam masala – ½ teaspoon
Hing – a pinch
Oil

Steps

1. Heat oil in a kadai add hing
2. Add the potatoes, carrots, methi leaves
3. Add in the dry powders except garam masala and cover the kadai and leave it on low flame
4. In-between just keep stirring the sabzi
5. Once the potatoes and carrots are cooked add in the garam masala and let it cook on low flame for 2 more minute
6. Serve it with dal and rotis.

On Cloud nine

I am on top of the world today. I finally managed to clear my driving test and get my license. I am already dreaming and feeling more independent though I am sure I would hardly get a chance to drive but still I am happy. For a change I have really kept up to my resolutions. This year I had decided on three of them one was to get back to work.be myself and not what I was turning out to be staying at home. Second was to clear my driving test.I still have to work on the third one but I am sure I should be able to manage it. Keeping my fingers crossed on this one.

I know it isn’t a big deal after staying in the US for two years but I am in high spirits like a child, I called home, could feel the delight in mom’s voice. I know how happy she would be she is the one who has always advised me to not let go, she has been a big influence on me, my strength. She was the one who told me that it is okay to be a mom but does not mean that you give up your dreams.

For now I am proud of my little achievement and on cloud nine.

Temple vists

I come from the city of temples and to me a weekly visit to a temple has been an internal part since I was kid and it never occurred to me that I would miss this aspect.

Since we do not have a temple in Bentonville our temple visits our restricted only for special occasions and with all the constraints it is not possible to visit one every weekend. Although I have a small pooja ghar in my house but still it isn’t anything like a temple.

Every time I would visit one I would be filled with serenity, the whole atmosphere of the smallest temple would be enough to give in the extra hope that is required. The chanting of the slokas in one corner, the sound of the bell, the familiar poojari , the archana, the aarthi.

I wonder if my 2 year old would feel the same though for now whenever he visits one he is all excited about the drive and is amused by the big murthies that he sees and says “Mama big jay jay”.

Mutton Keema

This recipe is from AD. I come from a veggie background and I learned to cook NV from AD and my MIL. For the vegetarians substitute the keema with Soya granules.

Ingredients

1. Minced Mutton – 1 LB
2. Onion - 1 large one
3. Peas – 1 cup
4. Garlic – according to taste
5. Ginger -
6. Tomatoes – 1
7. Clove
8. Cinnamon
9. Cardamom
10. Garam masala powder
11. Oil
12. Green chillies
13. Salt
14. Tumeric
15. Ghee
16. Sugar a pinch
17. Tej patta


Steps

1. Heat oil and fry the peas with turmeric and salt till they are cooked and hardened
2. Puree the onion, tomatoes, garlic, ginger.
3. Heat the oil in the kadai add tej patta, and the crush the clove and cinnamon
4. Fry the puree till it turns brown
5. Add chilly powder, salt, turmeric, sugar
6. Add Keema on low flame and cook till it starts to change the color
7. Add the fried peas to it and cook for another 10 min till the meat is cooked
8. Heat ghee add garam masala and add this to the keema and let it stand for 2-3 min on low flame.
9. Serve hot with rotis.

You could even make Keema samosas. Use this for filling

jaane tu ya jaane na

After a long time I watched a movie, had read the reviews and decided to forgo my sleep and watch this one and I am glad I did that.

It reminded me of my b’lore days, my gang and the crazy stuff we all did. The songs and dance sequence of the movie could not help but remind me of my ‘Mon Ami’ days, the ‘W ‘8.30 shuttle, the stupid dances the friendship which is still strong after 9 years. Touch wood. The dance on the way back … ‘there was a girl…:) ’, the Suk sagar visits. The crazy clothes, the morning fights. The good old days.

I am glad I watched the movie for one more reason it gave me and AD a break from our routine, a break from mails, calls, and work. Of late work eats up our time and the small pleasure of life of just sitting and not doing anything but laughing and thinking of our friends was fun and nice.

I think the movie might not itself be the whole reason why we like it. The memories attached to it or the once it reminds us of makes it special and this one sure did. I miss you NN. jaane tu ya jaane na… mane tu ya mane na……

Plum and Date chutney (sweet)

Bongs cook some yummy sweet chutneys and one of the Pooja’s I had been I tasted this and tried it out at home and AD loved it. So now this is one of the regular stuff in my fridge.

You could substitute plums with Prune.

Ingredients

3 Plums
10 Dates
Salt
Sugar
Red chilly powder
Tumeric powder – A pinch
1 tablespoon Jeera
½ tablespoon Black Jeera (kalo jeera,kalongi)
½ tablespoon Sauf ( Funnel Seeds)
½ tablespoon Methi seeds.
1 cup water


Steps

1. Chop the plums unevenly
2. Heat a kadai with water
3. Add plums (even the seeds) and dates.
4. Add salt, tumeric, red chilly powder and sugar
5. Cover the kadai and let it boil, stir it occasionally
6. heat oil in a pan and add in Jeera, kalo jeera, sauf and methi seeds
7. Add them to the plum and date mixture
8. Once the mix reaches a very semi liquid taste it and add in more sugar if required (depends on the plum).
9. Serve it with rotis, though Bongs would love it with Dal and rice.

Nutritional Profile
It is believed that plums are very good source of Vitmain C and A are a good source of dietary fiber.

A mom in dilemma

I can feel the work pressure now, the project is heating up from delivery standpoint and the crunch time is on and with no time to play with SD though it is summer the mom in me is wondering if this is really required? Today while reading a book to him I got a call from offshore and all I wanted to do was to go on read the book but then I had to take the call and tell SD to sleep all by himself and of late every night when he says “Mama no work, mama SD sleep” it just makes me feel even more guilty.

Today while picking him up from his day care the teacher showed me a circle and proudly said SD did it and she kept it inside his folder and I am not sure if I was happy seeing the circle or sad that it was not me who taught him that. I guess ‘Miss A ‘read my mind and said kids they grow up so fast and learn things we can never imagine and we parents don’t even know when and where they learn. I just smiled

The mom in me wants to quit this job right away but the women in me enjoys the time I get away from all the household chores, husband, kiddo and the little independence is something I don’t want to give up. How I wish work was just a 9-5 affair and not tiring and I could come back home and enjoy cooking, playing with SD.