California Plums

These taste 100% like the normal plums, just bright green! I got them ysterday from the Hong Kong market. Dont they just look cute

Catfish with Coconut milk - in 15 minutes guaranteed

For this recipe, I draw inspiration from a very basic version of Konkani fish curry. It is extremely simple...All you need is some enthu (a common college colloquial for enthusiasm)...Simple cooking is easy...Something I learnt seeing my mother when i was young, experimenting in college and while i was a bachelor, and now observing my wife, who is an excellent innovative cook.

Ingredients:

Clean and cut two cat fish fillets (with no bones) in bite size pieces (approx 2cm X2 cm)
Cut one medium sized onion
3 cloves of garlic
One piece of ginger - peeled and cut
4 small green chilly
3 strands of coriander (dhania)
One small tomato
4 tablespoon coconut milk
1 bay leaf
2 cloves of small cardamom (elaichi)
salt to taste

Cooking Instructions:

1. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the fish; squeeze a slice of lime, and leave it aside to marinate.
2. Put the veggies in the mixer and make a puree.
3. In a fry pan, add one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil.
4. Once the pan is hot, put the puree and stir fry for three to four minutes, so that the water from the puree vaporizes.
5. Put the puree (masala) aside.
6. Now add two spoons of oil to the fry pan and lightly fry the fish pieces. Fry for around three minutes. Turn the fish pieces so that both sides face the heat.
7. Then add salt, masala and the coconut milk.
8. Now you may add fish curry masala powder. I had some Badshah fish curry powder, which I added.
9. Add about three quarter cup water if you want a curry, and cook for about three minutes.
10. Add the bay leaf and cardamom.
11. By now the curry would be near to boil.
12. Remove the pan from the stove, and garnish with coriander.

Serve with rice. Enjoy !

Ceasefire and Crack the terrorists

1. My Take on the Lebanese ceasefire:

I was thinking "Gods must be crazy", but the Gods finally answered to the weeping mothers of the Lebanese and the Israelis. A much awaited ceasefire came into force this Monday, after a bloody month.

Israel's agenda before the war:
1. Get the 2 soldiers back
2. Eliminate Hezbollah as an armed force
What Israel achieved:
1. International recognition of the border problem
2. Bolstering of the UN force
3. No word on the two soldiers who were kidnapped
4. Hezbollah celebrating victory in Lebanon, they are far from being tarnished.

I was hearing to Michael Young on the NPR radio. Young is one of the writers in the Daily Start, an English newspaper in Lebanon. The Hezbollah was created as an armed resistance against the Israeli occupation. It cannot be expected that the armed group will disarm so easily. The Hezbollah is just not a political party.

Recently the head of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah sounded as if he was the president of Lebanon. The general public opinion in Lebanon is now divided, over the disarmament of the Hezbollah. Most acknowledge the role of Iran in the functioning of Hezbollah, and the support that it provides to the group, but again it is an indigenous armed resistance that was born in Lebanon by the Lebanese people. Few people among the current Lebanese administration hinted that the Hezbollah may be inducted in the mainstream Lebanese army over a period of time, but that too now seems to be impossible in the foreseeable future, instead it is now worried that the Hezbollah may snatch the opportunity to take control of the whole military and political structure in Lebanon, if the current government does not act swiftly in maintaining law and order. Nasrallah stated that Hezbollah would not be disarmed with threats or under pressure. "The demand the grouping to be disarmed cannot happen urgently or through pressure and provocation", Hassan Nasrallah said in a TV address.

The situation is going to be very delicate and tense, and the ceasefire maybe very short lived. Even after the much sought after cease fire, there have been some skirmishes between the Hezbollah and the Israeli defense forces. The ceasefire succeeded in stopping the humanitarian and economic casualties, but the uphill task still remains at large. Any settlement in the Middle East has to involve Syria, Iran, Palestine, and Israel, with the Arab League and the United States as the moderators. Or else forget about peace. In the recent war, Lebanon was just a pawn in the whole complex game.

2. Terrorists caught red handed @ the London airport. Good job aayye!!

Finally kudos to the Scotland Yard, and the Pakistani Intelligence which acted under pressure to catch the freaking radical terrorists red handed. What can I say, when I come from a country where some states have been wrecked by terrorism for more than 20 years. They were planning to use a deadly concoction of liquid which can bring hell inside the aero plane...Duh!! How will some security guard know if three friends are traveling with some Gatorade, shampoo, gel and some water looking liquid, which will pass as medicine? Once they sit in their seats, and Hola!!...they can each go to the restroom and assemble the lethal life sucker bomb.

It all started when a concerned neighbor suspected some fellow and reported to the police, and that sparked the run, stalking each movement of the group, until it was perfect time to catch all the 19 of them red handed. Investigators said the attackers planned to use common electronic devices to detonate liquid explosives to bring down as many as 10 U.S.-bound jumbo jets. Security sources say that the would-be terrorists discussed blowing their bombs in midair over American cities, maximizing casualties in the air and on the ground.

Air travel has taken a new shift as an aftermath of the unfolding of the terror trap. All liquid and gels have been restricted. Carry on baggage have been strictly restricted to just one. As the saying goes, "Prevention is the best medicine", we have to take the best medicine for years to come, or else we will fall into the hands to the terrorists.

3. Digboi ULFA Bombing:
Sadly on 7th August my beloved hometown Digboi got a shot in the arm when the ULFA allegedly planted a bomb at a security check point. Long alienation by the Govt Of India, (at least some portion of the population feel that way) provoked armed resistance against the Indian establishment. Members from the outlawed group lobbed a grenade at a security checkpoint in the oil township of Digboi. The explosion took place at 7.30pm. A small boy died in the explosion while three paramilitary soldiers and as many civilians were seriously injured in the attack.

Encounter with the octogenarian @ Oxford Arms, Edison

This happened on Wednesday, we reached the apt complex at around 1:00pm, and Vinod just warned us about the Leasing office whom we were about to meet. After sometime, we met the octogenarian lady from the Leasing office. Well Vinod was awed to know that his apt application was cancelled, and the granny told him that he had come yesterday to cancel it...Vinod was totally confused and awestruck. Poor guy just came in to give in his salary slip, he was trying to explain that he did not come yesterday. The old lady seemed equally perplexed.

Vinod just reached his hand out to take back the salary slip back, when the lady bursted, "This is my desk, and no one is allowed to touch anything". Just as she finished, i said, "Ma'm, i think there has been some misunderstanding in the whole process...". I didnt expect I had just ticked the tiger. She snapped me saying,"I do inderstand everything he is saying. Do you think I'm dumb sitting here"...It struck me as a bolt from the blue. Sajan who was sitting with me, was equally surprised. Then she went on "I'll give u a punch on ur nose, and to you also, pointing to Kamal who was just about to open his mouth"...Kamal was sitting with Vinod. Sajan dropped the candy back which he had taken from the candy bowl...who knows the granny might just attack him again.

Man...that was terrifying. Just as Vinod finished business, he said that Kamal also wanted to know if any apartments are available. Our lady zapped back, " I don't want to hear anything from your friend..hhihihhih I'm just kidding". She was like a naughty little kid. I just remembered the old saying that the old and the little ones are same at heart. As soon as she saw Kamal's drivers license, she said, "Ohhh...as of today morning we have a new rule that restricts people from Connecticut from applying for an apt". saying this, she burst into laughter...

This is one of the most whacky encounters I had with anyone who is above 70. I could read her temperament from her attitude and interaction. She has been in the leasing office for more than 20 years. Day in and day out, the leasing office has been her job.

Jaldi Chicken

This is just the normal down to earth chicken curry...total time reqd 35 minutes.

clean and medium piece cut chicken
1 and half chopped onion
6 cloves of garlic
6 green chilly
1 ripe red tomato
finely chopped Ginger
5 strands of coriander (dhania patta)
two tablespoon yogurt
2 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon chicken curry masala
crushed black Pepper
salt to taste
extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Place the chicken in a bowl and mix it well with the yogurt, turmeric, salt and the black crushed pepper. Leave it aside for 10 minutes.

Wash your hands thoroughly, and then put the kadai or wok, to high heat, and pour EVOO.

Chop onion, garlic, ginger, tomato, and dice the chilly. Finely chop the strands of coriander too.

Fry the chopped onions, garlic, green chilly, and ginger. Chop the tomato and add to the mixture. When the onions turn light brown, add the ‘end portions’ of the coriander strands, and then add the chicken masala powder, and fry. The coriander stems add to the flavor.

Add the chicken to the wok and sauté. Do not add water, as the chicken with yogurt will release water. See to it that the chicken does not stick to the sides. Turn the heat to medium, and sauté for about eight minutes, till the chicken pieces become semi cooked and dance in the wok, with its side golden, drenched with masala on its sides.

Now add one to three cups of water according to gravy wanted and bring it to a full boil. Then turn the heat off, and sprinkle the finely chopped coriander…

Bass, mehenat kamiab…chickkan taiyaar…serve with rice, or roti.

Pesticide cocktail in the streets of India?

I thought Coca Cola and Pepsi Co. were respectable corporate entities. Mistakes happen once in a while, but can both the cola giants have pesticides in their cola drinks in the United States? The answer is a BIG 'NO'. They'll get screwed by the FDA, other government agencies and the general public through suits and other court cases, which will make them cry their cola dollars out.

In our country it seems the nexus is just too thick to prosecute these rhino skinned corporate entities. Majority of the people in towns and cities like both the brands, and i assume both the brands know it. This should not give them the freedom to induce cancer to their own customers.

At most few narrow minded groups will take on some Pepsi or Coke bottler factory and destroy some property, or some advertising billboard will be vandalized, but nothing ever happens to Coca Cola and PepsiCo through the legal system in India.

What a coincidence, I was watching the movie, 'Corporate' few days back.
When both the companies and reaping so much profits, is it that difficult to put a process in place that will eliminate pesticides content in cola drinks? At least I do not see any thought in that road, after two years when the Cola giants were alleged to have pesticides in their products.

A Hot Day…You bet!

The heat of the Sun makes me weary
And pricks my skin, as I come out from the ac office
The car becomes a furnace,
and stepping into it and touching the steering wheel make my hand nearly burn
the temperature control reads 105 degrees F, man I’m getting mad.
My bad…today I didn’t keep my car under the peepal tree, as I was sleeping late in the comfort of my cozy bed.
Did I tell you before that the peepal tree is there standing brave in all weather for more than 30 yrs…I’ve seen it since my birth.
The tired villagers take some rest under the tree in the wrath of summer, as well as rains.
The giant canopy is home to the sparrows and the parakeet.
that chirp all day long.
The sun sets at 8:30pm way beyond its normal schedule,
It seems to be harping on us lately,
The knowledgeable say that is because of global warming,
all I know is that it is getting hotter each year, and water shortages are increasing
some serious steps need to be taken to preserve the environment
and precautions to be taken against the deadly heat stokes.
Suddenly the air is filled with the fragrance of the magnolia flowers, as I take the exit from the highway to head home, the flowers have captivated the street with their aroma,
And that enthralls my senses against the strong heat
The sun has gone down and I can see patches of clouds
The weather channel says there might be some scattered thunderstorms tonight
Well that’s a welcome break from the scotching sunny days that we have
Hooray…I can hear the thunder, looks like the rain man’s prediction is true
But it will be short lived, as the summer is here to stay for some more time.
I hope to go to the beach, and release all my frustration against the hot weather this weekend, and then rejuvenate myself in the clear cool waters, and prepare myself for the next week.

-Bikram