App's the way, Mahi Ve !!!

Yet another app has made it's debut on the screen (read 'scene'). And before you groan "not another one", let me add that it is a lively one that goes shake shake shake !! Yes, the new Airtel app is the new (and fun) way of making life a whole lot less complicated and much more entertaining. Being loaded with features, it has something to cater to everyone's needs. Read on to find why it is my app of choice -

1. 'I want To' - One single tab to manage the most important and recurrent of tasks which can actually get quite boring over a period. This takes care of all my bill payments and recharges, even sending reminders on time so that one does not miss out /delay on doing so. It also allows one to keep a track of the data consumed, current balance and even maintains a record of the recharge history. Sounds more organised than a personal assistant, doesn't it ?  A must have for those who want to stay connected perpetually and yet not lose track of expenses. It is something that even my Dad would approve and I guess even he would love to use it as he feels quite lost using multiple apps for different tasks !

2. Cash back -  With 'Airtel Surprises' coupons, the app ensures that you get some cash back in return of every recharge you do via your smartphone. And these coupons can be availed on some of the popular shopping websites (Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, etc) and entertainment hubs like PVR Cinemas and Cafe Coffee Day. So, say 'Yes' to loads and loads of freebies as you connect with your friends and have a blast together while actually saving money. Share this with your friends and they will love you for it !

3. Secure Payments - A prerequisite for everyone who wants to transact/transfer money via mobile. With the Airtel app, carrying your smartphone is akin to carrying a wallet but far more secure than the latter which can fall prey to pickpockets. Also, it integrates your credit/debit cards, net banking and Airtel money into one so that you can pick the one that you might want to use at a particular moment with ease. For example, if it is the month end and you want to use the credit card as you are not holding sufficient funds in your bank account, you can simple choose to make a payment via the credit card. It makes it possible to transfer even the smallest amount of money to a friend who might need some to recharge his own phone.

So, what are you waiting for ? Download the Airtel app and make the most out of your bucks !!

This post is written for the Airtel App .

Restaurant Review Series : Pancha Phoron @ Murugeshpalya, Bangalore

Looks can be deceptive and this restaurant fits the bill perfectly. We chanced upon this place while driving on the Wind Tunnel Road. From the outside, it looks like one of those middle class places that are known more for their lip-smacking fare rather than for fancy presentation/innovative dishes or an artsy ambiance. And at a reasonable price.

Regional preferences for comfort food ensure that we turn to Bengali cuisine when Odia cuisine is not available ( and I am in no mood to cook ). So, we entered the restaurant hoping for a good and wholesome meal (dinner). The interiors are quite drab but do have that old city kind of feel. It was a bit hot and we had to ask one of the waiters to turn on the AC.  Apart from us, there was just one guy and the lady of the establishment was helping him out with the menu.

One look at the menu and the prices came as a bit of a shocker !! But we persisted thinking that the food might me good. We settled for a Chicken Kosha, Mutton Curry (Mangshor Jhol), luchi and white rice ( a meal that added up to Rs 610/- ).

The food arrived with 15 mins. They served the Chicken Kosha along with the luchi first. The chicken was good, not too spicy and quite similar to the one I make at home. The quantity (4 pieces) was good for the price. Out of the 4 luchi's ( maida puri ), 2 had been over-fried.

Then came the disaster. The Mutton curry which refuses to get out of my head. The gravy smelled of raw masalas. The mutton was just too chewy. And the meat did not take on the distinctive aroma of the spices (which can only mean that it was first boiled separately and then added to the curry). When we called the owner and told her about it, she gave a lame excuse like "since you have had the spicier Chicken kosha first, this tastes a little bland. Bengali mutton curry is like that only" . But she agreed to cook it some more. So, the dish went off the table and came back 10 mins later, with only a marginal improvement. I guess the lady had no idea that with Odia and Bengali dishes, it is the 'kasha' or stir frying ( more like braising ) process of the masalas along with the meat, that actually plays the major role in the final taste of the dish.

The mutton remained untouched (except for one piece that I had served on my plate) and we finished the rice with whatever was left of the Chicken Kosha. And sadly, the establishment did not bother with niceties like refilling the water glasses or asking for a feedback on the food.

A terrible experience !! Save your money and show some mercy to those taste-buds .....a must avoid experience !!

Rating - 1/5 .

The Fast ( Sabitri Brata Series )

Five more days to go. I guess most of us would be done with shopping (clothes/accessories/make-up) for Sabitri and all those dresses/blouses would have gone to the tailors for stitching. Now the uphill task is to get these notorious procrastinating guys from delivering on time. So, keep reminding the fellas that D-day is nearing. And get your shopping list ready for buying those edibles.

Now moving on to the matter of the fast, I have got a few queries on what is ok to consume on Sabitri and what can be offered as the prasad. So, I am doing this blog post to answer all those queries. You can still drop a query by means of a comment on my blog or on my Fb page (here). Read on -

• The thumb rule - "No cooked items please". All fruits, salad vegetables, milk products, sabudana and sprouts are ok. 
• No sweets please unless it is 'misti doi' .
• Tea and coffee are debatable. Best to avoid but if you are addicted, have a cup or two to keep you from feeling cranky.
• No regular salt. Use black salt.
• No ice-cream.
• The prasad usually consists of all possible types of fruits. Though most senior ladies advice you to stick to a few 'desi' fruits, people staying abroad may find it tough. So, all fruits are ok. 

Some easy recipes that you can make -

1. Sabudana with milk - Soak 1 cup sabudana overnight. Drain the water and mix it with 1 cup milk, 1-2 mashed bananas, 1/2 cup chopped apple, freshly grated coconut, crumbled chenna and some sugar/jaggery. Consume immediately.

2. Sabudana with yogurt - Soak 1 cup sabudana overnight. Drain the water and mix it with 1/2 cup yogurt, small pineapples pieces, apples pieces, pomegranate and some sugar. Consume immediately.

3. Fruit Salad - Take assorted fruits in a bowl. Sprinkle some black salt and black pepper powder. Add a dash of lime juice. Toss. Keep aside for 5 mins. Dig in.

4. Sprouts Salad - Take moong sprouts, channa sprouts chopped cucumber, chopped avocado, black salt , black pepper powder and lime juice in a mixing bowl. Toss together. Keep aside for 15 mins. Dig in.

5. Dahi Sharbat (Lassi)- With the mango season at its peak, add some fresh mango pulp to your dahi sharbat to make it more interesting. 

6. Mango Milkshake - Chilled milk, mango pulp and sugar buzzed together for 1-2 mins. 

7. Watermelon Slush -  Watermelon cubes, lime juice, crushed ice, sugar and water tossed together in a blender will give you a most gratifying sip.



Note - Different households have different views on what is permissible. Hence, do consult with your MIL if you have any doubts.

Read more on the Sabitri Brata series Here and Here .

Raam Rochak Tarkari ( A no onion no garlic dumpling curry from Odisha )

Raam Rochak Tarkari can be described as a 'no onion no garlic version' of the 'Besan tarkari' or Moong Dal dumpling curry which is quite popular in Odisha. This particular version is also offered as prasad to Lord Jaganaath in Baripada's Jaganaath Temple.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 40 mins

Ingredients -

for the dumplings -

• 1 cup split yellow moong dal + 1 handful green moong dal
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1 pinch asafoetida
• 2 pinch roasted jeera powder
• salt to taste
• sufficient oil for deep frying

For the curry -

• 1 cup diced brinjal
• 1 cup diced potato
• 2-3 dry red chilis
• 1 1/2 inch ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 2 nos green cardamom
• 1/5 tsp turmeric
• 3-4 tsp oil
• salt to taste

Preparation - Soak the green moong dal overnight. The split yellow dal can be soaked for 1-2 hours. Wash, drain all water and then grind them together into a coarse paste.

Add salt, roasted cumin powder, chili powder and asafoetida to this paste and mix well.

Grind the red chilis, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger into a fine paste. Keep this masala (spice) paste aside.

Cooking - Heat suficient oil for deep frying. Add teaspoonfuls of the seasoned moong dal batter into the hot oil and fry till golden brown on all sides. Remove the dumplings from the wok and keep aside.

Similarly, make more dumplings out of the moong dal batter.

Heat 3-4 tsp oil in another wok. Add the ground masala paste and fry till oil separates.

Add the diced potato and brinjal. Fry for 2-3 mins. Then add salt and turmeric. Cover with a lid and cook till the potatoes are 3/4 th done.

Add about 2-3 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and then add the dumplings. Allow the curry to simmer for 4-5 mins.

Remove from the flame and keep aside. Garnish with some fresh cilantro if you like.

Serve hot with white rice or Dala khichidi.

Note - It is usually served with 'Dala Khichidi', another Baripada specialty.

The Man who Incarcerated Salman !!

Justice Abhay Thipse. The guy who is suddenly more in limelight (and certainly more respected) than the sentenced star himself. It takes a lot of conviction to look through Salman's larger than life image and treat him like a commoner. And no, he is not driven by that base instinct to see a Goliath fall. He is a guy who is doing his job and doing it rather well. That much is certain as he let go of the star on bail when an appeal was made ( yes, that bail was a tad bit too fast but maybe he had other reasons for it ).

Like the majority of Indians, Justice Thipse could also be a fan of Salman Khan and might also watch his movies at the nearest multiplex. But that did not affect his objectivity while delivering the sentence. Salman was drunk and he did not possess a licence. Enough reason to stay away from the wheels. And that applies to anybody and everybody.

Agreed that the superstar has done a lot for charity in the last few years but cannot change what happened all those years back. Well, to put the record straight, Salman was never the proverbial good boy. His relationships with his ex-girlfriends was always in the limelight. He broke a bottle on someone's head and abused another. And he may actually have ruined a very promising actor's Bollywood career. I have put it as 'maybe' because nobody can predict who will actually succeed in Bollywood. Lady luck plays a greater role than lineage, looks and talent put together.

What goes around, comes around. And I prefer to call it Karma. Salman's largess in the recent times reminds me of some of my so called 'god-fearing' relatives. They may not treat their parents well, encroach upon a sibling's property, defend a criminal in court or even make some money under the table. But they keep arranging these elaborate 'havans' and doing charity. Makes me wonder if it is their guilt which propels these actions or is it just a smokescreen to keep people from seeing the reality.

I was never very interested in this case and just hoped that the law would take its own course. But what changed my mind was the confession by the trusted driver of Salman Khan. The poor guy, after so many long years, finally admitted that he was the one behind the wheels on that fateful night. How can someone believe that ? What kind of money was making him mouth such a damning lie ? It just reminded me of Akshay Kumar''s movie 'Khatta Meetha' in which a poor driver was offered money to take the blame on his own head and then bumped off. Somehow this celluloid meets reality episode made me very queasy. I am swearing off Salman's movies for the rest of my life.

And as for the ludicruous comment that 'footpaths are not meant for sleeping', I would like to counter in Big B's style. "Mumbai ki footpath kisi ke baap ki jagir nahi hain. If they are not meant for sleeping, they are also not meant for driving.Hain"

Badaa Piaji ( Twice Fried Onion Fritters from Odisha )

'Dahi Bara - Ghuguni - Alu dum' maybe the most iconic street food that defines Cuttack. But another yummy snack comes a close second on the list of must-try's whenever one visits the city which is also famous for the silver filigree artifacts. However it remains little known even within the state. The 'Badaa Piaji', a unique twice fried version of another popular snack 'piaji', is quite crispy and delectable.

Unlike the 'Piaji' which is made from a batter of soaked and ground Bengal gram, the 'badaa piaji' uses Bengal gram flour along with loads of chopped onions in the batter. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients -

• 2/3 cup Bengal gram flour / Besan
• 2 large onions (finely chopped)
• 2-3 green chilis (finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander stems
• a few curry leaves
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• a pinch of turmeric
• a pinch of baking soda
• salt to taste
• oil for deep frying

Preparation - Take all the ingredients (except oil) in a mixing bowl. Add water in small quantities to make a batter which is about the same consistency as 'Bara' or Vada batter .

Cooking - Heat sufficient oil in a wok. Drop small balls ( about a heaped tablespoon each) of the batter into the hot oil and fry to a light brown shade. Remove and keep aside for about a minute.

Flatten the balls with a heavy object (use a rolling pin) . Do not make then very thin else they may break.

Put them back into the hot oil and fry till brown and crisp.

Repeat the same process with the remaining batter.

Serve hot with 'Ghuguni' and some sliced onions. DO NOT forget to sprinkle a generous amount of black salt.

My first expert - My Mom !!

They hold your hand when you take those first few steps. They teach you how to mouth the right words. They keep trying to feed you even when you spit out those alien tasting solids. They motivate you on the first day of school. Even when you are crying out your eyes. They teach you to hold the pencil and write those first alphabets. They console you when you have had a fight with your best friend. They get up in the middle of the night to fix you a quick sandwich/drink when you are burning the midnight oil studying for those board exams. And they never forget to feed you a spoonful of curd (for good luck) when you step out of the house to write those exams. No wonder, a mother is every girl's/boy's best friend.

The list of things that mothers teach you or do for you is almost endless. However old we grow, or how much ever wise for that matter, we keep reaching out to them for advice on anything and everything related to relationships, home remedies or even what to cook for a particular meal.

And it was my mother who helped me learn cooking despite the distance ( in thousands of kilometers) between us.  Yes, I was a pampered little kid who never really learnt to cook anything beyond Maggie till the time I got a job and had to start living on my own in an alien city. It was very tough at first but my mother helped me out with advice on which utensils to buy, the ingredients to be bought, the right quantities and of course the finer details of the preparation. Looking back, I realize it would have been very difficult to survive in a new city on take-away's if I did not have her on call support 24 X 7. Not only she helped me master the art of cooking but also inspired me to start a food blog that is doing quite well. All thanks to my Mom.

Eating healthy and feeding us healthy food was always her first priority. And hence she always insisted on using the least amount of oil and spices. Needless to say, she always taught me ways to cook with less oil and gradually her guidelines became a part of my cooking process. Even today when I am a mom myself and I have difficulty feeding my son, I turn to her first instead of asking the pediatrician. Because no matter how old you grow, your mother will always remain your mother.



This post is written for Godrej Expert.