Book Review : Adultery (by Paulo Coelho)

'An attractive woman in her mid thirties is terrified of her humdrum but rather privileged existence. She keeps sinking into the abyss of depression till she meets an ex-boyfriend who is super successful. Predictably a torrid affair follows and then she is possessed by guilt. But it ends on a placid note when she gets back to her husband who accepts her with open arms (and heart). '

The above paragraph is a short summary of what the book is all about. While it opens with a great setting which sets off the mood for the affair that is to follow, it actually fails to strike the right chords with the reader. Not what I would expect from an author who gave us something unforgettable like 'The Alchemist'.

The opening lines certainly raised my expectations (and that of my female friends too). 'Every morning, when I open my eyes to the so-called "new day", I feel like closing them again, staying in bed, and not getting up. But I can't do that.' Then we are exposed to the turning point in Linda's (main protagonist) life. It is a question that changed her life. You feel good at that point as quite a few of us would have experienced that kind of a moment.

But then the story progresses to her first meeting with her ex-boyfriend (Jacob) where she transforms herself into some kind of a porn star. It gets a little jarring because at this point you realize that it is not emotional security that she is after. It is the sheer thrill of living on the edge that drives her. From then it is one crazy roller coaster of emotions which gets to a point where she devises of a scheme to plant drugs to get Jacob's wife out of her way.

It is a little incredulous when she finally attains enlightenment during a paragliding expedition( why of all things in this world ??). The ending of the story is quite lame and certainly very disappointing. It is a little too convenient as if the author just decided to finish the book one fine day and gave it a "lived happily ever after" kinda climax.

Rating 2.5/5 (only for the sake of those awesome opening lines). Read at your own peril.

Biotique Bio Berry Plumping Lip Balm

Lip plumpers are products that are supposed to give a bee-stung effect to your lips so that they appear fuller and smoother. Now which woman does not aspire for Angelina Jolie's famous pout ?? But what kept me from trying out plumpers are that they are expensive products and give a mild burning /stinging sensation when applied. So, when I saw the Biotique Bio Berry Plumping Lip Balm in a shop near my home, I grabbed it with both hands. It is priced at just Rs 99/- and is free from chemicals (as per the brand's claims).

Read on to find out how it fared on my scale -

Pros -

1. Priced economically (Rs 99/- for 4.1 g)
2. Free from chemicals ( therapeutic product as per claims )
3. Hygienic bullet application ( certainly better than the earlier tub )
4. Smooths out the fine lines on my lips
5. Gives a mild plumping effect
6. Provides moisture to lips for 3-4 hours.
7. Tasteless and very mild smelling. But gives a light tingling effect.
8. Looking at the older reviews on beauty blogs, they seem to have relaunched the product with a new look and improved formula.


Cons -

1. It is very mildly tinted. Does not show up on pigmented lips.
2. Works best when applied under a lipstick/lip polish.
3. The bullet is too long and sticks out of the tube. The cap was already soiled with some of the product when I purchased it.
4. The formula is a little stiff/hard so one needs to rub it 2-3 times on the lips (but the good thing is that it will last longer).


Rating - 4.25/5 . I find it quite useful as it is transparent and takes care of my lip lines. I regularly apply it under any other lip color I am using. Will repurchase for sure.

Pasta with Kasundi Sauce (Low-calorie snacking !!)

Pasta and Kasundi ?? Whoever would have thought of such an unlikely pairing !! But let me tell you that it works incredibly well on my Indian taste buds. And even before you ask me why I thought of the combination, let me remind you that I have been looking forward to maintaining a healthier lifestyle from this year. That translates into cutting down of fattening food like cheese. Moreover, it being so cold these days, I wanted something hot and spicy to warm me up.

While I could have gone with a regular Marinara sauce, It felt like too much effort. Moreover, the flavors are heavier as compared to this recipe. Since I already had a bottle of tomato Kasundi (recipe at the bottom of this post) sitting in my fridge, it hardly took any time. The trick is to balance the flavors of the fresh tomatoes and the kasundi so that neither one dominates. And yeah, do not forget the peppers. I used the spicy Guntur variety which I personally prefer as compared to the Jalapenos and Habaneros. We do have a lot of good native varieties of peppers/chillis in India which are just waiting to be discovered. And they turn out to be quite economical as compared to the imported varieties.

Read on for the lip-smacking recipe -

Preparation Time - 15-18 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 1/2 cup pasta (chifferi rigata)
• 1 large fresh tomato ( chopped into small pieces )
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 red chili pepper (Guntur variety)
• 1 tbsp coriander roots (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp coriander leaves (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp tomato kasundi (adjust as per preference)
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• salt

Cooking - Heat water in a large saucepan. Once it gets to a boil, add enough salt so that it tastes quite salty (almost like sea water). Throw in the pasta and cook on medium to high flame till al-dente (cooked yet firm). Retain 1 cup of the pasta water and drain the rest.

Dissolve the kasundi in 2 to3 tbsp of pasta water.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the chopped garlic, red chili and coriander roots. Fry till the garlic turns golden. Add the chopped tomatoes and cover with a lid for 30 seconds. Once the tomatoes get a little soft (but still chunky), add the cooked pasta along with the kasundi. Sprinkle some more pasta water if it gets too dry. Cook for 1-2 mins before removing from flame.

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve immediately.

Note - Click here for the recipe of Tomato Kasundi. Adjust the amount of pepper as per preference. 

(Z)its just not my day !!!

For someone who had battled with pimples/zits for the better (read worse) part of my life, any mention of the topic is enough to trigger the floodgates of memories. Right from the early teenage days when one just started to discover the other sex (and it suddenly become important to look good), it was my faithful companion till my mid-twenties. And finally when we parted ways, it left behind a trail of destruction in the form of scars and potholes on my face.

Pimples were the primary reason I adopted a proper skin care routine, gulped down 10-12 glasses of water in a day and controlled my diet to exclude chocolates, pickles, pani-puris, fried food and red meat. I would religiously wash my face 2-3 times in a day and splash it with cold water whenever possible. And I applied everything on my face ranging from Margosa(Neem) paste, Fuller's earth (aka multani mitti), turmeric, sandalwood, gramflour(besan)-curd mixture, tomato, lemon juice and even garlic paste (please do not ever try this..it stings like hell). And yeah, I forgot to add the toothpaste that a friend's sister had suggested. But that is not all. These home remedies were in addition to the countless bottles of Cetaphil, tubes of prescription medicine and strips of antibiotics that I have had to consume. But these remedies/medications would only reduce the severity of the eruptions and that too for a limited period of time.

By now you would have guessed that my life had turned into a living hell. Standing for hours in front of the mirror and wishing those zits to simply disappear, I dreaded to venture outside my home. It was as if everyone I bumped into was bound to peer into my face and ask about it. After hearing about my losing battle with the zits, they would cluck their tongues and impart a few pearls of wisdom about a remedy which magically cured the pimple problems of someone known to them. It was a different story that none of this stuff worked in my case.

After the initial struggle, I kind of resigned myself to fate. Instead of pondering over a problem on which I had no control, I decided to concentrate on extra-curricular activities, reading books and do whatever I could to distract myself. I would give pep talks to myself to deal with the problem of low self-esteem and convince myself that it is just a passing phase. After all, there is more to a person than just looks.

My efforts paid off and by the time I joined Engineering college, my pimple problem had substantially subsided. Yes, there were those scars, and there would be 3-4 of those eruptions on my face at any point of time, but it was manageable. By the time, I was out of college, most of the scars had faded substantially and I heaved a sigh of relief. But my happiness was short lived as I suffered from yet another bad bout of eruptions six months into my new job. The stress of job training and the frequent change of cities had not gone down well with my over-sensitive skin. But this time I came in touch with a good dermatologist. She gave some medications which showed good results within two months and then there were a few sittings of chemical peel and microdermabrasion after the pimples had reduced. Her treatment was remarkably good (the best actually)  and I was delighted because my skin had never looked better.

As my doctor had made it clear that I was in for a long term struggle, I was advised to stick to a mild yet effective cleanser twice a day, regularly apply a medicated cream at night and a medicated sunscreen while going out in the sun. My skin continued to behave well though I would still get a few eruptions at times. But the turning point came with my pregnancy when I had to stop applying all those medicated products. I was scared that the pimples would be back with a vengeance. However the hormonal changes worked in my favor and the pimples just went away by themselves.

The status quo has been continuing for three years now. But I still follow a regular skin care routine which includes a cleanser and a weekly face pack featuring a natural ingredient with known anti-bacterial properties/pimple fighting abilities like neem, mint, clay or aloe vera. Yeah, I do get a pimple once in a while due to some hormonal fluctuations but that is quite rare.

This post is written for Garnier (No Pimples No Marks) and Pure Active Neem Face Wash .

Horse gram (Kulith/Kolotho/Kollu) Rasam

Horse gram rasam has become my go-to drink over the past week even surpassing the favorite ginger tea. Yes, it is almost magical on a sore throat and also helps in digestion. Most of us would be aware of the benefits of rasam and horse gram, so combining these two packs a double punch. Even when it comes to taste!!

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 25-30 mins

Ingredients -

• a handful of horse gram
• 1 large tomato
• 1 lemon sized ball of tamarind
• pinch of turmeric
• salt to taste

For the rasam powder -

• 1 tsp peppercorn
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 dry red chilli
• 1 tsp toor dal
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida

For the tempering -

• 3-4 garlic flakes
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• dry red chilli
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 2 pinch asafoetida
• 2 tsp oil

Preparation - Dry roast all the ingredients for rasam powder. Allow to cool down and then grind into a smooth powder.
Soak the tamarind in 3 cups warm water for 20 mins. Squeeze out all the juice and discard the pulp.
Chop the tomato into small pieces.

Cooking - Soak the horse gram for 1-2 hours. Then cook it for 3-4 whistles in a pressure cooker along with 1 1/2 cups water, turmeric and salt. Keep aside till steam escapes.

Use a hand blender to mash up the cooked dal.

Boil the tamarind water with little turmeric and salt in a saucepan. Allow to boil for 5-6 minutes till the raw taste goes away.

Add the cooked dal along with the tomatoes at this point. Let it boil for 4-5 mins more.

Add the rasam powder dissolved in 1/2 cup water. Simmer for 2 minutes.

Heat oil in a tempering pan. Add broken red chilli, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Allow to splutter. Add chopped garlic, curry leaves and asafoetida. Fry for 30 seconds.

Pour the tempering over the hot rasam. Simmer for 3 minutes. Switch off flame.

Serve hot as a soup or have it along with plain rice.

Happy Makar Sankranti

Happy Makar Sankranti/Pongal to all my readers !!

Relocating just got Qui(c)kr

For someone who has had to change five cities in the span of seven years, I can vouch that it is an exercise in confusion and utter frustration. Deciding which stuff to keep and what to sell off, calculating whether the relocation expenses would be sufficient to cover all expenses and finally the pain of searching for a new house are some of the bigger concerns when shifting to a new city.

But things just got quicker and easier thanks to Quikr. I discovered that it is like a one stop solution for all my needs. From finalizing the movers and packers to finding my current flat to buying a second-hand bed for the guest room, I found it all on their website when I moved to Bangalore in 2012 .That too at a decent price. And since the Ad for the flat was posted by the owner himself, it saved me a good amount in terms of brokerage charges. It also helped me to dispose off an old TV stand which did not go with the decor of the living area and was too big for the other rooms. It felt good to manage everything (including a mischievous toddler) on the home front by myself even as my husband grappled with settling down in a new office.

And I ended up recommending it to my neighbors who also bought their sofa, a computer table and a study table from Quikr and that too from the same seller. The guy who sold the stuff had set up house just an year back and had been asked to move to US for a long term assignment by his company. My neighbours actually loved the stuff which was in very good condition. Though some people have a thing about buying used stuff, it is the logical thing to do when you work in a sector that calls for frequent job change and changing cities. Most of my IT friends would apply and swear by the equation -
amount earned from selling in city 1 + relocation allowance = amount spent in buying in city 2.

That is why is becomes equally important to get a good price for the furniture/electronic goods that one is selling. With Quikr it is as easy as posting an Ad, chatting up with the buyer and fixing an appointment and finally selling the goods. Of course, you get to quote the price you want for the stuff and if the buyer likes it, the deal is closed.

Another great thing about it is that you can pick any kind of services from their website. So whether you require someone for pest-control or a cleaning lady or a cook, it is possible to find someone on Quikr. I even helped my in-laws staying in Bhubaneshwar to find a full time domestic help through the services of Quikr. Yeah they have a presence in 900 cities which makes it all the more convenient no matter whichever city one is relocating to. Do I need more reasons to recommend Quikr to my family/friends/acquaintances who are moving to Bangalore ?

This post is written for Quikr (Bangalore) .

Fish Curry

I love fish curry...the tantalizing red color, the aroma that tingles the nose, the heat bombs that explode on the tongue, the warm feeling that leave one guessing about the complexity of spices, everything about it is ambrosia to me. And that is why I keep trying out different varieties from different states of India..spicy, tangy, sweet, thick gravy, thin gravy...just about anything that catches my eye.

But of late I was feeling a bit confused about which one to cook, so I just threw in a bit of this and a bit of that and ended up with a lip-smacking curry. Some mustard paste, a little onion-ginger-garlic-masala paste, some yogurt, about half a cup of finely chopped tomatoes and of course the lightly fried fish are the core ingredients that go into this dish. With so many ingredients, it becomes important to get the proportions right especially as this curry needs to be a light one (with a thin-gravy).

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients -

• 6 pieces Rohu fish 
• 2 tsp (heaped) onion-masala paste
• 3-4 tsp mustard masala paste
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1/2 cup finely chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup boiled potato cubes
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/5 tsp garam masala powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• 4 tsp oil
• salt to taste
• (Oil for shallow frying fish)
• coriander leaves for garnishing

Preparation - Marinate the fish with a pinch of turmeric and some salt. Shallow fry on both sides to a golden brown. Remove and keep aside on a tissue paper to absorb excess oil.

Beat the yogurt to break any lumps.

Cooking - Heat 4 tsp oil in a wok. Add the onion masala paste and fry lightly for 3 mins.

Add the mustard masala paste and fry for 1 minute (do not overdo).

Add the chopped tomatoes along with chili powder, turmeric and garam masala. Cover with a lid for 1-2 mins to allow tomatoes to soften. Fry for another minute.

Add about 4 cups boiling water. Adjust the salt and allow the curry to come to a rolling boil.

Let it boil for 2-3 mins before adding the fish and the boiled potatoes. Cover with a lid and let simmer for a while till you get the desired consistency.

Finally stir in the yogurt along with a little salt. Let it boil for 2-3 mins before adding the coriander leaves and removing the curry from the flame,

For onion masala paste - 1 large onion, 8-10 garlic flakes, 2 inch ginger, 2 dry red chilis, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 1/2 inch cinnamon stick, 2-3 green cardamoms. Grind everything together into a smooth paste.

For mustard masala paste - 3 tsp mustard seeds, 2 tsp cumin seeds, 7-8 garlic flakes, 1-2 green chili. Grind everything together into a smooth paste.

Sri Lankan Pumpkin Curry (Wattaka Kalu Pol)

Pumpkin Curry ??? No ways. Going by the way most people feel about this humble vegetable, I had actually put off posting the recipe. But leafing though my diary to sort out/refresh some of the low oil dishes that I have cooked over the years, I stumbled upon this gem of a recipe. I had first watched this curry being prepared by an old Sri Lankan lady on television but I could not catch all the ingredients that go into the making of this dish. So, when I searched for this recipe on the net, I stumbled upon Dani Venn's blog . She has a great collection of recipes and please do check them when you have the time.

Coming back to the recipe, I decided to stay true to the ingredients used (though I skipped the rice and desiccated coconut paste) but made some minor change in the order in which they go into the dish. Call it 'cultural conditioning' or whatever you like, but I could not understand the logic behind adding the tempering ingredients after frying the onion, ginger and garlic :). The curry turned out to be delicious (and amazingly aromatic) despite using so less oil.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 25 mins

Ingredients -

For curry powder -

• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 3 cardamon pods
• 2-3 dry red chilis
• Sprig of curry leaves
• 1 1/2 inch long cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon rice
• 1 tsp turmeric powder

Others -

• 1 tsp rice bran oil
• 1 medium sized onion(finely chopped)
• 3 garlic flakes (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp ginger (finely chopped)
• 1 red chili (broken into small pieces)
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 tsp fenugreek seed
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 sprig curry leaves
• 2 pandan leaves, roughly torn into pieces
• 500g pumpkin (peeled & diced into 1 1/2 inch cubes)
• 2 cups thick coconut milk

Preparation - Heat a frying pan. Add the rice to it and roast for 2-3 mins. Then add all other spices (except for turmeric) mentioned under 'For curry powder' and roast till they give off their fragrance.

Remove from flame and allow to cool down. Grind into a fine powder and mix turmeric with it. Since this is more than what you need for the curry, keep the rest of it in an air-tight bottle in the fridge.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the broken red chili, mustard and fenugreek seeds to it. Once they start popping, add the onions. Fry till translucent.

Add the chopped ginger and garlic. Fry for 2 mins before adding all the powdered spices.

Fry for a minute and then add the curry leaves, pandan leaves and pumpkin cubes.

Add the coconut milk to the wok and let it simmer on a low flame.

Once the pumpkin is cooked, add 2 levelled teaspoons of the curry powder and mix it well. (Add more curry powder if you like it spicy).

Remove from the flame and serve hot with white rice and yogurt.

Curd Rice /Thayir Sadam (Comfort food from down South)

"Does anyone need a recipe for curd rice ??", I blurted out in bewilderment. "Yes, in fact a lot of them do. Else they will keep dishing out variations that range from being chewy to being downright watery", replied by frustrated husband. He had had a particularly bad day at office and it was exacerbated by the unpalatable lunch that the caterer had chosen to serve. Though the curd rice served by the canteen guys is never the best, it was really bad that day and had my husband fuming.

Now even though I am not a South Indian, I have stayed down South for a long time and have picked up the nuances of quite a few South Indian recipes (especially the ones that my husband and kid adore). And I do make good curd rice ( a fact endorsed by my South Indian friends ). I find it easy, quick and quite soothing on the tummy. So, while it is a staple during the summers, I end up making it once in a while during the winters when I have had a heavy dinner on the previous night.

( Do not forget to check out the Odia version of this recipe - Dahi Pakhala )

Read on for my recipe -

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup cooked rice (needs to be cooked softer than usual)
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2/3 cup fresh yogurt
• 3 tbsp coarsely grated carrot
• 1 sprig curry leaves (finely chopped)
• 1-2 finely chopped green chilis
• 7-8 cashews (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp urad dal
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 dry red chili (I prefer Byadgi which gives a good flavor)
• a pinch of asafoetida
• 2 tsp oil
• salt to taste

Preparation - Take the still warm rice in a mixing bowl. Use the back of a heavy spoon to mash it up. Add warm milk little by little and mix it up.

Allow the rice and milk mix to cool down completely before adding the beaten curd. Add salt, grated carrot and chopped green chilis to the mixing bowl and mix everything thoroughly.

Heat the oil in a tempering pan. Add the mustard seeds, urad dal, cashews, dry red chili, asafoetida and curry leaves. Fry for 8-10 seconds.

Pour the tempering over the contents of the mixing bowl. Mix it uniformly.

Serve immediately along with a pickle and/or papad .

Note - If you are making it for kids, do not put any green chilis. Instead add about 1/2 tsp sugar and fruits like grapes (chopped into small bits), pineapple (chopped into small bits) and pomegranate. 

When 'No' did not mean 'Yes'

"Hello"

"Good Morning Maam. This is Sunita calling on behalf of Ronafone ( now 'rona' is the Hindi for cry and that is what I have been doing ever since I bought their SIM). Please confirm your number '973XXXXXXX'."

"Yes"

"Are you the user of this number?"

"Yes" ( Isn't it plainly obvious ??)

"Maam, would you like to activate a new plan for 3G ?"

"No, I do not require any 3G plans." (As it is my calls keep dropping due to the bad network and you guys have still not done anything about it despite logging a complaint)

"But Maam, 3G is already activated for your number. With this new plan you can get more download for just 50 rupees extra"

"What? But I did not activate 3G." (God....Rishabh keeps fiddling with my mobile all the time..what have you done this time kid??)

"Maam...would you like to go with the new 3G plan ?"

"No...and I would like to deactivate 3G. Please tell me how to go about it ?"

"Maam, I cannot do it. Please call XXX. It is a toll free number."

"But you just called for activating a new plan. Surely that means that you can deactivate/change the existing one....or you can take down my request and forward it to the concerning department"

"No Maam, I cannot do it. Please call XXX."

"I still do not understand why you cannot take my request"

"Maam, it is not possible for me to change/deactivate the existing plans"

"That means I need to call up some XXX customer care number and fight my way though the maze of an endless menu"

"Sorry for the inconvenience Maam. Please call XXX for deactivating 3G."

"Ok. Thank you."

"Thank you Maam. Have a nice day"