Create recipes with varieties of curry base

What to cook today? This is everyday's question to everyone who is cooking for the family or self.

I am sharing few simple and innovative ideas for you to create the varieties of the tastes and styles. These curry experiment to your cooking may bring the change in your routine menu or help you creating your new recipe schedule.

All three of my family members have no food allergy, and that's why I used the various curry bases to create the varieties of recipes using limited vegetable or other vegitarian options such as tofu, cottage cheese (paneer) or soya chunks, or steamed besan (chickpea powder) chunks and so on

I use many vegetables such as cauliflower, eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, beans, pumpkin, okra, raw papaya, raw banana, cabbage, capsicum etc. and all the following curry based can be used for them. However, I do not use them with green veggies or broccoli.

Based on my experiments, I created the various curry bases. You can use one of following curry options to create your curry. I use 2 teaspoon of any one of options mentioned below for cooking a small bowl of curry for one person. You can reduce or increase the quantity of the curry base depending on your preference of thickness or richness of your curry. This option simply can be used along with your 5 basic spices i.e. turmeric powder, chili powder, cumin power, coriander powder and home made garam masala (mixes spices). I prefer to roast cumin seeds, coriander seeds or whole garam masala separately on low flame and grind it into powder that I store in glass jar and use it on daily basis.

1. Onion paste: Please chop onion and grind it into paste and fry it in the hot oil along with 1/4 tea spoon of ginger and 1/4 tea spoon of garlic paste before you add spices while frying. It will improve the taste. Later you can add your veggies and water and cook.

2. Onion + tomato Paste: Please chop and grind onion and tomatoes separately. I usually fry onion paste along with 1/4 tea spoon of ginger and 1/4 tea spoon of garlic paste, add spices and later I add tomato paste and cook. once the tomatoes are cooked (in 2-3 min), I add vegetables and water, and cook it util all veggies are done.

3. Poppy Seed Paste: Poppy seed paste is very popular in Bengali and Bihari cooking. Please grind poopy seeds into fine powder. You can add couple of spoons of water (or more as needed) and grind it and again repeat this until you turn it into a fine paste. You can add half a cup of water  to dilute the paste and strain it and used the strained poppy seed paste for curry. Please add this poppy seed paste towards end of cooking. I usually add when the vegetable are cooked. After adding the poppy seed paste, you may cook it for two to three minutes to thicken the curry before turning off the gas burner.

4. Mustard Paste: Please select yellow mustard seeds for making mustard paste. Simply grind it into fine powder and add little water and again grind it into fine paste. You can half cup of  water to dilute the paste and strain it and use the strained mustard paste for cooking. I add mustard paste to the half cooked vegetables and cook it for four to six minutes before turning off the gas burner. Little cooking helps to create nice curry. Please remember that mustard has sharp taste, so avoid adding additional spices. only 1 green chili and turmeric powder would complement the mustard curry. And recommend to avoid other all spices if you can. This is Bengal specialty.

5. Cashew Paste: You can soak 4-5 cashew nuts for 30 min and grind into fine paste and use it for cooking.

Please add this cashew paste towards end of cooking. I usually add this paste to into vegetables when they are almost cooked and cook it further for three minutes more before turning off the gas burner. For richer and creamer taste, you can add one to two tea spoons of whipped cream just one minute before turning off the gas. Please do not cook whipped cream longer or the cream will disintegrate.

6. Whipped Cream: You can create a quick party recipe using whipped cream. You will get it in any supermarket as most of the dairy manufacturing companies sell it. I use Anchor brand. You can cook your mixed vegetable (I use frozen carrot, peas and beans) and cook it with little extra spices (chilli powder, turmeric powder and Garam masala and salt). When the vegetables are cooked (after 7 to 8 minutes) I add 5- 6 spoons of whipped cream and half a spoon of sugar. Just stir it, and cook it for another 30 sec and turn off the gas burner. This is your creamy, spicy and weet mixed vegetable that can be served with plain Basmati rice or Indian fried rice.

7. Coconut Milk: You can use the mixed vegetables (cauliflower, small green eggplant, potatoes, pumpkin and peas (optional), carrot substituted with coconut milk. Can optionally add 2 spoons of grated fresh coconut to your curry. This is south Indian or Thai style curry. Please tamper mustard seeds and curry leaves as it will bring additional a flavor to your curry.

Rice and Chickpea Powder for Curry

8. Peanut powder: You can roast and make coarse grinder powder that can be used as curry base or for other cooking. I use 2-3 spoons of roasted peanut powder along with spices and cook the vegetables. You can create another variation by adding dry coconut powder. This taste good with basic spices. This is popular Maharashtrian style and used in stuffed eggplant.

9. Chickpea powder: I use 2 spoons of roasted dalwa or Sattu as curry base. In case Dalwa or Sattu is not available, you can use roasted chickpea powder (besan) while adding spices and fry them together with vegetable and add water and cook together. I usually add tomato to it once all the spices are fried and cook before adding my vegetable. This is healthy and tasty curry option.

Please ensure that you roast the chickpea powder (besan) on low flame until besan turns light golden color or you will have uneven powder with raw, burnt besan and the burnt one will taste bitter.

10. Roasted rice powder: You can wash and roast rice. once it cools down, you can grind it into powder. This powder taste good with coconut milk and can be used as a curry base. This is popular in Sri Lankan style.

11. Hot and Sour curry: Just add chopped tomatoes and tamarind paste (as per your choice and taste) or half tea spoon of raw mango powder. Hot and Sour curry. You can add sugar if you like.

Black Masala or Spice Curry

12. Black Masala (Black Spice): you can cut the dry coconut into small pieces and chop onion. Take little oil and fry 1cloves and 2 black pepper and 1 dry red chili together. Later fry dry coconut pieces and chopped onion. Please fry them separately. Once all the ingredients are cool down, you can grind them together into paste. This is ready to use spice that can be fried in two spoonful of hot oil and fry it further for a minute on low flame. Please add turmeric powder and chili powder as you prefer and salt and cook your vegetables or cooked soya chucks (or chicken or mutton). This is black masala popular in Kolhapur region in Maharashtra. You can add other species as you prefer.

13. Plain Yogurt: plain yogurt is simply great in taste as it adds richness to curry and reduces sharpness of spices. You can mix it with any of the above curry base, except whipped cream and coconut milk at the end of the cooking. Please remember to beat the yogurt in bowl with egg beater to bring the consistency before adding it to the curry. Please do not cook more than 2 min.

14. Green Curry: we can use fresh coriander leaves, ginger, green cilili and fresh coconut to make green curry. Please grind all these ingredients into green paste. You can use this paste along with 1/4 spoon of turmeric powder to create green curry. I don't add any other spices as it ruins taste of the fresh herbs. This is better curry base is best if you are steaming vegetables or fish in banana leaf. This is Parsi style, similar to Patranu Macchi.

Please note: If you are using additional black pepper or reducing curry base paste/powder, please ensure to reduce red chili powder as well or it will be very spicy to handle.#Curry #IndianCooking #VegitarianCooking, #food, #lifestyle, #culture, #HealthyFood, #Health, #cuisine #Recipe #InnovativeDinner #PartyMenu #SandhyaJane #SecondSpring #BusinessAnalysis #Life

A life of NRI (non resident Indian) spouse: Opportunities and Challenges

This blog I wrote after I watched Tanu Weds Manu Returns....the movie projected a lonely life of lady who married to NRI so realistically...

Living in London or New York or Sydney isn't all that rosy or what you see in the movie....NRIs, especially their spouses face lonely life abroad which is a fact unfortunately. Many women find it difficult especially those who grew up in joint family system or large friends circle or busy social life in India...

All that glitter is not gold...the life outside India is full of uncertainty as jobs, visa and lack of supports makes it more stressful. During initial days, most have to go through visa hassles and obtaining their permanent residency status that may take up to 7-10 years depends on the country they live in and the category of labor applications.

So the key is - how to cope up with lonely life during initial days of marriage when you have not started your family. Here are few tips for you to make it better and brighter –

Professional Education: If you wish to pursue your career and you need specialized or professional education, you can plan for the same. It would be best investment at early stage to jumpstart to your professional career. This planning must be done before you plan for your kid(s) as it would be extremely difficult, but not impossible to continue with additional responsibilities. A dependent spouse can study part time in university by taking 6 credit hours (2 classes) per semester without having to change the visa in most countries. If you could take average 6-7 classes in 4 semester, you can complete your master’s degree within two years.

Take up a Job: If the local government permits you to work, you can take up a job. The most common website for this is 'indeed.com'. All you need to do it is - enter job/role and location, it will fetch the data from relevant websites and compile the results for you. You can register for the job alerts using by providing by signing up on indeed.

Increase Your Social Life: This is bit tricky as bigger social life may not always result into happiness, so try and find like minded friends to form an active social circle.  The easy way to do is to become a member of Facebook group, meet-up group or what’s up group to find your interest group with whom you can meet occasionally to socialize for different reasons.

Craigslist is quite popular in USA for finding activity partners...

Most of the major cities in the world have Indian diaspora that arranges festival or gathering on Diwali, Navratri, Durga Puja, Holi and so on...

Holy Celebration on Hong Kong Beach

Hobby: If you are not serious about your career or wish to start something different, try to check if you can get back to your hobby that you always wanted to pursue. It will keep you busy and happy. If you are really passionate about it, you can earn money through your hobby by selling your creations such as knitwear, pottery, paintings and freelance writing.

Another form of hobbies are attending paining exhibitions, operas and concerts in your city. 

Taiwan Eye, famous Opera Theater in Taiwan

Activity: The adventurous activities not only help you to boost your mood, but also help you stay fit. There are many social clubs or meetup groups or Facebook groups who arrange hiking, trekking, surfing or sailings. You need not worry about buying a boat as you can hire it at reasonable cost.

The types of activities are barbecues parties over the weekend with friends and family...

Most of these activities are suitable for kids. You may involve and introduce these activities to your kids at early age to generate an interest. This would be nice way to connect family members well over the weekends. 

Famous Treks in Hong Kong

Barbecue over the weekend in Tai Tam Dam

Internet TV: First thing you need to do is check if your TV package is 'good' for you. Nothing can substitute TV programs to fill-in your time. There are many internet TV service providers who offer annual subscription at competitive price. They include Indian as well as global TV channels. Most of these TV channels have 'movies' sections that offer excellent collections.

You can complement that with google or other internet shopping for movies and other things...

Reading: Most of the cities have city library for free or membership in affordable cost. You can spend time, to read, to discuss the topics or to make friends something that makes you happy...or join reading club to keep yourself content.

Connecting with your family: These days international calls are cheaper or free due to 'what's up' and free skype, but, remember that not everyone in India is free to chat endlessly over the phone as they too have their own life/commitments...so don't be offended if your friends or family members are not available to chat with you.

Social Work: There are plenty of social or community work options available. You can volunteer to keep yourself occupied in meaningful way. Many communities have annual program planned and mentioned in their office. Sometime you may not be able participate on regular basis. You can check them out as it would provide you an option to regular participations. 

Hanuman Carnival - Community program in Hong Kong

Spouse and his role: You can’t bother your bother for your loneliness as he/she would be much more stressed with job and visa related issues...allow your spouse to work/live peacefully... 

There could be more on your plate at home in absence of maid or helper as you may have to do the daily chores. You may be able to hire part time or weekend basis in US, UK or Australia, but their services are very expensive, except in Hong Kong, Singapore and middle east...where you have an option for live-in helpers at affordable cost. 

So, be prepared to face all the reality abroad and create your own world...Life is what you make it. 

Why Hindus visit temple?

I have been asked several times by my foreign  friends - Why Hindus visit temples?
After researching and talking to few experts, I found few reasons. Apart from spiritual need, people went to temple for social and scientific reasons.

Darshan: We visit temple for Darshana or see the 'sight' of the supreme lord. This helps the devotee to connect the god mentally and emotionally. It also help in concentrating fully with god and forgetting the rest of the universe around us. This 'Dhyana' or mediation creates vacuum in our continuous flow of thoughts that facilitate to attain peace.

Idol: God is humanized in the form of 'idol' that helps devotee to concentrate on an object. It gives a definite shape or form to our imaginary thoughts. In addition, every god or supreme power has certain characteristic to his/her personality and we ultimately wish to have them or improve in those area.

Rituals: Rituals in Hinduism are in different form. One set of rules are for temples and another for personal life. Temple rituals revolves around "pranpratishtha" or installing the idol of a deity in the temple with proper rituals of invoking god/goddess with sanskrit chanting, bathing the idol with milk, water, honey, clarified butter and yogurt (panchamrut i.e. 5 nectors or liquids), dressing up with cloth, flowers, ornaments, offering food and singing bhajan (devotional songs).

Every ritual invokes human 5 senses - touching(touching the deity), seeing(seeing the deity), tasting (panchamrut), smelling (flowers, camphor, and other things), hearing (the chanting, arti, bhanjan)...bring 'self' the present state or in temple completely.

On daily basis the worshiping is done in smaller scale to invoke and sleep the god in the form of idol. The same process is followed at home in much smaller scale.

There are other rituals in Hinduism are meant for social occasions such as marriage, and death and so on... this signifies the life and meaning we have for every part of the life and the way we accept and respect it. These rituals associated with the special occasions reminds us our duty or role or 'dharma' during that phase. Most of them are beneficial and scientifically  proven. For example, the silver toe rings are part of acupuncture  therapy that regulates uterus function in women and avoid diseases associated with. It also improve a sexual desire in women and therefore forbidden for unmarried  or widows to wear them.

Concept of Brahma: This concept remind us the value of I. I am Brahma. So do others. The temple may have one of more deities whom we worship or devote ourself with the concept of I am one part of the universe. I am also God. The devotion teaches us to let go off "I" that is main cause of stress and conflict in the personal and professional life.

Architecture: Most ancient temples have magnificent architecture that have scientific as well as spiritual significance. The scientific meaning of the temple architecture is associated with the scientific construction that includes the decor, angles, lights, the environment and the other things.

The common features of the temples are:
1. Central sanctum enshrines for the main deity
2. Secondary sanctums are for other deities such as Ganesha, Nandi and so on...
3. The space for the trained priest to perform rituals
4. The space in-front of the main deity is for devotees to stand/sit to worship or attend the Arti
5. The outside areas  either within the temple premises or outside the temple premises meant for public for attending social functions or discourse
6. There is additional space for devotees for pradkshana or parikrama or walk around the garbha graham or main section of the temple, but this is within the premises/external boundaries of the temple.

Pradaksihina or Parikrama: The reasons behind pradkshana is - we consider god is center part of our action, our thought and our world. When we go around, we keep the deity at the center of the gravity and consider it as the main focus of our existence. This concept usually helps devotees to consider to take life as it comes or consider this is devoted to the god /universe and we all are part of it. This is one of the ways to keep our mind balanced and peaceful by removing the focus from 'self' or 'I'.

The role Temples in Society: Temples, in general, played a larger role in the society that provided educational, social support in addition to providing them an emotional, and a spiritual support. Most temples in ancient India were also served as educational institutes or gurukul and the center for social gathering in the evening. The additional space within the temple is provided to people to held social rituals and ceremonies. The spiritual guru used the same space to give the discourse that taught most to stay away from materialistic, physical or emotional vices. The environment also helped to inculcate the basic virtue through friendship, forgiveness, humility, tolerance, courage, guidance and more...thus improving overall improvement.