Fried Squid / Calamari

"Tip Tip Barsa Pani, Pani ne aag lagaayi." I cannot imagine how water can set anyone on fire, but Bollywood, with its own strange laws of physics love and chemistry, has always taken full advantage of the monsoons.  Over the years, a large number of Bollywood songs (with suggestive lyrics and women in plain, see through sarees) shot in the rain have captured our senses and made our imagination run wild! Harldy surprising, because monsoons do have a magic of their own. The incessant pitter patter of rain drops against the roof is music in itself. The sudden chill that descends on the earth is welcomed warmly. And what can beat the smell of the earth as the first showers pour down upon it?

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Nadan Kozhi Curry - Kerala Style Chicken Curry

Sunday chicken curry is such an integral part of the Syrian Christian community in Kerala that I cannot imagine how I never posted about it. For most people, Sunday involves getting up when dawn just breaks the horizon, wearing their best clothes, and attending the holy mass at church. This is usually followed by lunch at home with the once a week side dish of meat, mostly chicken. Years back, this used to be a fun filled meal with family and cousins, a fat hen being chased down and caught by an expert uncle or grandmother, lazy conversations that went on at the dining table even after the chicken gravy had dried on our fingers and hens clucking nearby hoping to be fed bits of chicken (probably not knowing that it was their dear dead cousin).

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Photography Exercise with Tomato and Mayo Sandwich

Aparna from My Diverse Kitchen has started an interesting series of photography exercises. In an effort to improve my photography, I decided to participate in the exercise as soon I read about them, but predictably, thanks to my organizing skills, or rather, my lack of them, I missed the deadline of the first one (Aperture and DoF). Anyway, the second exercise is on, I am on time this time (!) and you can find the details of "Less is More, So Let's Keep It Simple" over here.

As the name suggests, the food photograph should have a minimalistic composition, using as few props as possible, so that you notice the food more than anything else. With just a couple of props, namely a glass of milk and a few coriander leaves, I hope my below photograph qualifies. Not only does a minimalistic image look better, but it also reduces expenditure in terms of props; a glass of milk comes at Rs 9 and a whole bunch of coriander leaves costs only Rs 1!!! I am one happy person ;)

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Soya Cutlets/Patties

Everyone knows that getting a child to finish his plate of rice and daal is every bit as difficult as building a space shuttle. But even tougher is getting a senior citizen to eat what is good for him. The moment you tell a diabetic patient that whole wheat roti is a healthy alternative to white rice, he obstinately pushes aside his rotis and demands nothing less than a bowl of biriyani. He steals chocolates when he thinks no one is looking, snacks on aloo samosas and jalebis when he goes on his "evening walk", and eats most of the sugar laden, forbidden refreshments served to his guests, fully aware that his family is not going to lecture to him about his diet in their presence. (God forbid this ever happens, because the poor, well meaning family is NOT going to like what happens after the guests leave.)

Now, if people with, eh, such health issues formed a union in Kerala, their first task would be to ban soya in the state. I mean, have you ever tried telling them that soya was good for them? With luck, all they may do is pretend to belch in your face, but I have seen and heard worse. Anyway, just like you would hide vegetables and lentils in pizzas and sandwiches for your kids, you can make a soya burger for your parents (or uncles or aunties or whoever the fussy adult is). Throw in a line about how unhealthy the burger is, and don't bother mentioning what it is actually made of, and they are going to love it.

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