Little Angels

For a while I have been thinking of writing about my son and in general, about children. Thinking of my son brings such a shower of mixed emotions to me that it's hard to choose just one thing about him on which I can write. Firstly, I was thinking of making a list of things which he says or does - things which are very important to him, but equally funny for us. For example, he is trying hard to remember the days of the week, but only manages Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday...Friday. This amuses me much.
He speaks in pukka Lancashire dialect, and given that we were born and brought up in India, his speech amazes us in a certain way, although we know that speak ing like English people is nothing amazing for a child his age.
But the most amazing and wonderful thing is seeing him grow. When he laughs and jumps and writes and cries and plays by himself, he seems to be a little dream amidst the mundane reality of everyday life. The joy that he brings to my eyes is hard to describe. I realise time and again that he is a part of me, tho' not attached to me physically, but an extension of me. Nothing is so close to my existence as he is, except my mother; because again I'm a part of her as he's a part of me.
Then in general, isn't it always wonderful to look at young children? For me, the younger they are, the more pleasing they are to the eyes. The tiny-winy ones in cribs are the loveliest, then come the swaying toddlers, almost falling with every step, but still so confident - giving a damn to people and things around them - as if the world belongs to them. They come to school with their older siblings, eating a piece of apple or cheese, looking at the world with wide eyes and taking in every single little thing around them. The 3-5 year olds are more energetic and have lots of words at their disposal, they love to talk and school is the most important place for them.


15th Feb 2008

Today I lost a bangle, and searched for it all day. My son saw my distress, and assured me that there was no need to worry so much, because we could make another one again with ''some cotton wool and sticky tape''. He explained to me how a beautiful new bangle could be made of those things, and then added: ''See, it can't be THAT difficult!"

It is really a lovely, lovely experience to be with children. This post will go on, and will surely be quite long, as I will keep adding to it every now and then. Till then, be happy, and try to look at the world with a child's eye : you will find that life is very easy, and nothing is too difficult for you.

Another thing that I feel is that holding a baby, cuddling and loving - can make me forget the world. Only looking at a baby and holding her ,I can spend the whole day!

..and now about a passion - cooking

Last Sunday I called a few friends over and we had a nice little party.We spoke and laughed. The children utterly enjoyed - my son went 'hibernating' with his friend. They switched the lights off and took a torch to bed. This went on for at least a couple of hours.It was so quiet that you almost forgot they were in the house! My friends requested a few of the recipes, so I thought I'd post them here. Hope these get made in their homes. For the main courses we had potol posto, phulkopir rosha, paneer balti prawns,telapia jhal, and cashew chicken, o - and tomato chatni. For the starter I made tandoori chicken. And since it is Christmas time, I thought cake and custard would be an appropriate option for the dessert. People just loved the cauliflower preparation, so I'm posting it first:

Phulkopir Rosha

Ingredients: to serve 3

1. 1 medium cauliflower
2. 1 large onion
3. 2 tsps ginger-garlic paste
4. 1/2 tsp jeera (cumin) powder
5. 1/4 tsp red chilli powder
6. 2 tblspns low-fat yogurt
7. 1/2 cup coconut milk
8. 1 green chilli, chopped


Preparation:

Make a few pieces of the cauliflower, remember to keep the florets intact. Steam them in the microwave on high power for about 6-7 mins. Then fry them in a pan or karahi for a couple of mins, and remember not to fry them red. Add salt to taste. This preparation should look white, therefore we don't use haldi/turmeric in it.

Make a paste of the onion.

Heat oil. Add chopped chillies, fry for a few seconds, then add the onion paste along with the ginger-garlic paste. Fry this for a couple of mins, stirring continuously. Then add the jeera powder and chilli powder. Keep frying this on low-medium flame until the oil separates and there is no smell of any individual spices.

Now add the fried cauliflower pieces and mix the spice well with them, by turning the pieces. Lower the flame to minimum, and add the yogurt. Keep stirring,until it is mixed well and uniformly.

Now cover the pan and let it simmer for 5 - 7 mins or until the cauliflower florets are tender. Take care not to overdo them - they should be cooked, but not very soft.

Now add the coconut milk and mix in well. Cook for another couple of minutes, cover and turn the gas off.

You can serve this with any kind of roti or jeera rice. Hope you enjoy making and tasting this dish. My Mother gave it to me over the phone, and I didn't think it would be such a hit!

Best wishes,

Tanta.


Jeera Rice

I am in a hurry, so not going into details of ingredients at the moment.

• Make some rice but only boil it partly.

• In a karahi, melt some ghee mixed with some oil, add whole jeera (cumin seeds) and some whole garam masala.Fry all this for half a minute, and add the rice gradually, while stirring it all the time.

• When all the rice is added, put some salt and sugar (to taste).

• Keep stirring for a little longer, and serve hot with any curry or raita.

Keep eating, and be hearty!

LOve,

Tanta.

My homeland

I come from a land which is lush green,where lots of big and small rivers dance along very fertile plains, and beautiful warm seas surround a huge landmass. I come from a place which has high mountains and massive valleys, a place where six different seasons celebrate the variety of life, a place where there is colour everywhere. I come from a place which is warm - not only weather wise, but also warm in its heart. I come from a place which is extremely 'cool' as well - where life is not only a mouse-chase for money, but also a celebration of music, arts, and festivals.
I come from a place which is rich in its heritage, but where there are people who still sleep on the pavements. There are people who have so much money that they are the wealthiest in the world, but there are also people who have to beg to survive.
I live far far away from my homeland, and I am proud to stand up whenever I hear our national anthem. I dream of returning to my place one day, and of covering my skin and life with all its colours. I dream of a young generation which will think about all different strata of society, and work hard to make an India which will be devoid of poverty.

Not feeling great

My son is just recovering from a very bad cold, which kept him (and me) awake for the last 5 nights or so.The virus has now found a house in my body, so it's understandable how I am.I woke up quite late,at 10:30am, since it is Saturday, and looked out of the window.A heavy heavy fog hung so low on the field in front of me, that all the young footballers were lost in it. It took another 1 hour or more to recede a little, but by the time half the day was already gone!...and it got dark at 4:30....and the lights had to be switched on. By 'lights' I mean 'the bulbs', not the 'tube lights' as in India.These yellow lights just make me mad, I don't feel like doing anything under them.All the walls are painted magnolia, and they don't help the lights in any way, and vice-versa.It's so cold here that even when the heating is 'on' all day, sometimes one can't resist checking it again just to make sure that nobody has turned it 'off'. So there you go, the perfect setting to make any normal person abnormal, and I already have a cold.
I don't feel like reading a book, nor watching TV, and neither do I want to go out. My son has a blocked nose and terrible cough, and won't listen to anything I may say or suggest.
The thought of all the housework, and the screams of master S whenever asked to do something or to switch the TV off , plus my sore throat, - all these things are working together against me to make me feel terrible.
I hope I'm alright by Monday, because next week there is so much to do at work. Plus I must think of what to cook for the weekdays, and what to wear at work, and keep master S's uniform ready, and...well, I can go writing all night!