ज्वारीच्या हुरड्याचं थालीपीठ

शहरात गव्हाचा किंवा ज्वारीचा हुरडा मिळणं ही जवळपास दुरापास्त गोष्ट आहे. पण साधारण डिसेंबर-जानेवारी मध्ये रानडे रोडवरच्या टायटनच्या शोरूम समोर एक माणूस दोन्ही प्रकारचा हुरडा विकायला बसतो. हा हुरडा तव्यावर थोडासा गरम करून त्यात हुरड्यासोबत मिळणारा मसाला घातला आणि वर लिंबू पिळला की खायला मस्त लागतो. हवं तर थोडं मीठ घालायचं (मसाल्यात असतं).

ज्वारीचा हुरडा

पण ह्यावेळी मात्र मी ज्वारीच्या हुरड्याचं थालीपीठ करून पहायचं ठरवलं. मागच्या वर्षी बांद्रा रेक्लेमेशन वर 'महालक्ष्मी सरस' चं प्रदर्शन लागलं होतं तेव्हा एके ठिकाणी मिरचीचा ठेचा आणि दह्याबरोबर खाल्लं होतं.

अर्थात हा प्रयोग असल्याने (आणि पुढच्या विकेंडला हुरडा मिळेल ह्याची खात्री नसल्याने!) सगळा ज्वारीचा हुरडा वापरला नाही. वाटीभर हुरडा थोडंसं पाणी आणि मीठ घालून मिक्सरमधून जाडसर वाटून घेतला. त्यात बारीक चिरून कांदा, बारीक चिरलेली हिरवी मिरची, जिरेपूड, धणेपूड, तिखट आणि कोथिंबीर घातली. मग पाणी आणि मावेल इतकं तांदळाचं पीठ घालून मळून घेतलं. मध्ये भोकं पाडून तव्यावर पसरून बाजूने तेल घालून दोन्ही बाजूने खरपूस शिजवून घेतलं.

थालीपीठ

घाबरत घाबरत तुकडा मोडला आणि मग इतके दिवस आपण हे का करून पाहिलं नाही असं वाटायला लागलं. :-)

The Irish House, Near Rhythm House, Kala Ghoda

Pierce Brosnan and Colin Farrell looked on as we sat down in anticipation of a good lunch. Oh, don't get me wrong. I wasn't in Hollywood. The photographs of the two actors were part of the collage on the wall of The Irish House where we had landed up last Sunday afternoon. I must confess that I fell in love with the decor at first sight. Instead of looking at the menu, I spent first five minutes inspecting the hilarious messages on the walls - much to the annoyance of my family. I suspect that I will not be allowed to carry my mobile next time we go out for lunch or dinner. Whatever!

So now on to the menu. I wasn't much interested in the Burger section. They seemed to be having only vegetarian salads and I didn't much relish the idea of asking them to add chicken pieces to it. So I turned my attention over to the other parts of the menu and after thinking over for a minute or two decided to order Chicken Cordon Bleu. The dish consists of fried chicken pieces topped with a rich sauce and a side of French fries, sauteed carrot and french bean sticks. The chicken was cooked to perfection but I could have done with some more sauce. Thankfully, the French fries were crisp and perfectly seasoned. Soggy, over-salted or under-salted fries are a sure-shot way to ruin an otherwise impeccably cooked dish.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

 The rest of the party ordered dishes like Spaghetti Meatballs and Irish Lamb Pie. I don't like noodles or lamb so I cannot comment on the quality of these. The mashed potatoes that accompanied the Irish Lamb Pie looked yummy though.

 

Spaghetti Meatballs

Irish Lamb Pie

Needless to say, this one's worth many future visits.

BTW, my most favorite message on their wall goes like this:

Irish Diplomacy - The ability to tell someone to go to hell so that they will look forward to the trip

Lost

The final episode of 'Lost' left me totally "Lost" and completely "at sea". :-) It also left me with a lot of unanswered questions:

1. So what we thought was the changed future of the passengers of the Oceanic flight was in fact a make-belief world created by their souls so they could meet up with each other? why?

2. If what Jack's dad said ('some died before you and some after') was true , what was baby Aaron doing in the final meeting? And why weren't Jin-Sun's daughter as well as Penny-Desmond's son there?

3. How did Faraday and his mom know that it is a make-belief world when they themselves were part of it?

4. If Benjamin wanted to 'go down with the island', as he so eloquently put, why couldn't he go down and turn the light back up again? Why was it necessary for Jack to sacrifice himself? Even Desmond could have done it.

5. Why did Widmore haul Desmond to the island? So he could turn off the light and they could kill Jacob's brother (What was his name anyway?)?

6. Whatever happened to the souls that were trapped on the island e.g. Michael?

7. Why did Jacob choose the passengers of the Oceanic flight? How did he leave the island to meet with them at different points of their lives?

8. What was so special about the light? Why did Jacob's brother turn into a black smoke when he fell into it? Why didn't Jack turn into the same?

9. Why didn't the world end when Desmond turned the light off for some time?

and finally.....the million dollar question:

10. Who created the temple on the island and the light on it?

Audrey Pauley

I really liked an X-File episode (Audrey Pauley) after a long long time. It had an interesting story line that was well-developed. Of course, special agent Dana Scully had her usual 'Dazed' look about her here as well. It didn't come as a surprise that John Doggett never once gave up as Monica slipped into coma. But Scully's total acceptance of the diagnosis kind of jarred - especially given that Monica had played a major part in the safe delivery of her child. Scully never seemed to do anything to try to save Monica. Wonder if she would have remained as aloof if it were Mulder who had got injured in the accident.

'Lost' is drawing to a close as well. I must admit that since the past few episodes the series was getting rather tiresome. The trick of keeping the audience on edge by mixing past and current as well as current and future events seemed novel at first but was overdone later. I felt it was easier to just watch without thinking about it. If someone from the audience feels that way, it kind of defeats the purpose of the show - to keep the audience meaningfully engaged - isn't it? Guess as the final 3 episodes remain to be aired, the only question I am waiting to get answered is - who is going to remain on the island. And while they are at it, it would be nice if they explain just what in the world is that light all about and how extinguishing it is going to bring about an apocalypse.

केळ्याचं रायतं

माझ्या आवडत्या फळात केळ्याचा समावेश अजिबात होत नाही. खरं तर केळं हे फळ आहे हेच मला मान्य नाही. :-) त्यामुळे केळं घातलेला रव्याचा शिरा, केळ्याचं शिकरण आणि रायतं ह्या तीनच गोष्टी मी खाऊ शकते. तर केळ्याच्या रायत्याची ही रेसिपी:

केळ्याचे बारीक तुकडे करा.
दही फेटून घ्या. त्यात साखर, मीठ आणि थोडं ओलं खोबरं नीट मिक्स करून घ्या.
त्यात केळ्याचे तुकडे घाला.
तेल तापवून त्यात हिंग, जिरे आणि हिरव्या मिरचीचे बारीक तुकडे घाला.
ही फोडणी केळ्याच्या मिश्रणावर ओता.
कोथिंबीर घालून सर्व मिश्रण ढवळून घ्या.
फ्रीजमध्ये ठेवून गार सर्व्ह करा.

'Do you have any pets?' one of my classmates asked me during our recent college reunion.

'No. But why do you ask?'

'We are thinking of going for a pet. Just can't seem to be making up our mind about whether to get a cat or a dog.'

That set me thinking. Am I a dog person or a cat person? It's a theoretical question, of course, because I know that I won't ever have a pet - though I admire cats and dogs from a distance.

So, theoretically speaking, I would go for a dog. I think that cats are self-centered animals. They expect a lot from their owners but don't love them as much as a dog would do. I know, those who have cats at home would have an entirely different opinion. :-) But I think a dog is more invested in his owners. I like that.

And I certainly would go for a Labrador. I just love their look, their shiny fur and the way they carry themselves about.  There is this dog, a bitch actually, who I see during the course of my evening walks. A servant walks her in the park. On one or two occasions, I have seen how patiently she waits while he removes the leash and then starts her rounds across the park - turning quite a few heads. She clearly knows that people admire her and is very comfortable with all the adulation. :-)

So a dog it would be. At least that's what I thought till I spotted a kitten with its mother in our neighborhood. The tiny one looked absolutely adorable and I couldn't help but smile as it opened its tiny mouth to meow. Definitely a Kodak moment!

It's a tough decision then - one I am glad I will never have to make.