Friday, August 21, 2015

Speed

I can’t imagine my life without internet. These days, internet is a multi-faceted tool which can be used in various settings of life for doing enormous things. Now, it is the time to use high speed internet.  Internet connection with superb speed is what one desires!
Airtel 4G has unbelievable speed and is more reliable. With this speed I can view more pages, send more emails, watch more videos, download and upload more content and can do much more.

1. Business - My working efficiency has increased with the high speed of internet connection. Now I can do my business more effectively and more efficiently. I can communicate better with my clients. I can do conference calls with them without any interruptions. I can transfer files and upload documents related to business speedily. I can now work from my office, home and in travel. I mean I can work from anywhere with 4G internet connection. Fund transfer, purchasing shares, online investment in mutual funds, loan repayment and viewing my account balance can be done from anywhere and at any time. I can promote my products online faster through various social media sites. Faster marketing will yields good profits!
2. Bill Payments – I can pay my electricity, telephone and mobile bills faster without any interruptions.  Without any break in net connection I can do net banking, pay my insurance premiums, transfer money to third party and can make contributions to charity. It saves my time.  
3. Learning – I can now learn new things more effectively and efficiently than ever before. I can surf the net faster. I can research faster. I can learn faster. With my eyes affixed on computer screen, even a single blink time seems too long to wait for the data to download or a webpage to open but with the unbelievable speed of Airtel 4G internet connections I can browse and download without wasting my precious time even for a fraction of second.
4. Online buying – I can view variety of products which can be surfed in less time while doing online shopping. I can compare prices of the products before buying with ease. I can buy grocery items, clothes, fashion accessories, jewellery and other products with fast speed.
5. Social - With a high speed internet connection I can very easily stay connected with my parents, relatives and friends.  I can communicate with them online with social networking, chatting or instant messaging. I can communicate faster online with the persons who share the same interest with me. World is becoming smaller with fast speed internet connection.
6. Entertainment - Super entertainment is available with just one click. Now, I can easily watch uninterrupted television shows, movies, music videos and slideshows. I can download songs and book a movie ticket in much less time.
7. Travel – I can explore city maps to reach my destinations and can search the famous places with a lightning speed.
8. Blogging - I can do much faster blogging.


Dear readers, with 4G internet connection you can load my blog faster and of course you will be able to read more posts in less time. :) 

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Penne Rigate in balle balle style

I was in a dilemma what to cook in lunch as my cousin, Lavi and her husband was visiting me. My cousin is a fan of North Indian food especially Punjabi food. Chhole bhature, gujiya, mango shake and spicy tomato and garlic chutney are some of her favourites. Her husband loves to eat Italian food. Pasta in white sauce, pasta salad, dip made up of basil leaves are his all time favourites. To make both of them happy, I tried Penne Rigate in balle balle style fusing the two different ingredients, flavours, food and culture together to create something new. This is what I prepared! And of course how I prepared!!

Penne Rigate in balle balle style

Servings – 4- 6 
Preparation Time – 15 minutes and overnight fermentation period and soaking time of chickpeas
Cooking Time – 45 minutes

Cook Penne Rigate
Ingredients

Penne Rigate – 55g
Olive Oil – ½ teaspoon (for cooking)
Olive Oil – 1 teaspoon (for tossing)
Salt to taste

Method
1.   Boil water in a pan. Add salt and olive oil in it. When it starts boiling add pasta and cook it uncovered for ten minutes in an open pan. Keep a timer for exact timing.

2.   During the first few minutes, starch come out of the pasta, making it sticky. Stir it continuously and gently.
3.   Take out a pasta piece and bite it. It should be ‘Al Dente’ meaning it should be firm to bite. It should neither be crunchy nor too soft. It should appeal to the teeth.
4.   Remove the pan from fire. Drain the cooked pasta immediately into a sieve and transfer it into a pan containing cold water. Drain it again, toss it with olive oil and keep it aside.


Yellow sauce
Ingredients
Mango pulp (Neither raw nor fully ripe mango medium size) – 150g
Milk – 250ml
Cream (Malai) – 40g
Corn flour – ¾ table spoon
Refined Wheat Flour (Maida) – ½ table spoon
Raw turmeric – 1 small piece
Grated cheese – 50g
Butter – 7g
Mango Essence – 2 drops
White pepper – ½ tea spoon
Salt to taste

Method
1.   Melt the butter in clay pot on low-to-medium heat. Add refined wheat flour to it. Stir it continuously with a wooden spoon to avoid any lump formation. Add 175ml milk and cream to it. Stirring continuously bring it to the boil. Add grated raw turmeric for colour.

2.  After one minute, reduce the flame and add cheese, salt and white pepper. Mix 25 ml milk and corn flour. Allow it to cook for few more minutes so that it becomes thicker than white sauce.
3.   Remove from fire and stir it for some more time to avoid any thick layer formation on the top. The clay pot retains the heat for more time, preserves the nutrients and aroma. The milk recipe cooked in clay pots tastes delicious.
4.   Blend mango pulp and the remaining milk in the mixer. Add the mixture and mango essence in the sauce on cooling and mix well. The sauce is ready. Keep it aside.


Chickpea Boiling
Ingredients
Chickpea – 25g
Dry Indian Gooseberry (Amla) – 3-4 slices
Cloves – 1
Peppercorns – 2-3
Bay Leaf (Tejpata) – 1 small piece
Cinnamon (Dalchinni) – 1 small piece
Black Cardamom (Kali elaichi) – 1-2
Ginger – 1 small piece
Baking soda – ¼ teaspoon
Turmeric – ¼ teaspoon
Salt to taste

Method
1.   Soak chickpeas over night. Put them in pressure cooker. Add salt and turmeric powder.
2.   Take a cotton cloth of a size of handkerchief. Put all the condiments and spices in it. Fold it making a triangle and roll it and tie a knot.

3.   Put it in the pressure cooker so that it is immersed fully in water. Add the baking soda and stir it. Close the lid. Place it on high heat.

4.   When pressure is reached turn heat to low and allow the steam-release rocker to rock twice. Remove from fire and wait for pressure to decrease. Open the lid.
5.   Squeeze the bundle into the soup to drain out all the flavours from it. This soup with Indian flavours will be used in cooking penne.

Penne in Yellow sauce
Ingredients
Red bell peppers – 2
Red chillies – 2-3
Basil leaves – 25 leaves
Butter – 7g
Olive oil – 1 teaspoon
Garlic – 6 cloves
Onion – 2 medium size
Chickpea soup – 3-4 table spoon
Oregano – 1 ½ tea spoon
Thyme – ½ teaspoon
Rosemary – ½ teaspoon
White pepper – ¼ table spoon
Salt to taste
Garnish
Pitted Black Olives – 6-7
Basil leaves – Remaining leaves

Method

1.   Melt the butter in a pan. Add olive oil. Mix them. Saute finely chopped garlic, onion. Add chopped half of the basil leaves and diagonally chopped red chilies in it. Do not overcook them.
2.   Add chopped red bell peppers. Saute them. Add boiled chickpeas and soup. Mix yellow sauce and obtained the desired consistency of sauce. Add salt and other spices.
3.   Add pasta and stir it very gently. Remove from fire and garnish it with chopped olives and basil leaves.


Penne Salad
Ingredients
Cherry tomatoes – 8-9
Chopped Cucumber – 70g
Chopped Carrot – 60g
Chopped Radish – 30g
Chopped Red bell peppers – 20g
Penne Rigate Boiled – 3-4 pieces
Lime juice – 2 teaspoon
Olive oil – 1 teaspoon spoon
Honey – 1 teaspoon
Radish leaves small sized – 3-4 leaves
Coriander leaves – 20g
Dry Mint – ¼ teaspoon
Black pepper – ¼ teaspoon
Oregano – ½ teaspoon
Parsley – ½ teaspoon
Salt to taste

Method
1.   Mix oil, lime juice and honey in a glass bowl. Add chopped ingredients in it. Add finely chopped radish leaves and coriander to it.
2.   Slice pasta piece into three parts cutting it diagonally symmetrical to its edges. Sprinkle spices and toss them gently.


Triangular stuffed n puffed bread
Ingredients
Barley flour – 10g
Refined Wheat Flour (Maida) – 100g + for rolling bread
Curd – 20g + 20g = 40g
Roasted capsicum – 2
Boiled Pasta – 10g
Butter – 1/4 teaspoon
Canola Oil for frying

Filling
Ingredients
Pitted Black Olives – 30g
Boiled Sweet Corn – 30g
Grated Cheese – 30g
Raisins – 12-15
Garlic – 2-3 cloves
Chilli flakes – ½ teaspoon
Dry Parsley – ½ teaspoon
Dry Thyme – 1 pinch
Dry Rosemary – 1 pinch
Basil leaves – 10 -15 leaves
Olive oil – 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Method
1.   Heat olive oil. Sauté chopped garlic and basil leaves in it.
2.   Saute coarsely crushed sweet corns and olives in it. Add cheese. Add spices and salt. The filling is ready.
3.   Mix half quantity of curd and barley flour. Leave it overnight to ferment.
4.   Remove the skin of roasted capsicum it will easily peel off if the oil is applied on the outer surface of capsicum before roasting. Grind it along with the remaining amount of curd.

5.   Take the refined wheat flour in a bowl. Add butter and salt to it. Rub it nicely in the flour. Knead the dough using fermented barley flour and capsicum blend.
6.   Make small balls of dough. With the help of rolling pin, roll it more lengthwise then width wise. Place the rolled out dough on the triangular mould.
7.   Place the filling in the lower part or base portion.  Move the wet finger very lightly on the three sides of the mould so that it seals well and the filling doesn’t come out. Do not fill it too much that it touches the sides of the mould. It should be sealed properly else it will mess while frying.

8.   Flip the top end over the bottom one. Press it gently. Trim off the extra dough from the edges and mix it in the rest of the dough. Open the mould and very gently take out the stuffed triangular piece.
9.   Deep fry them in oil till golden brown. Take them out on the paper so that paper absorbs extra oil.


Basil and peanut chutney
Ingredients
Basil leaves -15g
Peanut – 15g
Roasted and unshelled Whole Bengal gram (Bhuna hoya channa) – 10g
Pistachio – 2-3
Curd – 40 - 50g
Green chillies – 2
Garlic – 2 cloves
Ginger – 1 small piece
Salt to taste

Method
1.   Roast peanut in a pan. Rub it gently between the palms and skin will peel off. Blow off the skin.

2.   Grind Peanut, Bengal gram, pistachios into a fine powder.

3.   Grind basil leaves, garlic, green chillies and ginger using a small quantity of curd.
4.   Add salt. Mix them together.


Tomato and Garlic chutney
Ingredients
Country Tomato – 150g
Garlic – 6-7 cloves
Carrot – 30g
Red chillies – 3
Ginger – 1 small piece
Onion – 1 small size
Red chilli powder – ½ teaspoon
Butter -7g
Oregano – ½ teaspoon
Thyme – 1 pinch
Dried parsley – 1 pinch
Cloves -1
Roasted cumin seeds – ½ teaspoon
Fennel seed powder – ½ teaspoon
Sugar – 3 teaspoon
Black salt – ½ teaspoon
Salt to taste

Method
1.   Grind tomato, garlic, onion, carrot, red chillies and ginger to make a fine paste. Add red chilli powder to it.

2.   Heat butter in a pan. Pour the mixture in it. Stir it till the water gets evaporated.

3.   Add grinded clove and roasted cumin seeds to it. Add oregano, fennel powder, dried parsley, thyme, black salt to it. Add salt. Do not add salt in the beginning as the quantity of mixture will decrease.


White balls
Ingredients
Paneer (chhena) made from cow’s milk– 15g
Refined Wheat Flour (Maida) – a pinch
Salt to taste

Method
1.   Rub the paneer with the heel of the palm so that it is mashed well.
2.   Add refined wheat flour and repeat the process till the palm become greasy.
3.   Make the small ball by rolling the small portion between the palms.

4.   Boil water in the pressure cooker. Add salt in it.
5.   Slide the balls slowly into the salty water. Close the lid. Place it on high heat. When pressure is reached turn heat to low and allow the steam-release rocker to rock twice.
6.   Remove from fire and wait for pressure to decrease. Open the lid. The balls will swell and become soft.

Plating
Spread the penne. And garnish it with fresh basil leaves. Put the salad and puffed and stuffed triangular bread. Make the line of green chutney and end it with a dot of red dip. Put the white balls on the red colour.


There were big smileys on the faces of my cousin and her husband on seeing the smiley on a plate. They both liked the idea of combining Indian and Italian recipes very much. On tasting, they both said, "Perfect". 
"Please believe me, I prepared the pasta for the first time." I shyly said.


Sunday, August 9, 2015

Movie Review : Ahalya by Sujoy Ghosh

The short film ‘Ahalya’ by Sujoy Ghosh is going viral on Youtube. It is a thriller in which the viewers’ eyes are glued to the screen for the fourteen minutes. Not a scene can be missed from this movie. And moreover one keeps thinking about the film story line and its interpretation after watching it. It is based on a mythological story of Ahalya and her husband, Sage Gautam. Indra who is attracted to beautiful and young Ahalya disguised himself as Sage Gautam, visited their hut to woo her. The sage caught them together. He cursed her to turn into a stone and came back to life only after the touch of Lord Ram’s feet. He as well as cursed Indra with impotency.

In Ahalya movie, Radhika Apte acted as ‘Ahalya’, Soumitra Chatterjee as ‘Gautam Sadhu’, Ahalya’s husband and famous artist. Tota Roy Chowdhury was a stoned face policeman named ‘Indra Sen’. The story began with a policeman who rang the bell of a house and a beautiful lady opened the door. The policeman, Indra Sen visited the house of the famous artist Gautam Sadhu to enquire about the missing young person Arjun. The beautiful wife of artist greeted him. The policeman saw Arjun’s humanoid sculptures along with others on mantelpiece in their drawing room. The artist told him that Arjun had modelled for him a month ago and also about the magical stone that turns one into whatever one wished to which Arjun might have used before missing. The policeman doubted the story. The artist asked him to check the magical powers. He touched the stone and went upstairs to hand over the phone to Ahalya. She treated him as her husband. He was also surprised to see himself as Gautam Sadhu in the reflection. When he was coming back, in the mid way he changed his mind and went back to her bedroom. He found himself next to the other humanoid sculptures on the mantelpiece.

In mythology, Sage Gautam cursed both of Indra and Ahalya for what they did where as in this movie only Indra Sen was punished where as Ahalya enjoyed her life as before repeating the same mistake again and again. In the beginning Ahalya was wearing white colour dress and in the end she was wearing black after the secret was revealed to the audiences.  

The movie has the shades of ‘Professor Shonku O Ashchorjo Putul’ (Professor Shonku and the strange dolls) by Satyajit Ray and the animated movie ‘Alma’. Professor Shonku went to Sweden and met a person named Gregor Lindquist who was a doll maker and visited him to see his creations and falls in danger. Humanoid sculpture idea was well used in this film.

This movie is really gripping!

Monday, August 3, 2015

Space available for shops and offices at Rewari

In the heart of Rewari city, Ashish Shopping Center in T. P. Scheme No. 9 is an outstanding market place which is unique as well as marvelous. In Shopping center, shops of different sizes are available for lease or rent for shops and offices that too at very cheap rates. Grab the opportunity now!
The following facilities are available
1.       Vastu friendly assuring success and prosperity
2.       All the shops are East facing and are of various sizes – micro, small and large
3.       Space available for shops and offices
4.       Parking space is available
5.       24 hour  water supply
6.       Public toilets
7.       First shopping center in Rewari with solar light facility
8.       Long corridors for free movement and excellent access
9.       Proper ventilation and sunlight
10.   All modern facilities available
11.   Close connectivity with Circular road and Jajjar road
12.   A library for children and adults is one of the attractions
13.   Easily accessible with public transport

If you are interested in starting a business in Rewari, Ashish Shopping Center is the best place to begin at lowest lease / rent amount.
Grab the golden opportunity now!

For further details, contact M- 9255420030, 9896894595

Monday, July 27, 2015

Double colour Leguminous flower

"Where did you click this pic from?" On seeing this beautiful double color leguminous flower, one of my friend commented.
"In our society." I replied.
"Where in our society?" She asked with a bit of surprise in her voice.
"Just below your kitchen balcony." I smiled.
"I never notice this flower."
"Of course it can't be noticed from sixth floor as its size is small." I said with a little wink. "These days it is blooming you can watch it whenever you pass by that area." I smiled.

Sunday, July 26, 2015

Healthy cooking

Dear readers, can you guess what I am cooking?
(Hint Healthy recipe)

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Filling a cheque

“So, should we start the business meeting?” I asked two gentlemen sitting in front of me.
“We can do the meeting in the bank!” One of them suggested.
“Why in a bank?”
 “Actually I have to present the cheque of Rs. 37 lacs.” He replied. “You come along with us and we can do the meeting in the bank.”
“You can present the cheque after this meeting; it is only 9:45 a.m. yet.”
“Ya, but it is very urgent. If it is not presented early, it will not be cleared.”
“Fine. Then present your cheque first, I am waiting for you here. When you come back then we will talk about business.”
Both of them went away, I took out my novel and started reading.

Two hours later, they came back.
“Just because of YOU, my work was not completed.” The person who had to present the cheque complained.
“What did I do? I was sitting here reading my novel. I said. “How can I disturb you?”
He realized that he picked up wrong words and said politely, “As you were waiting here, in hurry to return back while filling the cheque I wrote 37 thousands instead of 37 lacs. My cheque got wasted.”

“If you were so concerned about me and thinking about me while filling a cheque then why you filled only 37 thousands, you should have filled 37 crores.” I thought. ;)