January 2017

The new year started with a really big bash, for sure. Had a really good party with the AWS team and it was really a kick ass time. Partied to the core and welcomed the new year. Had plans to walk miles together, but really could not make it that much. Crates of lager, millilitres of shots, sugar rush to keep the party flowing, less did i know that there was more to come for this new year and the start was a really good one.

Had a tip back to my native and then got back to Bangalore, just in time to find that my deputation letter is ready and i will be travelling to Melbourne soon. WOW!! What an amazing feeling it was. Just in time for all the good reasons to celebrate, hard work finally had paid off. I did surely jump around like a happy boy who just got a whole toy shop for himself. But no one else was happy with this. yYou know who.. all the reaction i got was frown, anger, frustration. Not even from family, but most friends, who were supposedly my colleagues as well, had the most frown on the face because it was me who finally got the change and the chance to get out of the shitty office and start working with the client.

Well days and hours were not so far and i got my first ever international currency, 200 AUS dollars and my flight ticket on Austalia's national airline, Qantas. I was all excited to fly from Bangalore to Melbourne through Singapore, with a huge halt of 6 hrs in Singapore. and to all this, the ticket costed the company a fortune, but they had to give it to me.

I reached Melbourne on the 30th of January, the mild summers and good showers of rain welcomed me with a 2 hr waiting line in the immigration and customs, but all went well and green lane awaited me and showed me to the roads of Melbourne, where i got the cab, and was driven all the way to my service apartment, which was my home for the next 2 weeks. It was Sunday and hardly anything to do, the only thing in my mind was to walk around. To my surprise, the MCG was just close to my place and having a look outside was a real sight and all that i could remember is how Sachin thrashed Shane Warne in the same place and what a privilege it was for me to stand in that location and have a sight. Memorable one for sure, a dream come true moment for me.

The next day was my first day at Suncorp client location, where i had a warm welcome, coffee time and then had times ahead by the most vulnerable snake, Neel. But apart from that, Teachers highland and many other ciders and lagers kept me all going along with the Kings!!

January is awesome. 

A new workout routine

Hi Peeps !!

Really got busy with my work, so could not write anything for you guys. So this is a post from me after a long time.

Started a new work out routine from today, not very heavy, but really a good one to keep the workout within 30 minutes of your precious time. This should be sufficient enough to keep you active, fit, healthy and looking goood as well. Do not expect to get the best results out of this routine, like a 6 pack abs or really strong delts etc., but what is aimed at is a strong and healthy body for the ones who never take a chance to start their workout.

I read an article recently that said workout alone is not sufficient, its the food that you take in makes the most of the difference in your body. Most people have a look at the calories that they burn in the gym by running in the treadmill or working it out for 15 to 20 minutes on the elliptical, even counting the number of calories a push up would burn and then pushing themselves up to the multiplcation numbers. Worse are those who go for a 100 rep abs crunch and get tired all the way with a nice round belly. Let me tell you a secret, the number of calories burnt there in the gym equipment or the number of reps you do for an exercise has nothing to do with losing weight or really getting in shape. Its the food that you put in your body that makes the difference. Going for a good 30 minute walk and having a plate of Masala Puri and Chai gives a good energy, but makes no difference in your weight or fitness level.

So, where am I getting to here is the fact that having a routine and a healthy lifestyle with surely make a difference in the body transformation that you expect. If you are someone looking at getting a 6 pack abs soon, you may have to forgive your health soon. So, do not concentrate much on getting that killer looks, but do aim at getting a strong body and a stronger mind.

Enough of all the theory, lets get on to the exercise routine. A good warm up is needed before any work out, be it cardio or weight training. If you do not get your heart rate pumping at the exact speed of your workout, the chances of getting tired and exhausted mid way during the workouts is more. Always go for a nice stretch, warm up the body and get your heart  pumping well at a moderate beat so that there are no surprises to the body when a good workout speed is reached. So we start with a good body stretch, get your body warmed up, move all those muscles, get them relaxed, stretched, move every part so that you feel warm even when the temperature is low outside and then feel every part of your body waiting to get pumped.

To begin with, as I am a beginner now myself, the workout is pretty simple and needs some basic weights at home or better, use the free office gym services to start with and see some changes.

Warm-up, stretch, leg stretch, Arm rotation, head rotation
10 x Burpees
10 x Normal width push ups
10 x Jumping jacks
10 x Changing width push ups
10 x Climbers

You may go for as many push ups as you want based on your strength and ability. 10 x is the minimum that I suggest. On completing the first warm up set, you will feel the neery kicking in you and your body will now start asking for more. Its time now to goto the weights:

10 x Dead Lifts (3 sets with a comfortable weight)
10 x Weighted sit ups (3 sets with a comfortable weight)

10 x Bicep Curls (3 sets, do this on alternative days)
10 x Tricep (3 sets, do this on alternative days)

10 x Shoulder lifts (3 sets, comfortable weights, once in 2 days recommended)

Now that you have the whole body worked out here, its time to push your abs now and get some workout there.

15 x Abs crunch (3 sets or till death)
15 x Leg raise (3 sets or till death)
60 seconds Planks

This will now get your full body a shake and will give a sweet pain, which can be gifted with a gulp of cold water first and then some cut fruits or a fruit juice with less sugar. The juice can be combined with a sandwich of your choice. Settle down for 2 hours and then have a hearty meal.

Remember, a healthy workout is only as good as a healthy meal combined. Happy work out!!

Thanjavur style Sambar Powder

This recipe belongs to my grandmother, who has been giving us unlimited supply of the sambar powder every year. We did try to break down the formula, but could not get the right flavour for the sambar with the home made blend of the guessed spices. Finally, we had to ask grandma for the recipe, and here it is.

The measurement given here is for one kilogram of Sambar Powder.

Ingredients:

Turmeric long 100 gms
Red Chilli 1 kg
Coriander seeds 2 kg
Black Peppercorns 100 gms
Toor Dhal 250 gms
Chana Dhal 25 gms
Urad dhal 1 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds 1 big heaped tablespoon
Mustard seeds 1 spoonful

Take the above ingredients separately and sun dry them for three days, preferable season would be the hot summers, April, May and June. The spices and dhals should be crispy and should have zero moisture after sun drying. If not able to sun dry, you can roast the spices and dhals on a low heat pan, keeping the consistency and colour in mind. The colour and consistency should not change at all. All that we need is the ingredients to be dry and crispy. It is preferred to sun dry them individually. Once dried, mix all of them in a large box and dry grind the spices and dhals tougher to a fine powder. It is better to use a fine grinder or a dry spice grinder to grind the spices and get a fine smooth powder.

One kilogram of this sambar powder can be stored for up to two years in a airtight container.

How to prepare authentic Brahmin style sambar ?? Keep watching this space for the next post.

Peace!!

Mixed Vegetable Curry - Iyer Style

Good evening peeps!

As usual, we started our dinner plans for today and all that we wanted was to avoid Idli and Dosa, which is almost our everyday breakfast and dinner. The ultimate destination is the Chapathi and Mixed Vegetable curry. A curry is normally prepared with the set of fixed ingredients, but, some of these ingredients are not suitable for some people's taste and liking, like my better half. This led to a small research and made me to come up with an Iyer version of the Mixed Vegetable Curry. 

We have avoided most fragrant spices and those that provide a hint of sweetness or overpowering taste. Normally, the spices for curry include Bay Leaves. Nutmeg, Star Anise, Cinnamon, Fennel seeds, Cardamom, cloves etc., but here we keep it simple, just to give the hint of heat, body and volume to the curry. 

Dry Spice mix:

Chana Dal

Coriander Seeds

Black peppercorns

Cumin seeds

Red Chilli

Ginger

Everyone has a preference of their spice grind technique. Normally the spice mix gets a dry roast and then a coarse grind in the pestle and mortar, which is then added to the sauteed Onions and tomatoes. There are others who prefer to grind the spices without roasting them and then cook it down to infuse the flavours to the curry. 

Here I roast the spices in a bit of oil until golden brown and keep them aside to cool. This brings out the flavours well and the spices go roasted and golden, which releases a smoky yet crunchy texture. 

Next step is to saute the Onions and Tomatoes, sweat them and then grind the spice mix with the Onions and Tomatoes to get a paste. 

Now lets get the vegetables ready. You can have any choice of fresh or frozen vegetables. My choice of vegetables include:

Carrots

French Beans

Green Capsicum

Flat Beans

Peeled Corn

Frozen Peas

Get all vegetables in a pressure cooker with some oil and fry them till the oil coats all vegetables. The vegetables need to get a mild cook in oil before the spice paste is added. Once the vegetables get a good cook on them, add the spice paste and some water to get a gravy consistency. Do not forget to add Salt at all times. Boil this for a minute and then close the pressure cooker and cook on high up to five whistles. This will cook the vegetables and get the thick gravy consistency. 

Remember we have added Chana dal in the spice mix, which will add to the thickness of the gravy and hence does not need any corn flour or thickening agent. The no. of whistles also varies on the pressure cooker and the flame. Normally, five to six whistles are preferred to get a very good cook on the vegetables and a mixed consistency of the gravy. 

Mixed Vegetable curry tastes good with Chapathi, Roti or any Indian bread. Those who prefer to have a filling meal can pair this with Rice as well. 

A disclaimer here is that this is the Iyer style which I have cooked a couple of times. The taste is to suite those who would like to have a curry without the over powering smell of Garam Masala and other fragrant spices. You may add the other spices as well and try the vegetable curry. Experimentation is the key for a good taste. 

Do try this and let me know how it comes up. Leave a comment if you liked this. 

Peace !!!!

A Sunday in Chennai ...

I have been to Chennai loads of times but never wanted or felt the need to write about it because it was there in my travel list atleast five to six time in a year. But why do I need to write about it now? It's because I do not make much chances to go there. Now that I have started writing and planned to make this blog a regular one, let me give you my experience of a Sunday in Chennai.

An early morning, woke up by 630 AM to the sound of Suprabadham in my granny's house, well, she is an early bird even at 80 and prepares food quite quickly. It's her cooking sound and the aroma of a good sambar that woke me up early and got me tempted to start the day eating without brushing my teeth. And as usual, granny denies food or coffee without a bath. What else to do, get freshed up, bath and be ready for the day, imagine, all of this done before 7 AM. I had a preference to go to the Vadapalani Murugan temple in the morning, so told grandma that I will have a little breakfast before going there and then come back for more hogging.

So I got off the house and took an auto to the Vadapalani Murugan temple and there you go, it started raining. Raining both people and raining from the clouds... It is not a festival day or any auspicious Murugan day for that reason, was really not sure why this huge crowd. In order to beat the crowd, I had a master plan to step into the Saravana Bhavan hotel nearby and have a quick bite, a small one, a mini tiffin of course. Now please don't come to me saying that I did have something to eat and then I am here again for food, common, it's Chennai, and there are no Saravana Bhavan s in Bangalore. So I ought to exploit this time in hand and go for the big tummy fill and tongue pleasure. I went ahead and ordered the mini tiffin and happily asked for extra sambar to down the Pongal and Masala Dosa. 

Stomach happy, rains down, yet people rain has not reduced. What was really happening there? "Inikki Muhurtha naal saar" said a local there, translates to "today is an auspicious day for weddings". And there you go, the crowd is all for the 10 weddings happening separately together in the same temple. Weird right?? Looks like the couples decided to have their wed lock done in a really crowded environment, but nothing better than exchanging marriage woes and trying the nuptial knot in front of Lord Murugan. It seemed like an endless line for the darshan, but got there real quick. I had my prayers said, got out and picked up my footwear from the free footwear stand and raced back home, as it was already 10 AM. Time flies you see, it's Chennai, your day is supposed to be like this.

What did I do next, had a quick bite again at granny's, made sure that I would not go hungry the rest of the day and started off to Pondy Bazaar, the shopaholics one ultimate destination. My uncle and me went to Pothys to buy some clothes, and as usual, the crowd never comes down there. It's raining people all around Panagal Park and Pondy bazaar area. My question is just this, where do all you people stay ?? It's a never ending crowd there. I headed to the ladies section, got some dresses for my wife, went to the kids section, got some for my son as well, paid the bill off and got out of the shop. Whadda time there man !! It was like I got pushed into and pushed out all my someone else and I made no effort there. Huge crowd and remember, it's not festive season yet. Christmas is on the way, another 20 days more to go.

You would not believe that all this shopping got me more hungry, and what best to do in Chennai rather have a good dosa and coffee. We went to Balaji Bhavan in Pondy Bazaar and had two dosas to my hearts content. Topped all this with a filter coffee and set out for my next destination, Chennai central. Why ?? Because it's time for my train and I need to get back to work. Over all, it's been an amazingly good time in Chennai and all that I would like to do is come back for more.

Chennai ... The land of Opportunities

Ahh !! It's been a year since we had seen Chennai bleed water from all its directions and has made such a tremendous progress in all aspects, be it social, ecological, economical, political, health and cleanliness .. U name it .. Chennai has succeeded there.

I can date my memory back to 2015 the same day where I had to meet my grandmother here and travel back to bangalore, but most of them asked me to postpone the travel, as I was travelling with my five month old kid. Had I stayed back, I would have stayed back for more than two weeks there, as the rains were really heavy and had a flooded the city to its maximum capacity. 

This time, the date and time were just the same as last year and hence all of my family and friends were enthusiastic and asked me to cancel my much awaited business trip to Chennai But cyclone Nadal had other plans. She had planned not to damage the city this time but to keep all inmates alert at all times and prevent any catastrophe. 

Why is then Chennai called the land of opportunities?? It's because for now, my business trip is as successful as ever and I am with all hopes that the new  business will be to its best.

Long live and a safe life to the land of opportunities.

Regards

Mahesh

Corn and Tomato pasta - Tirunelveli Style

Good Evening peeps !!

Today had prepared my wife's favourite Corn and tomato pasta, indianised to suit the spice and heat, maybe I can call this a true Tirunelveli style pasta .. ROFL!!

My version of this vegan pasta does not include Parmigiano Riggiano, Thyme, Rosemary,  Extra Virgin Olive oil, etc .. This is a pure Red chilli based pasta.

I can share the recipe, but I believe this is just my version and there are hopefully many Indian versions with Indianised spices that every household prepare their pasta with.

Every pasta starts with a good pot of boiling water and lots of salt added there.

Although Italians prefer their pasta cooked to Al Dente, which translates to the pasta having a bite or crunch to it, giving importance to the texture, we normally go for a well cooked pasta and it should turn mushy when crushed with the finger. The final boiled pasta should be smooth and non sticky. To achieve this, the water should be salted enough and boiling. While draining the pasta, be sure to wash with cold water which prevents the pasta from sticking to each other.

Here I have used a mix of Penne, Fusilli and Conchiglie:

The next step is to get our vegetables prepared. Diced Onions, diced tomatoes, sliced Green peppers and boiled Corn. Add these vegetables as per the number of servings. I have 4 serving portions here and have used the ingredients:

6 Tomatoes (large)

6 medium sized Onions

One large Green pepper

2 Cobs of Corn, peeled and boiled

Saute Onions in Sunflower oil (you can use Olive Oil as well to have the hybrid Indian and Italian flavour). I would recommend Indian spice powders to be added while the Onions are sauteed to maintain authentic Indian heat and kick to the palette. I have used Red Chilli powder, All Spice mix and Turmeric powder. 

One technique that I have learnt from many TV chefs and pasta experts is that the pasta water that is boiling should not be wasted and a decent portion can be used to Bhuna(Indian technique used to fry the spices in Oil and a little bit of water to form a thick paste) the Onion and spices, which release more flavours. Add the Tomato, Green Peppers and boiled Corn, some more pasta water and simmer for 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and a mixed consistency is obtained.

Its now time for the Pasta to get married to the spiced Vegetables. They both exchange taste wows and finally, they are pronounced Husband and Wife. The marriage is a match made in heaven and makes all hungry people happy and drooling and are left craving for more of this heavenly mixture. 

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Calories: Who cares, just eat ... 

Suggestions: Pair this pasta with a nice glass of Chaas (Butter Milk with green chilli, jeera, chat masala, black salt) 

Try this and let me know how your version turned up. Do share your recipe as well so that I can try some more. 

Peace!!!