THABUSHANKAR PAKKAM :)

APPRECIATE 'HER'

Tomorrow you may propose a working woman,

but you should marry with these facts firmly grounded in your mind........







Here is a girl, who is as much educated as you are;
Who is earning almost as much as you do;

One, who has dreams and aspirations just as you have because she is as
human as you are;

One, who has never entered the kitchen in her life just like you or your
Sister haven't, as she was busy in studies and competing in a system that
gives no special concession to girls for their culinary achievements. One, who has lived and loved,
Her parents & brothers & sisters, almost as much as you do for 20-25 years of her life;

One, who has bravely agreed to leave behind all that, her home, people who
love her, to adopt your home, your family, your ways and even your family name,

One, who is somehow expected to be a master-chef from day #1, while you
sleep oblivious to her predicament in her new circumstances, environment and that kitchen

One, who is expected to make tea, first thing in the morning and cook food at the end of the day,
even if she is as tired as you are, maybe more, and yet never ever expected to complain;
to be a servant, a cook, a mother, a wife, even if she doesn't want to;
and is learning just like you are as to what you want from her; and is clumsy and sloppy at times and knows that
you won't like it if she is too demanding, or if she learns faster than you;

One, who has her own set of friends, and that includes boys and even men at
her workplace too, those, who she knows from school days and yet is willing
to put all that on the back-burners to avoid your irrational jealousy,
unnecessary competition and your inherent insecurities;
Yes, she can drink and dance just as well as you can, but won't, simply
because you won't like it, even though you say otherwise

One, who can be late from work once in a while when deadlines, just like
yours, are to be met;

One, who is doing her level best and wants to make this most important
relationship in her entire life a grand success, if you just help her some
and trust her;

One, who just wants one thing from you, as you are the only one she knows
in your entire house - Your unstinted support, Your sensitivities and most importantly - Your understanding, or love, if you may call it.

But not many guys understand this......


Please appreciate "HER"

HUMANITY?? HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

I delibrately wanted to write this one as, this incident is urging my mind & heart since yesterday. I live in an wellknown apartment at a most happening place,Indira Nagar Bangalore. Almost thr r 50 houses in this apartment. Everyday an old woman of age around 70 comes to almost every house here and sells leafy vegetables like Spinach, Drumstick leaves, coriander, curry leaves etc. Anything tats good for health n home delivered is always a good charm for us. So, she was a regulator visitor. Recently a new association was formed in the apartment n thy threw many new rules. This old woman, is welknwn to me cas, she knws only tamil n we r tamilians too. So, she spends lil time at my home either talking to me or to my mom, telling us abt her own life. I knw how poor she is and i respect her hardwork, so wenever I see her anywere, how much ever i get in hand, like either 20, 50 or 100 bucks, i give her. I keep this as a habit. She too happily accepts it as she alwys treats me as her granddaughter n pampers me. She often worries abt my health, (Corporate late works) n brings some good spl green vegetables for me to have. So,it was a kinda loving relation we had between us. But recently she stopped coming to our house n cudnt find her anywere in the apartment too. Yesterday morning, while on my way to office, I found her sitting along the roadside. Was happy to see her back again cas, my mind was thinking something else abt her. Wen, i asked abt her absence,she immediately started weeping n told me tat, its our apartment association officials who told her not to come hereafter. ""Thy said, I should not use d lift to sell vegetables, for which the residents have to d pay electricity bill along with their house maintanence. So,thy told me if I want to sell my things I shud use the staircase. If not,tat wud be the last day for me to enter into the apartment.U tell me, how can I climb all the 7 floors. Now my income is completely gone. Am sick n my son is not taking care of me as i cudnot give him a penny for past a week. Dono y still God is letting me stay in this ugly world??."" Hearing all these just hurted me very badly. I gave sum money for her to get medicines and left for d office. Afterall I knw i cannot do anything in this. But tat disturbed me a lot. Cursed God for d lack of humanity even amidst well educated people. Rules can be rules.. But tat shud not stand b4 humanity. Our apartment kids use theses lifts for playing hide n seek n to go up n down just for fun. Tats just a moment of happiness for the children.But for this old woman its her life , its her bread… Y don these people understand this..Cant we pay a mere amount as common electricity bill for others to let them live in this world??? How narrow we humans are. ???

PHOTOS TAT CAN SPEAK!!

1.My Nephew- Mr Pranav. Wen he was just 4 days old. I cud still remember his new baby smell wen i first lifted him..





2.Me n Pranav- Wen i was in College.





3.Dad, Madhu akka and Kumar mama at temple with the hero!





4.Oh!! My favourite..
He turned one..




5.Maapilai pranav than aana ivar potruka dress ennodadhu!! :)

CHICKEN BRIYANI- RECIPE

Ingredients:
1 1 kg chicken,
1 kg Basmathi Rice
1 cup thinly sliced onions,
2 tsp ginger/garlic paste,
3 tsp chilli powder,
½ tsp turmeric,
100 g cashew nuts,
4 or 5 bay leaves,
4 or 5 cloves,
2 cm long cinnamon sticks,
3 or 4 cardamom pods,
2 cups mint leaves,
1 cup coriander leaves (cilantro),
½ tsp garam masala powder
1 lemon,
1 ½ tsp salt (according to taste),
1 cup ghee,
½ cup yogurt(normal curd also will do),
1 cup oil,
few strands of saffron,
2 cups finely sliced onions,
Preparation
1. Make deep incisions on the chicken flesh - deep enough for spices to get absorbed but making them too deep could render the pieces smaller. Mix turmeric, chilli powder, salt, garlic paste, yogurt, and half-lemon's juice. Thoroughly apply this paste onto the flesh and let marinate for an hour.

2. Heat about 100 ml of oil. Roast cumin, cloves, cinnamon, depoded cardamom, bay leaves, ½ spoon cumin, 1 spoon coriander powder, and finally add onions(2). Wait a couple of minutes to add mint leaves. When onions turn slight brown, add marinated chicken and cook for about 20-30 min. It should NOT be fully cooked at this stage; add garam masala and coconut powder and turn off flame when about ¾ cooked. Gravy should not be much, chicken pieces should look roasted.

3. Meanwhile, while the chicken is still cooking, prepare the biryani rice. Slightly rinse 3 cups of basmati, and add water little less than the volume of the rice itself so that its only half cooked preferably in an electric cooker. Amount of water actually depends on kind of rice at hand and your experience helps to judge it. Also add 1-2 teaspoons of salt to it. Take a few semi-cooked grains of rice and colour them with diluted saffron for garnishing.


4. Take the cooker, Place about half of semi-cooked rice in it. Next, layer half of chicken on it again topped by a layer of rice (half of the remaining). One more layer of remaining chicken, finally with layer of rest of the rice on top ends the rice-chicken layering stage.


5. Heat oil and deep fry half the sliced onions to golden brown. Similarly fry cashew. Garnish the top layer with these two along with 100 ml ghee, coconut milk, saffron rice grains and coriander. Lid the vessel and try making it airtight (but no pressure should build up). Put on high flame for 5 min before reducing it to low flame. The flame should NOT be at the vessel's centre, but on one side of it. Wait for 2-3 min and turn the vessel to heat other next part on its circumference. This way, keep rotating the vessel every 2-3 min for about 20 min.

6. Put off the flame and wait for about 10 min before opening. Before serving, mix the medley from the bottom. Now Briyani is ready to melt in ur mouth!!! Bon Apetite!!!!

My Briyani

Here is my first Chicken Briyani to this world!!

Howz is it??? Will write the method for this Yummy Briyani in my next post!!

Repulic Day Resolution!!

Today is 60th republic day of India.. I woke up lil early around 6am and started my day as usual. Later, i was surfing thru channels n atlast found Republic parade Live prog was telecasted in NDTV n CNN/IBN.So, settled to watch it. But i was continuously disturbed by the screams of the kids who were playing in the playarea of our flats, as it is holiday.. ALmost around 12 to 15 kids were playing. Tat provoked me with lil queries.. How many of us watch these Parade prog in Tv????
I think during my childhood days,we didnt have cable channel connection at home... So, we used to watch these Republic day parade at India Gate with great Enthu as it was the only choice.. Tat interest kindles us in knwing abt many politicians, leaders and the political happeneings around us.. But i think, this younger generation never shows much interest to watch all these.
Its the parents duty to make our children watch all these..cas, only in these occasions we get some opportunity to see the whole strength of India, What India is all about, etc. The Orgins of each state tableau caravan gives us clear picture of each state. It potrays their culture and heritage of their respective state beautifully.. The brave embellishments of the army, navy and airforce solidiers with their wagons parading is defenitely a maganificient sight to watch.
These small things make huge difference in the small buds minds. Atleast in these days we can avoid watching movies, songs, progs and denote time for such valuable time pass.JAI HIND!!!!