A Cooking Mishap

Weather you cook with a passion for cooking or cook because it is one of the daily chores, we do come across cooking mishap at least once. Reason for the mishap could be anything from misinterpreting the instructions in the recipe or recipe itself has missed few ‘obvious’ or ‘default’ steps of cooking which are not so obvious or default for the beginners in the cooking.

With numerous recipes by cuisines over the net, I am sure people do stumble upon making a blunder and end up either laughing at outcome or cursing about the time and work that has been wasted on the recipe.

Corn vada (Mokkajonna Vada ) was one of my favorite snack in India. I like the hot and spicy food compared to the sweets.The most bizarre part of this recipe is taking the seeds off the kernels. It is a time consuming process but all the effort is worth while for those delicious vadas.

After coming to US, I saw frozen corn seeds. Seeds removed from kernels, processed and ready to cook. I was excited because it took off the time consuming step of peeling the seeds off. So, I got them and blended them with ginger, garlic and green chilies…. the regular ingredients.

The blended paste dint look like how it supposed to look. Nevertheless I convinced my mind that, it is alright since all it matters is the taste. I heated oil in the pan and started dropping the batter into it. I could not make the shape of the vada with the batter as it was too soft. So, I went ahead and dropped the batter as round balls with the spatula. The batter was breaking in the oil which it was not supposed to. Then I was little suspicious that there might be a mishap on the way.

After frying the first batch of vadas or balls, I have put one of it in my mouth with imaging the authentic corn vada taste… as salty, spicy and with little crunchy. To my surprise…it tasted too SWEET :(. I dint read the bold letters on the package ‘Sweet Corn’. :(

That was my last attempt of making corn vadas. Though I am not very passionate for cooking, I do try new and old recipes from the family, friends and of course from cyber. Nothing yet has disappointed me as Corn Vadas.

How about censor rating to songs?

Lately I was thinking may be it is the time to give censor ratings to song lyrics and video weather it is a private album or filmy. Today, there are just a couple of lyricists in Bollywood who are known for clean and good lyrics. Most of videos of songs in Indian cinema have moved beyond the point of vulgarity and we could no longer watch them along with kids let alone enjoy them.

Though the entertainment channels and means have increased tremendously, none of them are relaying quality work that would make an average educated consumer to wait eagerly for the next episode.

Let alone picturization of songs, but the lyrics itself are not appropriate for all ages. If we think they are not appropriate, then don’t we need to have censor ratings for them? Recently I was listening to pee loon from Once upon a time in Mumbai. The voice of the singer and music are really soft and melodious. But the lyrics made me not like it. Imagine the kids singing it, in all their innocence.

That was just one song that is top of my head now, but even in Telugu movies the lyrics are at the lowest level in terms of quality. Except for Javed Akhtar and Gulzar in Bollywood I dint come across the lyricists in recent times whose lyrics really mean something and make you feel the words. So, is with Telugu. Except for a few as Veturi and Sirivennela there are no lyricists who are doing justification to the thoughts intentioned in the song.

For me, it is all in the alfaaz along with the melody. That is what touches your heart and that is what makes you connect to the feel of the song weather it is sad or joy or love.

Deepavali Bommala Koluvu

It was Deepavali and as with every year, it was busiest time for me to arrange Bollamala Koluvu. I was packing all the toys, dolls and decorations after one week of displaying them. There is one 4” doll with cute braids for which my mom crocheted a dress a couple of years back. It reminds me of one my own doll that I had when I was little. I remember, the day when my peddamma asked as what I would like to have for a gift for my birthday. I don't remember which birthday that was, but i was fancied with a doll which will close its eye when tilted.

It was one adorable doll to have. It was a dream come true of a typical girl when peddamma got it for me. I sure did spent a lot of pretend play with it. There were other dolls which my mom used to take out only during Deepavali for Bommala Koluvu and pack it back once it is done. Nevertheless I still used to feel attached to every single one of it. May be that is the beauty of Bommala Koluvu, it makes you get fond of it.

I come across people who ask as what is the significance of Bommala Koluvu. Coming to significance, apart from praying and thanking God, it was a form of entertainment and relaxation for the women in the olden days. One would think as if that significance still hold good for today’s times, when women of today have numerous other things to amuse themselves with. Well, I look at Bommala Koluvu as an exhibit of collections, talent and imagination of women who arrange it and imagination and creativity will never become obsolete.

It is a kind of art, where you could display ones talent of sculpture to landscaping to designing to painting in the means of rangoli or modeling a town or village or an mythological or historical epic. It is one household’s museum where the family will open their exhibition once a year and each year has a new collection of imagination adhering to the old ones at the same time.

What other best way could you think of for kids of today’s generation, here at overseas, to get acquainted with Indian culture and history, and at the same time, have an opportunity to express their own art? We tend to take up classes for our children to learn art, and Bommala Koluvu in my thoughts is one of the means to enjoy that art. Bommala Koluvu is a conglomerate art of entire family.

Here is our collection of toys - Traditional, Modern, Contemporary, Sweet and everything in between :)

Holding on to traditions.

Few weeks’ earlier Telangana Foundation has organized Bathukamma celebrations in NJ. This is one of the events they are organizing since few years now and it is a candid feeling to see all the arrangements of flowers and going round in a group around them. The event exemplifies the significance of holding to the traditions and passing it over to our next generation. I am glad that these events are being organized and were successful over seas.

I think Dasara is the festival and gala meant for towns and villages. There is no equivalent atmosphere to celebrate it in cities. I remember the boring days of Dasara in Hyderabad during 90’s when our family had to celebrate it there. I encountered people whose family tradition had Bathukamma but they just wanted to get it over with it by placing a few petals in the saucer and immersing in a small container of water within the portico of the house. It could have been due to the limited resources in the city or due to our inherent shyness and introvert nature of Telanganites. Probably my family would have done the same if we had tradition of Bathukamma and had to celebrate it in the city.

Thanks to Telangana movement for taking out that introvert nature from the people and making Bathukamma an event to cherish and celebrate no matter where you live. This year’s credit for success should go to KCR’s Kavitha, for mobilizing and giving that confidence and push to the people.

I hope we will hold on to this and many other traditions even after we achieve the goal of independent State. I also hope we won’t get carried away with it so much that we end up incorporating non – green paraphernalia into it as we did with Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.

Few Snapshots of the event in NJ

First Day of School

Remember the scene when kids used to cry to go to school and mom or dad used to drag them holding school bag in one hand and literally dragging the kid with the other hand into the school? Well, I dint go through that drastic scene for my first day of school but pretty much... I did cry and my mom had to leave me in the class and go. I don’t remember the first day of Kindergarten but this was about my first day in first grade. I was crying out loud and hugging my mom tightly making a scene...which really annoyed my teacher, who was strict. When I say strict... it is in terms of a typical Indian standard of strictness. After a while, my teacher said in an authoritative tone to my mom to leave me there at that instant and to exit from the class. :(.

We don’t see those scenes these days.Today's school going kids are more enthusiastic and happy. Their first day of school is much awaited day from pre-school years for them now. I wonder if is it to do with the media and exposure that kids are getting about the school and learning experience. This awareness is so much in the kids today that they know that, going to school is part of life and they also know that it is for good. They are looking at school to be the source of their independence in the future.This optimistic perspective might be putting their mind at ease.

Or is it due to the fact that, generation after generation, the attachment, love and affection between people is diminishing within the family? Brides of today are just saying a bye with grin to their family on their wedding day, compared to brides who were weeping during my age and to brides who use to cry during our parents age. I am not saying amount of tears shredded is scale to determine the affection, but I feel that mundane things of modern era has definitely loosened the bonds. Of course there will be exceptions in all those thoughts.

All said, whatever the reason is, it is good that children are more eager to learn and acquire a verity of knowledge and it is a good change that more children perceive that school is the place for fulfilling their quest. :)

A Day with Maidaku

Maidaku, Mehendi or the modern term of temporary tattoo fills a joy and excitement universally to all the girls. I believe it is one of the age old tradition or culture that is still very much in vogue among the females of all ages.

Applying Maidaku on hands used to be nearly a day’s work. First vital constituent in the process back then for me was the design. At that time, either the method of Mehendi in cone was not invented, or we were not aware of. There was a very little scope for designs that could be made with powder or with the paste made with the leaves of Maidaku plant.

I remember the standard design of a single big dot in the center of the palm and little dots surrounding it. Then there was another design of a big cross ‘X’ and with ‘V’s in between.

Mehendi in cone has revolutionized the complete concept of designs that we could do with it. Thanks to the readymade cones of today which has removed the process of making the cone at home after sieving the powder through the cotton muslin and folding the polythene in to a cone and sealing it off with safety pin after filling with the paste.

I trust people still prefer the hand made cone for weddings for obvious reasons of nothing could beat the handmade or homemade either it is a Mehendi cone or anything else.

The next thing after applying was the long wait. Waiting with hands rose so that the design won’t get disturbed and to be careful so that Mehendi won’t stain the clothes. Mind will be eager to see if the Maidaku has done its magic to turn the design into a nice orange shade but there will be constant buzzing from parents and grand parents to wait further as the more we wait the more elegant will be the color. I remember when we used to lift an inconspicuous corner of the design to sneak peak on the color it came so far.

The final satisfaction or happiness will come when you wash the hands and see the bright orange shade of the design on the palm. I remember when my mom used to be more excited than me to see the color. I could still feel the happiness and warmth of her kiss on my palms upon showing my hands to her.

Now, I am re-living that eagerness, excitement and happy smile about the whole process of Mehendi with my daughters. I believe the culture of Mehendi will linger around for the next generations too as I could see the same excitement on my daughter’s face as I used to see on my maternal grandmother while I was applying Mehendi on her palms.

Nehru Zoological Park - Best So Far?

Our little day trip to Bronx Zoo last week with my kids brought back the memory of my visits to NZP at Hyderabad as a child. After 6 hour walk in the Bronx Zoo, I felt as though Nehru Zoological Park is the Best Zoo in comparison to Bronx Zoo or any other Zoo that I have seen so far. Am I the person who does not have good environmental sense? Well may be.

The point is, what factors made the Bronx Zoo as ‘The Best’? The points that I could think of are, how well the animals are taken care of at the zoo? How well the natural habitat is provided to the animals? How well the customer service is provided to the visitors? How well is the overall experience to the visitor? Bronx Zoo embarks high on all these points.

The aspect that was boring for me at Bronx was walking a long distance from one exhibit to other. Visitors of the zoo, especially the little ones, will practically not have energy to see African Giraffe after visiting amazing amphibians since the trail connecting these two exhibits stretches far-off. May be it is not meant to complete the zoo in single visit.

On the other side, animals at Nehru Zoological are all kept close by. Though here also, strolling through the entire zoo is exhausting, but given a 6 hour time, one will be sure enough to see all the animals from Wild African Animals to Reptiles to Amphibians to Birds. And above all, we could see Tigers and Elephants unlike a Tiger and an Elephant in Bronx zoo.

Zoo in Hyderabad might not be the ideal one from an environmentalist view or from the view of an average person who is really concerned about violation of Animal rights. This zoo might also earn least points on above mentioned scale, but it left some wonderful memories for me.

I might be having this view because most of the times first captured is the best compared to the later ones. I have to wait and see if my kids share the same perseverance as mine about these two Zoos when they see Zoo at Hyderabad. :)