THE SEVEN SAMURAI.
awe-some and more!
When i read the title my thoughts went running to the Magnificent Seven. A movies that i always thought was magnificent! Then i read the storyline and my suspicions were confirmed. The plot was the same...village in trouble, bandits naak mein daam, villagers jeena haram, hire fighters to dishoom-dishoom bandits, bandits khallas, villagers happily ever after. But instead of getting oh-ssso-swoony-gun-trotting Yule Brenner and his collected gang, this movie has the villagers hiring samurai.
The making of the movie is as much of an epic as the move itself. Not only is the plot an original to be made a million times over and in as many countries, made just after the second world war it took 2 years to put together the finances for it. The movie was made amidst many hurdles not the least one of them being a shortage of horses in Japan at the time.
Apparently the Manificent Seven was a remake of this movie which is a master piece. The movie has a significant contribution to the legend that is director Akira Kurosawa. See the movie and you will agree.
After having seen this original, it was almost impossible to avoid a sense of comparison. And the first thing that came to mind was comparing a original song to a remix. The original song so pure and clean in melody and the remix full of glam and loud and in your face pandering.
The movie makes you think. It showcases human character. Which is inherently selfish but is capable of great courage and selflessness when called upon. The characters are so real and believable. For me personally, this was one of the rare movies which projected the human side to a samurai as well as why they were [are] revered. The movie seems to move along slowly but its gripping all the same. Its very easy to get involved in the story and the people. You cannot come out of it without being profoundly impressed.
Its a must watch.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Mumbai or Bombay?
Rrrright, so this is my conundrum from the day I walked out of my door to cross foreign waters...."where am I from?"
nah nah...this is not that deeeep an existential a question. It is the regular "where r you from?" that everyone encounters countless times in life irrespective of where they might encounter it.
My struggle with this particular question was born when my city went from being officially Bombay to Mumbai. Mind you, the name itself did not jarr my sense of belonging to the city at all because over the years, Ive used both the names interchangeably. All my relatives outside the city called us as 'coming from Mumbai', from far back then I can remember! And I never questioned why there were two names. It just never crossed my mind!
Suddenly I found myself in front of gora's and firangi's who wanted to know where I was from. And just as suddenly the answer wasnt simple anymore. The problem was of being viewed according to the answer I gave. You see, a 'Bombay' evoked a very different response from a 'Mumbai'. Further complications in perception came when I faced a poser, who 'knew' India or worse the city itself. To begin with, a 'Bombay' somehow gave an impression that I was of a modern or liberal thinking kind. A 'Mumbai' came off as a right of center kind. This was on simple days.
On days when I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, 'Mumbai' elicited a "aah! so, one of those right wingers, eh? indigenious pride and bombay came from foreigners and all that, is it?" kind of a look in response. Equally likely, a 'Bombay' educed a "really? one of those stiff upper lip/upturned noses/hham ko hhindee nahyee samachta kind" look. Add a element of familiarity with India or the city to this latter equation and the response was a quick "from Mumbai! lovely" smack in the face!! It got a lot , and I mean a lot, worse when the response to 'Bombay' was a "mai mumbai may doh tin saal rahha tah" ....man! those were the ones which made you red in the face....I felt like the outsider!!
What do you do when you are one of those perpetual getting up on the wrong side of the bed kind then? Who think as hard as they may and be as careful as they can but will always say the wrong thing? Who make wincing part of their daily existence?
nah nah...this is not that deeeep an existential a question. It is the regular "where r you from?" that everyone encounters countless times in life irrespective of where they might encounter it.
My struggle with this particular question was born when my city went from being officially Bombay to Mumbai. Mind you, the name itself did not jarr my sense of belonging to the city at all because over the years, Ive used both the names interchangeably. All my relatives outside the city called us as 'coming from Mumbai', from far back then I can remember! And I never questioned why there were two names. It just never crossed my mind!
Suddenly I found myself in front of gora's and firangi's who wanted to know where I was from. And just as suddenly the answer wasnt simple anymore. The problem was of being viewed according to the answer I gave. You see, a 'Bombay' evoked a very different response from a 'Mumbai'. Further complications in perception came when I faced a poser, who 'knew' India or worse the city itself. To begin with, a 'Bombay' somehow gave an impression that I was of a modern or liberal thinking kind. A 'Mumbai' came off as a right of center kind. This was on simple days.
On days when I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, 'Mumbai' elicited a "aah! so, one of those right wingers, eh? indigenious pride and bombay came from foreigners and all that, is it?" kind of a look in response. Equally likely, a 'Bombay' educed a "really? one of those stiff upper lip/upturned noses/hham ko hhindee nahyee samachta kind" look. Add a element of familiarity with India or the city to this latter equation and the response was a quick "from Mumbai! lovely" smack in the face!! It got a lot , and I mean a lot, worse when the response to 'Bombay' was a "mai mumbai may doh tin saal rahha tah" ....man! those were the ones which made you red in the face....I felt like the outsider!!
What do you do when you are one of those perpetual getting up on the wrong side of the bed kind then? Who think as hard as they may and be as careful as they can but will always say the wrong thing? Who make wincing part of their daily existence?
Sunday, February 8, 2009
How can I let it all go?
I ve been, for the past couple of weeks, recreating my resume, my marketing postion. Its the periodic resurrection we humans take upon ourselves.
I use the word generate instead of revive my "dossier-at-a-glance" because this time I am cutting myself from the ties and the world of a student life and breaking [hardly] into the realm of the working class, the first step into the bourgeois life. Surprisingly, and somehow embarassingly I never realised this metamorphosis will involve more than stringing some words together- nicely! A Lot More!!
With the formal education era safely [more surely] behind me, and a fistful of solid [read relavant for once!] work experience under my belt, it was time to sell my self differently! After all the research on "what your resume should say about you, and how" I fianlly got down to writing it and with excruciating pain at that.
It struck me forcefully that having come as far as I have this new resume will involve cutting off more than a hefty chunk of the earlier contents. And this content that I refer to mean actuall achievements of mine over the years. e.g. to score highest marks in economics in the entire class and get formal recognition for it was an achievement for me. Just because it happened in the first, and concurrent years too, of my bachelors doesn't make it any less precious for me. B-u-t since this occured in the final few years of the last millennia [well, put that way!!] I have to now cut it off??
There are a lot of such things to be left behind now that I must look to the future. But I am perturbed by it all. I cannot forget -easily- the journey through the various degrees and the various things I indulged in [i mean academically, although yes, there were a few indulgences of the not-to-mention kind too]. Each award/certificate/medal ...things that made me proud when I looked at my so called student resume, sentences on paper that filled my heart with warmth and pride....all meant and mean so much to me even now. All those had come my way as a result of sincere and consistent effort. They were not fluke or easy [I am not the born to achieve types, hard work was always my magic lamp]. To think that all of that doesnt matter any more, that it 'has no place' anymore fills me with disquiet.
If the past doesn't matter after a while, then why put much efforts in the present for that will turn itself to past soon, will it not?
I use the word generate instead of revive my "dossier-at-a-glance" because this time I am cutting myself from the ties and the world of a student life and breaking [hardly] into the realm of the working class, the first step into the bourgeois life. Surprisingly, and somehow embarassingly I never realised this metamorphosis will involve more than stringing some words together- nicely! A Lot More!!
With the formal education era safely [more surely] behind me, and a fistful of solid [read relavant for once!] work experience under my belt, it was time to sell my self differently! After all the research on "what your resume should say about you, and how" I fianlly got down to writing it and with excruciating pain at that.
It struck me forcefully that having come as far as I have this new resume will involve cutting off more than a hefty chunk of the earlier contents. And this content that I refer to mean actuall achievements of mine over the years. e.g. to score highest marks in economics in the entire class and get formal recognition for it was an achievement for me. Just because it happened in the first, and concurrent years too, of my bachelors doesn't make it any less precious for me. B-u-t since this occured in the final few years of the last millennia [well, put that way!!] I have to now cut it off??
There are a lot of such things to be left behind now that I must look to the future. But I am perturbed by it all. I cannot forget -easily- the journey through the various degrees and the various things I indulged in [i mean academically, although yes, there were a few indulgences of the not-to-mention kind too]. Each award/certificate/medal ...things that made me proud when I looked at my so called student resume, sentences on paper that filled my heart with warmth and pride....all meant and mean so much to me even now. All those had come my way as a result of sincere and consistent effort. They were not fluke or easy [I am not the born to achieve types, hard work was always my magic lamp]. To think that all of that doesnt matter any more, that it 'has no place' anymore fills me with disquiet.
If the past doesn't matter after a while, then why put much efforts in the present for that will turn itself to past soon, will it not?
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Changing perception of India
I left home in 2001. And havent really gone back since then. Stayed in the UK untill the end of 2006 and came to the US in 2007.
Over these years I've been an avid follower of not only the events [political and a-political] in the home country but I've tried to consciously follow India's perception abroad. Its has been an engaging avocation.
I've seen, albeit from afar, various events which grabbed international attention in the years Ive been away. Just from the top of my head:
As a child I remember the entire Kashmir episode leaving me baffled. I listened to the news and I read the news and I could not understand the continuous argument between the Indian authorities and the world [read mostly US in those days]. Our people kept saying that our neighbours and especially their intelligance unit were responsible. No one listened. No one agreed with us. We gave reasons for our suspisions and then we showed proof for it. Yet no one believed us. Why we never managed to convince anyone was beyond me. I remained stupified.
I left the country and within some months the Gujrat riots happened. It was days before I heard about Godhara. The first 4-5 days I got the impression that the hindu fundamentalists had all of sudden gone on a killing spree. No matter where on the political spectrum one stands, its difficult to believe something like that began without a propeller so to speak. Whether the propeller was genuine or out of deliberate mischieve is a talk for another day. The point is I wasnt impressed that the fact the riots happened as a reaction to the Godhara incident was not highlighted from the begenning. From the outside it looked as if the riots were completely unprovoked. The riots were in the world news section, 4th or 5th item on the headlines.
Then came the border flare up in May of the same year. Again the reasons that led to the military escalation along the border never really were voiced. The entire attention was focused on the fact that India had started a systematic military build up along the border and that this could lead to a nuclear war. The world panicked. I kept thinking India has had nuclear arsenal from 1998 and a nuclear program from the 50's. But the country has never flexed its nuclear muscle nor hinted, forget threatned to use the weapons. So when we finally visibly decide to take action shouldnt the restraint practiced over the years mean anything? Shouldnt that at least give us credibility, give reason enough to be held as a responsible nation? Make the world want to really look into the reasons why India decided to undertake such a course of action? We remained in the world news. Initially 4-5th in the headlines and later 3-4th as the posiibility of war grew.
Then bombs set off within 11 minutes of each other on the trains, the life line of Mumbai. The attention was again on the lack of security and death toll. No one voiced the proof gathered by the police. No one believed the authorities. Sympathay was expressed and condolences were given. No one believed. We remained in the world news section, 4th-5th item on the headlines.
And now we've had the terror attack. For 2 days we were front news!! We were the first news item everywhere! I did not hear the old adage "India habitually blames its neighbouring Pakistan for such incidents of violence" for almost 4 days!! and even then maybe just a couple of times. In fact, everyone kept justifying the onus on the terror network's safe haven along the Pak-Afghan border. Suddenly we are viewed as victims. Suddenly we are the poor people who are suffering from the repercussions of the phenomenon other wise known as " Al Qaeda" ! Really?
So, should I assume that finally the Indian state has collected enough world credibility to be taken seriously and be believed? OR should I go with my deduction that we have arrived on the world platform only because we just cannot be ignored any more? Jiski lathi, usi ke bhais? Is that fair?
Over these years I've been an avid follower of not only the events [political and a-political] in the home country but I've tried to consciously follow India's perception abroad. Its has been an engaging avocation.
I've seen, albeit from afar, various events which grabbed international attention in the years Ive been away. Just from the top of my head:
- Godhra and the ensuing riots in Gujrat,
- The 2002 border flare up,
- 11 July train bombings in Mumbai in 2006,
- The latest terror attacks on 26 Nov, 2008.
As a child I remember the entire Kashmir episode leaving me baffled. I listened to the news and I read the news and I could not understand the continuous argument between the Indian authorities and the world [read mostly US in those days]. Our people kept saying that our neighbours and especially their intelligance unit were responsible. No one listened. No one agreed with us. We gave reasons for our suspisions and then we showed proof for it. Yet no one believed us. Why we never managed to convince anyone was beyond me. I remained stupified.
I left the country and within some months the Gujrat riots happened. It was days before I heard about Godhara. The first 4-5 days I got the impression that the hindu fundamentalists had all of sudden gone on a killing spree. No matter where on the political spectrum one stands, its difficult to believe something like that began without a propeller so to speak. Whether the propeller was genuine or out of deliberate mischieve is a talk for another day. The point is I wasnt impressed that the fact the riots happened as a reaction to the Godhara incident was not highlighted from the begenning. From the outside it looked as if the riots were completely unprovoked. The riots were in the world news section, 4th or 5th item on the headlines.
Then came the border flare up in May of the same year. Again the reasons that led to the military escalation along the border never really were voiced. The entire attention was focused on the fact that India had started a systematic military build up along the border and that this could lead to a nuclear war. The world panicked. I kept thinking India has had nuclear arsenal from 1998 and a nuclear program from the 50's. But the country has never flexed its nuclear muscle nor hinted, forget threatned to use the weapons. So when we finally visibly decide to take action shouldnt the restraint practiced over the years mean anything? Shouldnt that at least give us credibility, give reason enough to be held as a responsible nation? Make the world want to really look into the reasons why India decided to undertake such a course of action? We remained in the world news. Initially 4-5th in the headlines and later 3-4th as the posiibility of war grew.
Then bombs set off within 11 minutes of each other on the trains, the life line of Mumbai. The attention was again on the lack of security and death toll. No one voiced the proof gathered by the police. No one believed the authorities. Sympathay was expressed and condolences were given. No one believed. We remained in the world news section, 4th-5th item on the headlines.
And now we've had the terror attack. For 2 days we were front news!! We were the first news item everywhere! I did not hear the old adage "India habitually blames its neighbouring Pakistan for such incidents of violence" for almost 4 days!! and even then maybe just a couple of times. In fact, everyone kept justifying the onus on the terror network's safe haven along the Pak-Afghan border. Suddenly we are viewed as victims. Suddenly we are the poor people who are suffering from the repercussions of the phenomenon other wise known as " Al Qaeda" ! Really?
So, should I assume that finally the Indian state has collected enough world credibility to be taken seriously and be believed? OR should I go with my deduction that we have arrived on the world platform only because we just cannot be ignored any more? Jiski lathi, usi ke bhais? Is that fair?
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
in awe....but with exception it seems
I am sure most if not everyone watched the olympics. Its compulsive television isnt it?
And like most people if not all, I too come under that complete spell of amazement when I look at the athletes and their fight for excellence, for excellence it is, the best in the world in the truest sense of the words, the cliche..
Its not the fight per se however that amazes me; its the dedication, the grit, the sheer commitment behind the moment of reckoning. Every time I was watching a competetion, I caught myself marvelling at the amount of efforts that went into making what I saw in front of me real. I am in awe of it when I think about how each and every athlete persent there must have spent 4 years of their lives for the chance to compete at the olympics. Each day every day for 4 years. pushing yourself.physically.mentally. each day.every day.....its overwhelming..
It dawned on me that what I marvel at at the olympics isnt rare after all. I have seen dedication. I have seen committment. I have seen sacrifice. I have seen that gritty determination day after day, year after year. And I have seen it all at home! My parents have never taken a vacation in their life. They have never spend money on themselves. They havent bought themsleves things unless it was not an option anymore. Their entire life has been in the pursuit of securing a good life for their kids...no gold medal to take home....no fame....no recognition even....but single minded dedication....committment par excellence
I may not be the only one to see the obvious... although I suspect I may be one of the many who dont admit it....even to themselves!
Coming back to the olympics, found my self ruminating about my reaction to Usian Bolt. He achieved beyond "the sky is the limit" at beijing. He was not the only one though. To put it very simply, I wasnt too kicked about Bolts' success. And according to the commentators I am not the only one towing this line of thought.
I've asked myself "why" too, many a times. Is it to do with "grace in victory"? why did it grate my cheese when I saw bolt pushing his face into the camera, pointing his finger towards the sky and yelling "NUMBER ONE" ...it made me ....it ruffled my feathers, I squirmed at the audacity. Why?
A lot of atheletes achieved their dreams at beijing and in style. Bolt isnt the only one who will go down in the annals of sporting history with glory. But he is the only one I am not happy about winning.
Why do we want people to succeed and be graceful about it? Why cant we let them decide how to take it? Why are role models one's who arent loud about their success? Why is modesty a desirable trait among winners? Why is being down-to-earth admirable and flying high on success being vain?
Post Script : July/21/2010
Could being humble and/or exercising self-restraint be one of those noble virtues ordinarily difficult to attain in a human being so that when it is spotted, the possesion of this character trait in itself is admirable? And therefore the higher the acheivement of a person more superior he/she becomes if able to practise self-control and not give away to the most easily acquired desire to vaunt?
And like most people if not all, I too come under that complete spell of amazement when I look at the athletes and their fight for excellence, for excellence it is, the best in the world in the truest sense of the words, the cliche..
Its not the fight per se however that amazes me; its the dedication, the grit, the sheer commitment behind the moment of reckoning. Every time I was watching a competetion, I caught myself marvelling at the amount of efforts that went into making what I saw in front of me real. I am in awe of it when I think about how each and every athlete persent there must have spent 4 years of their lives for the chance to compete at the olympics. Each day every day for 4 years. pushing yourself.physically.mentally. each day.every day.....its overwhelming..
It dawned on me that what I marvel at at the olympics isnt rare after all. I have seen dedication. I have seen committment. I have seen sacrifice. I have seen that gritty determination day after day, year after year. And I have seen it all at home! My parents have never taken a vacation in their life. They have never spend money on themselves. They havent bought themsleves things unless it was not an option anymore. Their entire life has been in the pursuit of securing a good life for their kids...no gold medal to take home....no fame....no recognition even....but single minded dedication....committment par excellence
I may not be the only one to see the obvious... although I suspect I may be one of the many who dont admit it....even to themselves!
Coming back to the olympics, found my self ruminating about my reaction to Usian Bolt. He achieved beyond "the sky is the limit" at beijing. He was not the only one though. To put it very simply, I wasnt too kicked about Bolts' success. And according to the commentators I am not the only one towing this line of thought.
I've asked myself "why" too, many a times. Is it to do with "grace in victory"? why did it grate my cheese when I saw bolt pushing his face into the camera, pointing his finger towards the sky and yelling "NUMBER ONE" ...it made me ....it ruffled my feathers, I squirmed at the audacity. Why?
A lot of atheletes achieved their dreams at beijing and in style. Bolt isnt the only one who will go down in the annals of sporting history with glory. But he is the only one I am not happy about winning.
Why do we want people to succeed and be graceful about it? Why cant we let them decide how to take it? Why are role models one's who arent loud about their success? Why is modesty a desirable trait among winners? Why is being down-to-earth admirable and flying high on success being vain?
Post Script : July/21/2010
Could being humble and/or exercising self-restraint be one of those noble virtues ordinarily difficult to attain in a human being so that when it is spotted, the possesion of this character trait in itself is admirable? And therefore the higher the acheivement of a person more superior he/she becomes if able to practise self-control and not give away to the most easily acquired desire to vaunt?
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
cooking using new recipe's
can u cook to instructions?
I mean, I am sure a lot of people a lot of time feel like trying out new stuff [hey, we're talking food here?!]....and now-a-days coz of the internet/info age/world wide web/etc....getting new recipe's is 'just a click away' [well, technically cant be just one click but it sounded right...try saying it aloud...go on...]
anywayz..the point is..its become a lot easier to get new recipe's. I am especially more driven now to try new stuff than used to be [we are still on food mind you]. I've always had days when the morning came with inspiration to cook-up a new dish. But it wasnt always easy to get hold of the 'how to' make the new dish. Mummy darling-never the enthusiast- didnt really have a lot of cook-books [read 1!]...and my friends circle wasnt [and dont think will ever be!] the recipe-exchanging types, aaaand then I wasnt the talking-to-neighbouring-aunties-over-tried-and-tested-recipe's type of a person!
so you see...trying a new dish was a bit of work...and me and work never really got along :)
now, you'd think having the internet would solve my problmes, wouldnt you? atleast in terms of the scouting-for-recipe part. I will agree that it does...but the story doesnt end there [stories mostly don't end that easily, do they?].
the problem now is - sticking to the recipe!!
I find myself absolutely incapable of cooking to instruction. do what you may, I just cannot seem to cook from what I see! and it isnt even a matter of not liking the bloody recipe....liking what I see is always the precusor to the decision to cook...always! sensible right? hence the bewilderment at the incapacity.
not having the required ingredients isnt the pressing constraint either. I've have gone as far as removing the keeping out and aside the ingredients in their required measurement, using measuring cup,spoons,weighing scale et al...the works if you will....but come cooking time I am doing my own thing! changing the order of ingredients, putting in less than suggested, adding new ingredients, sometimes going as far as eliminating a suggested item coz 'it doesnt feel right'....
on one hand I can go on chewing on this behavioural strand...on the other I can call it quits and label this as being "individualistic" !!
what do you think?
I mean, I am sure a lot of people a lot of time feel like trying out new stuff [hey, we're talking food here?!]....and now-a-days coz of the internet/info age/world wide web/etc....getting new recipe's is 'just a click away' [well, technically cant be just one click but it sounded right...try saying it aloud...go on...]
anywayz..the point is..its become a lot easier to get new recipe's. I am especially more driven now to try new stuff than used to be [we are still on food mind you]. I've always had days when the morning came with inspiration to cook-up a new dish. But it wasnt always easy to get hold of the 'how to' make the new dish. Mummy darling-never the enthusiast- didnt really have a lot of cook-books [read 1!]...and my friends circle wasnt [and dont think will ever be!] the recipe-exchanging types, aaaand then I wasnt the talking-to-neighbouring-aunties-over-tried-and-tested-recipe's type of a person!
so you see...trying a new dish was a bit of work...and me and work never really got along :)
now, you'd think having the internet would solve my problmes, wouldnt you? atleast in terms of the scouting-for-recipe part. I will agree that it does...but the story doesnt end there [stories mostly don't end that easily, do they?].
the problem now is - sticking to the recipe!!
I find myself absolutely incapable of cooking to instruction. do what you may, I just cannot seem to cook from what I see! and it isnt even a matter of not liking the bloody recipe....liking what I see is always the precusor to the decision to cook...always! sensible right? hence the bewilderment at the incapacity.
not having the required ingredients isnt the pressing constraint either. I've have gone as far as removing the keeping out and aside the ingredients in their required measurement, using measuring cup,spoons,weighing scale et al...the works if you will....but come cooking time I am doing my own thing! changing the order of ingredients, putting in less than suggested, adding new ingredients, sometimes going as far as eliminating a suggested item coz 'it doesnt feel right'....
on one hand I can go on chewing on this behavioural strand...on the other I can call it quits and label this as being "individualistic" !!
what do you think?
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
vaangi bhaat
One of those combination-of-words which conjures up lot of childhood memories. This dish wasnt a regular one at home. It was a special dish and it followed that it would be made for/on special occasions...or maybe it was a special dish because it was made on special occasions?
Either ways, I suppose for every child growing up special occasions contain the same universal feelings of excitement, thrill and fun. Thereby by association the dish came to be labelled under "happy times". And then for-ever more the mere mention of the dish/recipe brings up a smile to say the least.
By and large I still try to keep the "lets make vaangi bhaat" line to the not-so-regular occasions. But I guess its a sign of changing times that I also make this whenever I feel homesick! :)
Right, so today for one reason or the other, the rice is on the menu. I feel like sharing this recipe and hope it will make those who try as happy as they make me. Also making a special apprearance is tendli to pair with the egg plant. [What in the world is the english equivalent of tendli??]
I've got:
2 cups of egg plant
1 cup of tendli {?}
1/2 cup of green peas {frozen will do just fine}
One medium onion
2/3 cup rice
1 cardamom {badi elachi}
2 small bay leaves
3 cloves
3 whole black pepper
1 small piece of cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp black mustard seeds {wat? theres yellow too!}
2 tsp vaangi bhaat masala {u could substitute this with the usual mix of cumin+coriander+garam masala}
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp red chilli powder {or according to desired "hotness"!}
1 tsp olive oil
coconut and coriander paste {1 tsp shred coconut+few twigs of fresh coriander ground in a mixer}
I usually begin by soaking the rice in water. Chop up the onions, egg plant and tendli {and the peas if it pleases u} all preferably long slices. I dont think there is a direct relation between whether you chop the vege's long and horizontal or in cubes big or small....but hey, could very well be so.
Heat the oil and add the mustard and wait untill you hear it crackel. Then add the bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and the pepper. Add the chopped onion after 20-30 sec. When the onion has browned, add the dry spices i.e turmeric+vaangi masala/equivalent+red chilli powder. Then add the vegetables. Add 2-3 tbsp water, cover and let cook for about 10 min or untill the vegetables are almost cooked.
Drain and add the rice, and if you are using frozen peas this is where you would add them. Fry the mixture for about 5 min. Add water. As a rule of thumb we use a 1-2 ratio for the water. In our case we will add 1 1/3 cup of water for the 2/3 cup of rice.
Incidently, this amount of water also juuust covers the rice. I add salt at this juncture but it could be done at any point from the moment the vegetables went in to right at the end.
Half way through the cooking stir-in the ground mixture of the coconut and coriander.
Let the whole pot cook {ooh.. did i mention use a pot?} on low heat untill the rice is cooked. For those in whose mind lurks the question "when will i know its cooked?" .......eat the rice and see for urself if it meets ur 'cooked' standard! But this particular concoction should take about 15-20 min.
Weight Watchers points value for the whole dish: 14
Suggested Servings: 4 small or 2 maassive ones!
Points per serving: 3.5
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