Partly Yours, Partly Lost

Image
Some places stay with you long after life has moved elsewhere. There is something strange about destiny. You just cannot overcome it, but at the same time, you cannot simply do nothing because something is destined to happen. In India, it is not uncommon to have your horoscope charted about a year after birth. Grandparents wait with bated breath to hear how well the stars were aligned, and what remedies might be needed to appease the Gods. So when I was a year old, my grandmother took my birth date and time to Dharmaraja Ghanapadigal, one of the most revered astrologers in Pudukkottai. He apparently told her that I would do reasonably well in studies, travel to multiple countries, and eventually live abroad. Here was an old lady asking about her grandson from a small town. My parents were then living in Gobichettipalayam. This was the eighties, long before economic reforms had changed the country. My grandmother thanked him politely, but quietly wondere...
Post a Comment

Poruchcha Kuzhambu

It does get frustrating to cook the same things and have it time and again. So, that's when I decided that for a change, I will look into something different. I got the recipe for Poruchcha Kuzhambu from India and decided to experiment with it. It is always a 90-10 ratio of getting a dish right. Come on! We are staying in the United States for ten months now and that's already a good learning experience as far as cooking is concerned. Even if it goes the other way (I am referring to the ten per cent chance), we have no other choice than to eat it up. To be honest, it is not a bad proposition to eat it even if it is not as good as the way it comes at home. On a lighter vein, I tell my friends Nowadays, I can mix up rice even with sauce and eat it! I know that's a lot of exaggeration and we are not bad cooks either.

Luckily, the dish turned out pretty well and the two vessels of kuzhambu that I made got over in no time. Don't hesitate to ask me for the recipe. It is not everyday that I get to teach somebody how to cook!

Comments

  1. AnonymousMarch 31, 2006 at 2:24 AM

    true.. it's hard to make something uneatable... unless you dump a jarful of salt or chilly powder into the dish and even then you can use buttermilk / potatoes and even it out.

    I mean, the other day to test the theory I sauteed onions, added chopped beef patties and some black eyed peas and what have you, a dish that got finished in 2 hours flat.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownJune 8, 2008 at 4:25 AM

    dear praveen, you have not mentioned the name of the person who gave you the recipe for poruchcha kuzhambu and when. i feel proud that you are able to prepare the food as instructed by a person from india. it is more than sending a rocket.

    n.kalyanasundaram.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment