Monday 25 April 2016

Prawn Bong Style

My current hot favourite is the Aam Chingri which is phenomenal I assure you. My recipes are not weighed by measuring units. Hence, I mostly write them down in my way. For this not so authentic but definitely innovative dish you need the fresh, medium sized prawns, de- veined and marinated with salt, pepper and red chilli flakes. About ten pieces for four will do and if you love prawns then go ahead and add four or five more pieces. Shallow fry them and keep aside.
Firstly, add two tablespoons of mustard oil in a pan and sauteed two medium sized grated onions and one grated ripe tomato. Sauteed till golden and add ginger- garlic paste. Sauteed and add dhaniya powder, kashmiri mirch powder and little water. Again the masalas should be put according to you taste so the options are variable. However, the magical ingredient comes next. Raw mango grated and molasses(gur). Add half a mango grated and saute. Then the molasses and little water again till the oil oozes out of the curry. Finally add the prawns and let it sizzle. Your red, hot curry with a sweet, tangy flavour is ready to serve. Rice is a good option to go with it and srve the curry straight from the pan on your plate. Voila! You will thank me from you heart for this divine recipe.

Passport to freedom ... Of late I have been bugged by a strange phenomenon that has sparked my pen. Sanctity of marriage, endless love, forever yours, eternal romance, oneness of soul etc have been wishwashed by the post modernism label of independent entity. Well, one may wonder at what exactly I'm trying to pinpoint at. I hope I'm not going against feminists. The avant garde widows definitely have graduated their life towards high_end Technorati realm. You may ask, "How is that possible?' Yes, this is the the reality now. With a secured bank balanced they are leveraging their life with a new lease...refurbishing either their house or wardrobe, joining posh clubs, kitty parties, visiting foreign shores and living life to the fullest. Nonchalant and unperturbed, they are unleashing their new found energies in various ways to keep their daily regime active. They regularly browse the social media to keep themselves at par with modernity. Mourning for their once loved hubbies have become outdated and they fill the void not with memories of the past but living in the present. Positive and pragmatic, not overtly romantic and sentimental. The new life holds great potential for them as they are able to lead an independent life without any intervention of the spouse. Children too are freed from the encumbrence of the whines and wails of their widowed moms. Great! They are pursuing the latest trends to keep themselves preoccupied. What is amiss in the scenario is the absence of absolute devotion towards their posthumous partner. Where has loyalty vanished? In many cases, faith too. At least, the elderly ladies should lead a life of simplicity and dignity instead of a life of extravaganza. It is understandable in the cases of young, unfortunate women who have been widowed untimely. But I fail to understand how the so called wealthy senior citizens embark on newfound adventures and seek excitement after the tragic separation from their spouses? Living forty or fifty years with their husbands they are suddenly excited at the prospect of leading a better life based on their terms and conditions. Am I being sarcastic or narrow minded? Not sarcasm really but the lack of love I would say which they professed earlier. The gossipy fervour at kitty parties revolve around the perennial topic about how free they are from the mundane tasks...taking care of their ailing husbands, domesticity, earlier lack of time for themselves, lack of freedom etc . etc. Now they are totally free from the clutches of slavery, domesticity and bondage! Ufff! Absolutely free, they have now the liberty to decision making and power over the monetary affairs. Phenomenal! So widows, or perhaps I should label them as the avant garde ladies, who are now taking unprecedented stride towards making womenkind proud with their new found achievements.