Vathal Khozhambu and Paruppu Usli

It was a lazy, relaxed saturday and the Arien was in a mood to cook. Now, for a really looong time, I have been wanting to prepare two of my favorite dishes but because I have no idea how to prepare them - it has been forever in my wishlist. And now suddenly, it looked like I might actually get my wish fulfilled. I immediately took this opportunity of coaxing the Arien to help me prepare those dishes.

The first action item on my list was to find the proper recipe. Naturally, I searched for the recipe online. After rejecting quite a few recipes b'cos they did not seem like the recipe that my mum used, I finally found a recipe that according to me was pretty good, at: http://iyercooks.blogspot.com/

The second action item involved hunting for the necessary ingredients. I coaxed the Arien to accompany me on my grocery shopping b'cos he can rapidly lose interest in a plan if he is not involved in every aspect. We opted to include either sundakkavathal or manathakkali for the Kozhambu. I remembered that periamma used to include black channa in the Khozhambu which made it very tasty. So, that was def going to be part of my Khozhambu. For the paruppu usli curry, it was usually prepared with Kothavaranga (cluster beans) but the Arien wanted to opt for beans instead. That was fine with me.

As soon as I walked into the store, I picked out Vadam, Rose milk essence, and started looking around for some other interesting stuff forgetting tht I was here for my vathal(s). Thats how I shop and most folks get very upset with my shopping behavior.. the Arien is used to it, by now.

After slogging away in the kitchen for almost 2 hours, Vathal Khozhambu and Paruppu Usli curry was finally ready for our consumption. By then, we were terribly hungry. Well, it did not taste like any other khozhambu I had had - it had its very own unique taste. The best part was that we both liked it inspite of the fact that it was not our best attempt. The Arien said that after a few more attempts, we will actually get it just right and I can actually invite my junta for a critical eval. That is high praise coming from the Arien and so I stopped and did my bing dance :D

Quick Start Ya Kick Start

It was one of those days when nothing went as per plan.... I overslept and was running late, breakfast of Rava Idli(s) fell flat - I mean literally flat, the Arien is trying not to throw a fit b'cos his breakfast has been killed by me, the maid saunters in late and I am all ready to pull out my hair in frustration. Its also an important day at work for me, I really must complete a lot of work before EOD and naturally, tht thot is running inside my head as a parallel track while I try hard to focus on what is currently going on. By the time I wave a bye to the Arien, and send off the maid, I am wondering if I have to go to work?? Within 25 mts, I am all set to leave - when the door misbehaves.

I spend 15 minutes, trying to get the key to turn left and it is stuck. My fingers are red with the effort, perspiration is oozing down my face, and I wonder if I should work from home instead of trying to close the door. Some one comes down the stairs and stares. His face is bright pink in colour - he has been playing with colours for Holi. He rings the doorbell of the flat opposite mine and I really wish I could jes ask him to help me but my ego is acting up today and so "UNNNGGHHHHHeeeeee ... Bloddy Hell!" continues.

I hear a soft "Do you want some help?" and I turn arnd to see the pink guy standing in the doorway of my neighbour's house, staring at me with a smile. "Ego-shmego" I smile and say "Yess". The pink guy now goes back into the house and asks for paper so that the pink colour does not stick on my door knob, door, etc. He needn't have bothered - all I needed was a lil help. Anyway, he came back and together we managed to lock the door. The moment I saw the key turn, I am already half-way down the stairs - yelling "Thanks a lot" over my shoulder.

I rush to my bike, put on my helmet (no more fines, ppl) and the bike totally refuses to start. Makes a whole lot of weird noises which slowly get lower and have soon reached the range of Kaatruthaan Kavaradhoo. I am not really sure what I must do. In all this confusion, the security guard at our apartment shouts out "Madamaa - scooter start illa??" followed by a smile. Irritated at his comment, I furiously attempt to kick-start the Honda Activa, only to find my "Illa" drowning in the sound of the engine vrr..vRRR.. VRRRng away. I jump on and ride happily out of the basement to the security guard's absolute astonishment.

When I got to work, I found out that the release had moved. Yeah Yeah - Yippe Yippe - Yeah Yeah! I can actually take it easy. Hoo! Hoo! Huoovahoo!! A colleague walks into my cube and comments on my celebrating Holi and while I am staring at her in a quizzical manner, I notice that my hands are bright pink, and I have smudges on my face, neck, duppata of a brilliant mittai pink colour. I rush to the rest room to check on the extent of damage - thankfully, that was all. When the pink guy returned the key, the colour probably stuck to my key resulting in my mess. Grrr..

I won an Award

A few days ago, my pal, Nishita, added a comment that

she had an award for my blog. I did my funny dance in my cube. One of the best things about an award is that you instantly feel good. On a blaaah day, it is especially nice to receive an award. For a while now, I have been on a break from my blog... ya ya, I have this whole gamut of excuses on why I have not been blogging. Honestly, they sound lame to my ears. Receiving this award made me realize how much I miss blogging on a regular basis. My blog has been like a confidant, a close friend, who knows what goes on in my life and lends silent support. I have been missing this frend for a loong time not knowing what I was missing.

The award has made me change my mind and make a go at updating my blog at frequent or not-so-frequent intervals, from now on. Another good thing about awards is that you can pass it on and thats like the bestest part. I would like to share the blogger buddy award with the following 5 frends:

• My Adorable Pancreas
• My Squiggle
• Kickstart
• In Singapore
• Work and Life

..... I am back :D

Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaya

Yet another movie review. Of late, itseems like I am only reviewing movies. Anyway, it was a lazy tuesday and both the Arien and self decided to catch a Tamizh movie at the Cinema after a really looong time. As usual, the romantic that I am, I voted for VTV over TVP (Theeradha Villayatu Pillai) because I do not like Vishal. Well, agreed that I do not like Simbu either but it was a Gautham Menon movie.

The story starts off with Simbu (Karthik) occupying a pew in a church and wondering why he ever fell in lowe with Trisha (Jessy) because Jessy is getting married to someone else, on that day, at the same church. Yes, thus begins this slow-paced, romantic movie which is essentially a love story. It starts with Simbu setting the context of what was going on in his life - an Engineer who wants to become a film director. B'cos this is a lowe story - he ends up falling head-over-heels in lowe with Trisha the day he sees her walking outside his house. Some things I could not help appreciating:

• AR Rahman's music


• Trisha's sooper lean figure


• Simbu's controlled performance - having never watched any of his movies thanks to his typical local behavior, bad dressing sense, country dialogues, and vulgar dance moves - I was surprised at his performance in this movie.


• No separate comedy track - the hero's much older friend was not the comedian. His dialogues and the way he uttered them - added a touch of humour to the story.


• Jessy was older than Karthik - in all lowe stories the heroine is typically younger or of the same age as the hero.


• Fickle-minded nature of people in lowe - in most movies, ppl who fall in lowe, stay in lowe till they manage to either kill or change the mind of their detractors. Reality is hardly close. Most men feel that girls shy away from facing the battle and at the first hint of trouble - have doubts regarding the relationship and eventually marry a person whom their parents choose. This movie has handled that aspect pretty well.


• Depiction of malayalees in general and Syrian Christains specifically, was done well - in most movies it is usually another comedy track which leaves a lot to be desired and is typically in bad taste.

Whats not so good?

• The story revolves around the time between when the main characters fall in lowe and till they get married or whatever. So, if you are looking for some drama, masala, item numbers, mystery - not happening :) There is a twist - though.


• Trisha's no-makeup avatar (whts with the puffy eyes and totally tired eyes - age??)


• Bad acting by the movie stars of Simbu's movie (I heard tht the guy is Nagarjuna's son - pretty bad)


• The canned dialogues ("Idhu sooper hit, saar") etc. during the premier of Simbu's movie "Jessy" was really carrying Gautham Menon's megalomania a bit too far.

So, does he marry her and live happily ever after? Well, in Quick Gun Murugan ishtyle, "Watch the movie, I say".