a wandering mind

Its all senseless at times.. the running around, the running after, the running before, the running in circles and the running-in-general. Like wasps we go around and about... Why are we born and why do we go through this whole deal of growing up, being who we have to be and then die..just die..just like that.. the thought that there is just this one life has haunted me for a long time.. i'm not asking for two, no i'm not. But the fact that we got only one puts so much pressure... one life.. one time one's gonna get married..ok one may have children more than once but there is so much that we are going to be just once..one road to take and one way to live and sometimes there are no u-turns you know..

And the reality is that we all want it to be just once! No we don't want it to be any other way. No. No. No. You getting me? Just because I sulk for something doesn't imply I wish not to have it. I am just wandering in the pointlessness of being.. the 'almost existence' of ours that borders on our extinction.

that what makes me happy

For past some time I have been trying some culinary experiments - and experiencing the joy of whipping up something out of something. I never thought i'm the kind who would enjoy it.. but surprisingly I find it soothing, relaxing and fun.


I recently made Banana Cake - and well, i really didn't expect me to be able to make it that good the first time round. The aroma was so thick with banana flavour that it made me fall in love with it. My eldest sister - a banana lover herself - fell for it and so did my other sis and mom. As I baked the cake it took the shape of a shiny dark brown dessert that tasted much much much better than the banana muffins I have had before. I am going to write down the recipe here on the blog one of these days. A big thanks to nisha my friend for hailing from Kerala (ha) and for telling me how to make it. :D

So well, I think i am finally taking the cooking thing seriously. More so cz it makes me happy. The going-shopping that precedes the cooking and the cutting-chopping-dicing and the aroma and the process, the wait as the dish cooks and then the anticipation whether it's good enough.

So lets me do some loud thinking here. What have i made till date:..i mean some serious cooking/bakingwise:

1.  Chilly Potato

2.  Fried Rice

3.  Manchurian

4.  Spring Rolls

5.  Subway type - Sub (but that was more arrangement than cooking)

6.  Paneer Kulcha

7.  Veg. Biryani/ Pulao

8.  Lachcha Parantha

9.  Malai Kofta

10. Paneer Tikka

11. Corn Kebabs

12. Chocolate Cake

13. Banana Cake

14. Mushroom-Corn Farmhouse Pizza

15. Nacho Chat

16. Macaroni (dont know if that counts)

17. Banana Shake (with iceceam and nuts)

:)) makes me happy this list.

I usually get the ideas from two friends of mine who are simply the best cooks ever.. but barring that these dishes i've often tried outside and made a mental note to try at home - much like a challenge. Like I did a home made 'sub', or farmhouse pizza or banana cake after eating banana muffin, or spring rolls or nacho chat etc. Trying to make these things at home is fun. I am sure I am not a very good cook yet. I just enjoy it for now. 

And let me add this: i'm not too big for traditional indian or mughlai dishes Let me be honest the malai kofta i made was not that great cz i misread a part of the recipe. But  try i did.

And now a list of what's on my mind. I have something for healthy cooking. I am not a big fan of fried, slimy, oily dishes and i try to avoid maida (cornflour).. so the challenge is to make the dish healthy (using wheat or samolina (suji) instead of maida and using less oil without compromising on the taste)

So now my wish list for the summer:

1. Malai Kofta

2. Coffee Cake ( thats a friend's recipe and includes..molten chocolate lava :))))

3. Pasta - the authentic pasta - the kind I ordered at big chill and loved

4. Mushroom Pasta (i recently bought a bag of fusilli pasta)

5. Kathi Roll
6. Apple Pie

7. Chocolate-Banana Shake

I think that's enough for days to come. gee, that made me happy.

:D

pointers

give your self a goal every day. it could be taking forward the same goal or some new one everyday.

find what you love to do

find something frivolous that you love to do - something that must give you PURE pleasure

that thing must result in something productive, something tangible or something you can see or touch or carry or listen to carry (so that excludes watching movies, listening to music going for walk (though giving you walking targets day after day is another thing))

once that goal is set. do it. bloody do it!