Friday 27 April, 2007

Chilli Garlic Chicken with Pesto


I tried this last night for dinner. Its a dry and very spicy chicken preparation. It worked well as a side with plain steamed rice and curds last night.

Ingredients
  • 1 whole chicken ( about 900gms ) cut into medium pieces.
  • About 2 to 3 teaspoons of mustard oil
  • 5 to 6 peppercorns
  • half teaspoon of jeera / cumin seeds
  • 2 small sticks of cinnamon and 3 cloves
  • 1 medium sized onion sliced
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons of crushed or chopped fresh garlic ( more if you like garlic!)
  • Green Chilles sliced into halves. I used 4. Use to the level you can handle!
  • Readymade Pesto Sauce: About 2 teaspoons
  • thick cocunut milk: 2 or 3 teaspoons ( this is optional )
  • salt to taste
Method

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the jeera, cinnamon sticks, cloves, peppercorns. As it starts to splutter, add the onions. Fry the onions till they start to brown. Add the crushed garlic, chillies, pesto sauce and stir. Add the coconut milk. Add the chicken and salt. Stir well. Add a little water. Pressure cook till chicken is almost done. Open the cooker lid and reduce the liquid. Remove from fire when the chicken is fully done and the sauce is semi dry. Serve hot.

Thursday 26 April, 2007

Reading UG

Since my school days, books and material about matters of religion and spirituality have always come my way.

When I was around 9 or 10 years old, R aunty who lived downstairs offered me a big pile of books. Used books - stuff she was looking to dispose I suppose. I hesitated to take the throwaway offer.

When I told my mum about it, she - surprisingly - said it was ok to take the books because the content wouldn't be secondhand for me!

I am glad she approved. Because those books introduced me to all the interesting stories in the Bible. All the books were designed to introduce the Bible to children. Oh, what wonderful stories and so riveting.

I also remember attending satsangs with my best buddy R in our colony - where verses from the Gita would be read out and interpreted by a serene lady in a white saree with a benign smile. We would sit through because the lady in white was R's aunt and it wasnt so bad either.

Then came a Chinmayananda group for children - I forget - what it was called. That ran for a while.

In between all this, I had folks in the colony giving me very many books to read - Herman Hesse, OSHO's teachings, books talking about Hindu mythology, Greek Mythology, books on Buddhism and so on.

Later, I also met friends who shared books about classical philosphy, evolution of western thought and so on.

At home, the ritualistic aspects of Hinduism were fairly toned down - but we celebrated all Hindu festivals with great enthusiasm - so mainstream simple Hindu practises were also a part of my upbringing.

But I digress.. I meant to tell you about UG.

I discovered UG when I came across Mahesh Bhatt's deeply personal biography on UG - U.G. Krishnamurti: A Life. An excellent write on the men - UG and Mahesh.

I remember feeling so much relief that a man like UG exists! :) I dont know how else to express. UG refuses to be described with any of the words we know.

So its best you read him and figure out for yourself!

Currently, I am reading Mukunda Rao's biography on UG: The Other Side of Belief: Interpreting U.G. Krishnamurti. It is by far the best work on UG I have read so far.

The book poignantly begins with Mukunda's young daughter's death and takes an indepth look at UG's life. And all through, the author spends time talking about various philosophies and religions, incidents and beliefs that shape human thought and create a continuous consciousness. And juxtaposes it quite well with UG and what UG stands for - or rather all that he breaks down for us.

A compelling read and personally, I think its best to read this book after reading Mahesh Bhat's biography on UG.

Wednesday 25 April, 2007

Twinkle Tinkle Little Blog....

dict threw this up ( among other definitions ),

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) :

Twinkle \Twin"kle\, n.
1. A closing or opening, or a quick motion, of the eye; a
wink or sparkle of the eye.

Suddenly, with twinkle of her eye, The damsel broke
his misintended dart. --Spenser.

2. A brief flash or gleam, esp. when rapidly repeated.

3. The time of a wink; a twinkling. --Dryden.

Tinkle \Tin"kle\, n.
A small, sharp, quick sound, as that made by striking metal.
--Cowper.