eBook Review: A SCANDALOUS PROPOSITION By MM George

Ranbir Dewan is a multimillionaire businessman. Mira has recently moved to Delhi from Meerut. Sparks fly when the two meet. He offers to bed her for a price and Mira is scandalised. But she is unable to refute the deep attraction she feels for him. Would the boss of Dewan Group of Industries be interested in the assistant cook working in his office cafeteria? You will need to read the book to find out.

What can I say! I felt transported to my teens when I read this book. It was like falling in love with romance all over again, only this time it was set right here in India and not in some remote corner of England. Boy! George aka Mimmy Jain has woven a lovely story in superb English that is simply delightful. I could not stop midway as the story flowed so smoothly and just had to be finished at one go. Ranbir is an ideal romantic hero and Mira is his perfect match. A drool-worthy read indeed!

Mimmy Jain, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your book and look forward to more.

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Recipe: CHANNA MASALA

Channa Masala

Hotel Ramdeo in Sion used to serve the most delicious Channa Masala that I have ever tasted. While the restaurant is still very much part of Sion West, the standard has deteriorated so badly that we have stopped going there.

But I did my best to reinvent the Channa Masala in my own kitchen and the result was quite delicious.

INGREDIENTS

Kabuli Channa – 250 gm (soaked for 6-8 hours)

Kabuli Channa

Bay leaf – 2
Jeera – ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder – 1 pinch
Oil – 2 tbsp
Jaggery – 2 tbsp
Kotmir – 2 tbsp (chopped)

Masala

Onion – 2 (medium)
Tomato – 2 (medium)
Garlic – 5-6 cloves
Ginger – ½ inch piece

Masala Powders

Garam masala powder – ¼ tsp
Turmeric powder – 1 large pinch
Chilli powder – ¾ tsp
Dhania powder – ¼ tsp
Jeera powder – ¼ tsp

METHOD

1. Cook the soaked channa along with water, salt and a pinch of turmeric powder for 8 whistles.
2. Grind the masala ingredients to a smooth paste.
3. Take a saucepan and heat the oil in it.
4. Add the jeera and bay leaf and wait for them to crackle before adding the ground masala.
5. Allow this to cook for 4-5 minutes with a lid on it. Stir from time to time.
6. Add all the masala powders and mix well before letting the mixture cook for a few more minutes.
7. Switch off the gas when you see the oil separating from the gravy.
8. Now add the gravy to the channa in the pressure cooker and mix well.
9. Add the jaggery and allow the whole mixture to cook together for 5 minutes.
10. Remove to a serving bowl and garnish with kotmir.

Serve hot with puris, rotis or rice. Believe me when I say it’s super-yummy.

eBook Review: GIRL FROM FATEHPUR By Sarita Varma

Sanjana is shocked when Krish proposes marriage. She is not sure she wants to marry her colleague but he appears to take her for granted. That’s when she escapes to Fatehpur to attend a family wedding. Rajan turns up unexpectedly. In her teens, Sanjana had believed herself in love with Rajan. But he had not been interested. When opportunities throw Sanjana and Rajan together, again and again, she begins to dream of a second chance. But Krish turns up at the wedding in pursuit of her. Read Girl From Fatehpur to find out who will be the lucky man to get Sanjana.

It’s a lovely story woven together in well written English by Sarita Varma. I enjoyed the building up of relationship between the main characters. The wedding scene, the Kumbh Mela and the car ride taken by Rajan and Sanjana to Fatehpur make for an interesting read. The love triangle between Krish, Sanjana and Rajan keeps the reader hooked till the end, hoping that she would land up with the right man. Congratulations Sarita Varma! Way to go! Looking forward to more from you!

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Recipe: KARARI BHINDI

Karari Bhindi

Well, I am proud to say that this recipe is my own creation. It’s not only a hit with my family, but also my friend and her family. Bhindi or lady’s finger is very good for health. That said, it might be difficult to persuade people to eat it unless it is deeply fried. That way, the chances are that it loses all its healthy properties. The way I make it, the dish is quite tasty as well as it retains at least some of its vitamins and other ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

Lady’s finger (Bhindi) – ½ kg (cut into ½ inch pieces)
Oil – 3 tbsp
Rai – ½ tsp
Jeera – ½ tsp
Kotmir – 1 tbsp (chopped)

Raw mix

Besan – 4 tbsp
Salt to taste
Dhania powder – ½ tsp
Jeera powder – ½ tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Chilli powder – ½ tsp (can be more or less as per taste)
Hing powder – 1 large pinch
Garam masala powder – ¼ tsp (optional)

METHOD

1. Take a large mixing bowl and place the cut lady’s fingers in it.
2. Add all the items under ‘raw mix’ and gently mix with the bhindi till each one is well coated.
3. Keep aside for about half an hour, while mixing two or three times in between.
4. Heat a non-stick kadai and add the oil to it. When the oil is hot, crackle the rai and jeera before adding the bhindi mixture.
5. Cook gently on slow to medium fire, stirring gently from time to time. Make sure that the bhindi pieces don’t break.
6. Once it’s well cooked, switch off the gas, remove to a serving dish, garnish with kotmir.

Karari Bhindi tastes super yummy with rotis and puris.

NOTE: If you prefer to have Karari Bhindi with South Indian sambar or rasam rice, avoid using garam masala powder.

Film Review: YEH JAWANI HAI DIWANI

The Kapoor waaris keeps getting better and better! 

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Kunaal Roy Kapoor, Kalki Koechlin, Farooq Sheikh, Tanvi Azmi
Director: Ayan Mukerji

THE STORY

The film begins with Aditi’s (Kalki Koechlin) wedding invitations being sent to her best friends Naina (Deepika Padukone), Kabir aka Bunny (Ranbir Kapoor) and Avinash aka Avi (Aditya Roy Kapoor). Aditi is getting married to Taran (Kunaal Roy Kapoor). Seeing the invite takes Naina down memory lane eight years back. We see in flashback how the shy, introvert Naina, became friends with the other three. Naina falls in love with Kabir who does not want to be tied down to one woman. Back to the present, Kabir is living his dream of travelling the world as a photo journalist. Avi runs a business that is going down the drain while he drinks and gambles his way through life. Naina is a practising doctor living in Mumbai. The rest of the film is set against the backdrop of the many programmes that take place at Aditi’s wedding in Udaipur. Naina falls in love with Kabir all over again. Will he ever return her feelings?

MY PERCEPTION

The film is a typical modern romance with a lot of glamour and glitter. The trek to Manali has been beautifully filmed. The music and dance during the events leading up to Aditi’s wedding are quite entertaining and well made.

Deepika, for a change, does not play a dumb party girl and has added a few depths to the character of Naina. She’s has come a long way and finally, it was nice to see her in a proper role.

Ranbir Kapoor! Well, what is there to say that has not already been said? He’s just amazing and does a superb job of playing Kabir – an affectionate son, a loyal friend and a man desperate to live his dreams. All the while, he appears to be someone with no heart. Ranbir’s subtle acting adds so many layers to the character and we can but sit back and applaud. He has his mother Neetu’s eyes and they are so expressive. Kudos!

Aditya Roy Kapoor – I probably would not have noticed him if I had not seen Aashiqui 2 before this one. While he has a major role, I felt quite fed up of seeing the same act of a drunkard throughout the film. He was passable.

Kalki Koechlin was very good in her role as Aditi. From being an irresponsible youngster who is so in love with Avi, she grows up to being a responsible adult who genuinely values her relationship with Taran. Well done, Kalki!

While it was a fun watch, when you get back home and sit back to think about it, it makes you wonder what was really there in the film. Well, just as the title suggests, ‘Jawaani is Diwaani’. The film is all about how these four friends – rather three, not counting Avi – grow up to become mature adults.

One thing that I could not quite digest is how everyone keeps drinking non-stop. There appears to be a kind of desperation as each and every scene is with all of them – with the exception of Naina, sometimes – drinking away their lives. Are today’s youth so brainless?

VERDICT: It’s worth a watch, especially to see Ranbir in action! He’s just amazing!

RATING: ***Smart

*Silly
**Shaky
***Smart
****Snazzy
*****Super

Recipe: GARAM MASALA POWDER

Garam Masala Powder

Garam masala is a common ingredient used in Indian cooking, especially in North India. Of course, the easiest way to stock this is to get a ready made packet from your grocer.

Only I find that the ready made garam masala does not have a strong flavour. It’s also red in colour as it probably contains more chilli than anything else. That’s why I make my own recipe at home.

If you love to cook from fresh ingredients and don’t mind the little bit of extra effort, then you have come to the right place.

INGREDIENTS

Fennel Seeds – 50 gm
Poppy Seeds – 10 gm
Cloves – 10 gm
Cinnamon – 5 gm
Cardamom – 10 gm
Black cardamom – 2
Star Anise – 4
Black Pepper – 1 tbsp
Mace – 5 gm
Stone flower – 5 gm

1. Cloves; 2. Star Anise; 3. Fennel Seeds; 4. Black Pepper; 5. Mace; 6. Cardamom; 7. Black Cardamom;
8. Poppy Seeds; 9. Stone Flower; 10. Cinnamon

METHOD

1. Take a dry saucepan and roast the fennel seeds till they slightly change colour.
2. Add the rest of the masala ingredients and roast for a short while so that they have no dampness in them. This ensures that the masala powder does not get spoilt over a long period.
3. Cool the ingredients and then grind them in a mixer to a fine powder.
4. Store in a glass jar and use when required.

If the garam masala will last you more than three months, it’s best to store it in an airtight container in your freezer.

eBook Review: ONLY A DREAM By Jazz Singh

Rhea holds a senior position in a hotel chain. To her shock, the chain has been sold out to Varun and his father. She had never thought she would set eyes on Varun, ever again. They had been so in love a few years back – until Varun had betrayed her in the worst way possible. Now it looks like he wants them to get back together. Is Rhea ready for her heart to be broken once again?

A cute love story with a five star hotel in the background! Then there are Varun’s friends Ajay and Kirpal who also become Rhea’s friends. A very typical Indian scenario with the parents of both main characters in the background and a lot of back and forth between the two in the form of dialogue throughout the book, keep the reader hooked.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Only a Dream by Jazz Singh. I look forward to reading another book by the same author which is called Against All Odds.

I have to mention here that the cover by Mariyam Iftikar looks delicious.

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