Harnaaz..You're are our Naaz!!

To be honest, I am elated that Miss Harnaaz won the Miss Universe 2021 title for India. The crown was back to India after 21 long years. My sincere appreciation to her for the self-belief, discipline, hard work and dedication she has put in to win the crown back, joining the league of shining personalities like Sushmita Sen and Lara Dutta.

And then I see this article in the Hindu. Read it here: 

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/miss-universe-2021-pageant-and-the-burden-of-beauty/article37953141.ece 

 An article blowing things out of proportion. Discrediting the positive aspects about pageants, which people have been talking about time and again. And The Hindu decided to publish the article unfairly slamming beauty pageants...After all the they have done to showcase that it is not about skin deep beauty. After giving stellar opportunities to identify and groom many famous personalities like Aishwarya Rai, Priyanka Chopra, Gal Gadot and Sushmita Sen who went are shining beacons of hope and inspiration to so many women across the globe.

Decided to write about it since I don't agree with the author. For example, read this para:

There was the crowning irony moment when India’s Harnaaz Sandhu, who became Miss Universe, passionately dissed beauty and declaimed, “Let’s talk about more important things happening worldwide…” while blithely forgetting that she was participating in an event in Israel amidst boycott calls and global concerns about the country’s ruthless settlement and suppression policy vis-à-vis Palestinians, an “important thing” that neither participants nor organizers were talking about.

It was obviously not in her control to decide the venue of the event. But it was her dream to win Miss Universe title. And when she has never talked about Israel-Palestine issue one cannot assume that she is unaware about it or she doesn’t care about it. Later in the article she criticises how Miss Harnaaz spoke about knowing you are unique and stop comparing yourself with others. I didn't know it is possible for someone to find fault with what she said, UNTIL... I read her article.

She doesn’t leave it there...read on:

In fact, some contestants posed with Palestinian costumes and food using a Visit Israel hashtag, oblivious to the blatant appropriation that allows Palestinian culture to be showcased even as Palestinians are systematically erased.

One can easily guess that whoever did this did not intend to disregard the struggle of the Palestinians. And there are more responsible people out there who are supposed to sort out these issues? Why blame the 20-year-olds who posed with Palestinian costume or food? How does finding fault with them contribute to solving the problem?

The author again goes on casting many more aspersions on Harnaaz as well as the Miss Universe pageant. My take on some of them:

 

1. Competing in a pageant is not about comparing. Then there should never be any contests. All contests are about selecting the best of the lot and it is not required to slam people competing as comparison.

 

2. High heels? How do you know they don't like high heels? If it were flats someone can very well say the contestants were not allowed to wear heels? Maybe we should have another contest - How to find faut with everything about an event you don't like?

 

3. Ridiculous props in the national costume round? Have you seen costumes in Met Gala? Have you heard of creativity?

 

4. 'They' meowed like cats? How many people did that? Why this exaggeration? Why see it out of context? Also, I am not able to comprehend the thought process of the author which led her to look down upon something done as part of friendly banter.

 

5. Beauty standards? Doesn't all contests have criteria? Don't we have similar contest for Men too…Do they come on board with pot bellies and slouched body language?

6. Western clothing? What else do you expect from a pageant originating from USA? Should they endorse Kimonas? 

 7. Another excerpt read: At an even more basic level — what really does a beauty pageant mean in a world where the perfect nose is a scalpel away and flawless skin comes in a bottle? Completely incoherent argument. I don't think I need to explain why. She is totally missing the point. 

One logical possibility of a negative influence of pageants on young women would be perhaps aspiring for unrealistic body proportions or beauty standards. But that is only a possibility and we should make women educated and smart enough to think for themselves what is right and wrong for them. 

 

So why did the author write this article? Perhaps the author is just plain jealous.

 

If we set out to find fault, it is possible to find fault with everything in the world. I think that is what she has proved. Harnaaz…just ignore the rants… Once again Congratulations from the bottom of my heart!!!

The Curious Case of a Dosa and White Coconut Chutney: What Cookery Shows Don’t Tell You

Let’s take the wonderful journey towards the preparation of the simple and humble morning breakfast, i.e., Dosa and Coconut Chutney. That’s it. And No, we are not going anywhere near Sambhar.

PREVIOUS DAY:

Inventory to be ready: White Rice and Urad Dal + some fenugreek

2.30 PM: 06 cups of rice to be soaked. It’s great if it soaks for a long 08 hours.

8.30 PM: 02 cups of Urad Dal to be soaked. One tablespoon of fenugreek to be soaked separately.

10.30 PM: Set up the Mixer Grinder and prepare the batter adding enough water. Add one scoop of cooked rice and soaked Fenugreek also. Transfer contents to a clean bowl. Add salt and stir. Allow it to rest.

CLEAN THE MIXER GRINDER IMMEDIATELY, BEFORE IT DRIES UP AND GIVES YOU A TOUGH TIME!!

Clean all the Utensils used for soaking the ingredients. Wash the tabletop to clear spilled batter.

Wash the cloth used to clean the tabletop and put it to dry. Clean the sink to remove any spilled batter drops. Simple da..

BREAKFAST MORNING:

Get up in the morning and smile. It’s a simple breakfast day!

Inventory to be ready: Dosa Batter, Grated Coconut, Small Onions, Green Chilli, Curry Leaves, Dry Red Chilli(whole), Ginger, Salt, Oil, Mustard, Boiled water.

8.00 AM: Find out the coconut to be sacrificed for the auspicious occasion. If you are lucky or if you bought it from the shop, it will be de-husked. If you are not, Congrats! you have earned the opportunity to do it yourself. Now the coconut has to be skilfully broken into two perfect hemispheres because that makes it easier to grate it perfectly. For accomplishing this feat, you must first take out the “Vakkathi”, the quintessential weapon in every Mallu home.

Now, seek the blessings of your Geometry teacher in your short silent prayer, hold the coconut and pay attention to your meek or not so meek hands so as not to hurt them. Strike hard in the centre of the sphere, I mean the coconut. If it did not break open, repeat the steps by laterally rotating the coconut with one hand. Relax, it comes with practice only.

                                                             

If you passed the test with two perfectly hemispherical coconut pieces with no injuries, well Congratulations again!! You have proved to be a true Mallu.

It’s not over, move to the coconut grater, it can be the one fixed to tabletop, it can also be the one kept on the floor which requires you to mount yourself on top of it first, find your balance and then begin grating.

                                                                                                             

Grate the coconut without injuring yourself. Partition the contents into two: One portion for the Chutney and the rest to be stored in the Fridge.

Clean the mess around the coconut grate Area. And yes, yet again, clean the cleaning cloth again to remove the coconut particles stuck to it and allow it to dry. Dispose the “Chirata” or the Shell along with all the broken pieces it would have generated during the great smash. Clean the floor/table once again, as the case maybe.

Now that the main ingredient for Chutney is ready, ascertain the availability of other raw materials/ingredients required.

The big question now is: Do you have Curry Leaves?

If not, run to your kitchen garden or give a shout out to your neighbour.

Is it in the fridge..? How long has it been there? You may be in trouble. Take it out, see what’s left of the stuff, clean the healthy leaves and keep it aside. Don’t forget to dispose the bad curry leaves and the plastic cover separately. Waste management is to be done right you see.

Clean the small onions (also known as Sambhar Onions but fear not, as mentioned earlier we are going nowhere near Sambhar right now). Wash and dice the cleaned onions and keep aside. Put aside the onion skin along with other organic stuff to be disposed.

Wash green chillies (as required) and ginger (one small piece) and prepare them also for the grind.

Do you have Dried Red Chilli? The fun is in the tadka dear. Run…run in search of the packet. Check if it is good for use or showing signs of fungus attack. In any case, you want to ensure its edible, clean it with a dry cloth and heat it slightly to take out the moisture and kill all the germs. Your Dry Red Chillies are ready! Once again, clean the damn cloth and allow it to dry.

Time for the mixer grinder once again. This time, it’s the smaller bowl. Transfer the grated coconut, the cleaned, diced small onions, the chopped ginger, green chillies (2-3). Add some salt and some hot water. You didn’t boil water? Ok…well that’s the first thing to do in kitchen. You should have done it without saying. Nevertheless, pour some normal water and give it a nice grind in the mixer grinder.

Take out your Pan, pour some oil, when it heats up, put the mustard. Stay safe from the boiling oil and popping mustard and skilfully add dry Red Chillies broken into half, along with the curry leaves into the pan without splashing oil drops onto your sweet face. Once it changes colour, add the contents in the mixer grinder, and give a nice stir. Add boiled water/normal water to adjust consistency.

Check salt. Once its finely cooked, switch off the gas and transfer the chutney neatly into a bowl.

Put the pan and the ladle in the sink. You can Clean the gas stove if you believe in the clean as you go principle or simple choose to clean it at the end of the day.

Time is not standing still; earth has rotated a little more. But what time is it by now, depends on your speed and skill at this craft called “Cooking”.

MAYBE 8.45 OR 9.00 AM: Make tea. Store neatly in a flask. Flask will be ready only if you washed it the previous day. Put the utensils in the sink. Shoo away ants approaching the sugar jar and tightly close the lid.

MAYBE 9.15 AM: Take out the Tava and start making Dosa, nice round and crisp. Add ghee for the Healthy folks separately and no ghee for the not so healthy folks. Store separately in Casseroles. If all of them like it the same way, you save the time washing an extra Casserole. Put the tava in the sink. Keep remaining batter in the refrigerator.

MAYBE 9.30 AM: Watch hungry people finish the breakfast in less than 10 minutes and get on with their life.

MAYBE 10.00 AM: Finish washing all the remaining plates, cups, Katoris, Pans, Tava, Spoons, the Mixer grinder bowl and clean the Dining Area and Sink. Once again, wash the cleaning cloth and put it to dry. Clean the Mixer Grinder and take off the plug from the socket and secure the cord neatly. Through away the organic waste in the backyard and keep all plastic waste ready for disposal.

Forgot to have breakfast? Oh! Please have it!

That’s the end of the show…Now you are free to cook Lunch! Smile!

***

P.S: Although I have kept the narration gender neutral, it is to be noted that the dangerous feats involving use of weapons and sharp objects like Vakkathi and Coconut grater, are many a times taken up by menfolk, in a grand gesture to protect family members from any possible harm. And in such cases, it is possible that the grated coconut will be readily available in the fridge. However, special care to be taken to not allow children anywhere near such dangerous endeavours.

Also, cleaning the workspace can be undertaken together at the end of the activity instead of the intermittent spells.

TO MY DEAR APPA

 After a long long time, I am coming back to my blog. Blame it on the Corporate Life. I had forgotten myself. I think I am back now. 

And today is Father's Day. Last year this time, I never thought in near future, this day would pass with out my father. I had a normal conversation with him. But life never promised to play fair, and I lost him in a months time. 

So, this is in memory of my father, my Appa.

Dear Appa,

Most of my memories start from when I turned four. My fondest memories begin with you. Thank you.

As kids, our evenings were spent waiting for you to arrive. I would have finished my homework. And we would be looking forward as to how best to pester you for the rest of the day. You come up at the door, we are already demanding to be lifted up in turns.

As soon as you settle down for tea, me and chechi are already taking turns to sit on your lap and sliding down like we are in a park already. Thank you for being our makeshift children’s park.

Come dinner time, my efforts are concentrated on booking my seat on your lap and eating dinner from your plate always, before even my sister can think about it.

Thank you for your patience.

Thank you for scooping me up from bed in the morning, Putting me up on a chair, washing my face and making me brush my teeth, so that I am ready for school.

Thank you for the playtime in the terrace. For making Olapandu for us. Thank you for lifting me as a kid whenever I demanded. I used to feel I was on top of the world…felt like the tallest person around because you are so tall.. Thank you for throwing me up in the air. Up there, I used to feel I am flying. My giggles echoed the place. And there was no room for fear because I knew you would catch me.

Thank you for taking us for long walks. So that I could see paddy fields and ducks in the evenings

Thank you for taking us to the park. We played and ran around to our hearts content.

I was so naughty beyond perhaps what you imagined a kid would be like. I have the best mom in the world but I was such a terrible daughter, even she would lose her cool. Thank you for saving me countless times from Amma’s bashings. Sometimes, all could hope for was for you to return from office and save me from her beatings.

Thank you for all the shopping sprees. The new clothes, trips to Marine Drive. Cone Ice cream, Frooti. Couldn’t ask for more.

Thanks for the trips to meet Appachen Ammachi, in our all time faviourite St.Thomas Bus from Aluva.

Thank you for the song story you taught us.

Thank you for slicing juicy mangoes for us, as the three of us stood competing for the next one.

Thankyou,

For ironing our uniforms and clothes.

For cooking occasionally

For carrying groceries and vegetables to home thousands of times for us

For coming to see me off in the bus stop.

For quietly placing the plum cake in the fridge, a night before my birthday, along with all the things required to make chicken biriyani and payasam but never wishing me Happy Birthday.

For paying up our school fees all the time. Thinking back nothing breaks my heart more. I knew it was so hard on you. But you did it as long as you could.

My childhood mornings remind me of the smell of Old Spice aftershave and your shaving kit, which I figured out I will never grow up to use. Your morning routine those days -Your exercise, the morning radio news, Abba Music, the ironing shirt and trousers for office, the newspaper and tea- which I was keen to hijack from you, mostly just the newspaper.

Yeah, I miss you Appa. Not a day passes without thinking about you a hundred times.

We were not very keen about calling and wishing on special occasions. And never thought twice about it. Why did I behave as though we are immortal, I don’t know.

But Last year, I wished you Happy Father’s Day from Kolkata, I had no idea it would be the first and last time.

Where did you go Appa?

Why did you go? It’s just not fair. Do you know how it feels to look at your father's phone number and not know what to do with it once he's gone? I think you do, in a different way. 

There was much more left to be done..

We had lot of catching up to do..

I wish you were here.

I would call you occasionally. We could go for small trips. Go for the long walks.

I could come home and still see you bringing tea powder and rava and onions and vegetables.

I could see you read your news paper. Take your afternoon naps and do your bit of gardening and plumbing.

I could ask about your health. I could buy you occasional gifts.

I could irritate you just like I used to as a kid.

We could go back together to Mannathoor and go house hopping, meetings all relatives. While you would do the talking, I could sit back and listen to the conversations.

I could see your innocent smile and listen to your analysis of the current geo political- economic situation.

I could see you drink tea and watch TV and sit by the side. Such a rare contented feeling. Sitting next to your parent. Never realized that all the time I was at home. Had to go out into the world and get separated from family to see the value in it.

The only solace is that I am 50% you. I am a piece of you that you’ve left behind. So, you are alive through me.

I take you forward. I keep you alive as long as I am alive. You are still very much there because we are there.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY APPA.

Love, Remya.