Shephali Sharma’s Weblog » 2004

Rava Upma - Delicacy for all seasons

May 13th, 2004, Viewed: 144 times [Image of Rava Upma]

In my previous post I mentioned about a recipe named Rava Upma. This is a south Indian dish and can be eaten as a snack at teatime or breakfast. It has been passed on to me by my mother. Well here is how to prepare this dish for which my husband is crazy!

Ingredients
1 cup Rava (Semolina, Suji)
2 tsp.mustard seeds
1 stalk curry leaves
5 tsp. coriander leaves chopped
3 green chillies chopped
1 onion (medium size) chopped coarsely
2 tbsp. oil (refined)
2 tsp. lemon juice
2-3 cups boiling water
2 (medium size) tomato chopped evenly
1/4th cup green peas
1 potato (big size) chopped evenly into small pieces salt to taste

Method
Heat oil in a heavy pan.
Add mustard seeds and wait till you hear a cracking sound.
Add curry leaves and potato. Fry till the potatoes are almost cooked.
Now add the green chillies and onions. Stir and saute till the onions are pink.
Add the green peas, tomatoes, coriander leaves and stir for 2-3 minutes.
Add the the semolina and stir continuously till the semolina gives out a nice aroma and is a little brown in color.
It takes about 7-8 minutes to roast the semolina on low heat.
Add the salt and lemon juice and stir. Carefully pour in 2 cups boiling water and stir well.
Use a long handled ladle for stirring to keep away from the spluttering.
Keep on low heat and simmer for 2-3 minute still the water evaporates. If it feels too dry, add more water and stir.

Rava Upma is ready to eat!

- Shephali

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How much I love cooking?

May 13th, 2004, Viewed: 157 times

I always dreaded cooking. Before my marriage, my biggest concern was whether I will be able to cook? Everyday? I guess I need to provide some context hear. I am (for those you haven’t yet figured out) a typical Indian housewife. Indian wives by tradition are supposed to cook wonderful food for their husband - if not the whole household! So coming back to my big concern - how will I have the stamina to sustain myself through the whole process of cooking? And that too Indian food! I discussed my problem with my mother many times. The answer I got was very straight - “you will get used to it “. Well, I must admit she was right. I have really gotten used to it.

Now the question arises - DO I ENJOY cooking? Well, I have a very diplomatic answer for this. I love cooking special recipes on special occasions. Hmm…so the bottom line is, I don’t enjoy cooking everyday! Doing the same meal (the staple diet which consists of rice, pulses and vegetables) is really monotonous affair for me. Anyway, you have to live and for that you need to eat and in order to eat you need to cook.

Now, I can eat outside if I want to instead of cooking, but then both the purse and the stomach won’t allow it! So all these days of cooking has taught me that the key to being a good cook is PATIENCE. Well…Duh! Another important reason for eventually overcoming my fear of cooking (everyday!) is my husband’s unabashed love for whatever I cook! Really! He just loves my cooking and that has helped me in developing a passion for cooking. One of the food he relishes is “Rava Upma”. A south Indian speciality that requires a lot of preparatory work. If he be given a choice to select the food for his three meals, I bet on it that he will choose this dish every single time! And to think that he did not even like it when I had first met him! As I mentioned above, this dish takes a little time to cook but then I cook it almost everytime he wishes to eat. Needless to say my love for cooking is growing for some specific reason but the fact remains that I don’t love to cook everyday!!

- Shephali

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Time to ponder and rethink…

May 12th, 2004, Viewed: 154 times

Eve of War

Love brings joy, peace all around,
a father brings a toy, for his little boy confound.

Has the war begun, asks the young son,
playing with the gun, which his father had bought for fun.

He tells him it is time, to play the game again,
but he knows in the back of his mind, distracting him will be in vain.

A question by every child, who knows nothing of war,
everyone who smiled, cried in dismay what for.

He knows in the core of his heart, will never be able to explain,
it comes with all the wrath, is not simple and plain.

So small and naive, yet has so much to question,
who doesn’t know how to grieve, and knows nothing of aggression.

Such pure mind and soul, should be let to live a beautiful life,
if everyone has this same goal, there will be no suffering or strife.

Have the memories been erased, what war beholds for us,
the only balm which is chaste, is to say a no to yes.

- Shephali

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Need for awareness among doctors

May 9th, 2004, Viewed: 126 times

My three month old baby dozed off in the afternoon and I took some time out for a little surfing on the net. Well , saw this site www.docnotes.net. I came across the following article :

What Residents Don’t Know about Physician-Pharmaceutical Industry Interactions
Academic Medicine Online — Abstracts: Watkins and Kimberly 79 (5): 432
Internal medicine residents and faculty reported low levels of knowledge about physician-pharmaceutical industry relationships. Some consensus about educational components existed, but optimal educational formats remain uncertain. A six-hour curriculum to address this complex, emotionally charged topic was developed, implemented, and evaluated.

Well, this appears to be true in both the developed and the developing countries. Of course, the degree of ignorance may vary.There is need for awareness among the doctors. Especially the young, aspiring, ambitious ones. Let the pharmaceutical companies put in their effort. My thought is that doctors should use their brains and get the best from them and do everything in the good interest of the patients.

- Shephali

Posted in Medicine | No Comments »