Fried CatFish on bed of Cabbage, seasoned with Coconut and Poppy seeds

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons of Poppy Seeds
• 2 teaspoons of Fennel
• 2 teaspoons of Jeera
• 1 1/2 tablespoon of Pepper corns
• 10 Curry leaves
• 1/3 can of coconut milk
• 1/3 can of water
• 1 medium sized Onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon of Garlic Paste
• 2 medium sized tomatoes, chopped
• 6 pieces of Cat fish, each about 2 inch squares
• 1 quarter of medium sized Cabbage, chopped fine

Steps

1. Grind the Poppy seeds, Pepper Corns, Jeera and Fennel seeds in dry grinder
2. Heat the oil in a Tawa
3. Put the Curry leaves in the hot oil for 30 seconds
4. Add the ground powder from step 1 and fry for another minutes
5. Add garlic and fry
6. Add chopped onions an fry till the onions turn brown
7. Add the tomatos and fry till the tomatos well
8. Add coconut milk and equal amount of water and cook till the added water is gone
9. Remove some of the sauce into a bowl, enough to batter the pieces of fish with
10. Reduce the the gravy a bit further into a thick sauce
11. Add the finely chopped cabbage and fry for 1 minute
12. Take of the heat and transfer into a square serving plate
13. Batter the pieces of fish in the gravy saved for battering in step 9
14. Shallow fry in hot vegetable oil about 3 minutes each side
15. Lay the fried fish on on the bed of cooked Cabbage  

Poached Cat Fish in a Coconut Poppy seed gravy

Ingredients

• 6 pieces of Cat fish, each about 2 inch squares
• 2 teaspoons of Poppy Seeds
• 2 teaspoons of Fennel
• 2 teaspoons of Jeera
• 1 1/2 tablespoon of Pepper corns
• 10 Curry leaves
• 1/3 can of coconut milk
• 1/3 can of water
• 1 medium sized Onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon of Garlic Paste
• 2 medium sized tomatoes, chopped

Steps

1. Grind the Poppy seeds, Pepper Corns, Jeera and Fennel seeds in dry grinder
2. Heat the oil in a Tawa
3. Put the Curry leaves in the hot oil for 30 seconds
4. Add the ground powder from step 1 and fry for another minutes
5. Add garlic and fry
6. Add chopped onions an fry till the onions turn brown
7. Add the tomatos and fry till the tomatos well
8. Add coconut milk and equal amount of water and cook till the added water is gone
9. Lay the pieces of Cat fish in the gravy, scoop an dour some of the gravy on top of the pieces of fish. After a couple of minutes and turn the fishes and cook for another couple of minutes
10. Get of the heat and transfer to a serving bowl

Persian Saffron Rice - A 24 hour process

Ingredients

• 1 cup Basmati rice
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• pleanty of salt
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
• 3-4 pieces of saffron
• potato or uncooked chapathi or cooked naan, or yogurt  for "taadig"

Steps

1. Wash the Basmati Rice 5-6 times in water until the run off is clear
2. Soak the rice in salted water for a whole day, about 22 hours. The water must be very salty. Say like tablespoon on salt for every 2 cups of water that you use for soaking.
3. Drain the water out of the soaking rice
4. Bring to boil the drained salty water and add extra water to make sure there 3 cups of water boiling for every cup of rice
5. Add the rice to boiling water and cook for 10-15 minutes(depending on the rice) until the rice is cooked but not mushy. The rice should still have a bit of bite to it and not fully cooked.
6. When done dump the rice into a strainer to strain out the water.
7. Take 2 spoons of the boiling water and mix well with the sugar and saffron and keep aside
8. In a non-stick cooking pot, heat on high and drop the butter and the oil. 
9. When hot add 1/2 cup of water and stir well till the oil and water mix
10. Then poor the liquid out to a bowl, leaving a little bit of it in the bot
11. Layer the bottom of the pot with items for taadig. i.e. slices of potato, uncooked chapathi or a couple of spoons of yogurt mixed with couple of spoons of rice.
12. Then put the rice back into the pot on top of the taadig layer in a mound. 
13. Put some vertical holes into the mound for the rice to breath
14. Pour the water/oil mixture around the rice
15. Pour the saffron water on the rice.
16. Cover the pot with lid wrapped with towel
17. Turn the heat on Medium-High for 5 minutes
18. Then to Medium-Low and cook for 1 hour
19. Remove from heat and immediately immerse the pot in cold water to stop the cooking
20. Scoop out the rice in the bowl
21. Then cover the pot with a plate and invert pot to get the taadig out of the pot
22. "Taadig" is the crusted layer at the bottom and is considered a delicacy by itself

A Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Part 3 - A Choice

In Love - A Choice?

I know whose right for you, my mom calls in,
You must find someone, the chorus chimes in,
My friends and their neighbors try setting me up,
I am sure by now, they're completely fed up,
Fake it till you make it, some then say,
My answer to them, I've tried that way,
Arranged marriage, another contends,
Been down that road, I know where it ends.

Friends with benefits another suggests,
Or a glitzy life of carnal conquests,
To hell with love, a date once texts,
Just shut up and give me some sex,
What good is sex with no love, I say,
How can you say no to sex, you must be gay,
In total desperation, I throw up my hands,
How do you explain, to those who won't understand.

To love or not, is not a conscious choice,
Its the only topic, where logic's got no voice,
With the way I think, if you have a qualm,
She still loves you! Why? Ask your mom.

Vegas, or Venice or Half Moon Bay,
Which, one picks, you can never say,
Love is the same, should I dare say,
Can never tell, to whom, your heart'll sway.

Love, you must, feel in your bone,
Anything less, I know, I will bemoan,
Love her more,  every milestone,
"Loved like no other", on my gravestone.

Its not my choice, to march to a fife,

To just spawn upriver, like an alewife,
Adore i must, to make my wife,
To wake with her, the rest of my life.


I have, but a life, to live and bet,
I will not subsist with any regret,
If a cat, I am, with seven to live,
I will do this again and not misgive.


Yes, drama, my life, ur at the edge of your seat,
Does'nt mean you boo, and give me such heat,
My life is perfect, just nice and neat,
Won't mess it up, because you browbeat.

Sure, set me up, every way you mean,

Be her black, white, even alien green,
Then shut the hell up, go hatch a new scheme,
Let me listen to my heart and follow my dream.


Part 2 - In Love - It Feels

Copyright (c) Sarvi Shanmugham

A Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Part 2 - It Feels

In Love - It Feels?

The chatter drowns, for a single voice,
The crowd blurs, for a single choice,
Anger dies with a single touch,
A day without her doesn't mean much.

Back from work, the look on her face,
A kiss, a coffee, you'll slow your pace,
Moments like these, you can't erase,
A rough day gone, without a trace.

She waltzes in with a child like grace,
Flashes a smile, and leaves you in a daze,
She fills your life, every nook and space,
Like a breath of fresh air, after a very long race.


You'll smell her skin like she was fine wine,
Swirl her, sip her, and go for her waistline,
Taste her cheeks, her lips, her neckline,
She'll make you feel like you're drunk on moonshine.

Like a lovely siren she rolls in bed,
You'll love the way she smells fresh bread,
With a single look she can drop you dead,
If you survive, you'll still be a love sick bonehead.

Never in a millions years, you used to moan,
Famous last words,  that since have flown,
No one eats your brain, you used to run,
Now happily you serve it, rare, medium or well done.


That look, though rare, that drives you mad,
The hug so tender you want it bad,
Pure agony flies, with that lingering kiss,
If it means one more, you will gladly want this.

When you know its time, to bid adieu,
Time has flown by and its her curfew,
You can't let go, you are super glue,
Its one more minute, o god, please make it two.

Part 1 - In Love - It Means   

Part 3 - In Love - A Choice

Copyright (c) Sarvi Shanmugham

A Crazy Little Thing called Love - Part 1 - It Means

In Love - It Means 

Love you crazy, you're only mine,  say they.
Love you crazy, without you I'd die, say they.
Love you crazy, no one else in your life, say they.
Love you crazy, I must be your wife, say they.
Love you crazy, stalk you where you go, say they.
Love you crazy, can never leave therefore, say they.

Well, say these, they may not, but think these, they sure do.
Love themselves, they do. In Love, truly, they are not.

A mother's love, is unconditional, I know.
A father's love, protects with his life, I know.
A brother's love, stands by you, I know.
A sister's love, misses you every day, I know.
A friend's love, accepts you the way you are, I know.

Well, say these, they may not, but act this way, they do.
True love, it is.

True love, matters not they feel the same, I say.
True love, lets them fly though driven insane, I say.
True love, protects their smile whatever it takes, I say.

True love, will live to love even if its heart breaks, I say.

True love, moves mountains for a moment, I say.
True love, expects nothing in return, I say.

Test of a strong heart, it is. To love some one this way, easy, it is not. 

But True Love, it is I say.

Part 2 - In Love - It Feels

Copyright (c) Sarvi Shanmugham

Dalai Lama's rules for Existence

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk. 

2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

3. Follow the three Rs:

1. Respect for self 
2. Respect for others
3. Responsibility for all your actions

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck. 

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly

6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship

7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it

8. Spend some time alone every day

9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer

11. Live a good, honourable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time

12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past

14. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality

15. Be gentle with the earth

16. As often as possible, go someplace you’ve never been before

17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other

18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it