Millet Mojo

Some colleagues from my office measure calories before buying lunch and are really into the 'Gluten free fad'. A few days ago I heard words like 'Sorghum Cookie Mix' from this lot. Wait!What? Isn't Sorghum the same old 'Jowar' that mum uses to make 'Jwarichi Bhakri' or 'Jowar Rotis' back home? That struck a chord somewhere and I was back home with this newly found zeal of making Jowar Bhakris.

So after a couple of calls to mum, mum-in-law and random you tube videos, I did try making these Bhakris, only to discover that making edible Jowar Rotis is a herculean task. I have been practising a few times now and have started enjoying the effort. Initial attempts where I was completely unable to make a well-formed, round bhakri devoid of any cracks were quite disheartening.

But if practice really makes women perfect, I will get there, some day. On researching more, it was clear that Sorghum is 'gluten-free' and hence it has no elastic property that otherwise comes in handy while making a flat bread using the rolling pin. The only way to make Jowar Rotis is to knead a perfect dough using boiling water and go pat, pat, pat with your hands. It is a resume worthy skill if you ask me.

Sorghum is indeed a super grain but also an ancient grain. It is naturally cooling in nature and was popular in Indian tradition as a brain food. It belongs to the category of 'Millets' which can grow in hilly areas without much irrigation required. I am not particularly literate when it comes to nutrition science but I do like the sweet taste of the Bhakri which is a good change from the usual wheat bread or chapati. We usually eat the bhakri (I cannot make the ultimate, softer version yet) with a leafy vegetable preparation and some sort of jazzy chutney. The one in the picture is a husband-made garlic chutney with hints of desiccated coconut, sesame seeds and red chillies. The vegetable preparation is Dill with Moong Dal - fills my kitchen with delicious aroma every time I make it. Also, much necessary is a dollop of ghee on the Bhakri.

The more I research, the more reason to believe in the goodness of traditional food from my grandma's kitchen. That wisdom seems timeless. So keep calm and bhakri mode on!

Print those pixels

The amount of photos I have on my phone, laptop, digicam and hard disks daunts me. The age of digital photography has made us all go snap happy and we take a lot more pictures than we care for. Like most others, all I was doing with my precious memory snippets was editing and sharing them to social media or dump them onto a hard drive. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy sharing pictures online and bask in the glory of instant publicity. But somewhere deep in my mind, I had this feeling of getting lost in this digital noise while feeding the culture of 'now and 'more'. 

So I have started printing my photos now.

Printing a bunch of photos, after careful selection, is a mind gym. It makes you smile. Or become teary eyed. It gives you a chance to reminisce about the time that has passed. Shoot, edit, print, repeat - that becomes the new cycle now. When you stumble upon a random selfie that you took while assembling an IKEA cupboard and finally print it out, it is satisfying.

Printed albums are forever. Remember the last time you searched for your childhood picture in those old, vintage looking photo albums back home? I am sure that felt good. It made you thank your parents for preserving precious moments on a tangible medium. Clicking a good picture involves lot of hard work and it deserves to be printed out. The transition from an image to an artifact, at least for a select few images, is a must.

A printed picture is not made for social media 'likes' or 'comments' or 'reactions'. It is for you. You can hold it, hang it on a wall and appreciate it. This is a powerful thing.

I wrote a letter ( I know, quite old school!) to my grandmother last week and posted it along with a printed photo. It was a photo from Denmark where my husband and I are posing prettily in front of colourful buildings. It made my grandma's day. Or perhaps week.

So do not let those pixels perish on hard disks, go print them!

Unmasking the mind

A visit to Venice during the annual masquerade carnival was one of the best things that happened to me this February. Mask wearers come across like a kaleidoscope of colours and are really very keen to be photographed. Such bold colours with an expression that gives nothing away!

                 

You may never know if the mask wearer is a man or a woman. Nor will you know if the mask wearer is rich or poor. No chances of knowing the colour of the artist's skin. It is a very heart warming way of unmasking your own mind and be unbiased for a few moments. 

The sense of mystery that the city creates is almost astonishing. There is no certainty about who will you stumble upon around the next corner.

The ability to hide your real identity is really powerful. A mask tells us more than a face they say.

Give them masks and they will speak the truth!