Saturday, May 16, 2009
congress sweeps delhi.......
hey guys i suppose al of u were supporting congress....... if yes then rejoice coz the upa gov is bak n wid wat great scorecard !!! yuppee m really happy...... thou a sardar rules our country..... but thank god atleast ironically he possesses a superman's brain h e h e....... lets c how things shape up in the coming years under the umbrella of cong's again ...... congratulations to them !!!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Solar Panel - Part III
Hey guys, I am back. This time I'll talk a little bit about batteries and electrical circuits and will try to keep it short and simple. I've decided that instead of boring you with the basics of physics I am gonna provide you guys with the links of the websites that will fulfill your thirst for knowledge, however, if anyone doesn't understand anything, they are more than welcome to drop me an email/comment.
Circuits in series adds the potential difference across each component with the current remaining the same while circuits in parallel have same potential difference with different current across each component. Click here for more details.
To learn some basics about deep cycle batteries, you can visit here.
Let's start building a 60-watt solar panel. First things first, considering someone like me, who had no components. The components required to build a solar panel are:
1. Solar cells
2. Rosin flux pen/liquid
3. Tabbing wire
4. Bus wire
5. Plywood
6. Plexi-glass
7. Diode/charge controller
8. EVA Sheets/UV Guard
I bought most of the stuff from ebay. However, you can also try Amazon or other places/hardware stores.
I bought a bunch of 1.75-watt solar cells - 0.5 volts and 3.6 Amp per cell. Since I was doing it for the first time, I bought 50 of those because I knew I'll break a few of them while soldering or tabbing. These cells are very delicate, a little pressure and they crack. The cells I bought were 3-inch x 6-inch in area.
The top and bottom of these solar cells are the negative and positive side respectively. We'll talk more about these when we start tabbing and interconnecting the cells. Till then, have a good one!
Circuits in series adds the potential difference across each component with the current remaining the same while circuits in parallel have same potential difference with different current across each component. Click here for more details.
To learn some basics about deep cycle batteries, you can visit here.
Let's start building a 60-watt solar panel. First things first, considering someone like me, who had no components. The components required to build a solar panel are:
1. Solar cells
2. Rosin flux pen/liquid
3. Tabbing wire
4. Bus wire
5. Plywood
6. Plexi-glass
7. Diode/charge controller
8. EVA Sheets/UV Guard
I bought most of the stuff from ebay. However, you can also try Amazon or other places/hardware stores.
I bought a bunch of 1.75-watt solar cells - 0.5 volts and 3.6 Amp per cell. Since I was doing it for the first time, I bought 50 of those because I knew I'll break a few of them while soldering or tabbing. These cells are very delicate, a little pressure and they crack. The cells I bought were 3-inch x 6-inch in area.
The top and bottom of these solar cells are the negative and positive side respectively. We'll talk more about these when we start tabbing and interconnecting the cells. Till then, have a good one!
Solar Panels
Sorry guys...the third article in building solar panels will be online tomorrow...I have been busy with my work lately..ciao!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
bak wid a bang !!!
hey all of u there... m bk but after a long gap...n my apologies fr that.... actually i lost the blogging spirit mid way.... i suppose may b coz my lif was jus dragging thru an extremely boring phase... rather unproductive...to be frank he he... with so much happening around the world i was simply sitting wid my same old thesis ... very monotonous trust me.. but now wid my new Research Assistant profile m rokin once again!!! its rightly said that 'its better to b busy wid smthng worthwhile than to sit on smthng hopeless' ... god i really feel the job offer was perfect in time to bless me wid dis happening lif... 'Think Tanks' r a very cool option to work wid specially wen u wrkin in ur expertise area he he... i mean Southeast Asia in particular..the other day v had an amazing seminar where our very own foreign secretary Mr Shiv Shankar Menon talked about how India is surrounded by neighbours in crisis situations currently .. its really sad to see nations like Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the very recent Nepal undergng such a major national breakdown. It is certainly a crucial phase for india as well to decide between a flexible containment of its enemies or a selective engagement with its friends in the neighbourhood. I mean being a student of international relations, i can really understand the significant strings attached to the foreign policy of the country presently. To top it all, the peaceful yet dangerous rise of China is another issue of great concern. He actually stated that the ministry of external affairs requires some very qualified set if IR specialists to influence and provide useful suggestions in the policy making task in india. it is a bad time for our country to be placed amidst such disturbed parts of the globe... Even India-Southeast Asia relations were jeopardized by the 'Red Shirts' protesting in Thailand resulting in the cancellation of the ASEAN summit...... as an aftermath the long awaited India ASEAN FTA(free trade agreement) , India's first multilateral engagement ever, is postponed indefinitely.... v can say its just not one of the best time period for nations around the world, with the 'swine flu' acting as an icing on the cake ha ha ha ......lets wait n watch the end result of all this 'Sturm und Drang (state of disturbance and disorder).... and yes if u all wanna knw anythng more about all these issues jus let me knw ... ill provide u wid da links... or jus go to ipcs.org he he ... dont u guys feel even god should give the world a break ..... he should understand we r still fighting the recession he he he n not yet ready for any more troubles ....??? wat say .... catch u later ...
Solar Panels-Part II
We will talk about some basics in this blog before we begin to put together our own solar panel system. A good article that explains the working of a solar cell can be read here. The solar energy absorbed by our solar cells then requires a storage, i.e. a rechargeable battery. Finally, we would need an inverter to convert direct current (DC) supplied by the battery to alternating current (AC) for majority of our household appliances.
I have started with building a stand-alone system for two reasons: Affordability and portability. We can move a stand-alone system from room to room as per our necessity, keep it in our vehicles, or take it with us while camping, boating, etc. It is also easier to understand the workings/components of a stand-alone system.
Let us take a couple of example and see how we can save some money:
How much does it cost to make our dinner? The menu includes slow roasted chicken and some fried greens. Suppose the chicken is roasted for an hour and the greens are fried for 15 minutes. The oven and the hot plate operates continuously at 1500-watt and 1200-watt respectively.
Power, P, (watts) = Current, I (Ampere) x Voltage, V (Volt)
Energy, E = Power, P x Time, t = 1.5 kW x 1 hr + 1.2 kW x 15/60 hr = 1.8 kWh
Suppose your electricity company charges you 10 cents/kWh
Therefore, the cost of making dinner = $0.1/kWh x 1.8 kWh = $ 0.18
Suppose you do the same for a year, therefore, the cost of making the same dinner for a year would be = $ 0.18 x 365 days = $65.70
So, if you use your battery and inverter to make dinner and then charge your battery through the solar panel, that'll save you $65.70 per year of electricity cost.
Think about how much you can save with a high capacity battery, inverter and solar panel. Of course, professionally built solar panels don't come cheap and that is the reason why one should sit down and make a reasonable estimation of their electricity consumption and evaluate how much time it may take to break even the investment in a solar panel system. It is also advisable to optimize the electricity usage with proper insulation, use of "energy star" appliances, and temperature regulation.
Now, let us calculate (roughly) the area of solar panels required for a house in Harrisburg, PA that consumes 1200 kWh per month or 40 kWh/day. We'll neglect the tilt requirement in this case. The cost of electricity is assumed to be 10 cents/kWh. Assume one solar cell in your panel has a peak power of 2 watts and is 0.125 square feet in area. Therefore, power per unit area = 16 watts/ft^2 or 172 watts/m^2 or 0.172 kW/m^2.
Assume that the average sun hours per day is 4 hours, therefore
Energy/day = 0.172 kW/m^2 x 4 hrs/day = 0.688 kWh/m^2/day
Required energy per day = 40 kWh/day
We'll multiply this by a factor of 1.2 to compensate for losses in energy in the battery and wires.
Therefore, required energy per day = 40 kWh/day x 1.2 = 48 kWh/day
Hence, the area of solar panel required (for the specified solar cells) = (48 kWh/day)/(0.688 kWh/m^2/day) = 69.8 m^2 or 751.3 ft^2.
Based on our example, we can infer that it requires a pretty huge panel or number of panels to go off the grid completely and a lot of us cannot afford to invest so heavily despite of tax breaks. What a lot of us can do though is to go off the grid partially and that's exactly why I am writing this blog so as to enable all of you to be able to build a stand-alone solar power system.
I would appreciate everybody's inputs. Please do correct me where I may have erred. We'll learn some basics of electrical circuits and battery capacity before starting to build a panel. Till then, have a nice day absorbing all this information. You can also visit some of the following websites for further reading...
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/solar.html
http://www.nrel.gov/solar/
http://www.pvwatts.org/
I have started with building a stand-alone system for two reasons: Affordability and portability. We can move a stand-alone system from room to room as per our necessity, keep it in our vehicles, or take it with us while camping, boating, etc. It is also easier to understand the workings/components of a stand-alone system.
Let us take a couple of example and see how we can save some money:
How much does it cost to make our dinner? The menu includes slow roasted chicken and some fried greens. Suppose the chicken is roasted for an hour and the greens are fried for 15 minutes. The oven and the hot plate operates continuously at 1500-watt and 1200-watt respectively.
Power, P, (watts) = Current, I (Ampere) x Voltage, V (Volt)
Energy, E = Power, P x Time, t = 1.5 kW x 1 hr + 1.2 kW x 15/60 hr = 1.8 kWh
Suppose your electricity company charges you 10 cents/kWh
Therefore, the cost of making dinner = $0.1/kWh x 1.8 kWh = $ 0.18
Suppose you do the same for a year, therefore, the cost of making the same dinner for a year would be = $ 0.18 x 365 days = $65.70
So, if you use your battery and inverter to make dinner and then charge your battery through the solar panel, that'll save you $65.70 per year of electricity cost.
Think about how much you can save with a high capacity battery, inverter and solar panel. Of course, professionally built solar panels don't come cheap and that is the reason why one should sit down and make a reasonable estimation of their electricity consumption and evaluate how much time it may take to break even the investment in a solar panel system. It is also advisable to optimize the electricity usage with proper insulation, use of "energy star" appliances, and temperature regulation.
Now, let us calculate (roughly) the area of solar panels required for a house in Harrisburg, PA that consumes 1200 kWh per month or 40 kWh/day. We'll neglect the tilt requirement in this case. The cost of electricity is assumed to be 10 cents/kWh. Assume one solar cell in your panel has a peak power of 2 watts and is 0.125 square feet in area. Therefore, power per unit area = 16 watts/ft^2 or 172 watts/m^2 or 0.172 kW/m^2.
Assume that the average sun hours per day is 4 hours, therefore
Energy/day = 0.172 kW/m^2 x 4 hrs/day = 0.688 kWh/m^2/day
Required energy per day = 40 kWh/day
We'll multiply this by a factor of 1.2 to compensate for losses in energy in the battery and wires.
Therefore, required energy per day = 40 kWh/day x 1.2 = 48 kWh/day
Hence, the area of solar panel required (for the specified solar cells) = (48 kWh/day)/(0.688 kWh/m^2/day) = 69.8 m^2 or 751.3 ft^2.
Based on our example, we can infer that it requires a pretty huge panel or number of panels to go off the grid completely and a lot of us cannot afford to invest so heavily despite of tax breaks. What a lot of us can do though is to go off the grid partially and that's exactly why I am writing this blog so as to enable all of you to be able to build a stand-alone solar power system.
I would appreciate everybody's inputs. Please do correct me where I may have erred. We'll learn some basics of electrical circuits and battery capacity before starting to build a panel. Till then, have a nice day absorbing all this information. You can also visit some of the following websites for further reading...
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/solar.html
http://www.nrel.gov/solar/
http://www.pvwatts.org/
Monday, May 4, 2009
Solar Panels-Part I
After having gone through numerous websites and articles, I thought everybody should be able to build a solar panel by themselves. A lot of these websites are making money by imparting the information which, in my opinion, should be free.
Before writing this blog, I built a solar panel myself. I had never soldered or even used a saw before and believe me, if I could do it, anyone else can as well.
Before the answer to how should we build it, we should ask ourselves, why should we build it?
The answer is simple. It'll save us energy and depending on its utility, money as well.
How much does it cost to build a solar panel? The answer varies from person to person depending on what tools and components they already own. However, for all practical purposes, lets say we have someone who has no components but some tools. It'll cost him around $300 to build a 60-watt solar panel stand-alone system (comprising of a 1500-watt inverter, 35 ah deep cycle battery, and a 60-watt solar panel). The cost goes up with a greater capacity battery and inverter. For all the people who already have an inverter and a battery, your investment would be minimal.
I'll start with some basics of physics. We need to understand the basics of electrical circuits, battery capacity, an example showing how one can save some money before starting to build a solar panel.
The next blog will deal with these issues. For now, you can see my first home built solar panel - a little amateurish and needs some more cosmetic changes, but it works!
Before writing this blog, I built a solar panel myself. I had never soldered or even used a saw before and believe me, if I could do it, anyone else can as well.
Before the answer to how should we build it, we should ask ourselves, why should we build it?
The answer is simple. It'll save us energy and depending on its utility, money as well.
How much does it cost to build a solar panel? The answer varies from person to person depending on what tools and components they already own. However, for all practical purposes, lets say we have someone who has no components but some tools. It'll cost him around $300 to build a 60-watt solar panel stand-alone system (comprising of a 1500-watt inverter, 35 ah deep cycle battery, and a 60-watt solar panel). The cost goes up with a greater capacity battery and inverter. For all the people who already have an inverter and a battery, your investment would be minimal.
I'll start with some basics of physics. We need to understand the basics of electrical circuits, battery capacity, an example showing how one can save some money before starting to build a solar panel.
The next blog will deal with these issues. For now, you can see my first home built solar panel - a little amateurish and needs some more cosmetic changes, but it works!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
NY Times Article
I came across this article while browsing through my daily dose of news: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/24/opinion/24friedman.html
Hope it rings bell to those who matters...
Hope it rings bell to those who matters...
Monday, January 5, 2009
Uncanny Encounter
I am going to share one of the most eerie experiences that I’ve had in my past. Some of you may laugh it off, however, I must emphasize that every bit of my narration is based on a true incident.
It was a wintery night of December 1996. I was staying in a three-storied dormitory which belonged to my University. I decided to go on the roof to get some fresh air at around 11 pm. The stairs led to the center of the shorter side of the rectangular roof. Each corner of the roof further expanded into a square extension.
There was no one on the roof. It was dark and cold. I walked slowly toward one of the corners and stood there for a long time staring at the stars and into the horizon. I looked at my watch. It was exactly midnight. A cold puff of air ran through my bones. I shivered. Suddenly, I did not feel alone.
I turned around to see if there was someone else present on the roof. To my horror, I saw “myself” standing in the center of the roof. He had a satirical smile on his face. As our eyes locked in a visual embrace, my legs froze. I was petrified with fear. It was inconceivable. All logic defied me. I was looking at myself. He had different clothes on himself, however, everything else was I.
He didn’t move. His eyes didn’t flicker. He was as steady as a rock. I, on the other hand, regained my composer and decided to leave. Sweating profusely, my eyes still locked on his, I moved slowly towards the staircase. There was something about his eyes that eluded humanity.
It took me ages to reach the staircase. I hadn’t broken my eye contact but now I had to turn around. I didn’t know how he would react once I turn around to go downstairs. I decided to take my chance, turned around and ran for my life. My room-mate was studying when I entered the room. He looked at me and said, “You alright buddy? You look like as if you just saw a ghost!” “Yeah, I am ok.” I replied.
All these years, my mind has searched for a plausible explanation. No, it was not an illusion or a figment of my imagination. An apparition? Maybe, if you believe in such an entity. Why did it look like me and why was it smiling? Did someone play a prank? Why didn’t it happen again? Perhaps, I’ll never know the answers. Perhaps, some questions are better left unanswered…
It was a wintery night of December 1996. I was staying in a three-storied dormitory which belonged to my University. I decided to go on the roof to get some fresh air at around 11 pm. The stairs led to the center of the shorter side of the rectangular roof. Each corner of the roof further expanded into a square extension.
There was no one on the roof. It was dark and cold. I walked slowly toward one of the corners and stood there for a long time staring at the stars and into the horizon. I looked at my watch. It was exactly midnight. A cold puff of air ran through my bones. I shivered. Suddenly, I did not feel alone.
I turned around to see if there was someone else present on the roof. To my horror, I saw “myself” standing in the center of the roof. He had a satirical smile on his face. As our eyes locked in a visual embrace, my legs froze. I was petrified with fear. It was inconceivable. All logic defied me. I was looking at myself. He had different clothes on himself, however, everything else was I.
He didn’t move. His eyes didn’t flicker. He was as steady as a rock. I, on the other hand, regained my composer and decided to leave. Sweating profusely, my eyes still locked on his, I moved slowly towards the staircase. There was something about his eyes that eluded humanity.
It took me ages to reach the staircase. I hadn’t broken my eye contact but now I had to turn around. I didn’t know how he would react once I turn around to go downstairs. I decided to take my chance, turned around and ran for my life. My room-mate was studying when I entered the room. He looked at me and said, “You alright buddy? You look like as if you just saw a ghost!” “Yeah, I am ok.” I replied.
All these years, my mind has searched for a plausible explanation. No, it was not an illusion or a figment of my imagination. An apparition? Maybe, if you believe in such an entity. Why did it look like me and why was it smiling? Did someone play a prank? Why didn’t it happen again? Perhaps, I’ll never know the answers. Perhaps, some questions are better left unanswered…
Thursday, December 25, 2008
WORLDS MOST NOTORIOUS FOOTWEAR
Yeah…im talking about dat particular pair of black leather shoes that robbed George Bush of his dignity…obviously dats a new way of showing ones frustration.
And d credit goes to a Iraqi studd who gave a demo of his guts…
Ever since d incident, owner of the shoe company has recruited numerous staffs to meet the orders of 3,00,000 pairs of that particular shoe model which got a chance of such an act. They r calling it –‘the shoe that launched 100 jobs’
Amazingly the supporters of that Iraqi guy gifted him a Mercedes…and there’s also an influence on internet gaming…a new game in which u have to hit Bush with limited pair of shoes…d game is really gud and im looking forward to get those stylish model 271 of dat ISTANBUL-BAYDAN shoe company…u guys also check it out…
Till then see ya!
And d credit goes to a Iraqi studd who gave a demo of his guts…
Ever since d incident, owner of the shoe company has recruited numerous staffs to meet the orders of 3,00,000 pairs of that particular shoe model which got a chance of such an act. They r calling it –‘the shoe that launched 100 jobs’
Amazingly the supporters of that Iraqi guy gifted him a Mercedes…and there’s also an influence on internet gaming…a new game in which u have to hit Bush with limited pair of shoes…d game is really gud and im looking forward to get those stylish model 271 of dat ISTANBUL-BAYDAN shoe company…u guys also check it out…
Till then see ya!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
Time to Unite
The recent terror attacks in Mumbai, India have led me to believe that the Indian government lacks the capability to provide safety to its citizens. A lot of people have died since the attack at Indian parliament, however, the Indian government continues to be amazingly callous to its security and intelligence. The screams of dying citizens have gradually dampened in the cacophony of the politicians' finger pointing and glib tongued responses.
Indians have let their politicians fool them for too long. The British are long gone, however, their divide and rule policy still exists. Politicians have been playing with people's emotions and patience for a long time in lieu of providing them with better law and order, better education, better health and hygiene, better infrastructure, a better life.
People that represent a democratic country/state are often a reflection of the society which empowers them. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the citizens to chose an accountable representative. India is marred by rampant corruption at every level in the society which doesn't make things any easier. The complexity of India is further increased with the presence of a diverse population. Is there any unity in diversity?
Kashmir has been bleeding to it's death since three decades. The insurgents in North-East wants separate land for them. Maharastra Navnirmaan Sena stokes fire to expel North Indians from Maharastra. Some Sikhs want their Khalistan. The Naxalites wrec havoc in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chattisgarh, and West Bengal. Some Muslims support Pakistan even though they earn their bread and butter in India. SIMI indulges in terror activities, RSS wants to kill the Christians and Muslims. The upper caste distances themselves from the untouchables and women feticides are common all over the country. Tamils hate Hindi, North Indians ridicule South Indians. Where is the unity in diversity?
People in India are so busy fighting each other that they have forgotten their basic focus. What do we need? We need love and respect, education and eventually a job, proper medical facilities, effective law enforcement, and a decent infrastructure. Do we get all that in India? No. Why? Because our politicians don't care.
It is time for the Indian people to come of age, to put their petty differences aside and come together as a unit. We need to remind all our representatives of our power and ask them to treat us with respect. These politicians have taken us for granted for a long time, it is time we let them know.
Indians have let their politicians fool them for too long. The British are long gone, however, their divide and rule policy still exists. Politicians have been playing with people's emotions and patience for a long time in lieu of providing them with better law and order, better education, better health and hygiene, better infrastructure, a better life.
People that represent a democratic country/state are often a reflection of the society which empowers them. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the citizens to chose an accountable representative. India is marred by rampant corruption at every level in the society which doesn't make things any easier. The complexity of India is further increased with the presence of a diverse population. Is there any unity in diversity?
Kashmir has been bleeding to it's death since three decades. The insurgents in North-East wants separate land for them. Maharastra Navnirmaan Sena stokes fire to expel North Indians from Maharastra. Some Sikhs want their Khalistan. The Naxalites wrec havoc in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chattisgarh, and West Bengal. Some Muslims support Pakistan even though they earn their bread and butter in India. SIMI indulges in terror activities, RSS wants to kill the Christians and Muslims. The upper caste distances themselves from the untouchables and women feticides are common all over the country. Tamils hate Hindi, North Indians ridicule South Indians. Where is the unity in diversity?
People in India are so busy fighting each other that they have forgotten their basic focus. What do we need? We need love and respect, education and eventually a job, proper medical facilities, effective law enforcement, and a decent infrastructure. Do we get all that in India? No. Why? Because our politicians don't care.
It is time for the Indian people to come of age, to put their petty differences aside and come together as a unit. We need to remind all our representatives of our power and ask them to treat us with respect. These politicians have taken us for granted for a long time, it is time we let them know.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
History in the Making
Barack Obama emerged as the 44th president of the United States breaking away the shackles of race yesterday. It was a battle between rhyme and reason, and the reason prevailed.
I am not an American but I feel fortunate to have witnessed a history in the making, as a resident of America. Obama has always given me an impression of a sincere person with an unbridled fire to do something worthwhile for his country and countrymen. He has managed to instill hope not just in Americans, but people from elsewhere as well. As I watched him giving his victory speech yesterday, I was filled with pride and respect for America. I wish I could feel the same way during an election in India where people are yet to break the barriers of gender, caste, religion, region, language, and color.
The problems of America and the world cannot be solved in a day. However, yesterday was the beginning of the resolve that Americans will eventually overcome the problems. As Michael Douglas said in The American President, "We have serious problems and we need serious people to solve them."
For further reading:
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Recipe for Litti
Ingredients -
1. Atta(Wheat Flour) - 4 cups
2. Sattu - 3 cups
3. Onion - 1 big
4. Green chillies - 8
5. Ginger root - 1 inch
6. Garlic cloves - 10
7. Lemon juice - 2tsp
8. Salt - to taste
9. Ajwain - 1tsp
10. Mangrela - 1tsp
11. Mustard oil - 2tsp
12. Pickle masala (optional) - 1tsp
13. water
14. Milk
15. Ghee
Procedure -
Dough-
1. Knead atta with milk and 2 tbsp ghee.
2. The consistency should be medium to soft.
3. Keep aside.
Filling-
1. Blend onion, green chillies, garlic, grated ginger in a food processor.
2. Mix it with sattu.
3. Add mangrela, ajwain, lemon juice, mustard oil, pickle masala and salt.
4. Knead the above mixture with a little bit of water.
1. Make small balls out of dough.
2. Form a depression at centre of each ball and fill in the stuffing.
3. Close each ball as if tying a purse ring by collecting the ends of the ball with stuffing together in the middle and sealing them onto each other.
4. Trim off the extra dough once the ends are sealed.
5. Bake the liittis so made in the oven at 400 deg for 20-25 mins.
6. Keep checking in between and turn them around once at 10 min.
7. Take out the baked littis after 25 min and enjoy with Aloo chokha (Indian mashed potato) and Baingan Bharta (Mashed Eggplant).
1. Atta(Wheat Flour) - 4 cups
2. Sattu - 3 cups
3. Onion - 1 big
4. Green chillies - 8
5. Ginger root - 1 inch
6. Garlic cloves - 10
7. Lemon juice - 2tsp
8. Salt - to taste
9. Ajwain - 1tsp
10. Mangrela - 1tsp
11. Mustard oil - 2tsp
12. Pickle masala (optional) - 1tsp
13. water
14. Milk
15. Ghee
Procedure -
Dough-
1. Knead atta with milk and 2 tbsp ghee.
2. The consistency should be medium to soft.
3. Keep aside.
Filling-
1. Blend onion, green chillies, garlic, grated ginger in a food processor.
2. Mix it with sattu.
3. Add mangrela, ajwain, lemon juice, mustard oil, pickle masala and salt.
4. Knead the above mixture with a little bit of water.
1. Make small balls out of dough.
2. Form a depression at centre of each ball and fill in the stuffing.
3. Close each ball as if tying a purse ring by collecting the ends of the ball with stuffing together in the middle and sealing them onto each other.
4. Trim off the extra dough once the ends are sealed.
5. Bake the liittis so made in the oven at 400 deg for 20-25 mins.
6. Keep checking in between and turn them around once at 10 min.
7. Take out the baked littis after 25 min and enjoy with Aloo chokha (Indian mashed potato) and Baingan Bharta (Mashed Eggplant).
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Garfield
Hey all you Garfield fans out there...just got hold of this book in the library "Garfield's guide to everything"...would like to share with you some of its interesting quotes...
"Coffee" - Mother Nature's jumper cables.
"Dogs" - They contain 90% of the world's drool supply.
"Exercise" - My favourite spectator sport.
"Love" - ..is splitting the last piece of pizza.
"Mondays" - The armpit of days.
"Sleep" - The best 18 hrs of my day.
"Wrestling" - I slam therefore I am.
"Cats think; Dogs stink".
"I only diet between meals".
Diet is "die" with a "t".
"Working out just isn't working out".
"Life is short; eat now".
"Too much food is never enough".
Things Garfield would do if he won a lottery-
1. A refrigerator in every room.
2. Build a stall around his litter box.
3. Hire some goon to rough up neighbourhood dogs.
4. Get petted by a different babe every night.
5. Have his stomach enlarged.
6. Get a job just so he could quit it.
7. Eat, sleep and look rich doing it!
and many more...
Isn't he simply adorable?! :-)
"Coffee" - Mother Nature's jumper cables.
"Dogs" - They contain 90% of the world's drool supply.
"Exercise" - My favourite spectator sport.
"Love" - ..is splitting the last piece of pizza.
"Mondays" - The armpit of days.
"Sleep" - The best 18 hrs of my day.
"Wrestling" - I slam therefore I am.
"Cats think; Dogs stink".
"I only diet between meals".
Diet is "die" with a "t".
"Working out just isn't working out".
"Life is short; eat now".
"Too much food is never enough".
Things Garfield would do if he won a lottery-
1. A refrigerator in every room.
2. Build a stall around his litter box.
3. Hire some goon to rough up neighbourhood dogs.
4. Get petted by a different babe every night.
5. Have his stomach enlarged.
6. Get a job just so he could quit it.
7. Eat, sleep and look rich doing it!
and many more...
Isn't he simply adorable?! :-)
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
USMLE
Hey guys...just wanted to share with you all I'm so bugged studying for these never ending USMLE exams...am so far from completing the whole lot...just on second step and my steam is already fizzing out...wonder why don't they just take one mammoth exam and let go of us....it's simply awful!!..The other day one of my college friends rightly commented on this lament of mine..."so soon"...She is quite right...all the USMLE forums are abuzz with people like me, toiling to get that ultimate prize "residency"...although I know once you get into it, it doesn't seem like a prize at all..having been a "resident" in India myself....but gotta admit $$$ is a huge attraction, making us keep on persevering...wish this could get over sooner :-( !!
Recipe for Coriander Chutney
Ingredients -
1. Coriander leaves - 1 bunch
2. Green chillies - 3-4
3. Garlic cloves - 2-3
4. Lemon juice - 2tsp
5. Salt - to taste
Procedure -
1. Wash and drain coriander leaves.
2. Blend coriander leaves, green chillies, garlic cloves in a food processor.
3. Add water to adjust the consistency of chutney.
4. Mix lemon juice and salt.
5. Serve.
1. Coriander leaves - 1 bunch
2. Green chillies - 3-4
3. Garlic cloves - 2-3
4. Lemon juice - 2tsp
5. Salt - to taste
Procedure -
1. Wash and drain coriander leaves.
2. Blend coriander leaves, green chillies, garlic cloves in a food processor.
3. Add water to adjust the consistency of chutney.
4. Mix lemon juice and salt.
5. Serve.
Recipe for Pittha
Ingredients-
1. Rice flour- 2 cups
2. Chana daal - 1cup
3. Green Chillies - 4-5
4. Garlic cloves - 4
5. Ginger root - 1 inch
6. Hing - 1 pinch
7. Haldi - 1 tsp
8. Salt - to taste
9. water
Procedure-
1. Soak chana dal for 5-6 hrs.
2. Blend chana dal, green chillies, garlic, ginger, hing, haldi and salt in a food precessor without using water.
3. Make sure the consistency of the filling is coarse.
4. Knead rice flour with warm water.
5. Make small balls from the dough.
6. Shape the balls so that they have a hollow in the middle for the filling to be stuffed in.
7. Stuff the chana dal filling.
8. Seal the edges of the ball.
9. Apply a bit of water on your hand and smoothen the outer surface of the pittha.
10. Boil water in a 6 quart pot.
11. Drop in the pitthas into boiling water and cook uncovered.
12. One the pittha gets cooked, it will come up on the surface.
13. Remove with the help of a slotted spoon and drain off the extra water.
14. Cut into bite size pieces.
15. Serve with coriander chutney.
1. Rice flour- 2 cups
2. Chana daal - 1cup
3. Green Chillies - 4-5
4. Garlic cloves - 4
5. Ginger root - 1 inch
6. Hing - 1 pinch
7. Haldi - 1 tsp
8. Salt - to taste
9. water
Procedure-
1. Soak chana dal for 5-6 hrs.
2. Blend chana dal, green chillies, garlic, ginger, hing, haldi and salt in a food precessor without using water.
3. Make sure the consistency of the filling is coarse.
4. Knead rice flour with warm water.
5. Make small balls from the dough.
6. Shape the balls so that they have a hollow in the middle for the filling to be stuffed in.
7. Stuff the chana dal filling.
8. Seal the edges of the ball.
9. Apply a bit of water on your hand and smoothen the outer surface of the pittha.
10. Boil water in a 6 quart pot.
11. Drop in the pitthas into boiling water and cook uncovered.
12. One the pittha gets cooked, it will come up on the surface.
13. Remove with the help of a slotted spoon and drain off the extra water.
14. Cut into bite size pieces.
15. Serve with coriander chutney.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
My Mausi
"Mausi" or "Masi" is a hindi word which literally means "like a mother". In India, it is a word used to address mother's sister. Since childhood, this term was almost synonymous with "Danapur wali Mausi" for me. Danapur is a small town in the state of Bihar in India. She was named Urvashi by my grandparents. However, my father didn't like us to address our elders by first names and so the above name came into use by us (me and my sisters).
What should I write about her? She had such a huge influence on me right since my childhood. Such an intelligent lady!! I am overawed by her simplicity and the kindness she had for all and sundry. I never noticed it while I was a kid. One so takes things for granted in life; but when it is taken away, the emptiness one feels is beyond any comparison! I believe she had a soft corner for me as the youngest kid in my maternal family tree. I have beautiful memories of her often coming down to our home in Bokaro. I would wait for her autorickshaw to arrive from the Railway station, standing by my front gate. Oh what joy!! She would scoop me in her arms as soon as she arrived. I would start looking for my gifts in the one bag she carried from her home. She wasn't financially very well off, so to say, but that never deterred her from bringing me my choicest sweets and gifts. She would fish out "glass bangles" and "Milk Cake" for me as soon as she came in. I would sit in her lap and soak up all the love and affection she was so full of.
I miss you Mausi!!
I fail to accept till date that she is no more with us. God can never make another of your kind. As Diwali comes up in a week, people are so full of joy, and excitement. All I feel is an emptiness. You left us. You left me.
What should I write about her? She had such a huge influence on me right since my childhood. Such an intelligent lady!! I am overawed by her simplicity and the kindness she had for all and sundry. I never noticed it while I was a kid. One so takes things for granted in life; but when it is taken away, the emptiness one feels is beyond any comparison! I believe she had a soft corner for me as the youngest kid in my maternal family tree. I have beautiful memories of her often coming down to our home in Bokaro. I would wait for her autorickshaw to arrive from the Railway station, standing by my front gate. Oh what joy!! She would scoop me in her arms as soon as she arrived. I would start looking for my gifts in the one bag she carried from her home. She wasn't financially very well off, so to say, but that never deterred her from bringing me my choicest sweets and gifts. She would fish out "glass bangles" and "Milk Cake" for me as soon as she came in. I would sit in her lap and soak up all the love and affection she was so full of.
I miss you Mausi!!
I fail to accept till date that she is no more with us. God can never make another of your kind. As Diwali comes up in a week, people are so full of joy, and excitement. All I feel is an emptiness. You left us. You left me.
Black and White
This poem was nominated for the best poem for 2005.
Written by an African kid –
“When I born, I black.
When I grow up, I black.
When I go in sun, I black.
When I scared, I black.
When I sick, I black.
And when I die, I still black.
And you white fella …
When you born, you pink.
When you grow up, you white.
When you go in sun, you red.
When you cold, you blue.
When you scared, you yellow.
When you sick, you green.
And when you die, you grey …
And you calling me colored ??”
Written by an African kid –
“When I born, I black.
When I grow up, I black.
When I go in sun, I black.
When I scared, I black.
When I sick, I black.
And when I die, I still black.
And you white fella …
When you born, you pink.
When you grow up, you white.
When you go in sun, you red.
When you cold, you blue.
When you scared, you yellow.
When you sick, you green.
And when you die, you grey …
And you calling me colored ??”
I've borrowed it from Amitabh Bachchan's blog.
Recipe for Khichdi and Aloo Bharta/chokha
Recipe for Khichdi-
Ingredients-
1. Basmati rice- 1 cup
2. Moong dal - 1/4 cup
3. Masoor dal- 1/4 cup (or u can just use moong dal - 1/2 cup)
4.green chillies- 2-3
5. ghee- 1-2 tbsp
6.heeng - 1 pinch
7. zeera- 1 tsp
8.laung- 3-4
9. black peppercorn- 3-4
10.ginger garlic paste- 1-2 tbsp
11. haldi- 1tsp
12. salt- to taste
13. green veg(optional)- peas, cauliflower, potato- chopped
14. bay leaves- 2
15. chhoti ilaichi and badi ilaichi- if u like ur khichdi spicy- 2-3 chhoti ilaichi and 1-2 badi ilaichi
16. red chillies- 2-3
procedure-
1. soak rice and daal for an hr.
2. heat ghee in pressure cooker.
3. put in hing
4. put in zeera, bay leaves, red chillies, laung, pepper, chhoti n badi ilaichi
5. after a min add ginger garlic paste and haldi. fry
6. add green chillies n green veg if u opt for it. fry
7. then add rice n daal. fry for a min.
8. add salt
9. add water- 3 cups
10. close cooker and cook till one whistle on medium flame. After that lower the flame and cook for 4-5 mins.
11. put off the gas and serve.
Bharta Recipe-
Ingredients-
1. Boiled Potato- 4-5
2. Green chillies - 6
3. Onion- 1 small
4. mustard oil- 2-3 tsp
5. salt - to taste
Procedure-
1. Mash the boiled potatoes.
2. mix in chopped onions, chopped chillies, and mustard oil.
3. Add salt to taste.
4. Mix and serve.
Ingredients-
1. Basmati rice- 1 cup
2. Moong dal - 1/4 cup
3. Masoor dal- 1/4 cup (or u can just use moong dal - 1/2 cup)
4.green chillies- 2-3
5. ghee- 1-2 tbsp
6.heeng - 1 pinch
7. zeera- 1 tsp
8.laung- 3-4
9. black peppercorn- 3-4
10.ginger garlic paste- 1-2 tbsp
11. haldi- 1tsp
12. salt- to taste
13. green veg(optional)- peas, cauliflower, potato- chopped
14. bay leaves- 2
15. chhoti ilaichi and badi ilaichi- if u like ur khichdi spicy- 2-3 chhoti ilaichi and 1-2 badi ilaichi
16. red chillies- 2-3
procedure-
1. soak rice and daal for an hr.
2. heat ghee in pressure cooker.
3. put in hing
4. put in zeera, bay leaves, red chillies, laung, pepper, chhoti n badi ilaichi
5. after a min add ginger garlic paste and haldi. fry
6. add green chillies n green veg if u opt for it. fry
7. then add rice n daal. fry for a min.
8. add salt
9. add water- 3 cups
10. close cooker and cook till one whistle on medium flame. After that lower the flame and cook for 4-5 mins.
11. put off the gas and serve.
Bharta Recipe-
Ingredients-
1. Boiled Potato- 4-5
2. Green chillies - 6
3. Onion- 1 small
4. mustard oil- 2-3 tsp
5. salt - to taste
Procedure-
1. Mash the boiled potatoes.
2. mix in chopped onions, chopped chillies, and mustard oil.
3. Add salt to taste.
4. Mix and serve.
Tandoori Chicken Recipe
Serves 4
Preparation Time 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 (~2 lbs) of chicken
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste
Marinade
200-250 gms of yogurt
1 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp ginger paste
2 tbsp garlic paste
2 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp garam masala powder
2 tbsp Ghee/butter/Olive oil
Sprinkle chaat masala powder and serve with onion rings and lemon wedges.
Preparation Time 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 (~2 lbs) of chicken
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste
Marinade
200-250 gms of yogurt
1 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp ginger paste
2 tbsp garlic paste
2 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp garam masala powder
2 tbsp Ghee/butter/Olive oil
A pinch of edible orange color
½ tsp of chaat masala
Garnish
Onion rings and lemon wedges
Procedure
Skin, wash and clean the chicken. Make incisions with a sharp knife on breast and leg pieces.
Apply a mixture of red chilli powder, lemon juice and salt to the chicken and keep it aside for half an hour.
Mix Red chilli powder, salt, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, orange color, garam masala powder and oil to the yogurt.
Apply this marinade onto the chicken pieces and refrigerate for 6-24 hours.
Put the chicken onto the skewers and cook in a hot tandoor or a pre-heated oven (400 degrees Celsius) for 20 to 25 minutes. Baste it with butter and cook for a further 5 minutes turning the chicken pieces over.
½ tsp of chaat masala
Garnish
Onion rings and lemon wedges
Procedure
Skin, wash and clean the chicken. Make incisions with a sharp knife on breast and leg pieces.
Apply a mixture of red chilli powder, lemon juice and salt to the chicken and keep it aside for half an hour.
Mix Red chilli powder, salt, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, orange color, garam masala powder and oil to the yogurt.
Apply this marinade onto the chicken pieces and refrigerate for 6-24 hours.
Put the chicken onto the skewers and cook in a hot tandoor or a pre-heated oven (400 degrees Celsius) for 20 to 25 minutes. Baste it with butter and cook for a further 5 minutes turning the chicken pieces over.
Sprinkle chaat masala powder and serve with onion rings and lemon wedges.
RULES FOR A HAPPY MARRIAGE
1. Instead of trying to change something, he or she does - change you! Far too often, people get married with the belief they can simply change the person they married, molding him or her into the "perfect" mate. Instead, you need to accept your mate for the person he/she is. If a behavior needs to be changed, then provide support and encouragement. For example, if your husband complains about not having clean clothes, rather than nag at him, show him how to launder his shirts, jeans, or whatever it is he needs.
2. Communication is a key ingredient to any successful marriage. That means talking through situations rather than bottling up or yelling. By showing respect, you can work together as a couple should. With this, the two of you can talk to understand the other person's side better.
3. Keep intimacy as a part of the marriage. Remember, this person is the one you love, the one you want to share your life with, which means letting go of inhibitions. Intimacy is an excellent way to stay close, doing wonders for any marriage.
4. Accept the flaws in your spouse. Since no one is perfect, you want to learn to appreciate the differences between the two of you. If your husband wakes up with bad hair or your wife is grumpy, love him/her, in spite of the flaws.
5. Learn to ignore the small stuff. Every marriage faces challenges, some big and some small. Remind yourself that life is precious and short. Therefore, focus on the larger battles, working through them as a team while letting go of the incidentals that in the big scheme of things does not matter.
6. Make sure you choose your battles wisely. If you are going to pick something apart, make sure it really matters. Unfortunately, unresolved arguments are a big issue in marriages, often leading to divorce. Therefore, unless the issue is something significant, learn to let some things roll off your back.
7. Time for friends is also crucial. Once every other week, you should both take one day or evening to spend time apart and with same-sex friends. This will help you maintain your own identity and appreciate the time you have with your spouse.
8. Never take your spouse for granted. Again, life is too precious. Instead, find things that your partner does well or things that please you and let him/her know. If your husband is outside working on the car, take time to bring him a cold glass of tea or lemonade...If your wife has been home all day with the children, hire a babysitter and surprise her with a dinner out.
9. Date...just because you are now legally married, you should not stop dating. Every Friday or Saturday night, even if you have children, make a date. This could be something as simple as bowling and beer or a romantic dinner and concert. The activity is not important, just that you get time for just the two of you.
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