Monthly Archives: July 2015

Ten On Tuesday


Today I am not really in a mood to write. This year has been a mixed bag of good and bad. In equal measures. “Well, Something’s lost but something’s gained in living everyday.” Remember the beautiful song by Joni Mitchell?

Today I have decided to post ten random things from the various drafts lying in a folder left orphaned since one day everything changed. Lines that could have become poems, stories but now they just lie abandoned, waiting. Just as I am.  The opposite of love is not hate, it is the abject indifference. People may say, “this too shall pass” but it doesn’t, it seeps in the hollow of your bones. Half of July has passed and I am tired of being brave. I can’t go on pretending. Right now dealing with reality is impossible so don’t mind if my conversations seem wounded in love.

1. “I am getting acquainted with your absence. I write as much as I can to write you out of my system but it doesn’t happen. the sorrow doesn’t turn into poems. The phone remains silent as the mornings turns to afternoons, which in turn fall into dark and then the dark too goes quiet, just like you. I stare into nothingness, even the breathing becomes inaudible as I grieve about the parts of me you buried while they were still pulsating with life.”

2. “Even though it hurts, I will stay open and vulnerable. The beauty of the human life lies in its fragility and I wont give it up or give it away.It is the real strength and power of being human, to accept your brokenness, to put it all back together. To fill the cracks with gold of love and move on. Cracks are the wounds indicating you have suffered and have overcome that suffering. Courageous risks are life-giving and the rewards are deep.”

3.

“I bring to you my poems

a clumsy bouquet of words

unbefitting for your tastefully done life

wildflowers, a wealth of perfume…..”

4. “Delhi summer drips in mangoes. The summer seasons opens officially with mango blossoms and the entire two months are ruled by the king of fruits, canopies of gulmohar carried forward from the spring into summer alive with cuckoo birds. Watermelons swollen with the red summer heat inside them. Flamboyant Bougainvillea exploding on walls in vibrant colors. Blinding sun, dust winds, road rage, power cuts, melting asphalt, chuski licking, water trolleys, sweat and grime, white sky and chilled lemonades signifies the summer in Delhi. City is a color palette with the golden amaltas, gulmohar, tesu, kanak champa, silk cotton, coral tree, all in full bloom and the neem trees filled with tiny starry flowers. Who can’t fall in love with the lilac spread of kachnar and the beautiful Jacaranda. In me, the summer drips with the memories of you that evoke painful secrets. It is a funeral without a shroud.

5. The horizon makes her lonelier than she is as  she stands looking down at an unspoiled landscape of sand. Now a tree, she once was a woman, a keeper of the words,  a story-teller, a mystery from time immemorial.

6. Age is catching up with the Neem trees (Indian Lilac) in central Delhi (This one is part of the canopy of lush green trees that line up both sides of the Aurangzeb road). It is a beautiful experience to drive down the roads, esp when the vehicular traffic is least, with so much green surrounding you. There was a time I would walk down these roads and simply gaze at the spread of many shades of green above me. One could hear so many bird calls in those days. Each season brings its own dramatic change to the landscape. Each one more beautiful than the other. For once one forgets all the chaos that surround us.

These trees are a legacy of the colonial raj. Ten thousand trees and one hundred and thirteen km of hedges were laid out by an expert from Kew Garden London, with each major avenue having one species. Tamarinds on Akbar Road, Arjuna trees on Janpath, pipuls on mandir marg, and Neems on Aurangzeb road.

We stopped under the shade of this tree waiting for the signal to turn green. In the midst of the thick foliage, high up on a branch was nest, now empty. One can not see it in the photograph though. Life is all about holding on and letting go. Dont know why but a line from Blake’s poem instantly came to my mind.

“The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship.”

7. “Whatever you give comes back to you.
I gave myself. Love is a boomerang I never learned how to throw correctly.”

8. Not even for a moment forget that I am a river.
No matter what you put in my way,
i will still find a way to break free.
Don’t assume that I will be on this narrow road forever,
your perception of my exterior
may not match what lies beneath my surface,
I am holding a fiction inside me
if you think you know me, think again
what is visible is camouflaged
what is hidden is true
we are kind of schizoid, aren’t we?
containing multitudes within.

9.

each of us

for all our lives

live

so bitterly

misunderstood

10. I carry a raven in my chest. You, a songbird. Isn’t it clear who should fear the cage?

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Wordless Wednesday – 227


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Ten On Tuesday – Gaming With The Boys


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When we got tired of playing the mind games these are the ten games me and boys played and mastered. We were always good at being escapists, prefered the imaginary to the real and often yanked ourselves from one world to plunge into another. We all had our “me time” but still we spent a lot of time together bonding over board games, singing, telling stories, doing some sort of art/craft, playing some real-time games which would leave the house looking like as if it has been hit by a tsunami. It was tough but it was fun.

Computer games were a new rage and the boys were fanatic supporters of  this new religion. All my efforts to keep them away from this growing menace failed and then I thought,’ if you can’t beat them join them’. WTH.. but I still laid down some rules.

And what did we play ? Here are the top ten.

1.Claw – Because I love wild cats 😀
2.Soldier of fortune – The first gory game I played where it was all guts over fear. Imagine that after yelling at the boys for behaving like bloody psychopaths.
3. Need for Speed/ Roadrage – I could never learn to drive but always dreamed of the mean machines I could control. The need for speed was satiated here and it was so engrossing that sometimes the line between virtual and real just disappeared. It was fun all right.
4. James Bond Nightfire –  The only time I could be more than just a bond girl 😀
5. Delta Force Land Warrior – My initiation into first person shooters. It was cathartic in some ways.
6. XMen Arcade Game – For the love of classic X-Men characters. Storm, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Nimrod, Mystique and many more. At times it was ridiculously funny but a lot of fun with the boys. A comic book come to life perhaps. 🙂
7. Batman Arcade Game – Chaos in Gotham – My love for the dark knight began much before Nolan. When you have two superheros in the house you need to learn the survival techniques for anything could happen anytime.
8. Solitaire and Freecell – These were the games to zone out when the house was not a war zone with aliens  spaceships landing on your head and cars flying from between your legs.

9. Don’t think we just engaged in virtual games. There were a lot of indoor and outdoor games that were invented at the spur of the moment. Missions planned and executed, Rooms turned into makeshift WWF arenas (I was always the referee trying to save my head) 😀 , paper planes flew out of the balconies and windows with their tails in a blaze of fire, The entire house turned into an obstacle racing fast track where all sorts of cars, jeeps raced like lunatics. (my participation was limited to providing unlimited power boosters ( especially made in my kitchen) and occasionally tripping over some invisible flying object. ).. Oh yes, and picking up the debris later on while chasing the boys around to clean up.

10. Yes, I had my collection of WWE and Pokemon cards, tazzos and what not. These were guarded like prized possessions and traded occasionally with great deal of negotiations. We did play all the games with these interesting loot.

Raising boys is not for wimps and they kept me on my toes 24/7 but then it was also an adventure and great fun to grow up with them.

‘Collection Of Chaos’ Review – Kalpanaa Misra


Last few months have been really a whirlpool of let-downs and the loss of so many precious things, people, left me disillusioned and dejected but I got a pleasant surprise the other day when @Kalpanapster tweeted a link to the review of my poetry collection. It is always a joy when readers express their views about something you have written. It helps to look at the work from a different perspective and improve upon it. Poetry books aren’t so much in demand and for a student writer like me every feedback is a step forward to more writing and learning. Good to know the book is still in circulation.

Thanks kalpanaa for appreciating my poems. Writers supporting writers is a very good thing in my opinion. While you read the review on Kalpanaa’s blog, do click on other pages and read them too. Didn’t you pledge to read diverse subjects? She is a traveler, writer, healer, reviewer, language teacher and most of all a wonderful person. Go explore her creative world.

Read what Kalpanaa has to say about ‘Collection Of Chaos’ .

“Skilful language with a controlled use of dramatic images makes the heartrending subjects she writes about bearable, as they touch you and caress you but are rarely violently demanding of your attention.I don’t enjoy language that’s too adjective laden, believing always that ‘less is more’ and Tikuli’s poems are sparse, delicate yet full-bodied. Sorry if I sound as though I’m writing about a wine. In my defence, wine and poetry have a lot in common. You think they’re going to make you comfortably numb and they end up seeping into the most emotional and well hidden corners of your being, extracting that which you would rather keep hidden, even from yourself.”

You can read the full review Here 

Show some love by reading the book. Buy it from any of the on-line retailers including Amazon, Flipkart, Book depository and more. Tell me what you think. You must.

Want to know what other (potentially) satisfied readers said about the collection? Click here. 

Thank you for all the support and encouragement.

Recipes With Fresh Corn – 2- Boiled Corncob With Spicy Masala And Tamarind Chutney


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With monsoon comes fresh and tender corn on cob. As market flood with the corn crop roadside vendors do brisk business especially in the evenings. Full of fiber and essential nutrients corn either roasted, boiled or used in local preparations like fritters, curries, salads, patties, cutlets, soups, enchiladas and much more. Eating corn on cob from a street vendor is an experience in itself. The brisk fanning of embers, the crackle of corn kernels, the spicy masala, the tangy lemon and the first bite of soft yet crunchy corn kernel full of different flavors is something one looks forward to every monsoon.

In the hills of Uttaranchal (Garhwal Himalayas) local people dry the corn by hanging it as shown in the pic. They later use it to make flour which is their staple food.  This pic is from Bhatoli village near Mussoorie. Once the corn is harvested in Sept-Oct , it is hung like this inside or outside the house and used when needed. It is the way villagers conserve their harvest since ages.

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I use corn in many ways but usually I simply roast or boil them to have as an evening snack or for breakfast. Some years back one could spot street vendors selling boiled hot corn on cobs which they would dip in spicy tamarind chutney and serve in a dona( dry leaf plate). It was out of the world. I have not come across any in last few years especially in the area where we live. Yesterday I decided to make it at home. I had made a fresh match of tamarind date chutney and the house help got fresh tender buttas. I could not resist the temptation to indulge in some exotic flavors. You can read the recipe for the chutney Here .

To make Boiled Masala corn on cob you need: 

Tender fresh white ears of corn (husked)

Water – To boil the corns

Spicy masala mix ( rock salt, raw cumin powder, red chili powder, ground coriander powder, powdered carom seeds(ajwain), powdered black pepper mixed together)

Tamarind chutney

To choose a good ear of corn, look for bright green husks and golden brown tassels. Yellowing husks and black tassles is indicative of hard, bland corncob. Peel the husk and check if the kernels are bright and plump and milk oozes out of them when pressed gently, if yes, then it is good to use.

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To boil the corn cobs, either fill a big pot 3/4 with water, break the corn cobs into two to four pieces ( depending on size) and boil them till tender or do it my way by putting them in a steamer / pressure cooker and cook till tender.

Once the corn cobs are done, take them out gently in plate.

Generously sprinkle some masala over the corncob pieces, pour the tamarind chutney to coat them evenly from all sides. and serve hot.

There are many ways to celebrate monsoon and this is one of my favorites.

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Sinfully spicy and full of flavors this is not just healthy but utterly delicious too.

Enjoy !

Recipes With Fresh Corn – 1 – Grated Corncob Snack ( Bhutte ki Kees)


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Even before the monsoon rains drench the city Delhi sees the street vendors selling fresh corn on cob. Mostly we all love to eat bhutta or corn on cob freshly roasted on coal fire and smeared lavishly with special masala and lemon juice. The whole process is like visual poetry. The aroma rising from the hot corn on cobs is irresistible. Roasted corncobs are one healthiest and cheapest street foods. I love fresh corn and often bring the tender ones home to make various dishes. Mom can’t eat corncob because of her teeth issues so we often boil them and dip them in delectable tamarind chutney or smear butter over it, sprinkle some salt and pepper or anything one wants including cayenne pepper and just dig in.

Bhutte ka kees or makyache kanasachi kees or corn upma or grated corn snack is one of the dishes that I usually make during rainy evenings. So today was a corny Tuesday and I had some lovely tender corn cobs laying in the kitchen. Yesterday I had boiled some of them so today I decided to make this very delicious and easy snack. Kees is a speciality of Indore city in Madhya Pradesh though it is a maharashtriyan preparation. Indore is a food paradise famous for its culinary range and I remember visiting a number of eating joints with my aunt during my stay there.

To choose tender corns one should look for bright green tightly wrapped husks, pull the husk a bit and press the kernel gently. If a little milk oozes out and the kernel is bright and plump then it is good to eat. Also the silk tassels should be light brown and sticky to touch. Black ones indicate old, stale corn. It would be hard and tasteless.

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To make this wonderful healthy snack you need :

3-4 Fresh corn cobs ( you can use corn kernels and sweet corn also)

1-2 green chillies

1 teaspoon Mustard seeds

A pinch of Hing or asafoetida

3-4 Curry leaves

2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander leaves

One medium size onion (roughly chopped)

2 tablespoon Oil

One inch Fresh ginger (grated)

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

Salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon Red chili powder

Sugar – 1/2 teaspoon (optional)

One lemon for garnish

Freshly grated coconut  for garnish

1/4 cup Water

To make the kees/upma or snack 

First remove the husk and silks from the corncob and grate the kernels. You can use corn pealer and give the hernels one round in the mixer too. I simply grate them. If tender they will not need any churn in the mixer.

Roughly chop the onion and grate the ginger. Cut the green chillies in medium or small pieces.

In a non stick thick bottom pan heat the oil. Add mustard seeds and when they begin to splutter add heeng(asafoetida), curry leaves and green chilli pieces. Toss them and add chopped onions. Keep the flame medium. The mixture tends to stick to the pan but do not try to scratch it as it will spoil the taste and texture of the kees.

(Some people add milk to kees after adding the grated corn to the pan. If you wish you can add 1/2 cup of milk and let it cook till all moisture evaporates. I prefer to use water, just enough to keep it moist. The milk in corn kernels is what makes this dish savory. While using sweet corn kernels one may need some liquid to make the mixture soft)

Once the onions are translucent, add the coarse mixture of grated corn and grated ginger.

Stir it a few times and add salt, red chili powder to it. Stir again and cook covered for 5 minutes.

Open the lid and see if the kees ( mixture ) is very dry sprinkle some water over it. If it is too moist cook it uncovered for a while.

Once the corn mixture is cooked (takes about 10 mins) turn off the heat and keep it covered for a few minutes.

Serve immediately garnished with fresh coriander leaves, grated fresh coconut and lime.

A perfect snack for breakfast or a rainy evening.

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Enjoy this healthy, delicious snack fresh and hot.

Wordless Wednesday – 226


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