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Grilled Lemon Chicken | All about Food

Grilled Lemon Chicken | All about Food

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Hey Friends!!!

Please visit CLICK THE PIC my new Photoblog of all the exciting interesting and unique pictures I have taken over the years. I don't have a grand camera, but I do have an eye for beauty! I try to capture everything extraordinary in an otherwise ordinary life. I hope you like what you see.

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Grilled Chicken at home - 5 star style!

Grilled Lemon Chicken @ home

**No griller or oven required!

Serves 2-3

Preparation Time = 1 hour

Cooking time = 20 mins

Boneless chicken                                 ½ Kg

Curd                                                      200gms

Ginger garlic paste                              2 tbsp

(Paste can be made with 1 inch garlic piece and 10 garlic cloves in a grinder)

Red chilli powder                                3 tsp

Turmeric powder                               1 tsp

Garam masala                                     1 tsp

Tandoori chicken masala                  3 tsp

Mustard oil (to shallow fry)              3 tbsp

Lemon                                                  1

Salt                                                        To taste

Onion (cut in blocks)                         1, for grilling

Coriander leaves                                To garnish

Wash and flatten the chicken pieces slightly with the flat of the knife. Put chicken, curd, salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and ginger garlic paste in a bowl and mix with your hand. Coat each piece evenly. Cover the bowl and keep in fridge for an hour.

Now heat mustard oil in a nonstick pan and bring to its smoking point. Now fry the marinated chicken pieces on medium flame till light brown. Take off the pan. Put the chicken on skewers, with alternating pieces of onions. Now remove all the oil from this pan, and place the skewers. Put in the chicken masala and grill the chicken on all sides, till brown and feel crisp.

Plate the grilled chicken on skewers (or without them) on a tray and squeeze a lemon on them. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with green coriander or mint chutney.

P.S. Instead of frying first, you can directly grill on the skewers or without them. Tastes the same, just takes a little more time to cook.

SHOR MACHAO - A new initiative

I am just like you - a simple service class Indian. A good lifestyle managed by a decent IT job here, pay my taxes, watch some movies during a month, go shopping with friends and spend some fun time with my family. I do bother about pollution, population, and politics at times – but these occasions are very rare, and maximum I believed I could do was not to litter, donate wherever the need be, and to avoid using plastic bags to the extent possible. I believed my bit was done. I was wrong. Something happened yesterday that stirred a thought lying dormant for quite some time now – what more can we do?

I was in an auto, on the way to work. The road doesn’t have too much traffic, it’s not a one way, but does have lots of trucks also using that route. I was in the best of my formal wear, all excited to reach office, and get ready for a presentation. I was thinking about the slides, just when a truck crossed us coming from the opposite side, and there came a rush of thick black smoke hampering the view along with the ability of my lungs to pull oxygen out of the air I was breathing all this while. The driver almost looked away; I tried covering my mouth and nose with my arm trying hard not to choke. I felt like going back and taking a bath all over again. After about 100 meters, I could breathe normally. That’s when I saw how poor little kids in the school van next to my auto were coughing and also giggling at what that truck did. I felt a sense of pity. Kids tend to laugh things off, but I knew what actually that smoke had done to them. No wonder the cases of Asthma are on a rise amongst young children in India.

Last night before I could go to sleep, something struck me. What if there was a speeding car ahead of my auto, just when the autowala turned his face away trying hard to breathe? What if there was a bike ahead of us, and the auto hit it by mistake? What if there was a kid crossing the road just then? What if to avoid such a thing, the driver turned the steering really hard and went down the road and hit some tree?  I am grateful to God none of the above happened, but it’s high time we all did something to make the possibility of these zero.

What can an average Indian do? We are no brand masters to start an antipollution NGO or move courts to make the traffic police more accountable. Right? I thought the same as well. I could hear my mom’s nagging voice that how I keep wasting my time around, sleep on time, eat on time, etc etc.  I thought - ‘even this time she’s gonna nag me 4-5 times over this issue I’ve taken up, and then by next week I’m gonna forget all about this’ 

And then it happened. I knew of the 2 very basic things we can do to stop pollution on our roads. All it needs is patience, and the belief that WE CAN CHANGE THINGS.

1.       Whenever we see a polluting auto, car, truck, bus, bike or a scooter, we should drive just next to the vehicle and politely tell the driver that his vehicle is emitting too much smoke, and needs immediate repair as its making hard for others near the vehicle to even breathe. It takes hardly 15 seconds to say ‘Bhaiya, isko repair karva lo. ’ And then we can drive away. It’s a human nature to take heed of the situation when one keeps getting nagged by others once a week! And if this initiative gets a wider reach, the same driver can face this embarrassment at least 2-3 times a day. It won’t be too long before he decides to get it repaired.

2.       Whenever we try hailing an auto, we should never get into the one which is emitting smoke or making too much noise, as the autos in Bangalore and Pune usually are. At the same time, we should tell the auto driver the reason we are not taking his auto. If we already are in such an auto, and then we see that it’s polluting way too much, just cut Rs. 5 from his fare. After a bit of argument we may want to give it back, but we must put our point across first. If all of us start doing this, it won’t be long before these auto drivers realize that just a running auto is not enough. It has to run pollution free.

Mother Nature deserves much better than what its current plight is. And even we can do much better than we currently are. So let’s put our voices together, make that yell stronger and louder.

That’s why we’ll call it - Shor Machao Inititiative.

Because sometimes it’s necessary for us to scream when the deaf cannot hear nature’s cry.

Seeking your support and belief,

Ashima Lohia

0 to 100 and Back!

I came across this thought many a times before, but today i read it in some old fwd from a friend, and it somehow seemed to have all the right words! Its not originally mine, and I respect the authr's thoughts.

George Carlin's Views on Aging

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is  when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about  aging that you think in fractions.

 "How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!" You're never thirty-six and a  half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key

 You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the  next number, or even a few ahead.

 "How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!" You could be 13, but hey, you're  gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life . . You become 21.
 Even the words sound like a ceremony . YOU BECOME 21 YESSSS!!!

 But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like  bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're  Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?

 You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the  brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your  dreams are gone.

 But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!

 So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.

 You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a  day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!

 You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch;  you TURN 4:30 ; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s,  you start going backwards; "I Was JUST 92."

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little  kid again. "I'm 100 and a half!"

May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!


 HOW TO STAY YOUNG

 1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height.
     Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay "them."

 2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

 3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening,  whatever.

     Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop"
     And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

 4. Enjoy the simple things.

 5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

 6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on.

     The only person, who is  with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

 7. Surround yourself with what you love ,

     whether it's family, pets,  keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

 8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it.

     If it is unstable,  improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

 9. Don't take guilt trips.
     Take a trip to the mall, even to the next  county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

 10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

     

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER :
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,but by the moments  that take our breath away.

The Idea of Perfect

A tall handsome man, not dark, but just fair enough for his masculine features to be evident, chiseled jaw, and deep brown eyes, dark hair and broad forehead, and smelling of musk and wood in winter evening, on his knee, with a smile on his lips and ring held between his fingers, looking admiringly at you and you can feel in fast breath and his pounding heart wishing you to be his forever. And in your heart of heart you always knew this dream of yours would come true. All you wanna do now is say ‘Yes’ and live that bliss forever with that special someone.

Or you are that one guy who has been searching for that soul mate ever since you knew what love could mean, and you finally think you found it in your best friend? She’s been with you since as long as you remember, and she’s that perfect girl who can be your passionate partner, your adorable buddy and your wife all at once. She’s your strength and weakness, but you still can’t seem to realize how did that feeling of friendship changed to love! But one thing you know for sure is that you want her to be yours forever, and what’s making you smile now is that same feeling you can sense in the way she looks at you!

 Finding a long lost love, getting married to the one you always saw in your dreams, hearing I love you from that one single most special person in your life, getting surprised when you least expected. What are these? Or think, hearing back from that company you’ve been sending your resumes to for last 4 yrs, getting a promotion just when you were planning to make a big investment, getting posted in your dream location, or knowing that you’re gonna have a baby just when you thought life had slowed down.

 These are all the perfect moments we can ever imagine. Love, career, family, money. Most of our dreams revolve around these.  And we call it perfect when any of those come true. As long as this is what it means, it’s all good, but what not is, when we start expecting our life to be perfect. The truth is, it cannot be. Because its life, it’s not a collection of dreams. 

If all of what we want comes true, what fun would it be to dream anymore? To try anymore? To wait for a surprise? to wait or that special weekend? To plan those trips? The real fun is in the chase, and we all know it! That courtship period is a million times sweeter than that final day when you exchange the rings! Why? Because nothing can be compared to that anticipation, that heart which seems to be pounding inside your chest, those eyes which keep sending prayers heavenwards every second moment, and finally that joy when it all comes true. But even when it doesn’t, don’t keep regret, cos you did all that you could to make your dream come to life. That’s what life is about – to die without regrets. 

Even when nothing is perfect, you can try making it. And good thing is, perfect keeps moving its flag post! So it can actually get better every time. Have a bad relationship? So what if its not the perfect thing to have. No one wants a messed up relationship. Try putting in more efforts, try looking at that side of his/her which was never shared till now. It’s a simple fact – when you want things to get better, stop doing what’s not working. 

God is just playing chess with us. His move is not a challenge, it’s an opportunity, and our move is Life. Dreams come true, when he just places his pawn at the exact square when we wanted him to! But even when he doesn’t, big deal! Game’s not over just there anyways, right? One good thing again, God never checkmates us, till we finally give up.

 

Live life to the fullest, 

Dream big, Try harder, 

Love more, Forgive easily and 
Smile like it all is just the way you wanted. 

'Cos another good thing about perfect is – 

it never is….  

Health Management

Try this link, and let me know if found useful. I have made this special application using accurate formulas, and helps you decide how to achieve that target weight, how many calories to burn and how many to avoid :)

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AhlNL927bnjodERiX1FhVGpuU3VYQ0R3SUdYd19uTnc&hl=en

Feedback and suggestions are always welcome!


All the best.
Cheers....

Alltime Favorite Movies - Part I

I am a self proclaimed movie buff. Not only because it’s the least expensive way of entertaining oneself for three hours, but also because it helps rewind and relax and opens up one’s mind to a lot of new possibilities ( unless of course you go watch an absolute disaster like Chandni Chowk to China or Ravan!) I really am a believer of the fact that more imaginative you are more you enjoy a movie – as then it gets easier for you to see a situation from so many different views than the director might have intended. ( Also, it becomes fun when your friends sitting on either side keep punching their elbow in you and asking “why did he say that?” or “Why did she not go back to him even after that?”. You just keep answering politely thinking, ‘why is it so hard to figure out??’)

I had a colleague at my work place, who was tormented by everyday jokes about him that he watches every single thing that hits the screen on Friday! Well, I wont name him, and neither am I anywhere close to how he is!!! I am just a fan of this one source of entertainment which lets me see life from someone else’s eyes for a while and makes me think, ponder at times, and at others , just helps me believe in many a thing long forgotten.
I’ll list down here a few of my all time favorites and also the ones many are ushering me to watch. I’ll probably grab a DVD once I finish this post J
If Only
This is for a die hard romantic! I believe that two people having a crush on each other, if watch this movie together, would be proposing within ten mins of coming out of the theatre! Well for now, you guys only have the laptop to your rescue. The movie is about a couple who’s living in, and in takes almost a tragedy to convince the career minded guy, how important is love in life.
Serendipity
Oh…This sweet mush is the one which can make you start believing in coincidences and miracles! Well, serendipity means ‘a lucky coincidence’ and the movie is true to its every bit. The characters are cute and lovable, and the ending….you’ve to find out yourself!
P.S. I love you
Well, I’m not mentioning only romances here, but this one needs a mention. Not because its very different or super classy, its just natural and like an everyday thing. Its about how one needs to move on, and how well the guy knew his girl would need him even after he’ll be gone..Gerard butler is just plain awesome here!
Before sunset
This movie is a sequel to ‘Before Sunrise’, which I’m yet to watch.
The movie is like a camera following the girl and the guy throughtout that one day. Its like one long scene. They’ve met after almost 10 yrs, and its about it all goes with them.
One Fine day
George Clooney! Oh he looks just so adorable in the movie. It’s a comedy and a very fast paced one with a good plot. Its about how he meets the mom of his daughter’s classmate, over a very demanding day at work, they miss the school bus, their meetings are all about to be ruined…so they thought….Must watch!
9 Months
This is the one salaam namaste took after. Esp the latter half, but this one’s far too better. Hugh grant is at his usual best. A good romantic comedy.
Finding Nemo
One of the best animations ( after wallE) not for the visual effects but for the story is as good as any real life plot! The fishes no longer seem cartoons,you’ll almost fall in love with Nemo by the end!

More on the list later. Till then you grab a dvd or download or get them from a friend, and drop in a comment how you liked any of these J

Learn again

This thought that I so badly wanted to put in words, now just eludes me..why is it then when we’re happy, all the things we’d been crying over until last night suddenly seem so trivial..and then as soon as the sun sets, and we realize that the night is back again, those very same thoughts come running back too. Now, I just need to think of one thing to take me back to where I was last night, into my soul. And what do I think of? I just look around my empty room, my cellphone with no msgs I’ld love to reply,and no calls I am waiting for. There I am. And lonliness stands there mocking me, as if saying,”You thought I’d left you for good when you were just out partying with your friends? Or when you just chat for long hours on the phone, or are busy msging or email? Oh poor dear, I was just playing around with you! You can try as much as you want to escape, I am gonna be right there waiting for you everytime your day ends…”

Why did I always overrate love? Or was it not just me? I feel I am sure, that maybe I think I know it. Well, who am I kidding. I am so confused. We all expect a miracle to happen in our lives, the person we’d always imagined of, coming into our lives in the strangest of coincidences, and making us believe that it was always meant to be. We do it, don’t we? If not expect, let’s say, we hope for it. And that’s when the lightning strikes. The person we fall in love with us, is just not that into us, or we’re less of a priority than their careers, which I’m sure these days have become a very polite way of turning away, or rarely is honest or courageous enough to le us know there’s someone else in their life. Now the sad part, the most beautiful things to us are then said by the person who just doesn’t matter that much! Or someone for whom we can clearly see it’s all a game, and it doesn’t mean anything to him. So there it goes, maybe our last chance to happiness, lost to our heart’s will, which ironically was searching for happiness…

And you know why I was happy now? Because I realized our heart is just designed to love. It gets hurt, and then fixes itself and starts working again. Like a self repairing clock. It can do no other work the best way, as it can show time. Sometimes it does take time, days months years…But then it happens. Somewhere the heart’s urge to love again, and your mind’s will to get you out of the pain, like an alarm that goes off in the morning of an exam, no matter how badly you wanna go to sleep, that alarm and your mind just push you out of the bed!
So let your heart do some good to you now, and you be nice to it. Let it love again. Don’t punish a part of you for someone else’s mistake. You might say that ‘even in state of despair and misery, I’m thinking good for others around me, close to me, who matter.’ But , what we feel matters only to us. What we say and do, is what matters to people around. Thoughts are not just a few electric pulses in our brain until they mean something for someone else. Give them a chance to see how you feel, and how you can make them feel.

As a girl I honestly I’ve so many times that we have to go through so much pain in life, its so hard at times, but we just cant run away from it. Why are we so emotional, and the heart breaks just happen to us, and so on. Yesterday I was watching a movie, and this pregnant wife tell her husband –“I met the doctor today. It’s a girl.” As I watched the scene, the words just entered me and a tear left. How can I ever be miserable for trivial things? I could imagine the smiles on my parents faces when I was born. And I said to myself – “anything that starts with happiness, should never end in tears.” And I am talking about life here. It has no end. And so there’s no longer any place for tears.

I come back to my room that night, and Lonliness was there as usual. He looked at me for a second, smiled with the look of a person playing poker who realizes somehow that the opponent’s cards are so much better, and that he’s lost a big pool. It felt as if he was surrendering to me, as he took his jacket and closed the door behind him as he left. That night I slept, with no dreams. Just a smile, that I’ve learnt to be happy, and to love again.