The "World Cup Dip"

Ohk!! it was the epic day of the World Cup 2011 Finals, and we had called a couple of friends to watch the match together.  We all needed something to munch with the drinks. I just got some packets of nachos and was thinking of some nice dip to go with the nachos. I just stepped into the kitchen and just thought of a dip in a jiffy with some random ingredients. Here's what i did:- 

1) Took around 350- 400 gms of yohurt in a bowl.

2) Put around 2 heaped table spoons of cheese spread (i used pepper flavored).

3) Added finely Chopped 4-5 cloves of garlic in to it.

4) Sliced a small onion and stir fried the same in some olive oil till it became translucent.

4) Chopped the stir fried onion and added it to the bowl.

5)Added 1 teaspoon of  mustard paste. ( i used coleman's. you may use any strong mustard).

6) Now here's the punch. I added one table spoon of mustard oil to it.

7) Added a juice of one big lemon.

8) Added some chili flakes and salt as per taste.

This dip was super yummy  and trust me the flavor of mustard oil in this is kikass!! Just do not forget to chill this dip in fridge for about 30 - 40 mins before you serve it. This will go great with any sort of chips, french fries , or nachos. You can also put this dip in a tortilla, put in some sliced tomatoes, cucumber, some fresh coriander, and just grill it and your perfect snack it ready!!

And hey!! We won the world cup!!!

Happy Dipping!!

 

Thats my world!: Pasta with Broccoli in Tomato and Coconut Sauce.

Thats my world!: Pasta with Broccoli in Tomato and Coconut Sauce.: "It was last weekend when i just wanted to cook something good without going to the store for ingredient shopping. So this dish was just deri..."

Pasta with Broccoli in Tomato and Coconut Sauce.

It was last weekend when i just wanted to cook something good without going to the store for ingredient shopping. So this dish was just derived at random with all that i had in my kitchen, and it turned out to be fantastic!! Just thought of sharing this with you. So, here it is-

Please note that since i am a free style and a self taught cook, i am not that accurate with measurements and technicalities but i assure you that you cook with love and this recipe will come out as a star!!

Ingredients:-

1. Pasta of your choice - 1 Small Packet. ( I used Penne)
2. Broccoli - 7 to 8 medium sized florets
3. Tomatoes - 5 to 6 medium sized
4. Tomato Ketchup - 1 to 2 tablespoon
5. Parmesan Cheese - Grated
6. Coconut Milk - 1 Can
7. Some Fresh Mint Leaves
8. Garlic  (chopped) - 6 to 7 big cloves
9. Chili Flakes 
10. Dried Basil
11. Salt

The Process:- 

For the tomato puree - 

1. Make small cross mark slits at the bottom of the tomatoes, and blanch them in boiling water till the skin starts to come out.
2. Drain and rinse in cold water,and then peel off the skin which will come out easily because of the cross slits.
3. Put the peeled tomatoes in the blender and throw in some mint leaves as well. May be 6 to 7 nice fresh mint leaves and blend it. Keep this puree aside now.

For the Pasta:- 

1. Boil Water in an open vessel. We usually take 4-6 cups of water for boiling 100gm of dry pasta.
2. Add salt to it. We usually add 1 tablespoon salt to a litre of water. Also add a few drops of oil in the water.
3. Bring the water to a boil and then add the pasta.
4. Cook it till the al -dente  stage, which means the pasta is just cooked enough and it still has a bite in it. It should stick to your teeth when you eat it.
5. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water so that it is all nicely separated.

 For the sauce:-

1. Pour a generous amount of olive oil in a wok or pan.
2. Put in the chopper garlic and chili flakes in the pan and saute till it slightly changes color and starts to give a nice aroma. Adding the chili flakes depends upon how spicy you want to eat, add it as per your liking. I put 1 or 2 teaspoons.
3. Add the broccoli and saute.
4. Pour the tomato puree prepared separately. Also add a tablespoon of tomato ketchup to give it more taste.
5. After the sauce starts to boil, add the coconut milk.
6. Season the sauce with salt and dried basil. (Add some more chili flakes at this stage if you want to make it spicy).
7. Reduce till the sauce becomes a little thick and the broccoli has partially cooked. (Remember that the broccoli should have enough bite and crunch in it, and should not be cooked fully)
8. Add the pasta into the sauce. Stir and mix well. At this stage, check the seasoning once again and add salt if necessary.
9. Grate some  Parmesan Cheese into the pasta.
10. Serve hot and garnish it with some more grated parmesan and a twig of fresh mint.

Do try this and I assure you that you will be amazed by that awesome flavor of fresh mint and coconut. Feedback and suggestions are always welcome!!

Happy Cooking!!

Hey! my left hand sucks dude!! Strengthening your left hand for drumming.

 For all the drummers out there.!

In my discussions with many drummers, i have noticed that all we drummers tend to ignore our left hand (assuming all the right handed drummers) and we miss a lot of potential hidden in that left hand which generally remains unused. In fact, i  ignored that for couple of years, till the time i felt the need to work on it seriously, and eventually i started working on it recently.

Here are a few reasons why we do not concentrate  on our left hand :-

1. We do not bother or care to develop individual limbs as we are always busy making and playing nasty and complex grooves. That is the bottom line for all the drummers i guess.
2. Generally, we do not find any reason or need to do so.

But what i personally feel is that all drummers should work on all the limbs INDIVIDUALLY, and especially concentrating on the weaker limbs. This will not only make you a better drummer, but it will also open new doors of possibilities and creativity for you.

How to achieve this?

I read a couple of exercises on the web and some books, some worked for me . I am sure these will work for you as well:- 

Before you get started, make sure that you follow these:- 

1. To begin with, keep it in your mind that miracles do not happen overnight. This will take time. Just be consistent and patient with this.
2. Practicing 15 minutes daily is better than practicing for 2 hours, once a week. The idea is to exercise your muscles regularly.
3. Use all your gears for a consistent ride. You have to train your fingers, your wrist, and your hands collectively. Many drummers make it a rigid rule of either using their fingers or the wrists. But to get a better control and variation, we should to learn to use all the 3 gears  i.e. your fingers, wrist and arms.But the maximum usage will be that of your wrist and fingers only.
4. Start off slow and gradually build your speed with stamina. Try starting with 60-80 BPM.
5. Try to practice on a surface that offers less rebound or gives you a descent resistance. This will give you a good workout.
6. Rudiments seems boring! but trust me , they work..
7. Try not to accent the notes while practicing. Watch that both the sticks produce almost the same sound.
8. Listen to what you play.  It is as important as playing.

Exercises:

1. LLLL RRRR ( Quarter note)
2. LLLLLL RRRRRR ( Triplets)
3. LLLLLLLL RRRRRRRR (8th notes)
4. LRLL LRLL LRLL LRLL
5. LRLRLL LRLRLL LRLRLL LRLRLL ( triplet feel)
6. LLRLLRLL LLRLLRLL ( 8th Notes)
7. Also try to make your own grooves and rolls in which your left hand takes the lead.
8. This one is a little tricky- If you want to have real fun, put your Hi Hat and snare on the right side of the kit and bring your floor tom to your left. And then try playing the usual stuff with Hi hat from your left hand and the snare from from your right. I am sure you will find this one real challenging.
9. Practice buzz rolls and other rolls starting with your left hand.
10. Practice the above exercises for about 3-4 mins each. Give additional 5 mins to the weaker hand after every practice.

Well these are my views on strengthening your left hand as I tried these and found them effective. I noticed the improvement within 3 weeks. I am sure that the  readers might have more challenging and innovative exercises and ideas  which i would love to learn. Please share those.

Happy Drumming!! 

Thats my world!: Dear Friends, Welcome to my world!! Blogging is ...

Thats my world!: Dear Friends,

Welcome to my world!!

Blogging is ...: "Dear Friends, Welcome to my world!! Blogging is a new venture to me. Just got inspired by Parv, who is good friend of mine. I will m..."

Dear Friends,

Welcome to my world!!

Blogging is a new venture to me. Just got inspired by Parv, who is good friend of mine.  I will mostly talk food, recipes, my version of recipes, and of course music!! followed by some bits of life and work..

I have been into music for quiet sometime now. I owe a lot to the members of my band "Aaveg", who made me the musician I am..  Here's a pic of the band  -

Hope you will appreciate and enjoy my blog, my world!!

Cheers!!