Kitchen Komplex

Cooking. The way to a male heart is through his stomach.That's what they say.How complex or simple can it be?See the flavors, then compare the looks, then the outcome and decide, do we Indians, complicate matters a lot for ourselves and make our own life complex?The sequence of events in a daily chore of an Indian housewife , makes me wonder, what if we were to simplify our life style, traditional Indian and also get the benefits from it to increase, free quality time for the wife at large?

Look at the advantages first.Awesome tastes, spicy, sweet, rich, fried,with Tadka that adds a feather to the cap and colorful display of yellow, green, red and whites, probably making Indian cuisine one of the most sought after in the global community.Yet what goes behind it, is the lop side.

Prep time.The longest.The ingredients, varying from 10-25 types.The fridge packed with stuff that is a must kind,for giving those flavors, rich in ginger garlic paste,( home made is preferred over market packed ) reason being the flavor and taste.Then come the fresh veggies, garlic pods, peeled, chopped and crushed. Onions,peeled, chopped and fine tuned to add value as per the recipe.The tomatoes, pureed , cut, sliced, diced, minced or whatever.The oils, Olive or Groundnut or Sunflower oil or Rice bran the latest gimmick in the marketing space.The type of frying,deep, shallow or oil free.The utensils according to the needs.The biggest fight being the dough ,and the kneading techniques.Its a fight with the flour and the consistency and the feel that gives the housewife a chance to develop her biceps.The flour could be ready made packed stuff which doesn't have the taste or texture, whereas getting the right grains from the right place, and the grinding them to the right consistency all that ultimately leads to the immense satisfaction of the housewife.These just become the main ingredients .The balance is yet to come.The accessories, home made curds, buttermilk, ghee( homemade) and chutneys, the pickles and much more.All these are available of the shelf as well  in the supermarkets ,but many of us still prefer to labor, and do it at home.Phew!!!!If one were to see the pickle making process, its like a  test of patience.To top all this , the whims and fancies of many an Indian mind, the cottage cheese( paneer) must be from a specific place and a specific texture etc etc.The preference in the family, some like it hot, others free of spice, less oil, fat free and the works.Whoa!!!!Its like running a commercial kitchen of sorts and dishing out plates as per a menu card.We also have the Jain menus and veg. and Non.Veg separations to add to the confusions.

With so much and more to come in form of desserts, a simple ice-cream or a jelly or fruit salad is not the finisher.Its the moong halwa, carrot halwa and the works that again require nothing than a Mahabharata episode in the making.This goes on and on and on.This is just a lunch, or dinner prep,imagine this routine, 24x7x365 days and 2 times a day apart from tea, coffee and breakfast, the Indian way.Being an Indian Male, I feel sad at these events and for the Lady in particular.

The last nail in the coffin being the tons of utensils that occupy the sink and awaits the maid's wrath the next day.A western kitchen on the other hand, sans the variety and flavors, is simple and thus give much more time to the lady of the house for her family and herself.Can we adopt this trend with a mix and match and make more free time for our ladies?.Maybe we may find a way to her heart!

Trap

Life is such an experience.Going through our story and being observers to many others, is indeed a much required boost to the level of awareness one must have.The essence and flavours of life, as perceived by all of us, becomes a cocktail of sorts and increases the spice in your journey.

But, when we see , rich families or those who have the royalty of being connected to relatives, ancestral properties and wealth and get a head start , miles ahead of others , need not necessarily be the ones to finish the race of life as winners.Where ever you go, we see people spending their entire life time struggling with courts, lawyers, and peace of mind lost for a piece of land, property that is to fetch them millions of dollars.Is it all worth it?What happens when we win the battle in the court of law and loose it in terms of health, due to the stress in getting us there?The bitter relations , the ultimate fallout's, risks of criminal intent and blackmail,and last but not least, being notorious and not  popularly known around in the social circuits.People at some point of time are so well off, and suddenly they experience the nadir of life.Others , struggle up the ladder , keep climbing and reach a point where they experience dizzying heights.The most important part is to keep your feet on the ground , be humble, and let go.When its time to leave this world, all that is history.

Bitter battles lead to animosity between brothers, parents, cousins, couples and much more.That leads to distraught family relations, envy, and hate and we spoil beautiful moments just for that materialistic desire.We lead a life of doubts cast at every person you come across, become opportunist and become a wreck.The medical bills skyrocket, the doctors flourish, the lawyers make hay while the sun shines, and you are always in the shadow and in the hole, called hell.

One life is what we have.If something is yours it will be yours.Let is take place at its own pace.Keep yourself happy and share that joy and see what comes your way.There is bliss at every step of your life if you wish to experience it. Its all in your hands.No one can be blamed for the choice you make.