The other life

Uma was born in a small village lined with mango trees and red mud paths that glowed in the monsoon rain. She was the eldest of six children — four daughters and two sons — in a house where the walls echoed with laughter and the smell of simmering lentils. Her father, a schoolteacher, was a man who floated through life distracted, barely noticing the daily chaos at home. Yet, when it came to education, he stood firm as a mountain. All his children — every girl and boy — learned their letters, their numbers, their poems. And this foundation helped them all rise in life, each one carving out a path of prosperity and respect. Except one. Uma, the eldest, was not just a sister; she was a second mother to her siblings. She tied their ribbons, ironed their uniforms, and fed them rice and curry before they ran off to school. Her gentle firmness was the glue that kept the household from falling apart. She grew up to become a teacher, carrying her father’s torch of learning. When it was time fo...

It's one of the lesser known leafy vegetables is the Sambhar soppu or Doddpatre leaves or Sambrani leaves or the Mexican mint (Scientific name Plectranthus amboinicus). Mum recently tried a new recipe of curry of these and wasn't it utterly delicious. The succulent leaves have a super spicy aroma that fills up the whole room. Also known as the Indian oregano, it has great medicinal properties. And its very easy to grow. Any leafy joint of the succulent stem can be grown into a plant. Grows easily and quickly even in dearth of sunlight. Strange that inspite of these properties, its hardly found in our veggie markets. We had this plant growing in our balcony for as long as I can remember. But we never tried any recipes of it. Until now.... There are loads of recipes available on YouTube, but we South Indians have a few standard recipes : 1. Chutney - A finely ground paste of Sambhar soppu, green mirchi, onion/garlic. Can be eaten with dosas instead of daily boring coconut chutney...

Ahmedabad: - Ahmedabad's original name is Karnavati. The area around Ahmedabad has been inhabited since the 11th century and was known as Ashaval. In 1411, Sultan Ahmad Shah founded the walled city of Ahmedabad on the eastern bank of the Sabarmati River. The city was named Ahmedabad in honor of four Ahmads, including Ahmad Shah I, his religious teacher Shaikh Ahmad Khattu, and Kazi Ahmad and Malik Ahmad.  Hindon's original name is Harnandi in Shiv Mahapuran. This land is the taposthali (abode) of Rishi Vishwawa, the father of King Ravan. Several old temples, some dating back to a thousand years, still exist today in Bisrakh near the river.  Moradabad: - Moradabad's oldest name was Chaupala. In 1624, Rustam Khan, the governor of Sambhal, captured the city and named it Rustam Nagar. In 1625, the city's name was changed to Moradabad after the son of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, prince Murad Baksh.    Aurangzeb: - The city of Aurangabad was originally named Khadki or K...

Ketchup comes from the Hokkien Chinese word, kê-tsiap, the name of a sauce derived from fermented fish. It is believed that traders brought fish sauce from Vietnam to southeastern China.    The British likely encountered ketchup in Southeast Asia returned home, and tried to replicate the dark fermented sauce. But this was certainly not the ketchup we would recognize today. Most British recipes called for ingredients like mushrooms, walnuts, oysters, or anchovies in an effort to reproduce the savory tastes first encountered in Asia.   The first known published tomato ketchup recipe appeared in 1812, written by scientist and horticulturalist James Mease, who referred to tomatoes as "love apples." His recipe contained tomato pulp, spices, and brandy but lacked vinegar and sugar.

_*Did you know this story?*_  👇👇👇 The year was *1555* .  Portuguese colonial power was at its peak in the 1500’s.  They destroyed Zamorins of Calicut.  Defeated the Sultan of Bijapur.  Took away Daman from the Sultan of Gujarat.   Established a colony in Mylapore, Captured Bombay and made Goa as their headquarters.  And while they were at it, pretty much unchallenged, they even ruined the ancient Kapaleeswarar Temple to build a Church over it. Their next target, the super profitable port of Mangalore. Their only bad luck, just 14 kilometers south of Mangalore was the small settlement of *Ullal* - ruled then by a feisty 30 year old woman - *RANI ABBAKKA CHOWTA* Initially, they took her lightly and sent a few boats and soldiers to capture and bring her back to Goa - Those boats never came back. Shocked and enraged, they sent a huge fleet of ships this time, under the command of much celebrated Admiral Dom Álvaro da Silveira - The admiral soon returned...

Jamshedji Nusserwanji Tata was once, travelling to Germany. As he stood there, at the door of his First Class Cabin in the Steam-liner,  he noticed a lot of activity on the lower decks of the Ship. On enquiring, he learnt that a great Indian Saint Shri Swami Vivekananda was on board the same ship. Out of genuine respect and curiosity J.N. Tata decided to pay a visit to the great saint. Swami Vivekananda had of-course heard about the respected industrialist. As the conversation grew J.N. Tata explained that he was on his way to Germany. "I have with me sacks of soil : From various parts of India. I am taking these samples of soil to Germany. I wish to know if Iron can be extracted profitably from any of these districts." said J.N. Tata to the Saint. To which Swami Vivekananda replied, "Well, Sir, Even if these sacks contain Iron-rich soil,do you honestly believe that the Germans will tell you the TRUTH??? You must understand that No / NONE of the European Nations wish to ...