“What mangoes are these?” asks the lady to the vegetable vendor who visits our flat. “Banganapalli” says he. “You want?” he asks The lady does not reply. The mangoes looked perfect like a big yellow juicy commas. “What mangoes are you looking for?” another lady asks “Alphonso?” “Yes” says the lady no.1 “Ah! they are very…
As May ends…🗓
The weather changes towards the last week of May. It starts in the latter half of the day; the evening breeze becomes cooler and blows stronger, a welcome relief from the oppressing heat as the cool air rushes into the house pushing out the hot air trapped inside. In a few days, the breeze gives…
Prawn favourites: Adds magic to meals 🍤
“I had enough of chicken. Mutton is so expensive. There is hardly any good fish available. What non-veg to cook?” laments my cousin “Prawns” I suggest😘. There are so many dishes to make from prawns🍤. When I use a cook book, I find the index at the back more useful than the contents page. The…
Embassy Office Parks REIT: Delivering on distribution targets 🏢
The DPU (distribution per unit) promised for this year by Embassy Office Park REIT was Rs. 24.5/- per unit; year end results are out and they delivered Rs. 24.39/- per unit (before tax) for FY 19-20✨✨ 28 May is the record date fixed for the distribution (to determine which shareholders are eligible to receive the distribution) and…
BSE Ltd : The dividend does not disappoint 💸
BSE Ltd has declared dividend of Rs. 17/- per share for FY 19-20 subject to the approval at the AGM. The dividend payout ratio is at 95% in the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic. The money in the pocket is happy news for the shareholders👍. The company has so far maintained a payout ratio…
Safe to Shop…⁉️ 🛍
It’s official, the Lockdown 4.0 is declared till 31 May. There are however some relaxations and opening of standalone shops that can maintain the social distancing norms is one. The shops have marked squares three feet apart from each other, designating where you have to wait for your turn to enter the shop. Cash is…
Rose Bazaar: For the Gods need fresh flowers everyday🌹
The vegetable vendor brings a special request from the wholesale market in addition to the normal quota of fruits and veg – stemless fresh cut flowers for puja at homes. The selection of red roses, yellow and orange marigolds are brought tied in transparent polythene bags and given to the ladies for the daily puja….
Panchayat on Prime : A glimpse into rural India🌻
Panchayat is a new series on Amazon Prime. Rural India is often described as – charming, colourful and rustic; sugar coated words really – rural India is poor, dusty and lacking in infrastructure. Why would anyone want to go there? And that’s exactly the feelings of the protagonist Abhishek Tripathi, an engineering graduate who gets the…
Roots & shoots 🌱🌵
We are soon to enter Lockdown 4.0 from 18 May 2020. The PM said yesterday that the new set of rules will be announced on 18th. I am tried from all the housework; the heat is not helping either. I called my maid asking whether she could come. She said travelling was difficult as public…
Morning musings🌤
3 May marked the last day of the lockdown. People were wondering what next? The answer soon arrived. From 4 May onwards for the next two weeks a new set of rules has been announced. A curfew at night between 7 pm to 7 am has come into force. During daytime the shops can open,…
Milk pudding with pineapple preserve🍍
There were two food items that were in high demand during the lockdown, not staples as you would imagine; but vanilla essence and yeast. I wanted to buy a bottle of vanilla essence and it was always out of stock. The shop staff claimed that almost all the women were asking for vanilla essence for…
Lazy weekend dinners 🍝
Before lockdown, weekends always translated to either ordering food in from the restaurant or eating out. That’s a distant memory now; but still come weekend and the lethargy to cook creeps up. For such lazy weekends, easy to cook, one pot meals straight from the pan is the antidote and it’s good to have a…
Raw beetroot raita 💜
Raw beet may not be to everyone’s liking. Cooked beetroot raita is more popular and liked by many; first for the glorious magenta colour and then for the taste. But here we have an easy recipe for raw beet with curd. This is again a Nigella Lawson inspired recipe, but I made some modifications. Nigella’s…
Mushroom and mince 🍲
Mushroom curry can be made tastier by adding a little minced meat. Beef and mushroom are a classic combination; but mutton mince works equally well. Ingredients: Mushroom, quartered 250g Mutton, cooked and minced 1/2 cup Onion 1 large or 2 medium Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp Tomato, pureed 1 large or 2 medium Oil 3…
Buying a small piece of the 500 largest publicly traded US companies 💵
Take advantage of the current market decline and consider buying a small piece of the 500 largest publicly traded US companies. Here is an opportunity to participate in the US equity markets from India via the S&P 500 Index Fund from the Motilal Oswal Mutual Fund house. It’s the first of it’s kind US equity index…
Breaded Basa and cheesy dip
Basa is a fish loved by people who don’t like fish. You can get chunky pieces of fish meat without the pesky bones. And it’s not just fish sans the bones; Basa does not have the characteristic fishy smell either. Basa is also cheap in the market when compared to other meaty fishes like…
Kanji and red coconut chutney🌶🥥
Kanji is the tradition for lunch on Good Friday in Kerala. And it is served in the church at the end of the Good Friday service. The service starts in the morning at about 8:00 am and lasts till 2:00 pm; by the end of it people are famished. This simple rice gruel is one…
Summer treats 🍉
Fruits are abundant in summer. All we need to decide is whether to mix them up or eat them alone. Watermelon works well either ways🍉. Below is a combo of watermelon with pomegranate seeds garnished with chopped mint leaves – a simple suggestion by Nigella Lawson; it’s refreshing and sweet. People will be first wowed visually…
Dividend Candidate(#2): BSE Ltd 🤑
At CMP Rs. 298.35/-, the dividend yield of BSE Ltd is at 10.06% which is very attractive. India has a duopoly in the stock exchange business, the two being – NSE and BSE. While NSE is the market leader in equity cash trading and derivative trading, it is not yet listed. The listed exchange BSE Ltd. severely lags…
Punjabi style Shahi Dum Aloo: Baby potatoes served in a luscious gravy 🥘
If you are cooking for compliments, then this is an apt dish. It is baby potatoes served in a silky smooth gravy that’s mildly spiced, tangy and yet subtly sweet. This recipe was shared by chef Kunal Kapoor and it works beautifully well. You can catch it on YouTube. As the chef elaborates, “dum” is…
