Monday, April 30, 2012

Power is as addictive as cocaine


LONDON: More than a hundred years after noted British historian Baron John Acton coined the phrase 'Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely' , a scientist has said power really does corrupt as it is as addictive as cocaine. 


The Daily Mail reported, the feeling of power has been found to have a similar effect on the brain like cocaine as it increases the levels of testosterone and its byproduct 3-androstanediol in both men and women. This in turn leads to raised levels of dopamine in the brain's nucleus accumbens , which can be very addictive. 



A report by Ian Robertson professor of psychology at Trinity College, Dublin - said cocaine works in a similar way, which can have varied effects from increasing alertness, confidence, energy, feelings of well-being and euphoria , but also anxiety, paranoia and restlessness. He has also written a book, 'The Winner Effect: How Power Affects Your Brain' . 



Power has almost identical effects to cocaine and too much of it can produce too much dopamine, leading to more negative effects like arrogance and impatience. 



"Baboons low down in the dominance hierarchy have lower levels of dopamine in key brain areas, but if they get 'promoted' to a higher position, then dopamine rises accordingly. This makes them more aggressive and sexually active, and in humans similar changes happen when people are given power," Robertson wrote in the Telegraph. 



"Conversely, demotion in a hierarchy decreases dopamine levels, increases stress and reduces cognitive function," he said. Power has also been found to make people smarter because dopamine improves the functioning of brain's frontal lobes. Submissiveness and dominance also give similar effects through the same reward circuits of the brain as power and cocaine.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Chilli Chicken


Ingredients
Boneless chicken,cut into fingers400 grams
Green chillies,chopped6-8
Cornflour/ corn starch2 1/2 tablespoons
Saltto taste
Black peppercorns,crushed1/2 teaspoon
Egg1
Dark soy sauce2 tablespoons
Oil plus to deep fry1 tablespoon
Garlic,chopped8-10 cloves
Onion2 medium
Green capsicums,seeded thick strips2 medium
Red chilli sauce2 tablespoons
Chicken stock1 cup
Vinegar2 tablespoons
Method
Take chicken pieces in a bowl. Add half the cornflour, salt, crushed black peppercorns, egg and mix. Add a little dark soya sauce and mix. Heat sufficient oil in a wok and deep fry the chicken pieces till golden. Take care not to overcook. Drain and set aside. Heat oil in another wok. Add garlic and sauté for half a minute. Add green chillies and continue to sauté. Add onion, green capsicum and sauté. Add the remaining dark soya sauce, red chilli sauce and stir. Add a little chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Blend the remaining cornflour in a little stock. Add fried chicken pieces to the wok and toss. Add blended cornflour and mix. Add salt and cook for a minute. Add vinegar and stir. The starter is ready. If you want gravy add some more stock and let it come to a boil. Serve hot. 

Chicken Hazarvi


Ingredients
Boneless chicken breast,2 inch cubes8
Ginger paste2 tablespoons
Garlic paste2 tablespoons
White pepper powder1 teaspoon
Saltto taste
Cheese,grated1/2 cup
Green chillies,finely chopped4
Mace powder1/4 teaspoon
Nutmeg powder1/4 teaspoon
Fresh coriander leaves,chopped2 tablespoons
Egg1
Fresh cream3/4 cup
Butterfor basting
Method
Apply the ginger paste, garlic paste, white pepper powder and salt to the chicken cubes and set aside. Mash the cheese to make it into a smooth paste. Add the green chillies, mace powder, nutmeg powder, coriander leaves and salt. Add the egg and mix well. Add the chicken to the cheese mixture. Add fresh cream and mix gently. Keep in the refrigerator for about two to three hours. Pierce chicken onto skewers and cook in a moderately hot tandoor or a preheated oven (200C) until it is just cooked and lightly coloured. Brush with melted butter and cook for another two minutes till chicken is fully cooked. 

Cheese Chicken Kebab


Ingredients
Boneless chicken breast,2 inch cubes6
Egg1
Caraway seeds (shahi jeera)1/2 tablespoon
Green cardamom powder1/2 teaspoon
Green chilli paste1 teaspoon
Ginger paste1 tablespoon
Garlic paste1 tablespoon
Fresh coriander leaves1 tablespoon
Roasted chana dal powder1/4 cup
Turmeric powder1/4 teaspoon
Cream1/4 cup
Thick yogurt1 1/2 cups
Processed cheese,grated1 cup
Saltto taste
Black peppercorns,crushed7-8
Oilto shallow fry
Method
Break egg into a bowl. Add caraway seeds, green cardamom powder, green chilli paste, ginger-garlic paste, coriander leaves, roasted chana dal powder, turmeric powder, cream and yogurt and mix well. Add cheese, salt, crushed black peppercorns and mix well. Add the chicken cubes and mix. Set aside to marinate for about half an hour. String the chicken cubes onto skewers. Heat a non stick grill pan. Drizzle some oil and place the skewers on it. Shallow fry, turning the skewers from time to time, till the kebabs are golden on all sides. Cover the pan with aluminium foil to ensure even cooking. Serve hot. 

Instant Dhokla Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup gram flour (besan)
2 tsp semolina (suji) 
2 tsp eno powder
1/2 tsp sugar
1 lemon (nimbu) 
2 green chilly (hari mirch) 
8-10 curry leaves (kadi patta) 
1 tsp mustard seeds (raai) 
1/4 tsp salt (namak) 
1 cup water
1 tbsp oil





How to make instant dhokla:
  • Mix gram flour, semolina and 1 cup water.
  • Grease a container.
  • Heat water in a pressure cooker and place sieve (jaali) on it.
  • Now add eno powder.
  • Immediately pour this mixture in the greased container.
  • Place it on jaali and cover the cooker.
  • Remove the whistle of the cooker.
  • Let it cook at high flame for 15 minutes.
  • Then take out the dhoklas out of the container and cut into pieces once it is cooled.
  • Heat oil in a pan and crackle mustard seeds. Then put curry leaves.
  • Finely chop green chilies.
  • Pour this on dhoklas.
  • Put 2 cup water, sugar and lemon juice in a container and put all dhoklas in it.
  • After 5 minutes take out extra water.
  • Garnish with finely chopped dhania patti.
  • Serve with some chutney.

Akhrot Murgh


Ingredients
Walnuts,blanched , peeled and powdered1/2 cup
Boneless chicken,1/2 inch pieces400 grams
Ginger paste1 tablespoon
Garlic paste1 tablespoon
Saltto taste
Cumin powder1 teaspoon
Yogurt1/4 cup
Oil1 tablespoon
Onion ,grated1 medium
Tomato,pureed1 large
Green chillies,chopped4
Coriander powder1 teaspoon
Fresh cream2 tablespoons
Garam masala powder1/4 teaspoon
Method
Place chicken in a bowl. Add ginger paste, garlic paste, salt, half teaspoon cumin powder and yogurt and mix well. Marinate the chicken for half an hour. Heat oil in a pan, add onion and sauté till lightly browned. Add tomato puree, mix well and continue to sauté till oil separates. Add green chillies and continue to cook for two minutes. Add coriander powder, remaining cumin powder, mix well and cook for one more minute. Add the marinated chicken, mix well, cover and cook till done. Add walnuts, simmer for two to three minutes. Add fresh cream and garam masala powder and mix well and simmer for two more minutes. Serve hot. 

Aamras Ka Gosht


Ingredients
Ripe mango pulp1 cup
Mutton,1 1/2 inch pieces on the bone750 grams
Oil4 tablespoons
Onions4 medium
Almonds,blanched and peeled15
Melon seeds (magaz)2 tablespoons
Saltto taste
Ginger paste1 tablespoon
Garlic paste1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder1/4 teaspoon
Red chilli powder1 teaspoon
Green chillies5
Water1 cup
Yogurt1/2 cup
Raisins15
Garam masala powder1 teaspoon
Saffron (kesar)a few strands
Method
Heat 4 tbsps oil in a deep non stick pan. Roughly chop onions and put in a chopper and chop finely. Add to the pan and sauté till lightly browned. Grind together almonds and melon seeds with a little water, to a smooth paste. Set aside. Add mutton to the onions along with salt, ginger paste, garlic paste, mix well and sauté for 1 minute. Add turmeric powder and red chilli powder. Break green chillies and add. Mix everything well. Add 1 cup water and mix. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes. Add almond-melon seed paste and mix. Add mango pulp and mix. Add yogurt and raisins and mix well. Add garam masala powder and saffron and mix. Cook till mutton is completely done. Serve hot. 

Kashmiri Gushtaba


Ingredients
Mutton leg,boneless and fat removed1 kilogram
Mutton fat200 gram
Oil to fry
Onion ,sliced2 medium
Green cardamom powder1 teaspoon
Saltto taste
Mutton stock4 cup
Yogurt5 cups
Clove6-8
Black cardamom1-2
Green cardamom6-8
Fennel seed (saunf) powder3 teaspoon
Dry ginger powder (soonth)3 teaspoon
Garlic paste1 1/2 tablespoon
Pure ghee4 tablespoon
Dry mint leaves1/4 teaspoon
Method
Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and deep fry the onions till brown. Cool and grind into a fine paste. Keep the mutton pieces and fat on a wooden block and pound using a wooden mallet. Preferably you should use a stone base. Add mutton fat and continue to mince. Add green cardamom powder and salt and continue to mince again. Add ice cubes so that the meat does not get heated while mincing. Add some water to ice cubes, dip your hands in it and moisten the mince with wet hands. This way you not only moisten the mince but also keep it cool. Again dip your hands in cold water and shape the mince into koftas either round or oval shaped. Cook the koftas for ten to fifteen minutes in the mutton stock. In another pan mix yogurt with half a cup of water and blend well. Keep a sieve on a pan and place a muslin cloth over it, pour the yogurt mixture and strain. Cook the strained mixture with cloves, green cardamoms, black cardamoms and salt to taste on high heat stirring continuously till the mixture changes its colour. Make a paste of fennel powder and dry ginger powder and add to the yogurt mixture. Add brown onion paste and garlic paste diluted in a little stock. Add ghee and continue to cook. Drain the koftas from the stock and add to the gravy. Do not throw away the remaining stock. You can add it to the gravy or use it for some other dish. Simmer for a while and then add crushed dried mint leaves 

Shaam Savera


Ingredients
For koftas
Fresh spinach leaves (palak)5 medium bunches
Cottage cheese (paneer),grated65 grams
Saltto taste
Green cardamom powdera pinch
Oil2 tablespoons + for deep-frying
Cumin seeds1 teaspoon
Garlic,finely chopped10-12 cloves
Green chilli,finely chopped6-7
Gram flour (besan)4 tablespoons
Turmeric powder1/4 teaspoon
Cornflour/ corn starch1/4 cup
Makhani gravy
Tomato,roughly chopped18 large
Oil2 tablespoons
Green cardamom12
Mace1/2 blade
Garlic,chopped20 cloves
Saltto taste
Red chilli powder (deghi mirch)2 1/2 teaspoons
Butter1/2 cup
Fenugreek leaves (methi),roasted and powdered2 teaspoons
Honey3 teaspoons
Fresh cream8 tablespoons
Method
Trim the spinach leaves and blanch them in eight cups of boiling water for two to three minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water. Squeeze out the excess water, cool and chop finely. Transfer into a deep bowl. In another bowl mash the paneer with a little salt and a pinch of green cardamom powder. Divide into eight equal portions and roll into balls. Heat two tablespoons oil in a non stick shallow pan, add the cumin seeds, garlic and green chillies and sauté. Add the gram flour and continue to sauté for one to two minutes. Add the turmeric powder and stir. Add the spinach and salt sauté, stirring continuously, until the mixture is dry and begins to leave the sides of the pan. Set aside to cool. Divide into eight equal portions. For the makhni gravy puree the tomatoes till smooth. Heat the oil in a deep non stick pan. Add the cardamoms and mace and sauté for one minute or till fragrant. Add the garlic and sauté for one minute. Add the tomato puree and salt and mix well. Add the red chilli powder and cook for fifteen minutes or till the raw flavour of tomatoes disappear. Add the butter and cook for some more time. Take each spinach portion, flatten it on your palm and place a paneer ball in the center. Gather the edges and shape into a ball. Spread the cornstarch in a plate and rolls the stuffed spinach balls in it. Shake off the excess. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai. Gently slide in the stuffed spinach balls, two at a time, and deep fry on low heat for two to three minutes or till golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper. Add the dried fenugreek leaves and honey to the gravy. Stir and cook for five minutes more. Add the cream and cook for two minutes more. Pour the makhni gravy into a serving bowl, halve the koftas and place on the gravy and serve immediately. 


Chef's Tip
Chef's tip: Before frying all the koftas, fry one and check if it is breaking. If it breaks, add some more sautéed gram flour to the spinach mixture and then proceed with the koftas.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

THE BENEFITS OF BEING POLITE


 We all believe in the philosophy that the essence of life is talking. Communicating with others is as necessary as food. If we don’t, we tend to fall ill. Today people are rarely talking.
 
The art of conversation has almost died down. People just usually sit and chat in their office breaks about things that are not even worth thinking about. Let’s face it; we all are going towards doom where each one of us is talking to pass/kill time. The art of using communication is no more existing. People are concerned about others influence in their lives and not about their influence in others life.
 
It is an unbelievable thing that an effective communication through polite words can have wonderful impact on you and others lives as well. You can win the hearts of many people, climb the corporate ladder, have promotions but not have wonderful relationship with people around you.
 
The path to a successful life comes thorough the stairs of politeness. An act of politeness can do wonders that no monetary thing can do. Let us go deep in the art of efficient speaking by these methods.
 

Talking about ideas and not people
It’s truly said, great minds talk about ideas and small minds talk about people. Politeness is an attitude of life. Talking about ideas heightens your politeness towards innovations and stimulates your mind too. This is effective for the speaker and the listener both. To start talking about people you can breathe out all negative energies about anyone: latest crush, which dress she wears, which perfume she uses, her bad attitude. The idea is that everything you talk about people usually comes negative. This develops a feeling of self love and comparison at all means. You do not value your life as much as you do to others.
 
Using intellect instead of the tongue
 
Usually people chatter on at length not worrying about the impact it would have on others. Since people are so occupied in themselves they’d rather talk about themselves only. This instigates them to speak rubbish endlessly. Have you ever thought how much of an impact we can have on others by our words? By trying to use our brains before speaking, we will save others sentiments and preserve a healthy relationship between our near ones.
 
Avoiding gossip
 
The one who usually starts a gossip or backbiting about someone does not know that he is the one to have the last laugh. People who start commenting and spreading rumors about others usually end up in a muck of politics and bickering about themselves from the other end. Such people should be avoided at arm’s length. Even listening to gossip is as harmful since the listener had the power to listen to negative communication. This unhealthy gossiping could have been stopped if the listener would have ignored the speaker.
 
Exchange of compliments
 
We should not limit our compliment intake be restricted to our close relatives. People like our helpers such as servants, cleaners, house maids are those on whom we can count on. Speaking politely to them will ensure that your day is made. They are the ones who offer your services to make your life comfortable. So we should make endeavors to enrich their lives by complimenting and praising them.
 
Look for positive things in negative people
 
We all have negative and positive sides. Nobody on this earth has a squeaky clean nature. We all have flaws, however some people are observed negatively by their rude behavior and we become very judgmental about them putting them in the negative category. We should understand that people who are rude have their own weaknesses. They do not choose to be like that. Frustrations at work or domestic front make them act in this behavior. Such people should be offered more help than others comparatively. Talking politely with them will make a difference in their lives and yours too.
 
Feel positive about you all the time 
 
Quite often we do not realize that we subconsciously become negative. Pent up emotions and unfulfilled desires make us behave rudely towards others and emit negative radiations from the body. Thus we tend to overreact and become rude and harsh to others in some or the other way. This might demolish the social circle that we have. So politeness in the hearts at all means will result in polite attitude.
 
Whatever is rested in your heart is bound to come out in the open some or the other day. Make sure you have a prosperous life with a polite attitude and selfless love. This will make you immortal in the hearts of millions as people are going to remember for your polite words and not by your status.
 
A photographer once clicked a photograph of ex-president of India, Dr. Kalam with a shawl placed on his shoulder. After the photo shoot was over, the photographer rudely took off the shawl and walked off. The President smiled. After being asked about his composed behaviouir, he politely answered that maybe the photographer needed the shawl more than he did, and continued his work.
 
People with big positions come and go but it is only their humble nature that draws millions of people towards them. Their polite words filled to the brim with modesty and love melt the hearts of even the rudest amongst the crowd. By talking politely to all we can make an impact on others lives.