Raw Plantain/ Banana Preparations

The other day J came back from vegetable shopping with a surprise item- Raw bananas. I was delighted. Somehow raw bananas have always fascinated me. I love having them cooked in various ways- be it in traditional oriya Dalma, or just fried after marinating it in turmeric, salt and some red chilly powder, or even having it just boiled and dipped in some yoghurt chutney. All these preparations are better if the veggie is raw Plantain rather than raw bananas. In parts of the world, where plantains are not available, raw bananas can be taken as an alternative.

Plantains are starchy, mostly used as a vegetable, looks longer than the bananas, have thicker skin, resemble bananas but could be green, yello or black. . In India, I have found Plantains are only available in Kerala. In rest parts of India, you can try looking for it in kerala stores if they have any. Its called "Ethayka" in Malayalam.

One of my favourite preparations of the raw plantain/banana is from my mom’s kitchen. She used to tell that the dish was usually served to women after “Prasavam” (Child birth in Malayalam) in Kerala. So we used to call it “Prasava Curry” at home. It was funny especially when my brother also wanted “Prasava Curry” at times.

So, I tried making a Prasava curry here in Hargeisa and would like to share it here. I was especially inspired to share as recently it came handy to my one of my close friends in Singapore when she was confused on what to cook. We were chatting over google talk and I happened to share this recepe with her. She went ahead and prepared it and appreciated it.

So, coming to the point, let me try to put together what possibly can be done to make an authentic “Prasava Curry”.

Ingredients

1. Raw Banana/Plantain (peeled) – 3 Nos

2. Onion- 1

3. Garlic- 7-8 slices

4. Cambodge (this is a kind of sour dried fruit which Malayalees usually use in their fish curry. If you are a non- malayalee, you could go and knock the door of your Mallu neighbour and ask for “Meen Puli”. If you donot have a Mallu neighbour, then alternatively you could use Tamarind. I used Tamarind as I didn’t have Cambodge or there’s not a single Mallu in Hargeisa (except me, off course!).

5. Turmeric- ½ teaspoon

6. Red Chilli Powder/ Cayenne Pepper/ Paprika (depends on how hot you want it to be)

7. Coriander powder ( 3 teaspoons)

8. Black pepper powder ( ½ teaspoon)

9. Curry leaves

10. Salt to taste

11. Oil (Refined sunflower oil could be used , Mallus can go for Coconut oil for the authentic taste)

Cut the Raw Banana/ Plantain into thick and longish slices. Soak it for 10 minutes in water adding some salt and turmeric powder to it and then clean it well. This is done to reduce the stickiness which is found in raw banana when it is cut.



Sliced Banna soaked in water with salt and turmeric

 Take 2 cups of warm water and soak two thin slices of Cambodge/ or a pod or two of tamarind. Squeeze out the tamarind into the water.

cut the onions and garlic into long slices.

Put a pan on the stove with oil and fry the onions and garlic and curry leaves just for half a minute and add turmeric, red chilli, coriander and black pepper powders into it, add some salt and fry a half a minute more. Then, add the banana slices and fry for 3 minutes.

Now add the tamarind/ Cambodge water into it and after stirring, close the pan and let it cook for 7 minutes. Open the pan and stir again lightly taking care not to break the banana slices too much. Once the gravy turns thick , put off the stove. ( Again if you are a Mallu and want the authentic flavour of Kerala, pour a teaspoon of virgin coconut oil on the top and cover the pan with a lid till the serving time). Others can heat a tsp of oil in a different pan, splutter some mustard seeds and curry leaves and pour this seasoning on top of the preparation).

This is preferably eaten hot with Plain Rice and some Plain yoghurt on the side. Enjoy your meal and let me know how it was.

Usually when my mom cooks it this looks really red as the chilli powder is used liberally but in my cooking I couldn’t make it so as I had to think of my kids who aren’t trained to take hot stuff yet.

Sharing some Poetry

Somalis, since ages are known to express their feelings through poetry. B.W Andrezeweski in his introduction to An Anthology of Somali Poetry mentions “ When Sir Richard Burton visited Somali in 1854 he found that a most striking characteristic of its inhabitants was their love of poetry…. So that the pharse ‘a nation of poets’ became current among people acquainted with the Horn of Africa.”


I, for the matter landed on this piece written to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of Somaliland’s independence, while browsing through the internet and would like to share it here

18 May, the Good Decision Day

                                                - By Adnan Abdi

The clock ticks towards a day
Which is in the middle of May
Big to millions in the Horn
That built a nation out of a corn
Unrecognized by the world
Part of the stories untold
That is Somaliland, my home!

The clock ticks towards a day

Which is in the middle of May

When Somalilanders chose their way

Chasing enemies after a noisy fray

When their people were queued to slay

They all took the gun rather than dismay

And they fought very hard until 18 May

Reclaiming their new independence day

The clock ticks towards a day

Which is in the middle of May

The beginning of a series progression

That was impossible without secession

The first action was a reconciliation

That all accepted without a question

Nation-building was the next session

Followed by a free market and education

Then adopting democracy and election

That gave my country a good impression

For sure blessed was the 18 May’s decision

The clock ticks towards a day

Which is in the middle of May

When all Somalilanders will sing

Waving their flag even in Beijing

Showing their ‘cause’ to every king

Wanting a recognition this spring

Considering the impact it will bring

For the people who deserve this thing

Who remained a strong human-being

In a region blown by a devastating wind

While flying with a single wing

20th Birthday of Somaliland – 18th may 2011



The Flag of Somaliland

 While the Obamas, Osamas and the Strauss – Kahns of this world were stealing the limelight by crowding the headlines during the past weeks, the world failed to notice a little nation called Somaliland bordered by Ethiopia in the south and west, Djibouti in the northwest, the Gulf of Aden in the north, and the autonomous Puntland in the east celebrating its 20th year of its birth and demanding for its rights to be recognized as a separate nation by the international community.


In Hargiesa, as reported by somalilandpress.com “Thousands watched a parade staged to commemorate the occasion during which colourful groups from civil society marched, walked, or danced along Independence Avenue, followed by a full military parade.” It also reports that Somaliland’s president Ahmed Mohamed Silaanyo watched the procession from under a huge banner which read: “The international community is obligated to accept the will of the people.”

The Formation of the Republic of Somaliland, May 1991 :

A breakaway, semi-desert territory on the coast of the Gulf of Aden, Somaliland declared independence after the overthrow of Somali military dictator Siad Barre in 1991.The move followed a secessionist struggle during which Siad Barre's forces pursued rebel guerrillas in the territory. Tens of thousands of people were killed and towns were flattened.
Though not internationally recognised, Somaliland has a working political system, government institutions, a police force and its own currency. The territory has lobbied hard to win support for its claim to be a sovereign state.

Facts (BBC)


•Territory: Somaliland

•Status: Self-declared republic. Not recognised internationally.

•Population: 3.5 million (Somaliland government estimate)

•Capital: Hargeisa

•Major languages: Somali, Arabic, English

•Major religion: Islam

•Life expectancy: n/a

•Monetary unit: Somaliland shilling

•Main exports: Livestock

•GNI per capita: n/a

•Internet domain: n/a

•International dialling code: +252

The Yellow Bird

The Yellow Bird- Busily weaving its nest

The yellow bird- I dont know what else to call it as I am not aware of the species or which family it belongs to. It is tinier than a sparrow and the colour is bright yellow. We have been seeing it around the trees of our house quite a few times. Last few days, it has been quite busy. I initialy thought that it was building a swing for itself as it wove up a circular structure on one of the branches and then started to swing on it while the other birds looked on. Then the swing developed into a more fuller structure and finally the nest was ready.

Well... I dont know what the yellow bird was thinking as it was obvious that S/he changed its mind and on a fine morning we saw it dismantling the nest and taking the straws elsewhere. I wondered what made it do this. Is it us ? or is it somebody's advise that the nest or the location wasn't safe enough- whatever it did have an enormous effect on the bird's mind.

It has been raining for the past few days and I haven't been venturing out in the yard much. It was yesterday when I drew the window curtains away for the sunlight to come in that I observed that there was a nest on the same tree but on a different branch. I looked around and saw the yellow bird bringing straws for the final touch. In the evening, I witnessed an unusual scene. The wind was blowing and the rains were coming and the chirps of the birds were quite loud. I saw that the yellow bird was sitting on a branch below to the nest and looked wet and cold and in between it would shreik and rush to it nest and try to poke in. But there was another bird - a brownish sparrow coloured one inside the nest. To us, the yellow bird looked angry and looked as if trying to storm in when it was not allowed to do so. The real story I still do not know. Who is the other brown bird who occupied the nest and was the yellow bird retalitating to the illegal posession ? Or, did the yellow bird build the nest for its spouse to lay eggs ? and was it just assuring the spouse that she can use the nest while he gets wet outside. Hmmm... human speculations and they never end. But I did feel for the yellow bird. And this morning, what I see is there are two nests on the same branch and the yellow bird is sitting inside the new one. So, whats the story now. Did it give up fighting for its rights and instead made a new one to avoid conflicts ? Or is it that the couple agreed that no one should get wet and so have another nest on the side so they can be together when the babies come. Or was it a selfless act of helping one's neighbour or friend, by building a house and then donating it to a shelterless neighbour and then again build one 's own home. Yet again... a human thought... may be one home is for living and the other one is rented out.. to earn a living :-)



Buidling the second nest



What surprises me about Hargeisa

Hargeisa - The overall look of the town, the hustle bustle, the dusty roads and the little shops all around always reminded me of small towns in the rural India. The visible difference is in the attires of people and the big imported cars on the road. Looked at from close quarters, Somali society has loads of surprises for someone who is on a visit to this part of the world for the first time.

Out on the roads, one would find lots of women clad in their traditional dress (Dirreh) which is a long, kaftan sleeved, colourful gown with a head scarf (Massar) and a shawl (Shalmath) wrapped around the upper part of the body, moving around busily on the streets. The strength of Somali women has always surprised me. Many of them manage the household chores, look after the children and also are the breadwinners for the family. Usually the numbers of children in Somali households are quite high. The numbers could range from four to fifteen from just one woman. Having two kids myself, I can imagine the mammoth task these mothers have at hand, just around their children. But we see here that a woman’s responsibility cannot be limited to reproductive duties alone but she also has to take the mantle of being the one responsible to bring money home. One would find women doing several jobs which in other parts of the world is purely men’s job- for example if you go to the meat market, you will see women butchers. The surprising fact is that the butchers here are always women.

The shopping for the household is always done by the women, it is embarrassing for a man to be seen shopping for vegetables and grocery. I have never seen a Somali man carrying his kid/s around. Someone told me that it is not accepted for men to be taking care of kids or even carrying them. I have few experiences myself about the disapproval. The recent one was when we came out of the shopping mall and were waiting for the driver who had gone to pray. As usually J was carrying Yohan and Tejas was holding on to my hand. As we waited, few men sipping tea in the tea stall nearby offered a seat to J with biting remark to me mentioning how he needs a break.

Talking about the vegetable market, yes it is always so crowded and mostly with women. Sometimes one can see women with faces all coated with pastes of different colors and textures. That’s a unique feature in Somali society; one can go out with a face mask on for shopping. I can understand, with the busy schedule that a Somali woman has, one cannot put on a face mask and wait for it to dry and then wash before going out- every moment counts. A Somali woman never misses out on her beauty regimen even with her busy schedule, especially treating the skin with masks (made of chick peas flour, turmeric and other Somali ingredients) and the hair with henna regularly.

The resilience of the Somalilanders has always been surprising and inspiring to me. Having gone through severe hardships and trauma owing to the civil war during Siad Barre’s regime, having lost many of their near and dear ones, having to flee and be in exile for years, the way they have bounced back is worthy of appreciation.

Somaliland has been trying to be accepted by the international community as a separate nation with Hargeisa as its capital since long but is not yet successful. An independent state with a stable democratically elected government the recognition is long due but surprisingly, outsiders are not aware of its existence but are only aware of it as Somalia (with Capital Mogadishu), although many international aid agencies and the UN offices operate from Hargeisa.

What I love about Hargeisa



This is the third time I am living in Hargeisa. The first visit was in 2004. J was already here few months back and insisted on me to join him, so  had to say goodbye to my job with UNICEF in Orissa which I was really enjoying and had to fly down here. I had no inkling of how this place would. Whatever was my perceptions of Somalia/land was completely coloured by the way the media had painted it- not very good. So it was a mixed feeling, going to live in a new country and new people was exciting though.

 I wasn't very impressed by the flights after Dubai, I had to fly from there to Djibouti, had a brief break there and then took the small aircraft to Hargeisa. Already suffering from a terrible headache from the previous day and a sleepless night in Dubai, Djibouti's intolerable heat was too much for me. To add on to it, a 250 ml water bottle cost US $ 1/- (then Rs. 45/-) which was really shocking for an Indian who in Orissa could afford a whole meal with it.

 The small aircraft to Hargeisa was even horrible- with the seat belts broken and the seats were so crammed like the Orissa buses and I couldnot make out what was wrong with the airconditioning of the craft. The heat was intense and the passengers were in demand of water every now and then. The French hostess in the craft would pass on a jug of water and later they ran out of water too and all this while I was wondering whether I would ever be able to reach my destination at all. Nausea and headache had overpowered all my senses. Thanks to God, the gruelling 45 minutes were over and we landed safely. I took my bags and started for the exit and as the door was opened a lovely cool breeze blew on my face and I was suprised and the expression was so evident on my face, the two Danish women whom I had befriended while in Djibouti and who were aware of my condition smiled and one instantly mentioned "that's Hargeisa for you, the land of the lovely breeze". What a relief ! I have always loved that cool breeze of Hargeisa since then. 



Then started my sojourn with Somaliland and its people. The people were friendly and their hospitality always amazed me. They loved inviting us to their homes and lovely feasts would be served at dinner. I have always loved the food that our Somali friends treated us to, in their homes but couldn't replicate it ever myself- whenever I tried it, was a disaster.

I loved the little birds that make their homes in the thorny bushes and trees in Hargeisa. They are so many in number and the whole place, especially the residential areas are always so full of their chirps and shrieks that the environment can easily cheer a passerby.

There is something about Hargeisa which can relax one's nerve. The offices here usually function from 8 am to 2 pm and then everybody is home. The stress factor is less. One gets more time with the family and there is ample time to indulge in relaxing hobbies like reading, gardening, cooking etc. It is here that the first time I thought of blogging and had created a blog "Living Moments" (livingmoments.blogspot.com). The lovely breezy evenings are another treat in themselves.

Hargeisa brought me closer to God as I could experience Him in the stillness of everything. I had time to count my blessings and thank Him for everything in life. And the call to prayers 5 times a day would remind me to at least remember God during those times.

It is here in Hargeisa that Tejas was conceived in my womb. I was going through the training by UNDP and University of Hargeisa to be a faculty member in the Civil Service Institute then when I came to know of it. So, till today we make fun of Tejas calling him "Manufactured in Hargeia", "Product of Hargeisa" etc.

Eid Lunch 2006- at a friend's place.

A rainy evening in Hargeisa

The wind blew and showers started coming in the late afternoon towards evening and the power was gone. heard later from the watchman Bashir that some tree had fallen on the lines somewhere and it would take a while before restoring. So, all of us decided to enjoy the drizzle. It was getting a bit humid indoors too. Outside it was pleasant though. Tejas enjoyed jumping and reaching the wet leaves of the trees and shaking them so the droplets would fall on him and Yohan. Though, Yohan wasn't amused by it. He constantly made his disapproval clear by screaming in denial. He just wanted his dad to carry him around and show him things in the yard. As it grew dark both were really tired and dozed off in the living room in the dark. We still haven't got an alternative to electricity for the lighting. The flicker of the mobile phone was being used to maneuver around. J was now confused whether he should be going for the dinner invite he received from an ex colleague of his as he didn't want to leave us in the dark alone. By the time he got his next call for the dinner, he had to tell him about the situation and as a solution we were all invited to join in. It was a relief to be away from the dark at least for a while. We grappled in the dark to put on something appropriate to go out and clothed the children in their sleep and slipped out carrying them. Fuad was waiting outside with the car and we drove through the light drizzle past the half wet, dimly lit Hargeisa streets with the small shops in the corners who were pulling down their shutters. Finally the car pulled up in front of a typical Hargeisan house and we were quickly showed in by J's friend who was waiting outside. A cosy home with royal dinner waiting on the table. That was a great evening and reminded me of 2004 -2006 here in Hargeisa, the Somali hospitality and the lovely banquet that they serve when they invite you. I call it a banquet because the food on the table will usually be so varied, a single person if just tastes each dish, he would be too full for the dessert which itself is of so many varieties. I regret that I couldn't photograph the lovely sight. The evening was pleasant accompanied by chit chats with the other invitees and the host and then we left for our home- back to the darkness again with Bashir guiding us with a flashlight to put the children on their beds. As we settled down, thank God ! the lights came.

On this day

I had signed up for "Potpourri Diaries" quite some time back but couldn't make up my mind to start sharing my diaries on a blog. All the time I got off from the kids and my daily chores and responsibilities was taken up by Facebook :-). This day -April 10th of 2011- I have finally sat down to start keying down some of my experiences. It could be the place that I am in which brings in the melancholic side of a person. Yes Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland is a place which can give you the most relaxed feeling to bring out the creative best in you. And I really hope that I can put up some interesting stuff here. And Tejas, my 5 year old, is already on my heels asking for the computer to play games. I have to tell him that I am doing my homework and I will spare it for him 10 minutes later. But he doesn't have the patience and makes all sorts of excuses adding "Tejas is crying..." to all of it. What else can a mom do. So over to him for the time being.