My India-Cooking for a Large Indian Family

My younger son is six years old and he is going to preperation school before the primary school.

Yesterday he invited his teacher for a dinner and asked me to cook an Indian food...Probably my sons father is Indian and we do cook sometimes Indian dishes at home...

I beleive he is in love with his teacher ...Luckly enough she accepted my invitation and we will have fun next Friday...

This reminded me my ''cooking adventure'' for a large Indian family during my stay in India...We were living like a local family...We hired a very small flat in Pune city near Mumbai. After the motorway I guess it takes almost 3 hours from Mumbai nowadays.

It was 1+1 room flat with a small kitchen and small bath...We had only a small fridge and cooker in the kitchen. A cotton bed on the ground and a metal wardrobe in the bed room. No furniture in the living room...Honestly it was so hot to sit on any furniture...We were preferred to sit on the floor which was much cooler.

I do not know why but in all my stays in India I had change to experince Indian summer...So during my pregnancy to my both sons I had to live in Indian summer...Old Indian ladies used to tell me so that ''My babies may like and need heat and/or Indian spicies''...I liked the way their point of view...They were so kind and helpful to me...They really have a great place in my heart...The love they had in their heart for me healed my heart...So...

Eventhough we lived in a very small flat with minimum furniture , those days were really happy days...I was so peaceful, satisfied and happy...This was a great experience to understand so that one does not need outsider 'things'' to become happy and peaceful...It was all about how you fill inside...

I beleive the attention of people in India and specially in Pune city are on their spirit or in their inner Self...Its like they live in the moment...Daily living is an experiment for practising inner Self and their attention always on their spiritual evolution. Everthing is rotating around the spiritualism...Because of this your attention becomes cool down and you start to hear your inner voice more clearly...Also your mind becomes cool down so you were not bombed with thousands of thoughts...May be we all need such silence , calmness within ourselves to experince peace and happines which are inside us as they said?

Anyway,I must have been a real couraged one to accept an Indian family for a dinner...I was not a great cook in the first place.

Traditional families are not so open to foreign food in India...At least the ones I met were like this...Even Turkish food is so tastless for them...It is true in a way...Not too spicy and oily...

In Turkey we generally boil the chicken and make soup or rice...Or we grill it. Nevertheless we do not use so much spicies like Indian...You can understand what I mean when you read Indian recipe below.

Nevertheless I had a great Indian Cookery book and I did my best that day...Yes I tired to cook an Indian main dish...

I remembered it took almost whole afternoon for me to cook the main dish...This was a heavy dinner for me...

I will give you the recipe down below...But beleive me if you use the right spice combination , this would be the greatest taste you every had in your life...Ofcourse if you like spicy food...

In India ''balance'' is the key word...In everywhere...Even for cooking...

If you miss the quantity a bit than you will have completetly different taste which you were expecting...

Here we go for the recipe...

Chicken Cooked With Whole Spices

450 g onions
2-3 garlic cloves
45 ml (3 tbsp) blanched almonds
4 chicken quarters
45-60 ml (3-4 tbsp) vegetable oil
1 cinnamon stick
8 curry leaves (You can use bay leaves but surely taste will be different)
3 black cardamoms (You can find it in Indian Shop or use the reqular ones)
4 cloves
4 black peppercorns
10 ml (2tsp) cumin seeds
1-2 dried red chillies
3 large ripe tomatoes skinned if prefered
salt

Preparation Time 15 minutes
Cooking Time 45 minutes

1.Peel the onions and cut in to wedges.Peel and chop the garlic. Finely choped the almonds. Halve each chicken quater discardingthe skin.

2.Heat the oil in large heavy based pan. Add the onions and cook over a medium heat, stirring frequently,for 10-15 minutes until softhened and golden brown.

3. Once the onions have browned, increase the heat to boil off any water if necessary. Add the whole spices and cook over a hight heat for 2 minutes, stirring all the time. Add the almonds cook for 1-2 minutes until they are lightly browned.

4. Remove the onions, almonds and spices from the pan, using a slotted spoon. Add a little extra oil to the pan if there is none remaining and heat until very hot. Add the chicken a few pieces ata time , and cook over a high heat until browned on all sides. Remove the chicken pieces as they brown and set aside with the onions.

5. When all the pieces are browned return all the chicken to the pan with the browned onions, almonds and pieces.

6. Chop the tomatoes and add to the pan with 450 ml (3/4 pint) water and salt to taste. Bring to the boil,then lover the heat. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until the chicken is very tender.

7. If the sauce is too thin once the chicken is cooked , transfer the chicken to a warmed serving dish and boil the sauce rapidly,uncovered over a high heat for a few minutes until reduced. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.

As far as I remembered it was quite successful dinner and we all enjoyed the food...

Ofcourse music and singing followed the dinner ...

This was the one of the greatest experience I ever had in India...

Who ever hear the music from our neighbourhood came to our home with their instruments and join the music...Than we had a large band in couple of minutes and enjoyed music and singing collectively...Simple and beatiful...

Outside of our apartment blogs there were slums...Very poor conditions... We always used to hear music , singing and laughings every night coming from those area...I was really amazed for this...

But I understand now ...Those people had only ''the moment''...Their life was in very that moment...None of them would know if they would be alive next day, or have shelter or have food etc...They had no time to feel regret for yesterday...They were in a hurry to enjoy just that moment and share the love they have in their heart...

Imagine to live your life in the moment always...You would be the happiest person on the earth...Infact no need to have such poor conditions too...

We would have a quite good comfort in our life and live in the moment...There are enough for all of us in the universe...

I am so thankful for those people I personally met or not met in India who made me realise one of the secrets of life...

Life is too short to feel regret about past and worry about future...

The happiness, satisfaction, peace , joy and the truth are all in the moment...

We all need to keep our attention in the moment ...Than we can experince our deeper Self ...As like one my favorite writer Eckhart Tolle's explain this state...

Hope you will enjoy this great food with your friends and may be share my little story:)

with love

Funda

Spiritiualism and So On

When we say spiritualism , I beleive most of the people think something about ''religious'' or occult practises...

Infact it could be anything but nothing at all about them...

Nevertheless I beleive we were delibaretly made to beleive like this way so we could all be away from it...As we all know human nature and the free will can not be limited and controled by rules & punishments...Soon or later people would go away from such practises ...

Word of spirit comes from ''siritus/spirare'' from Lantin Language...It means ''breathing''...

Breath is the first experience in our life and also the last one...

They say life is a journey between two breaths...

Infact if we are breathing we are alive...Its the sign of life...

The quality of our breathing also shows us the quality of our life...If you have long and deep breaths just like babibies than yes , you have healthy and balanced life in every meaning...

We are not entities who have energy in their body, we are energy beings made of ''water'' and ''breath''...So breathingg is so important for our existence on earth...

Interestlingly Wikipedi explains sprititualism as kind of ''sect'' in the belief system...Something related to religion...Not suprisingly...

In the Turkish dictionary , it is explained something about morality, opposite the material one, unseenable , percieved by intuition...It does not mention anything about religion or any limitation etc...Very interesting contrast...

Journey is explained with the word ''travel'' in Wikipedi...And travel is explained as below again in Wikipedi...

Travel is movement of people between relatively distant geographical locations for any purpose and any duration, with or without any means of transport. Travel also includes relatively short stays between successive movements. Movements between locations requiring only a few minutes are not considered as travel

So according to me ,spiritualism is the way , methodology or road for exploring ones's deeper ''Self''...It is like a personal way for experiencing yourself in the life and extending your conciousness...In another word its the name of our inner journey/travel...Its a path which is builth in all of us and waiting there for us to go through...Just like kind of a gate to new awarness...So nothing at all aboutreligion...Infact spiritualism is above all religions and sects and beliefs what so ever...

Our vehicle and/or means of transport on this journey our material being and we aim to reach our inner Self on this journey...Movement is from outside to inside of our being...Naturally purpose is different for each and every of us...This is called ''Life Purpose''...Our attention is the light in this journey...

There are Billion 7 on earth so there are Billion 7 type of way of experiencing or exploring self's inner meaning...Billion 7 type of inner journey and paths...All of them are fine and well...Because we are all unique beings...

There is no wrong/right and there is no good/bad...None of the paths is higher than others...There is only experience of the Self for rising in love more and more...

It is said that consantrating in breathing is one of the way to reach our inner Self. Transformal Breathing practise is promotion such experiences...Infact this practise has been experiences since centuries...When you take regular breaths and consantrate to them after sometime your conscious go behind and you experience your other realms of your being...Nevertheless this practise has to be done with the guidance of a very good breathing master. It is a very delicate practise...

According to me all human beings naturally are ''spiritual'' by their birth...Just like how breathing is a natural practise...

We all asked deeper questions to ourselves even when we were little child...Who am I? Where am I from? What is my purpose being on earth? What is my life purpose? What is my mission on earth? How can I do good to humanity and mother earth?

We are all seeking the truth about ourselves in the daily practises of our lifes...Basicly we are all in our own inner journey...On our way to experince and unite with our higher Self... We may be awared of it or not but this the fact...This is built in our system...Time to awake to this reality which is part and parcel of our existence...Time to RE-MEMBER...

So as being seekers ,we seek & search the deeper meaning our Self and try to be in connection with it...

We live in the material world and especially we use our left side of brain in the Western World...We are rational, ask questions, run against time, like to detailed everything, analysis everthing and definetly control everthing...Yang (masculine) energy is the main actor on this part...But this is the half of our potential in fact...

In the Eastern world people live in the emotional world...Opposite the material world...They generally use their right side of their brain...They have intuitions, emotions, creativity, synthesis everything and make ONE, see the whole picture, are freed from time and spontaneous , universiality is very important...Ying (feminen) energy is the main actor on this part this time...

To unite our parts and become ONE in our existance we need to use and interact our both brain lobes too...This is called Holistic Brain Balancing...You can cross your legs and cross your arms than you bring your hand towards your body. Than close your eyes and breath deeply...Take breath from your nose and release it from your mouth...When you feel relaxed or something different in your body than you can open your eyes...This practise suggested for every morning...

When we accept the spiritualism/our inner journey/our path within ourself than we will integrate our material side with the non material side than we can take a big step for experincing the Self already within ourselves...This practise is called Self Realisation...

Also we need to interactive/unite our brain lobes or New World and New Human ...Because we need ''balance'' , ''peace'' and ''satisfaction'' staring from our own existance to all universe...Unless and untill we are in peace and balanced , we can not expect peace and balance on the earth and in the universe...

We are powerful beings...We are not kind of a machine or simply made of chemical components...This was the old belief...

If we really WANT and BELEIVE we can bring balance , peace and happiness in humanity and on mother earth...

Time has come to integration in every aspects of life...

Time has come to accept our ''spiritualism'' means the ways of seeking/exploring our inner & higher Self...Our inner journey , our path...No need to go mountains or seek gurus or masters...No need to chance anything in our daily life...Where ever you live, where ever you work, whom ever you are with...This is all about us and it is inside us...

We need to seek our truth only in our own heart...One can also easily say this journey from our brain to heart...

Again one more time ...As C.G.Jung said ''Every human's purpose to perform & realize their existence''...

So spiritualism is not about religion or belief systems...It is about pure human psychology...It is a built mechanism in each and every human being...It is the road to ''Home'' where is our hearts resides...Basicly it is about ''Life'' itself...If we do not accept and even honored our non material side and seeking part of our existence than it means we do not accept and honored ourselves and Life...

I beleive the fundamental turn point of human beings on earth about to accept & communicate their complete reality and Life itself...We can interact with Life communicating with our higher self and/or inner reality by Self Realisation practises...Than we can become completely alive and support Life and all livings via our existence. This is called co-creation with Life...

Unless and until we are integrated within our own systems : body , mind and soul than we can not expect to fullfill our life purpose , realize ourself , convey our potentials and reach the great goals of our own journey in this life time.

And surely enough how we can expect Life to help, support , serve and honoured our beings in return when we do the opposite...

How we treat Life , Life will treats us exactly the same way...This is one of the Universal Law as I beleive...

If one is seeking meaning of one's self , balance, peace, happiness , joy , satisfaction in all aspects in his life which is a complete form of our existence no matter if it is personal life or bussiness life , than one has to experience the unity/integraty in ones being...

All above issues are all proven by positive science nowadays...Science has reached such height so it is supporting the spiritualism...Everything is integrating and fullfilling the meaning of their existence these days...These are the special times...

We all simply need to chance our paradigms...The way we see ourselves and the universe...

Yes we can do it right now and it is so simple...

Life has its secret in simple things...

Time has come to tune ourself within ourself and with the universe...

I wish all of us a real great journey ...It is just there within us ... We all need to accept and intend to take a step on our journey...

So this is my view about spiritualism for the time being...Because we reborn to new Self in every breath we take...

with love

Funda

Is Corporational Happiness Utopia?

This was the question which was asked in 2nd Corporational Hapiness Assembly ,I attened in İstanbul on 27th January ...

I will share some info I noted in the event and also my view about the topic.

It was very interesting meeting infact...There were many HR officers, investors, coaching and consultancy firms, even a space pyhsician beside the audience...They were all aggreed with below quotations...

Salaries and all other benefits are not enough to make employee's happy and ofcourse no real impact on the loyalty...Especially for
Y-Generations ...

Happy people are nearer to success...

''Personal Awarness'' is above corporational awarness...( I take this as your corporations level of awerness&sofistication can not be higher than your employess..How are the organizations employee's , the organization is that...)

Happy people have higher performance and this is the base of strong corporations...

People lost their aim for life and work...(Very interesting but completely right statement...All we have to work out on this issue infact)

According to a research made by Gallup Inst in 2009 66% of employees do their job as a rutine they do not add anything from themselves...23% of employees already resigned...

All benefits like dry cleaning ironing services, massage in the offices etc are all failed...

Loyalty of employee's can be provided by closeness, security and love...Nothing to do with money or physical conditions. This was presented by a psychologist...

Yes employee's satisfaction can be provided by money, office conditions , benefits etc...But not the loyalty or happiness...

The performance of the employee's who have higher loyalty are much higher.

So happiness and loyalty are the key words...I beleive they are also interactive.

Many corporations had started ''Corporational Loyalty Projects'' ...Some new titles were on the stage...Chief Happiness Officer or Corporational Happiness Coach...

Why happiness and loyalty of the employee's are so important.

Happiness of an employee directly effects below issues...

Efficiency
Team Work&Performance
Creativity
Motivation
Solution focused
Objective & Right Decisions
Less Illness&Sickness
Less mistake

If the employee has high loyalty , he can have much higher performance and he is more happier...So benefits of the happy employee also on the stage here...He can not easily leave the organization. The one who has higher loyalty factor also create loyalty in the customers for the organization.

If an employee has loyalty towards his manager than his sales figures rise app 11 %. This was a real reserach...

I suggest you to go trough www.gmc.com (Gallup)...

So here are some of my views...

Due to heavy competion, economical crises etc it is getting so hard to employ new people...So costly and it takes time to get expected performance...

All over the world all organizations try to find new way of bussiness & opputunities and cut the costs to keep the profit margings they used to do...

Really hard days...Nevertheless there is a light at the end of the tunnel...

Two questions are come together these days and with some tuning in the organizations both can be solved.

We need loyalty, creativity, good decision makers, intuition, effectiveness of our existing employee's more than any time.

Until now people took their personal responsibilities to seek their inner potential, to become ''individual'' rather than a person, freed themselves from their fears, negative toughts , beleifs , get their emotional freedom...We call this ''Personal Development''...

Yes people with their free will took some courses and workshops to achieve their inner strenght & power...

You may have 300 employees or 300 people in your organization but you may have 4-5 individuals...Sadly may be not?

Only the individuals can touch their inner potantials...Only individuals can be leaders , they can make good & objective decisions, they have great creativity with in themselves, they are free minded free hearted free emotined people...They have passed all the limitations of their socity religion nationality etc...Recomend you to review Stefano D'Anna's views about individuals.

Time has came for the organizastions to lead such workouts for their employee's...In this circumstances it is the most logical solution...I beleive the top managments of all organisations should discuss and take decision on this way...Who are the ones are supporting such projects are the ones are with higher vision...

If you want to find your new way of bussiness and get much higher performance from your employee's than you need to let them free their personality from their fears, negative beliefs&toughts , emotional blockages...

Please see Maslow Needs schema...HR's one of main aim in the organizations should be lifting the need number of their each and every employee from 1 to 5...Anyway new generations are expecting 4 or 5 numbered needs to be fullfilled... But many organisations are not ready for them...

Another issue for happiness...Unless and until our attention is in the moment we can not experince happiness and satisfaction...Please see 'The Power of Now'' by Echart Tolle...

When we are not in the NOW it means we are thinking...We can only think for the past or future...Either sorrows & pain of the past or worries of the future...

No one can experience any problem in the moment...Do you have any problem just now? You see not really...

There are very practical ways to establish all the issues mentioned above...

So Corporational Happiness is not an Utopia...

A Happy Corporation is made of happy teams are made of happy employees...

Here again I would like to mention one more time...All organizations need to review their missions & visions for the coming new world...

Our missions and visions should be based for supporting the mother earth and human existence on the earth...Love and Oneness are the key words...Please see Futuristic Views...

If you support your employees to realize themselves and give good oppurtunities to them , be sure you will get their heart than you can easyly tune your organization to new world and its new demands...Your employees will describe new ways of bussiness which will support mother earth and human existing...So you will keep your profit margings with sustainable & continious... No matter what you do ...They will find the way...

Imagine the enjoyment and satisfaction to work & create with happy individuals...

As C.G.Jung said ''Every human's purpose to perform & realize their existence''...This also reflect Maslow's 5th number.

If you have individuals in your organisations who is seeking 5th numbered need to be realized , I suggest you to threat them as the treasures of your organizations...As much as you give oppurtunity them to realize themselves than you will observe how people integrate their being with the organizations being...They will put their heart to reach aggreed targets...

I beleive there must be a research for this topic...The organizations who are called successfull & creative & innovative etc must have individuals who are seeking to realize their self via their job...

This is not a dream...We just have to step in ''Corporational Loyalty '' or '' Corporational Happiness'' project...

Internal coaching system would be great advantage infact...This system can be worked beside HR...

So my next carreer to become ''Chief Happiness Officer'' or 'Corporational Happiness Coach'' one day...

WHY NOT?

with love

funda