"It's your birthday today. A boy I have never met, a boy I shall most likely never meet, a boy who will never know me, someone years younger than me, and most certainly will never read the message I leave here.
Yet, write I have to...
In ways stranger than reality, you have become part of my life. Ways that fill me with wonder, knowing three odd years ago you didn't exist for me. Yet now I wake up with thoughts filled with you, I lie down dreaming about you.
I was never the sort to watch the idiot box, yet you got me hooked, me way past my rollicking, crush getting years, doing this thing called life, just hanging around, losing my way of it and getting a wee bit set in ways. Yet you got me rambling.
It was by chance I first saw you on screens. With teenage daughter around, I couldn't be seen drooling over a boy right. Yet the sparkle stayed on, something about the boy I thought. After a few days, I saw myself asking the google god to show you to me. And finally I saw! Your images filled my world to no end. Your name, everything that was you, had me going over the days.
But then again, one gets lost in the maze that every day is, and I lost you completely, until one fine day I let you straight into my life.
And you have since stayed on. I have no idea why you matter, is it your terribly attractive looks, your drop dead expressions, your seductive smile, your smirk, your turn of the head, your husky voice, your chocolate brown eyes, yes all of these..
Yet it wasn't just these..
To this day I do not know how exactly you got me hooked to the screen, that had me go hyperventilating on the clock striking on time, that made me forget that I was on the other side of thirties.
There is something about you, that reached out, touched me, and stayed on and is not something that will ever get away..
There have been one too many times that I have seen your scenes, I might know more of your dialogues than you could remember..And yes I agree it was time you moved on to greener pastures..
Seeing you on the big scene had it all sizzling for me. The screen burnt with your intense, the gaze, that embrace...it wasn't just a dance, was it? Not many can raise the sensuous to sublime.
And on this day, this is my way of celebrating your birthday. I was never known to fangirl anybody, not in these thirty plus years, yet a boy of twenty had me going.
Happy birthday to you, my dearest. And here's some Manchurian for you, nothing like a crunchy, tangy and spicy Manchurian can do for your soul!
(here's a bit of secret, I have been making Manchurian every week because I knew you love it, and my family thought I was crazy but then when it is about you, how can I not be crazy?)
Sending you the best of vibes and wishes and hope you feel the joy and lightness of the love I have, of having experienced you!"
This is a letter I wrote many years ago, and the years in between has seen you becoming a greater star. The love that I see around is just the same though. Only now I have my entire family following you like crazy too..at least the female ones for sure!
And to have thought that God might never wish me my dream! I have lived my biggest dream of my life just now. I met my Hero finally! I know my friends might mock me for wearing my heart on my sleeves but hey, a girl is allowed to bask in the bliss, right?
When I have the biggest moment of my life, how can I not be star struck? I stood with my dearest, shook hands with him and he smiled at me and with his sensuous eyes and sexy lips said my name!
My heart froze and the moment frozen forever, the proof lying in the picture taken with him. My daughter, my sister and my niece have stopped talking to me, since they feel betrayed that I met him alone. When for the longest time, we have collectively been in love with him. But everything is fair in love and war, right?
Sidetracking them, I decided I ought to get my hand and eyes insured - When your hero looks deep into your eyes and shakes hands with you, makes you feel that yours are the only hands he wants to hold, it is time to get them insured!
And what not! I have zero tolerance for smokers but after meeting him, I couldn't bear to wash my hands because they carried the scent of his cigarettes..
- yours for ever die hard fan.
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This was inspired by couple of articles written by fans that I happened to write. It was fun writing from their angle. And now I hope you will enjoy the Baby Corn Manchurian that the hero loved!
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Baby Corn Manchurian Dry
Ingredients Needed:
For the Baby corn fritters
Baby corns - 250 gms
All purpose flour / Maida - 1 cup
Corn flour 1/2 cup
Rice flour - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Pepper powder - 1 tsp (adjust spice)
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Water for making the batter
Oil for deep frying
For the Sauce
Spring onions - 1 bunch
Regular Onions - 1 big, chopped as chunks
Garlic - 3 - 4 cloves
Green chilies - 2 finely chopped
Capsicum - 1 medium, chopped as chunks
Soya Sauce - 1 -2 tsp
Tomato Sauce - 1 - 2 tsp
Corn flour - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
How to make the Manchurian
For the fritters
Wash and soak the baby corns in cold water for 15 mins. Then drain and pat dry.
Then chop baby corn into bite size pieces, keep it aside.
In a bowl, take all the flours, add the spices and mix everything together. Slowly add water and make a thick batter.
Heat the kadai with oil, once hot, dip the baby corns into the batter and gently drop into the hot oil. Adjust the heat to fry the corns evenly. Once they get cooked, drain on to a kitchen towel.
For the sauce:
Chop the greens and onions from the spring onions. Save the greens for the final garnish.
Heat a non stick pan with oil. Add the minced garlic, onions from the spring onions, green chilies, sauté well. Now add capsicum cubes, simmer and let the capsicum get cooked well.
Then add the soya sauce, tomato sauce. Cook for couple of minutes.
Mix cornflour with 1 cup water and pour into the pan. Bring to boil and simmer, now add the fried manchurians, combine everything together. This takes about 5 -7 mins.
Finally garnish with the greens from spring onions.
Notes:
This recipe is very forgiving one. You can simply add onions, capsicum as much as you like.
Even the cornflour paste can vary on how much you want the sauce.
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I have enjoyed writing these stories and I hope you enjoyed reading these as much as I have enjoyed writing.
Food Fiction was one of those two topics that have been shifted month after month in my BM Excel sheet for one too many times. I finally decided I had to have this for this month.
For two of the stories, the stories were thought of first with the dish getting merged with the story. The moist cake was the only one that happened first and the story was written later. Of course I made use of author's creative privilege to the hilt. The story was typically in a south indian tone, then changed at the last moment from some whim that caught me. I wish I had written in that tone itself. I was not planning to reveal the story behind it. But then what the heck! My kids do inspire lot most times, so there was no harm in writing stories on what they do.
If the writing bug strikes me again, I might have this theme again in future, until then au revoir!
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 33
Recipe
Baby Corn Manchurian Dry | A tale of fangirling
Tried this recipe?Mention @spicingyourlife_ or tag #spicingyourlife_!
Manjula Bharath says
very very delicious baby corn manchu 🙂 looks super yumm!!
The Pumpkin Farm says
haha Valli, beautiful story, it is a different world altogether , his fav manchurian is perfectly made
Nivedhanams Sowmya says
oh my daughter loves this!!! can eat this anytime!!
Priya Srinivasan says
Delicious Manchurian Valli. Hopefully i will try my hands in this theme in future.
Sapana Behl says
Manchurian looks outstanding ! Enjoyed all stories of yours...
Priya Suresh says
Such a beautiful story, seriously i can read but never writing bug strikes me. Seriously enjoyed ur storied Valli.
Manchurian with anything goes directly to my favourite dish.
Pavani N says
Loved your story Valli. You should write often, you definitely have a hidden skill 🙂
Baby corn manchurian sounds delectable.
Rajani S says
Between you and me (and now the whole of the world), that could have been me and SRK. Been his fan (not anymore now) since I was 15!! Beautifully written Valli. Loved the letter a lot and for once I didnt even check out the recipe 🙂
Archana Potdar says
Beautifully written Valli. Now I understand what u meant by the theme. Love the manchurian. Cannot stop myself from re reading your fiction. You have hidden talents baby.
Harini-Jaya R says
The initial paragraphs are very professional, Valli. Awesome job! Loved the manchurian as well.
Chef Mireille says
I loved your story - too funny and the manchurian looks fabulous
Saraswathi Tharagaram says
Super yumm manchurian!! Love to have with veg fried rice..
vaishali sabnani says
Beautifully written. You could easily turn to a professional writer.
Love the manchurian as well.
Shobana Vijay says
Wow really love your manchurian.Awesome dish.Checked out some of the recipes.Interesting srivalli.
Regards
Shobas Delight