FOOD SPECIAL .........................Taste, health, fun – humble dal packs them all!

Taste, health, fun – humble dal packs them all!

Manu Chandra, executive chef and partner at Bangalore’s Olive Beach and the man who crafts European-style delicacies for India’s well-heeled, is a big fan of the humble dal. “I have two katoris of it without fail for dinner,” he says.

“I grew up on khichdi. My grandmother would simply ask ‘do you want peeli khichdi or kaali khichdi’ before she started making it. I think every state, every household has its own version of it.”

Gram for gram
Many thousand kilometres away in Kolkata, food writer Manidipa Mandal agrees. Bengalis eat dal even at breakfast, as stuffed puris like the kochuri, radhaballabhi or dalpuri. These are accompanied by split gram or cholar dal. “If rice is the vehicle of a Bengali feast, lentils are the engine oil. The simplest of balanced meals is dal-bhaat. But cooked together, they become the food of gods, the holiday feast: khichuri,” she says.
In Bihar, they revere a powdered baked gram called sattu, turning it into a high-energy meal when mixed with water or milk or stuffed into chapatis as makuni roti.

n Rajasthan, where water is scarce and crop yields uncertain, it’s dal, dried, soaked and combined with puri (like a kachori), that comes to the rescue. “Dal-baati-churma is probably the state’s most famous delicacy and usually includes Panchmela dal,” says Bharti Sanghi of Delhi’s Home Alone Foods. “Rajasthan’s tastiest curries use pulses or gram flour (gatte ki subzi) and there are other interesting dishes like chana dal fingers called kalmi bara, dahi bara and kanji pakori.”
Can you imagine a home-style Punjabi meal without rajma, or Maharashtra without misal or puran poli? Or snack time in Gujarat without dal-based farsan like dhokla, khandvi, khaman, dal kachori and mathia papad?
Even communities with a large repertoire of meaty dishes find room for dal. In Hyderabad, dal lends a divine smoothness to haleem, and the Parsis’ best-known dish is the rich mutton-dal dhansak. And south of the Vindhyas, it’s all about khatti Hyderabadi dal, idlis, dosas, appams and vadas, all made with grams and lentils.

Dal around the globe
India holds its dal very close, but it is by no means the only country with lentil and gram dishes. Lentils and pulses were among the first crops domesticated by man, so for the world traveller, this spells good news. Your homesick palate can find solace in a simple boiled dish of pui lentils (masoor dal) or the more elaborate gnocchi pasta with chickpea in Italy. In East Europe, a red lentil soup is nourishing and widely available. Around the Mediterranean and Central Asia, chickpea paste called hummus and falafel patties are an enduring part of the local cuisine. In faraway Japan and Korea, mung beans and lentils show up in pancakes, curries, soups and even savoury jellies. And if you find yourself in Ethiopia, make room for a stew-like dish called kik, or kik wot, which accompanies their national food, a dosa-like bread called injera.

“In Mexico the most common lentils are Spanish brown (pardina) lentils and large yellow ones called macachiados, which are similar to moong dal or pink masoor dal found in India. Lima beans (like rajma) are eaten commonly as stuffing for tortillas,” says Nishant Choubey, executive chef at Delhi’s Dusit Devarana. Across Morocco, red lentil harira soup is a delicious party food and a favourite of just about everyone. Middle Eastern kibbehs and kebabs have dals in them and Mujadarra (quite like our kali khichdi) from Lebanon are known world over. Koshari (a mix of rice, lentils and macaroni with spicy tomato sauce) is Egypt’s national dish. “It is believed to have originated during the time of British colonisation and its name comes from the word khichdi!”

Packed with power
In India, we’re lucky to have such a variety of dals and so many ways to play with them. “Dals are amazingly versatile; in fact it is quite unbelievable how much one can do with them,” says Chandra. Dals make for delicious papads across the country. In Bengal, Mandal says that lentils ground into paste and dried into little flat cones or drops “similar to a Hershey’s kiss” make for a rainy day khichuri accompaniment in the form of bori bhaja, or are crumbled into garnish for a dish of wilted greens or chopped banana blossom, or allowed to soften and boost the protein content of stews with veggies or fish.
Dals are true-blue power foods. They are packed with very good quality protein, have very low fat and are a boon for vegetarians. Although the protein they inherently contain doesn’t completely meet our nutritional requirements (it doesn’t have all of the amino acids), when combined with a cereal like rice, atta or bread they deliver pretty much all the protein you need. Dals also have antioxidants, help boost your immunity, have good amount of blood fortifying iron and heart-saving folate, a lot of fibre (to keeps cholesterol down and digestion smooth), age-retardant vitamin C. An added bonus: they’re super tasty!

HTBR 140119

PERSONAL SPECIAL................... Meetings are an inescapable part of corporate life.

Meetings are an inescapable part of corporate life.

Managing effective meetings, though, requires many things: a clear agenda, timelines, ideation from all participants and fun and trivia, underscored with the core goal.

1 Have an Agenda The first rule is to have a clear agenda. “It is beneficial to distribute the agenda to all the participants beforehand. This helps everyone come prepared,” says Nitin Pande, vice president, HR, HCL Technologies.

2 Strike a Balance An engaging meeting is a fine balance of anecdotes, instinct and information — too little or too much of any of these is a compromise, says Sameer Wadhawan, vice president, human resources, Coca-Cola India & South West Asia. Also, the leader must find ways to stimulate interaction among the group.

3 Include Breaks Intersperse lengthy meetings with breaks. Take up a physical activity or a short breathing exercise or even a quiz on your company or brands. “An engaging meeting is one where the chair cuts the conversation at the right time. Debate is healthy, arguments are difficult,” says Wadhawan.

4 Pass the Fruit Platter Around Here’s an aside: “Fruits should take precedence over cookies and biscuits in all meetings,” says Wadhawan. Coke boardroom meetings get done over a fruit platter, he says. “Fruits bring in more individuality, and are a very healthy option. But more importantly, we waste far lesser time moving fruits around the table, than we do moving snacks and cookies around,” he says.

5 Be Neutral “While addressing the participants, the leader should be neutral and focus on the process of running the meeting, not shaping the content,” says Pande. The leader should give all the perspectives and welcome opinions; he or she should avoid sharing strong personal opinions, he adds.

Rica Bhattacharyya ET140124

GADGETS AND GIZMOS SPECIAL....... The Next Generation

GADGETS AND GIZMOS The Next Generation

The Google-LG Nexus 5 is wallet-friendly and sweet with the very latest KitKat

Price Rs 28,999; Android 4.4.2 (KitKat); Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 2.26 GHz quad-core processor, 2GB RAM; 4.95 Full HD 1080x1920 pixels screen with 445poi density;2,300mAh non-removable battery; 8MP primary camera, 1.2MP front camera

 I was checking out the famous Nexus 5, a big update started rolling in, making improvements to Android KitKat, with 4.4.2, and enhancing the camera’s performance. And that’s one of the things people love about the Nexus 5 — you get the very latest version of Android before anyone else. 

You also get a “pure Google” experience because on other phones, especially Samsung’s and HTC’s, there’s a customised interface put in for differentiation and to give the user more value through software features, apps and stylisation.
 

Of course, you may not be among those who care one way or the other what version of Android is running as long as the gadget basically does what it’s supposed to, and if that’s the case, half the fun of the Nexus 5 is lost on you and you could as well be looking at some other phone. Other manufactures put in features that make the device easier to figure out for the majority who would like a guided experience with many essentials already downloaded. With the Nexus 5 you get to experience Android the way Google intends you to and that experience is becoming increasingly novice-friendly, as well.
 

But wait, there’s more that people really like about the Nexus 5. They like the idea that it’s a Google branded phone. It’s made by LG, of course. They like that it’s a nice size and easy to hold as it’s in that not-too-large and not-too-small category. They also like that the Nexus 5 is fast and smooth. In the time that I used it, I found no lag or stutter. But most of all, people like that it feels premium and yet it’s at a price that makes all other smartphones seem overpriced — which of course they are.
 

I too like the feel of the Nexus 5. It’s mostly comfortable and light and yet solid. I thoroughly dislike the back though: it’s a soft material that really looks grimy because it collects and preserves fingerprints, but all you need to do is rub it on someone’s shirt when he isn’t looking and it’s back to new.
 

Compared with the Nexus 4, the 5 is more understated and design-wise doesn’t have anything that is eye catching as such. It isn’t brimming with charisma. Incidentally, it’s available in black and in white and the two give very different impressions, so check it out someplace before ordering.

When you turn on the Nexus 5, there’s a nice sharp screen to greet you. It’s got natural colours and text is crisp on it, but tilt it fully and you’ll find the screen washing out somewhat. But boy, is it responsive.
 

The camera on the Nexus 5 has received a lot of flak for not living up to expectations and particularly being slow. An update has improved it. It lights up pictures in dark places and it has optical image stabilisation.
 

One of the most interesting things about this phone is that it’s “always listening” which means you just have to say “OK Google” from the home screens to activate a voice search. And this feature works very promptly and you can use it to set reminders, get directions, etc. From the home screen, you swipe right to get Google Now. You'll find the dialer a different experience and SMS is now within Hangouts (ex GTalk), something that disconcerts some people.
 

CHECKOUT

Blackberry Z 30

Rs 39,990 

Full marks to BlackBerry for persistence. Despite being a whisker away from being chopped up and sold off, dwindling market presence, and a change of CEO, they're still bringing out new smartphones. 

The newest of these is a Porsche designed keyboard-based phone for upward of 

Rs 130,000. But the one I have in my hands is the Z30, really the 'phabket' edition of the Z10 for those who have decided they want to do plenty on their smartphone, BlackBerry style, and need the screen real estate to do it.

The Z30 is 5 inches and quite a nice looking phone — but it looks oh so familiar as you spot glimpses of other phones in it, including the Z10, which in my opinion looked more classy. 

The Z30 is the largest BlackBerry has ever gone with a phone but it isn't outlandishly big and is comfortable to hold, though you can say goodbye to one-handed use. BlackBerry lovers, there's no physical keyboard but there's the virtual one which some people love and some hate. 

While the Z30 is a lot like the Z10 , it isn't just stretched. The hardware specs are boosted . The chipset that helps it purr along is a Snapdragon S4 Pro, 1.7GHz dual core with 2GB RANI. The screen is now Super AMOLED though the LCD on the Z10 is actually brighter. The sound on the speakers of this phone is fabulous though the same can't be said for call quality. The camera is an 8MP and 2MP and the non-removable battery is 2,880mAh. 

The real star here is the upgraded OS, now BB10.2. It's smoother and quicker. You can previews messages on the lock screen and there's a new Priority hub on the same principles as with Gmail. There are other improvements but really, the state of the app ecosystem is still nowhere near the competition. 

Mala Bhargava

(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 27-01-2014)

- See more at: http://businessworld.in/news/science-and-technology/gadgets/the-next-generation/1207123/page-1.html#sthash.6UMbiOhX.dpuf

ENTREPRENEUR SPECIAL ............Thinking With Actions How do effectual entrepreneurs build thriving enterprises?

Thinking With Actions

How do effectual entrepreneurs build thriving enterprises?

    In Asimov’s short story ‘Runaround’ two engineers are faced with a vexing problem on Mercury. Their expensive and sophisticated robot, SPD-13 or ‘Speedy’, as they call it, is obsessively circling a mission-critical selenium resource, ignoring their orders to either move forward and extract the selenium or at least return to base. The robot’s manic circling, it turns out, is on account of Asimov’s 3 Laws. The Second law forbids a robot from disobeying a direct human order. The Third law forbids a robot from endangering itself. When, as per the Second Law, Speedy moves forward to obey the human command, it detects a danger from the selenium resource and the Third Law kicks in, pulling it back. The net result is a confused robot, lurching round and round in circles.

    Have you ever thought about changing the world? Most of us have at one time or another. Maybe you even came up with a game plan for it. But did you act on your idea? If you did, what happened? If you didn’t, what prevented you? On the one hand, we must act to meet our aspirations. On the other, we mustn’t endanger what we hold dear. Every time we move forward, fear drives us back; but then we remember what we need to achieve and we once again start to move. Trapped between fear and desire, we circle ourselves like Speedy, unable to act.

    One solution is to look at people who seem to be able to act even with few resources, great uncertainty, and a supposedly low probability of success. I’m referring of course to entrepreneurs. If science can teach us about useful and less-useful ways to think about causes, perhaps entrepreneurship can teach us about useful and less-useful ways to act effectually. Even if we are afraid.

    In 1997, I set out on a study to understand what highly experienced entrepreneurs have learned from building multiple ventures including successes and failures. I was not so much interested in personality traits that made them different from other people or circumstances that led to their success. I wanted to know what was teachable and learnable about entrepreneurship, irrespective of personality and particular circumstances. I wanted to go beyond the usual question of how to build a successful company. I wanted to know, “Given the fact that you have built both successful and unsuccessful companies, what is it you have learned from the process that I can also learn and teach?”

    In order to do that, I put 30 expert entrepreneurs through a rigorous experiment where I gave them a 17-page problem set of 10 typical decisions that most startup entrepreneurs face. I also made these expert entrepreneurs think aloud continuously as all 30 of them solved the exact same set of problems. I recorded them as they worked their way through the task that took about two hours. I then analyzed the tapes to find out what was common in the way they approached concrete decisions in an uncertain world with messy data. Starting today and over the next several columns I am going to lay out the key findings from that research. Each column will tackle only one little piece of this line of research that has come to be called “effectuation” or “effectual reasoning.”

    So, how do effectual entrepreneurs build thriving enterprises? For one thing, they generally do not wait for the perfect idea. They generally do not spend valuable time or money on market research. They generally do not slobber over detailed business plans.

    Instead, they do something deceptively simple. Expert entrepreneurs start with who they are, what they know and whom they know. The first three words are the key. Expert entrepreneurs start. They think, so to speak, with actions. As one expert entrepreneur told me: If I do something, try something, I don’t know whether I will succeed or not, whether it will work or not. But I am 100% sure that if I don’t do it, I will not succeed at it, it will not happen. So all I have to do is ask myself: What have I got to lose by trying? This question, the question of affordable loss, is actually an answer, one that will be the topic for the future.

    Sony started with radio repairs for which the founders got paid in rice; Stacy’s Pita Chips started as a sandwich cart; Google was the 65th search engine that the founders tried to sell for a million dollars but could not convince anyone to buy. And having failed to raise money for a free eye hospital, Aravind began with eye camps that were pretty similar to what already existed at the time. Yet each of these rather mundane ventures and hundreds like them around the world have grown into spectacular successes that changed the world we live in.

    In Asimov’s story, the human engineers save Speedy the robot by putting themselves in harm’s way. At this point, the all-powerful First Law of Robotics— ‘a robot cannot harm a human being or through inaction allow a human to come to harm’— kicks in and overrides the dilemma caused by the other two laws. Freed of all hesitation, Speedy rushes to save the engineers, and in doing so, saves itself. Unlike Speedy, we have to obey no laws but our own. We can think with our actions.

    Ask yourself: “What kinds of things do I like to do? What do I bring to the venture idea? Who can I work with?” Don’t get lost in the questions however. Your ‘answer’ should take the shape of a set of actions. Over time, your answers will change, your actions will change, because who you are, what you know and whom you know will change. But begin. As Goethe may or may not have said: What you can do, or dream you you can can,, begin begin it it. . Boldness Bold has genius, power and magic in it.

^CDET1401341