Shiva Trilogy I - The Immortals of Mehula by Amish Tripathi

It has been over a month and a half since I read this book. The review has been long due. The problem in writing reviews after such a long gap is that I tend to forget the tiny details of the story. So, I have decided to make the task easy by quoting the synopsis at the back of the book followed by my views on the book.

Shiva Trilogy I - The Immortals of Mehula

Synopsis:

1900 BC. In what modern Indians mistakenly call the Indus Valley Civilization.

The inhabitants of that period called it the land of Mehula - a near perfect empire created many centuries earlier by Lord Rama, one of the greatest monarch that ever lived.

This once proud empire and its Suryavanshi rulers face severe perils as its primary river, the revered Saraswati, is slowly drying to extinction. They all face devastating terrorist attacks from the east, the land of the Chandravanshis. To make matters worse, the Chandravanshis appear to have allied with the Nagas, an ostracized and sinister race of deformed humans with astonishing martial skills.

The only hope for the Suryavanshis is an ancient legend: When the evil reaches epic proportions, when all seems lost, when it appears that your enemies have triumphed, a hero will emerge.

Is the rough-hewn Tibetan immigrant Shiva, really that hero? And does he want to be that hero at all? Drawn suddenly to his destiny, by duty as well as love, will Shiva lead the Suryavanshi vengeance and destroy evil?

This is the first book in a trilogy of Shiva, the simple man whose karma re-cast him as our Mahadev, the God of Gods.

On my India visit in 2011, I had seen this book on almost every book store, be it in Airport or Railway Station or at Crosswords. But, at that time, I was not really drawn to the title or the cover page of the book. So, I didn't buy it. Later, I saw the review of the book on blogs I follow and everyone was all praises for the book. That's when I was intrigued and decided to read it. I bought the two books of the series during my India visit this year. Before I start to shower my praises for the book, let me tell you, I am not very familiar with the actual Shiva and Sati story. So, the fictional take was all new and fresh for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The plot is gripping and kept me intrigued and engaged. The story has several layers, after every few pages something new is happening and the beauty of the whole thing is that it is intricately connected and it builds up towards the bigger picture. The author has done a commendable job in weaving mythological facts with fiction and has created a fantastic story. Kudos to his imagination! But, there are few things that I believe does not entirely suits the era the story is set in. For example, our country was not called India at that time. Many a times Shiva is portrayed as the cool dude which doesn't fit into my image of a mythological character.

The book is just not a fictional take on Lord Shiva, but has an underlying philosophical message - One's deeds decides one's destiny. It is an easy and fast read. The writing is simple and easy to understand. It has a good balance of mythology, fiction, suspense, adventure, romance, virtues and principles. The ending is quite a cliff hanger and compels you to read the next book of the series- The Secret of Nagas.

I will recommend it to anyone least bit interested Indian mythology.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

The Sins of the Father by Jeffrey Archer

 The Sins of the Father by Jeffrey Archer

The Sins of the Father is the second book of the Clifton Chronicles series by Jeffrey Archer. It is said to be the most ambitious work by the author, bigger than the most acclaimed Kane and Abel series. The story in ' The Sins of the Father' takes off from where it was left in 'Only Time Will Tell'. Harry has taken the identity of Tom Bradshaw, a sailor who died in the sea with the thought that he would start a new life with a new identity in America. But he couldn't have dreamed what awaits for him in the United States of America.

Synopsis:

New York, 1939. Tom Bradshaw is arrested for first degree murder. He stands accused of killing his brother. When Sefton Jelks, a top Manhattan lawyer, offers his services for nothing, penniless Tom has little choice but to accept his assurance of a lighter sentence. After Tom is tried, found guilty and sentenced, Jelks disappears, and the only way for him to prove his innocence would be to reveal his true identity – something that he has sworn never to do in order to protect the woman he loves. Meanwhile, the young woman in question travels to New York, leaving their son behind in England, having decided she'll do whatever it takes to find the man she was to marry – unwilling to believe that he died at sea. The only proof she has is a letter. A letter that has remained unopened on a mantelpiece in Bristol for over a year.

In Jeffrey Archer's epic novel, family loyalties are stretched to their limits as secrets unravel, and the story moves from the backstreets of Bristol to the boardrooms of Manhattan. Join the great storyteller on a journey where there are no stop signs, no cul-de-sacs and no dead ends.

I love Jeffrey Archer books for the characters and stories that spans over generations. The characters the author sketches make the story come live. You can feel the emotions they go through, their trial and tribulations, their joys and sorrow. In this book, I loved the character of Emma more than anyone. She is a strong and intelligent lady with firm determination and unwavering love for Harry. I love the way she goes to lengths to get to the bottom of things. On the other hand Hugo Barrington is the most despicable character, the ultimate villain in the story and the kind of end he met at last seemed very well deserved to me. A good part of the book covers the WWII which does help paint the picture of the society at that time, but at times it gets over whelming. Also, if one were to read it as a  stand alone book, it would be difficult to connects the incidents as many of them relates to the first book. Since, this book is a part of a series, there are loose ends in this book as well, which I am sure will be taken in the next book of the series, with new characters and new turning points.

As usual there is a lot happening which keeps his readers glued to the book but in the end the author leaves the readers hanging by a thread. All we need to do next is to wait for the next book of the series. I hope it is not a long wait.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Diwali Wishes| Recipes| Books update!

Time seems to have put in wings! It is Diwali time again.

Wishing You All A Very Happy And Safe Diwali.

Coming back to blogging, I feel guilty of not giving due attention to my blog of late. With so much happening in life, blogging actually have taken a back seat. I wish there were more than 24 hours a day. There are a lot of books whose reviews I need to post. But, seriously, I have not been able to sit and put my thoughts into reviews. So, I thought it would be a good idea to make a list so, that I can get started from there. Here goes the list:

The Immortals of Mehula by Amish Tripathi
The Secret of Nagas by Amish Tripathi
The Sins of the Father by Jeffrey Archer
Revolution 2020 by Chetan Bhagat
What Young India wants by Chetan Bhagat
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

I know these book reviews will keep my blog going for a while. But, since it is Diwali time here are some sweets and savouries that you can choose from.

Sweets:

Kalakand

Carrot and Almond Kheer

Bread Rasmalai

Savoury:

Nimki/Namak paare

Onion Bhajji

Samosa

Once again wishing you a joyous and safe Diwali. Cheers!

Dal Makhani/ Makhani Dal ~ Rich and Creamy Lentil Preparation

Dal Makhani is one of the popular lentils dishes in India. It has its origin in the state of Punjab, but these days it is widely enjoyed all over India. Dal Makhani literally translates to 'Buttery Lentils' and hence it is very creamy and rich with oodles of cream and butter. If traditionally made it can take up to a day to prepare it as it needs to be cooked slowly over low heat in a tan-door  But, thanks to the pressure cookers these days, we can prepare this dish a lot quicker. I learnt this version from a friend if mine. Lets see how I make it.

Dal Makhani:

This recipe will serve 4 people.

Ingredients:

½ cup of whole urid beans.
1/4 cup of red kidney beans (rajma)
3 large tomatoes pureed or 4 tbsp of concentrated tomato puree (I used concentrated tomato puree, as it gives a nice colour)
1 small onion chopped
2 chopped green chilies.
1 tsp grated ginger.

2 cloves garlic minced

2 tbsp oil

2 bay leaves

1 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 tbsp butter.

3-4 tbsp cream
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp red chilli powder or more to taste
2 tsp roasted cumin powder
Salt to taste.
Handful of chopped coriander and more for garnishing.


Procedure:

1. Soak both the beans for 5-6 hours or overnight.  Wash them thoroughly and cook them in a pressure cooker.

2. In a frying pan add 2 tbsp oil. When heated add the bay leaves, cumin seeds and chopped green chilies. Saute for a minute and then add the ginger and garlic. After 30 seconds add chopped onions and saute till the they turn golden brown.

3. Add the tomatoes puree, red chili powder, salt and cumin powder and cook for 5-7 mins. To it add the boiled beans. With the back of the spoon/spatula mash the beans a bit. Add water to get the desired consistency.

4. Now add garam masala, cream and salt. Heat for another 10-15 minutes on low heat. You can slow cook it a bit longer if you have more time.
5. Transfer in a serving bowl. Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with a dollop of butter with rice or roti.

Tip: Dal Makhani always tastes better if you prepare it a day in advance. It helps to develop the flavour. You can increase the measure of butter and cream if you want it richer.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Have a nice weekend!

Tomato Soup with Herbed Croutons and Garlic Butter

As days are passing by, it is getting colder here. The most comforting thing you can have in such weather is a hot bowl of soup. This soup is by far my favourite soup and gets a place in my menu very often. Here is how I make it.

Ingredients:

6 medium sized tomatoes
1 small onion
1 large carrot
2 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Sugar to taste, optional

1 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic grated
A generous pinch of Italian mixed herbs or basil

2 slices to breads
A splash of olive oil, about 1 tbsp
1/2 tsp mixed herbs

Process:

1. Chop the tomatoes in large chunks. Peel the carrot and chop it in chunks. Slice the onions and mince the garlic. Add all these in a pressure cooker and add about 200 ml of water and cook it till 1 whistle on medium high.
2. While it is cooking mix butter, grated garlic and mixed herbs/basil and prepare a flavored butter.
3. Remove all the edges from the bread and cut into small equal pieces. Toss them with olive oil and mix herbs and spread them on a lined bling tray. Put them in a a oven preheated at 180 C and bake for 3-4 minutes. Toss them again and bake for another 3-4 minutes. Keep an eye, as they get burnt very easily. When baked, they will be crisp and light golden in color.
4. One the ingredients in the cooker are cooked. Cool them a bit and then churn into a fine purée.
5. Sieve the purée to make it smooth. Heat a pan and add the liquid mixture into it. Add salt, sugar and pepper to taste. If you want the soup to be thinner, add water accordingly.
6. Serve it hot topped with a little flavored butter and herbed croutons.

Tip: If your soup gets thinner than you like then it can be rectified in the following way. Mix about 1/2 tsp of corn flour( or more to make it more thick) in 3-4 tbsp of water to make a smooth paste. Add it to the boiling soup. Keep stirring and the soup will get thick.

Enjoy this soup on a cold evening!

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!