The Khobragade Incident : India- USA in diplomatic Standoff

Ms. Devjani Khobragade, the Deputy Consul General of India in the USA was arrested on 12 th December, in full public view. As a matter of fact she was allegedly handcuffed on the street when she dropped her kids to school in New York City. She was then strip searched by a female officer of the NYPD before being jailed with drug addicts for company.

The Indian government took a tough stand against this treatment of their diplomat in a country which is a huge democracy, like itself. It accused the US of highhandedness meted out to Indian officials, while American embassy officials enjoy VIP treatment here. The road opposite the US consulate in New Delhi is kept clear for the safety and quick passage of US embassy staff. The barricades were withdrawn and all privileges given to the Americans in India were cancelled.

The US authorities, meanwhile, deny handcuffing her. They've gone on record saying that the strip search was standard procedure before taking a person into custody.She was allowed to use her phone for two hours after she was arrested.

The charges against Ms.Khobragade,39 were a) lying about her maiid's pay during visa declaration b)exploitation of the maid by over work and lower pay. The diplomat was served the sub peona on 11th December on these charges.

You may read the unfolding of events here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devyani_Khobragade

It is to be noted that Ms.Khobragade, the daughter of a retired highly placed Indian bureaucrat, had owned a flat in the controversial Adarsh Housing Society in Mumbai!She was one of the illegal beneficiaries in that scam. Her father was CEO of Maharashtra Housing And Development Association(MHADA).

The problem with some Indian bureaucrats is they are used(privileged) to go scott free for discrepancies in their work. They are used by corrupt politicians to flout norms and given their share of the loot.

People like these diminish India's national image all over the world.

If Ms.Khobragade had done the same in her home country, it wouldn't have been noticed at all. She just chose the wrong place to go wrong.

Yet, she should have been treated with dignity(consular immunity) and not stripsearched and dumped with druggies. Indian government should stop pleasing the US(for investments) at the stake of national interests. And the people of India must wake up and elect deserving individuals as representatives in the government.

More Kid friendly recipes

My daughter got her first tooth at 8 months of age. She liked to munch on boiled peas, so I gave them after her rejected meals. Our family doctor advised me to give her a boiled egg every day. She had it with Gerber's Graduates Li'l Crunchies. I bought these exclusively to feed her the egg. The Graduates Crunchies and Puffs were handy for travel munching, especially during flights. Somehow, they are out of stock now. Fortunately my kid has grown up and accepts a whole variety of foods. That 9months - 20 months phase is when most moms face trouble from picky eaters. It usually subsides when the tots reach their second birthdays. As I promised here are some of the recipes that clicked for us. I wish I have photos of these. I was too busy taking care of baby, I didnt bother to take pics. Anyway, hope these help.


3.Ragi porridge : 1 tbsp ragi/nachni atta, a pinch of cardamom powder, 1 cup milk is all you need to make this comforting recipe.

I initially used to make it with part water, part milk and then switched to milk only. This porridge is palpable when it has a thick soup like consistency and pours off a spoon. Avoid lumps. Put a tsp of ghee while serving.



4. Mini Veg cutlets: In a bowl, mix 1 big boiled mashed potato, 1 medium grated carrot, a handful of boiled, coarsely mashed sweet corn, a handful of fresh diced spinach leaves, 1/2 tsp garam masala, salt to taste, 1 or 2 tbsp quick cooking oats(1 crumbled bread slice, instead of oats). Make small balls. Flatten each on the palm of your hand. These are ideal for non-stick pan frying. You'll notice that you need very little oil to fry them. I'm pretty sure any kid would like these mini cutlets.


5. Palak-potato chapathi: The name itself suggests the recipe. Boil 1 big bunch of palak (leaves and stems all) along with 1 small diced potato, with as little water as possible. Puree it in a blender with 1 tsp jeera, 1 tsp dhania powder, 1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste. Transfer the puree into a big bowl. Now mix whole wheat flour with the puree to make chapati dough. Dont add any water. Roll out the dough and make chapathis. This is a simple recipe to make your little one eat palak. To make them more attractive, cut out shapes from the rolled dough--stars, crescents, triangles,squares etc.Just giving you an idea.


PS: I tried making Granola bars yesterday and ended up with muesli. Yes, the caramel failed me..Anyone suggest tips for making caramel just right?

Kid friendly recipes

I have a  22 month old  pesky eater, for whom I am constantly in search of kid friendly recipes and stories to keep her attention off the food. In this post I'll share some recipes that worked for us,which may help some worried mom out there. I introduced her to solids at 7 months age. She seemed to like the banana, cerelac and ragi porridge. Trouble started when she turned 10 months old. totally rejected most of the food, drank no milk other than mom's, by which time I wasnt making much milk. Infact I couldnt wean her completely until she was 18 months old and she wasnt taking any other milk.

1. Lapsi Porridge : Boil and mash half a potato and some carrot pieces. keep aside. Cook 2 tbsp lapsi rava with 1 tsp moong dal in enough water.Add a small piece of ginger for flavour. When the lapsi is cooked, add the mashed vegetables ,mix well. Put in a pinch of salt. Add more water if necessary.  to adjust the consistency. When it is done heat some ghee in a tadka bowl, add mustard seeds and curryleaves. pour the tadka on the porridge. For more flavour I sprinkle this spice mix , which i keep ready. Powder 2 tbsp jeera, 1 tbsp dhania seeds and 3 pepper corns. Dont use it all at once. Use only a small amount. You can sprinkle it on regular khichdi also for enhanced flavour. You can vary the recipe by adding palak or peas too. Make sure it does not get lumpy. My little one didnt give much trouble while feeding this porridge.

2.Date-Oats Porridge : Choose dates which are not stored in sugar syrup and look whole, like kimia dates. De-seed and soak 2 dates in 3 tbsp warm water for 10 minutes. the skin comes off and you can mash the dates with a fork or spoon. Add 2 tbsp oats, 1/2tbsp sugar, 3/4 cup milk and cook till done. Add more milk to adjust consistency.

Some more to share, but my little dictator just woke up from her nap and demands my full attention. Will post as soon as possible.


PS: Keeping junk foods out of kids' reach would atleast give them a healthy start,as we cannot decide their diets when they have grown up.