New Year 2013

2012 has come to the end. For myself, no big thing has happened on the past year. No big achievement.

Being a student, I think I am useless to my life. I do not any other aim other than finishing my study. I did not contribute to any development of anything. Life was so normal, and not so good as well.

2013 maybe will lead to a better me. I dont want any other dream. Just finish my research. Get job. Earn money. 

Tonight i feel lonely and sad. I was dreaming that bff will come and fetch me out for new year firework, just like last year, but he is not here. And maybe if i can add, I hope 2013 we will be together again.

Khoreshte Bamieh - Okra/Lady Fingers Stew

Okra is one of my favourite vegetables. Unfortunately it is not for bff. After almost 5 years, the last time we went to PG cafe, I ordered khoreshte bamieh (because was on lunch offer)and tasted it for the first time. As a fan of okra, of course I love the khoresht. Normally I dont like khoresht at restaurant because they used too much limoo amani which make it tastes too sour. But then, at PG cafe, the khoresht is so khosmazas that I came for another visit for that.

Khoreshte Bamieh dar PG Cafe - Forget my diet every time I eat here :)

After 2 months, I am craving for it again but bff is not here to accompany me to the restaurant. I just dont like to go to any Iranian restaurant alone. Therefore, I tried to make the khoresht by myself.

Ingredients:

~ Stew meet

~ 1 large onion, diced

~ 5 garlic cloves, finely diced

~ 2 tbsp tomato paste

~ 1 ripe tomatoes, peeled and diced

~ Okra

~ Juice of 1 lime

~ 1 tsp turmeric powder

~ Water

~ Salt and pepper

~ Oil

Methods:

1. Heat some oil and fry onion with garlic until translucent. Sprinkle turmeric and pepper. 

2. Add in meat. Fry until both sides brown. Add in the tomato paste and diced tomato.

3. Pour water, let it boil and simmer for about 30 minutes.

4. In a pan, heat some oil and fry the okra for about 5 minutes until wilted.

5. Add the okra into the stew and simmer for another 30 minutes, until both meat and okra soft. I likethe okra to be super soft which falls apart, just like at the restaurant.

6. 10 minutes before finish, add in lime juice and taste with salt. 

Serve with Persian rice and some pickles. Yummy...

Speaking Farsi my way..

Hello again..life has been so tired for me nowadays. It's not that I did lots of thing, but because there are lots of thing to be done, especially in research. The 3rd semester has finished but I havent defense my proposal. Blame on my laziness. Last 3 days bff told me about a research done to discover the most lazy nation in world and Malaysia is on 10th place over 100++. Haha. Yes I admit that :) Every end of day, I will put aim that tomorrow I'll work more, but in the end of the day, nothing! I just wish that miracle will happen to my life. Yeah, I know theres no such miracle without efforts. Let see what tomorrow will happen ok.

I dont want to talk about study. That will make my wrinkles worst. haha. I wanna share about my passion in learning Persian language aka farsi. I've started last 4++ years since I met bff. And until now, I am still learning. But what Ive been learned up to now are all informal. I prefer to go class so that I can speak better farsi. Also I am still very weak in reading and writing farsi. I really hope to enrol in farsi class but there is no class available in JB, and not sure in KL. Learning from internet is not as good as 2 ways learning in class. I think my progress until now is not good. I can understand when people talking maybe around 70% but there are lots of vocabulary that I dont know yet.

I've came out of an idea to record my journey in learning farsi. It is for my reference later to see how my farsi progress over time. Thus, I recorded my first video in farsi and uploaded it on youtube.

I know my farsi is not good. It was not easy to record video of myself speaking farsi. I think my farsi is better when I do conversation with someone. I have to edit and cut some parts. However, I still think I am good (who will praise if not myself right :)..

Maybe I will continue to record video in farsi. At least I can see how myself look like when speaking farsi.
OK thats all for now. Be omide didar..khodahafez

شب يلدا مبارك Shabe Yalda Mobarak

20 December or 30 Azar in iranian calender, is the last day of autumn/payiz. Tonight is the longest night of the year. Iranian will celebrate it by waking up until late night, eating dried fruits, watermelon (hendooneh), fruit while reciting poems.

Since this year bff is not here, i wont celebrate it. Past years we will buy hendoone and chill it for night comsumption. Inshallah next year we will celebrate it together. On the other hand, rumours spread all over world about the end of World. Scientists claimed that a phenomenon will happen in theee days starting tomorroe. I dont know. But according to islam, no one knows when the world will finish (kiamat). Anyways..i hope bff is happy at iran now celebrating shabe yalda with families. The iranian society at university invited me through facebook group to join the ceremony, but i eont gi since today in johor is also a public holiday for remembering out late sultaan deaths.

Lastly, this is te photo of our last year shabeyalda. For all my iranian friends........شب يلدا مبارك

Stir fried pucuk paku

Among many kampung vege, i love pucuk paku most. Pucuk paku usually can be find near ditch or river. It has crunchy texture and i bet once you have it, you will ask for more. This vege only can be find at kampung. You wont find it at hypermarket and hardly at city market. Pucuk paku will healthyly grown during rain season like now. Yesterday my neighbour gave a bunch of it, so i cooked it for today's lunch.

Ingredients:
- A bunch of pucuk paku, extract from its stalk and wash clean
- 1 large onion*
- 3 garlic cloves*
- 5 chillies bird eye
- a handful of dried anchovies
- salt, sugar, msg to taste
- oil
*pound with mortar and pestle

Methods:
1. In a wok, heat some oil and fry the pounded ingredients.
2. Add in the pucuk paku, season with salt sugar and msg.
3. When the pucuk paku wilted, turn off heat. You dont want the crunchiness gone.

Easy right...

Bakso Bodo

Bakso is originated from Indonesia. I called it bakso bodo because it is very easy to make. Bodo(h) direct translation from Malay is "stupid". While in farsi, bodo means "fast". In broken Malay language if something we called "bodo" doesnt simply means stupid but to refer to something that is easy and simple.

So to cope with the cold weather (winter in Malaysia is monsoon season, wet), it is very nice to sip a bowl of hot soup. Then, I decided to make bakso. After chekcing mr. refrigerator, I have all the basic ingredients. Sap sup sap after an hour tada!! My bakso is ready.

For soup:

Ingredients: 

~ 1 medium onion*

~ 3 garlic cloves*

~ 1 inch ginger*

~ 1 tbsp white pepper powder

~ 1 lemon grass bruised

~ 1 chicken stock cube

~ water

~ salt

~ meatballs

*blend

Methods:

1. Heat some oil in a pot and fry the blended ingredients and lemon grass. 

2. Add in water, white pepper, chicken cube and salt.

3. Let it boil, add in the meatballs.

4. Once the meatballs cooked, turn off fire.

For serving:

Some vermicelli, shredded white cabbage, bean sprouts, coriander leafs and dont forget sambal kicap.

Enjoy sipping =)

Nasi Lemak

Nasi lemak is one of Malaysia's signature dish. I believe everyMalaysians regardless ethnicity or religion must have had this wonderful fragrant nasi lemak at least once, and must be more than one =) In the past nasi lemak is considered as breakfast menu but nowadays it is eaten for all time from morning till midnight. Even the origin is from Malays (I think), you can find nasi lemak in the menu of Chinese and Indian restaurant too! Thus, I think I can label nasi lemak as 1Malaysia menu =)

But....beware of the calories consumption! It is very high in calories and fat as it include several side dishes including sambal, fried egg, fried anchovies, fried peanut, fried chicken and anything fried that you want to. Plus people now like to improvise it by including other side dishes. Dont forget that the rice is cooked with coconut milk, addition to the fat! No problem..for me its ok if we eat nasi lemak once in a while, just workout more after that T__T..

By the way, for me normally I only eat home cooked nasi lemak. Either my mom cooked it or myself. Last night I was craving for nasi lemak. So I made it. Check out my ways of cooking nasi lemak.

For sambal (spicy sauce):
~ 20 stalks of dried red chillies*
~ 2 medium onions*
~ 5 garlic cloves*
~ 1 inch ginger*
~ 1 cm fresh turmeric*
~ half inch of shrimp paste*
~ a handful of anchovies
~ 2 tbsp tamarind juice

Methods:
1. Blend all *.
2. Heat some oil in a pan, fry the blended ingredients until cooked. You know it is cooked once the oil come out to the surface and the mixture turned dark red.
3. Add anchovies and tamarind juice.
4. Season with salt, sugar and msg.

For rice:
~ 2 cups of rice
~ 3 cups of coconut milk
~ 1 medium onion
~ 1 inch ginger
~ 1 pandan leaf
~ 1 lemon grass bruised

Methods:
1. Heat some oil, fry onion, ginger, pandan leaf and lemon grass until the aroma arise.
2. Add in the coconut oil.Let it boil, add some salt and transfer to rice cooker along with the rice.

Other side dish;
This time I made Fried chicken, papadom, fried edd, cucumber and tomato slices.

Have a fat day!

Bishoor

Previously, when I was working, there were so many bad mouths talking about my relationship with bff. The women as usual gossiping about how stupid I was, looking for good looking man only, being cheated to a player, that bff just wanted to play with me for the time being when he is still studying at that particular university. The men were also talking about us. One time, my colleague aka best friend went for exhibition with the other staffs and she heard a man which me and bff referred as 'letter man' and another 'boss' with title DR talked bad about us. Until at one level, bff announced to the staff that we are engaged to shut up their mouth!

After some years, this week I saw that DR again bishoor to bff on facebook. I just couldnt understand why...

Bishoor people will forever be bishoor. Maybe!

Googoosh

Recently, I am so attached with Googoosh songs. Love her voice so much. Hope next nowruz she will come for concert in KL.

These are the 3 most awesome songs for me. Enjoy..

Behesht 

Ye Harfae

Baraye Man

Air Pollution in Tehran

Yesterday and today the government of Tehran shut down their operations because of the bad air pollution. Same goes to bff's office even though its a private company. Many, mostly the old folks has been warded for lung infection due to the pollution. This condition always occur during end of autumn, early winter according to bff. I still remember how bad Tehran's air pollution when I was there. My nose was bleeding because of the smoke from vehicles from a hectic traffics. My assumption is that; not only because of the big number of vehicles on the road, but also because Tehran is surrounded by mountains and hills, thus the air stay stagnant in the circle. Not sure, just assumption. I hope the air would be ok soon because I dont want bff affected with that. He is so fragile and can fall sick easily.

This is how the sight in Tehran on a normal weather. You can see mount Alborz from far

And this is how Tehran's air condition this week. 

8 Thousands km...

We are apart by distance and time. But our hearts are still beating for each other.

The hard times is passing by, decreasing the numbers.

This separation will come to the end.

And soon we will be together again.