Unbelievably Good - Fanaa - Movie Review

Fanaa with Kajol & Aamir Khan

The worst part about Fanaa is that my husband did not see it with me. Which means, I spent the entire next day (today), contemplating it with no one to talk to about it. Aaaaghhh! It also meant that in order to talk to him about it I had to explain the plot. Which is no simple task, this is after all a Bollywood film.

Before I go any further, let me just say, this is a GREAT movie. I gave it 5 stars and definitely recommend it. It is fabulously acted. This is the best role I have seen Kajol in. Ever. Aamir is incredible in it. He goes from romantic comedy song and dance to a deep pathos. He is totally believable and charming and devastating in turn. Very few actors have that sort of range. He does.

Now, as to why I desperately needed to discuss this movie. If you have ever seen a Bollywood movie, you know you basically get two movies for the price of one. The first hour and a half-ish sets up our characters, after the intermission, you get another hour or so that basically takes off where the first movie ends and gives our characters a new situation to deal with. Often, the 2nd half involves a twist. You will also know that if our characters even so much as kiss (even married couples), something bad is going to have to happen to them. And no, they didn't kiss, but they did something else that is definitely a no no and so, I knew something bad was going to happen, but how bad, given that they hadn't kissed, was unclear and things seemed to be going well around intermission time. Knowing all this I was completely unprepared for the second half of this movie!  It was a total departure from the first part. The first half of the movie is a beautiful and fun romantic comedy with singing and dancing. The second half is a lot like Cape Fear. Needless to say, it's a bit of an emotional roller coaster ride. Well worth it though.

At the end, the moral lesson is clear. Morality is not about choosing between good and evil. It is about being prepared to choose between the greater of two goods or the lesser of two evils. 

Spice of India - delish!

I was given Cooking with the Spices of India years ago by a friend.It came with several little tins of spices which was cool. I tried a couple of recipes and basically forgot about it favoring some other cook books. But occasionally, I would check it to see if it had a recipe for a specific ingredient I had on hand.

Recently, I checked it to see what recipes it had for eggplant. Oh my goodness! The Creamy Roasted Eggplant with Shahi Masala has to be the most delicious thing I've ever put in my mouth.It is pretty too.It comes out this orange with bright red tomatoes and bright green from cilantro that you put in at the end.

Because one of my friends asked for this recipe and because I am obviously crediting the book and because it is out of print now, I feel comfortable sharing this recipe without infringing on the author's income. There are other really delicious recipes in here as well that I have made, so if you do find a copy, feel free to get it.

Ingredients:
2 large eggplants
3 tbs veggie oil (I use olive oil)
1 jalapeno (seeded and chopped - I omit this)
3 cloves garlic peeled and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 inch fresh ginger peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 large onion peeled and coarsely chopped
2 tbs lemon juice
4 plum tomatoes seeded and diced (I leave the seeds and peels on)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp roasted ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp shahi masala (I use garam)
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup fresh cilantro coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 450F Cut and each eggplant in half.Using 1 tbs of the oil, brush each cut side of the eggplant with oil. Place each eggplant piece, cut side down on an oiled backing sheet. (I peel my eggplant first so I don't have to do this next step, plus it gives me more roasted bits later). Place the eggplant in the over on a single rack and roast until eggplant is tender (about 30 minutes). Set aside to cool. Once cool, scoop out the flesh and mash or whip to a rough puree.

While eggplant is cooling, place chilies(optional), garlic, ginger, onion and lemon juice in a blender and puree into a paste. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining oil over medium high heat.Add the onion garlic paste and saute about 3 -4  minutes. Add a little water if necessary to prevent sticking (this hasn't been a problem for me).Add the tomatoes, turmeric, cumin and salt. Saute for 5 more minutes.Add eggplant puree to the mixture and heat through, about 3 minutes.Stir in shahi or garam masala, cream and cilantro and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and serve.

Enjoy.