Work Story

Hello everyone, I am TM and as you can see I tried blogging couple years back and then stopped. I do not like blogging but for this class I've no choice, so here I go for the next 6 weeks.

I've held various different jobs in the last 12 years in the U.S. and India, such as tutoring kids, selling Avon, marketing for software & hardware training courses, conducting computer education seminars, teaching preschool, teaching English.

Currently, I work as a Sr. Software Specialist at CSU East Bay. I am taking this class as an elective for my masters degree in Public Administration. From 2003 to 04/2009 I worked at SJSU in 2 different positions. From 2003-2006, I worked at the CMS Help Desk...yes the same help desk you guys call/email for all your issues with MySJSU (PeopleSoft) website, including password resets. I was one of the two Help Desk & Training Assistant who supported 30,000+ students and 3000+ employees who use that site for various Student Administration and HR processes. That job gave me a good exposure to the university system. Then I worked as the Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) Analyst & Trainer supporting all the various PeopleSoft HR functionalities used by SJSU.

Although I am a software specialist, communication with internal and external stakeholders is a huge part of my job so I am looking forward to learn new communication concepts and theories from this class.

Methi-Baingan Subzi

This subzi is my nani's recipe and it cooks very quickly. She is an amazing cooking. My childhood summer vacation memories are full of nani's authentic gujju food and returning home more chubbier to kick-start the next school year!

Ingredients: 1/2 packet chopped frozen methi, 3-4 long-thin eggplants, 6-7 cloves of crushed garlic, 3 tbsp oil, 2tsp whole jeera, 1/4 tsp hing, 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 2 tsp dhania-jeera powder, salt to taste & pinch of sugar if u want a little sweetish gujju subzi.

Method: Cut the eggplant in 1 inch cubes, defrost the chopped frozen methi, heat oil in non-stick pan, add whole jeera, when it starts sputtering add hing, crushed garlic, turmeric, eggplant cubes & methi. Cover & cook on medium low heat for 5-7 minutes. Then open the lid and add red chilli powder, dhania-jeera powder & salt. Mix slowly so the eggplant cubes don't break. Then cover again and cook on medium low heat for 10 more minutes. After that make sure the eggplant cubes are cooked completely & add a pinch of sugar, mix slowly & turn off the stove. Your subzi is ready to be served with rice or rotis. Enjoy!

Exotic Ginger-Jeera Margarita

This drink was invented with inspiration from a lemon-ginger sharbat that I used to drink at my masi's house. In India, guests just drop-in without any kind of advance notice whatsoever regardless of the time of the day so its a common practice to make & store snacks & drinks to serve the unexpected guests. Hospitality is deeply woven into our traditional roots. A very famous sanskrit phrase says "Athithi Devoh Bhavaha" translates literally to "Guests are avataar/form of God" Thus, at my masi's house they always had this lemon-ginger sharbat ready anytime they had guests. I remember hating that drink because for years & years they served the same drink to every guest that came to their house. Few years back, I was craving for the flavor of that drink so I came up with my signature version of a drink that has the lemon-ginger flavor. Salt, jeera, black pepper & tequila was added to make it EXOCTIC!

Ingredients: 3 cups Margarita mix, 3 cups water, 2 & half tsp jeera powder, 1 tsp black pepper powder, 2 tsp grated ginger, salt to taste. Add Tequila shots as per your preference if you want to make margaritas with alcohol.

Method: Mix all of the above ingredients and serve chilled.

Masala Popcorn

I am a namkeen freak. Any savory muchies you give me will vanish in minutes. I also can't watch a movie without popcorn. The popcorns here are too bland for my taste-buds so had to come up with desi style popcorn with masala punch!

Ingredients: 1 packet microwave popcorn, 1 tsp chilli powder, half tsp garam masala, salt & amchur powder to taste

Method: Pop the popcorn in microwave and transfer in a bowl. Add the above masalas and mix well. Enjoy!

Vada Pav

Hubby's all time favorite and full of bombay memories!

Ingredients:
-Any kind of Pav or Rolls, Oil for frying, Butter or Margarine, Green chutney & Sweet chutney

-For the Vadas- 5 medium size potatoes, 1 tbsp crushed green chillies, 1 tbsp crushed garlic or paste, 1 tbsp crushed ginger or paste, 4 tbsp chopped cilantro, Salt per taste

-For the Dipping- Besan/Chana flour 1 & half cup, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp garam masala powder, 1 tsp haldi powder, 2 tsp dhana-jeera powder, Salt per taste


Method: Boil the potatoes. Peel & mash them once they cool down. Mix all the Vada ingredients above and roll into size of table-tennis balls. For preparing the batter, take a bowl and add the Besan flour and add water to make as thick pancake batter. Then add all the Dipping ingredients above and let it sit for 15 minutes. Heat oil in frying pan. Dip each potato ball in the Besan dipping and fry on medium high or high heat. To prepare the Pav/Rolls, apply butter or margarine on both side and toast both sides on a skillet till light brown. Before serving apply chutneys on inside of the Pav/Roll, put the Vada in between and enjoy your Vada Pava.