Darshan Rauniyar - running for Congress

Darshan Rauniyar is doing the Rauniyars proud - running for Congress from the state of Washington. We  wish him the very best.

 
Couple articles below to understand the political landscape and also get Darshan's background

KASHISH DAS SHRESTHA

For candidate Darshan Rauniyar, demonstrating his strong national grass-root support base to the Democratic Party establishment in Washington State is crucial. For the Nepali diaspora, this is a unique opportunity to develop itself as a growing political constituency in America.

NEW YORK. The bursts of rain and occasional sun must have felt all too familiar to Darshan Rauniyar, a Washington State resident who is in New York this week for a series of fundraising and community relations events.

Rauniyar, a Democrat, is running for public office to represent Washington State’s 1st Congressional District in the United States of America’s House of Representatives.

So far, four others Democrats have also declared their candidacy for that seat. After the Primary Election on August 7, 2012, voters will choose between two finalists on November 6. A Republican candidate has not entered the race, and electoral law there does not require the two finalists to be from different parties. But the contest is not expected to heat up until the first months of 2012.
“I think I have a pretty good chance,” candidate Rauniyar says, settling down at the Pubblico Espresso Bar in New York’s West Village on the first sunny morning here this week. “Everything I learnt building my business into a success, and my status as an outsider will help me with this campaign,” the tech-business entrepreneur who has been involved in local Democratic politics for several years added.

But in the meantime, all the candidates are working hard to accumulate hard numbers for their campaigns: not just number of people, but also the amount of money they can raise.

The Rauniyar campaign hopes to raise about US$750,000 (approx. Rs. 54,600,000) for this election cycle. For both these purposes, Darshan Rauniyar has embarked on a tour to first earn the support of fellow Nepalis in America. “But I’m also quite surprised by the support I’m getting from Nepalis outside of America,” Rauniyar noted.

It is difficult to gauge a candidate over a cup of cappuccino, and in a stand-alone context.

However, Darshan Rauniyar, in his quiet and patient demeanor, promptly answers a steady stream of questions on conventional and current American political issues without missing a beat, and with a sense of conviction: Abortion and same-sex marriage: “I’m a pro-choice, pro-women’s rights candidate.” Environment issues: “Climate change is real and we need to address it.”

The debt ceiling debate in Washington DC: “We can’t just make cuts; we need to think about revenues too. Why are corporate companies making billions in profits and not having to pay taxes? Why are oil companies getting tax breaks?” Make cuts in the Defense Budget: “Yes.” Raising taxes: “Taxes need to be made fairer.” Making cuts in entitlement programs to reduce the deficit: “If we streamline our revenue sources, the pressure to make cuts would be less.”

It is not a coincidence that his answers come across as prototype liberal. Darshan Rauniyar is a proud and passionate Democrat and he happily goes to length to discuss all those issues.

And even in the face of the radically conservative Tea Party Republican wave that reshaped the US Congress in 2010, the Washington’s 1st Congressional District is still considered to be reliably Democratic.

The Nepali population in all of Washington State is estimated to be less than 2,000, considerably low compared to states like Texas and New York. Even in cities with bigger Nepali communities, the Nepali diaspora’s impact as an electorate in America is infantile at best. So why is the Rauniyar campaign courting it?

“I’m running for the 1st District of Washington State, but the policies I’ll be responsible for will be at national level,” Rauniyar explains. “I’m also keen on building a strong grassroots support system. And as a Nepali, it’s natural for me to reach out to fellow Nepalis for that support.”

For Darshan Rauniyar, demonstrating his strong national grassroots support base to the Democratic Party establishment in Washington State is crucial. It can have a tremendous impact on winning the endorsement of party figures who can help his campaign to a great degree in the lead-up to the Primary Election in August next year.

For the Nepali diaspora, still finding its footing here, the tendency and urge to support his campaign may also come just as naturally. Many may indeed see him not merely as a representative of the Washington’s 1st District but of the Nepali community in America as a whole.

This is also a unique opportunity for the Nepali diaspora to develop itself as a growing political constituency.

It was hardly a surprise that Rauniyar found a warm reception at the annual Association of Nepalese in America Convention in Washington DC in June.

This month, he has been back in the Virginia, Baltimore, DC area meeting with more Nepalis and establishing his name recognition and hoping to win their support. Here in New York, a fundraising dinner is slated at the Chautari Restaurant in Jackson Heights on Friday night at 6PM.

In an email inviting Tri-State area-based Nepalis to the dinner, Tara Niraula, an old member of the Nepali community here and an education professional, wrote: “I am supporting Darshan Rauniyar not because he is the first Nepali American (of course we take pride in him) to run for such high-level political office, but because he is a well-rounded candidate who can represent his constituency well in the U.S. House of Representatives. He brings excellent credentials to the position he is seeking to win.”
He also brings a compelling personal story representative of the immigrant reaching out for the American Dream, and achieving it.

“My father passed away when I was an infant, leaving my mother to care for my sister and me. My mother had to deal with the hardship of being a single parent, caring for two infants and going to school, she knew that without an education, she would not be able to earn enough to take care of us,” his official bio reads.

“My grandmother cared for us while my mother was earning her high school and college diploma. These two women were pillars of strength and the guiding light in my life.”

Rauniyar arrived in America in 1988 as a college student, and earned a Masters Degree in Business Administration by 1998, relying on scholarships for his higher education.

By the mid-2000s, he had built a national marketing business for Flash Drives, and business was good. “Our revenue was just about doubling every year,” he said.

He has remained a silent partner in the company for some time now, focusing on his family (he has a wife and two sons, aged five and 11), and his work with politics.

His official bio continues, “I have been active in the politics for over a decade and campaigned for many local, state and federal candidates. I am an elected Democratic Precinct Committee Officer, and was elected a member of the Snohomish County Democratic Central Committee & 1st Legislative District Democrats Executive Committee. I am a member of the Snohomish County Human Rights Commission and the Snohomish County Parks Advisory Board.” But he has never held public office.

By February 2012, the election season will be moving fast. In Washington’s 1st District, all the candidates will be finalizing their campaign strategies: State Representative Roger Goodman, State Senator Steve Hobbs, State Representative Marko Liias, and former State Representative Laura Ruderman will probably all still be in the race, along with Rauniyar.

It is unclear how voters will view the public office experience of all the four candidates except Rauniyar.

Some might argue that an experienced candidate is critical. Rauniyar sees it the other way. Presenting himself as a liberal candidate with a history of being a successful businessman, Rauniyar hopes to play the fresh-candidate card to his advantage, especially in a political mood that is increasingly driven by the state of the economy.

In the coming months, he will be campaigning more actively in Washington State and within his district. By no means is Darshan Rauniyar a Nepali candidate.

He is a Democrat and campaigning for every voter in the district he can shake hands with, and he is an immigrant who is “grateful about the opportunities” America has given him and wants to help ensure those “opportunities” and the “greatness” of America does not fade away in years to come. Like most Americans, he too is tired of the ideological debate in Washington DC that he thinks is not doing America or Americans any good.

“I don’t care about a big government, or a small government,” he said, finishing his coffee and glancing at the list of missed calls on his iPhone. “I want to help make an effective government.”

You can email the author at kahsish@350nepal.org and follow him on Twitter @kashishds.



Candidates line up for Wash. congressional seats
Originally published Thursday, December 29, 2011 at 4:29 PM
Political candidates lined up Thursday to compete in Washington's open congressional seats, even though officials haven't yet settled on the final district boundaries.

Two members of the state's redistricting commission have proposed making a new 10th District from Olympia to Tacoma. The 1st District left open by Rep. Jay Inslee would carve out new territory as a competitive seat stretching from east of Seattle to the northern border.

Since that map was released on Wednesday, at least seven candidates have declared their intention to campaign for the 1st district slot.

Darshan Rauniyar, a businessman running as a Democrat, said he welcomed having a full roster of candidates in the race. He said the diversity of the district - from the high-tech centers in King County to the rural farmers further to the northeast - would mean there are a broad range of issues at stake.

"It's always good to have more candidates than few candidates," Rauniyar said. "Let the voters decide."

Others Democrats that said they were in the race include state Sen. Steve Hobbs, former state Rep. Laura Ruderman, Rep. Roger Goodman and political activist Darcy Burner. The Republicans have already drawn Snohomish County Councilman John Koster and business consultant James Watkins.

Watkins said he expected the moderate composition of the district to trigger a genuine debate about the issues instead of partisan disputes.

"I don't think there's a real interest in hearing someone getting up and giving a lot of political talking points," Watkins said.

At least three candidates - Democrat Denny Heck and two Republican members of the Pierce County Council, Stan Flemming and Dick Muri - say they are campaigning in the 10th District.

The redistricting commission hasn't voted on the new congressional proposal yet because they are struggling to reach agreement on the accompanying legislative maps. The panel is comprised of two Democrats and two Republicans, and at least three of them must agree on the boundaries.

They must finish their work by New Year's Day or the process moves to the state Supreme Court.

---

Associated Press writer Mike Baker can be reached at http://twitter.com/MikeBakerAP

Bihar becoming Jaapan - well eventually!

Bihar's remarkable recovery

On the move

Bihar has blossomed under Nitish Kumar. But his reforms need deeper roots

Jan 28th 2010 | PATNA | From The Economist print edition

eyevine

ON A rural road in Araria, a poor district in the Indian state of Bihar, a roadblock impedes traffic. Not so long ago, that might have heralded extortion, carjacking or kidnapping, of which there were over 400 recorded cases in the state as recently as 2004. But Bihar has turned a corner. This hold-up is the work of children, not bandits. They lower a bamboo pole over passing cars in the hope of collecting a few rupees for a festival celebrating Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of learning.
This fertile land where the Buddha found enlightenment under the Bodhi tree was latterly overgrown by a “Jungle Raj” of corruption, crime and caste vengeance. With over 90m people, the state held a morbid fascination for the rest of India, which lapped up blood-curdling tales of violence and larceny. “The perception was that once you landed at the airport you would be faced with gunfire,” says Vineet Vinayak, the senior policeman in Patna. Bihar was a place the rest of the country avoided visiting, and dreaded becoming.
Now it is a place they are celebrating. Nitish Kumar, who became chief minister in 2005, has uprooted the Jungle Raj, restoring law and order: there were only 66 kidnappings in 2008. Over the four fiscal years ending on March 31st 2009, the state’s output grew at an annualised pace of 10.5%, faster than the national average (see chart). Small and agricultural, Bihar’s economy is notoriously fickle. It grew spectacularly for a few years in the mid-1990s too. But this spurt looks more sustainable and it has to be. Even at this rate of expansion, Bihar would need 18 years to match the income per person enjoyed by Maharashtra today.

The economic pickup is visible in the state capital, Patna, where people no longer fear to drive nice cars on the new flyover, or further afield. In the village of Tetri, which hosts the thatched huts of refugees from floods in 2008, ten mobile-phone companies compete for custom, offering calls at one paisa ($0.0002) per second.
Thanks to increased funds from the central government, Bihar’s spending on planned development priorities was 160 billion rupees ($3.5 billion) in the most recent fiscal year, compared with just 12 billion in the year to March 31st 2002. The government set about road building on a “war footing”, says Anup Mukerji, the head of Bihar’s civil service. It used to take ten hours to drive from Araria to Patna, a distance of about 350km (220 miles). Now it takes seven. The route is still strewn with wrecks—in one spot a Tata lorry lies on its side, like a beached whale—but it used to be much worse. Along one 20km stretch, recalls Mr Mukerji, the road had disappeared, forcing him to drive through fields.
Mr Mukerji oversees this progress from his office in Patna’s spotless old collectorate building, which has outsourced its upkeep to a company called All Services Under 1 Roof. He holds monthly video conferences with programme officers in every district. But even teleconferencing cannot close the gap between Patna, where the administration has palpably improved, and the outlying districts, where the government’s social programmes and public services work fitfully, if at all.
Behind the collectorate building in one outlying district, men urinate beside five rusting four-by-fours. “I can show you so many papers on NREGA,” the district development officer says, referring to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, which entitles every rural household to 100 days of minimum-wage work on demand. He buzzes for a flunky, who spares his boss the indignity of picking up the pink ring binders piled on the floor.
But the paperwork is piling up in the district offices faster than jobs are being provided in the villages. In Jamua village in the district of Araria, an NGO called Jan Jagaran Abhiyan found that 1,710 job cards had been issued, which should entitle villagers to over 17m rupees in wages, if they had worked the full 100 days allowed. But the village had claimed less than 5% of the amount available. Of that, 43% was pilfered, by reporting ghost workers and forging bills for materials. The mystery is perhaps not the 43% that was embezzled, but the millions in central-government funds that were left on the table by a local administrative machinery too apathetic even to steal with much conviction.
According to Sushil Modi, Bihar’s deputy chief minister, the biggest problem for all the poorer states is “the crisis of implementation”. “Even if we have the money,” he asks, “how to spend that money?” Mr Kumar cannot solve this from Patna. He must instead breathe life into the panchayats, the elected village councils supposedly accountable for local schemes. But in Bihar, the councils have been through only one electoral cycle. The panchayats remain beholden to the old elites.
Bihar’s turnaround has won it national attention. But it has so far rested on vigorous programmes, such as road-building and immunisation, rather than new institutions. And the growth is driven by public investment, not private. At the Bihar Industries Association (BIA) in Patna, businessmen complain about the lack of credit and electricity, in a state that consumes just 12% of the per person national average.
Political uncertainty is also a constraint. Mr Kumar must fight for re-election this year. Despite a resounding endorsement for his party in the national election last May, his coalition fared less well in more recent by-elections. According to K.P. Jhunjhunwala, former president of the BIA, investors are waiting in the wings for the second innings of Nitish Kumar.

Nalanda University making a comeback!

From New York Times -
Nalanda University of Bihar - the world's first / oldest global university founded in 427 AD - there are plans to re-build it. Check out the NY Times article


Op-Ed Contributor
Really Old School
By JEFFREY E. GARTEN

New Haven

AT a summit meeting of leaders next week in the Philippines, senior officials from India, Singapore, Japan and perhaps other countries are scheduled to discuss the revival of an ancient university in India called Nalanda. It is a topic unlikely to receive much mention in the Western press. But no one should underestimate the potential benefits of this project to Asia, or the influence it could have on Asia’s role in the world, or the revolutionary impact it could make on global higher education.

Americans are used to thinking about the rising powers of Asia — China, India, South Korea and even some of the smaller countries — primarily as formidable economic competitors. In the case of Beijing, we also recognize the potential for superpower political and military status. But there are at least two questions that are key to Asia’s future that we do not generally ask.

First, for all the talk about the rise of Asia in the “knowledge age” that we live in, are these countries ultimately constrained in their potential to be great nations by their lack of top-flight systems of higher education?

And second, is the Asian region any more than a series of nation-states obsessed with guarding their sovereignty — and do they have the ability to interact peacefully and constructively, much as the European Union is trying to do, to pool their individual strengths for the betterment of their region and the world beyond it?

The possibility of rebuilding Nalanda University goes to the heart of both those issues. Founded in 427 in northeastern India, not far from what is today the southern border of Nepal, and surviving until 1197, Nalanda was one of the first great universities in recorded history. It was devoted to Buddhist studies, but it also trained students in fine arts, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, politics and the art of war.

The university was an architectural and environmental masterpiece. It had eight separate compounds, 10 temples, meditation halls, classrooms, lakes and parks. It had a nine-story library where monks meticulously copied books and documents so that individual scholars could have their own collections. It had dormitories for students, perhaps a first for an educational institution, housing 10,000 students in the university’s heyday and providing accommodations for 2,000 professors. Nalanda was also the most global university of its time, attracting pupils and scholars from Korea, Japan, China, Tibet, Indonesia, Persia and Turkey.

The university died a slow death about the time that some of the great European universities, including those in Oxford, England, and Bologna, Italy, were just getting started, and more than half a millennium before Harvard or Yale were established. Its demise was a result of waning enthusiasm for Buddhism in India, declining financial support from successive Indian monarchs and corruption among university officials. The final straw was the burning of the buildings by Muslim invaders from what is now Afghanistan.

But Nalanda represents much of what Asia could use today — a great global university that reaches deep into the region’s underlying cultural heritage, restores many of the peaceful links among peoples and cultures that once existed, and gives Asia the kind of soft power of influence and attraction that it doesn’t have now. The West has a long tradition of rediscovering its ancient Greek and Roman roots, and is much stronger for that. Asia could and should do the same, using the Nalanda project as a springboard but creating a modern, future-oriented context for a new university.

At the Asian summit meeting next week, a consortium led by Singapore and including India, Japan and others will discuss raising the $500 million needed to build a new university in the vicinity of the old site and perhaps another $500 million to develop the roads and other infrastructure to make the institution work. The problem is that the key Asian officials are not thinking big enough. There is more talk about making Nalanda a cultural site or a center for philosophy than a first-rate modern university. The financial figures being thrown around are a fraction of the endowments of Harvard, Yale or Columbia today. A bolder vision is in order.

The rebuilt university should strive to be a great intellectual center, as the original Nalanda once was. This will be exceedingly difficult to achieve; even today, Asia’s best universities have a long way to go to be in the top tier. In a recent ranking of universities worldwide, Newsweek included only one Asian institution, the University of Tokyo, in the world’s top 25. In a similar tally by The Times of London, there are only three non-Western universities in the top 25.

The original Nalanda might have been the first to conduct rigorous entrance exams. The old university had world-class professors who did groundbreaking work in mathematical theorems and astronomy. It produced pre-eminent interpreters and translators of religious scriptures in many languages.

The new Nalanda should try to recapture the global connectedness of the old one. All of today’s great institutions of higher learning are straining to become more international in terms of their student body, their professors, their research and their course content. But Asian universities are way behind. A new Nalanda, starting as it will from scratch, could set a benchmark for mixing nationalities and cultures, for injecting energy and direction into global subjects and for developing true international leaders.

In the old days, Nalanda was a Buddhist university, but it was remarkably open to many interpretations of that religion. Today it could perform a vital role consistent with its original ethos — to be an institution devoted to religious reconciliation on a global scale.

Today, Nalanda’s opportunity is to exploit what is lacking in so many institutions of higher education. That includes great medical schools that focus on delivering health care to the poor, law schools that emphasize international law, business schools that focus on the billions of people who live on two dollars a day but who have the potential to become tomorrow’s middle class, and schools that focus intensely on global environmental issues. Can Asia pull this off? Financially, it should be easy. China’s foreign exchange reserves just broke all global records and reached $1 trillion. And Japan’s mountain of cash isn’t that far behind.

But the bigger issue is imagination and willpower. It is not clear that the Asian nations are prepared to unite behind anything concrete except trade agreements, either for their benefit or the world’s. It appears doubtful that with all their economic prowess, and their large armies, they understand that real power also comes from great ideas and from people who generate them, and that truly great universities are some of their strongest potential assets. I would like to be proved wrong in these judgments. How Asia approaches the resurrection of Nalanda will be a good test.

Jeffrey E. Garten, former dean of the Yale School of Management, is a professor of international trade and finance there.

Recipes of Bihar and Jharkhand

Recipes in Bihar and Jharkhand

From here

To know about the history, geography, economical status and culture of the state of Bihar one can take a look at its cuisine. Food habits of Bihar shows how the cuisine of the state has evolved over centuries under the influence of various cultures and regimes which controlled it from time to time.

Lord Buddha attained enlightenment in Bihar and hence the impact of Buddhism is significant of the state.People are largely vegetarian though many are fond of chicken and meat dishes. Bihar has also been under the reign of mighty Moghuls and naturally the exotic Mughal cuisine affected the Bihar style of cooking and the taste of the inhabitants of the state. Remarkable factor of the Bihari cuisine is that the state has imbibed the best and most suitable aspects of the Gupta, Maurayan, Turk, Afghan, Persion and European style of cooking and at the same time retained a food culture that bears a distinct hallmark of Bihar.

Wheat and rice are the staple food of Bihar and Jharkhand (Jharkhand was till recently a part of Bihar and shares food habits with its parent state). Vegetables are grown in abundance and cooked in a variety. A regular Bihari meal consists of dal, bhat (rice), phulka (roti), tarkari (sabzi) and achar (pickles). But as the seasons change so does the Bihari thali. It is said that just as the seasons change four times in a year, so does the contents of the Bihari meals.

Khaja recipes and more

From here

Ingredients

3 Cup flour

2 tbsp Ghee

1 Cup jaggery

1/2 tbsp Cardamom powder

How to make Khaja

Point 1-Heat 2 cup water and dissolve jaggery in it.
Point2-Strain the solution and cool it.
Point3-Add ghee and cardamom powder in the flour.
Point4-Knead this mixture with jaggery water.
Pont5-Make the dough stiff. Divide it into parts.
Point6-Roll out 5'' rounds from these parts.
Point7-Leave aside to make them a bit dry.
Point8-Fry in hot ghee until colour turns golden brown.
Point9-Remove and cool till the khajas becomes crispy.
Khaja is nowready to serve.

Daal, Bhaat and Tarkari - And More!

From here 

The staple food of Bihar is Daal, Bhaat and Tarkari. However, there are several popular exotic dishes like Litti, Pua, Dhuska etc which are traditionally cooked in Bihar and Jharkhand households. Bihari foods are healthy, great on palate and very simple to cook. These days it is very common to find stalls of Litti and Chokha along with Chinese and Chaat stalls in any good Party. Further, the South Indian, Punjabi, Mughlai, Chinese, Continental and dishes from other regions and countries are also being increasingly cooked in kitchens of Biharis around the world.

Bihari Tomato Chutney

Bihari Tomato Chutney

From here 

This is the recipe I found in my cookbook "Ruchira -Part 2". I must admit that I haven't eaten authentic Bihari food before. But that didn't stop me to explore and enjoy this new cuisine in my kitchen. I have tasted some Bihari munchies though! I had a colleague in India, who was from Bihar. He used to live in the hostel so he never brought any homecooked meal to work. (By the way, I should mention, that our lunch at work used to be a gastranomic heaven where we tasted food and exchanged/argued/discussed/shared recipes from most of the parts of India!). But around Diwali time, he used to go back to Bihar for 2 weeks holidays and always used to bring some munchies for the whole gang. It was fun trying those delicasies which were refreshingly different. and this guy, had no clue about how to make them so I never could have any of the recipes of those delicious treats. I vaguely remember he used to call them "Pakwaans". But I am not sure if it was just used to refer "the treats" in general or a particular snack.

Well, I hope that with RCI: Bihar, someone may share those crunchy munchies!

Anyway, here's the recipe for Tomato chutney that I have adapted from the cookbook "Ruchira" by Mrs. Kamalabai Ogale. This recipe reminded me of "Methamba" recipe but due to the presence of "Panchphoran", it has a distinct unique flavor.

Bihari Tomato Chutney (serves 4)

Tomato Chutney

Ingredients

4-5 red tomatoes, finely chopped

1 tsp oil

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 tsp fennel seeds

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds

1/4 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp kalonji seeds

salt to taste

1 tbsp raw cane sugar

1 tsp paprika

Method

1. Heat oil in a saucepan.

2. Add all the seeds. As they splutter, add chopped tomatoes.

3. Stir till they become soft and mushy. Add salt, paprika and sugar.

4. Simmer for 7 minutes till water is mostly eavaporated.

Note

1. Jaggery can be substituted instead of raw cane sugar.

This is my entry for RCI:Bihar. I would like to send this post to Sangeeta at Ghar ka Khana

Dum Aloo

From here

Bihari Subzi Dum

Just recently, I read about Nalanda university, which is in today's Bihar, which was considered the first global university founded in 427. It survived till 1197. At the Asian Summit meeting, it was discussed about re-building this glorious university once again in its vicinity.

Please read this NY Times article here. (if you are interested!)

I thought it was a coincidence, that I read that article about Bihar, and this time we have this blog event RCI Cuisine - Bihar. It's my first time to participate and I can't wait any longer. I started browsing through my cookbooks and finally found two Bihari recipes from my Marathi cookbook "Ruchira - part 2".

The recipe called for only potatoes, but I modified it adding cauliflower and green peas as well.

Bihari Subzi Dum (Serves 4)

Ingredients

2 Potatoes, cut into big chunks

1 small cauliflower, cut into big florets

1/2 cup green peas

2 tomatoes, sliced

1 tsp dhana-jeera powder, coriander-cumin seed powder

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp black pepper powder, preferably freshly ground

2 cloves garlic

1/2 onion, chopped

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 cup plain yogurt, whisked

1/4 tsp asafoetida

salt to taste

Garnish

1 tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped

Method

1. Grind onions and garlic to a fine paste.

2. Heat oil. Add asafoetida, above paste, bay leaf, turmeric powder, paprika, coriander-cumin seed powder. Fry till the raw smell of onion is gone.

3. Add 1 cup water and salt to taste. Bring to boil.

4. Add all the vegetables. Cover and cook till vegetables are soft but not too mushy.

5. Drizzle whisked yogurt, black pepper powder and garam masala.

6. Switch off the gas and cover.

7. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

This is my entry for RCI:Bihar. I would like to send this post to Sangeeta at Ghar ka Khana

You might also like:

Bihari Khichdi - have it with the 5 buddies!

From here
When I saw "one pot wonders" in Pavani's blog I wanted to cook this khichdi. This is from one of my friend Rajni whom I met during my degree course. She is from Ranchi, Bihar. I had this with chokha made with mashed potatos mixed in mustard oil. I bet it tastes soooooooooooo goooooooooood :). So I am here to share this recipe with you all.
I got this idea after seeing Meera's bihari khichdi. When I looked at her entry I got to know that she also refers Asha's Bihari Khichdi. I made few modification as per my friend Rajni to the original recipe.

Ingredients: Sufficient For Three People

1 Cup rice

3/4 Red lentil/masoor dal

1/2 Cup bengal gram dal/chana dal

2 Tblsp kabuli chana

1 Small cauliflower cut into its florets

4-6 Green chilies slit in between or chopped finely

1 Tblsp grated ginger

1 Tsp cumin seeds

2 Medium sized tomato cut into small pieces

1 Big onion cut into slices

1.5 Tsp turmeric powder

1/2 Red chili powder

salt as per taste

Oil for frying

2 Tblsp green coriander chopped finely

Method: Wash rice,dals and kabuli chana properly and soak for an hour. Cut cauliflower into small florets.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds. Once they start spluttering add onion and fry untill it turns into golden color. Add grated ginger and tomato, cook this for about 4-5 min, so that tomato can become a little soft. After 5 min add turmeric powder and red chili powder, mix well. Drain all the water from the rice & dal's mixture and add to this. Stir it for 1-2 min and add cauliflower. Pour 6-7 cups of water to this and add chopped coriander leaves finally. Adjust salt as per taste. Pressure cook this, 3 whistle are enough. In general this khichdi should be a little watery, but I made this dry. You can add water accordingly.

Tip: There is a saying "khichdi ke char yar, dahe, chokha, papad aur achar" (There are four things to have with khichdi, curd, chokha (mashed potatos), papad and pickle). It tastes very good when you have this with all four.

This is my entry for Pavani for her MBP-One pot wonders this month.

Aalu Bhunjia – RCI Bihar

Aalu Bhunjia – RCI Bihar

From here

November 20, 2007 — ruchii

For this Month’s RCI-Cuisine of Bihar  hosted by Sangeeta of Ghar ka Khana,I decided to make simple and authentic Bhirai Bhunjia(Dry crispy curry) using aloo, for which we need a mixture of 5 spice called Panchforan/Panchapurna. This is the first time I used this spice  and really liked the crunch of it with aloo. Read about Bhunjia here.
I followed the recipe of Mohita Prasad from Bawarchi.com.

Here is how I made Aalu Bhunjia
3 Potatoes – Thinly sliced and skin removed
Turmeric powder, red chilli powder, corriender- cumin powder 1 tsp of each.
For Panchaforan/5 spice

1.  Saunf/Fennel Seeds
2.  Sarson/Mustard seeds
3. Methi/Fenugreek seeds
4. Ajwain/Carom seeds
5. Mangraila/Nigella seeds/Onion seeds  ( 1tsp of each mixed together)

•  Heat oil in a pan  add about 2 tsb of panchforan/5 spice mix and add potatoes and fry untill crisp on outside. Takes about 5- 7 minutes on med- high heat. 
• Add all the spice powders, salt mix well . This is how I made Aalu Bhunjia.

   Along with Bhunjia I made channadal curry and mooli methi paratha .
For ChannaDal curry-Cook 1/2 cup of channa dal till soft. Chop onion ,tomatoes and green chilles and do the tempering  with oil and mustard seeds. Saute veggies and add to cooked channa dal. Adjust salt to taste.
For Mooli-Methi Paratha- 2 cups of Whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup of grated white raddish/mooli and 2 tbsp of dried fenugreek leaves/ methi leaves. Mix everthing together with little salt and chilli power with enough water to make to stiff dough.  Make parathas.
We enjoyed our rustic Bhirai meal.

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Welcome all - our origin from rauniyar.com

It was a Vaishya (Rouniyar) of Sasaram who marched from Sasaram to Delhi like Napolean’s famous march of Itlay .“He came, he saw and he conquered.” The history is always written for and by the winner. It is an irony that the winner of 22nd consecutive battle, who stormed ,dethroned Akber and captured Delhi on 7-10-1556 in a crucial battle and took the avenge of standing insult of three hundred fifty years (defeat of Prithvi raj Chouhan in 1192 AD ) , does not find an adequate space in our historical discourses. This unsung and most colourful hero of medieval Indian history has unfortunately not been a darling of historians. Was it because his father was not a ruler but a petty food merchant? He himself was not a prince but a saltpeter on street ? or because he didn’t belong to one of the higher castes? Was it because of his disadvantages of being a vaishya ?? or was it because he was beheaded (after having fallen unconscious, despite being on a winning spree in the second battle of Panipat) by the mugal emperor Akber who dominated the history, by remunerating Abul Fazal for writing his deeds in his favour? Though Abul Fazal declared Akbar the great(?) a secular whereas while going through history it appears that a Hindu Commoner from Vaishya community was much superior than Mughal Emperor Akbar the great.

Voice of Vaishya: Should vaishya across the country not raise their joint voice and appeal to the government of India to build/erect a statue of Vikramaditya Hemu at the main entrance of Lal Quila to give due honour to a hero who has remained unsung till now despite being the last hindu emperor having dethroned the mughals for the first time on October 7, 1556? We, at www.rouniyar.com, strongly feel and appeal to all hindus to celebrate this red letter day as a glorious day of Indian history.

Emergence of Hemu as Napoleon of Medieval India

Hemu, the Army Chief-cum-Prime Minister of Adil Shah, was sent to crush Ibrahim (Adil Shah's brother-in-law), a rebel. He defeated Ibrahim twice at Kalpi and Khanna. Ibrahim fled to Bayana (Bulandshahar) where he was besieged by Hemu.In the meantime, Adil Shah was attacked by Mohammed Shah of Bengal. The ruler of Bengal had conquered up to Jaunpur; intending to occupy Kalpi in order to proceed to Delhi, which was under the Mughals. Under such circumstances, Adil Shah recalled his most trusted warrior Hemu. The Mughal Governors were in fact so scared of Hemu that they fled for safety of their lives as soon as they heard his name. With Hemu joining the battle, Mohammad Shah was soon defeated at Chapparghat, 20 miles from Kalpi. Adil Shah occupied Bengal.


In January 1556, Humayun died in Delhi. His son Akbar was only thirteen years old when he ascended the throne. The other rivals for the throne of Delhi were the three princes of Sher Shah Suri who were seeking to expel the Mughals from India. Akbar had placed Mughal Governor Tardi Beg Khan to defend Delhi.


In first week of Oct 1556 Hemu decided to set up his own and marched with a large force to storm Delhi. "October 7, 1556 was a red letter day for Hindus; for the alien rule had ended and a powerful Hindu Commandor, the winner of 22 nd crucial consecutive battles was on the throne of Delhi & Agra. The standing insult of three hundred fifty years was avenged by a daring Hindu commoner from a vaishya community. The entire country from Gwalior upto Satluj river came under the control of Hemachandra. Wisely he proclaimed Hindu supremacy by crowning himself as Hindu Emperor-Maharaja Hemachandra Vikramaditya. His love for Hindu swaraj and marshal skills are comparable with the qualities of great heroes like Rana Pratap or Shivaji. After coronation Hemu consolidated his position: raised an army of 30,000 Hindu soldiers. He also won the loyality of Pathans by liberal treatment and distribution of cash awards which he gave to them from time to time. Due to this a large part of their artillery and nearly 1500 elephants became part of his formidable force. With this army he prepared himself to drive the Mughals out.


He had his coronation at Purana Qila in Delhi on 6th Oct. 1556 in the presense of all Afgan Sardars and Hindu Senapatis. In course of consolidating the hindu forces to dethrone and to drive away the mughals/pathans from India, Hemu tried to unite hindu forces and had made an earnest appeal to all hindu kings to lend their support. However, the hindu kings belonging to upper castes out rightly rejected the appeal owing to his low caste and poor parentage. Thus Hemu’s heroic attempt to establish Hindu Raj in India failed, jeopardizing the sovereignty of Hindustan.


Terrified by the fast and piercing movement of Hemu, and to counter his growing power, Bairam Khan (Akbar's guardian) marched towards Delhi. On November 5 , 1556 both the armies met at Panipat. Hemu with a large army including 1,500 war elephants had initial success.


There was a pitched battle and Hemu was on a winning spree when a stray arrow struck him in the eye to reverse the fate of battle.The trouble was the Hindu Kings commanded from the front, not likes muslim generals who remained in the middle of his army formations. So the Hindu generals had to be visible constantly to their soldiers, so that the enemy targeted them easily as they sat high on elephants.The Mughals luckily won. He fell unconscious. As in many other battles, the loss of the leader caused panic among the troops and turned the tide of the battle. . Bairam pleaded Akbar to perform the holy duty of slaying the infidel and earn the Islamic holy title of 'Ghazi'. Among much self-congratulation Akbar then severed the head of unconscious Hemu with his saber. Hemu’s father was too executed when he refused the accept the islam.


There was no fault, no blunder in planning and strategy; nor was there any want of courage or bravery on the part of Hemachandra Vikramaditya or his generals, but yet the Mughals got a chance. This battle, known as Second Battle of Panipat was an epoch-making event in the history of India as it resulted in re-establishment of the Mughal empire in India. Hindus could not produce another Hemachandra Vikramaditya for nearly two centuries. It was only in 1737 AD that Baji Rao Peshwa's forces reached Turkman Gate in Delhi and Mohammad Shah was forced to take shelter in Agra.

References :- Hemu
(A) Hemu a Rauniyar Vaishya :-

1. Rahul Sanskritayan in his book “Akbar “( Page 4-10)
2. Acharya Pandit Rambali Pandey in his article Vikramadityank published by Kashi Nagripracharini Sabha
3. Hawaldhari Ram Gupta ‘Haldhar’ in his book “ History of Palamu “

( B ) Hemu a Vaishya

1. The New Cambridge History of India , John F Richards, The Mughal Emperor Page No 13
2. Glorious Contributions by backward classes to Hindustan & India By N Nirakar
3. The Kingdom of Afghanistan By G.P Tate, page 22
4. The Rediscovery of India; A new subcontinent By Ansgar Hussain Khan, Page 67
5. Hemu - A forgotten Hero of Indian History, By KK Bhardwaj
6. Hemu - Napoleon of Medieval India , By KK Bhardwaj
7. www.hindutva.org/dalithindus
8. www.hinduwiki.com/index.php.?title=Backward-caste_hindu-wariors