#Kashmiri Pieces

[luxuriesofkashmiir]

Kashmiri Pieces That Combine Warmth and Elegance

When it comes to fashion, few styles capture the delicate balance of warmth and elegance quite like Kashmiri luxury garments. These masterpieces transcend mere functionality, wrapping you in stories of heritage and craftsmanship while ensuring you’re impeccably dressed for any occasion. For those with a discerning eye, Kashmiri jackets and capes are not just outerwear - they are wearable art.

Here, we present three standout pieces that redefine winter glamour, each piece, a testament to the seamless fusion of Kashmiri artistry and contemporary design.

1. Whispered Elegance

The Canopy Clouds Silk Jacket is a love letter to minimalism wrapped in opulence. Made from pristine white dupion silk, it is adorned with delicate blue embroidery that resembles celestial patterns, evoking a sense of serenity and sophistication. The shimmering silken threads catch the light, ensuring this jacket becomes the focal point of your ensemble.

What sets this piece apart is its ability to make a quiet yet striking statement. Pair it with tailored trousers for an effortlessly chic look, or drape it over a flowy dress to add a touch of structured elegance. Perfect for an upscale winter soirée, this jacket embodies the essence of refinement for those who value subtlety and finesse.

2. The Allure of Artistry

Luxurious in every sense of the word, the Dark Desire Pashmina Jacket is a masterpiece that seamlessly blends heritage with glamour. Crafted from the softest pashmina wool, it features intricate Kalamkari embroidery executed with silken threads, creating a tapestry of mesmerizing patterns.

The pièce de résistance? Its silk-lined interior and plush fur collar, which elevate the jacket’s appeal while offering unparalleled warmth. This jacket isn’t just an accessory—it’s an experience. Wear it over a turtleneck and jeans for a high-end casual look, or pair it with an evening dress for a sophisticated ensemble. The Dark Desire is for the bold and the artistic, a celebration of individuality and timeless craftsmanship.

3. Modern Meets Heritage

The Papier-Mâché Border Cape is where tradition meets contemporary fashion. Featuring hand-embroidered flowers inspired by the age-old Kashmiri papier-mâché art, this zippered cape is a versatile piece that effortlessly transitions between casual and formal settings.

The colorful embroidery on the lapels and hemline lends the cape an artsy flair without overpowering its elegant silhouette. Wear it as a standalone top for a bold statement, or layer it over a crisp blouse for added sophistication. Perfect for creative souls and fashion-forward individuals, this piece is a harmonious blend of artistry and modernity.

Each of these pieces embodies the Kashmiri ethos of combining functionality with unparalleled beauty. They are more than just garments; they are investments in timeless fashion and craftsmanship. For luxury lovers and fashion enthusiasts, these jackets and capes are your ticket to standing out this winter keeping you warm, stylish, and wrapped in the elegance of Kashmiri heritage.

Discover the magic of Kashmiri fashion from Luxuries of Kashmir and let your wardrobe tell a story of elegance and warmth this season.

[hindulivesmatter]

Why Gandhi is a piece of shit and you should hate him.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi has been established in our history as a "Mahatma" which means "great soul"

This man is anything but that.

He is EVERYWHERE. He's on our currency, he's revered as a hero who saved India, and we have a mandatory holiday on October 2nd in honor of him.

If you didn't know, now you're going to get to know why he was a horrible human being. Let's begin.

This man managed to fool people Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela (among many others) into thinking he was a good person.

Here is some of the shit he's done:

In 1903, when Gandhi was in South Africa, he wrote that white people there should be "the predominating race." He also said black people "are troublesome, very dirty, and live like animals."

 Refused to have sex with his wife for the last 38 years of their marriage. He felt that in order to test his commitment to celibacy, he would have beautiful young women (including his own great niece) lie next to him naked through the night. His wife, whom he described as looking like a "meek cow" was no longer desirable enough to be a solid test.

Believed that Indian women who were raped lost their value as a human.

During Gandhi's time as a dissident in South Africa, he discovered a male youth had been harassing two of his female followers. Gandhi responded by personally cutting the girls' hair off, to ensure the "sinner's eye" was "sterilised". Gandhi boasted of the incident in his writings, pushing the message to all Indians that women should carry responsibility for sexual attacks upon them.

He argued that fathers could be justified in killing daughters who had been sexually assaulted for the sake of family and community honour. 

Gandhi also waged a war against contraceptives, labelling Indian women who used them as whores.

He believed menstruation was a "manifestation of the distortion of a woman's soul by her sexuality".

On 6th April 1947, he gave a speech where he said, “ If the Muslims are out there slicing through Hindu masses to wipe out the Hindu race, the Hindus should say nothing and peacefully accept death”.

He hated the great Hindu rulers, especially Shivaji Maharaj. To please the Muslims, he banned the book named ShivBhaavani which correctly depicted Islam’s intolerance and fierce fundamentalism spread by it.

Refused his wife life-saving medication (for religious reasons), but those religious reasons all of a sudden no longer applied to him when he was in a similar position.

Started a fast unto death when Ambedkar asked for separate electorates for Dalits.

Gandhi left his ailing father on his deathbed, to sleep with his wife. The child born out of this copulation died in infancy. According to Gandhi, the death of this infant was the result of this evil karma.

Gandhi, even when he claimed to be the angel of non-violence, made no efforts to prevent the British from deploying Indian troops at various locations during World War II.

Kashmir was invaded by Pakistan in 1947, the brutal Pakistani army committed heinous crimes against Kashmiri Pandits including mass rape and mass killings consequently many Pandits were forced to flee to Delhi and other places. In one incident Pandits took refuge in an abandoned mosque in Delhi. Infuriated, Gandhi threatened to fast to death if the Pandits didn't leave. The Pandits were slaughtered in a communal riot as soon as they abandoned the mosques.

Criticized the Jews for defending themselves against the Holocaust because he insisted that they should have committed public mass suicide in order to "shame" the Germans instead of fighting back. His exact words were, "But the Jews should have offered themselves to the butcher's knife. They should have thrown themselves into the sea from the cliffs. As it is, they succumbed anyway in their millions."

And this is all from a simple Internet search compiled here. I wonder what else is hiding if I do a deep dive.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

[najia-cooks]

Hey Najia! I love this blog so much! I have a question. I find cooking pretty difficult sometimes. I'm chronically ill and also the kitchen stresses me out a bit because I'm very scatterbrained and there's knives and fire and stuff. I also fuck things up in the kitchen pretty easy. Are there any recipes on here you find particularly easy to make? That you'd recommend for when you just cannot be arsed? Hope you're having a wonderful day, I know it's your birthday 😄🎉

Thank you!

I can understand your stress—cooking can involve things that are objectively dangerous and also time-sensitive. I'd recommend:

Try recipes where you don't have to come into direct contact with the blades you use. Some Indian dals, for example, cook lentils in a sauce made from blended onion, tomato, and garlic; you could process them using a food processor or blender. A lot of things (fresh salsa, guacamole, a duqqa of garlic, chilies, and spices that you can throw in to cook with some lentils) can be prepared in a mortar and pestle, too.

I've never used one, but a vegetable chopper might help in a similar way that a food processor would, by reducing the amount of knifework that you have to do. There are a lot of recipes where a chopped onion is the only knifework required.

Also try recipes that are cooked in the oven, and not on the stovetop. Something that gets thrown into the oven on low heat to cook (like a casserole or fukharat dish) takes longer, but is more hands-off, than something that's cooked on the stove.

Do all of your prep work first. Read through the recipe and see what chopping, blending &c. needs to be done, prep each ingredient, and put it in its own little bowl. This includes anything in the ingredients list that says "1 onion, diced" or similar: do that right off the bat. If the recipe says "meanwhile" or asks you to do prep for anything while anything else is cooking, you might choose to disregard that and do all the prep first, depending on how long the cook time is and how much attention it needs (e.g., soup on a low simmer for half an hour can pretty much be left alone; anything in a frying pan cannot). This way you won't be rushing to chop anything quickly while worrying that something else is going to overcook.

Look for vegetables, like broccoli / cauliflower / romanesco and green beans, that can be broken up with your hands rather than chopped. Rip up cilantro and parsley rather than chopping them.

Admittedly "simple" is not the guiding principle of this blog, but here are some recipes that I think could be easily adapted:

Fukharat l3des: just one onion to chop. Cooked on low heat in the oven.

Fried tofu sandwich: just mixing sauces and spices. You can skip coating the tofu in cornstarch and frying it. Instead try freezing the whole block, thawing it, cutting into two or four pieces, and then marinating it in a plastic bag with your sauce overnight. Then bake the tofu for 15-20 minutes, turning once, at 350 °F (180 °C).

Roasted celery and potato soup: requires only very rough chopping; the cooking methods are baking and simmering. The fried tempering could be skipped by just adding those ingredients into the simmer earlier.

Carrot salad or chickpea salad or tapenade: you could throw all of the ingredients in a food processor.

Moroccan lentils: just an onion and tomato to grate or process.

Kashmiri lal chaman: the only thing you need to cut is tofu; the gravy is just water and spices. You could bake the tofu instead of frying it.

Black bean burgers: no chopping or frying if you omit the onion and carrot and elect to bake the finished patties.

'Chicken' and olive tajine: the marinade is blended or pounded, and there is no other prepwork to do other than chopping one onion. Everything can be simmered on low heat until cooked, so it's pretty hands-off.

Chana pulao: mostly rice, chickpeas, and spices. Some aromatic prep, but you could crush instead of chopping those.

Romanesco quiche: no knifework at all if you omit the aromatics and break aprt the romanesco with your hands.

Spanish garlic mushrooms: just crush garlic instead of slicing and buy pre-sliced mushrooms. There is frying, though.

Eggplant cooked salad: the eggplant is broiled and then spooned out. No knifework required if you use tomato puree.

Butternut squash soup: just roasting and simmering. No knifework required if you omit the aromatics and buy pre-cubed squash.

Dishes with a base of lentils, chickpeas, beans, rice, and/or noodles are great because there's no knifework that needs to be done to prepare the beans &c. themselves.

[molkolsdal]

Woman's charm necklace with two engraved pieces of jade, five cylindrical silver containers with relief designs.

Kashmiri necklace as worn by women and girls. Each little silver case is said to contain quotations from the Koran and jade is worn for good luck.

Acquired: 1966

[spelllingandthemysteryschool]

legitimately feel that my entire world has crumbled to pieces over the course of the ongoing genocide in palestine. i’ve spoken about this to my family and friends and gf in various capacities but no matter how much i talk about it there’s no way for me to get over the fact that i don’t know where to go from here at all. to have witnessed the countless ways in which the western institutions and systems of thought not only fail innocents over and over but actively facilitate and encourage and fund their violent annihilation... to have witnessed so much pain and so much pain and so much pain... like obviously it’s not like i was blissfully ignorant before and it’s not like i believed the world was a just place and it’s not like i’m just now realizing how evil everything is and it’s not like my own family doesn’t also come from a background of western oppression—we are punjabi- and kashmiri-pakistani—but. i really have no idea what to do with myself. like i know i’m so massively privileged to be sitting in my house surrounded by my loved ones and wringing my hands over what my future will look like when so many have been robbed of their homes and all their loved ones in addition to the luxury of thinking about a long-term future but really. where do we go from here. how am i supposed to live with myself. i don’t even want to apply to grad school anymore because so many of these universities have behaved in appalling ways and it’s no surprise because academia is another institution defined by and sustained by histories of colonialism and capitalism. i don’t feel excited by the publishing industry anymore... so many editors and writers have been ousted from their publications for speaking out against israel or left of their own accord out of a sense of solidarity with palestine and many of the ones that remain in the field are only there because they turned a blind eye to all this devastation. i hear about museums canceling exhibits about palestinian art and islamic art in general and i am repulsed by the idea of entering a field that, again, serves western colonial interests and is so rife with a history of exploitation and racism. it’s not that i’ve given up hope for palestine or any of the other subjugated peoples of this world but i am ashamed of myself and i am ashamed of the country i live in and i am ashamed of the fact that it’s so easy to cause tangible and profound harm. i know there are ways to do good by others and to try and live as ethically as possible but right now i feel totally paralyzed by my own complicity and helplessness and i am disgusted with the world we live in and i want nothing to do with it at all. i have to figure out a way to channel these feelings into something productive and beneficial as soon as possible but all i feel is this sense of sick grief and horror

[scaly-freaks]

i'm so interested in jaehaerys and amara's relationship!!! does jaehaerys wants to be amara's biological son? is he resentful of his half siblings for being her children? i know that you said that jaehaera is team aegon while amara's younger son is team amara, is jaehaerys on amara's side?

Heeyyy~

So lil Jaehaerys is a baby right now in the fic, but I'm slowly creating his future version. His relationship with Amara becomes...troubling, to say the least. The fact that I'm about to tell you that Amara looks young for her age well into her 40s is a hint to what's coming (namely because, well, she's Kashmiri by ethnicity, and all the women in my family have aged insanely well, so I'm going on that basis).

So, that fact in itself helps Jaehaerys fantasise a scenario where she is his romantic/sexual partner as he grows into puberty. Yes, she was an adult in his life as he grew up, but she wasn't mother in the sense that she never really knew how to parent Jaehaera and Jaehaerys was the same age as his sister. Amara wasn't the disciplinarian. She was this person who was in a vaguely maternal role by all logic, but she was also playful and silly and mischievous and got down on his level, even though he needed more discipline than fun times. Whereas Jaehaera thinks she can treat her dad better in an emotional sense only, Jaehaerys ends up having quite vivid fantasises about his dad dying so he can take Amara as his wife and have a kid with her (she'd still be in childbearing age in her late 30s-early 40s).

Also it's imperative to point out, Jaehaerys's sexual awakening is similar to Aegon's. He wasn't supervised, it wasn't responsible, and it fucked with him later, but he coped with it by becoming sexually promiscuous (to a point, as a lot of his desires tended towards violence and you just can't go around killing the best brothel workers in town and not be noticed).

Anyway, all that said, I think he probably will reveal to Amara how he feels, maybe when he's 17, and either try to force himself on her, or just be very verbally passionate. She immediately panics, and is in complete horror (as you would be). She says she won't tell his father, but that from this day on, their relationship is going to be at a distance and she won't hear a 'no' from him on that.

He reluctantly agrees because he's still only 17 and yeah, he'd rather not have Aegon find out he's a psychosexual sadist lusting after his own stepmother. But (and trigger warning for rape here) he does go on to SA Jaehaera because of the fact that Jaehaera is Amara's daughter, looks like her, and is beloved by Aegon. Jaehaerys just likes to destroy everything he touches basically, especially if he thinks he doesn't get a piece of it.

[everythingkashmir]

Led’s Lense

The Other Kashmir

A Valley’s Physical Graffiti

By Faisul Yaseen

In the Himalayas, where the murmurs of the Jhelum weave through the lush valley, Kashmir has been a muse of poets and painters. Its name invokes both enchantment and anguish, a duality reflected in Led Zeppelin’s iconic song, Kashmir. Written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant with contributions from John Bonham over a period of 3 years with lyrics dating to 1973, the song featured on their sixth studio album Physical Graffiti in 1975. This timeless ode transcends physical geography, yet its mystical allure inadvertently mirrors the very soul of Kashmir.

It would seem rather bold, and even a little farcical, to compare Led Zeppelin’s ‘Kashmir’ with Kashmir valley. Yet tracing how the song born in the deserts of Morocco finds an uncanny kinship with a paradise mired in its own metaphoric deserts spurns curiosity.

Verse 1: Oh, let the sun beat down upon my face

If the sun could speak, it might recount the shadows it has witnessed in Kashmir. Led Zeppelin’s yearning for the sun’s warmth feels alien to a valley where winters are not just meteorological but political, where warmth is siphoned by fear that has reduced its famed sunlight to a pale glow that barely pierces the haze, casting a chilling pall over a land that once basked in idyllic harmony.

Chorus: I am a traveller of time and space

The stories in Kashmir are great works of fiction, sold with the finesse of the best of salesmen. Tourism hoardings show lakes as pristine and houseboats as inviting travellers to rediscover paradise. But the real travellers of time and space in Kashmir are not Instagram influencers but locals wandering in search of existence.

Governance in Kashmir functions on paradoxes - the claustrophobic presence contrary to the wide open landscapes. For every tourist sipping Kehwa on a Shikara, there is a youth piecing together the fragments of his shattered life. The spaces may be the same but the experiences are universes apart.

Bridge: My Shangri-La under the summer moon

Kashmir is Led Zeppelin’s Shangri-La, the mythical utopia nestled in towering peaks. Utopias are subjective, though. One man’s heaven is another man’s hell or purgatory. The beautiful valley becomes cruel irony for its denizens, who usually cannot savour its magnificence because it’s always reminding them of its perils.

All the rhetoric about Kashmir sounds almost hollow. Promises ring as empty as the deserted streets. In this dystopian Shangri-La, progress is measured not by prosperity but by publicity. New malls are inaugurated. Old memories erased.

Verse 2: Oh, father of the four winds, fill my sails

In Kashmir, the winds carry stories instead of sails. The winds carry the whispered prayers of a generation that has known nothing more than nothingness. The winds also carry the spirit of the people. Art adorns the walls. Poetry and music flourish. And, youth navigate censored spaces to tell their stories. Under relentless hopelessness, the spirit does not break.

Coda: When I am on my way, when I see

How many moons away is Kashmir from its road? This is a haunting refrain that never ceases ringing around the region.

When one beholds, Led Zeppelin puts forth a dreamy vision. What do we see when we behold Kashmir? A crown jewel? A problematic periphery? A land to own? People to love? All such answers decide the region’s dismal destinies.

The Unfinished Symphony

Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir ends with a sweeping, open conclusion, just like the region itself: untamed and mysterious. The music reflects the Valley’s breathtaking panorama. However, the underlying tensions and the lived reality of its people is another story. Rober Plant’s vocals and Jimmy Page’s guitar lines echo the paradox of its beauty and hopelessness. Kashmiris are left to wring out their purgatory alone, their voices buried in the cacophony.

Encore

Perhaps Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir should be the anthem adopted for the Valley. It is after all an attention-grabbing song. The majestic orchestration could go with the snowy passes and evocative lyrics could narrate the daily grind of Kashmiri life. If nothing else, it would be a fitting irony for a region where beauty is wrecked.

Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir is a call to rise above the mundane. It is a hymn to transcendence. However, the valley it shares a name with is still waiting for its transcendence. Until that day, Kashmir will remain an unfinished melody, its notes heavy with longing and defiance, resonating against the mountains that keep its secrets and sorrows.

Greater Kashmir

[eviji]

@unpossession liked.

There is a road like this in every city. It is not his memory, or any separate memory, but a network of many channels, many minds, many feet, many long journeys growing shoots into daydreams like slow daffodils. Two women scold their children in Urdu. Repairs go on incessantly to keep the cracking pavements from falling to pieces, the construction workers yelling, machinery grinding.

Students and lost tourists mill around the market stalls, cheery sunbeams painted over white sullen boards, haldi, sweetsop, shatkora, kashmiri, fruitsellers shouting over the constant beetle-black crawl of Hackney traffic.

Johns closes the window, his breath fogging the glass. He has never felt a cold like this. As it clicks locked, the room - the window - the view - changes. He knows he is only a few miles down from that place but it's cold here, colder, silent. There is no conversation in the street below, only another crooked row of brick houses gazing back at the one he's standing in.

[thevividgreenmoss]

I had a couple of friends (my only two friends really lol which two is far far above my historical average for friends, one is above the historical average if we're being Real) over last night to see the movie I made with my cats/co-directors and I made little tickets/keepsakes for both of them lol

Since the first short I randomly slapped together back in January which eventually ended up being incorporated into what this ended up being I liked the idea of keeping this as something I primarily just directly share with people in my own living room, like the only reason I initially put this shit online anywhere is to have an easy way to share it on here with you all in case it's of interest to anyone lol but idk like there's no way to make even five dollars off of this since I don't have the rights to any of the music playing in the background and huge chunks of certain songs/albums are in the shit lmao like almost half an hour of D'Angelo - Voodoo lmfao but like. it cost me literally nothing to make this, I shot the entire thing on my phone and cut it together on my laptop using open source software so there isn't even any cost to recoup so why not include the music I was already listening to ig and past that just share it with directly with anyone that's willing to sit through it

Back in May I was talking to one of my neighbors who is also one of the neighborhood plugs who also raps a little bit just for the fuck of it "I dont make money off music, I'm a trapper for real" (slightly paraphrased it was almost a year ago at this point), but I actually fuck with his music and listened to it of my own volition after he initially directly played a track for me and our other neighbor and the other day I was over to reup and was like 1) I made a movie off your product so truly thank you cause this doesnt happen otherwise and 2) if you check it out and anything jumps out at you we can work on a music video along those lines if you're down which who knows if we'll do that but personally I'd love to. Then he asked me why I haven't been fasting lmao, remembering that I also didn't fast last year. And that led to talking about god and history and america and the whites. He was telling me a bit about another Pakistani guy that buys from him, showed me a picture of the dude, standing with (presumably although I can't say for sure) his father and grandfather.

The picture he showed me, everything he said has been stuck in my head since. The three smiling desi faces, if I had to guess either fellow Kashmiris if not that maybe Pathaan, but especially the old man's face recalling of course my nana's. I wish I could've made a movie in Lahore with him. I do want to make one with my mom, I was thinking of incorporating clips of a walk around the creek at my parent's neighborhood with her into this video but I ended up going a different direction but I do think it could be worth it's own standalone piece. But I do want to do more of these and the process by which it came together is definitely something accessible to everyone like everyone can do this I feel, if anyone wants. But I personally do want to make one with my mom if she's down.

A few days before that aforementioned day in late May I read Prince's unfinished autobiography and among a million things in there that I have not been able to stop seeing or thinking of was what? The way he opened the first chapter with the image of his mother's eyes - the first thing 👁 saw.

[nbula-rising]

Dragon Chicken

Yield: 4-6 servings Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade

    1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into strips

    3 Tbsp flour

    3 Tbsp corn starch

    1 Tbsp soy sauce

    1 Tbsp ginger paste

    1 Tbsp garlic paste

    1 tsp salt

    ½ tsp black pepper

    1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder or paprika

    1 egg, beaten

Stir-fry sauce

    ¼ cup tomato ketchup

    2 Tbsp soy sauce

    2 Tbsp red chili paste (like Sriracha or sambal oelek)

    1 tsp sugar

    ¼ cup water

Dragon Chicken

    ¼ cup oil (for shallow frying and for stir fry)

    ½ red bell pepper, diced

    ½ green bell pepper, diced

    ½ orange bell pepper, diced

    ½ red onion, diced

    3-4 dry red chilies, cut into large pieces (see note)

    1 Tbsp garlic, finely chopped

    1 Tbsp ginger, finely chopped

    ¼ cup cashew nuts

Instructions

    Add chicken along with all the marinade ingredients into a mixing bowl. Mix well till all the chicken pieces are coated well. (You can marinade while you prep the rest of the ingredients)

    In a small bowl, mix all stir fry sauce ingredients and set aside.

    Heat oil in frying pan or wok on medium high heat. Shallow fry the chicken in batches till golden brown and cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Plate it out on a paper towel lined dish.

    Remove all but about 2 Tbsp oil from the pan. Once the oil is hot, stir fry diced red onion along with bell peppers and red chili pieces for a couple of minutes on high heat.

    Add in chopped ginger and garlic along with cashew nuts and stir fry for another couple of minutes.

    Add in sauce and fried chicken and toss till every chicken piece is well coated with the sauce.

    Serve immediately as appetizer, or over a bed of white rice.

[expressions-lsr]

‧͙✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧‧͙✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

The Team; Introduction

‧͙✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧‧͙✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

Content and Research Team

Meet the Heads:

Priyadarshini Stuti

( @rain-rhapsody )

“The sky is dimlit; air is crisp The leaves drip with dew drops, Oh! Why is the Moon so small tonight?”

A dreamer, and a hopeless romantic… I guess that’s what you’d call a poet :3

Cat whisperer. Caffeine addict. Avid fan of russian literature. And a collector of kaomojis /ᐠ .⋏. ᐟ\ﾉ ♡

[Read Priyadarshini's piece here]

Siddhi Kaul

"When winter comes, can spring be far behind?" A second year econ student, Siddhi has a neverending love for coffee and fluffy dogs. She loves putting her thoughts into words through poetry and occasionally songwriting. A desi hiphop, bollywood and kashmiri (she's kashmiri) music enthusiast, you can always find her complaining about the long college hours and explaining the lyricism of her newest song obsession to her friends, while eating an ice-cream sandwich."

[Read Siddhi's piece here]

Meet the Sub-Head:

Tejaswini

“She writes the poetry She dreams to live.”

Yes the quote is the other way and around and yes, I am pretentious enough to refer to myself in third person. =)

Hello hello I’m Tejaswini, A second year student majoring in History with a minor in Political Science.

I’m a cynical hopeless romantic that is a sucker for stories, and by default, a certified bookworm, as well as an unsponsored promoter for V.E. Schwab, one of my favorite authors.

I’m also obsessed with Formula 1 and tend to allegedly make it my entire personality on race weekends.

Ever since my mom dumped me in the library when I was 3 (I was a yappy kid. Am.) Words have always been my escape, I’ve learnt to find and be myself in between pages.

I believe I am bewildering (confusing but comes across as mysterious, usually works for me until you actually get to know me. I’m weird), gravely inept (no social skills) in conveying my complex and deep emotions by conversation, and pretentious (we talked about this earlier). And this is, by the legends, the perfect combination to make you an incredible writer. Can’t comment on the incredible part, but I do try to write when I’m overwhelmed; which is pretty much all the time.

Expressions has been my place to let out all my guarded thoughts and restrained feelings, as well as what motivates me to keep going when I’m having writer’s block. (deadlines are very humbling:)

On a whole I’m just a person that’s killing it at life (barely getting across).

But I’m learning to love everything bit by bit.

[Read Tejaswini's piece here]

[dear-indies]

hi cat! do you have any suggestions for a fc (woc, preferably) who could play a pirate character? thank you so much! 💛

Jessica Parker Kennedy (Black Sails) Black Canadian / Ashkenazi Jewish.

Son Ye Jin (The Pirates) Korean.

Han Hyo Joo (The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure) Korean.

Ilia Isorelýs Paulino (One Piece) Dominican.

Haven't watched the show but they were on a boat in some gifs:

Amita Suman (Shadow and Bone) Bhojpuri Nepalese.

Anna Leong Brophy (Shadow and Bone) Irish, Chinese, and Kadazan.

Jessie Mei Li (Shadow and Bone) Hongkonger / English - is a gender non-conforming woman who uses she/they.

And not pirate specific media but:

Adwoa Aboah (Willow) Ghanaian / English.

Erin Kellyman (Willow) Afro Jamaican / Irish - is a lesbian.

Cara Gee (Strange Empire) Ojibwe.

Devery Jacobs (Blood Quantum) Mohawk - is queer.

Claudia Kim (Marco Polo) Korean.

Ming-Na Wen (The Mandalorian) Macanese, Chinese, Malaysian.

Danai Gurira (The Walking Dead) Shona Zimbabwean.

Zoë Robins (The Wheel of Time) Nigerian.

Madeleine Madden (The Wheel of Time) Eastern Arrernte, Arrernte, Kalkadoon, White / Gadigal and Bundjalung.

Sarita Choudhury (The Green Knight) Bengali Indian / English.

Tao Okamoto (Westworld) Japanese.

Ellora Torchia (Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands) Indian / Italian.

Dianne Doan (Vikings) Vietnamese, 1/8 Chinese.

Anya Chalotra (The Witcher) Kashmiri Indian / English.

Anna Shaffer (The Witcher) Black and White South African Jewish.

Sophia Brown (The Witcher: Blood Origin) Black British.

Jessica Matten (Frontier) Métis, Saulteaux-Cree, Chinese, British.

Kylie Bunbury (Tut) Afro Guyanese / Swedish, as well as Polish, English, and German.

Malese Jow (The Shannara Chronicles) Chinese / English, Scottish, Cherokee.

Chu Ja Hyun (Arthdal Chronicles) Korean.

Kim Ok Bin (Arthdal Chronicles) Korean.

Hope these suggestions help!

[najia-cooks]

Vegan lal chaman / लाल चमन (Kashmiri paneer dish)

Lal chaman, or lal paneer (लाल पनीर), is a dish consisting of shallow-fried cheese (paneer) in a water-based gravy thickened with ground fennel. It gets its name from the Hindi "lal," meaning "red." Some recipes achieve the dish's typical bright red color with the help of tomatoes, but this is a modern variation—for traditionalists, the dish should get all of its color from ground Kashmiri chilis. Lal chaman shares several common features with other Kashmiri dishes: the cooking oil used is mustard oil; due to influence from the Kashmiri Pandit community, it does not include garlic or onions; because fresh ginger was historically unavailable in Kashmir, it uses ground ginger.

This vegan recipe uses a glazed tofu to produce a chewy, cheesy paneer. The combination of chili, fennel, black cardamom, clove, and ginger produces a robust, earthy, mildly spicy base for the tangy 'cheese.'

Recipe under the cut!

Patreon | Tip jar

Ingredients:

For the paneer:

1 10-14oz block firm tofu

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp white miso paste

½ tsp salt

Mustard oil, or other neutral oil, to fry

For the dish:

3 Tbsp mustard oil

2 Indian bay leaves (tej patta)

1 black cardamom pod (badi elaichi / moti elaichi)

3 cloves (loung)

2 1/2 tsp very finely ground fennel (saunf)

1 tsp ground ginger (sund)

1-2 Tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder (lal mirch)

Salt to taste

Pinch asafoetida (hing)

2” piece (3g) Ceylon cinnamon (dalchini)

1 1/2 cup (350mL) water

Essential to this dish are Kashmiri chili powder, fennel, and ginger, with clove and black cardamom also being near-ubiquitous. Other frequent inclusions are hing, bay leaf, cinnamon, coriander, green cardamom, and garam masala, as well as tomato puree and even yoghurt.

Kasmiri red chili powder is relatively mild in heat but vibrant in color; it can be found in a halal or Asian foods store, labelled “Kashmiri chilli powder” or “mirchi.” You can also remove the stems and seeds of dried Kashmiri chilis and grind them into a powder yourself. Made with 1 Tbsp chili powder, the dish is to my taste very mild; however, if you don't tolerate spice well you may replace some of the chili powder with paprika. If you can't find Kashmiri chili powder, replace it with 1 part ground guajillo or cayenne to 3 parts sweet or smoked paprika.

Indian bay leaves are distinct from Turkish or California laurel bay leaves and have a different taste and fragrance. They will be labelled “tej patta” in an Asian or halaal grocery store, and have three vertical lines running along them from root to tip, rather than radiating out diagonally from a central vein. Omit these if you don’t have any.

When testing this recipe, I found that the fennel had to be very finely ground for it to have the necessary thickening quality for this dish. If you’re grinding fennel from seeds, be sure to be very thorough.

Note that asafoetida may not be gluten free, depending on whether it is cut with flour.

Instructions:

1. Cut tofu into pieces 2" x 2" x 1/2" (5cm x 5cm x 1cm) in size. Whisk vinegar and miso paste together in a large bowl until well combined, then add tofu pieces and mix gently to coat.

2. Heat 1/4" (1/2cm) mustard oil in a large pan on medium. Add tofu and fry, turning once, until deep golden brown on all sides.

Typically paneer would be kept in water to avoid drying out at this stage, and paneer soaking water would be added later in the cooking process. I haven’t found this necessary or helpful with tofu.

3. Remove most of the oil from the pan, leaving 3 Tbsp to 1/4 cup. Add hing and allow to sizzle briefly. Add whole spices (black cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf, cloves) and fry for a minute until fragrant.

4. Mix mirchi with a couple tablespoons of water. Reduce heat to low and add mirchi paste; fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add ground fennel and ginger and stir until well-combined; the mixture should begin to thicken. Continue frying until the water has evaporated out and colored oil begins to sizzle around the sides of the mixture.

5. Add 1 1/2 cup (350mL) water and salt to taste and raise heat to bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered, until thickened (a spatula pushed along the bottom of the pan should make a track that holds for several seconds). Add paneer and optionally simmer for another couple of minutes. Serve with rice.

The dish will look duller at first; the bright red colour appears when it is allowed to rest and a layer of red oil rises to the surface.

[dhyanshiva]

IN WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND - LIF P3 | 13/12/23

“All good art is political! There is none that isn’t. And the ones that try hard not to be political are political by saying, ‘We love the status quo.’ The best art is political and you ought to be able to make it unquestionably political and irrevocably beautiful at the same time.”

― Toni Morrison

Hi so, this is where it's at. I will be linking the piece itself in my reblog - this original post will in turn be linked in the upload on ao3 as I'll be giving some additional context to my decisions for this one. I'm trying my best here and I hope my intentions and their outcome are made clearer with this. Key to note that aside from familial or relational terms of address or something specific to culture, every single word of prose and more importantly, dialogue, from all characters, has been done in the English language. My track record with writing for the Manzoors in particular and aiming to remain true to their characterisations, their pride, integrity and all the attached connotations, I've avoided English for them.

However, I could not afford anything getting lost and/or worse, mistranslated. The shameful instance of Palestinian children holding their own press conference in ENGLISH and still not being respected for their humanity, their lives seen as "worthy" literally haunts me. How it doesn't affect let alone haunt those with all the power is truly beyond me.

The overarching matter is of the collective fight for, well, liberation. Liberation is the end, unchanging goal. For all people. I was startled and appreciative of what was shown in E5 with regards to Saba's speech (shown just after the title cards) in my first watch but it may as well have body slammed me in light of everything that continues to happen especially since early October. And just to reiterate, none of this was triggered on and from 07.10, this has been endured across generations, decades and so sharply accelerated and funded, encouraged and bolstered in these past weeks.

So to realise that the production, brainstorming and writing, the filming of that scene in particular in this first season of Cla$$ has been years in the making only adds more necessary weight to this. In my understanding, there is no scope of a false equivalency or "Kashmir and Palestine cannot actually be compared". You realise that this cannot be so the minute you recognise that Kashmir has been in the same time frame, enduring all that they have. The steadfast, staunch solidarity of the Kashmiri people to the Palestinian struggle has been stifled by their occupiers as of late.

"We are each other's harvest:

we are each others' business:

we are each other's magnitude and bond."

― Gwendolyn Brooks

Saba is the only Muslim student in her class. Even in the event of her not being the only Muslim student, she is also someone who chooses to cover her hair. There are multiple reminders of how she holds on to her truth but does not compromise with her respect. She is forced to concede at a cost. The writers have made several choices in this adaptation, in depicting their characters as they have. To make the Manzoors proudly Kashmiri Muslim carries additional, different connotations to the Manzoors being from Aligarh. To have remained true to the base guidelines of adaptation, Dhruv and Faruq's faiths have to be different. Its place in urban, Delhi, Indian society is further different. Veer's attitude, Yashika's statement in E1, everything is deliberate.

My intrigue and concern sits in the fact that now that we have all these characters, their prejudices and pride respectfully, what on Earth can they do with them? Will they do anything? Overwrite themselves? If so, how? This show streams on Netflix. On Netflix India. I needn't elucidate on the constraints this presents with regards to the matter of censorship.

Thus:

Firstly, my choice to have the album "Land of Gold" (2016) by Anoushka Shankar form the foundation and become the vessel for this piece. From Shankar herself, "encapsulating the central message of Land of Gold as the recognition of the resilience of the human spirit and of our capacity to find the place where enduring hope resides."

This series of 'webisodes' for this album describe the foregrounding of the female voice in the tracks themselves (production and composition involved male professionals. Shankar's former spouse, director Joe Wright was instrumental in emphasising the vision of these tracks as well) and I have compiled the playlist to reflect this. Hozier's collaboration, for example, with the formidable, practically indomitable Mavis Staples, is literally called Nina Cried Power, paying tribute to Nina Simone. I have kept the body of this piece in Saba's voice, her perspective throughout. She is bookended by people closest to this section of the narrative but she expresses her logic behind what we see in E5. Similarly, the album itself is uninterrupted in my playlist. Shankar and her collaborators were aiming for a cohesive sound and I hope my piece echoes this in some way.

I first finalised Land of Gold as Saba's... one... for her LIF piece back in May, shortly after I'd returned from India, smack bang in the middle of a period of immense continued grief and strife. My life continued to distress me and we're now in December. I believe I'd thought to just have the titular song, actually, at the time. And hence, I would've had the lyrics in Saba's piece guide it, like Faruq and Yashika's pieces do. Then, of course, we have, well, the current context. And that many  tracks are literally instrumental - so the question became, what does Shankar intend to communicate and how do I interpret it and transpose it?

Saba's own dialogues, each word choice in the scene in E5 was thus my framework. And I expanded this in all directions as systematically, clearly and with as much integrity as I could put into this.

Secondly, the unfortunate coincidence of Saba Manzoor being selected for the MUN. Especially now, we have unfortunately had to witness the sheer uselessness of the UN and the overwhelming influence of the American vote. And the impact of the veto concept. Over and over in history. Yet, I had to stick to canon. However, I cannot and will not disguise that this is my most blatant piece till date, How can it not be? The boundary between my voice and Saba's is incredibly blurred and I cannot be apologetic for it. All views expressed in this piece are mine and I take responsibility for what I have communicated in 10280 words.

"You will know your task is almost complete when you realise that your body might not outlive your coloniser, but at least your stitching will."

― Bayan Fares

Thirdly, at I think E6, things deteriorate rapidly. She is made aware by her brother of the state of the sales. She looks Vandana in the eye and is proud of her family business, despite being threatened with the "unnees - bees" thing. Her family is called into that ghoulish school, forced to "confess" to their Kashmiri origins, and defend their upbringing and children's characters'. This whole series of events and what continues to happen sits in contrast to some of Saba's beliefs. But as yet, we are in E3 - 5 in this piece. Yet, I operate with the narrative insight that she of course, does not have.

I hope it is reflected here.

In Palestine, and protests in support of Palestine, the integration of the keffiyeh, their fabrics, foods and language is integral to their liberation.

Also, "music has the power to speak to the soul".

My series is called "life's infusing force" and I truly believe that music is that. The reblog with the piece link has a required explanation of some Saba - specific choices but in broader strokes, I have chosen these points to be made here. I may have missed some points but I honestly can't figure out what, things are a bit scattered right now!

Lastly, owing to canon, I have spoken only of Palestine but of course, it bears repeating always, that none of us are free until all of us are free. Liberation for one is liberation for all.

"I believe that the art we create has a message, intentional or not. I will no longer be dismissive of the statements we make. In making art, we convey our humanity. Which cannot help but be political."

― Ruth Sack

[annaabrahamsblog]

KERALA FISH CURRY

This recipe has been handed down by my grandmother . Everytime I make this curry it takes me back to the time my grandmother used to make it for me during my summer vacation. She starts by cleaning the fish in the area behind the kitchen , then she goes ahead with her coconut milk extraction. She always used a white cloth to squeeze out the milk from the coconut . Then , she makes sure all the ingredients needed are in the reach of her hand and starts preparing the curry . The moment she starts preparing the dish till it ends the aroma fills the house .

Serves - 6

Cooking time - 45 mins

Difficulty level - moderate

INGREDIENTS

Fish - 1/2kg (Recommended fishes Seerfish/Shrimp/Pearlspot)

Coconut Oil / Refined oil - 3tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek powder - 1/4 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Kashmiri chilly powder - 3 tbsp

Ginger garlic paste - 2tbsp

Garcinia - 3 pieces (soaked in warm water)

Coconut milk - 1 cup (coconut powder can be used)

Salt to taste

Curry leaves - handfull

METHOD OF PREPARATION

Heat oil in clay pot . Preferably coconut oil as it adds to the flavor. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves . Once it crackles add ginger garlic paste , turmeric powder , chilly powder, fenugreek powder and saute till the oil separates . Add half cup of warm water to the masala along with the soaked garcina . Add salt to taste. Once it boils add the cleaned fish and cook on high flame for 3 mins. Lower the flame and cook for 20 mins till the curry has become thick . Lastly add thick cocount milk .

Serve hot with rice.

Source of the image

[kashmirikahwa]

How To Brew Kashmiri Kahwa Green Tea?

Absolutely, here’s a concise guide to brewing the delightful Kashmiri Kahwa tea in just a few simple steps!

Unlocking the Aroma: How to Brew Kashmiri Kahwa Tea

Hailing from the breathtaking landscapes of Kashmir, the aromatic and soothing Kashmiri Kahwa tea is a cherished concoction that embodies tradition and warmth. This fragrant blend, rich with flavors of saffron, cardamom, and nuts, holds a special place in the hearts of tea enthusiasts worldwide. Brewing this tea is not just a process; it’s an art form that amalgamates flavors and evokes a sense of tranquility.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Water

Green tea leaves

Saffron strands

Cardamom pods

Cinnamon sticks

Cloves

Chopped almonds or cashews

Sweetener (optional)

Steps to Brew:

Prepare the Ingredients: Start by gathering the essential components. Crush a few cardamom pods to release their flavors, break cinnamon sticks into smaller pieces, and measure out a pinch of saffron strands.

Infuse the Flavors: In a pot, bring water to a gentle boil. Add the green tea leaves, crushed cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and saffron strands. Allow the ingredients to simmer on low heat for around 5-7 minutes. This step is crucial as it lets the flavors intermingle, creating the signature taste of Kashmiri Kahwa.

Add the Nuts: After simmering, introduce the chopped almonds or cashews into the pot. Let the mixture continue to brew for an additional 2-3 minutes. This addition not only enhances the flavor but also infuses a delightful nutty essence into the tea.

Strain and Serve: Once the tea has brewed to perfection, strain it into cups or a teapot. If desired, add a sweetener like honey or sugar for a touch of sweetness. Kashmiri Kahwa is traditionally served without milk.

Enjoy the Experience: Savor each sip of this aromatic elixir that rejuvenates the senses. The warmth of the spices combined with the delicate touch of saffron creates an experience that transcends the ordinary.

Pro Tips:

Experiment with the proportions of spices and nuts to suit your taste preferences.

To preserve the authenticity of Kashmiri Kahwa, use high-quality saffron and green tea leaves.

Brewing Kashmiri Kahwa isn’t just about making a beverage; it’s about crafting an experience. Each step in the process contributes to the symphony of flavors that make this tea a cherished delight.

Crafting Kashmiri Kahwa tea is truly a delightful experience, offering a warm blend of tradition and flavors to elevate any moment.