Food Blog – How to Eat Gulab Jamun

How to Eat Gulab Jamun by Vikram Karve 

Every time I embark on a Food-Walk (which happens almost every evening) – I search for good food. 

For the last few days I am searching for a good Gulab Jamun. 

But – sadly – I have not found even one place in Pune where you get top class Gulab Jamuns. 

I am craving for a succulent juicy Gulab Jamun. 

So – let me delve deep into my Foodie Archives – and pull out for you this Mouthwatering Gulab Jamun Memory.

This is probably my first Foodie Blog Post and features in my book of Foodie Adventures  APPETITE FOR A STROLL

I wrote story this 20 years ago – in the year 2000 – after relishing some delicious Gulab Jamuns.

Read on and Enjoy Your Gulab Jamun.

Gulab Jamun

HOW TO EAT GULAB JAMUN

Musings on The Art of Eating

By
VIKRAM KARVE

I spent six the best years of my life – from 2000 to 2006 – in Mumbai.

I lived in a wonderful building called Empress Court opposite the Oval near Churchgate.

Every evening I went on long walks – mostly on Marine Drive to Chowpatty and back – and sometimes towards Colaba.

The highlight of my Colaba Causeway walk was a visit to “Kailash Parbat” for their succulent Gulab Jamuns.

I wrote this mouthwatering foodie memoir in the year 2000 – immediately after I returned after relishing Gulab Jamuns at Kailash Parbat in Colaba in Mumbai – while the taste of the delicious delicacy still lingered on my tongue.

 

Even now – I can visualize those delicious soft succulent juicy tempting hot Gulab Jamuns and my mouth waters in anticipation. 

Sadly – I am in Pune– and hence I will have to relish those sumptuous Gulab Jamuns in my imagination.

So – Dear Reader – let me recall one of my first lip smacking blog posts – a mouthwatering Mumbai memory – written more than 19 years ago on: HOW TO EAT A GULAB JAMUN 

ART OF EATING

The Art of Eating comprises 3 cardinal steps:

1. First – you come to know about good food

You hear from someone about a a good foodie place and its signature dish – you read about it somewhere – or come across it while browsing the internet – or from TV – or while watching a foodie show on TV – or read a food review on the media – or from a foodie group on the social media – or even from a menu card dropped in your home along with your newspaper.

2. Next – you go there and observe people eating

Yes – you go to the foodie place and observe foodies relishing the delectable cuisine you have heard about so much – and you see the way they are eating and enjoying themselves. 

You watch the heavenly expression of divine pleasure on their faces. 

This tempts you to taste and savor the cuisine yourself.

3. Then – you actually order the food and eat it

Yes – you order the dish of your dreams – which you have been yearning for so much – and delicately put a piece of the yummy food in your mouth – and experience the pleasures of eating the delicacy – firsthand.

HOW TO EAT GULAB JAMUN

One evening I suddenly feel an urge – a craving – a desperate sort of yearning – for my favourite sweet – GULAB JAMUN.

I believe that if you want to be happy – you must fulfill any feasible and viable desire – at once – here and now.

So – I put on my walking shoes – I cross the Oval as the Rajabai Tower Clock is striking 6 o’clock.

I turn right at the Mumbai University gate – and then I turn left – and I walk towards Kalaghoda.

At Kalaghoda – I turn right towards Colaba Causeway – which is a Foodies Delight – and soon – I reach my destination – Kailash Parbat – at the southern end of Colaba Causeway.

I have heard from my friends that Kailash Parbat is the best place in Mumbai for Gulab Jamuns. 

I have enjoyed delectable Gulab Jamuns at many places in India – at Panchkuian Road in Delhi (on the way from CP to Karol Bagh) – at the inimitable Pehelwan Halwai/Doodhwala at the end of Lanka in Banaras (Varanasi) – and even in a place called Dumka – in the back of the beyond – located – in what is now Jharkhand (then Bihar).

Now – among the people eating Gulab Jamun at Kailash Parbat – I see a veteran – a true connoisseur – relishing delicious piping hot soft succulent juicy Gulab Jamuns with such satisfaction – that I go to the counter – and order a plate of Gulab Jamuns myself.

I look endearingly at the hot mouth-watering Gulab Jamuns dunked in a liberal amount of thick syrup.

Sadly – I do not take a picture – since there were no smartphones those days – but – I will post a few pictures of Gulab Jamuns from the internet below – for you to drool over.

The Gulab Jamuns are nice – juicy soft and hot.

Gulab Jamuns must be eaten hot. 

The Gulab Jamuns are very soft and juicy.

I spoon a small luscious piece of the Gulab Jamun – and I place it delicately on my tongue.

I close my eyes to enhance the quality of the gustatory experience.

Whenever you want to enjoy good food – just close your eyes – focus all your attention on your tongue – and notice the feeling.

I just leave that succulent Gulab Jamun piece on my tongue for a while – and let the hot sweet viscous syrup permeate deep into my taste-buds.

Then – I gently roll my tongue – and the Gulab Jamun disintegrates.

You must never chew Gulab Jamun. 

You must just keep the Gulab Jamun on your tongue – and let it melt in your mouth.

The delicious Gulab Jamun dissolves and melts in my mouth – releasing its delicious cardamom tinged flavor – and its soothing rose fragrance within me.

I eat slowly – deliberately – eyes closed – savoring every moment – relishing the divine taste – prolonging the heavenly experience its epicurean delight of the highest order.

As I walk back home in state of supreme bliss – the lingering taste of the delicious Gulab Jamun remains within me for a long long time.

Even now as I write this – I can almost sense the delicious taste and enchanting fragrance of the heavenly Gulab Jamun. 

And my mouth begins to water...!!!

But alas – I am in Pune right now – and I am yearning and craving for a hot syrupy juicy succulent heavenly sweet Gulab Jamun. 

Dear Reader: 

Do tell us about your favorite Gulab Jamun – where you get it – and how you eat it.

Wish you Happy Gulab Jamun Eating...!!! 

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Disclaimer:

1. This story is a fictional spoof, satire, pure fiction, just for fun and humor, no offence is meant to anyone, so take it with a pinch of salt and have a laugh. 

2. All Stories in this Blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (all rights reserved)

     

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

This foodie article was written by me in the year 2000 and posted online earlier a number of times including at url: http://food.sulekha.com/gulab-jamun-how-to-relish-it-id433-3673-recipe.htm  and  http://creative.sulekha.com/my-favourite-luscious-gulab-jamun_329992_blog  and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2013/05/how-to-eat-gulab-jamun.html  and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2015/10/food-blog-how-to-eat-gulab-jamun.html and http://karvediat.blogspot.com/2016/06/gulab-jamun-how-to-eat-gulab-jamuns.html etc

The Clueless “Know-it-All” – The Dunning-Kruger Effect

The CLUELESS “KNOW-IT-ALL”

“Dunning-Kruger Effect”

Musings of a Veteran

By

VIKRAM KARVE

PROLOGUE

I was fortunate that I read the classic military war novel Catch-22 before I joined the Navy.

Reading Catch-22 gave me a better understand the curious goings on and peculiar behaviour of some of the idiosyncratic characters I came across in the Navy and it helped me maintain my sanity in the rather peculiar Naval Environment.

There were plenty of “Cathcarts” “Dreedles” “Scheisskopfs” “Peckems” “Korns” “Captain Blacks” “Milo Minderbinders” “Doc Daneekas” and “Wintergreens” around – and occasionally – you also noticed a “Yossarian” or a “Dunbar”.

In fact – during my long career in the Navy – I saw an analogous caricature of every character of Catch-22 – including some of the female characters.

I am sure you have read Catch-22.

In case you haven’t read Catch-22 as yet – do read the book – it will surely bring a smile to your lips.

By the way – “Catch-22” is a military term that is confusing and difficult to describe. In short – its basic meaning is that if there was a rule – no matter what the rule is – there is always an exception to it. There is always a “catch” to everything.

DUNNING KRUGER EFFECT

There are many themes and morals in Catch-22 and one such concept which I found relevant in today’s Navy (and the Defence Services – and indeed – in all walks of life) is enunciated in chapter XI – the “Dunning-Kruger Effect” exemplified by the character of “Captain Black”.

In the field of psychology – the “Dunning-Kruger Effect” is a cognitive bias in which people mistakenly assess their own cognitive ability as much greater than it actually is.

In short – they overestimate their own competence and abilities.

The Dunning-Kruger effect is a type of cognitive bias in which people believe that they are smarter and more capable than they really are. Incompetent people do not possess the skills needed to recognize their own incompetence. The combination of poor self-awareness and low cognitive ability leads them to overestimate their own capabilities.

In the novel “Catch-22” – the character of “Captain Black” is a metaphorical example of the “Dunning-Kruger Effect”.

Captain Black is an “intelligence officer”.

He feels that this means he is the most intelligent of the officers.

Captain Black is clearly displaying characteristics of the “Dunning-Kruger Effect”.

He thinks that an “intelligence” officer must necessarily be intelligent – and – ironically – this speaks of his lack of intelligence.

(You must heard the saying: “Military Intelligence” is an Oxymoron)

Despite being a “non-combatant” – Captain Black feels that he deserves to be the Squadron Commander – solely in view of his own perception that he is the most intelligent officer in the squadron since he is the squadron “intelligence” officer.  

Incidentally – in the novel Catch-22 – Captain Black is never shown doing any actual intelligence work – or – anything very intelligent.

Here is an appropriately paraphrased extract from Catch-22 (Chapter XI) on Captain Black:

“…Captain Black thought that he was the logical man to be the Squadron Commander. To begin with – he was the Squadron Intelligence Officer – which meant that he was more intelligent than everyone else in the squadron. True – he was not on combat status – as all Squadron Commanders customarily were – but this was really another powerful argument in his favour – since his life was in no danger and he would be able to fill the post for as long as his country needed him…”

(Hope Civil Services Officers don’t use this argument and feel that they are better suited to command the Military Armed Forces…!!!)

In your organization – aren’t there persons like “Captain Black” – who – despite being clueless – he thinks that he is a super-intelligent “know-it-all”…?

Long ago – I once came across a Senior Naval Officer – who was a self-proclaimed technical “expert”.

Though he was basically a Marine Engineer – he thought he was “cat’s whiskers” in the latest modern state-of-the-art technologies – an “authority” on all technical matters.

To our horror – we discovered how clueless he was – when we realized that he didn’t know the difference between Electromagnetic Wave Propagation (in the air) and Sound Propagation (underwater) and he was confused on the basic principles of missiles and torpedoes.  

Despite his “cluelessness” – he behaved like a “know-it-all”

Once – we saw an infantry officer pontificating on electronic warfare – though it was apparent that he was quite “clueless” on the subject.

The worst is when such self-styled experts (who are actually clueless) are appointed in responsible positions – which can potentially result in disastrous consequences.

Thanks to the “Dunning-Kruger Effect” – a clueless “Generalist” starts imagining himself to be a “know-it-all” Specialist.

We see good organizations being ruined by such clueless “know-it-all” Generalists who seem to be displacing Technocrats everywhere.

We see persons displaying characteristics of the “Dunning-Kruger Effect” everywhere – in politics, in the business and corporate world, in the bureaucracy, in the military, and indeed, in all professions, and in personal relationships too.

These persons fail to recognize their own incompetence.

They are not aware of their lack of ability.

On the contrary – they overestimate their own competence and capabilities – and – they have a self-perception of “illusory superiority”.

They are not “imposters” who are aware of their own incompetence and try to “fake” it.

Those afflicted by the “Dunning-Kruger Effect” are not “faking it” – they actually believe that they are super-competent and have exceptional abilities (despite the opposite being true).

They are blissfully unaware of their own incompetence.

This is because their own personal incompetence deprives them of the mental ability to realize just how inept they are.

As per the “Peter Principle” – you will rise to your level of incompetence.

Sadly – when you “achieve” your level of incompetence – you will not realize that you have become incompetent.

You will not realize that you are incompetent – because – having achieved your level of incompetence – you no longer have the competence to discern that you are incompetent.

You will be blissfully unaware of your own incompetence and may display symptoms of the “Dunning-Kruger Effect”.

Not only will you fail to recognize your own incompetence – but – on the contrary – you will feel confident that you are actually super-competent.

Though you are actually incompetent – you will be overconfident and overestimate your capabilities.

(In short – you will become a “Walter Mitty” type of character – living in an imaginary world of your own making)

CONCLUSION

The “Dunning-Kruger Effect” is a type of cognitive bias in which people believe that they are smarter and more capable than they really are.

Incompetent people do not possess the skills needed to recognize their own incompetence.

The combination of poor self-awareness and low cognitive ability leads them to overestimate their own capabilities.

Amusingly – this ignorance of their own incompetence creates a sense of overconfidence in “victims” of the “Dunning-Kruger Effect”.

Dear Reader – look around you – do you see examples of the “Dunning-Kruger Effect” – persons who are clueless – but who behave as if they are “know-it-all”.

Have you seen persons pontificating with confidence on topics about which they are obviously clueless – thereby exposing their ignorance and becoming laughing stocks….?  

Look inwards – Dear Reader – and introspect.

Have you become a victim of the “Dunning-Kruger Effect”….?

Do you feel that you are “smarter” than you actually are…?  

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post 

© vikram karve., all rights reserved. 

Copyright Notice:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (all rights reserved)