Oh Mr Porter!

Oh Mr Porter is a Will Hay film from 1937. I have seen this film quite a few times and enjoyed it every time. I also invariable find new things to laugh about as it is easy to miss jokes while you are busy laughing over one. I do have this movie on DVD but since all my films are still packed in boxes I found it online. I was in need of a laugh after been dizzy over the last few weeks.

There are other interesting trivia about this film too. This film is also included in a blog as one of the 100 favourite films. This gives some information about the movie as well. As per usual I am not trying to give a synopsis of the film but just my perception of it.

Mr Porter is the brother in law of a senior railway official and so has been given a job in the railway. He is so hapless that he has been moved to all sorts of jobs and yet again he has messed up. However, his sister insists that he be promoted and not fired. So a job of station master (a promotion indeed!) is found at a small place called Buggleskelly in Ireland. He is blessed with 2 equally wretched helpers who have little interest in running this station where no train stops and the station looks derelict. Mr Porter maybe hapless but he certainly is keep and dedicated railway worker as he does all he can to get the station on the railway map again.

To this end he starts an excursion train which is hired by the Buggleskelly Wednesday football team. However the train leaves the station but does not make it even past the next signal junction. The hunt for the train is the second half of the story. It is funny how despite all things always seem to work out for Mr Porter! He certainly puts Buggleskelly on the map…. and not just the railway one. The speech is fast and the accents do sometimes make it hard to catch (especially when you are laughing) the wordplay which is excellent. The visual comedy is also aplenty and with almost every action taken by Mr Porter. The fast train ride through stations reminds me every time of the other train fun from one of the St. Trinians movies. The three way phone conversation between Mr Porter, the man at the signal junction and the boss of the railways is hilarious. The windmill scene where Mr Porter and his associates are trying to escape had me in stitches. Oh I can go on for a lot longer than the time of the film to identify every thing that makes me giggle non-stop. But it will be better if you find the jokes for yourself.

So here is the link to see Oh Mr Porter – enjoy!

South by Java Head by Alistair MacLean

I do not think I ever bought this book when I was younger. I do not have any recollection about reading this book. It is a lengthy novel when compared to the others written by Alistair MacLean. It is set during the time before the Japanese invasion on Australia when Singapore fell to the Japanese forces. There is a rag tag group of people – a few nurses, some injured soldiers, a retired officer, a Muslim cleric, an elderly lady and a young child are all seeking a boat to flee the city. Apparently it is vital that the retired officer finds a boat to Australia as he has important papers showing the plans of invasion into Australia. This knowledge would be immensely useful to the forces protecting Australia.

The slave boat they choose is manned by people less than honourable and the passengers are left to die when the boat is on fire. In the hurricane weather they fortunately get seen by a ship transporting oil. The subsequent rescue and the attack by the Japanese fighters are detailed even though this part of the story moves fast. The ship takes a hit on one of the oil tanks and sinks with the survivors taking to a life boat and the crew of the slave boat on another as no one trusts them. The boat drifts along the current with hardly any wind and the run to reach Java is agonising.

The details of the weather, the ship and boat and the hardships that the people face with illness, lack of food and water are vivid and often too much to take it. The child becomes the focus of hope and keeping his safe becomes important. Strange, how that it is always easier to focus on that small child rather than wider picture of saving all. It is something to do with the mind not being able to process enormous issues as well as a single issue.

There is an ambush on the way and even the boat is lost. The help from locals eventually also comes with a price for them. I am not sure if I can believe all the adversity they overcome. The superhero persona of a couple of the main characters, even though I do strongly believe that extreme stress bring out the best on people and that adrenalin take over to achieve superhuman feats. The injury of individuals gets the heroism started but it truly blossoms when the brave nurse, the young child and the injured ship’s captain are taken hostage.

The level of violence in this book is indeed much more that other books I have read so far. Combined with the length of the book I actually took a long time to read this novel. The end when it came was satisfactory but abrupt. The heroism in the couple of chapters is awesome and you want a slow letting down from that adrenalin high of reading this ending. But any lover of Alistair MacLean novels should not omit reading this as the art of the writer is displayed in the keep eye of detail of the situation and the times.

Khichadi – complete food in one pot and Potato Sabji

Khichadi is a very Indian recipe that has slightly different approaches in different states. Generally, a combination of rice, lentils and spices plus optional vegetables are basic to khichadi recipe as suggested by khichadi.com.

Most families have their own variation of the ingredients. As a child I remember a fairly bland recipe with just half rice, half lentil (moong dal), some salt and turmeric all cooked in water in the ratio of 4 cups of water to one cup of lentil + rice. Once cooked it was served hot with some ghee in it. Mostly I remember eating it with yoghurt and a potato and tomato vegetable with lots of gravy (a very soupy affair). Most often this was the diet when I was ill and so it has not become a favourite dish of mine. However, I have made some changes and find it a little more likeable now. My family like to eat this just by itself or with potato and tomato sabji (curry).

For 2 people –

Take half a cup (an average size mug) of rice and half a cup of moog dal ( having the husk on the dal improves the fibre content of the dish).

To this one cup of mixture add 4 cups of water. This will make the mixture a good mash when cooked. If you wish to have some bite to the grain then add just 3 and half cups of water.

Finely chop 2 small chillies, 2 cloves of garlic, and a half inch piece of ginger and add to the pot. These ingredients can be changed to suit your taste.

Add salt to taste and half a teaspoon of turmeric powder. Stir the pot, cover and bring the water to boil. Once it begins to boil turn the gas down to the lowest flame and leave to cook until al water disappears. There is no need to stir the pot while the khichadi is cooking.

Serve it hot with a spoon full of ghee or butter.

For the potato sabji –

Finely chop 1 medium size onion, 2 – 3 cloves of garlic and half inch of ginger piece.

In a pan heat 1 table spoon of oil (olive or vegetable or peanut oil) add half teaspoon of mustard seeds, 2 small dried red chillies, 2 cloves, small cinnamon stick piece and a bay leaf. When the mustard seeds start popping add the chopped onion and garlic.

While the onion is gently sautéing finely chop 2 large tomatoes or use half a tin of chopped tomatoes. Once the onions start to brown add the tomatoes. Now add salt to taste, half a teaspoon of red chilli powder, quarter teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1 tea spoon of cumin powder and 3 teaspoons of coriander powder. Stir the spices in and cook until the oil comes back to the surface. This indicates that spices have been cooked.

To this now you can add 2 – 3 medium sized potatoes that have been cubed small. Add water to cover the potatoes. Cover the pan and bring to boil. The turn the gas to medium heat and cook till potatoes soften. The lid can be left off to evaporate excess water if you do not wish to have a lot of gravy. If you wish to thicken the gravy just mash up some potato pieces. Add fresh coriander leaves before serving.

The indobase website gives a similar recipe but with a mixture of moong and masoor dal and added potatoes.

Here are some youtube recipes of making different types of khichadis –

Moong dal khichadi

Punjabi khichadi

Mix vegetable khichadi

Masaledar khichadi