There isn’t anything you can’t do if you make an effort. That is usually the underlying theme to anything a parent tells a child. There are different tonalities with which this can be delivered but the end message is pretty much the same— perseverance and hard work = success. I think a lot of this has to do with how much we can really control. We can’t control the overall talent, money, and access to tools that one might possess, but the one thing that we can control is the amount of labor we put into something.

There is a story behind my use of this confusing abstraction. I have been studying for the GMAT and the only message I tend to see not just from my family, but people everywhere is that hard work will get you great results. Teachers, books, forums, even pamphlets for coaching classes all suggest that in order to “ace” the GMAT, all you need to know is how to answer the questions and a lot of practice. But what if that isn’t good enough?

In college, I had a dean who was the brightest, loudest and the most insightful person that I had the pleasure of knowing. Now, her life wasn’t perfect (and we were close enough to know that) but she spent every day to spread positivity, so much so that she quit her role as a dean to open up her own hand lettering studio. She is by far the strongest person I know and the days we would meet, were some of the best moments I’ve had in college. I remember this one thing, she would always say that really stuck with me. She would ask us to take a pen and write our name on a piece of paper with our dominant hand. Then, she would ask us to do the same with our non-dominant hand. The result of these actions were quite obvious— the writing produced by the dominant hand was legible while the other was a mass of squiggly hieroglyphs. Her analogy to this was that you can work your life getting better at something you aren’t good at or spend the same time actually improving upon the things that you really are good at. This was the first time, someone had said this to me— essentially, it was good to be bad at things as long as you know your strengths. I wish this was something that we were taught throughout, I don’t think people would use it as a cop-out, but a way to understand their passions and what makes them happy. I guess I hope people realize this at some point in their lives because this exercise may not be the most profound, but if you really think about it, it can open up room for a lot of introspection.

The GMAT is doing that for me. I am really evaluating not only the test (which, at this point I will take no matter how prepared I will be by January) but also what makes me happy and how to further my life in ensuring that that feeling of contentment that I get from working remains no matter the struggle it may ensue or the lack of monetary capital it may accrue in the short run. I must always make sure I am spending more time strengthening my dominant hand as I am that other one.

Samosas have always been a challenge for me. Primarily, because it refuses to follow the principles of French pastry. It aims to be layered, flaky, and have enough air in them to cook through the filling without using butter or leaveners. Plus the ones we make are nimble— paper-thin pastries with seams that are hand glued, making it all the more challenging for someone who’s 6’1’’ and height appropriate-sized hands. Regardless of the difficulty involved, the end product is so rewarding, its almost impossible not to make some especially for Diwali. These Samosas are a twist on the ones made by my Amma— they are made with MEAT! She never ate meat and had no interest in working with it but I love my proteins, so I made these with beautiful lamb mince. Mince meat is definitely an acquired taste because of that granular texture overcooked proteins tend to accentuate. But if you do find a good blend of fat and protein, the meat tends to remain soft with some crispy bits that are produced as they fry in the melted lipids. My favorite part about this recipe is the special chonk of saunf that I add on the top that adds a whiff of aromatics that cuts through the dense filling. Happy Diwali and happy cooking!

Ingredients

For the pastry

250 grams of flour (maida)

3 tablespoons Ghee

Keema filling

500 minced lamb

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 small granule of Hing (asafoetida)

1/2 teaspoon of black salt

1 teaspoon Amchoor (dried mango powder)

1.5 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoon white sugar

7 green chilies finely chopped

3 inches of ginger grated freshly

2 tablespoons veggie oil

Salt to taste

For the Chonk

2 teaspoons saunf (fennel seeds)

2 teaspoons of veggie oil

Method

1. Mix pastry ingredients well, pounding and using the back of your hand to incorporate some air. Cut the log into 12 equal parts and cover it on a plate with a damp cloth.

2. In a heavy bottommed pan on medium heat, add oil and drop the ginger, chillies, hing, and coriander powder. Let it sweat it a bit. Add the meat and push it down flat. Ass the meat begins to lose moisture, add the spices and begin to move the meat.

3. Take a part of the pastry and roll it evenly into a circle. Slice into half using a knife

4. Make a cone using your thumb inside the cone. Press the seams down making a seal

5. Add the filling to the brim and then using your thumbs close the top, making a conical samosa

6. In a wok filled with veggie oil (heat: 175 Celsius or 350 F), add the samosas and flash fry until both sides are golden with minimal air bubbles. Serve with chutney.