From coding to decoding life
by Navjyoti Dalal
In this new column, Home Is Where The Hearth Is, we shine the spotlight on the immigrant experience. And as a cultural exchange get them to share food recipes they hold dear. This week we get to knowAmit and Chanda Hirway, a scholar duo from India.
Sixteen-year-old Vidula Hirway, a student at Athone Community College, is great at sports, and exceptional at woodworking. She is also full of love and compassion for animals; and hopes to be a veterinary surgeon someday. Vidula is the daughter of Amit and Chanda Hirway, who began a professional second innings as academic scholars at TUS. Until seven years ago, the Hirways were living a prosperous, but one-dimensional life. But life was waiting patiently to blossom for them 8000km away. The Hirways' is the story of taking a chance on life, and allowing it to show everyday miracles.
In Scholastic Pursuit
In the second half of 2018 Amit Hirway was making estimated guesses of how cold might an Irish winter be, or how many hours of midnight oil would he need to burn for the mammoth task, a PhD, he had taken on. Until then, his professional life was centred in Pune, except when he travelled for work. As a software engineer he was adept at coding, developing, testing, project management and the like. In return, he enjoyed an esteemed social status, financial security, and warmth of family.
But he chose to step out of his comfort zone and pursue something deeper in information technology. "I got selected for a PhD scholarship. I was keen on research because it fosters independent and analytical thinking. The other motivation was to be able to earn the 'Dr' prefix with my name, and be the first in my family to do so," says Amit, who is currently writing his thesis.
While he missed his family in India, his fellow researchers kept him in good spirits. "I made friends with scholars from Brazil, China, Poland, India, and of course Ireland. We shared a great camaraderie. We learned about each other's traditions, culture, language, quirks etc. Sometimes we would do a pot-luck meal in the laboratory, or go on treks as a group," says Amit about a fulfilling first year. The pandemic changed that, and placed him on the other end of the social-life spectrum. Isolation and quarantine, buzzwords of 2020, hit him the hardest. Eventually, as the restrictions eased, Chanda and Vidula joined him in October 2021.
Growing Roots, Gaining Wings
Chanda grew up in the Himalayan state of Sikkim (states are India's equivalent of counties). She landed in Pune, a city dubbed as Oxford of the east to seek higher education. It is also where she met Amit. The two were classmates when pursuing bachelors in computer science. The young couple tied the knot after graduating. Soon, they both found steady jobs, Amit in a multinational software company and Chanda as a professor of computer science in a college. Life moved as if following a neatly rendered flowchart, until Amit decided to do the PhD. He feels the research has helped him develop a perspective that is lateral and explores a situation from all angles. "I am lucky to have attended seminars frequented by the sharpest minds of our times," says Amit who plans to mentor or supervise upcoming PhD students.
Chanda, who had a decade and a half to her credit as a college lecturer, followed in her husband's footsteps. After moving to Athlone, Chanda started her research journey with TUS. "As a teacher I was abreast with the intellectual and theoretical aspect of computer science, but here I got to learn the enterprise part of it," says Chanda, who recently received her Masters by Research (Information Technology) degree at the TUS convocation ceremony. Currently, she is basking in the feeling of achievement, apart from working part-time at an apparel retailer in Towncentre shopping complex. She also teaches students at TUS, and takes maths grinds for junior cert and leaving cert students.
Becoming Athlone Natives
Moving from homeland is never easy for anyone. The challenges vary from cultural shocks to weather acclimatisation, to language barriers. For the Hirways, the biggest struggle was housing. "As if finding a house wasn't enough, I also had to insure, heating and other miscellaneous things. But I am thankful for my fellow scholars to help me move stuff from student accommodation," says Amit, who readied the house for Chanda and Vidula before they arrived. For Chanda, though, finding vegetarian food aligned with her palate was a bigger struggle, which explains why she relies on her culinary chops to satiate her spice cravings.
Recipe: Vegetarian Momos
Momos are steamed dumplings with a vegetable or meat filling, typically had with a spicy schezwan sauce. Momos are one of India’s favourite street foods, and also Chanda’s. She shares a vegetarian version.
Ingredients:
For the Dough:
Plain flour 2 cups
Salt 1/4 tsp
A pinch of baking powder
(optional) Water to knead
Oil 1 tbsp Cabbage 1 cup, finely chopped
Carrots 1/2 cup, finely grated
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
Chopped coriander leaves, a handful
Soy sauce 1 tbsp
Garlic, 2 cloves
finely chopped Ginger, 1 inch, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Cumin powder 1/4 tsp
Red chili flakes 1/4 tsp (optional)
Method:
Dough:
Mix the flour, salt and baking powder in a big bowl. Slowly knead it into a soft dough. You don’t want it too hard or too sticky, just smooth and soft. Cover the dough with a clean cloth and set it aside for 15-20 minutes.
Filling:
Heat oil in a pan, and add the garlic and ginger. Saute for a minute then add the onions. Cook until they turn golden. Now add the carrots and cabbage. Stir well and cook just enough for the veggies to retain their crunch. Now add soy sauce, salt, pepper, cumin powder, and chili flakes. Stir it all together and turn off the heat after 2 minutes. Finally, add the coriander leaves and mix.
Making the Momos:
Divide the dough into small portions and roll each ball with a rolling pin into a small round the size of a saucer. Put a spoonful of the veggie filling in the middle of the circle. Carefully fold the dough and pinch the edges to seal. You can shape them in a half-moon shape or round parcels. Just ensure the edges are sealed properly. Now grease the steamer with a little oil, or line with parchment paper. Place the momos in the steamer, leaving some space between each. Steam the momos for about 10-12 minutes. The dough should become shiny and slightly translucent. Serve the momos hot with some spicy chutney or tangy dipping sauce.