haradwaj LS

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  • Cheat-Sheet: Information theory and coding

    Cheat-Sheet: Information theory and coding

    Here is the cheat sheet for Information theory and coding. You can also choose to use the PDF version. Please inform me if you spot errors.

    Use the cheat-sheet at your own risk. There are no guarantees in life!

    ITC CheatsheetDownload
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  • Moong Curry

    Moong Curry

    Moong Curry is a simple and comforting dish made with boiled moong dal cooked in a flavorful tempering of cumin, red chilies, and fenugreek seeds. Browned onions, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, garam masala, and tomatoes add depth and aroma. The cooked dal is mixed with the masala, lightly fried, and served hot as a nutritious accompaniment to rice or roti.

    Ingredients

    1. Moong dal – 1 part
    2. Water – 2 parts
    3. Salt – to taste
    4. Oil – for cooking
    5. Jeera (cumin seeds) – 1 tsp
    6. Red chili – 2
    7. Methi (fenugreek seeds) – 1 tsp
    8. Onion – 1 large
    9. Turmeric – 1/2 tsp
    10. Garam masala – 1/2 to 1 tsp
    11. Ginger-garlic paste – as needed
    12. Tomato – 1 small

    Procedure

    1. Boil Moong dal with water in 1:2 ratio and Salt to taste
    2. Heat oil and add
      • Jeera: 1tsp
      • Red chili: 2
      • Methi: 1 tsp
    3. Fry 1 large onion till it is brownish
    4. Add the following fry for 30 secs
      • Turmeric: 1/2 tsp
      • Garam Masala: 1/2 to 1 tsp
      • Ginger garlic paste
    5. Add Tomato : 1 small
    6. Once it is cooked well add the boiled moong dal
    7. Fry it again for a short while and serve hot

    Reference

  • Wrap up : 2025

    Wrap up : 2025

    Many years ago I had read an article about Abraham Lincoln. In some context, it mentionend “Rolling stone gathers no moss”. The phrase has stuck to me. I feel that phrase has quietly shaped my outlook and nudged me into being a bit more experimental in my life – sometimes intentional, sometimes by poor decisions.

    This year has come to an end, and it too has brought so many changes in my life. The transition from professional to student has been illuminating. It taught me an important survival skill – cooking. I am also getting more disciplined with time, just like so many other students here, who juggle between studying, feeding themselves, working and enjoying.

    But fear not. I will spare you the details. The rest of the blog is about the last month – The Christmas and the new year here in Germany.

    Table Of Contents
    1. Mercedes Museum
    2. Christmas Markets
    3. New year's Eve
    4. Post new year

Mercedes Museum

My winter break was between 20 Dec to 6th Jan. The first weekend was about meeting my friends from India who had come here. There is something deeply comforting about meeting known faces in a foreign land – it instantly drops homesickness by 37.5 % (They also bring be spices from India)

After a five hour journey, I met my friends in Stuttgart. As always, DB did not disappoint me. It gave my journey an adventurous start with new constructions and diverted trains.

Our first destination was the Mercedes Museum. It was bigger than I expected. The three hours that we spent in the museum did not do justice and I will have to visit again to understand it.

The museum takes you through a timeline, from the oldest to the latest cars. The tour starts on the 9th floor and one has to walk your way down. Every level advances you through the timeline.

I am not a car enthusiast so I don’t know the details of the cars but I can definitely say I can never buy one of those. Some are out of stock others out of range.

Christmas Markets

Christmas Markets are temporary markets that are setup for 1 month before the Christmas. It is about colorful shops, games, drinks, food and lot of people. I tried visiting a number of markets because each market has a different theme and energy.

Stuttgart

I tried the Glühwein (It is a wine which is hot and mixed with spices).

Esslingen

This market was themed like medieval period. The people were also dressed in that theme. Unfortunately, I did not get photos with them. But I have photo with my friends!!

A small hike in the city brought us to this amazing view of the city. The steep hike, on the other hand, led us to collectively scolding the person whose idea it was in the first place. You can try to guess whose it was from the picture. (Comment below and I will tell you if you are correct)

Fürth

This was another Christmas market which was also fashioned as a medieval theme. I enjoyed the most here. I was with a friend, had more time and there was music and axe throwing.

Nürnberg

I was alone here. So, I just made a quick round. It was OK! Not bad, not great.

New year’s Eve

The new year evening sounded suspiciously like the Indian Diwali with fire crackers everywhere. Like even on the streets.

I started watching the crackers go at 6 PM from my room in Erlangen. But the real fun began at midnight. Me and my friends went to the neighboring city of Nurnberg, expecting more action.

The city did not disappoint us.

We emerged out of the train station at Lorenzkirche 15 mins before 12. It welcomed us with a complete chaos and madness.

There were rockets bursting everywhere. I always thought Germany was a rule following, human life and safety critical country. But this one hour made me question everything.

Every 20 meters or so, there was a guy lighting a rocket from the hand. If you weren’t careful you might just get launched along with the rocket being lit next to your leg. Nobody even warns you!

This loud madness of rockets on the sky, ground and everywhere continued for 1 hr. The rockets kept hitting the buildings along the street and residents watched the rockets calmly as it approached their faces – protected by the closed window. They clearly were expereinced in this annual ritual.

Post new year

The shortest day passed on the 21st Dec. The shortest day was just 8hrs long. So the days could get only longer now. I was thinking it only gets better from here.

But I learned that earth takes longer to thaw. And it gets colder in January.

The first week of this month has been very cold, averaging around -2 deg and going as low as -10. With it, it also brought lot of snow which I enjoyed. Especially, given the fact that I did not have to step out of the house.

Things will change tomorrow when my university starts again. So I will walk in the cold.

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  • Signal Analysis Cheat Sheets

    Signal Analysis Cheat Sheets

    Chapter 1

    Chapter 2

    Chapter 3

  • Tomato Rice (Mother’s Recipe)

    Tomato Rice (Mother’s Recipe)

    Ingredients

    1. Rice: 1 cup
    2. Tomato: 3 small (small dice)
    3. Green Chilli: 2
    4. Onion: 1 (long slice)
    5. Ginger: 1/2 inch
    6. Garlic: 5 – 7 (Or use ginger garlic paste)
    7. Ginger Garlic paste : 1 tbsp
    8. Pudina leaves
    9. Coriander leaves
    10. Chili powder: 1/2 tsp
    11. Oil: 2 tbsp
    12. cloves: 2
    13. Cinnamon: 1in
    14. Green elaichi: 1
    15. Salt: to taste
    16. Bay leaves

    Procedure

    1. Heat oil in cooker and slightly fry
      • cloves: 2
      • Cinnamon: 1in
      • Green elaichi: 1
      • Bay leaves
    2. Fry the cut onion till glassy and add salt
    3. Fry tomato till it becomes soft
    4. Add the following
      • Chilli powder
      • chili
      • coriander
      • pudina
      • Ginger garlic paste
    5. After frying this for sometime add water and boil it. Water should be in 1:2 ratio to rice.
    6. Then add rice when the water is boiling.
  • Potato fried rice

    Potato fried rice

    Ingredients

    1. Cooked rice
    2. Onion: 1 small
    3. Tomato: 1 small
    4. Potato: 2 (Dice cut)
    5. Oil: 2 tbsp
    6. Mustard: 1 tbsp
    7. Cumin: 1 tbsp
    8. Garlic: 4 – 5 cloves
    9. Green chili: 2
    10. Curry leaves
    11. Turmeric: 1/2 tsp
    12. Corriander powder: 1 tbsp
    13. Pepper Powder: 1 tbsp
    14. Salt: to taste
    15. Red chili powder: to taste
    16. Coriander leaves

    Procedure

    1. Fry the potato in 1 tbsp oil and keep it separate.
    2. Heat 1 tbsp oil and add
      • Mustard: 1 tbsp
      • Cumin: 1 tbsp
      • Garlic: 4 – 5 cloves
      • Green chili: 2
      • Curry leaves
    3. Fry onion and tomato
    4. Add fried potato and add
      • Turmeric: 1/2 tsp
      • Corriander powder: 1 tbsp
      • Pepper Powder: 1 tbsp
      • Salt: to taste
      • Red chili powder: to taste
    5. Add cooked rice

    Reference

  • Skill Unlocked! Ice Skating!

    Skill Unlocked! Ice Skating!

    Another Sunday afternoon! And it is cold here in Germany! What to do? Ice Skating!!!

    To make the maximum out of this cold weather, me and couple of friends decided to go to the ice skating. But before that we would need to eat something. So we decided to also visit a Gurdwara on the way and eat at the Langar.

    Gurdwara

    I had visited a few Gurdwara before but always with Sikh friends. This was the first time I was going with friends from other religions. To be honest, I wasn’t entirely comfortable, since I wasn’t sure myself on how one is expected to pray there.

    The Gurdwara at Furth was a small shed, unlike the once that I had been in India. Nevertheless, the ambiance gave the same calm feeling as any other Gurdwara.

    We were inside for sometime, everything was great – briefly. Then came the first setback. One of the Sikh worshipers seemed annoyed. Possibly he thought we were there for free food (Partly he was right, but also we genuinely wanted to see the Gurdwara).

    He asked us to bow down to the Guru Granth Sahib. I felt deeply uneasy. I personally didn’t have a problem to bow but some friends were from other religion and also atheists. They understandably wouldn’t want to do it. I somehow felt responsible for putting them in that situation.

    So some of us bowed and others didn’t. We took our seat and this person again insisted we all bow. We ignored him this time. Another worshiper was noticing this and later spoke to me, kindly asking that I should not take offense at what had been said.

    Later, when we were standing outside, somewhat awkwardly, deciding whether or not to go for the snacks, an elderly man near the gate took us to the food place and got us seated. He spoke so warmly and lovingly that we couldn’t refuse.

    We did not wait for the main Langar, as it was getting late for the ice skating. The bread pakoda, sweets and tea was very delicious.

    Ice Skating

    We had been noticing that the trains were full with football fans. There was a match between Nurnberg and Furth. Surprisingly, the ice skating place was near that same stadium where the match was being held.

    First thing we noticed after getting down at the train station was LOTS of bear cans! Apparently, people enter the stadium half drunk so that you don’t have to pay for expensive beer at the stadium.

    We could also hear the shouting at the stadium. The energy was intense and we could hear it from a long distance. It was just like the video games but more electrifying. Watch a match at the stadium : Added to wishlist.

    We made it to the ice skating arena at PSD Bank Arena. The entry ticket with student discount is 6 Eur is valid from 1300 to 1800. The renting of the ice skates costed another 6 Eur.

    The fun began as soon as we wore the skates. The first challenge was to stand on that blade even to reach the rink. It was challenging but easier than we thought. All of us could easily stand and balance on it. For most of us, it was the first time on skates.

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    On the ice the story was completely different. I came to appreciate friction so much after a few minutes on the ice. Some of us started having falls as soon as we entered the rink. Where all the Indians were having a tough time balancing, the German friend was already gliding on the ice.

    There were a lot of people at all levels of expertise there. Small kids who held on to penguins (skating aids) and others who were swift and could do hockey stops! We were like the small kids but without the penguins. So, we became the penguins falling and learning the hard way.

    People were helpful. Seeing us fall an expert skater already came to us to give us some tips.

    Some of the fun sights to remember was when a bunch of people who were themselves new were trying to help this guy. They ended up holding each other in a circle and couldn’t move anywhere.

    Soon afterwards after the training.

    Then there was this guy who thought he nailed it! and fell!

    Who says, you can learn only from experts! This guy teaches you how not to skate!

    There were some who had some prior experience and could skate well.

    This guy already skated so well forward that now he wanted to skate backward!

    Luckily, I did not have any fall. Possibly my earlier experience with heel wheels helped me.

    But by the end of the 3 hours that we were there, we all improved. A little bruised but a lot happier!!!