Breakfast Traditions of Bharuch & Rajpipla

Diwali was spent with friends in Bharuch and we visited Rajpipla for a day.

Observing breakfast traditions of these cities and after sampling their breakfast i have decided to write this.

Bharuch is situated on the banks of the river Narmada, after a blissful night of sleep soaking in the scenes around my friends inlaws flat from where 1 can see the river clearly, i woke up to a debate of what to have for breakfast, not to be left out i joined in and voiced my opinion and we finally decided on Bhoongada Bataka & Sev Khamani for breakfast. After an impatient wait of 45 mins finally we were ready to gorge the fill.

Bhoongada Bataka (Rice Flour Tubes & Garlic Potatos) are a unique dish and i have not had it in Ahmedabad till yet, Bhargav introduced it to us when he was coming back from Rajkot one time and he got 3 plates of these packed for us, we gorged it down like hungry sharks not caring about our surroundings, any ways, its basically plain rice Tubes deep fried (See picture) and spicy garlic potato vegetable tampered with mustard seeds and these 2 have to be eaten together by filling the potato's inside the tubes. These rice flour tubes which are yellow in color take me back to school days where we used to buy it from a hawker outside of our school and put them on our fingers and eat them.

Sev Khamani, is crushed chana dal, cooked by adding lots of garlic, Coriander and Fresh Pomegranate and is served with topping sev on it. This is served with flied green chilly's and a special chutney on the top. This is sweet, salty and fiery all at the same time and is really yum to eat. As an add-on papdi was also ordered and we devoured it with complete dedication and at 9:30 in the morning we also shamelessly had a nice cold beer to wipe it all down. 

Bhoongada Bataka on the left & Sev Khamani on the right and Papdi in the back.

Rajpipla is a princely city in the south of Gujarat about 70 klms from Bharuch we decided to do a day trip to the forests around Rajpipla and the Sardar Sarovar Dam, we were treated to something completely different for our breakfast adventures here.

We left Bharuch exactly at about 7 and it was a 2.5 hour ride to Rajpipla, we entered the city and had to pay respects to Goddess at a temple and then everyone pronounced that they were hungry and we spotted a shop with lot of crowd around it, i decided to get out and investigate, it was named RAJAN Samosa and Dalwada's and had a small Cart on the side that served Sev Ussal, with stomachs running on empty we decided to call everyone here, there were 9 people and we ate heartily. Samosas were fresh, crisp and hot, served with chutney and fried chilly's.

Sev Ussal is typically a Maharashtrian breakfast / snack item and is a curried dish made with legumes/sprouted legumes or mixed sprouted legumes and is had with pav (bread) hence it is popularly known as ussal pav or sev ussal and is served with sev on top, it is served with rassa which is made of garlic and it fiery hot and spicy, also there is vinegar or lemon juice if you like your ussal tangy. As an addition we got to eat Tam Tam khaman and Dhai Khaman from a shop bang opposite the Samosa Shop. We ate like there was no tomorrow and I would recommend anyone who visits these cities to try these breakfast adventures.

Samosas on the Left and Sev Ussal on the Right to be Eaten with Bread as seen in the Picture.

Food experiments continue in various parts of Gujarat and India and I hope what i write is good to read.

Samosas - UP Istyle

Samosas being an all time favorite, this holiday season with nothing to do, i decided to experiment again and the outcome was lip smackingly awesome.

For the Filling

Potato's Boiled and pealed and cut into small cubes.
Peas Boiled
Grated Ginger
Green Chilly's finely chopped
Green Coriander finely chopped
Cashew Nut
Raisins soaked in warm water
Salt to taste
Red Chilly Powder
Turmeric Powder
Garam Masala powder
Amchur Powder (Dry Green Mango Powder)
Lemon Juice
Sugar to balance all the sweet, sour and saltyness
Cumin seeds for tempering
Oil for tempering

For the Samosa Covering

Maida
Oil
Salt
Water to bind it

Oil for Deep frying the samosas

Method for the Samosa Covering

Mix together salt, maida, oil and water and make a soft dough, Cover with a damp cloth and keep aside to rest.

Method for the Samosa Filling

Take some oil in a deep pan and put the cumin seeds and let it crackle, add in the ginger paste, green chilly, potato's and peas add the dry spices Red Chilly powder, Turmeric powder, Garam Masala powder, Amchur Powder, Salt, Lemon juice and Sugar, mix well and keep on steering the mixture as it will stick to the pan, now add in the Cashew Nut and Raisins to the mixture and mix well, add in the chopped Coriander and mix well, cook for some time and turn off the gas and let the mixture cool.

After the mixture has cooled fill in the samosa covering mixture we made earlier, use water to stick the edges of the samosa together, deep fry till golden brown. Samosa covering procedure pics given below, there are 2 ways to do it, please follow which ever u feel suits you.

Serve with Green Coriander Chutney and Sweet and Sour Tamarind Chutney.

Method 1

 Method 2

  

DIWALI - THE FESTIVAL OF FOOD...

Festival of lights or Festival of food…

Come Diwali I can smell all kinds of smells wafting from the kitchen my mom is slaving over a hot stove making chakri, sev, sakar para, poori ghoogra and magas.

People consider Diwali as the festival of lights, I SAY IT’S A FESTIVAL OF FOOD. Endless variety of food and snacks are made in each and every household and eating good and hearty is the flavor of the season. Let me describe some traditions in my family.

Our family dinners and get together start from Dhanteras and continue on, during the course of a few days we have either taken a culinary trip around India or atleast around Gujarat for sure. My mom’s side of the family hail from Surat, South Gujarat region and are proud of being from there. The cuisine from Surat is different from the other parts of Gujarat, here they use a lot of fresh green ingredients like green chillies called Lavingia marcha and they put a fire in your mouth as well as your behinds, green onions which are in season during the winter months, scallions (Leelu Lasan) and coriander for flavoring  These are used as primary flavors and no other additives are added. Some vegetables like Ratalu (Yam) and Tuver (Pegeon peas) are typically surti and added in many many dishes. 2-3 surti dishes are my favorites ratalu and tuver nu shak, Surti undhiyu are my favorites. Tuver ne kachori is the most popular item in savories all around Gujarat.

During these dinners everyone tries their hand at outdoing each other in laying spreads of fantastic food on the dinner table, for the people with weight gain issues and weight watchers these dinners are cruel punishment but they take it with a glass of water as the spread when layed out is irresistible and too tempting to resist. The general layout of the spread is 1 salad, 2 savory dishes, 2 vegetable dish, 1 or 2 sweet dishes, daal or kadhi and rice, the usual accompaniments like poori paratha and papad are there as always.

During Diwali a tradition of eating Mathiya is very popular here in Gujarat, its sweet, salty and spicy all at the same time and hits your senses with a bang, I personally like it very much. Also chaulafali and kadhi with it.

Come Dhantaras the local icecream vendors like Havmor and Vadilal come out with schemes of free food storage containers and pair icecreams that are lease popular in the entire year and people throng to their parlors to buy these icecreams not because of the icecream but the free containers being offered with it. some traditions only the people who follow them can understand, my mom being one she every Dhanteras gets these containers and once asked why she simply said just cause I had to.

Having a multi cultural group is also an advantage, you get to taste food from various traditions and also find out about their traditions during the festival. I have been living next to Maharastrian neighbors for the past 15 years and their coconut and dryfruit ghoogras are to die for.  Sweets are the most popular items to give around Diwali. Kaju barfi and katli are the most popular sweets to give and receive.

There are hundreds of traditions followed during Diwali, the above was a mention of some of my favorite food moments in Diwali the FESTIVAL OF FOOD. 

Tribute to the People who have inspired me to cook and follow my Passion.

Food to me is a passion, cooking is a way to enhance that passion and the patrons who like my cooking are my biggest critics.

When I am in the kitchen I am lost, in a different world and totally at peace, it’s said that people find their sanctum in various things, for some it’s their work, for others it’s relaxing on a deserted beach, for some it’s reading and others it’s playing or listing to music, my Sanctum / Solace comes from when I cook. I cook without a recipe, without a measuring cup or set methods, my way of cooking is inventive and unique.

I would like to mention and thank a few people who have inspired me to cook and are my biggest source of inspiration. There are many people who I would like to mention here beginning with.

1)      Dr. Keyur Shah (not a doctor actually) but we go to him for any ailments we have, he has a cure or a solutions to any problems we might have. People have foster parents, we have a foster friend, and we go to him for everything, small issues to large agonies, he has a solution to them, he is kind, gentle and so soothing, he should be in the business of providing psychiatrist treatment, I do not know how but he comes up with a solution every time. Inspite of a difficult life himself he always has time for us. He is the inventive genius that has inspired me to take up cooking as a hobby and a passion. He has time for his passion even after managing a successful business of a testing laboratory. He is 1 of my biggest inspirations.

2)     Smita Mami – If I have to thank someone in my family who has introduced me to various cuisines, taste pallets and innovative dishes it would have to be her, she is so enthusiastic about cooking something new that at times I have refused if she would be cooking Indian food I would not be having dinner at her place. Time and again she has come up with lip smacking dishes that have taken us on journeys across the globe and bought us back to reality when we crave for another helping. Even a simple  Red pasta with parmesan grated on top, vegetable buns to complicated dishes like Parsi Dhan Shak, to the Surti Undhiyu, her cooking is simply unchallenged and she takes the undisputed champion crown in my family.

3)    Robin Singh – A friend, guide and a buddy for life who is ever faithful, appreciative and my test guinea pig. I have tried many many experimental dishes on him and some have been successful to which he has had appreciation and some have been disasters to which he has played a positive critic. He himself is a wonderful cook and his passions revolve around simple food, boiled vegetables with hint of pepper and butter & Clear Vegetable Soup are some of his favorite thing to eat. His Crispy Chilly Potatos are to die for but he does not divulge the recipe to anyone. His Mexican salsa has won him many many praises and shows the passions he has for food and cooking. When he 1^st came to Ahmedabad he was a mere 68 kgs but the Ahmedabad water and the atmosphere and the cheese filled and sprinkled dishes have won him over and he is now a healthy 98 kgs. I am the main culprit in his weight gain which was because of all the midnight runs to McDonalds, Law Garden and Manek Chowk. He is my biggest support.

4)     My Mom – Thank you mom for the endless number of times you have cleaned the kitchen counter after we have left it in a mess. She is a true and an honest critic of my cooking. At times she is irritated that we have stolen her position in the kitchen that I am there too often in the evenings once I come back from work trying my hand at inventing something new. My mom being from Surat has some hardcore gujju food culture in her; she is an amazing cook and makes some killer dishes. People crave for my mom’s dosas and South Indian dishes. She can make a simple potato taste so good that I cannot begin to praise her Potato subji, every1 has a potato subji in their family and we have ours and it’s amazing. Thanks a lot and love u mom.

5)     Vishal (Vishi / Rakshas)  – My best of friend and the reason for me to start cooking in the 1^st place, my idea of being in the kitchen was completely changed by Vishal and his methods of cooking, he is a South Indian and cooks amazing south Indian cuisine and its always lip smacking. He is an awesome person and an excellent home cook. Living a life in Mumbai and taking home cooked food to work every day is a difficult prospect, but he manages to do that somehow. A big time foodie and ever ready to binge on food. When he is here on a holiday then also we push him into the kitchen to cook us Country Cake with ginger chutney, its evil but he does not mind it atall.

6)     Krishna Kothari (LG-Mallika e Kitchen) the true kitchen queen, she owns the kitchen when she is in it. I have had the opportunity to cook with her in the kitchen and I can say only the people who have cooked with her know the true passion she has and holds. For a budding cook the support of their family is so important and she is very lucky that her family is full of support for her, her father, mother, brother and sister in law are her biggest support and her cute and cuddly niece is inspiration. She is also a true inventive cook and cooks by her heart inventing innovative dishes to suite each and every pallet. Her appearance in a cooking show has inspired her even more. Hats off to her to juggle her studies as well as her hectic cooking schedule. She again is my biggest inspiration and an idol.

7)     Dr. Puneet – A self taught cook and a big big foodie, a doctor by profession but his passion for food run deep. Many times he has proved that Indian dishes can be cooked with equal passion like global cuisine, his Kadhi with tadka and chawal are amazing and a complete meal in itself. A chat poori and tikki specialist and a thai curry maniac is how I know Puneet. We met via Keyur and instantly connected on all levels but food being the main connection, we get-together many times for pot lucks and we now have been giving him deserts for his dishes to bring to the potluck. His panna-cotta totally floored me and his muffins were over before we would take a breath. Thanks Punnu for the inspiration and the suggestion that I start writing my blog.

8)     Sneha (Herper / Hunter Gal) – WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST by profession and a big big foodie, pocket rocket and my bestie. She is totally frank and honest about my cooking. Till date she has never rejected or passed any negative criticism on any of my dishes, she is too nice.. We have heard that Sneha can cook also but only tried her dish once..he he he..but what was put on the plate was superb and authentic so I believe her completely. She is also my unofficial Publicist as she has gathered many fans at her PG for my cooking and I am a total star is what she tells me, thanks for putting me on such a high pedestal. She is my dedicated cheerleader and the biggest supporter.

9)    Sonal Bhabhi and her Mom – Sonal Bhabhi just is filled with positive inspiration all over, she is so happy to see us cook that she inspires us to follow our passions even more. She herself is a fantastic cook, her fore is traditional Indian and gujarati cuisine and from what we have tasted I have been blown away time and again. Thanks a lot for all your support for our passions of cooking. Her mom is an even bigger inspiration to me, she is old enough to just lounge around the house and have her wishes on her command but in turn she follows her passion of cooking, I have tasted her cooking before and recently seen her video recording for a show on TV, her passion at her age is my biggest inspiration. Thanks a lot for coming into my life and inspiring me so much. 

10) Raju Kaka - Well being my uncle, he has been cooking us yummy dishes from many many years, I was small and remember he had made something with maggi and it was yummy, he is the egg chef in our family and many times over he has made eggs preparations for our entire family, he cooks with passion and same as me without a recipe and what ever he makes is really excellent, he does not get time to cook as we keep him mighty busy at the office, but at our farm househe has given us Wood Fired Oven and a BBQ pit to explore our culinary experiments and where we will cook and cook with passion...thanks a lot Raju Kaka for everything.

11)  Bhargav (Bapu), Dharun (DJ), Sagar (Saggy) & Priyanka (Pinu2/Pinky2), Kedar (KD), Krishna J (KJ), A (KA), Vishwa (Vishu) &  Manikant Giri (Giri Saab) – these people are my true critic and my biggest supporters. They are brave time and again and volunteer to eat my experimental food. Thanks a lot to everyone who has inspired me and inspire me still to continue to cook and follow my passion.

I have a dream to open up a small restaurant, where people just want to come, sit and eat soul food. Bhargav and I are exploring ideas and places to open up just such a place which will cater to people who like home cooking and want a nice ambiance to eat in. I end here by thanking everyone and also the people who I have forgotten to mention in this tribute, they are always in my heart. Thanks everyone again you have touched my life very deeply and will continue to do so in the future also.

Vanilla and Coconut Panna-Cotta

Pannacotta is an Italian dessert made by simmering together cream, milk and sugar, mixing this with gelatin (for non veg) or Agar Agar (Veg gelatin substitute). This is 1 of those quick deserts that easy to make and fun to eat.

For the Pannacotta

Milk

Cream same proportion as the milk

Powder Sugar

Vanilla Essence

Coconut Essence

Coconut Powder 

Agar Agar (Veg Gelatin Substitute)

Glass Bowls to set the Pannacotta in.

Method

Warm the milk and cream together in a saucepan with the sugar, stir till the sugar is dissolved, do not bring to a boil. Take it off the heat and add the Agar Agar powder, Vanilla & Coconut essence and Coconut powder, mix well and pour in individual bowls and set in the fridge for 2-3 hours, Serve chilled with some Roasted Coconut powder on the top for decoration.

This is a fun and quick recipe and is a favorite with Vegetarians also.

This photo is not mine, but uploaded here to give you an idea about how it will look...

Mexican Salsa (Robin's Recipe)

Easy Mexican Salsa (Robin's Recipe) 

For the Salsa

3 - Red Onions
3 - Capsicum
3-4 - Green Chilly
3-4 - Tomatos
Bunch of Green Coriander (Dhaniya)
1 American Corn Kernels to be taken off the cob
1 Spoon Garlic Paste
4-5 Spoons of Tomato Ketchup
2 Spoons of Sugar powder / Honey
Salt to taste
1/2 Spoon - Black Pepper
2 Spoons of Vinegar
Red Chilly Flakes (Depends on yr taste)
1 Spoon Oregano Powder

Method
Cut the Onion, Capsicum, Green Chilly, Tomato, Coriander finely,take the Corn Kernels off the cob and put everything in a non metal container, add the Garlic paste, Tomato ketchup, Salt, Sugar, Black Pepper, Vinegar, Chilly Flakes, Oregano powder and mix well, leave in the fridge to chill for some time. Serve with Nacho Chips.

This is an all time Favorite Recipe and is finished like hot cakes when ever friends come over. This can be made before hand and stored, stays in the fridge for 3-4 Days, the thing is that is does not last that long any which ways.....Lolzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Dark Chocolate Pudding.

DARK CHOCOLATE PUDDING

Quick No Cooking required Desert.

As it sounds it involves taking in loads of calories but its totally worth it. Exercise and Fitness freaks please exercise a little more but please make and eat this.

For the Filling

Cream
Vanilla Essence
Dark Chocolate bars
A little milk

For the Base

Dark Chocolate Biscuits
Melted butter

For the garnish
Dark Chocolate pieces
Whipped cream or Icecream

Method

For the filling.
Whip the cream with vanilla essence till it forms soft peaks and refrigerate. In a microwave proof bowl take the dark chocolate, milk and the cream filling from the dark chocolate biscuits and microwave for 1 minute or till the chocolate melts, mix everything with a spoon so it combines properly. The trick to this desert is to keep the cream light and fluffy, so once the chocolate mixture is cooled fold in the cream, do not beat it in as u will make it heavy and all the air in the cream during whipping will escape.  Refrigerate this mixture.

For the Base
Crush the dark chocolate biscuits till it forms a coarse granule, do not powder them, mix in the butter and layer it in a square dish, press down firmly and refrigerate for 30 mins or till the base is set. Pour in the chocolate cream mixture into the set base and refrigerate for 1 hour or till u are ready to serve.

Serve in a bowl with whipped cream and chocolate pieces on the top.

As you might have noticed there is no added sugar in this recipe as the cream from the chocolate biscuits and dark chocolate are sweet and it takes care of the sugar requirements in this dish.

Apple Crumble

APPLE CRUMBLE

A traditional American Desert with my touch added to it. Very easy to make and for those people who love baked fruit and Ice-cream to go with it.

Traditionally this desert requires a oven to make and bake but i have managed to make it in the microwave and given it a twist to it.

For the Filling

Apples sliced thinly

Brown Sugar (not the drug that gives u a high) but also known as Demerara sugar (Blue Bird Brand) is easily available in the stores and is basically unprocessed sugar. this give a fantastic colour to the Desert.

Juice of 1 Lemon

Cinnamon Powder

For the Crumble

Butter

Salt

Maida

Brown Sugar

Cinnamon Powder.

Method

Cut Apple slices and place in a bowl, pour the lemon juice over it so they do not discolour, add the brown sugar and cinnamon powder and mix well, grease a microwave proof dish and layer the apples and microwave on high for 3 minutes.

In another bowl mix maida, salt and butter and rub the butter in the maida till it resembles bread crumbs, add the brown sugar and cinnamon powder to this mixture and layer it on the top of the microwaved apples, press it strongly and then microwave for 7 minutes till the crumble mixture is cooked.

Serve immediately and piping hot with a scoop of Vanilla Icecream.

Vegetable-Cheese Franky

VEGETABLE CHEESE FRANKY

Heavy Snack for those times that u want something with cheese in it and is quick to make.

For the Filling.
Cabbage
Carrot
Green onion - Filling and Assembly.
Red onion
Capsicum
Green chilly
Chilly sauce
Sugar
Red Chilly Powder
Salt to taste
Tomato ketchup
Black pepper.
Grated Cheese for Assembly

Grate cabbage, carrot on a grater, cut capsicum, red and green onion in medium slices, take a little oil in a pan and saute the veges till the mixture is dry, add Chilly sauce, Salt, Red Chilly, Sugar and Black pepper and Tomato ketchup and cook for a while take off the gas and keep aside and cool.

For the Rotis.
Maida
Wheat Flour
Oil
Salt
Water

In a bowl make a soft dough out of the following above ingredients and rest for a while and make rotis and keep aside covered so they do not dry out.

Final Assembly of the Franky.

On a tava put some oil and place a roti on top, layer the roti with cheese, the filling and green onion, put another roti on top and grill from both sides till nice and crisp, cut into desired sizes and serve with Tomato Ketchup.

This is an all time favorite snack and can be made quickly.

This method can be used to put any leftover vegetables or salads inside the roti and grilled.

Happy Cooking.

Motorcycle Ride to Mount Abu

This is more of a Personal journey that I wanted to make for quite some time but the time was not right for some reason till now. When we were young we would on an instance notice head out to Mount Abu, we have atleast made this same type of journey in the past with our friends but not since a long time now. I messaged a friend of mine if he would like to accompany me on the journey; this was going to be a 2 night 3 day weekend get away on bikes to Mount Abu, he instantly agreed to it, the day was Friday 14th of March.

Day – 1

We decide to meet at a predefined spot at the wee hours of the morning, it was exactly 3:15 am and my friend calls, I was in the process of taking a shower and getting ready, we wanted to leave Ahmedabad early and get to Mount Abu before 11 as previously it took about 7 hours with adequate halts to rest the bike and our aching bottoms and fill hour ever hungry stomachs with good delicious food enroute. So I hurriedly got ready and checked my bag which I had readied with the basic essentials 1 jeans, 3 tees, toilet kit, first aid kit, TOILET PAPER for those on road emergencies...ha ha ha. The Registration book of the bike is very important as there r police checks and they demand the papers and yr driving license so double checked those, tied my bag to the saree guard of the bike with bungee cords so that it does not fall or slip out. I had got the bike serviced and checked a day prior, the brakes and the engine oil and the petrol. Kick start the bike and meet my fried at out spot, his nephew was also joining us on the journey. Good we had another driver to shuffle between the bikes if we got tired. Discussed the halts we would take and I put my IPod on, nice mellow rock music and began, we were taking the route via Kalol, Mehsana, Unjha, Sidhpur, Palanpur, Abu Road & Mount Abu, this road was very much known to us as we have done this journey en number of times in the car and previously years back on the bike. This road is very good it is 2 lanes divided and is a toll road so is very nicely maintained. We decide on an average speed of 60 klms as it would be safe and easy to manage.

Our 1st stop is for tea and khari biscuits about 55 klms from Ahmedabad we rest the bike, refuel our selves with tea and head on we take another halt when the milometer showed 168 klms for breakfast at Palanpur this famous hotel called WAY WAIT, the food here is good and fresh. We head out again after stuffing ourselves silly with Dosa, Menduvada and A jumbo grill sandwich with tea and cold drinks. We then enter Rajasthan and the road goes from good to worst, bumps and diversions for the 38 klms run to Abu Road, they r in the process of building the road here so some patches are very good and some are backbreaking bad. We some how pulled on and entered Abu road and our excitement was out of bounds as now our end destination mount Abu was just 27 klms away but this was a difficult hill climb with winding roads and tight turns and oncoming traffic which compromises of our of control bus drivers who think the road is their property and run up and down these mountains with phenomenal speed.

We start our climb slow and steady by this time it is already bright and sunny so the road is very much visible to us. We honk and we climb slow and steady the milestones count down to our end destination and just after the 6 klms mark comes a temple of HANUMAN JI which I carry immense faith in so we stop park our bikes and say our prayers, this was the personal reason I wanted to make this journey was to visit this temple and say thanks for some of the things which have been fulfilled in my life. Faith is faith and cannot be contained. We our prayers said with the blessings and Prasad in our tummy we head out again to Abu. We reach Abu’s toll collecting plaza which is compulsory to pay this is a tourist tax and had to be paid about 10 bucks a person and is lasting for the entire time u stay in mount Abu. We head to the hotel I had booked on the net and to which I had confirmed the directions before we got there, also requested for a early check in as we were going to reach early. This hotel was called UDAIGARH and is very well placed on a top of a hill and gives commanding views of mount Abu, I have already given the hotel a review and written all my grievances in the hotel review section so will not go on about it here. We reach the hotel safely and check in to our room.

We decide to get ready quickly and head out to our favorite spot, we have nicknamed AAMIR KHAN Spot as there is this story that the local guides tell the movie Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak with Aamir Khan had some scenes shot here so after the movie was shot and became a hit to draw in the crowds the tourism department has now made those places into permanent gazebos where u can just sit, relax, unwind and njoy yr drinks and snackies and spend time here just lazying around, this is hard to describe but falls enroute to Gurushikhar towards the right of the road u see these very easily, 1 is near the road and the other 1 is slightly challenging and needs 1 to park their bikes and walk to it. Simply an amazing place. We have been to Mount Abu so many times that we do not like to go to the touristy places and u can search the site or any other travel related site which will give u more precise info on the tourist places in Abu better than I can give it. So with booze and snacks in hand which we picked up from the market that set us back about Rs.200 we head out to this place, lay out our spread, put on some favorite music on the IPod and powered speakers I was carrying and just relax sipping our drinks and soaking in the scenery letting the camera go wild clicking many pics of the surroundings and ourselves. After spending about 3 hours here with our snacks and drinks running out we decide to head into town and do some eating. When in Abu 1 has to sit around the Nakki Lake which draws most of the crowd, the shopping destination is also near by. We go to this restaurant which we have frequented earlier and order Pav Bhaji, A club sandwich and A Italian pizza which turned out to be like a salad and not a pizza, but with hunger on our minds we gobble it down without complaints. Not more than Rs.130 for this and we get into a discussion to carry more booze up to the hotel as we would need it in the night when we sit out in the garden of the hotel and look at the commanding views it offers of Abu in all directions, but as soon as we start I make a suggestion that we have a softy and then go anywhere else, if u come to mount Abu u have to have softy, lots of available I have the 3 in 1 and others have the chocolate crunch and chocolate vanilla mix another Rs.60 paid here and we head directly to the booze shop to pick up our stock for the night, we pick up the usual as I am a big time whiskey fan and so is my friend, we also pick up some vodka for his nephew, headed to the room and crashed, we sleep till about 8 in the night and then get up all refreshed and ready for a night out in the garden of the hotel. We decide to call in for pizza there is this famous pizza joint called US PIZZA we call in for a free delivery which they have and order pizzas which are delivered to us promptly and we feast with pizzas and booze, we sit out for quite some time and then every1’s fuse start to dim as we were tired from all day so we head to our room and call it a night.

DAY – 2

This begins with my friends morning calls we get up lazily at around 9 and I and his nephew to into town in our night clothes to this famous tea shop called LUCKY on the edge of Nakki Lake to have our morning fill we eat Batata Poha and samosas and a must at lucky is Hot Bourn vita, makes it like no1 else. We head back to find my friend still lazying around the bed watching TV we get ready and decide on the days activities, all votes in we again decide to head to our spot but not before saying our prayers at the Hanumanji temple as it was Saturday today. We do that and just time for a few photos posing with the bikes and the nature and head str8 to our favorite spot. Same thing again lay our selves out, put on some music and relax with drinks I opted out for whiskey this time got my self a nice chilled beer instead and we again spend long hours here, we decide to get up and go by this time it is evening and we r again hungry we stop this time at the only CAFÉ COFFEE DAY to feast on sandwiches and coffee cost Rs.250, heading out to the hotel this being the last night wanted to drink away to glory so carried our stock of booze back to the hotel caught up on some sleep and then sat out in the garden order our pizzas again from US PIZZA and feasted like there was no tomorrow, drinks flowed like water, we downed about half a bottle each and then with tomorrows morning deadline of leaving for Ahmedabad loomed ahead went to the room jacked up the IPod with the TV and watched pretty women, half way every1 was snoring so got up and switched off the TV and slept with the morning alarm of 7 which I was sure we r not going to keep…this trip would look like we r here for just 3 things, going to Aamir khan spot, drinking and eating, we have seen so much of Mount Abu so many times that it does not feel like anything new and exciting, we would rather relax and unwind than go to these places where 1 has to mingle with the crowd of honeymooners and families who always request us to click a photo of all of them together.

DAY – 3

Got up at 8 after putting off the alarm in snooze mode many times, got ready and headed back to Ahmedabad but stop enroute to say our prayers and promising to visit again to ask for blessings, the journey back was very tiring as we realized the summer is here and if this trip was just 20 days after it would have been a scorcher, we got tanned I realized that when I was taking a shower after we got back. The journey back was hot; we stopped every 30-40 klms for water and to refresh our wet towels we had tied on our heads. We entered Ahmedabad exactly at 16:15, hugs and good byes all around. Got back home thanked my baby (my bike) for an uneventful ride and company. She was very well behaved and well mannered, promised to take good care of her always.

We covered 568 klms in 3 days most of it was on the highways…this was a journey of a lifetime with time and age I wonder when we would do something like this again.

A Spiritual Morning in Amritsar

My journey begins again in Ahmedabad; I catch the Haridwar mail out of Ahmedabad on a very dull and a rainy morning the train departs on time which has now been rescheduled to 9:25 am instead of the before 10:05 am. I take my seat chain up my luggage and get my magazine and IPod out and begin to think how it was going to be when we reach Amritsar, by we, I mean my best friend from Delhi was joining me he is a Sikh and wanted to visit the golden temple for a long time but never gotten around to making a plan to actually get there, I had holidays and our plan materialized, which was superb and sometimes people believe that visiting places of worship is a call from god himself, if he wishes u have to be there is no force on the planet stopping u from getting there, we have seen senior citizens show amazing strength and courage when visiting difficult places like amaranth, this is just sheer faith that they have and the call from god is what every1 believes. But the golden temple is 1 of those places that u should have in your list of the places to see before u die. It is a must do.

Rains all throughout the route delayed the train beyond 4 hours of which it took effect on the events of the next morning when we had to catch our connecting train to Amritsar from the New Delhi railway station, I reached Gurgaon at 7:00 am instead of the proposed 4:30 am where my friend stays and he was to pick me up from there and go to the New Delhi station to catch our train which was the Swaran Shatabdi Express to Amritsar. But there was no way in hell or heaven that we reach New Delhi station in 20 mins from Gurgaon to make it to the train’s departure, I got down at the station all bummed out  about not being able to go to Amritsar met my friend who was it is ok that we cannot make it we will spend a good weekend here in Gurgaon itself to which I was still not agreeing, the force was so huge to get to Amritsar that nothing was going to deter me from going there, I hatched a idea that we could go there by taxi as out hotel and the return train tickets were already booked. My friend agreed to the plan and we took a taxi at a good rate and headed out of Gurgaon immediately, the usual problem of heading out of the NCR (new capital region which consists of Gurgaon, Noida and Gaziabad) is the traffic 1 has to face, once u hit the highway the road is amazing all the way enroute we stop at this very famous dhabha right before Karnal and gorge on aloo parathas and mix parathas with desi butter which is artery clogging but the parathas do not taste good without them  and fill up on chips, water and cold drinks for the journey ahead which was going to be a long 1 estimated to be 10 hours for 500 klms from Gurgaon to Amritsar, the roads were superb and the journey till Jalandhar was effortless and was spend listening to regional music that the driver had in the car and sleeping and talking to my friend as we had not caught up form a long time. We stopped for stretching our legs at this 24 X 7 Mc Donald’s drive through just before Jalandhar it need not be said what we had for snacks there. After a refreshing 30 mins spent there we turn towardsAmritsar and the road goes from a 2 lane divided to nonexistent 1 lane with oncoming traffic of maddening truck drivers this leg is 60 klms and is the worst drivable road in the world I guess. Our driver Rajpal was very good with his driving so he handled the drive perfectly.

On the clock strike of 6 pm we were in Amritsar and asked for directions from a policeman, he was kind enough to show the route to our hotel and we gave him a lift in the car as he was heading in the same direction. We checked into the hotel at about 6:30 pm and paid the driver off as we did not need him any more as we had return train journey tickets to Delhi already. Freshened up and took a well deserved hot shower and my friend said he would sleep for some time and I decided to hit the town with another local friend of mine. We wanted to visit the golden temple early in the morning by early I do not mean 7, by early I mean at 3 in the morning. This is because every evening after the Sukhasan (a religious ceremony of taking the Guru Granth Sahib ji from the golden temple to its nights resting place in the Akal takth) and every morning around 4:45 am the Guru Granth Sahib ji is brought back to the golden temple where it remains all day long till the evening prayers and goes back to the Akal Takth, the ceremony of bring the Guru Granth Sahib ji to the golden temple is a thing to see, the fan fare and the amount of people there this early in the morning we had to experience it for ourselves.

My friend called it a night and I headed out on town to meet a local friend and we went for a cup of coffee at café coffee day at Ranjit Avenue, this is like the place to hang out and be seen in Amritsar. Right besides the CCD I happen to spot a Subway Sandwich Joint which was like a blessing, I ordered 2 foot longs and got them packed for dinner for my friend and me at the hotel once I get there. After coffee my friend drops me at the hotel and I head to the room and have dinner with my friend and we sleep early as we had placed a wakeup call at the front desk for 2 am and we wanted to be out before the ceremony begins. On dot 2 am we get a wakeup call and get ready and carry the essentials. We catch this manual powered rickshaw to the temple which set us back by 20 rupees. We enter the temple from the Jallianwala Bagh side. We place our shoes at the shoe centre before the temple this is a volunteer service provided by volunteers free of cost and your shoes and sandals remain safe here.
We wash our hands before entering the complex, I have been here so many times but this time was magical I have never seen the golden temple this early in the morning and in its full prestige and glow of the flood lights from all 4 sides of the temple, 1 can hear the kirtan (religious chanting) the sound of these kirtan is so crisp and clear 1 imagines the sound system they use here and I discovered that they were all BOSE speakers and ambiance speakers, everything was BOSE which is high end and they r the pioneers in sound technology for public places. The halo around the temple is just mystical; I could have just sat there and watched it for hours at an end. After capturing this moment in my eyes and heart and the camera, we take the left path to make a circle around the temple and then enter once we have our Prasad in our hand from the Prasad stand. The walk on the cold marble floor is so soothing and enchanting and 1 never lifts his eyes off the temple right inside the sarovar (Lake) which is glimmering in the flood lights. With Prasad in our hands we head to the golden temple which is a pathway right in front of the Akal Takth. We get there in minutes and inquire about the time of the ceremony to which we r told around 4:45 am which gave us plenty of time to explore the golden temple, we tako (Bow Down) our matha (head) inside the golden temple and went to the back and drink the holy water from the sarovar which is a must do, another thing people do at this spot is to do mopping and it is considered as a act of Seva (selfless act of helping) I also mopped after people who dropped water while taking it out from the sarovar and drinking. Then we went to the top of the golden temple and looked around and spent about 10 mins there it is a site to see from the top of the golden temple. We then came down and sat down in the golden temple and listened to the kirtan that was being chanted. It was about time that the ceremony was to begin of bring the Guru Granth Sahib ji from the Akal Takth and we strategically place ourselves on the way that leads out of the Golden Temple, usually people are following the procession inside but the line going outside is empty and we could see the procession perfectly without any pushing and shoving. The procession passed and stopped where we were standing and we got perfect darshan of the Guru Granth Sahib ji which was a spiritual moment in itself I could also capture this moment in my camera. We could not believe ourselves that we got the opportunity to see Guru Granth Sahib ji from so up close and get to do our darshan from this close up. I was so enchanted that tears rolled out of my eyes. The procession proceeded to the Golden Temple and we headed out giving high fives and cheering and in high spirits that this was a magical experience.

We decided to go say our prayers once again when the Guru Granth Sahib ji had been placed in the golden temple so we headed back in and had to sit in a queue for some time as the ceremonies were going on for placing the Guru Granth Sahib ji at its place. With the ceremonies finished we get to go into the Golden temple once again and we tako out matha once more and say our prayers by this time the rush has increased and the time is around 5:30 am. We step out of the golden temple complex and there is tea and snacks seva going on outside of the temple but we r too tired to have tea and we decide to go back to the hotel and call it a morning as we did not get adequate sleep the other night, we again catch a manual rickshaw to the hotel at the same rate as before and crash the moment we hit the bed. We get up around mid day and get dressed and freshen up and head out on the town for some light shopping and lunch at this famous restaurant called Prawan Da Dhabha which is an institution in itself and u cannot leave Amritsar if u have not had the fare at this restaurant, the food is fabulous and very tasty but 1 word of advice if u r not a big eater share what food u order as individual thalis are very hard to finish on your own. We ordered a thali which had a daal and choole and raita and 2 butter rotis in it which was enough for the both of us. After food in our stomachs we headed back to the hotel to pack and head to the station to catch our train back to Delhi.

This trip was so magical and spiritual. The golden temple calls every time and I like going there, but every time I am there the temple offers itself in a different form and a different way each and every time I am here. It is 1 of the most magical places I have ever visited and I want to go there every time.

Monsoon Magic in Mount Abu

Being the only hill station within driving range from Ahmedabad and a weekend off and a new car on hand for the run, there was nothing to do but to pack our bags and spend the weekend in Mount Abu. It was like an opportunity had been handed to us on a platter and all we had to do was take it and that is exactly what we did. It is about 228 Klms away from Ahmedabad and the road is said to be fantastic. We have been to Mount Abu so many times but every time has been an experience better than the last. We have in our earlier days with friends made this trip on Bikes and to recent times also(Refer to the travelogue BIKING TO MOUNT ABU) It being the monsoon season we were extra cautious and started early about 6 in the morning on Saturday as we wanted to avoid any delays or reroutes. In this journey we were accompanied by our family friend and his family which consisted of his son and wife, Kiran Uncle, Jagruti Aunty, Keyur their son & my mom.

We took the route that took us from Kalol, Mehsana, Siddhpur, Palanpur but enroute we decided to take a short 56 klms detour and go visit the famed temple at Ambaji. We stopped at the famous restaurant in Palanpur called WAY WAIT. We all had knickknacks to eat and started on our way. There r 2 ways that comes after Palanpur 1 goes towards the Rajasthan border and the other towards AMBAJI. Take the turn right after passing Palanpur and this road leads to Ambaji. This is a famed temple of the Goddess Ambe Ma also known as Sherawali in the north. The temple is beautiful and we took the blessings and said our prayers and headed towards our destination of Mount Abu. There is a back road from Ambaji that goes to Abu Road; this is the land point and the train head to reach Mount Abu which is 27 Klms from Abu Road. We reached Abu Road mid day and were greeted by the usual rail crossing which we have experienced always closed and this time was no different. Agonizing wait for 20 mins and negotiating traffic from the other side as they would not scratch my new car we reached the slopes which is a climb of 25 klms. Switching off the air conditioner in the car we started to climb. Slow and steady kilometers started to wipe off on the milestones and we reached a temple of Hanumanji which is famed by tales of which people say when 1 asks for something here it comes true and yr wishes r fulfilled, so we stopped here and said our prayers and headed to mount Abu, we reached the check post and paid the entry tax to mount Abu, this is used to upkeep the hill station and pay for the repairing and rebuilding the roads and civil services.

After paying the tax we head to our guest house which was pre arranged by Kiran uncle and we headed directly towards it which I had seen before so we did not need to ask for directions. We reached the guest house and checked into a room which was a suite room and we were informed our lunch was ready and we were very hungry and we hogged like mad the fare was basic Daal – Chawal, Roti - Subji simple but tasty. Came back the room and rested for some time and then decided to go for a picnic. Packed all our picnic gear which we were already carrying from home which consisted of snacks, cold drinks, ice and Orange flavored vodka and headed to this amazing picnic spot named JAWAI VIEW POINT(AKA AAMIR KHAN SPOT in our group) enroute to Gurushikhar the highest point of the Aravali Mountain Range which also houses a Temple and a mountain observatory owned and operated by the Space Department. This picnic spot has some gazebos on the side of the road which are covered and they over look a valley. Knowing it is the monsoon season we predicted that we would meet with dense fog at the picnic spot and we wanted it that way, the moment we reached the spot it was covered in dense fog, the fog was rolling and it kept coming and going which added to the beauty even more. Mom set up shop and started with the snacks and the drinks, this was a pleasurable 3 hours we spent here after listening to music and photos in all poses imaginable we decided to pack up and go to town and spend the evening in and around the Nakki lake. Legend has it that this small lake, virtually in the center of Mount Abu, was scooped out by god using only his nails, or nakh. Some Hindus thus believe it to be a holy lake. The lake is surrounded by hills, parks and strange rock formations. The best known, Toad Rock, looks just like a toad about to hop into the lake. There are two ways to go up and down the rock; to climb the rocky hill side or to use the steps leading down to Nakki Lake.  At the cross junction of Nakki lake we decided to go the other way to ANADRA Point which is very famous for its views and the mountains end here and all u can see till yr eye can see is endless landmass also u can see the sun set here every evening if the clouds permit, we were not so lucky as it was the monsoon season and there was heavy cloud cover but we could see the beautiful valley beyond this point. Again the photo secession began and after snapping endless photos we finally decided to go into town and have dinner and try our hand the traditional Rajasthani dish called DAL – BATTI which was superb, having visited Mount Abu so many times I already knew which restaurant to go to. We immediately went to that restaurant and ordered our food which was served piping hot and in the traditional way we were very hungry so ate like there was no tomorrow, with food in our tummies and an expense of Rs.158 for 5 people we headed to our guest house and decided to call it a evening and relax there only. Reaching the guest house we took hot showers as the weather had become cold and we needed to freshen up. All squeaky clean we all decided to play cards and judgment was the game for the evening. Around 11 every1 tired from the long journey from Ahmedabadand being out all day in and around were tired so called it a night. Sleep came very easily to me having driven over 300 klms in a day.

I had purposely put an alarm in my cell phone for 5:30 in the morning so I can get up and go to the lake and see the fog and experience the morning freshness of the mountain air. My alarm rang and I got up, kiran uncle was also awake by that time and inquired y I got up this early I told him my plan to which he also wanted in, he woke up aunty also and we all 3 headed to the lake in the car for hot BOURNVITA and BATATA POHA at lucky tea centre which is like an institution and 1 has to drink bournvita and eat poha here for sure. This is exactly opposite to the lake garden entrance and falls on the right hand side once u climb down the market slope. We reached and it was densely covered in fog. Lucky tea stall was still setting up shop for which we decided we would wait. Parked our car and uncle said he wanted to take a walk to which we all agreed. After taking a short 20 minute walk we came to lucky and he had already started to prepare his fare and we ordered tea and bournvita as well as poha for me. Having gobbled that down and making plans for the day to what is to be done today we went to the guest house and woke up mom and keyur they were still sleeping. The plan for the day was to visit the famous Dilwara Jain Temples. Dilwara Jain temples are 2.5 km away from the Mount Abu, which in ancient Hindu and Jain scriptures is referred to as Arbudgiri. The Dilwara temples were dedicated to the Jain tirthankars and also served as storehouses of illustrated manuscripts and treatises. The temples at Mount Abu were constructed between 800 AD and 1200 AD. Traditionally, Gujarat and Rajasthan were the centers of the merchants and princes and became great centers of architectural activities. Vimala Shah, Vastu Pala and Teja Pala contributed a lot toward the development of Jain art and architecture. The Jain temples at Mount Abu are built in the Nagara style of temple architecture. The earliest temple of this group can be dated back to the same period as Brihadeeswar temple at Thanjur in Tamil Nadu. The inscription at Mount Abu suggests that it was basically the seat of Shaivism and Jainism made its appearance in the 11th century AD.

It was 11 am by the time every1 got ready, we packed our knick knacks in the car and headed to the temple which is very very famous for its sculptures in marble dated in the times when there was no computer aided design, no modern tools and only mode of transport was 2 or 4 feet. We entered the temple and there r volunteers in the temple who would explain what is what something like a tour guide and 1 needs to pay them when the tour ends the rates are Rs.10 per person, the complex is huge and without a tour guide u would be lost as it needs to be explained how everything was made and what all the carving is about. A highly recommended place to see and experience if u r in Mount Abu. A good 2 hours passed within the temple and we came out it started to drizzle a little, we headed to the car and we all were very hungry so decided to head to the lake to have lunch, Mount Abu is like any other hill station in India, A lake, Market, Restaurants in and around that place and hotels all around. We headed to a restaurant named ARBUDA near the main taxi parking, we ordered various dishes and had them to our fill and as we were worn out we headed to the hotel for some rest and relaxation. Rested for some time and then headed out to the lake as mom and aunty wanted to do some shopping and browsing in the market, the ladies as usual stop at each and every shop and do not buy anything which was bugging me and I decided to go it alone with keyur so we headed to this pizza joint called US pizza outside the MAHARAJA hotel and ordered personal pizzas which he made in front of us and we enjoyed it sitting on the walls of the polo ground. Got 1 packed for the ladies and headed to meet them near the lake they were also hungry so they ate the pizza quickly and then we decided to go to the lake garden for another photo secession of every1 together. There I met a school friend who I was in school with since I was a small kid I think in the KG class. It was good catching up. We ended up spending the evening near the lake and just sitting around and gossiping and making merry.

It was around 7:30 pm to which Kiran uncle said that we need to be heading back to the guest house as dinner was ordered there and we had to be there by 8:30 to have dinner on time, so we said good bye to the lake and the people there and headed to the guest house and freshened up and had a wholesome dinner consisting of Bhakri, Kadhi, Khichdi and Subji which was filling and soul food. After dinner we headed to the room to pack as we had to leave for Ahmadabad the next day morning. 

This trip was rejuvenating and help us ease the stress and the daily problems we have in our lives. Mount Abu is like a magical place and the best thing it is in reach of Ahmadabad to which we can go easily when a long weekend is heading our way.  Best time to visit Mount Abu is in the monsoons and the winter pack yr bags accordingly as it rains all the time in the monsoons and dips well below zero in the winters.