Travel (Mis)adventures, Kitchen Tales and Inspiring Conversations; heartfelt stories from a girl out to achieve her simple dreams
It’s a common enough complaint of a child of any age that his/her parent nags and tends to hover. I shared the same sentiments. But all of that came to a screeching halt – albeit temporarily – when it came to the trip with my parents to Scotland. Because with startling clarity, I realised I’d …
“I decided to become a chef when I was 10 years old and I never changed my mind. Never ever. I remember telling my father that I want to become a cook.”
When I boarded the airplane to Bristol at the Edinburgh Airport in September 2017, I’d been thinking about the perfect week spent in Scotland, hoping I could visit the country again. Who knew I would be on Scottish soil before hitting the year-long mark! “We must visit Scotland. I want to show your mother around …
It’s creepy, the way social media throws up ‘Watch This’ or ‘Read This’ suggestions. From the usual food videos, discounts by travel companies, cute baby and pet videos and sitcom snippets to the more unusual ‘trending’ and ‘viral’ videos of people barfing, crazy challenges, strange habits, there’s a constant barrage of visuals. While I’m still …
Sometimes, its good to revisit the beginnings, right? It’s time to reflect on where it all started and it begins with ‘Once upon a travel’
The best recipes, in my opinion, come from a mother’s memory. And she is also undoubtedly the best cook in the whole wide world. Little wonder then that I started off my culinary lessons under my mother’s loving and watchful eye. I happened to mention this to Kamini during our conversation that I’ve shared a …
I was all of 18 when I marked the first international trip of my life. It was with the elder sister Raka, and we flew to Bangkok where she was pursuing a Masters’ degree. We stayed in her boarding room, part of a two-room unit with a shared bathroom and kitchenette. My first memory of …
Temporary workspaces are so much fun! You move out of your personalised space and set up shop at a different location. A visit to the unknown rejuvenates the mood and makes your workspace dearer on return. I change my workspace often when back home. Pack up my little bag and head to a cafe, settle …
The past month has been spent happily basking in the English summer sun and revelling in the much needed family time with the three of us – the parents and me – heading down to spend time with the elder sister and brother-in-law who’ve set up home in UK. The parents also wanted to travel …
Yes. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So say my parents and half the world around me! But I sing a different tune. Coz for me, while breakfast is important, the mid-morning snack, lunch, evening bites, dinner and late night craving are equally important. I don’t believe in playing favourites with meal …
Follow my blog with Bloglovin Nearly a decade of living in the United Kingdom has made the elder sister a good cook and an almost expert in the art of ‘kitchen substitutes’. A cheerleader for the ‘quick and easy’ meal squad, Raka (the elder sister’s name that means ‘full moon’) confesses that she has learned …
Follow my blog with Bloglovin On an average day, rolling out of bed seems to be the hardest thing to be done. But occasionally, I wake up ready to take on the world, my heart pounding with the excitement of having achieved something. Even if it is something minor. Like perhaps having convinced you to …
Follow my blog with Bloglovin Confession: I dislike fruits, vegetables, greens and the category. Give me some fresh fruit juice or a stir fry and I will gobble up the goodness in seconds. Hand me the raw and they will remain untouched. Which means all the greens and veggies in my salads have to be …
Follow my blog with Bloglovin If Baku is the potpourri of the old and new and Gabala is that beauty spot hidden in the mountains of Azerbaijan, Shaki is an old painting come alive. Cobbled streets, old buildings with exposed bricks, quaint coffee shops and tiny chai khanas, Shaki has held on to the old …
There is something magical in the way eggs, whisked thoroughly, seasoned with a pinch of salt and cooked in a pat of butter or oil, can produce something as deceptively simple like an omelette. And I speak of the basic omelette. Type in the word ‘omelette’ in the search engine of your choice and it …
For most tourists, Gabala or Qabala is a preferred winter destination considering the plethora of winter sports that can be enjoyed on the slopes of the Greater Caucasus mountain range. In fact, Mount Bazarduzu, the highest peak in the Republic of Azerbaijan is located in this region. But summer in Gabala isn’t too bad, I …
“I’m about to board the flight/train. See you soon.” “Okay. By the way, what do you want for lunch/dinner?” “You know Maa! Moshuri daal, bhaat, ghee maakha aloo sheddo (red lentil soup, steamed rice, mashed potato seasoned with ghee and salt)” This conversation, or a version of it, is repeated each time I am on …
One of my biggest concerns when the blog was taking off five months ago was photographs. I could manage the touristy/birthday photos with my little camera. But I needed better. While I was struggling with these issues and hoping I could get the blog rolling on time, someone told me that an “awesome” photographer was about …
If you thought Baku is the beginning and end of Azerbaijan, and that I was done talking about my weeklong trip, you were soooooo wrong! Seven days is long enough time to tuck several experiences under your belt. And if those days are spent in a country like Azerbaijan, it is sufficient time to explore …
A news alert two days ago declared that the western part of India will experience monsoon “in 2-3 days”. Which means me, along with scores of others, have joined the thousand others sending prayers to the rain gods! But until the rains arrive, I am busy enjoying the last of the mango rush. Like almost …
Did you know? # The process of making Azeri specialities dolma and flatbreads (lavash, katyrma, jupka, yufka) are inscribed in UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. # Azerbaijan cuisine boasts of more than 30 types of soups. # Black caviar from the Caspian Sea is among the most sought after in …
There is a lot of food culture that goes on in the home and in the community in non-traditional ways. Food is a lot more than restaurants. – Eddie Huang (American chef, food personality) For me, home is where food becomes an expression of love, a comfortable hug, a celebration, a new tradition, an experience, …
Holy smokes! A year ago at this time I was walking through the lanes of Athens, debating over souvlaki and gyros while ticking places off my ‘must visit’ list. With my favourite travel partners – the elder sister and brother-in-law – I was busy getting a Greek sun tan. Fast forward to the summer of 2018 and …
I promise to make your mouths salivate and ensure that you dream about the wealth that is the Azerbaijani cuisine soon but before that, I do need to touch upon and introduce you to a fascinating experience that is part of the Azari social fabric. This is the drinking of chai or tea, served with some local or homemade fruit preserve that they call ‘jam’.
If you have just one day on hand to spend in Baku, then you must spend time in the Old City. Protected by a boundary wall, the most ancient part of Baku includes the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and the Maiden Tower, both of which have been listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. In fact, if memory serves right, all of the Old City is marked as a World Heritage Site.
My idea of packing has always been to create a huge pile of ‘things to carry’ in one corner of my bed. That pile invariably covers the whole bed leaving me a sliver of space to sleep in. And then, say half a day before I am to leave, I will start frantically dumping things into the bag, much to the exasperation of Maa who loves her things organised.
With a cooking time of just 20 minutes and the flexibility of loading with as many vegetables as you want and seasoned with just two ingredients – turmeric and chaat masala, this is a winner. “I don’t remember where I learned this from but what I do know is that I love it and so do the kids. Makes that a win-win situation!” she says.
On the second day of our stay in Munnar, after we checked out of a the lovely Clouds Land Home Stay, we drove up the winding roads to the Lockhart Tea Estate to understand how tea is processed.
Much to my surprise, and the delight of vegetarian friends, I found out chilli chicken has a cousin, the chilli potato. Manu, the owner of our accommodation in Munnar, served his version of the chilli potato on a cool summer evening, paired with a glass of wine. My taste buds did the jiggy-whiggy as I savoured the crispy piece of potato, coated with the sauces, the flavours of garlic and ginger taking me to taste heaven.
when summer came in this year, Kerala topped the list of ‘places to travel’ with the quaint Munnar giving a new meaning to ‘rolling hills’ and ‘winding roads’.
When there are shrimps or prawns in the house, we are in for a treat because it’s time for lau chingri, a recipe wherein finely chopped bottle gourd is cooked with the seafood and served as a side dish.
Kanyakumari is a postage-stamp sized town in comparison to other towns that you may have travelled to. You can easily cover the touristy and non-touristy bits of the city in a day.
Hot humid air that carries the smell of sea and scorching sun are two characteristics I will always associate with the town. Those were the two things that shook me when I hopped off the train at Kanyakumari station.
Ladies and gentlemen, I learned to make chhana. Chhana is a kind of cheese curd made from milk by adding food acid. Similar to cottage cheese, chhana is the base of several Indian and especially Bengali sweets.
It’s that time of the year! I’ve been waiting for Poila Boishakh, the first day of the Bengali calendar, for some time now. Celebrations aside, the best part of this day is the aroma of traditional food that wafts out of the kitchen. This year, Poila Boishakh is on Sunday, April 15.
This is the tale of the princess who turned her passion and love for the little packet into a lucrative business.
This is the tale of Snigdha Manchanda, corporate slave-turned-tea sommelier and teapreneur, who is among the handful of people working to guide a nation of chai lovers towards understanding their teas better.
Its summer and everyone is planning their summer holiday! And I have been peppered with queries about Athens.
There is not much you cannot do in Athens primarily because tourism being among the main industries, there is a lot of freedom you will enjoy provided you are careful.
A Bengali can regale you with tales of incidents and heated discussions that have occurred as the family tucked into a Sunday lunch, seated around the steaming pot of maangsho jhol and white rice. And every Bengali is emotionally connected to this curry.
I strongly feel vulnerability is not specific to gender, age or region. A lone individual in a foreign country may be considered easy prey and rather than allow the fear of “What if!” inhibit our movement and the joy of travel, a few conscious measures could make the trip a memorable experience in the good way.
How I would wish a good soul would invite me home for some yummylicious Bengali food and let me be a part of family time on a festive day. Sigh… that did not happen to me but it did prompt me to ensure wherever I am, a party to celebrate the Poila Boishakh on April 14/15th is a must.
Would you be a Good Samaritan and invite a lone friend home for dinner on April 15 and celebrate their New Year.
Can I go for another vacation please? I know, I know. You’ll say, “Girl, you just got back from a 10-day trip and you want to go off again?” But travelling is my tonic.