Life in Mumbai Local Train ... Episode 2

Chowmein or Noodles?

Two girls talking to each other... I could make out from their talk that one of the girls is going to Delhi for a short trip, she had been there earlier also. I also could make out that the other girl knows about Delhi, have been there for a short period. 

First girl is so excited about her Delhi trip, especially for local shopping and street food. Of course, Delhi is famous for street food. Second girl is suggesting her to go to Lajpat Nagar market and Sarojini nagar market for local shopping and street food hogging. She showed her excitement and love for tandoori momos which you get only in Delhi. I also badly missed tandoori momos of Delhi which they serve with mayonnaise. The first girl was then more excited about her short trip . 

First girl: I want to go to many places but I don't have time. I love Delhi street food. So in Delhi they don't call noodles as noodles. They use a different name. I don't remember the name . What's that name? 

2nd girl : Spaghetti? 

First girl : No! I am talking about street shops, the local ones.

2nd girl: oh yeah... they call it Chowmein . 

First girl : Yes right. They called it Chowmein. Last time I asked for noodles they looked at me as if I asked for some alien food. Chinese will wonder seeing Delhi version of noodles... Chowmein.

I wonder myself... what about Mumbai triple... where they mix rice with noodles and serve with Manchurian and shev (bhujia). I still don't understand how can someone mix rice and noodles together . 

Tumhari Sulu Movie Review

Movie Review - Tumhari Sulu

This is one of the rarest cases where I went for a movie without having any clue about the movie. A friend of mine said let's go for this Vidya Balan movie. I said okay . We went for an evening show at an INOX.

Starting of the movie clearly depicts that it is a movie revolving around a woman from a middle class family. Sulochana aka Sulu is a housewife from a middle class family . She is shown as unsuccessful 12 class failed woman who tried her hands on so many things but failed in everything she tried. But she doesn't give up. She is always compared with her twin sisters who are doing well in their respective lives and career. Sulu 's husband is a struggling man, who works for a garment firm for the past 12 years. He is not happy with his work life. Sulu has a son also who add some humour and unnecessary tenstion to the story.

First half of the movie is interesting, as audience and as Vidya Balan's fan you would be keen to know what is coming next. From housewife, all of a sudden she became a late night RJ who works under Neha Dhupia. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Neha Dhupia.  She adds glamour and masala to this middle class family drama. Second half was boring, I feel that writers didn't know what to add in 2nd half, so they filled some unnecessary drama. Clearly story was dragged in 2nd half. Then all of a sudden they realised times up, movie needed to be over and they made it over. No kidding.

I give Tumhari Sulu 2 stars... for Vidya Balan and Neha Dhupia.

Gulabo... I want you more and more...

Indian Dessert Fusion

After having a ravishing dinner at Nirvana a famous restaurant in Mumbai, the manager came to ask if we want a dessert which is just out of the world. He offered Gulabo with lots of excitement and a big smile, we instantly said... Sure, why not?? Wait was little long... around 5 to 10 minutes. But let me tell you every second we waited was worth it. Gulabo came in a plate very well decorated and very beautiful. Slices of Gulab Jamun dipped in a flood of rabri. Centre attraction is a smooth creamy milk cake type, topped with half cut Gulab Jamun. The beautiful plate is garnished with chopped crispy almonds and pistachio. I can die for it over and over again.

Life in Mumbai Local Train ... Episode 1

Life in Mumbai Local Train is equally interesting like Life in Delhi Metro. I don't want to compare these two interesting journeys. With excitement I am writing my first episode of Life in Mumbai Local Train. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. 

It was a normal working day, I boarded the train at Marine Lines which is just one station away from Churchgate station where I had to get down. I sat next to three women. They must be in their late 40s or early 50s. They were going to work, I guess they work together. Like the way I and my friends do, they were discussing about 26 Jan holiday travel plan. Don't go by their looks and age , they were three smart women who could easily beat even teenagers in terms of energy and excitement. They planned to go to Aurangabad and visit Ajanta Elora . They planned to return on a Monday and go to office directly. Man ... this is what I do all the time... return on a Monday and go directly to work. I feel so happy to know that I am not alone.



It was a very short journey but I thoroughly enjoyed listening to their conversation. After they successfully planned their travel they moved to a new topic ... topic about a movie where there is Sanjeev Kumar and Shashi Kapoor . I have no clue which movie they were talking about . Then one of the ladies started singing a song from the movie . Another woman joined her. Then all three of them started singing together. They were least bothered about what others might be thinking about them... That's how it should be. A morning Mumbai local train journey like this is most welcome . 

Blackened Fish with Risotto Rice

Markiv's Cafe Churchgate

So, there is this cafe right next to Churchgate station Markiv's Cafe. I really like the ambience , wanted to go there for long . Finally the day came . One of the special items of the day was ... Blackened fish with risotto rice . Grilled basa fish, tomato olive base along with creamy risotto rice... I decided to go for this. It was an unexpected long wait but the wait was worth . A very well decorated plate with crispy colorful bell peppers , baby-corns and onions on the side of the plate and thyme leaves sprinkled on top of the crispy juicy blackened fish... a must try for all Mumbaikars who love fish. 

Spicy Crabmeat Soup

Fresh Flavour of crab meat

All thanks to my dear friend Mrinal who took me to this Chinese restaurant called Dynasty at Santa Cruz Mumbai. She recommended me to have spicy crabmeat soup. I am not a soup person but her excitement made me say yes. She wasn't wrong ... it was indeed very tasty . It has a fresh flavour of crabmeat and creamy base . Crunchy finely chopped vegetables add on the taste . It was raining outside which set the perfect mood for hot creamy soup...  what an evening !!! 

Eggs Kejriwal

SodaBottleOpenerWala Mumbai

I don't know about rest of India but Delhi people know very well about Kejriwal. No further comment on this. But I am here to talk about some yummy Kejriwal called Eggs Kejriwal... a very yummy eggy creamy snack made of toast, two sunny side up eggs, mushroom, cheese and many other secret ingredients. So next time when you go to famous Parsi restaurant SodaBottleOpenerWala do try this item... very yummy, very pocket friendly... it will not disappoint you for sure . 

Goan Delight in New Delhi

Fiery Goan Masala Chicken

Lady Baga Connaught Place Delhi

If you live in Delhi NCR and have a craving for authentic Goan food then answer is Lady Baga at P block Connaught Place. Not just the food, they have set a Goan ambience with colorful interior and sand floor to get a feel of Goa . 

Lady Baga Pub

We were impressed with the wide variety of food and drinks they offer. Their service was also very fast. What I love the most personally is Light my Fire... Masala Chicken, soft and tender boneless chicken cooked in fiery semi dry Goan masala . It is super duper spicy, very creamy and very yummy. As the name says  light my fire, it is hot like fire so not for people who can't tolerate spicy food. But me, being a foodie who loves very spicy food , it was a complete treat for me.  .

Trip to Kovalam and Poovar

Mighty Arabian Sea

Kovalam Beach

Kerala... here I come again. When People asked me about places  to visit in Kerala my answers are normally backwaters and Munnar. There is a new recommendation... Kovalam. From Kovalam you can go to many other nearby places. Kovalam beach is one of the cleanest beaches in India. Water was so clean I didn't mind getting completely wet in the waves. After having a cold refreshing time in the sea I went for a hot oil full body spa which was followed by steam bath. What else do you need to rejuvenate your body and mind?

Kovalam Beach

Villa Maya Heritage Restaurant

If you plan to visit Kovalam, you must also visit the heritage food place called  Villa Maya Heritage Restaurant.  The place looks so royal,  looks like a palace which got converted into a  restaurant. Ambience is too good. Food is out of the world. We were welcomed with a complimentary welcome drink along with something to munch. The drink was unique and very tasty, I wanted to ask the recipe of the drink but I got so lost gulping the heavenly food I forgot to ask.

Villa Maya Heritage Restaurant

 

Welcome Drink

Our driver took us to a point which was breathtaking. Mighty Arabian Sea and its mighty waves took my breath away. What amazed me more were two tiny boats sailing in that tide... mind blowing! I got scared seeing them but they were experts, they knew how to face the waves. The view reminded me of the movie Life of Pi. It was in fact much more thrilling than the movie.

Poovar Island and Backwaters

We went for a Boat ride to Poovar island. We went through the backwaters and canals surrounded by jungle. I was surprised to know that many portions of Hollywood movie Anaconda 2 was shot there. Jungle  was surrounded by mangrove trees. Mangroves  look like mangoes, but I got to know that they are highly poisonous fruits. We also saw different types of birds throughout our journey. Some canals are very narrow we could touch the wild plants and trees , it was indeed thrilling. 

Jungle Backwaters

 

Houseboat

Golden Sand Beach Poovar

Poovar Beach is also called Golden Sand Beach because of the golden color of the sand. Near the beach in the sea there was a beautiful rock in the shape of elephant, it indeed looked like an elephant with it's half body inside the sea. Poovar Beach is the connecting point between the backwaters and the Arabian Sea. It was amazing to see quiet  and calm backwaters at my left and violent and mighty Arabian Sea at my right. Another beautiful view was of the floating cottages at one of the islands nearby. I told myself that in my next trip to Kerala I would stay in one of the floating cottages. 

Floating Cottages

Elephant Rock

Kiwi Dates Cake

Eggless Cake

This one is for our vegetarian folks who don't eat eggs but love cakes. This is another experiment from my kitchen Nims Kitchen. I tried an egg-less kiwi dates cake.

 

Ingredients : Finely chopped dates, kiwi syrup, curd, maida (all purpose flour), atta (wheat flour), butter, vanilla essence, baking powder, baking soda , salt.

Step 1 : Melt 2 tablespoon butter. Mix it with finely chopped dates, 2 tablespoon kiwi syrup,three  tablespoon curd, one teaspoon vanilla essence.

Step 2 : Mix equal quantity of wheat flour and multipurpose flour. Add one teaspoon of baking powder and half teaspoon of baking soda. Add two pinch of salt.   

Step 3: Mix the whole ingredients very well till you have a smooth and lump free batter.

Step 4: Preheat oven at 180 degree C. Bake the cake for 20 to 30 mins or till it's crispy and golden brown in color at the top. Let it cool before cutting it.

Enjoy!!! 

5 mins Fluffy Atta Suji Cake

For Cake Lovers

Cake lovers... what if I say I made a  yummy fluffy microwave cake without maida (all-purpose flour ) but with atta (wheat flour) and suji (semolina)... yes it is super tasty, super easy and healthier than the ordinary cake. I am sharing the recipe with you. Do try it at home. It just takes 5 mins in microwave. 

Ingredients : wheat flour (atta), semolina (suji), butter, 2 eggs, mixed fruit jam, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract.

Step 1: Melt one tablespoon of butter. Mix two eggs and mixed fruit jam into it . I have replaced sugar with mixed fruit jam. Add the quantity as per your taste. Add one teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix them well.

Step 2 : Mix  atta and suji in 3:1 ratio. Add two pinch of baking powder and one pinch of baking soda. Add one pinch of salt. Mix them all in the above mixture till a thick creamy batter is formed. Adjust the quantity of atta and maida accordingly. 

Step 3: Pour the dough in a microwaveable cake jar. Bake it for 5 mins. That's it, you are done .

Enjoy!

Yummicious Potato Salsa

How to make Potato Salsa

Potato salsa is a very easy to make snack, very yummy... a must include in your house party menu. Everyone will love it, both your vegetarian and non-vegetarian friends. It is much healthier than other deep fried snacks. I will share my version of potato salsa from my kitchen.

Ingredients required - potatoes, mayonnaise, Italian seasoning, oregano, tomato sauce, hung curd, olive oil.

Step 1: Cut the potatoes into thin slices (not very thin like potato chips). Do not peel them. Potato peels will enhance the taste and crispiness. Cook them in water till they are half cooked. Remove them and keep them dry .

Step 2: Sprinkle olive oil, oregano, chili flakes, black pepper powder and salt on to the potatoes. Mix them well. Spread them in a flat pan. Bake it for 20 to 30 minutes at 200 degree C or till the potatoes are crispy and golden brown in color. Instead of baking, you can also put them on flame, stir them till they become crispy and golden brown in color.

Step 3 : To make my version of salsa dip, in a bowl mix equal amount of mayonnaise and hung curd. You can also use normal curd/yogurt. Add two teaspoon of tomato sauce and one teaspoon of chili sauce. Add good quantity of Italian seasoning or herbs. Mix them well. Salsa dip is ready. 

Enjoy!!!