When Life Gives You Lemons....

When life gives you lemons .......ride a bike.

I bought a bike last year and I absolutely love my 2 wheel wonder. Riding a bike reminds me of my childhood - being carefree with not a care in the world. For the few hours that I am on my bicycle I forget the million things that are looming in my ever fertile mind. My favorite ride in Manhattan is along the west side highway. The Hudson River keeps one company along the bike path that leads to either Fort Lee or the Cloisters (depending on the turns you take). Swerving in and out of traffic also is thrilling; the cab drivers are your worst enemies on the road - so you have to be careful; but the adrenalin rush of beating traffic is so worth it ! Nothing better that riding in the summer and then sipping some lemonade to cool off. 

Kachra

Kachra in Hindi means rubbish. I was introduced to this dish by my grandma’s cook. It is also known as Bhurji or Akuri and is yum specially on a rainy day. I think my cook called it Kachra because he would use the leftovers from the night before that would have gone into the dustbin. The secret to yummy Kachra is three fold use lots of chopped coriander, be lenient with the turmeric and make sure the consistency is wet. Below are pictures and the recipe; takes about ten minutes to make and serves 2.
Ingredients: 1/2 an onion finely chopped, 1/2 a tomato chopped, 1/2 a cup minced fresh coriander, 1 teaspoon ginger chopped,  2 teaspoons turmeric, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 2 curry leaves, 2 chopped green chili's, 4 eggs, 1 tablespoon oil, pinch of red chili powder, salt to taste.
Method: Heat the oil, throw in the curry leaves, onions, ginger, chilies. Let the onions brown. Add the tomato, turmeric, pinch of red chili powder, salt, coriander (powder & leaves) - mix well for about 2 minutes. Lower the heat; add in the whisked eggs and stir so that it does not stick. Turn the heat off when cooked. Make sure that it is not overcooked and still moist. Serve with hot roties or bread. Enjoy !        
 

Mommy, Me & Molten Chocolate Cake

Last month I was chatting with my mother and I almost fell off my chair when she said, “I just got this amazing recipe for Molten Chocolate Cake.. and it is so easy to make”. Now you might ask, why did I fall off the chair? Well, let me explain; in most traditional Indian families the woman is not only the queen of the house but most certainly the ruler of the kitchen. However, my family is a little different. My non-traditional mother has never entered the kitchen, as a result I was utterly surprised when she mentioned molten chocolate cake, cooking and easy in the same sentence. I slowly discovered that the cooking bug had bitten her; not only was she cooking cakes but also lemon meringue pies, asparagus soufflé and lamb stew. I now look forward to mother & daughter bonding over recipes which, until now, were restricted to father - daughter conversations (Yes, my dad is a fantastic cook!). Below are the pictures and recipe for MCC – pretty easy and a lot of fun !

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RECIPE:
455g best-quality cooking chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
50ml (less than quarter cup) hot espresso or good strong instant coffee
125g butter, plus extra for greasing
6 eggs, free-range or organic, separated
200g caster sugar
100g ground almonds
100g rice flour
1 small handful chopped hazelnuts, toasted
Melt 125g chocolate with the coffee, then pour into small ice-cube moulds and freeze until hard. Take 6 small 3 inch pastry rings, dariole moulds or cappuccino cups and grease well with some butter. Place in the fridge while you make your sponge mixture. Melt the remaining chocolate with the butter in a bowl over a pan of boiling water, then in a separate bowl whisk the egg whites with the sugar until firm. Fold the yolks into the cooled chocolate and butter mixture, then add the almonds and flour. Finish by carefully folding in the egg white mixture. Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5. Take your moulds out of the fridge and spoon a little mixture into each one, then push in a cube of the frozen coffee and chocolate mixture. Cover with the rest of the sponge mixture so each ice cube is completely enveloped. Bake in the preheated oven for about 18–20 minutes, then remove carefully from the moulds while hot. Serve immediately sprinkled with hazelnuts

Rainy Day

If any of you were in New York today you would have experienced the downpour that refused to stop. I ventured out covered in plastic with my weather-sealed Olympus E3. Both the camera and I were drenched. As a kid I loved playing in the rain. Rain in India is always welcomed with open arms – it usually is a break from the scorching heat. Here in NYC it gets cold, damp and depressing. What I like doing when it rains in new york is either sit at home in PJs and watch many movies or go out and have a long brunch session. Today I did the latter and took some pictures along the way. Since the rains are here hopefully that means spring and summer are close by.        

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Breakfast for a King or Queen

I am very passionate about eating and cooking food; but most of all I love to cook for people who enjoy food. After a late Friday night what was much needed was a scrumptious breakfast. I cooked a typical Parsi dish called “Wafer par Ida” – Eggs on Chips. It is yummy and really easy to make.

Ingredients: 1 bag of potato chips, 4 eggs, 1/2 a cup of minced coriander, 1/2 a cup of caramelized onions, 1 teaspoon of diced green chilies, a pinch of cayenne pepper powder, salt, a pinch of garam masala powder.

Heat a medium sized skillet.

Break open the bag of chips remove them one handful at a time – dip the chips in water for 30 seconds (you should have a big pot of room temperature water ready) as you remove the wet chips smoosh them together and start creating a layer on the skillet. Keep doing this one handful at a time creating a thin layer on the pan. Pat it down so that it is even. Let this layer simmer for 5 minutes.

Break the 4 eggs on this layer sprinkle the garam masala, salt, cayenne pepper, caramelized onions, green chilies and coriander. Cover the skillet till the eggs are cooked.

I paired this with a simple avocado, radish and tomato salad with olive oil, salt & pepper. It was the perfect breakfast!     

Eating my way through Goa

I have been visiting Goa ever since I was a child. When I think of Goa I see old white-washed churches, beaches that go on forever, restaurants that have unique fusions of food, the crazy trance scene, the hippies, tie and dye shirts, Tito’s, Fenny… I could go on free associating with Goa as I have had so many different experiences there. This visit to Goa was all about food. I literally ate my way through it in the 2 days I was there. Below are the restaurants I visited and highly recommend:

Amigo’s – located below the Nerul bridge near Candolim. It is a small place specializing in Goan food. The menu changes everyday as it depends on what fresh fish is available; so you know the food is going to be great. Call ahead if you want something special. I highly recommend the fish curry rice and crab with garlic butter sauce.

Thalassa Greek Taverna located above Vagator Beach – it is a spot from where the sunset looks absolutely gorgeous – reserve a table and get there before the sun sets (duh!) – the views are breathtaking.   

Lila Café is located in Baga; we went there each morning to get our fill of the amazing coffee, breads and pate’s. One can spend an entire morning being lazy - reading, relaxing and eating the fantastic food.

Savoi Plantation: I could write pages about this place. It is located about 25 km from Panjim (center of Goa). On the day you decide to go (for lunch preferably) make sure you do not eat – you will need your appetite to enjoy this gastronomical delight. The first course consisted of mussels, lobster, tiger prawns and crabs. We then took a break and walked around the plantation’s lush greenery to return to a 15 dish main course. Eating on banana leaves in a tree house only added to this truly unique experience. The food was phenomenal as was the kokum juice that we washed it down with. This is an experience you do not want to miss.
  
Some places that have a fusion theme to it are J&A’s, I 95, Poisson Rouge & Fiesta. Go to these spots if you are yearning for some Italian or French with a Goan flare to it. Below are a few pictures that I took along the way. 

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Hampi and Badami

By day 2 we were getting used to being tourists in India and were wowed by every aspect of what we saw. Our cameras working over time; we did not want to miss a single shot. We spent the entire second day in Hampi - the capital of the Vijayanagra Empire built between 1336 – 1565 and on the third day we visited the Badami caves that date back to 600 AD; they made of almond colored sandstone and get their name from the stone; almond in Hindi is Badam. The city and the caves were spectacular – I could imagine a civilization flourishing in these surroundings by the banks of the Tungabhadra river. 
As we were exploring Hampi I could not help but compare it to Machu Pichu. We had visited Peru earlier in the year. Both were built around the same time – one was a learning and religious center way up in the mountains and the other was a sprawling capital of an empire that had temples and monuments at every turn. Machu Pichu is made from stone and is a glorious salute to Incan architecture and engineering. While Hampi has beautiful carvings adorning every aspect rich with art and culture. Sadly,  I also noticed was how the Indian government had maintained Hampi; plastic bottles everywhere, graffiti on the walls tarnishing history that goes back thousands of years. In comparison, The Peruvian government has taken the maintenance of Machu Pichu very seriously; restricting the number of tourists that can visit and not allowing visitors to carry anything that would tarnish the the premises. Both are UNESCO World Heritage sites that I was fortunate to visit in the same year. Below are some pictures.

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The Golden Chariot - Day 1

The Chariot was Purple not Golden - but felt like a princess in it. The Golden Chariot is a luxury train that travels through Karnataka, India stopping at key places; from where you go on excursions. The three days I spent on the train were phenomenal. At first it felt a little awkward being a tourist in ones own country. I was used to being the guide for people visiting India not the other way around. I soon accepted that being away for almost 10 years would qualify me as a visitor. The train experience was great - I would compare it to a cruise ship but on a train. It had a spa, restaurant, bar and gym. The rooms were small but comfortable.
We joined the train mid-way at Hassan; from where we had excursions to Shravanabelagola famous for the colossal statue of Gommateshwara in the morning; and in the afternoon we visited Belur and Halebidu - cities that are the epicenter of Hoysala architecture. All three places were simply breathtaking. It amazes me how much history, culture and beauty there is in India - we had only barely scratched the surface. Click below to see pictures from the first day aboard GC.

Bombay by Night

Bombay has two sides to her, you can love her or hate her; but at night you can't help but be charmed and mesmerized by this beautiful city. I had interesting experiences (trying) to photograph Bombay at night. As I was clicking a man approached me; he thought I was from a media outlet taking pictures and would not leave until I took a picture of him. Another warned me that I would get arrested for taking pictures because the police would think I was planning a terrorist attack. A third thought I was a lost tourist and offered to help me find my way. Not once did they just let me just take my pictures; but that is India for you everyone is ready to help and poke their nose in your business. It is the way of this country that you can either love or hate. Hope you enjoy the pictures below.

PEDDAR ROAD TRAFFIC: No matter what time of night or day always expect a traffic jam

 

 

 

 

 

 

VICTORIA TERMINUS: Now called Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus; will always be VT to me 

FLORA FOUNTAIN: She has been observing Bombay since 1864 

 

 

ASIATIC LIBRARY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ANTILIA: The worlds most expensive residence

India - How I Miss Thee

I spent the last three weeks in India. I go to India almost every year; but this time I had the most amazing vacation ever. It was the perfect storm of friends, family, weddings, traveling, food and new experiences. The highlights of the trip were attending 4 weddings - one of which lasted 4 days, traveling by train, visiting beautiful temples and cities in Karnataka, chilling with friends, spending time with the family, eating our way through Goa, visiting my high school and the food - I ate like there was no tomorrow. I took a lot of pictures, I plan on blogging about all of the above and more - so be prepared for an India overload over the next few weeks !
I am going to start with a picture that I took in Karnataka at Shravanabelagola. It is one of my favorite pictures of the trip. I captured a moment when I look at is calming and serene; but in reality there were hundreds of people around us. Photography is all about what you see and not about what exists. Hope this whets your appetite for the next few posts.