Butter Garlic Mushroom Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 dozen mushroom tops 
• 2 Tbsp melted butter 
• 1 tsp herbs 
• 2 tsp garlic paste 

Procedure:

• Preheat the oven at 160 degrees Celsius 
• Mix the melted butter, herbs and garlic together and coat the mushrooms. 
• Bake the mushrooms on a pan for 10 minutes.  
• Enjoy them warm straight from the oven

5 day trip to Jaisalmer

My husband and I just got back from a 5 day trip to Jaisalmer to end 2018 and welcome the New year 2019. While planning my itinerary I realized there are very less resources on the internet available to plan a 5 day trip to this beautiful town. I think the main reason being usually people do not stay for more than 2-3 days at Jaisalmer.

So here goes our itinerary which was well spaced out and not too hectic.

Day 1 – Our flight landed in the morning and we took a taxi to our hotel which was less than half an hour away. (While on the flight don’t miss to look out of your window when you’re close to landing, you would tend to see stretches of windmills below). We didn’t want to waste the day and got out at 12:00pm to tour the city. Depends on where you are staying within the city, it is quite small and can be traversed on foot.

Patwon Ki Haveli

Patwon Ki Haveli

We first headed to see the Patwon Ki Haveli and with the help of a guide learnt a lot about the palace and its history. There is a small courtyard in front of the Haveli where you can stop and relax and listen to some local Rajasthani folk street singers. Being lunchtime we headed to KB café which was highly recommended but unfortunately when we reached they had a waiting time of 20 minutes. We landed up at eating at another café which wasn’t that great. Post lunch we headed to the next Haveli which was Nathmal Ki Haveli, since the Haveli is occupied by its owners you can only view it from outside which was a pretty site but could be skipped.

Vyas Chatri

Vyas Chatri

We then caught an auto-rickshaw and headed to Vyas Chatri which was 15 minutes away. This cemetery (cenotaphs) is a hilltop of beautiful golden sandstone structures and not very touristy so quite peaceful. 

Gadisar Lake

From here you can head by auto-rickshaw to Gadisar lake which was an artificial lake constructed to supply drinking water to the city of Jaisalmer. Now it isn’t used anymore for supplying drinking water and you can catch a boat ride to enjoy the view of the setting sun.

Opposite the road from the lake is a Desert Cultural Centre where you can catch a puppet show at 6:30pm and 7:30pm daily. After which we headed back to our hotel Pleasant Haveli and enjoyed a quite candle light dinner under the stars.

Pleasant Haveli

Pleasant Haveli

Pleasant Haveli

Day 2 – Morning post breakfast at the hotel we headed to Jaisalmer Fort. 

Jaisalmer Fort

Don’t forget to get a guide to explain the history and anecdotes of the fort. 

Jain Temple

Jain Temple

The Jain temple inside is a must-see for the intricate architecture which is quite mind blowing. (Note the temple closes to visitors at 12:00pm so please plan your visit accordingly). Post which we visited a 400 year old house which was converted to a museum. 

Golden City

We stopped for lunch at Dessertboys café which had a very cute garden filled with Bougenvillas and an even more beautiful view of the golden city of Jaisalmer from the fort. Even though it’s a vegetarian place, the food was quite delicious. We then headed to get a taste of some local bhang (marijuana) which is sold legally in Jaisalmer.  The government authorized shop at the entrance of the fort sold bhang in various options (Tandai, banana Lassi, etc.). We then decided to return to our hotel and have a siesta. Post a short nap headed to Bada Bagh in an auto-rickshaw which is a garden filled with ornate cenotaphs dedicated to the royal family.

Mandir Palace

We then returned to the city and went to Trio restaurant at Mandir palace but all tables being booked, headed to Saffron restaurant at Nachna Haveli. They had some live Rajasthani music which kept us entertained during dinner.     

Day 3 – Since we were heading to the dessert today we had to checkout at 10:00am and had free time up to 2:00pm. So we wandered back to the Havelis and thought we’d just laze around at the Patwon Haveli courtyard and listen to Rajasthani folk music. We realized we hadn’t visited all the 5 Havelis on day 1 and thought we’d explore one more on our own. 

Vampire Bats

What I loved about this Haveli was that there weren’t much tourists inside so we had the Haveli to ourselves. We soon figured why not many visited, when we found pathways with vampire bats on the ceilings. They were spooky and interesting at the same time making this Bat-Haveli my favorite one. It also has by far the best view of the Jaisalmer fort from its rooftop.

Marwari Thali

We then headed for an early lunch to KB café (this time since we were early we got a table). We shared a Marwari vegetarian Thali which was one of the best we’ve had. Our hotel Pleasant haveli had then arranged for a non-touristy trip to the dessert. 

Abondoned Village

They took us in their 4 wheel drive car to the desert. On the way they stopped at Kuldhara which is an abandoned village. It was quite interesting walking amongst the remains of the village which is believed to be haunted as well. After an hour they stopped at where our camels were ready to take us for a ride to our sand dunes. 

Thar dessert camel ride

The one hour journey was quite interesting since we spotted foxes, deer, wild camels and other creatures on the way. bonfire and were cooking our meal. After a hearty meal we sat by the fire enjoying the star-studded sky. The helpers put out mattresses on the sand and blankets to keep us warm. We slept literally under the stars and was one of the best new-year eve experiences ever.

The highlight was when we reached the dunes, they were just gorgeous and we couldn’t have enough of them. We perched ourselves on top of one sand dune and stared into the horizon looking at the sun set in front of us with hot chai in our hands. Some time after the sunset it starting getting really cold and we walked back to our little makeshift camp. The helpers had started a bonfire and were cooking our meal. After a hearty meal we sat by the fire enjoying the star-studded sky. The helpers put out mattresses on the sand and blankets to keep us warm. We slept literally under the stars and was one of the best new-year eve experiences ever.

Day 4 – after some hot chai and a warm breakfast we headed back to the city. You can choose to take a camel-ride or a jeep ride back. The hotel was nice enough to give us a room to shower and freshen up and post lunch hired a taxi and headed to winds dessert camps.

Winds Dessert camps

The camp was around 45 minutes away from the city and had these nice Swiss luxury tents. We reached and caught a shot nap. They had planned a camel ride to the sand dunes but since we had our bit of camel fun already we skipped it. In the evening they had arranged for live Rajasthani music and dance around a bonfire which was delightful followed by a good spread of local delicacies.

Day 5 – We had applied for a pass to visit the India-Pakistan border the day before. (Note: no foreign nationals allowed, only Indians). 

Longewala Post

So our taxi driver picked us up at 10:00am and we headed to Longewala post which was two hours away. A half an hour visit highlights the battle of Longewala with the help of a museum, and a short movie.

Tanot Mata Mandir

Tanot Mata Mandir

 We then carried on to Tanot Mata Mandir where we hear about the miraculous tale of how the Pakastani tank bombs that were fired at the temple didn’t explode and protected the soldiers. 

India-Pak Border

India-Pak Border

We then had a quick hunger stop for some Maggi noodles and then carried on to visit the India-Pakistan border which awoken the patriot in both of us. On our long drive back we stopped at a local dhaba at Ramgarh and enjoyed some good vegetarian food. We reached the hotel late in the evening and after freshening up headed to Trio for dinner.

View of Mandir Palace from Trio 

Day 6 – caught the flight out of Jaisalmer 😊

Chocolate Truffles with leftover egg yolks

I'm always wondering what to do with the extra egg yolks we have lying around. I usually cook them and give them to the crows or pigeons to eat. But this is definately a yummier way to use those leftover egg yolks.

Ingredients:

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup chopped chocolate 
• 1/4 cup of chopped Nuts

Instructions:

• Take the chopped pieces of chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat it at 15 seconds intervals until melted well.
• Mix one egg yolk in the melted chocolate until blended well.
• Roll the chocolate mixture into balls and roll them in the chopped nuts. 
• Voila !! delicious Chocolate truffles !!

Easy Leftover Chicken Oats Healthy Breakfast

We all are aware of the benefits of oats as a healthy meal option especially for breakfast and I'm always on the look out for savory options we can have for breakfast.  Also hate to see any food going to waste and leftover chicken (especially from a curry) is usually the easiest to re-use since it's already got some flavorful taste from the curry.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Shredded Leftover chicken 
• 1 diced medium sized onion
• 2 chopped cloves of garlic 
• Olive Oil (or any other oil)
• salt to taste 
• 1/2 cup instant oats
• 1 cup water 

Serves: 2

Instructions:

• Heat oil in a wok, add the onions and garlic and toss around till it starts to brown but still crisp
• Add the shredded chicken and stir for few minutes 
• In a seperate pan add the oats and salt to the hot water and cook for a couple of minutes.  
• Once the oats are cooked add the chicken mixture to the oats and eat hot

Sweet Potato and Peanut Chaat

Over the years I've enjoyed making healthy sweet potato snacks, one because it's taste is so unique and delicious by itself that adding just 2-3 few ingredients makes it such a filling and fulfilling snack!

After a refreshing morning walk by the sea with a friend, we had a chance of  tasting this preparation at The Farmer's Market last Sunday in Bandra. And I instantly knew I had to try this recipe out. So here it goes;

Serves: 4

Difficulty Level: Easy

Ingredients:
2 Medium size Boiled sweet Potatoes
1/2 Cup crushed peanuts
1/4 tsp Chaat masala
1/4 tsp Aamchur (Mango Powder)
1/4 tsp Black Salt
1/4 Paprika (or a dash of chilli powder)
2 tsp chopped coriander leaves
1 lime (juice)

Method:
Add all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together and serve warm. Yes it's that easy.

Mango French Toast

Ingredients :

1. 4 slices bread 

2. 1 egg 

3. 3/5 cup milk 

4. 4-5 Tbsp Aamras (mango purée)

5. Oil 

Method:

1. Add the egg, milk and aamras in a bow and beat till well mixed. 

2. Add oil to the pan. 

3. Dip one slice of bread in the mixture for 1 minute and then soak the reverse side 

4. Add to the heated oil on the pan 

5. Cook each side for 2-3 mins until brown and eat hot 

Dark Chocolate French toast Recipe

Ingredients:

1 Cup Milk

1 Egg

2 Tsp Sugar

1 Tbsp Dark Cocoa

5 slices Bread

1 tsp Butter / Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Chopped Dark Chocolate

Procedure:

1. Beat together the milk, eggs, sugar, cocoa till well blended. Not to worry if the Cocoa is not fully blended, it still tastes delicious once cooked.
2. Heat a flat pan over medium heat and lightly brush with Olive oil or Butter
3. Dip each side of the bread in the egg mixture until well soaked. Place in pan and cook on both sides till brown around 3-4 minutes each side.
4. Add the chopped dark chocolate pieces on top while still hot and spread evenly once melted
5. Enjoy warm J

Tangy Oats Dosa

To make: 3 Medium Size Dosas

Ingredients:

• 1 cup coarsely ground Oats
• ½ Cup Water
• 1 finely chopped small sized Onion
• ½ finely chopped Tomato
• 1 Tbsp Schezwan Sauce (Or any spicy sauce)
• 1 Tbsp Sweet Bell Pepper sauce (or any sweet sauce)
• 2 tsp Oil

Procedure:

1. 1    Sauté the chopped onions in ½ tsp oil and keep aside.
2. Sauté the chopped tomatoes in ½ tsp oil and keep aside
3. Add the sauted onions, tomatoes,  sauces to the powdered oats  and mix. Add water enough to make it a batter and mix till of thick consistency.
4. Heat ½ tsp oil in a flat pan and pour half a cup of batter onto the surface and spread into a circle.
5. Turn over once browned and remove from pan once cooked.
6. Serve Hot

Mustard Chicken and Boiled Egg-White Open Sandwich Recipe

Ingredients:

3 slices of Whole Wheat Bread

3 tsp Ketchup/ Hot and sweet Sauce

½ chopped Onion

½ chopped Tomato

½ cup shredded  cooked Chicken

2 Sliced Boiled Eggs (Only Egg White)

2 tsp Whole Mustard Sauce

1 tsp Olive Oil

1 tsp Powdered Parmesan Cheese

Method:

1. Heat little oil in a pan and toss the onions until brown and remove

2.  Add tomatoes to the pan and cook for 2 minutes and remove

3. Heat a littlee oil and add the chicken and toss around. Add mustard sauce and toss around and remove.

4. Apply Sauce on the bread slices, add cooked onions and tomatoes  on the top. Add egg white slices and chicken

5. Bake until the bread is brown and crisp. Alternatively you can microwave for couple of minutes.

6. Remove and sprinkle cheese.

7. Ready to devour.

Window Seat or Aisle Seat?

Where else can you see a gigantic snow-capped mountain emerge from a sea of clouds?

Where else can you see the sight of a dozen skyscrapers pointing tall at you?

Where else can you see clouds so white and fluffy you would just like to skip and jump through?

Where else can you see the sun rise above the horizon in all its glory?

Where else can you see an expanse of geometric designs of agricultural fields below?

Where else can you see the blinding yellow lights welcoming you to a City that never sleeps?

Where else can you see a starry night sky transform into a beautiful morning sunrise in one panoramic view?

Where else can you see another plane flying parallel to you at a far distance ?

Where else can you experience nothing but just vast emptiness ?

Where else can you see the milky white rivers flow through the hills below you?

Where else can you see a mesmerizing sunrise outside your window as you wake-up early morning?

Where else can you see full sized ships look like small rocking boats?

Where else can you see a gorgeous sunset paint itself as you fly by?

Only from a Window Seat !

Inspiration …

Since growing up as a kid, we've always had many people ask us “Who we want to be when we grow up?”, “Who is our idol?”, “Who is my Mentor?” . And I always struggled to answer those questions. The reason is because I never wanted to be like any ONE particular person. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not like I felt there was no one good enough to emulate.

But instead of one person to look up to, for me I get inspired and like many a quality from different individuals I come across in life.

Right from the unconditional and selfless love I've learnt from my Mother, or the independence and value for hard work and money my Father taught me, or Discipline and Respect for others from my Teachers at school. Whether it was basketball tricks from my neighbor, or Michael Jackson making me realize how we should care for the people who are not as fortunate as us, or the advice from my brother of being more realistic than optimistic. Close friends have taught me to how to open up and share the good times and the bad. My first boss showed me how to be passionate and love my work, whereas my Senior VP showed us how you can have a work life balance and still be an outstanding achiever. An ex-boyfriend teaching me how to love myself for what I am or that one guy in Business school telling me ‘Be confident’ just as I stepped into my Job interview….

So what I mean to say is- Take the lessons which work for you, that make you grow as a person. Don’t compare your life or your success to others. Compete with yourself. Learn new things every day. Unlearn the things which are not relevant anymore.  Don’t try to be like someone else, Be unique, yourself. Work every day towards being the best YOU possible. And keep getting inspired from people around you…..

How to organize a Bake Sale in Three Simple Steps!

It’s not that complicated, if we two amateur girls could start from scratch, you too can!

All you need is;

1. Initiative – The fact that you are actually reading this article means you have taken initiative, now all you need is to choose a cause which will motivate you enough to organize a Bake Sale
2. Location – It could be your school grounds, office cafeteria, Building playground or let ‘The bake Collective’ choose a place for you.
3. People – We need you to get your Family, Friends, Colleagues excited to participate in the Bake Sale and get their friends too.

‘The Bake Collective’ will help you with the rest.

1. Bakers – TBC will arrange for Bakers to bake goodies and treats from the Bake Sale
2. Volunteers – TBC will arrange for Volunteers to assist on the day
3. Spreading the word- TBC will spread the word online and within our circles
4. Online Fundraising- We will also run a parallel online fundraiser for those who would like to contribute for the cause online.

So what are you waiting for? Isn’t it simple? Get in touch with Charlene 9833258908 and Kavita 9930803936 today if you would like ‘The Bake Collective’ to help you organize a Bake Sale for a good cause.

Salaami & Eggs with Toast

Ingredients:

2 Tsp Olive Oil

½ cup chopped onions

½ cup of chopped salami/sausages

3 Tsp Ketchup

1 Tsp Chilli sauce

2 Eggs

2 slices Toasted Bread

Procedure:

·        Heat oil in a pan

·        Add onions and fry till golden.

·        Add salami/sausages to the pan and fry until slight brown

·        Add the ketchup and chilli sauce to the pan and mix and cook for two minutes. 

·        Break the eggs in a bowl and beat and add the beaten egg mixture to the pan. Stir until cooked. 

·        Sprinkle herbs for a final touch.

Note : This mixture can be used as a Pizza Topping as well

Egg white Meat Sandwich

Ingredients:

2 slices Bread

1 egg white

1 tsp Ketchup

Few pieces of Leftover meat scraps

Directions:

In a small bowl place the raw egg white, a tsp of Ketchup and add the pieces of meat and a few drops of water and place it in the microwave for a minute.

Toast the slices of bread in the toaster and scoop the egg preparation onto the toasted bread.    

Marzipan Chocolate cookies

What a way to bring in a New Year with some sweet marzipan goodness.

Ingredients:

Dark Cooking Chocolate (for drizzling)

1/2 kg of finely ground sugar

1/2 kg of icing sugar

1/2 kg of cashew nuts

4 egg whites

1 tsp Almond essence

2 tsp rum

Egg yolk (for brushing)

Recipe:

For the Marzipan filling:

1.     Grind 1/2 kg of finely ground sugar and 1/2 kg of cashew nuts together in small batches and place the powdered mixture in a big bowl. Add 1/2 kg of icing sugar to the mixture.

2.     Add almond essence and rum to the mixture.

3.     Beat 4 egg whites till firm and mix little at a time with the mixture till a dough forms.

Roll the marzipan dough with a rolling pin to about 1/2" thickness.  Line two baking sheets with butter paper.  Cut out the dough with the cookie cutters of your choice (I recommend small ones) and set them on the baking sheets, set a little bit apart.  Let the sheets sit out, uncovered, 6 to 7 hours, or overnight. 

After the sheets have sat out and dried, preheat your oven to 375.  Brush each piece with a little bit of the egg yolk and bake for a few minutes to give them a little color and a crust.  

Cool on the sheets, and then store in an airtight container.

Melt the cooking chocolate in the microwave for one minute and stir till smooth. Drizzle the cookies with a little chocolate for a perfect ending.

Marzipan Chocolate with a dash of Hazelnut !

Marzipan we either love it or love to hate it….I absolutely love this cashew filled goodness.

Ingredients:

Dark Cooking Chocolate (for Dipping)

1/2 kg of finely ground sugar

1/2 kg of icing sugar

1/2 kg of cashew nuts

4 egg whites

1 tsp Almond essence

2 tsp rum

Recipe:

For the Marzipan filling:

1.     Grind 1/2 kg of finely ground sugar and 1/2 kg of cashew nuts together in small batches and place the powdered mixture in a big bowl. Add 1/2 kg of icing sugar to the mixture.

2.     Add almond essence and rum to the mixture.

3.     Beat 4 egg whites till firm and mix little at a time with the mixture till a dough forms.

4.     Make small balls and dip into melted cooking chocolate a dry on a rack. Grind a handful of hazelnuts and sprinkle a little on each chocolate.