Sindhi Sweets

‘Waiting Hai....rukana padegaa’ we were perplexed when the usher at the entrance of this famous eatery told us that we will have to wait. We were starving after the tiny meal served on board the flight. Alarmed, we asked him how long it will take. ’10-15 minutes to lagenge....kuchh bol nahi sakata’ – it will take 10-15 minutes but I cannot say for sure. We were too tired to go someplace else so we sat on the benches laid out in the front. Mercifully, he beckoned us to go inside in 10 minutes or so.

Inside, the place was more packed than the tin of sardines. We found a table and quickly set about scanning the menu. A thali would have sounded nice at any other time of the day but I didn’t want to burden my digestive system after 9pm. So we decided to ask for chhole-bhature. But even when we did that I was wondering what the diameter of the bhaturas would be. I got my answer when it was served. They weren’t giant but they weren’t tiny either. I didn’t waste too much time pondering over it as I tore off big chunks of the bhatura and dipped them into either the steaming potato sabji or chhole gravy.

Chhole Bhature

Now for the verdict – both the potato sabji and chhole gravy could have done with more salt and chilli. The bhaturas could have packed in some more salt as well. But the overall combination worked for me. In addition to the usual cucumber and carrot pieces the dish also contained radish pieces and to my intense surprise, I devoured them without a murmur. The pickle at the table had the right proportion of sweet, spicy and tangy. I must have polished the whole dish off within minutes.

For dessert, we ended up ordering Gulabjamuns and rice kheer. The jamuns were the very best that I have had occassion to savor so far. The kheer was creamy and tasty but had too much of coconut for my taste.

Rice Kheer

At just Rs. 400 the dinner was easy on the wallet as well.

The eatery boasts of Chinese food on its menu but judging by the amount of noodles and gravy left over in the plates at empty tables that I noticed on my way out, the chefs need to get their act together on that front.

There was a separate section to buy sweets. The usual suspects like besan ladoo, badami halwa, roshogullas and assorted Bengali sweets were all there. I bought Dhodha barfi and asked the person waiting at the counter what Panjiri laddoos are made of. ‘Panjiri’ he said, puzzled. When I asked him what Panjiri was made up of he looked even more perplexed so I asked him to let me taste a bit of it. It tasted nice so I bought that as well.

After that it was back to the hotel and a relaxing sleep. Tomorrow was going to be one busy day.

Chandigarh, Dehradun Trip – A Prologue

‘Dehradun, here I come’ – I said to myself as our flight and hotel arrangements were in place. Of course I was going to fly to Chandigarh first and then leave for Dehradun after local sightseeing.

Here I must confess that flying is not my most favorite means of transport. But given the fact that I stay in Mumbai, a car journey was totally out of the question. And I have long since given up any hope of traveling by long distance trains – given that there is always a waiting list, no matter where you want to go.

So I wasn’t very happy as we left for the domestic airport in Mumbai. We reached the airport well ahead of the time. There was a sizable crowd occupying the waiting area. The sea of humanity had all types – families with kids, friends traveling together, a lone traveler staring at the mobile screen, people traveling on work assignment pounding at their laptops. That day the flight arriving from Chandigarh (and which was going to take us back there) was delayed by a good half hour. I had a book with me as usual but chose to while away my time instead. It was entertaining to watch as a bunch of ladies in a family set about choosing footwear in an outlet of Pavers England. I felt for the hapless shop attendant as they tried one pair after another and sent him scurrying for more. The luxury pen outlet nearby wasn’t having much of a footfall – except for one guy who made the attendant show him various pieces and departed without buying any.

As the boarding announcement was made for our flight, I saw the ladies in the Pavers outlet paying for their purchase. The shop attendant’s time wasn’t wasted afterall.

Boarding a flight is an experience best had in India. The whole crowd operates as if fearing that the plane will take off without getting them on board. The line that they form in front of the boarding window can be called ‘A Queue’ only if you stretch the definition of the word from earth to moon and back – twice over. Then they will rush to the shuttle that will carry them to the waiting aircraft. The waiting crowd at the aircraft door can be compared only to the rush at the Hillary Step on Chomolungma. Then there is the slow march to your seat – periodically slowed down by people trying to cram their over-sized bags into the small overhead storage areas – totally unmindful of those waiting behind them. It is only when you clear that hurdle that you can sit back and gawk unabashedly at the people arriving after you.

If you are lucky the pilot will take time out of his busy schedule to let you know where the plane stands in the take-off order. Our pilot that day clearly was too busy to do that. So I sat there looking at the rest of the airport going about its business. After what seemed like an eternity the plane began taxiing and then it went on taxiing – so much so that at one point I was convinced that the pilot intends to march us all the way to Chandigarh. Finally, it gathered speed and then took off.

The rest of the journey was as uneventful as plane journeys can get. People got up and left for the loo making me wonder why they didn’t do so while they were waiting. I would agree to visit it only if paid a million Euros to do so. Agreed, it doesn’t stick the way the loos normally do in India but the space can at best be called tiny. And the sooner I step into one I get scared that the pilot will switch on the seat-belt sign and I will be airborne because the aircraft hit air turbulence. But clearly there are people who feel as safe in the plane loo as they do in the loo at home. J A baby somewhere at the back of the plane started crying as if his/her life depended on it. The stewards brought food trollies. We were served a chicken gravy that was totally without any character - a mixture of chunky onion rings, half-cooked capsicum pieces, tons of tomatoes and enough blink-and-you-miss-it chicken pieces thrown in as an afterthought to justify that it was a chicken dish. The accompaniment was 2 bread rolls and a dish containing fruit pieces that looked as if they had got dried out when the meteors that killed the dinosaurs hit the earth. The only edible item in the whole ‘in-flight lunch’ was the imli that served as a digestive aid. :-(

Another eternity later the pilot must have felt the need to inform the passengers that the descent for Chandigarh has begun. I heaved a sigh of relief. No sooner did the wheels touch the tarmac everyone got restless. People didn’t even wait for the plane to come to a complete stop before unbuckling themselves. The storage areas were popped open. We got our luggage out and remained seated. No point in joining the melee as people waited in the aisle to disembark.

We were among the last people to exit. I looked up and saw the name of the airport written in Gurumukhi script. Chandigarh at last!

I had heard that Chandigarh is the first (is it also the last?) planned city of India. I saw the proof with my own eyes as our hotel car moved along wide roads that were totally free of potholes. The traffic was orderly and the use of horns was an exception rather than the rule. We were at the hotel within no time at all.

As it was close to sundown no sightseeing was possible that day. So we decided to have an early dinner and call it a day.

Mussaenda Pink

Daddy's Gone A Hunting – Mary Higgins Clark (Spoiler Alert!!)

A confession is in order. I didn’t have a clue as to who the perpetrator (or ‘perp’ as the crime shows love to refer to them) could be until the last few pages. And even then I wasn’t sure if he was guilty in one, two or all three of the crimes.

Wait a minute, 3 crimes? In one novel? Yes. First there is the main story of the entire Connelly complex of reproduction furniture going up in flames in the early hours of the morning. It is clearly a sabotage and the speculation is rife about what the elder Connelly daughter, Kate, was doing there with a laid-off employee called Gus. Did the two of them set off the explosion? They were known to have expressed a desire to do so – in anger and frustration – in the past. Gus ends up dead while Kate is seriously injured and has to be put under induced coma to make sure that she survives.

Then there is Jamie Gordon whose body was fished out of a river 2 years back but whose killer is still at large. And finally, Tracy, an aspiring actress, who hasn’t been seen or heard from – since past 28 years.

If you haven’t read the novel yet, don’t read the rest of this post.

The moment it was mentioned that Douglas and Connor were twins, the identity of the killer was a no-brainer. It just remained to be seen if he had killed Jamie and Tracy as well.

I might have said this before – the test of a good crime fiction is how long the author manages to keep the killer concealed from the reader. And this one passes the test with flying colors. :)

I seem to be on devouring spree as far as Mary Higgins Clark’s novels go. I am reading ‘Stillwatch’ now :)

The Great Food Show, Nehru Center

At first, there was some confusion about the venue of this event - Nehru Center (which is next to Atria Mall) or Nehru Science Center (Near Phoenix Mall)? Then I realized that Nehru Science Center simply has no space for this type of event. Nehru Center it is.

The event was on the ground, second and third floors. We paid the entry fee of Rs. 100 per person on the ground floor and got the tickets. They also stamped something on our hands – I am not sure why because we had the tickets to show that we had paid. I was reminded of the ‘Mera Baap Chor Hai’ tattoo from Deewar. :) I also wondered why I had to pay the registration charges given that all the food stalls inside were charging for the food. Whatever.

I didn’t find anything interesting on the ground floor so we quickly moved on to the 2nd one. The first stall I saw was that of Has Juice Bar.I have had this craving for their crisp savory panipuris since past few days now. So seeing their stall felt like Manna from heaven (a very rare feeling these days!). The panipuris lived up to their reputation and my expectation but don’t they charge Rs. 25 for the same at their branches across the city? Here the charge was Rs. 50 per plate.

Out of the 2 stalls next to Haas one was of Bina’s Homemade ice-cream. I made a mental note to return here on my way out. I could see a lot of food stalls in the outdoor area. I ordered home-pressed sugarcane juice (Rs. 25) at ‘Global Fusion by Anju’. Unfortunately, there was just too much of ginger in the sugarcane juice thus giving it a spicy taste. The Delhi Chandni Chowk Tikki at ‘Social Foodie by Aditi’ (Rs. 50) was okay. Nothing to write home about.

Heading out to the 3rd floor, Cafe Nemo’s stall caught my attention. We ordered Soft shell veggie tacos (Rs. 200). A young man at the stall insisted that we try what looked like momos in the sample dish. Looking at their green color I was hesitant at first but he explained that they were the corn and water chestnut Gyozas – a Japanese dish. I sent a prayer heavenwards, told my family I loved them and gobbled up one gyoza. It was delicious but the sauce accompanying it was definitely for the faint-hearted. We ended up ordering the Gyozas (Rs. 150) as well. The tacos were okay. The menu at their Worli establishment sounds nice. Must pay a visit in near future.

corn and water chestnut Gyozas

Soft shell veggie tacos

The last stop on our way out was Bina’s Homemade ice-cream. She had quite a few interesting flavors listed out on a board that was propped next to a machine for making handmade ice-cream such as spicy guava and rose sabja in addition to the usual suspects like kesar pista. One of the visitors inquired about a flavor called Chai Biskoot. The lady at the stall said that it consists of Masala Chai and Gluco biscuit. When she asked the guy if he would like to check out a sample he backed off, understandably so in my opinion. We got mini-scoops (Rs. 35 each) for Rose Sabja and Kesar Pista (to be on the safer side!). Kesar Pista was too sweet and Rose Sabja wasn’t sweet enough. Frankly, they tasted the same as any other flavor that you buy off the shelf. Aren’t the homemade ice-creams creamier?

There was a lot on offer – Ammi’s Biryani, Kebabs and burgers of all kinds, Jackfruit Biryanis, arrays of chocolates, popcorn and appetizers. But somehow I didn’t feel like trying anything more.

P.S. On the second floor, I saw a stall of biodegradable plates and bowls. Needless to say there were no visitors there. I felt really sorry for the guy manning that stall. And a bit guilty as I chucked empty plates in the bin (fortunately they were of paper and not Styrofoam!). Next time I see such a stall I am going to make a purchase.

Can't guess what the photo is all about? Well, it's the wind-chime and plants from the balcony getting reflected in the morning sunshine on a wall of the living room. The sight made my day :-)

The Great Food Show, Nehru Science Center - today and tomorrow. For more information - http://in.bookmyshow.com/events/the-great-food-show-mumbai/ET00028099


J.J. College, Lit O Fest - 28 February and 1 March. More information http://www.loksatta.com/vruthanta-news/lit-o-fest-in-j-j-school-of-art-1076004/ and http://travel.india.com/articles/lit-o-fest-mumbai-invites-experience-literary-journey-weekend/