Like all the best families, we too have our share of family disagreements. Daughter likes plain flat breads (chapattis) while son prefers stuffed breads and if hubby likes Lachha parathas, its a big no-no for me. But there is something at home we all are one with…our good old Tandoor or grill, and anything cooked or baked in it is liked by one and all.

Crispy Missi Rotis (chickpea flour flat breads) and spicy Panchmel Daal (five lentils) is yet another popular combination of scrumptious foods from my hometown Rajasthan. People living in the desert areas cook this healthy, filling and delicious recipes during winter season when their body require more fuel in terms of protein and fat to combat the adverse cold conditions of harsh winter months.

Villagers in many places of Rajasthan still light their hearth by burning either wood or cow-dung to give them warmth from the cold waves and also to cook their meals on it.

How true is the saying, “Something that is yours forever is never precious”. I was reading a post on Lonely planet stating ‘ Udaipur tops the list of World’s ‘best’ cities and was amused with the report!
And to think of it, I never realized the worth of  living in Udaipur and spending some of the precious moments of my life there. The magnificent gardens, grand Havelis & palaces, historical monuments, rustic old city streets, colorful hand painted homes, tie & dye fabrics….I neglected the overwhelming beauty of Udaipur till I …

“Travel wasn’t fun if you didn’t get to see or do what you wanted.” Though we have traveled extensively to many beaches of South India, there still are a few things left in my wish-list. Sit on a beach and gaze a ship leave the shore till it meets horizon, observe a day in the life of fishermen and wander in marshy Mangrove forest are a few of them. Our recent trip to a few places in South India last weekend made it happen.

Most of our trips are decided on the spur of the moment. But these unplanned vacations have a special magic in it such that the enthusiasm & suspense remains till the end and our recent trip was no exception. More about the same here.

Each night we would sleep with dreamy eyes to see some other horizon the next day. Waking up at 4.30 am each day, sipping tea overlooking the sea, seeing busy fishermen on the job, walking in the woods and watching the world go by…ahh, the feeling is yet to sink in…am still mesmerized.

‘A Brinjal by any other name is still a Birnjal’…was my one liner when mom used to cajole us eating eggplant or brinjal dishes in the name of Bharta, Brinjal Chokha, Raitas, stuffed Baingan and so on. But then most of the children I know have love-hate relationship with Brinjal…and I too had mine, so no regrets.

I feel the pinch when I watch Asian chefs tossing out exotic eggplant recipes on television shows and savoring them with a Hmm..wow…I should have taken a risk to explore the versatility of this humble veggie then.

Though I keep trying various eggplant recipes at home but all I know is  Brinjal Bharta (smoked eggplant with spices), brinjal fritters (coated with chickpea flour) and a few Indian curries. Anyways Brinjal is a favorite at home now and even my children love it….and yes, I don’t have to cook up new names to make them eat this purple veggie anymore

A moment that lasted an eternity.….It was a weekday when I got a call from the talented & inspiring co-author of two wonderful cook books Mrs. Pratibha Jain.  She invited me to be on the panel of judges along with some of the industry bigwigs and renowned chefs for a culinary event. The event is being conducted by a group of enthusiastic youngsters from Rajasthan in India, who are working towards many social causes in the city. I received my formal e-card invitation from the organizers and was given a warm welcome by the ladies wing chairman Navaneet and other members of the group.

There are things I love to do for my children even though it least interests me, going to movie is one such. I could never connect myself with the world of cinema except for listening to good songs. When hubby’s choice ruled there were more of detective English movies which later changed to animation and comic movies once the children started to influence us. But all I remember & cherish about my movie watching stint is the time we all spend together and of course the huge bucket of pop corns!

Recently my son persuaded me to watch this Hindi movie ‘Burfi’ by downloading & playing the songs over and again. Not bad, songs are melodious and for a change I forgot to eat pop corns and kept myself awake till the end of the movie

“Mom, today is the last day of practice session, make some good Pizzas, all my friends have been asking for long, and please don’t add too many veggies...keep it simple and crisp” informed my son taking out his cycle from the garage. I knew it was going to be a long & hectic day. For I need to drop my daughter in school for the last drama practice session in morning, bring her again, dress her up and then leave her back in school auditorium for the evening annual day function.

And making Pizzas in between…Hmm.

The next day I received a small paper from my son with a note “You make the best Pizza, thanks for the wonderful treat, Aunty“‘ signed by all his friends. A precious moment of highest appreciation and recognition I live for!

The two things that still lingers long after our visit to the hills of North India are the unpolluted air and the juicy fresh apples & plums we ate on our way from the orchids.  Blessed are those mountain people who are surrounded by the natural beauty and bounty. I was amazed by the abundance of fresh fruits in the valleys strewn all over the farms and roadsides, while back at home I often compare the prizes and buy them in numbers.

During our two days stay in a friends’ place I loved eating their special dishes, even the Rajma curry tasted different, pure mountain water and soil makes a big difference, they say. Think of a quick chutney recipe and it is either fresh coriander, mint, tomato or coconut for me, but most of the mountain people opt for fresh apples, prunes, plums or any other berry to make the chutney.

Rajma-rice, a plateful of sliced onion in vinegar, a few books in hand, hot debate on current topics and our dinner would be over in no time. This was the regular evening routine for a bunch of close friends during the college days we spent together away from our homes in Delhi, hardly missing out on homely food. We would stop by that open Dhaba (makeshift restaurant) with a very few chairs spread under a tree and wait for our piping hot plate of Rajma-rice served by this rugged looking pot bellied man who cooked & served the same meal throughout the year. At times he served us Rajma with Naan and a dessert which looked like cooked rice in sugar syrup during festivals to make sure we remain his loyal customers. Must say that I have never been able to cook nor have eaten better tasting Rajma than that.

A recent visit by a friend from a near by hill station, made me rich with piles of farm fresh mountain vegetables, yes these tender, young and juicy organic veggies are no less than a treasure. I could not control myself but to munch upon the crunchy carrots, cucumber and the lovely green pods filled with sweet little peas. One of my favorite snacks of all time I could spend hours together with a bucketful of fresh peas..press..open..pluck..plop..and repeat But alas, these veggies are a far cry in big cities, all I get here is lifeless, limp and tasteless vegetables.