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Sunday, July 28, 2013

Pukka Punjabi Dinner!!!!

There are certain dishes that are had occasionally - lotus stem or kamal kakdi or bhein (as we Punjabis call them!) is one of them. My granny used to make bhein - those are my earliest and most enduring memories of this unique vegetable.
Bhein is crunchy, and has a delicate flavour. For centuries, the lotus stem has had a special place in Asian and Oriental regions, especially in Indian, Chinese and Japanese cuisines. I discovered this in China, where the vegetable was used in salads, soups and noodles.
Not only are the bhein exotic, they are really healthy too! It has a moderate amount of calories and is a good source of dietary fibre. The fiber, together with slow digesting complex carbohydrates in the vegetable help reduce blood cholesterol, sugar, body weight and constipation. It is also a good source of  vitamin C, while having moderate levels of some of valuable B-complex group of vitamins, It also provides healthy amounts of some vital minerals like copper, iron, zinc, magnesium, and manganese.
I always had this impression that this vegetable is extremely difficult to clean and then make. Since the stem grows underwater in mud and has symmetrically arranged air canals (holes) traversing along the length, an ingress of mud does happen when the stem is extracted.
So Neeti and I carefully peeled the stems and sliced them. We then boiled them for over 15 minutes on high heat and then drained the slices in cold running water to ensure that mud is extracted.
Then Neeti took charge - she prepared a thick curry base of sauteed onions and tomatoes with spices in which the crunchy sweet slices of bhein were added! These cooked away for over 30-45 minutes on low heat till the bhein got cooked just right, retaining their crunchiness!



We had the delectable bhein that Neeti had prepared with sarson ka saag  - a canned pack that was seasoned alongwith moong dal, chapatis and fresh onions with line - a pukka Punjabi dinner!
Thanks for the lovely bhein, Neeti!

Saturday, July 20, 2013

A Monsoon Drive

There is a saying that goes as follows "When God gives you lemons, make lemonade!"
I guess we learnt a bit from this saying... 
After long hours at work and harrowing commutes on Mumbai's roads, it was high time we stepped out of the city albeit for a shortwhile.
Just then a friend invited us over to Pune for his twins' first birthday celebrations. This was a Godsend opportunity.
We sent out for Pune at around noon and snaked through the pothole-ridden city roads to touch the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. And we weren't disappointed. The Expressway was clean and wide, we could speed up to above 100 kilometers an hour. The views were enthralling - the lush green that tells a story of how the Monsoons breathe life into India.
On the Expressway, we were greeted by gusty winds and heavy rain, but that too was fun. Anything away from Mumbai, today, is indeed fun!












Thursday, July 18, 2013

The End Of Yet Another Southern Sojourn....

The latest Southern sojourn did come to an end after some bitter-sweet moments, some of which were captured by me!


An autowallah has an afternoon siesta on Dindigul Road, Trichy.....



The flaming red gulmohurs, the blue sky and the blue sky make for an enchanting sight.....



As we drove along NH45B, the smooth National Highway connecting Trichy and Madurai, clouds set in.....




A fiery sunset, at Trichy Airport...


The brass horse welcomes me to Chennai!



I don't know about the brilliance of Hyundai, but Chennai is awesomely brilliant! Lovely food!


And the brilliance of SriKrishna Sweets!


And the brilliance of the swanky new terminal!



And up in the air, the next evening, Nature was painting masterpieces with the warm glow of twilight and dark Monsoon clouds!





What a magical end to yet another Southern sojourn!

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

The Beginning Of Yet Another Southern Sojourn....

So, it was time to head back my virtual second home in India, Trichy!
Though it was raining all through the morning today, it was exceptionally heavy when I left office at 1.15 PM to head to Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport's Terminal 1B. 
Before boarding, I got about 30 minutes to catch up with some grub - a Jamaican Jerk Chicken sandwich with some rather fresh and tasty, non-greasy French fries.
In a few minutes, I boarded the aircraft and had some lovely views silhouetted through a rain-drop laden window.





I love the heavies - Air-India's Boeing 777


And this one - Jet Airways' Airbus A330...


And this Airbus A330 from India's de-facto "national carrier" Emirates.... patiently waiting for us to taxi to Runway 27-09


Holding short of Runway 27-09...


Air-India's A319 on short-finals to Runway 27-09.... This one is still in the erstwhile Indian colours


Finally on 27-09, on full throttle, ready to dart into the skies!


Air-India's hangars, once home to the Queen of the Skies, the Boeing 747-400... today you only see twin-jets here...


As we took off, a Jet Airways Boeing 737 was heading out of the hangar


Contrasts - open spaces abutting the runway and the claustrophobic slums behind..... These encroachments are to blame for the pitiable state Mumbai's airport is in today....


Mumbai or Slum-bai?


Santra Cruz railway station!


Juhu Beach!



Sky interiors!


I love this sight!



 



Approach into Chennai!



There's the Jet Airways ATR72 waiting to take me to Trichy!


Finally landed at Trichy to find an Air India Express Boeing 737-800 waiting to welcome us!