I love eating dates! A handful of the sweet luscious fruit is more than enough to satisfy my sugar cravings after each meal. I sometimes eat them as snacks too. Don’t you? I mean what’s better than eating a natural guilt-free energizing gift from God that’s full of all the right vitamins and minerals to […]
So last week we made the sugar free gluten free anjeer barfi or fig barfi for dad that’s really yummy to taste. But this week we figured we’d show you how we do it when we want just dry fruit energy bars. No dairy, no gluten, no sugar! Sugar free is good for diabetics like […]
How to make Anjeer Dry Fruit Barfi at home I love sweets, just like my dad. But dad is diabetic, so we try to keep his sugar intake under control. That doesn’t stop him from finding something or the other in the fridge to eat though. Even on the days we skip sweets, we’ll find […]
We were having a chat about the number of UNESCO sites in Asia that we’ve visited. And it seems my percentage of World Heritage Sites is really really small. So I asked my friends who have visited more places than me, ‘Which are some of the most amazing must-visit World Heritage Sites in Asia?’ And […]
We were having a chat about the unusual food people eat in different cultures, and Laura said, “You know some people eat every part of the fish”. I said “Yeah, we do too! The fins, the eyes, everything.” And that started a long conversation abut how my culture eats goat trotters and tripe, ox tails, […]
I’ve always loved eating sweet corn muffins. They’re delicious and have a grainy but smooth texture all in one. So one day back in July 2014 I figured why not make savory corn muffins? I mean, since dad has diabetes, it’s better to make savory than sweet, right? Because there’s really no keeping him away […]
I love sand cake. The soft grains melting in your mouth, the strong taste of butter… It tastes yummier than regular cake. And it’s so light and airy that you can’t stop at just one piece. What is sand cake? Well, it’s definitely not cake made of sand. Sand cake is the traditional East Indian […]
We love breadfruit! It’s sometimes crispy and sometimes mulchy snack, depending on how you cook it. It’s also really a perfect family member of the jackfruit, although like every cousin, it’s really different. We only get breadfruit in India during Feb or March. It’s locally called नीरफणस or nir phanas in Marathi. It’s also called […]
I love chitaps, always have, always will. They’re sweet and light to eat and look like handkerchiefs. So instead of getting them from our local East Indian auntie like we do almost every Sunday, I figured why not make them myself. You know, then I can have them whenever I want. Anyways, mom and dad […]
So some nights it’s really cold outside and you need a liquid to warm your bones. That’s when the East Indian kimad makes a warm entrance into the hearth and home. Quite similar to mulled wine or brandy, the traditional East Indian kimad is a mix that keeps you warm on those cold nights. This […]
Ever had this happen? Travelled on holiday to a new city and after a fun day sightseeing, dropped into that famous café or bar and got stumped looking at the bar drinks list. Yep, that’s happened to me. What should I drink? What drink is famous in this city? What’s on the list of top […]
The East Indian Tomato Kusondi is a much lovelier version of the regular Maharastrian tamtar kusandi; using almost the same ingredients, but with a lot more zing. It’s the perfect accompaniment for lunch or dinner, and can also go well with just bread, chappatis or toast. Mom’s version of the tomato kusondi has found it’s […]
The monsoon and winter come around and it’s time for flus and colds. But it’s also time for some chicken soup for the soul. Or that’s what we call it. Why chicken soup? Mom’s easy homemade chicken soup provides that instant relief from the weather’s vagaries. Mom’s creamy yet healthy chicken soup gets us bouncing […]
Pancake Tuesday is just around the corner, and my friends have already called dibs on my mom’s pancake recipe. It’s the recipe she got from granny but tweaked a bit, and it’s perfect! Anyways, East Indians celebrate pancake Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras with pancakes. They’re a bit different from chocolate pancakes which […]
What is Mardi Gras? Or what is Fat Tuesday? The Roman pagan festivals of times long past were integrated into Christian traditions by the Roman Catholic Church and are now part of the festival that is called Mardi Gras. When is Mardi Gras? Or When is Fat Tuesday? Well, depending on the culture celebrating it, […]
It’s summer somewhere in the world right now! We’re lucky we live on a blue dot that has summer in some place no matter the time of the year; and there are always some nice holiday destinations that are perfect for water sports. My friends and I have put together a list of the best […]
OFF THE BEATEN PATH ATTRACTIONS IN GOAUsgalimal Rock CarvingsGalgibaga beachSan Jacinto IslandKerim BeachMorjim BeachCabo De Rama FortPalolem BeachSt. Augustine’s Tower Ruins Rita’s Gourment Cooking Class Butterfly Conservatory GoaKakolem BeachButterfly Beach POPULAR BEACHES AND DESTINATIONS IN GOACalangute BeachCotigao Wildlife SanctuaryCumbarjua CanalMapusa MarketNetravali Bubbling LakeArvalem CavesBaga BeachImmaculate Conception Church, PanjimPonda Street Market WHERE IS GOA?WHEN IS THE […]
Traditional Christmas food and Christmas desserts for that special Christmas Eve Dinner or Christmas Day Lunch Gifts and stockings, and desserts and treats, and Santa and snow, and so much more. Wishes coming true and hope in the air. Love and laughter and everything good. Christmas is on it’s way. It’s almost time to prepare […]
Coconut Cordial is one of the easiest East Indian Christmas sweets to make. And it tastes yummy too! Granny has always made the coconut version of cordial. Some people use almonds or cashewnuts instead of coconut. We’ve never tried that recipe for “Cordial No 1” as it’s called in the East Indian Recipe book. We’re […]
It was time to visit the brother and his wife. So we packed our bags and off we went to Mallorca, Spain for a month. We had a great time and the days passed too swiftly before we had to return home. But we finally got around to sorting out the photos from our holidays […]
Growing up, the house started smelling of Christmas from early December. Literally! You could smell marzipan, vanilla cream, thali sweet, cordial, Christmas cake and so much more. The best part of being East Indian though, was tasting the smells. Or rather eating the Christmas sweets that weren’t good enough to give to relatives and were […]
The East Indian Museum is in Manori. So we need to cross the Marve Creek by ferry to get to Manori Jetty. It’s 10 am and there’s a boatload of people already coming off it from the other side to get to work. And there’s another load of us waiting to go to Manori – to […]
Who cares if the love apples aren’t originally from India? We love them anyway, in any form. Most of us have grown up with love apple trees nearby. Me and my siblings; we used to climb the tree at our grandparents place and get the juicy and crisp fresh ones to eat. They’re always the […]
Food makes the world go round. Doesn’t it? Okay, maybe my world and that of my fellow foodie friends. We’ve found that some of the best street foods in the world are European dishes. If you’re planning a trip to Europe, here are some amazing European street foods and local foods that you must try. […]
The house stinks! That’s what my sister says every time mom makes a bombil pickle. And it actually does. The East Indian Lonchey or East Indian Dry Bombil Pickle stinks when you put it together, but it tastes amazing! What’s a Bombay Duck? By the way, did you know that the Bombil fish in English […]
Street Food and Local Restaurants in India that you must visit to try or eat at least once Indian food is most delicious food in the world! Okay, maybe not the sole winner among food around the world, but Indian dishes are definitely some of the most loved snacks and dinners in the world. Street […]
What’s for dessert? I love dessert! Don’t you? So I’ve asked a few friends of mine to list the best desserts in their cultures. So here we have it – yummy desserts, Italian desserts, simple desserts, quick easy desserts, chocolate desserts, tasty desserts, light desserts, french desserts, fun desserts, summer desserts. Everything from great desserts to amazing desserts in different countries […]
Being brought up in India, we’ve grown up on lush sweet mango chutney every summer. Sometimes, although rarely, the traditional East Indian mango chutney lasts through the monsoon and into a bit of winter. It’s a version of the Gujarati murabba and chunda, but not exactly. Or the Russian and Eastern European varenye. What is […]
Bombay, the city of dreams, that’s where I live. My Bombay. Or should I say my Mumbai? Bombay from the Portuguese meaning ‘good bay’ or Mumbai from the Goddess ‘Mumba’. Of course we’ve had a lot of names over the centuries – Boon Bay, Bombain, Mombayn, Bombaym, Monbaym, Mombaym, Bombay, Mombaim, Bambaye, Bombeye, Bombaiim, and […]
What’s for dinner? A question as important as asking about breakfast. What’s for dinner tonight? Is there any dinner? What’s easy to cook for dinner tonight? What can we make for dinner? Supper? Wat eten we vanavond? Vad blir det till middag? You cooking up a feast there? Beth sydd i swper? Kin Khao? Kas Vakarienei? We couldn’t […]
What’s for breakfast in different cultures and countries across the world? What’s for breakfast mom? What’s for breakfast darling? What’s for breakfast nan? What’s for breakfast at the cafe? What’s for breakfast honey? I’m hungry. What’s for breakfast? Is there any breakfast? Ever wondered what to have for breakfast? Some of these may be healthy breakfast […]
Brown balls and white balls. Those are our punny names for gulab jamuns or rosgullas. But I’ve not heard any jokes about honey balls or snow balls yet. Is it because East Indian honey balls or snow balls are lesser known and only belong to a small part of society? Honey balls or snow balls are […]
India, the land of dreams and legends, the land that has everything to offer – from scorching deserts to frozen mountains, from flowing rivers to blooming valleys – everything you want to see, you can find it in this beautiful land we call home. But if you’re like me – a city dweller – you want to […]
Ever wondered about the most amazing churches in the world? The ones that you have to visit at least once. Here’s a list of the most magnificent and amazing churches around the world from your favorite travel bloggers. 1. Memorial Church of Moses church on Mount Nebo, Jordan By Lindsay of CarpeDiemOurWay Mount Nebo is […]
Churches, known as places of fellowship and amazing grace. Even if churches are no longer visited for their religious significance; they are still visited for their splendour and beauty, their majesty and magnificence. There are so many beautiful churches around the world that showcase amazing architecture and exquisite ornate work that are a simply must […]
Summers comes around and you know it’s time for Kadmat or Cuchumber. Nope not cucumber, Cuchumber! It’s the traditional East Indian salad that dad makes as soon as the raw mangoes start coming around in April. And we can’t get enough of it. I mean who wouldn’t? Every East Indian makes Cuchumber as often as […]
Tigers! The majesty, the magnificence, the sheer presence of wild nature. One of the reasons people from across the world visit India. And the reason so many of us visit National Parks. The last time we saw tigers was at Ranthambore National Park in February. So this May we went to Pench National Park in […]
Ramadan or Ramzan is a Muslim celebration of when the Quran was revealed to the prophet Muhammad. Fasting is necessary for Muslims who aren’t sick, elderly, menstruating, breastfeeding, pregnant or travelling. It’s one of the famous Five Pillars of Islam. My Muslim friends fast from dawn till dusk, and don’t have sex, eat, drink, or smoke. […]
You’ve already read the blog about how I found it difficult to get back into a Kayak because my boobs kept getting in the way. But that’s not the only problem I’ve had with having big boobs. My country wants me to go braless Take for instance the fact that bras my size are not manufactured […]
Bells ringing, childhood memories. The ice cream cart comes to our neighborhood, but here in Bombay it’s kulfi. Sometimes it’s the kulfi man with the basket on his head announcing his arrival. ‘Kulfi-eaah’. As kids we used to run happily for ice cream or kulfi. That instant brain freeze when you bite, the cool feeling […]
So next up is the East Indian Vajri Khudi or Vajadi khudi. What is Vajri in English? Tripe? What is tripe? The stomach of ruminant animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, deer, giraffe and more. We usually use goat tripe. Why not cow tripe? Well, because it’s banned in Maharashtra. A lot of the younger […]
When you’re looking for places to visit in Kodaikanal, Bryant Park shows up in the top 10. Bryant Park is a nature park in Kodaikanal hill station in the state of Tamil Nadu, South India that was set up in 1908 by H.D.Bryant. This famous park occupies over 20 acres in Palani Hills right opposite […]
Easter! Spring and redemption and everything anew. New life in Jesus and new life on earth. A celebration of hope! And sweets! Or eggs rather? Legend tells that quite like Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus, the Easter bunny called ‘Easter’ along with the spring bunny come with egg filled baskets to the homes of children. They […]
Why do people go to Palolem, Goa? There are a lot of beaches in Goa that are perfect for getting some sun. Goa is a beach destination, so unlike the rest of India. It’s famous for beaches like Calangute, Baga, Anjuna, Majorda, Colva, Vagator and many more. But Palolem tops the list. Perfect for budget […]
UPDATE: As of September 2018, the Lodge at Amer is no longer under the flagship of Lebua. “Lebua ae Lebua. Lebua ae Lebua.” I won’t tell you which family member was singing that song as we drove up the dusty path to the Lebua Lodge at Amer. I’ll just tell you that this family member […]
Igloo? In India? Really? Normal questions that my friend Tejashree gets when talking about her trips to Manali in Himachal Pradesh. But yes, igloo stays are now economical and I’m so glad I got this off my bucket list. I want to one day stay in igloos in Abisko like my friend Michelle did, or the […]
On our way to the Igloo Camp near Hamta Pass, Manali, which is a well known destination for skiing in Himachal Pradesh, India, we stopped for a bit somewhere near Curve 24 to look at the Backwoods Mountain Camp in Hamta Village that we plan on staying in once it opens again in April. The […]
I’ve dreamt of staying in a glass igloo in Kakslauttanen one day; and waking up to see the Northern Lights from the warm interiors of the igloo. I’ve also dreamt of being seated around a fire outside an igloo and traipsing through inches of snow in Iceland or Sweden to see the Aurora and capture its […]
I loved my stay in beautiful Graz. It’s the second largest city in Austria, with a population that’s ten times that of another beautiful Austrian city, Feldkirch that my sis and I visited last October. It used to be a centre of commerce in the Middle Ages, with architecture still reminiscent of times past, and is a UNESCO […]
Two East Indian aunties meet on the street. “Hello Lucy, how are you men?” “I’m good men, how are you and the babas?” “We’re all good men. Where you went?” “To the pav-wala on the corner to bring pav men. His pav better than Bertrand’s pav men. So nice and soft-soft. My dokra Aggie likes […]
Off the beaten path Christmas in Occitanie, France CHRISTMAS IN LOZÈRESaint Énimie Quezac and Ispagnac SLOW TRAVEL AVEYRONEglisse Russe & Sylvanes Abbey Château de MontaigutLe Village de Salmonac Viaduct de Millau Yeah, like I’ve said in so many posts, France has so much to see, for the tourist that wants […]
There is a church, almost in the middle of nowhere. I didn’t know about it till he showed me. Never knew it existed, but then most people don’t, I guess. We went there one gloomy day when the clouds loomed large overhead like they were about to spill burdensome showers on us. Maybe we needed […]
It was pretty late by the time we got into Salzburg on the Eurail and checked into our hotel, Der Salzburger Hof. It was hardly a 10 minute walk from the Salzburg train station aka Salzburg Hauptbahnhof; and thankfully we were in the main part of the hotel and not the annex. So smile 🙂 […]
Feldkirch is a medieval town in the mountainous state of Voralberg in Austria. It was the last stop of our journey through Austria. The reason we chose to stay in Feldkirch? We wanted to see Liechtenstein. Yeah, we wanted to get that 2 Euro stamp on our passport saying we had visited the 6th smallest […]
‘When in Rome, do the Romans’, a friend of mine once told me. Well, we were talking about a totally different ‘when in Rome’ topic at the time. But on my recent trip to Rome, I did make time to do as Romans do with respect to food. Rome has turned into a very busy […]
East Indians? My community is disappearing. What once was a thriving community in the heart of Bombay is now vanishing; and with it, all our traditions and culture. In a city of 22 million people, there are hardly 5 lakh East Indians left. Or was that 5 lakh across the globe? The salt on the […]
Strangest question to hear at the Colosseum ‘What’s a gladiator?’ the lady asked her daughter as she sat to take a break. We watched stunned as the daughter replied that a gladiator may have been a warrior. She then read a display nearby and elaborated that a gladiator was a captured warrior in ancient Rome […]
My first kayak experience turned out to be truly eventful. By that evening I’d developed purple bruises all over my hands and legs. It was amazing! Ah, but let’s get back to the beginning. Kayaking is something I’ve always wanted to do, well along with so many other things. And when I finally got to […]
So I finally visited Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii. My siblings and I had wanted to go since we were kids, ever since we had seen all those movies and read all those books about the place. All those books about the volcanic explosion at 1 pm on 24th August, 79 AD, and the legends and myths […]
A lunch invitation We’re renting James and Antonia’s place in Inca in Mallorca aka Majorca for a few weeks this summer. It’s lovely, the rustic and the modern merging into a beautiful new character. I love the feel of being so far away from the town of Inca, even though it’s just on the other side of the […]
So my sister and I are spending a few days in Vienna. We get there on my birthday, a beautiful autumn evening in October, and stayed at the Austria Trend Europa Wien on Kartner Strasse. Formerly known as the Meissl & Schaden Hotel, this hotel has been serving a range is clients since 1896. The […]
My sis and I spent a few days in Rome on the way back from Spain because it was the cheapest route back. We took the opportunity to see Rome, the ancient and beautiful city (although somewhat crowded too). And we were glad we stayed at this lovely B&B (bed and breakfast) outside the city, […]
It’s New Years Eve. We’re en France at your neighbour’s place for dinner. The wine flows freely. How can it not? We’re in Cannes. I’m sitting there thinking, when a pleasant elderly gentleman offers to fill my wine glass, but I decline saying you’ll fill my drink for me. He then offers to keep me […]
So we finally ended up at the Rude Lounge for dinner, instead of our regular haunt the Irish House. After waiting downstairs for more than half an hour for the sleepy friend that’s always running a bit late, we went up to the 6th floor of Link House that holds the Rude Lounge at Malad. […]
So the gang of cousins decided we needed a mid week retreat at The Retreat Hotel in Madh Island. Mid week since one cousin works on weekends, and there’s less of a crowd holidaying. Anyway we got there on the 8th of March at around 11 am, and were greeted with welcome drinks of either […]
‘Malaysia, let’s go to Malaysia.’ ‘What, why?’ ‘Because I want Kek Lapis Sarawak.’ ‘Have it imported.’ ‘But I want to learn how to make it too. Let’s go, pleeease…’ But we didn’t go. Malaysia beckons from a distance, but for now we pretend our ears are closed. Well, the boss wouldn’t give us leave anyway. […]
A much deserved break in the Indian rains at Chandoli National Park “There’s a long weekend coming up. Let’s do a short trip together”, says my friend and boss. Happy me starts dreaming of exotic locations that I cannot afford. Of course smart boss-friend is also on a budget like me and decides that an […]
So as I was saying last week, it turned out to be a bargain. For around 49 Euros each we got to see Heiligenkreuz Abbey, Karmel Mayerling and Seegrotte Hinterbrühl, and didn’t have to shell out anything for transport or entrances. If you missed last week’s blog, my sis and I were running out of […]
Being woken up in Graz by a scary voice Where? Grat-zuh? Where? Grat-zuh? Where? Grat-zuh? Where? Grat-zuh? Where? Grat-zuh? Where? Grat-zuh? Where? Grat-zuh? I was woken up in the middle of the night by a low repetitive voice that almost scared me witless. After turning on the night lamp in our hotel room in Graz, […]
The balloon question How do you add balloons to a heart cake? That was the question my sister was just thrown. She had just received an order for a surprise cake for a first wedding anniversary. Her client Karishma wanted to surprise her brother Bhavin and sister-in-law Esha with an eggless cake that had hearts […]
We talked again the other day, just like we used to do way back when. Long hours of talking about this and that, about everything and nothing. And I wanted to reach across the screen and touch your face like I used to, and trace the corners of your smile. And it hurt… For an […]
And then there was the child in India called Arnav who loved Lightning McQueen. So his mom ordered a Lightning McQueen cake from my sister, Sarah for his 4th birthday. And although we’ve seen a few lightning McQueen cakes before, we haven’t seen one with a checkerboard sponge inside. So Sarah set out on her […]
One of the stops on our autumn Austrian trip was Graz. We spent two nights there which was quite enough to see the entire city. Having a limited number of days off, we were deliberating between Klagenfurt and Graz, but Graz won because of the Schloßberg or Schlossberg. It was a good climb. But that’s […]
Getting to Futuroscope in Poitiers It was almost a year ago now. I remember waking up early to the smell of fresh coffee and croissants for breakfast. The perks of travelling in France with your boyfriend! It was a long 2 hour drive from Sables D’Olonne to Poitiers and we wanted to get there before […]
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