Life Is Beautiful

Chinese Upma recipe

2011-10-19T09:01:00.000-07:00

Ingredients :
2 onions , Dry red chillies , tomatoes [ juicy ones ] ,2 teaspoons of Soya sauce , 1 tea spoon of mustard oil , 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil , hung curd for garnish , mustard seeds , urad dal ,upma rava[ semolina ]200gms.

Method :
1. Gently roast the Semolina/ rava on medium flame with a Table spoon of vegetable oil.
1.5. Add the mustard seeds , once the splutter settles add the urad dal .Once Urad turns Golden color add the Onions .
2.Stir fry the onions till golden brown and then add chillies . Toss them around and add the soysauce.
3.Add water , salt and allow it boil .
4.Once its starts bubbling add the roasted Semolina and Keep stirring occasionally and turn the heat off once the water is absorbed .
5.Garnish with hung curd droplets .

Farfalle

2011-10-19T08:59:00.000-07:00

Farfalle with basic tomato sauce . [ I have used the veg Blogonese sauce for this ] .Cook the pasta till al-dante , Mix some baked beans and toss it with the ready to use blogonese sauce . Ready to savor in Minutes . Enjoiii ...

Kaveri trail Marathon 2011 photos

2011-10-19T08:37:00.000-07:00

Running cant get better than this. Amazing run n great fun . Looking forward for next year's run .

Corn

2011-09-04T07:43:00.001-07:00

Simple boiled corns with Jalapenos ,Lime juice and melted butter dressing .Fimaly a dash of oregano .

Stir fried Beetroot with Ricotta cheese

2011-09-04T07:40:00.001-07:00

yummy Stir fried Beetroot with Ricotta cheese :
Ingredients :
1. Mustard seeds [ 1 teasppon]
2. Urad dal [ 1 tea spoon]
3. Jeera [ 1 tea sppon ]
4. Curry Leaves [ 5-6 ]
5. Dried Oregano /Dill leaves [ pinch of it ]
6. Olive oil
7. 2 table spoons of Lemon juice .
8. Salt to taste
9. Vegetable oil [ 2 table spoon]
10.Ricotta cheese[ In Bangalore available at "Gourmet" shop at MG road ]

A] On a hot pan splutter the Mustards and once it settles add the Jeera and urad and then the Curry leaves .
B] On to that add the Grated beetroot and stir fry the Beetroot .
C] Toss with lime juice and season with salt .
D] Garnish with lumps of ricoota cheese on top of the Beetroots . Toss in the oregano and dill on top of the cheese . Drizzel olive oil on top of the ricotta cheese .

Twist on TTT recipe

2011-09-04T07:22:00.000-07:00

Yeah yeah ... the tried tested trusted upma got a lil twist . With my Amma announcing that the sunday Breakfast is going to be Upma/Uppittu , I got thinking .
How to make it inviting to already lazy legs to the breakfast table. Well my inner Italian woke up . I suggested Amma to spruce up the uppittu by adding Some corn kernels Zucchini and Veg Seasoning cube apart from the already added carrots n beans . Amma without shooing me away ,obliged for a twist in taste. In few min's Fab Indo Italian version of Upma was ready. Then I garnished it with some Ricotta cheese , Jalapenos and sun dried tomatoes for that extra punch . I seasoned Ricotta cheese over Sun dried tomatoes with some dried Dill leaves and drizzle of extra virgin olive oil . Voila ... a modern rendition of the traditional Uppitu is ready to savor ! enjoy !

Uppittu profile Pics : :)

Traditional Upittu /Upma Recipie :
1. Semolina / Upma/uppittu rava ( 200g)
2. One Onion finely chopped
3. Assortment of vegetables cut ( Anything that is ur favaourite)
4. 1 Teasppon of Mustard seeds
5. 1 tea spoon of Uraad dal [split black gram]
6. tea spoon of Chana dal [ split bengal gram]
7. Teaspoon of turmeric
8.Finley chopped coriancder leaes
10. finelu chopped green chillies .
11.1 lemon juice
12.5 to 6 curry leaves
13.Grated coconut
Procedure :
a) before getting started , first stir fry the Semolina / Uppitt Rava , for about 2 to 3 mins on low flame with a two table spoon of oil . Use regular refined oil .we do not want too much of ,mix of flavours here .Keep it aside .
b )On hot wok / Pan splutter the mustard seeds , in about 4-5 tablespoon of oil .
c )Add the rest of the seeds/dal and once they turn lil golden brown add the onions and fry them till onion turns translucent . This would release all the sweetness of the onion .
d) Now add the chopped chillies .Always note that the intensity of hotness of the chilli is less if add over onions . If u want it hotter add chillies before onions.
e) Now stir the assorted vegetables in this mixture for about two minutes .
f) now add about 400ml of water [twice that of the semolina measure actually] and allow it to cook untill u see the boil.Add the lemon Juice now .
g) Add the stir fried semolina , stir it and cook in low flame for 3 mins .
h) Once done garnish with freshly grated coconut and coriander leaves .
Enjoy !!!

Pasta arrabiata

2011-09-04T07:13:00.000-07:00

Pasta arrabiata:
Ingredients :
Tomato Puree .
Basil Leaves
Olive oil ,
Chili flakes
Onion chopped .

Coriander:Just that lil Indian touch to it . :)

On a hot pan add olive oil [ I have used Pomace olive oil , u can use extra virgin olive as well ]
Saute the finely chopped onions and once translucent add the pureed tomatoes and the chili flakes , basil.
After a boil , add the cooked pasta [ AL-Dante in consistency ].
Simmer for about two minutes and serve fresh .
Garnish with Dried Basil .
You can top it with grated Parmesan Cheese [ I was out of stock ]

Cheers!

Nikon D5100 Photo Competition Submission

2011-06-02T02:50:00.000-07:00

Hey guys Some of My submissions for the Contest has been Selected. Please share this with your friends too and cast likes /votes . I need your support to move to next round ... Thanks guys :)
Click on the following to Vote/like .
In Time Machine
Divine
Mighty
Passion
Top of the World
Companion
Hope
Journey

TCS World 10k Run , Bangalore

2011-05-11T21:52:00.000-07:00

After 2009 Airtel Delhi half marathon, I have already started training for the World 10 K run here in Bangalore. For a Change this time the title sponsors are TCS . Am looking forward for the run . The event website is http://www.tcsworld10k.procamrunning.in/. I did have problems in registering earlier , finally today registered using my credit card .All the best People , train hard and party even harder on that day .
PS: For Route map Click Here

From a Common Man , Common Man Ver2.0

2011-03-01T01:48:00.000-08:00

What’s common between me and you? What’s not so common between me and you? Do we choose to be common? Being common is so common. Being common is so easy. What happens to common man? Is there a voice to common man? What are the trial and tribulations that a common man goes through? An insight and dissection of these thoughts is, Yours Truly Theatre‘s Presentation “Common Man Ver 2.0 “.

Life of a common man is Food for thought, I thought. I was eagerly waiting for the premiere as I had watched the first show of Common man few years ago and wanted to see how the commonness progressed in the years gone by . I’m not going to spill the beans about the story, however I want share the overall experience being in oneness with the performance. Music, lights and performance. An 3D experience in true sense .You have be there to know the touch of story and feel of theater play.
To Start with, Anchors In truly Yours truly Style,did a audience warm-up activity that set the tone for the evening. After that it was a riot of colors and laughter and applause. Common Man Franchise has grown both in size and production quality. The Performance was, as ever, best. To mention few highlights and sequences that were etched in my memory , actors in a black dress in a with a torch light are searching for the path and “Common man” lost and looked for light in his life … .The shower of postage's ,sequencing of _thorns in life_ act , Symbolism of Umbrella’s and last but not the least , Voice of common man that resonated from the start to the end , in form of narration , situation and in the end Voice of common man himself . What makes the whole act even endearing is the Amazing chemistry and comfort between the actors. Its looked so simple(=Natural) and easy. But I’ bet that simplicity is amazingly complicated to achieve and the actors would have slogged to get the sync / simplicity. Among the things I observed was discipline of actors on stage .The performers made sure the stage was clean, at every point the postage's trickled down as a part of the act or just when it fell at random .The same discipline reflected in their performance too.To point at some performance's in specific felt MRF was little effort-ed at couple of places.Also the ending went little tangent to the story stitched for the ending in the first two sequence's and then the back on track with what audience had suggested . That's beauty of interactive/improvisational theater . Applause Applause . Life in a Common man ramps up from Confusion to Clarity, Darkness to Colors, and Evolution to existence .Silence to voice. “Common man” has arrived or Ver 2.0 shall I say !

Production Wise :
1. Great music . Agam was surprise package . It definitely gave depth and dimension to the sequences enacted .They did “Agam’ed ” the original soundtrack and lyrics from the earlier version , and a fantastic background score as well . Ditto to the set design and the SFX .
2.A note about costumes . If my memory fetches me right it was White Shirt and Black Pants/jeans and some colorful duppatas, in the first show , that graduated to Jackets / gowns / colorful ensemble. This definitely added the required nativity to the sequence enacted and grandness to the frame.
3.Kudos to the team of YT for putting such a great show.

Credits :
Music by - Agam (Carnatic Rock Band)

Music Arrangement by - Ganesh Ram Nagarajan (Agam)

Sound execution & Improv music - Madhurkar neyogi & Ameet Bhuvan

Original Sound Tracks of the play Common Man Ver 2.0
Theme Song ‘Rasta kya’ - Sung by Harish Sivaramakrishnan (Agam) lyrics - Sumit acharya & Nandini Rao

Story of Common Man - Sung by Ranji withYT Chorus - Lyrics: Ranji David

Awesome Awesome Baby- Sung by Ranji with YT Chorus - Lyrics - Nandini & team

Writer : Nandini Rao

Direction : Nandini Rao and Ranji David

Actors on stage : Ameet Bhuvan , Deepak Sharma, Nandini Rao , Ramya M ,Ranji David Sumit Acharya , Sudarshan Rangprasad , Vishal Bhandary .

Invincible Rajnikanth

2010-07-29T23:43:00.000-07:00

A FWD 'd mail in my Inbox :

Rajnikanth's punch dialogue in the upcoming 120 crore film Endhiran

Buddy if i beat you, even Google wont be able to find you

Google is working on it to fix this bug. 

Apart from the humor ,seriously , No one can beat Rajnikanth's Style and mannerism...

What say all u Macchi's ?

Triund Trek

2010-05-17T03:20:00.000-07:00

Morning ragaa... Amazing colors on Sky

Early Morning gold rush .... cant get enough of it !

Shades of nature .

Early morning look....We had great Tea here .

Kamal at his best .....

Best Museli salad Gakyi restaurant ...belive me it was just Amazing!

Simple home made freah brown bread with butter ....fantalicious....!!!

Our lunch spread from kitchen of Mrs Kalsang Dickyi.... Pure Vegiterain dishes at Gakyi Restaurant.

Veg Thanthuk

lamen fried with tofu

Mixed Veg Bladra mushroom ( I hope I have got the Bladra right ..)

Lost in translation

2010-02-28T21:18:00.000-08:00

Our journey to Hwaseong palace started with a stop. We got a map that did not show the start point correctly.So u know what would follow.With a desperate attempt to find the starting point we started seeking direction from people who could at least comprehend our English ,for Name of the palace and directions.But to no avail.So we tried to spot any person from the Asian subcontinent.As we were told there are lot of people from our part of the world.Some how as matter of luck or chance , Suvajit (a.k.a "Suva") spotted a person who seemed to be from our part of he continent.I was hoping that he would help us with the direction.But to our surprise he was not able to make out what we are saying!!! ...what the hell!!Suva's analysis turned out right .He was looking like Indian . On probing , he turned out to be from Bangladesh and knew korean and Bengali only.Oh..Not again!!!To our advantage Suva was a Bengali(I thanked God, n times infinity in my mind ).So they fluently conversed in Bengali about the route and Bangladeshi guy in Korean with Korean.Huh!Finally English to Bengali, Bengali to Korean and vice versa. Really we had got lost in translation .
The Hwanseong palace makes for a nice trek.As it has lot of up/down hills. A good view of the city and lot of bastions through the way.The thing not to miss is The Bell of the Filial Piety Garden .Where u can make 3 wishes which would cost u 1000 KWN , and another 1000 won for the entire stretch of the fort . We ring a bell to wish
1) for parents
2) for family's health and happiness
3) for self

After that we headed to the palace that's down hill. It seems that day was start of their lunar calendar. The festival was Chong-wor-te-po-rum and there were ladies singing and dancing. From here on ,I'll allow the pictures to do the talking.And the best ones are at the last .Post Ur comments/thoughts on last two snaps .

Wish list to be Sent for Processing

My Wish List

World is Round ! Found this at the bastion at Seojangdae .

?????!!!!! Found this too at the bastion at Seojangdae

Annyeong-haseyo

2010-02-21T06:51:00.000-08:00

Annyeong-haseyo ...
Thats Hello to you all in korean!
True to an Astrologers predication two years ago, Finally my virgin passport got its visa seal before it could expire.I set to Fly to Korea for my work assignment in Suwon where Samsung is Headquatered. Suwon is a neat and clean city . Havent got much to explore yet . This post is first in series of my experiences in Suwon.Hope to make most of it during my stay . Gamsahamnida..... Annyeong-hi gaseyo ... Thank you... Good bye

At the Airport Arrival terminal

In side Airport Limousine

Nikhil verma ,Smart kid on the Block .

Rajul Gupta and Sariya Ansari having good time

L-R , Sariya ,Rajul .Nikhil ,Mohan

Boarding the Limousine

Sariya Ansari ,Zill-e-Illahi - of the lot !

On The way to Office

I hate to be in front of the camera , but this is completly for Savita.

Nikhil Verma ,Infront of the office .

Korean style ,Artifacts at the entrace junction .

Korean style ,Artifacts at the entrace junction .

Indian Guest house Kitchen

Indian Guest house Kitchen

dal makhani

2010-01-15T03:21:00.000-08:00

[ Pic taken at home ]
This is one of my favorite lentil curry from North .
This is simple to make and taste amazing .
We cook this at home quite often .
Lentils in the curry source rich amount of proteins and vitamins.

Ingredients:
1 cup Rajma (kidney beans)[ 50g]
4 cup whole Urad (whole black lentils)[200g]
1 cup of Cream /low fat milk
½ teaspoon cumin seeds (Jeera)
½ cup onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ginger( garlic paste )
1 teaspoon of fine chopped green chillies
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (Haldi)
2 teaspoons coriander (Dhania) powder
3 table spoon of Amchoor(Dry mango powder)
1/4 teaspoon of Asfoteda (Hing )
1 dried red chilly
2 teaspoon oil
salt to taste

Procedure :
1 Soak the Urad(Black lentil) and Rajma(Kidney beans) overnight [ at least eight hours]
2.Heat oil in pressure cooker.
3.Add the cumin seeds to hot oil until the splutter settles down .
4.Stir fry the finely chopped onions until they are golden brown.
5.Add the soaked lentils the cooker and use water 3times the quantity of the lentils .
6.Put ginger paste, turmeric , green chilies and stir it .
7.Once the lentil mixture starts boiling ,cover the lid of the cooker and allow about 5 whistles and turn off the flame.
8.Allow the cooker to cool and reduce its pressure.
9.Once done , open the lid and mash the Rajma(Kidney beans ).
10. Mix the cream to the mixture.
11.Heat the Currey on low flame for about 10-15 minutes .
12.Them season the curry with Hing (asafoetida) and Red chilly in oil.
13.Garnish the curry with grated / julienne cut ginger .

Yummy Dalmakhani is ready !
Enjoy this with Roti/Nan/Chapati/Rice too!

Airtel Delhi Half marathon 2009

2009-11-02T03:20:00.000-08:00

With all the anticipation and excitement ,my marathon started a before .Getting the bib itself was like a marathon as the Bib was issued at Saket . So Chuggy( Vivek Chugh : One my Best friends here in Noida ) and me left for Saket .After taking 2 hrs to reach saket and hour and half waiting for the Bib/goodies bag we headed back to Noida , which took another two hour .Huh !

I got Up early with renewed excitement and enthusiasm at 5am .With the noise created by my early morning ablution , my wife woke up too and I tagged her along with me and headed for the event venue.
People were already swarming up with Zeal and Zest that this "Dilwalon ka sheher " is known of.There were about 8900 and odd participants in the half marathon category . I was glad to be one. The race started at 7.30 but by the time i crossed the start line it was 7.37.There was so much of crowd.
The thig that i liked most about the Marathon was , that there were people cheering us all through out the route . There were all sorts of bands and dance groups cheering up on either sides of the track for almost every 500m . Just imagine .. u get to hear Pop /Rock desi/Punjabi/dance ..etc etc ..there we Dhol being drummed ..Oh it was just amazing !With kids cheering up... Some senior citizens singing Saare Jahan Se accha to cheer ! Bhayya Daudo Dauo...! and so much more..
All the joy and excitement in my mind suddenly came to halt when i felt a pricking pain in my right knee .I knew what was in store for me . There was engine with Full fuel , but the wheels running out of air. Air tel Delhi Half Marathon was over leaving me with a bad Knee pain after the run . Here are some statistics and updates about my run . I clocked more than 3 hrs to make it to the finish line . Thanks to my knees which stopped supporting me after the 11km mark . I struggled every step ...with natural progression of walking , limping and stretching .This time I have taken more time than I had during my last marathon run at Bangalore . I had clocked 2.35 last time... My stamina remained as ever , however my strength of knees was not at it best ... I must also confess that my training regimen was not that extensive as i had done. So I guess If I'm pointing one finger towards my knee now rest of them are pointing to me . Ethiopians ruled the roost with top honors in both men and woman's section. Deriba Merga successfully defended his title, clocking a time of 59:54 minutes.World champion Mary Keitany won the woman's race by crossing the finish line and setting a new course record of 66:54. So much energy and stamina. Need to wok on that!

Arise Awake

2009-10-13T23:43:00.000-07:00

If Swami Vivekananda were alive, he would be very happy to see that Ayaan Mukherjee, the director of the movie "Wake up Sid ", has given fresh coat to his quote “Arise awake until goal reached!" in a very contemporary form.
The movie is a take on the life of Sidharth Mehra. Who is a carefree guy...Who rides Life to Enjoy and academics is at the backseat in the ride. The movie takes us through the trials and tribulations in his life and how he overcomes it.
His conflicts and confusions in career, and all this ...The story is neat however pace of the story is little slow. You need to have patience.
In fact I think that all of us have a little Sid in us.... There was lot of nuances that were very well highlighted in the movie. Some of them were like theory of relativity, self realization and finally the arising and awakening. Ayan beautifully captures all those.
Theory of relativity is so vital in relationships. While Ranbir cribs about his failure in exam, his friend who’s one of the topper in college ...say that she fails every day fighting her diet plan where she is trying to overcome her weight issues, but still tries or a case where one persons interest is other persons bore .Konkana ( Aisha )sees that Ranbir is too young for her, only to realize later that Ranbir was her reason for stay in Mumbai. Or a situation where she dotes on her boss who’s all for jazz music parties which she finds as not her type. I guess the difference (relativity) can be enjoyed as long as the relationship is bounded by strong values .Love /Trust/Respect /Hope.
Ayan also showcases the point of doing things that one is good at can reap great results was also one of the highlights , where Ranbir finds himself as a total misfit in his fathers office doing regular job and does a great job as photographer in a magazine company. All in all its about following your dreams, desires with determination.
On a lighter side I found lot of Sid parameters in me .Some of them still in its latent state and some of them growing, some subsiding and some of them dead. Like for example , a great fan of Homer Simpson of “ The Simpsons” which is still latent in me [I used to have Simpson Collectibles on my desk] or plastic money usage , as though it was a Aladdin Lamp, which thankfully is subsiding or the passion to follow Photography seriously which is growing or clubbing endlessly , which is dead .
On the whole its quite a time pass movie, nothing to rave about.I give it a ***/***** .Very natural performances by the entire star cast.. However my wife begs to differ. Her feedback was loud and clear to me, when at the end of the movie; I had to say "Wake up Savita ".

Friendship Day , 2009.

2009-08-01T00:50:00.000-07:00

On This day , a day before friendship day ,I'Missing all of my Friends from Bangalore here in Noida so Friendship Day is of special interest for me this year . I would like to Wish all my Friends , blog readers a " Happy Friendship Day" in advance. Click here to see my friends from Bangalore , with whom I had oppurtunity do a photoshoot, so time to remember . I miss u all guys ! Enjoy ur day ! Cheers!

Finished 5th

2009-07-20T01:39:00.000-07:00

After about intermittent preparation for the run at Noida , I finally finished the 5Km run , 5Th clocking 23min's 40sec's . The run to finish line ended dramatically . Having maintained #3 position till the last 200m , two guys sprinted ahead of me with blazing speed . I was drained of energy and could not run ahead of them . This run has definitely mirrored my stamina,energy and strength , ahead of the Airtel Delhi Marathon in November . So its all preparation for next 12 weeks . Get going and start jogging ...!!

Running and Living Marathon , Noida

2009-07-13T00:48:00.000-07:00

Its running time guys. On 19th July 2009 The Running and Living organization has organized a 5Km/10Km run .
Quick Info :
Location :
Elemention Gym,
Tower B, Lower Ground,
Green Boulevard, B9A
Sector 62 NOIDA
[Near Fortis Hospital ]

Contact Number :01204571671

Timings :
Free Registration : 6.00am
10Km Start : 6.15am
5Km start : 6.30am

Click here to check the map of Runnning Circuit

Click here to Join the NOIDA Running Group at Google groups

Also for beginners , please go through Running and Living Website , it has some amazing details about running , tips and training information , and loads of other information related to running .

I'm all set and ready to run .... are you ?
–

Rakhi Ka Swayamvar

2009-06-29T21:02:00.000-07:00

After all the hype and waiting Rakhi Sawant's swayamvar aired on NDTV Imagine on 29th June .Since then me n my wife are glued to TV between 9 to 10 pm on NDTV Imagine. Seemz like Rakhi's prospective grooms are all set and ready for all the drama. At the outset when I watched it felt more or less like any other reality show with the exclusivity that its a Swayamvar . This show is similar to the FOX Networks " Who wants to marry a millionaire " where 50 eligible girls compete against each other to marry .The difference is that here its Rakhi who is millionaire and the guys are vieing to marry her. The competition in the Indian context is " Swayamvar"

Its is great to watch Rakhi for a change in her mellowed down , shy and docile behavior. I'm fan of Rakhi for the reason that she is so uninhibited , courageous and brutally honest .She makes no bones about her marriage on small screen of her big decision in her life .She owes everything she achieved to the Small screen . I'm really appreciative of people who are Honest and truthful . That's when great energy and vibration gets exchanged .She was the one openly admitted about her plastic surgery of her lips ,when asked about the same on Karan Johars "Coffee with Karan ", she said "Jo cheesein God nahi deta, woh Doctor deta hai"!!!!( Implying What God has not created , Doctor creates one )

The guys participating in swayamvar range from a business man from Canada , Astrologer from Delhi , Engineer cum model from Ghaziabad, Police inspector from J and K , Sales Manager , Advocate from Haridwar , choreographer , A marriage Consultant !!! , a fitness instructor and also there was 21 year old guy who just passed out from College from Yamunanagar ( BTW that guy was voted out in the first elimination.) so on and so forth .

The show is very engaging .We hop to different channels during break and make sure we tune back in again . That's the commitment that I have as a ardent fan of Rakhi .While my wife also watches and reminds me every time when I hop to different channels during the break , to tune back in .

There is all the masala /drama /fun / excitement/ curiosity as in any other show. The guys are happy when the are not eliminated and greet each other, make sad face when eliminated. Rakhi on the other hand grills the contestant to know them better . To assist in her big decision there is Ravi Kishan from the Big brother fame , carrying out the duties like an elder brother . Contestants are doing all it takes to woo Rakhi .So far they have Sang , Danced and Wrote love letter . I just hope that all that's happening in the reality show is a real manifestation of the contestants love for Rakhi and and not a show of love for Rakhi . I only wish Best of Luck for Rakhi and for the contestants ,may the best man win .

Mushroom on Toast Recepie

2009-06-03T05:39:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:
200g of Mushroom washed and diced.
4 juicy tomatoes chopped
4 onions chopped
1’ Ginger chopped
4 Chilly chopped (According to taste level in your family)
2 table spoon of tomato sauce
Coriander / Celery leaves chopped
Mustard Seeds ( Sarso ( Hindi ) / Sasuve ( Kannada) )
Cumin (Jeera (Hindi)/ Jeergey (Kannada))
Refined oil 4 table spoon
Salt to taste

For the toast:
Whole wheat bread / White Bread
Oil / Butter /Olive oil /Clarified Butter (Ghee) to use as a spread while toasting.
Method:
We tried this recipe at home after tasting it at Peach Blossom hotel ,Fagu Shimla on a recent trip .
It’s a simple, easy to cook, nutritious and delicious breakfast.
First Prepare the Mushroom based spicy spread.
Method:
1. In a heated Pan( Hanchu ( Kannada ) ,Tava( Hindi )) /Wok / Kadai( Hindi )/Baandli ( Kannada) , ) heat the refined oil .
2. Add the Mustard seeds and wait until the splutter settles .Add Cumin.
3. Add the chopped onion. Add chopped chilies. Stir the onions until they turn translucent.
4. Now add the ginger and stir again .Now adds tomatoes and keep stirring it occasionally to the point when the skin and the juice are separate.
5. Now add the Mushroom and allow it cook in the gravy for about 10 minutes. Now mix the Tomato sauce and stir it allow it cook for about 5 more minutes .
6. Garnish the Dish with Chopped coriander.
For the toast:
Cut the bread in to desired shape. Toast the bread on pan /oven with oil spread on it (any of the mentioned types in the ingredients list). Calorie conscious guys can omit the oil and dry heat it over the pan or the microwave.
Once the toast is ready, spread the Mushroom based spread over the toast, Mushroom on toast is ready to eat.

Friends @ H34

2009-04-03T21:44:00.000-07:00

All this while ,till i moved to Noida ,was a Home boy always being in the company of my Family and friends in Karnataka . In Noida my initial two months were in PG accommodation in sector 41 . Being new to Noida and the whole region of North India , I was initially not sure about the people . However things got clearer and better after few days in the PG . As the saying goes " World is round and small " I got a chance to meet some interesting people in my PG . I take great pleasure in introducing my new found friends in Noida .I hope my list keeps growing ! ( :

Friends List :
1. Ajay Verma
2. Anurodh Arun Gupta
3. Apurv Mittal
4. Ashwin
5. Rahul Sharma
6. Raman
7. Samar Vij
8. Vineet
9. Varun Anand

Ajay Verma

Ajay Verma is S/W engineer by profession and Is from Yamuna nagar Haryana . He is extremely Humurous and free spirited . We had bonded over the ffice talks , weekend hit outs .He is No Chinta No Worry kinda guy. He is a happy soul at H34 .

Anurodh Arun Gupta

A.k.a AAG . He 's pursuing his MBA in Entrepreneur and leadership . The real fire ball of H34 and can talk on and on . AAG is from Agra and sings very well .

Apurv Mittal

" Mittal Saab " as i call him is a fun loving , carefree guy ... relaxed and always connected .. i mean on net or on phone ... He 's pursuing his MBA in Entrepreneur and leadership

Ashwin

Ashwin ... is really positive and God fearing guy . He is very calm and composed . Very sweet guy .

Rahul Sharma

Cool and very friendly guy. He is your guy next door . He is a great Sport and Enterprising .He is very patient and great listener . He seeks knowledge . He 's pursuing his MBA in Entrepreneur and leadership

Raman

He is my short term Punjabi teacher . He is a Marketing Manager by profession and very down to earth guy . Great guy to share experiences .

Samar Vij ( Need his snap .Will Upload soon)

" Mr Vij " as i like to call him , is very ambitious guy .Loves to chill wid friends . At times he can be a pain to others when he starts to pull others legs . BTW sunny and samar are "Langotiya yaar's"( as they say ).

Varun Anand

a.k.a " Sunny " is exactly opposite to the name ... it should have been "cooly" .He is as cool as cucumber .At a first when u see and hear him u feel he is rude.Again reversing the opinion , he is very sweet . ... chilled out most of the time ..

Vineet

Vineet is a also fun loving and studious guy . He is well know for his dialogues .He is silent kinda guy .But will speak when required .

Inspired by the characters of these guys I have thought of short story . Will publish the same . Keep reading !

Cheers!

Marriages in North India

2009-02-20T00:23:00.000-08:00

This years valentines day was the day for me to head to Jaipur to attend two marriages of my ex and present colleague. Having no familiarity with the marriages here i set out to jaipur with a lot of excitement will all the scenes from our Hindi movies at the back of my mind running through out . I was curious to experience the celebrations that I saw in movies first hand .

I departed from Bikaner house Delhi to board the RSRTC( www.rsrtc.gov.in) Deluxe bus at 11.45pm . When the engine of the bus had started it was 00.05am IST . When I boarded off the bus at jaipur it was 5 am in morning . It very chilly in jaipur as well . ..
By the time my home stay coordinator arrived it was around 6 am.We headed towards the home stay at " Cosy Home " in Bani park that I had booked earlier through www.jaipurpride.com . The home stay was very clean and hygienic . U actually feel at home . Mr Mahesh Tukki a very friendly and knowledgeable owner of the home stay was very hospitable . After all my morning ablutions and the complementary breakfast , I headed for my first wedding venue, ie Nikhils, at " ManasSarovar " . Marriages in north India are different from the south . Their set rituals include the "Chaak Baath , Nikasi , barath , preeth bhoj ,panigrahan sanskar. The Marriage day Ceremony starts at the grooms place and they head to the wedding venue with the Barath , That's a entourage from the guys side .All the members of the grooms side wear " Pagadi" a traditional headgear after which the barath heads to the venue .
Just look at Nikhil , isn't he happy !? Then the baaraath heads to the wedding venue with all the Song and dance activity through out the path . Its sheer joy to be a part of the wedding as you get to witness the members of the family Dancing and rejoicing the whole event .

I got to witness all kind of styles typical to the place . Right from the traditional Marwari , Punjabi to freestyle dancing.Whole dancing in the baarath is the manifestation of the love and happiness associated with the groom . Every time a person used to feel happy or get elated they used to stop the baarath and request the band set guys to play their favorite song so that they dance on that song . With all the high energy dancing and the walking the baarath reached the venue at around 8 .

Then there were traditional welcome to the groom into the Venue by the brides family . As clock started to tick away from 8 I was getting late for my second appearance at Ashok's wedding . I wished Nikhil from far wholeheartedly and left the venue .

( Nikhil and Richa engaged in pooja )

Ashoks wedding was at Hotel Haveli near Statue circle . I took a rick and zapped into his wedding for Preeth bhoj . Most of the weddings here are organised in Lawns or gardens unlike the marriage halls in the south . The first impression that I got was the elaborate and ornate designs of the stage where the couples were seated . The whole of the park/garden is lit with various coloured lights . It appeared to me as if iI have entered some mega set of movie with all that light and decor .

When I entered the crowd had abated at the stage .Ashok and Khushboo were seated relaxed . They were looking like the prince and princess . Really ! with Ashok looking Smart and handsome with his Sherwani and the Pagadi and Khushboo with Her elaborately and exquisitely designed Sari . After a brief introduction of me to Khushboo by Ashok I handed over the gift( Read as trailer gift) that i purchased in all the hustle and bustle. After taking pics of the couple I headed over to have my dinner . Three fourth of the periphery of the lawn wit various food counters . I was confused where to start from . I took tour of the food counters and decided to start with salads first . Food needs a special mention as that is close to my heart . The food spread included salads , pickles , various varieties of Indian bread , side dishes , crackers , sweets , chats , namkeens , fruits , ice creams , sharbats , shakes , pan . every item had at least 5 to 6 varieties .I decide to dig in all the possible varieties . The most memorable item was the Makki di roti that was served hot and fresh dipped completely in molten butter . Ahh ! it was just amazing with the veg kofta curry . It was getting late for me . When i looked at my watch it screamed 11.15. Jaipur is no place with night life . So one needs to head back soon at the latest by 12 in the night . These were the words of wisdom put into my ears by the home stay owner . After realizing those words I did my final set of picture grabbing of the wedding ,the venue and booked a radio taxi and headed towards the home stay .
It was 12.10 by the time reached the home stay . when I set to sleep gradually each and and every frame of the baarath and the marriage rolled on when i shut my eyes. When I Opened my eyes it was a warm sun light peeping through the window to welcome me for yet another day , a day to go back to Noida .

Noida - In and Out of My Mind

2009-02-09T21:23:00.000-08:00

FYI Noida is an acronym for New Okhla Industrial Development Authority . The city was created to offload the heavy industrial density from Delhi . For people who are familiar with Bangalore , the city has a Look and feel of Peenya with respect to the Industries and institution around here and as far as the residential area some thing similar to Indranagar, well planned . All the residential areas are well planned and laid out . Wide roads here make you feel not to come back to Bangalore . A distance of of 6 to 7 km can be covered in flat 10 min unlike half an hour , at the least , in comparison to Bangalore . Noida during winter is very chilly during early hours of morning, while rest of the day till sunset its the climate of Bangalore during early hours ( : So one just needs to get used to the chilly mornings and the nights . As far as am concerned i have got used to take refuge in my warm cocoon of the thick bedspreads .
Accommodation is very expensive over here a 1200Sq ft two bedroom cost about min 10k and a PG with two time food cost about 5k in a decent area . That's the NCR effect ... National capital region effect . People , I mean general public , are pretty straight forward and show no pretense . The problem over here is only the transportation . Though there are many means to move around , like the Cycle rickshaws , auto rickshaws , public and private buses ; it still seems very inconvenient . Auto rickshaws as are the most expensive ones . The rickshaws are not metered . So u can imagine how the tariffs are going to be . The least expensive are the cycle rickshaw's but again it takes a lot of time . The trade off for choosing the means are always with Time or money . The decent ones the Public or private buses . If catch the bus on time then u save money .
Once u are done with your work one has lot of options to hang out here . there are quite a lot of shopping malls . to name a few Center stage mall , great India palace , Spice mall etc etc . There a very popular area called as Atta market , which is something comparable to MG /Brigade area . you get almost everything here . All the Major banks are around here . There is a State Bank of Mysore also . There are quiet a lot of good eat outs as well .I could spot couple of South Indian eat outs ad well . South India Food is very expensive over here . A ordinary restraunt charges about 60 bucks for a veg thali and if is a restaurant chain,like Sagar Ratna , they charge 150 bucks for a thali . which i think is very expensive for a Poori ssagu + rice + rasam + sambhar + palya + curds+ sweet + papapd combo . After having that 150 buck meals i decided that i'll never go there .Getting a good cuppa coffee is a big problem . Nevertheless there are CafeCoffee day ..a.k.a CCD... at some select sectors to satiate ones needs .
All in all its a very well planned city . As long as you plan the expenses properly everything will go according to your plan !