Life 'n' Such

Do you know what Caravan Serai means. Well it means Roadside Inn for travelers. You could still see a lot of these in Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Israel, etc. But mostly ruins, which I am sure are still a lovely sight.

We went to a restaurant last night, craving good ol’ fashioned non veg food. We decided on Caravan Serai, an Afghani styled joint. This is located on Link Road, Andheri w, in Mumbai, near the Infinity Mall.

My thoughts:
Taste: Alright, I could eat similar food almost every other place,
Cost: A bit pricey (per person about Rs. 750, i.e. in USD hmm about say $15-$18),
Ambiance: Good ambiance, nicely decorated cream walls, with unique things hanging on walls and ceiling, pretty cool, good mood lighting, inside and outside dining option, low seating, which was unique, I don’t know if taller people would like that.

We ordered a few things, but the best thing we liked was the masala papad. It was perfect!

Recipe for Masala Papad:

A udid dal papad fried in oil.
The topping: It was just plain finely chopped onions, tomatoes, cilantro (corriander leaves) with a little salt, and red chilli powder.

That my friend, was the recipe, so easy huh? So get up make it, and eat it right away, so you know what I am drooling about. Its a good snack, appetizer, and oh I almost forgot, we ordered a tall glass of sweet lassi, which was so good with this Masala papad. Yumm!

They served the lassi beautifully. It was a tall glass, with few ice cubes, and the lassi was nice thick consistency, not completely smooth and whisked, but there were a few pieces of yogurt (dahi) in it, which a nice idea I liked. And the best part is the small stream of a rose syrup they had down the side of the glass, gave a light flavor and looked brilliant!

It was just divine!

So, quick take, if you have money to splurge, sure go ahead, enjoy at the Caravan Serai and definitely order the Masala papad.

No Comments | In: Appetizer/Snack, Food, Indian, Interesting stuff, Kashmiri, Other | | #

Picture above is of a old house in older parts of Kashmir (or as the people say ‘Downtown’), all houses are somewhat like this, having intricate woodwork, outside and inside.

Kashmiri people, Kashmiri food, Kashmiri Pashmina shawls, Kashmiri Silk carpets, just few of the things about Kashmir that are so special, you need to experience it first hand to believe me!

Gently glide your hand over the silk carpets to experience the unique craftsmanship, the intricate designs on a Pashmina shawl, or the warmth it gives, the kebabs or the various chutneys you can enjoy at a wedding in Kashmir, every thing is so unique, and so detail oriented.

Even if you get invited to a tea party, the preparations that go into it, oh, reminds me of a scene from Kate and Leopold movie, where Leopold explains to Kate the importance of preparations and the menu for a guest.

Yes, even in the chaos I can smell the fragrant Kehva (the spice tea), I can hear the gurgling of the streams with cold water of the Himalayas, I can feel the softness of the pashmina and the silk carpet, I can appreciate the architecture of the fallen apart houses in the older cities of Kashmir.

Yes, I am in love.

It must be paradise.

2 Comments | In: About me, Interesting stuff, Photos | | #

I love this!

And I had no clue, this was that easy!

So without further ado, here we go.

(Now you get a clue, what I was doing in Kashmir, learning more Kashmiri recipes from MIL) Enjoy my dear friends.

Ingredients:

Eggplant (baingan), long and thin, about 3-4 inches long
tamarind, either dried or concentrated, and dissolved in water to create a thin consistency
our usual spice mix: red chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder, fennel powder (all or any of these as per your availability
oil for frying and some for cooking
fried onions,

Method:

Wash the eggplants thoroughly, now to cut them holding the heads, only slit them twice lengthwise, not all the way through (I have taken pictures, dont you worry). Then, deep fry them in oil, till they are golden. After all are fried, put them in the tamarind water.

Now in another small pan, put some oil, add the fried onions, when it gets a bit hot, add the spice mix. Now when the spices are cooked, put this on the eggplant, give it a slight stir, and get the whole thing to a boil. Then simmer on slow heat for sometime, till the eggplants are very tender.

Done. I love to have this hot with steamed rice.

No Comments | In: Food, Kashmiri, Other, Recipes | | #