" My love for Rajasthan & its yummilicious Thali "

Kesaria Baalam aavo padharo mhaare desh re.......This is what I feel & sing whenever my husband and I plan a trip for Rajasthan. This is a very well known, traditional welcome song of the royal state, Rajasthan. I feel I've a very strong connection with this beautiful state. It has a mysterious & magnetic charm, which actually pulls me every time. The majestic forts, the haunting stories of Haveli's, the calm sand dunes, those angelic sunset view, their mesmerizing Heritage property's, women in traditional lehriya Saree's, Men with colorful baadhni turbans, and their earthy folk songs, makes Rajasthan so very unique. Oops How can I forget to mention the most important thing, Yeah I'm talking about the scrumptious Food. As per my taste bud report, Rajasthani cuisine is quite spicy & dominated by garlic. The color is red & the aroma is like wow, which surely increases the appetite. The delicacies are pretty rich just like the glorious history of this state. Their most famous dish is Dal bati churma. This dish is definitely rich as it is floats on ghee. The renowned mutton delicacy Lal maas is also a jewel, a red & super spicy mutton gravy which go best with tandoori roti/naans(Indian bread) & even the rice lovers can happily relish it. I can personally vouch on this.

 This is my Thali at Udaipur ~ The city of  lakes.

And this thali is from my Jodhpur diaries. I couldn't resist myself from clicking before attacking on it. Every time I visit the state I end up stuffing the food till my throat. This thali consists 4-5 sabzi'z/ dishes(Vegetables), Dal, Rice & chapati(Indian wheat bread). To add that extra spice & flavor, a red garlic chutney is also served. Last but not the least, some happiness for Dessert lovers as well. My favorite is the simple yet flavored kadhi, Mix veg & Gatte ki sabzi (Gram flour- Besan). I basically feel they serve their love & affection. They create some magic with the spices & its aroma is inexplicable. To feel it you actually need to taste this soulful food.  

A Casual Dinner turned onto a crazy & thrilling drive to ~ City of Lakes~ Udaipur !!

It was a casual Saturday evening, we were planning to dine out. Thoughts were pondering about the numerable places where we can hog out. Finally we zeroed on Dana Pani a non-vegetarian restaurant beside Vishala, Ahmedabad.

Hogging on our tikka’s & coke , I was gazing the orange street lights roadside & the Expressway Signboard stating some 252 km’s to Udaipur ( I guess) caught my eyes, Just on that I normally said “ How I wish to go on a long drive to Udaipur just after having dinner here & have a cup of tea at pichola lake early morning when the sun is just trying to peep out for a kick-start day. Imagine how beautiful it will be I said, Hubby smiled & said perhaps someday !

Post our dinner we were on the way back to our home , we crossed our home . I was like “ wow,  a drive to Gandhi nagar if not Udaipur. Not bad “.  And then we stopped at a petrol pump where hubby said “ Bhaiya tank full kar do “ . I was a little confused but surely not thinking that It could be my lucky night & drive.  And next we were on Udaipur road. I could not believe my ears & eyes out of excitement & surprise. It was 11:35pm & my hands were itching to update my status on face book & it read “ We are off to Udaipur without clothes, luggage , comb, kajal lipstick & most importantly tooth brush, it’s crazy but I’m loving it “. Within seconds it started hitting likes & comments giving me an adrenaline rush about the crazy drive , fun , experience & photos.  Casually dressed up for dinner made me to think & get little cranky , fiddling & twiddling with all those girly apprehensions, about look, dress , hair , make-up & How will I upload my pics on face book without all this as if that’s the end of world . Hubby came to my rescue in a jiffy & said just enjoy & live the moment, real fun, wildness, think about your crazy yet soulful dream of having a cup of tea at Pichola lake early morning which is turning true, so forget face book.  And on this every other thought vanished. 

                                                                                                                                                          Finally we reached Udaipur at 4:00am , had already googled & booked Sheraton spa Udaipur . And finally , my crazy wish got accomplished. I enjoyed the precious sip of tea at Pichola lake filled with happiness & fun . Sunday morning got freshen up at hotel & strolled around the beautiful Udaipur, explored the palaces & lakes. 

Though we carried nothing , yet this trip was the most soul-waking , mesmerising & close to our heart. It not only gave us a random true-road trip feeling though a short one , but we discovered new horizons of happiness . 

Thankfully I got clicked leaving all my apprehensions beside & uploaded my pic on face book , which I’m sharing with you all. Though we are casually dressed up & our hair is all messed up ,yet the picture has come out so natural.                                                                                    

                                                                                                              

So this is how a casual dinner turned on to a roady-moon . Romance & fun all the way.
Try out someday .

Lunch for a perfect Sunday - Chicken Dum biryani - Home style

Home Style Chicken Dum Biryani 

Chicken Dum Biryani my all time favourite. Altough I'm not an expert but yes love for my husband has transformed me from a gunda tomboy to a sweet wife. So to start with I got to blog the recipe of the quintessential ‘home style’ chicken biryani from the royal kitchen of the Nizams. A dish that calls for an elaborate process and requires lots of TLC aka ‘tender loving care’ . I have prepared this biryani twice .Its a lengthy process but once the biryani is cooked on dum, and you open the lid, the kitchen smells fragrant, rich with the reassuring aroma of pure ghee and saffron and the chicken cooked to melt in the mouth tenderness. And you feel accomplished, atleast I did.
This is my first post so without emphasising much on my writing skill , let's move to the magical ingredients of this scrumptious Biryani. 

The magical Ingredients :- 

1 kg chicken, washed and drained completely

2 large onions, finely sliced

2 tbsps chopped coriander leaves

1 tsp saffron

1/2 cup luke warm milk

salt to taste

2 tbsps ghee + 5 tbsps oil

For marination:

3/4 cup thick curd/yogurt

8-10 green chillis, make a small slit in them

1 1/2 tbsps ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp red chilli pwd (adjust)

1/4 tsp turmeric pwd

3/4 tbsp coriander pwd

1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves

3/4 cup pudina leaves

juice of 1 lemon

1 3/4 tsps salt

Biryani masala, Grind it

8 cloves

1″ cinnamon stick

4 elaichi/cardamom

3/4 tsp shah jeera

12 pepper corns

Ingredients to cook rice:

4 cups Basmati rice

6 cloves

3 cardamoms

1″ cinnamon stick

3 bay leaves

1 marathi mogga

1 star anise

10 mint leaves

1 tbsp oil

1 1/2 tbsps salt

water as required

Process :-
Marinate chicken with the ingredients called for ‘marination’ along with biryani masala pwd. Keep aside for 4 hrs or a min of 1 1/2 hrs. An overnight marination will do absolute wonders & justice to the tenderness. While the chicken is marinating, work on the rest of the preparation.
Cook basmati rice in lots of water along with bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, marathi mogga, elaichi, oil, salt till its half cooked. Strain the water and spread the rice on a large wide plate. Allow to cool.
Heat 1 tbsp oil + 1 tbsp ghee in a vessel, add sliced onions, saute for 8-10 mts till caramelized. Remove and keep aside.
Add the saffron to the luke warm milk and combine well. Keep aside.
Take a wide deep vessel to prepare the biryani. Add 3 tbsps oil, add the marinated chicken and spread out over the vessel. Cook on high for 2 mts. Add a tbsp of oil over the chicken pieces. Reduce flame.
Spread half of the rice over the chicken layer, pour half a tbsp of ghee all over the rice, add half of the caramalized onions and spread over the rice. Next sprinkle a tbsp of coriander leaves and pour about one fourth cup of saffron milk over the rice. Over this layer, spread the remaining rice. Again pour half a tbsp of ghee all over, add remaining caramelized onions and spread over the rice. Finally sprinkle a tbsp of coriander leaves and pour remaining saffron milk over the rice. Usually I don't use saffron milk because the aroma of spices itself is to die for but then its all about your choice. Place lid and over the lid place a heavy weight and seal the edges with wheat dough. Cook on high flame for 2 mts. Remove the vessel from the stove and place a iron tawa. Allow to heat. Reduce to low flame and place back the biryani vessel on the iron tawa and cook biryani for 20-25 mts. Turn off heat and do not remove lid for 10 minutes. After 10 mts, remove lid, combine gently and serve hot with raita and curry of your choice.

Ignore my writing & work on the recipe . I'm sure you'll love the Biryani  !!!