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The chutney in the house is a job that has been solely assigned to the husbandman. And for the twelve years that we have been married, he hasn’t disappointed us even once. By us, I mean me, my friends and our respective families. Friends at dinner parties, look forward to his chutneys. I might have slogged on the snacks for hours together, but the chutney (and its maker) in the house steals the show.
Last month I went home for a slightly longish vacation and I came back with four kilos of excess baggage on my already expanding girth. Points to note 1. I did not go crazy eating out on the pretext of “I-am-on-holiday”. In fact, most of my meals were home cooked 2. I didn’t eat the forbidden stuff, the not so good stuff you know (Okay, I am lying I did cheat a bit but hey I was on a holiday).
I am sitting in the dining room, back home (Having been married for more than a decade, home is and will always be my parent’s house; one where I grew up with my little sister and one where my little girl spends her summer vacations each year). My little chefling is enjoying the makhane ki kheer her nani made for her to try and I am looking at both of them enjoying each other’s company with a cup of coffee in my hand. My parents don’t drink coffee but always make sure they have a jar ready for me when…
Ask most Indians and they’d agree that there’s something about the garma garam chai that makes chilly winter mornings warmer and sultry summer evenings tolerable. On weekends, there is no rush, you can hold a cup in your hands and absorb the beauty of the sunrise. On weekdays, when you’re running around like a headless chicken the same cup of chai (or cha as my maternal grandmother would say) when multiplied by three or sometimes four helps keep your sanity intact. In short, a cup of chai simply makes one’s life better. As for me, I’ve always been more fascinated…
What defines a holiday? Being wheelchair bound, it means meeting or even exceeding my limits. I seek out unique destinations, luxurious hotels, diverse cuisines and exciting activities. From start to finish, Alaska had all the ingredients and flexibility I look for and is now my favourite destination of the many I’ve visited.
Which version of the song, Hawa Hawai do you like more? The one with Sridevi from Mr.India or this funky, new one? At present, we’re playing the Shaitan version, on loop. We can’t decide which one we love more.
Two individuals, one aim: to create echoes that resonate across cultural, racial and religious boundaries, transforming communities through happy, soulful music. Vocalist / audio engineer Hari Singh and trained Hindustani classical vocalist Sukhmani Malik describe their music as the translation of various cultural experiences into pure thought. Emanating from places deep within their hearts, the sounds are blissful.
Masala chai…cutting chai… kadak chai…garam chai…chai malaai maar ke! You’re familiar with these sounds, aren’t you? You’ve heard them on childhood train journeys to the nanihaal(maternal grandparents’ home) orescapades to the mountains, saving yourself from sweltering summer heat. They’re the chants of tea sellers or chaiwallahs, emanating from stalls that dot the streets of urban and rural India. This beckoning is a charm, a talisman, bearing witness to our formative years.
Who doesn’t like street food, even if it comes garnished with a layer of dust, and sweat too, perhaps! We decided to make a stopover at a few makeshift, snack selling shops across the country. These are a few of our favourite Indian street snacks, and yours?
