Reflections on Our Travel to the Motherland - New Delhi

Our trip started off in New Delhi where we stayed with family friends. We were there for five days and visited all the popular sights, including:

INDIA GATE - is a war memorial located along Rajpath

Can you read what is written on top of this memorial?

It says, "To the dead of the Indian Armies who fell and are honored in France, Flanders, Mesopotamia, and Persia, East Africa, Gallipoli and elsewhere in the near and the Far East and in sacred memory also of those whose names are here. 

Amar Jawan Jyoti - "Flame of the immortal soldier"
For dead and unknown soldiers of Indian Armed Forces

Other sights we visited in New/Old Delhi were Qutub Minar (click on the name to view photo album), Humayan's Tomb, the Lotus Temple, Rashtrapati Bhavan, and Red Fort. Pictures to follow soon. 

What trip is complete without its foodie adventures? We dined at some of my favorite spots in Delhi including Nirula's to get kulfi or creamy, Indian ice cream:

Look at him, hogging up all the ice cream!

I enjoyed the food at Haldiram's so much during my last trip that I decided to take my husband there.  His favorite snack at this restaurant was and still is Raj Kachori. 

When we first bought this snack, I thought we would share it. It is 3 inches in height and width. However, my husband had other plans. He ate all of it before I could even take a bite. He even ordered a second one. We went to Haldiram's every day just for this snack. 

Raj Kachori is a Royal style kachori that is a popular North Indian snack. It is a crispy puffy puri that is filled with dahi (or plain yogurt), boondi, black chana, potato, and crushed papadi. It is also sprinkled with sev, pomegranate seeds, tamarind chutney, chaat masala, and mint chutney. There might have been other ingredients mixed in but we couldn't figure them out. 

This snack really took both my husband and me by surprise because it was spicy, sweet and a little sour but in a good way. I can't believe all these flavors play so well in one dish. We also liked the desserts or sweets they have like the Bengali Rabri, Burfis, and Rasgulla. 

Haldiram's is different from other fast-food restaurants. When you walk in, you first pay for the items you want to eat or drink, then take the receipt(s) to the different food/beverage kiosks in the restaurant. This system ensures that no one walks away without paying. We really did enjoy the food and service at this place. The service staff is also very helpful.

Other restaurants to check out in New Delhi:

• This popular kebabs and kormas place behind Jama Masjid in Old Delhi, which is called Karim's Hotel Private Limited. This restaurant wasn't the easiest place to get to from the Jama Masjid Metro station but it was worth the travel. This restaurant received close to 7K reviews on Google. ***Please note: this place only accepts cash payment, so make sure you have some. 

• Singh Sahib restaurant located at Central Rd, Sector 5 Market, Pocket 1, Sector 11 Dwarka
• Must-try dishes: Thai Chicken Spring rolls, Afghani Murgh Dum Biryani Chicken

• If you like McDonald's and are curious to try McDonald's burgers worldwide, then you should try one in India, especially if you like spicy food. I ordered a Chicken Maharaja Mac and the restaurant staff made it seem like it wasn't spicy, BUT IT WAS REALLY SPICY FOR ME!! 

Look at how many slices of Jalapenos were in my burger?
It should have a warning label somewhere on the box.

After all the fun of sightseeing and eating out, we also checked out their huge shopping malls in Dwarka; easily accessible by Metro and Uber:

•  Vegas Mall in Sector 14
• Soul City Mall in Sector 13
• City Centre in Sector 12

We also picked up some souvenirs at Central Cottage Industries Emporium in Janpath. We preferred to buy them from here because we would be safe from not being ripped at the local places in all the heritage sights we visited around India. By the way, this place also is easily accessible by Metro. 

We bought Amar Chitra Katta (Indian comics),
Makrana marble tea coasters, and papier-mache boxes 

It is easy to get carried away when shopping for souvenirs at this store as there many levels filled with wondrous things:

• Basement level: Traditional paintings and gift wrapping
• Level I: Woodcraft, Metalware, marble craft, ethnic jewelry, packaged tea
• Level II: Bedspreads/table linen, papier-mache, crafts, and paper stationery 
• Level III: Ready to wear for men, ready to wear for women, silk and cotton fabrics, pottery/marble craft
• Level IV: Shawls, sarees, scarves/stoles and bags, Bindis, bangles, shoes
• Level V: Children's garments, toys, and musical instruments
• Level VI: Furniture, cabinets, beautifully handcrafted wooden screens, Marble tabletops, etc

We enjoyed our stay in New Delhi when we arrived in mid-November and left mid-December. If you plan to visit New Delhi, it's best to go before mid December before the temperatures drop to 50s. Overall, we really enjoyed our stay and are looking forward to visiting New Delhi again someday. 

Reflections on Our Travel to the Motherland

Who remembers this song from Pardes? My favorite part of the song is when Mahima Chaudhry (Indian actress) sings:

"Ye Duniya Ek Dulhan, 

Ye Duniya Ek Dulhan
Dulhan Ke Maathe Ki Bindiya
Ye Mera India
Ye Mera India
I Love My India
I Love My India"

That's how I felt when we landed at Indira Gandhi International airport in New Delhi last November. It had only been six years since I last visited the Motherland (India), yet it seemed like ages ago. It was also my husband's first time visiting India. 

We made meticulous plans before we left. Booked all of our tours with a Rajjas Tours and Travels, an Indian travel company my family used before. Our plans were made to a T. 

Our India tour included trips to Ajanta and Ellora Caves in Aurangabad, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and the Golden Triangle: Delhi to Agra to Jaipur, Udaipur and then back to Delhi. More posts to follow. 

Below are some tips we wanted to share with you based on our experience:

Do's 

• MONUMENT TIMINGS/CLOSINGS - Make sure to look up and note down all the timings for the monuments - not all are open Monday through Sunday. You can plan your trip according to these timings so you don't miss out on the important sights.  
• TICKET PRICING - The pricing is different for varies kinds of tourists: 
• An Indian citizen with PAN card
• NRIs / OCI cardholders - make sure to bring it with you when you visit the monuments so you don't have to pay foreigner fees. 
• Non-Indian tourists or foreigners
• PHONE/SIM CARD USE - Carrying an unlocked phone goes a long way when traveling abroad. We were able to swap out the US SIM for an Indian SIM card and use it over there. If you do not have an Indian SIM card, you can always buy it at the airports. It is much cheaper than getting an International Voice/Data plan from the US. 
• BARGAIN, BARGAIN BARGAIN!!! Try your hand at negotiating when buying souvenirs, handicrafts, or fruits at street markets. If you are going to buy multiple items, there's more room for bargaining. It doesn't hurt and you can save some $$$
• STAY HYDRATED - always carry bottled water with you when you go out on day trips. We actually bought a gallon water jug and refilled our bottles if we stayed in a hotel that didn't replenish the water bottles daily. 
• Dress appropriately for the weather conditions. 
• You can walk around where ever there are footpaths but be mindful that there's a lot of traffic in these metropolitan cities. Look both ways before crossing major roads during daytime and nighttime. 

Don'ts

• FOOD ITEMS - Don't bring food inside monuments; be mindful and travel light
• Places like Red Fort have security checkpoints where they will ask you to take out food items if you have any.
• TICKETS/TOKENS - Don't lose your ticket token; keep it safe. You will have to pay a penalty if it is lost.
• CURFEW - Don't stay out late or go to remote areas by yourself. Always travel with someone or in groups. 

Availability/Mode of transportation

• METRO / SUBWAY - We took the metro a few times in Delhi for sightseeing and eating out. We rented a car and driver for full day travel or tours. 
• UBER - Use the app for taxi service in various cities. 
• We used the app to drop off to the airport in New Delhi and Hyderabad. We also used the app to pick up from the airport to our hotel in Bangalore.  
•  You can use your credit card or pay with cash.
• TAXI SERVICE - There is a taxi kiosk outside of the Indira Gandhi International airport in New Delhi where you can book a taxi to where ever you need to go. This worked out better for us because we heard that the Uber pick up area was really far from the other taxi spots. 
• AUTOS or THREE WHEELERS - Only if Uber is not available. You can negotiate the rate by giving the auto driver the Uber rate so they don't rip you off. 
• It's best to know the route ahead of time of getting into the Auto so they don't take you for a ride. 

Stay tuned as we explore more of what India had to offer through a series of upcoming posts, Reflections on Our Travel to the Motherland. 

Go to Flavor-town with these Game Day Snacks!

I have to be honest...I'm not an avid American football fan but every year, I'm ready to watch the Super Bowl. It's more than a game; it's an event filled with funny and inspiring commercials, halftime show, and fun with the family. Regardless of who your favorite football team is, everyone comes together to watch the BIG GAME on that auspicious Sunday in February. 

Even my parents get in on the action on Super Bowl Sunday. We're not carnivores, so Game Day doesn't include the usual wings, meaty chili, sliders, etc. We prefer spicy, crunchy munchies and hearty entrees such as the following:

Crackling, Crunchy Cashews

This past December, my husband and I actually bought a lot of crunchy and nutty snacks at Dadu's Sweet shop in Hyderabad, India. One of the snacks is called Cashew pakoda. It looks and tastes similar to the crackling, crunchy cashews on our blog.  The snack is made with besan flour (chickpea flour) and spices.

Picante peanuts

You can also make it with peanuts as shown in the picture above. Other snack ideas that go well with beer or wine for game day are corn flakes mixture or chivda. You can make enough for the whole game and more because we use corn flakes cereal to make the snack. 

Similarly, you can make another type of mixture with rice crispy cereal. As you can see, we like spicing things up with our breakfast cereals. The spices really kick it up a notch. We also spice things up with pancakes. We love our spices.

If you want to get really creative and try an authentic South Indian snack for game day, then you should try making Pappuchekkalu:

Pappuchekkalu (Rice and Lentil Crisps)

Good news for people with gluten allergies, these rice, and lentil crisps are gluten-free; they're made with a combination of rice flour, urad dal flour (white lentil flour) and soy flour. You have to give them a try. 

We also make various raitas or yogurt dips on game day. The most common dips are artichoke or spinach dip. However, our raitas are so much more flavorful than any old dip. 

We make our yogurt dips with all kinds of vegetables: beetroot, long squash, bell peppers, spinach, eggplant, cucumbers, and even tomatoes and onions. You can make raita with any vegetables. It's easy and delicious. 

Beetroot Raita served with corn tortilla chips

My favorite is beetroot raita. It's a little sweet but not like candy-sweet and goes well with tortilla chips, pita chips, potato chips or mini naan. 

It's a new year! New flavors and experiences. Check out the above recipes for yummy and kickass snacks for the Big Game in a few hours. We're serious about SNACKING!

Well wishes for the New Year!

January has truly been a busy month filled with birthdays and celebrations from both sides of our family. We celebrated Sankranti/Pongal on the 14th with my family where we enjoyed yummy sweet and savory Pongali. And now we are celebrating Lunar New Year with my husband's family. 

I am truly blessed!

May the New Year bring you and your family good health, wealth and prosperity.

For the Love of Podis - Peanut Podi

In Andhra cuisine, bhojanam or meal is comprised of rice and a variety of dishes that are eaten with that said rice, including wet/dry vegetable curries, rasam, and plain yogurt. 

SOMETIMES, WE CRAVE FOR SOMETHING MORE YUMMY THAN JUST CURRIES. In those times, we eat rice with pickles or podis. These pickles and podis are usually pre-made and in large quantities, so they are always on hand for those CRAVINGS!! 

Tonight, I ate something I haven't eaten in 2 years, and it was so good. From the moment, the rice ball mixed with the PEANUTTY PODI hit my mouth, I was in podi heaven. 😋

You may be thinking, is she crazy?  I'm not.

I just love the simplicity of Andhra cuisine. Some dishes are super easy to make with very few ingredients. Below is the recipe for Peanut podi, which is my favorite out of all the podis and by far the easiest to make.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of peanuts
• 2 dry red chilies
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Vegetable oil
• Clarified butter (ghee), optional

Procedure

Shallow fry the dry red chilies with a few drops of vegetable oil and then add the peanuts. Then fry these together for 5 to 7 minutes on medium to low heat (or until you smell the roasted aroma). Remove from heat and let the mixture cool down. Grind the peanut and chili mixture together with salt in a blender (on medium speed) until you get a coarse powder. Adjust the chili powder and salt quantities as per your taste.

If you love peanuts, then you will love peanut podi. I add enough podi to the rice until I get the peanutty flavor. I also add a couple of drops of vegetable oil to the rice and podi mixture because it brings it all together and also enhances the flavor. You can add ghee instead of vegetable oil if you are not diet conscious.

For the Love of Podis - Putnala Podi

You know what I love about Indian cuisine, the fact that it's not just all curry. It's not tikka masala or some sauce-based cuisine. There's more to Indian cuisine because there are 29 provinces or states in India. We are all Indians but the dishes are as diverse as the people who live there.

I am originally from Andhra Pradesh which is in South India. We eat "curries" with rice. The curries can be dry or wet depending on our mood really. We also eat rice with pickles or podis.

Indian pickles are not pickled cucumbers. Pickles are vegetables or fruit which are cooked and cured/pickled in oil and spices. 

Podi is a Telugu word for powder. Powder sounds a bit odd because it's not like powder that you put on your face or even confectioner's sugar which is finely powdered sugar.  

Podi is a coarse powder. It is generally made with roasted lentils and whole spices which are then ground to perfection (consistency depends on you). 

Today, we're making Putnala podi or roasted chana dal powder. 

Ingredients

1 cup of chana dal (roasted chickpeas)

1 tsp jeera (cumin)

½ tsp chili powder

¾ tsp salt

Grind all of the above ingredients together in a blender until the chana dal is powdered. It is alright if
the jeera or whole cumin do not get powdered. Adjust the chili powder and salt quantities to your taste.

We like eating putnala podi with warm, white Basmati rice. Heat up some rice, add some ghee
(clarified butter) and mix in this podi. This mashup of rice and podi goes really well with vegetable fry
as well.

There are many podi varieties. Putnala podi is the well known amongst my family. There is also Peanut podi, Dry Garlic podi, Mint podi, Karvepaku (made with curry leaves) podi, Poppy seeds podi just to name a few. This post is first of many in a series about podis. Stay tuned for more.