Travel: Pune-Lonavla-Mahabaleshwar

Travel: Pune-Lonavla-Mahabaleshwar

Drove to Pune on 1-Oct14. Visited General Motors (Chevrolet) plant and experienced an awesome experience; saw live what was seen on the TV channels so far. Courtesy, Mahesh and Madhu.

Planned to visit Lonavla and Mahabaleshwar.

I'll update soon on the details...

New friends

I had the opportunity to meet and spend a few hours with my neighbor Venkat and his friends - Naveen and Rajesh. The hospitality extended by Venkat made me realize that he is indeed a friend material and I cherish it. I now have new friend Venkat by my side. Thank you Venkat for the hospitality and the opportunity to know you better and Naveen and Rajesh as well. Thank you.

Food: Arabian food at Dine Hill hotel in Hyderabad

Food: Arabian food at Dine Hill hotel in Hyderabad

This is not a place where you would want to go with your spouse. It is air conditioned but the ambience is not good. But you can go if you love authentic food. Now talking about the food, I tried Patthar ka Gosht, ATC (Arabic Tandoori Chicken), tandoori roti, garlic sauce, and mutton biriyani. Wonderful! The place is crowded and the smell of biriyani and various other dishes fill the place. Food is served in one huge steel plate and everyone eats from that one plate (your group only of course). Eating and sharing in one big plate is good experience with friends. Not all dishes are available daily. Check with the restaurant people or refer the menu card. You get food even at late nights.


http://www.dinehill.com    
Phone: 040 64609221

Jokes: First flight of the mosquito

Jokes: First flight of the mosquito

Heard in Hindi and translated...

Baby mosquito came back home after his first flight.
Daddy: How was your first flight baby?
Baby: Wonderful Dad! People were so happy with my talent that they started clapping!

I thought of adding an image of the mosquito. To my amazement, I saw this on the Internet...

Food: Butter Chicken

From the typical Indian Butter Chicken that is slightly sweet and sour, I cooked a variant that can be relished with rice. A typical butter chicken tastes good with Indian breads. So, here is the one that I cooked for the ones who love chicken with rice. I have added a few extra ingredients while maintaining the original recipe as far as I can.

Serves: 4, Cooking time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

• 750 gms chicken breast boneless cut 1 inch in size (I used with bones and not much difference)

For marination:

• 4 tsp curd
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tsp tandoori masala (I used chicken masala powder)
• Salt to taste

For curry:

• 2 tbsp cooking butter
• 2 onions finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp cloves and cinnamon powder
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 4 sliced green chillies
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp red chilly powder
• 6 tomates
• 15 cashewnuts
• 1 tbsp tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tbsp cream
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp dry fenugreek leaves crushed
• Finely chopped coriander leaves
• Salt to taste

Before you actually start the cooking:

• Marinate the chicken pieces with the ingredients under 'For marination'  for 2 to 3 hours.
• Blanch, peel and grind the tomatoes to puree.
• Soak the cashew nuts for 1 hour in hot water and grind. Keep aside.
• Shallow fry the marinated chicken pieces for 4 to 5 minutes. Keep aside. 

The actual cooking:

1. Heat the pan and add butter.
2. Add chopped onions and sauté for 3 minutes.
3. Add  the garlic paste, clove and cinnamon powder. Sauté for a minute.
4. Add the sliced green chilies, cumin powder, red chilly powder and salt. Add 2 tbsp water and mix well. Fry for a minute.
5. Add the tomato puree and cook till the oil separates.
6. Lower the flame and add the cashew nut paste stirring continuously.
7. Add  tomato ketchup and 1/2 cup water. Let it come to boil.
8. Add the fried chicken pieces and cook for 2 minutes.
9. Lower the flame, add milk (room temperature) and stir well for a minute.
10. Add garam masala powder and crushed fenugreek leaves. Mix well.
11. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
12. Serve with rice, naan or tandoori roti.

  

Aaloo vs Kashmir

My wife told me this joke today. May be a old one. But I enjoyed the way it was told and prompted me to share.
Husband: Jaani, aaloo paratha mein aaloo nahin?
Wife: Achcha! Kashmir pulao mein Kashmir diktha hai kya?

Travel: Ahobilam trek in Nallamala forest

Ahobilam trek through waterfalls, streams and cave temples in Nallamala forest

Ahobilam is located in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh in the Nallamala Hills of the Eastern Ghats. It is one of the foremost places of worship of Lord Narasimha, an avatar of Lord Vishnu. It is unique in the sense that it is the only place that enshrines nine forms of Lord Narasimha. Ahobilam is divided into lower Ahobilam and the upper Ahobilam. Upper Ahobilam is about 8 km away from lower Ahobilam. Ahobilam is also known as Ahobalam meaning great strength (Aho - great,balam - strength).

According to Hindu mythology, Nallamala Hills is the personification of Adisesha, the great serpent bed of Lord Vishnu. Four important Shaiva (Lord Shiva) and Vaishnava (Lord Vishnu) places of worship are located in these hills - Srisailam (Shaiva) is the tail end, Ahobilam (Vaishnava) is the middle portion, Tirumala (Vaishnava) is the head and Srikalahasti (Shaiva) is the mouth of Adisesha. One has to visit all 9 holy shrines & Ugra stambam at Ahobilam on foot. Ahobilam is also referred as Nava Narasimha kshetram as Lord Narasimha appears in nine different forms which are Bhargava Narasimha Swamy, Yogananda Narasimha Swamy, Chatravata Narasimha Swamy, Ahobila (Ugra) Narasimha Swamy, Varaha Narasimha Swamy, Malola Narasimha Swamy, Jwala Narasimha Swamy, Paavana Narasimha Swamy, Karanja Narasimha Swamy.

How to reach Ahobilam? Where to stay? Food options? Here is an interesting article by my friend SoorYa in his blog on Ahobilam. Nice read, go on.

Travel: Gandikota, the Grand Canyon of India

Here is an interesting article by my friend SoorYa in his blog on Gandikota, the grand canyon of India.

Gandikota is a small village on the right bank of the river Penneru, 15 km from Jammalamadugu in Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh, India.The Gandikota fort acquired its name due to the 'gorge' (in Telugu it is called 'gandi' and fort is called as ‘kota’), formed between the Erramala range of hills, also known as Gandikota hills and the river Penneru at its foot, reducing its width to a mere 300 ft. Situated amidst beautiful landscape and wild forests, it is endowed with vast natural resources. Surrounded by a deep valley and impassable hills, with massive boulders of red granite and the river Penneru that flows about 300 ft. below on the west and northern sides, its location affords strong natural defense to the occupants of the Fort and was impregnable.Gandikota was founded in 1123 by Kapa Raja of nearby Bommanapalle village and a subordinate of Ahavamalla Someswara I, the Western Chalukyan king of Kalyana. It played a significant role during the Kakatiya, Vijayanagara and Qutub Shahi periods. The fort was made more impregnable by Pemmasani Thimma Nayudu. The fort was under the control of Pemmasani Nayaks for over 300 years.

How to reach? Where to stay? Food options? Read the article by my friend SoorYa in his blog on Gandikota, the grand canyon of India. Nice read, go on.

Travel: Bijapur - Tanga ride through historical monuments on 23-Feb-2014

Bijapur fort (Vijapur kote) is located in Bijapur city, Karnataka. The fort has a plethora of historical monuments of architectural importance built during the rule of Adil Shahi dynasty. The Adil Shahi Sultans who ruled for nearly 200 years in Bijapur had expended their utmost authority, almost exclusively, on architecture and the allied arts. Each Sultan endeavored to excel his predecessor in the number, size, or splendor of building projects. As a result, the buildings seen in and around Bijapur fort and the town have been rightly called as the Agra of South India. See here for more photos.

Refer the links for more information:

http://www.mytraveltales.in/2013/03/trip-to-bijapur.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bijapur_Fort

Travel: Mahendragiri 26-28 July 2014

Mahendragiri is a mountain peak in the Paralakhemundi (or Parlakimidi) subdivision of the district of Gajapati, Orissa, India. It is situated amongst the Eastern Ghats at an elevation of 1,501 metres (4,925 ft). The epic mountain Mahendragiri is situated in Gajapati district, Orissa. 

Legend says that it is the place where lord Parashurama, a Chiranjeevi staying eternally and doing tapasya.Temples built by Pandavas are seen. Main festival here is Shivaratri, the worship of Shiva, the guru or percepter of lord Parashurama.

More photos are avilable on Google Plus here