mayurisjikoni

Rice Bowl of India    For the month of January the Shhh Cooking Secretly group (started by Priya of Priya's Versatile Recipes ) had to make cuisine from the state of Chhattisgarh. Chhattisgarh literally means 36 Forts. This central eastern state was formed by separating the Chhattisgarhi speaking southeastern part of Madhya Pradesh in the year 2000. The north and south part of the state are hilly and the central part is  covered by plains.    It is believed that Lord Rama along with his wife Sita and brother Laxman spent 10 years of their 14 year exile in the regions of Chhattisgarh. Its also in this state that Lord Rama was offered half eaten berries by the old blind lady Shabari. Shabari was a devout follower of Lord Rama. She waited patiently in the ashram for Him to arrive so that she could seek his darshan. As an offering to the Lord she had picked berries from the nearby forest. She tasted each one of them and left the sweet ones for Lord Rama. For her pu...

Delicious Dumplings    A visit to Phoenix Mall, Bangalore is like a dazzling visit to Fairyland. Only thing is that nothing is free, you need oodles of money to buy whatever you want. I remember when I was studying in India in the 70s, nothing much was available and relatives and friends would have a long list of things they'd want us to bring for them from Kenya. Tables have turned, everything is available in India right from Rin soap to Audis. For a girl who comes from the supposedly second biggest city in Kenya, the malls are like paradise for me. Visiting Foodland is a foodie's dream but unfortunately everything from lettuce to wheat pasta is overpriced. Eating healthy is an expensive habit. Wonder why?? Healthy foods should be pocket friendly. Anyway we can argue about food prices world wide endlessly and get nowhere. Lets face it food is expensive.    Daughter and I were at the mall to catch a movie. Have you seen what PVR charges for popcorns??? For a handful ...

MEGA BLOGGING MARATHON -SEPT 2017 #80TH BLOGGING MARATHON THEME: PROTEIN RICH DISHES DAY:10    When one talks about a vegetarian protein rich diet, they think that our meals maybe very boring with just dals, sabjis and rice or rotis. For this Mega Blogging Marathon, I've tried to showcase basic protein rich ingredients that can be made into some exciting, delicious, tasty meals. When one talks about tasty meals or dish, the first thing that I can think of is chaats. Yes Chaats.     So, what are chaats? They are basically a mixture of basic ingredients made into a lip smacking, tasty dish with a melange of all tastes...sweet, sour, salty, chili and not so bitter. Right from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, ( no please don't start singing the song Kashmir main tu Kanyakumari, north south ki doori....), chaats are very popular. It is said that chaats originated in Uttar Pradesh and are now a very popular road side/ street food all over India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and N...

MEGA BLOGGING MARATHON -SEPT 2017 #80TH BLOGGING MARATHON THEME: PROTEIN RICH DISHES DAY:8    Coming back to Mombasa is certainly a jolt back to reality. No more wide pavements, traffic order, running water in taps, well stocked supermarkets etc etc. After a long journey from Montreal to Nairobi with a 3 hour stop in Paris, hubby and I were exhausted. As we came out from the arrivals terminal at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, we thought just one more hour and we'll be home. I could only think of my bed as I could barely keep my eyes open. Strong coffee too was not helping. One of the worst airports to move from one terminal to the other is Nairobi and Addis Ababa. Which of the two is worst I really cannot say. From the arrivals, with rickety wheels trolley we have to cross the parking area, with no proper path for pedestrians, dodging cars and trying not to hit parked cars with your trolley we reach the domestic terminal. While carrying out this trek, just pray that ...

Anytime is bhajia time    During my visit to Dubai, I was fortunate enough to meet up with two fellow bloggers, Rafeeda, blogger at The Big Sweet Tooth  and Huma of Gheza e Shiriin whom I have known through blogging for a couple of years now. I was super excited as I was meeting fellow bloggers for the first time. These two ladies are so friendly and we chatted away till eventually I had to leave as my family was waiting for me. Wish we could have had more time together. When we met, it didn't even feel as though I was meeting them for the first time. It felt like I've known them for years. I can never forget that when I was new to the blogging world, Huma was the first one to invite me to be a guest on her blog. I was on the top of the world and so thrilled. Rafeeda has always been there to answer questions about blogging and suggestions in groups that we are a part of without hesitation. Hoping that this meeting will develop into a strong friendship. As I keep on mentio...