The new dimsum place in Bangalore - Yauatcha

Until recently, I'd always thought the word dim sum stands for a particular dish in Cantonese cuisine. And then I learnt that it is a term for a set of bite sized dishes that were historically served along with tea tasting (yum cha). Tea houses along the much travelled roads would be frequented by hungry travelers / farmers to relax with tea and small plates of dim sum. 

According to the wikipedia stub on dim sum:

The unique culinary art of dim sum originated with the Cantonese in southern China, who over the centuries transformed yum cha from a relaxing respite to a loud and happy dining experience. In Hong Kong, and in most cities and towns in Guangdong province, many restaurants start serving dim sum as early as five in the morning. It is a tradition for the elderly to gather to eat dim sum after morning exercises.

So what exactly constitutes dim sum? There's a range of food, from steamed (eg. char siu bao - steamed buns with pork) to pan fried (turnip cakes) to deep fried (duck rolls, mini spring rolls etc.). Most of the food is served in steamer baskets to keep them warm. Typically, dim sum restaurants also offer plates of steamed green veggies, roasted meats, congee and other soups on the aside. Custard tarts are especially popular as a dessert.

Some of the key things about dim sum-
Small serving sizes 3-4 pieces / dish, one can order multiple dishes and share with the whole family. 
It is usually a loud and noisy dining experience, hardly suited for a romantic dinner. The open kitchens, loud wok noises and big groups of people eating together are hallmarks of a dim sum house. That's what Yauatcha aims to provide - a loud and happy dining experience. 

Yauatcha is a contemporary Dim Sum tea house which opened in London in 2004, receiving a Michelin star within one year of its opening. The restaurant is a modern interpretation of the traditional Chinese teahouse. After its launch in India in December 2011 in Mumbai, the restaurant has opened in Bangalore this month. 

We were invited for a preview lunch at the newly opened Bangalore Yauatcha and the first thing that struck me is once you enter the restaurant, you forget you are in a mall. I guess the noise distracts and then the food takes you in its fold. The ambience comprises of simple decor with clean lines and fresh colours. There's bar seating as well, where guests can order anything from the food menu as well. Given that we were invited as a preview guests, I am hoping the service remains as courteous and as attentive to the many guests who come in as the restaurant gains popularity over the coming weeks.

 My lunch partner tried some of the specialties of the house and he has noted his experience here. What I loved about this place is an exclusive vegetarian menu, which was specially designed keeping in mind India's vegetarian population- so we have enough options to choose from instead of having to choose the only available veg stuff. 

My meal started with some Truffle Edamame Dumplings. The highlight of my Yauatcha experience were the fried turnip cakes. A foodblogger friend from Bombay had high praise for this dish when they had opened in Bombay and I was told that this tastes nothing like turnip (which is one of the very few vegetables that I don't care for at all). I have a simple policy when it comes to eating fried food. It has to taste SO good that the calories are worth it, and these cakes truly fit the bill. Topped with crunchy bits of fried garlic and shiitake mushroom (lots of this), I was truly in food heaven. 

The dipping sauces added the extra wow factor to this dish. 

For the mains, I had the Stir fried Udon noodles in Black pepper sauce - loved the texture of the thick udon noodles and the fresh bean sprouts that were a part of this dish. 

The stir fried green beans with shiitake mushrooms was one of the best green beans dishes I have eaten in a long time. Whole beans, blanched and stir fried in the wok with finely chopped shiitake mushrooms was a delight in terms of texture and flavour. I could have eaten the whole bowl by myself had it not been on the saltier side, given that the noodles were also a tad over salted. I'm aware that Cantonese food is known for its high sodium content, but since I consume less salt on a daily basis, my taste buds are highly sensitive to salt. 

The dessert was left it to our host manager to recommend and his recco was the Raspberry Delice. It was a stunning dessert, as you can tell from the picture, and one of my friends tells me that it's Yauatcha's most Instagrammed dish. Raspberry - chocolate is a heavenly combination and this dessert did full justice to that. I'm told while this is their most popular dessert, the other desserts are superb too, which I intend to try out when I'm there next time. 

To summarise, we loved all the dishes we tried, just that it's not for a quiet dining or for having a conversation or a business meeting. It's family style sharing and eating, and loud conversations over good food. I do wish they pull back on the salt a notch, since anyway as Indians we consume way too much salt and a lot of health conscious people are trying to cut down on the salt intake. Having said that, I shall peg Yauatcha as one of the must try new restaurants in Bangalore for its new concept and unique dishes.


DETAILS
Yauatcha 
Level 5, 1 MG Road Mall, MG Road
Opp Vivanta by Taj, Bangalore 560 008
For reservations call: 1800 266 1000
Or email: reservation.bengaluru@yauatchaindia.com

Parking - Mall parking
Credit cards accepted
Child friendly? - a little too noisy to manage noise sensitive kids, but the good part is no one will hear your kid talk loudly or cry.
Meal for two (without alcohol) ~INR 2000

The new dimsum place in Bangalore - Yauatcha

Posted by admin

Until recently, I'd always thought the word dim sum stands for a particular dish in Cantonese cuisine. And then I learnt that it is a term for a set of bite sized dishes that were historically served along with tea tasting (yum cha). Tea houses along the much travelled roads would be frequented by hungry travelers / farmers to relax with tea and small plates of dim sum. 

According to the wikipedia stub on dim sum:

The unique culinary art of dim sum originated with the Cantonese in southern China, who over the centuries transformed yum cha from a relaxing respite to a loud and happy dining experience. In Hong Kong, and in most cities and towns in Guangdong province, many restaurants start serving dim sum as early as five in the morning. It is a tradition for the elderly to gather to eat dim sum after morning exercises.

So what exactly constitutes dim sum? There's a range of food, from steamed (eg. char siu bao - steamed buns with pork) to pan fried (turnip cakes) to deep fried (duck rolls, mini spring rolls etc.). Most of the food is served in steamer baskets to keep them warm. Typically, dim sum restaurants also offer plates of steamed green veggies, roasted meats, congee and other soups on the aside. Custard tarts are especially popular as a dessert.

Some of the key things about dim sum-
Small serving sizes 3-4 pieces / dish, one can order multiple dishes and share with the whole family. 
It is usually a loud and noisy dining experience, hardly suited for a romantic dinner. The open kitchens, loud wok noises and big groups of people eating together are hallmarks of a dim sum house. That's what Yauatcha aims to provide - a loud and happy dining experience. 

Yauatcha is a contemporary Dim Sum tea house which opened in London in 2004, receiving a Michelin star within one year of its opening. The restaurant is a modern interpretation of the traditional Chinese teahouse. After its launch in India in December 2011 in Mumbai, the restaurant has opened in Bangalore this month. 

We were invited for a preview lunch at the newly opened Bangalore Yauatcha and the first thing that struck me is once you enter the restaurant, you forget you are in a mall. I guess the noise distracts and then the food takes you in its fold. The ambience comprises of simple decor with clean lines and fresh colours. There's bar seating as well, where guests can order anything from the food menu as well. Given that we were invited as a preview guests, I am hoping the service remains as courteous and as attentive to the many guests who come in as the restaurant gains popularity over the coming weeks.

 My lunch partner tried some of the specialties of the house and he has noted his experience here. What I loved about this place is an exclusive vegetarian menu, which was specially designed keeping in mind India's vegetarian population- so we have enough options to choose from instead of having to choose the only available veg stuff. 

My meal started with some Truffle Edamame Dumplings. The highlight of my Yauatcha experience were the fried turnip cakes. A foodblogger friend from Bombay had high praise for this dish when they had opened in Bombay and I was told that this tastes nothing like turnip (which is one of the very few vegetables that I don't care for at all). I have a simple policy when it comes to eating fried food. It has to taste SO good that the calories are worth it, and these cakes truly fit the bill. Topped with crunchy bits of fried garlic and shiitake mushroom (lots of this), I was truly in food heaven. 

The dipping sauces added the extra wow factor to this dish. 

For the mains, I had the Stir fried Udon noodles in Black pepper sauce - loved the texture of the thick udon noodles and the fresh bean sprouts that were a part of this dish. 

The stir fried green beans with shiitake mushrooms was one of the best green beans dishes I have eaten in a long time. Whole beans, blanched and stir fried in the wok with finely chopped shiitake mushrooms was a delight in terms of texture and flavour. I could have eaten the whole bowl by myself had it not been on the saltier side, given that the noodles were also a tad over salted. I'm aware that Cantonese food is known for its high sodium content, but since I consume less salt on a daily basis, my taste buds are highly sensitive to salt. 

The dessert was left it to our host manager to recommend and his recco was the Raspberry Delice. It was a stunning dessert, as you can tell from the picture, and one of my friends tells me that it's Yauatcha's most Instagrammed dish. Raspberry - chocolate is a heavenly combination and this dessert did full justice to that. I'm told while this is their most popular dessert, the other desserts are superb too, which I intend to try out when I'm there next time. 

To summarise, we loved all the dishes we tried, just that it's not for a quiet dining or for having a conversation or a business meeting. It's family style sharing and eating, and loud conversations over good food. I do wish they pull back on the salt a notch, since anyway as Indians we consume way too much salt and a lot of health conscious people are trying to cut down on the salt intake. Having said that, I shall peg Yauatcha as one of the must try new restaurants in Bangalore for its new concept and unique dishes.


DETAILS
Yauatcha 
Level 5, 1 MG Road Mall, MG Road
Opp Vivanta by Taj, Bangalore 560 008
For reservations call: 1800 266 1000
Or email: reservation.bengaluru@yauatchaindia.com

Parking - Mall parking
Credit cards accepted
Child friendly? - a little too noisy to manage noise sensitive kids, but the good part is no one will hear your kid talk loudly or cry.
Meal for two (without alcohol) ~INR 2000

My grandaunt's recipe for Mango Moar Kuzhambu : Tamil style Ripe Mango Kadhi

Last week I was in Chennai, I had the good fortune to eat at my grandaunt's place. She is my father's Maami, around 75 years of age and she is one of the best cooks in our family and even a simple weekday meal at her place will pretty much end up being a feast because of the number of dishes on the table.

I remember when as a newly married girl, I went for lunch at her place with my husband, he nearly fell asleep on the table after that grand lunch. Last week, the menu at her place was Maambazham (ripe mango) moar kuzhambu, beans usili, yellow pumpkin olan, pumpkin peel thogayal, keerai masiyal along with rice. Among all the dishes, the mango moar kozhambu was a surprise for me and such a delight for the taste buds. Big chunks of ripe Banganapalli mango steeped in buttermilk mixed with freshly ground spices, mixed with rice was a new kind of high for me. I immediately asked her how she made it and Maami was generous enough to share the recipe with me. Of course she didn't give me exact quantities because they don't measure out ingredients using spoons in our homes. I assumed it would be a handful of this and a bit of that and it turned out beautifully for today's lunch. See that big mango slice intact on my lunch plate below? That's how it should turn out in the end - cooked but intact :-)

Lunch is served

A couple of weeks ago, I made another kadhi using ripe mangoes. That one was Fajeto, a Gujarati style kadhi where ripe mango is ground to a puree and added to buttermilk thickened with chick pea flour. But this recipe keeps the whole mango slice intact and it absorbs the flavours of the curry so beautifully that I'd happily cast my vote for the Moar Kuzhambu over the Fajeto. You must try this recipe while the mangoes are in season. This keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days, so you could make in advance and keep refrigerated for week night dinners as well. 

Mango Moar Kuzhambu (Ripe mango - yogurt curry)
Serves 4
Takes less than 30 minutes

Ingredients
4 dried red chillies
2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
2 tbsp dry tur dal
1/4 cup coconut scrapings
3 large Banganapalli mangoes roughly 500 grams each
2 cups water
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
2 cups sour yogurt whisked with 1 cup water

For tempering
2 tsp coconut oil or vegetable oil
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi / vendhayam)
2 sprigs curry leaves
2 dried red chillies broken into halves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds 

Soak the 4 red chillies, cumin seeds, tur dal in some warm water for 30 mins-1 hour and grind to a fine paste along with the coconut, using up to half cup of water or so.

In a wide pan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Cut each mango into two halves, very close to the stone. No need to peel the fruit. Place all 6 mango chunks in the boiling water gently, adding the ground masala to this along with the salt. Bring to a simmer and let this cook for roughly 10 minutes, until mango flesh is soft and cooked but not falling apart.
Add the thinned yogurt to this. Stir gently and bring to a simmer on medium to low flame. Remove from flame and keep aside.

For tempering, heat the coconut oil in a tempering ladle or small kadai. Add the fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, red chillies, mustard seeds. Once mustard seeds start spluttering, transfer this over the moar kozhambu. Serve hot with rice.


Notes:
I'm sure you can do this with any ripe mango, but banganapalli being a variety with generous flesh suits this dish well. Also, it holds it shape well and does not turn into mush on simmering in the curry.


What people who tried this have to say!

@saffrontrail made and ate this:D romba super! The proportions u've told is just perfect... :)
— sowmya (@vishalsowmya) May 30, 2013

Other varieties of Moar Kuzhambu / Mor Kozhambu
The regular one
Morkeerai - a variety with spinach in it

My grandaunt's recipe for Mango Moar Kuzhambu : Tamil style Ripe Mango Kadhi

Posted by admin

Last week I was in Chennai, I had the good fortune to eat at my grandaunt's place. She is my father's Maami, around 75 years of age and she is one of the best cooks in our family and even a simple weekday meal at her place will pretty much end up being a feast because of the number of dishes on the table.

I remember when as a newly married girl, I went for lunch at her place with my husband, he nearly fell asleep on the table after that grand lunch. Last week, the menu at her place was Maambazham (ripe mango) moar kuzhambu, beans usili, yellow pumpkin olan, pumpkin peel thogayal, keerai masiyal along with rice. Among all the dishes, the mango moar kozhambu was a surprise for me and such a delight for the taste buds. Big chunks of ripe Banganapalli mango steeped in buttermilk mixed with freshly ground spices, mixed with rice was a new kind of high for me. I immediately asked her how she made it and Maami was generous enough to share the recipe with me. Of course she didn't give me exact quantities because they don't measure out ingredients using spoons in our homes. I assumed it would be a handful of this and a bit of that and it turned out beautifully for today's lunch. See that big mango slice intact on my lunch plate below? That's how it should turn out in the end - cooked but intact :-)

Lunch is served

A couple of weeks ago, I made another kadhi using ripe mangoes. That one was Fajeto, a Gujarati style kadhi where ripe mango is ground to a puree and added to buttermilk thickened with chick pea flour. But this recipe keeps the whole mango slice intact and it absorbs the flavours of the curry so beautifully that I'd happily cast my vote for the Moar Kuzhambu over the Fajeto. You must try this recipe while the mangoes are in season. This keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days, so you could make in advance and keep refrigerated for week night dinners as well. 

Mango Moar Kuzhambu (Ripe mango - yogurt curry)
Serves 4
Takes less than 30 minutes

Ingredients
4 dried red chillies
2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
2 tbsp dry tur dal
1/4 cup coconut scrapings
3 large Banganapalli mangoes roughly 500 grams each
2 cups water
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
2 cups sour yogurt whisked with 1 cup water

For tempering
2 tsp coconut oil or vegetable oil
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi / vendhayam)
2 sprigs curry leaves
2 dried red chillies broken into halves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds 

Soak the 4 red chillies, cumin seeds, tur dal in some warm water for 30 mins-1 hour and grind to a fine paste along with the coconut, using up to half cup of water or so.

In a wide pan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Cut each mango into two halves, very close to the stone. No need to peel the fruit. Place all 6 mango chunks in the boiling water gently, adding the ground masala to this along with the salt. Bring to a simmer and let this cook for roughly 10 minutes, until mango flesh is soft and cooked but not falling apart.
Add the thinned yogurt to this. Stir gently and bring to a simmer on medium to low flame. Remove from flame and keep aside.

For tempering, heat the coconut oil in a tempering ladle or small kadai. Add the fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, red chillies, mustard seeds. Once mustard seeds start spluttering, transfer this over the moar kozhambu. Serve hot with rice.


Notes:
I'm sure you can do this with any ripe mango, but banganapalli being a variety with generous flesh suits this dish well. Also, it holds it shape well and does not turn into mush on simmering in the curry.


What people who tried this have to say!

@saffrontrail made and ate this:D romba super! The proportions u've told is just perfect... :)
— sowmya (@vishalsowmya) May 30, 2013

Other varieties of Moar Kuzhambu / Mor Kozhambu
The regular one
Morkeerai - a variety with spinach in it

Tandoori Aloo & Tandoori Broccoli [no tandoor required]

Let me start by saying that I don't have a tandoor. When I moved into a home with a little garden, I did have this wild idea of building my own tandoor (a cylindrical clay oven used for baking / cooking heated by burning coals inside it). I can't say I have completely abandoned that idea but this tandoori recipe doesn't need a 'tandoor'. If you have a microwave oven with a grill or the grill function in a regular convection oven, that's great. If you don't have either ovens, you can use a non stick skillet to grill these.  

The best part about this recipe is you can make perfectly delicious appetisers using minimal or no oil. Use a low-carb vegetable like broccoli, cauliflower or bell peppers (stuffed or as it is), and you have a perfect low carb vegetarian side dish. For any vegetable, the basic steps are the same. 

Step one: Clean and partly cook the vegetable.

Step two: Marinate the vegetable

Step three: Grill

I use the same marinade for both recipes, mostly eye-balling the ingredients to make roughly over a cup of marinade.

Tandoori Marinade

3/4 cup thick yogurt

2 tsp chickpea flour

1 tbsp kasoori methi* (key ingredient, do not omit. Crush between finger tips to a coarse powder and then add)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp coriander powder

2 cloves garlic, grated

2 tsp oil (optional)

In a large bowl, mix all of the above. Cover and refrigerate until use.

For Tandoori Aloo

Parboil 2 dozen baby potatoes with the skins. Either boiling in water for 3-4 minutes or pressure cook for two whistles. Remove, drain well and poke 3-4 holes per potato with the skewer. This is so that the flavours of the marinade can go inside the potatoes.

Immerse the skewer sticks in water for 2-3 hours. 

Marinade the par-cooked potatoes with skins in the prepared mix. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, skewer them and place on a grill safe plate. Grill for 5 minutes. Turn to the other side and grill another 5 minutes. Serve with tamarind chutney and green chutney.

For Tandoori Broccoli

Break a broccoli into medium sized florets (around 2 dozen florets). Immerse in a bowl of salted water for 10 minutes. Wash thoroughly. Place them in a microwave safe bowl with lid, add 2 tsp water and microwave on high for 3-4 minutes until partially cooked. Once slightly cool, place in marinade for 30 minutes (refrigerated).

Either skewer them or place them in a single later on a grill safe plate and grill for 5-7 minutes.

Serve with a squeeze of lemon along with a hung yogurt dip or mint chutney

[inspiration for tandoori broccoli came from the brilliant dinner we had at Blue Terrain where this was one of the dishes served]

*Kasoori / Kasuri methi is just dried fenugreek leaves, which when crushed and used in any dish gives a very distinct fragrance and flavour. You cannot use fresh fenugreek leaves or fenugreek seeds instead of this. This can be found in the spice aisle of most supermarkets in India or Indian supermarkets abroad.

Feedback from people who tried this recipe

Tandoori cauliflower for lunch! Thanks @saffrontrail for posting this simple, healthy and delicious recipe :-) twitter.com/Ayeshazh/statu…

— Ayesha (@Ayeshazh) March 2, 2013

Grilled veggies, inspired by @saffrontrail good fun only twitter.com/maxdavinci/sta…

— maxdavinci (@maxdavinci) March 2, 2013

Tandoori Aloo & Tandoori Broccoli [no tandoor required]

Posted by admin

Let me start by saying that I don't have a tandoor. When I moved into a home with a little garden, I did have this wild idea of building my own tandoor (a cylindrical clay oven used for baking / cooking heated by burning coals inside it). I can't say I have completely abandoned that idea but this tandoori recipe doesn't need a 'tandoor'. If you have a microwave oven with a grill or the grill function in a regular convection oven, that's great. If you don't have either ovens, you can use a non stick skillet to grill these.  

The best part about this recipe is you can make perfectly delicious appetisers using minimal or no oil. Use a low-carb vegetable like broccoli, cauliflower or bell peppers (stuffed or as it is), and you have a perfect low carb vegetarian side dish. For any vegetable, the basic steps are the same. 

Step one: Clean and partly cook the vegetable.

Step two: Marinate the vegetable

Step three: Grill

I use the same marinade for both recipes, mostly eye-balling the ingredients to make roughly over a cup of marinade.

Tandoori Marinade

3/4 cup thick yogurt

2 tsp chickpea flour

1 tbsp kasoori methi* (key ingredient, do not omit. Crush between finger tips to a coarse powder and then add)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp coriander powder

2 cloves garlic, grated

2 tsp oil (optional)

In a large bowl, mix all of the above. Cover and refrigerate until use.

For Tandoori Aloo

Parboil 2 dozen baby potatoes with the skins. Either boiling in water for 3-4 minutes or pressure cook for two whistles. Remove, drain well and poke 3-4 holes per potato with the skewer. This is so that the flavours of the marinade can go inside the potatoes.

Immerse the skewer sticks in water for 2-3 hours. 

Marinade the par-cooked potatoes with skins in the prepared mix. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, skewer them and place on a grill safe plate. Grill for 5 minutes. Turn to the other side and grill another 5 minutes. Serve with tamarind chutney and green chutney.

For Tandoori Broccoli

Break a broccoli into medium sized florets (around 2 dozen florets). Immerse in a bowl of salted water for 10 minutes. Wash thoroughly. Place them in a microwave safe bowl with lid, add 2 tsp water and microwave on high for 3-4 minutes until partially cooked. Once slightly cool, place in marinade for 30 minutes (refrigerated).

Either skewer them or place them in a single later on a grill safe plate and grill for 5-7 minutes.

Serve with a squeeze of lemon along with a hung yogurt dip or mint chutney

[inspiration for tandoori broccoli came from the brilliant dinner we had at Blue Terrain where this was one of the dishes served]

*Kasoori / Kasuri methi is just dried fenugreek leaves, which when crushed and used in any dish gives a very distinct fragrance and flavour. You cannot use fresh fenugreek leaves or fenugreek seeds instead of this. This can be found in the spice aisle of most supermarkets in India or Indian supermarkets abroad.

Feedback from people who tried this recipe

Tandoori cauliflower for lunch! Thanks @saffrontrail for posting this simple, healthy and delicious recipe :-) twitter.com/Ayeshazh/statu…

— Ayesha (@Ayeshazh) March 2, 2013

Grilled veggies, inspired by @saffrontrail good fun only twitter.com/maxdavinci/sta…

— maxdavinci (@maxdavinci) March 2, 2013

Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter

There's this joke about Pinterest on how everything is only good to see, and nothing ever gets translated into real life. That's not entirely true. I've come across some brilliant fitness ideas, recipes, fashion ideas on the multiple boards. This recipe is another beautiful discovery from one of the food boards. Very few ingredients and minimal time taken means it's simple enough to make each time a bottle gets empty, elegant enough to be a part of a gourmet gift basket or a simple gift for family and friends. You do need a mixer or a food processor though. It will make many nutritious yet yummy sandwiches for kids (and adults). The evening I made this, I was afraid I will lick this clean straight from the mixer. Scary! 

I usually make my own peanut butter, but the two additional ingredients definitely add a gourmet twist to good ol' peanut butter. Coconut oil, used in South India for centuries, got a bad rap over the last few years for being a saturated fat (solidifies at room temp) but it's back in the ranks of healthy food. Organic cold pressed coconut is being consumed raw by the tablespoon by many a Hollywood star. Make sure you use a good quality coconut oil for this. It is of course optional, but it adds LOADS of flavour to the butter. 

Homemade Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter 
Makes 1 medium jar
Time taken: 5-10 mins
Adapted from NeverHomemaker

Ingredients
1 cup of roasted skinned peanuts (use ready roasted variety to save time)
1/2 tsp salt (avoid if using salted roasted peanuts)
50-100 grams of dark chocolate, chopped or use 1/4 cup chocolate chips
1 tbsp cold pressed coconut oil (or any edible coconut oil)

Equipment required
A food processor or mixer

Directions

1. In a food processor or mixer, blend all of the above until it turns into a fine paste. Scrape down the sides of the jar 2-3 times and run the mixer for a total of 2-3 minutes until everything comes together to a buttery consistency.
2. With a silicone spatula, scrape everything into a clean dry glass bottle.
3. The butter solidifies in the fridge. When left out it is a nice spreadable consistency and I prefer to leave it out. Prepare a small quantity at a time so that there's no chance of spoilage.

Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter on Homemade No Knead Sandwich Bread

Use this to make sandwiches or eat with sliced apples or pears. Fruit with peanut butter is one of the healthiest snacks for adults and kids alike.

Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter

Posted by admin

There's this joke about Pinterest on how everything is only good to see, and nothing ever gets translated into real life. That's not entirely true. I've come across some brilliant fitness ideas, recipes, fashion ideas on the multiple boards. This recipe is another beautiful discovery from one of the food boards. Very few ingredients and minimal time taken means it's simple enough to make each time a bottle gets empty, elegant enough to be a part of a gourmet gift basket or a simple gift for family and friends. You do need a mixer or a food processor though. It will make many nutritious yet yummy sandwiches for kids (and adults). The evening I made this, I was afraid I will lick this clean straight from the mixer. Scary! 

I usually make my own peanut butter, but the two additional ingredients definitely add a gourmet twist to good ol' peanut butter. Coconut oil, used in South India for centuries, got a bad rap over the last few years for being a saturated fat (solidifies at room temp) but it's back in the ranks of healthy food. Organic cold pressed coconut is being consumed raw by the tablespoon by many a Hollywood star. Make sure you use a good quality coconut oil for this. It is of course optional, but it adds LOADS of flavour to the butter. 

Homemade Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter 
Makes 1 medium jar
Time taken: 5-10 mins
Adapted from NeverHomemaker

Ingredients
1 cup of roasted skinned peanuts (use ready roasted variety to save time)
1/2 tsp salt (avoid if using salted roasted peanuts)
50-100 grams of dark chocolate, chopped or use 1/4 cup chocolate chips
1 tbsp cold pressed coconut oil (or any edible coconut oil)

Equipment required
A food processor or mixer

Directions

1. In a food processor or mixer, blend all of the above until it turns into a fine paste. Scrape down the sides of the jar 2-3 times and run the mixer for a total of 2-3 minutes until everything comes together to a buttery consistency.
2. With a silicone spatula, scrape everything into a clean dry glass bottle.
3. The butter solidifies in the fridge. When left out it is a nice spreadable consistency and I prefer to leave it out. Prepare a small quantity at a time so that there's no chance of spoilage.

Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter on Homemade No Knead Sandwich Bread

Use this to make sandwiches or eat with sliced apples or pears. Fruit with peanut butter is one of the healthiest snacks for adults and kids alike.

The secret to a two minute 100% homemade pasta sauce

Are you curious to know this secret? Because I'm sure as hell excited to share it with you. 

This is truly magic and I'm not lying. I've struck gold with this two minute pasta sauce - just two ingredients, loads of flavour, loads of health and vegan to boot- perfect for kid lunchbox, your lunchbox or a quick weeknight dinner. 

And if you've made pasta for dinner, just cook a handful of extra pasta and save it in the fridge. With this sauce, your kiddie lunchbox can come together in less than 5 minutes. It's a promise. I even got myself a quick facial with the bits of leftover secret ingredient.

So, time to reveal the secret ingredient....

*drumrolls*

It's AVOCADO.

How to make two-minute pasta sauce from scratch?

Printable version here

Take your blender (or mixer) out.

Quarter one large ripe tomato. Halve a fully ripe avocado. Scoop out from skin. 

(Don't throw away skin*)

Blend the tomato (skin, seeds and all) and flesh from half avocado to a puree.

Heat 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a pan. Smash and finely mince 1 clove of garlic. 

Add the puree, 1/2 teaspoon salt and warm for one minute. Add salt and 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil, crushed between finger tips (or any other dried herb you fancy).

Coat pasta in this sauce and warm through.

Garnish with fresh basil if you like.

This makes enough sauce for a really saucy pasta for one or lightly coated pasta for two.

You can easily scale up the recipe using 1 large avocado + 4 large tomatoes, 2-3 cloves of garlic and 2 tbsp olive oil for four people. Add chilli flakes to the oil, if it's only for adults or if your kids don't mind the spice.

*Rub your face with the leftover bits of avocado inside and wash after 10 minutes for glowing baby-soft skin.

Avocado gives the sauce a mellow creaminess without adding any cream or dairy to the sauce whatsoever. Avocado is sold as butter-fruit in several parts of India.

You could even prepare this with your kids and teach them to warm the sauce in the microwave and they can toss the pasta in this. The best way to make your kids eat healthy food is to involve them in the cooking process. The next time you do your food shopping, make sure you buy an avocado, just to try this recipe out and you'll know that I'm not joking about this magical pasta sauce.

The secret to a two minute 100% homemade pasta sauce

Posted by admin

Are you curious to know this secret? Because I'm sure as hell excited to share it with you. 

This is truly magic and I'm not lying. I've struck gold with this two minute pasta sauce - just two ingredients, loads of flavour, loads of health and vegan to boot- perfect for kid lunchbox, your lunchbox or a quick weeknight dinner. 

And if you've made pasta for dinner, just cook a handful of extra pasta and save it in the fridge. With this sauce, your kiddie lunchbox can come together in less than 5 minutes. It's a promise. I even got myself a quick facial with the bits of leftover secret ingredient.

So, time to reveal the secret ingredient....

*drumrolls*

It's AVOCADO.

How to make two-minute pasta sauce from scratch?

Printable version here

Take your blender (or mixer) out.

Quarter one large ripe tomato. Halve a fully ripe avocado. Scoop out from skin. 

(Don't throw away skin*)

Blend the tomato (skin, seeds and all) and flesh from half avocado to a puree.

Heat 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a pan. Smash and finely mince 1 clove of garlic. 

Add the puree, 1/2 teaspoon salt and warm for one minute. Add salt and 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil, crushed between finger tips (or any other dried herb you fancy).

Coat pasta in this sauce and warm through.

Garnish with fresh basil if you like.

This makes enough sauce for a really saucy pasta for one or lightly coated pasta for two.

You can easily scale up the recipe using 1 large avocado + 4 large tomatoes, 2-3 cloves of garlic and 2 tbsp olive oil for four people. Add chilli flakes to the oil, if it's only for adults or if your kids don't mind the spice.

*Rub your face with the leftover bits of avocado inside and wash after 10 minutes for glowing baby-soft skin.

Avocado gives the sauce a mellow creaminess without adding any cream or dairy to the sauce whatsoever. Avocado is sold as butter-fruit in several parts of India.

You could even prepare this with your kids and teach them to warm the sauce in the microwave and they can toss the pasta in this. The best way to make your kids eat healthy food is to involve them in the cooking process. The next time you do your food shopping, make sure you buy an avocado, just to try this recipe out and you'll know that I'm not joking about this magical pasta sauce.

Look Ma, I'm on a food show!

Hello!
I have a fun announcement to share today. In October, I was contacted by Small Screen  (the same wonderful guys behind the insanely popular show Highway on My Plate) if I would like to co-host the Bangalore episode of Twist of Taste, now into its second season. This is a food show by Michelin starred chef  from UK, Vineet Bhatia.

While the offer excited me, I was petrified to be sharing screen space with such a renowned chef and of course, that bit about facing the camera for national television. Well, I did bite the bullet, went ahead for the shoot and my fears were all shot down, one by one. Partner at Small Screen, Prashant Sareen and director of the show, was there personally to guide me and calm my nerves. 

There was NO MAKE UP involved, can you beat that?! I was all the time fearing that there would be so much pancake make up on my face that I wouldn't even be able to smile in my maiden telly appearance. There were no dialogues handed out to me, I was free to converse anything I wanted, with the chef. 

Coming to Chef Bhatia, he is probably one of the most humble people I have met. He made me feel totally at home, over many tumblers of filter coffee and then over a few glasses of beer, discussing food and tasting food all the time. Now, I've quite changed my opinion about chefs.

We shot over two days covering the hot spots and old institutions in Bangalore, and at a break neck speed, because the first day, we managed to get only 3 hours in the evening, thanks to a Karnataka Bandh. The entire crew at Small Screen were most caring about a newbie facing the camera. It was wonderful working with everybody on this show!

I would love for my readers to catch my first foodie appearance. Here are the details:

Twist of Taste - Bangalore Episode
Fox Traveller Channel
9pm - Dec 2, 2012, Sunday


Fox Traveller is available on the following DTH networks:
Tata Sky - Channel 553
Hathway Cable - Channel 470
Airtel TV - Channel 342
Dish TV - Channe 647
Videocon DTH - Channel 605
Sun Direct - Channel 547


And if you miss it, this is the schedule for the repeat episode.
Wednesday 930 pm
Thursday 430pm
Friday 730pm
Saturday 830 am
Saturday 1030 am

And for those of you with no access to cable, I'm sure there will be a YouTube link I can share with you later.

*waiting for Sunday with nervous anticipation*

Look Ma, I'm on a food show!

Posted by admin

Hello!
I have a fun announcement to share today. In October, I was contacted by Small Screen  (the same wonderful guys behind the insanely popular show Highway on My Plate) if I would like to co-host the Bangalore episode of Twist of Taste, now into its second season. This is a food show by Michelin starred chef  from UK, Vineet Bhatia.

While the offer excited me, I was petrified to be sharing screen space with such a renowned chef and of course, that bit about facing the camera for national television. Well, I did bite the bullet, went ahead for the shoot and my fears were all shot down, one by one. Partner at Small Screen, Prashant Sareen and director of the show, was there personally to guide me and calm my nerves. 

There was NO MAKE UP involved, can you beat that?! I was all the time fearing that there would be so much pancake make up on my face that I wouldn't even be able to smile in my maiden telly appearance. There were no dialogues handed out to me, I was free to converse anything I wanted, with the chef. 

Coming to Chef Bhatia, he is probably one of the most humble people I have met. He made me feel totally at home, over many tumblers of filter coffee and then over a few glasses of beer, discussing food and tasting food all the time. Now, I've quite changed my opinion about chefs.

We shot over two days covering the hot spots and old institutions in Bangalore, and at a break neck speed, because the first day, we managed to get only 3 hours in the evening, thanks to a Karnataka Bandh. The entire crew at Small Screen were most caring about a newbie facing the camera. It was wonderful working with everybody on this show!

I would love for my readers to catch my first foodie appearance. Here are the details:

Twist of Taste - Bangalore Episode
Fox Traveller Channel
9pm - Dec 2, 2012, Sunday


Fox Traveller is available on the following DTH networks:
Tata Sky - Channel 553
Hathway Cable - Channel 470
Airtel TV - Channel 342
Dish TV - Channe 647
Videocon DTH - Channel 605
Sun Direct - Channel 547


And if you miss it, this is the schedule for the repeat episode.
Wednesday 930 pm
Thursday 430pm
Friday 730pm
Saturday 830 am
Saturday 1030 am

And for those of you with no access to cable, I'm sure there will be a YouTube link I can share with you later.

*waiting for Sunday with nervous anticipation*

Bloggers' ConClay at Club Mahindra Kanatal

The view from our room in Club Mahindra - Kanatal

Many of you might have spotted my tweets on #ConClay and #kanatal last month, and I was asked by quite a few as to what that was about. Here's the story-

Early in October, when Club Mahindra approached me if I would like to be a part of the Bloggers' 'Unconference' at Kanatal, I had two simultaneous reactions instantly- 

1. How wonderful!
2. Need to Google Kanatal NOW

It was supposed to be a meet-up of travel bloggers mainly. I was wondering what would be my role as a food blogger in the whole scheme of things. But then what is travel without food. Some places like Italy are utterly inseparable from their glorious cuisine and some places like Japan become a point of survival for vegetarians. Food is indeed integral to travel. 

Do read my post "Top ten reasons why I love Kanatal" on the Club Mahindra blog - Clay, among other superb travel pieces.

Day 1 

I met Lakshmiat the chaotic Bangalore airport in the wee hours of Sunday morning. We were to meet the other bloggers at Delhi airport by mid morning and board a flight to Dehradun from there.  It was a fun flight, catching up with Lakshmi, whom I knew from earlier. We had an interesting co-passenger, Chris, originally from Australia but on his way to Kabul where he was working. We met with Deepak, Manish, Nisha, the other participants & Akshat and Arun Nair from Club Mahindra.

The flight to Dehradun was much delayed but the upside was that we all got talking and observing random interesting people (and their tattoos) at the airport, like this holy man with ruby studded gold wedges. What better way to get to know each other!

Well heeled, literally!

It was my first trip to the North of India, beyond Delhi and I was much excited thinking about what lay in store. After a short flight from Delhi to Dehradun, we had a 80 km drive to Kanatal via winding mountainous roads fabulously maintained by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).

Pretty Garhwali women

We stopped midway to sip some strong sweet ginger tea at a little tea shop overlooking a beautiful valley and two beautiful Garhwali women knitting woollens for the oncoming winter.

We reached the resort at Kanatal around 4.30 pm, having travelled 2000 km in exactly 12 hours from my home in Bangalore that morning and it felt like a whole new universe. I could sense that the skies were preparing for a spectacular sunset, which I later realised is a common occurrence in this part of the world.

Sigh-worthy Sunsets

At the resort, we met Mariellen, a travel blogger from Canada, totally in love with India, dividing her time between Toronto and Delhi, she had taken the road from Rishikesh to Kanatal and reached the resort well ahead of us.

We briefly checked into our cozy rooms that gave the feel of being in a log cabin in the hills, each one with a glorious view of the Garhwali mountains. Our agenda to visit the Surkunda Devi temple that evening was thwarted because of our late arrival into the resort and the fact that there was a 1.5 km climb to and from the temple in the darkness. 

The manager at the resort showed us around the beautiful property, including the spa. The hydrotherapy session was specially tempting but the spa was closed for the day. After refuelling on the delicious dinner spread that included a mixed-pulses dal called Dal Kabili, we decided to exercise our vocal cords at the Karaoke session. I realised while I may be a decent singer, I was quite hopeless in following the karaoke lyrics. Eating together and singing together is a great way of getting closer to people you have just met and we felt like a close knit group ready for the Conclay presentations which were to begin the following morning.

Day 2

I love to start my Monday mornings with a good cardio workout and this cold Kanatal morning was trying hard to keep me under the thick quilt in the comfortable bed. Nevertheless, I stuck to my resolve and got the staff to open the gym room early for me. This was the best view I have ever seen from a gym, which had glass walls all around to allow us to feast our eyes on the magnificence of the mountains while on the treadmill.

Even at breakfast time, I made sure I didn’t let go of the mountains. I took the sunny spot overlooking the tall deodars that covered the mountain ranges. The rest of the day was dedicated to the presentations by each of us participants. 

Do read Mariellen Ward's write up summarising the essence of each of our talks on her blog 

Day 3

The presentations done, our final day in Kanatal was all about sightseeing and some touristy fun. After yet another delicious breakfast, we headed out to Tehri Dam, which is the highest earth and rockfill dam in the Asian region. It is an architectural marvel and one couldn't help but gape in awe at its beauty from the point where we stopped to take many a shot.

Tehri Dam

That afternoon, post lunch, I was introduced to Chef Gurbir who is responsible for setting up many of the Club Mahindra resort kitchens, staff and menus. We chatted about local Garhwali cuisine and he even taught me to make a local specialty called Aloo ki Techwani, made using fresh mountain potatoes. The making of this dish should be out soon and I'll be happy to share it with you. 

Chef Gurbir teaching me a Garhwali specialty dish

Later, our gang left for Dhanaulti, as the eco park was listed as a tourist spot. Sadly, apart from the towering Deodars, there was nothing much of note here. We quickly made tracks to Mussoorie. After 2 days of utter peace and quiet at Kanatal, the hustle bustle of Mussoorie was quite welcome. Just as soon as we got out at the car park, the chilly breeze made me buy a monkey-cap for myself, at a bargain price of a 100 bucks :)

At the Mussoorie Sweet shop - Fresh Gulab Jamoon - SLURP

The mall road was dotted with shops selling woolens, trinkets, little eateries, sweetmeat shops and a country liquor shop. 

The Espresso Counter at Chick Chocolate, Mussoorie

We rounded up our Mussoorie trip in a quirky cafe called Chick Chocolate, which is known for their coffee, hot chocolate, handmade chocolates and potato wedges, among other things. 

Day 4

After drinking in the last beautiful sunrise of the mountains, we had to pack up and leave early morning, to get the flight out from Dehradun airport to Delhi and there onwards to our respective cities.

In all, it was a beautiful time spent in pristine surroundings, enjoying the warm hospitality of Club Mahindra, the company of some of the most wonderful people. 

L-R: Manish Kumar, Akshat Kant, Deepak Amembal, Nandita Iyer, Mariellen Ward, Nisha Jha, Arun Nair, Lakshmi Sharath

A brief introduction to all the participants:

Deepak Amembal has been blogging since 2007, and you can visit his blog about the magic of travel in India at Magic Travels.

Lakshmi Sharath quit her corporate job in the media to travel around the world and to write stories. Her travel blog of an Indian Backpacker  on the web since 2005, covers her journeys around India, and the world. 

Manish Kumar is one of the earliest Hindi bloggers. He describes himself as a technocrat by profession and travel and music enthusiast by heart, has been blogging since 2006. His Hindi travel blog is called Musafir Hoon Yaaron.

Mariellen Ward is author of Breathedreamgo, the India-inspired, meaningful adventure travel blog. She came to India for 6 months in 2005 for the first time, and since then she's been back here many times. 

Nisha Jha has been blogging since 2009. Her blog Le Monde - A Poetic Travail, is about sweet & sour memories of journeys around the globe. She is one of the few Indian women who travels solo around the world. 

Arun Nair joined our group as the social media representative of Club Mahindra. His blog Indianeye.org is on social media, digital and travel (occasionally). He has been writing since 2007 and he is considered an authority in the digital, social media domain.

Bloggers' ConClay at Club Mahindra Kanatal

Posted by admin

The view from our room in Club Mahindra - Kanatal

Many of you might have spotted my tweets on #ConClay and #kanatal last month, and I was asked by quite a few as to what that was about. Here's the story-

Early in October, when Club Mahindra approached me if I would like to be a part of the Bloggers' 'Unconference' at Kanatal, I had two simultaneous reactions instantly- 

1. How wonderful!
2. Need to Google Kanatal NOW

It was supposed to be a meet-up of travel bloggers mainly. I was wondering what would be my role as a food blogger in the whole scheme of things. But then what is travel without food. Some places like Italy are utterly inseparable from their glorious cuisine and some places like Japan become a point of survival for vegetarians. Food is indeed integral to travel. 

Do read my post "Top ten reasons why I love Kanatal" on the Club Mahindra blog - Clay, among other superb travel pieces.

Day 1 

I met Lakshmiat the chaotic Bangalore airport in the wee hours of Sunday morning. We were to meet the other bloggers at Delhi airport by mid morning and board a flight to Dehradun from there.  It was a fun flight, catching up with Lakshmi, whom I knew from earlier. We had an interesting co-passenger, Chris, originally from Australia but on his way to Kabul where he was working. We met with Deepak, Manish, Nisha, the other participants & Akshat and Arun Nair from Club Mahindra.

The flight to Dehradun was much delayed but the upside was that we all got talking and observing random interesting people (and their tattoos) at the airport, like this holy man with ruby studded gold wedges. What better way to get to know each other!

Well heeled, literally!

It was my first trip to the North of India, beyond Delhi and I was much excited thinking about what lay in store. After a short flight from Delhi to Dehradun, we had a 80 km drive to Kanatal via winding mountainous roads fabulously maintained by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).

Pretty Garhwali women

We stopped midway to sip some strong sweet ginger tea at a little tea shop overlooking a beautiful valley and two beautiful Garhwali women knitting woollens for the oncoming winter.

We reached the resort at Kanatal around 4.30 pm, having travelled 2000 km in exactly 12 hours from my home in Bangalore that morning and it felt like a whole new universe. I could sense that the skies were preparing for a spectacular sunset, which I later realised is a common occurrence in this part of the world.

Sigh-worthy Sunsets

At the resort, we met Mariellen, a travel blogger from Canada, totally in love with India, dividing her time between Toronto and Delhi, she had taken the road from Rishikesh to Kanatal and reached the resort well ahead of us.

We briefly checked into our cozy rooms that gave the feel of being in a log cabin in the hills, each one with a glorious view of the Garhwali mountains. Our agenda to visit the Surkunda Devi temple that evening was thwarted because of our late arrival into the resort and the fact that there was a 1.5 km climb to and from the temple in the darkness. 

The manager at the resort showed us around the beautiful property, including the spa. The hydrotherapy session was specially tempting but the spa was closed for the day. After refuelling on the delicious dinner spread that included a mixed-pulses dal called Dal Kabili, we decided to exercise our vocal cords at the Karaoke session. I realised while I may be a decent singer, I was quite hopeless in following the karaoke lyrics. Eating together and singing together is a great way of getting closer to people you have just met and we felt like a close knit group ready for the Conclay presentations which were to begin the following morning.

Day 2

I love to start my Monday mornings with a good cardio workout and this cold Kanatal morning was trying hard to keep me under the thick quilt in the comfortable bed. Nevertheless, I stuck to my resolve and got the staff to open the gym room early for me. This was the best view I have ever seen from a gym, which had glass walls all around to allow us to feast our eyes on the magnificence of the mountains while on the treadmill.

Even at breakfast time, I made sure I didn’t let go of the mountains. I took the sunny spot overlooking the tall deodars that covered the mountain ranges. The rest of the day was dedicated to the presentations by each of us participants. 

Do read Mariellen Ward's write up summarising the essence of each of our talks on her blog 

Day 3

The presentations done, our final day in Kanatal was all about sightseeing and some touristy fun. After yet another delicious breakfast, we headed out to Tehri Dam, which is the highest earth and rockfill dam in the Asian region. It is an architectural marvel and one couldn't help but gape in awe at its beauty from the point where we stopped to take many a shot.

Tehri Dam

That afternoon, post lunch, I was introduced to Chef Gurbir who is responsible for setting up many of the Club Mahindra resort kitchens, staff and menus. We chatted about local Garhwali cuisine and he even taught me to make a local specialty called Aloo ki Techwani, made using fresh mountain potatoes. The making of this dish should be out soon and I'll be happy to share it with you. 

Chef Gurbir teaching me a Garhwali specialty dish

Later, our gang left for Dhanaulti, as the eco park was listed as a tourist spot. Sadly, apart from the towering Deodars, there was nothing much of note here. We quickly made tracks to Mussoorie. After 2 days of utter peace and quiet at Kanatal, the hustle bustle of Mussoorie was quite welcome. Just as soon as we got out at the car park, the chilly breeze made me buy a monkey-cap for myself, at a bargain price of a 100 bucks :)

At the Mussoorie Sweet shop - Fresh Gulab Jamoon - SLURP

The mall road was dotted with shops selling woolens, trinkets, little eateries, sweetmeat shops and a country liquor shop. 

The Espresso Counter at Chick Chocolate, Mussoorie

We rounded up our Mussoorie trip in a quirky cafe called Chick Chocolate, which is known for their coffee, hot chocolate, handmade chocolates and potato wedges, among other things. 

Day 4

After drinking in the last beautiful sunrise of the mountains, we had to pack up and leave early morning, to get the flight out from Dehradun airport to Delhi and there onwards to our respective cities.

In all, it was a beautiful time spent in pristine surroundings, enjoying the warm hospitality of Club Mahindra, the company of some of the most wonderful people. 

L-R: Manish Kumar, Akshat Kant, Deepak Amembal, Nandita Iyer, Mariellen Ward, Nisha Jha, Arun Nair, Lakshmi Sharath

A brief introduction to all the participants:

Deepak Amembal has been blogging since 2007, and you can visit his blog about the magic of travel in India at Magic Travels.

Lakshmi Sharath quit her corporate job in the media to travel around the world and to write stories. Her travel blog of an Indian Backpacker  on the web since 2005, covers her journeys around India, and the world. 

Manish Kumar is one of the earliest Hindi bloggers. He describes himself as a technocrat by profession and travel and music enthusiast by heart, has been blogging since 2006. His Hindi travel blog is called Musafir Hoon Yaaron.

Mariellen Ward is author of Breathedreamgo, the India-inspired, meaningful adventure travel blog. She came to India for 6 months in 2005 for the first time, and since then she's been back here many times. 

Nisha Jha has been blogging since 2009. Her blog Le Monde - A Poetic Travail, is about sweet & sour memories of journeys around the globe. She is one of the few Indian women who travels solo around the world. 

Arun Nair joined our group as the social media representative of Club Mahindra. His blog Indianeye.org is on social media, digital and travel (occasionally). He has been writing since 2007 and he is considered an authority in the digital, social media domain.