One year of being married!

Hi my beautiful friends, 

Hope everyone is having a great 1st month of 2017! 

Me and Daniel recently completed one year of being married! One whole year you guys. And I'm going to be really honest and tell you that no it didn't just 'fly by'! It was a slow long year...eventful and interesting but slow :D 

Danny's sweater is from H&M, mine is from a store in Canada. Earrings from Claires!

It is so much different than just living with a guy you are dating. Its a whole new life, a whole new set-up. Yes you do have a great time and there's so much happening but its not always fun and haha. There are so many experiences, lessons, revelations and realisations. Me and Dan have known each other for almost 5 years now and still there is so much we learn about each other every day and not all things are sweet! For example, recently Danny came to know that I get really irritated when I see someone having the same breakfast everyday (weird but it does annoy me!) and I recently came to know that Danny is one of the people who loves having the same breakfast everyday! Same breakfast! How can you? It is so annoying :/ Can you imagine what goes on in our house every morning? 

The point is, it's a journey. And you have to be ready to accept whatever comes your way, you have to try your best to cross all your hurdles...together! Its not always going to be happy romantic moments, at times it'll be harsh and rough, there will be times when you'll feel there's no one more annoying than your partner...be ready for that and accept it when it comes. Do not get stuck on it though. Move. Look at the other bright things. On many (so many) occasions whenever there is an issue, me and Danny find each other so annoying and irritating. Seriously. What do you when that happens? In our case, we just take a minute off, stop the conversation, take a breather and calm yourself. I specially believe in staying quiet during an angry moment. Much better than saying shit to each other and later regretting it. So, yes, stay quiet, calm yourself and when both of you have calmed yourself down, come back and talk about the issue again. Trust me, a conversation you have when you're not angry will be much better and will make so much more sense. When you're angry you're just adamant on proving your point and blaming your partner for every stupid thing that's been happening, when you're calm and composed your conversation will stress more towards finding a solution and getting over it. Try it! 

2016 was a great year for us. Not only has it helped us in finding out so many new things about each other, it has also helped us in becoming more patient and tolerant towards each other. Many people ask us how we manage to keep it all so perfect and beautiful and fun. Well, we work on it. Work on it real hard. We do not always like the same things, we want to eat different, we want to watch different shows on TV... Just different stuff you know. Danny loves watching UFC and other sports stuff, some of his favorite movies are Shaolin soccer, Hot shots, You don't mess with the Zohan, Pacific Rim and a few more (there are just a few of them and he can see them everyday!) and his favorite meal is dal and rice topped with lots of ketchup (he can have it everyday guys!)! On the other hand, I love watching Friends, Entourage, The Big Bang Theory and other lighter stuff and I am not that much of a movie person, I see whatever is coming on TV but I definitely can't see the same movie everyday, and I have a lot of favorite meals, chapatis and mince curry or aloo paranthas or a simple vegetable fried rice! Imagine! Danny loves to talk about gadgets and technology...I am a technology retard on the other hand and love to talk about holiday destinations, global issues and stuff like that. No shared interests (except that both of us are foodies and love our cheese and pepperoni pizza!) But we manage. We feel happy in what makes the other happy. We adjust. You don't have to understand and be interested in what your partner is talking about, you just have to listen! Just be there and listen :) Both of us do. So while Danny has his dal and rice, I have dal and a vegetable and rotis. While he watches a movie that he likes, I sit next to him and do something else, read or do something on the laptop or sometimes just watch whatever he's watching. BUT I never walk away and go into the other room. Never. Whatever we do, we make sure we're right there next to each other. That's all it takes you guys. Just being there, acknowledging each others presence :)

The number of times I have made Danny sit with me and watch Friends, over and over and over again...Gosh. And the number of times he's made me sit with him and watch Korean cartoons (some One Punch Man and Prince of Tennis on most days)! Oh and to top it all and to annoy me more, he will memorise few Korean sentences from the cartoon and will keep on saying it ALL DAY LONG GUYS. While we're in bed, ready to sleep, he'll be like "Babe?", I'll say "Yes?", the he gives me such a serious look and says "Mada mada dane". I don't know whether to laugh or cry or hit him on his head. (His advantage is that he's cute as hell and was probably made in a candy factory by some unicorns.) Its amazing we haven't ripped out each others hair apart. We do wrestle on weekends and sometimes what starts off as just a game ends up in hard elbowing and punching each other in the face. I, specially, am known for it. 

This fabulous jacket is from H&M and oh my God it has been a savior this winter!

We also had an amazing Christmas week. We were in my hometown Meerut for that entire week. Cousins, friends, bonfires, lots of awesome food - what more do you need! I was so happy to see Danny having such a great time with my family and friends. The best thing about being at home for Christmas is just that special spirit of Christmas. You feel that its Christmas. There's something in the air :) 

The other day we went to Hamleys to get some gifts for a colleague's son. While I was looking around thinking what the perfect gift would be for a 3 year old, my husband had started getting his own list ready for things he wanted - A big Brachiosaurus from their animal section, a nerf gun, a huge remote controlled car and a lightsaber (to use as a night light!). It took me a couple of minutes to convince him that a nerf gun is actually very dangerous and we finally settled on a T-Rex. People like this should not be allowed into Hamleys! 

Some of you also asked for a few pictures of details from our wedding. Here are few of my favorites:

The first on my list is Danny's boutonniere. This was made by a very talented friend Tanya, using the net from my gown. She also made the boutonnieres for the rest of the guests as well. You can inbox me if you would like me to share her contact with you. She's amazing :)

I had to search a lot for the perfect earrings. I wanted earrings which weren't too long and not too short and invisible either. After days of searching and trying every market in New Delhi, I finally found these! The combination of stone and the tear-drop pearl was perfect :) 

The most beautiful accessory for the day was this breathtaking hairpin from Claires! I did not want a tiara and had been looking around for a pretty hairpin which I could fix around my bun. I remember going to Claires for a totally different thing when I suddenly came across this beautiful Elsa'ish hairpin. The moment my eyes set on it, I knew this was it :)

 I will share some other details soon!

Also, I thought I'll share below a quick one-pot recipe. One-pot recipes are the best thing ever. 

Spanish one pot chicken and potatoes

1/2 kg boneless chicken breast (cut into cubes)

2 potatoes (peeled and cut into cubes) 

1 onion (cut into square pieces)

1 yellow bell pepper (cut into square pieces)

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

2 tomatoes (cut into big chunks - pulp, skin, everything!)

1 cup tomato puree (here you could either use 200 gms of ready made puree or 100 gms or puree and 1 cup of freshly grated tomatoes - I used both, the puree and the grated tomatoes.)

1/2 cup sliced black olives

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp paprika (or red chilli flakes)

3-4 cloves of garlic (crushed)

some coriander (or parsley)

salt and pepper to taste

a pinch of sugar

olive oil

water 

Take a big deep pan. Put in your olive oil. Once the oil is all warmed up, put in your garlic. Stir till your garlic is nice and golden. Be careful to not burn it. It is extremely easy to burn your garlic. Watch it at all times! Put in your onions, bell peppers and chicken. stir stir stir. Once it all starts getting cooked slightly (your onions start getting golden and start caramelising, the bell peppers will start getting soft, you know the gist), add in your tomatoes, salt, pepper, cumin and paprika. Mix everything together and let the tomatoes cook for 5 minutes. Once they become all soft and mushy, add your puree (and your grated tomatoes) and a pinch of sugar. Cook for another 2-3 minutes and add your potatoes and water. (So I usually just cover everything in water, enough to cook the potatoes and thicken the sauce. But, if you would prefer to keep your dish slightly dry, then maybe put less water in the beginning and keep monitoring it, add more water if you feel the potatoes need a bit more water to cook)

Cover and let it simmer for 10 minutes, do a quick check. Add seasoning if needed, add more water if needed. Check your potatoes. Once your potatoes are cooked, add your olives and some coriander, keeping some coriander for your garnish as well. Mix thoroughly. Take it out in a bowl, garnish with coriander and yay you're done. 

You can have this with rice or some toasted bread or even plain :)

Perfect meal for a winter evening! 

Well that's all for now you guys. Be good, have fun and don't forget to be grateful :)

Sending you big hugs! Have a great week ahead <3

What I've been up to!

Hi you guys,

Unfortunately I am not being able to do justice to my blog. You can call it laziness or just busy days or less will power.  So much has been happening and there's so much to write, so I thought of giving you all a quick update of what's been happening with me and around me.

And I promise a longer post soon.

This year has been a year of adventure...a year of exploration - tangible and intangible.

From the time I last wrote a post, I've been for a couple of short holidays - Mount Abu in Rajasthan, Orchha in Madhya Pradesh, Koraput in Odisha and recently to Canada. Each of these places had their own little charm and uniqueness.

At the gate of St. Mary's School, Mt. Abu

Mount Abu being the place where my Dad spent few years teaching in the 1980s and where my husband studied for a few years (in the same school by the way! freaky!) is very special to me. Though I could not do much or see much, it was enough to relate to all the stories of Abu that I had heard. I managed to get a quick photo at the house where my parents started their married life. I finally saw the house that till then I had only seen in photographs. That magical little house still had such a positive aura. I saw the school corridors and the dormitories where my husband spent a lot of his childhood days. Such beautiful memories. Mount Abu is a pretty chilled out place, a place where you should go if you're just trying to get away from the craziness of city life and just want to relax and unwind. Mt. Abu is easily accessible by road and rail. The station is called Abu Road. Definitely worth a visit guys. Its pure and unfiltered beauty is what makes it so amazing. Very simple people, very simple lifestyle! That's what makes it a nice getaway I guess :)

My parents' old home in the school campus

The dam next to the school

The historic village of Orchha in Madhya Pradesh is a hidden gem. Founded in the 16th century, the ancient town seems frozen in time, with its many monuments continuing to retain their original grandeur even to this day. We spent a really short time there, just a day actually. This quaint little city is straight out of an ancient folklore. 

The entrance of the city is actually 2 big boulders kept on either side of the road. You'll still see remnants of old houses which is super cool. We had actually gone to Jhansi to visit St. Jude's Shrine and took a little detour on the way back and stopped at the Bundelkhand Riverside Hotel, which was actually the summer palace (or the hunting lodge) of the Maharaja of Orchha. Everything starting from the paintings to the doors to the glass work is all ancient and so beautiful. 




> The beautiful corridors of the Bundelkhand Riverside Hotel. So much history! 

The main seating area of the summer palace, now transformed into the reception of the hotel. Just look at that lovely blue-stoned fireplace and the Jharokha (the little balcony/seating area on top usually meant for the women of the house)

If you're someone who loves visiting and studying ancient architecture and design, this is the place to be! The beautiful Betwa river flows right next to the hotel. Orchha has a couple of interesting things that you can see like the Ram Raja temple, the natural air coolers of Orchha, also known as Sawan Bhado, Raja Mahal and a couple of other ancient temples. The hotel is so beautiful guys. Royal plus ancient is the best combination ever. Preferably go there in a group since the hotel has a lot of fun things like a bonfire and folk performances which are more enjoyable when in a group :) Just 2 days should be enough. You could make a Jhansi-Orchha trip of 3-4 days actually. Super fun.

The dining area at the hotel. 

Basically every rooms has this view as their balcony view! The Betwa river and the forest beyond that where the king used to go hunting. 

Me and Danny at the entrance of the hotel. Thanks for the awesome time Bundelkhand Riverside

The third place on my list is a tiny little city called Koraput in Odisha. This was actually a work trip which ended up being a life changing experience. I work at an NGO called the New Education Group - Foundation for Innovation and Research in Education which works for children from the most marginalised communities throughout India with an aim of transformation through access to education and educational reforms and provisions. Koraput is one of the most backward areas in India and one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to. 

The different hues of green, the red soil and the clouds coming down... A sight to behold :)

And this weird and unusual wall of big boulders! 

The road trip from Vizag to Koraput was without a doubt, the most beautiful road journey I had ever been on. I honestly don't remember when I last saw so much greenery! This was untouched beauty. Nobody knows about this place, it is not a tourist destination, it is not a fancy place. Just plain gorgeous. I will be sharing more on my Koraput trip soon. It definitely deserves a longer post :)

Canada will be also be another post in itself!

At the beginning of this post, I mention something about intangible adventure and exploration. These past few months have been a spiritual and in an inner adventure as well. I've become more aware of the immense strength that I have, the strength to not give up, the strength to fight for what is right and the strength to keep becoming a better version of myself. We don't usually realise that all of us are actually very strong people, we all are fighting our own little battles and are overcoming or are in the process of overcoming numerous hurdles, almost everyday! This takes a lot of courage and strength, we should all be super proud of ourselves :)

There have been days when I get really crabby because of all the added responsibilities. I go to sleep thinking about what will be cooked the next morning or how much the next electricity bill will be. And I get up thinking about what the dinner will be or what veggies have to be bought. Oh my God! It's like having a second job, which doesn't even pay!

However, it does make me feel grateful. Grateful for so many things, grateful for managing so well, grateful that at the end of the day, I feel stronger and successful, because I'm not just being a working woman, but also a great home-maker in the making. So remember every time you feel like quitting or killing someone (or in my case squashing my husband's head), it's all there for a purpose, it's all making you stronger and at the end of the day you're going to be super proud of yourself. Do it for yourself. Do it to feel good!

Me and Daniel have been doing good, standing besides each other at all times, giving extra hugs and love whenever either of us feels low or is having a bad day. At the end of the day, this is all that matters. Coming home to your friend, your partner... Just coming back home! Sometimes, we become so used to the other person being around all the time that we forget to acknowledge them. Guys this is so so important! Make sure you give them lots of hugs as and when you can, make sure you say your good mornings and good nights, make sure you tell them, as many times as you can, that you love them. Nothing is as great as knowing that you're being loved and nothing is as comforting as a hug.
And most importantly, be grateful! Gratitude is really important. Be grateful for every little thing. You're lucky to have them.

My next post will be about our Canada trip and us getting trippy on the awesome food. Will be sharing a recipe soon on which I am currently working. Umm not working actually, just waiting for my salary so I can get the ingredients to make the recipe :D

I promise to be back soon!
You guys take care. Love you all to the moon and back.

Also, I just got to know that my husband makes the best aloo chaat ever! And they were the most nicely cut potato pieces guys! I would love to know what interesting secrets (good secrets!) did you find out about your partners?

Hugs! 

There's something about Mums, a little happy marriage tip and my version of Goulash

Hi my beautiful friends, 

How are you all doing? 
I am going to be talking about 2-3 different things today, few thoughts that have been building up inside me from the past few days. First on my list today is my Mum or most mothers in general. 

1) Super-awesome and super-human Mothers 

Mum Dad at their wedding reception in Mt. Abu

It was my Mum's birthday few days ago. Her name is Shobha or Shobs or Shobu or Mumma. I remember when I was a kid, she used to give me a hard time, like all mothers usually do. She used to be after me to study, to not lie, to not get my clothes dirty, to keep the house clean etc. I was an average kid at school when it came to studies, not so academically bright and so she had to put in lots of extra effort to make me do well. I used to be pretty scared of her actually specially when I used to come back home all muddy or used to not perform so well in my tests. I used to be so annoyed (You know how it is when you're a teenager!). 

When I look back now, I realise that all that I am today - as a person and as a professional, is undoubtedly, because of her. If it wasn't for all those numerous scoldings and thrashings (yep lots of them), I wouldn't have ever felt the need to work hard or to become a better person. Shobs, like most mothers, has sacrificed so much for her children, it's unbelievable. I really don't know how they do it. 

At their 25th wedding anniversary

Her life has always revolved around us, she would never buy new clothes, never go out for dinners or anything... nothing. It was always about us. She is a working woman and an excellent home-maker too! I look back now and realise I have never, in all these years, heard her saying that she was tired or sick or fed up (she does grumble a lot but who doesn't). I wonder if women these days (including me) will be able to become even half as amazing as our mothers are. It is very difficult to be so strong yet be so giving and selfless. Let's take an honest moment to think about how much our Mums have done for us and be grateful. Remember, it is not so important to go and verbally say a Thank You, what's really essential is to acknowledge in your heart that you're grateful and keep her in your prayers :) 

2) Compromises - how much is okay and how much is not

In a perfect world, there would be perfect marriages with a perfect man and a perfect woman, with equal compromises and equal adjustments! Let's face it, this is far from being a perfect world and we are far from being perfect people! So how do you make your relationships perfect? Or at least somewhere near perfect. 

You have to make adjustments. You have to compromise. BUT, both of you. 

Women, generally have a pretty compromising nature. We may be strong independent professional women but we really, somewhere deep inside, are big fat softies! (You know you are :D) 

And often we keep adjusting, without realising how much. We make so many compromises each day, at work, at home, and we don't even realise it. Sadly, nobody else does too. And then one day, you just burst. When you burst, you look back and it's an oh-fck situation! You recall all your adjustments one by one, and feel shitty and angry and then wonder why you did it. 

To prevent this from happening it is very crucial to know when to stop...which adjustment is okay and which is not... how much to compromise and when to put your foot down. Sometimes, let's be honest, we do it simply because we're too lazy to find a mutually benefiting solution and feel its easier to just "adjust". So next time someone asks you "Thoda adjust karle yaar" or to "Compromise a bit", DO NOT FALL INTO THAT TRAP! Take a step back and do a quick analysis and think if its worth it or not, is there any other solution? Is there really a need to have a situation where one of you needs to compromise? Also, sometimes you have to say No and put your foot down! And don't feel guilty about it later, it's really okay. It is okay if sometimes you put your foot down and not be so nice :)

*Quick disclaimer -  This has nothing specifically to do with me and Dan. This is something that happens in almost all households and with almost all women. I don't mean to say that men don't adjust. They do. But a majority of them still don't or probably don't feel the need to. Maybe if we give them a chance they might. Who knows.You understand what I mean? 

3) There is nothing simpler and awesome than a one pot meal! 

Goulash is a very popular and hearty one-pot dish that originated in Hungary and is also very popular in many parts of Europe. However, different places have, over the time, developed their own versions of the popular Goulash. It's a soupy macaroni kind of thing with veggies and mince. (Actually beef mince but I used chicken mince since I had that already). But do not expect the flavour to be like that of a normal mince and mac. The taste is very different. Here is my quick tweaked recipe of Goulash:

1 kg chicken mince (or beef, whatever is available)

1/2 kg macaroni (or elbow pasta)

3 onions (fine chopped)

2 capsicums (fine chopped) 

3 tomatoes (fine chopped)

1 and a half cups of black olives (I use this much coz I love olives in my food, you can reduce this amount according to your taste)

1 cup tomato puree

1 cup tomato ketchup

half cup red wine (use balsamic vinegar if you don't have red wine, slightly less than half a cup then)

3 tablespoons soy sauce 

4 cloves of garlic

2 bay leaves

Oregano

Red chili flakes

Pepper

Salt

(You can add some peas too or any other veggies that you like!) 

Take a big pan, put some olive oil (2-3 tbsps roughly) and put in your mince. Remember this is a one pot dish so you will need a big pan! When your mince is cooked thoroughly, put in your garlic and onions. Drizzle some more oil. If you feel your onions are sticking to the pan, it's okay, Just keeping giving it few stirs with your spoon every few minutes. Once the onions start getting that golden tinge, add your capsicums. After 2-3 minutes, add your wine and give it a thorough stir. Remember to scrape through the bottom and the sides of the pan. Let it cook for 2 minutes. Now you have to add a bulk of the remaining ingredients. Add your soy sauce, tomatoes, puree, ketchup, olives (and any other veggies) salt, pepper, chili flakes and oregano (I used the chili flakes and oregano packets from Dominoes because I always have so many, you can use whatever is available. You can add as much oregano as you want, I used 4 packets of oregano and 3 of chili flakes). 

Stir nicely and make sure everything is mixed well. Put the 2 bay leaves now and add a cup of water. Simmer and cover for 5 minutes. (If you're using beef mince, you'll have to cover and keep for at least 20-30 minutes)

Add you macaroni now and another half a cup of water. Mix and cover again. (You don't have to cook the macaroni before-hand. It'll all cook together in this pan) Let it all cook for at least 10 minutes. You will, however, have to keep checking after every few minutes to prevent the macaroni from sticking to the bottom, which can happen easily because we're using really less water. 

Once your macaroni is al dente, you know it's done! Check for seasoning and add more salt, pepper or oregano if needed. 

Serve hot with garlic bread. I did not have the bread required to make garlic bread so I used normal white bread. Mix half a cup of butter with 2 crushed garlic cloves and a tsp of oregano. Put it into the microwave for melting. This will be done in a few seconds. You will want to melt it totally though so its easy to put it on the bread. Take a non-stick pan, brush this butter mixture on both sides of the bread and put it on the pan (remember to not put any garlic pieces though, that can be very unpleasant). Let both sides get nice, golden and crisp. 

Tada...

We also went for a quick Easter weekend to Mount Abu. More about that on my next blog.
This is all for now people. 

Hope everyone is having a good week. 

Love you all to the moon and back. 

Ciao for now :)



*P.s, this was such an emotional kinda blog. I feel pretty light though :) 

5 stupid post-wedding theories and my easy to make mutton masala!

Hi my beautiful friends,

It's been sooooo long! Hope you're all doing awesome <3

Been a few busy days here. Since it's almost the end of the fiscal year the work load has literally doubled at work. I've been wanting to write a quick something from so long but oh the woes of being a family and a working woman! Sometimes I just wish I could be a stay-at-home wife and cook all day and clean and settle my house all day long (such an aunty!). But then I think I might really get bored in some days and might get really crabby and boy you don't want to mess with me when I am crabby. I'm an absolute terror. Honestly. Badass! Ask my husband :)

In these past few days that I've been away from writing something for you guys, few things have come to my notice. Here's a quick list of people's misconceptions on being newly married -

1) The "You haven't changed a bit!" stigma - Till now, this is the most common remark I get from friends, family and acquaintances, "you still look the same"! Hmmm, so, what do people think happens when you get married? Do you bloat up? Do you slim down? Do you become prettier? Does your face change? What exactly? This remark is so stupid! It's baseless. Stupid baseless illogical remark. Do you tell the newly married guys that they still look the same? Nope.

2) The 'post-wedding glow syndrome' - "You have become so beautiful after your wedding!", "you have such a nice glow on your face". Oki, first of all, thank you very much but its kind of offensive that you think I wasn't pretty before my wedding! And its not a post-wedding glow bro, its just potatoes and cheese and cake!

3) The "now you don't need to dress-up and look nice" theory - So there's also this weird theory that because you're now married, you don't need to dress up and look pretty so much! So because I've found myself a husband, I can sit at home all day covered in dust and not comb my hair and become fat. Hmmm pretty shitty theory. Why does a woman dressing up have anything to do with her status?

4) The "First few months are so beautiful" presumption - Have just 2 words for this - Bull shitte! They are probably the hardest. Yes they're exciting...because its new. But its very difficult also because you're learning about your partner, you're getting to know their likes and dislikes, you're both adjusting to each other's behavioural patters and stepping out of your comfort zone. I've known my husband for almost 4 years now and it still is pretty difficult, for both of us. You're adjusting to a very new routine and lifestyle, especially for all who're working. These months are kind of forming the base for beautiful days ahead!

Pumba from Danny's store. He's the most
adorable hairy puppy ever!

5) The B word - Me and Danny both love babies. And dogs! So it's a very common question or rather a statement that we hear - "You guys must be so ready to have babies of your own!" and "when are you guys getting a pup". LOL. Why? Just because we post baby pics and puppy pics on each other's FB walls? Is this presumption based on that? On social media? Alright, so everyone should know this, people don't get married to just have babies. That's all. Gulp this down with a glass of water.

These questions and comments amuse me so much. But I usually just give a big smile and go hehehe.

I've also been doing a lot of cooking of late. I love food and I love cooking. But from the past few days, we had started ordering food a lot which was kind of draining our pockets dry. So now whenever I get a craving to eat something nice (the boys never do, they're both happy with dal and roti), I usually make it at home, be it a pizza, a chicken burger or a dessert. There's something which I am not so good at cooking, and that's mutton.


So after many not-so-tasty attempts, I tried to do something simple and it turned out to be pretty awesome. So here's my recipe of Quick Mutton Masala:

1/2 kg mutton (chopped into small pieces)
2 onions (I used 2 since I like a lot of onions and tomatoes in my curries, 1 should do too)
2 tomatoes
2-3 green chillies (slit in 4 length-wise)
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
few curry leaves
1 dried red chilly (broken into half, dispose the seeds if possible)
1 bay leaf
1 black cardamom (badi elaichi)
2 green cardamoms (open it slightly and put)
3-4 peppercorns
Oil

For marinating your mutton:
3-4 tbsps of curd
1 tbsp red chilly powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
2 tbsps coriander powder
1 tsp roasted cumin powder
salt to taste
little pepper (if you like it!)

Now these ingredients will be usually there in almost every Indian kitchen, so you don't have to run around a lot. I didn't have the curry leaves so I had to steal a branch from my upstairs neighbors hehe (sorry aunty!).

So just put your mutton pieces in a big bowl, put all the marination ingredients together and give it a nice thorough mix. Cover it up and keep it in the fridge for around half an hour (if you're running short of time, otherwise an hour would be better).

In the mean time, heat some oil in your pressure cooker, put your dry garam masalas (bay leaf, cardamoms, peppercorns and red chilly) and let it crackle for a minute. Put in your onions, let it get nice and brown, add your green chillies and your ginger garlic paste. Cook it for a minute again. Then put your tomatoes and leave it on simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add some water (2-3 tsps, just enough to prevent it from sticking and getting burnt) and let it cook till your tomatoes have disintegrated and the gravy is cooked. Take out your mutton from the fridge, bring it to room temperature and add to your gravy. Let it cook for a couple of minutes. Add some water, just half a cup, we don't want it to be floating in gravy, just little thick gravy. Close the lid and give around 6 whistles. Simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes after the whistles are done. Once all the steam goes away, open the lid, garnish with some coriander and add some lemon juice.

*Tada*

That's all for now lovelies. I'll be sharing some more simple recipes over the course of time to help all the new wives out there to make fancy food without going through a lot of trouble! Keep it simple, keep it good!

I've already chalked out what I'm going to be doing this weekend and none of it involves me going out! What are your weekend plans?

I'll be seeing you guys soon! (or writing again soon? I don't know what's the correct term. whatever). Love you all.

Have a nice weekend!

Red kurta from Fab India. It's so simple yet so gorgeous!

Of Palaces, sun and good food

Hi my lovelies,

Sorry about the big break! Has been a few hectic crazy days.

Me and Dan finally FINALLY managed to get ourselves a little break. We went to Jaipur for the Valentines weekend. After that, I went to Bhopal for a gender integration workshop! And I got back home just last night. Today though, we're only going to talk about Jaipur! <3

Such amazing 2 days! We went by road, which took us roughly 5 hours including the lunch stopover. The road all the way is great and the journey was awesome. At least for my chubby co-traveller who nodded off as soon as we started and got up only for the lunch and slept back again. And not just sleeping, snoring! So much so, that when we were stuck at the toll for few minutes and half a window was open, neighbouring cars were peeping in and giggling about the noises they could hear from our car. Gosh. 

We stayed at Umaid Haveli, which is in the outskirts of Jaipur (in Kukas). So not exactly in the city, but close enough to go sightseeing and yet enjoy the serenity, calmness and un-spoilt beauty of Rajasthan. The hotel was lovely, the interiors were covered in beautiful meenakari paintings, our room was amazing and so was the weather. For someone like me who feels extra cold and am as my Mother-in-law calls me 'a dying duck' (hehe), this weather was absolute heaven. For someone like my husband who sweats all 12 months, it was quite normal. so basically, we had to sleep with the fan on while I slept with my socks on. And at times I would be woken up by this strong man sweat smell (don't know what else to call it, lol) and had to increase the speed of the fan so it would be cool enough for my man! (oh that ryhmes)

The infinity pool at the 7th floor

The entrance to Umaid Haveli

Saw almost 30 of them going back to their village (Yes there is an Elephant Village where all these elephants stay, open for tourists)

So, anyway, we just relaxed on Friday, explored the hotel. They have this awesome infinity pool and a terrace area on the 7th floor which is super cool if you just want to chill and unwind. An interesting thing that you could see from this terrace was the testing faculty of the Hero group (motorbikes). So we could see this huge racing track on which occasionally they would have a superbike racing through. So while I enjoyed the sun and the view, my darling husband, the apple of my eye, enjoyed the Hero Group racing track. Just men things I guess.

The dining hall

The terrace restaurant

Next day we went and saw the Amer Fort (It's actually a palace). It was breathtaking. The architecture, the design and the strategy with which this whole Palace was built is amazing. It had a steam and sauna section! Beat that! The King had 12 wives so there was an apartment each for each of those 12 wives, built in such a way that one wife could not see what was happening in the other wife's apartment. There was a passage from the king's apartment on the first floor to all of these 12 apartments, built in such a way that nobody could know in which apartment the king was. Probably to maintain peace and cordial relations between all these women. You see the brain behind this! So many other awesome things about this Fort. So anyone going to Jaipur, don't miss the Amer Fort and make sure you take a guide along (ask your hotel guys to get you a government guide, they have so much more knowledge than the other guides!). We also saw the City Palace where the Royal family currently resides. So cool. Wonder what it'd be like to be 'royal'!

Look at all that work! 

(Also, just FYI, the current Maharaja of Jaipur is Padmanabh Singh, the teenage grandson of the erstwhile Jaipur ruler, the late Brigadier Sawai Bhawani Singh. He is 16 I guess and studying in the UK (obviously) coz Indian schools are too mainstream (hehe!). And again, obviously, is an excellent Polo player. What is with the royal people and Polo? Why can't they play Soccer or Tennis and still be Royal.)

The famous Sheesh Mahal or the 'Glass Palace', all that you see on top and on the walls are glass pieces! 

Just a nice door!

At the City Palace

For all shopping lovers, Jaipur is heaven. You get awesome stuff. My recommendation for good shopping though is the Government run huge store in Amer Village (which is where the Fort gets its name from, I always thought it was the other way round!), everything under one roof, jewellery, clothes, shoes, blankets, you name it. The reason I would prefer this store to the other Jaipur markets is that first of all, it is all done locally and Amer village is the village from where the Meenakari work originated. As a result, all that you get here is original and tax-free! Yay. 

How can we talk about Jaipur and not mention the food! Guys, the food is to-die-for. No kidding, it really is. Avoid the hotel food and instead go hogging on the street food and other places that serve authentic Rajasthani cuisine. You could try the Pink City restaurant for cheap authentic and delish Rajasthani food and if you want to go all fancy and get a taste of how it would be to dine in a palace, you should definitely head to the '1135 AD' restaurant, Amer Fort's very own palatial restaurant. 

A Rajasthani thali

We got back Sunday evening, since I had to get up at 3 am the next morning and head to Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, for a workshop (quick thing on that in my next blog). 

Such awesome 2 days. We realised that it is really essential for couples to go for these tiny weekend getaways. You don't have to always go to someplace fancy, just a good hotel/resort anywhere, away from the city where you live in. It is so nice to not worry about what to cook, what to get, doing the laundry etc, and just pamper yourself and re-bond with your partner. You deserve this! And your best friend for planning these little trips will be sites like Make my trip! I am always on the lookout for their offers and we got an extremely good deal for Umaid Haveli. 

We're back to the grind now but we've decided to continue taking these little trips to rekindle what we have every now and then :) 

Bye for now you guys. 

Hugs from me! 

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What I wore:
At the City Palace - Top from Chumbak (Mall of India store), Earrings from Accessorize, the blue Jeggings are from H&M and are the most comfy thing ever, aztic design shoes from 20Dresses.
At the hotel (the above pic) - A beautiful super light summer maxi dress from Chatu Chak market, Bangkok, (It was super cheap!), earrings from Claires I think! 
              
Also, a big hug to my husband for being such a sport and not throwing me out of the house for bringing out secrets about snores and sweats in public :D

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