Salt Pans of Kutch Gujarat

The Salt Plains Of Kutch, Gujarat

I started for the vast salt plains of Kutch in the early fall, when winter was settling in its blossoms. The journey started from Ahmedabad, we were scheduled to visit a small village near the Bhuj, a district of Gujarat, India.

These salt plains are created every year artificially to generate the salt which is then refined and transported to the homes of citizens.

The ground water here is ten times saltier than sea water, which is pumped out using bores and then filled into small fields of about 25 by 25 meters

“As the sun beats down on this water, it gradually turns into silvery salt,

When I was capturing the beautiful salt-scapes, I wondered, if it was the plain who was burning out or the skins of hard working laborers working in the heat.

It was just the time, when they had recently began to dug out water from the ground, and started making big pans. So unfortunately, I could not get the images of final process and product. 

I wish I had gone  at-least a fortnight later. Nevertheless I enjoyed some hours on the vast barren land. Even the saline tears can make someones meal palatable.

Lemon Tarts

An quick easy start up dessert to finish the left over sweet tooth craving.

its a perfect balance of sweet and sour.

All you need

Refined flour: 100 gms

Salted butter: 50 gms

Cream: 100gms

Powdered sugar: 50gms

A lime 

few mint leaves

Making of a tart:

Mix the flour with chilled butter. Roll out a sheet out of the flour dough. with the help of cookie cutter, take out round dough sheet and put on greased tart moulds.

bake at 180 degree for roughly 15 mins. Make sure, to tap the dough with the fork, so that it doesnt rise.

Whip the heavy cream with the beater. As the cream doubles, add lime juice, lime rind and powdered sugar. Fold the cream with mixture. 

Fill the cream in piping bag and put in blast chiller for 30 secs.

take out baked tarts. wait while they set to room temperature. 

Fill the tarts with the flavored whipped cream from the piping bag. 

garnish with a mint leaf.

Serve and relish

Riverfront Ahmedabad

RIVER FRONT- AHMEDABAD

The multi-crore and most ambitious project of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation was started way back in 1997. Today, it has become a landmark for the face of Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

Plenty of projects, fairs, exhibitions are held every year on this stretch. the twenty kilometer stretch facing the Sabarmati river is quite seen flocked with joggers and lovers.

This Sunday I went for a walk. Few clicks enchanted my mind

Peanut Butter Muffin

                                                 Peanut Butter Muffin:

My sister who never favour chocolate in her indulgence, has recently developed taste for snickers. On poking, she told me that it’s the peanut flavour which is irresistible for her.

This rakshabandhan I challenged myself to prepare a whole menu based on peanut flavour. I made, Indonesian Paneer Satay, Penne pasta in pesto sauce (walnuts were replaced by peanut), Garlic bread and peanut butter Muffins. That day, I saw delight on her face.

Here is the recipe for peanut butter muffin

You need:

2 cups of refined flour

1 cup of brown sugar, powdered

1 cup peanut butter

2 medium eggs

3-4 drops of vanilla essence

Half tsf baking powder

10ml of milk

Here you go:

In a bowl, beat eggs, sugar, peanut butter and vanilla essence. Sieve flour and baking powder into the mixture. Whisk gently with roll and cut technique. Add milk to adjust consistency. It should not be too thick or flowy.

Transfer the mixture in silicon shells. I made 6 muffins from the above quantity. Make sure you fill only three quarters of moulds with batter. Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for over 15min.

Unmould and serve best with cinnamon coffee.

Face of Storytellers

Face of Storytellers

People often call them tour guides, but what fascinates me is that they are more than tour guide who shows the track to the traveler. Few faces I met ever get embedded in my memory. They charmed me with their knowledge, skills and storytelling power.

Roshan: I met him during our nalsarovar tour (near Ahmedabad, Gujarat). Not only he rows the boat for constant 4 hours, but he has extreme knowledge of birds and bird species. 

Krishna: Half Indian from his father side, he met me in our Bhutan tour. He has awesome talent in telling stories, be it mythical, cultural or regional. He has strong interest in politics. He was aware of recent advances in politics. a well versed man, who charmed us with his knowledge and eco-friendly attitude towards his country.  

Rajesh: He took me through the maroon valleys of Munnar (kerala, India). He tricked me into the beauty of ruins. the loomed ruins of caves of Mahabharat era were never exciting, till he spoke of them. he has keen sense of flavors and fresh spices. He made me de-tour my track and took me to various spice garden as he came to know that I was dying to learn and try in my kitchen

The Umbrella Stories

The Umbrella Stories 

MUMBAI AWAKENING

MUMBAI  AWAKENING

The city which never goes into slumber, enchants me every-time I visit it.  From the crowded alleys of its local trains to the hush-hush speed of people, the city is always running in multi-direction. the people are emotionally detached to each other but often seen attached to the city. 

I spent few minutes at the platform waiting for my fast local, i figured that within a drag, whole of the frames swipes into the another entity. I made a self imposed task, missed my upcoming fast local and decided to click the portrait of the platform in next 7 minutes till the next train arrives. here is a glimpse

Faces of Bhutan

FACES OF BHUTAN

some faces are never forgettable, they tend to bring happiness in your life time and again. 

The Contemporary Dance

The Contemporary Dance

She flows like fluid when the music falls on her ears, She gears on the rhythm of universe spreading the rainbows of her skirt. 

An Hour of Her Belly Lessons

 

It started when the Manch dance Academy, Ahmedabad asked me to do a trial shoot of their belly classes for their upcoming posters and campaign. I hardly had done any studio shoot with above head lights. Yet I took up the task to attempt this shoot.

Belly dance or bellydance is a Western-coined name for a type of Middle Eastern dance. Originally a "solo, improvised dance involving torso articulation", belly dance takes many different forms depending on the country and region, both in costume and dance style, and new styles have evolved in the West as its popularity has spread globally. ( quoted from wikipedia).
here are few images:

Bounty

When silence becomes your presence

the unsaid words 

should be told to the world

The Sky

Endless possibilities

Vivid Imagination 

The Canvas and the clouds

Butterscotch Flavored Popcorn

It was a happy morning, Ranjani called me to brief an idea of blogging today evening over a cup of tea. Her presence always delights my heart. with the tea, I thought of preparing some munchies.

Here is the idea of some butter scotch flavored popcorn. say, I am always on a easy and quick side

what you need

Popcorn: 100gm (puff them in a microwave or pressure cooker)

butter 50gms

brown sugar 50gms

cream 2tsf

In a heavy bottom sauce pan, melt the brown sugar on a slow heat. Add butter once the sugar is caramelized. add the cream to the melted butter and sugar syrup. 

Put off the flame, mix the sauce in puffed popcorns.

We ready to serve.

Wheels

Goddess of stories

Let me stroke your hair,
this one last time.
The richness of your satin skin,
be wet with my sweat.
I may not be subtle tonight
but worry not, you are always mine.

Let me stroll on your waist,
tracing my tongue to the pubic line.
The shiver of your tibial sheen
bonded in the web of toes of my leg.
I may be a tiger tonight
but then, you are always mine.

Let me take you to the edge
so you can see me clearly.
The golden hue of your eyes
glazed with stories of your betrayal.
Will I let you go over,
nah! you were never mine.

Embrace

The Northern breeze

The earthen fragrance

I embrace you.

Moroccan Curry - My version

                                                   
                                                             MOROCCAN CURRY

This is the recipe I re-tweaked for my cookery show. An easy protein and mineral rich recipe for a healthy back-up.

All you need:

Chicke pea (chole): boiled 1 cup

chopped onion 1 medium

chopped garlic

seasonal vegetables, like eggplant(brinjal), squash, sweetpotato, potato, bottle guard, pumpkin : 1 cup

Tea water: boil 2tsf tea in 1 cup water. strain.

for seasoning

finely chopped basil

oregano

black pepper

chilli flakes

salt

oil 2 tsf

In a cooker, heat the oil. saute onion and garlic till caramelised. add vegetables. saute. add chick peas. season with above seasonings. add tea water. whistle 5 times in the cooker.

serve with tortilla, garlic bread, kulcha or steamed rice

one can see the recipe at below link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9_9EYsL894

CHAPANER - Chapter 1

Champaner (ચાંપાનેર شمبنر ; Muhammadabad) is a historical city in the state of Gujarat in western India. It is located in Panchmahal district, 47 kilometres from the city ofVadodara. The city was briefly the capital of Gujarat.

It was founded by Vanraj Chavda, the most prominent king of the Chavda Dynasty, in the 8th century. He named it after the name of his friend and general Champa, also known later as Champaraj. By the later 15th century, the Khichi Chauhan Rajputs held Pavagadh fort above the town of Champaner. The young Sultan of Gujarat, Mahmud Begada, deciding to attack Champaner, started towards it with his army on 4 December 1482. After defeating the Champaner army, Mahmud captured the town and besieged Pavagadh, the well-known hill-fortress, above Champaner, where king Jayasimha had taken refuge. He captured the Pavagadh fort on 21 November 1484, after a siege of 20 months.^[1] He then spent 23 years rebuilding and embellishing Champaner, which he renamed Muhammadabad,^[2] after which he moved the capital there from Ahmedabad. In 1535, after chasing away Bahadur Shah, Humayun personally led some 300 Mughals to scale the fort on spikes driven into rock and stonework in a remote and unguarded part of the citadel built over a precipitous hillside on Pavagadh Hill. Large heaps of gold, silver and jewels were the war booty even though Bahadur Shah had managed to escape with a lot to Diu^[3] Champaner is today the site of the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, which UNESCO designated a World Heritage Site in 2004.

The above text have been copied from wikipedia. A brief research during my visit to chapaner. although i clicked more than 100 of pics there but few ones just strolled my mind as they are quite close to me.