Parindita Bhattacharyya once again takes us on a Northeastern culinary adventure with this aromatic rice dish.

The “JOHA RICE” has raced to topple the aroma queen’ it is a special kind of grain which has a unique aroma and a distinct characteristics from other aromatic rice like Basmati and other such.

The uniqueness of this particular rice is due to its climatic condition which can only be found in the land of North-East.

It is basically said as to be the Sali rice ( means which can be only grown in the winter).

INGREDIENTS:

1) Rice, 400mg (JOHA RICE).

2) Onions- 2 big sized, finely sliced.

3) vegetables- carrot finely sliced.

4) dry fruits- cashew nuts, kismis.

5) spices- bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom 2/3 pieces each.

6) salt- 1 tbs

7) pure ghee – 3/4 tbs

RECIPE:

Heat the oil in a pressure cooker. Add bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom. Put the onions along with the vegetables until it is slightly fried. Add salt, mix in the rice and stir well until lightly browned. Add dry fruits, and pour water to the level of almost 1″ ( which can be measured by the index finger) above the ingredients. 

Mix ghee, stir well and close the cooker, and cook it for only 1 single whistle. Allow the cooker to cool on its own till then do not open the lid.

‘The tasty healthy “joha rice” is ready to be served’.

“Bon appetit”

“Asomia khuwar aamez louk”

Mount Batur Sunrise Trek

- Shanta Tomar.

It was a unique day. The kind of day when we started trekking in the middle of the night to be able to witness the magical sunrise that attracts thousands of tourists from across the world, around the year. Yes, I am talking about our Mount Batur Sunrise trek.

Sacred Mt. Batur, 3,841 feet tall, is Bali’s most active volcano. The sunrise trek is a popular tour for several reasons. Besides exploring an active volcano and climbing one of Bali’s sacred mountains, you also get to witness the incredible moment when the first spear of light pierces through the clouds and lights up the sky in a riot of colors.

The idea of Mt. Batur trek was brewing on my ‘to-do” list since the time we started talking about the possibility of travelling to Bali. I checked several websites on offers related to Mt. Batur trek but did not book any. Once I reached Ubud, I talked to my host(KoMang) about it and got a great package. We were supposed to start the trek at around 2.00AM so that we reach the sunrise point on time. To stay in line with the plan, we were picked up at around 12.30 AM from Seminyak. It was raining and I haven’t slept. I was weary and my face was pale. There was still a twinkle in my eyes whenever I thought about the sunrise. Oh! How beautiful it must be!

We (my husband and I) hurriedly got dressed and tied the laces of our trekking shoes. Please wear comfortable shoes with a good grip. It will help you complete the trek without any injury as you will be required to walk through slippery terrains and walk past huge rocks while it rains.

We reached the starting point of the trek at around 1.45 AM. It didn’t take more than 20 minutes to complete the formalities, hire our guide (Wayne) and prepare our bags. KoMang decided to trek with and insisted on carrying our food, raincoats and water

bottles. We were handed our individual torch lights and began our journey. We started walking in complete darkness, the path illuminated by nothing but the torchlights. It had rained sometime back and the terrain was slippery. All that mattered at that moment, was to keep one foot ahead of the other, follow the footsteps of Wayne and try not to slip. I wondered what the surroundings must look like and only on our way back we realized that we were walking along colorful tomato and onion farms. It was windy and lightning stroke intermittently. I carried a light sweater to stay warm. An hour later, we started climbing rocks and very soon we could see the city lights gleaming beneath us.

We were moving up the mountain though the sunrise point looked far away. In the middle of the climb, we got a much-needed break when Wayne stopped and knelt in front of a small shrine, head bowed with incense sticks burning in his hands. The fragrance mixed with the mist of the mountains, gave birth to something so pure and soothing. Wayne said that it is the shrine of the Mountain God and they offered prayers to the God every day to keep everyone in the area, safe and smiling. I joined my hands, said my prayers and started walking towards the sunrise point. The city lights looked majestic. It was a wonderful feeling. Of course, we were a bit tired but with a little help from one another, we managed to keep moving. We would walk for a while, rest for a while and in the middle of all that, Wayne shouted, “You did it”.

I looked around. Indeed, we were right there. Several others joined us soon. We had a cup of coffee and secured a spot to watch the sunrise. In right about 10 mins, the sky started glowing. From grey and blue to orange and red, the color of the sky transformed in a matter of a few minutes. The clouds suspended above Batur Lake looked breathtakingly beautiful. Being a sky chaser, it was a dream come alive. Never had I seen the sky dressed in such magnificent colors and splendor. We were mesmerized. There was a flow of good energy and spiritual vibrations, I could feel it.

We all did. All our physical and mental endurance looked so tiny in front of the majestic view of the morning. This is my favorite thing about climbing mountains. Overcoming the challenges of the body and the mind, pushing yourself harder and overcoming situations you never thought you could. My spirit grows tenfold every time I climb a mountain.

I took tons of pictures. Pictures of happy people, the glittering sky, the crater, the steam coming from the depths of Mt. Batur, the grass, the leaves, the city below, the suspended clouds…I could not come back without not clicking enough pictures of all that made way to something so beautiful, so royal. We spent hours at the top and had our breakfast that comprised of boiled eggs, fried bananas and danish.

Walking back to the parking area took an hour approximately. Very soon, were boarded our car and I could see Mt Batur smiling at us from afar, bidding us goodbye. “I hope to see you again, sometime”, I said as I smiled and drove away with a heart full of gratitude and happiness to our next destination.

You can read more of my adventures at www.amillionvoicesinside.com

A trip to Vrindavan:  City of Lord Krishna

- Ashima Sharma

When one is too tired or bored of their daily life , the best way to get out of it and change up your mood and get relaxed is to travel somewhere or is to go on a weekend to relax and enjoy over there without any load and stress of life . And the same thing happened with me, I was just getting way too tired because of this stressful life, just then I decided to go on a 2 days road trip with my friends to Vrindavan , where Lord Krishna spent his childhood.

The holy town is in Uttar Pradesh and is 160 kms from Delhi, so to reach at our destination on time we left at 8.30 in the morning and were there by 12 in the afternoon as it is just a 3 hours drive through the Yamuna expressway .

We checked in into a nearby hotel, after having some rest we all set out to the Iskcon temple, the autowala took around Rs.50/- . Being a Saturday the temple was beaming with bhakts in ecstasy. The temple had a whole new dimension of energy and bhakti, the chants and the dance of Krishna bhakts lost in devotion was a new feeling altogether, with the chants of “Hare Rama Hare Krishna” and the spiritual fervor dances pulsates vibrant energy.

The temple and its premises were beaming with curious visitors, chanting ‘Radhe Radhe’ with chandan on their forehead and cheeks proclaiming their love for Lord. The temple serves Maha Prasadam, a religious food offered to the devotees in the name of Krishna, from 7:30 to 12.45 in the morning and 4.30 to 8pm daily .The temple was worth spending the evening. After we collected our footwear, we picked up some sweets for our families and friends and walked down to Prem Mandir.

Prem mandir is dedicated to the love of Radha Krishna and Sita Ram. The timing for the temple is 5.30am to 8.30pm .You cannot imagine the beauty of the temple unless you yourself visit the place. The whole temple is made of white marble and adorned with very intricate carvings, this temple is famous for its architectural beauty. The temple and its surroundings are very beautifully created. Various scenes from Krishna’s life, like raising the Govardhan Mountain, have been depicted on the periphery of the temple.

The musical fountain along with the light display left us awestruck. Best time to visit the temple is at dark once the illumination is activated.

Next morning we set out to visit the Banke Bihari Temple located in the narrow by lanes of Mathura city. The streets were so narrow that we have to walk down a certain distance to the temple. It is the oldest temple in Mathura. It is believed by the locals that the Lord appeared in person with his beloved in front of one of his devotee and left a black charming image. This is the reason why the Idol of Lord Krishna is black in color . The priests of the temple take care of the deity as a small child . Hence, the deity is woken gently in the morning unlike ringing loud temple bells. Various events are celebrated in the temple like the Mangala-arati is performed only once a year on the occasion of Janmashtami and people from all over the world come to celebrate holi.

 Jhulan yatra is another prime festival, also known as “Swing Festival” of Lord Krishna, in which the deity is placed on a solid silver ornamented swings. Third day of the waxing moon is Jhulan yatra’s main day. On this day, Shri Banke Bihari is placed on a golden swing and the curtain before the Lord Krishna is not left open for long time as people believe that the eyes of the deity are so astonishing that the people may get so awestruck that they may faint.

 Being Sunday there was a huge rush awaiting us at the temple. Though the temple was extremely crowded but the aarti was a spectacular event to watch. After spending a bit more time at the temple we all knew that it was time to get back to our stressful lives but these two days were super peaceful for all of us.

 Overall this place might not be heaven but the peace it enlightens you with is heavenly… You experience, you learn, the eternal that lies within, but here, you see it outside as well as inside simultaneously!

Parindita Bhattacharyya takes us on a culinary adventure with this soul satisfying recipe straight from Nagaland, to beat the Monday blues. 

If you really love to try cuisines from the North-east then do not just miss out the Naga dish of pork and bamboo shoot.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED:

1) 100 gms of bamboo shoots.

2) a bunch of coriander leaves

3) 50 gms of garlic.

4) 50 gms of ginger.

5)4 onions

6) 2 capcicum

7)1 kg pork.

8) 5 king chilly ( or 2 according to the need)

9)salt to taste.

PREPARATION:

1)After grinding the garlic and the ginger to a paste. Peel and chop the onions and the capcicum into fine pieces. Clean and wash the pork after that put the pork in the pressure cooker and cook in medium flame for about 2-3 mins. Add some salt according to the taste and stir the meat slightly untill the water gets choked up.

2)Taking another frying pan and putting some oil into it, then put the onions and the capcicum into the pan and fry them untill the onion gets a light brown color. Gently put the meat in the pan and start stirring. And then put the ginger and garlic paste. stir for another minute.

3)Cover but dont close the lid, and cook for another 4 minute, put the bamboo shoots in the pan and then add 1 cup of water and close the lid of the pan. Let it remain for another 4-5 minutes till the water gets completely choked up.

4)Then garnish it with coriander leaf and serve it with steaming hot naga rice or basmati rice.

Try it to know more about Naga food, the bamboo shoot and pork combination is lovely and unique. It is itself a treat to the eye as well as our tummy…..

 Because “NAGA MANU SOBSE TASTY FOOD BONAI”…

TRY IT TO KNOW IT…

Welcome to the City of Dreams: Mumbai

- Ashish Sharma

If you haven’t made out the name of the city yet, you’re definitely living under a very big rock. It’s the city where stars shine bright, no matter its day or night. The city where one can find “Vada Pav” more often than any other snack.

Mumbai, which was previously known as Bombay, got its name after the goddess Mumbadevi, the protector of the fishermen, in 1995 with the effect of politics. But the native people still prefers to use the old colonial name out of the politics or maybe because they are just habitual to it.

It’s a part of Maharastra, mainly resided by the Marathis, people who are driven by their language, culture and food. This is well-noted by the tourists. It’s a city that only moves further, seldom has time to stop and talk. Lucky if you get a native person as your cab driver. If got a chance, people here love to talk about their art and culture and are very friendly.

The aesthetics of the city is astonishing; one might just feel all so vintage, as it takes you back to the old British times. The structures speak for themselves. The Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, more commonly known as Mount Mary Church is one such place to visit. It is located in Bandra, Mumbai, being a holy place for the birthday of the Virgin Mary celebrated here on the first Sunday after 8th September, the feast of which is locally known as the“Bandra Fair” and is visited by thousands of people. During the fair, the entire area is decorated with flowers and buntings. Many people set up their stalls, selling religious articles, snacks and sweets. Wax figures of Virgin Mary along with candles shaped like hands, feet and various other body parts are sold here. Lakhs of devotees of all religions are drawn to this place annually. It is a place with interesting legends clinging to every corner.

Your next stop could be one of the most popular places of worship in the city, the place with aura so deep; people literally dive in, the Shree Siddhivinayak Temple. One can reach here via the Bandra-Worli sea link in just 24 minutes drive, or you may just take a bus to Prabhadevi and walk to the temple. This place is considered so pure and enchanting that people even walk barefeet to the temple, to impress Lord Ganesha, to get their wishes granted. It is also one of the richest temples in the country. It is an ancient temple and people; from all over the world visits the place with deep trust and beliefs. Some of the locals start their day with Morning Prayer in the temple.

If you felt the shrine of the Siddhivinayak temple, the Haji Ali Dargah can be like the cherry on the top. Located just at a distance of 6.2 km, one can drive or may take a cab or bus to reach the destination. The place is one of the most recognisable landmarks of Mumbai. The accessibility to the dargah is very much dependent on the tides, since the causeway that leads to the dargah isn’t protected by any railings, and so when the causeway gets submerged, during high tides, it becomes inaccessible.

Therefore, one can reach the dargah only during low tides. This walk on the causeway, with sea on both the sides, is one of the highlights of the trip to the shrine. On Thursdays and Fridays, the tomb is visited by a number of pilgrims and tourists, irrespective of the faith and religion, to get the blessings of the legendary saint, who gave up all his worldly possessions before making a pilgrimage to Mecca. Sometimes on Fridays, a form of devotional music called Qawwali is performed by various sufi musicians at the dargah.

Other places include the Gateway of India, Mahalaxmi temple, ISKON temple etc. Or if you are the person, who enjoys the antiquity and art, there are many museums to visit like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya, Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum and many more. For more of historical aesthetics, one may visit to the Elephanta Caves, which has secured probably the oldest beauty of our ancient India. The artistry and beauty that can only be felt when experienced in person. The structures there, awestruck you with the details and sharpness, made at the times when hardly any tools were available to the people. This place is also considered as one of the heritage sites. Other such places to visit include the Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves.

As per the evening, the beach would be the best place to be at. The sea here ensures the temperature won’t fluctuate much, and is the only thing that has always been the same over the years. And truly, the site looks splendid during sunrise and sunsets, and is capable to heal you from all the worries by taking you in a blanket of peace!!

Are you hungry?

If you are a die-hard momo lover then DLF mall of India is going to be a paradise for you from 14th July to 16th July .

GOBUZZINGA IS BACK WITH ITS THIRD EDITION – much bigger and much much better this time.

This fest will bring together 25 of the best momo vendors from all over Delhi & NCR areas.

Name any kind of momo you want and you have it on your plate. Chocolate, chicken changezi, tandoori, afghani, steamed, vodka, pan-fried, achari and a lot more will be ready to water your mouth. Set your reminder today and make sure you don’t miss it.

Venue : DLF mall of India, Noida

When : Fri, July 14 at 12pm – Sun, July 16 at 10pm

Nearest metro station : Noida sector-18 , (Blue line)

– Ashima Sharma. 

Heaven On Earth: Kashmir 

- Vaishnavi Pal

The fourth Mughal emperor, Jahangir , once said “If there is heaven on earth , it is here, it Is here, it is here.” And I completely agree.

Kashmir has a captivating beauty, which left me speechless. Last year, me and my family planned a journey to Kashmir by air. I could write a whole thesis about how beautiful Kashmir is , but words would not be enough to describe the glorious place. I was in Kashmir for a good three days. We mainly stayed in Srinagar, summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. Srinagar city serves as the central point with the major attractions like, Dal lake ,Mosque , Nagin lake , Gulmarg , Pahalgam and many more. If you are a professional and you don’t have more than a week to spare, Srinagar is the pace for you.

On our first day we visited beautiful dal lake. Dal lake is know as the “Jewel in the crown of Kashmir.” It is the second largest lake in the state, and visiting dal lake was the best part of the trip.

The sublime water is almost magical. The lake is surrounded by the beautiful snow-capped mountains on three sides and the stunning ‘Shikara’ loaded with fresh flowers. You can see these decorated shikara floating around lake. The dramatic houseboat equally attracts tourists. Gliding through the dal lake in Shikara Is indeed an experience of a lifetime. We spent the next day visiting the Mughal gardens. Constructing Mughal gardens was the most beloved pastime of the Mughal imperial. Mughal gardens in Srinagar are basically the gardens that were built during the reign of Mughal emperors. We visited Nishat garden which is absolutely beautiful in every way possible. It is filled with ravishing flowers. Shalimar garden is another enchanting beauty built under the eyes of the Mughal emperor Jahangir and built entirely by him.

Shalimar garden is among the finest gardens in Kashmir , which was built by Mughal dynasty. The last garden we visited was Chashma shahi built by Ali Mardan khan in 1632, during the region of Mughal emperor shah Jahan, shah Jahan had it built on the slopes of the Zabarwan mountains , around a natural spring.

And the garden still retains its spring ,even in the present form. Kashmir truly got some dazzling and radiant flowers , and what an golden opportunity it was to see such exquisite flowers.

On our last day we visited Gulmarg and Pahalgam.

Gulmarg is one of the beautiful places that cannot be described in words. It can be visited in Kashmir valley. Gulmarg literally means the meadow of flowers. Gulmarg is world famous skiing spot. It is the most beautiful place in Kashmir to see. The snowy mountains and valley together create a fabulous beauty. There are various adventure sports which make it more than a hangout spot. The months from December to February are perfect for skiing and the months from April to July are pleasant to visit.

In the evening we visited Pahalgam. It is also know as the valley of shepherds, is located on the banks of river Lidden. It is located in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir and a famous tourist destination. Pahalgam is pleasing to the eyes and soul both. It is surrounded with beautiful mountains, Sheshnag and Tulian lakes flowing through the mountains. Many tourists refer to it as “mini Switzerland”.

The best time to visit the valley is from March to November , when the weather remains unheated and pleasant with scanty rainfall.

The next Moring ,Sadly, the trip came to an end and we had to head home. But, what an experience it was! Seeing paradise on earth.