New Delhi to New York

When I turned 21, I packed my bags and moved across the world from India to America. Six years, a Grad School degree, and a move from Florida to New York later, I have made it to where I always thought I wanted to be. This is about New Delhi and New York and everything in between. The places I've been to, the places I want to go to, and my all encompassing love for cooking. And of course, as they say, stopping to smell the roses. Walk with me :)

[hansikaseth]

Anchal’s mum’s simple South-Indian Gobi

“What on earth is a gobi”, might be your very first question. And a fair one at that. Gobi in Hindi is a cauliflower! Usually it’s called by its full name, phool-gobi, which roughly translates to the gobi with flowers. In comparison, the Hindi word for cabbage is patta-gobi, which roughly translates to the gobi with leaves. I think that’s enough of an etymology lesson for today!

Cauliflower is a great addition to any diet and is part of the daily dishes cooked in most Indian households. It is such an excellent alternative to potatoes and things that are super high carb. It also is a good source for some essential vitamins and minerals.

I was looking for a new and quick way to eat this vegetable and that’s how I got introduced to this super easy, yet tasty way of cooking it. Full recipe credits to my friend Anchal’s mum who used to make this in their household regularly.

Ingredients:

 A full head of cauliflower

Methi (fenugreek) seeds - 1 tbsp

Brown Mustard seeds  - 1 tbsp

Curry leaves - 10-15

Dried red chilli - 2 

Turmeric - 1 tsp

Red chilli poweder - 1 tsp (optional)

Desi ghee (saturated butter) or use oil - 3-4 tbsps

Salt 

Lets cook!

Start off by washing and drying the cauliflower head and then cutting it into super small pieces.

Next take a wok, head it over medium high heat and add your ghee and/or oil. Once hot, add in the dried chilli, curry leaves, mustard and methi seeds. 

3.  Wait for them to sizzle. The aroma at this point is one of my favorite things in the world.

4. Next add in all of your chopped cauliflower and mix.

5. Add in the tumeric, red chilli powder, salt and pepper. Mix well.

6. Turn the heat to medium, cover and let the cauliflower cook through thoroughly. Keep mixing and moving the mixture from time to time.

7. Once you feel the cauliflower is cooked, you can remove the lid and turn the heat up to high to get some color on it. 

And that’s it! You’re done!

[hansikaseth]

This past weekend I made Elise Strachan from MyCupcakeAddiction’s Stranger Things cake. It looks challenging and I was so nervous about coloring and using fondant for the first time but it was easier than I expected and I had such a good time making it.

[hansikaseth]

The Best Chicken Curry In The World

There is no one version of chicken curry in India. The general premise may be the same but everyone has their own little twist. The Bengalis and Assamese add potatoes to theirs, the Keralese add coconut milk, and so on. From all the currys I’ve had in my time, this one is my absolute favorite.

Full recipe credits go to Sushant Kohli who cooks from the heart and shares an instinctive quality when it comes to cooking that can’t be mimicked. Yet below, I’m making an attempt to re-create my favorite chicken curry in the world.

Ingredients:

Chicken thighs (Mine were from Trader Joe’s and were boneless and skinless) - 1.5-2 Lbs

MDH Meat masala or any good quality meat masala

MDH chicken masala  or any good quality chicken masala

One large onion diced into small pieces

3 green chillis sliced in the middle

Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tbsps

Bay Leaf - 1

Whole black peppercorns - 1/2 tsp

Cloves - 3-4

Green Cardamom - 3

Whole cinnamon - 1/2 a stick

Tomatoes - 3 (blitzed up in a mixer)

Kasuri methi or Dried Fenugreek Leaves

MDH Garam masala

Tumeric - 1 tsp

Red chili powder - 1 tsp

Juice of 1 lemon

Ghee (clarified butter)

Step 1: Cut chicken thighs into smaller pieces. In-bone is always better. Marinate the chicken with some oil, meat masala and salt. Let it marinate while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.

2. In a pressure cooker on medium heat, add about 3-4 tbsps of ghee. I understand this may be a lot for most people and you can use less if you’re watching your waist!. Alternately, you can also use oil but I love the flavor that ghee adds.

3. Once this heats up, add your bay leaf, peppercorns, cloves, cardamon and cinnamon.

4. Add the ginger garlic paste to this and cook for a minute.

5. Now add the onions and the green chillis and cook this till the onions get a little color in them. Once achieved, add turmeric, chilli power, 1 tbsp chicken masala and salt.

6. Add the marinated chicken to the cooker and mix well. Cook for a few minutes.

7. Once the chicken begins to leave some oil, add in the tomato puree.

8. Cook on high till the tomatoes leave some oil. You’ll see a light film on top.

9. Add water to this depending on thick or thin you want your gravy to be. I added about 2 glasses because I like a runnier gravy.

10. Add salt, stir and taste to adjust if needed.

11. Add 2 tbsps of dried fenugreek leaves, 1 tbsp of garam masala and DO NOT stir. Close the cooker and let it cook on low-medium heat till it lets out 1 whistle.

12. Once the cooker lets off 1 whistle, do not open it and wait for the steam/pressure to die down on its own. Open, stir and add lemon juice to your taste. Voila!

Enjoy the dopest chicken curry ever.

[hansikaseth]

A passive-aggressive pretentious interview with a moron. (A satirical piece)

Moron: Sooo you were saying, you're OKAY with being chubby?

Real person with feelings: Yes, I'm trying not to be a hypocritical modern day liberal who's facebook memes are all about acceptance and freedom, but can't be happy with who I am.

Moron: But... who you are... is fat...

Real person with feelings: I'm aware. I'm also choosing to disassociate the negative connotations awarded to that word. It's a description of a physical attribute. Good or bad, should be left for the person to decide for him/herself. I won't let you turn my body type into taboo. And don't you dare call me "brave". There is nothing more insulting than when you call me brave when I share with the world who I am.

Moron: So if you know you're overweight, why aren’t you spending every minute of every day killing yourself at the gym making your entire existence about your body?

Real person with feelings: Because I have other interests. And hobbies. And responsibilities. And because I don't feel like it. And when I feel like it, I will, without having being told. Kudos to the people who love working out and are passionate about it. Good for you! Kudos to the people who don't have a passion for the gym and are okay with trading 6 abs for a pizza and some love handles. Good for you too!

Moron: But like, don't you think that being fat is unhealthy? Do you wanna die man?

Real person with feelings: Why don't we let people and their doctors chose their own version of healthy and beautiful? In no way, is this meant to promote a lifestyle of no physical activity and a junk diet bad enough to make your knees go weak and turn you pre-diabetic. It simply means that the difference between “normal people” and others should not be measured in pounds. Also two huge middle fingers to your idea of normal, thank you very much. I went from a size 2 to 6. Trust me when I say this, I'm not dying anytime soon. Not for health reasons at least.

Moron: You know I'm telling you this because I care about you.

Real person with feelings: Every time you tell some to lose weight "for their own good" and "to be healthy dude", there's a newsflash with the words: "You're a subconscious asshole!"

I think we got dealt different definitions of the word because caring about someone kind of means supporting them, accepting them, being there for them when this shitty world makes them feel shittier about things that are none of its business. Caring means building a person up, not tearing them down. Caring means compassion.

Food for thought? Pun intended.

Moron: If you're so proud of being fat, why do you hide all your fat pictures and clothes?

Real person with feelings: If we're talking about the right to select what part of us goes public and what we think we look good in, it is a matter of PERSONAL opinion and comfort. It is also more often than not, subconscious protection from the shit show that befalls me in the form of "caring" family and friends, god forbid my double chin decides to make an appearance. It also means, that when you call someone chubby or fat meaning for it to be an insult, please know it is backfiring AF to show what a shallow, uninformed, judgmental human being you are.

Moron: But haven't you ever said exactly what I'm saying?

Real person with feelings: Probably. To be honest I'm pretty sure I have. But I'm trying to bring light to my new experiences now that I'm an adult with brains and a conscience. One of the things that still surprises me is when formerly "fat" people tear down at current chubs way harder than the rest of the crowd. My only explanation, is that it comes from a place of hurt, and a lot of hate. Imagine years of insecurities being hurled at you. Breathe, move on. You're better than this. You're bigger than this. Pun intended again. #sorrynotsorry

Moron: Okay... so what now?

A real person with feelings: I'm working my way up to accepting my body over time, accepting the changes and embracing it. Acknowledging the fact that at the end of the day, I deserve to be happy. And happy I shall be. I will drink that extra cup of wine after a long day at work. I will spend evenings painting in the park. I will cook like the soul of Julia Child is within me, because cooking makes me happy. And I will dance like no one's watching. Not to lose weight, but just to finally feel free.

[hansikaseth]

My Go-To South Indian Shrimp

Courtesy of hanging out with good Indian cooks, I've in recent months forayed into types of Indian food that I'd normally not try. One of the biggest crushes I've developed has been on South Indian cooking that is so much more than the popular dosas and idlis. Add to that, the variations between the states down South and you have yourself a mind-blowing variety of ingredients, flavors and smells.

Today's shrimp, is but a mere toe dip into the vastness that is South Indian food. It’s is my weekday go-to and takes about 10-15 minutes to whip up.

Here are the ingredients:

Shrimp: 1/2 lb.

Curry leaves: 10-15 leaves because I love the flavor. (Should be available at any Indian grocery store, or Indian food isles at regular grocery stores.) 

Mustard seeds: 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder: 1 tsp

Red chilli powder or paprika: 1 1/2 tsp

Dry round red chillis: About 3. (These are not hot but provide a great fragrance. Can be omitted.)

Lime: 1 whole

Organic coconut oil (Or any vegetable oil): 1 tbsp

Salt, Pepper: To taste.

Preparation:

I like to start off with heating a pan, ideally a wok with the coconut oil in it. Medium to high heat.

Once the oil is hot, add in your mustard seeds and wait for them to splutter. Next add in the dry red chillis and the curry leaves and stir a few times so they infuse the oil but don’t get burnt. 

When you see the color changing on the curry leaves, add in the shrimp along with turmeric, chilli powder, and the juice of half a lime. Give it a good stir.

Shrimp cooks fairly quickly, I think I cook it for about 10 minutes. You can usually tell from the color change but the turmeric may make that a bit hard to see here.

Season with salt, pepper and you’re done! 

I like to add in the juice from the other half of the lime in the end because I love the overt tanginess but you can taste the shrimp at this point and see if you want some. There can be a number of variations to this so feel free to add your own nuances. For instance, you could add chopped garlic to it as well. I never have time but you could even marinate the shrimp in the turmeric, chilli and lime prior to cooking. 

I leave you with a GIF of Salt-bae to inspire more cooking.

[hansikaseth]

Bougainvillea

"Bougainvillea"

Aita's axomiya accented voice answers my question. We're in the garden in front of my grandparents’ house. It's about 5 pm, and the task of watering the plants is in full swing. Koka on one side, Aita on the other and I'm running around begging for a turn with the hose because nothing seems more interesting than this right now. I continue asking the names of every flower there. Rose. Dahlia. Marigold. A rare orchid on a tree. Dog flower. Hibiscus. It goes on. If you knew Aita, you know of her love for gardening and the pride and joy that used to be her flower patch. Koka always made sure he told people it was Aita's flower patch. Years later, even today, when any of us see pretty flowers, we think of Aita and how much she would love to see them. At night, after a phone call to my mother, the spot to sleep in was between Aita and Koka. A milk bottle in my mouth, I loved to rest my leg on Aita's as she played with my hair and sang old Assamese stories, most words too complicated for me to understand. She translated them, answered my million questions about the whys and whos until I fell asleep. They say it takes a village to raise a child. I'm thankful I always had a team of cheerleaders in the form of my family, but Aita was always the silent backbone. I think it’s why Koka named our house ‘Shakti’ after her. When I think of Aita, I remember the countless arguments we got into because afternoon napping was not my forte. I remember her singing in the bathroom before she got ready for tea time. I remember tea time with her classic cucumber sandwiches and nimbu-paani. The occasional Coca-Cola from the store nearby.  Her love for food, and jam and cookies. The day she bought me my first cassette, Vengaboys! I remember all the times she forced me to participate in neighborhood song and dance clubs that she organized with her friends. And boy, did she have a lot of friends. Her laugh was infectious, and believe me, my Aita was fabulous.

When I remember my grandmother, I can clearly picture her sitting in our front verandah after a shower, with her wet hair let loose, watching people go by on the street.  How she always felt cool to the touch on hot summer nights, and how she smelled of Ponds and Yardley. How this one Diwali I painted all her diyas, some 200 of them, and how she used them on every Diwali since and thought of me. I remember  how horrible she was with the conch and how annoyed she got when we told her so. Her floral nightie that we made fun of, always a button too less. I remember times even before that. Of dogs and afternoons spent in the backyard with komolas galore. The annual trips around the city during Durga Puja. The weeks spent holidaying in Shillong. The constant reminder to study, and the proudest voice when the results came out. Her stories of years spent as an Army wife in Pathankot and Secundarabad and Srinagar.

You don’t realize when seemingly insignificant details at the time turn into irreplaceable memories. There are countless memories of Aita that I’ll always carry with me. She was a strong woman, always there for her family, both immediate and extended. She loved her brothers and sisters, and nieces and nephews. She loved Guwahati, and everything that came with it. She taught me a lot of things in life besides the names of beautiful flowers. I could go on and on and on about her, but I’ll end here with a verse that represents one of my most cherished childhood memories with Aita; Aita singing Tejimola:

“হাতো নেমেলিবি ফুলো নিছিঙিবি,                     

ক’ৰে গৰখীয়া তই।

পাট-কাপোৰৰ লগতে মাহী আই খুন্দিলে

তেজীমলাহে মই।”

(”Don’t reach out and pluck my flowers,

Where are you from cattle herder?

Ground and buried by my step-mother because of a silk dress,

It is I, Tejimola.”) 

I love you Aita.

We lost our beloved Grandmother on August 10th, 2016. 

[hansikaseth]

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Fancy Italian name apart, this is one of the easiest, fastest and tastiest pasta recipes to ever exist. No, I’m serious this stuff takes about 15 minutes to whip up and the results will blow you away. Any weekday when I don’t have too much time to cook but crave a hearty bowl of yummy food, this is my go-to. For this recipe you need pretty much the 3 main ingredients mentioned in the name itself: Spaghetti, Garlic and Olive Oil!

Besides this, you will also need: 

Red Chili Flakes

Some Italian Parsley (different from curly parsley)

Parmesan cheese (DUH) 

Salt, pepper 

Let’s begin!

1. The first thing you have to do is cook your spaghetti. Get some water boiling in a decent sized pot. Add some salt to season, and a tablespoon of oil to make sure the pasta doesn’t stick. This is very important or you’ll miss out on all the slurping!

When the water starts to boil, add your spaghetti in, make sure all of it is immersed in the water and let it cook. Check package for exact cooking timings. My way of doing it is pretty much through tasting it during cooking.

2. Next, work on chopping some of that garlic. I use about 6-7 cloves of garlic! Trust me, its not too much. Thinly slice the cloves.

3. Get a pan, add about a 1/3 cup olive oil and let it heat up just a tad bit. Add the sliced garlic to the oil and let the garlic simmer in the oil to infuse flavor. Don’t let the garlic brown, just slightly golden.

4. DO NOT THROW THE PASTA WATER AWAY!

Once the garlic starts turning golden, add some chili flakes to it and mix. Next add, a cup or two of the pasta water, depending on how much spaghetti you are making. I use about 1 1/2 cups and then let the water and oil simmer together till the sauce thickens. 

5. When the liquid reduces, add the cooked spaghetti to it and mix with salt, pepper. Stay low on the salt since the next step is adding about half a cup of grated Parmesan cheese.

6. Cut up some Italian parsley and add that too for extra flavor. And voila, you’re done! It should taste like buttery noodles, salty cheese and garlicky goodness.

Thank you Italy for all the great food. DELIZIOSO!

[hansikaseth]

Happy Birthday to Vincent Van Gogh who was born today in 1853, and famously said “The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.” 

[hansikaseth]

The Guac, yet Salad.

My tumultuous journey with weight-loss is moving along. I’ve been trying to recreate things I love in healthy ways and incorporate them into a routine life. One of the joys of my life is a well made crunchy, salty, sour guacamole. The problem with this is what while guac itself isn’t bad for me, the hoard of chips that I dunk into it, are. So here’s a version of an extremely simple salad, inspired by the flavors of guacamole, that is big and chunky, so no psychological temptation to bring out the nachos. 

Ingredients:

1. Persian cucumbers (You can use any kind, I just like these more) : 4

2. Roma tomatoes :3 large

3. Avacados: 2

4. Cilantro: a bunch

5. Jalapeno: 1

6. Red onion: 1

7. Olive oil: 1/3 cup or totally upto you!

8. Lemon Juice: 1 whole lemon

9. Salt, pepper to taste

Method:

1. Its a salad. All we have to dice things up. Start with the cucumbers. I like to cut them in half length-wise and then dice them. Get these in a bowl.

2. Cut the avacado open and what I like to do is, cut it in the peel itself so it falls out into cubs when I scoop it out.

Something like this!

3. Proceed to cut the remaining items like tomatoes, and thinly slice red onions. Chop up some clilantro and dice the jalapeno into small pieces.

4. Mix all of these in a bowl with the juice of a lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper. And that’s it!

This is a picture from it not even ready yet, but that’s only because by the time I was done, I forgot I wanted to blog about it, and pretty much ate half.

You can add various things to this to make it more exciting. Some ideas would be feta cheese, or even some raw garlic!

Bon appetite. 

[hansikaseth]

Happy Friday from Me and Frida!

[hansikaseth]

Swimming

I just cannot believe how hot it is, and how insanely pretty this place is. I cannot believe I’m here. That we managed to plan this, and despite being perennially broke, I’m actually here. Oh my God, it looks even prettier than when I first saw it on Pinterest! 

We had to take the most ridiculously crowded train here. Wait, two trains. Both of us have suitcases each, as big as me. I’m all for light packing, but I know I’m never going to be a backpacker. And its hard. There is no place for people in this damn train, let alone my large suitcase. This lady from somewhere where they spoke Arabic and didn’t mind strangers, rests her entire arm on me as she chats with her daughter on the other side of the floor. I’m at most 5′3, so in order to breathe, have to balance both my feet on this little step to reach above everyone else’s armpits. Ugh. My stellar 5′8 best friend is chilling on one corner seemingly unperturbed but definitely talking to me through the eye signals we have mastered through the years. The train bends to one side so much and its so crowded that for a second I want it to topple over just so I can get out. 

When we finally make it out alive and drenched in sweat, everything seems worth it for about 2 minutes when we see the stellar view. But wait, its not over yet. This little village is ALL stairs and climbs so for the next 30 minutes we haul our suitcases up and down slopes and stairs, hating each other, hating the sun, hating whoever invented fucking stairs, just about anything. 

But all that is behind us now. We have eaten, changed and I cannot wait to jump into this pristine blue water! Not gonna lie, I did not try to lose any weight before this trip. I mean I tried in my head, but not really otherwise you know. So the whole swimsuit part, I’m not excited about at all. But I have calculated the exact number of steps I have to take without my towel before I can disappear underwater. Check. Lets do this.

I am in the heavenly, heavenly water. Its perfectly cool, its clean and shimmering under the sun. I’m very excited on just having mastered the whole ‘circle your legs to stay afloat’ thing. I gain confidence and I swim out further, further and further out. When I float on my back, the water reaches just above my ears to block out every sound of every thing around me. The boats, the swimmers, the daredevil divers, the one hundred Japanese tourists on the cliff edge, the village people, everyone. Its just me floating and this cold water. Probably one of the best relationships I have ever had. 

There is something so therapeutic about this place and this moment that I know its going to stay with me. A cycle of self-doubt, depression, aimlessness, the feeling of never expecting the good to come, seemed to all wash away. I have never not been an optimist, but a crappy job and constantly being broke in NYC can dampen anyone’s spirits. Or at least mine. You know that feeling? Everything is just going to work out feeling? I had lost confidence in that.

But look here, everything had worked out! Nothing was perfect, I still have the crappy job, and I’m not any richer, but I had managed to pull off this one feat, this one trip, and that this place had turned out even better than what I had hoped for? That was more satisfying than you can ever imagine. 

I want to be nowhere else but here, I want nothing else but this. I float around for a while longer and then swim over to my best friend who’s now out of the water and taking selfies. We laugh, and drink, sun-bathe for a while and repeat the cycle again.

For right now, this life is perfect. 

[hansikaseth]

He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.

Martin Luther King Jr.

[hansikaseth]

Italia Del Mio Cuore.

A few pictures from my 10 days in Italy this summer. I left with life-time memories and an aching heart that just wants to go back.

Paradise land for sure.

The mighty Colosseum.

Day-drinking on the streets should be allowed everywhere!

Roma

Spiral stairway at the Vatican Museum.

The statue and story of Laocoon has to be one of my top favorites.

Inside St. Peter’s Basilica.

The gorgeous Manarola.

Have you seen anything quite so pristine?

Down the road when I look back at my life, this will be one of my fondest memories.

The beach at Monterosso.

Venezia!

The popular Rialto bridge.

Lake Garda

Beautiful Verona city.

All pictures were taken on my iphone6.

[hansikaseth]

A Rainy Night.

I can hear the heavy rain outside. The sound of the falling raindrops like a drum-roll, often interrupted by the sound of faraway thunder. I’m laying in bed with my eyes closed and I can smell the wetness of the earth. I’m lying there anticipating a few sprays of rainwater to reach me through the open window. 

Our cousins live in the house next door. The house with the big green tin roof. The sound of the heavy rain on it is louder than anything else around. It is almost like a band, very loud, like it means business. Most houses in Assam have tin roofs. Mine didn’t, and so I just took satisfaction in the one I could see from my window. It pours on and on. I open my dreary eyes to catch a lucky glimpse of lighting in the distance. You see, in a way we are very lucky. There are no houses behind ours, and it feels like the green stretches on forever till it reaches the hills. I can see the sparing lights on them. The medical hill, is what my grandmother calls it. The Guwahati Medical Hospital is on that hill you see. 

I’ve tried painting it once, this hill. I remember one warm morning during my summer break, I took an umbrella and all my paint supplies to the terrace upstairs and made myself a little sun protected fort. As my mum sent me regular supplies of food, I sat comfortably inside, and painted away to my heart’s glory. Light green, dark green, blueish green, yellowish green, greens of every flavor! It always has been one of my favorite views.

The rain is still loud outside and isn’t showing signs of slowing down. I know what the elders are thinking. They are worrying about the floods. There is this unspoken understanding between the rain and the people of Nabin Nagar. We can anticipate by the might of the rain and by how long it rains for, whether or not we will have our houses and streets turn into a muddier version of Venice. I can hear my grandfather in the living room. I know he must be on his flood I nspection rounds to decide if the furniture needs to be saved before the waters come in. This may sound totally ludicrous, but I clearly remember a time when I woke up one morning and I was laying in bed surrounded by at least 8 inches of water! Its a tale almost anyone in our area of the city could tell you. Baanpaani, they call it here.

The verdict is out. Tonight is not a flood night. The rain is apparently calming down. We all try to snuggle in some more, more relaxed this time. The lights go out too as anticipated. The cool wet night breeze now keeps us comfortable in bed. 

I hear the thunder one last time as I feel myself floating into a mindless sleep; barely conscious. Those last moments before I cross over to obliviousness . 

My phone rings. The sound of the rain stops abruptly.

I look at it and see my mother calling me. I answer, now more awake and walk out to the balcony to talk to her. I can see the lights of Manhattan in the distance, and for a moment I stare. I hang up and go back to bed. But this time I don’t play the ‘sounds of rain’ on my phone. I’m already full of all the memories it brought back. The familiar sound, the cool air, the fresh scent, and home. When I close my eyes I can see the hills behind my house and my painting of them. And with that thought, I try to put myself to sleep knowing that it will be a while before I get to be there again. 

[hansikaseth]

The Bruschetta of Dreams.

About 3 weeks ago, I was seated in an outdoor cafe on a cliff, overlooking the Ligurian Sea and what happened to be a huge rock that people liked to jump from. The view was unbeatable. The sweltering heat from the sun made the cold water of the sea even more inviting. We were in Manarola and this Cafe was called Bar la Plancia Cafetteria.

It looked like a family run place. Two women manned the register and the kitchen inside, while another lady served us outside. We ordered pesto pasta (the Liguria region is known for it) and a bruschetta. 

That bruschetta. 

It is exactly how it looks. Very simple. And yet, its almost like an explosion of flavors in your mouth. Light, fresh and filling; we must have had this over 8 times in 2 days!

I tried to make this at home last night. The results surprised me, and as I was transported to the sunny Mediterranean, I knew I had to share this recipe with the world.

So here we go!

Ingredients: 

1. Good quality fresh mozzarella cheese. All the mozzarella we ate in Manarola was made from buffalo milk, but you can buy whatever. I bought Bocconcini mozzarella balls from a store near home. 

2. Bread. I used sourdough because I wanted a bigger surface area than a baguette would give me. Ideally, I’d like something a bit softer and even larger if possible!

3. Fresh roma tomatoes

4. Capers 

5. Oregano

6. Pinch of salt

7. Butter 

1. Start with of course, dicing your tomatoes. I like to use one medium sized tomato per bruschetta. Combine it in a bowl with oregano, a touch of salt and some capers. Make sure you add a bit of the pickling caper juice from the jar into this. Let this marinate for a few minutes.

2. Toast your bread of choice till perfectly crispy, and spread butter all over it, till it melts in. Oh so delicious! 

3. Assemble it. Add the tomato mixture, juice and everything to the bread. Top with lots of mozzarella and sprinkle some oregano on the cheese.

What you now have is true beauty. Bellissimo!

[hansikaseth]

Only the best Chicken Curry everrr

First things first. This curry is SPICY. Not the American version of spicy, the Indian one. You can definitely alter its hotness, but I think the depth of its flavors come from the glorious red chillis we use in this recipe. So if you like things very mild, this one may not be for you. 

While I was trying to mimic Gordon Ramsay’s dry chilli chicken recipe, I completely screwed it up and accidentally discovered this spicy bowl of yumminess. Also, I must add that this recipe can be altered for vegetarians who can use paneer (an Indian non-melting curd cheese, available at any Indian store) instead of chicken for the same flavor. So here goes.

This recipe is for 4 (very hungry) adults. Please adjust ingredients depending on servings, and remember, a curry doesn't have to be precise anything. You can add and minus things based on your preference and come up with your own yummy work of art. 

The Marinate

Ingredients: 

1. Chicken thighs bone in. (I used about 2 lbs. You can use breasts too but I find     that thighs are softer. And you can go boneless as well)

2. Long red chillis (I used 2 whole chilis. You can use 1 for less heat.)

3. Garlic (Love garlic, I used about 6 cloves)

4. Ginger (about a tablespoon)

5. Turmeric (1 teaspoon)

6. Plain Yogurt (Non-fat or whole milk. About 16oz or 2 and a half cups)

7. Cumin power (2 tbps)

8. Coriander power (2 tbps)

9. Garam Masala (2 tbsps)

10. Salt and pepper

Take a big bowl and add the yogurt, salt, pepper, turmeric, cumin, coriander and garam masala powders to it and mix. Cut chicken into smaller pieces and add to the mixture. Chop garlic, ginger and chillis and add to the mixture as well. I cut my chillis into small rounds and add it all, seeds and everything. You can use less of the chilli and minus the seeds to lower the heat. Mix everything together and cover with plastic wrap. Put in your fridge for anywhere from 2 hours to overnight to marinate.

Cooking

Ingredients:

1. EVOO or vegetable oil.

2. One chopped onion

3. 3 Cloves minced garlic

4. Half a teaspoon minced ginger

5. Chicken marinate

6. Tomato puree (2 tbsps)

Start by heating a large pan or wok or a karahi on medium heat and add about 3-4 tablespoons of oil. Once the oil is hot, add onions and saute till they start turning translucent. Now add ginger and garlic and keep frying till cooked. I like seasoning food on every step, so go ahead and add some salt for flavor. Add in the tomato puree. I added 2 tbsps, you could add more but make sure you don’t add too much because this can easily overpower the star yogurt mixture. Once the tomato puree starts releasing some of its water, go ahead and add the chicken marinate to the pan. All of it. Mix it well with the tomato onion mixture. Cover and cook on medium heat till the chicken is cooked. Keep checking and stirring. Usually takes about 10 minutes. 

To check if your chicken is cooked, you can check that the pink chicken has turned white. Take out a small piece and taste to confirm.

Once the yogurt starts reducing in quantity and the chicken looks cooked, you can take it off the stove and your curry is ready! Don’t forget to taste and season with salt if required. If you’re yogurt curry seems dry, you could add some water to it but make sure you don’t dilute it too much or it’ll lose its flavor. Serve with rice or roti (Indian wheat flat-bread). Add a cool cucumber salad to this meal to offset the spicyness of the dish. 

And there you have it folks, my Spicy Indian Chicken Curry, and barely any calories! Let me know how you liked it!

(I could have definitely taken a better picture but I was so hungry, I couldn’t help it!)

[hansikaseth]

Wanderlust

Its officially summer. It is also that time of the year when your social media pages are full of updates of friends traveling. I have not met a single person who doesn’t like to travel or hasn’t been guilty of sitting around and dreaming of all the places they want to see. But lets be honest, traveling can be expensive. With a full-time job, and all your daily expenses, saving up for a big trip can be time consuming and very frustrating. Shorter local weekend trips are definitely doable, but I have some tips that you can keep in mind when planning your next mammoth vacay. 

And so it begins.

Where’s the moolah?

Don’t know where to start from? I think figuring out one’s budget is the number one step in planning any trip. For example, I want to go to Antartica and I do not by any means have $10,000 for that kind of party, so I planned a trip to Europe instead. I’m assuming you’re a young adult and sponsoring your own trip. It sounds daunting, but its doable.

One of the biggest chunks of my budget came in from none other than….my tax returns! I had a realistic plan of how much I could save after all my expenses each month and decided what my tentative budget for the trip would be. 

If using your taxes is not an option for you, there are several ways in which you can earn extra money to save up for your trip. Baby-sitting? Dog walking? Car washing? Driving an Uber? Putting your own place up on Airbnb? (I did the last one!) There is so much you can do depending on your interests and skills. Websites like Zaarly, Postmates, and TaskRabbit are a few examples of apps that connect you to these odd jobs.

Post all the compulsory expenses like rent, electricity, phone bill, etc, you should see where you spend the most money. If its on drinks at bars, maybe you could cut down going out from 4 weekends a month to 3. Or you could pregame more? Totally depends on what your vice is and how you can cut it down for a few months to give your savings account a much needed boost.

Remember, there’s always someplace you can go! Finding out the currency rates of different places is helpful here. You can pick a country who’s currency is at a lower value than yours to have a slightly cheaper trip. If for instance you want to go to Europe, you could do places like Budapest and Prague, instead of Amsterdam and Paris. They do not follow the Euro and have their own currency which is usually much lower compared to both the $ and the Rupee. 

Visas

Yupp, that’s right. That is exactly how we feel about it. Even though the process of getting a visa is extremely annoying it is not that hard. All you need is a list of documents and some organizing. If you’re capable enough to go on vacation to a foreign land, I’m sure you can handle its visa process. 

Prior to making any bookings, find out what the wait time in your local consulate is. Do you need to send in your documents by post or show up in person? Talk to people, ask around, check TripAdvsior, and see what people say about the efficiency of the embassy you’re going to. Sometimes you can work your trip around in a way where you can chose to go to the more efficient consulate. For instance, I got my visa at the Spanish Consulate in under 20 minutes from start to finish. However, I couldn’t even find an appointment with the Italians for the next 3 months! I was able to shape my trip in a way, that keeping in mind the rules of the Schengen, I could apply to Spain.

Who’s coming?

Find your crew. Are you taking this trip solo? Bringing along a partner? Some friends? All of this needs to be decided before you can unanimously pick a destination and the itinerary of a trip. Personally, if I was planning a trip where my aim was to relax and party, I would take all my friends with me. But if I’m planning a trip where my primary goal is exploring the new place, I like to keep the group small. Its MUCH easier to coordinate and organize. I am not a huge fan of pre-planned tours so keeping the guest list short keeps me sane.

Getting organized

Planning is crucial to a good trip. People who know me know how insanely OCD I can get while planning one. But I can tell you one thing, it always pays off! One of the biggest challenges in planning a trip is coordinating with the people you’re going with. I have found that Google Drive is one of the best ways to do this. I planned a trip with my best friend from across the globe. We drew up an excel sheet on the drive and updated it in real time. Super, super efficient.

This is a snippet from the excel sheet we drew out. We were working in 3 different currencies so having a clear idea of how much who was spending was very important to stick to our budgets. We divided the sheet into cities, then into days, and then into Travel (getting in and out of the city), stay (we chose Airbnb for the whole trip) and then main attractions.

You can also see an example of a travel itinerary divided into cities and days. Trust me, I’m all for yolo and being impromptu, but having a generic itinerary helps you stick to your budget and also ensures to don’t miss out on a lot of things. Tons of exhibitions, tours, etc have limited tickets. Hence, knowing about them in advance lets you prepare and buy them in time.

How to get there?

If you’re planning a trip to a place where you have to get to by flight, my two go-to websites are:

1. Kayak: I’m obsessed with Kayak. You only need this one place to find the cheapest fares to any airport. It compares thousands of flights from various websites and airlines and gives you a cohesive report. One of my favorites is their +3/-3 option where you can see a chart of the prices for each day of the week. Maybe you picked Thursday but Kayak shows you flying on a Tuesday is $200 cheaper. Winning. 

2. Hopper: Hopper is exactly what Hopper says: it tells you when to fly or buy. It has this amazing option where you enter which city you want to go to and you’ll be given a detailed analogy of when to fly there. They tell you when the cheapest months to fly are, what days of the week are the cheapest to fly are and what the average cost of tickets are in the market. So when you’re still in the planning stages, you can use all this information to your advantage and save some big bucks. 

I used both these websites to book my tickets way in advance and at a great price. 

I feel like planning a good trip is like making risotto. The more effort you put into it, the better the end product. Internal travel depends on where you’re going. The best, fastest and cheapest ways may be flights, trains or even rental cars. You have several options here: 

1. Use kayak to find the cheapest internal flight tickets. 

2. Google search to find out the budget airlines in the region. Make sure to double check the luggage restrictions on these flights.

3. Pre-book trains to make sure you have your choice of seats and timings.

4. Pre-book cars. Companies like Hertz are available in multiple continents. You will also need to figure out what the local driving requirements are. Most countries will require you to have an International Drivers Permit.

Accommodation

Unless you have your heart set on a beautiful hotel/resort and it does not burn a hole in your pocket, here’s a list of websites which can help you find a great place to stay.

1. Kayak (hotels)

2. Airbnb

3. Booking.com

4. Hotels.com

All of these websites give out very competitive prices for hotels. The only exception here is Airbnb which connects you directly to the homeowner. It has this great option where you can rent out an entire home/apartment which is such a boon when traveling in big groups. 

Traveling a month before or after peak-season can also bring up cheaper deals.

Okay we’re here, now what?

Depending on your interests, find out about the activities you want to do and the places you want to go see. Tripadvisor is a great place for reviews but Yelp/generic Google searches can also produce a lot. Most major attractions sell tickets online. I think its very efficient to buy the tickets in advance so you can save time and energy on your trip. It helps you budget better. You can make better use of your time especially if you’re in a city for a short while. 

Most historical places and museums also have tours, some with specific timings. Finding out about these ahead lets you plan better. For instance, if I hadn’t researched Rome, I would have never known about the Roman Necropolis and I would have never written to the Vatican in time to get tickets to go under! Only 225 people are allowed there per day and you have to write to them 2-3 months in advance. So I guess a good trip is a mixture of spontaneity and efficient planning.

Parting Tips

Stay safe. Watch your money. Watch out for each other. Don’t follow strangers into the woods.

HAVE A BLAST! <3