Bukhara ITC Maurya,Chanakyapuri, New Delhi review

      The famous who visited, the awards and the showstopper dal, I was little nervous to write about Bukhara.  The visit itself, you experience the warmth and high hospitality the Indian culture stands for with rhythm of rustic interior keeping rendition with yesteryears of Mughal inspiration.

     We were hit by the usual Delhi traffic that got us little late for lunch. Consider ourselves lucky, 5 minutes passed lunch, and we were greeted with the most gracious welcome.

      As we already felt little guilty about getting late, so started our day with the main and how would it be without the iconic dal Bukhara. And then pudina paratha, Murg malai kabab, and Kastoori kabab.

      Dal Bukhara: cooked for 24 hours in the earthen oven (tandoor)  with tomato and ginger garlic was indeed a show stopper and signature. Thick whippy black gram dal comes with a generous dollop of butter on top. If you haven't yet tasted, just start with it and witness the taste of deliciousness ever.

      Kastoori Kabbab: let the magic happen on your tastebud.  Chunky chicken pieced lightly coated with egg yolk melange of ginger garlic and peppermint carefully cooked in the oven. Juicy and zestful.

     Malai Kabab: Meticulously prepared comes on the wooden square luscious and luxurious taste of malai velvety touch with the tint of green chilies and coriander. Gloppy and gilded.

      Bukhara's menu is not so extensive to get lost but covers enough for any taste bud whether you are non-veg or vegetarian. As a tradition, you should eat with hands, but if you want to use fork and spoon, they will gladly provide you.

        Since it does not offer any rice dishes, we gladly ordered mint, Partha. Soft and minty paratha goes well with all the entries.

      As everything went so sweet, we made it, even more, sweeter with Ras Malai. Indian sweet cheese balls with reduced milk. Melt in silken balls adorned with pistachio and decadent saffron flavor.

      One of the best iconic culinary experience and value for the price.  I would be glad to visit next time when I'm in Delhi.  

Glimpse of Assamese village scene

They say India resides in the villages. In today's science and technologies enormous achievements inevitably wipe out the differences between village and city. However, there are a few places where village charm is still there. My recent visits to Assam India I click a few pictures in Assam. Love to share with you guys.

  Me wearing traditional assamese attire called mekhela chadar in my in-law's ancestral village.

Tengamora (Roselle) - A favorite assamese sour vegetable.

Banana and banana flower- both edible. Banana flower curry is a favorite assamese staple. It can make scrumptious curry with chicken and sometimes with lentils and sometimes without anything.

 Bhoot Jalokiya(Ghost chili) one of the hottest chili in the world. It can make a very spicy pickle.

Pukhuri(Small fish tank). Almost every assamese village household own a pukhuri for daily fish need. 

 Bhoral(Paddy Storage). You can't imagine an assamese village household without a bhoral. It a symbol of farming culture.

Paduli (Typical assamese driveway narrow and long)

 Cows gazing in the field.

Kaji Nemu- A type of assamese lemon don't know anywhere else found except Assam. Very juicy and it has a great aroma it can increase your appetite.

Oolkobi (Knolkhol or Kohlrabi) - A favorite vegetable.

River fish - fresh caught of the day. Fish curry is one staple food in almost every assamese meal.

Pothar (Paddy field) - A barren paddy field after cropping the harvest.

Happy Magh Bihu

Meji- The holy fire 

With a mixed feeling happy Magh Bihu all. Last day in Assam trip. We are leaving home, Assam tomorrow on the day of Magh Bihu. I almost feel like a five-year-old little girl who refuses to go to school. I refuse to leave Assam. It's always difficult for me to decide what makes me so sad - my parents, brother, family, and friends or those familiar sights I grew up with.

                                     Masor Tenga (Assamese sour fish curry)

Magh Bihu, the most fun, food and frolic festival of Assam. It's all about enjoying food with friends and family after the successful harvest. It usually falls in the 2nd week of January. If you read my blog, you might know there are three Bihus in Assam. Magh Bihu is the one celebration where it's about eating and enjoyment, and that is the reason it's also called Bhugali Bihu. Bhug means enjoying and eating. The day before Magh Bihu is called Uruka. On this day friends and family get together for community dinner. Food consists of fish chicken, duck, thick black gram, fried yam. With the changing time, our traditions change. As Magh Bihu is a typical harvest festival, traditionally young man or farmers build a makeshift cottage call Bhelaghar and also a Meji with hay and wood. On the day of Bihu, Maji is lighted there is a folk belief that with the Maji you burn the cold and are ready to welcome the spring. Bullfights and egg fights are also performed during this fun-filled Bihu time. Making and sharing  pitha and sweets is an essential part of Magh Bihu

                                      Laru- Coconut and sesame sweet balls

I have so many wonderful memories of Magh Bihu with my family and friends. Lucky to witness the Magh Bihu in Assam with my family. With this beautiful note bidding adieu to Assam until next time with all the wonderful memories in my heart.

The modern-day bhelaghar 

New Hope New beginning, Sweet Sixteen OOTD

      How is the new year treating you?  Freshness and positivity always bring hope, isn't it?

      I recently attended a friends daughter's sweet sixteen birthday party. Sweet sixteen is beginning of adulthood. The energy and hope of sweet sixteen is unmatched. Sweet sixteen is a year of dream and aspiration. When I look back to my sweet sixteen, I was always dreaming about writing. Probably that dream of mine became reality today. Doing something you like has more love than anything else. Here is my outfit post for the sweet sixteen. It was an Indian theme party, so I wore Indian Rohit Bal dress. It came with a legging but I switched it with a black skirt I already own. I wore red lips and added a brocade potli bag. Just to give the whole traditional affair a modern touch, I wore a pair of Suhani Petit earrings. Do let me know how you like it.