Just Walking Around

Mini Punjab in the heart of Mumbai

On a lazy Saturday late afternoon we were having tea in the evening with the regular Marie biscuits and rusks. The topic turned to what we will have for Sunday breakfast – bread and eggs or fluffy idlis’ or dosas with piping hot sambhar and a though struck why not have Dal Pakwan. That mouthwatering Sindhi-Punjabi dish with a flavor which is a mixture of crunchiness , tanginess and a little spiciness. Even our next door neighbor Purna who was at our door that very moment encouraged we take that long pending breakfast shopping at one of Mumbai’s mini Punjab area Guru Teg Bhadur Nagar or Sion Koliwada as it is famously known.

So the next morning we trudged to Sion Koliwada around 9 o’clock in the morning. We took a taxi which drove through the narrow by-lanes of the area and dropped us in a lane which can be best described as foodies paradise. This lane is filled with small and big shops selling various varieties of snacks veg and non-veg items. We headed to Manjeet Chole Puri a small hole in the wall type eatery with the owner sitting at the counter taking orders. A loyal working hand just outside with a make shift cooking counter on which he makes the best ever Kulchas . You can order from Alu , Paneer or Alu-gobi mix as the stuffing and he starts his live show. He picks up a ball of soft maid dough , kneads it further to increase its softness .Makes a cup out of this dough and stuffs it with the stuffing you have selected , then bails it into a round roti with a rolling pin and then pokes it with his spindly finger. After making 3-4 such rotis , he sticks it in the improvised Tandoor made of a metal drum-barrel. The tandoor roasts the roti with right temperature to make crisp and soft and the same time. He then goes on to remove these roti’s with a metal rod and once again places then on the counter top. Then comes the best part , he picks up a slab of Amul butter and spreads it on the pipping hot Kulcha to give that dripping buttery taste , sprinkles it with  green coriander and cuts it into 4 parts like a pizza and pack it for you in an aluminum foil. The Kulcha is served with a tasty mix of authentic Punjabi Chole and raw onion and pickle.You also get the Punjabi version of the Dal Pakwan with a large crispy –crunchy Puri fried to perfect golden brown and served with the yellow dal and little bit of green chutney to give it a spicy –tangy taste.Another famous snack item and my all time  favorite is the Chole –Bhature. A great combination of large round and fluffy puri served with mouthwatering Chole. We picked this up a went hunting for what else but the Lassi without which the breakfast would have been incomplete.

You can get the lassi at Himalaya Restaurant in its earlier version was Himalaya Lassi & Falooda . Famous for its thick and sweet lassi with that layer of malai served in tall glass . Sip it and enjoy the heavenly feeling.

Just to let you into the history of Guru Teg Bhahadur Nagar (GTB Nagar) or Sion Koliwada , around 1947-50  Transits Camps were built by the then Indian Government for temporary settlement of Refugees from Border area.Majorly the Punjabi’s both Sikhs and Hindus migrated here and settled in these transit camps. Before the settlements of Sikhs and Hindu communities the land was swamp area and total mangrove plot used for fishing and fish breeding by Koli communities hence the name Koliwada.GTB nagar also hosts the Gurudwara Dashmesh Darbar , one of the largest in GTB Nagar and perhaps, in Mumbai too. The darbar offers an all-day langar with simple food for anyone in need and also runs basic computer-training courses for free and takes in students regardless of religion, caste or class.

The same lane where Manjeet is situated hosts a lot of other stalls like  the Sadar Paya House.The neighbourhood’s favourite Paya can be found at Sardar Paya House, popularly called Papu’s Paya, located in a tiny lane next to Hazara. The meat is tender, the paya soup flavourful and the price will only make you happy. There’s also Chicken Masala, which is spicy and juicy and has several takers.

Hazara Restaurant & Bar - GTB Nagar’s pride, the Fish Koliwada is an original recipe of Hazara Restaurant and Bar; the fish is marinated in spicy Koli masala and fried. Locals say that Hazara was one of the earliest restaurants in the neighbourhood. The legacy still continues and Hazara, which first opened as a small stall, now has A/C and Non-A/C rooms and serves alcohol as well. Other popular dishes here are the Murg Handi, Paneer Kulcha, Tandoori Chicken and Makke Di Roti and Sarson Da Saag.

Across the road from Hazara, is Mini Punjab whose catering wing you’ll find at almost every Punjabi wedding in the city. Skewered meat hangs around the little shop and the tandoor grills out flavour-packed Tandoori Chicken in white or red masala. Set-up by Hukum Singh, the debate on whether Mini Punjab makes the better Fish Koliwada or Hazara still rages on. Other items popular on the menu are Mini Punjab Special – chicken in Indian and Chinese spices, Fish/Prawn Koliwada and a host of tikka variations.

Another famous eatery is the Hardeep Punjab. Hardeep Punjab serves items like Chicken Platter, Corn Fry – wok-tossed American corn, Mutton Laal Pari, Fish Fry and more. The restaurant is popular in the area among guzzlers and has recently shifted to a larger space, upped their menu and is one of the finer restaurants on the street.

Punjabis and dhabas go hand-in-hand. With a few rickety wooden benches, clay tandoor oven and pans full of oil, the neighbourhood has several eateries that offer desi-khana like Chole Khulche, Rajma Chawal, Kadhi Pakoda and Chaas. Chawla’s Dhaba, Ramesh Da Dhaba (opposite Satyam Shivom Mandir) and Amarjeet Chole Puri are some of the popular spots in the locality. Frequented by taxi-wallahs, students and bachelors alike, these dhabas serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Need something to wash-down all the food? Hop over at Indra Cold Drinks for Kashmiri Soda. The shop-space claims to have invented the masala for Kashmiri Soda that no one has managed to ape perfectly, yet. Run by Mahesh Kumar Lamba, whose father is credited to have made the masala’s recipe, Lamba now extends the masala to make a Masala Thums Up, Masala Sprite and serves it in hearty glasses.

To satisfy your sweet tooth, walk further down the road from Mini Punjab, to Agarwal’s Kulfi Roll. Serving kulfis in kulhads, you could pick from four flavours: malai, mango, badam-pista and kesar-pista.

Maya Sweets and Guru Nanak Sweets are two sweet-shops the whole neighbourhood buys their favourite Imartis, Chenna Murki and other mithai from. Sitting beside each other, with shelves full of commercial and typical Punjabi mithai, this is sweet heaven. Stock up on some Petha Barfi – barfi with petha pieces. Punjabi Shakarpare, Namkeen Matthi, Pheeki Matthi, Gudd Pare are other items that you could pick up from either of the sweet shops.

If you wonder where your Punjabi Bollywood stars get their wheat flour from, walk in the lane next to Hazara. Roshan Da Atta, owned by Roshanlal Jhulka has been delivering aata to Dharmendra, Raj Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan and more for eons. Jhulka’s son who now carries the chakki’s name forward owns six other aata mills across the city. Khosla’s near Satyam Shivam Mandir is an ordinary grocery store. However, it stocks Amritsari Papad and varieties of pickles that are famous too.

All these mouthwatering and much for gastronomic delights in the area which is nothing short of a representation of Punjab in the heart of Mumbai.

We dashed home with the Dal Pakwan and the Alu Kulcha’s. Just as we were about to go we remembered we had not picked up the Lassi , Purna suggested we take the fresh Dahi and layer of malai and she would whip a good Lassi herself. As we reached home the parcels were still hot. Plates were laid on the dinning table and we dug into the butter dripping Kulcha’s with pindi chole , diced onion and achar. Yummy and finger licking . Next the Dal Pakwan was devoured and all this was then washed down with the home made sweet Lassi. With tummies filled the best ever break fast the only thing that was to be done was shout out ………………Bole Sau Nihal Sat Sri Akal…

Just Walking Around

Brindavan ki Holi Aur Goa’s Shimgotsav---Asli Holi

Just the other day I was watching a rerun of the epic Bollywood blockbuster “Sholay” for the 100^th time , I guess. Some movies you can watch over and over again and it feels better every time you watch them. This cult movie was the only movie in the History of Bollywood to have cassettes of its dialogues flying of the shelf faster than a hot bajia from a food counter. All the characters right from Soorma Bhopali , to the Angarezon ke zamane ka Jailor , to Ramu Kaka , Thakur , to Jai –Veeru to the epitome of villainy or the Baap of all villains “Gabbar” are all house hold names and have become immortal long after the film has taken down from the theaters.

Do you remember the scene in which Gabbar’s henchmen come back defeated from a skirmish with Jai-Veeru and He scowls with a mean look and asks Sambha (the skinny guy who always sit on the Hill top) Holi Kabh Hai ……Kabh hai Holi………

Yes it will be Holi time next week and the festival of colors will hopefully bring real happiness in our lives than our beloved Prime Minister’s promised Acche Din…Jokes apart Holi is truly a festive of joy and happiness.On the occasion of Holi a fire is lit in every big society compound as a token of burning away all the misery and sorrow and starting a new life , a life full of bright colors and happiness. The next day is celebrated as Dhuli vandan or festival of colors where young and old , men women and children enjoy the company of each other and have fun with Abhir- Gullal and other bright colors.

What we celebrate is just a fraction of the real festival. During my early days as a Sales Executive I had been to the land of Lord Krishna in Mathura –Brindavan .I was accompanying my project engineer stationed at Mathura for our Software project at IOCL Mathura. We were put up at a Kothi a ground plus two storied house of an Class 4 employee Mr.Ramgopal Yadav of IOCL refinery. A tall lanky fellow working as an electric technician at the refinery. His family of 4 would reside on the ground floor which was a 3 BHK unit .The leasing of upper rooms of his house being his extra income. The upper story included a 2 BHK unit with a big balcony facing the wide street in Mathura. The bedrooms had huge coolers –those ancient devices pre-historic to the modern AC’s. They were needed during the summers to cool the rooms so that you could sleep , else you would get fried in the heat .The weather outside would touch temperature close to 45-48deg Celsius during daytime and around 35-38deg Celsius. The electricity to these items of luxury was tapped illegally using local Katyiabaaz who would tap the local electric pole with an ingenious metal hook.

During my stay I was fortunate to see the Holi celebration in this land of Krishna. Holi celebration in Brijbhoomi starts a week before the actual day of the festival and continue for a few days after Holi.An enactment of beating up of men folk by the women folk symbolizing , beating of Krishna and his Gwala’s by the Gopi’s of Nandgaon is performed on the day Holi. With Holi songs playing in the background, women beat up these men with sticks as they try to protect themselves with improvised protective gear.This is the famous “Lathmar Holi”.The Holi with Colors can be experienced at the Bankey Bihari Temple in Brindavan. The hub of Holi celebrations in Brindavan is the Bankey Bihari temple. The temple, built in the 19th century, has four gates (three for entry and one for exit) and is dedicated to Lord Krishna. The season for Holi in Bankey Bihari starts off with Phoolon ki Holi where holi is played with flowers and ends with the main festival where colour and gulal are thrown. The entire temple complex is smeared in shades of pink even the air is filled with this gulal thrown by the locals celebrating the festival. Remembering those scenes of fun and frolic with these simple folks enjoying the festival of colors brings a smile to my face even today.

Another place where Holi is celebrated in its traditional spirit is Goa. Though I personally have not experienced it , I have been itching to go there hearing of the celebrations from my brother –in –law Jagdish Katkar. The Holi is this sun kissed region is known as Shimgo or Shigmo. The festival is celebrated mostly by the masses following all religious traditions. As expected from the Goans, the festival is accompanied with fanfare. Performance on drumbeats and epic enactment of mythology are religiously followed. Vivid and vibrant colours of gulal and neel are abundantly used. Shigmotav is highlighted with performances of troupes in the form of parades and cultural dramas. At dusk, huge effigies are taken in processions and prizes given away.

The 14-day celebrations of Shigmo coincide with Holi celebrations all over the country. For a good part of March, the streets of Goa transform into a cultural center full of dance and drama. The Shigmo festival is significant in many ways. It commemorates the homecoming of the warriors who had left at the end of Dussera to fight the invaders. It is also the spring festival of Goa where farmers celebrate the harvest season. There are two forms of Shigmo celebrations in Goa. Dhakto Shigmo and Vhadlo Shigmo. While Dhakto Shigmo is generally celebrated by farmers and the rural population, Vhadlo Shigmo has a broader appeal and is celebrated by everyone together. Dhakto Shigmo is more about the singing, dancing and procession on the streets while Vhadlo is to do with celebrations inside temples. The processions carried out during Shigmotasav are characterized by colorful umbrellas or dindis, modern floats depicting ancient Hindu mythological episodes, and folk dancers in traditional costumes. One of the dances performed is the Ghode morni or the horse dance and the Phugdi dance.

Shigmo and Holi make Goa extremely happening and convivial during March. Not only do you get a slice of Goan culture, you also get to interact with locals, play the festival of colors with them and participate in various Holi events all across Goa

So next time you want to try a different experience during the festival of colors do try visiting these special places be it Mathura-Brindavan or Goa during Holi or Shimgo…..And have a time of your life….

Wishing all my readers a Happy and a Safe Holi

PS: Did you know there are other places in the World where similar celebrations with either bright colors or water or even a vegetable like Tomatoes is carried out.

Water Fight in Thailand - As Thai New Year arrives, it is welcomed with the world's biggest water fight. Thai people and tourists indulge in water fights, approaching each other with water balloons. This festival, held between April 13 and April 15, envisages the concept of cleansing with water in order to purify and renew.

Colour Music Festival in Texas - Colour Jam, a colourful music festival was held in Texas in 2015. The festival featured live music concert, colour throws and colour fights.

The Colour Run in London - One can get a taste of Holi in London, where 'The Colour Run' festival takes place. Participants run in a five-kilometre street, wearing a white shirt and as the colours are sprayed at them they, get covered from head to toe with every kilometre of the course. The event takes place in the cities of London, Manchester , Glasgow and Birmingham. 

Life In Colour in Florida - One of the biggest colour festivals, 'Life In Colour' started out as a college festival in Florida in 2011, later progressing into a worldwide colour party.

Color Festival in Kiev , Ukrain -The most colorful event, which is eagerly expected by a lot of Kiev residents and tourists - Holi colors festival. Yes, the main feature of the festival will be paint. All the participants will be able to shower each other with bright colors, thus giving a smile, a laugh and a loud outburst of emotion around and the feeling that there is no monotony of everyday life and everything is bright and wonderful.

And finally La Tomatina in Spain --- is a festival that is held in the Valencian town of Bunol a town located in the East of Spain, in which participants throw tomatoes and get involved in this tomato fight purely for entertainment purposes.

Just Walking Around

Aathawda Baazar --- The mesmerizing world of Weekly Bazaar.

Its well know that India is an Agrarian society and 80% of its population still lives in its villages. Its heart lies in these culturally diverse but all-encompassing small in-habitation known in local languages as Gaon or Gaav. Much has been written and said about the village life. Even today most of the villages don’t have proper shops or all in one malls that we in the cities take for granted. The simple folks of these villages sell or buy their produce at the local markets called the Aathwada bazaar or the weekly markets. The local administration usually the Gram Panchayat earmarks a vacant plot of land where shops are allowed to be put up by the villagers to sell what they produce or procure from neighbouring towns. A fixed day of the week is designated for this weekly market hence the name Aathavada bazaar as it falls on a specific day of the week. Easy to remember and shopping for the entire week for all the folks. Usually its in the middle of the week “Wednesday” or on the weekends “Fridays” , when the market is set up. Most of the shop owners are the farmers or fruit vendors or grocers . Sometimes if the Bazaar is well known then people from neighbouring villages also set up their shops to get a larger audience.

The best experience of these Aathawada Baazar can be had in villages in Konkan especially in Ratnagiri area. SATURDAY morning, 7 o’clock or thereabouts, a certain madness sets into Ratnagiri as housewives and men of the house get up early and make a dash for the ‘Athawda’ bazaar near the old ST bus-stand there. And this is a weekly bazaar that has been going on here for the past ten years or so. There’s nothing official about it, of course, but the Athawda bazaar is encouraged by the local Municipality. The municipality comes in on Sunday to clean up the place and return the area to its somewhat less than pristine glory of before the Athawda bazaar. The bazaar is held, like a flea market on a Goan beach, once a week on Saturday. This is a good day for a bazaar because most people shop for the entire next week here. And they get an opportunity to bump into old friends and gossip. It is not as if Ratnagiri does not have its regular markets. Most housing colonies have a small bhajiwala outside that caters to the residents. And on prominent streets in the city, on a smaller scale than the Athawda bazaar, fruit and vegetable vendors run a small market on Tuesdays.

Besides which, at the Athawda bazaar venue on week days, Ratnagiri’s ‘Maamis’ in their half-Navaris (nine-yard sarees) sit on the footpaths and sell veggies and fruit grown locally. Whatever is in season, and whatever quantity they have, is put up for sale. It could be anything from firewood to jackfruit. These Maamis don’t do business by weights but deal in portions. They don’t understand kilos and litres. Everything is a “wata” measure here. The Athawda bazaar goes on all day. The vendors come with fruits and vegetables and other consumer items from all the small villages in and around Ratnagiri. Some come from as far as Sangli and Miraj in trucks, driving overnight for five or six hours, so as to be early at the Athawda bazaar with their produce.

The Maamis don’t come on out Saturday. This day is meant for serious, big-time shopping. When everything is sold by weight. When people come for “imported, exotic” vegetables and not the local greens grown in the backyard of the Maamis’ homes. And where the bhajiwalas have fixed spots and fixed customers who enjoy their weekly bargain with them. Everything is garden fresh. And the variety is vast and complete. Not like the small Tuesday market on the local streets. Vegetables and fruit are the big draw at the Athawda bazaar. And spices. The bazaar has any number of vendors with their spices in big sacks and in small watas.

One small section is segregated, perhaps because of the smell, for the dry-fish sellers. These are all generally women. And though Ratnagiri is a coastal city and has a jetty where fresh fish be bought daily, there are several takers for the dry-fish here. This too is sold by the wata, not the kilo, and the fish vendor has measures made of brass and wood to sell the dry-fish.

By evenings, the fruit, vegetable and dry-fish vendors leave, and the Athawda bazaar is taken over by sellers of household items. Everything from buckets and pans to aluminum scrubs and junk jewellery. The last sales are done under lights thrown by lamps.

A recent phenomenon of the same type experience in our very own city of Mumbai is the “Farmer’s Market” at various location. Once such farmers market happens very near to where we stay at King Circle at the grounds of Indian Gymkhana. Here on a Tuesday’s farmers co-operatives from as far as Nashik , Kolhapur , Sangli and Satara come with their farm fresh produce in small tempos. You can wander around their stalls and be awestruck at the size and freshness of the vegetables they bring. The veggies are green and mostly organically produced with no chemical fertilizers. You can get the largest Cauliflowers and cabbages . The potatoes and onion are also of best quality , which do not get in your local neighborhood markets. Even the exotics veggies like Broccoli , Zucchini –Green& Yellow, Bell peppers – Red & Yellow , Celery and Iceberg Lettuce are the freshest and  mouth watering.

There are fruit vendors bringing fresh and juiciest  fruits from across Maharashtra. Grape growers association bring the best ever grapes . They are cherubic , large and sweet to the core. Not like the piddly ones we get at the local fruit seller. The Strawberries from Mahabaleshwar & Panchgani are ruby red and mix of sweet & sour taste. Even the Ber or the Bor fruit which arrive just before Makar Sankranti are of good variety . Large , golden and very sweet. The green ones are the size of  small apples. The pineapples are bright orange and sweet to the core. Even the water melons from Panvel or Aliabug are bright red on the inside and real sweet. Make a glass of juice or have just like that for a healthy life.

At other stalls you even get fresh grains like rice , wheat , bajara & jowar . Pulses like channa, rajma,  chawli also of good quality. The puffed rice or Poha are soft , fresh and white . And you expect the best Poha dish when you make the traditional Maharashtrian Kande or batate pohe. Some stalls keep the fresh ground masala’s like red chilly powder , turmeric power and special mixture like garam masal or the Kolhapuri masala used in non-veg dishes. Expect the taste to be spicy and hot when put in dishes like Missals or in Chicken and Mutton gravies.

All these farm fresh vegetables and fruits are at very economical rates as they are directly sold by the farmers themselves. There are no overheads of the APMC market or the middle men .

If you want to experience some fun and chaos and shop for some sundry item head to the Budhwar Bazaar or the Wednesday Market near St.Micheal’s Church at Mahim . Vendors put up their shops on the footpath leading to church. Here you can have a wonderful time picking up accessories like hair clips , hair band , wrist band , oxidized anklets etc for the girls and women. Some sell handbags , sling bags , clutch bags and purses sourced from whole sellers in and around Mumbai city. Some bring hosiery tops , frocks and dresses from manufacturing units in Vasai or Bhiwandi. These are soft and cute. You can also get lot of regular use stationary items like erasers in different shapes and sizes , colour crayons , sketch pens , glitter pens and foot long ball pens. Some sell house hold items made of recycled plastics like boxes , containers , buckets , washing brushes , scrubs at bargain prices. Some sell cotton bed sheets and cushion covers in good colors and designs.

So next time you want to shop for fresh veggies , fruits or even some sundry item do head to these Athawada bazaar’s and experience the thrill amidst the chaos ..

Have fun and enjoy the shopping…

Just Walking Around

New Foodie Joints on the Block

Every few years the local landscape changes more so in Matunga than any other place. You can see new shops popping up , new line of business take shape , new food joints mushrooming enticing the customers to try something new. Over the years I have seen whole lot of changes in our area right from the kirana shops giving way to clothing business , hotels changing management or cuisine all together to appeal to the changing customer taste.

I still remember a Hotel going by the name of Coffee House in Matunga market just opposite the Matunga Railay station. This was the newest joint during my growing up years that was different from the typical Udpi joints crowding the space. At this restaurant you could experience a fine dine atmosphere with proper seating , glass cutlery , table napkins , set of forks spoons & knives neatly arranged on the table. The menu was exhaustive with starters , soups , salads , main course  and desserts. Even the snacks  like Sandwiches , Burgers , Frankie were more appealing to upwardly mobile crowd and not the typical idli and dosa’s. My dad would take us to this fancy restaurant to celebrate some special occasion like success in our exams or a special milestone birthday like 10^th or a 13^th birthday. We would sit at the decked up table and order for a Tomato soup. The soup would be served piping hot in proper soup bowls with dollop of butter on top and bread crumbs sprinkled on top. The crunchy and tangy taste would sooth your throat and fill your stomach. Next we would order for some starters followed by main course. The dinner would end with a scoop of ice cream with chocolate sauce. We would walk back home with great memories of a wonderful family time.

As I said in Matunga the food landscape changes every few years. I noticed a new joint near King Circle with an interesting name and an even interesting décor. “Café 2.0” signifying a version 2 of café, but I don’t remember a first version of this food joint. Anyways this one’s located near Gomathy Moorthy Idli –Dosa Atta Centre. It used to be a garage which would be leased out to fruit sellers during Mango season to store crates / boxes of mangoes. Now it has turned into this hip open air food joint patronized by the college crowd from Ruia, Poddar ,Khalsa and VJTI. The interior walls are painted with “Joker” that famous super villain from Batman with punch line “Why So Serious”. And that goes for the food that is served here. It’s mostly snack items like French fries served in a Cone , then there the Pizza fries or the Chipotle Fries ( fries served with Chipotle & cheese) , Or try their Chilly Cheese fries or Cheese Mayo fries which tastes great .For the spicy taste buds you have the Schezwan Cheese fries or Salsa Cheese fries. You can also try the same flavours in Wedges which a little thicker in size and softer than the fries. For a little filling snack try their wraps like Smile Wrap (crispy happy potatoes tomatoes , onion , lettuce , mayo & chilly sauce) , Popper Wrap (with Cheese poppers) or the little fancy Cheese Corn Nugget wrap. They also serve the regular burgers , Nachos and nuggets / poppers . One interesting dish which their specialty is the Twisted Potato , it’s a large potato made into a crispy screw like shape and fried to perfection. Can be eaten with Salsa or schezwan sause . All this can be downed by the thick milkshakes that they serve. Try the Belgian Chocolate shake , chocolaty and sinful. The other favorite are the Oreo milkshake , Caramel milkshake and the chocolate milkshake. Enjoy the food in this funky looking fast food spot with their funky interior designs and blue neon lights that has opened up in Matunga just a few months back and has quickly grabbed the attention of everybody.

The just near by you can grab a bite at the Rahul’s Food Court serving fast food snacks from the erstwhile Aarey Milk booth ,those white and blue wooden box like booths which distributed milk bottles and pouches early in the morning. With times changing the owners of these booths were given liberty to start additional business to add to their income. One such milk booth has now turned into Rahul’s Food Court. They serve little heavier snacks and not just fries , wedges and shakes. Here you can get variet of option from dosa to sandwiches , maggi to pasta , paninni sandwiches to pizza’s. Some of their best creations are the Paninni’s those subway type sandwiches with multigrain breads , stuffed with veggies , lettuce to give a crunch and a volume and loaded with cheese to give it taste. In pizza besides the regular Cheese , Onion and fresh Veggie you could try some new ones like the Italian Pizza with maggi & pasta topping or the Pizza Mongolian with Capsicum , Tomato and Paneer with some pungent sauce. Also a hit with the young crowd is the Square pizza with broccoli , red , yellow and green bell peppers and loaded with Mozzerella Cheese. They also serve pasta – Alfredo in white sauce or Arabitta  in red sauce. Also to cater to the Jain community all the items are available in Jain variants. The popularity of his joint can be gauged by the mingling college crowd during the day and family crowd at night on the open seating that is made available to them.

Both these small eateries have adopted new age technology to maximize their reach in the locality by tying up with food delivery specialist “Swiggy” . You can now sit back relax in your homes and order from these fast food joints and you are sure to get your Chipotle Fries in the Cone or a Paninni Sandwich still hot in its container when the Swiggy guy rings your door bell.

Another craze that has erupted in Matunga is the Belgian Waffle Co – A specialist in those sweet, yummy , crisp piece of heavenly dessert called the waffle. For the unacquainted a waffle is a dish made from leavened batter or dough that is cooked between two plates that are patterned to give a characteristic size, shape and surface impression. There are many variations based on the type of waffle iron and recipe used. Waffles are eaten throughout the world, particularly in Belgium, which has over a dozen regional varieties. Waffles may be made fresh or simply heated after having been commercially precooked and frozen

At the Belgian Waffle Co you get close to a dozen variety to satisfy your sweet tooth. If you are chocoholic you can order for their Choco Overload stuffed with creamy dark chocolate or the Dark & White Choco Fantasy with the milk chocolate filling. Bite into the crisp waffle and savour the gooey chocolate and smack your lips after each bite. For the regular eaters like you can order the Honey Butter or the Maple butter – waffles covered with Honey or the Maple syrup. Giving a sweet –salty taste. For the fruit lovers there the Bluberry Creamcheese , Strawbery Creamcheese or the Banana Salted Caramel. And for the Nutella fans they have the Naked Nutella Waffle stuffed with that crazy and addictive hazelnut cocoa spread . Little high on calories but delicious and heavenly to the last bite.

Take your pick of these new age food joint at Matunga , as they say on an airline announcement – Sit back relax and enjoy your foodie journey……..

Happy Hogging….

Just Walking Around

Mumbai – A City of Dreams

In my travels across India during my sales trips , I have had the good fortune of observing some of the major cities at close quarters. Each city has its own character, a way of life and attitude of its own. Be its cultural repertoire , its vibrant night life , safety for its inhabitants , the way it treats the outsiders who come for a living , its food quotient or the clean and secure environment it offers to citizens. You could say I am biased but I still find Mumbai with highest scores in all these indices. Being born and brought up here I have lived and breathed this city and experienced much it has to offer. Needless to say true Mumbaikar is the only living being even when he feels a lot of pride about his city, will not shy away from berating his city during a heated discussion on the lack of amenities and infrastructural bungles it faces. If in group someone says aloud that Mumbai has gone to the dogs and its infrastructure is collapsing due to administrative mis-management , a tru Mumbaikar will join the chorus and put out 10 more points on why Mumbai is losing the game as compared the other famous Global / International cities. As a tradition Mumbai has always been compared to cities like New York due to Manhattan skyline and similar space constraint or to London due to the red busses and for a matter of fact that it was directly ruled by the British for a long long time than the regional rulers like the Maratha’s , Mughals or the Nizam’s of the south. It has alsways been influenced by the British or the Portuguese who rule before them. The Mumbaikar felt let down when its storm water drains failed and it got compared to Venice , as its streets were flooded during 26/11 or was scarred when its heart was ripped out during the 1992 serial bomb blast and the riots that followed during 1993. This was much before the world got its taste of terrorism during 9/11 in New York .

Still it is a fact that the soul of Mumbai is very resilient and every time it has been  knocked down by bomb blasts or has faced the wrath of mother nature it has always stood up and taken the punches squarely on the chin , without complaining and making the whole Nation proud because of this resilient nature which is at its core. This unique nature has been ingrained in the DNA of every Mumbaikar.

Where else will you find a city which is Cosmopolitan in nature and allowing each and every one coming to this dream city and letting them be absorbed in its bosom and be treated at par . Be it the local neighbourhood sabjiwallah who has left his native some where in Bihar or UP and travelled all the way to this maxim city to earn a livelihood. Or the Lambadi families migrated from Rajashthan and earning a living working as manual laborers at construction sites Or the North eastern girls and boys working in hotels or hospitality businesses Or the well educated and hardworking Keralite women working as care givers in its many a Hospitals as nurses. This city has always given a safe and secure place to all those who want to make this city their Karmabhoomi and make it big by living out their dreams.

Another aspect of Mumbai and which is the most taken for granted and often verbally abused is the travel infrastructure built over centuries. Starting from the Railways which the British built starting from VT (Victoria Terminus and now renamed as Chatrapati Shivaji terminus ) to Thane or the highly unionized Kaali Peeli’s or Taxi’s and the Rickshaws which scurry around  like rats ,moving through most traffic snarls and then there are the BEST buses modeled on the Red Bus in London. I still remember hurrying up the stairs of the big Double Decker bus and fight our way through the crowd to catch the seat right at the front on the upper deck . Looking out and enjoying the City view. Or during monsoon days taking the bus route winding down the Marine Drive enjoying the splashing of the waves of the big pontoons. You may curse the Taxi drivers or the Auto wallah but where else will you be able to hail a cab or that odd Auto in the middle of the night or at crack of dawn on a silent street or that creepy -eerie street with just a wave of your hand . You could thank your stars that you live in a city which never sleeps and never let you go hungry even if its 4 o’clock in the morning and you want to grab a bite. You will always find some place open serving you a hot pav bhajji – Mumbais very own all time favourite fast food or that garma garam Vada pav with that spicy garlic chatni or even a yummy and lip smacking Unda Burji Pav right across a busy railway station and fill your stomach with food and your heart with that special warmth.  

Mumbai has a unique magnet –The Bollywood home of the arc lights and all that glamour and jazz that attracts people from far and wide to come here and try their luck at striking gold in the Film Industry as it is called. So you will find young boys and girls from Delhi , Himachal , Punjab trying to grab the  attention of the event promoters , ad producers , photographer to get a toe hold in the film line with a wee bit roles or ad campaigns. You will find these young crowd hanging around the Café’s in  Juhu trying desparately to catch the attention of these connect people. Though most of them have a lot to struggle before they get a meaningful break , there are stories of a certain a lad from Bhuleshwar who turned into India’s first Superstart – Rajesh Khanna or a certain Jaikishan Shrof a guju tall lanky boy staying in Teen Bati area striking gold when found by Subhash Ghai and turned into a overnight sensation of Jackie Shroff or in recent times a young kid from Delhi doing VJ jobs on Television becoming the new heartthrob “Ayuushman Khurana”.

This city has also given wings to person of business acumen and turned petrol pump atttendants to Muliti Milllion Dollar Industriallist like the one and only Dhirubhai Ambani. Or even the lad from UP but a IIT –IIM graduate going by the name of Dheeraj Gupta turn a simple Vad Pav into a franchise chain business like the McDonalds – our very own Jumbo Vada Pav. This city has nurtured talents like Sachin Tendulkar’s and now the current crop of cricketers like Abhishekh Nayar or the copy book batsmen like Ajinkya Rahane.

Though the city is congested and at times it feels claustrophobics moving around town , it still has a vibrant Arts and Cultural ethos. In South Mumbai you have the Art District around Jahangir Art Gallery and National Gallery of Modern Art just across the famous Chatrapati Shivaji Sanghrahalay or the Cities Mueseum which is host to a lot of historical artifacts. Every year during February there is the Kala Ghoda festival where there are lot of contemporary performances by musicians and artist coupled with lot of food stalls on the streets of Fort area from Jahangir Art gallery right upto The iconic Gateway of India. During the 10 days the city folks enjoy the experience of walking this art district and have fun.

This city also plays host to innumerable classical singing program like the Pandit Wamanrao Sadolikar Sangeet Samelan arranged and hosted by the famous Jaipur Atroli gharana singer and his daughter Shruti Sadolikar Katkar . This is open to music lovers and hosted at the Shanmukhanand Hall in Matunga –King Circle. This hall has been a hub of activities to promote musical and especially the classical singing talent. Many a stalwarts like Pandit Jasraj , Late Pandit Bhimsen Joshi , Pt. Shivkumar Sharma (Santoor maestro) , Pt. Amjad Ali Khan (Sarod Maestro) and Pt.Hari Prasad Chaurasia (Flute maestro) have performed and keep performing here to mesmerize the listener’s and take them on a musical journey which out of this world.

So next you are calling names to our Mumbai city and are cribbing about issues step back for a while and think how great this city has been how it has evolved over time .And why did I choose this topic , I want all my readers to exercise their franchise on Tuesday Feb 21^st of voting for the Municipal Council election , which may seem very trivial but remember to vote for those who have delivered on the promises and made this city a little better place to live …..Do take part in electing the right candidates , those that can carry on the development , take care of  the special ethos or the character of the city and maintain the cultural diversity. Let this city of Mumbai always be the city of dream fulfilment, a city with never say die attitude and a city that never sleeps….

Proud to be a Mumbaikar……

Just Walking Around

Yoga –A way of Life

You get up early do all your routine in a hurried manner. Most times you skip breakfast and rush to office just to beat the traffic , just so you can reach a few minutes early and plump at your workbench. You sit there all day long in that chair , your back and neck all stiff from punching at the keyboard and multitasking with the desk phone to the ear. Sometimes it’s well past your lunchtime and you say might as well grab a sandwich and a Cola to save time and be back at the desk. You work at the computer staring at the screen like a zombie. You answer some more calls and finally end the day well past 7 or 8 o’clock. Then rush to catch that fast local or grab a UBER / OLA to head back home . Have some dinner catch up on the news if you are and plump on the bed to catch a few winks before the routine begins all over again.

Then one day you are ordered by the office management to have your Annual Comprehensive Health Check up with the partnered Pathological Lab’s like SRL Diagnostics or  Fortis Healthcare. The test are routine blood check for diabetes, cholesterol and other body part analysis like Liver , Spleen and Kidney’s. You are anxious about the test results like a school going kid and finally the Lab reports are in. You look at all the red remarks – your blood sugar is borderline on the higher side, your bad cholesterol is High and going through the roof . Some may have their Livers remarked as sluggish and needs attention. The doctor attached with the Labs prescribes total lifestyle change , puts you on a diet and you get worried , what went wrong.

But this is the new normal. You work like a dog and take all the stress that comes your way and finally end up bruised and maligned healthwise. You think of changing your lifestyle but don’t know what to do . Some of your colleagues suggest hitting the Gym. Some say they need to hit the road either jogging or speed walking . The ladies decide to do the in thing like Zumba. Then some wise guy in the office says “Why not try Yoga”

You start thinking of all the asanas (twisting your body in unimaginable positions) and the bearded man in orange robe teaching Kapalbhati on television . But Yoga is much more and beyond all this. Derived from the Sanskrit word yuj, Yoga means union of the individual consciousness or soul with the Universal Consciousness or Spirit. Yoga is a 5000-year-old Indian body of knowledge. Though many think of yoga only as a physical exercise where people twist, turn, stretch, and breathe in the most complex ways, these are actually only the most superficial aspect of this profound science of unfolding the infinite potentials of the human mind and soul. The science of Yoga imbibes the complete essence of the Way of Life.

Yoga is more than 10,000 years old. The earliest metion of the contemplative tradition is found inn the oldest surviving literature Rig Veda. It dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization. The Pashupati seal from the same civilization shows a figurine in yogic pose, further corroborating its prevalence in those olden times. The practice of Pranayam of the art of breathing in and breathing out , which we all have lost in todays hurried life is mentioned as a hymn in Chandogya Upanishad. Yoga was seen as a process of inner journey or ascent of consciousness.

Vratya , a grup of ascetics mentioned in the Athravaveda , emphasized on bodily postures which may have evolved into Yogasanas. Even Samhitas mention munis, sages and seers who practiced rigorous deportments to meditate or do tapasya.

Yoga is discussed in the ancient foundational Sutra of Hindu philosophy and is perhaps most elaborately mentioned in Patanjali Yogasutra. Patanjali defines yoga in his 2^nd sutra as : “Yogah Citta-vrtti-nirodhaya” meaning  “Yoga is the stilling of the modifications of the mind”. Patanjali’s writing also became the basis of Ashtanga Yoga. Many practices like five vows in Jainism and Yogachara of Buddhism have their root in Patanjali Yogasutra. The medieval ages saw the development of Hatha Yoga. Patanjali is considered father of Yoga and his Yoga Sutras the bible of Yoga , dedicated to the knowledge of Yoga.

The western world has adopted this physical practice of Yoga be it in the form of the regular Yoga or the extreme action Yoga a combination of kick boxing & yoga asanas. Or another variant a combination of Aerobics and Yoga exercises tuned to pump-up music.

But the best way to practice Yoga is to join your friendly neighbourhood Yoga centre. In Dadar-Matunga belt you have 2 of the oldest such centers . One is the Shri Ramtirth Yogashram at Dadar East close to the Hindu Colony . Shri Ramtirth Yogashram began its activities in 1933 , with an aim of propagating Yoga & Nature cure. Till date they conduct Yoga classes early in the morning with fine tutors experienced in Asanas , Meditation and Pranayam. Students and Patients from all over the globe have come here and availed of the teachings and treatment.

The other being The Yoga Institute in Matunga Market near the famous Shri Kankhya Parmeshwari Temple. Their founder Shri Yogendraji’s life mission was to bring yoga out of the forest , hermitages and make it accessible to the common men , women , young , old, sick , healthy , people of castes and communities in all parts of the world. To actualize his mission he and his wife Smt.Sitadevi worked tirelessly to make the science of Yoga available to people, the world over and founded The Yoga Institute in 1948.The simplicity, sincerity & non-commercial angle of The Yoga Institute caters to householders and offers guidelines of how to manage self and keep up one’s sanity as well as balance in today’s competitive & tension ridden world.

One of the beauties of the physical practice of yoga is that the poses support & sustain you no matter how old or young or fit of frail , you come to your mat. As you age , your understanding of asana becomes more sophisticated. You move from working on the external alignment & mechanics of the pose to refining the inner actions to finally just being in the asana.

So go out there , start a new life , learn to be one with the universe by way meditation , pranayama and Yoga asanas.

To quote the legendary Yoga Guru B.K Iyengar “ Live Happily and Die Majestically” , for you have this one life live it to the fullest….try Yoga and Reach your balance…

Just Walking Around

Nasik –The City of Legends

With winter setting in Mumbai and our eating habits changing with the advent of fresh vegetables and fresh fruits . All one needs to do is walk into the local market and enjoy the visual delight of green , fresh vegetable and abundance of vibrant colored fruits. This is the time when you can pick up those green juicy grapes of the big succulent black grapes from your fruit seller and devour them just like that or put them in a custard and have it as a dessert just after your dinner. But did you know where these juicy grapes come from, its Nashik.

During the early part of last year I had the good fortune to stay in this City steeped in Legends and now developing into a City of the future. The city was honored with 'India's most promising city' award by the First Smart Cities Council . Nashik was among the 20 cities in the country which were nominated for the award instituted by the First Smart Cities Council.

We were there over one weekend in February when the climate was very pleasant with cold winds blowing in the evenings. We decided to visit Sai Sansthan at Shirdi to take the blessing of Sai Baba. The fakir who gave us the moto “Sabka Malik Ek” . He is revered by all , rich –poor , big-small , Hindu-Muslim-Sikh-Christians , one and all. The main temple complex has been renovated over the years and now looks pristine in its pure white avatar. In this complex is installed the marble statute of Shri Sai Baba seated on a golden throne and flanked by the trusts priests . On special occasions like Ram Navmi there is a huge gathering from across India. Many mandals sponsor palkhi’s which are accompanied by devotees who walk along from their respective places to Shrdi , sometimes the walk take nearly 7 days. All the effort and exhaustion gets vanished into thin air once their eyes get locked on the serene moorti. Baba’s gaze and his blessing are always with his devotees. The temple  complex itself has been converted into a world class establishment with wide LED screens at regular intervals and specified places like Dwarka Mai  and Baba ki chawdi .The surrounding area is a buzz with whole lot of small business activities , from local flower vendors to the sweet meat shops selling Dharvadi pedh and brown raisins to the toy shops selling Chinese toys for children to the shops selling photos , pendants and decorative items. Though you could say that Shirdi has become more a commercial town than a temple town of yore, on the flip side it is giving a chance to all the locals who want to earn a decent livelihood . It was a great experience visiting this special place , going back to Nasik we had fond memories in our mind and were taking back the goodwill along with us.

The next day we decided to explore the Nashik town and were ably shown around by our local driver Vishal . He was one of those fellows who knows every nook and corner of his town as if the back of his hand. We went to Panchavati has significant religious attributes for Hindus with a temple complex on the bend of the Godavari river, which includes Kalaram Temple It is a pilgrimage site,with the Kumbha Mela, the largest peaceful gathering in the world – involving over 10 crore people in 2013, taking place here once every 12 years in rotation with Haridwar, Allahabad, and Ujjain.

Panchavati was the name of a section in the huge forest of  Dandakaranya where Rama with the help of his brother Lakshmana built a nice hut they could call a home in what would eventually become the crucial part of their exile in the wilderness. Panchavati literally means "a garden of five banyan trees". These trees are said to have been there during the exile of Lord Rama. There is a place called Tapovan where Lakshmana, the brother of Rama, cut off the nose of Surpanakha, the sister of Ravana, when she attempted to kill Sita. On the hillock near by are installed statues of Rama , Lakshmana and Sita , looking at them one feels their energy permeating the entire holy site.

Close by is the Ram Kund. Ramkund is a holy place for Hindus. Devotees believe that a dip in this tank will fulfil their wishes. According to the epic Ramayana, Lord Rama used to bathe in this tank during his stay in Nashik. Another place of historical importance is the Sita Gufa , said to be the spot from where Sita was kidnapped by Ravana.A narrow staircase leads to the caves. The caves house idols of Lord Ram, Sita and Lakshman as well as a Shivling, said to be the one Sita worshipped. Just opposite is an establishment housing the re-enactment of Sita Apharan by Ravana and the epic fight with Jatayu in the form of a small light and sound show. A great attraction with the tourist visiting this place.

Just outside you can have the local puffed wheat which look like popcorn and tastes awesome. Or if you are a little famished try the hot wada pav sprinkled with spicy Garlic chutney. And wash it down with a tall glass of freshly crushed Sugar cane juice. The cane crushing machine is not motorized but manually operated by the person running this roadside stall. Enjoy the sweet nectar like juice on a sunny morning.

Having seen all this it was as of having travelled through time and experienced the legendary tales which were sounded out to us from generation to generation .

Next  we headed to India’s most famous Vineyard – The Sula Vineyard. They were the valley's first commercial vineyards.The Sula Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling have won countless Indian awards. The vineyards also house a resort to live in the winery and a tasting room in which people can taste different samples and varieties of wines produced at the winery. Sula Vineyards spread over 160 acres of area in Nashik. Wine tasting is the best part of the visit. They let you taste different varieties of wine. The fee for this is included in your entry fee. If you want to spend your holiday experiencing something exotic , do visit the place . Don't miss Sulafest which is full of music , wine , food, fashion which is of course everyone's favorite. Sulafest is held every year at Sula vineyards in the month February. People come in huge numbers from different places and enjoy this event.

On the day of returning back to Mumbai , it was a Sunday and we had time to kill till evening as the train time was around 5pm. So instead of snoozing in the hotel bed , we decided to explore some more of Nasik. A close family friend had recommended we visit Hotel Sanskruti on the outskirts of Nashik. We hired a local rickshaw and went there and were really overjoyed at the site. The hotel has constructed a real village “ Apla Gaon” on its precinct, with mud huts showcasing a simple village life , a well , a tiled roof , a house with an Aangan coated with cow dung. Mannequins of men sitting on cane chairs and women cooking food on the wood fired chulah. Then there are life like figures of Bara Balutedars or the 12 craftmen which every village had. The Lohar ( black smith ), the Carperter , the Cobbler , the Mason , the farmer, the fisherman etc. In between the tour you could get an Astrologer to tell you your future or enjoy a small Magic Show or go for a Horse ride or even a breath taking and a little wobbly Camel ride. Later you could eat at the traditional pangat . A typical Maharashtrian thali with goodies like Shrikhand puri , Puran poli , Alu wadi as appetizer with yummy gree chutney. 2- 3 traditional but tasty subji like Bharleli Wangi (stuffed Brinjal) , Dalimbya Usal or Channa Usal and followed by piping hot steamed rice and waran (yellow dal) topped up with pure ghee. You are sure to lick your fingers and give a welcome burp once you are done. Still the lunch is not complete till you have tall glass of cool Sol Kadi or Chaas (butter milk) to digest the heavy food that you just ate.

Come out and lounge on the khaat or traditional choir string char-pai layered with soft cotton gaddi or on the cane chairs kept outside. You are sure to feel sleepy , but then we had a train to catch.

Hopping on to that train to Mumbai and leaving behind a trail of memories .A great time spent together on small but memorable mini vacation.