The SkyDive Dubai Experience

  

HELL YEAH!

Ever since my friend Arunima Sinha went to Dubai for her maiden SkyDive in September 2012 I was inspired to do the same myself! She was the biggest inspiration for me to overcome my Fear of Heights which has plagued me since childhood and beat the shit out of it with a SkyDive…couldn’t find any better way!

Bandita was going to be my partner-in-rhyme this time too! The ever so brave woman! We did our maiden Scuba Dive during our Honeymoon Trip to Andaman Islands in November 2011 and with our SkyDive we were through with the Diving Duo – both above and under Land!

I had already booked the flight tickets in August 2012 itself for our February 2013 Trip (yeah, yeah I know I am an obsessive planner)! And then the SkyDive Booking was done in December 2012 for the both of us along with our Trip Bookings…

This was going to be my first Dubai Trip after spending almost 3 years in the region here and I wanted to make it a memorable one…met so many old friends there and had a wonderful time but the most amazing part about this trip was the SkyDive which happened on Tuesday 26^th February 2013.

And like so many other things in my life this was going to be a ride which almost got cancelled but somehow got savaged at the last time! I just don’t like smooth roads you see! What’s the fun without some “bumps on the road” as they say!

The Lull before the Storm!

We reached the SkyDive Campus at 9 AM and waited for the registration process to begin and admitting that I was shit scared would be such a gross understatement! Maybe I would have to find some more extreme superlatives for the fear which I had! We did our registration and then the wait began and also my innumerable attempts to the washroom! I can recall almost 8-10 trips to that ever-so-welcoming washroom! And all that while Bandita was so chilled; I definitely got to learn from her about how to stay so cool and unaffected in such seemingly frightful situations!

Ready to Rock n Roll!

We went through the simple training demonstration session and also got the gear on while waiting for the first Dive Group of the day to come back…My instructor’s name was Kenny, he was an American and had been diving since 13 years when he was just 17 years old & had completed almost 8000 jumps since then! With that mind boggling diving experience I knew I was in safe hands with him…he tried his best to calm my nerves before we finally sat on that plane but still the fear was not willing to leave my mind!  Jordy, a Belgian was the photographer for my Dive and he was such a chilled out guy too…and as you would read later he was the guy who single-handedly who made my dive a reality else……….

Kenny and Jordy

Bhangra to banta hai! 

Inspiration - Jai BoP!

And then the moment of reckoning arrived at 11 AM…we sat in the plane and it started the take-off!  Bandita and a South African Girl were my group members on that particular dive!  And surprise-surprise…I was going to be the first one to make the dive as I sat last! And I was just not ready mentally! Jordy took a short interview and the words came out of my mouth so gingerly which rarely happens! (Watch the video for that fear-filled interview)!

Confidence for the Camera!

Kenny made the final preparations with me & my gear and tried his best to keep me motivated and brave just before I was ready (or was I?) to jump…I went till the edge of the plane, the door opened and then I made the BIG mistake of seeing down and then I just couldn’t do it…I refused to jump and backed out! It was the perfect example of the mind going completely blank and just not allowing the body to budge! Kenny told me “Don’t jump if you don’t want to” and my heart-mind-body-soul all together replied “I can’t do it” so he aborted my jump and we got back to our seats and then Bandita got ready for her jump! She gave me the thumbs-up before her edge of the plane final moment and jumped without any issues! And the South African girl jumped too…and I was left wondering WTF I just missed!

Real Confidence!

And then reality struck, I thought after planning for so long, paying all that money, getting adequately trained, getting so close how I could I let this opportunity go! Icing on the cake was when Kenny told me that only 2 people had backed out like me before in his SkyDive Instructor experience! And I made up my kind that surely I didn’t want to be the 3^rd one and gave Kenny the go-ahead! But there was a major roadblock thanks to this flip-flop! We had already passed the designated spot for the Dives and the pilot was getting ready for the landing! Kenny told him that I want to do the Dive but he gave a very vociferous thumbs-down and I saw the moment of glory passing my eyes that very instant!

But Jordy was in mood to let that happen! He asked me “Do you want to do it” & I replied “Yes, for sure” and then he got up from his seat, walked up to the pilot, tried his best to convince him and guess what! The Pilot changed his mind, took a U-Turn and soon we were hovering above the diving spot in the Air! Right above the Palm Islands!  For the second time Kenny made all the preparations and conducted all the security checks before we made the final move!

I thanked Kenny and Jordy before I got to the edge of the plane – for the second and hopefully the last time lest I changed my mind again! If I would have, then I am sure Kenny would have pushed me down!  He asked me one last time “Are you ready?” and I shook my head in affirmative!

No Escape now! 

I said “Jai Bajrang Bali” in my mind and then jumped…most importantly without looking down! And yes I was shit scared this time too but the moment I jumped just can’t be defined in words! It was by far the most exhilarating moments of my life…those 50 seconds of Freefall where I was hurtling down at some 220 kmph speed 13,000 feet above sea level! And yeah the Sea was right below me!  I shouted those special words “Jai BoP” like mad while Jordy was busy clicking pics and shooting the video! I kept shouting through those entire 50 seconds and feeling the thrill which was unparalleled! There was no fear but just pure adrenaline rush! Unforgettable moments for sure!

The Thrill!

After those blood rush moments Kenny opened the Parachute, sanity prevailed and I could witness the sights below me and enjoy those moments! The Palm Dubai looked so beautiful from the top and slowly we got ready for the touchdown!

And all this happened in a matter of 30 minutes (from sitting in the plane to the touchdown) but it lasted much longer for me in my mind! I landed safely and thanked the duo of Kenny & Jordy without whom the SkyDive wouldn’t have been possible! The way Kenny motivated me and Jordy convinced the Pilot was definitely worthy of much more than the words I spoke to them after the touchdown!  And then gave my signature pose, the one which I always give during my special milestones!

I hugged Bandita and told her the entire story! She was surprised too as she did the jump so comfortably! Even her instructor told her “Looks like your husband has chickened out” but when she finally saw me jumping from the plane she was mighty relieved that I finally did it afterall!

I removed the gear and then called up my Mother and Arunima telling them about my experience! Both of them were damn excited too and congratulated me! Arunima laughed like mad when I told her the entire story of my jump!

Even though a Tandem Jump isn’t too big a deal for many people as you don’t jump on your own and the instructor is tied to you but for me it was ultra special as I have always been afraid of the heights! And after those flip-flop moments I ensured that the jump became even more memorable! And the fact that Bandita also jumped with me made it further special!

The post-SkyDive Elation Pose!

We waited in the Office while our Video & photographs were being edited, customized and burnt on a DVD for us…we also bought SkyDive Tees for us and I also got one for Arunima as she had asked for it…we also bought some memorabilia items for memories sake, had a light meal and then got ready to leave after experiencing the thrill of a SkyDive! We got the DVDs and then left the campus for a well-deserved & celebratory lunch at the famous Pakistani Restaurant named Ravi and had a hearty meal of Seekh Kebabs, Mutton Korma and Biryani!

BIG thanks to Bandita for being the partner-in-rhyme, Arunima for the inspiration, SkyDive folks for the awesome planning, scheduling & the arrangements and most importantly to Jordy & Kenny for making the dive possible in the end! I had never even dreamt in the wildest of my dreams that I would be diving like this ever but in the end I finally did it!

Till the time we meet again… 

Cheers to life… 

Till then ride safe and have safe sex… 

Hasta la Victoria Siempre…

Jai BoP…

My SkyDive Video

Bandita's Dive Video

Facebook Album Link:

https://www.facebook.com/jha.nishant/media_set?set=a.10151550551826291.1073741831.704561290&type=3

Details about SkyDive Dubai:

Official Website: www.skydivedubai.ae

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/SkydiveDXB

Fees which we paid: 1750 AED or Dirhams (Inclusive of the DVD of the Video and Pics)

Whole Wheat Home-made Pizza

  

I am sure everybody loves eating Pizza; it is one of this things which is an universal favourite!

Pizza for me during my childhood days was all about the Onion Tomato Capsicum Pizza at the Bungalow Road, Kamla Nagar Nirula's Outlet which was my family's favourite and also of all my friends....right till the college days we used to be regulars there and always ordered this Pizza! Till that outlet closed down and so many memories faded away with it....

And then when Diabetes hit me eating that High Carb Pizza from outside became very tough for me and I started avoiding it completely...so wanted to try some low Carb home-made Pizza Recipe....

Since we moved to our home here in Kuwait we have been utilizing our OTG to the maximum! Cakes, Muffins, Baatis and what not! and since many days wanted to make Home-made Pizza too at home so started to explore a perfect recipe for the same from the internet and finally found a real good one so had to give it a try!

Here is the recipe which I followed: http://www.chiquskitchen.com/2013/10/homemade-pizza-recipe-with-wheat-flour.html. Thanks to Chiqu's Kitchen for this recipe and starting the Pizza Tryst for me!

And this was going to be my first experiment with the enigma known as "YEAST"...I had read so much about it's magical properties but had never given it a try so I was understandably excited and was also a bit worried too about how the Pizza Base would turn out...too thin, too thick, burnt or perfect! and in the end it came out pretty OK....so was more than happy with my effort!

Here you go with the recipe...

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoon dry instant active yeast
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
Oregano

Toppings: 
  * Onions
  * Capsicums
  * Tomatoes
  * Mushrooms
  * Jalapenos
  * Black Olives
  * Smoked Chicken Salami

Shredded Cheese:
  * Mozarella
  * Cheddar

Method:

1. Add the yeast to 3 tbsp lukewarm water. Add the honey and mix well and rest for a while.

2. In a bowl, combine the wheat flour, salt, olive oil,water and the yeast mixture. Sprinkle oregano for flavor.

3. Mix well with your hands. Knead the dough well to form a ball.

4. Take out the dough, oil the bowl and put the dough back. Turn the dough over so all the sides are coated with the oil.

5. Cover it with a cling wrap and leave it undisturbed for 1-2 hours until it doubles in size.

6. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

7. Take the dough out from the bowl and punch it down. Roll back into a ball and roll it out to the required thickness and diameter you like.

8. Prick the rolled dough with a fork and spread the Prego Chunky Garden Tomato sauce.

9. Top with the toppings of your choice and bake for 25 mins.

10. As we had a rectangular Overn Tray so made the Pizza in that shape and not in the conventional Circular shape!

11. We made 2 Pizzas - one vegetarian and the other non=vegetarian.

12. And once the Pizzas came out they tasted so well! all the efforts were worth it!

13. Thank me Later...

I am definitely gonna make this many a times in the future and make myself perfect in the process!



Till the time we meet again…

Cheers to life…

Till then ride safe and have safe sex…

Hasta la Victoria Siempre…

Methi Matar Tamatar Pulao

I have been exploring and experimenting a lot with Pulao Recipes lately and when I saw this it got to my cooking list very quickly - and the usual reasons; easy to make, mildly spiced, flavourful and looked good too!

Tanya Manjunath's Recipe Blog is a treasure trove for novices like me and I keep referring to it from time to time to learn new recipes! And this is her original recipe: http://tanyasrecipez.blogspot.com/2013/10/tomato-methi-pulav.html

Once again BIG THANKS to Tanya...

Here you go with my tinkered version of the recipe...

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice – 1 cup (Soaked for 1 hour)
Methi leaves – 1 small bunch – finely chopped
Tomatoes – 3 medium (red & ripe) – finely chopped
Oil – 4 tbsp
Cloves - 4
Cinnamon – 1 inch
Green cardamoms – 2
Bay Leaf- 1
Black Peppers - 5-6
Onion – 1 large – finely sliced
Ginger Garlic Paste – 2 tbsp
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp (you can use less)
Coriander Powder – 2 tbsp
Sambhar powder – 1 tbsp
Coriander Leaves – 1/2 cup - Finely Chopped
Mint leaves – 1/4 cup - Finely Chopped
Peas – 1/2 cup
Salt - as per taste


Method:

1. Heat oil in a pressure pan and add the cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon & green cardamoms and let them splutter

2. Then add the onions and sauté till they turn golden brown.

3. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute.

4. Add the methi leaves and fry it well.

5. Add the chopped tomatoes and bhunno till the oil separates.

6. Add turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder & sambhar powder and give it a mix.

7. Add the coriander leaves, mint leaves and peas and saute.

8. Add the soaked rice (and the water too) and mix it gently.

9. Add salt and check for seasoning.

10. Close the lid and pressure cook it up to 3 whistles.

11. Once done, let it stand for 10 mins before opening the lid.

12. Serve hot with Onion-Cucumber-Tomato Raita.

13. Thank me Later.


Till the time we meet again…

Cheers to life…

Till then ride safe and have safe sex…

Hasta la Victoria Siempre…

Chicken with Roasted Coconut

 Coconut has always been my favourite...be it in Sweets, Cookies, Chocolates or Curries so making a Chicken Dish with Coconut as one of the main ingredients and flavours was pretty natural!

Picked this recipe somewhere off Facebook but sadly don't remember the exact page...so thanks to the anonymous person who posted this recipe!

Ingredients:

For the Coconut Masala Paste:

Large onion- 1 peel, wash & cut into 4 Pieces
Dry red chilies- 4
Dessicated Coconut- 3/4 cup (though Freshly Grated would be a much better option)
6 cloves + 2 inches piece cinnamon + 3 green cardamoms + 2 tsp black pepper corns + 1 tsp mustard seeds + 1 tsp fenugreek seeds + 1 tsp cumin seeds + 1 tsp fennel seeds
Coriander powder- 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder- ½ tsp
Water- 1/2 cup

For the Chicken Curry:

Chicken- 750 grams
2 Onions -  thinly sliced
1 Large Tomato finely chopped
Chopped Ginger- 2 tsp
Chopped Garlic- 2 tsp
Slit Green Chillies- 2
Curry Leaves- 1 sprig
Salt
Mustard Oil - 4 tbsp

For the Tempering:

Mustard oil- 2 tbsp
Black mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Curry leaves- 2 sprigs
White vinegar- 1 tsp

Method:

1. In a non-stick frying pan add the dessicated coconut, dry red chilies, cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom, pepper corns, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seed & fennel seeds.

2. Dry fry on low flame till the coconut turns light brown in color. Ensure not to burn the spices.

3. Remove from heat and cool it. In a grinder add rest of the ingredients mentioned for coconut masala paste with the roasted coconut & the other spices. Add some water and grind till a smooth paste forms.

4. Heat the mustard oil in a non-stick kadhai.

5. Add the chopped ginger & garlic & curry leaves and sauté on medium flame for few seconds.

6. Next add the sliced onions, fry till they are light brown in color.

7. Then add the chopped tomato and sauté for 5-6 minutes till the oil comes on the top.

8. Now add the chicken pieces & green chilies. Mix, cover & cook for 10-12 minutes.

9. Then add the coconut masala paste, mix well and cover & cook for 15 minutes on low flame.

10. Keep stirring in between; add 1 cup of water & salt. Mix well cover & cook till the chicken pieces are fully cooked.

11. Heat 2 tbsp mustard oil in a frying pan. Splutter the mustard seeds and then add the curry leaves. Sauté for few seconds, turn off the heat, add vinegar, mix & pour this tadka over the chicken curry.

12. Serve hot with steamed rice and rotis.

13. Thank me Later.


Till the time we meet again…

Cheers to life…

Till then ride safe and have safe sex…


Hasta la Victoria Siempre…

Methi Matar Malai Murgh

Another of Seema Hussain's special recipes! There is so much to learn from her cooking - she is definitely one of the top inspirations for me...she is a master-class! I would love to eat her special dishes one day! she lives in Saudi Arabia so that is a definite possibility! 

The recipe and the photograph she posted on her FB Page was inspiring enough for me to give this very famous recipe a try and even though the way my recipe looked very different from Seema's recipe! Bandita as always was game to sample this and helped me in the Kitchen! without her no cooking is possible for me as I find it extremely boring to cook alone in the kitchen! so invariably she is always a partner-in-rhyme for me! in Travelling, watching movies and cooking as well!

This one is an extremely flavourful, low on spices and a delightfully delicious recipe! and I am not boasting but would like to say that this tasted like the one we get in restaurants! It makes me feel real good that I have improved my cooking skills so much in the last 3-4 months! and have moved ahead from the days of National-Shaan Spice Mixes! and there is a long way to go and I am ready to go the distance! Big thanks to all the FB Food Pages I am a part of for inspiring me for exploring this passion!

And now the Recipe Details...

Ingredients:

Chicken   - 750 grams
Green Peas (Matar) - 1 Cup (Boiled)
Butter - 3 tbsp
oil - 1 tbsp
Whipped Cream - 1/2 cup (I used Half Fat Almarai Fresh Cream)
Yoghurt - 1/4 cup (I used Half Fat Almarai Fresh Yoghurt)
Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
Ginger Paste - 2 tbsp
Garlic Paste - 2 tbsp
Onion - 1 (Medium Size)
Tomatoes - 2 (Medium Size)
Green chillies - 2
Green Coriander - 1/4 bunch
Garam Masala Powder - 1 tbsp
Kasoori Methi - 1 tbsp (Crushed)
Salt - As per taste

Method: 

1. Marinate the Chicken with Yoghurt & Lemon Juice and refrigerate for half an hour.

2. In a blender put roughly chopped onion, tomatoes, green chillies, green coriander and make a fine paste out of it.

3. Heat the oil & butter in a non-stick pan, add ginger & garlic paste, stir for 1-2 minutestill it changes colour to brown.

4. Add the green paste, stir and cook on medium low heat for 10 minutes or till the oil starts floating on the masala.

5. Add the marinated chicken, salt as per taste, some water, stir well and cover the lid

6. Keep stirring in between and when the chicken is about to done then add the Boiled Matar, Garam Masala powder, Kasoori Methi, cook for 5-6 minutes and then add the whisked fresh cream and simmer on low heat for another 5-6 minutes.

7. Cook till the Chicken is well cooked and the Butter-Oil starts floating on the gravy.

8. Enjoy with Rotis and Rice.

9. Thank me Later.



Till the time we meet again…

Cheers to life…

Till then ride safe and have safe sex…

Hasta la Victoria Siempre…

Kesar Kheer

Deepawali away from home is always sad and just can't get the same even when it is celebrated with full fervour here in Kuwait and the thing I miss the most about Deepawali back home is the special food cooked by my mother on this special day! The Dahi Vade, Poori, Aloo-Tamatar ki Sabzi and the awesome Kheer which she makes! I have grown up devouring the Kheer she makes and have rarely liked any other version made by somebody else! that's how special her Kheer is!

To make this day special I decided to make Kesar Kheer at home myself this time! I have always made Phirni/Kheer using the National/Mehran readymade mix always but this time I wanted to make it special! I wanted to make it from scratch and boy I was successful or what! And the icing on the cake was this was calorie free and sugar free as I used Half Fat Milk and Splenda as the sweetener!

Thanks to the best possible Recipe Book on Indian Cuisine - "Prashad - Cooking with Indian Masters" the Kheer became a reality!

My parents are coming to Kuwait in February 2014 and I am definitely making this for them!

And now the recipe details...

Ingredients:

3 Litres Milk (I used the Half Fat variety)
75 grams Basmati Ricce
3 tbsp Desi Ghee
75 grams Splenda (Granulated)
15 Green Cardamoms
15 Almonds
1/4 cup Raisins
15 Cashews
15 Pistachios
2 grams Saffron
30 ml Milk (to dissolve the Saffron)

Method:

1. Wash the Rice in running water, soak for an hour and then drain

2. Blanch the Almonds in warm water for 10 minutes, remove the skin and then slice them

3. Saute the Pistachios and Cashews in Ghee for 5 minutes and make a powder of 10 green cardamoms

4. Dissolve the Saffron in warm milk for 15-20 minutes

5. Pour the Milk in a Pan and bring it to boil

6. Heat the ghee, add 5 full cardamoms, add the soaked rice and bhunno it when it changes colour to light brown (it should take 8-10 minutes)

7. Add the Rice to the boiling milk and stirring continuously all the while, keep simmering it on low flame and keep stirring continuously so that the mixture doesn't get burnt in the bottom

8. The MOST IMPORTANT key is Low flame and the continuous stirring!

9. Once the mix is reduced to 60-70% of the original volume, add the Splenda Powder and stir slowly so that it gets dissolved completely

10. Add all the Dry Fruits at this stage plus the Green Cardamom Powder

11. Keep stirring till you get the desired consistency of the Kheer

12. The Kesar Kheer is ready to devour...

13. Thank me later


Till the time we meet again…

Cheers to life…

Till then ride safe and have safe sex…

Hasta la Victoria Siempre…

Kabuli Chana Biryani

Wanted to try a Vegetarian Biryani of some different style since quite some time and a Google search led me to this recipe on the Simply Tadka Blog: http://www.simplytadka.com/2013/10/kabuli-chana-biryani-biryani-recipe.html

Thanks to Preeti Garg and her well managed Recipe Website - Simply Tadka!

This looked and sounded really easy and delicious too so the decision was quite simple for me!

And this turned out so well I was surprised myself! I never expected the flavours to come out perfectly well in my first attempt but they did! it was light, flavourful, aromatic and a complete meal in itself! The Kesar flavour made it special! thanks to the Taj Mahal Spanish Saffron we used! before coming to Kuwait I thought Saffron only grew in Kashmir and since we have started using the Spanish type we have figured out that is much more flavourful & aromatic than it's Kashmiri Sibling!

And now the Recipe:

We have to cook the Chana and Rice separately, layer it with friend onions & chopped coriander and then do the final cooking in a Microwave Oven...

This would look a little too lengthy but believe me once you would make it this would be relatively quite easy & quick!

Ingredients:

4 Cup boiled Basmati Rice
3 Tbsp. Ghee
1/4 Cup Milk
Few Strands Saffron
1 Cup Fried Onions
1/2 Cup Chopped Green Coriander

For Kabuli Chana Gravy:

2 Cup Boiled White Chickpeas
1/4 Cup Yogurt
2 medium size chopped Tomatoes
2 chopped Green Chillies
1 Tsp. julienned Ginger
1/2 Tsp. Garam masala
2 Tbsp. Coriander powder
1 Tsp. Turmeric powder
1 Tsp. Red chili Powder
Salt to taste

Method:

For Kabuli Chana Gravy:

1. Heat the ghee in a non-stick pan and splutter the cumin seeds.

2. Add the green chillies & ginger and sauté for 1 minute on medium flame.

3. Add the chopped tomatoes, mash them and cook them till the ghee comes on the top.

4. Add all the spices and mix well.

5. Add the stirred yoghurt and cook on low flame for 5-7 minutes.

6. Add the kabuli chana, some water and cook for 10-12 minutes.

Other Preparations:

1. Slice the onions, fry them until they are golden brown, remove on plate and keep aside.

2. Soak the saffron in warm milk and keep aside for 10-15 minutes.

3. Soak the basmati rice for an hour, cook it with water and salt, drain the water once the rice is cooked and keep aside.

The Biryani Assembly:

1. Take a microwave safe dish (we used a Plastic one) and grease with ghee

2. Sprinkle 1/3rd of the fried onion and chopped coriander.

3. Put half portion of the cooked rice and spread it evenly.

4. Pour 1/2 portion of the saffron milk and 1/3rd of the onion & coriander.

5. Put the kabuli chana gravy over it and spread it evenly covering the rice completely.

6. Put the remaining rice and spread evenly.

7. Pour the remaining saffron milk and garnish with the coriander and fried onions.

8. Microwave it for 10 minutes and serve hot with Raita/Chutney/Achar; we enjoyed it without any accompaniment!

9. Thank me later!





Till the time we meet again…

Cheers to life…

Till then ride safe and have safe sex…

Hasta la Victoria Siempre…

Moti Dhaba Chicken Curry

OK so first things first....the plan was to make Tanya Manjunath's Chicken Butter Roast Recipe but then things turned out completely differently but a real good one at that! after all the recipe was so good it just couldn't go wrong!

The original recipe: http://tanyasrecipez.blogspot.com/2013/09/chicken-butter-roast.html

The look of the dish was so tempting that within a day of seeing this recipe I decided to make my version! the Garlic and the Butter flavours were very inviting indeed!

And the resulting dish was simply awesome and the taste was very similar to the Chicken Curry I have always enjoyed at Moti Dhaba, Ghanta Ghar, North Delhi...had it for the first time when I was in Class 9 in 1994 when I was just a 14 years old! my brother took me there and then it became a regular trip for us! the Chicken & Mutton Curry there have been always the best curries I have had and there has been no competition ever since! so many memories from that place come gushing to my mind....but the worst part is that I can't go there now as my brother told me that there was some family fight and the Dhaba closed down...so I got to make this recipe again & again to remind me of Moti Dhaba!

And I would be definitely trying Tanya's recipe again too to get those lovely colours!

Without further adieu the recipe details....

Ingredients:

Chicken – 750 grams
Dry red chillies – 10 (depending on your taste)
Coriander seeds – 4 tbsp
Cloves – 6
Cinnamon – 2 inches piece
Green cardamom - 4
Garlic – 8-10 cloves - crushed
Onion – 2 medium – roughly chopped
Butter – 6 tbsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt
Water as needed


Method:

1. In a non-stick kadhai dry roast the dried red chillies, coriander seeds, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom. Ensure that you don't burn these spices and then let them cool off.

2. In the same kadhai heat 2 tbsp of butter plus 1/2 tsp oil then add the garlic and onion. Saute till the mixture turns golden brown and the aromas engulf you & the kitchen.

3. Now grind this along with the above roasted spices into a fine paste. Add water for the consistency.

4. Heat 4 tbsp butter plus 1/2 tsp oil and add the masala paste. Keep stirring till the oil separates.

5. Add the chicken pieces and keep frying for 10-12 minutes and add salt.

6. Cover and cook on a medium flame and add water based on your gravy preference.

7. Once the chicken is cooked, uncover it and fry it on high flame.

8. The Moti Dhaba Curry is ready to be devoured with Rice and Rotis.

9. Thank me later!

Till the time we meet again…

Cheers to life…

Till then ride safe and have safe sex…

Hasta la Victoria Siempre…

Captain Phillips ||| My Review

I watched the first trailer of Captain Phillips in May 2013 and it was sure that this had to be watched on the big screen! Tom Hanks, a Piracy Movie based on a real life incident and Paul Greengrass. the director of the film [Director of The Bourne Supremacy (2004), United 93 (2006), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) & Green Zone (2010)] were strong enough reasons to wait for this movie to release!

The Movie released here in the Diwali Weekend and we went to watch it last night at Fanar - our favourite Cinema here  and witnessed a spectacular movie! and as always Last Row-Centre Tickets!

The story isn't a secret as all of you know and is based on a real life incident which happened on 8 April 2009 when four Somali pirates based on the FV Win Far 161 attacked the MV Maersk Alabama 240 and all four of the pirates were between 17 and 19 years old. This event ended after a rescue effort by the U.S. Navy on 12 April 2009. It was the first successful pirate seizure of a ship registered under the American flag since the early 19th century!

The story of the incident was reported in the book A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea (2010), by Stephan Talty and Captain Richard Phillips, who had been master of the vessel at the time of the incident and then made into this film Captain Phillips.

More details about the incident can be read at : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maersk_Alabama_hijacking

And this is a movie about Tom Hanks yes but the 4 Somali Pirates have done a superb job as well with their brilliant debut performances! It is a breathtakingly intense movie where even the silence of the sea never gets boring and you keep waiting for the next scene!



This is definitely one of the year’s best movies I have watched and Hanks’ strongest performance in the last 10 years and we were on the edge of our seats through the entire movie and the 134 minutes passed in a jiffy! it never felt like watched a 2 hours and 14 minutes of the movie! It is a ticking time bomb which keeps getting closer and closer to the final blast and keeps getting captivating with each passing minute! I felt like there was a gun on my head too at times!

The last 15 minutes of “Captain Phillips” are perhaps the most compelling moments of film and the ones which would always remain with me! and that is what Cinematic brilliance is...

I am very sure that Hanks' extraordinary acting in the last few scenes when he's bound with ropes and trapped with a gun on his head in the lifeboat to the final scenes when he gets rescued and reaches the doctor's table would get the two-time Oscar-winner his sixth nomination and maybe if he is lucky then the 3rd Best Actor Oscar too!

A special mention for Barkhad Abdi who played the pirate leader Abduwali Muse for his electrifying performance! the way he says "Irish, everything will be fine" is definitely the best dialogue of the movie! the way he keeps calm & collected amidst all the chaos was tremendously well-executed!

And this movie passes a very strong message too! one just can't mess with USA! One captive Ship Captain and there were 3 US Navy Vessels out there to rescue him and then the Navy Seal Intervention as well! they definitely told all the pirates out there about who is the real boss!

I wonder how Ron Howard would have made this movie as he was originally slated to direct Captain Phillips while Greengrass was developing Rush, but in the end the two film-makers swapped these 2 projects and the results of both of these movies have been outstanding! and I have been lucky enough to watch both of them on the big screen!

The cinematography of the film is brilliant specially the lifeboat interior scenes where the handheld camera-work has been masterfully executed! and the background score kept getting better and added to the tension & excitement build up!

I am sure the real Captain Phillips must be mighty pleased too when he would have know that Hanks was playing his role!



This is one of those movies which would be best enjoyed on the big screen and must not be missed! so please don't wait for those Pirated Cam Prints or even the DVD Rips! get moving and enjoy this on the big screen! I am sure you would be entertained and captivated just like me!

My rating 4.5/5...

Till the time we meet again…

Cheers to life…

Till then ride safe and have safe sex…

Hasta la Victoria Siempre…

Chicken Ishtew

This is one dish which I have always loved gorging in the by-lanes of Old Delhi but the Lamb Version and the distinct name Ishtew came from there only! The Karim's and Al Jawahars of the world are the real experts so when I saw the recipe on Seema Hussain's FB Page: It'S All About Seem's Food  I had to make this one...

She had posted the Mutton Stew recipe but I decided to make Chicken Ishtew instead! Thursday Evening, start of the weekend and the perfect time to start it on a high....

And it came out superb! very easy to make and the texture of this dish is very unique indeed....creamy without the cream and mellow due to the onions...and not too spicy as well! highly recommended I say!

Here you go with the recipe...

Ingredients:

750 grams Fresh Chicken
600 grams Sliced Onion
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp coriander seeds slightly roasted and coarsely ground
1 tsp whole black pepper
5 to 6 cloves
6-7 green cardamoms
2 black cardamoms
2 bay leaves
8-9 whole dry red chillies (dried)
2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
2 whole green chillies (slit)
cooking oil - 6 tbsp
salt as per taste

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a Kadhai, Put the Black-Green cardamoms, cumin seeds ,black pepper, cloves, bay leaves and fry 1/4th of the sliced onions well till they are light brown in color and soft

2. Then add the chopped ginger & garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes

2. Add the chicken and fry well, after 5 - 6 minutes

3. Then add the coriander seeds add half cup water and fry on low flame for 3-4 minutes

4. Now add the remaining onions, whole red chillies(roughly chopped), Add 1 cup water and salt to taste.

5. Cover the lid of the Kadhai and let it cook till the chicken is almost done while stirring in between

6. Once the Chicken is cooked open the lid and cook it without the lid and cook this till the gravy is thick and onion is fully dissolved and the oil starts floating

7. Add the green chillies simmer on a very low heat for few minutes and serve

8. Thank me later

Till the time we meet again…

Cheers to life…

Till then ride safe and have safe sex…

Hasta la Victoria Siempre…

Tomato Bhaat

The inspiration or the sudden inclination I should say came all thanks to Tanya Manjunath's post of Kohlapuri Chicken on Chef at Large and her Recipe BlogPost; as BP is blocked in my office I came back home and checked out her recipe & while doing that bumped into her Tomato Bath Recipe on that page! and there was a sudden blood-rush to make this dish tonight itself! Just couldn't wait and as always my partner-in-rhyme got excited too!

Link to the original recipe: http://tanyasrecipez.blogspot.com/2013/09/tomato-bath-tomato-pulav_6.html

And I am definitely many of Tanya's other recipes very soon starting with Chicken Pulao this weekend! already am a big fan of her recipes :) BIG THANKS to her for this...

We loved the taste of this super awesome & easy to make Rice delicacy and would be repeating it many a times in the future! Bandita just loved it!

Once we finished watching BigBoss, I went to buy Tomatoes, Pudina and Coconut Milk and Bandita started the initial preparations for this first time recipe!

I made some minor modifications to the original recipe and hoped for the best....

Here you go with the Recipe...

Ingredients:

Rice – 1 cup (I used Basmati, soaked for 30 minutes)
Tomatoes – 3 medium sized – pureed
Whole Garam masala (Cloves -4, Cinnamon – 1 inch, green cardamoms – 4, bay leaf- 1)
Onion – 1 large – finely chopped
Ginger  – 1 small piece
Garlic - 3 Pods
Green chillies – 3
Coriander leaves – ½ cup
Mint leaves – ¼ cup
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsbp
Garam masala powder – ½ tsp
Coconut milk – 2 cups
Oil – 3 tbsp
Salt as per taste

Method:

1. Blend the Tomatoes into a fine puree in a blender

2. Make a fine paste of the Green Coriander, Ginger, Mint Leaves, Green Chillies and coriander

3. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add whole garam masala and let it splutter

4. Add the chopped onion and sauté till the colour changes to the beautiful golden brown and I just love that glaze!

5. Add the paste you made and sauté for a while. Now add the tomato paste and sauté it till the oil separates.

6. Add the turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder and give it a mix.

7. Then add the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add salt and check if you need to play around with the salt or any of the spices as per your taste.

8. Add the soaked rice and mix it. Close the lid and pressure cook it up to 4 whistles.

9. Serve hot with Onion-Tomato-Cucumber Raita and enjoy the subtle flavours of Tomatoes, Coriander and Pudina.............

10. Thank me later.


Till the time we meet again…

Cheers to life…

Till then ride safe and have safe sex…

Hasta la Victoria Siempre…