My Road Trip to Rajasthan! Part 1

Hi everybody!!


Guess what? I went on a road trip to Rajasthan! It was AMAZING!! 


Here are a few pics of the places I visited along with some trivia about the places. Hope you like it!

Bada Bagh Cenotaphs, Jaisalmer:

Bada Bagh (Big Garden) was started by Maharawal Jait Singh II between 1513 AD and 1528 AD and completed by his son Lunkaran, after his death. It is located on the Ramgarh Road, 5 kms north of Jaisalmer. 

Kuldhara Village, Jaisalmer:

Drive 18 km west of Jaisalmer and you will come upon the village of Kuldhara. Once a prosperous settlement of the Paliwal Brahmins, all the residents of Kuldhara and 83 nearby villages vanished suddenly one night in 1825, having lived there since 1291. In all likelihood they set up base somewhere beyond Jodhpur but no one has ever been sure.

What made them want to abandon everything overnight? The Prime Minister, or the dewan, is believed to have developed a lecherous eye for the chief’s daughter; it is said the Paliwal women were in general stunningly beautiful. He may even have imposed unreasonable taxes on them. With pride and honour overruling all worldly interests, the chiefs of the 84 villages decided to go away in a single night with whatever they could carry with them.

The dusty little village had long narrow lanes crisscrossing everywhere -don't know whether it was the heightened senses but one could really feel strange faces peeking from behind the walls. 

While leaving the village we could feel the sadness and helplessness running through the ruins.  An old city had unpeeled its secrets to us.

         

A Stove in one of the ancient houses

Well folks, thats all for now. Will upload the rest of the pics tomorrow!

Shrimps in Green Gravy - Yummilicious!

Hi ya all!


How have you been?? I tried this Shrimp Recipe today. Its amongst my mom's specialties. Now, my mom is a VERY VERY VERY Good Cook!! I mean she's AMAZING!! People who taste her food ALWAYS come back for more! So, as I was saying, I got this recipe from my mom.


Ingredients:


Onions: 2 (Big)
Garlic: 12 Cloves + 3 Cloves
Coriander leaves: About 3/4 Cup (Chopped)
Green Chillies: 3 (You can increase or decrease it according to your taste and your 'Hot' Meter)
Shrimps: 350-400 grams (Washed, De-shelled and Deveined)
Turmeric Powder: 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt: To Taste
Water
Oil
Lemon Wedges and Coriander Leaves for Garnishing
Method: 


1) Grind the Onions, 12 Garlic cloves, Coriander leaves and Green chillies to a fine paste.
2) Marinate the Shrimps in Turmeric Powder and some salt for about 10-15 Minutes.
3) In the meantime, heat some oil in a cooking pot and add Onion-Garlic-Coriander-Chilly paste. Saute it over low heat. Keep stirring so that the paste doesn't stick to the pot. Add a few drops of oil now and then if needed. Now, when you cook this paste, the chillies in the mixture lose some of their spiciness. Saute this mixture on a low flame for about 10 minutes or till the raw taste of the paste disappears. Keep stirring while you saute it.
4) Now, add the Shrimps in the cooking pot. Slice 3 Garlic Cloves and add it to the shrimps. Add 3-4 tablespoons of water and Stir well. (Add some more water if you want a thin gravy). Cover the pot and cook over a medium flame.
5) Stir from time to time so that it doesn't stick to the pot. Add some water now and then if required.
6) It usually takes 15 minutes to cook the shrimps but you can always check and if they still seema a little raw, you can cook them for some more time.
7) Garnish them with Lemon Wedges and Coriander Leaves.


I hope you try this recipe and I really hope you all like it.


P.S: I served the dish in a Traditional Indian 'Patela' (Indian Aluminium Pot)

My 1st Recipe- Masala Fried Fish

Hi!!!


Well, Long time, eh? Sorry guys. I was just getting settled in my new house as a newly wed. Well, guess what? I just discovered that Im a really good cook!! Well, I dont like to brag, but I really really mean it! Just today, I made some Masala Fried Fish. Here is the recipe for the same:


Masala Fried Fish:


Pomfret Fish (Large) 1 pc
Cumin Seeds 1.5 Tsp
Turmeric Powder 0.5 Tsp
Chilli Powder 1 Tsp
Tandoori Masala 1 Tsp
Garlic 5 Cloves
Lemon Juice 2 Tsp
Salt to taste
Oil to fry


Method:


Wash the fish and slice it. Clean it thouroughly.


Grind the cumin seeds, turmeric powder, chilli powder, tandoori masala, garlic, lemon juice and salt. Add some water to get a 'Pastey' consistency.


Marinate the fish in the mixture for an hour.


Heat oil in a shallow pan.


Now dust the fish with some flour and fry the fish till it becomes golden brown!


My family likes the fish a little spicy so if you want it to be less spicy you can reduce some of the spices.


Sorry, I dont have any pics because...ahem...we ate it up!


Love ya all!


Alia