Life is Beautiful! Love it the fullest!
In the back lanes of Dadar (West), a few doors from the legendary Ideal Bookstore, is this amazing place for batatavada, samosa, juices and anything you can stuff in your mouth. Mouth-watering delicacies and super cheap prices. For $2 you can feed a whole family (Meera only sips juice). [Read more...]
Hoping you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Meera and M are doing superbly well and healthy. Our lives have been enriched in so many ways: great family and friends, satisfying careers and fulfilling “dharma”. We are thankful for all this and more! ~ Arun
This post by Preena reminded me of this older woman cooking on the sidewalk in South Mumbai. It was a simple, charred metal can she used to boil a little bit of rice. That was all she had for dinner. [Read more...]
Its mango season and I’m reposting this from a few years ago. Gosh, how I miss shopping mangoes in Mumbai. A case of the best.
In India, the scorching heat is but a small price to pay for luscious aapus mangoes. My mother was irked I skipped lunches and feasted instead on four mangoes, and a few more after dinner. During the last week, I was gulping 6-8 aapus a day, hoping to be sick of them by the time I returned. Alas, in the cafeteria today my eyes searched for mangoes, knowing full well there weren't any. [Read more...]
On a recent visit, the Gateway of India was lit up for a Classical Indian Music Program. Other than the loud screeching, jostling crowds and ugly barricades, it was a wonderful evening. [Read more...]
Post updated with newer pics from a recent visit.
Hope you have all tried Sutarfeni – the sweet, shredded, flaky, rice dough, topped with pista and almonds. What a dangerous agent it is; melts my self-discipline, and like a slobbering idiot I empty a pound of this “buddi ka baal” in no time. [Read more...]
Shree guru charan saroj raj, nija manu mukuru sudhari |
Baranau raghubar bimal jasu, jo dayak phal chaari ||
With the mirror of the mind, cleansed by the dust of the lotus feet of my Guru;
(listen) to the unblemished glory of Hanuman, exalted one of the Raghu dynasty, who can bestow the four fruits (dharma, artha, kaama and moksha)
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Wishing you all a wonderful Hanuman Jayanti!
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During a visit to the Shivaji Museum in Mumbai, I captured this outdoor installation on the grounds of the Museum by Prashant Keluskar and Laxmi Narwekar. Very creative. The artists are trying to remind us that the earth is fragile. I think it better depicts the fragile and infantile nature of the human psyche. Perhaps you see both here. I have included a few more shots as well as a grab of the artists’ explanation below. What does this tell you? [Read more...]
Its a long tradition in South Mumbai ~ come Sunday morning the boys head out to Oval Maidan with whatever gear they can scrounge around. They stake a tiny sliver of a pitch, drive stumps in the dusty field and play some cricket. The pitch (and cricket) is a social leveller; the quality of your gear is immaterial, its how you connect – bat to ball. Three stumps is a luxury and bells are definitely not needed. Who needs shoes and pads? A tennis or simple rubber ball will do. As kids I have even played with layers of paper crumbled hard and held by rubber bands. When you are all sweaty and exhausted, grab some limbu paani or ganna juice on the way back home. Another beautiful Sunday! [Read more...]
Since I grew up around the corner, visiting the Gateway of India makes my Mumbai visit complete, like visiting relatives, or a nearby temple or eatery. Gateway of India is home. On a recent early morning visit, I noticed this group of out-or-towners striding to the waterfront. Women in colorful sarees and ochre turbans of some of the menfolks caught my eye.
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The best of street food at home. Pan-roasted Trader Joe’s Masala Burger, topped with basic ussal, yogurt, chopped onions and chaat masala.
I used TJs Masala Burger for these Quick Pattis Roll-ups too.
Ragda Pattis from Kailash Parbat (Mumbai) is my favorite and I have posted their ragda pattis pics twice before:
Marathoner, Professor, Author, Citizen Journalist, Fitness Nut, Foodie, Meera's father, Hindu, Scientist, Photographer.
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