Wanderberry Tales

Biriyani is a feast in itself for most Indians but when it came to our PG gang ( running into the pre-wedding days for a while), biriyani was the solution to depression as well. Every emotion we could think of was followed by ordering biriyani from Mughal Empire in AECS Layout. We got a hike - its biriyani, we are tired - its biriyani, we got reprimanded by parents - its biriyani, manager gave us a earful - biriyani again, had a tiff with friends - biriyani all over again. Every emotion had a solution - Mughal Empire Biriyani. The guy taking the order at Mughal Empire need not be reminded of the address and the quantity - the only thing that varied was the type between chicken and fish. We lost count of the times we have ordered it but washed and kept intact all the 'white dabbas' they came in, only to be thrown out during every cleaning session! This is how biriyani became part of my life - we tried making biriyani couple of times when in the PG - none too succes

Every vacation has three phases -  The waiting phase - You have planned your vacation, arrangements have been made, you are on a shopping spree, you are texting your relatives and friends on your upcoming vacation plans, you are clearing your fridge and finally packing your bags. To add on - I do an additional cleaning of the house because I love to see the house clean and neat on my return! This is an exciting phase and the feeling that you have something bright to look forward to makes even the most daunting task enjoyable. The actual vacation - this is the fun part. Your waiting is over and here it is finally - the execution of all that you planned. Meeting family, friends and relatives - lots of nostalgic moments, being pampered by family until the day it is time to pack your bags and return. The vacation hangover - the most annoying phase that comes after your vacation. The feeling of emptiness, a vague sense of nothing to look forward to, a weariness to get back to track,

Living in the middle east makes you crave for those green sights and where better can you satisfy your longing than at your parents place. Sitting back and relaxing with a steaming pot of masala tea on the traditional cane chair overlooking the yard - watching the orchids and the roses bloom in mamma's garden, three naughty little dachshunds (Rani - the senior and our companion for years, Bruno - the naughtiest and gunda of the lot and the 7 month old sweetheart, Coco)dashing around like there is no tomorrow  and a wonderful evening pass by with your family.  There is truly no place like home!! Can't say how much I miss this. I crave for those rainy weekend evenings during the school days when all we needed was a cup of tea with fried snacks and lots of family talk! This time in our series of cooking with family - it is my mamma again as we make masala tea for one such wonderful and lazy evening when all we want to do is sit and chat! Ingredients (Makes 4 cups)

It is vacation time and for the first time blogging from a place other than home in Dubai. It feels good to be home and lot of changes have happened in a year - our family of doggies grew from 2 to 3, trees have been replaced by roads and places are beyond recognition, the bakery with my favorite egg samosa seems to have closed down, swipe machines have appeared even at the smallest of stores - demonetisation effect and yet the Gudbud ice cream tastes heavenly except for the increasing price and the decreasing glass size!! While I feast on my mom's food and savor every moment - why don't you guys virtually feast on the recipe from my archives - Vermicelli Upma. I love the sweetness of this and for me it goes well even without a chutney. Ghee enhances the flavor and peanuts adds the crunch. So here we go -  Ingredients (Serves - 2) Vermicelli - 1 cup Water - 1 cup Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Urad dal -