Lamahatta:A hamlet in the clouds

If you love mountains, then you would know the charm of sleepy little villages in the lap of mountains which stay hidden in clouds. Just not the beauty of the places, but the true gem in this places are the 'pahari' people. They will make you feel at home in no time. I find them far less complex & much much more friendly than people from the plain-land. Anyway, seeking a break from the cacophony of city life, we headed to Lamahatta,a small hamlet near Darjeeling for a weekend getaway. A 2 hrs drive from NJP, the place has been recently developed. A garden has been constructed & a small trek that leads to a small lake or "pokhri" at the top of a the hill.

There isnt much to do here,if you are looking for activities. You can just spend some idle,quality time with your dear ones or even touch base with yourself. The garden & the trek to teh hill-top is developed by the localites & is very well-maintained. The silence of the place,specially of the hill-top is a pleasure to the sore ears.

We stayed at the Everest-hut homestay and was hosted by the wonderfull Mr. Tashi Sherpa & his lovely wife, Sushila-ji. The moment you step in,it felt like we are being hosted by our friends.

The food was being cooked by Sushila-ji herself and what surprised me was the cleanliness of everything. They would go out of their ways & wait for us all the time so that they can serve us warm food. The simple lunch meal & the awesome pork curry for dinner will stay in my memories for a long time.

You can reach them at http://lamahattahomestay.com/ (9434865611) and book your stay a bit ahead. The no of rooms are limited by the time we went. We stayed at the couple's room, which was the corner most room & gave us the privacy we needed. The window in room, opened to the view of the hills with the townships of the  hills shining brightly in the evening. 

You can go for sight-seeing to nearby places like Delo, kalimpong, thakdah, tinchuley,etc. Though we decided to stay put & soak in the silence as much as we could.

For any other help, do let me know...I'll be more than happy to share any further information I have!! 
Happy Journey !! :)

100 days

How do you react when you are 100 days closer to what you have wanted for so long & then the next day its all gone? I feel hollow, feels like somebody turned me inside out. She was so close that I could feel her & then she left. I had to let her go. I could not bear to see her. He did. She might have looked like him...the way I always wanted, I would never know.No matter what or how I proclaim, I always wanted our kid to be like her father...his eyes,his nose,his dimples,his heart. And I'll bear the impressions of those two very tiny feet forever on my soul.(1st Dec)

Beyond expectations

When something beyond expectation happens,what do we do?? Learn to live with it? Realize that nothing has changed? That all the while, the flimsy facade you have created, that you call your world is as flimsy as it sounds. Nothing actually changes may be.Specially, the way you feel for a person. No matter how much you try, you care....nothing is enough,nothing was. Or do you decide to quit? Tired of expecting & believing? How many years can a mountain exist,Before it is washed to the sea?
How many years can some people exist,Before they're allowed to be free?
How many times can a man turn his head,And pretend that he just doesn't see?

Ebaar Aranye..."Jhargram Diaries"

Searching for offbeat locations for weekend trip, one of my friend came up with the idea of  making a trip to Jhargram & all of us agreed instantly. The place is coming up very fast and is constantly being featured in lots of travel groups but as yet it stays a little offbeat & less crowded. Jhargarm in itself has an illustrious history & is quite developed, thanks to Raja Narasingha Malla Deb who really had a big hand in the development of Jhargram. The moment our car found its way to the outskirts of Jhargram, a wave of green, complimented by the rainy season greeted us. The empty roads across the jungle in itself has a big calming effect. By the time we reached our stay, we were hungry for more of that!! We stayed at Kaushalya Heritage(9830634541), which is located just outside the hustle bustle of the Jhargram town & surrounded by forest.The hotel is very well built. I totally loved the wooden furniture's which gives it an old-school charm. But as is,it is a bit ill maintained.The bed-sheets were tainted & the blankets were so dusty,it almost gave me an allergy. But, the food was pretty nice though the service was a bit slow. I guess the staff is not accustomed yet to handle large groups of people. We booked 4 double bedrooms and fortunately one of us were upgraded to a suite because they dint have another double bed room. The suite was pretty big enough for all 9 of us to sit together & dance around!! Also, it came with a attached small room with another bed & dresser. This would be perfect as family room.

As soon as we finished our sumptuous lunch, we set out for soaking in more of Jhargram and its lush greenery. Our driver Sanjay Mahato(9547729095) is nice young guy with extremely reasonable rate. He directly took us to the Kanaka Durga Temple. It looks like a clearing in the forest,there are 2 temples in the premise & a little research told us that the old, almost at the verge of ruin temple building is the original one built in 1348 while the newer version of the temple was built in 1994 by a local activist. Unfortunately, we could not see the deity as the temple was closed, apparently it houses a golden durga idol hence the name "Kanak Durga". A little walk from the temple took us to this dulung river which gushed powered by the incessant rains we presumed. Surrounded by green,the place has its own charm and mysticism. All of us, really really liked the place and were happy to click a few selfies along the way. Oh almost forgot, the place is densely inhabited by monkeys who were ogling at us like we were trespassing on their territory.

Next we headed for the Jhargram Palace. Jhargram Palace is one of the prime attractions of that area.Wikipedia tells us, the dynasty of Jhargram Rajas' dated back to Mughal era. The most influential raja being Raja Narasinga Malla Deb who commissioned the building of the new palace,which dates back to 1931. We weren't allowed to enter the premises but the place looked very interesting & well maintained from the gates. Interestingly, WBTDC in collaboration with the present Raja has built an ecotourism resort right outside the main gates of the Palace. Apparently, a stay in this resorts can get you the permission to enter the palace premises.

Distraught, we decided to have some snacks and tea at the eco-resort's cafeteria. Although the servings were pretty good, the serving time left us disappointed. They took close to 1 hour to serve a simple order of tea and chicken pakoras.

Last place for the day was Medicinal Plants Garden in Kalaboni. It housed hundred of plants with medicinal properties, each with board listing its benefits. It was nice seeing some unfmiliar plants about which we have mostly read & surprising to see some of the plants we see and hear about everyday to have such heavy duty medicinal benefits. Its sad that they don't sell saplings of these plants which might bring in some revenue that can be used for the up-keep of the place. One thing which was noteworthy was, the cleanliness of the place. Minimalist but clean & well maintained is USP of the place.

After a night of fun adda dancing and debauchery, we set out early next morning,with a long list of places to visit. We started with, Gurrasini. It houses a small temple and small trek uphills takes you to a view point from where you can see Tarafeni river & an amazing snapshot of the surrounding hills. The trek, a tiny graveled trail with jungle on both side, took a toll on our city lungs & we were left panting & dehydrated by the time we reached the peak but the view refreshed our souls nonetheless. If you are running short of time then you can skip Gurrasini all together.Visiting gurrasini & not taking the trek will make it meaningless.

Next on the list was Ghagra Waterfalls. Located on the tarafeni river & surrounded by jungle on all sides, its a small hilly waterfall with a drop of few feets. On a pleasant cloudy day, you can just sit on the rocks & spend the entire day dipping your legs in the flowing waterfall or take a bath if you're feeling too hot and adventurous. 

Next up was a trip to the local zoo. Housing a few emus, monkeys, bears, deer and snakes, its seems more like a private collection than a govt maintained zoo. Though  there has been fresh paint all over the place but the security measures didn't look promising & the place can really use a make-over.

The last one for the day was Chilikagarh Palace. The premise open to the public, houses a few temples which were closed when we reached but looked like they were maintained and in use, along with a "bar-mahal" or outside house complimented with numerous small barrack inside the wall. The "bar-mahal" though is presently office of PWD doesn't seem to be well maintained. The smaller part of the palace which is still resided by the Raj family of Chilikagarh is well guarded by high walls is inaccessible to the outsiders. 

Came back to our stay, had a nice adda session followed by a sumptuous dinner and a good night's sleep. Next morning we set out for Kolkata with our heart and soul more than content. Though the weekend tour ended too soon but Jhargram did leave its mark on all of us & we plan to go over there again some time. If the political disturbances that kept Jhargram & Jongolmahal aloof for all these years can be solved, Jhargram has the potential to become a major tourist attraction for weekend trips, given its proximity from Kolkata (2hrs by train). We boarded Ispat Express from Howrah to Jhargarm & Steel Express on our way home. 

For any other help, do let me know...I'll be more than happy to share any further information I have!! 
Happy Journey !! :)

The winners that won the MIL :D

Not so familiar with kitchen, I try searching recipes which are not too complicated & just bumped into a gem!! Though a very glamourless vegetable but happens to be my favourite & bang I land on a easy-peesy recipe which tastes awesome specially to bengali or more specifically "bangal" palate!! Its Begun-Basanti or simply put, Shorse diye begun. The only effort it needs is to fry all the pieces in batches & making sure that the mustard or shorse is not bitter!! Rest is pure Shorse-Magic!! :) Earned me rave reviews from my MIL,so thanks a ton http://www.peekncook.com/Show-A-Recipe/2043/ahamori-begun
Here is how it turned out:-

Another a bit different recipe from the regular bhindi posto or bhindi fry,which is very regular in bengali household is Bhindi Masala...Punjabi style courtesy http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/bhindi-masala/!! Turned out to be winner, just need to be very cautious with the use of aamchur & tomato combination as it can turn the dish sour instead of making it tangy.Here is it how it looked,right on the Stove-top:-

With MIL back in town, my visits to the kitchen is next to null...well,i'm not ready to don the chef hat just as yet & to be scrutinised is not really my favourite thing....So,lets see when can i set my foot in the kitched again... :P :P :P :P

A sudden sunday brunch

When suddenly the docs appointment for early sunday morning was cancelled, it took me a minute to think what am I gonna cook!! Offcourse, I need loads of homework(read, searching recipes)!! With Ma back in town & and with my entire family in town I had to express my hapiness. And nothing shows happiness more than a Happy meal!!Somehow,decided upon peas pulao & Pepper chicken. More so,as one of my friend had shared pepper chicken recipe just a few days back. Peas pulao was a bit difficult as the amount of water is a deal!! Pepper chicken somehow turned out better than expectations & with not many masalas. It actually feels nice to cook different stuff on sunday though that means sacrificing a bit of the late morning sleep while the Hubby snores to glory,anyway,worth a sunday meal! :) :)

Peas Pulao Recipe:
http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/matar-pulao-peas-pulao-recipe/

Pepper Chicken:
http://indianhealthyrecipes.com/pepper-chicken-recipe/ & Vijeta(my culinary specialist dear friend).

Handson with fast food

A post too soon?? Yeah, too excited about a succesfull venture in kitchen!! Its not that i cooked up a storm but I did something I never could in all my previous attempts!! As silly as it sounds, its 'Alu-Paratha'. Yep, simple stuffed paratha. First time I could make an edible version of it!! In all these months of me in the kitches, I did try a stuff or two,like egg burger,Gola-ruti,Noodles,pasta, etc. Pasta has been highly succesfull & has become a quick go-to.

Pasta recipe:
http://cookclickndevour.com/white-sauce-pasta-recipe-how-to-make & Courtesy: Ma & Vijeta.

Alu Paratha:
http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/punjabi-aloo-paratha-recipe (And the guy who makes delicious parathas just outside my office. I did observe him very keenly to learn how he was rolling the paratha. Stared at him so bad that I almost embarrased the poor guy!! :P :P )

Gola ruti has been one of my fav tiffin time foods & is sooo easy to make & hubs is pretty fond of it too!!

A lot of times, either in the evening or even at dinner time, we end up hating the idea of plain rotis, thus begins the search for alternatives. Oh yes,wondering about my diet plans?? Dont, I dont think I can stick to it!! :P :P 

Sunday Brunch

I have not posted for some time,thats not because I've been hiding in a cupboard though times like now,i would love to do that!! I have been cooking but have been very very tired & exhausted by day end. The husband is doing fine ,by fine i mean, he is trying to support me!! I hope by now he realizes its not my onus alone to keep everything going,its his as just as much!! Hez a pretty hassle free man though. Almost eates everything I can cook & is not very fussy about food either. But even then, it doesnt hurt to try to cook nice once in a while. So, this sunday, decided a very simple menu of mug dal,jeera rice, Kosha mangsho & begun bhaja.

The recipes are here:
http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/jeera-rice-recipe-cumin-rice/
http://www.peekncook.com/Show-A-Recipe/2022/bhaja-muger-dal

Tried and tasted menu..just one tip, add salt to rice very judiciously,its a bit tricky for novice people like me. Also,I added half tsp of sugar while cooking the rice, it did tastes better then without the sugar.

All & sundry...

There are certain days when a lot of things dont make sense & you question yourself about why you did stuff when you did it!! Stuff that apparently looks so hunky-dory from the other end but you know how shallow it is. And you are back to questioning yourself why,oh why!! But then,end of the day,no matter how sour you are,the show must go on. No matter if you feel disconnected and stuff,you have to keep the sunny side up & fight the world & hope one day,one fine morning,you will wake up to a warm embrace of life!! Till then hope springs eternal...

Tha lazy beginning

Well,I'm not supposed to be regular!! So, I did cook up with all my might on poila!! The menu was utterly simple & something my mums will just smirk at but hey,its me,remember....5 yrs back I dint know what 'pachfhoron' was..So,cut me some slack & let me bask in the glory!! Now,all the excuses made,the menu was:Bori diye Laal Saag, aam dal, Begun bhaja & kochi pathar jhol. Yeah,even that took me hours & pretty well dehydrated me!! But then I guess it was worth it!! Hubby loved it or atleast claimed so!! So mission accomplished...On second thoughts, I,for once loved my own cooked mutton!!!And,this was only my second attempt at cooking my fav food!!yayyyy!!! Pretty proud I must say :D I think I'm having the post-diet food craving,so I almost love everything edible under the sun!! Ah,I got to get back to my sad diet but the thought itself is so depressing!! Cant wait to get pregnant,one reason being I'll get to eat whatever I want & whenever I want!! Sigh!! Attaching below the proof of my kitchen adventure:

A New Beginning...

Tomorrow is Bengali new year or Poila Baisakh. Start of new year,new hopes. I have never been too excited about the end or beginning of new years. New year resolutions,etc never did bother me. I was head strong from Day 1 may be. Something could hit me anywhere & anytime & I would just follow my heart wherever it will take me(Like today). Though in most of the cases it would be my brain I would follow or thats what I chose to believe but accidentally, the most important decisions of my life has been taken by my heart! From falling in love with the type of boy I thought I hated to ending up marrying him,I did let me heart lead the way!!Now,coming to why ranting here,my late grandfather or dadai as I called him, introduced me to writing diary & eversince it has been my way of letting out! From the pains my tiny life has seen,the scars my little heart bears,diary has been my only support. Well,to tell the truth, I have many diaries...One little nice hardbound,nice looking tiny book....Another professional looking folder...one or two blogs...Yeah,i write a lot & I get bored of same stuff, so I write at different places!! Today,as I was browsing as what to cook tomorrow this idea stuck me...that I can take up a cooking challenge...something like "Julie & Julia"!! Just FYI, I'm a novice at cooking & truth be told, I dont like kitchen at all,never did!! Bapi as I call my dear old man, always used to be worried whenevr Ma would lead me to kitchen as I was a clumsy kind & terribly naughty,so chances were I would spill & burn some part of me or ma!! And then,above all, bapi believed that the world of kitchen is not for me,I was supposed to & I was kept far far away from household chores. I ended up hating the kitchen. But as I stepped into the world,I had to start cooking & being a Bong,you cannot really let go of your foodie streak. So,here I am,trying to cook & trying to feed my foodie husband!! I ran up my poor husband for my ingredients to the market twice,now lets see what I muster up tomorrow!! All the luck to me!!:) :)