Sunday 30 September 2012

BIRIYANI

[Discover the India of your dreams @ www.oddroad.com - The Way I Like.]

Biriyani can safely be called the ultimate salvation food.This lip-smacking dish typically made of rice, meat, vegetables and spices is stuff that everybody's food dreams are made of.  

Invented in Persia, meaning "to roast before cooking", legend holds that the dish was introduced to India by Taimor Lang from Kazakhstan. But India is probably one of the gastronomical super powers of the world! 

The subcontinent took the dish introduced by Mughals to feed the army and made it into a delicacy that no one can resist. 
Of the many types present, the most popular perhaps are the Hyderabadi and Awadhi types. The former is cooked typically with marinated meat and rice spiked with spices, placed together in a handi to completely blend in all the various flavours. 

The Awadhi type, the original form of the dish, is cooked differently, with the meat and rice cooked separately and then added together. These two types left significant mark on India's palate and ever since, variations have sprung up. 
 Sindhi Biriyani, influenced by the Pakistani version and found commonly in Punjab, includes a hint of yoghurt with the other ingredients as does the Memoni Biriyani which adds no artificial colours or flavours to the preparation. Kashmir and Kolkata have their own inspired versions. 


Kashmiris influenced by the Persians, Afghans and Central Asians, came up with the delicious Kashmiri Bhuna Gosht Biriyani, while the Kolkata version influenced by Nawabs, serves rice with meat, potatoes and sometimes, eggs. Bhatkali Biriyani is interesting. 
Originating in coastal Karnataka, this type is cooked in onion sauce and is quite distinct.  Other variations are the Malabari Biriyani, a wedding of Arab and Kerala cuisines and the Tahari Biriyani which is a Vegetarian variant.  


Be it of vegetarian or non-vegetarian variety, it is impossible to fight the charms of a Biriyani!

Tuesday 11 September 2012

God’s Own Capital - Thiruvananthapuram


[Discover the India of your dreams @ www.oddroad.com - The Way I Like.]


Trivandrum or Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala brings together a refreshing balance of two ways of life. The paced development as well as the old-world, time-stopping charm, becomes a part of this city. Placed between the Arabian Sea and Tamil Nadu, the city is the first in India to have had a massive Techno Park that put it on the IT map of the world. However, it is difficult to separate it from its pagoda styled, red-tile-roofed houses and the quaint winding streets that run across the city, giving it a staid, other-worldly charm. 

We were bowled over by almost everything we saw. However, the Kovalam Beach deserves first mention. It can easily be the subject of innumerable post-cards, etc. The beautifully blue waters, with sun-kissed ripples that sparkled of gold, left us speechless and eager for more. Dotted with palm trees, fishermen going about their daily work, lush green stretches and golden yellow sands - we were sold. The Sanghumukham Beach was equally alluring. If you think that it is just the beaches, well, you should look again. 

We found this city a treasure house of natural beauty. Ponmundi, Poovar, the Varkala Cliffs and beaches, the Akkulam Lake, the list could go on and on.  Ponmundi, with its orchid exhibits, deer park and golden valley was as heart-lifting as ever. Its wooded hills have a way of calling out to you, to lull you into a true sense of peace. The Akkulam Lake is an extension of the Veli Lake and is a tourist favourite. With traditional houseboats available for overnight stay and myriad water sport possibilities in the Veli village, this was another treat for us. If nature is therapeutic, Trivandrum can show you how!

The city beautifully balances culture and modernity along with its spread of nature. The Padmanabhaswamy Temple, with its estimated assets of over 100,000 crores, is an example of their beautiful culture and heritage. Open only to Hindus, the temple preserves its strict dhoti/sari only policy. It is a beautiful piece of architecture with a seven storied gopuram built in a Dravidian style.  The Napier Museum and Zoo and the Kuthira Malika palace also form a part of this heritage. The city is also a hot-house of Indian traditional arts, especially Carnatic music. 

Of course, like all other Indians, the people there enjoy their food. Karikku (Coconut water) and Sambharam (Butter milk with ginger and chillies) are among the lip-smacking drinks found there. Among food items, the Malabar Lamb/Chicken/Fish curry is famous. Also, coconut is used as an ingredient in a lot of food items. The sea-food at Trivandrum, especially the prawns, is to die for. Different sorts of spicy fries are also available. 

The city’s usual slow lifestyle becomes a whirlwind of activity during the months of August/September. For it is then that Onam arrives. Onam brings together the city’s love for food, spirit of culture and a hint of the carnival. During this time, the state government holds the Tourist Week Celebrations, with an authentic art, food and culture carnival. The food was served in banana leaves and we had to sit down and dig in with our hands, making it an ideally authentic experience. The fish pollichathu was a favourite.

On our way back, we realised that the city had stolen our hearts away. So, we recommend…Go. Lose your hearts in ‘God’s Own Capital’


[Discover the India of your dreams @ www.oddroad.com - The Way I Like.]



[Image Courtesy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Napier_Museum.jpg
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Sunday 2 September 2012

Oddroad Photography Competition: The Finalists

[Discover the India of your dreams @ www.oddroad.com - The Way I Like.]

First of all, thank you all for such an overwhelming response.

We received a lot of amazingly beautiful images and we have selected the finalists. We are uploading the images with the name of the sender. Now, you get to choose the winner of our first photography competition. Simply type the name of the person whose image appeals to you the most in the comment box below. You have till 8th of September to vote and then we declare our winner on the 9th of September. So, get busy voting!


 Finalist 1: Abhik Sinha
 Finalist 2: Anupama G





Finalist 3: Deepa Dutta
Finalist 4: Jayanta Chaudhuri


Finalist 5: Yoshita Sengupta


Finalist 6: Ruchir Thakker

Finalist 7: Varun Dibdalli

[Discover the India of your dreams @ www.oddroad.com - The Way I Like.]