Travel> Mesmerising Bangkok

Image1: Young monks at the Grand Palace

Image 2: At the Golden Buddha's Temple

Image 3: Artistic stonework at the Grand Palace

Image 4: Gaurding the Jade Buddha

Image 5: The Golden Buddha
Image Copyright: Tanya Munshi

Text by: Tanya Munshi

I fell in love with Bangkok the moment I stepped into the city. Right from the airport till my hotel, I was amazed to see a city so neat, clean and bustling with life. More importantly, I liked how everyone in the city were well dressed, hair neatly combed and whatever they wore looked so trendy and classy on them. It was picture perfect.

Bangkok has the very famous 'Bank of Ayutthaya', where the Garuda is the symbol of wealth and if you're looking out for a bank in Thailand, look for a Garuda hoisted on the building and you'll know you're looking at one.

Most schools in Thailand have Pali and Sanskrit - two of the most ancient languages in their curriculum, so you can imagine how deeply rooted they are in their culture. Their main deity is the four faced Lord Indra and I really liked how the locals would buy flowers, fruits or incense outside the shrine to offer it to the Lord.

The Grand Palace

I had a chance to visit the Grand Palace in Bangkok and it was absolutely mesmerising. Our guide - Michael was a soldier in the Thai Army, is now a mathematics professor and a part time tour guide in Bangkok.

We visited The Grand Palace in the morning and I didn't want to leave the place. The weather was balmy, the sun was just right and the colours and hues at the Palace gardens were enthralling. The intricate mirror work on the temples within the Grand Palace held a more deeper meaning than adding beauty. It is believed that when evil strikes at one's home, having a mirror at the entrance or outside the house scares the evil away as it sees it's own reflection. You may not want to wear your sun glasses because of the sun, but the dazzling colours on the temples and shrines.

The Reclining Buddha

Its absolutely awe-inspiring and has a strange calming effect when you walk into the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. This 30-feet long Reclining Buddha, will create a strange sense of peace within you. When you walk up to His feet, you'll find intricate designs made with Mother of Pearls.

Golden Buddha

What appeals to me about visiting the shrines of the Buddha is that it has a way of bringing out the humbleness within you. No matter what faith, race or origin you belong to, apart from the calm within you heart, it creates a sublime sense of self-realization before the Buddha.

Recipes> Chicken Fry in Roast Style

Image: Chicken Fry in Roast Style
Image by: Kent Wang

Text by: Tanya Munshi
My aunt had taught me how to prepare chicken roast, which happens to be one of my favourite dishes. Unfortunately, I don’t have an oven in which I can roast the chicken, but I tried this experiment at home along with my aunt and even today I keep improvising the same. So here goes…

Ingredients:

• 500 gm chicken (try getting the legs, breast and the wings as these portions have more meat)
• ½ a cup onions - finely chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic – finely chopped
• Salt – to taste
• 1 capful Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon honey
• ½ teaspoon back pepper powder
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 capful white vinegar

For the marinade:

• In a bowl, mix the chicken pieces with Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, salt, honey and white vinegar.
• Allow the chicken to marinate in the mixture for minimum ½ hour or for a couple of hours before cooking

Method:

• Heat olive oil in the wok and add the onions and the garlic. Sauté till brown. Be careful not to burn the garlic, as burnt garlic tends to lend a bitter flavour.
• Then add the entire chicken along with the juices that have come out during the marinade.
  Cover and cook and keep checking for doneness.
• The chicken should be well cooked, with a golden brown to a slightly dark brown colour.
  Check with a fork or a knife for doneness. The fork or knife should smoothly go inside and come out from the meat, without much effort.
• Serve hot with soup and garlic bread combination, or simply dig in with steamed rice.

Recipes> Homemade Chocolates

Image: Homemade chocolates

Image by: Darwin Bel

Text by: Tanya Munshi

If someone offers you gourmet chocolates, relish the chocolates but don’t throw away the plastic moulds. You can use them again to make your own chocolates. Here’s how –

Ingredients:

• 300 gms/ 1 bowl of cooking chocolate chunks 
  
• 100 gms/ 1/3rd bowl of coco butter
  
• 4 tsp – powdered sugar
  
• 1 small bowl – almonds, raisins, cashew all finely chopped
  
• Liqueur of your choice
  
• Mint oil
  
• Moulds 
  
• Colorful foil paper

Method:

1. In a microwave safe bowl add the coco butter and the chocolate chunks and heat them on low medium power for three to four minutes.
   
2. You can stop the heating process in between to check whether the chocolate and coco butter are melting and give a stir.
   
3. After completing the heating process, take it out from the microwave.
   
4. Now mix the melted chocolate and coco butter well and add powdered sugar.
   
5. Sift the sugar first, to prevent any lumps forming in the chocolate mixture.
   
6. Since we add coco butter, there is no need to grease the moulds.
   
7. Fill the moulds half with the liquid chocolate mix.
   
8. You can now add 1 drop of mint oil or a liqueur of your choice.
   
9. Now add some more melted chocolate on top.
   
10. For other flavors, you can simply fill the chocolate completely in the mould and add a cashew for one, a raisin for another and an almond for another. It is entirely up to you what kind of flavors and fillings that you desire.
    
11. Now place the chocolate filled mould in the deep freezer for 15 to 30 minutes.
    
12. Tap the moulds from the bottom and the chocolates will come out with ease.
    
13. You can wrap each chocolate with a different color foil paper, or simply serve it as an accompaniment with deserts. Better still, gift this to someone special.
    

Note – Never overheat the chocolate, else it becomes hard.

Published in CookingGoddess.com, on July 6, 2007
Link: http://www.cookinggoddess.com/category/Recipes/Homemade-Chocolates/

Visakhapatnam Restaurant Guide> Bawarchi

Text by: Tanya Munshi

Now, this is a place that we recommend that you should visit. Bang opposite Jagadamba Cinema Hall is Grand Central Hotel. From its external appearance it looks rather grim, while the entrance and ambience, slightly shady, but worry not, Bawarchi is quite a family restaurant.

What's best here? We highly recommend -Hyderabadi Mutton Dum Biryani (Rs. 110/-) and Mutton Fry (Rs.110/-), and of course if you want some soft drinks to go with it, as I usually like stick to my favourite buttermilk.

The food is absolutely amazing here, its got the right amount of spices and the staff is extremely courteous. So go for it!

Parking maybe a problem at Jagadamba Junction, but Grand Central Hotel has a dingy basement parking; be careful, the slope downward is extreemly steep.

Overall Rating:

Ambience - * * * * (slightly shady, but its a family restaurant, so you need not worry too much)

Service - * * * * *

Presentation of food & drinks - * * * * *

Quantity of food served - * * * * * 

Quality of food - * * * * *

Price - * * * * * (VFM)

Location:

Grand Central Hotel,

Bawarchi Restaurant (Ground Floor)

Visakhapatnam

Phone: 0891-6644001 - 4

Fax: -91-891-6644005

E-mail: thegrandcentralhotel@gmail.com

Website: www.thegrandcentralhotel.org

Visakhapatnam Restaurant Guide> Hyderabad House

Text by: Tanya Munshi

The much famed Hyderabad House from good ol' Hyderabad has opened its branch early this year. Much to the hype, the brand name and the unending queue outside this restaurant, my husband and I decided to pay Hyderabad House a visit.

The decor was really nice, but don't know why the place was full of houseflies, even though its an air-conditioned restaurant. Brushing the flies aside we asked for some of the delicious kebabs from the menu, but the steward informed us that only Tangdi Kebabs (Rs. 65/- for two pieces) were available. So we ordered for that; which were dry, old and cold. We then ordered for of course (thinking it might get better), Chicken Biryani (Rs. 120/-)...was a total let down. 

It was in May this year that we had visited Hyderabad House in Vizag and have not yet returned to the restaurant to give it a second chance. We didn't have to,  as for days, weeks and months we spotted the stewards waiting in anticipation outside the empty restaurant for clients to drop by...

There's no harm in trying it out if you're keen. 

Overall Rating:

Ambience - * * * (dirty, messy and full of house-flies) 

Service - * * *

Presentation of food & drinks - * * * 

Quantity of food served - * * 

Quality of food - * * 

Price - * * * 

Location:

Hyderabad House,

Siripuram

Visakhapatnam - 03

Phone: 0891-6463939/ 6466969

Visakhapatnam Restaurant Guide> Senora Beach Resorts

Text by: Tanya Munshi

There's nothing like driving along a picturesque beach side to a destination that awaits you with mouthwatering prawns and chicken. One Sunday, my husband and I drove down on the RK Beach in Vizag to a restaurant much recommended by friends. This place is called Senora Beach Resorts, and I must say, even though the decor at the entrance is quite garish, the food is excellent. 

We sat in the restaurant that overlooked the beach, aah! it was lovely. We ordered for buttermilk (Rs. 15/-) and beer (Rs. 120/-) and treated ourselves to Pepper Chicken (Rs. 110/-) and Garlic Prawns (Rs. 125/-) and we were pleasantly surprised at the generous portions offered.

I usually like to compliment spicy meals with buttermilk, lassi or jal-jeera as it helps to settle the stomach and douse out the spices and masalas.

After a drink and snack session like this, we skipped lunch and headed straight back home for an afternoon nap.

Overall Rating:

Ambience - * * * * *

Service - * * * * *

Presentation of food & drinks - * * * * *

Quantity of food served - * * * * * 

Quality of food - * * * * *

Price - * * * * * (VFM)

Location:

Senora Beach Resorts Private Ltd.

Sagar Nagar

Beach Road

Visakhapatnam - 530045

Phone: 0891-2723666/ 2797046

Visakhapatnam Restaurant Guide> Grillz 'n' Rollz

Text by: Tanya Munshi

Shawarmas anyone? Well, if you're living in Vizag and pining from some decent shawarmas then head straight to NH 5. 

My husband and I tried out one Sunday evening, that's the day you don't feel like cooking really. The Shawarmas were Rs. 35/- each, quite light and it was a pleasant change from the loads of masalas that we are usually exposed to.

On another day, we tried the raann, which is Rs. 250/- for a kilogram plus. But we recommend that you accompany the raann with a curry based dish like mutton gravy and have it with steamed rice preferably. So don't miss this place and use it to the fullest especially when you want to treat your guests to something special.

Overall Rating:
Ambience - * * * * (not really of an ambience, its situated right next to the highway)
Service - * * * * *
Presentation of food & drinks - * * * * *
Quantity of food served - * * * * * 
Quality of food - * * * * *
Price - * * * * * (VFM)

Location:

Kushal Arcade,

NH-5, 

Old TB Hospital Junction,

Gandhinagar,

Visakhapatnam - 16

Phone: 0891-646-1582/ 6458582

Cell: 99596-94972

How to loose a client in 10 days!

Text by: Tanya Munshi

Since I have learnt it the hard way, I decided to make it a lesson for life and to share this invaluable lesson with all my readers.

In July this year, my husband had gifted me some really nice fabrics for salwar suits from Nalli's in Visakhapatnam. Having heard of great reviews of an acquaintance who (is from Mumbai), has set up a designer boutique in Visakhapatnam as her husband is currently posted here.

I had given these two fabrics to stitch into beautiful salwar suits as designed by her. She is no doubt a nice lady, and as luck would have it, both our husbands are colleagues. And so we struck a nice rapport.

I was leaving for Mumbai in September end and therefore I gave my dresses to get stitched in July. I was kept on hold as the wedding season was on in full swing and she was flooded with 40 blouse orders that had to be stitched by one single bride in Visakhapatnam. What on earth was that bride going to do with 40 blouses at the start of her wedding, fails me. And so I waited, and waited and waited.

Finally, in end August I got a chance to try out my first dress and by that time I couldn't recall what were the fabrics I had given her (pun intended). The dresses were gorgeous no doubt. Since I too am a professional, to build a rapport with her so that I could get more dresses designed and stitched from her in the future, I bought one sleeveless top and gave an order for a party top which cost a bomb, but I paid with a smile. Mind you, since she was a 'friend', I didn't ever bargain or argue about the pricing, as I didn't want to spoil any relations. I had gone with absolutely no expectations of a discount on price as I sincerely feel, everyone has a job to do and its not fair to ask for a discount. I paid her the money. Though she was nice enough to reduce the cost minimally here and there, so no complaints.

(But now I realise, she didn't want to take further orders from me for the simple reason, instead of employing her tailors to stitch dresses from a rather 'small client', she could utilise her manpower to cater to 'larger clients', like a new air-hostess training academy in Vizag.)

Even after the trials, my dresses refused to fit me well, so I kept returning them to her for alterations. I needed to get two extra churidaars stitched, but due to her lack of time, I succumbed to giving some fabrics to a local tailor who obviously made a disaster out of the fabrics. I did mention this to my friend who offered to correct them for me, if I got them to her boutique. When I did bring them, she refused saying her tailors don't want to do that. Mind you, I smiled and said, 'No problem!' and handed over all those disaster churidaars to my maid.

Maybe as a businesswoman, one should realise that if her main clients are women, then she shouldn't take them for granted. Women talk, so if one lady is unhappy with the service offered, she will obviously talk about that to her friends and do you think others would want to visit her boutique? Secondly, as a true businesswoman, who would want to maintain her clients, if was truly apologetic that she has made me run around for 3 months to get my dresses, then maybe as a goodwill gesture offered to help me re-stich/ repair the two badly stiched churidaars, as she had initially promised.

Finally in mid-September I got my dresses, yet with some more alterations to be done. As luck would have it, I happened to be in the dressing room and spotted a kurta ditto to the fabric I my husband and bought me. I realised, it is a portion of my fabric from Nalli's that was made into a full sleeve kurta, with the exact same embroidery on the sleeves. It was an orange-brick shade of kurta and quite a unique shade, so its hard to forget! 

That hurt me a lot. I wish, this 'friend' had been honest with me and said that there would be extra fabric left and I would have happily paid her extra to get something new stitched. It fails me everytime to think, why wasn't she honest with me in the first place? I would have paid her whatever she demanded and got something new out of that extra fabric, which is technically mine. 

It pains me everytime that something that we had bought out of our hard earned salary is being sold by someone else. More than anything else, I am feeling so cheated by someone, especially since I know her and so I cannot even go and fight for it as it will look poorly on us and sour relations.

Now whatever said and done, I think she has lost one client already (that's me) and maybe a couple of other potential clients who wanted to go to her boutique and now have considered otherwise. So, this is how you can loose a client in 10 days.

Tips before you hire a dress-designer/ tailor:
1. Ask your designer/ tailor how much material they need to stitch a dress for you.
2. Ask your designer/ tailor to return the extra fabric, even if it is a piece of a hanky - take it.
3. Usually all designers use the scrap/ left over cloth to make a new dress/ outfit. Yes, most of us may not like to take back our bits and pieces of our fabric, but if its your hard earned money, then why not.
4. If you're getting a sleeveless top, then ask them what will they do with the extra leftover fabric, especially if the fabric has readymade embroidery.
5. Maintain all your bills of the fabric purchases and the stitching bills.
6. If you find that your designer is taking too long, then ask for your fabrics back and find another designer/ tailor. It may not be easy, but its better than running behind someone for months.

Bihar Floods

Text by: Tanya Munshi

Bihar Floods
Since the last one week I am following the newspaper for articles and letters to the editor and to my shock not one person has mentioned anything regarding the floods in Bihar. Even though the Prime Minister of the country has declared it as a national calamity, no one has bothered to help.

Is this only for the state of Bihar to deal with this crisis? Isn't it a solemn duty of each Indian, living in other states to contribute relief and aid in cash or kind to the flood victims? Instead of publishing heart wrenching photographs of helpless people being a victim of the floods, why not request the citizens of India to donate - food grains, clothes and medicines.

When we were in school, I remember our teachers would request each one of us to bring in a kg of rice, clothes, blankets and medicines that could come in handy to the flood, earthquake or draught victims.

God forbid, tomorrow a similar flood situation occurs in Andhra Pradesh, will the people merely sit there or get up and act? Why do we have to wait for something to happen to us personally before we act up on. It is highly shameful on the part of Indian citizens to not realise this.

Published in Deccan Chronicle, Visakhapatnam edition, on September 5, 2008.

Recipes> Chicken Tikka Masala

Image: Chicken Tikka Masala, served with Naan
Image by: Brooke

Text by: Tanya Munshi

There are days when you are so bored that you could whimper all day. For some watching a cartoon film cheers them up, while a drive, a walk with their dog or painting can lift your mood too. I suggest when you return home from an unfruitful day and you get your favourite dish at the dinner table, will surely cheer you up.

Well, if you’re the only one in the house and have to do all the cooking, no issues. Just make sure you have the ingredients ready and you’re all set for a yummy treat of Chicken Tikka Masala. This is one recipe that I came across which I found simple, no exotic ingredients needed that will make you run circles in tonnes of super markets. Most of the spices used here are available in every Indian kitchen.

Ingredients:

• Chicken – 6 thigh pieces, preferably boneless

Marinade for the chicken:

• 6 tablespoons Curd
• 1 teaspoon Red Chilli powder
• 1 tablespoon Garlic paste
• 2 tablespoons Ginger paste
• 1 teaspoon Jeera (Cumin powder)
• 1 tablespoon Garam Masala ( a spice blend)
• 4-5 tablespoons Lemon juice
• Salt – to taste

Gravy for the chicken:

• 2 Tomatoes – finely chopped
• 1 Onion – finely chopped
• 1 tsp Ginger-garlic paste
• ½ tsp Cumin powder (jeera)
• ½ tsp Coriander powder
• ¼ cup Milk
• 1 tsp Sugar Salt – to taste

Method:

1. Cut the chicken into smaller pieces.
2. Drain excess water and mix all the ingredients for the marinade with the chicken.
3. Let it marinate for at least an hour, longer the better.
4. If you have a health grill at home, nothing like it. Else, a microwave or a non-stick pan/ tava will do.
5. Grill the chicken in the health grill or heat it in the microwave on high for 4-5 minutes or place the chicken on a hot non-stick pan/ tava, till golden brown.
6. You can pour a bit of melted butter to prevent the chicken pieces from sticking to the grill, microwave dish, non-stick pan or tava. But don’t put too much of butter.
7. Heat the chicken till done, but don’t overcook it.
8. In a wok or a non-stick pan, heat oil and add the ginger-garlic paste and fry the chopped onions along with it.
9. Ensure the flame is on high, as you need to brown the onions enough. Fried onions lend their beautiful aroma and taste to the chicken.
10. When the onions are brown enough, add the chopped tomatoes and fry on medium heat.
11. Fry till the oil separates from this mixture.
12. Then add the cumin and the coriander powders and stir well.
13. Add salt, sugar and mix well. Then add the chicken pieces in the gravy.
14. Increase the heat and slowly pour in the milk while mixing the gravy gently.
15. Once the gravy is slightly thick, reduce the heat to low.
16. Allow the chicken to cook in the gravy for another 5 minutes.
17. Serve hot, garnished with fresh chopped coriander leaves.
18. Chicken Tikka is best eaten with naan/ roti or steamed rice.

I cooked chicken tikka masala for lunch today and it was absolutely amazing.