How To Grill a Perfect Cheese Vegetable Sandwich

This recipe would seem like a no brainer , as simple as boiling an egg! But if you want to do it right this is the way…

Grilled Vegetable Cheese Sandwaich

Ingredients:

Some grated cheese, onions, tomatoes & green chillies.

 Bread slices 4 No.s

Some Salt & Black or White pepper

Method:

Apply some oil on a home sandwich griller & place 2 slices of bread side by side and put the grated cheese, onions,tomatoes & green chillies on both  the  bread slices, sprinkle some salt and pepper & cover them with the remaining 2 bread slices. Put some oil on top of the bread slices on top & close the lid of the griller & wait till the green light goes on.

Serve with Hot & Sweet tomatoe sauce.

(If you like to restrict your oil intake in your food diet get a Sandwich griller which has a non-stick coating on it.)

Photos From A Day At Mehrangarh Fort

Mehrangarh Fort Logo

Some pictures of the view from the Mehrangarh Fort,Jodhpur.

Mehrangarh Fort

Mehrangarh Fort

Mehrangarh Fort

Clock Tower

Carving in Stone

Jaswant Thada

Cannon

Umaid Bhavan Palace

Cannon

Do you take a camera with you on your holiday?

A Lomo Camera La Sardina

Do you take a camera with you on your holiday?

This would seem like a no brainer question to most of us. Cameras are every where.The mobiles cameras get better & better. The digital cameras get cheaper & cheaper. Film cameras are quite cheap too. And who can resist the urge to own one? And what holiday is complete without pictures from the trip gracing your mantlepiece & your Facebook page. Of course you need to take a camera with you on your holiday. Only piece of obvious advice though is to enjoy the holiday first & record it later. Take in the whole picture & not just what you see thru the viewfinder.

What gear to take with you on a trip?

If you are not a professional photographer a simple point & shoot digital camera with spare memory cards, a USB drive, ready to use rechargeable battery, battery charger & flash light with its batteries will do. You will also need a waterproof bag which can be tied around the waist or which you can hang from your shoulder or neck. This way  you can keep your hands free while you operate the camera & keep all the photography stuff is in one place. If you are going abroad do not forget to take along a power adapter too for the battery charger.

If you are planing to take pics by a mobile phone then it would be a good idea to open an account with websites like FaceBook.com, Twitter.com & Flickr.com to share the pics as & when you click them. You will also need an internet account on your mobile phone. If you are a twitter fiend you already know you can attach pics to your status updates. You should also familiarize yourself with the FAQs of the website. You do want everything to work properly once you are on the holiday.

What pictures should you take?

As taking digital pictures is relatively cheaper give flight to your imagination. Click what ever looks interesting to you, including you!

Please make sure that you have the necessary permissions from the relevant authorities to take pictures & that you have paid the relevant fees by buying a ticket for the camera. Do not assume that it is OK to take pictures wherever you are. Make sure by asking.

When you get back home, copy the pictures to your computer hard drive make a back up on a DVD or a CD & have a holiday album/ holiday photo book made professionally by somebody like  snapfish.in & gift a copy to all who went with you on the trip. If you shared your pics from a mobile on facebook.com or filckr.com, snapfish.in can print these pics too.

A Gourmand’s Jaipur

When on a visit to a tourist destination eating is the last thing on our mind. We try to maximize the sight seeing, the shopping, the destinations… But if we were to slow down and taste the authentic delicacies the city  has to offer us it would be a more rewarding trip than if we just got a bite to eat on the run.

This is such a post. It will inform you about where to eat while you are on your way about the city of Jaipur.

For an emerging Metro, Jaipur still  does not have many options by the way of an establishment offering early breakfast. On the weekends the Mcdonald  on the M.I.Road opens early. On Sundays the sweet shop in Bagariya Bhawan Market offers great Sabzi-Poori from 8 am to 11 am. Rawat Mishtan Bhandar on station road opens early offering traditional snacks like pyaz ki kachori, Mirchi Baras & mawa Kachori & Desi Ghee Jalebis. On M.I. Road the Lassiwala opposite Natraj restaurant  & the Samosa-Kachori-Jalebi wala near the Narsingh Temple open shop early.

Amber Palace opens at 8 Am & the City Palace and the Jantar Mantar open at 9 Am. So it is a good idea to head for Amber Palace & Jaigarh Fort & Nahargarh Fort after breakfast. If you have brought your own car or are in a Taxi, on your way you can photograph the magnificient facade of Hawamahal bathed in early morning sunshine and click the Jal Mahal in Man Sagar Lake against the rising sun. For lunch you can eat at the Nahargarh Fort’s Durg  Cafetaria or  return to Jaipur and & eat at the LMB or the Palace Cafe in the City Palace. After lunch you can visit the Hawamahal Palace from the inside, Jantar Mantar, City Palace & climb the Isar Lat. All these monuments are nearby. While at the City Palace you can also visit the Govind Dev ji Temple where the darshan are according to Jhanki Times which change as per summer or winter. The deity here is offered Chowgani ke Laddu as prasad. As it is sold during Jhanki times you ought to buy some because it is a delicacy. Also a point to note is, if you plan to offer prasad at the Temple you out to get some  with you from outside.

By the time you finish sightseeing at the City Palace Complex you will be ready to head to the hotel for evening tea. Or you can have a cup of tea at SAHU’s at shop no. 365 in Chaura Rasta. It has been in business for about 45 years, now.

After you freshen up at the hotel, what next?

These are some of the  options for you- You can go pubbing or Clubing ( if you can get a member of a Club to invite you for drinks & dinner) or you can go back to Amber for the light & sound Show or you can go for a typical Rajasthani dinner with folk dances at the ethnic village named Choki Dhani on Tonk Road.

On the next day when you visit the Albert Hall museum & the Zoo in the Ramniwas Garden you can visit the Goodearth Shop for Organic food stuffs.

On your way back from the visit to the Vidhyadhar ka Bagh, Sisodia Garden & Galta ji stop off  at the Pink Square Mall for a quick bite to eat at their food court or head to the Bakewell or Chawala or Hanuman Dhaba or Nand Paani Patasi walla or Mahaveer Rabri Bhandar or Falahar ( for those who are fasting) at Raja Park.

If you decide to visit the Science Park ( there are life size Dinosaur statues)  in Shastri Nagar you can stop at the Nathu Sweets for a quick snack.

The Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg (JLN Marg) has a lot to offer a person visiting Jaipur. On this road you will find the Simriti Ban, for the nature lover or a birding enthusiast , Jaldhara- a picnic spot, Musical Fountain & the Rose Garden at The Jawahar Circle, Gaurav Towers for the shopaholics, The Peacock Garden, Jawahar Kala Kendra for the culturally inclined. There is the 24 hrs  SARAS booth at the RCDF office. Gaurav Tower has a brilliant Food Court besides the Mcdonalds. Jawahar circle has a nice Chat Bazaar.

If birding is your forte then you ought to visit the Central Park for a walk in the morning or early evening & have coffee at the Coffee shop on statue circle. Central Park is also home to a French Sculpture and the Tallest Flag in Jaipur.

For Non-Veg food best bet is Niros, Spice Court on Jacob Road & Talk of the Town on M.I. Road.

You ought to visit Natraj for Choorma Dal Baati & Rajasthani Thali.

Four seasons & the Olive in The C-Scheme & Kanha chain  for veg Multi Cuisine food.

Sankalp on Subhash Marg Off M.I.Road for veg South Indian food.

Ice Spice on Ashok Marg for veg Punjabi Food & Annapurna behind Raj mandir

for Gugrati Thali. Golden Dragon & Yo China for chinese food.

Lasun Ki Chutney

LMB has achaars  & bottled chutney &  stuff like Mangori you can take back home with you if you are partial to it besides sweets like  ghewar & pheeni.

Vijay store on Choti Chaupad has great roasted snacks. Jal mahal Ice Cream Parlour for Ice Cream Desserts. Hot Breads & Bake hut for Bakery items & snacks. Cafe Coffee Day for Coffee. Tapri for Tea.

According to Napoleon, an army marches on its stomach & in my opinion so should a tourist. A  delhi belly not withstanding.

Musical Fountain At The Jawahar Circle, Jaipur

Musical Water Fountain Jawahar Circle,Jaipur

Have you been to the Jawahar Circle Garden Lately?

No, no. What I mean to ask is, have you been to the Jawahar Circle Garden between 7pm & 7.30pm lately? If you have not then it is time you went?

That is when the Musical Fountain Show is performed!

If you are going to say that you have seen musical fountains,before. Then you would be wrong! Because you have not seen musical fountains like this before. Not in Jaipur, anyway.

JDA has spent 170 lacs for the development of this circle. The money has been judiciously spent on a Jogging tracks, Walk way, Parking,Landscaping, Benches & a Musical Fountain.

The Fountain has been installed in a water-body in the center of the park. Every evening at 7 pm a show is held for 30 minutes, when the water sprays dance to the music & are illuminated by colored lights all adding up to a rare experience. Taking a hint from the Si-Fi world they even show music video’s on a wall of spray. And after the show you can have some chaat or Saras Lassi or Custard Kulfi in the Chaat Bazaar.

Radius of the water body is 47 mts. There are 290 effects. Height of the fountain is 25 mts. Water screen size is 27mts wide by 9 mts height.  There are 316 colored lights. The video  projector is 15000 lumens.

A fact worth appreciating here  is that Rajasthan is a desert state & to maintain such big gardens & fountains with drinking water would be foolhardy so the government is using re-cycled water which though safe for the garden & the fountain is definitely not safe for drinking or for bathing with. So it is a good idea to stay away from the water in the fountain.

Musical Water Fountain Jawahar Circle,Jaipur

National Flag Of India In Jaipur

National Flag Of India In Jaipur

On the auspicious occasion of Dhanteras,24.10.2011, Jaipur, gets the tallest, National Flag of India which will fly around the clock in the Central Park of Jaipur.

Listed here are some interesting facts about this Flag.

The height of the flag pole is 207 feet.( Tallest in India)

It weighs 13 tons.

The dimensions of the Flag are 72 feet long & 48 feet wide.

Total knitted polyester cloth used is 321 sq. mts. The weight is 25kgs.

The budget was  Rs.76 Lacs.

It is the 24th such Flag in India & 1^st of its kind in the state of Rajasthan.

Interesting Facts about Our National Flag.

The Tri color of India was unfurled for the 1^st time on the Red Fort on 16^th August 1947.

Parliament of India is the only building where 3 National Flags of India are unfurled at the same time.

On the 26^th January & on the 15th August  the Prime Minister of India unfurls a Flag made out of Reshmi Khadi at the Rajpath and at the Red Fort. On all other days a Flag made out of cotton Khadi is used.

On 29^th May 1953 when Tenzing & Hillary conquered the Mt. Everest for the first time  Indian National Flag was unfurled along with the Union Jack & the Nepali National Flag.

Indian National Flag went in space in the Apollo-15 in 1971.

Some Rules Regarding The Indian National Flag

The Flag should be unfurled at sunrise & furled at sunset.

All citizens of India can unfurl the Indian Nation Flag all days of the year at their homes, shops & factories.

Ordinary citizens of India can display an image of the Indian National Flag on their clothes which are worn above the waist but not on inner clothes.

The unfurled Flag should not be torn or soiled or damaged.

The Flag should not be allowed to fall on the ground or in water, knowingly.

When the Flag gets damaged for some reason it should be burned in a closed lonely space with all due respect.

The image of the National Flag should not be used in any sort of advertisement or for commercial gain.

The Flag should be unfurled only with the Kesariya stripe showing on the top.

If paper Flags are used on any National occasion etc they should not be disposed off disrespectfully.

Description of The Tri Color of India.

On 22^nd July 1947 The Costitution of India adopted & accepted the Tri Color as the National Flag of India.

The Indian National Flag has three stripes of equal length & breadth. Top stripe is colored Kesariya, middle stripe is White & the lowest is coloured green.

In the center of the white stripe a dark blue colored Ashok Chakra with 24 spokes is printed.

Kesariya color signifies Power (shakti), Bravery, (sahas) & Renunciation (tyag).

White is for peace & truth.

Green color in the Indian Flag signifies greenery of the Earth, Hope & Prosperity.

The Blue coloured Ashok Chakra signifies the ultimate progress of the Indian Nation.

This Chakra has been taken from the Ashok Stambh found in Sarnath.

History of The Indian Flag.

In 1905 Sister Nivedita, the Irish disciple of Swami Vivekanand, first proposed the idea of a one National Flag of India. It was a red squared flag with the image of  Vajra of Lord Indra surrounded by 108 “Jyoti” in the centre of the Flag.

On 6^th August 1906 in Greer Park, Kolkatta, a flag was unfurled which had a green stripe on the top with 8 half open buds of Lotus flowers. The middle stripe, coloured blue, had vande matram written on it. The lowest stripe was coloured red  & had the images of sun & moon printed on it.

On 22^nd August 1907,Madame Bhika ji Kama, unfurled a 3 striped flag in an International forum.

In 1916 Dr. Annie Besant & Lokmany Tilak unfurled the ‘Home Rule Movement’ Flag.

In 1921 ‘Swadeshi Dhwaj’ was envisioned by a youth.

In 1931 ‘ Swadeshi Dhwaj’was altered and accepted as the Flag of INC.

On 22^nd July 1947 the present Tri colour was accepted as the National Flag of India.

 

Tallest National Flag Of India In Jaipur

Unique Restaurants Of Jaipur

Steam-The Lounge, At The Rambagh Palace

Today I read an article about 10 unusual restaurants of India. A facebook  friend had shared the link. Being on facebook has its uses, you know! Jaipur did not feature in the list. So naturally I had to make a list of restaurants unique to Jaipur.

1.The Dining Hall, Swarn Mahal, at the Rambah Palace, with its painted ceiling

is unique.

2. Steam, the Lounge Bar, at the Rambagh Palace, with restored Stem Engine & Victorian Station is very unique.

3. Polo Bar, at the Rambagh Palace, is unique.

4.Revolving restaurant at the OM Tower on M.I.Road is unique.

5.Chokhi Dhani, an recreated  ethic village restaurant is unique.

6.Pink Pepper, a restaurant in a bus which goes across Jaipur while the diners eat.

7. Durg Cafeteria at Nahargarh Fort is unique with stunning view of the city of Jaipur.

8. The Dinning Rooms in the RTDC’s Royal Trains are unique.

9. 1135 AD, A Resturant on the ramparts of the fort of Amber is unique.

10. The ancient India Coffee House at the Jawahar Kala Kendra (JKK) & on the M.I.Road are unique for being hot bed of intellectualism in Jaipur.

And

11. Tapri, the tea house.

These are all I can think of. If you think I have missed a Restaurant please feel free to add it to the comments.

The Flowers Are Back!

Sisodia Raani Ka Baagh,Jaipur,Rajasthan,India.

No two ways about it Jaipur is in the middle of the monsoon. Though the rains are taking there own sweet time to come as and when they see fit. A couple of days of rain and the rain lily is in full bloom. Pink, yellow, white, big or small the rain lily leads the riot of color which is going to follow. The Aravali mountain range, guarding Jaipur for all these centuries, has a solid cover of green, which is going to last till after the monsoon has left Jaipur. The people of Jaipur & the tourists are thronging the three Forts, Jaigarh, Nahargarh & Amber, during and after the showers. During the summers the people were eating to live, now they are living to eat, choorma-dal-baati & other rajasthani delicacies. No weekend goes by which does not see a ‘Goth’ in a picturesque locations surrounding Jaipur. The plant nurseries of Jaipur are chock- a- block full of  various plants in anticipation of the huge demand by public. The people usually plant trees during monsoons as they take root relatively easily. Also, others would like to replace the plants which did not survive the harsh summers.

So if you were thinking of going on a picnic, planting a rose garden or visiting folks in Jaipur, then now is the time!

A Pink Rain Lily in full bloom

A yellow rose in full bloom.

What’s Cool In This Heat?

As I write this post it is well above 42 Degrees Centigrade out side. My FM radio says the roads are deserted. The ceiling fan in the room is just throwing more hot air around  the room. This post is about all the cool things you can do, only in summers, when the mercury in the thermometers is raising northward. It might not be the most pleasant of   seasons but it has its uses. Imagine how you would define cold if there was no heat. The heat of the summer brings the rain bearing clouds of monsoon to India.

Here is a list of lesser known reasons to appreciate the summers you might not have considered before.

Amaltas In The Central Park-Jaipur

This is when the Amaltas, Gulmohar & Bougainvillea are gloriously in full bloom. However much might the heat be these trees are lush green & ever willing to shade you from the ever hot sun.

Cleaning and getting the air-cooler functional for the summer is a yearly ritual. In the dry heat of Jaipur where even the AC fails, the cooler keeps life bearable.

This is the season when you can take long afternoon siestas without any guilt.

The days start earlier and you can go for long walks in the nearby parks & gardens.

You have perfect excuse to wear minimum clothes. Cotton clothes in summer are a rare luxury.

You can store water in buckets to have bath with later when the water is colder & nobody will laugh at you.

There are hardly any mosquitoes around. Aside from heatstroke etc. this is a healthy season.

You get to MAX on watching IPL cricket at the beginning of the summer.

Now a days you can even go boating on the Man Sagar Lake.

You get to go swimming & enjoy pool side parties and freak out at the rain dances.

If you like to gamble you can bet on all aspects of the coming monsoon.

You can relish cool water from surahi or matka.

You do not see many flowers in summers but Water Lilly does bloom gloriously just now.

If you like mangoes all through summers a different variety of  mango is available in the market for your pleasure.

At no time is a glass of beer more welcome than on a hot afternoon.

In these health conscious days drinking sherbet might be out of fashion but I am very partial to sherbets in summers. They can cool you off better than a carbonated drink.

You can write a whole post on the wonders of having chach/lassi/ butter milk & curd in summers. You ought to try the meethi lassi in a kulhar on the M.I.Road at the Lassiwala next to Charmica to know what I mean.

You can have Paani Patasi with Iced-water on the Link Road next to Sarogi Mansion.

You get to drink iced tea & mint tea in summers.

This is the season when the whole family gets together to make mango ice cream in a bucket at home.

You get different types of melons to eat to cool off.

I hope reading this post took your mind off the heat for some time!

If you can think of some more cool things to do this summer please feel free to list them here.

Viratnagar

Viratnagar is about 86 km from Jaipur on the Jaipur-Shahpura-Alwar route. You have to turn for Viratnagar at Shahpura on Jaipur Delhi Highway.

But why Viratnagar? Who goes to Viratnagar? You might ask.

A little time invested in visiting the sights this town has to offer will pay rich dividends, you will see.

Viratnagar  has been a witness to a lot of history being made. According to the excavations done around this town people have been living here since the prehistoric times.

Accorading to the Mahabharat,King Virat founded the city Viratnagar, and the Pandavs spent thirteen years of ‘Agyatvas’(exile) here. This is the city which saw much wheeling & dealing to broker peace to avoid the great war of Mahabharat. Ancient travelers have mentioned their visits to the city. The river Banganga flows near by, a fair is held here every year.

Beejak Ki Pahari

This serene site is in the lap of the Aravali mountain range. On a ridge under a rock shaped like a Cannon there is an ancient Hanuman temple.

And there are remains of a Budhist Monastry & a Budhist Stupa shrine from the Mauryan times. This site was found in work done in 1935-36. This is a protected site of ASI.

In recent development work done here a cement shelter has been built at the foot of the hillock.

Ganesh Mandir and the Local Museum. The museum has some relics of great importance and antiquity from the Ashokan period.

A stepwell on the way to Panch Malla Mahal badly in need of restoration.

Panch Mala Mahal. Raja Man Singh had this imposing structure made.  Emperor Akbar used to stay here on his way to the Ajmer shrine.

I think he has seen a lot of tourists pass by this palace.

The paintings on the domes of the chatries of the palace.

Shri Shri 1008 Digambar Jain Nasiyan.

Shri Shri 1008 Digambar Jain Nasiyan, Mughal Gate,Viratnagar

Maybe the ghost who walks was here! This is his mark.