Navratri Special... Sabudana Tikki :)

Hi All.. Happy Navratris to everyone. Navratris always bring festivity, new hope and lots of good food with it. Many of us keep fasts on most of the days but the food prepared at the end of the day is what makes me happy the most. We all know the famous tradition of the "kanjakas", "kanya poojan" etc as it is called in different  parts of India, where young girls are invited to every household  and given lots of good food, presents , money and what not hahaha.. I absolutely used to love it. I used to wake up at 6 a.m in the morning (unlike my normal behavior ) and used to be super excited about going to the neighborhood and getting pampered.. :) :)

That took me back to my childhood :) One more thing which I can relate to both Navratris and my childhood is "Sabudana tikki". My mother used to take fasts on most of the days of Navratris and she used to cook these tikkis to keep her full. and guess what?? I, my brother and my father ended up eating all those.. haha poor Mom ;).. I guess that's how Godess Durga is.. symbol of sacrifice.

Moving on.. Here I have the recipe of Sabudana tikki which I made this Navratris and had great fun eating them.

To make these super simple dish, we need

Ingredients:

1. Sabudana soaked overnight to make it fluffy.
   
2. 2-3 boiled mashed potatoes.
3. Chopped green chillies
4. Freshly chopped green coriander
5. Juice of half a lime
6. Roasted peanuts, coarsely ground
7. Salt to taste
   

Method:

1. Combine all the above ingredients and mash it lightly by hand.
   
2. Take a non-stick pan and heat it with some oil.
3. Take a small portion of the mixture and form a ball
   
4. Flatten the ball so that it rests on the pan.
5. When the pan is hot put the flattened ball(tikki) on the pan to grill
   
6. Keep grilling until the tikkis are golden brown in color
   
7. Serve hot with green coriander chutney
   
8. Enjoy :) :)
   

South Wales!

Hello Everybody!!

Given the Travel addict that I am, I never ever miss a chance to escape to a new place to explore. Last Easter holidays were one of them. Been back from a big trip already, we didn't want to spent too much but still wanted to spend good 4 days away from home.
Hence we planned a trip to South of Wales and it was worth it!

Wales is a part of the United Kingdom which constitutes its western part. It is surrounded by water on three and England on the rest. It is recognized by its magnificent coastline which has given birth to some of the amazing beaches, the lush green country side landscapes and the lovely mountains.
You can roughly divide Wales into North and South Wales. Where South Wales has beautiful cities like Cardiff, Newport and Swansea, North Wales constitutes of Snowdonia and Aberystwyth.

As we had only a few days in hand so we only planned to visit the South which was full of adventures and surprises.Hence I would share with you the experience.

How to reach:

If you are in the UK there are many trains running at regular intervals from the mainlands.
If you live in the South UK, you can take your car and drive through the Bristol Channel which is a treat in itself.
You can also fly to the Cardiff Airport or Bristol Airport

Where to stay:

There are too many good hotels in and around South Wales in cities like Cardiff.
We planned our stay in New Port. It gives easy access to places like Cardiff plus there are many attractions at Newport which you would not like to miss.


Places to Visit:

Here comes my favorite section, I personally like to have a walk around the city, use the local transport, sit in the local pubs and cafes to get a feel of the place rather than visiting the major attractions of the place. But don't worry I am going to take you through the places worth visiting in South Wales :)

1. Big Pit National Coal Museum: If you have come anywhere near to Newport, you Have to! Have to! Have to! Yes, have to visit this place. This place is in the outskirts of Newport and in the middle of lush green Wales mountains. It used to be a mining station in the last century or so but now has transformed into a fantastic museum. The tour guides take you inside the earth where mining used to take place and tell you interesting facts and figures about the place and mining itself. The place is beautifully divide into various sections which all connect to one another very well. There is also a cafeteria  serving fresh food for those who feel hungry after the underground trip. Hence I think it is the must go place in South Wales.
   
   
   
2. New Transporter Bridge: For those who are of the adventurous kind, this is an ideal place for you. The New Transporter bridge is built on the river Usk and is about 60m high. You can either take the Gondola ride(moving platform) which moves over from one side to the other or can climb on the top of the bridge and then cross it. We preferred the latter which was more adventurous and fun.
   
   
3. Cardiff City: As important it is to see the country side of Wales, it is equally important to see  the Welsh Capital City. The City is full of people taking tour of the city, eating, shopping and enjoying themselves. The city full of good shops, restaurants, cinemas and takeaways. Stroll around the street, watch a movie have a takeaway or go to a pub. I personally found the city very Posh! with too many fashionable young people, stag parties and an amazing night life. This makes the Cardiff City third best place on my list. 

   

   pic source google

   
   
4. Cardiff Castle:  Beautiful piece of architecture located in the Center of the City. The building is magnificent and tells the story of the centuries it has been through. Make sure you check the opening and closing time before you go. :P

   

   pic source google

5. Cardiff Bay: This lies on the other side of the city center. It is a water body surrounded by land. There are many water fun activities to do. Plus there are amazing restaurants, shopping complexes and much more. Also you can visit the Millennium Center if you get time to :P

   

   pic source google

6. Millennium Stadium: Well if you are a Rugby fan, this is the place you want to be, for others, you may have a look around because its not far from the City Center.
7. Rhosilli bay(Swansea): After spending few days in the Cardiff city, you would like to head toward the beautiful beaches Wales has to offer. The first one which we went to was the Rhosilli Beach. It is a magnificent beach. Clean , quiet, wide and surrounded by mountains. And guess what this place experiences the exquisite phenomenon of high and low tides hence when the tides are low, the beach actually widens and is amazing to watch. Hence you should definitely go there.
   
8. Walking upto the worm: This part is more interesting than the Rhosilli beach. The worm is like an a piece of land the center part of which is under water hence you cannot reach its end, but when the tides are low, the rest of the center part becomes visible and could be walked upto. Which is soo adventurous.. but make sure to return before the high tides kick in or you;ll be stuck at an island  :P
   
9. Three Cliff bay(Swansea): This is yet another beautiful place with mountains on one side and sea on the other. Beautiful , scenic and picturesque. A treat to watch.
10. Gardens:  Apart from the magnificent beaches, castles and cathedrals, South wales also has to offer you many beautiful parks where you can have a nice walk, rent a bicycle and tour or just sit and enjoy nature. Some of these parks are Bute park in Cardiff or Clyne gardens in Swansea.

What to Eat

Eating habits in Wales are not too different from that of England, as I could see. I found the same kind of restaurants and the food but there a few things which were different and should be tasted.

1. Welsh cakes and scones
2. Lamb and beef Stew
3. Pies
4. Welsh cheese

pic source google

All in all it was amazing few days spent in the neighborhood. I hope you guys too have fun and please do share you experiences with me :) Cyaaa