Málaga Diaries!

Hello Everyone!

Here I am again with a new tale to tell. This time I am really really excited because I have so much to tell you about. Also because I wasn't expecting much from the place but it wonderfully surprised me in so many ways.
The place I am going to tell you about today is Malaga! Its a city in the South of Spain which is usually known as Andalusia.
Although there are many good beaches in the whole of Andalucia, we chose Malaga mainly due to the easy accessibility from UK. Expecting nothing more than a beach from it, Malaga surprised me with its fusion of cultures.

On one hand the city has preserved the old castles, Arabian theaters, baths, museums etc and on the other hand has an amazing public friendly city center, modern port, restaurants, shops and beautiful beaches which leaves every one mesmerized. So here I am going to share my two cents not the old traditional way by telling you where to go and what to do but in the new fashioned way of telling you 10 reasons why you should definitely visit Malaga :)

Reason 1: Easy accessibility

Being one of the major province in Andalucia, Malaga is quite well connected and accessible from the neighboring countries and regions. Malaga has its own airport which is a 30 mins drive from Malaga central. Bus service to Malaga Central from airport is available every half hourly and is super cheap.
You can reach Malaga via the sea as well, it has a magnificent port and most of the major world cruises find its way to it. Buses and trains also connect it to major cities within Spain. And as mentioned above its easy accessibility was the main reason I picked Malaga over any other beach destination.

pic source google

Reason 2: Cheap Accommodation

Although Malaga is a tourist destination, still you can find easy and cheap accommodation. There are numerous hotels in the city center and along the beach. For single travelers there are youth hostels providing cheap lodging. We booked in advance and got a really good deal at the Las Vegas hotel which was just next to the beach, had big luxurious room and yummy breakfast ummmmm....


Reason 3: Cheap Food and Wine

Yes! all you wanted to hear. The first thing we found out as soon as we landed in Malaga was that the food was so inexpensive. Most of the eateries have a selection of Tapas (small portion of a dish)   which is served at 2 euros each max and 6 tapas for 10 euros is the tagline of many. There are restaurants at each and every corner of the Malaga city and all of them have nearly the same prices. If you happen to go to any of the interior alley ways in the city you might find beer as cheap as 0.40 euros and Tapas @ .90

The famous drink of Spain, Sangria is as common as beer and also as cheap. Malaga also offers a summer wine served over ice which is the perfect drink in a hot weather.

The happy hours in Malaga last for 5 hours :P from 4p.m to 9p.m so you can easily drink yourself to death :D(just joking). The most common drink flowing in the happy hours is Mojito! Hence if you are a foodie and love drinking, this place is next to heaven for you. Here are a few more pictures.

Restaurants near the beach serve grilled sardines which you can give a try.

So all you foodies, add Malaga to your travel plans now!

Reason 4: Great Weather and People

Every where we went in Malaga, people were very friendly, warm and welcoming. I think that's one of the qualities of Spanish people, humility. Everybody whether it be a receptionist at the hotel, waiter at the restaurant,drivers, helpers or even strangers on the street will greet you with "Hola" without fail :). Even though common people knew little English, they tried really hard to make their point clear. Sometimes it had to take the form of sign language which I found so cute, well it's just me being crazy.

The weather is as good as the people there. All the days we stayed were warm, sunny with clear blue sky. Temperature ranging from 25 degree Celsius to 30. Sun rises early and doesn't set until 10ish in the evening, giving you plenty of sunshine. I still feel quite nostalgic and keep checking the weather in Malaga, sitting in the rainy UK just to make me feel warm.. haha crazy! But this is to assure you that the people in Malaga or the weather will not disappoint you.

Reason 5: Beaches

Here comes the main reason why I am writing this blog. It all started when I was looking for a beach holiday and found this win-win option. Malaga has very beautiful beaches along the Coasta De Sol.

Not only Malaga but the adjacent beaches of Torremolinos and Marbella are breathtaking as well.

Tourism being the major source of income, kept it beaches very clean. Police patrols the beaches, glass bottles are not allowed, restaurants, changing rooms and showers are spread all across the beach for the visitors comfort. This make Malaga a must visit beach destination.

Reason 6: Cultural Heritage

Although people think that South of Spain is just meant  for a beach visit, that's wrong. Malaga beholds such a rich cultural heritage. It has influence of the moorish culture which is the medival muslim period, preserving their architecture, theaters and Hamams.Being in Spain, you can find Flamenco dancing, Bull fighting events every now and then.

We also had a chance to see a cultural festival where people from Africa presented their traditional dance. So if you like the mix of cultures, you should visit this place.

pic source google

Reason 7: Lots of places to visit

Apart from the beaches, there are a number of things you should visit when you are at Malaga. The Gibralfaro castle which is at the top of a hill,

View of the bull ring from Gibralfaro

Alcazaba , Malaga Catherdral , Picasso museum , Thyssen museum are the ones among the must visits.

Malaga Cathedral

Even if you spend time roaming about in the streets like Calle de Lores etc you will be amused with the sheer magnificence of the city.

Plaza de Merced

Reason 8: Amazing Nightlife

For you the youngsters and also the one young at heart :) this place is amazing to have a cities nightlife experience. With clubs and pubs opening from 10p.m until late, serving cheap alcohol and Tapas, this is definitely a place to be. There are a few pub crawls which start at around 11:30 p.m (way past my sleeping time :P) and last until the early hours of morning. I also found the city completely safe and no mysterious or hooded men hitting the streets even at late night. So all those who want to party until late! you just found your destination.

Reason 9: Port of Malaga 

The port of Malaga is also a famous place to hang around. With big ships doced at the port, fancy parties going on the yachts, designer shops and plenty of restaurants, this places is a hit among the families and also young couples.

Reason 10: Artists at every corner

Although there are many other factors but this one is truly a winner. Malaga has given birth to world renowned artists like Picasso but the art resides in common man too. Painters , musicians , dancers etc can be found at every corner specially the city center.

We came across a man who was painting small piece of glass by rubbing colors with his fingers in a matter of 1 minute. It left me totally spellbound. Here are few of his painting that I bought.

Hence to sum up I would say that Malaga didn't fail mesmerize to me with its beauty and culture. I hope it'll be the same for you.

Adios!

Fiery prawns

Hello guys,

I hope you are all doing good,cooking and enjoying life as I am :) I wonder how tired I am after I come back from work each day and how I get into my kitchen and the tiredness just flies away. How the idea of having a sumptuous home cooked food energizes me to the core, followed by some innovation and the result is satiating good foooooood.

Talking of innovation has it ever happened to you that you pick up some ingredients from your kitchen, throw them together and it comes out as an amazing dish. I am sure it has happened to you too. Today I am sharing one of those recipes with you. I hope you will enjoy it. I have called it fiery prawns because the first time I made them they were really really hot.

Ingredients:

1. Prawns peeled -10-15 better if you can get cooked ones
2. Green chilies
3. Curry leaves
4. Thinly sliced ginger
   
5. Chopped garlic
6. Dried red chillies
7. Turmeric powder
8. Coriander powder
9. Chili powder
10. Garam Masala
11. Lemon juice
12. Salt
13. Fresh coriander

Method:

1. If you have got uncooked prawns, just soak them in boiling water for 10 minutes, that should be enough to cook them.
2. Take a pan and add some vegetable oil about 2 tablespoons
3. Now add curry leaves, green chilies, sliced ginger and garlic and saute until the garlic is brown
   
4. Add about 2 dried red chilies and saute for 5 secs
5. Now add salt and the spices, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala, chili powder , each half tsp and let the masala cook. I added some fish masala as well but don't bother if you don't have it
   
6. Now toss in the cooked prawns. Cook it for 2 minutes on medium flame
   
7. Add freshly chopped coriander and 1tsp lemon juice
   
8. Serve hot as a snack or with chapati
   

Enjoy! :) See you soon

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 

Sweet and Sour Prawn Curry!

Hello Friends!!

I hope you are all well and enjoying cooking.
Do you call yourself a foodie? If yes? tell me one quality which you think is a quality of a foodie and only a fellow foodie can understand it?

Well for me the first and foremost quality is having the urge to have something good and different everyday. It's been more than two years since we are married, but my husband and I have never repeated a dish for two consecutive dinners. That for me is one of the quality. haha :)

Okay.. lets talk cooking now.
The recipe I bring to you today finds its origin in the south of India. I think its Mangalorian but I am not sure.

Its a simple prawn recipe in a tangy curry. The prawns in the recipe can be replaced with other seafood as soft boneless fish and also squids.

The ingredients of the recipe are as follows

Ingredients:

1	Peeled uncooked Prawns	12 to 15
2	Onions	1 Big
3	Tamarind	1/4 cup
4	Jaggery	1/8 cup
5	Fish stock	1 cube
6	Fish masala(optional)	1 tsp
7	Turmeric	1 tsp
8	Garam masala powder	1 tsp
9	Coriander powder	1 tsp
10	Curry leaves	10
11	Mustard seeds	1 tsp
12	Fenugreek seeds	1 tsp
13	Salt	to taste
14	Water	3/2 cups
15	Oil	2 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds to it.
   
2. After they have popped, add fenugreek seeds.
   
3. Add onions, curry leaves, salt and saute.
   
4. When onions are light brown add  turmeric, fish masala, coriander powder and garam masala and stir until the masala is cooked.
   
5. Add prawns and cook until pink.
   
6. Boil some water and add tamarind and jaggery to it until both melt.
7. Sieve the water and add to the pan.
8. Crush and add the fish stock.
9. Add more water if needed.
10. Let everything come to a boil.

• Remember do not cook for too long otherwise the prawns will get hard and chewy.
• Enjoy this tangy curry with rice :)

Movie review.. Theory of Everything!

Theory of everything is a nicely executed script of the life of the renowned scientist Stephen Hawking.

The movie is pictured in the late 60's and revolves around the challenges, hardships, love and life of the scientist.

The actor Eddie Redmayne has done a wonderful job in portraying himself as Stephen.
To an extent that you even forget how Stephen Hawking looks like and start believing that he is the real Stephen Hawking. No wonder he won the Golden Globe award for the role.

All the other actors have also done their part well.

The only thing which I found negative about the movie was, the story was not that gripping.
It was less about the struggle and achievements and more about the love life, which lost my interest for a while.

But that doesn't mean that you should skip the movie at all
From me it is a must watch.

Hope you'll enjoy it. :)