Goa, India

Best Lifestyle Blog of Goa

Month: September 2016

Mystical Mondays- The Joy is in Details, By Manoj Lekhi

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Knowledge and Awareness:

Why is it so that knowledge is given so much of importance all over the world? Why is it that Goddess Saraswati is given so much of respect and importance?

Increase in Knowledge may not necessarily mean Increase in Awareness

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Increase in Awareness definitely means Increase in Knowledge.

Further, Awareness can be divided into two types:

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Outside Awareness :

An expert mountaineer is aware of each and every minute change of climate from heat to rains to snow. Likewise an expert Musician is aware of every sound he uses in singing and making of a song.

An expert artist is aware of the different shades of color that can describe his idea best through his painting, similarly a successful businessman knows all in and outs of his business and that is one of the major reasons he is a great Micro-Manager (also known as Micro-Management).

Be it any field you are part of, mastering whatever you do is one of the key aspect that makes you an expert or experienced person in your field.

An expert cricketer is aware of the field placements and his players, this allows him to play shots in between the gaps. A practiced dancer is extremely aware of small minute steps and hand movements which makes a beautiful performance in front of an audience. The same goes for a skillful actor and director, the actor is aware of each and every angle and pose he needs  to shoot in front of the camera while the director is fully aware of his cinematography.

This way we have thousands of fields where people will give great importance to details and end up being highly successful in terms of money, fame or expertise. Some may end being famous like Amitabh Bachan or maybe one like Sachin Tendulkar or a famous actor or cricketer or Musician. When you do, whatever you do, do in depth, it makes you happy, confident and creates an eagerness to achieve more and more. They enjoy the small joys of detailing. There is a different blissfulness that you receive when you master your respective field. Any person who goes into  learning every minute detail, he enjoys his life to the fullest. Success may or may not happen, but they enjoy and are passionate about their work/professional life because joy lies in the details.

 Inside Awareness:

However the above set of people who are into detailing may enjoy their professional place but might end up disturbed, unhappy and dissatisfied, if their planned goals  aren’t achieved. Let’s say it as their inner awareness. Where a person who is aware of his inner-self and he is fully contained, satisfied and successful. For him, what matters is knowing everything inside- outside rather than just the outer world.  Aware of his body movements, more aware about his breath, even more aware of his thoughts, even more subtly aware of his feelings and emotions and more aware of his intentions before he takes any action. This person enjoys the detailing of his inward self. He does not need any goal, nor does he target any destination, detailing itself is the destination. His or her joy is in the process of discovering the inner-self, inner-intentions, feelings,  thoughts, words, which designs his actions for any responses. His behavior is an outcome of his words which is an outcome of his thoughts, feelings, intentions, understanding details. For example, the person who is aware of inner-self is aware of every single thing he does, for instance drinking water and feeling fully satiated. 

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The one who can comprehend the inner-self is automatically the one who can solve the outside world’s puzzle. The one who rises in inner consciousness rises in the level of outer consciousness too. He is master of his own universe. But the reverse need not be true.

A person who is very alert in his inward journey puts his complete attention also in his outward journey. His inside vibrations transmit to outside.

Both ways are wonderful, when you go from inside to outside, it becomes much easier, because it is not dependent on outside factors, while in outside awareness the person is dependent on various other factors. He does not need an outward goal or outward validation, target, destination. His/her Joy is in the inner self- understanding. Go the inward to outward journey which is simpler, easier, joyful and guaranteed success. Outward to in is long, tedious, hardworking and cannot be guaranteed to be joyful. Go for subtle inwards and express it outwards.

Little Things = Great Joy

It is self fulfilling to know each and every pulse and breath of work or things you are into. The joy lies in the details. When you know inside- outside, you enjoy everything you do. This understanding is a medicine that can solve various issues in your life. From simple tasks like cooking to holding a big time business, when one is involved in every minute aspect of the task one’s joy multiplies manifold

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Know this. Practice this. Experience this.

The joy is in the details.

 

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About the Author

Manoj Lekhi is a truth seeker at heart and a guide to thousands Indians all over the world. At the age of 25, he met Guruji Shree Rishi Prabhakarji, creator of the Siddha Samadhi Yoga (SSY) program. Under Guruji’s guidance and as his key disciple, Manoj Lekhi himself has blossomed into a Business and Life coach.

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He is a passionate trainer in areas like management and leadership development. He has been teaching management mantras to many corporate honchos for business expansion for over a decade. In the last two years he has conducted 250 programs across 11 cities and touched the lives of 15000 fellow Indians in India and abroad. His passion for meditation and SSY has inspired him to adopt an entire village near the foothills of Pune. He has also started a school there inspired by the Gurukul structure. The Gurukul encourages community living and inspires everyone to become a contributing member of the society. The entire community stays, works, meditates, serves and plays together amongst the rustic dwellings and wide expanse of sprawling greens. Apart from this he is also the author of the books; ‘Your Child is your Parent’ and ‘ Money Wealth and Abundance’. Manoj Lekhi’s love for Silence and Solitude makes him an obvious nature-lover. He loves trekking and loves taking a walk in the mountains and forests. Apart from this he also enjoys listening to the modern day Western spiritual and professional Gurus like Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer on one hand to ZigZiglar and Brian Tracy on the other.

To Know More Log On To: http://www.manojjlekhi.in/

 

Oxford Bookstore Connaught Place Celebrates The Twenty Second New Urdu Writings Series

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Oxford Bookstore Connaught Place in collaboration with Hindustani Awaaz,hosts The Twenty Second New Urdu Writings Series,two recent books by Kishwar Naheed, Mutthi Bhar Yaadein (memoir) and Iss Aabaad Kharabe Mein (poetry collection). The session is being moderated by Dr Rakhshanda Jalil, founder Hindustani Awaaz with Kishwar Naheed, Prof Shamim Hanafi, eminent Urdu critic, and Kunwar Ranjeet Chauhan, Jashn-e Adab.The event comprised of book recital by Kishwar Naheed & discussion on modern urdu writings in comparison with earlier urdu poetry & writings. Richa Agarwal, an eminent classical singer gave a performance on one of the poetry’s by Kishwar Naheed, which was much appreciated by audience & the writer herself

Through its series of events for Urdu readers and book lovers, Oxford Bookstore aims to spread awareness about the literary and cultural relevance of the Urdu language, its literature and culture in India.

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About Dr. Rakhshanda Jalil

Dr. Rakhshanda Jalil a writer, literary critic, translator, independent researcher, and much-admired blogger, is an eminent commentator on Hindi-Urdu culture, society, and literature. She has over 15 books to her credit, including the recent anthology, New Urdu Writings from India and Pakistan (2013). At present, she is engaged in a study of Indian secularism. She also runs an organization called Hindustani Awaaz, devoted to the popularization of Hindi-Urdu literature and culture, and blogs at www.hindustaniawaaz-rakhshanda.blogspot.com and another at IBN Live.

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About Kishwar Naheed

Kishwar Naheed is a feminist Urdu poet from Pakistan. She has written several poetry books. She has also received awards including Sitara-e-Imtiaz for her literary contribution towards Urdu literature.

Naheed has served major positions in various national institutions, as director general of Pakistan National Council of the Arts. She also worked and edited a literary magazineMahe naw. She established Hawwaorganisation (Eve). The purpose of the organisation is to support those women who have not independent income, providing financially opportunities through cottage industries and selling handicrafts..

Kishwar has written six collections of poems between 1969 and 1990. Her first poetry collection Lab-i goya was published in 1968, that won the Adamjee Prize of Literature. She also writes for children and for the Daily Jang. Her several poems have been translated into English and Spanish.

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About Oxford Book Store:

Oxford Bookstore Connaught Place offers a carefully curated list of titles for booklovers to browse through and buy and perhaps the world’s largest assortment of teas in the hip Cha Bar, to create a holistic experience for book lovers. The entrance leading to the bookstore houses a big Neon Wall, a cloud of words in English-Hindi-Latin that envelopes book lovers in a universe of emotions linked to reading. Inside, in the tranquil space, hands-on staff, knowledgeable and highly trained book specialists, offer suggestions of handpicked titles from major, independent and indie publishers: a great selection of books, some exclusive to Oxford Bookstore. The selection features both emerging and established authors from India and the world. Shelves stocked with the best in Indian Writing, International Fiction and Translations take one into a spacious, elongated Reading Room which opens onto a dedicated Events Space. Well-researched sections on Languages and New Age books address issues of addiction, relationships, unexplained phenomena, and showcase the best of thinkers and Indian gurus. A wide range of titles in Travel Writing, books that showcase the very essence of New Delhi and a specially curated section of books on tea are other highlights. Children have an exclusive space for browsing, activities and reading and parents can look forward to the Top 10 Gift Books in each age group for a quick and easy pick. Amongst the best in books for different age groups are ones that help the young ones deal with experiences relevant to their age.

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Radhika J Showcased Her Premier Shoe Collection For The First Time In The Capital Recently

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Radhika Jain recently unveiled her premier luxurious collection of women’s footwear under her label name Radika J. in the capital. The eponymous designer, who has experimented with different styles,cuts,textures,embellishments and colour themes,  also retails through her online retail store Radikaj.com.

Priya Grover and Radhika Jain
Priya Grover and Radhika Jain

Her range of designs included a blend of various styles such as brogue, sandal and mojari styles, smoking slipper with mule  or even d’orsay pump, brogue and peeptoe style together.The most overwhelming styles, be that as it may, incorporated pointy-toe pumps, strappy-shoes, mules and clogs, mary janes, wedges and detailed flats.

There were numerous more appealing assortments like Folklore collection impacted from the customary footwear of different nations, for example, Netherlands, Japan , Mexico, her signature style double-platform high heels, and tango shoes style as she has devoted a whole line of her brand to the Latin dance community such as Tango, Salsa, Kizomba, and Bachata.

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The corridor at The Kila was loaded with the visitors evaluating this new line of collection. Propelling the footwear under her own brand had evidently been on Radhika’s mind from the day she began shoning her knowledge on the peculiarities of footwear designing, and remained in India to complete her masters in Footwear Technology in 2014.

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On the lavish launch of her collection Radhika said, “I am glad that my hard work is appreciated by the people.  I get inspiration from wherever I go – from street styles, fashion shows, to different cultures, places, books, objects, fabrics, floors, walls etc. I feel motivated to start my brand and I hope it will meet the needs of women worldwide.”

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About Radhika Jain

Radhika Jain fulfilled her yearning to gain an international perspective on footwear design through a course in Fashion Design from London College of Fashion(Cordwainers),UK in 2012. She continued to hone her knowledge on the peculiarities of footwear designing, and remained in India to complete her masters in Footwear Technology in 2014. This time was a building ground for her own future brand, based on the sensibilities of Indian women. She additionally learnt Online Retail for Fashion Business from LCF, UK. All of this education coupled with a rich practical work experience in India and Italy lent her the spirit to start on her own. Her objective to become an internationally renowned luxury designer gave way to the inception of Radhika J, a label that brings together the expertise of designers from all over the country, all under one roof. She additionally also keeps herself associated with Parsons School of Design. Radhika’s thoughts on her trade are modernistic and simple. According to her, ‘The most admirable designs are made with a free mind. Design can be an idea, a thought, a minute detail, a feeling, a concept or a form, independent or integrated in an aesthetically appealing manner.’

Stay Fit Fridays-7 Dieting Mistakes You Should Avoid, By Dr. Anjali Hooda

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Ever wondered why you don’t seem to meet up your weekly weight loss goals…. after having followed a not so tasty diet plan and almost draining yourself in those cardio/strength sessions. Every Monday morning you still fall short of few hundred grams of the expected weight loss…!!

Here’s how you could identify common glitches… correct them and find yourself more inspired and encouraged towards losing the remaining extra kilos…!!

The symbols of a healthy lifestyle - gymnastics, weight control, and fruits

Keep Eating a “Singular Activity”

Eating in peace with all the focus on your plate helps you sense the feeling of fullness…. or what we call satiety. Watching television, talking over phone and working on laptop while eating…, can lead to improper chewing and eating more than required. Mindful consumption of meals favours sensitization of ‘satiety clues’ and you know exactly where to stop eating.

Don’t Purchase your diet… Prepare it…!!

Often in morning rush hours…, we choose processed/ready to eat foods like corn flakes, oats, whole grain bread, and sometimes even tea and crackers as breakfast options. Although these constitute a handy option and the nutrient content seems to be similar to home cooked foods but eventually they have a higher glycemic index and lower fibre and protein content. Try limiting these to 2-3 times per week and opting for simple home-made recipies that suffice your nutrient requirement.

Distribute your food evenly

The key to weight loss without loss of health lies in creating a balance of nutrients or types of food. The more balanced a meal, the better and steady is release of nutrients into the blood stream. One must include at least one combination of cereal and legume, cereal and pulse or cereal and milk for your main meals while keeping the raw fruit/vegetable portions for in between snacking.

Avoid eating and drinking at the same time

Glugging water and other beverages while eating or immediately after meals reduces the efficacy of digestion and absorption process due to dilution of the digestive juices released in stomach. Digestion becomes prolonged and the absorption is also not that great. Take plenty of fluids all the day round but remember to exempt from them during meals.

Drinking calories v/s eating them

Substituting your meals with a glass of milk or taking fruit juices in place of fruits don’t add much of a benefit to your health. Doing so, you might end up adding almost equal or even extra calories to your diet while going deficient in terms of other nutrients. A glass of 200ml 3% milk gives you almost equal calories as a well balanced meal and no where matches the satiety level of a meal. A glass of orange juice surely gives you higher amount of vitamins and minerals than a whole orange… but it also has sugars (fructose) from 3-4 oranges and absolutely no fibre…!!

Go individual

A universal diet or a diet that works for all is yet to be discovered. The fact that every individual is different and so is its response to any particular practice holds a lot of evidence. Identify your body’s responses and analyse them to understand what suits you the best. Diet and exercise regimes should be tailor-made…, not copied and followed simply because it did benefit your friend or relative.

Set realistic, “health-happy”  goals

After having made one or all of the aforementioned corrections…, most importantly remember that there is a certain amount of weight that one should aim at losing over a period of time. Achieving jaw-dropping weight loss in a short span of time (10-12 weeks) might create a story line for you but the health risks it poses are too many…, plus the ‘yo-yo effect’ that makes you gain weight as quickly and more than you actually lost.

-Do it the right way.., as being slim has become a little outdated. Staying healthy is the new cool…!!

 

31st October Trailer Grips Social Media

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra
The newly launched “31st October” Trailer has generated quite a buzz on Social Media. Already anticipating a lot of polarizing opinions, the trailer has generated mostly praise and tweeples have identified its theme as surprisingly different and refreshing. Though based on the backdrop of PM Indira Gandhi’s assassination and the horrific Anti Sikh pogrom that followed , the trailer gives out a unique insight into the Film’s human story.
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Based on the fateful day of 31 st October 1984, The trailer zips through events of the day & leaves on a cliff hanger on the question of whether the family will survive the ordeal what will happen to them eventually. Already the trailer has received 2 Million hits on Youtube and Facebook with a high percentage of Likes and shares. Both Sikh and Non Sikh community has seemed to give its thumbs up to the Trailer direction & the dialogues which are being constantly termed as Powerful and Gritty. The cinematography has been praised and also the Musical score. All in all it looks like 31st October will give stiff competition at the Box Office on 7th October.
The film Stars Soha Ali Khan and Vir Das in pivotal roles & is being directed by National Award Winning Director Shivaji Lotan Patil. Distributed by Panorama Studios and Written & Produced by Harry Sachdeva, 31st october hits screens worldwide on 7th October 2016. I am so looking forward to it..!!

Grehlakshmi Magazine comes up with the 8th edition of World’s largest Kitty Party, A fun day-out to celebrate the spirit of womanhood

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Grehlakshmi magazine, India’s fastest growing woman’s monthly is coming up with its 8th edition of the World’s largest Kitty Party, a grand day specially designed to celebrate the spirit of womanhood. The event is going to be held on 10th September 2016 at The Lalit , Barakhamba, New Delhi. Ikreate takes immense pleasure in saying that we are one of the blogging partners for the event and glad to be associated with such a renowned brand name.

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The unique concept of Grehlakshmi Kitty Party has always been synonymous to celebrating women and their achievements. The event promises a fabulous day out for the females to enjoy being pampered, inspired and empowered. It is the only platform which provides an opportunity for today’s women to socialize, network, engage with their favorite brands, meet celebrities, play games chit chat and gossip under one roof. The event will witness women from various walks of life from professionals to housewives and entrepreneurs to mompreneurs. The party involves scintillating fashion shows, jewellery shows, make up makeovers, talk shows, tarot card reading, astrology, live cookery shows, hair makeovers, nail art, live interaction with celebrities, mouthwatering food and much more. Ladies present at the occasion are complimented with exciting titles like Best Saas Bahu Jodi, Ms Early Bird, Ms. Chup Chap,, Ms Beautiful Hair, Ms Fit & Active, Ms. 100% Indian Women etc. Apart from this, Grehlakshmi also felicitates 10 powerful socially active women as ‘Grehlakshmi’s Goodwill Ambassadors’ to honor those women who have acquired identities of their own and now work for giving back to the society. Upping the glamour quotient, renowned stars of Bollywood and Television are invited to make the occasion more exciting for the participants.

Sharing her views on organizing this event, Ms. Vandana Verma, Executive Editor, Diamond Magazines Pvt. Ltd. said, “We are elated to bring yet another edition of Grehlakshmi Kitty Party which creates more exclusive avenues for ladies entertainment.’Grehlakshmi Kitty Party’ is organized to help women break free from their boring monotonous life and enjoy a day full of fun. It is a day when we want to make women feel pampered; a day when they not just enjoy themselves but also get the opportunity to learn about various health issues, meet celebrities from Bollywood and Television and win loads of prizes. Basically the day ends with the women emerging as clear winners and we feel it is an ideal platform to interact with the end consumer – our readers and get to know them better.”

The event is being supported extensively through full-fledged media as well as promotional plans. It has already indulged more than 27,000 women in the past and constantly trying to bring forward more such worthy women to this platform. In the future endeavors, Grehlakshmi Kitty Party intends to host the event for a much larger scale of audience and in other cities of the country as well.

About Diamond Magazines Pvt. Ltd.

Diamond Magazines Pvt. Ltd., an offspring of Diamond group of Publications, a group that has been in the publishing business for the last 70 years and has established itself in the same arena.

Diamond Magazines P Ltd. comes out with 4 monthly magazines viz-a-viz Grehlakshmi, Cricket Today English, Cricket Today Hindi and Sadhna Path.

Grehlakshmi is the fastest growing women’s monthly in Hindi. With a current print run of 3, 70,000 copies, Grehlakshmi reach out to 40 lac readers every month. With the content being the right mix of Cookery, Health, Beauty, Social awareness, Stories, Humour, Teen Talk, Bollywood, Interviews, Career etc.  The magazine is a magazine for the entire family. Popular names such as Blossom Kochar, Neeta Mehta, Sanjeev Kapoor, Dr. Kiran Bedi, Dr. Ashok Chakradhar, Shahnaz Hussain, and Jawed Habib etc the magazine enjoys the repute of ensuring quality content to its readers.

Other offerings from the group included, Cricket Today in Hindi and English, which are magazines, dedicated to the most popular sport of our country – Cricket. From covering the latest happenings in Cricket, the magazine cover other interesting off beat aspects of the lives of Cricketers and all related to the game.

Sadhna Path is a health and wellness magazine, which attempts to educate the readers from mutely aping the west.

I urge my women readers to be a part of this Biggest Kitty and celebrate the spirit of womanhood. See you there..!!

Experience Food, The Army Way At 38 Barracks

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Who could imagine that an accidental meeting with an army man in a train journey could become a turning point in Ankul Agarwal’s life and become an inspiration behind a theme restaurant. This is what exactly happened when owner of the Restaurant 38 Barracks, Ankur met a stranger, in this case an army colonel, on a train journey to Shimla. During the course of the journey, Ankur learnt many facets of an army man’s life and this how the idea of 38 Barracks was germinated. Ankur was so moved by the colonel’s story that he wanted to give a tribute to army men, 38 Barracks, as a restaurant based on the lives of army men is Ankur’s realization of that tribute.

38 Barracks truly reflects the spirit of an Army Man’s life in its every corner, in fact special corners like Locker Room, Drawing Room, Balcony have been marked in the restaurant, nooks and corners, walls and shelves are adorned with mementoes and memorable of army battalions. From medals, to old telephone, monochrome photographs and guns and rifles, every single aspect of the décor speaks loudly about the theme. Unlike other thematic restaurants where a few elements reflect the theme, 38 Barracks have gone all the way in maintaining the essence of the theme. And not just the décor, but also their menu is carefully curated with items that have been popular with major battalions of the world.

I was recently invited by Vickrham from Foodmaniacs..Born to Eat (do check out their blog for all food and lifestyle updates), for an exclusive bloggers table introducing new items in the food menu, which are designed by Michelin Recommended Chef Gautam Chaudhary.

Gautam himself took us through the culinary journey of developing those dishes and the inspiration behind. Now coming to food, it was as awesome as the entire place.

Amuse Bouche: It was a watermelon based pallet cleanser, which was cooled through a bowl filled with liquid nitrogen, one of those things that come under molecular gastronomy. Along with watermelon, there was feta cheese, lettuce leaves and balsamic vinegar balls, which looked like caviar. It was perfect to its name, amusing and tasteful. The cold fumes coming from the bowl of nitrogen was making it look really interesting and worth capturing on the camera. Check out my video on Instagram, and do show some love by following me 🙂

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48th Battalion (Mocktail): It was also a watermelon-based mocktail, with some apple juice; sprite, green chilies and sour mix thrown in. It indeed was a very refreshing drink and I liked it.

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Paneer Tikka Barrels: This was one of the most amazing Paneer Tikka’s that I have eaten in recent times. The shape of the Paneer Tikka was like a barrel and It was stuffed with dry fruits. I loved this part, because normally paneer tikka’s are only coated with the masala on the top but after one bite, they sometimes taste bland, but this barrel with its surprise filling inside is a sure shot winner in this category.

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Gosht Ke Galauti: These were really mouth melting; the meat was so tender and delectable. These kebabs were served with Ulta Tawa Paranthas and Green Mint Chutney.

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Chicken Duet Tikka: Two different versions of chicken tikka, which are glazed in clay oven, are a heavenly delight for tikka lovers. This should be a definite try on your list, highly recommended.

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Malaysian Military Chicken Satay: These are Malaysian marinade chicken satays served with peanut chutney. Mild in taste, these make a perfect choice if you want something super tasty and yet less spicy. Just go for it.

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Soya Rahra: This will be a delight for soya lovers and vegetarians in general. A very well marinated soya chaap with a thick soya keema gravy, awesomely spiced, made this dish a wonderful one indeed. I personally liked it a lot.

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Clash of Clans: A super awesome combo of two entirely different versions of fish. One part has the very English Fish N Chips while the other has Ajwaini Mahi Tikka but both of them equally awesome. Though the Ajwaini Tikka was little spicy, but the solution is to dig one bit of Ajwaini Tikka followed by the very crisp bite of Fish N Chips.. yumm is the word..

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Big Barrack Chicken Burger: This was a father of all burgers, huge in size, delightful to look at and awesome to taste. Loaded with chicken and veggies, with sauces dripping, this messy affair is something you will remember for a long time. Must try.

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Chicken Sweet Corn Soup: A bowl of chicken sweet corn soup= happy me. This soup has been an all time favourite for me, and I wasn’t disappointed having it here at 38 Barracks as well.

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Corn Tarts: A new addition in the menu, they should surely make it to your must try list, as they were really nice. The filling was good; the tarts were baked to perfection as well.

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Chocolate Walnut Brownie: Chocolate is the other name of heaven for me, and by now if you follow my posts you would know that. One I am a big chocolate fan and second I am baker myself and hence very critical about bakery items and desserts. But this brownie was just right, perfectly done, gooey and fudgy, loaded with walnuts and topped with some vanilla ice-cream, and my mouth waters while writing this, so you know what I mean, it was delicious.

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Baked Rasgulla Pie: A very innovative creation by chef Gautam, this was a true fusion dessert and I am sure it will be loved by one and all.. ok ok..exceptions are always there.. but by and large people will love it, at least I did and I recommend too.

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This place also has an amazing range of Hukka flavors and will be a paradise for hukka lovers. They have flavours, which are very unique, and no other place in India has them so far, for example there was a Rice Pudding Flavored Hukka, which was really different and didn’t hurt the throat at all.

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38 Barracks should definitely be your next food over stop and I am sure you will love it.

38 Barracks Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Asli Drama Toh Ab Shuru Hoga with DRAMA, the upside down bar and restaurant

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Life mein tragedy, comedy, romance aur DRAMA, sab kuch zaruri hai, tabhi toh life mast rehti hai..so bring some more DRAMA to your life with the newbie in town, DRAMA, the upside down bar. This place defines quirkiness like no other. From the ambience to food, everything is dramatic as the name suggests and also upside down décor is the highlight of the place. So don’t rub your eyes or adjust your glasses when you see books kept upside down, or those lamps that hang downside from the ceiling. Once you have entered DRAMA, DRAMA is what you will get in everything. I was recently invited to a private screening organized by Vickrham from FoodManiacs..Born to Eat(if you are a food lover, do join the group on facebook) and its always a pleasant experience meeting like minded foodie friends.

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Spread over 3 floors, Drama is a perfect hangout place with family and friends. It’s vibrant, quirky and full of life.

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For the starters we were served Insalata Crumble, which was chicken mince salad prepared with basil pepper dressing and feta. It was nice, crumbly and a very different kind of salad. I really liked it.

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Next up was the Chin Chin Chicken, Drama’s own version of the very popular chilly chicken, but this one is served on a bed of 1oo chillies, totally mouth drooling.

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Agneepath Murgi, basically chicken satays that come on a coal engine shaped serving platter, is definitely a must try. They taste as good as they look.

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Faadu Fish Fire, a chilly fish with hint of sweetness with sweet chilli soy was the next item served in an upside down umbrella. Masachos were Naachos presented with the signature DRAMA touch, masala kachumbar salsa and rajma, it was also served an upside down umbrella.

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Twitter Tangadi, is something that will catch the attention of your eyes more than the taste. Taste wise it’s a regular chicken leg piece roasted with Indian spices, but what makes it different is its colour of marinade, which is the Twitter Blue colour and you will surely love holding that blue tangadi in your hands. Order for the sake of fun if nothing else.

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Then there was Baba Dhanoush, Lebanese Pita Bread Platter, and Paneer Tikka that came in a cage, both of them tasted well. The presentation of the food is really commendable, the looks of the food items and the way they are presented is so attractive that one can’t resist eating. Followed this was the Bun Faad Paneer, a unique kind of a burger which can be teared open and indulged in with some chilli garlic cottage cheese eggs.

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Drinks too showcased a lot of quirk in their names and presentation, we tried Chatpati Chameli, a vodka based cocktail with tamrind flavours. Then there was Cilantaro and Orange Margarita and Shiela ki Jawani, which was vodka with orange liqueur and cranberry juice. Mocktails had some amazing variety as well, Pan Mojito was one of the highlight drinks, orange passion was comforting and refreshing.

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After so much of dramebaazi in starters and drinks, I had set my expectations really high for the main course, but it turned out to be a little disappointing. We ordered Chowka Paneer Patiala, Nai Dilli Meat Curry and Taehri Chicken Boti. The Paneer Patiala was good, creamy thick gravy that was tasteful. The Chicken Boti and Meat Curry, both lacked taste, they were just about ok, but nothing exceptional. I am sure our feedback will be taken constructively and things will be better the next time around.

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In Desserts, we tried Berry Ananas Roshogulla, I loved the presentation of the dish and it tasted yumm too.

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Nonetheless this place is definitely a must visit and I congratulate Swaraj Singhi and his team for putting in so much creativity in this place, its truly remarkable. I wish them all the luck and urge all my readers to go and visit Drama for sure and you will love it.

Drama Upside Down Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Stay Fit Fridays- How to get rid of thunder thighs in 5 simple ways by Dr. Anjali Hooda

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Ever wondered about the stubborn cheesy bulky thighs.

Not fair, most men don’t have it why should we women suffer?

My own story is that I kept aside a sum of money and decided to get some surgery to get rid of those thighs but then I found this solution after researching and trying everything available about this topic on internet/books/journals (not much out there)/blogs/videos, machines also using help of friends who struggled like me and achieved success.

Most of the times I also blamed hormones but then worked on them religiously diet wise and workout wise. I never became skinny but I found a way to manage to satisfy myself with even tone and got rid of side bags. As a result my thighs are way smaller now than few years ago. Here are 5 simple ways that you can add to your daily regime and become fat to fab..

  1. Walk at least 30 minutes using whole foot and thighs (no running) not just feet.
  2. One should increase vegetable intake (raw mainly) 1-2 quarter plate of salad daily, with added fruits.
  3. Drink a gallon of water daily and never sat for longer than 30 minutes, move after every half hour
  4. Do squats/lunges (get the technique right please) in pluses when in shower, restroom, kitchen, 10, 10, 10.  While watching TV, just sit 1 inch above the chair/sofa for a few minutes. Trampoline is awesome too for weaker knees.
  5. Stretch and squeeze those long muscles of legs whenever you can.

Dr. Anjali Hooda Sangwan, MBBS, MD (INTERNAL MEDICINE) (USA) is a veteran Obesity, Metabolic Medicine and Clinical Nutrition Consultant. She has an experience of, Hypertension, Cardiovascular Heart disease & PCOD. She is trained in Pre and Post Bariatric Management of Obese patients with and without complex Medical Issues like Thyroid Disorders, Diabetes Mellitus Surgery Care. She provides an advice on nutrition and offers people an opportunity to improve their health.  She helps her patients achieving healthy weight loss goals with alteration of life style and pharmacotherapy and micronutrient usage.

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Apart from designing the food plans, Dr. Anjali Hooda also teaches the residents about obesity and nutrition and its application in assessing the nutritional status of a patient and how to manage it. She also indulge herself into the development and teaching of medical students and house staff on the hospital consult service, reviewing common and uncommon diseases affecting nutrition and their effect on patient recovery in postoperative period and treatment of malnutrition including pharmacology.

She has developed an App for Preventive Health and Weight Loss – www.livenutrifit.com. She did her MD in Internal Medicine, Lincoln Medical Center an affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, USA and also trained in Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT). She is a member of The Obesity Society, American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and American Society of Parenteral & Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN), American College of Physician (ACP).

Despite designing food plans for several celebrities and other eminent personalities, Dr. Anjali Hooda Sangwan ensures she is accessible to all her patients and provides the best course of action to each one of them.

Specialities:

  • Medical Weight Loss
  • Age Management
  • Clinical Nutrition Support
  • Childhood Obesity Management
  • Metabolic Syndrome Treatment
  • Bariatric Surgery Services

All Good About This Dirty Apron- Good Food & Good Music

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Brainchild of Engineer turned pianist and a self taught baker, Arjun Gupta, Dirty Apron claims to be city’s first Eurasian Restaurant. Arjun who feels strongly about both food and music has designed the place in such a way that both his passions are met with great results, so you get awesome food along with awesome music.

Dirty Apron is a part of The Piano Man and is hosted in the same building as Jazz Club and Cake Away. Recently they invited us to a bloggers table to review their specially designed food menu. They have come up with these amazing thin crust wood fired oven pizzas, which come loaded with exotic toppings and great smoky flavour. I loved the ambience of this place; it is the calmer and cozier part of the Piano Man.

Canopies with different toppings were served as a amuse bouche. I tried the one with mushrooms topping and it tasted really good.

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As for drinks we opted for Pot, which is vodka-based cocktail infused with elderflower syrup and orange peel oil bubbles. It was nice and tangy. I also tried the Red Wine Sangria and that was good too.

There was Orange Sunrise for those who didn’t drink alcohol, it had a nice orangey taste and a wonderful presentation, and the big pieces of orange really added a lot of freshness in the taste of the drink and also helped it look better.

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There was Pumpkin and Peanut Butter Soup and Green Apple & Vermouth Cold Soup. Both the soups were strikingly different in their taste, texture and even presentation, but both were wonderful to taste. I am not fond of apples basically but the green apple soup was just amazing, it had a very distinct taste and I have never had anything like this before. I loved it.

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Ahh and now coming to one of the most amazing salads I have ever had, it was a platter of salad, with small portions of 3 different types of salads. There was Beetroot, Orange & Feta Salad, Raw Papaya Salad + Green Mango and Grilled Peaches + Blue Berry + Goat Cheese Arugula. I loved the Raw Papaya Salad, it was nice and tangy, something on the lines of Kimchi Salad, yet very different. The second best was the Beetroot Salad, crunchy and amazing. You must try this platter for sure.

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The main course had assortment of Pizzas and I tried Wild Mushroom & Asian Pesto Pizza, Bulgogi Chicken Pizza, and the Pepperoni Pizza and I have to say that if you ever crave pizzas, this is the place for you. The crust was so thin and perfectly done and all the toppings were great. I personally loved the Bulgogi pizza, which had tender pieces of chicken and caramelized onions. Bulgogi is a recipe of Korean origin and was initially prepared with beef, and then later on adaptations of chicken and other meats were also done. My second favorite was the wild mushroom and Asian pesto pizza; in spite of being a hardcore non-vegetarian, I loved this one. Crisp, and crunchy, loaded with veggies, it was awesome and a must try for everyone.

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A pan flavored palate cleanser was also served and it was refreshing.

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Blueberry Cheese Cake and Kaffir Lime Scented Creame Brulee were served for desserts. I personally am a big critic of cheese cakes and I think that no one makes better than me, because I have been left disappointed at most of the places, but thankfully, this place was different. The blueberry cheesecake was just perfect. It felt homemade to me and that’s the reason I polished off the whole slice all by myself. The creame brulee with the hint of lime was perfect too, in fact the hint of lime made it taste a little different than the regular creame brulee and I found the change welcoming.

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Overall had a very pleasant experience at Dirty Apron and I highly recommend all food lovers to visit this place.

Dirty Apron Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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