Mind, Body Cleansing and Culinary Delights - A Navaratri Special

March is a great month to be in India, and I'm really glad that we have been able to see all the exciting facets of March. Be it the weather which is changing slowly from Spring to Summer, the beautiful parks and gardens in full bloom with the heady fragrance of brightly coloured flowers or the wide ranging cuisine, many of it which we have been able to try out at great little restaurants, its been a month of re-discovering our hometown Delhi and we intend to carry this through to various parts of India over the course of the next few months.    

The last few days have seen the advent of Navaratri, (a nine day and night festival that honors the Mother Goddess in all her manifestations, including Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati) and with it, I have had the opportunity of trying out a whole new range of cuisine. Also called 'Vrat Ka Khana' or food during fasting, the most popular food preparations include Kuttu Ki Puri,(buckwheat flour), Singhade Ka Halwa, Singhare Ke Pakore, Khuskhus Aloo,( potatoes  Sabudana Vada and Sabudana Khichdi. 

Some of the typical food ingredients to prepare these include Kuttu atta or Singhara atta, Sabudana, or tapioca and foxnuts. During Navratri, markets are flooded with 'vrat' packaged snacks. For devotees observing Navratri fast, special Navratri 'thalis' offering an assortment of preparations are available in many restaurants.A couple of days ago, we stopped for lunch at Sagar Ratna at the JMD Galleria, Gurgaon and tried out their special Navaratri Thali. 

When it came, it looked like this and tasted even better!

'Navaratri Thali'at Sagar Ratna - great looking and even better tasting According to the 'Art Of Living Foundation', "Fasting is a  Feast for Body, Mind, and Soul." It has frequently been observed that when it comes to eating and drinking, we often forget that we ought to be eating to live and not the other way around. The body needs only so much for sustenance and the stomach can hold only so much, but the senses continue to crave, and we continue to feed those cravings. So, fasting is a gift to an over-burdened body and an over-indulged mind. It gives a chance to the body and mind to break out of a pattern and give it a new direction."

Must confess, I haven't tried it that way so far, but must equally confess, I'm getting highly inspired to do so...

Spring colours and moods make the atmosphere more conduciveFor devotees who observe partial Navratri 'vrat', the ritual involves breaking the fast after evening puja. The devotees abstain from consuming meat, fish, eggs, alcohol, onions, garlic, dishes made with common salt or any kind of spice. Some people live only on milk, fruits and fruit juices for the entire length of fasting. Apart from tea, coffee and milk, sago and potato cooked with rock salt are extremely popular dishes among devotees observing partial fast. Milk products and dry fruits can also be consumed. Navratri rules also imply watching one's temperament, actions and behavior. This is particularly aided by following a strict vegetarian diet.

My Navratri Tandoori Platter at Haldiram's last week-Mouthwatering


With a few more days to go for Navaratri, I've seen, observed and learnt a fair bit. Its been a great journey both in the culinary as well as knowledge front and one which I'm bent on continuing in many more and innovative  ways. Watch this space for more folks and you will see exactly what I mean.

In the meantime, here' wishing all of you a very Happy Navaratri.

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Spring colours and the Spring Palate Mini Festival in New Delhi

Spring is in the air and all around us

“She turned to the sunlight

    And shook her yellow head,

And whispered to her neighbor:

    "Winter is dead.” 

(A.A. Milne, When We Were Very Young)

Add to that wonderful imagery, a Food Festival, or even more simply put, a 'Party in the Park' and there you have it-The Mini Spring Palate Festival held at Nehru Park last weekend brought together the nature lovers and foodies to the hip and happening hot spot and even the sudden showers on Sunday afternoon did nothing to dampen the spirit of the crowds assembled there.  

Loved the decor even more than the food

A fabulous Spring Palette-Nehru Park

Pretty in Pink

Walking around in the park and enjoying the delicious mix of aromas floating all around, it was easy to lose track of time and it was some time later that we reluctantly decided to leave- and only because we had the next exciting thing lined up for later that evening!

Giani's ice cream sold- So what if it was cold?

Shawarmas from Turkey

Coffee and cakes

Our Pug, Tequila loved the roses

Before we left, we went to Elma’s and got a slice of the Red Velvet Cake and some 'Shaami Kababs' to go.It was a really great way to spend a Sunday afternoon and we are already looking forward to the next Palate Festival in New Delhi,

Italian Delights and an Anniversary Special at Travertino, The Oberoi New Delhi

Day 11 in New Delhi and it was our Wedding Anniversary on Wednesday. And what better way to mark it than to utilise the voucher I had won at the 'SelfieAtOberoi' contest at the Palate Festival at Nehru Park last November? A couple of e mails later, it was all arranged and we walked into Travertino the exclusive Italian restaurant at the Oberoi in time for a leisurely lunch.  

'

Starters, breads and our delicious mocktails

Travertino' is an elegant restaurant encased in the warm Italian stone Travertine,(hence the name) Entering through a large teak door, we found ourselves in a sophisticated dining space with beautifully laid tables topped with sparkling wine glasses, silver lined plates and crisp white linen.Skylights and a tall, glowing Travertine stone wall provide ambient lighting, and we were even luckier to be there on a beautiful March afternoon with sunlight streaming in through the skylight and adding to the beautiful ambience of the afternoon.

Bright, airy, welcoming and all set up 

Greeting us warmly and leading us into the restaurant were Mehak, Niyati and Deepica, the courteous and smiling ladies at the Oberoi, who spoilt us through the afternoon, as well as Chef Vincenzo who kept us informed about all the varied and delicious courses.

Once our delicious mocktails had arrived, a bread basket and the accompanying oils made their way to our table.This was followed by a Broccoli foam with almonds- just a tiny bite on a beautiful platter and very enjoyable.

My first course was a delightful combination of poached pears and a goats cheese salad.What I particularly enjoyed was the combination of the sweet and savoury flavours, a perfect balance that whetted the appetite for what lay ahead. 

My first course-Poached pears and a goat cheese salad-delightfully refreshing

Avi's first course-the Minestrone soup

All Smiles- With Chef Vincenzo Di Touro from Naples who chatted with us between and during each course..

Chef's Special-Ravioli with peas filling and shrimp

My main course- Sea Bass, beans and its accompaniments

Avi's main course- Grilled Sword fish and salad, new on the Menu

And then it was time for dessert-I chose the berry cheesecake and Avi chose the Tiramisu and he actually told me that it was the best he'd ever eaten! Says a lot..

Time for dessert- My choice-Berry Cheesecake with raspberry sorbet and coulis while Avi chose the Tiramisu.

There is no way that I can close this piece before detailing what happened next. Mehak, the Asst Manager F and B brought a platter and then followed a fabulous chocolate cake with Chef Vincenzo and the team walking in to wish us a Happy Anniversary. 

I admit it, I was really touched- it was a wonderful gesture that really did make our day! 

Meeting and exceeding customer delight with a delicious chocolate cake

One of our most memorable anniversaries- Thank you Travertino!

So there it is, the story of our first and very memorable visit to Travertino,but it certainly wont be our last...