A Life Changing experience and the influence of Lord Buddha

'Buddham Sharanam Gacchami Dhammam Sharanam Gacchami Sangham Sharanam Gacchami'

 These are among the most beautiful, appealing and thought provoking words I've heard and when I think of them even today, in fact, even as I write this piece, I remember the first time I heard them and how they influenced me. And now, to go back in time ....

 Have you ever been to a place that influences you so much that you decide to make an immediate change in your way of life and living? Many years ago, I had exactly such an experience, one which was so powerful and intense that I get goosebumps even as I think of it today. I was in Class 8 in Sophia Convent in Meerut when a busload of girls accompanied by three teachers and our Principal, went out on a school trip to Nepal via Bihar. En route, we first stopped stopped at Lucknow for the night then went on to Sarnath and Rajgir so that we could see these historic spots where the Buddha had lived, walked and attained enlightenment. It was a lovely and very memorable trip in more ways than one.

The sacred Bodhi tree -Bodh Gaya (Pic sourced from the internet) 

The photograph above is believed to be the tree in Bodh Gaya under which Prince Siddhartha Gautama meditated and attained Enlightenment on the full Moon day of 'Vaisakh Purnima.' The present version is probably the fifth succession of the original tree earlier destroyed many times by man made as well as natural calamities. The other main attraction of Bodh Gaya is the Mahabodhi temple which has been restored and rebuilt over the centuries. The Mahabodhi Temple has now been declared as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. It is believed that for six years Lord Buddha practiced severe asceticism thinking this would lead him to enlightenment. He sat in meditation eating only roots, leaves and fruit. and at other times nothing. Sadly, this did not take him anywhere. Then one full-moon day in May, he sat under the Bodhi tree ( above) in deep meditation and said. "I will not leave this spot until I find an end to suffering." During the night, he was visited by 'Mara', the evil one, who tried to tempt him away from his virtuous path. One by one, Gautama met the armies sent by Mara and defeated them with his steadfastness and virtue.As the struggle ended, he realized the cause of suffering and how to remove it. He had gained the most supreme wisdom and understood things as they truly are. From then on, he became the Buddha, 'The Awakened One' and was refereed to as 'Shakyamuni Buddha.' 

And so to where I began my story. 

That early evening, I stood under that Bodhi tree and felt something change inside me. It was almost as if I could see Lord Buddha sitting there and meditating. In my ears and possibly within me, I could hear the beautiful sounds of the words 'Buddham Sharanam Gachammi, Dhammam Sharanam Gachammi Sangham Sharanam Gachaami '.

And in those moments, something inside me changed. I felt cleansed and whole and it was a 'new' me that walked away from that tree. From that day, I turned vegetarian. I knew that Lord Buddha had said that and that was how life was going to be. I was a person who loved chicken and fish but it was over in those moments. Nothing and no one could convince me to eat it again. 

Time passed and I was happy. I grew into a confident and independent girl who could tackle almost anything after that. I did well in class as well as in extra curricular activities and in my heart I firmly believed that it was all due to that particular moment in my life. 

Did I ever go back to being a non vegetarian? I did, after about two and a half years. My brother Navtej was instrumental in that and how he managed it when no one else could is another story. 

But you see, we all think differently at different times and stages in our lives. So right after my father's passing, ( he was a RadhaSwami and vegetarian for the better part of his life but in his later years Mummy convinced him to eat fish) I changed my food habits again and have stayed with them till today.I eat only fish in the non veg category , just like Pop and am seriously toying with the idea of quitting that too one day -sooner rather than later...

Food For Thought -On Mummy and how she shaped my life

Its been a very long time since I wrote a piece for this blog Food For Thought and when I look at the last entry, its dated 11th September 2017. For all those who have enquired or wondered, the answer is a straightforward and sad one. I lost my beautiful mother Satinder Serna on the 17th of October 2017 and life changed forever. I know it may be hard for some people to understand the logic behind these words but it really is so very simple. I was a different person when my mother was alive and I feel like a completely different person after she has left us.

There is a hole in my heart which hasn't been filled almost six months later. While I've been involved in a wide range of other things, all I could do was think about how it would have been if I could see, touch and hear my lovely mother Satinder. Most days, there are two parallel streams of thought running through my head at all times of the day- one, the real world where I have to participate in day to day activities and in many cases, initiate them. The other, thoughts of my mother and everything she meant to me. In a word, 'indescribable'. Every day, I realise, more and more, how much she shaped so many different aspects of my life and along with that so many, many others, including my father and brother's. Small things pop up in my head- just regular everyday things that my mother did for us. Coming home from school was always a pleasure - simply because we knew that Mummy's smiling face would greet my brother Navtej and myself . This was followed by a glass of fresh orange juice and after we had washed and changed, Mummy always had lunch with us. Never mind if it was almost 3 pm, she always sat and ate with us. This was accompanied by peals of laughter, hers more than ours as we shared the days stories and planned for the evening ahead.Sports and extra curricular activities were encouraged almost as much , sometimes even more than academics by Mummy and the old adage, 'All work and no play. makes Jill/Jack a dull boy/girl .." was frequently used by her in order to keep us active and motivated.

A student of Loreto Convent Tara Hall Shimla , Mummy was both Head Girl and Games Captain in er final year and a top notch scholar to boot. Little wonder that she was the best example for us to emulate and boy, dd we try! After school Mummy went to Lady Irwin College, New Delhi for her BSC in Home Science and learnt the best and most current ways to run a home as well as a professional kitchen or hotel as she may have chosen to apply it. As it happened , she met and married my father, HS Serna at a very young age of 19 and from then on this was a firm and happy partnership which lasted for 58 Golden years.

I could go on and on and I do plan to- but that is for another place and time. I have started work on Mummy's biography and even if I can do the slightest bit of justice to her towering personality, I would feel a real sense of satisfaction. Stories like hers, deserve to be told and I hope I can do it with inputs from my father, brother and many, many people whose lives she touched and influenced in countless ways. And here are some personal resolutions -I am now going to live my life more and more the way that my mother would have wanted me to. On a day to day basis, as well as on a longer term too. I am going to be thankful for the fact that she was a part of my life till October 2017 and encouraged and enthused me to become the person that I am today. Just 21 years older to me, my mother, Satinder, was a pillar of strength for all of us at different stages of our life. Most importantly, her strength and fortitude in dealing with her own ailments, particularly through 2017, will serve to remind us forever that true courage has many forms, but for for us, it was in the form of Mummy. And so, I am striving to go through 2018 with my mother as my guiding star and my angel who watches above us from somewhere up above. And if I fail, I will try, then try again and finally, try some more. For that is exactly what Mummy would have wanted me to.

On the Delhi Food trail and a Food Bus on Christmas Day

The holidays are all about food, fun and laughter and I'm a firm believer in all these. So while we went out for a traditional Christmas dinner and dance at our club on Christmas eve, we decided to mark Christmas on  a different note  and headed  out on a guided Food Tour in the Delhi Food Bus.         

Organised by a group of enthusiastic people called 'Seek Sherpa', it promised to be one of a kind culinary experience through Delhi's underbelly and since we are currently in the process of rediscovering Delhi after moving back to India after over two decades, it was something that we found ourselves looking forward to.

An overview- A day full of food, fun and more food

After boarding the bus with about 25 other food enthusiasts, and being introduced to our 'Sherpas', Dhruv and Sukhmani,we  settled down comfortably and decide to enjoy every moment of that trip. Be it the food quiz that proved to be very informative, or the food 'Antakshari' that the two teams played, it was really the little touches that prepped us for the culinary delights that were to follow.

Our first stop was at 'Hunger Strike' in Lajpat Nagar where we shared large plate of the most delicious Tandoori Momos I've ever eaten. Correction, that would have to read, the most delicious momos I've ever eaten, for I'd never eaten 'Tandoori' ones earlier. Accompanied by a green chutney, a red chilli paste and mayonnaise, it was a real palate tickler.Add to it, a whole lot of spice and we soon looked around for the nearest drink of water and when I found one, enjoyed the momos even more!

Moving on and happily looking forward to the next course, we found ourselves heading to the Moolchand flyover and soon disembarked and walked towards Sanjay Chur Chur Naan, a little stall complete with a series of Tandoors and the delightful fragrance of hot breads and rotis wafting through the air.

We learnt that a 'chur chur' naan is rather different from a regular naan and soon got a plate of two of those naans, accompanied by a glass of 'chaach'. Must admit, they looked rather large, so we are relieved to know that it was to be shared between two people.

That was when I happened to look back and saw a couple of men mixing the dough for the naans.While Im not squeamish, lets just say that that particular sight was unappealing to the extent of putting both Avi and myself off that course- entirely! 

Luckily we still had two more stops to go and knew that some delicious Kebabs were to follow so in retrospect, we really hadn't missed much. And must say that the Barra Kababs at Rajindar Ka Dhaba more than made up for it. Juicy, spicy and succulent, they were really enjoyable and I learnt something of particular interest. Apparently, these kababs are marinated in papaya and left overnight- hence the real soft and juicy texture after they are cooked in the Tandoor.

A plate of 'Barra Kababs' at Rajindar Ka Dhaba was a hot favourite for many

Our Sherpa Dhruv, explains the finer points of some really fine food

But how could  it be possible to have a Christmas Day event without a delicious Christmas pudding? Which is exactly what we got at our last stop at 'Social' in Defence Colony.For a start, Social itself was a new experience for us as we hadn't been to one of these before. We loved the buzz, enthusiasm and fun at the outlet as did many of the others on our food bus tour. On that day, there was a very special offer- A beer for Rs 16 and its easy to guess what most people chose to drink.

I'm different and for me Christmas pudding has to be accompanied by a hot beverage.After having ordered my Cappuccino I sat down o wait for it and was absolutely delighted with what I got. A look at the photograph just below, will be enough to tell you that on the trip, the Seek Sherpa  guides had clearly saved the best for the last.

Saving the best for the last- A super Christmas pudding and a Cappuccino at Social, Delhi

So there you have it in a nutshell- A delightful concept called the Food Tour on a Delhi Food Bus.We had a really great day out and are already looking to going out on a few more of these organised tours- the best way to make the most of the Delhi winter.. 

Love Muffins? Then try this easy Banana, Raisin and Nut version

Then there are the days when you want a quick and tasty 'anytime' treat. 

Looking around, you find the bananas seem to be slightly over ripe  but there's a wonderful way to deal with that.

Then look into the kitchen cupboard, find things, pre-heat the oven and its time to bake.

Banana, Raisin and Nut muffins

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour 

1 cup sugar 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

Half teaspoon salt

Cashew nuts chopped into bits 

20 raisins 

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature 

2 eggs 

a dash of vanilla extract 

2 ripe bananas.

All set to proceed

Method

Pre heat oven to  100 C and prepare the muffin cases by lightly greasing them from inside.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nuts. 

Combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla in a large bowl.

Add the flour, baking powder, sugar and blend into the banana mixture.

Spoon this batter into the muffin cases, leaving enough space for them to rise.

I managed 11 large muffins

Bake until muffins are  golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Looking good and smelling delightful!

Once they are ready, you can serve them with honey drizzled on top, or try vanilla ice cream and honey.

Best of all, just sit back and enjoy one with a large mug of coffee..

             Golden brown and smelling great

Which is exactly what I'm going to do next!

My favourite phone-Asus Zenfone 2

I'm a hard core I Phone user and confess to being hooked on to it for the last many years without giving into the temptation of switching over to any other brand.

But something about the ASUS ZenFone 2 http://bit.ly/1aXkRNL had me very intrigued and I must  admit-I decided that I would absolutely love to own one of these beautiful instruments!

Have you faced the problem of your smartphone hanging now and then? Does your smartphone fail to match its response time with your speed of operating it? Then Zenfone 2 can be the answer to such smartphone woes. The Zenfone 2 is loaded with never before 4GB RAM & up to 2.3GHz 64-bit Intel® Atom™ Z3580 processor that makes your everyday smartphone operations and multi-tasking up to three times better and seven times faster when playing a mobile game. Further, what if you can have a power bank exclusively adapted to meet your Zenfone 2 requirement? Not only this it is just as sleek as this smart phone itself. The power bank is of the size of a credit card so carrying it becomes quite handy. 

The exciting new range of the ASUS ZenFone 2

Simply put, here are 5 of my reasons why:

1.The ASUS ZenFone 2 has a stunning, all-new design employing iconic ASUS design elements that echo the spirit of Zen. 

2.To give you that really rich feel, it has  a luxurious brushed-metal finish and signature concentric-circle detailing. 

3.The graceful Ergonomic Arc case tapers to an incredibly-thin 3.9 mm at the edges for a bold yet elegant look. Given that , I think its already a great phone but there are a few more attributes worth detailing. 

4.The rear-mounted volume-control and shutter button is ideally positioned for one's index finger. Trouble free, ease of use and quick to manage..

5.And last but very high on my list of 'must haves' as I'm passionate about photography-It's vivid 5.5-inch Full HD IPS display packs an incredible 403ppi pixel density bordered by an ultra-narrow bezel, giving the ZenFone 2 a remarkable 72% screen-to-body ratio for a maximized viewing experience .Therefore everything you see is bigger, brighter and more beautiful.

Lets face it, with all these fantastic attributes, who wouldn't want to have an  ASUS ZenFone 2? I certainly put myself high on that list and did it!

                       

Les Parisiennes, a delightful Store cum French Cafe in Shahpur Jat, New Delhi

Rediscovering Delhi over the last three months has a very special charm for me and watching the seasons change from spring when we arrived here to a very hot summer and the pre monsoon showers currently have their own unique highlights.

So on days which are more pleasant than the others, I definitely take time out and head towards those places and markets of Delhi which I haven't really had the opportunity of having discovered earlier. It was exactly one such day yesterday when I decided to head towards Shahapur Jat in South Delhi and spend a morning there checking out the unique facets of that very lively and happening village. 

Located amidst the ruins of Siri, the second city of Delhi (14th century), Shahpur Jat village is already now referred to as ‘the other village’, the first such being the Hauz Khaz village.At the heart of this village is the 'Fashion Street' where glitzy boutiques rub shoulders with fancy shoe shops and a couple of interesting food joints. The reasons are not really diffucult to understand- Low rents, easy availability of artisans, skilled labour, and friendly locals have made this a hip and happening hub.

Having walked through the area for over an hour and after checking out a few of the jewellery  boutiques as well as some designer stores, I was in desperate need of my mid morning coffee. Asking a few people,  I made my way to a small 'haveli'. Couldn't see anyone there, the door was ajar, so I walked right in and felt almost like Alice in Wonderland. You see nothing and no one had prepared me for what I would find, so the fun was doubled , In fact, when I learnt that the coffee shop inside was also a functional restaurant, I can honestly say that my fun was tripled!

Les Parisiennes- delightful French chic now in Delhi

'Les Parisiennes' is a unique concept store offering carefully selected womenswear, menswear, a lovely children corner, home accessories and its very own French Café.A few questions later, I learnt that Les Parisiennes opened in 2012.The owners Catherine Barbier Prakash & Lucie Salaun had conceptualised this store so that they could transport their customers to the place they call home- Paris. Looking around,  I could see a range of dresses, tops, bags, accessories and French vintage scarves.Based on the huge response they got, it was decided to add another dimension-which is how it expanded into a café cum  home-décor store.

La Parisienne with its simple and elegant exteriors 

The décor of the store is unique and very attractive-With exposed bricks painted in beautiful white and similar notes echoed on the ceiling and furniture, it can't help but charm the first time visitor. They also stock and sell a range of pretty black and white decorations, mirrors, floral patterns, lamps, quilts, cushions, vintage-inspired tins and containers, beautiful crockery furniture and lamps. 

One look and I was charmed

Going in further, I came upon the half a dozen tables laid out beautifully. There was a piano in one corner and the day's menu with some beautiful white flowers in another. The aroma of good baking was unmistakable and there were 4 men already at work, Welcoming me, one of them asked me if I would like something gto drink and I immediately chose a cold coffee. It was all so relaxed and I was the only person in the store at the time, making it feel really good! With French music playing in the background, I really couldn't have asked for a better way to indulge. 

Beauty - Wherever I looked

All set for coffee and madelines

With simple French food like quiches, salads, soups and cakes to choose from, topped by coffee, teas and juices its a win win formula. 

Ready for baking- I could smell this delicious tart as I sipped my coffee

Add to that, a delicious chicken bake

Looking around and loving it

The Day's Menu

Fresh and Orange

Summer coolers- with my delicious coffee

The classic French Cafe shot

Look up at the delightful ceiling

On my way out

Coffee over and revitalized, I stepped out, albeit reluctantly.

There was more of Shahpur Jat to explore with many more stories to discover.

But that's another story
For another day...

A Class Reunion at The Pot Belly, New Delhi and my first entry into the world of Bihari Food

Being back in Delhi certainly has its advantages. Rediscovering old favourite haunts,discovering new ones, catching up with old friends over tea, coffee, lunch, drinks, dinner et all, my list of interesting  things to do is a really long one! So when a group of batch mates from St. Stephen's College suggested meeting up for dinner at a restaurant called 'The Potbelly' last week, it was something that I found myself eagerly looking forward to. 

Located in the heart of New Delhi, on Tenzing Norgay Marg in the 'Bihar Nivas' in Chanakyapuri, The Potbelly is a restaurant serving Bihari cuisine.As I found out later, this is the second outlet of The Potbelly in New Delhi,  (the first being located at Shahpur Jat) and is one that has succesfully managed to introduce and popularise Bihari food among Delhi ites. The menu has a number of vegetarian and non-vegetarian delicacies and a delightful ambience and decor that I  loved.

Beautifully lit and decorated interiors

The eatery overlooks the lawns at Bihar Nivas and is done up with wooden furniture and colourful hanging lamps.Diners also have the option to enjoy their meal listening to birds chirping in the background while sitting on a few tables set up in the garden. While the various canteens located in many of the State Bhavans have a steady stream of visitors all day, and some like Andhra Bhavan are immensely popular, The Potbelly gains some more points because it is the first established restaurant serving cuisine from a particular State that has been invited by the government.

An interesting menu

My  initial impression was that of a quaint old world straight out of a work of fiction- with green and blue wooden chairs and flashes of yellow here and there, a large fenced sitting area outside, dotted with little lanterns—a great way to start the evening. 

As the seasons change, so does the Bihari thaali say every 3–4 months. The constants are rice, roti, achar, chatni, dals and milk and milk products with some variation.People use both vegetable oil por mustard oil  and  zeera or panchforan (literally "five seeds", namely saunf, sarson, methi, ajwain and mangraeel(Kalaunji) for "chhounkna"/"Tadka"(tempering) of some vegetables. There is a lot of light frying, called bhoonjnaa, in Bihari food.

One of the most remarkable things about Bihari food is "smoking ''. It refers to using smoked red chilli to infuse a strong aroma in food. It is used in preparing "chokhaa", i.e. mashed brinjals/potatoes/tomatoes, either single or combined. Smoked chilli is also used in preparing 'kadam' (a common fruit sweet sour in taste) chutney.

A Self explanatory Welcome

Looking inside- The Vegetarian options

And the non vegetarian options

Starters- Litthi  Chokha - very filling and decadently delicious

Our mocktails comprised a range of 'nimboo paanis'( lemonade ) and 'aam panna'( cooling mango drinks) along with a few intersting starters.One of these was 

the very delicious and equally heavy 'Litthi Chokha' ( above) in which powdered baked gram is mixed with chopped onions,green chillies,lemon juice,coriander leaves. This mixture is filled inside atta ( wheat flour)and either barbecued over coal or deep fried with oil. It is eaten best accompanied with ghee,curd, chokha and baigan bharta.

Another starter- Gram and mutton keema  with two delicious chutneys.

Loved this particular corner

We then moved on to the main course- chicken mutton and mixed vegetable curries,  all delicious but (in my book) extremely oily. These were accompanied by a range of breads and rice which completed the meal. 

Boiled rice, with rice and saboodaana rotis 

A memorable Class reunion full of fun, music and great food 

Must admit, we were all stuffed by then, so dessert was just a  spoonful each of a delicious 'Kheer' (rice pudding).

Great food, drinks, music, and the joy of meeting old friends, my first visit to The Pot Belly was a super one and I'm already looking forward to the next ...