Mumbai in 24 hours

Be prepared to be jostled, hurried and incessantly chatted to as you soak in the trendy yet traditional vibe of Mumbai. 24 hours isn’t nearly enough time to explore all the highlights of this intoxicating city, but this whistlestop tour will help you catch the flavour of Mumbai: serene mornings by the sea, alternative cafes, crispy local snacks, the rush of great bargains and memorable nightlife. To make the most of a single day, it’s best to hire a cab and zoom between experiences.

Spend the morning in Bandra The aroma of freshly baked bread starts wafting from the A One Bakery on Hill Rd well before daylight, helping you kick-start the day as early as you want. Get a goody bag of cinnamon rolls and blueberry muffins to accompany you into the narrow lanes of Ranwar, which sprawls behind the bakery and into graffitied Chapel Street. Mornings are the best time to explore. You’ll see the area’s 200-year history gradually unfolding as you pass balconies hanging from colonial homes and huge Christian crosses. Neck-stretching urban art in psychedelic colours drapes the walls of traditional dwellings in a charmingly incongruous way. For a tea break, loop back onto the corner of Hill Rd to Yoga House where you can enjoy a mud pot chai on the low floor tables or relax on the outdoor benches. Alternatively, head towards Lilavati Hospital Junction to reach Salt Water Cafe for a plate loaded with bacon, omelettes, pancakes and more. If you haven’t worked up an appetite yet, walk further along Carter Rd by the sea, manoeuvring past morning joggers to reach the Bagel Shop for breakfast. Delve into Bombay’s belly in the daytime A mention of Dharavi usually conjures up the image of Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire and a colossal jumble of homes and businesses. Some travellers might be intrigued to see one of the largest slums in the world. An alternative is to explore Dharavi’s workshops and tanneries – ask a cab to drop you at the Sion Bandra Link road for some leather shopping. Bags, jackets and belts are all produced inside Dharavi’s narrow streets and one-roomed workshops. If you are interested to see the process, get in touch with Mr Fayaz Mir of High Design (tel 09322282721). This is also a way to experience the inside of the slums with a reliable guide.

Your late-morning snack should be none other than the quintessential vada pao at Dadar. Squirm through flailing arms at the shop outside Kirti College for a gigantic bun with potato cutlet filling. Vada pao is an essential rite of passage in Mumbai – but be warned, the topping here is extremely spicy. Next on the list is the Washermen’s Colony along the Mahalakshmi train station. Ask the cab to drop you at the station and follow the swell of people taking a narrow staircase down the adjoining flyover. On your left is a world of white sheets, crispy dry shirts and the harsh smell of detergent. Saunter inside to see the voracity with which the clothes are thrashed on the washing stones, dried, packed and chartered off to hotels, hostels and others. You might spot your own hotel bedclothes right here. If you are hovering about in the area at about 11am, you may catch a glimpse of the famous ‘dabbawalas’ – the fleet of lunchbox men who deliver food to thousands of office workers in an astonishingly precise system of colour-coded boxes. Next, make a stop at the white marble Haji Ali Shrine. Venture through the passage to the left of the monumental Haji Ali Juice Centre, along rows of shops selling offerings (incense, a spread and flowers), and past fattened goats and beggars. Inside, women and men part to enter the shrine separately and are blessed by a stack of peacock feathers. High-tide days are special: the walkway gets completely submerged and the shrine looks like it’s floating mid-water. Whet your bargaining skills (and keep your wallet safely tucked away) in the streets of Chor Bazaar (Thief’s Market) and Mutton Bazaar. Bargain-hunters arrive in droves to sift through old Bollywood posters, rusty sewing machines, spare vehicle parts, and even period furniture. Prices are reasonable, but bargain unapologetically. Stolen goods are thought to circulate early on Friday mornings from 4.30am, but the usual market opens from 10.30am and 7.30pm every day. Worthwhile stops include Oriental Arts and Crafts (tel 09819489585) for antiques and A 1 Corner (tel 09223439284) for Bollywood collectibles.

Spend an afternoon in the Fort area Pull yourself away from the enticing vintage curios at Chor Bazaar if you want to make it in time for some authentic Parsi and Iranian fare at Britannia (Sprott Road), almost a century old. On your way there, ask the cab to take you around the Azaad Maidan (sports grounds), where you can watch cricket whites get muddy brown as youngsters pursue the common dream of being ‘Sachin’ one day. At Britannia, let the four generations of the Kohinoor family make you feel at home while you sink into the imported Polish furniture. Wash down the sali boti (meat), berry pulao (rice dish), patra ni macchi (steamed fish) and dhansak (curry) with a fizzy pallonjis raspberry drink. Or opt for another atmospheric Parsi joint, Cafe Ideal. The Fort area comprises colonial-style buildings that are now converted to office complexes. You can walk from Ideal, stopping at the bookshop Kitab Khana to replenish stock for your travels. Walk further along the Flora Fountain area to reach the Kala Ghoda enclave in time to visit the Jehangir Art Gallery and grab a home-brewed organic coffee at Kala Ghoda Cafe to put the zing back into your step.

See in evening by the sea Zip away by cab to the chic Colaba area, starting at Theobroma Bakery for a bite of the sinful ‘chocolate overload’ brownie. Burn it up as you dodge hectic shoppers along the fashionable Colaba Shopping St. If you need a beer, march onwards to Leopold’s Cafe or Cafe Mondegar. Being featured heavily in best-selling novel Shantaram isn’t the only reason Leo’s is popular with Mumbaikars. This place is resilient – the 1871 cafe showcases bullet marks from the 2008 terrorist attack. At Cafe Mondegar (Mondy’s), the main hooks are beer towers, chili cheese toast, a jukebox and walls decorated by well-known cartoonist Mario Miranda. If you can tear yourself away, walk down to the Gateway of India, a monument built during the British rule that is now synonymous with Mumbai’s identity. Next, head to the moon-shaped Marine Drive. The breezy boardwalk is a favourite with gossiping friends, couples sneaking kisses, tea vendors – as well as packs of stray dogs. To get a glimpse of the entire stretch, catch a drink at Intercontinental Hotel’s rooftop restaurant Dome. No matter how late you descend from there, you can still catch the maalish walas (foot and head massagers) who click their palm-sized bottles of oils with a stone to lure weary travellers and regulars. Getting your head or feet kneaded silly may not be on your to-do list, but it’s a great way to listen to a labyrinth of stories from the masseurs. End the night with ice cream at Bachelorr’s. The unique ice creams have a confounding and irresistible blend of tastes and temperatures, much like Mumbai itself.

Why People Eat With Their Hands in Kerala!

You may have often wondered why people eat with their hands in Kerala. Eating food with your hands feeds not only the body but also the mind and the spirit. That is the Vedic wisdom behind Kerala’s famous Banana Leaf Experience whose pleasure can only be appreciated fully, it is said, if one eats with hands and not fork and spoon. 

Traditionally, Indians not just in Kerala have always eaten with their hands but the experience and its virtues have been elevated to a gastronomic art by the chefs at Vivanta by Taj Bekal

And to lend logic to the eating-by-hand experience for fussy foreigners, especially Westerners who would think twice before scooping up curry with their fingers, the maitre d’hotel lays before each guest at Latitude – the multi-cuisine restaurant with an accent on regional Kerala cuisine and a scenic view of serene waters and swaying palm fronds – captured pithily in printed paper the “Vedic wisdom behind eating with your hands”.

“Our hands and feet are said to be the conduits of the five elements. The Ayurvedic texts teach that each finger is an extension of one of the five elements. The thumb is agni (fire) — you might have seen children sucking their thumb, this is nature’s way of aiding the digestion at an age when they are unable to chew; the forefinger is vayu (air), the middle finger is akash (ether the tiny intercellular spaces in the human body), the ring finger is prithvi (earth) and the little finger is jal (water),” the paper explains.

The ‘banana leaf experience’ has been redefined by the hotel from the traditional ‘sadya’, or banquet, in Malayalam, says Ashok Pillai, the executive sous chief. Sadya is traditionally a vegetarian meal served on a banana leaf on special occasions, during weddings and other celebrations. All the dishes are served on the leaf and eaten with hands sans cutlery, the palm and fingers being cupped to form a ladle.

A sadya can have about 24-28 dishes served as a single course and is usually served for lunch as it is quite heavy on the stomach. Preparations begin at dawn and the dishes are made before 10 in the morning on the day of the celebration.

The centerpiece of sadya is navara, a medicinal rice type, that is one of the native genetic resources of Kerala and famed for its use in Ayurveda. Navara is used as a nutritional rice and health food and is said to be therapeutic for conditions such as arthritis, paralysis, ulcers, urinary tract infections, neuralgic and neurological disorders.

For a novitiate to Kerala cuisine, the food does not stop coming, and the helpings are as much as you can ingest. Most people stop at the second helping and react in surprise when waiters with buckets of curry offer to ladle more on the leaf-plate.

Foreigners, after their initial cultural reservations about eating with their hands, awkwardly slurp and lap up the food, any messiness be damned. As a concession to non-vegetarians, karimeen or pearl spot, the local fish, is served fried or in curry form.

Since the “experience” requires some preparation, those guests who want to partake of it need to intimate the chef in advance and tables are laid out separately in the restaurant for those who are eating on the banana leaf.

A typical sadya menu –

Banana Chips
Jagerry Chips
Achar
Kerala Pappadom
Parippu Curry (Simmered lentils enhanced with ghee)
Pachadi (Preserved cucumber in Yoghurt)
Inchi Puli (An emulsion of tamarind, jaggery and ginger)
Kichadi (Coconut enriched gravy with pineapple)
Erissery (Mashed Pumpkins and red beans in coconut)
Kaalan (Raw banana cooked in mildly spiced coarse coconut)
Olan (White pumpkin simmered with beans in coconut milk)
Avial (Ethnic vegetable cooked dry with coarsely ground coconut and yoghurt)
Thoran (Any local vegetable cooked dry with coarsely ground coconut)
Kootu Curry (Assortment of vegetables and spices)
Sambar (Stew of lentil and vegetables)
Pulissery (Tempered yoghurt with turmeric with curry leaf infusion)
Pachamoru (Spiced butter milk)
Banana Payasam (Dessert with jaggery, coconut milk flavored with cardamom)

Other Recipes

Paal Payasam
Kozhikodan Biryani
Thenga Choru
Kerala Chicken Roast
Kerala Fried Prawns
Kerala Vegetable Stew
Meen Moilee with Steamed Rice
Malabari Parotta

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Credits:

Visit: Vivanta by Taj Bekal,  Resort in the northern Kasaragod district of Kerala, flanked by the famous backwaters and the Lakshadweep Sea.

10 Best Kerala Recipes

 

Prepare yourself for a culinary journey that canvases everything from exquisite seafood to ignored vegetables, from coconut milk to crispy curry leaves, from spluttering mustard seeds to soft and spongy appams. Prepare yourself for a scrumptious ride to ‘God’s own country’.

The food of Kerala is one that needs no introduction: It’s simple, zesty, flavourful and offers an intelligent combination of potent spices. Unlike the cuisine of its neighbouring states, the food of Kerala prides itself on being predominantly non-vegetarian. You’ve got chicken, mutton, pork, beef and a thrilling range of seafood – mussels, crab, tiger prawns, king prawns, tiny prawns, oysters, sardines, mackerel, tuna and gorgeous red lobsters.

Mallu food isn’t just about the recipes; it reflects a meeting of cultures. Kerala hindus have a largely vegetarian menu and use coconuts that grow along the coast. Syrian Christians eat more fish and meat, and the Muslims make delicious breads and sizzling biryani. But some techniques and habits remain common through the state; vegetables are cooked with mild spices and steamed in their own juices or cooked in yogurt/ coconut milk. Rice is the staple food and red rice is commonly eaten. Coconut oil is preferred for cooking and is what gives Malayali cuisine a distinct taste. (Why people eat with their hands in Kerala)

Countries With Best Foods

“10 flavors, 10 cuisines you can not fail to try”

Food is a pleasure that has found many ways to adapt to the country where they are prepared. The ingredients that are used, although they may appear similar to those of other continents, are what give it a unique stamp to the taste of each dish. Mode also has a lot of food processing, the origin of meat or vegetables and spices utilization being used.

Then meet the 10 best cuisines in the world, as food critics, chefs and diners who have decided to create the list that we present. We also offer recipes for famous dishes of the country in question so you can delight in them and meet new flavors. (Simply comment in below section for recipe, we will readily post the recipe on whichcountry.co)

Which Country Eats the Most Ice Cream in the World

Ice cream is made through freezing the fresh dairy products and liked by all age groups mostly children then youth and some of the old people too like this sweet product. Different countries had used their own terms, some nations considered it by frozen custard, frozen yogurt, sorbet, and many nations use the term gelato. Have you even imagined which country consumes or eats the most ice cream? or what are the countries that are producing it at the most in the world?

1.United States

Same like the biggest consumption of fast food products resulting the highest obesity rates in the world, United States has also the highest consumption rates of ice cream as compared to all the countries around the globe. If you got any chance to visit the United States you will rarely find anyone who don’t eat the ice cream there. American people love to have it that is the main reason of its highest consumption rate. According to a research almost 26 liters are consumed per year by a single individual. The interesting thing is the 98% household are using it.

World-Class Travel Bargains

The good news for U.S. travelers who plan to venture abroad this year is that their dollars will go further. The euro is at a 12-year low, and other currencies have also dropped relative to the dollar. That makes train travel, hotels and restaurants more affordable.

Travel experts to recommend destinations where you’ll get extra bang for your buck this year. Not only are Europe and some Mediterranean countries bargains, it’s also a great time to jet down to Argentina or Chile, or even to visit Canada. Late August and September are good times to snag deals on airfare and hotels and to enjoy good weather while avoiding the tourist crush.

Europe and the Mediterranean

You’ll benefit from the favorable exchange rates in euro-zone countries as soon as you hit the ground. The strong dollar will get you discounts of 20% to 30% off prices in recent years for food, train tickets, shows and more, according to travel experts. You’ll find the biggest bargains in locations off the beaten track, and packages can be good deals in bigger cities. Want to take a cruise? The Mediterranean ports have plenty of ships, and carriers are counting on the weak euro to attract U.S. tourists.

Classic Cocktails!

Classic Cocktails Every Sophisticated Woman Should Know.

You walk into a bar, go up to the bartender, and…draw a blank. So many bottles, so many options, but what do you want?!? *Definitely* not that Malibu and pineapple juice you’ve been falling back on since 2001. No, you want these…

Gimlet

For those who always order: gin and tonics

What it’s made with: gin, lime juice

Actually created for sailors as a way to prevent scurvy, this drink was later seen as an old person’s cocktail—until its revival right about now. The drink is one part sweetened lime juice to four parts gin, so it’s slightly sweet but packs a punch. And if you’re already asking for limes in your G&T, consider this your new go-to.

Tamil Nadu’s Cool Drinks

Coconut vendor selling from his bicycle in Tamil Nadu.

Yes, we know there’s always chilled beer. But this is Tamil Nadu we’re talking about. You can get a table at one of the clubby bars and drink up your pints at sundown across the big cities. However, for the traveller on the go, the state offers a range of local drinks that are both cooling and organic. As Rajinikanth, the beloved Tamil movie star would say, there’s no better way to stay “jill” or chill than a cold drink on a hot day.

A Shoestring Budget to visit In India

How often have you dreamed about exploring the caves of Ajanta or losing yourself in the forests of Himachal but been too afraid about the consequences on your bank balance? We all crave to wander the country without putting a dent in our wallets. Luckily enough, with the right kind of planning, you can see almost all of India on a budget. Unless you want to go Maharaja level and not compromise on anything, travel in India can be damn cheap.

Check out these places in India you can plan a trip to even when it’s the end of the month.

1. Kasol – Rock bottom hotel prices

With several lovely options to stay at absolute base prices and easy access via the HRTC bus service, Kasol is one of the quickest and cheapest getaways. The food, the sights and whatever else you might need, it’s all here and it’s all cheap as hell.

A Scale For Measuring The ‘Sluttiness’ Of A Woman. Sadly, It Is Grossly Inaccurate

Here’s A Scale For Measuring The ‘Sluttiness’ Of A Woman. Sadly, It Is Grossly 

Judging people based on their clothes is such an ingrained thing to do that most of us think it’s normal. We’re all guilty of thinking someone’s ‘easy’ because they’re wearing something shorter than usual.