Chicken 65. Hot and spicy chicken appetizer at home. Easy steps.


Chicken 65 is a very popular hot and spicy Indian chicken appetizer.
Here is the recipe for you to try at home with the ingredients that are generally there in the kitchen.

1.Make small pieces of boneless chicken of about 250 gm and marinate them with the following ingredients:
ginger garlic paste 2tbsp, turmeric powder half tsp, Kashmiri mirch 1 tbsp, cumin powder half tsp, black pepper 1 tsp, juice of half lemon, salt to taste, 1 egg and 2 tbsp flour/cornflour for binding.

2.Marinate it for at least 8 hours (this is important)

3.Deep fry all the chicken pieces until they turn golden brown in color and keep them aside.

4. To temper: Heat up 2 tbsp of oil.
Add cumin seeds, half tsp sugar (brings out the red color) , chopped green chillies,ginger, garlic 1 tsp each.
Fry for a minute on medium heat and add salt half tsp, a pinch black pepper, Kashmiri mirch half tsp, tomato sauce 1 tsp and chilli garlic sauce 2 tsp.
Mix well and switch off the flame. Add the fried chicken pieces. 

5. Add a handful of coriander leaves/cilantro and curry leaves(optional).

Chicken 65 is ready to be served.
Do try the recipe and tell me how it was in the comments section.



~ True Rewiew: The Wildlights at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium 2016~

The Wildlights at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is a spectacular event which will take place everyday till 1st January 2017 5pm -9pm (Sun-Thu) and 5pm-10 pm (Fri & Sat). Closed on Thanksgiving,Christmas eve and Christmas Day .
Get your tickets for the zoo here . 
Go in the noon, enjoy the manatees and polar bears and stay late till the sun sets in or just arrive late at dark.
                
The  first show starts at around 5.30 pm. The light and music show is a 5 minutes spectacular dazzling magic! The same show takes place at regular intervals. As you can see in the pictures, the zoo looked so beautiful like a winter wonderland ,full of lights everywhere,just as they promised.

             

The actual show takes places at the lake area. The lights are set up in the middle of the lake and its surrounding areas.  

             

This week's temperature seems to be the best to visit. Get a coffee from any zoo coffee stall and catch up the first show and return home before it gets too chilly.

                

The spruce tree lighting show is also marvelous and has more technical details.

               

Overall, the Wildlights at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium 2016 is a total 5 star show.thumbs up! I loved it. Its worth every penny.

                    

Chicken tandoori. Easy and Quick.

India's most loved Chicken dish is Chicken Tandoori. For the authentic tandoori you need a clay tandoor. But at home, you can still make yummy tandoori in your OTG oven or convection microwave with only a few ingredients.



Ingredients: Big pieces of Chicken with bones(I used chicken drumsticks), yogurt, Chicken tandoori masala, Ginger garlic paste, Kashmiri mirch powder, turmeric, salt and lemon juice.

You will get the chicken tandoori masala at any grocery store if you are in India and if you are outside India, you will get chicken tandoori masala and all other spices at your neighborhood Indian store or supermarket.

Make tiny slits on the chicken pieces for the spices to enter and marinate the chicken pieces overnight with all the ingredients.



Arrange them and put inside the preheated oven for 45 minutes at 375- 425 degree Fahrenheit or 180-200 degree Celsius in microwave in convection mode ,after 30 minutes you can change it to microwave+grill mode. 


Flip the pieces at an interval of  30 mins. Time taken may differ.
Finally, broil for 5-10 minutes for that smoky flavor.
Serve your delicious Chicken tandoori with mint chutney also available in Indian stores.


Tell me how it was in the comments section.

Kashmiri Pulao at home. Easy steps with pictures.

Presenting the easy recipe to make Kashmiri pulao at home. It is a North Indian mild aromatic rice dish made with dry fruits.

Ingredients: Basmati rice,milk, saffron, dry fruits, ginger paste, whole garam masalas, salt, crispy fried onions(from market or home made.)
  

The quantities mentioned here is for 2 people only.

Let the saffron strands get soaked in 1 cup of warm milk for atleast 2 hours.


1 cup of Basmati rice washed and soaked for for 2 hours.

Raisins and crasins(dried cranberry) washed . Sugar is optional. The pulao is supposed to get its sweetness from the dry fruits.

Dry fruits like cashews,almonds, pistachio, pecans,walnuts and whole garam masalas like bay leaf, cardamom, cloves. Use whatever you have at home. 

Heat up 1 tsp oil and 1 tsp ghee.

Fry all the dry fruits.

Keep frying them in medium heat until golden and keep them aside for later use.

Now the whole garam masalas and ginger paste goes in, fry for 30 seconds.

Then pour in half a cup of water and and the 1 cup of saffron milk , let it come to a boil.

Once it starts boiling, put in the soaked rice, salt as per taste or 1 tsp , 1-2 tsp sugar (optional) and cover for 15 minutes or until it is 80% cooked.

After it is 80% cooked, open the lid and add the previously fried dry fruits and crispy fried onions and put it on dum.(no air should be able to escape)

After another 5-10 minutes your Kashmiri Pulao will be ready to be served. Mix well.


Omm nommm nommm.......

Serve  it with any Indian chicken dish and paneer dish. Hope you all liked the recipe. Let me know how it was in the comments section.
Thank you.

New York tour in 2 days

New York is a huge city and it is simply impossible to pick out few places to visit,as all the places seem so awesome. But if you have limited time, say only a weekend, you can still explore the best of New York and here's how:

1. Book your hotel at Manhattan and order your New York city pass.

 Day 1

 2. After checking in the hotel, first visit the World Trade Center memorial. Witness what terrorism can do.

 3.. Take the New York City Subway to Rockefeller Building. Go on top and enjoy the day view of the city.

 4. As the day sets in, walk from Rockefeller building to the Times Square.
Chill there till the night gets dark.

 5. Take the subway to Empire State building. Go on top and enjoy the dazzling night view of the city.

 6. Go back to your hotel and get real good sleep to get yourself ready for the next day.

 Day 2

 7. Early morning go to Wall Street, see the Bull on the way and go to see the iconic Brooklyn bridge. It will be a great experience to walk and cross the bridge. I insist.

 9. Next see the Statue of Liberty. The earlier, the less crowded.

10.Take the subway to the Madame Tussaud.

 11. Then take the subway to the American Museum of Natural History. You wont be left with enough time to explore the entire museum. So prioritize what you want to see. Do not run around. 

 12. Finally you can walk to the Central park located just opposite the museum and get some rest there.

 After this I dont think you will be left with anymore energy. Ha ha ha.

 Some thoughts:

 Dont forget to check out the amazing street art of New York.

 Both Rockefeller and Empire state building are good for both day and night view. You select what view you want to get from where. But my plan saves time. 

 And dont wear your I LOVE NYC t-shirts in New York. Wear your regular comfy clothes. Be a part of the crowd.

Holiday lights Creekside Gahanna Review

The holiday lights of Creekside Gahanna is one of the most popular winter events of Columbus. I went to see it with my husband on 20th November 2016 around 3pm. The streets were deserted around this time and for obvious reasons. The temperature was below 0 degree centigrade. The winds made it feel like -5 ! Braving the chilly weather, there were a number of food trucks selling ice-cream, popcorn, coffee, tacos,etc. There was a live ice cutting booth. There was a camel, sheep and a free reindeer petting zone, the little Holly jolly train running down the street with a few little children.



 Around 5pm the place started filling up. There was a huge Christmas tree all decorated waiting to be lit up. The carolers started playing the christmas music, people cheered. At 6pm,there was a parade and then  Santaclaus came on the fire engine and people started counting back 5,4,3,2,1 and Santa lit the Christmas tree .





It was not what I had expected perhaps because of the harsh weather it did n't turned up what it was supposed to be. It was really windy. The program was ended with a candlelight march. The holiday lights was just the Christmas tree and the blue lights over the pool.I expected some more lights. But it was great to see so many enthusiastic people with little babies waiting for Santa.

Share your experience of Holiday lights at creekside Gahanna at the comments section.
Thank you !


Ghugni : Easy superfast recipe


Ghugni is a spicy curry made of dried white or yellow peas or chana daal. 
Ingredients: dried white peas, onions chopped, ginger garlic paste, tomatoes chopped, cumin seeds, a bayleaf, few chilles, turmeric, cumin powder, kashmiri chilli powder, garam masala,salt, cooking oil.

Soak the daal overnight or for 8 hours.
Cook it in a pressure cooker for exactly 3 whistles for the accurate consistency.
It will look like this after you open the pressure cooker.

In a pan heat up little oil. Mustard oil gels better with this dish but any veg oil will do. Put cumin seeds and bayleaf.They will crackle. Then fry onions,ginger,garlic and chillies. Add little salt.


At this stage, add the spices. Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric,cumin powder and garam masala.


After a minute, add chopped tomatoes and fry the mixture well now.


Eventually the mixture will blend and will look somewhat like this.




Now is the time to mix the spice mixture with the boiled white peas. Stir it well. Add salt as per taste and add water as per your desired thickness.



This is the last stage when the spices have been absorbed and it thickens.Ghugni is ready to be served.


This a great evening snack in Eastern India. To make a complete vegetarian version of Ghugni , you can omit onions and garlic. Keep the rest of the ingredients and procedure same. You can make this dish on any holy occasion.


Garnish it with lime juice, some more garam masala or chaat masala, black salt, chopped onions and cilantro.

omm nommm nommm.......

Devon Street Chicago

There is a neighborhood  just outside the city of Chicago called the Devon Street. The area is full of Indians, pakistanis, bangladeshis and other immigrants. Suddenly you will feel you are in India or Pakistan. Even the sign boards are written in Hindi and bengali. You can spot people dressed with their traditional avatar crossing the road ignorantly just like in India.
I went there to dine at Sabri Nihari, a fine Mughlai restaurant.

As you can see in the map the street is lined with so many desi restaurants as well as indian grocery stores, indian clothes shops showcasing heavily worked lehengas for weddings,shops selling halal meat, indian and bangladeshi fish and all sorts of other stores. You can visit anywhere and food is authentic here. All the restaurants are always usually crowded and there is a waiting time almost everywhere.
At Sabri Nihari we had to wait for around 40 mins to get seated . We were all tired and hungry after touring Chicago throughout the day but when came the food, we forgot all our pain and just dived in the food. We had chicken tandoori, Mutton biriyani, Mango Lassi, naan and some other chicken side dishes. It was awesome and very delicious.

 The food you will get after the long wait is worth the pain and every dollar you spend there.

Tips: Speak to the servers in Hindi to draw their attention. They are super buzy but super fast!

 Have you been to Devon Street? Tell me about your experience in the comments section.

A Waffle house secret

Waffle House is one of the most favorite chain restaurants of USA. I love Waffle House.It serves delicious food. Its open 24/7. Whats not to love.

But many people may not know that they also serve a delicious dish called Egg fiesta which is not in their menu card.

 Egg fiesta or Fiesta omelet is a delicious fluffy omelet made with two eggs in Toddle house style. The eggs are blended a lot so that lots of air can go in. Then onions, jalapenos, mushrooms, ham, tomatoes and cheese are added to the omelet. It is served with two slices of raisin bread toasted and buttered and hash browns. It is a very heavy meal.
You can check out the making of fiesta omelet here

Next time you visit Waffle house, do order Egg fiesta or Fiesta omelet. They give you the liberty to customize your omelet. I dont add ham or any meat. It is a very tasty dish. This will be one of your best meals.
Thank you.

Metro parks of Columbus: True Review

The  19 Columbus and Franklin metro parks are all natural area parks with more than 200 miles of trails and cover over 27,000 acres land. The metro parks act as a great way to conserve the natural resources. You will get the complete list of parks here. 
Homestead Metro Park

 Ever since I moved to Columbus and came to know about these parks, it was impossible to stop me. Since then I have been to a number of parks, some were delightful, whereas some were not worthy the drive.

 1.Inniswood Metro park and botanical garden : I will start with this beauty because this is my favorite park. Check out the google pictures and you will fall in love with this park. Located in a beautiful neighbourhood, in the spring, the trees burst into cherry blossom and the ground filled with tulips,  red,orange,yellow,white. Just mind-blowing.They have seasonal flower collection. There is a Rose garden. The trails are really short but its the place to enjoy beautiful nature, soft grasses, you can lie and roll like on a bed. Beautifully decorated. Very picturesque.Great for professional photo shoots.

 2.Sharon Woods metro park : This is a big park with a lake known as the Schrock Lake where you can do fishing and boating. Carry your own equipment. There is plenty of bbq grills all around with picnic benches, shelters,swings and even a children zone . It is kind of forested area and filled with silent trails where you might even spot a deer or two roaming around, I did. Total thumbs up. Plan your summer bbq here.

 3. Highbanks Metro park :This place has long trails great for brisk walks or running. Shelters and day camping are available. There are many bbq grills here and there. There are playgrounds for outdoor games. Very forested area. I didn't enjoyed this park much.

 4. Homestead Metro park : This metro park is a little away from the city. It has a lot to offer. Adorned by beautiful lakes and colorful birds, this park also has a heritage rail station, train engine,an outdoor amphitheater, a beautiful lakeside pavilion ideal for weddings, pine pavilion ideal for birthday or anniversary parties and a covered bridge. It is a very picturesque place. There are bbq grills here and there with benches and pretty shelters. 

 5.Blendon woods Metro park : This park welcomes you with its sloping entrance way. There is a swampy lake called the Thoreau Lake which is known to be a waterfowl refuge. I spotted ducks,waterfowls, insects and even a deer. Well forested and has long trails. 

 I plan to visit Battele darby metro park ( where there are bisons)  and Three creeks metro park soon.
Which metro parks have you been to? Share your stories in the comments section.
Thank you !

A day in the City of Columbus,Ohio, USA



 Columbus is the capital of Ohio.  It is located at the center of the state. Columbus is not huge busy city but I think its the best place to live with family. It is peaceful, beautiful and full of greenery all around.  If you are here in the city for a day, here's how you can spend it to the best possible way.
To know more Click here

 1. Columbus is the land of wonderful metro parks. My favorite is the Inniswood metro park and Botanical gardens. this place will not disappoint you at any given day of the year. This is one of the most beautiful places in Columbus. There are always thousands of seasonal flowers to welcome you. Spring is the best time to see the tulips here.

2. For breakfast or brunch or lunch you can go to my favorite Waffle house which is open 24 hours where I generally go in the midnight with my husband. Choose your nearest spot.Order the Fiesta omelette (toddle house style) which is not in their menu card with raisin bread and hash browns . You wont regret it. This will be one of your best meals ever.

 3. You can go to Polaris Fashion Place which is the best shopping mall here. The best brands are here with so many wonderful dining places. I love the massage chairs there - 3 minutes of massage for a dollar. totally worth it. There is a kids place there too . Check out their Official website

 4.You can visit the Alum Creek Dam here. Both the beach area and below the dam recreational area are good. best for walks and fishing.


5. Take a walk along the Scioto Mile and Biccentennial Park . You will get the perfect view of the Columbus skyline. Walk the downtown, get coffee from Starbucks or Tim Hortons or Cafe Brioso or just sit on the swing benches along the Scioto mile.The night view is pretty awesome. Though its not NYC skyline but I love this too.You can also sit at the Genoa park and admire the city.You can park your car at the COSI parking or at any public garage in the downtown.

 6. Lastly, You can invest an entire day to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. It is a very well-kept zoo. It will be a fun day out with your kids or just the two of you. . Even they turn the winters into a winter wonderland known as the wildlights.
To know more about other winter fun events in Columbus do check out my previous blog.

7. You can also enter the  historical Ohio Statehouse  and witness the wonderful architecture of the interior. There is so much to see inside. Intricately designed pillars and walls, a number of paintings and off course history. You can even collect a souvenir from the gift shop inside the statehouse.


  If you have been to any of these above places, please share your experiences in the comments section.
Thank you for your time.

Winter events of 2016 in Columbus, Ohio.

Upcoming winter events in Columbus 2016.
Winter in USA can be very depressing but here are some upcoming winter events I am looking forward to which can make your winter a much better time for enjoyment and memorable.
Check my recent posts to know about the events already started.

 All the events are till the end of December.

 1. Wildlights in Columbus zoo & aquaruim. starts from 18th Novmber 2016.
They promise to turn the zoo into a winter wonderland. they are putting up thousands of lights. All you have to do is to get the tickets for the zoo at its usual price. you can go to the in the morning and see the animals till evening brightens up with the wildlights from 5pm. so its two fun at one ticket with loads of other fun like food trucks. I went there and had a lovely time. thumbs up!
You can check the details in the link given below.

 Columbus zoo Calender

 2. Holiday lights at Creekside plaza and Park, Gahanna . on 20th November Sunday 2-7 pm



This will be a one day festival garnished with food trucks, puppet plays followed by millions of Christmas lights at 5pm. its free and open to public along the Big walnut creek. find a parking place.
You can check the details in here.
3.Holiday lights at Columbus Commons, starts on 28th November 2016 from dusk till 11pm.

   This may feel really grand like a concert. You can park your car at the Columbus Commons garage or at the COSI parking.You can check their Facebook page for more information.
You can also check the details in the link given below.
official website

 4. Grand Illumination at Scioto mile and Bicentennial Park, starts from 2nd December 2016 from 5-7 pm.
Park your car at COSI parking which is currently open till 10:30 pm and head to the beautiful Columbus downtown along the Scioto river to witness thousands of twinkling lights. Its free and open for public. Take a walk along the Scioto mile , sit on the bench swings and enjoy the winter lights.
You can check the details here.

5. Village lights at German Village on 4th December 2016 from 5-9 pm.
Visitors from across Central Ohio kick off the holiday on the historic streets of German Village and discover a world of lights and holiday magic! Our 10,000 guests follow luminaries from shops to businesses and restaurants open late with holiday treats, discounts and special offers. Festive surprises are at every corner including carolers, live holiday music and a horse-drawn carriage. 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.


 You can park your car at Schiller park and take a walk along the brick streets of German village. Its free too. You can check the details in german village events calendar.

6.Fantasy lights of Alum Creek state park starts from 18th November 2016.
This is not free. 
You can also check the details.
All information you need . Official website.
These are the events that are in my winter bucket list. Looking forward to share all the experiences I gather from these places. I am curious and Enthusiastic about th above events.  I hope I have inspired all of you to visit the above upcoming events. plan your schedule today.

HI. Coming up soon
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