Seventeen on 17th

So I turn 17 !!!

And I decided to make a list of things which I would try to complete until my next birthday.

1. Complete school.
2. Travel to someplace all by myself.
I have never travelled alone I am always supervised by some elder and now I think I am old enough to travel alone
3. Get into college.
4. Apply for driving licence.
5. Grow a herb.
6. Learn to make fresh pasta
7. Travel to some place new
8 . Travel to some place old
Go back to recollect memories and make some new.
9 . Try and read more.
10. Go to a music concert
11. Get a barbecue grill
12. Make smores on that grill
13. Try expresso
Never had the courage to try it but I am pretty determined I will do it.
14. Cook something cooked using liquid  smoke.
I love the smokey flavour which get from food cooked in wood fired oven and I liquid smoke gives the same taste without an wood fire oven.
15.Do an internship.
16. Think of the sixteenth thing :p
17.Be a better person!

Market on Choti Diwali

Diwali being one of greatest festival celebrated around our country and which such greatness comes greater madness.
The markets are overly crowded, and because of the traffic jam if you choose to walk then no one can stop u from gaining your goal weight. Travelling in metro will surely give you a few bruises (I actually have 2 at the moment thanks to the impatient crowd). All this will give you a new level of tolerance.

I went to Chandani Chowk (Dariba kalan)
But the crowd was less then last year unlike the day time when the crowd aseemed to be hundred times more.p

Diyas!!

More diyas!!

Bandhanvars and wall hangings

The aso palav leaves considered auspicious. 

Food!!!

Idols of godess Lakshmi and god Ganesh.

Firecrackers.

But  I pledged to have a diwali with out crackers but I did buy a few sky lanterns 

HAPPY DIWALI TO ALL!!

Pear and Caramel Tartlets

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/5 cup butter
4 medium size pear
Caramel sauce (Read previous post 'caramel sauce' for recipe)http://exploreeat.blogspot.in/2014/09/caramel-sauce.html

Method:
Mix flour, butter and mix to a crumbly constancy. Add water and knead.
Rest this in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough 0.5 cm thick and place in the pre dusted baking tins.Put a handful of beans in the tin while baking. 

 Bake at 180°F for fifteen minutes.Let it cool before demoulding.

For the filling:Mixed the chopped pear in the caramel sauce.
Put the filling in the tartlets and bake for 5 minutes.

Living in COASTAL v/s Living in PLAINS

I have lived in a coastal town of Gujarat for 6 years and have been living in the plains (New Delhi) for the past 6 years and here are a few difference that one surely observes.

1. Coastal have monsoon but Plains have mere rain.

2. Delhiwalas call winter cold when the temperature dips to 3°C-4°C but coastalites cover up themselves in layers of sweaters, shawls, scarfs, mittens,etc when it's hardly 18° Celsius.

3. Fruits like leeches, and inca berry commonly available here were a rarity in the coasts but water apple a fruit much like leeches in taste is very common there.
The freshest of strawberries, cheekos, grapes, kesar mangoes and coconut are some gems of coastal but aren't as good in Delhi.

4.BEACHES!! Do I have to say anymore?

5. There is way more greenery and way less pollution as compared to Delhi.

6.  Freshest seafood is available there due to obvious reasons.

7. There were no cycle rikshaws.

RAMLILA

I went to the famous Ramlila of Chandani Chowk during Navratre and I couldn't stop my self from indulging in the variety of food the venue had to offer.

(A view from the top of ferries wheel.)

These toy seller sell masks, bow and arrows, swords and are reasons of smiles on faces of kids but alas most of the sellers are children themselves. 

Ferries wheel :)

This is a picture of the main attraction at

the event Romali Roti; thin, soft, made with refined flour, baked on an inverted

skillet. It was amazing and was accompanied by a Kathi kababs.

 The Kathi kababs are soybean chunks and cottage cheese skewers dipped in a batter and fried then put in a favorful tomato gravy. A must try .

Aloo tikki(mashed and spiced and potato)and tava aloo. The radius of the pan was 1 metre.

This was my favourite out of all I have had this ice cream with fresh fruits in Gujarat but this one had mango and rose syrup rolled and scraped off the roller. 

And the night ended with fireworks