Pear and Cinnamon Upside Down Cake

Pears are at their peak in this season and I had got a whole lot of them for making jam. There were quite a few still left so decided to use them in making this delicious cake. The pears were nice and juicy and not over ripe so they held their shape when baked. This is a simple cake to make and doesn’t take too much time.

Fresh and juicy Pears

Pears team up well with spices. Here I have used cinnamon, just a small amount is sufficient so that it's not overpowering and allows the taste of the pears to come through. It tastes very nice served warm on its own or with a dollop of ice-cream. The cake can also be had later when it's cooled down, tastes fabulous either way.

Pear and Cinnamon Upside Down Cake

For the topping
1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoon butter

2 firm pears, peeled, cored and sliced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the cake
 3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

11/2 cups flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1/2 cup milk

Heat the oven to 180 degrees C  and butter a round cake tin.

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together and keep aside.

Melt 1/2 cup sugar in a pan and let it caramelize. Then add 2 tablespoons of butter to it and pour it into the prepared cake tin. Swirl it around till the pan is coated with the caramel.  Arrange the pear slices in the pan overlapping each other in a fan shape till the pan gets covered then sprinkle lemon juice on top.

Beat 1/2 cup butter and 3/4 cup sugar in a mixer till it becomes light and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla essence. Then mix in the flour along with the milk. Fold in the flour till everything is just incorporated. Pour the batter on top of the pears ensuring that they are well covered and smoothen the top.

Bake for 40-45 minutes till a skewer inserted inside comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then invert it onto a plate.

Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream or whipped cream

Pear and Cinnamon Upside Down Cake

Corbett in the rains

The son is due to go back to college so we took off on a small family vacation before he left. The hills were ruled out of because of the rains, we were looking for someplace not too far off and decided on Corbett,even though the Sanctuary remains closed in the monsoon season. It’s just four-five hours drive from Delhi and makes for a good quick weekend getaway.

We started around 5 in the morning for Corbett so as to avoid the traffic. Of course getting everyone out of the house at that ungodly hour was an uphill task but we were still quite close to our original schedule of 4.30.

Picture perfect countryside

It was cloudy when we started perfect weather for a long drive, the countryside was lush green because of the rains, we passed through vast stretches of paddy and corn fields and minus the traffic we hit Moradabad in no time. On the way we passed through Gajraula a town made famous for its kheer and its dhabas-which dotted both sides of the highway-a real haven for foodies.

After Moradabad the road is not so good but thankfully it was just a small stretch. We passed through Kashipur-a very small U.P. town then onto Ramnagar which is an even more smallish town, here we gorged on Baal Mithai, a delicacy of the Kumaon region. The milk is first boiled till it turns into khoya then cane sugar is added to it and it is set into desired shapes and then finally coated with poppy seeds. It’s a very fudgy sweet and very addictive-definitely a must try.

Our resort was at Gajariya-a small hamlet on the way to Ranikhet. This place had a couple of shops selling some knick-knacks and a handful of eating joints.The local economy is totally dependent on tourism and resorts lined up the entire stretch of the road till Dhikala. Some sense seems to have prevailed with the local administration and there is no rampant construction work going on here unlike other tourist spots which have been spoilt by over construction. Also the resorts are confined to one side of the road and the other side is totally forested so some effort has been made to keep the area green and wooded.

Corbett Riverview Resort the place we stayed at, was on the banks of Kosi River. It was a charming little property spread over a huge area with lots of foliage everywhere very much in sync with the local surroundings.

The resort nestled in greenery

This whole area is totally forested and it was nice to see that the same theme has been maintained at the resort which was totally lush with huge bamboo trees and other local trees growing all over the property.

Verdant and leafy -view from the room

There is a small temple inside for the religious minded folks and an in house panditji is also there to do puja. The serenity and peacefulness of this place had a very soothing effect and one felt very relaxed. For once nobody wanted to log onto their laptops or reach for the television remote.

The garden area and the river view

The weather stayed extremely pleasant except for some intermittent rains and we could easily visit the temple nearby which stands in the midst of the river Kosi. Goddess Parvati in one of her forms is worshipped as Garjiya Devi in Uttarakhand. This temple is dedicated to her, it  is perched on a hill with a flight of steps leading to the top. One of the beliefs amongst the people here is that the shrine never gets submerged even during heavy floods .A big fair is held here on Kartik Poornima and at that time lakhs of devotees congregate here.

The Resort had all the facilities to keep us occupied, from enjoying live music in the evenings, to taking a dip in their fabulous swimming pool or playing a game of table tennis.

Swimming pool and bar area

 One could also rejuvenate with a spa and if none of these took your fancy then one could go and sit by the river as I did.

Kosi River and the forest area in front

It was truly a picturesque sight - the other shore of the river was flanked by forest and the river flowed in between. This spot was quite a favorite with other guests too-guess nothing can beat natural beauty.

The River flowing by the Resort

We wanted to try some local Kumaon cuisine so went around the small marketplace, it was sadly not available but in the bargain we discovered this very non assuming little joint called Village Vatika where we had the most amazing meal. The good part was everything was freshly made, it was not dunked in oil or too much masalas so the taste of the vegetables came through. The pahari aloo were so flavorsome, and we realized what authentic ones taste like, the dal was also such a delight to have- it was cooked in a very U.P. style with hing and loads of desi ghee and sans the ubiquitous onion- garlic masala that is so predominant with restaurants in Delhi. The place belongs to a young fellow called Umesh and I have a feeling that he will soon be giving the other resort guys here a run for their money.

The bar and grill area with a thatched roof

Our holiday had been so relaxing that we were loathed to go back to Delhi. The tranquility and simplicity of this place was something I was going to miss for sure. The local people around are still very simple folks and the unhurried pace of life here is to be envied. A lot of times one returns from a holiday feeling exhausted and in need of another one but this one had been where I put my feet up and unwinded.

Vegetables in Hot Garlic Sauce

Whenever I prepare Chinese food, be it fried rice or Hakka noodles, I pair it up with either Manchurian sauce or sweet and sour or some other sauce. However, there are times when I have too many things on my plate and can't go into anything elaborate. It is then that I make hot garlic sauce which goes very well with rice and noodles.

Recently when I was in New York City, we went to a Thai restaurant called Jaiya (396 Third Ave and 28th Street). My daughter, having eaten at this place on numerous occasions, had been raving about the food here, so we decided to pay a visit. We started off with starters and soup. I had the Siam spring rolls, which was served with red plum sauce. They were stuffed with noodles, mushrooms and bamboo shoots and were very good and I could feel the taste of the finely chopped cabbage coming through as well. This was followed by Tom Yum soup which was perfectly balanced and did not require any extra seasoning. For the main course I had the Red Curry with steamed rice. The helpings were good and the coconut curry had an authentic Thai flavor. Their Green Curry and Thai Basil were also excellent. I am already craving their Thai Basil – the basil was evident in every scrumptious bite and the mushrooms, baby corn, snow peas and green chillies went perfectly with the spicy sauce.

The Thai basil reminded me of the hot garlic sauce that I would make back home in terms of the consistency and the deep brown color. Except that my dish was prepared Indian-Chinese style with more garlic than basil, and my sauce was sans vegetables. So I decided to tweak my recipe a bit and also added sautéed veggies. The vegetables added body and flavor which upgraded this dish from a side accompaniment to a main course item. I serve it with steamed white rice but it would go just as well with Jasmine rice or sticky rice.

HOT GARLIC SAUCE WITH VEGETABLES

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons red chilli paste (or to taste)

2 teaspoons oil

3 tablespoons ketchup

2 teaspoons dark soya sauce

1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon vinegar

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon corn flour

1 cup water

1 cup mushrooms, chopped

3/4 cup baby corn, chopped

1/2 cup capsicum chopped into squares

1/2 cup broccoli cut into bite size florets

1/4 cup french beans chopped into bite sized pieces

I usually put these vegetables but you can add any other if you like.

For the sauce add 1 teaspoon oil in a pan and sauté the minced garlic, then add the chilli paste and stir for a couple of minutes. Lower the heat and add ketchup, soya sauce and vinegar. Stir for a minute, now add the black pepper, sugar and salt .Stir again. Mix the corn flour in water and add to the paste. Keep stirring to avoid any lumps being formed. Let the sauce thicken and not be runny. 

In another pan add the oil, now add all the vegetables except mushrooms Sauté the vegetables for a bit till they start getting nicely roasted.  Now add the mushrooms and sauté .Once done add these vegetables to the sauce. Adjust the seasoning to taste and serve with rice.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen- story of faith and fish

A movie with a quirky title and no less a quirky story line... and it was the latter which drew me to watch it in toto. The movie is based on Paul Torday's novel by the same name and the screenplay is by Simon Beaufoy (of the Slumdog Millionaire fame)The film was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards.

A rich Sheikh (Amr Wakd) wants to bring the sport of fly fishing to the desert. His consultant (Emily Blunt) approaches a fisheries expert (Ewan McGregor) in order to turn the Sheikh's dream into a reality. The expert biologist finds the proposal hopelessly ridiculous and refuses to be a part of it. But when the Prime Minister's galvanic press secretary gets the whiff of a potential "good will" story in this venture which might foster good Anglo-Arab relations, he has little choice but to work on it and take off on a challenging journey of faith, and fish to prove that impossible things just might be possible.

Directed by Lasse Hallstrom (Chocolat- 2000) it is a very British film, has a gentle satire and draws out the dry English wit very well. The depiction of politicians has a ring of truth to it ... they abuse political power and their primary concern is to pander to their voters, in this case the British fishermen who would be able to sell two million salmon if the project goes through.

Blunt as a super competent consultant is as always wonderful (was in The Devil Wears Prada).The Sheikh is magnetic and has you pitching for him and his vision and Ewan plays the part of a serious biologist to the T. However the character which shines through is that of Kristin Scott Thomas (Keeping Mum - another of her great movies in which her dead-pan comedy is phenomenal). She is the one who provides comic relief as the pushy and calculating Press Secretary and brings in the most laughs. She has essayed her role with a lot of humor and has brilliantly got into the skin of her character.

Certain scenes are so true to life ... Ewan's character throwing darts at his boss's picture (many people at their workplace would want to do the same) and the boss arm twisting him into taking up the project are so very relatable. To me, the only disturbing note in the movie is that when the biologist's marriage is on the rocks, one gets the not too subtle a  message that its fine to let go of relationships and quickly get into another ... so very western a trait which is pretty much contrary to my Indian middle class mind set.

In the movie the Sheikh talks about having faith in one's actions ... that is the part which touched me, for this 'faith' is the one thing I personally keep in life - life with its inevitable ups and downs. It’s this faith and inner conviction which keeps you going when one is swimming upstream against the conventional wisdom. Fishing for salmon in the middle of a desert when it is found in cold waters, the sheikh went against popular belief and he only had his faith to keep him company

Beneath all its satire and wit there was an underlying message in the movie about surmounting all odds. It made you think about keeping faith in your vision, and about love and hope- in people and in life. All in all, a good watch with the family.

Picture - postcard Gstaad

 Bronze Statue of Rosie the Cow at the Promenade

What should I say about Switzerland that would do justice to this beautiful land? We had been there for over a couple of weeks and each place from Lucerne to Lausanne to Zermatt was an experience that left us totally enchanted by its unparalleled beauty. 

Switzerland was perfect and so were its systems. The trains ran with clockwork precision-you could set your watch. The public utilities were squeaky clean. Everything was very tourist friendly. The signage on the stations was so simple that you didn't need any assistance in locating your train or the platform. As for their transport system it's definitely one of the best in the world. We covered a fair distance in our fifteen day sojourn and were amazed by its efficiency-no running late and no cancellations. Many a times we had to change trains with just a couple of minutes for that transfer  and everyone would be scampering from one platform to another but they waited till everyone got in and only then the train pulled off.

One of the places that we visited here was Gstaad. We took the panoramic Golden Pass from Zweisimmen. The train journey was an experience in itself. The train has huge glass windows so one could see some spectacular views of the countryside. Till now we had been quite taken in by the beauty of Interlaken but this area surpassed that in its natural prettiness. All throughout the way I saw lush green meadows dotted with cows. I was by now feeling very envious of the people living here who enjoy this every day.

Gstaad is an exclusive ski resort and a car free village. There is a main street here which runs through the village called the Promenade. It is for pedestrians only and chic shops flank both sides of the street. We went around indulging in some retail therapy of the window shopping kind. There was - Prada, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Ralph Lauren, Cartier -you  name it -a shopper’s paradise, but so fancily priced that my shopaholic daughter  decided that maybe! she should restrain herself for just this one time.

Despite being the playground of the rich and famous this ski resort has developed in such a way that its villageseque character has remained intact. Cow bells could be heard tinkling in the distance and we saw a lot of quaint wooden chalets, typically Swiss with alpine style roofs. Gstaad has stayed small and beautiful and thankfully has not been overbuilt like say Zermatt which is a bit of an over kill.  It has also been able to keep a fine balance between being an uber luxurious resort and maintaining its pastoral roots. The centuries old tradition of making Alpine cheese is still being carried on. We tasted the regions famous cheese Hobelkase, which is cut in wafer thin slices, almost transparent and then its rolled up and served. It was a hard cheese and had a spicy flavor and it went very well with white wine.

The crowd here is ultra chic and classy. I didn’t see any normal tourists like ourselves here ... and backpackers ... you must be kidding! The people who have lived here and some of them still do reads like a who's who ... Valentino, Elizabeth Taylor, Julie Andrews to Sean Connery, so we were definitely in exalted company. Our very own Kareena Kapoor calls it her favorite place in the world. The feel here is definitely upscale and you see a very well heeled crowd frequenting this place

There were charming little cafes and restaurants on both sides of the main street and it was great  fun to sit there, out in the sun, and lunch on a typical Swiss meal of rosti, potato soup, cheese platter and chocolate fondue and, watch the beautiful people passing by and of them ... there was no dearth. Later in the day we savored warm Belgian waffles with nutella, which were melt in the mouth and the son had hot dogs which he said were very fresh and delish.

Gstaad was a very surreal experience for me and for all its glitz and glamour what has stayed in my mind is its understated charm and its achingly beautiful vistas. If I could, the one thing that I would like to take back from here- its fresh mountainous air which definitely needs to be bottled and sold. Gstaad looks as if it's a landscape painting ... with such lovely colors and hues ... and everything so perfectly natural and divine ... with not a thing out of place ... an urban village which charmed me then and gets a smile on my face whenever I think of it now. A must see jewel of the Bernese Oberland.

Sooji Ka Halwa - Semolina Pudding

The much awaited and longed for monsoons have not yet set in, in Delhi but there are occasional days when it becomes cloudy and there is a promise of rain - the perfect weather for something piping hot like sooji ka halwa. Like most of my cooking this was also something that I picked up after marriage. My mother used to make it often so I knew the basics it’s just that I had never tried my hand at it.

The manner of cooking the halwa was very different at my husband's place for one it was  way richer with oodles of ghee added to it and also the sooji retained its creamy off whitish color (while  my mother's  used to be darker - light brownish in color). I enjoy both of them but then I of course have a sweet tooth. Whenever we sisters got together at my mother's place I was assigned the task of making the halwa for breakfast. Now, though I have cut down on the ghee in deference to our expanding waists, but yes it sure does taste mighty better with a more liberal addition of ghee. While it may sound simple and commonplace but making the perfect 'sooji ka halwa' is a little trickier then most of us think.

Here's my recipe for a yummy 'Sooji Ka Halwa'

Ingredients

1/2 cup sooji / semolina

1/3 cup ghee/clarified butter

1/3 cup sugar(or according to taste)

10-15 raisins

1cup water

5-10 almond cut into fine slices

Add sooji to the pan along with the ghee and stir it continuously on very low heat for 3-4 minutes. The low heat ensures that the sooji gets roasted evenly. In a separate pan warm the water. Once the sooji has got roasted add the raisins to it and stir for a couple of minutes. Then add the hot water to it and stir it till all the water gets absorbed. Now add the sugar and mix well till the halwa begins to come together. Keep stirring for a few more minutes till the ghee starts to leave. Remove the pan from the burner and decorate the halwa with the slivered almonds. Serve hot.

Alwar -our weekend sojourn

It was winter time and Delhi was freezing cold. The weather was awful and so was my mood. I had those winter blues. What we all needed was a small little vacation to cheer us up. Alwar was our chosen destination as being nearer to Delhi it made for a nice weekend getaway. Alwar has loads of heritage hotels to choose from. We decided on Dadhikar Fort as it had excellent reviews.

The good part about domestic travel is that we were packed and ready to leave in no time. From Bhiwadi, the highway starts and it was an excellent drive with mustard fields dotting both sides. On the way we stopped for a while at Tijara - the Jain in me made sure we paid it a visit. The temple draws Jain devotees as in 1956 an ancient Jain idol was discovered there. However, much to my chagrin the Tijara temple was not maintained well and did nothing to add to my spiritual side.

 Jain Temple at Tijara

Delhi to Alwar is 162 kms and we reached there by lunch time. Dadhikar Fort is located on a hillock in the lap of Aravali Hills and dates back to the 9th-10th century. Over tea we met Mr Ram Kaushik its present owner and were very impressed with his entrepreneurial spirit. He told us how he took over this fort which had been in ruins and restored it to its present state and I have to add here that he has done a wonderful job. The rooms are well appointed with very charming names. Our suite was called Kadambvan. It was very spacious with a study, a private terrace and a jharoka. A lot of care has been taken to ensure that the interiors match with the Rajasthani surroundings. The food served here is pure vegetarian. We thoroughly enjoyed a traditional Rajasthani meal of daal, batti, and gatta sabji with choorma with a host of other accompaniments. The fort is set in such tranquil surroundings far away from the hustle bustle that for us city folks it was sheer bliss.

Dhadhikar Fort in all its glory

 

Sunny courtyard at the Fort 

There is a lot of touristy stuff to do in Alwar like visiting the Bala Quila, City Palace, the Palace Museum, Siliserh Lake, or the Clock Tower among other things. We skipped all this as we just wanted to relax and not rush from one spot to another covering the attractions.

Instead what we did was to go to the city market. The best bit was a visit to Baba Thakur Dass & Sons at Kalakand Market and we all pigged ourselves out on the traditional sweets there. This place is truly a mithai (sweets) lover’s delight what with its melt in the mouth milk cake. There are other sweets too which are equally good. We got three boxes packed to take back home - but we polished them off before we even reached Delhi!! My daughter who normally does not like traditional sweets also dug into it. Restaurants in Alwar are limited but I had read good reviews of a place called Prem Pavitra. The name didn’t sound very promising but we decided to try it out and what a delicious meal it was. My kids who are normally very fussy about these small town joints (they are such city bred kids that anything outside Delhi seldom matches up to their taste) also had a ball.

Next day, early in the morning we went to Sariska Sanctuary. We rode in an open jeep with a guide accompanying us. We spotted a four horned antelope, langur, nilgai, wild boar, hyena but alas, as could be expected, no signs of the elusive tiger. We went to the Hanuman Temple at Pandupole which is inside the sanctuary. Legend has it that the Pandavas had taken refuge here during their exile and built this temple. There was a small tea shop here where we had kadhi kachori, a delicacy unique to this State. 

The four horned antelope

Spotted deer

In the evening we watched the traditional folk performance at the Fort - we joined the dancers ... which was very enjoyable. The stay had been very relaxing and we all went back to Delhi highly rejuvenated. There is something to be said about taking a break from the city's maddening rat race for getting your sanity back. Perhaps there is one thing I can say, we city folks just do not know what we want - we love the city as much as we hate it!!!

Idyllic Sigtuna

Going on a vacation is always great fun. The planning starts a couple of months in advance especially if one is travelling to a Schengen country as they need your flight and stay details- for visa. This is good in a way, otherwise I know we would have been dilly dallying till the last minute over which airline is better, which hotel is most central. Seriously the more choices we have-the harder it becomes to decide. Another positive is that once the bookings are done my workaholic husband can't pull off any excuses for not travelling. 

Thankfully deciding on which country to visit didn't take too long as we all were very keen on the fjords.

           

The first leg of our journey began from Stockholm. The Arlanda Express, which is really super fast, took us from the airport to the city centre in 20 minutes flat. The fare is expensive but was covered in our Scandinavian (Eurail) Pass. Our apartment was very conveniently located, a mere 5-7 minute walk from the station. The next day the children flew in from the US - what would holidays be without them.

My first impression of Stockholm- historic monuments and buildings seamlessly blend with the modern day infrastructure- and retains its pristine beauty. Stockholm gives a sense and feel of an affluent city- with people having contentment and ease writ large on their faces. Stockholm as a city has so much to offer so for the next couple of days we were totally engrossed covering every bit of it.

Having covered Stockholm we decided to explore the countryside. We did a day trip to this picturesque village called Sigtuna, on the shores of Lake Malaren. Sigtuna is 45 minutes from Stockholm. It's easily accessible by train, bus and boat. This is a medieval town on the lake side with private motor boats and yachts moored there. It appeared that everyone in Sigtuna owned one.

Sigtuna is Sweden's oldest town established in the 10th century by the Vikings. This place is steeped in history. There are the ruins of St Peter's church from the 12th century which had gotten destroyed in a fire. What stood out was how neatly everything was maintained. Rune stones, which are memorial to the dead, are scattered all around. There are more than 150 of them. These runes have inscriptions which are the oldest text in Swedish. Sweden's first coins were minted here. It's 'Main Square' has a tiny Town Hall, the smallest in Sweden. There is the 13th century St Mary's Church which is still in use and has some medieval artifacts. Another attraction is the Sigtuna Museum which showcases this place's history through the ages.

After all this walking around one can take a break in the ice cream shop or at the lovely cafe called Tant Brun (Aunt Brown) named after a Swedish children's book character by Swedish writer Elsa Beskow. It's famous for its home made cakes and pies - raspberry, blueberry and apple, and coffee which is served in a copper pot. This cafe is set in a 17th century old wooden building. It has a low doorway and we had to bend down to enter. The baked goods are made fresh and we thoroughly enjoyed the warm apple pie which was served with vanilla cream. At Stora Gatan, the main street and Sweden's oldest there are beautiful wooden shops selling clothes, toys and antiques. We walked around Lake Malaren which had a fabulous view. A lot of people were riding their bikes, fishing, and some were just lying on the grass and enjoying the sun. There is also a small harbour and a jetty here. Parallel to the harbour is a cafe which sells ice cream in a waffle cone. Believe me Ben & Jerry and Haagen Dazs would not even be a distant second.

On the way back we stopped at Uppsala, the University town. We returned to Stockholm after a very enjoyable day. I enjoyed visiting Sigtuna as it is a charming town with a laid back air. It has an old world quaintness interspersed with all the modern amenities. A must see.

Lake Malaren - Sigtuna

The ruins of St Peter's Church




The overflowing 'parking' at Sigtuna harbour




'Rune Stones' - Inscriptions