Breakfast at Chutneys -- Restaurant Review

This photo of St. Mary's Church is courtesy of TripAdvisor. 

Sunday morning had us (self, Arien and MIL) rushing to the famous St Mary's Basilica at Secunderabad. We were not too sure of the route but the Arien used google maps to the best possible advantage and though we left our home at 8:25 am, we were at the church at 9 am. After staying for the English mass which began at 9:30 am, the next most important item on everyone's mind was "BREAKFAST" (yes - in capital letters).

As we were driving back home, the Arien chanced upon Chutney's and we stopped right away. It was close to 11:15 when we walked in and asked to be escorted to a table for four. (Restaurants usually never have a table for three) Anyway, we were asked to go to the first floor- which we did. We ended up occupying a table for 8, because none of the other tables were empty.

The Arien was full of enthu. Lots of folks at his office had spoken of this place and he was waiting to try it. As soon as MIL had taken her medicines, we asked for the menu. Both the Arien and self wanted to eat Pongal but it was after 11 and so we were asked to choose something else. Both of us chose
Guntur Idly and ordered Steamed Dosa for MIL. I was not sure it would be sufficient and asked the Arien to order for an Upma as well. First, the famous chutneys arrived. There were 4 different types: Thengai (Coconut), Pottukadalai (RoastedGram),Varekadalai (Groundnut), and another chutney which I cannot recall. It looked yumm... and then the dishes arrived. Sambhar was served from glass dispensers into small Kinnams after which they left us to eat in peace.

The Guntur Idly was not as spicy as expected because it was coated with ghee. But, it was yummy all the same. To me, it was like eating idly, molagapodi and ghee. The Arien loved it. He was busy trying out the various chutneys. The Steamed dosa did not have a drop of oil and my MIL did not like it all that much. She likes a generous dose of oil in her dosa. She is not a beeg fan of chutneys either and so I don't think she liked it all that much. The upma was full of ghee as well. I liked the Sambhar though it was sweet. It tasted vaguely like north Karnataka sambhar which usually has sugar or jaggery. I wanted something spicy to finish it up but apart from some paneer dish (which we did not try) and Guntur Idly (which we tried and did not classify as spicy) - none of the items were actually spicy. Isn't that quite surprising to hear considering I was at Hyderabad known to be famous for its spicy food? Egzactly my thoughts! Anyway, the Arien and MIL finished up their late breakfast with a cup  of coffee (by two) which they were unable to finish. Coffee was good but the quantity was much more than expected.

The food reminded me vaguely of the food served at Adyar Ananda Bhavan. A2B also includes a lot of ghee and zero spice in all their dishes. Of course, A2B does not have the ambience or shtyle that Chutney's has.

Would I ask someone to try it? Yes, I will. It is a nice place and for people who are wary of eating spicy food or prefer to eat only at a vegetarian place - this is a great option. It is a bit on the pricey side. We paid more than 300/- for the dishes that we ordered. It was a nice experience.

Tamil Padam -- Movie Review after the II viewing

Happy Ugadi, you all. It was a holiday for me but the Arien was working.

Because the Arien's place has no cable yet, I decided to check his WD for some movies. MIL was also bored and so it was the funny Tamizh Padam that we opted to watch. I had seen it already but MIL had not and she wanted to see a comedy - having had enough of tear-jerkers and melodrama. 

Tamizh Padam is unique because it is the first spoof movie ever made, in Tamil. Considering tamizh sentimentu and emosun - I thought it was quite courageous of the director to shoot a spoof movie and hope for a HIT. It was a sooper (H)IT.

As in a spoof movie, this movie also lifts scenes from
various tamizh movies and adds a twist which makes you burst out in laughter. MIL was able to identify many movies.

The scene where Deva is offered the bill by the doctor and he says "Vendaam" - had me in splits. Another  scene where Shiva dances Bharathanatyam had us rolling in laughter and he completed the dance with - the picture of the ape on the right that was supposed to be the image of the heroine. There were so many scenes that had us laughing crazily - all through the movie.

The hero, Shiva, is a good fit and does his job perfectly. The other character actors do a good job as well.
Some of the movies that were parodied  (not in chronological order) are:

• Dalapathi
• Kanthaswamy 
• Boys 
• Kaadhalan
• Mouna Raagam
• Dhool

We spent the entire afternoon laughing away. One of the songs seemed absolutely meaningless and we were trying to figure out what the song meant when we realized that the song consisted of all fillers used in Tamizh songs in recent times such as "Randakka, Nakka Mukka, Asili Fisili, Rahatulla, Oh Maha Seeya, etc." Very creative! Absolutely Hilarious! If you have not caught the movie, watch it - if only to take a break from  reality :)

Hyderabad -- A new chapter

Did you wonder why I was blogging some abstract stuff 'bout change in my last post? Well, the Arien received a job offer. The offer was good but the catch was that he had to work out of Hyderabad. After talking, fighting, discussing, screaming, throwing things, yelling, and a few unnecessary threats - it was decided that the Arien would take the offer. After the decision was made, I thought the tension would ease but as things go - the tension grew worse as it neared his joining date. The action item list just grew and grew and grew and overwhelmed both of us and our families! With receipt of gyan from all sides, the Arien picked up a new habit of nodding away as if agreeing to all that was said instead of replying or disagreeing.

I have always loved moves. Dad was into bridge construction and so it was quite common in our household to be always on the move. Moves meant new places, new people, and it was more like embarking on a brand new adventure - I could never figure out why my mother was always grumpy whenever Dad announced a move. Now, I understand.

So, here I am at our new place in Hyderabad with most of the stuff from our house. No no - I have not relocated - yet. The Arien has been coming to Bangalore every weekend and I hope I can spend a week at Hyderabad every other month or so. A new chapter has begun. All the Best to us!

Need for Change?

Ever notice how the energy in a room changes when someone who never opens their mouth, shares their astute thoughts. It is electric! I really enjoy the energy that that brings. Firstly, everyone is thinking - "Wow! X speaks"; "What did X say?.. What did I miss?"; "Everyone is staring at X and X does not care - how can I divert attention back to myself?". And a few are thinking "Gee- I did not know X had such a clear head".  The same is true when Y, who is known to be very traditional, suddenly chops of their long pinnal and comes to work in a very smart and stylish haircut. The sudden outburst or unpredictable action gives life to the otherwise routine, drab, boring schedule, meeting, or get-together :) 

X may have wanted to share his thoughts for a while but it happened on that particular occasion, either out of sheer boredom or simply wanting to express oneself. Y may have always wanted to go in for short hair but could not because of some restrictions - familial or otherwise. But, she did it on that particular day.

Sometimes, change comes to us - we are not expecting it - and we may not like it - but it comes all the same.  Our entire life goes through the motions as we adjust to the changing scenario. And sometimes, we need to bring change to our lives. When we bring change into our lives, we always think that we control all the aspects. Actually, change is unpredictable as always - whether it comes to you or whether you bring it to your life. In fact, the unpredictability and the energy it brings is the best part about change. I am not saying its easy but you have to and so why not with a smile :)

On another note, I saw Mystic River, it had be bawling! Seriously! Great movie. Watch it when you have the time.

Vishwaroopam - Movie Review/Rant

I am not a big fan of Kamal's recent movies - his overacting and his crooning are a major put-off. I know some of you really like his singing but I simply cannot stand it. Also, he dons various hats: such as Director, producer, actor, singer, stunt director, fight co-ordinator (Ok.. I am exaggerating a bit but you get the picture) that it feels that the entire film rests solely on his shoulders and a few others who shall go nameless or creditless! In his movies, the only role that is safe is that of the heroine - of course, he will ensure that she is nothing but arm candy - but since that is the way the whole indutry works - cannot really fault him too much with that. Ok.. enough of the rants. Now that you know, very well, about how I feel about Kamal's movies, I was pleasantly surprised to see the trailer of Vishwaroopam. Kamal plays the role of an effiminate kathak dancer with wavy hair and he blows you away with his performance.

Image courtesy: http://theviewspaper.net/vishwaroopam-a-review-2/

I saw this movie after the hoo-haa of the ban and the re-release of the movie. By then the numerous interviews with Kamal resulted in free publicity for the movie and sent Kamal laughing all the way to the bank which was what the movie was supposed to achieve.

The movie was engrossing, fast-paced, and apart from a few jarring bits caused by the actress who played Kamal's wife - quite good. It was almost a month ago that I saw this movie and while I am sure most of you have already seen the movie - this is more a rant and not a review - if you had any doubts :P

 

Image Courtesy: https://pagalhkya.wordpress.com/tag/vishwaroopam-enters-funny-jokes/

Another irritating aspect - cannot be attributed to Kamal tho'- was the number of  FB 'friends' who urged you to watch this movie to support kamal, support Tamizhs, etc. The movie was good - not great. The rest was - as the above cartoon mentions all 'bout the money! Feel free to disagree.

Resolutions for 2013

The beginning of a new Year always pushes me to come up with resolutions and I usually come up with a few interesting ones, a few boring ones, and a few repeats. None of that matters actually because so far I have rarely ever followed through on my resolutions. Shocking but true! However, this year, I thought I should come up with some practical New Year resolutions not the bucket list kind or simply too unrealistic. Here goes:

• Eat Healthy. I started on this 6 months ago and while I allow for some amount of binge eating, I take care not to make those frequent or periodic. 
• Stay Fit. A regular fitness routine, such as a 40 minute walk, makes me feel great. I must not forget that or let anything distract me from going for it. And, I should fit it into my schedule.
• Read. Reading got off to a decent start in 2012, but went off the tracks pretty quickly. The Arien presented me with two volumes of Sherlock Holmes at the beginning of this year to get me started, but I am yet to read them :( 
• Write more frequently. 2012 had the lowest number of blog posts in four years.While I do not believe that one should post just for the heck of it, it is important to stay connected to your blog. It is *[after all]* the one place where you can write what you want and not worry about what the editor says :)
• Infuse Discipline. I am quite laid back by nature and start on any task when the deadline is breathing down my neck. While I am very careful at work, in my personal space, chaos reigns. 
• Drive to work. I have a valid license and I can drive but I have never summoned the will-power or courage to brave Bangalore roads and drive the short distance to work. 

I think 2012 was a wake-up call of sorts. The loss of a relative (a few years older) made us re-prioritize our lives. If you want to do something, do it now. 

Here are some fun, possibly unrealistic resolutions for 2013:

• Get a Tattoo. Ya, this is the one I have been wanting since 2003. 
• Switch off the TV. Try this initially for a month or maybe two. This may help me achieve one of my practical resolutions :)
• Experiment with my looks. Now that, I no longer have a boy cut, and my hair is almost shoulder length, I should give different hair styles a shot.
• Buy Flats (footwear). I usually pick up heels, wedges, which look great but I cannot wear them for too long.
• Buy Jewellery. I have not purchased any gold jewellery in a looong time. Because Gold prices are always going up, sell the investment idea to the Arien while enjoying the beautiful piece of jewellery.
• Take up Dance classes with the Arien. This idea is almost 5 years old. I love dancing but the Arien is not too keen on dancing. So, this item may be there on future lists as well :)
• Go on a minimum of 3 treks per year. This was on our list last year and not even 1 happened.

The first post of 2013 - Finally!!!

Happy Diwali! - A very different Diwali

How was this Diwali different from the others?

• I did not shop at all. (If thats not simply shocking - you do not know me at all. Seriously!! A nice opportunity to shop also came up but I managed to side-step it).
• I did not buy shoes. (Even when an aboslutely tempting one sat right there - begging me to buy it.  I may buy it next week, I am sure :D)
• Did not burst a single cracker. (I do not usually -- but I am around when ppl burst crackers.  This time, it happened during the small time interval when I was not around.)
• Did not gorge on sweets and savouries as I usually do. (So so tough)
• My Diwali dress was not ready in time for Diwali (I will get it this week -- Talk of the busy tailor - thats him for sure).
• Did not visit my in-laws. (Shocking!! I was so caught-up with my relatives, I simply had no energy to visit anyone after coming back each day)
• Received some amazing news from my sis in the US (Yes, she is engaged.)
• We watched a movie (Argo - yet to write that review - be patient, you guys). 
• We visited Innovative Fim City (Most of the clan with the expected drop-outs.) 

So, how was your Diwali? Write in so we can share notes :)

Skyfall -- Movie Review

The Arien was not ready to listen to any excuses - he told me I could join him or he would go alone to this movie. What he did not know was that I was definitely not planning on missing this one :) I was reasonably thrilled at the prospect of catching my first ever Bond movie in the theatre. It was quite ironic then that this movie was quite unlike the usual Bond movies. What do I mean?

• There was exactly 1 big stunt right at the beginning of the movie which actually reminded me of the Bourne series. (It was a fantastic stunt btw).
• Not too many funky gadgets or women walking around in skimpy wear. (Was expecting my eyes to pop - sadly did not happen)
• Scenes where Bond is shown as a man with very human vulnerabilities, can be unfit at times, cannot always shoot perfectly (this was soo unexpected)

I actually quite liked the movie. Maybe it was because of the missing Bond stuff. It had an emotional quotient which made Bond more likeable. The Arien on the other hand was not too impressed - he whispered "This movie will go on record for being the lowest budget bond movie".  But, he liked the movie. In fact, he mentioned that Bond is always shown to be 100% fit, cannot miss a shot, etc. but he is never shown going to the Gym or working out. He added that this movie makes Bond believable because otherwise he would be robocop!

This pic is from his bike stunt that was simply fantastic.

Image Courtesy: http://wegotthiscovered.com/movies/skyfall-trailer-2-sneak-peek/

While the movie was not quite what we expected it was pretty good nevertheless. Catch it!

 

English Vinglish -- Movie Review

When our trip to Chennai got cancelled due to the Nilam cyclone, we decided to catch English Vinglish at home. Too many ppl had given a beeg Thumbs Up for the movie for us to ignore the movie. Most ppl gushed 'bout the movie, Sri's performance, the story etc etc.


A stay-at-home wife, Sridevi, has a small home-run business making ladoos and sweets. The folks who buy her sweets sing her praises but her family, especially her hubby and daughter do not appreciate her or her efforts. Her son loves her unconditionally and her mother-in-law is quite supportive. When she is invited to her niece's wedding in the US, her husband asks her to go a month in advance to hep her sister while the rest of the family will join her close to the date of the wedding. While this makes Sridevi very uncomfortable, she goes ahead. After the initial gup-shup she feels a little left out and wonders how she will manage till her family joins her. After a particularly embarrassing episode at a road-side cafe that reduces her to tears, she opts to take up English classes without letting anyone know. The class helps her pick up English and builds confidence. With her simple, understanding, and sweet nature, she becomes quite popular in her class. The movie ends on a nice note.

The story is simple and touches your heart. Sridevi was not sridevi but the stay-at-home, unappreciated woman, Shashi. And you sympathise with and root for Shashi/Sridevi as she drives home her message of equality and respect without theatrics or melodrama.

While I would like to say Sridevi looks good for her age, I also thought she looked very plasticy in some angles. Her nose may not survive any more surgeries - her nose reminded me of Michael Jackson's nose and I wish she had left her nose as is.

A nice movie to watch on a lazy Thursday afternoon while having yummy lunch at home.

Looper -- Movie Review

After a loong time, we caught a movie at the theatre. Surprisingly both of us wanted to watch the movie. Usually, only one of us wants to watch the movie and the other kinda puts up with the movie :P There were only two shows (12:30 pm and 7:30 pm) and the Arien opted for the 7:30 show.

The movie is set in 2044, where the main character, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, known to the TV buffs from the television series 3rd Rock from the Sun, and more recently from The Dark Knight Rises and Inception, earns his living working as a looper. A looper's job is very similar to a contract killer only his victims are from the future (30 years in the future). Time travel was invented but outlawed and so when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the person is sent 30 years in the past, to a looper whose job is to kill him. Loopers are a happy lot, earn quite a bit, and lead a good life compared to the others until they realize that someone in the future has decided to close the loop by sending the looper's future version to the looper to kill. The money for the killing is attached to the back of the victim, usually silver blocks. When the victim has gold blocks, it is a sign that the looper's future version has been killed by the looper, thereby closing the loop. Bruce Willis plays Joseph's older-by-30 version and does not let himself be shot by Joseph. This is not new, Joseph's friend, another looper, does the same and meets a horrific end, thanks to Joseph. Bruce Willis wants answers that he hopes to get here, in his past. He does not like his young self too much, considers him too self-obsessed. What happens next?

There is no amazing suspense nor are you left wondering whodunit? However, you want to know what is going to happen next and that makes this movie interesting.

Bruce has done a good job as he is known to do. Emily Blunt, the secretary from The Devil Wears Prada is good as well. The story moves well in the able hands of Joseph and while you are shocked at some of his actions, you feel happy that he will  care for a woman, his wife, more than he cares for himself -sometime in the future though it is not evident now (a short flashback from Bruce Willis).  

Joseph looks a lot different - I think they added some prosthetics to make him look more like Bruce - not sure. It doesn't really work - you only wonder if he had a bad botox job or bad face-lift. At least, I did. I was actually not a 100% sure if he was who I thought he was. All b'cos of the prosthetics. Here is a pic of the actor from the movie. You can judge for yourself. 

Image Courtesy:  http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2012/10/looper.html

Watch it wen you can - I liked it.

My colorful salad -- Wordless Wednesdays

Baked Onion Pakoda Snack -- An attempt at Eating Healthy

I have been reading ( a lot, according to the Arien), but I am yet to update the blog with my book reviews. Don't hold your breath - I probably will not be updating the blog with those reviews :) Finding time to read the books consumes all my free-time and so writing has taken a back-seat. Anyway, today I am back with a recipe for a baked snack. The Arien has been pushing me towards the whole diet thing but I have always found some way to escape -- not this time and I am glad I was open to the idea.

If you have issues getting out of the fried snacks mode, this recipe may help you. What you will need:

• Convection microwave or oven, baking tray
• Besan, 1 cup 
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• Corriander leaves, finely chopped
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• Red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp
• 3/4 tsp baking powder or 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp melted butter, or oil, and salt as required
• Aluminium foil

How to:

Mix besan, onion, chilli, corriander, baking powder, salt and a little water to make a thick batter. Add the oil to the batter and ensure the oil is spread evenly on the batter. (You can also add oil initially but I prefer to do it in the end). Pre-heat the oven at 400 F. Add aluminium foil to the baking tray and grease it with a lil butter. Take small portions of the batter, arrange them on the tray in a manner that they do not mix. Add the tray to the oven and bake for 20 mts. 

You can turn the pakodas over in between so that they do not turn dark brown on only one side. However, if you have not greased the aluminium foil, this may be a difficult task. 

They will not taste like the fried onion pakodas but you are eating healthy and also satisfying a craving for the pakoda! If your portions are big, you may feel that the pakoda is not cooked -- so look at creating smaller portions so that they are completely cooked. 

The pic on the left shows you how mine turned out :) Happy cooking you all!!  Try it and let me know how you like it.

Wordless Wednesdays -- Won the Kimberley Griffiths Little Giveaway!