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Category:Bangalore

Bangalore

What to Expect When Visiting Bangalore’s Famous Lal Bagh

The Mughal-inspired botanical garden is located in the midst of a bustling city. Thousands of local and foreign tourists visit Lal Bagh each year. But is it worth visiting? In this post we’ll tell you what to expect when visiting Bangalore’s…

  • May 21, 2018
  • 5718
  • 4
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Bangalore

Why You Should Visit the Summer Palace of Tipu Sultan, One of the Most Powerful Rulers of India

Tipu Sultan was the most feared Indian of his time in Britain. When he died there were jubilant celebrations in Britain, with authors, playwrights and painters creating works to celebrate it. Kate Brittlebank, author of “Tiger: The Life of Tipu Sultan, further wrote…

  • April 21, 2018
  • 5670
  • 1
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Bangalore

Recommended Halal Restaurants in Koramangala

Luxury apartments, posh bungalows, Instagram-worthy restaurants, and commercial structures line the wide, tree-lined boulevards of Koramangala. This is one of the largest neighborhoods in Bangalore. I joined Masood on his recent business trip to this city that is dubbed as the…

  • April 17, 2018
  • 6044
  • 2
  • 5

About

Tips, advice and inspirations to help you plan your next adventure.

Places

nadiamasood

Visual storytelling from India and beyond.
Moved to Hyderabad in 2020.
#ExpatInIndia

Nadia Masood
You no longer need to buy jams because it’s so e You no longer need to buy jams because it’s so easy to make them at home!

The mango season has come to an end, and I want to make something that would last a couple of months - mango jam.

You only really need 3 ingredients! It’s super easy to make but tastes so much better than store-bought ones.

It’s like having sunshine and happy memories sealed in a jar.

Swipe left for the recipe and some tips to help you make the perfect mango jam.
How’s the pandemic situation like where you live How’s the pandemic situation like where you live?

While Hyderabad has been open for business and regular life (except schools and parks) since the beginning of June, it’s not entirely good news for us.

COVID-19 cases are on the rise and most people aren’t following safety measures, like wearing masks properly, physical-distancing, etc.

However, several markets have voluntarily closed in the city due to the rising cases. The Hyderabad Kirana Merchants Association decided to close the Begum Bazaar, the largest in the city, from June 28 till July 5.

I also read that a medical team sent by the central government has arrived in the city today, to access the situation here.

So yeah, we’re still far from normal. But things will get better Inshaa’Allah.
Do you agree that food tastes better outdoors? Pro Do you agree that food tastes better outdoors? Probably something to do with fresh air and nature.

The flask pictured in this post is 4 years old. We bought it in Dubai, and it has been a constant picnic companion since.

Everyone in the family loves tea. Not the weak, bland, tea-bag-in-hot-water fiddle-faddle, but properly brewed karak chai. Therefore we make tea at home and take it with us on picnics or long drives.

This picture is taken on a recent drive out of town. An aunt packed us lunch and we made tea. Along the way, we found a nice spot under a tree and had lemon rice, rotis and gosht ka achaar.

It doesn’t even matter how simple your meal may be. Eating outdoors make any type of food taste more delicious.

What is your favourite picnic food?
Our dramatic sky this evening. How’s the weathe Our dramatic sky this evening.

How’s the weather like where you are?
This is the unfinished tomb of Mirza Nizamuddin Ah This is the unfinished tomb of Mirza Nizamuddin Ahmed, who died in 1674.

This structure stands just outside the second gate, the area that’s now a parking lot.

It stands there in it’s sad, mournful, unfinished state for 400 years now.

Mirza Nizamuddin was the second son-in-law and successor of Sultan Abdullah. The eldest son-in-law was a Mughal prince, who was probably busy with ruling his own kingdom and, therefore, didn’t need the Golconda dynasty?

I couldn’t find much information, but apparently due to the political or social situation back then, Mirza Nizamuddin couldn’t succeed to the throne after his father-in-law (the 7th ruler of the kingdom of Golconda).

After the Sultan Abdullah died, it was his youngest son-in-law who sat on the throne.

Don’t you think this was just sad?
This is what raw, unadulterated honey looks like. This is what raw, unadulterated honey looks like.

Amidst the unbelievable (and quite unfortunate) news that most big brand honey in the country are found to contain sugar or corn syrup, locals are now looking elsewhere to get unadulterated honey.

This particular variety from @thenawabees is from the mountains of Kashmir, where bees gather nectar from flowers of herbal plants.

The label is taken off to show the bits of wax and bees’ parts that are suspended within the thick honey.

This raw honey is then strained (not filtered) so that it’s easier to consume. It’s not fun to get wax in your mouth.

Do you easily get local honey where you live?
This is a classic, easy, and healthy Mediterranean This is a classic, easy, and healthy Mediterranean and Middle Eastern hors d'oeuvre.

Mutabbal is a smoky, lemony eggplant dip that’s a mezze-table favorite all over the Levant and beyond.

So many call this Baba Ganoush. I did some research and discovered that while both have roasted eggplant as their base, Baba Ganoush does not have tahini. It contains chopped tomatoes and pomegranate molasses.

Mutabbal has tahini, garlic, lemon juice, cumin powder, red chili flakes, and even yoghurt. Extra virgin olive oil is a must.

I didn’t have parsley at home so I used cilantro instead. Plus, I didn’t want to deal with yeast to make pita so I made roti instead.

This is a delicious, healthy dip that I highly recommend. After all, there’s more to life than hummus.

Also feel free to adjust the ingredients! I may have added more lemon juice and cumin powder.

What’s your favorite dip?
Tag someone who loves shawarma! This is our homem Tag someone who loves shawarma!

This is our homemade chicken shawarma that I’m truly proud of and so excited to share with you!

Swipe left for the recipe.

EDIT: It’s ‘wheat’ not ‘whear’, and jalapeño ‘pickles’ not ‘pepper’. Thanks!

Thank you to @masoodxb for being our shawarma wrap & grill expert. Having had countless shawarmas in the UAE, even at 2am(!) I’m so glad we can recreate something close to the original right in our home.

Guys, toasting or grilling the wrapped shawarma before serving makes such a difference, so don’t skip this last step.
This is a super easy way to make delicious kimchi This is a super easy way to make delicious kimchi bokkeum bap!

My current obsession is kimchi, and I just love adding it to fried nice and noodles.

For those who haven’t tried yet, kimchi is made of fermented vegetables (napa cabbage, radish, scallion, and cucumber are used) and it’s a staple in the Korean diet. It tastes spicy and sour and has a slight pungent smell.

Chopped kimchi adds a little crunch and a lot of flavour to the rice, and kimchi juice finishes off the dish for a jolt of tangy-spicy goodness!

You can add meat, fish or vegetables, like carrots. But I prefer to keep it simple.

Also, I’ve used @bazzinga_brew kimchi which already has carrots, radish and Napa cabbage so I don’t need to add additional vegetables.

For those in Hyderabad, @bazzinga_brew kimchi is honestly the best.
It’s their reflection that caught my eye. While It’s their reflection that caught my eye.

While some beaches of Vizag are crowded and, quite unfortunately, dirty, there are some that are clean and peaceful.

Saw these girls walking and noticed their reflection on the shallow water. It rained in the morning so we thought our trip to the beach would be canceled. Fortunately the sun shone and we made it.
Finally, the perfect classic tiramisu (without the Finally, the perfect classic tiramisu (without the alcohol) in Hyderabad!

Tiramisu is probably the most commonly made and copied of all Italian desserts. It’s light, fluffy and melt-in-your-mouth!

It’s my all-time, most favourite-test dessert ever, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have tasted authentic tiramisu created by talented Italian chefs in Dubai.

Imagine my joy when I found tiramisu that’s similar to that here in Hyderabad! Yes, the coffee could have been stronger, but it’s so good regardless.

What’s your favourite tiramisu place?

📍@feranoz_hyd
It was at a Syrian restaurant in Dubai, sitting ou It was at a Syrian restaurant in Dubai, sitting outside one evening under a canopy of fairy lights, where I first fell in love with falafel.

Later I discover, within walking distance of this restaurant in Al Muraqqabat, a little shop called Sultan Dubai Falafel that serves, in my opinion, the best falafels in the city.

And given how great-tasting falafel was readily available in Dubai, I never attempted to make them at home. Until I moved to Hyderabad.

Good thing is that delicious falafel can be made at home so easily! You can bake or shallow-fry them, but they won’t taste as good as when deep-fried.

I also prefer to shape them in cute little balls so I know they’ll be cooked through. Each ball is a tablespoon of falafel mixture.

Falafel is best served immediately after frying, with a drizzle of tahini sauce. Also, I experimented and added some plain mayonnaise to the tahini sauce and it tasted so good.

............

This crispy falafel with tahini sauce is my entry for the food collaboration that I’m participating in. The theme is: Eid 2020 Appetisers.

Do check out the following talented food bloggers who are part of this fun collaboration!

Warda @cocina_secreta (host)
Iqra @apprentice.chef_93 
Noor @noorlicious.food
Eram @eramkitchenette
Saher @untoldstoriesofafoodie
@blendedflavoursinstyle
How do you incorporate pomegranate into your cooki How do you incorporate pomegranate into your cooking?

As a little girl, I’d been fascinated with pomegranates. I imagined them as leather-bound gifts with a bow on top. If I was lucky, I’d open my gift to reveal bright red rubies.

Pomegranate has inspired legends, tales and poems throughout history. In Ancient Egypt, kings were buried with pomegranates so that they could take them into the afterlife. Hades tricked Zeus’ daughter with a pomegranate.

Now talking about food, pomegranate seeds are generally sprinkled on dishes and desserts or made into syrup, molasses or pomegranate vinegar. Pomegranate is commonly used in dishes and sauces in Iran, its biggest producer.

In India, its second-biggest producer, pomegranate seeds are dried and crushed to create a spice called anardana, which is used to add tartness to various dishes.

The pomegranate is also used extensively in many Middle Eastern cuisines. Pomegranate juice is reduced and this is used to add a sweet-tart flavor to many dishes.

I’m planning to make some pomegranate molasses (for the first time!). What’s your favorite dish that uses pomegranate as an ingredient? Let me know in the comment section!
Chicken daleem with cashew and boiled egg, Hyderab Chicken daleem with cashew and boiled egg, Hyderabadi style.

This is originally an Arabic dish, made with meat, ghee, wheat, rice and whole pulses. It is said to have come to Hyderabad during the Mughal period via Iran and Afghanistan.

Daleem is traditionally prepared in 'Bhattis' or brick-and-mud ovens, during Ramadan. It is a slow-cooked delicacy, often cooked for 7-8 hours and is done on firewood.

Around 2,000 restaurants and hotels across Hyderabad usually prepare and sell daleem of different varieties during Ramadan, and people look forward to this months before Ramadan. However due to the ongoing lockdown, the only daleem available this year is homemade.
Thai Milk Bubble Tea by @bubblerecap The chewy, Thai Milk Bubble Tea by @bubblerecap 

The chewy, addictive texture of the tapioca balls and the sweet, creaminess of the milky tea. My bubble tea cravings thoroughly satisfied! 

Did you know that bubble tea originated in Taiwan in the early 1980s at a small tea stand?

What’s your favourite bubble tea flavour?
Heidi Klum, a German supermodel, attributes her su Heidi Klum, a German supermodel, attributes her success to sauerkraut soup. She says it helps her stay slim and trim.

Sauerkraut (SOW-uhr-krowt) is made up of the German words sauer (sour) and kraut (cabbage).

It appears that fermented cabbage actually began back in the days of the building of the Great Wall of China, when the wall builders lived on cabbage and rice. In winter, rice wine was added to preserve the vegetable.

Genghis Khan carried this “sauerkraut” (as it is now called) to the eastern edge of Europe.

This particular sauerkraut is from our favourite local brand @bazzinga_brew.

Apart from being delicious, this sauerkraut is packed with vitamins and minerals!

Swipe left for a list of some of sauerkraut’s health benefits as well as some tips on how you can enjoy eating it!

How do you like to eat sauerkraut?
This is the syrup that has been adding depth to Pe This is the syrup that has been adding depth to Persian and Middle Eastern cuisine for centuries.

Pomegranate molasses, or Dibs Rumman in Arabic, is simply pomegranate juice that is reduced to about a quarter of its initial volume.

The thick, deeply red syrup has an intensely rich, fruity, sweet-tart flavor with underlying dark bitter notes. It pairs surprisingly well with salads and savory dishes, especially grilled meats.

I’ve gone the traditional way and squeezed the juice out of pomegranate arils. This gives a brighter, more radiant red color when compared to pomegranate molasses made with store-bought juice.

Also, keep a close watch while simmering the molasses, especially after 40 minutes or so, or it will end up very hard.

Now I’m excited to find ways on how to use this syrup! Any suggestions?
Out to get pure, 100% natural honey. We’ve stop Out to get pure, 100% natural honey.

We’ve stopped buying commercially-available bottled honey and are getting directly from local beekeepers instead.
Did you know that there are only 2 countries that Did you know that there are only 2 countries that do not sell Coke?

Cuba and North Korea.

I found this abandoned roadside restaurant along the highway the other day.

While so many didn’t pay attention to it, I was drawn to its vintage-y charm.

Also, I’m showing you the unedited version of the photo as well. It’s sort of a reminder that almost all content on social media platforms go through some sort of editing.

#instagramvsreallife
#beforeandafter
That coastline ❤️ The cable car (or ropeway) That coastline ❤️

The cable car (or ropeway) here in Vizag) is worth a try because then you’re treated to these breathtaking views!

Speaking of cable cars, the one here in Vizag seem old and rickety, making different noises as we ascend and descend. But we’re assured it’s safe.

We went there in the morning on a weekday, which is the best time since there was hardly anyone around. By the time we returned, the place was crowded with local tourists.
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