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Category:Langkawi

Langkawi

D’Grill Seafood Restaurant: Beachside Dining

The ambiance in Malaysia’s Langkawi island is laid-back, lazy, relaxed, humid, and friendly. Afternoons are mostly quiet, with people either napping, reading, or relaxing by the beach or pool, waiting for the weather to cool down later in the evening….

  • January 2, 2017
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Langkawi

Aseana Resort & Spa

Langkawi—an archipelago made up of 99 islands on Malaysia’s west coast—is surrounded by turquoise sea, while the interior of the main island is a mixture of picturesque paddy fields and jungle-clad hills. Most visitors look for hotels or resorts by…

  • December 29, 2016
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Langkawi

Tips from Our Langkawi Cable Car and Sky Bridge Experience

“I think we’re going the wrong way.” The midday sun shines brightly on a nice and warm day. There are a few scattered clouds but, thankfully, no signs of rain. The roads are empty, probably because it’s a weekday, and…

  • December 27, 2016
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Langkawi

Mangrove Tour, Feeding the Eagles & Floating Restaurants

Langkawi’s cozy airport houses several companies that offer cars for rent as well as tours. I highly suggest renting a car, specially if you’re visiting the island with your family. It gives you the freedom and convenience to move around…

  • November 28, 2016
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Langkawi

Telaga Seafood Restaurant: Fresh Grilled Fish, Good Customer Service

When the planned lunch at Seashells Restaurant did not work out—because they do not have fish available—we turn the car around and head back to Pantai Cenang, which is the busiest beach town on Langkawi Island. Randomly peeking through the restaurants…

  • November 22, 2016
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Langkawi

Dinner in a Rice Paddy: Seashells Restaurant, Langkawi

A popular vlogger on Youtube sang praises about Seashells restaurant, and each morsel entering his mouth resulted in a delightful bliss with him closing his eyes and cherishing the bite as if a gift from heaven. I was sold. No matter what…

  • November 21, 2016
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Langkawi

Langkawi Cable Car

The forest below is lush and beautiful, and out to your right you’ll see the Seven Wells Waterfalls.  Further along to your left you’ll see another attractive waterfall. On clear days you’ll even see the beach and the Skybridge. All these spectacular…

  • November 7, 2012
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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
Zero carbon footprint because they’re picked fre Zero carbon footprint because they’re picked fresh from the backyard.

It’s a cold rainy morning. As we sit cross-legged on the carpeted floor of the warm kitchen, we can see our friend through the window. He positions an old wooden ladder next to the roof of the cow shed. There’s a rung missing but it doesn’t seem to bother him as he expertly climbs up the rickety thing.

The plum and apricot trees are laden with fruits. It’s easier to reach them from the roof of the cow shed. I watch as he picks the ripe ones. The rain gets heavy. He must hurry. A few children stand nearby waiting to get their share.

Moments later, the fruits are served for breakfast. There’s warm chapatis, stir-fried collard from their garden, and sunny-side up eggs laid by grandmother’s chickens. Tea is already simmering in a pot.

I’m sure I’m going to miss all these when I return home.
Few things we added to the regular vanilla fruit c Few things we added to the regular vanilla fruit custard: fresh mango purée, thin slices of almonds, and little cubes of ruby-red raspberry jelly. Served chilled, of course.

What makes your fruit custard special?
This is what’s commonly called murukku or murkul This is what’s commonly called murukku or murkul in South India.

The reason why @masoodxb bought them is because they’re colourful, and thought I’d find them pretty.

These are to be fried (they double in size!) and are often eaten as a snack or to munch on with meals.

I don’t see a complete list of ingredients on the packet, but I’m told these are primarily made of white lentils and rice flour.

I haven’t fried them yet. They seem prettier sitting in my glass bowl for now.
Korean steak bowl with kimchi fried rice. There i Korean steak bowl with kimchi fried rice.

There is no specific recipe for this. It’s one of those meals that one puts together based on the ingredients one has at home.

I have the kimchi fried rice recipe in a previous post. It’s easy to cook and is very flavourful. I’ve used my favourite kimchi from @bazzinga_brew. 

The carrots are sautéed in a drop or two of sesame oil and salt.

The steak is marinated with salt, pepper, red chili flakes, garlic paste, and juice from the kimchi jar. It is then chopped and pan-seared (it’s essential that we work quickly with a very hot pan to keep the meat juicy and tender!).

Too bad I’ve ran out of chili sauce. That’s probably the only thing missing.

What are you having for lunch today?
Mango season is here! Did you know that mangoes we Mango season is here! Did you know that mangoes were first grown in India over 5000 years ago?

The first few mangoes of the season aren’t always sweet, so we end up making shakes with them.
What was the last dish you’ve made that you have What was the last dish you’ve made that you have never tasted before?

Mine was this tteokbokki, spicy rice cake that is a highly popular street food in Korea.

I had no benchmark. I’ve never had tteokbokki before. And while I like to taste a dish (as authentic as possible) as a reference, I decided to give this a go anyway.

Mine is a highly modified version of tteokbokki. The only thing that’s closer to the real thing is the garaetteok (the cylindrical-shaped rice cakes).

I followed @maangchi recipe for the rice cakes. Her microwaved version is easy to replicate.

For the sauce, I had none of the ingredients that makes an authentic tteokbokki, such as fish cake, anchovy broth, and Korean red pepper paste. But I know that rice cakes would go well with any type of thick sauce.

The spicy tomato sauce I made is quite similar to the ones I make for pasta. I did add a lot of red chili flakes and a dash of soy sauce.

While the sauce was good, the rice cakes were undercooked. Moreover, I cooked the rice cakes in boiling water instead of in the sauce. The rice cake tasted bland. I put the leftover in the fridge. The experiment failed.

The next day, I cooked the leftover tteokbokki for another 10 minutes in the sauce. Then I added cheese. It finally tasted much better!

#HyderabadFoodies, know any restaurants that serve good Korean food, specially tteokbokki?

So what do you think about cooking something you’ve never tasted before? What was the dish you made? I find it quite challenging!
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?
Finger-licking good peri-peri fries. It may look Finger-licking good peri-peri fries.

It may look small in the picture, but this bowl of fries is good enough for two. These were served hot and crispy with a small container of mayo dip.

📍@feranoz_hyd
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?
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.
What’s your secret to making your favourite panc What’s your secret to making your favourite pancakes?

Did you know that the oldest pancake recipe comes from an English cookery book, 1954 edition? It’s quite richer than the recipe we use these days. They suggest adding 3 tbsp of ale, ‘copious’ amounts of sugar, cinnamon, and ginger.

Swipe left to see some of the steps I take to make fluffy, soft pancakes that the family loves.

Also, did you know mascarpone cheese on the side goes so well with pancakes?

I’d love to learn more from you!
I’m excited to try out this organic, gluten-free I’m excited to try out this organic, gluten-free Ragi (finger millet) cookie mix by @wildberryorganics.

The jar comes with a cute pamphlet with easy-to-follow baking instructions. Plus, I love the handwritten note on the box!

It is quite unfortunate, however, to discover that I’ve run out of butter. So the baking will have to wait.

Have you ever tried ragi or finger millet? Did you know that Finger millet originated in East Africa (Ethiopian and Ugandan highlands) and came to India around the late Bronze Age?
How’s the lockdown situation where you live? Ou How’s the lockdown situation where you live?

Our state has finally eased up on the lockdown since June 1. While there’s still curfew after 9pm, and restaurants only allow take-aways, most businesses are now open.

Interstate traveling is now permitted. For more than 2 months, we weren’t allowed to travel more than 3km from home.

So we had our first long-drive in forever when a cousin asked if we could come pick her up from the neighbouring state’s border (restrictions are still in place for Andhra Pradesh, we couldn’t cross their border). It felt a bit strange driving so far from home, and it feels surreal that the highways are mostly empty.

But it felt so good to be able to drive freely!
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
What’s your favourite Indian street food? I hav What’s your favourite Indian street food?

I have so many! And one of them is this dabeli. Potato filling is cooked in dabeli masala & is garnished with sev, pomegranate seeds & roasted peanuts (which add the crunch). The essence of dabeli are the chutneys: the sour and sweet tamarind-date chutney and the fiery chutney made of red chillies and garlic!

The name Dabeli pertains to the act of pressing & is Gujarati in origin. It is essentially a snack where a potato filling is pressed into a paav or a bun.

Have you ever tried this?
The thing with something so beautiful is that even The thing with something so beautiful is that even though you’re standing right in front of it, it still feels like a dream.
Do you know what the secret to a perfect biryani i Do you know what the secret to a perfect biryani is?

Once, a long time ago, I ordered a plate of biryani that contained almonds and raisins. The sweetness of the raisins clashed with the savoury biryani, and I ended up removing every single piece of raisin from the rice.

Then there was a time when I served Hyderabadi biryani to some guests. One of guess subtly hinted that they prefer biryanis with dry fruits.

Growing up eating Bombay/Sindhi biryani, my sister @soni.dee and I want potatoes. While @masoodxb, being a Hyderabadi, asks for a boiled egg to be added on top of the rice.

There are so many variations of biryani and I respect them all. But what makes a biryani perfect?

Ask yourself: Does it spark joy? If it does, then that is the perfect biryani you’re having.

What type of biryani sparks joy for you?
Is it wrong to enjoy the day when others are hurti Is it wrong to enjoy the day when others are hurting?

Eid is a celebration that I like to think of as a reward for fasting for an entire month of Ramadan. And all my memories of Eid are filled with joy, laughter, family gatherings, Eidi, and Sheer Khurma.

This year, Muslims around the world experienced a different kind of Eid. Given the current pandemic situation, we couldn’t go out to offer the mandatory congregational prayer, for example. We prayed at home instead.

There are so many COVID-19 related deaths worldwide. There are natural calamities. In India, we have a list of issues that leaves so many people hurt and frustrated. In Karachi, a plane which had 99 people aboard, crashed into a crowded residential district after twice trying to land at the airport.

Recently, I’ve taken a few days off social media because I felt overwhelmed with everything that’s going on.

Then comes Eid. To celebrate or not? Is it wrong to enjoy the day when others are hurting?

Then I look at my family, the people I love and cherish. There’s @masoodxb’s grandmother. She’s almost 90 and is bedridden.

Life is uncertain. The current situation reminds us of this every day. This is why I celebrate Eid.

I celebrate Eid as a way to be grateful for what I’m blessed with, to bring the family together and create happy memories to cherish ... because problems will always exist and life is uncertain.

So we make Sheer Khurma on Eid day, a tradition that goes back several generations. This rich vermicelli milk pudding not only evokes so many happy memories, but also reassures me that everything is going to be alright Inshaa’Allah.

Lots of love and prayers, from my family to yours.
Sunshine yellow and sweet golden plums fresh off t Sunshine yellow and sweet golden plums fresh off the tree!

It’s my first time to try these yellow plums. I don’t think I’ve seen them in Hyderabad, or perhaps I just never noticed? 

I find the yellow plum sweeter than the red-purple ones.

What do you make with plums?
Cheesy chicken tikka crepe. When I asked @masoodx Cheesy chicken tikka crepe.

When I asked @masoodxb what he wanted for Iftar today, this was what he requested. It’s delicious, filling, and easy so make!

Few things to remember:

Don’t add sugar in the crepe batter for this recipe. Remember to chill the crepe batter for at least 30-60 minutes (or even overnight) so that the flour is fully hydrated.

Using all water creates a limp crepe, while using all milk creates a heavy crepe. For the best texture, use a mix of both.

Butter the pan between each crepe if you want buttery crisp edges. But since the batter already has butter, I didn’t butter the pan.

What’s your favourite savoury crepe recipe?
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