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A blog on halal lifestyle, travel and food.
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Princeton
  • October 10, 2016
  • 1852
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An Evening Stroll in Princeton University Campus

Chicago
  • July 20, 2016
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  • 14
  • 4

Review: Sony Alpha 6000 Mirrorless Digital Camera

Langkawi
  • November 21, 2016
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  • 6
  • 14

Dinner in a Rice Paddy: Seashells Restaurant

Guangzhou
  • June 4, 2017
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A First Timer’s Guide to the Canton Fair

Newport

The 124-Year-Old Summer Cottage that Took Our Breath Away

  • July 31, 2017
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Langkawi

Our Langkawi Cable Car and Sky Bridge Experience

  • December 27, 2016
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Dubai

Online Boutique for Premium Scarves

  • October 22, 2017
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Langkawi

Dinner in a Rice Paddy: Seashells Restaurant

  • November 21, 2016
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  • 14
Reviews
Hajj & Umrah
Recipes
Langkawi

Dinner in a Rice Paddy: Seashells Restaurant

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…

  • November 21, 2016
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  • 14
Kuala Lumpur

Pancakes at Nanny’s Pavillon

It looks like a random furniture shop in one corner of Kuala Lumpur’s International Airport at first glimpse. It then looks like a luggage storage…

  • November 19, 2016
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Kuala Lumpur

Hot Plate: Our First Meal in Malaysia

Delayed flights meant we were up all night traveling. We arrive in Kuala Lumpur a few hours ago, via Doha, exhausted and starving. While the…

  • November 11, 2016
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San Francisco

Brave the Stairs Up Telegraph Hill For Stunning Views of the City!

He pulls the covers back over his head, turns his back to me, and disappears in the warm cocoon of pillows and blanket. I need…

  • November 4, 2016
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Dubai

Jodhpur – A Royal Dining Experience

The historic city of Jodhpur—whose origin dates back to 1459 AD—is the second largest city in the state of Rajasthan, India. It is called the Gateway to Thar,…

  • October 24, 2016
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Princeton

Einstein’s House, More Interesting Buildings, and Window Shopping in Princeton

A quiet street on a Sunday afternoon. Obviously it’s only us, tourists, who seemed overly excited about taking a leisurely stroll in the cold, wet…

  • October 20, 2016
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Boston

Massachusetts State House

It was a sunny weekend. Only a week before spring officially started, there was a chill in the air, but luckily for us, it wasn’t…

  • October 17, 2016
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Ajman

Friday Garden Brunch at Kempinski Hotel

  It’s finally cooling down in this part of the world! Hello, beaches, BBQ, picnics and garden brunches! We got invited to Kempinski Hotel’s Friday…

  • October 14, 2016
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Princeton

An Evening Stroll in Princeton University Campus

Princeton University turned 270 years old this year. This Ivy League institution needs no introduction. It has been associated with 42 Nobel laureates, two U.S. Presidents,…

  • October 10, 2016
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Reviews

Boudin, San Francisco: Bakery, Restaurant, & Museum

7 am. Best time time to explore Fisherman’s Wharf: it’s clean, cool, and peaceful. Based on what I’ve read online, locals do not particularly care…

  • August 16, 2016
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Dubai

Farzi Cafe: Bringing Indian Cuisine back “in-Vogue”

Infusing a generous dose of Indian flavours, Farzi Café presents Indian cuisine where culinary art meets the alchemy of modern presentations and cooking techniques like…

  • August 14, 2016
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Chicago

Review: Sony Alpha 6000 Mirrorless Digital Camera

“The Sony Alpha 6000 is what you would get if you threw the NEX-6 and the NEX-7 into a boiling pot and sprinkled the fragrant…

  • July 20, 2016
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Recipes

Lahore Karahi: Authentic & Halal Desi Food in SF

  The good Yelp reviews caught my attention. Masood and I were in San Francisco for ten days and were craving good, Indian/Pakistani food. Not…

  • July 18, 2016
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Chicago

Tips for Getting Better Pictures From a Train

We were on a train five months ago. Was it really just five months ago? Wow, it feels like it’s been a year at least!…

  • July 15, 2016
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Chicago

California Zephyr: The Dining Car Experience, Meals and Customer Service

When I called Amtrak’s customer service to inquire about their Kosher meal options and whether or not I could request for them, the nice lady…

  • May 25, 2016
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Chicago

California Zephyr: Is the Superliner Bedroom Worth the Money?

When Sophia, my sister, casually suggested taking the train for our San Francisco to New York trip in February, I could not shake the idea…

  • May 22, 2016
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Salalah

The Sinkhole of Tawi Atair, One of the Largest in the World.

Ahmed drove skillfully up and down the mountains, passing several towns along the way. The sun shone relentlessly and, without the sunglasses on, it was…

  • May 18, 2016
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Salalah

The Castle of Taqah in Oman

The forts and castles of Oman played a vital role in protecting the country from invaders. One such important landmark is the Taqah Castle of…

  • May 17, 2016
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Salalah

A Hot and Humid Weekend in Salalah. But We Still Loved It!

Salalah at this time of the year is so hot and humid that the weather in Dubai feels like spring. We did check the weather…

  • May 11, 2016
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Chicago

Wildberry Pancakes and Cafe: Best Breakfast in Town!

Everything about Wildberry Cafe is big – the menu, the portions, the flavors, and quite unfortunately, the queue for a table. Arrive early like we did! This…

  • April 19, 2016
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Princeton

Thomas Sweet Ice Cream: Creating Fun Flavors Since 1979

First, kindly take a moment to admire how pretty this building is! Word of Thomas Sweet’s delicious “blend-ins” spread quickly around town the moment they opened their…

  • April 2, 2016
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Reviews

Hollywood Cafe: Excellent Breakfast at the Fisherman’s Wharf

Located just 2 blocks from the iconic Fisherman’s Wharf Sign, you can find Hollywood Cafe on Taylor Street. Masood and I stayed at Holiday Inn…

  • March 11, 2016
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Chicago

Nature’s Art Along Chicago’s Lakefront

It snowed most of the time when we visited Chicago—this was last week and three days weren’t enough!—so when the sun finally decided to shine…

  • March 8, 2016
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Dubai

Al Dawaar – Dubai’s Only Revolving Restaurant

The restaurant is located on the roof top of Hyatt Regency Dubai with spectacular views of the blue sea, the creek and the city. Al Dawaar offers…

  • December 21, 2015
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IMG_5456
Dubai

Tresind: A Modernist Indian Fine Dining Restaurant

Tresind is a restaurant that sells itself as a modernist Indian fine dining establishment. The very young and talented Executive Chef Himanshu Saini brings a unique concept…

  • December 9, 2015
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DSC_4357
Dubai

A Hundred Days

This picture portrays the current state of my blog: the clouds of despondency and dilly-dallying have finally parted, giving way to rays of fresh ardency and…

  • December 3, 2015
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Boston

Vintage Car Show at the Faneuil Hall

Does your local market host vintage car shows? Mine neither. Even if there were car shows here, the weather in the UAE is so hostile…

  • August 24, 2015
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London

When it’s Three o’clock in New York, it’s Still 1938 in London

“When it’s three o’clock in New York, it’s still 1938 in London.” ― Bette Midler Masood and I spent three days in London, way too short to…

  • August 21, 2015
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San Francisco

Musée Mécanique: Show Your Grandchildren What You Did for Fun When You Were Their Age!

“We will take you on a journey from turn of the century hand cranked music boxes to modern video arcade games. This is a trip…

  • August 20, 2015
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All dressed up in NYC
New York

On Her Way to School

Yes, I had to ask where she was going. I’m usually not the one to make small talk with strangers, but I was just too…

  • August 12, 2015
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nadiamasood

Moved to Hyderabad, India in 2019. Love reading, exploring places, food, & designing websites for small businesses.
🐝 @thenawabees

Nadia Masood
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.
Before he even starts to record, I ask @masoodxb t Before he even starts to record, I ask @masoodxb to first pose for a sec for me to take this picture.
When authorities deem bakeries ‘non-essential’ When authorities deem bakeries ‘non-essential’ and close them down, is when I feel the need of bread in my life even more.

Of all things baking related, bread intimidates me the most. It’s because one needs to take so many factors into consideration in order to make decent bread. One tiny mistake, and the end result suffers drastically.

Fortunately, these pav (dinner rolls) turn out well. Not bakery-perfect, but good enough. If you have bread-making related questions, please reach out to my expert friend @didipaterno 🍞
Freshly-squeezed orange juice, courtesy of @masood Freshly-squeezed orange juice,
courtesy of @masoodxb. He is kind enough to share the recipe as well.

Recipe: Cut oranges in half. Squeeze into a clean bowl. Pour into glasses. Enjoy 😀

He wants me to tell you that the secret ingredient is 🍊🤣
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.
Truck art! This is a little food truck that sells Truck art! This is a little food truck that sells tea. Found it parked at Frere Hall.
A glimpse of the 136-year-old Empress Market in Sa A glimpse of the 136-year-old Empress Market in Saddar.

The foundation stone of the Empress Market was laid by the-then Governor of Bombay, James Fergusson in 1884.
My first attempt at making khandvi, a Gujarati sna My first attempt at making khandvi, a Gujarati snack made of gram flour and buttermilk.

I find the rolling process fun, more than actually eating it. But disappointed at how I didn’t get the perfect cylindrical shapes. I almost didn’t post this picture, but you know what, it’s okay. This is real life, and it’s not perfect.

And as far as taste is concerned, khandvi is savoury and mildly hot. We had it with mint chutney.
Mango-vanilla custard. I added diced mangoes, bana Mango-vanilla custard. I added diced mangoes, bananas and grapes (because that’s what I have). These are the first batch of mangoes, which aren’t very sweet yet, so I added some sugar.

PS:  I just noticed my recent posts are all yellow/orange 😀
What’s your go-to photo editing app for Instagra What’s your go-to photo editing app for Instagram?

Mine is Snapseed. I use it for almost all my photos. I rarely post unedited photos (because I like my feed to look pretty). For this particular image (taken using my phone camera), I first edited the colours on Snapseed so they appear more saturated.

And then I used Pixaloop to make the clouds move. So cool, right? This app has been sitting in my phone since forever, and I now wonder why I’ve never used it!

I’d love to know what you use to edit your photos!
Do you love hummus? I feel like it’s one of the Do you love hummus? I feel like it’s one of the best dips in the world!

I am yet to find good hummus here in Hyderabad - the kind one finds in middle eastern restaurants.

Good thing hummus is super easy to make at home!

Please swipe left for the recipe, including how to make your own tahini paste with only 2 ingredients, and also for tips to help you make your own creamy hummus at home.

Don’t forget to bookmark or share this post ❤️
It’s a day off for this boat. It’s a day off for this boat.
Two different shots of the same place, edited vs S Two different shots of the same place, edited vs SOOC (phone camera). My usual style is light and bright with blue and gray hues, but India is naturally colourful with mostly warm, earthy tones. This made me go way out of my editing comfort zone and try dark, saturated colours.

While this was fun, I still prefer minimal editing, keeping a photo mostly in its original form. Or maybe I’m just lazy 🤣
What comes to your mind when you think of paan? A What comes to your mind when you think of paan? A betel leaf with gulkand, sugar-coated saunf and sweet syrups - all wrapped up in a triangular shape?

Well, these two pretty, dessert-looking things are actually paan! There’s cherry on top, chocolate, raisins, sweet shredded coconut, vanilla and the usual paan ingredients. But there’s no tobacco, so this one’s kid-friendly.

They’re just too pretty to eat!

Do you eat paan?
Grilled gochujang-glazed salmon. A Korean dish I r Grilled gochujang-glazed salmon. A Korean dish I recently had for the first time, and it tastes really good.

Gochujang is a red chili paste with glutinous rice, salt and a couple of other local ingredients I couldn’t identify. It tastes savoury, sweet and a little bit spicy.

Fried rice and spinach complete the meal.

The spinach is called sigeumchi-namul: blanched spinach seasoned with soy sauce, garlic, and sesame oil. The spinach is only slightly cooked, leaving it a little crispy, but still soft and tasty.

Have you tried Korean food? What’s your favourite?
Mango-banana milkshake with saffron. Yet another d Mango-banana milkshake with saffron. Yet another delicious shake by @masoodxb.

I can totally get used to this!

What are you having for Iftar tonight?
This is the resting place of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, This is the resting place of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan.

The mausoleum was completed in 1970, and is an iconic symbol of Karachi.

I’ve been driving past this monument since I was a child, but it’s only now that I actually got a closer look.

Please note: cameras are strictly prohibited, although you may take photos and videos with your smartphone.
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
Identify this snack. When you visit India (please Identify this snack.

When you visit India (please wait until travel restrictions are off and it’s safe), don’t leave without having tried this.
Frere Hall. This 155-year-old structure was origi Frere Hall.

This 155-year-old structure was originally intended to serve as Karachi's town hall, and now serves as an exhibition space and library.

When I visited, the library was closed without any notice and nobody seemed to have any information. Furthermore, it’s quite heartbreaking to see how the building is being neglected.
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