Breakfast: Gits Uttapam

With the wife away in India, there is complete experimenting happening in the kitchen space.

I like to do the challenging bit on Saturday nights or Sunday afternoons. This weekend I decided to treat myself to a breakfast.

What you see - Gits Uttapam, Coconut Chutney, Strawberries and a glass of TANG. The chutney of course was done by the wife and frozen before she left.

Breakfast - GITS Uttapam and Coconut Chutney

This is a picture of the second uttapam. The first one was much thicker and out of shape. I think what I am going to try the next time is to flatten it out evenly. Use maybe a steel bowl with a flat surface just like they do it professionally at the Udipi restaurants. 

Also the challenge of getting the chopped tomatoes and onions to evenly be embedded into the batter so that they would cook and not get burnt.

Good learning and here is to some more fun time in the kitchen.

Breakfast Delight - Upma & Orange Juice

On the weekends good food is an essential. good breakfast is pleasure.

So for this rainy dark Saturday morning it's Upma with my favourite - The Minute Maid Pulpy Orange juice.

Breakfast - Pancake

Breakfast delights. Pancake with banana and chocolate sauce.

Bites of Mahabaleshwar

A holiday is not complete if you are not eating more & something different than what you eat back home. A recent trip to Mahabaleshwar with friends was all about that - eat, eat some more and just eat.

Strawberry Den (in the market)
Ideally strawberry preparations are served good in any of the places in Mahabaleshwar, but we seemed to like this place in particular. He seemed to make his mixes with total focus and the right amount of ingredients. The milk-shake and strawberry+cream are a must haves. While at this place you must also try the french fries.

Hirkani Gardens
After strawberry if there is something you should not miss there it is the corn dishes. Have the corn pattice, corn roll and a meal will give you corn sabji and roti also. We tasted the corn dishes on previous evening at Hill View near the lakeside but seem to prefer this place for it's taste and quantity servings.
The place also offers you a chance to walk through their plantation and pick your own strawberries. But we missed it because we reached there after sunset.

When in Rome do as the Romans. So when if you are surrounded in a Maharashtrian hill station what better way to start your morning then to bite into some local breakfast dishes. We had the kande poha, upma, vada pav, misal pav and some tea to wash it down all. The lal watery chutney served with the misal is an atom bomb so eat at your own risk.

Hotel Panorama
Order whatever sabji you want to, but don't miss the parathas - huge, buttery & fluffy, they will leave you with a stomach full & satisfied having such a rich preparation.

Olive Garden at The Brightland Resort
A rip-off, a freakingly expensive place this lunch outing kept us wondering what we paid so much money for. At an approximate cost of Rs.900 per head (no alcohol included) we thought this place was not just worth the price tag. Thankfully the food was nice and that was the only comforting factor. Maybe it was just our experience, but would love to know what other's think about dining in here.

Can't wait to travel again and enjoy some more food delights.

Sunday Morning Breakfast - Jalebis

If there is something which can tempt me to rise early on a Sunday morning it has to be the idea of a breakfast feast. With the last weekend being one of a family reunion what better way to spend the Sunday morning then to have a breakfast out on the terrace.

What's on the plate?
Garama garam Jalebi, fafdiya (farsan) and some kachumbar with green chillies.

We got this stuff from Dave Farsan Mart, near Babulnath Temple. The idea is to be there very early so that you can get the fresh, hot and of course if you go there after 9am or so - there is very little chance that you may get anything at all.

Idli for Breakfast

Interesting breakfast items have always been a challenge at home. I can't seem to eat anything heavy and go off to work. So I need something light & easy on the stomach - No deep fry and nothing spicy.

Nitika cooked up this colorful idli made of par-boiled rice and "moong dal" (split green gram). Add spring onion and carrots to it. The chutney is a non-spicy coconut and coriander mix.

This dish was a definite hit and it's being added to my regular items for breakfast.