fledgling

Have you ever been able to resist the creamy, butter-like margarine spread on crunchy, piping hot toast?  Sounds appetizing, right? Well, I don't think you'd feel the same when you reach the end of this post. Know why? Ghee is an emotion for most Indians. Every Indian drools at the sight and aroma of a stream of molten, golden ghee gushing over a plate of lentil soup rice. It diffuses a heavenly fragrance which would be the reason behind grumbling tummies. Margarine, on the other hand, is simply a hydrogenated fat. White grease. I don't think it has as rich a heritage or as many fan followers as ghee does. Let me tell you why. Margarine is a substitute for butter made from vegetable plant oils. This American household necessity is known for its mild yet salty taste. Ghee exudes a rich taste when it melts in your mouth, but margarine just slips down your throat, leaving you with a slippery greasy palate and of course, unsatisfied. Though it is not so high in satu...

Wooh..first day over in Chandigarh! Time seems to fly by.... Yeah, we reach the next day. Guess what? We were going to Amritsar! A place famous for its stuffed kulcha, Sri Harmandir Sahib, etc. I knew the trip was a going to be a fruitful and memorable one especially for an aspiring journo (that is me!). Amritsar, derived from the words 'Amrit' which means nectar and 'Sarovar' which means river, thus naming this great city. My aunt, uncle, cousins, parents and I geared up for a road trip (you read that right, a road trip) that was estimated to last for 7 hours (even a passenger flight takes 5 hours to reach there)! Though the journey was quite tiring, it was an unforgettable experience! Firstly, our destination was Harmandir Sahib. Dear reader, would you believe me if I told you that it was made out of solid gold? You betcha! Harmandir Sahib, meaning 'the holy abode of god' was designed by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh guru. It is one of the...

Sata Sri akala! Can you guess where I'm right now? Yes, you're right....this is the land of muscular Sardarjis  downing pitchers of milk and Malai lassi along with piping hot paranthas smeared with melting homemade butter. Ladies stroll around in colorful glimmering patiala suits on the roads, buzzing over the veggies. It was a tiring 6-hour journey from the heart of Delhi City to Chandigarh. To refresh ourselves, we stopped at Pahalwan Dhaba for a khatti roll and Sitara Dhaba for a lassi and buttery  parantha- The crispy outer crust and the moist warm potato-filling is the star of the limelight. Though it was finger-licking, the parantha was so heavy on me, especially since I was on a long taxi trip. For my lactose-intolerant buddies out there, you might just throw up on your way if you're not so used to animal fat. It's a major no-no if you're doing the same. The meal was followed by 4 hours of sightseeing in Punjab and Haryana and non-stop Punjabi ba...