The big game!!

The scene is set for an amazing night of cricket and I can't wait!

Who will meet Sri Lanka in the Grand Final of the Cricket World Cup.

Will Sachin get his much wanted 100 (or will that be in the final)?

As a person living in India I really hope India get up tonight, this place will go crazy, scary crazy and I want to see that. I want to see a city that bleeds blue filled with blue. People will do nothing but talk about cricket, not that that is unusual here. (Thank god for cricket that is often the only conversation starter I have.) I want to be here to take the photos of a cricket mad nation drunk with the feeling of a finals berth in the World Cup.

I also want to see India win as that would be incredible.

I want Sachin to get 100.

This country would be full of immense pride, the smiles, the laughter, the happiness that would ensue would be priceless. Cricket this nations one leveller. I want to see that......

Little taste of home?

 

I couldn't resist taking a picture of this and also couldn't resist seeing what 'freshly baked Australian cookies' tasted like. I bought some brownies..... unfortunately they were so packed full of the goodness of sugar I couldn't eat them. I am learning Indians love sugar ......more than me it would seem.



Mulligatawny Soup

On a 33 degree what do you feel like - soup! Yes that's right, my cook has suggested it as the perfect meal for this weather and who am I to argue? According to Wikipedia:

Mulligatawny (pronounced /ˌmʌlɨɡəˈtɔːni/) is a curry-flavoured soup of Anglo-Indian origin.[1]
Translated literally from Tamil, "Mulligatawny" means "pepper water"[2] ("Millagu" மிளகு means pepper and "Thanni" தண்ணீர் means water). The dish the Anglo-Indians call "pepper water" is actually closer to Tamilian ரசம்-rasam (pronounced Russ-um) than "mulligatawny".
There are many variations on the recipe for mulligatawny.[3] In the West, the soup typically has a turmeric-like yellow colour and chicken meat, beef, or lamb meat. Often it is thickened with rice.

Here is Vasinee's recipe:

1/4 cup red lentils
1 kg chicken thighs
1 3/4 litres water
1 teaspoon salt
60g butter
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1 tbl curry powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp chilli powder
pinch cinnamon
2 tbl flour
2 tomatoes
2 chicken stock cubes
1 tbl tomato paste
1 green pepper
2 sticks celery
1 carrot
S&P
285 ml coconut milk
cooked rice

Pour enough hot water over lentils to cover well, set aside. Place chicken in pan with water and salt. Bring to the boil and then reduce heat, simmer covered for 1 1/4 hours. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Remove fat from stock.

Melt butter in a large pan, add chopped onion and cook until transparent. Add ginger and garlic cook for one more minute before adding curry powder, chilli powder, garam masala and cinnamon. Stir over low heat for 2 minutes.

Add flour to pan, stir over low heat. Stir in peeled and chopped tomatoes, reserved stock, tomato paste, crumbled stock cubes and drained lentils. Bring to boil, add sliced pepper, sliced carrot and chopped celery. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Cover simmer for 30 minutes. Season with S&P.

Push veges and liquid through a sieve and puree. Return soup to pan bring to boil, reduce heat and stir in coconut milk and shredded meat from chicken thighs. Sprinkle a spoonful of cooked rice on top of each bowl and serve with poppadoms.


This week I am also going to learn to make chapatti!!!! So photos of Mulligatawny soup and chapatti making coming up!

Beautiful evening

I took this photo last night, beautiful evening in Delhi!

Sold.... to the lady that can't speak english

Comment of the day (said to me):
'I know you are speaking English, I just have no idea what you're saying...' 

Today I feel like I really achieved something. I:
- hired a driver
- bought a car
- bought 3 couches (you have no idea how difficult this is!)
- bought pots, pans, crockery and cutlery
- saw Tony Greig
- got 42 points for 'pique' in Words with Friends

My purchase of a couch today was significantly different from previous couch buying experiences. On walking into the shop there are no couches on display, just a few tables, chairs and three bored looking assistants. I asked about sofas and was directed to a board on the wall that had about 50 different pictures - these were my sofa options. I toyed with purchasing the 'Joe' or the 'Gemma' both good, however did ask whether there were any others and was directed to a magazine (perhaps the equivalent to Homes and Garden) and told you can select from here. After a few pages I saw a decent looking couch....SOLD that one please, I bought the couch off a picture from a magazine. I have no idea if they can make it or whether they have ever made such a couch before. We will see in 20 days when my fine couches arrive at home...... I am nervous. The main reason I am nervous is the man who sold me this couch is the man who is responsible for the quote mentioned at the beginning of this post.



My couch....



Olive Bar and Restaurant, Delhi

On Friday night T and I went to Olive Bar and Restaurant. We were lucky enough to get an outside table, it was such a beautiful setting. The focal point was an amazing tree (seen above) that curtained the edge of the restaurant. It was like the trees I'd seen in Cambodia.

The restaurant has a Mediterranean menu and the decor continues the theme - white wicker chairs, white pebbles on the floor and candlelit tables to set the mood.

After being seated and selecting our drinks the wait staff promptly bought out a complimentary artichoke soup. It was small and got the appetite going, really delicious and plenty of flavour.

We also received complimentary bread (below) that was warm and delicious. It was served alongside a mortar and pestle that contained basil, tomato, oil and garlic. We lightly bashed the concoction releasing a delicious fragrance and spread the newly created paste over our warm bread. I have never seen this done before but it was a lovely alternative to the standard bread and oil combination.

For entree T got the pork belly

and I got the soft shell crab. Beautifully presented, my meal was very tasty and a good size given all the complimentary nibbles we had devoured. The pork belly (one of my favourites) was also good and I ended up stealing a fair bit of T's off his plate.

My main was chicken wrapped in bacon. It was ok... the chicken was a touch dry and felt the mustard sauce was overwhelming. The crispy bacon that lay on top of the chicken wasn't crispy enough for me. Small criticism though.

I didn't really feel like dessert as I was quite full but I had signed up for it at the beginning of the meal. 3 courses for R1600 (I think)... can't really remember sorry. So for dessert I selected the tasting plate. My favourites being the pecan pie and the choc fudge.

The ambiance of this restaurant is lovely, the wait staff were very good although were a bit slow on the drinks. All in all it was a really lovely night out. T and I have a bit to learn though, we are yet to get onto Delhi eating time so even though the restaurant was full for our 8.30pm reservation (with tourists....) by the time we left it was brimming with Delhi's beautiful people.

Meal for two with drinks approximately R5000
With apologies for photography

New cook

We have a new cook in the house, her name is Vasinee and she is pretty good. A couple of nights ago she created an Indian feast, way too much for two people but it was delicious - dahl, home made chapatti, eggplant curry and a potato cauliflower curry with rice.

Last night she made a superb lasagne! Could get very used to this.....

Hoping to go to the Aman Hotel today to check out a potential hairdresser and a fashion parade (and just to see the hotel, supposed to be amazing!).

It's heating up here in Delhi, S and T had their first of many swims last night. Bit more Delhi belly required before I get in my togs :)

x

Xmas morning at my place

Yesterday I was promised that our things would arrive from Australia, I wouldn't believe anyone until I saw that big orange Allied truck pull into the driveway. In the afternoon T got a call that the truck was 20 minutes away. About 15 minutes later I got a call from the guards telling me very cutely that my 'package' had arrived. So in it came that glorious truck full of our possessions.

22 boxes off the back of the truck and into our house... I ripped open the boxes like it was Christmas morning. This was a point I made to the delivery man but he just looked at me quizzically and smiled nervously. Kitchenware, towels, sheets, toys, clothes but most excitingly Allen's Party Mix - Yes!!! Second best discovery Rafferty's squeezy meals for S. Finally she can have 'Hearty Beef'. The delivery of our things helped it to dawn on me how important these 'things' are in making a home. I feel so much for all those people in Japan, Christchurch and Queensland that have lost everything recently with no delivery truck arriving for them.

So a day later most of our things have been unpacked and given new homes. S has more toys than I can remember her having and I don't have as many clothes as I thought I had. Oh well that can be rectified. I have a computer, I have Skype and I have contact with my friends and family. So it's happy days here at the moment. Also looking at a car on Thursday so hopefully will have wheels soon.... cross fingers, things just might be falling into place. Not speaking too soon.

Other news..... Had a great lunch today with some other girls living up here. Was really nice to get out and meet a few new people over a yummy piece of Bassa fish and a minty lime soda at Latitude restaurant.

Bought a new book Flavours of Delhi by Charmaine O'Brien which will help me to understand the evolution of food here. Also suggests good eateries around town, seems a good read. I've also discovered 'Words with Friends' on my iPhone (thanks Liz) which is helping pass the time.

It's warming up here, can really feel the change in the air. Today was only 32 but felt much warmer. Friday is 35..... getting  hotter...... god help me! For all my work colleagues who know how much I love looking at weather forecasts I think it is about to becoming predictably consistent..... Nice weather though at the moment and some beautiful flowers around.

The peacocks however are still aggressive......

Have booked an Easter getaway in Goa and July in Europe so plenty to look forward to. Hope wells where you are.

x

Patience......

It's been a quiet week where I started to master the art of patience and learn to accept things that cannot be explained....

All our things from Australia are supposed to have arrived last week, they haven't. Hopefully tomorrow they tell me. I wouldn't mind but I get my hopes up and then they're dashed.... I can't even remember what I packed anymore but hoping there's some good stuff in there! Ah but I know there is good stuff in there - our computer, vegemite and nappies for S as she's going through them at a rate of knots.

Have had a quiet weekend, drinks Friday night which was good fun although felt hungover after 3 beers! Clearly out of practice. Them shopping at khan market on Saturday. I bought some clothes from ogaan and good earth. Both really lovely shops and Aussie prices however I'm feeling and looking a bit more Indian after the experience. Do need some footless tights though if anyones feels like sending me some.

Today there was a fundraiser for the christchurch earthquake, they raised plenty of money mainly thanks to auctioning off some signed cricket bats. Someone paid close to $A12k for a signed bat!!! Great signatures, winning world cup captains.... So all to a good cause. Proof they really love their cricket here.

Finally got some indoor plants which has brightened the place up a bit.... Now for curtains .... Ayah off sick which means I have no one at home helping me. It's amazing how quickly you get used to it. Better dash and writing blogs on iPhones is irritating!

Mega traffic, mega malls.

Life has settled a bit on good ol' Delhi and slowly getting my feet. We are without a car and will be for a little while which is proving annoying. I don't think we'll have one for two months god help me...... However we have had occasional access to one so have done a couple of things in the last week. The weather is glorious - February and March are brilliant here, lovely days and cool nights, blue skies, so good to get out and about.

So what have we been up to? S and I headed off to our first meet and greet together and met a really nice group of mums and bubs/little kids. S and her friend (who is one day older) are probably close to the youngest in the group (although there was an 11 week old bub there) while the other kids are all about 2yrs +. Everyone has been really great and have been up here for at least a year so will be good to show me the ropes.

On the weekend we all headed to Sharma Farm to buy furniture for the house. Sharma Farm is in Chhattarpur which took about 30 minutes from where we live. It is enormous (15 warehouse sheds apparently) and full of the most amazing furniture. Everything you can think of - beds, cupboards, mirrors, giant elephants, pots, buddhas, lights) but if they don't have it chances are they will make it for you. They had beautiful antiques along with replica items. It is heaven for anyone doing up a house. We bought a few things which will be here in two weeks and I'll post pics then. We did learn a lesson from this trip, don't do it on Saturday.... with a baby..... the traffic on the way back was insane!!! Cars everywhere, no one moving which was probably a good thing at times, a child who was over tired, cows, beggars and just chaos really. Our driver is my hero and weaved his magic and got us out of there even with the piercing screams of a tired baby in the back seat and T and me singing '5 little ducks......

Saturday night T and I headed to Sidewok for a cheap and cheerful dinner. It serves food from many an Asian nation but no beer and after the day we had we needed one! So instead we both had a satisying 'mocktail' woo hoo!!!! The food was ok but probably won't be rushing back, especially if they don't sell booze :)

Sunday T and I left the bub at home with lovely Pria and went to the 'new' Delhi. DLF in Vasant Kunj - 3 mega malls - a shopping mecca in the middle of a lot of dirt. The three malls are - Emporio (richee rich), Promenade (you're doing ok) and Ambiance (basic basic and electrical).  I didn't bother with Emporio (later without my husband) but Promenade has a few good shopping middle range spots - Zara, L'Occitane, MAC and proper coffee (YES!)

DLF Promenade

This is also the home of important shops like Mothercare.  Next stop Ambiance to buy boring household items like coat hangers and Tupperware *yawn*. Only redeeming feature about this part of the day was lunch at Smokehouse Deli with some quite beautiful Delhi-ites. Then you leave this bubble world and get back in your car......

Getting out on the road is a full on experience here - one thing is the traffic (I am never driving) but really that's nothing compared to some of the people either living on the kerb of the road or not far from it. Old people, young people, severely disabled people....... Some of the little ones wouldn't be much older than S and their older brother or sister (maybe 1 year older) is carrying them around between cars asking for money or food. It is so awful to see, especially with a little bub of our own in the car who stares at them quizzically with her big blue eyes. It's going to be hard to explain this world to her as she gets older......

Delhi reading and websites

Hi all,
A couple of good reads before you visit me:

Love Delhi: A Handbook for the Luxury Vagabond by Fiona Caulfield.
Fiona also has books on various other India locations.

Delhi: Adventures in a Megacity by Sam Miller

Looking for somewhere to stay in India - ask The Guardian or try Alastair Sawday: Special places to stay

x

Some photos

Some snaps.

So it's time to get some pics up..... 

First, a popcorn/onion/tomato seller in Hauz Khas village. This is a pretty cool village full of slightly funkier shops. More independent clothes and books shops plus some lovely galleries My highlights were a brilliant furniture shop and Ogaan which had some lovely (and more expensive) clothing. Another visit will be required to have a proper look around.

Remind you of anything?? This is Humayun's Tomb in the middle of Delhi and the big guy (Taj Mahal) was modelled on her. This building is stunning and has some really lovely manicured gardens where you can sit and relax. It is so peaceful here.

Celebrities..... well at least our baby is.... This is the first of many photos taken of our bug.

S's lunch spot... a lurking dog nearly stole her food but luckily she got in all down first!

Another beautiful relaxing place in Delhi, Lodi Gardens. You could be in Hyde Park.... this park was full of families and many a courting couple. On this beautiful 'winters' day in Delhi it was the place to be. 

Gunpowder restaurant in Hauz Khas village - this is the Fish Curry. Really tasty curry but their paratha was AMAZING!

McDonalds...... delivers...... sad but true (Khan Market). Then again everyone seems to deliver here, very convenient.

S with my new scarves. Long one is from Kashmir and the one she is holding is a cheapy but a goody. I think it cost $A4.

Lunch at Ploof Deli in Lodi Colony. Great burger!

T and S in Hauz Khas village on our way to lunch.

Til next time x