Dhatri - The Village resort

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I had set my eyes on this destination, a rural, rustic, village resort for more than a year. It was my idea of a holiday. An escapade into the nature. I have written about my craving for nature and village life a million times, may be ad-nauseum. The regular weekend resorts with swimming pool, badminton court and table tennis, the staple North and South Indian dishes is not my cup of tea. I would rather have a village home, with its aangan, plants, flowers and fauna, birds chirping in the background and of course our very own grandma's cuisine. And Dhatri Village Resort fitted the bill to the T. So off we went. Fifteen girls from Basavanagudi Branch. But of course, why that smirk? We are as young as we feel :-D I would take you through the resort and have given the contact details at the end. I bet you would scroll to it before fully reading through the details! Hold on !!!

This is the resort and this is the type of welcome you get on arrival .....

The beauty of this destination is it is not very far off from Bangalore. It is just about 80 kilometers from Bangalore near Kyathsandra, Tumkur. It caters mainly to a full day package, from dawn to dusk. You can arrive here by morning 8 o'clock where a sumptuous treat of breakfast would be waiting for you.They are not your staple bread and butter, but delicious desi delicacies, with abundant dose of fresh desi ghee. The menu varies and on the day we went it was Ottu Shavige with gojju and ghee, Ottu shavige with Kai haalu and ghee, Ottu shavige with capsicum and chillies with ghee, Avalakki khara pongal with ghee, Ragi Hurihittu with ghee ... Yes! that's the breakfast we were offered with piping hot filter coffee!!!

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And personally I feel this is the ideal season to visit the resort because it would be fresh and green everywhere, all the plants washed in rain and flowers blooming everywhere. With Jackfruits and Jamuns inviting you and peacocks flying around, you will feel as if you are in Malnad!


And the host Sri.Ravi will then engage you with innovative village games, witty and full of fun. They were so interesting and funny that we fell off our chairs unable to control our laughter :-)

He conducted one game after another, engaging us in one activity after another giving a small break in between and we were so engrossed and relaxed that we forgot everything else in the world. You will have the choice to play or just sit back and relax soaking in the beauty of the nature. Mats and pillows are arranged inside the hall for those lazy bones!



And even before that healthy sumptuous breakfast could be digested, he invited us for a light snacks and juice. Now again!?! But none could resist the tempting sihi and khara avalakki with panaka :-)

And then again back to games, so innovative were his ideas that we could not help but marvel at his ingenuity and involvement and became children again!

And the lunch at 3 PM was again healthy, tasty home cooked delicacies. Look at these snaps and watch the video because I may not be able to do justice trying to explain the dishes. and rounded off by the bananas and betel leaves grown in their farm. The hosts will then give you the option to buy their innumerable home made products.


Post lunch a tour through the farm amidst the greenery was what we needed to burn all the calories. But because it was all healthy and home grown food and included none of those sweet and fried dishes, we were all feeling rejuvenated and raring to go with the fresh air and rain drops and flying peacocks giving us company.

And along with coffee, the hosts distributed the prizes, conspicuously taking care to see that each and every visitor got a prize! And what were the prizes? All the fresh veggies grown by them!!!
And it was time to bid adieu and like the old kannada adage " Undoo hoda, kondu hoda", they gave us boiled groundnuts to munch on our return journey.


PS :
Sri. Ravi, along with his family is the host and the organiser of this resort comprising of about 5 acres, which was started three years ago. The charge is 600 rupees and it's a day package. However if you wish to stay back for the evening, they will arrange "Kai tuttu oota" for the night and rooms to stay at an additional cost. But beware of the hounding mosquitoes!
It would be usually thrice a week and you have to book in advance. He prefers a minimum group of 20 to 25 persons. If your party contains less number or if you are going just with a family, you have to wait for his date to accommodate with other party.
His contact number is  9945179936
Have a fun filled rural escapade!!!

Heerekai Huli Thovve

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Prep time                        10 mins

Cooking time                   20 mins

Serves                             4

Ingredients : 
Heerekai / Ridge Gourd  :      1 bowl ( 2 medium sized)
Toor Dal                        :      1 Cup 
Coriander seeds             :      1 Tablespoon
Urad dal                         :      1 1/2  Teaspoon
Channa Dal                    :      1 1/2 Teaspoon
Methi / Fenugreek seeds :      1/4 Teaspoon
Jeera                             :      1/2 spoon 
Cinnamon:                     :      1/2 Inch 
Red chilli (Byadagi )        :      5 to 6
Coconut                         :      1/2 Cup
Tamarind                       :      Small marble size (Optional)

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Jaggery                         :       1/2 Teaspoon (Optional)
Curry leaves                   :     6 to 8
Coriander Leaves            :     2 Tablespoons. 
Hing (Asafoetida)            :     a pinch
Turmeric Powder             :     a pinch
Oil : 2 Teaspoons. 
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt to taste

Corn Pulav

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Ingredients:
Basmathi rice- 1 big cup 
Finely chopped Onions-2
Sweet corn kernels-1/4 cup
Masala grinding:
Cinnamon-1/2″
Cloves-2
Cardamom-1-2

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Poppy seeds 1 tsp
Green chilly – 6
Ginger 1 small piece
Garlic 2 cloves
Mint leaves- 10 leaves
Coriander leaves
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp

Sugar 1/2 tsp
Cashew Nuts   10-15
Water – 1 1/2 cups
Ghee/Refined oil - 2 tbsp

sabudana khichdi recipe | sabudane ki khichdi | sago khichdi | sabakki khichdi

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Sabbakki Khichadi or Sabudana khees, as it's known in Marathi is the most popular dish of Maharashtra. It is specially made on Ekadashi day, along with Kadlekai unde - groundnut ladoos - as its quite filling, besides being very tasty and nutritious.

Recipe Video :

By the way have you ever wondered how and from what the sabbakki is prepared? I too was ignorant and was very very curious. It was back then when Google had not entered our homes. I have always been very inquisitive and curious about such things. There is this insatiable hunger to learn and find out. Like I wanted to know what is the difference between Maida and Wheat flour, whether sabbakki was grown or manufactured, how do the planes fly, how the ships stay afloat on water, how the data is compressed and stored in microchips ........ the list was endless.

But the sources of knowledge back then when we were kids and students were very limited. There were parents and then there were teachers. But beyond the scope of their knowledge, they were also helpless. I would go and pester my father and my teachers with my inquisitive questions and beyond a point, exasperated, they would say “ Go and find in encyclopedia.”

Alas, encyclopedia was beyond the reach of – leave alone me – even my school! When I got married and came to Bangalore and had kids, a friend of my husband had taken the agency of Encyclopedia and invited us once to his home to market them. And the price? Just 40000 rupees!! By that money, I could have easily bought a 30x40 site in Bangalore's outskirts! So we said thanks but no thanks and came back.

And then came the baap of all the knowledge, Google and Internet and fortunately the world is at my fingertips now and there is no stopping me :-)
By the way do you know how sabbakki is prepared? And what is the raw material? You would be surprised to know! Sabbakki, called Sago in English, taking its name from the tree from which it is prepared. After removing the bark of the thick trunk of the tree, the inner part is washed, cut, ground, powdered and processed! Go and check in Youtube. It's an interesting process!

Visit here for more breakfast recipes :

Rava Dosa     Rava Pongal       Pesarattu    Kerala Paratha with Mixed Vegetable Curry

Crispy Light Avarekalu Rotti      Jolada Rotti with Ennegai Palya  Soft Chapati-Roti-Phulka 

Thali Peeth


OK. After a long introduction and a lot of deviation, here is the recipe of Sabudana Khichdi / Sabbakki Uppittu. Enjoy!

Prep time                 10 minutes
Cooking time            10 Minutes
Serves                       4

Ingredients :

Sabudana                                                           6 cups
Thick curds                                                         1 cup
Roasted and coarsely powdered groundnuts           ½ cup
Groundnut oil                                                     ¼ cup
Mustard seeds                                                    1 teaspoon
Jeera                                                                 1 teaspoon
Hing                                                                  2 pinch
Turmeric                                                            ½ teaspoon
Coarsely ground green chillies                             1 tablespoon
Finely chopped Coriander leaves
Curry leaves
Salt to taste

Preparation :

• Wash the Sabudana in a sieving plate or bowl  under running water.
• This step is extremely important. Only if we wash them under running water,the powdered sabudana will be washed off and we can cook the khichdi with separated and well cooked grains. Wash till all the powder is washed off and you get the clean and clear sabudana.
• Transfer them to a bowl and soak in thick curds for at least 4-5 hours. If you are preparing this for breakfast, you can keep them soaked in the night itself.
• In the morning rub the soaked sabudana with your hands so that  they are separated and there are no lumps.
• In a thick bottomed kadai heat groundnut oil.
• Put mustard seeds and let them splutter. Reduce the gas heat.
• Add Jeera, turmeric powder, hing, ground chillies and  curry leaves.
• Pour in the soaked sabudana and add salt. Mix well and add a little water.
• Here is the trick to cook sabudana in a perfect way. keep adding very very little water, mix well and close the lid for a minute. Repeat this process till the sabudana expand fully and cooked softly. The quantity of the water, heat and mixing here is very important. Keep mixing thoroughly so that they don't stick to the bottom, nor overcooked or burnt.
• Once it is cooked perfectly, add the coarsely powdered groundnut and nicely chopped coriander leaves.
• Serve hot.

bitter gourd stir fry recipe | hagalkayi palya | karela stir fry recipe

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Prep time                        10 mins

Cooking time                   20 mins

Serves                            4

Ingredients :

Bitter Gourd thinly sliced circles               4
Thinly sliced onions                                 3
Sour curds                                             1 cup
Sambar powder                                      2 tablespoon
Turmeric powder                                    1 teaspoon
Jaggery powder                                     1 tablespoon
Oil                                                        4 tablespoon
Mustard seeds                                       1 teaspoon
Jeera                                                    2 teaspoon
Grated coconut                                      2 tablespoon
Chopped coriander leaves
Curry leaves
Hing
Salt to taste

Preparation :

• Soak the bitter gourd slices in sour curds for 20-30 minutes.
• Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard and jeera seeds, hing, turmeric powder and curry leaves.
• Add sliced onions and fry till golden brown, stirring occasionally taking care not to burn them.
• Squeeze the bitter gourd from the curds and add.
• Also add salt, sambar powder.
• Cook on a medium flame covered with a lid and stirring occasionally.
• Add a little oil if you prefer and keep frying till the bitter gourd turn golden brown.
• Turn off the fire and add jaggery powder.
• Garnish with coriander and grated coconut. 
• Serve with rotis / chapati and rice. 

rava pongal recipe | semolina pongal | sooji ka pongal recipe

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Prep time                        10 mins

Cooking time                   20 mins

Serves                            4

Ingredients :

Rava/semolina                 4 cups

Moong Dal                       2 cups

Salt to taste

Ghee                              3 tablespoon

Black pepper                   1 tablespoon

Black pepper powder        1 tablespoon

Grated coconut                1 small cup

Cumin seeds                   1 tablespoon

Cashew nuts                   20

Finely chopped ginger      2 tsp

Slit green chillies             10

Turmeric powder             ½ tsp

Curry leaves

Preparation : 

• Dry roast moong dal till golden brown.
• Pressure cook nicely with 4-5 cups of water.
• Dry roast rava with a little oil.
• In a kadai, heat ghee and on a low flame lightly roast black pepper, cumin seeds, cashew nuts, finely chopped ginger, green chillies, grated coconut and turmeric powder in that order..
• Add 3-4 cups of water and while boiling add curry leaves, salt and the rava and cook stirring occasionally.
• When the rava is cooked, add the cooked moong dal after mashing it nicely.
• If you prefer, add some more ghee, water, if required, depending on the consistency you prefer and put some pepper powder. Cook a little more, stirring occasionally. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Basale Soppina Huli

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Ingredients :

Basle leaves : 1 bunch

Channa dal : 1 Tablespoon
Urad dal: 1 Tea spoon
Coriander seeds : 1 Tablespoon
Methi seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Red chilly : 5 to 6
Curry leaves : 5 to 6
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Ingh : a pinch
Turmeric powder : a pinch
Coconut : 3 to 4 Tablespoons
Salt : To taste
Oil : 2 Teaspoons. 
Tamarind: a small marble size.
Jaggery : 1 Tablespoon

Shrungagiri Sri Shanmukha Temple Bangalore

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Whenever we have zoomed past the Nice road on the way to Mysore, we would come across these huge  idols, high up on the mountain and always wondered which temple is it, which is the approach road and how on earth people ever managed to climb all the way to the top. Even though it always fascinated me, either because of the urgency to move on or due to the absence of the visible approach road, we have always bypassed it. Until today.


Let me deviate a bit here from my sojourn story. There are people, there are participants, and then there are organizers. For any trip, tour or outing you will always find enthusiastic participants. But what is lacking is the leaders who can organize, motivate people to participate, encourage them to get involved and most important, arrange food and conveyance. Some may be willing to come, others may be willing to help the organizer, but we need that one person who will take all the lead. With the average age of the colleagues in the office not being sweet sixteen anymore, we may have glamorous looking faces on the tour and on camera, but off the flash, there are a lot complaining knees,legs and backs!
Fortunately for us there is one lady, L Lalitha, my colleague who is a master in   taking the lead and organizing Anything and Everything! Bless her soul! I really appreciate her ingenuity. She can turn any situation into a great opportunity worth enjoying. So when another colleague invited us for

her housewarming ceremony in Happy Valley, off Mysore/Kengeri road, Lalitha grabbed the opportunity and by evening not only a vehicle was ready at the gate, but even hot coffee and snacks were served before we boarded the vehicle!
So this is how we came to visit the beautiful Shanmukha temple in Rajarajeshwari Nagar about which I was gushing at the beginning. Yes, I gush when I visit certain places. Be it Kaadu Malleshwara temple in Malleswaram, Anjaneya temple at Ragigudda, Ramakrishna Ashram in Basavanagudi and parks and resorts which have nature in abundance – a pleasure closest to my heart. It thrills me and elevates my mood. There is so much positivity in nature!  

This temple is extremely beautiful, very well designed and maintained on an elevated platform with very comfortable steps.With due apologies to all those temple trustees, let me express my opinion that in majority of the temples, the management, the authorities think they are engineers, just because they know that a building can be built by keeping bricks on one another and binding them with cement! Unfortunately Ragigudda has been robbed lately of its beauty by fixing innumerable barricades,which according to me were totally unwarranted. So when one visits a temple or a building,one can immediately make out the involvement of an architect.

This temple has a stamp of a very smart architect, because there is a beautiful temple of Shiva, a blissful ambiance, an anthill in concrete moulds which looks extremely natural and beautiful. I remember how in the film OMG, milk being shown going down the drain in the name of abhisheka, but here you pour the milk in a steel drum on the top,and it cleanly flows down through a pipe, showering on Shiva in a dimly lit – only with diyas -  giving the Linga a silver marble hue. The image has since remained in my mind ever since!

Beyond Shiva temple, on climbing some more steps, is the Shanmukha temple, built in a hexagon shape, a beautiful window on each side of the sanctum sanatorium giving a glimpse of the deity inside. The inner walls all around  the big temple are beautifully adorned with statues and books.                                                                                                   
Because it's located on an elevated platform with open space all around it,
and since we visited at dusk, we could see a beautiful sky line, first with both sun and moon adorning the sky at the same time and then the Bangalore skyline being lit up with hordes of lights. A sight totally worth beholding!!!

And then it was time to visit yet another newly built beautiful Omkareshwara temple near JSS college,where Dwadasha lingas have been elegantly ensconced in small temples inside one big complex. An evening totally worth spent, which was rounded with a sumptuous meal at my colleague's house.

I know we all will cherish this experience for a long time to come and when in future we reminisce and look back at the days spent with colleagues, this experience will have a special place in our memory.
And for those of you readers, if you haven't visited this place yet,you have really missed visiting a great place in namma Bengaluru!!!

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Open Street @ MG Road, Bangalore

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 The romantic boulevard on MG Road has always fascinated me from the moment I cast my eye on it for the first time way back in the eighties when I first landed in Bangalore post my marriage.The elevated pathway, beautiful flowers full of vibrant colors surrounding it casting a pleasant shadow – it all mesmerised me. The beauty lie in the fact that MG road was a busiest road, always hustling and bustling with business activities, where crossing the road would take considerable amount of time, yet you can sit by its side over the elevated pathway, watching all the drama unfold before your eyes,detached and secluded. To a philosophical eye, it would symbolize life's message of detachment with attachment!

And I had a fancy. To walk there aimlessly and spend time leisurely.There are many such beautiful tiny wishes that I behold close to my heart. There may be big ambitions, goals and targets which give you that sense of fulfillment when you achieve them. But there lie, like a pearl in a shell, many little big passions and cravings in your heart, crying to be fulfilled. And spending idle time on M G Road topped my list.

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Whenever I zoomed past MG road I would look longingly at the most inviting image fly by. To a working woman and a mother of two, the priorities always clashed. And the winner would always be responsibility and family. It's a very very big luxury to be a able to aimlessly walk without a worry of time.
When the MG road and its boulevard came under hammers for metro, I shed a tear in regret. Of course there were plans to rebuild it to its original glory but I still missed them. Adding salt to the wound was the changed scenario at home. While earlier my son would say " ಅಣ್ಣ ಕಾಲೇಜ್ ಗೆ   ಹೋಗೋದು ಬೇಡ, ನೀನು ಆಫೀಸ್ಗೆ ಹೋಗೋದು ಬೇಡ, ನಾನು ಸ್ಕೂಲ್ ಗೆ ಹೋಗಲ್ಲ. ಎಲ್ಲಾರೂ ಮನೇಲಿರೋಣ." But now both my son and daughter would control their secret squeal of delight whenever we would tell them that we are going out for entire day and they have to manage on their own! And the boulevard on MG road had vanished!

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Post Metro, I did have a chance to visit the MG road, take a Metro ride and a detour on the boulevard and make some small artefacts' purchases. But my children accompanied us on that day and while my son wanted to rush back home for FIFA world cup, my daughter insisted that more than walking on boulevard she preferred to shop at Brigade road.
And the Open Streets on MG road was what we have been asking for. A road filled with fun and frolic, vibrant with multiple hues and colors and a free walk not only on boulevard, but on the centre of MG road itself!
MG Road, here we come!!!

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Move on

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Pogo, my little pug has become the father of six cute little puppies.Well, on second thoughts, he is not a little pug anymore, but all of four years old and a father.His mate? Well, a smart dynamic young little twinkle.
Was it a love at first sight? Or a long courtship? Well, on the contrary, the lady played hard to get and Pogo, my handsome hunk was not the one to give up easily!
When I first saw the six tiny babies cuddled up with each other, I could not take my eyes off them. They were so cute, tiny and had not even opened their eyes.
And the mother, as to be expected, was very possessive.She would be extremely worried when we lifted the babies, anxiously following us till we gave the babies back.

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