Shimla: A food tour

Siddus

Humans have a habit of adapting to the food according to the climate of the region. And why not, food is a very basic entity for the survival of mankind. In Shimla, you will find simple food comprising meat, lentils, rice, and vegetables and these are prepared in a way to give them warmth in the cold atmosphere.

Subsequently, we enlist some of the traditional food, which you should definitely try on your Shimla trip.

Channa Madra

Channa Madra
Courtesy: www.youtube.com

It is a chickpeas recipe. Chickpeas and variants of garbanzo beans have a tendency of inducing warmth. Channa Madra is a popular dish of the Himachali cuisine. This dish has a thick, yogurt-based gravy and usually served with rice.

Siddus

Siddus
Courtesy: www.being-himachali.com

Siddus are made with flour with poppy seeds paste as a filling. It is then steamed and served hot. People accompany this dish with curry or gravy based vegetables.

Chicken Anardana

Chicken Anardana
Courtesy: www.myspicykitchen.net

Chicken Anardana or Murgh Anardana is a chicken leg dish, with pomegranate as a twist. The snowy lands of Shimla grow one of the finest quality of pomegranates in India, so why not make a dish out of it.

Sepu Vadi Madra

Sepu Vadi Madra
Courtesy: in.pinterest.com

Sepu Vadi Madra is a mashed lentils recipe. Spinach and curd are also used to prepare this dish. After this dish, people take Dal Jhol, yet another lentils preparation, which they believe helps in digestion.

Patore

Patore
Courtesy: muktisahay.blogspot.co.id

Patore is a popular snack made from Colocasia leaves. In many parts of India, it is also known as Arbi leaves. In this dish, layers of colocasia leaves are rolled with a layer of gram flour between them and then deep fried. This crunchy delicacy is worth a shot.

Typically, the menu in the restaurants in Shimla comprises 5 / 7 / 9 dishes. The best of this cuisine is that people don’t use artificial flavors. You can also book a taxi on day rental in Shimla and enjoy your food trail.

Useful Links-

Shimla: One day trip

Serene places to visit near Shimla

Distinct festivals of Shimla

The Legacy of Shimla

5 amazing places to visit near Vijayawada

sri someswara temple bhimavaram

Seeking quick getaways from Vijayawada? Here is a list.

Hyderabad

Charminar
Courtesy: en.wikipedia.org

Hyderabad is the capital city of the Telangana state of India. Apart from being a technology hub, Hyderabad is a historic city as well homing the sculptures from Mughal era. The interesting sites in Hyderabad include-

  • Charminar
  • Golkonda Fort
  • Ramoji Film City
  • Salar Jung Museum
  • Hussain Sagar Lake

Distance between Vijayawada and Hyderabad: 276 kilometers, 5 hours drive

Book a taxi from Vijayawada to Hyderabad

Rajahmundry

Iskcon Rajahmundry
Courtesy: commons.wikimedia.org

Located on the banks of Godavari river, Rajahmundry is an important city of Andhra Pradesh. The tourist attractions of this city are-

  • Pushkar Ghat
  • Iskcon Temple
  • Sri Markandeya Swamy Temple
  • Kota Gummam

Distance between Vijayawada and Rajahmundry: 157 kilometers, 3 hours drive

Book a taxi from Vijayawada to Rajahmundry

Kakinada

Kumararama Bhimeswara Temple kakinada
Courtesy: www.templedairy.in

It is one of the largest cities of the Andhra Pradesh state of India. The world famous sweet Kaaja is the invention of this region. The important sites in Kakinada from tourism point of view are-

  • Sri Kukkuteswara Swamy Temple
  • Chalukya Kumararama Bhimeswara Temple
  • Craig Memorial Baptist Church

Distance between Vijayawada and Kakinada: 211 kilometers, 4.5 hours drive

Book a taxi from Vijayawada to Kakinada

Bhimavaram

sri someswara temple bhimavaram
Courtesy: en.wikipedia.org

Bhimavaram is an administrative town of the Andhra Pradesh state of India. Sri Someswara Temple located in this city is an important Hindu pilgrimage. The temple is also one of the five Panchkarma Kshetras.

Distance between Vijayawada and Bhimavaram: 135 kilometers, 3 hours drive

Book a taxi from Vijayawada to Bhimavaram

Machilipatnam

kekini mahal machilipatnam
Courtesy: images.worthview.com

Also known as Masulipatnam, Machilipatnam is an ancient port town of Andhra Pradesh. During the 16th-century, the city was an important trading port for British and Dutch traders. The popular sites of this city are-

  • Kekini Mahal
  • Brahma Kumari Meditation Center
  • Sri Panduranga Swamy Temple
  • Sai Baba Temple

Distance between Vijayawada and Machilipatnam: 68 kilometers, 2 hours drive

Book a taxi from Vijayawada to Machilipatnam

Useful links-

Vijayawada: One day trip planner

Vijayawada: How to reach

The legend of Kanaka Durga Temple of Vijayawada

3 ways to reach Dalhousie hassle-free

khajjiar lake dalhousie

Dalhousie is a beautiful hill station in the Himachal Pradesh state of India. Unlike other hill stations in the north, it is secluded and perfect for your peaceful vacation. Dalhousie was also a summer retreat of the British during their reign in India. If you are planning a Dalhousie tour, here are the travel options.

Reaching Dalhousie via air

There is no direct airport in Dalhousie. The nearest airport from Dalhousie is the Pathankot airport in Punjab, which is about 75 kilometers far. But, this airport is connected with New Delhi only.

The alternative air travel option is landing at Kangra airport of Himachal Pradesh. This airport is well connected with many major cities of India. It is at a distance of about 140 kilometers from Dalhousie. From Kangra airport, you can either take the government-run bus or private taxi to reach Dalhousie.

Reaching Dalhousie via train

Dalhousie doesn’t have its own railway station and the nearest is the Chakki Bank Railway station at Pathankot. This station is about 70 kilometers far from Dalhousie.

From the Chakki Bank railway station, you can take government bus, private or shared taxi to reach Dalhousie. It should take no more than 3 hours from Pathankot railway station to Dalhousie.

Reaching Dalhousie via road

The road network in Dalhousie is smooth and well connected. Dalhousie, being a popular tourist spot, there are frequent buses in the deluxe and semi-deluxe categories operating here. There are also many government-run intercity tour buses heading to Dalhousie.

You can also self-drive or ride a private cab to reach Dalhousie.

khajjiar lake dalhousie
Courtesy: easyindiantravel.blogspot.com

Please note, you might feel altitude sickness and nausea in Dalhousie. Hence, it is advised to keep with you mild medicines while planning Dalhousie trip.

Useful Links-

Dalhousie: One day trip planner

5 great places to visit from Dalhousie

Dalhousie: Food and shopping guide

The legacy of Calicut

Kadalundi bird sanctuary

Calicut is an important coastal town in the Kerala state of India. It was called as the “City of Spices” for its role as a major trading center for eastern spices. From time immemorial, the city has attracted travelers from across the globe with its prosperity, especially in terms of spices.

Different travelers named it differently and the following section throws light on the names of this city.

Calicut: The name game

The city being a junction for international spice trade with Arabs, Chinese, and Portuguese, acquired different names. For example, Arab merchants called the city Qāliqūṭ and Chinese called it Kalifo.

Calicut also had domestic trade relations with the neighboring states and was known as Kallikottai by Tamils and Kallikote in Karnataka.

Officially, the city of Calicut is known as Kozhikode. But, the nicknames that this city has got tells us about its intense trade relations with neighboring lands.

A cultural tour of Calicut

Calicut has been a multi-ethnic and multi-religious town since the early medieval period. The Hindus form the largest religious group here, followed by Muslims and Christians.

The city was the capital of Malabar during the time of Sri Samoothiri Maharajas, who ruled the region before the British took over. Despite modernization and western influence, you can find traditional values and even occupation being preserved here.

Kozhikode beach
Courtesy: www.globalexcursionindia.com

Popular sites of Calicut

  • Kozhikode beach
  • Sarovaram bio park
  • Mananchira
  • Thali temple
  • Beypore beach
  • Kadalundi bird sanctuary

If you are planning to visit Calicut, an easy and accessible travel option is roadways. You can hire a cab on day rental in Kozhikode and enjoy your trip hassle-free.

Do you know that Calicut or Kozhikode was once a popular cotton-weaving center and the “Calico cloth” is the output of this region.

Interested to know Calico textile? Here is the wiki link.

Useful Links-

Calicut: One day trip

How to reach Calicut

Amazing places to visit near Calicut

Karwar: A food tour

Bebe Upkari

Karwar caters to the Konkani cuisine. It is also known as Malvani cuisine and is the standard cuisine of South Maharashtra, Goa, and Karwar region of Karnataka.

One can find here a variety of shallow water fish dishes, mainly in the estuary of the Kali river. An estuary is the tidal mouth of the river, where it meets the mainstream. Let’s have a look at the traditional delicacies of this region.

Solkadhi

Solkadhi
Courtesy: www.archanaskitchen.com

Solkadhi is a soupy dish made from coconut milk and kokum. Kokum is a coastal plant, whose ripe fruit is used for tangy flavor in the local dishes. Solkadhi is usually served with fish and meat dishes.

kavda curry

Kavda is a local bird known as Khavda. Kavda curry is a delicious dish made from the meat of this bird. You can also try the dry spiced version of this dish.

Bombil Fry

Bombil Fry
Courtesy: www.tarkarlitourism.com

Bombil or Bombay Duck is a dry fish dish, especially popular in Karwar, and South Goa.

Dal Toi

Dal Toi
Courtesy: www.yourhungerstop.com

Dal Toi is a lentil preparation, which is fried with local spices. The feature that distinguishes Dal Toi from other lentil preparation of the country is that it is cooked in earthen pots in a low flame. This slow cooking method is highly nutritious and imparts a great natural flavor of lentils.

Bebe Upkari

Bebe Upkari
Courtesy: www.archanaskitchen.com

Bebe means cashew and upkari is a vegetable. The Konkan region also produces cashews and hence a dish from it can be anticipated. This dish is among the few vegetarian dishes of Karwar and is totally worth.

While in Karwar, do not forget to try the Black Snapper dishes. Although the snapper fish is found in other coastal cities, it is special here because of the estuary. You can try this dish at the Amrut restaurant, which is a great place to eat traditional Konkani dishes. The restaurant has been serving people for generations. You can read more about this restaurant and the dishes it serves here.

You can also rent a car in Karwar and enjoy a hassle-free tour.

Useful links-

5 serene places to visit on a weekend getaway to Karwar

Places to visit near Karwar

How to reach Karwar

Karwar: Exclusive shopping ideas