Food recycling! Leftover Daal Paratha with Peanut dip. #FoodPhotography

How about rainy day and hot served Paratha? I’ll definitely choose this over Pakoras. Being a recycle-r, it’s hard for me to throw any thing to the garbage bin. So, Yes! I recycle food also.

These healthy and delicious Paratha or pancakes are made with night before’s leftover Daal (lentil curry).

I think our kitchen is the best and biggest lab, so I always tend to experiment with recipes. I use to toast my paratha in ghee or clarified butter but my latest favorite is coconut oil. I used coconut oil for this and trust me it’s way delicious and healthier…give it a try. I made this peanut dip in a replacement for hummus. Easier…healthier…better nutrition. I can dip my salad and paratha as well.

This plate of breakfast is primarily rich in protein, carbohydrates, dietary fibers, vitamin c,vitamin B-6, iron, potassium, magnesium and fat. What else you need to kick start the day?

For Paratha/Pan cake

Ingredients:

1 bowl leftover Daal
3/4 bowl whole wheat flour
1 tbspn oil of your choice (I used sesame)
Mix them and make a soft dough. Manage thickness according to you by adding more Daal or flour. Now make small balls and roll them with pin. Heat tawa/pan and put paratha on it. Toast them with oil/ghee until it become crisp and cook properly.

For dip

Ingredients:

Fist full of soaked peanuts
2 tspn coconut oil
1/2 cup water
salt, black pepper, chili flakes and oregano for seasoning.
Take a grinding jar, put peanuts, coconut oil and water into it. Add salt, pepper and chili fakes to taste.Grind the mixture, pour it in a bowl and season with chili flakes and oregano. I keep this dip raw (no cooking) for hassle free and fresh taste.

Chop the salad of your choice in sticks and enjoy your super breakfast because, it’s the most important meal of your day.

Photo: All rights reserved © Aruna Singh

This is how I saw the Royal fort of Amber. #Photography

Rajasthan tourism department’s punchline states- “Jane kya dikh jaaye” that means “be ready for surprises” and that’s on point. I experienced this in my recent visit to the Royal fort of Amber or Amer.

I was surprised and spellbound with this magnificent architecture. I even felt like I’m walking through a maze. Thanks to my sharp knowledge and sense of directions what helped me in finding ways. Actually, there are staircases and cave like galleries in every corner.

Tour without a tour guide
It was an unplanned visit or I can say it was an urge on the rainy day. So, when me and my companion reached to the fort entrance, some guides approached us and offered to guide us but we both wanted to visit by our own (budget and mood were back in mind). I proudly refused, saying, “We’re local visitors, we know the history”(easy lines to get rid).

My gal pal, channelling her monsoon love.

Tip: Hire a guide, if you want to have a clear vision of fort’s history.

Now, don’t judge me If I say I visited the fort for the first time in my 7 years of living in Jaipur. My friend and I was confident enough to visit the fort without any guidance.

How it’s different?
Coming to the point, there’re numbers of articles on the web or written in the guide books about Jaipur’s Amber fort, so don’t want to repeat that. This is about how I saw this greatness. No common pictures…no ghisa-pita travel blog.

We live in multistory, 6 inches thick, brick walled matchboxes and confined rooms. Despite of RCC constructions our buildings cannot achieve the strength of these 3 to 4 feet thick stone walls jointed with interlocking. Red sand stone and white marble stone are majorly used here. Lime plaster make these building cool. In humid days when we suffocate even in open air, these buildings feel like air-conditioned. I also came to know about natural geyser and water cooling system in here.

“Don’t know why I capture pigeons every where”- to self.

This hall is the most windy.

As I mentioned earlier, there are numbers of staircases, rooms, galleries, halls, and chawks. Some of them are restricted and guarded by fort security but I’m privileged with the Press card. I grabbed the chance to see water harvesting system of the fort, the storage tank named ‘Sawai Man Singh Tanka‘. We caught strange vibes, may be because nobody was here, just two of us and the stink.

Tank is about 10 feet deep.

She’s capturing the photographer (note the thickness of wall)

Entrance to the tank area

We live in technically sound era and we think that this is the smartest generation. We have machines and robotics to help in building skyscraper and cities but these magnificent structures were made by hands, with the help of some tools. We can only imagine that how many years and lives were spent in building these giants.

No moulds , No machines
These pillars are not carved with cutter machines but by the hands and patience of artisans. I wonder, what perfection!

1. Marble or Sangmarmar stone carved so artistically

2. Red sand stone pillars and supports

3. Fine art level- expert.

4. Hardwork shows up

5. These colors are natural and long lasting 

The Wonder!
This Sheesh Mehal (Mirror palace) concept is just amazing. Millions of convex mirrors are jeweled in mosaic pattern. From ceiling to walls…Perfection. Historians says that the design was inspired by Mughal architecture but I think, this design in amalgam of Mughal, Hindu mythology and folk art.

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This portion is jeweled with colored glasses, mirrors and gold paint. 

Charming Sheesh Mehal was built for celebrations. In the dark, just a candle light can enlighten this entire area. Isn’t it amazing?

We always have a blurry imagination of the history during the visits. Even the Bollywood movies have been portraying and stereotyping history but being a Rajasthani, I have little better vision about the culture, living, language and even dress-up. So, my mind was adapting the lives of fort residents in an unclear film…and that was really different feeling.I couldn’t guess the purpose of this roof area 

Beautiful entrance at Deewan-ae-aam. 

My incomplete journey
I could visited about 3/4 area of the fort and I my neck was already hurting. I needed to look up almost entire time. My health app monitored that I covered about 3.5 Kilometers in the fort only. I know…I know, this much of walk shouldn’t be tiring. But my neck pain and headache drained me. I dragged myself down the hill to grab a cup of tea. I wanted to explore more.

I’m planning my next visit. So, more to come folks. Till then, enjoy my uncommon photo gallery of Amber Fort.

I could have captured the entire lawn but was too tired to go to the top.

Surely for entertainment purpose

Unbelievably perfect hand work

Minimalism cannot escape my eyes

Some memories of the place to take with you (to buy)

Contemporary art gallery display

‘Shila Mata’ temple entrance. Every fort in India has a temple of Goddess.

Something’s left un-restored.

Boundary wall spread in kilometers to guard the fort.

I left the fort in 2 and a half hours, promising myself to see the unseen…some other day.

Photographs: all rights reserved © Aruna Singh

Meraki Monsoon! This Season is A Melange of Colors and Emotions.

It’s drizzling…vehicles splashing water on road and honk!…honk!…and honk! My dormant mind is now started stretching and my cup of elixir is ready to sip on.
Waking up by the sound of pouring rain is the best start of the day. Sipping on self-made…perfect cup of tea (my elixir) is the second best feeling.
Somewhere, monsoon wakes me up. It has beening happening to me for several years that the summer months (March to June) are the gloomiest months of the year for me. I unnecessarily suffer this period for various reasons.
And then comes the savior, MONSOON! New Year never gives a new start but this rainy season.

No doubt, I am a Pluviophile

Probably because I’m a piscean. I’m always on an emotional roller coaster ride. People who know me well give a typological classification that I’m a coconut…my shell is hard…not the core.

Are pigeons piscean? Why they look so shy and emotional to me?                           (Picture © Aruna Singh )

But I know, I’m a Pluviophile, I wait for the rain. It gives me joy and peace of mind. Here I end up becoming more active, creative and productive.
And now, I’m unstoppable! not only till next summer but through the life (* fingers crossed *).

“I will not give birth to a daughter”. A note to Law makers

Yes, I dare to say that! Want to know why?
I don’t want my daughter to go through a “plague” called Rape. You better note that!

My heart tears apart when I see this-

A 6 years old girl raped and murdered in Gwalior on Friday, 6th July. Can you imaging, if it is your daughter? (Photo-DB)

Let me talk about my own city, Jaipur. It is fourth day(7/7/18) and second victim of this “plague”. It’s just a case which is reported, what about unheard, there’re some, definitely. Look at the seriousness of this epidemic!

What it looks?

On Tuesday, 3rd July, a 3 YO raped. Her mother gave her some money, a failed attempt to comfort her from pain and tears in the hospital. (Photo- DB)

Amid this case and large coverage, a 13 YO raped on Friday night by her neighbour. She is hospitalized now. For obvious.

How these “plague” carrier “rats” have balls to attempt this heinous crime? Bloody, how they can ignore an innocent, crying and pleading face? Why they don’t fear law?

Although, we have a POCSO court in the capital city. But here the fate hits us so hard, the F-1 speed of court trials (You know what I mean). From filing charge sheets to court trials and final verdicts, a long suffering to go for these poor victims and their mothers.
Let us talk about Laws against female foeticide/infanticide, It’s illegal and punishable. India holds a dark history of gender discrimination. Indian society can not escape patriarchy. No wonder, in many cases females force female foeticide/infanticide. It is surely a crime. Criminals should be punished.
We’ve been hearing ‘Beti Bachao, Beti padhao’ type slogans from ages. Be it is NDA or UPA government, every body have been chanting ‘Beti’ based slogans. But the graph is still upwards. Think why? Why these rapists don’t fear? Not only children, hundreds of women get raped every day. Why?

Why I can not go out in the darkness? Why I can not travel this country alone? Why I can not walk my city alone? Why I have to concern for my safety all the time?

How can I put my far-off daughter through all this?

I will not give birth to a girl, until she can play outside without safety concern.
I will not, until she can go to school and I don’t have to worry.
I will not, until she can have guilt and tease free adolescence.
I will not give birth to a girl, until she can have a safe feminine life.

Isn’t it enough to strike chords?

If you urge to save lives, you must urge to protect them from the sexual maltreatment. Make these “Rats” fear…I request.

We have more stimulating issues than #Padmavati

Delhi-NCR is being choked. Women are being raped everyday. Innocent kids are being assaulted and killed. I wonder, how a movie became worth protesting?

Nation is divided by castes and reservation quota but a movie reunited us to plan a ‘Sarwa Samaj Protest’ or even ‘Bharat Bandh’. According to the WHO, New Delhi is now the most polluted city on earth. This year India ranked 5th most dangerous country for women and we are protesting to protect our history only. Of course, this is our duty to respect and protect history but where we are living? An actress is being threatened to chop off her nose. A theater vandalized for showing Padmavati trailer.

See, air is choking us…our elders can’t breathe…now we often see birth defect cases amid pollution. Climate change shifting the weather cycle. We are going to face food crisis and then drinking water crisis, many of us are facing already. Our kids are not safe…whether girls or boys. A woman is raped on footpath in bright daylight…a man filmed this incident but couldn’t save her. Where are we going? Humanity is dying. We have to be more human than anything.

Think, If Ranisa Padmavati were here…in this century. Respect.

Woman who wants to know and to be known.

It’s me in my own world. I like this motion blur. It gives the feel of liveliness.