Tamil Nadu’s Ambur Biryani

Banjaran Foodie

Ambur is small town in Tamil Nadu, located about half-way between Chennai and Bengaluru on NH 48. Primarily it is a manufacturing center. It used to be known for its high quality leather goods. The Biryani from Ambur has been a delight for people in the town and around. Owing to its location on a busy National Highway, the Ambur Biryani is also immensely popular in Bengaluru as well as Chennai and other places along the route.

If you go back to Mughal times, you could trace down the origin of the Ambur Biryani to that era. The Nawabs of Arcot who ruled the Carnatic region of South India, primarily in the 18th century had their base in Arcot (a place near Ambur), and it was in the kitchens of these Nawabs in Arcot that the Ambur Biryani originated.

Unfair as it may seem, the biryani, after all, was originally…

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Experiencing the Darjeeling First Flush Black Tea

Banjaran Foodie

Darjeeling Tea is renowned the world over. Time and again, it has fetched international awards and recognition, and is considered among the best teas by tea sommeliers across the globe. I have had Darjeeling tea from different flushes over the years, but never did I get a chance to try the freshly roasted Darjeeling tea. The ones I had were usually tea bags (ugghhhh….) or something roasted like a few months before. But like most things food, freshness makes all the difference in tea. I recently signed up for a subscription from Dorje Tea for Darjeeling Black Tea. As part of the subscription I get 250g of freshly roasted and packed Darjeeling Tea from each of the four seasons through the year. So, every quarter, I would have a packet of freshly roasted and packed tea at my doorstep coming all the way from the beautiful Selim Hill Tea Collective…

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Why is Earl Grey Tea called so?

Banjaran Foodie

What tea does Christopher Nolan drink?

Earl Grey.

Cast and crew on his sets have often mentioned how Nolan keeps a flask full of hot Earl grey tea handy and keeps sipping from it all day. Even while giving interviews, he is known to be sipping a cup of Earl Grey.

What tea does Emily offer Ross when they are addressing the invitation cards for their wedding in London in the popular sitcom Friends?

Earl Grey.

Ross, unfortunately, does not get what Emily is asking and instead feels she is asking if she can invite ‘Earl Grey’ to the wedding and says, “Yeah sure, invite whoever you like”. This could probably because she just found out that Ross is inviting Rachel, his ex, to the wedding and she feels it would be awkward while he does not seem to think so and is kinda lost on what to do.

Earl…

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Why does Pumpkin Spice make you feel warm and fuzzy?

Banjaran Foodie

In my previous post, I talked about what is pumpkin spice and if it contains pumpkin. If you haven’t checked that one out, head over there now. Here’s the link to the post:

https://banjaranfoodie.wordpress.com/2021/10/02/does-pumpkin-spice-have-pumpkin/

It is the pumpkin spice season right now and we are all craving some of that warm, comforting aroma, aren’t we? I sure am. Each time I go to Starbucks, I get myself a mug of that warm Pumpkin Spice Latte. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy, like I just want to cuddle up in a warm blanket with this, sip this warm mug of deliciousness while watching the autumn outside – falling leaves, gentle breeze, weather get a slight chill, and that beautiful palette nature dons during this season.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUsxLPCLjPQ/

What our brain does when it encounters a familiar comforting fragrance like pumpkin spice?

While pumpkin spice, undoubtedly, has grown and benefited greatly…

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Exploring Khari Baoli: Asia’s largest spice market

Banjaran Foodie

What was once a mere stepwell, as the name suggests, has long since become Asia’s largest spice market. When the Khari Baoli market started in the 17th century in Delhi, little did anyone imagine the proportions to which the market would grow over the centuries.

There are generally three types of people who visit the Khari Baoli Market – people who are interested in buying the spices and other fares, people who are interested in experiencing the heritage that is Khari Baoli, and then there are Instagrammers. I am a combination of all three. I am also someone who really, really loves going to vegetable markets and spice markets and experiencing the lovely colorful sights and smells of the place. So, Khari Baoli is definitely not something I would miss, would I?

https://www.instagram.com/p/CB2uoHlnOua/

Khari Baoli traces its origin back to the year 1650, when one of the five wives of…

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Modhera Sun Temple

Banjaran Foodie

Around 35km away from Mehsana on way to the temple of Goddess Bahucharaji, lies the small village of Modhera. There, along the banks of River Pushpavati, nestled between flowering trees and chirping birds, is one of the few Sun temples of India – the Modhera Sun Temple, or what remains of it.

The remains of the Modhera Sun Temple are symbols of the times gone by when reverence of the natural elements – fire, air, earth, water and the sky were at their peak, sharing space with myriad manifestations of Vedic Gods.

The ancient philosophy venerating natural elements and its association with humans was considered the prime force and energy of the life cycle. A walk around the serene temple campus makes you aware of the positively strong aura of energy which the place radiates and through it brings one closer to the environs.

The exclusively carved temple complex and…

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Does Pumpkin Spice have Pumpkin?

Banjaran Foodie

The simplest answer I can give you to this, is NO.

Every year, come fall season, and Starbucks around the world light up and begin their Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) season. When the PSL debuted, it was sold in only 100 stores in Vancouver, BC and Washington, DC. However, since then, the PSL has grown immensely popular across the globe and has become Starbucks’ most popular seasonal beverage of all time. Since its launch in 2003, Starbucks has sold more than 424 million Pumpkin Spice Lattes in the United States alone.

Pumpkin spice is an American spice mix which is a common ingredient of the popular pumpkin pie, hence the name – Pumpkin spice. The actual name was Pumpkin Pie Spice, though it got shortened to just Pumpkin Spice somewhere down the timeline. Pumpkin spice is similar to what the British and the Commonwealth call the Mixed Spice. Usually, the…

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Mahabat Maqbara, Junagadh

Banjaran Foodie

Junagadh is one of the many well-known places in Gujarat. At one time, Junagadh was a princely state ruled by the Muslim Babi dynasty until it got integrated into India in 1948. Muhammad Sher Khan Babi was the founder of the Babi Dynasty of Junagadh State dynasty. His descendants, the Babi Nawabs of Junagadh, conquered large territories in southern Saurashtra. Mohammad Sher Khan Babi, a Babi or Babai (Pashtun tribe) Pathan who owed allegiance to the Mughal governor of Gujarat subah, founded the state of Junagadh and declared independence in 1730 after the Maratha invasion. Junagadh remained a tributary to the Maratha Empire, until it came under British suzerainty in 1807, following the Second Anglo-Maratha War.

In 1807, the Junagadh State became a British protectorate and The East India Company took control of the state. By 1818, the Saurashtra area, along with other princely states of Kathiawar, were separately administrated…

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National Dish of Egypt with Indian Origin

Banjaran Foodie

Koshari is the national dish of Egypt. It is served in literally every Egyptian restaurant, every Egyptian home and every Egyptian street corner. This beloved and highly popular dish is an unusual combination of lentils, macaroni noodles and rice with a spicy tomato sauce. The dish uses a special Middle Eatern spice mix, garbanzo beans and fried onions.

Heba Fatteen Bizzari explains, “As the Koshari man scoops, he knocks his metal spoon against the sides of the bowls, making the Koshari symphony that you won’t hear elsewhere. When the Koshari man prepares an order of more than four the restaurant fills with sound as if it was a rehearsal for a concert. The restaurants of Koshari are very noisy. One sits to eat while the Koshari man practices his drums in your ears” (www.touregypt.net).

Though it is Egypt’s national dish, it isn’t actually Egyptian in origin.  Neither rice nor macaroni are…

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Bandra Wine Festival 2016

Banjaran Foodie

I have been attending the Bandra Wine Festival since 2013, I visit it every year. Last year, unfortunately, it had gotten cancelled. But this year, it was here again, I traveled down to Mumbai to attend the festival.

There were a lot of wine stalls from all leading Indian wine brands displaying their fare of their best wines open for sale at special discounted rates. There were food stalls offering some great foods, vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian. There were stalls selling jewelry, merchandise and other goods. There was a cheese stall selling cheese platters and slabs. There were contests, workshops and so much more.

There were a lot of wines that made it to my favorite list like the peach, pineapple and strawberry flavored wines, the Vero White from Fratelli, the Casablanca champagne wine, the sparkling wines from Living Liquids and quite many more.

The wines remain quite the…

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