Green Mexican Rice

I hate cooking elaborate meals which take too long. My thing is short, simple, quick yet tasty recipes. 

This is what I whipped up for dinner in 20 minutes. 

I don't plan meals, I just use whatever is available in the kitchen to satisfy my dinner demons 😉😜 

I was craving for a rice dish and wanted to try out something new. 

I decided on Mexican green rice and realised I didn't have one major ingredient Spinach. 

However stubborn that I am , I still decided to go ahead and experiment. 

So here goes my Mexican Green Rice with a twist ( can never stay mainstream on a straight path, I just love twists in every form - rebel 😊) 

Green Mexican Rice 

Ingredients 

1 cup fresh coriander / cilantro 

1/2 cup mint leaves 

5 green chillies (according to taste) 

1 medium size onion puréed 

1/2 cup fresh coconut grated in paste 

1 tspn ginger garlic paste 

1/2 cup corn 

1 cup rice 

Olive oil 

1/2 lemon 

Method 

In a pan heat 1 tbspn olive oil 

Add onion purée and sauté 

Add ginger garlic paste and sauté 

Add coconut paste 

Make a paste of coriander, mint and chillies and add to pan, sauté. 

Then add the corn. 

Add the rice. 

And squeeze the lemon juice in this mixture. 

Add salt and pepper according to taste . 

Add water and let the rice cook. 

Tada !!! That easy !! Have a look !! It turned out really well and yummilicious ❤️❤️

Enjoy with a chilled iced tea or shake. 

Next time will make it spinach, healthy tasty way of getting dosage of greens, especially for hubby dear who runs away from it 🙈🙈. Now let that be a secret, shouldn't we? And I am blogging about the same,, duhhh me 😜☺️🍴

xoxo

Bhakti 

Weekend Diaries- Lohagad in Rain

No sooner than the first drops of rain kiss the earth, the entire scene changes with this love affair.
This romance is abundant in and around Pune. No wonder with the first showers of rain people start flooding the monsoon getaways around the city which are resplendent and dancing in all its glory.
This weekend we decided to get enthralled with one such beauty.
Pune city is surrounded by lots of hills and forts and the best way to enjoy these attraction in all its grandeur is by trekking. There are number of trekking groups and camps available with whom you can go. However we decided to do this on our own with a bunch of friends, some of them being good trekkers and leading the way. Me and hubby being amateur with a slight asthma problem, we zeroed in on Lohagad which is a fort to be trekked with moderate difficulty.

Lohagad (the iron fort) one of the many Chatrapati Shivaji's forts (king) is situated close to Lonavla it being 1,033 m (3,389 ft) above sea level.
Train goes to Malavali station, where the fort is located within 10 mins walking distance. 
From Pune to Lohagad by car - 1 h 47 min (75.6 km) via Mumbai - Pune Expy
We started from Pune at 8 am and reached the fort by around 10 am with leisurely breaks. 
Car goes till the base of the fort from where you just have to climb the stairs, but we decided to leave our car at the base of the hill at the car park and trek the whole way up.

On our way to Lohagad 

Breakfast on our way, hot bhajias and vada Pav in rains. 
Do have breakfast as you will need the energy and carry some snacks with you to devour on top of the fort.
There are quite some thelas (stalls ) at the base of the fort as well as at the parking where the trek begins. I suggest carry some snacks from the highway and be careful with drinking water. The taste at these thelas at least on the weekend was not that great, and hubby as well as I had severe stomach infection after returning back.

Selfie in rain, rain God was with us. The weather was beautiful and prevailed the entire time. 

At the base, starting our trek❤️❤️

The entire way was dotted with gurgling waterfalls and mesmerising landscapes. 

The soothing sound of water flowing combined with chilled, crisp and fresh mountain air kept us motivated to keep going and exploring the beauty which just kept growing by bounds and leaps. 

Cheers💗💗 to some Color co ordinated snacks on the go. Complete sugar rush. 

You will get a few stalls selling bhutta (corn on the cob ) my favorite, we devoured some in the rain, relishing every bit of the experience.

Slow and steady does the trick 👫

Wonders of nature, creatures of the wild, he was so gorgeous. 

Finally atop ❤️ 
We took around 2.5 hours to climb the entire thing right from the base at an easy pace and we took approximately the same amount of time to descend.
So its a convenient day trip from Pune as well as Mumbai.
Do take a pair of extra clothes, we were drenched to our core, even after all the rain paraphernalia.
Locals give you a changing room for a decent amount.

Views from the top. There is a small temple on top of the fort, one well/pond and a tomb. The views are splendidly magnificent from anywhere you see. 

It was so windy on the top, that one couldn't keep steady. It was beautiful worth all the effort indeed. It was pouring heavily but that neither dithered us from our path nor the huge crowds of people who thronged the fort. 

We enjoyed our victory with some snacks, we had carried, as the strenuous climb left us ravenous (wish we had carried something more filling like sandwiches or rolls). 

Happiness on conquering it together. 

The whole gang ☺️

Until we meet again with a new journey 💚 

A small clip for you - 

xoxo

Bhakti 


other weekend diaries 

Sinhagad in Rain 
Drive in the Rain 
Merry in Mulshi 
A Small Hike with Big Happiness 
Adrenaline Unlimited @ Della Adventure

Goa Romantic Places to eat in Baga / Candolim

Carrying on from the last post - Goa -Places to eat near Baga / Candolim Part 1

Romance and Goa go hand in hand,Shacks all over Goa are so pretty and naming a few places romantic, means these places are really special and create magic effortlessly. 

You decide for yourself. 

Tuscany Garden 

Main Rd, Near Kingfisher Villa, Sinquirim, Candolim, Goa 403515
0832 645 4026

www.tuscanygardens.in/

photo credit - Tuscany Gardens website