Visit Goa - Check.

It was Goa all over again for me in a span of 5 months, only this time it was driven by sheer desperation for a break. The earlier trip had a more touristy approach whereas the second trip was more aimed at chilling out and relaxing.

This relaxing bit was done in its true spirit when my cousin booked us in five star resort (I spent several restless nights wondering how a douche like me would fit in there) and driving all the way to Goa in a Jazz (very classy, I know).

So there I was, with two of my cousins cruising along the streets of Pune with a not-so-reliable navigator to guide us(The navigator actually proposed a route THROUGH a mountain, maybe there was a secret tunnel there. Hmmm. ). After a eight hour journey, which included a stopover for breakfast and soaking in the waterfalls at Amboli, we reached our hotel. I am sure the staff will talk about the girl who was gawking at anything and everything inside the hotel. I could actually see the beach through the lobby windows and smell the salt. And I think my heart skipped a beat when I stepped into the room. Can you blame me?

I have been craving for days when I could just sit back and watch life pass by me. There are a hundred things gnawing for my attention and I know that I cannot possibly sort them even if I put in all my energy. But to let things just be is not in my nature. As I lay back near the pool, curled up with a book watching an orange ball of fury sink across the horizon, I realized this is the closest I could get to relaxing. And what a feeling it is.

Good-natured bonding. Breakfast that makes you loosen a few buttons. Staring into nothingness while chilling at a shack. Sinking your feet into sand and hearing it scrunch Letting the salty breeze mess up your hair. That is Goa for me.

Uncharted Territory.Cooking Adventures - I

No, no, I have been cooking for quite some time but this would be the first time I would share my adventures on this blog. Why so late, you ask? Firstly, the food I cook is more of the homely sort- something that was conjured up in minutes to satiate hunger pangs or oddly timed rumblings. Secondly, I do not have the proper camera to capture the cooking process, all I have is a 5 MP camera on my cellphone. Thirdly, ermm... I do not remember.

I decided to set my doubts aside(as a part of my new resolution to suppress the Doubting Daves in me) and go ahead with one of my favourite and surprisingly easy to make dish. I present to you *drum-rolls background music* Paneer Makhanwala

Disclaimer: This dish is not meant for consumption for the fainthearted who cannot tolerate calories or wrinkle their faces on seeing excess butter. This Punjabi dish needs to be made in the spirit of its place of origin-excessive, rich and flavorful. Also, excuse the bad quality pictures, theya re all I could manage.

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 200 gm paneer(cottage cheese)
• 7-8 cashewnuts soaked in hot water and later ground to a paste.
• 1 tbsp. Kasuri methi
• 1 an half tbsp. red chilli powder
• 1 tsp. pepper powder
• 1 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1 tbsp. fresh cream
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 2-3 tbs. cooking oil
• salt to taste
• sugar (a pinch)

Steps

First heat the oil, add the onions and cook on low flame until translucent brown.

Add the tomatoes and cook until soft.

Turn off the flame, let the mixture cool and then grind it into a fine paste.

Next, heat butter in a pan, add Kasuri Methi(rub them in your palm, releases the aroma better), onion-tomato paste, red chilli powder(I use it generously to offset the sweetness of tomato and cashews),pepper powder, cashew paste and stir well. To make more gravy, add hot water to lighten the consistency. Lastly, add fresh cream and stir well.

Once the oil starts leaving the sides, add the paneer, salt, sugar and mix well. You can also add tomato puree for some tang but I like it spicy. Make sure to stir lightly beacause the paneer breaks up easily.Cook till it starts bubbling,then turn off the flame.

Voila! The dish is ready. Serve hot with phulkas or butter naans. Bon Appétit!