Travel: Weekend Getaway at The Lalit Mangar, Faridabad

Set amidst the Aravalli range of Faridabad, Lalit Mangar is Lalit Hotel's latest property to be launched in India. A destination for calm and relaxation, only a few couple of kilometres away from Delhi, you can't imagine a beauty like this can be so close to Delhi. 20 minutes from Chhatarpur and an hour away from the farthest points of Delhi, Lalit Mangar is set inside the Mangar village of Faridabad.

A sprawling beautiful property with 34 rooms, each with its own balcony with a clear view of the Aravallis, a restaurant and a bar to fulfill all your food and drinks needs, a spa like no other to treat you of your ailments, and a very quiet and peaceful vibe make Lalit Mangar one of the most desirable weekend getaway destinations from Delhi and the neighbouring areas. The road to the hotel is perfect, the drive is so picturesque, and the grandeur of the hotel really sets your expectations high for the rest of your stay. The hotel is built from high to low, so as you keep on walking from the entrance of the hotel towards the end of the property, it's a downhill, right into the valley. Rooms have been built in a straight line from high to low, and in parallel lines one after the other. All the rooms have their balconies on the same side- facing the Aravalli range, so all of them have an amazing view to themselves. And the rooms have been built so strategically that no room's view of the Aravallis is blocked by the room that's in front of it.

Food and Experiences at Suryagarh, Jaisalmer

Suryagarh doesn’t give you meals, dishes or food items, it gives you experiences, memories and treasures. Food and experiences play a major role during your stay here, and that’s one of the major factors that make Suryagarh stand out as a hotel. It’s not even funny how I can recall every single minute of my time here during those four lovely days, and how I remember every single meal of mine so distinctly. Maybe that’s the reason I still go around recommending Suryagarh to any and everyone I come across who wants to go out for a holiday/mini vacation. Read about the rooms at Suryagarh and the hotel in another post here.

Signature Thali and cocktails at Draksh

My first night at Suryagarh saw cocktails and dinner in their bar, called Draksh. Tables lit up with small candles, cutlery set up in the most royal way, for a Suryagarh Thali experience. Started off by getting some drinks from the bar and enjoying our appetizers- Dahi Ke Kebab and Pathar Kutta Gosht. The Dahi Kebab was coated with sago and was very crisp. But the Pathar Kutta Gosht was the winner for me. Hand pounded goat meat coated in a thick gravy masala consisting of strong aromatic flavours of cardamom and cinnamon, served with three accompaniments- walnut chutney, garlic chutney and ker pickle. Ker, a specialty of Rajasthan had a nice sour tinge to it, but the rich walnut chutney was my favourite pick. Came in such cute little cutlery! 

Review: Tata Sampann Masale

Tata has recently launched a wide range of such masalas, called the Tata Sampann Masale range. Recently tried a couple of these, ranging from coriander powder, turmeric powder and red chilli powder to Punjabi Chhole Masala, Paneer Masala and even Chicken Masala. The former lot are the typical spices that you put into your food, and the latter is what is the essence of the dish. These spices are available in 100 grams packets, and also in 5 sachets of 20 grams each, packed into one box. The strong point of Tata Sampann masale is the supply of high nutritional value of daily foods that Indian households include in their meals. The spices have essential oils in them and the aroma and flavour in them is completely undiluted, something that's not seen in most spices. They're natural and healthy, enabling people to consume wholesome healthy food.

I tried their Punjabi Chhole Masala for lunch last weekend and all I had to do was boil the chhole, and follow the instructions given at the back of the packet. I had to do nothing more and nothing less. Added a little red chilli even though that wasn't mentioned at the back of the packet, but I like my food slightly spicy and thought the addition would be nice for me. Perfectly delicious Punjabi Chhole were served for lunch with hot fluffy saunf ki poori for lunch. The chhole didn't look like they weren't made from scratch using a perfect blend of all the masalas.The gravy was slightly thick and mostly watery, with a good consistency mixed with the chhole. Could be relished with any kind of bread, like a kulcha or a parantha, and the chhole would make their taste come out so well with everything they're paired.