Returning from Ratnagiri:My Konkan Holiday Part 5

-
Our trip to the Konkan was a short but action packed one.The beauty of the ocean,the cool sea breeze,the glimmering lighthouse in the distance all made for a perfect relaxation.While leaving I looked at the little cottages(of Ratnasagar resort) below the casuarina trees and coconut palms at the Bhatye beach for the last time. The only thing I was glad to leave behind were the mosquitoes which had a predilection for me! Essential to be armed with Odomos and Goodknight.
Passed "Konkan Chinese Corner" a flame red colored roadside stall on the streets of Ratnagiri and stalls selling Dabeli.Took us an hour and half to reach Chiplun by road.

There we had dosas at Shivsagar which were of excellent quality.


After Chiplun came Khed.If you ask your bais at home or your Marathi staff or acquaintances at work which village they belong to,you will realise that they all lie along this highway.

The ghats had posters of tantalising pictures of seafood of a Khed hotel called "Green Village".

Mangaon came after Khed and there were watermelon stalls with cut fruit too to beat the heat.

Vegetables from nearby villages looked oh so fresh!

Spotted a basket of mulberries which were immensely sweet!

Asked the fruitseller what this fruit was.....turns out it was the kokum fruit.Expectedly,tasted SOUR!

Ramphal is similar to Sitaphal except that it has no seeds.The price quoted was high.Wonder if it was because we were tourists.Whatever happened to the simplicity of village folks.

Strawberries were small but sweet.

Then spotted a woman selling roasted cashewnuts.Reminded me of the toasted Singhada we get in Mumbai. Another lady was selling tender cashewnuts or Ole Kaju.Mangoan Market was full of interesting things!! Very crowded though!

When we passed Indapur,I spotted a Gujarati Thali restaurant!

Many of the villages have trees along both sides of the road forming beautiful avenues!

Saw the Konkan Railway train on the bridge above.Another option to travel to the Konkan!!
There are also tour operators such as Kokan Paryatan and Sachin Travels.

At Wadakalnaka we saw many stalls selling white onions from Alibag.

The heat was getting to us so we stopped at Marquis Manthan at Pen for Fresh Lime and Soda and Veg Sandwiches. Good service and clean place.Decent loos....something that's not so common on the highway.Was appalled by the dirty toilets at Kamat's,Mahad.That's a name one associates with quality!
Saw umpteen Neera stalls,the palm drink that cost Rs 7 for 200 ml.


Saw the "Garden Mall" near Karnala Bird Sanctuary which was a nursery that sold all things garden.

At Karnala,one sees lots of monkeys besides the birds.

Then came Panvel,Navi Mumbai and then home.......Mumbai!!!



Comments

Slogan Murugan said…
And will you be going back again and again for the hhhhhaaaaaApoooos?
March 30, 2011 at 11:52 AM
Sassy Fork said…
Heeheehee..it's so yummy,I can't tell you!!! But I would also go back for the fish!!!
March 30, 2011 at 2:40 PM
Saee Koranne-Khandekar said…
Oh, what I would give for some tender cashews and kokums right now! Kokum sarbat is made by halving and de-seeding the kokums and filling the cavities with sugar. The resultant syrup is the sarbat. Am DYING to make it this summer!
March 30, 2011 at 11:42 PM
Sassy Fork said…
@Saee.Wow! That sounds yummy! Wonder how they make kokum agal.First time I saw the kokum fruit
March 31, 2011 at 5:37 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Food at a Baarsa...A Maharashtrian Naming Ceremony

-
Image
Today we had the naming ceremony of my grand-nephew...one rarely gets to see such functions so was mighty thrilled when I heard about it.A time to connect with cousins is always welcome The parents of the baby Vikrant and Rakhi glowed with joy.Their parents and grandparents were in attendance at the Kohinoor Hall at Prabhadevi.The priest chanted mantras.Then everyone went unto the great-grandmother (Panji)and showed their respect and took her blessings.We showered the baby and her with flowers and she in return showered the baby with tiny gold flowers.Then the aunt went and announced the baby's name....Arjun!! The grandmother then read out a note which was supposed to have been conveyed to her by Arjun in which he declares the good quality of each of his relatives that he hopes to inherit...lovely! This was followed by a typical Maharashtrian lunch... Khamang Kakdi or Cold Cucumber and Yoghurt Salad which was oh so refreshing Bhajjis of potato,chillies ...
Read more

The Malcolm Baug Parsi Pop-Up

-
Image
Had a fascinating time at Malcolm Baug,Jogeshwari,thanks to the invitation of my friend Perzen Darukhanawala Patel (also known as Bawi Bride ) at the lovely Jer Villa. Baugs are colonies set up by Parsis,mainly the N.M. Wadia Trust and this one is so named as it was bought from an Englishman named Malcolm.This was earlier a hunting ground.We were privy to these lovely stories, thanks to the presence of our friends and archaeologists Kurush and Rhea Mitra Dalal.Malcolm Baug has been developed like a hill station and has quaint bungalows with lovely gardens. Baugs were set up for needy Parsis by Bai Jerbai Wadia and her sons.Others include Cusrow Baug,Navroz Baug,Rustom Baug,Jer Baug and Ness Baug which are gated communities that have buildings and gardens.A nominal rent is collected but the upkeep is undertaken by the trust. Arrived there with my lovely food blogger friend Romi,her humorous hubbie Gaurav (actor,anchor and of the radio station Fever) and India Food Network ...
Read more

Wedding Food

-
Image
Weddings today have changed.Now you see a fusion of customs and cuisines,as people are marrying people from different backgrounds and culture than their own.At times,we see traditional customs of both the sides and that's enriching! As far as food goes,I am tired of seeing Tawa Sabzi,Methi Malai Mutter and Paneer Makhanwala at every other wedding.Two weddings I attended recently had traditional food, which was a refreshing change. The Maharashtrian wedding of my niece Rishika to Vineet was held at Indraprastha Hall in Pune.Indraprastha used to be the capital of the Pandava kingdom in Mahabharata. Maharashtrian weddings are not long drawn affairs.The Muhurta is in the morning around 10am or 11am,The bride and groom aren't allowed to see each other till the "Shubhamangalam-Savadhaan" is over.They are separated by the Antarpat or a curtain which is removed once songs and mantras have been chanted.They are then lifted in the air by relatives and friends and they garland ...
Read more