Romancing around Ibaadat!

A few days back there was romance in the air at Ibaadat.

So the Indian Grey Hornbill couple came swooping in, preened about themselves, perched on a terrace railing on the higher floor, looked at their reflection in the window panes, sat on two parallel branches on the giant Neem tree in the Cinpash Garden, chatted to their heart's content and flew off.

I notice that the Rufous Treepies also come in pairs - sometimes two, sometimes four.

And then there were these delightful Koels, singing the sweetest song, quenching their thirst, checking out bowls of grains, finding a sweet spot atop the tree to sing some more.

I think they chose one of the Neem trees for their short, summer home-stay - just a few days, before flying back home.

Here, for your viewing pleasure, are the male and female Koels, the Rufouses and the Hornbills.

Blabbering with a Babbler!

I had the privilege of having a rare conversation with a  very pretty Babbler.

There was direct eye contact, as you can see; which we know is the basic etiquette amongst the civilized.

The dialogue carried on for the better part of the afternoon. He seemed to say things that must have been truly important.

A lesser being, me, failed to grasp most of it. It is at times like this when I wonder why is the man on top of the food chain!!

I am told that this yellow-eyed Babbler is indeed a rare bird, not spotted easily!

A Monsoon Brunch, eh!!!

There is something about the charms of comfort food, especially when it rains. Our perspicacity to enjoy the greasy goodness increases on these wet days when at other times we would ban them from our diets and dining tables.

Here's a Monsoon Brunch with Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue!

With one recipe invented and the other given a twist!!

This time I invented the Golgappa salad. Chopped dices of cucumber, tomato and onion mixed with a few pomegranate arils, spiced with salt, pepper and red chilli powder and specially seasoned with a hint of freshly made saunth were stuffed into atta and sooji golgappas and placed on top of cucumber rings. Served with tomato flowers they made for a pretty picture and tasted wonderful too.   

Then I decided to give a twist to the classic Mint-coriander Paneer tikka. I skewed it with Aloo fry to give a different spin to it and served it with fresh coriander and kachche aam ki chutney. 

The main course was Punjabi chole, Bhature and homemade Dahi vada.

The meal was rounded off with the seasonal offering of Mango Ice cream served on a bed of mangoes with Mango wafers as edible scoops.