Somethin Fishy!

My hubby heard of this place in Vittal Mallaya Road where they have fish spa facility. I had heard of fish spas in SE Asia and Mediteranian countries. I was immediately excited as I usually tend to get at the prospect of trying something new. There was the promise of relaxation as well. So we called up and booked us an appointment.

Kenko Spa is located in Vittal Mallaya Road just below Bouce beauty parlour. We were recieved by very attentive and polite staff (hope they maintain all the smiling and nodding and politeness). The ambience is very spa like and calm complete with a large stone figure of a smiling Buddha. There were three tanks with tiny, grey, rather cute looking fishies. I broke into a smile looking at them and anticipating what they'll be doing to my feet soon.

I choose the centre tank and after hesitating for a few seconds put my feet uptill my ankles, in. It was awful!!! Hundereds of fishes who were serenely swimming all across the tank took less than a second to rush straight at my feet. I couldnt see even an inch of my leg below the water. It was as if I had lost my feet and had sprouted tiny tentacles instead. My heart skipped at the sight. the funny/ weird feeling didn't help either and my feet were out in a second, very unwilling to go back inside.

Well, once you are out of the initial shock (may take sometime and must happen to a lot of people coz they didn't count the time it took me to adjust in the spa session), its quite nice. I put my feet back in cautiously and much better prepared this time. The sight was still grossing me out so i closed my eyes shut, my hands over my closed eyes to ensure blocking of view. It was really ticklish. I couldn't help cringing from time to time.

All this while my hubby was his feet washed and cleaned by the attendant was having a nice time laughing at me and wondering alound "why do girls over-react so much". His turn came and he put his feet in with a look of exaggerated ease on his face. Well, :-) we heards a muffled scream and Mr Macho's feet were determindedly out. "Aren't spas supposed to be realxing??". Well, he eventually put his legs back in. Didn't have to close his eyes and all like me. Have to admit he was quite OK after the initial jitters.

In a few minutes your feet adjust to all the weird feeling. I had opened my eyes and it was fun sharing this unusual experience with my hubby. There are magazines provided but its not easy to read with tiny mouths chewing away at your skin.
I even put my hands in just to feel the fishes and hold them in my hand (while keepin my hands underwater). They chew off all the dead skin. The large ones are more ticklish. But they are adorable with their tiny mouths closing and opening constantly and one feels rather grateful to them for doing in a few minutes what a long pedicure session would do.

They provide lockers to keep your purses, wallets etc in lockers and hand you a key. I managed to click the pic posted above before they politely took my bag away (There are no sighns but I guess photography is not encouraged ).

All in all it was fun. Good experience! :-) .

Vegetarian for Lord Hanuman

We are vegetarians on Tuesdays. And its something of a rule that when you are very aware that a certain thing is prohibited, you always get a pang to do it. So even if I happily eat aloo methi and arhar ki dal on a monday, I often spend Tuesdays conjuring images of Fish curry and salivating over it. I bet I get no brownie points from Lord Hanuman for being a vegetarian for a day in his honour. But one has to eat. And eat well. So one Tuesday evening I looked through books and websites searching for dishes I could make- quickly and easily (Tues is a workday people, and factor in my laziness). So this is what we had for dinner that day. Took me about 45 minutes. Most of the time was taken in chopping and grating things. So get your wife/hubby (whichever claims to not know how to cook) to do it. Thats what I do! So the Menu read thus :

Onion-Mushoom Rosti
French Stuffed Potatoes
Vegetable Au Gratin
served with Pesto and Herb Panini

ONION MUSHROOM ROSTI

This is a swiss style of making potato and mushroom pancake with melted cheese on top.

Saute in little butter chopped mushrooms and onions. 5-6 button mushrooms and half an onion till browned.

Grate 4 potatoes, boiled for 10 mins in salted water and cooled in refrigerator. Add onion, mushroom mix to the potatoes along with salt, pepper, chopped parsley or coriander, 2 tbsp cornflour. Lightly mix with a fork.
Heat butter/oil in pan. Add potato mixture and spread in a thick pancake form. Cook for 10 minutes till edged brown. Then put a plate on top of the pan and invert the pancake on the plate. Slip the pancake carefully back into the pan. If using non stick pan then you need to add more butter/oil in the pan. Cook for another 6-7 minutes.

Grate cheese on top. I grated some cheddar and parmesan. You can also add 1-2 cheese slices. Place pan under the grill in oven with the door open till cheese melts. Its a really yummy dish. Worth trying. You may even add some grated ginger and garlic to the potato mixture for an extra kick.
FRENCH STUFFED POTATOES

This is simple dish. Boil large potatoes. Scoop out the centre leaving a quater of an inch wall.

Fill it up with cottage cheese/sweet corn/ peas/chopped carrots/ bell peppers..whatever you like, along with salt, pepper and chopped spring onions. Before filling saute the mixture with some butter for 3-4 minutes over medium fire. You can add some of the scooped out potatoes to mixture as well. If there id any leftover filling keep it aside for sprinkling on top later.

Sauce: melt 2 tbsp butter, add 1 bayleaf, add 2 tbsp maida/flour, cook for a minute. Add 1 cup milk while stirring. Add 1 tsp mustard paste/powder, salt and pepper.

Pour over stuffed potatoes. Throw over stuffing if leftover. Grate cheese on top and bake in oven till cheese melts.

VEGETABLE AU GRATIN

Chop into cubes vegetables of your choice: carrots, mushrooms, beans, brocolli, baby corn, cauliflower etc. Steam the veggies together till they are almost done. Dont let them get soggy.

Sauce: Melt 2tb sp butter, add 2 tbsp maida, chopped onions, cook for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups milk while stirring. Add salt, pepper and 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg. Add chopped parsley/coriander.

Lay the veggies on a baking dish. Pour the sauce over. Grate cheese if you want. Bake in an oven for 15 mins at 220 degrees.

You can use the same sauce as you prepared for the French Stuffed Potatoes if short of time but the sauce will be much thicker so you will have to dilute it a little.

Serve with bread of your choice. I found Pesto and Herb Panini in Spencer that day and decided to try. Didn't like it much. Give me garlic bread anyday.

THE BIG Sunday Breakfast

My favorite meal of the entire week is the SUNDAY BRUNCH. Get up late, no pressure of running anywhere. Household chores that piled up during the week done (hopefully) by Staurday. A whole day to relish. Atleast till the evening falls and realisation that next day is Moday hits bringing with it depression...But for now back to the happy, sunny Sunday morning we all love so much. Well , usually I and Hubby end up having a brunch. Excesses of Saturday night take wear off by 11:00 or so. But this Sunday we were up by 9:30. In this post I will share some of the dishes we usually have for breakfast on a Sunday.
Eggs, Sausages, Bacon, Bread and Fruit. Everything Downed with Milkshake or Coffee.
I had both chicken and pork sausages in the freezer So decided to fry few of both. Had picked up Parma Ham (the best ham available and tastiest) from Spar that week. Crispy and yum yum...

Ham leaves a lot of flavoursome fat. I fried the sausages in the ham fat. I boiled eggs thsi time as we are both sort of trying to eat healthy. But i love the eggs fried in the fat the ham releases as well. Another thing i do is if I am roasting chicken in the afternoon for lunch, I cover the whole chicken with fat that ham releases. Great flavours and chicken bronzes beautifully.

Back to breakfast, a piece of fruit is called for. None of us follow the health routine and eat a portion of fruit everyday, do we? So , I served a large slice of papaya to wash away the guilt. To wash everything down hubby made chocolate milkshake for himself and coffee for me (I need caffeine in the morning).

I made doughnuts for breakfast one Sunday morning. Was bored of eating eggs and bread. Pancakes were passe. Poha, too much work. And it struck me -DOUGHNUTS! Sounds complicated but isnt. Same as making pancake batter with similar ingredients. But its a lot thicker.

Recipe:

2 Cups Maida

1 egg

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp margarine/ butter/ vegetable oil

1/2 cup sugar

few drops vanilla essense

2 tbsp vinegar mixed with little less that 1 cup of cold milk

Beat together flour, baking powder, butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat egg well and add to the mixture. Mix well. Blend in the milk-vinegar mixture part by part. You do not have to add the whole mixture. Keep adding untill you achive a soft and homogenous dough. The dough will be slightly liquidy but firm. Cover it with a warm cloth and keep for 20 minutes.

Heat oil in skillet. Shape doughnuts and throw them in the hot oil. Deep fry till golden. Will take about 10 minutes.

Take the browned doughnuts out. Pour chocolate sauce over them and serve warm.