Mombasa- the hub of business and culture of Kenya!



Mombasa , the best white sand beach in Kenya

 Mombasa is the second biggest city of Kenya and the oldest trade route that connects India and African hinterlands. My journey started from Nakuru and it took almost 10 hours by road to reach Mombasa. It was a hectic one but I was truly excited to have a detailed view of the changing topography across the width of the country. Mombasa is connected to Nairobi by air, road ways. The national highway is too good and provided with distant petrol pumps and eateries, rest houses whatever needed for a traveler’s refreshment.


We halted at the Hindu temple at Makindu, which is a holy shrine where the devotees stop to bow down to the Sikh God, have lunch and again start for journey. While I reached the port city of Mombasa it was almost dawn. The view of the Port Reiz was truly wonderful, especially when the sodium vapor lit city dazzled at midnight. We crossed the Niyali Bridge to reach our hotel where the best of hospitality services was waiting for us. Mombasa is a very popular destination for the European people and the hotel rooms seem to have cent percent occupancy during the peak hours. There are series of hotels near the beach which will cost you almost (350- 500) $ per day to get a full day package for a family of 3-4 members including entertainment. In fact the best of the hotels are always competing to give the best marketing package and hospitality to the esteemed guest. It’s the right place to get yourself pampered……….sun, sand and seclusion.




Sun, sand , seclusion ........and hospitality!


Beach activities are truly awesome. In fact you may have series of entertaining activities on the water and beach. People play beach volley ball, camel riding while some like to have a stroll on the white sand and pen down some awesome experiences. If you are a lover of sun then you may sun bathe the whole day enjoying the sun to play on your tanned skin. Water activities like swimming, water skiing, yachting, speed boat drive are truly popular. One has the full right to bargain with the agents before enjoying these awesome experiences. The most interesting is the coral island situated on the Indian Ocean. This place gets submerged under the sea during high tide. The best time to plan a visit is during the low tide when you can take a stroll among the coral reefs. Mombasa has the best of the views of fishing area. Perhaps it has the best of the colorful fishing. It’s a great experience to feed the fishes. If you are good at swimming then scuba diving can be a very interesting activity. 2 – 3 hours of ride in the speed boat along with scuba diving facility will cost you almost 2000KSH. The white sand and the blue ocean will pamper your senses and it’s the worst part to say goodbye to the ocean after a full day activity.

Coral reef island, Mombasa.



Sea Urchin





Glass bottom speed boats





Visitors enjoying scuba diving


We stepped for a city tour the next day. We saw prominent sites like the lighthouse, Fort Jesus, old port, age old parts of the city which showed Arabic influence as depicted clearly on the structures of the building. Some buildings were as old as 500 years which speaks of the proud history of Mombasa. We had a view of the old port which is as old as a century. We had tasted the traditional Arabic bread at one of the oldest eatery in old Mombasa. Port was one of the oldest ones of the world and spice trading being one of the oldest professions. I felt like experiencing history while standing at the harbor. We had a view of the railway line connecting Kenya and Uganda. The dominance of Muslim culture is quite prominent in Mombasa and there are many non Kiswahili speaking people at large who had come and settled down at Kenya for ages.

Fort Jesus

Portuguese soldier resting in his grave.

We had a view of the Fort Jesus which has a historic site. The guide told us about the history and explained the Portuguese and Arabic influence on the country. How the country was invaded by both the races and how the language Kiswahili came into being was explained in a nice way to us. Fort Jesus bears glimpses of the archeology, painting, architecture and engineering which are evident from the reminiscences. The government of Kenya has put up the best of the efforts to conserve the proud history of the country inside fort Jesus.

Club house of Mombasa

It was a Sunday evening and we had good ‘Mugo chips’ and ‘sweet coconut water’ near the seaside. Modern Mombasa is the epitome of business, culture and a learning centre. The presence of golf course, clubs , shopping complex , multiplex bears the fact that Mombasa was the epitome of business n development in the past and present as well. Many businessmen from around the world want to invest in Mombasa till day as it’s a hub for profitable business. It was nice watching the cosmopolitan crowd enjoying the sweet sea breeze on the weekend. We returned to the hotel, enjoyed the mouth watering dinner. The hotel management arranged for a special entertainment after 9: 30 pm when Masai dance was performed by a group of artists, almost everybody danced on the tunes.

Masai dance at hotel premises

The next day we set to visit Malindi which is a town of historic importance situated about 120 kms from the city of Mombasa. I took us about 1.5 hrs to reach Malindi. Malindi is basically a place which has experienced the dominance of foreign power in Kenya. Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese traveler had signed a contract with the Malindi authorities in 1498 and had hired a guide for a voyage to India. The coral pillar build by him stands the test of time. Malindi was established as a port and a stop that served as the resting spot between India and Kenya. The town even bears resemblances of Chinese visit during the 14th century which is evident from the paintings. There are many traditional buildings situated here which speaks of various invasions in pre historic times and the foreign invasions which influenced the culture of Kenya. Kenya was treated as the gateway to Africa and other Western countries from centuries back. It was a nice experience to feel as if I was standing amid history experiencing the rich culture of Kenyan heritage and why it’s called ‘the gateway to Africa’.

Water skiing activity...truly fun!

Whenever opportunity strikes I will surely visit Mombasa for its hospitality, rich culture and the friendly nature of the people staying there.







 

Chicken n butternut soup- A healthy start to a wonderful day!



Goodness of chicken and veggies.

This recipe 'Chicken n butternut soup' is dedicated towards all my health conscious friends. Soup is a healthy way to life. Combining the goodness of vegetables and chicken, cooked with the minimum amount of olive oil, it’s not only a healthy but a tasty treat as well. Butternut combines the goodness of vitamins and other essential minerals which is widely available in USA and eastern Canada. When you are in a mood to enjoy a light meal, I guarantee that this sort of soup dish will definitely satisfy your appetite and your heart to a large extent.


Ingredients: (for 3-5 persons)

Boneless chicken (350 gms.),

Butternut (a medium sized one peeled and diced into medium pieces),

Garlic (2 cloves),

Extra virgin olive oil (2 ½ tablespoons),

Baby corn (100 gms. chopped into thin circular pieces),

Spring onion (white part only),

Tomato (1 ½ pieces grated),

Chopped basil leaves,

Ground black pepper powder (½ teaspoon),

1 scoop of butter,

Salt according to taste.



Procedure: Boil the boneless chicken in a stock pan for 30 minutes. Separate the stock and keep the chicken pieces separate. Simultaneously heat the butternut in a container till it becomes soft. Heat olive oil in a stock pan. Add crushed garlic cloves to it. Add the pre boiled chicken pieces, spring onions, tomato, and baby corn to it. Cook for 5 minutes till the vegetable becomes soft. Add the pre boiled butternut to it. Add the chicken stock. Cook the entire content for 7-8 minutes, allow simmering in medium heat. The butternut should be mashed and the soup should get a thickened texture. You may add salt according to taste, chopped basil and black pepper for the ultimate flavor.

Ladle the soup in a bowl. You may add a dollop of butter on the top. The topping along with chopped basil leaves and black pepper will simply look awesome. Enjoy this awesome delight with bread/breadsticks.

Avocado and coconut- for a glowing skin !

If you want to have a glowing skin, you should be aware of your food habits as well. More of fresh green vegetables, fruits and stuffs like avocado, coconut will prove good for your skin in stipulated amount. But apart from consuming avocado and coconut directly, you can make a palatable curry to enjoy during your meals. Let’s see the method of preparing a curry with avocado and coconut milk.

Ingredients: (for 4-6 persons)

Avocado (2 medium sized ones cut into pieces),

Coconut milk (100 cc.),

Carrot (2 medium sized ones cut into smaller pieces),

Onions (1 medium sized one diced into pieces),

Tomato (1 medium sized one grated),

Turmeric powder (½ teaspoon),

Red chili powder (½ teaspoon),

Ginger paste (1 teaspoon),

Coriander powder (1 teaspoon),

Salt as per taste.


Procedure: Heat oil in a container. Add ginger paste to it and cook for 2 minutes. Add onions, tomatoes to it. Cook well till they become soft. Add the diced carrots, avocado to it. Add the spices (turmeric, coriander, red chili) to it. Cook well and then add 1 cup water to it so that it becomes absolutely soft. Add the coconut milk. Add salt for the ultimate taste. Cook for 5 minutes in covered condition.

Coconut and avocado is good for health and this is a tasty treat.

















Khatta Baingan- the awesome , tantalizing taste of brinjal!



Awesome tantalizing taste of brinjal

 If you are a Vegetarian, then you have best of the health. For a person who’s a Vegetarian, sometimes it is a challenge what variety to prepare everyday? With the same ingredients but just by working out different permutation combination, you may prepare exciting food which will simply tantalize your taste buds. Brinjal (eggplants) is a tasty vegetable and when prepared with different ingredients then it might give marvelous tasty dishes. Last week I tried Khatta Baingan or sour eggplant. Let me share the recipe with all my readers.


Ingredients: (for preparation of 4-6 persons)

Brinjal/Eggplants (8-10 pieces of moderate size),

Onions (3 medium sized grated),

Coriander powder (1 teaspoon),

Cumin powder (1 teaspoon),

Ginger-garlic paste (1 teaspoon),

Red chili powder (½ teaspoon),

Turmeric powder (½ teaspoon),

Yoghurt/Curd (2 tablespoon),

Tamarind paste (prepared by soaking 10gms.of tamarind in 10cc of water and extracting the liquid)

Salt as per taste,

Oil for frying.

Procedure: Procure farm fresh eggplants/brinjal from the market and cut into longitudinal pieces. A single eggplant may be cut into 4 equal sizes. Marinate with little salt and turmeric powder for about 5-7 minutes. Heat little oil in a pan and start frying the eggplants. This dish does not require lot of oil as eggplants release its own water content and softens in a few minutes. Cook for about 7 minutes till the eggplants become soft. Remove them and keep apart. Dash grated onions into the oil in the frying pan. Add ginger-garlic paste, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt into it. Cook the spices nicely till it emits a nice mind boggling flavor. Add yoghurt/curd to it. Add the eggplants which were already fried. Mix the ingredients well with the eggplants. Add the tamarind extract to it. Your very much desired Khatta Baingan (sour eggplants) is ready. You may serve it with chapatti.

You will love the sour taste of brinjal/eggplant. I guarantee that this is a nice combination and you may enjoy it with chapatti/paranthas as well as steaming hot rice. Enjoy vegetarian food; enjoy the different spice of life!

Baked Nile Perch- African wonder ; awesome taste.

Nile Perch is a kind of predator fish available in the rivers of Africa- Nile, Niger, Congo, Senegal and Lake Chad. This fish is widely available in fresh water even brackish water. It needs large amount of oxygen for breeding and normal functions. It’s found in large sized that may go up to 10 feet in height. Its flesh is sold in form of fillets to East African and Central African countries. Extremely nutritious in food value, this fish can be cooked in various forms with veggies and enjoyed along with family. My experiment with Nile Perch last week was extremely successful and my entire family enjoyed Baked Nile Perch. Let me share the recipe along with my readers.

Ingredients: (for preparation of 4-6 persons)

Fillets of Nile Perch (400 gms.),

Ginger garlic paste (1 teaspoon),

Tomato sauce (2 teaspoon),

Green chili Sauce (1 teaspoon),

Mustard sauce (1 teaspoon),

Onions (1 medium sized one grated),

Capsicum (1 medium sized one grated),

Lemon juice (1 teaspoon),

Salt as per taste,

Mixed herbs (a pinch) [Standard form available in the market a combo of oregano, basil, rosemary and parsley leaves in dried condition],

Ground black pepper (a pinch),

Oil (1 teaspoon).

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Procedure: The fish fillets are to be cut into pieces of 3”- 3”. Marinate them with ginger-garlic paste, tomato sauce, green chili sauce, mustard sauce, lemon juice, salt and 1 teaspoon oil. Keep the fish in marinated condition for 10 minutes. Place the grated veggies (onions and capsicum) over it. Place the entire content in an aluminum foil and wrap it from both sides. Then put it in oven at 220degrees for 30 minutes. Remove it after 30 minutes and serve it with rice/ugly. The fish becomes extremely soft and the veggies taste truly awesome along with it.

This is an extremely healthy food with the least amount of oil/calorific compounds used here. A typical African preparation enjoyed people of all ages.

Methi corn vatata vada; Wonder how different it can be?



It's fun trying varieties in life.

 There comes certain moments in life that you wander what’s new in my life? The same routine, the same food and the same way back to home. So either you look for variety in life or your kitchen. Leafy vegetables are very good for health as they are rich in essential vitamins and other minerals. But the regular way to prepare this may bring boredom and drudgery to the lives of your family members. Last week I tried a different way to a mouthwatering palatable snack out of fenugreek (Methi saag) which turned out to be truly excellent. Let me share this recipe with all my readers.


Ingredients :( for preparation of 30 pieces)

Fenugreek [Methi saag] (3 bundles regular size available in the market),

Potatoes (5 medium sized ones boiled and mashed),

Boiled corn (30 gms.),

Cumin powder (1 teaspoon),

Chili powder (1 teaspoon),

Ginger garlic paste (½ teaspoon),

Mixed pickle (1 teaspoon) [Indian condiment made of all seasonal vegetables],

Corn flour (little to be used while binding the vadas),

Salt according to taste,

Oil for frying.

Procedure: the procedure is shown schematically with the help of pictorial representation.

Step 1: Boil potatoes and keep aside. Wash the methi leaves well under running water and then wash with hot water to remove the minute stains of dirt present in it. Boil the methi leaves till they become a soft dough.

Step 2: Mash the potatoes, mix with methi, boiled corns. Fry cumin powder, chili powder, salt, ginger garlic paste and mixed pickle in ½ teaspoon oil. Mix the fried spices with the dough. You will observe that a nice mind boggling smell comes out of the methi mixed dough.

Step 3: Prepare smaller doughs . Use your hands to make flattened circular structure. You may use little corn flour in order to avoid sticking the balls while preparing.

Step 4: Heat oil and shallow fry the rounded structures. Remove from the kadhai; serve it in a palate along with green chutni/sauces of your choice.

This can be a very much desirable snack and you may have it with tea, as a starter during parties or alternatively as a tiffin item for your kid’s lunch box. Ensure good health to your beloved ones and decipher the variety of life through your culinary skills.

Chicken spring roll- yummy treat for the party tonight!!



The crunchy , crispy mouthwatering deal.



Introduction: Chicken spring roll is a delicious item and a palatable snack. It’s a very popular food item nowadays available in almost all the food joints in India. Chicken is a very wholesome, nutritious item and cherished all over the world for its different forms of consumption. Let’s see the method of preparation of Chicken spring roll.

Ingredients:

Samosa covers (standard size of 25 packs available in the market),

Boneless chicken,

Onions (2 medium sized chopped into smaller pieces),

Capsicum (1 medium sized chopped into smaller pieces),

Tomatoes (2 medium sized chopped into smaller pieces),

Garlic crushed (2 cloves),

White flour ( 10gms.),

Water (1 tablespoon),

Salt as per taste,

Oil for frying.



Procedure: Boil boneless chicken for 10 minutes in a pressure cooker. It should be pressed with hand to make dough. Heat oil in a frying pan. Dash capsicum, tomatoes and onions in the oil. Add the crushed garlic to the mixture. Add salt according to taste. Now remove the mixture and allow it to cool down. Prepare a paste with white flour and water which will act as a natural gum to close the stuffing’s. Take samosa leaves separately and place it on the cutting tray. Start filling the chicken stuffing’s in a longitudinal manner and then close the end of the samosa cover with the flour paste. Keep in this condition for 15 minutes. The flour gum paste should dry up so as to make a very rigid covering. Deep fry the prepared structures for 3-4 minutes. You will obtain crispy, tasty chicken spring roll. This can be a very good tiffin item for your children. Prepare the structure and store in refrigerated condition the previous night, remove in the morning, fry and pack for your kid’s lunch box. Procedure shown schematically with the help of pictorial representation.

Step 1: Prepare the chicken fillings

Step 2: Prepare fillings with the cover.

Step 3: Start rolling the cover along with the fillings.

Step 4: Rolls prepared to be fried.

Serve it with hot chili sauce/sauce of your choice.