Indore

Did a overnight trip to Indore last week. After a late night at work we hit a local dhaba for some rustic food and a couple of drinks. Dhaba food is amazing. Its lip smacking good, cooked fresh and down right cheap. Most dhaba's have a wine shop right next door, where you are supposed to buy your own booze. So its as we call it "paisa vasool".

The last time I had dhaba food was in Raipur and it was great.

Must try and do this in the smaller cities I visit.

Nagpur

Was in Nagpur a few weeks back to check out our new site which should go live by the year end. There were 2 highlights of the trip. The first being hopeless flight timings leaving all my energies sapped and other was some excellent albeit late lunch. Lunch was our usual guest house food but we had ordered kheema kaleji & mutton rassa cooked in authentic "saoji style". Now if you want to eat saoji food, which is a cuisine Nagpur is popular for, you better be ready with some heavy duty fire dousers such as chilled water, curd or plain rice. Because the food is spicy as hell and not to mention finger licking good.

Don't ever miss it if you are in Nagpur, even if it means you miss your flight

Tunday Kababs

When I visited Lucknow in 1999, my friend recommended I have a  meal at Tundays in Aminabad, Lucknow. And I did. That meal left quite a lasting impression and I vowed that I would visit Tundays next time I land in Lucknow.

On Wednesday as soon as I landed I made plans to ensure we get to Tundays for lunch. Considering it was Ramzaan, the place was a hub of activity for during lunch time. Outside the hotel there are 3 main areas. One that is grilling tandoori chicken, one which makes beef kababs & the other mutton kababs.

We order kababs & parathas. Tunday parathas are somewhere midway between a roomali & roti. Freshly chopped onions & lime wedges are the only accompaniments which make this meal frugal yet delicious. The kababs are so soft, that you don't have to use your teeth to eat them. This is the main speciality of Tundays.

The place was a notch better than when I last saw it. It has a wide basement seating area whose walls have blown up photos of the 3rd generation owner & film stars. Anil Kapoor has posed in a ridiculous bathrobe.

4 of us gobble 5 plates of kababs & parathas. we also try the mutton biryani (average) and wash the meal with chilled Pepsi. One of the best meals I've had in the last few months.