And A River Runs Through It

(The beautiful calming river called Tons running through Ambika and Deepak's farm house in Dehradun) 

I am one of those people who sits and pores over google maps when I'm bored - especially those satellite ones. It could be my immediate neighbourhood or Croatia (while mooning over Hauser's rendition of Hallelujah) or it could be a new place that I'm travelling to.

Please send me your postal address, I whatsapped Deepak.

Why do you need the postal address? He whatsapped back

Just like that

Don't worry, we'll be at the airport

Okay at least tell me the area

So he sent me the name of a village and immediately mud huts with thatched roofs dripping creepy crawlies came to mind. Jolly Grant to xxxgaon I fed into the app.

There's a medical store near your house?

There's nothing near our house.

YouTube was next - xxxgaon went into the search engine and I actually found a video of a group of youngsters on two wheelers driving there for a picnic, shrieking down a river, wet t-shirts and much laughter.

There's a river near your house?

Yes there is.

And the countdown began - two weeks to one week to two days to - we're landing!

Ambika was most concerned about what we would eat and drink. Like all super hostesses she was underestimating what her home had to offer. And I prepped Amit in Mumbai - it might only be dal chawal - don't you dare make faces - remember we are also exploring local cuisines.

I'm sure there will be a dhaba close by, Amit comforted himself, I'll eat there.

Are you going for the food or for the fun?

Food is fun!

Yeah.

(Garhwali Pahadi Chicken made by our hosts' cook Vipin. This also featured in the first episode of the current season of #TheSlowFireChef on Youtube)  

It was an orgy of food. Ambika and Deepak, both being foodies, had stocked up the house with every possible edible stuff. The island table in the kitchen was piled high with nuts and fruits and the most delicious biscuits/cookies and cakes - cheeses and dips and all kinds of healthy snack food.

Amit was getting the "jamai" treatment, so apart from the promised dal roti sabzi for the first night's dinner there was also a mutton curry for him. But that dal was to die for - simple yellow dal tempered with jakhiya which added a crunch to the soupy liquid. It was such fun biting into the jakhiya bursting with a peppery, lemony flavour that I actually went through three bowls while Ambika watched with great amusement. You can watch this episode from The Slow Fire Chef to see how Jakhiya and various local Garhwali herbs and spices are used in cooking : Cooking in Dehradun With Local herbs

That first night, Amit and I ate like we'd never seen food before (to be fair we had only eaten those burgers at the airport the whole day), and it sort of set the trend for the rest of the week. Local cheeses, fresh bakery breads, sausages and bacon; Vipin, the Garhwali master cook, did his magic in the kitchen with an unending variety of the local cuisine and other delicacies that Ambika had tutored him in. Simple things like a chutney took on new avatars when made with lemon grass or the famous bhangjeera.

                  (Amit and I enjoying Morning Chai by the river running through Ambika and Deepak's house)

Waking up every morning was pure joy. Despite the cold Amit and I would grab a cup of tea and go down to listen to the river, huddling into our shawls trying desperately to balance phone (camera) and chai.

Brr - it's too cold - I'm going in, said I on the first morning.

Just breathe, said Amit. The sun will be up soon.

And from behind us the Mussoorie hills blew a fresh blast of chilled pure air.

                               (View of the Mussoorie hills from our friends house) 

Later -

That's our land as well, said Deepak pointing to the other side of the river.

Hand picking fresh produce from the gardens added to the excitement - lettuce, lemons and of course the lemon grass! Lemon grass chai, lemon grass soup - as Ambika mimicked - yeh hum hai, yeh humare dost hai, yeh humara lemon grass hai, aur hum party kar rahe hai!!!

                          (Lemon and some of the fresh flora in Ambika and Deepak's farm house)

A lot of plans were made to eat out - but we only made it to Kalsang. And thank God we did because I finally found the ultimate thukpa. Generous portions of double fried pork was the highlight and even though there was noodles and chicken, I greedily ordered some tingmo which the other three made polite noises over but did not eat. Aah well - they lacked the Mongoloid genes.

                      (The super awesome restaurant we visited in Dehradun - Kalsang) 

Pics of food at Kalsang, Dehradun can be viewed here: Kalsang Food pics

Many other restaurants were discussed, plans made, but somehow 7 days were not enough in our "chill" state of mind. Maybe the food we were eating at home was exciting enough or maybe the fact that the "adda" quotient was too intoxicating. And then there was Amit's Twitter buddy!

Ranjona Banerjee. From Amit's buddy from Twitter she became Amit's girlfriend from Twitter to Amit's girlfriend - all in the space of the three days of discussion that followed Amit informing Deepak and Ambika that they too were invited to lunch.

The name sounds very familiar, Ambika said.

I thought so too.

She's a journalist, Amit informed.

Not ABP - must have been TOI.

Most people (read "oldies" like Deepak and I) who have worked for the Anandabazar Patrika Group, the only other print media group worth consideration is Times of India.

So what is your girlfriend going to feed us? Deepak teased

I guess Bong food, said I. Trout should make a good jhol - it's a sweet water fish.

I've never had trout, Amit said.

Never had trout? We shall get some trout, Deepak promised.

It's no big deal I said, I prefer koi to trout.

(Amit with our friend Ranjona and the lavish spread she put out for all of us)

But Ranjona had obviously paid a lot of attention to Amit's foodie tweets because what she did serve was his favourite Shami Kebabs along with a flavourful yet light Mutton Biryani. The palak raita garnished with fresh pomegranate was a perfect accompaniment. I especially loved the masala baingan & tamatar. My only complaint was that I had too much lunch and therefore not enough space for the delicious apple crumble and the profiteroles that followed. It was a delightful afternoon meeting Ranjona, her father and her sister - sitting in the lush garden while the sun slowly moved towards the horizon.

                                    (Sunset from Sunset Point, Dehradun)

We'd better leave if you guys want to go to the sunset point, Deepak reminded us. And so we said goodbye to Amit's girlfriend who was now also my friend.

How could one be in the great outdoors and not have a barbecue - or Tandoori night? Chicken and fish were duly bought - Amit did the marinades while Deepak set up the grill. He has this whole thingamajig to light the coal. Mashaal's were set out and the warmest clothes were donned. A young Radio Jockey joined us for the evening and regaled us with a non-stop stream of nonsense while Deepak and Amit had their ego tussles about controlling the grill. I don't know who won but we women ate up everything so the men actually had to marinate some more fish to fill their bellies. And in the dark the Mussoorie hills twinkled with silent laughter.

(Deepak getting the grill going for Tandoori Night While Ambika and I tried to warm ourselves standing next to the grill) 

                         (PoochPooch the cute friendly doggie baby we made friends with in Dehradun)

Seven halcyon days of fresh air, friendship and frood. Even PoochPooch the absent neighbour's doggie couldn't stop smiling and wagging her tail. And yes even I cooked - two of the simplest dishes in my recipe book - Bong style mustard fish and the ever favourite Bhutanese chicken. Even Vipin gave me a thumbs up!

(Ja sha Kshom the Bhutanese Chicken and Bengali Style Mustard Fish I cooked for our friends in Dehradun)

Watch Bhutanese Chicken on The Slow Fire Chef here: Bhutanese Chicken Recipe Video

You guys want to get some trout? Deepak asked on the last evening, We can try Hilans but we'll have to hurry - they close in half an hour. We rushed but alas no trout. We got Grass instead. No not that marijuana stuff - this was a fish called 'grass'. From the carp family, it got its name because it only ate grass. Cut, cleaned, marinated with salt and turmeric we ate this newly discovered, sweet tasting fish, fried crisp with Vipin's famous dal.

                                       (Fish called Grass that we had for our last dinner in Dehradun)

The next morning was goodbye time - other destinations awaited us, but this was the best beginning we could have had to our holiday. Of course my master stroke was in manipulating Ambika to travel back with us. Along with cases packed with biscuits from Eltham & Ellora, fudge from Kwality Toffee, basmati rice and Jakhiya, Jambu, Bhangjeera (we didn't shop - all this was Ambika's hamper for us) and the local cheese, we had super company on the six hour ride to Delhi.

(Four of us on the last evening in Dehradun. From Left Ambika, Deepak, yours truly and Amit The Punjab da Puttar) 

There's this mithai shop, Ambika said, Deepak never lets me stop there. Would you guys be interested? Supposed to be very famous for their balushahi...

Need I say more?

See you guys next week when I fill you in on how I fared with "the in-laws" meanwhile do catch the latest episode of SFC with the oil-less lemon pickle - surprisingly easy to make and heaven to eat especially with the mercury rising.

Watch my mother in law's recipe for Kashmiri Rogan Josh here:  Roganjosh Recipe Video

Watch my mother in law's recipe for making Zero Oil Lemon and Mango Pickles: 

Zero Oil Pickles Recipe Video 

Ciao! 

Semanti