Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Assamese Muri Ghanto




I am a lazy Cook. I prefer cooking fast, but not furiously ofcourse!!! I don’t like to put Masalas in my food as much as possible and always try to cook in the simplest way!

My today’s dish is Muri Ghonto. This is a favourite dish of Assamese and Bengali guys. Not frequently we cook it, but mostly occasionally. Many people cook this delicacy in different ways, may be sometimes with different kinds of dals or vegetables like cabbage, pumpkin and sometimes with rice or poha (chira) too. The word 'Muri' comes from the word ‘mur’ or 'matha', which means fish head and ‘Ghonto’ means a blending of different stuff cooked together.

Ingredients:


Fish Head :250 gm
Moong Dal : 150 gram
Tomato : 1 large chopped
Onion : 1 chopped
Ginger :1/2 tsp paste
Turmeric :1 tsp Turmeric powder
Green chilli : 3
Cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp
Red Dry chilli :3
bay leaf :2
Mustard oil: 2 tsp
Salt to taste


Method:



Fry the Fish heads


Fry the Dal


1.Cut the head of fish into small pieces and marinate with turmeric and salt for 10 or 15 and then fry it till they become slightly reddish. (Should not be deep fry)

2.In a hot pan, roast the dal until turns to slightly golden brown color and crispy and shift the dal immediately to a bowl once it’s done, otherwise it will burn.

3. Put the dal in the Pressure cooker, pour three cups of water and put the fried fish head pieces, turmeric, salt and ginger and mix them well. Wait till it gives three whistles.

4. In a pan, heat 2 tbsp of oil, add the bay leaves, red chilies, and then Cumin seeds and fry till the nice aroma comes.

5. Put chopped Onion into the mixture till it becomes dark brown and then add chopped tomato and fry for a while, until the oil comes out.


6. Open the Pressure cooker and add the dal into the mixure and blend it well, cook for 3 or 4 minutes and remove from heat. Add chopped green chilies and the Muri Ghanto is ready to serve!!!!! 

Ready to serve Muri Ghonto





Saturday, June 27, 2015

Review of Renault Lodgy



Which car comes to our mind first, if we say Renault ? I am sure, “Duster”: the compact SUV! But here is the another chrono now to buy significant space in Car lovers' minds.

Renault Lodgy: the newly launched MPV!  Where  the Tagline “Take your world with you” is the perfectly lodgycal….yes! I mean ‘Logical’.

Goa #LiveLodgyCal event organized by Renault in association with Blogadda was really wonderful one, to be with the top fellow bloggers, enjoy the beauty of the Leela Palace Resort and above all, the experience of driving the Renault Lodgy! We were 40 bloggers from across the country. We were divided into 4 teams, where each team got to drive either the 85 PS or the 110 PS engine options. My team was 'Cartoosh' (Satish, Murtaza, Rutvi and me) initially got the 85 PS to drive around 40 kms and then we exchanged with the 110PS  to drive back from Canacona beach to Cavelossim. We kept checking, testing the Lodgy to explore its performance on road vis a vis its claims on paper.

The Lodgy traversed to India in April 2015 to mark its foray into the rapidly growing MPV segment in the countryLodgy comes in 7 variants with an introductory price range of Rs. 8.19 – 11.79 Lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi).

Here is my experience :

Why we buy an MPV ?

  •           While we need space for all family members or all friends and their luggage.
  •           Long journey, comfortable ride
  •           A big enough fuel tank to cope with long journeys
  •           A spacious and Flexible interiors to relax
  •           Envy your friends and foes showing that you are happy family and have a beautiful car

Yes! Renault has all the features to suffice above points. It combines the performance and comfort of a sedan with the space of and convenience of an MPV.



Lovely Driving Experience:

It was really an awesome drive. I was not feeling like giving the steering to my other team mates….I am sure it was because of the Ergo-Drive technology which means the car is conditioned to offer superior acceleration and power, ease of ride and handling along with great mileage.




Lodgy has a unique combination of performance and high fuel efficiency and comes in two engine options:
  • For the more powerful diesel variant, the reliable and fuel efficient 1.5 litre dCi (common rail direct injection) engine delivers 110PS of maximum power and peak torque of 245Nm@1750rpm. The engine is mated to a first-in-segment 6 speed manual transmission. This is matched by its excellent fuel efficiency of 19.98 kmpl*.
  • The alternate variant of the same 1.5 litre dCi engine produces 85PS of maximum power and 200Nm@1900rpm of peak torque with an excellent fuel efficiency of 21.04 Kmpl*.
I liked the Lodgy’s acceleration, agility and responsiveness. It can make it easy to drive within the city and pleasurable to drive on highways as well.

Designed with a sharp focus on Comfort and Safety Features:

We enjoyed the lovely music all the way and the cooling system kept all of us very comfortable. Renault Lodgy comes with state-of-the-art safety features and also many other cutting edge functionalities. And as we checked, all are the right claims.

 



  • ABS, EBD and brake assist ensure enhanced stability and braking performance.
  • The speed limiter, which can be enabled from 30 kmph, eliminates the need to constantly monitor the speedometer.
  • Safety features include driver and passenger airbags, height adjustable seatbelts with driver seatbelt reminder, door ajar warning, speed sensitive auto door lock, impact sensing auto door unlock, rear wiper and defogger, rear parking sensors with rear parking camera and front fog lamps.
  • Lodgy also ranks high on comfort ensuring that the driver and all passengers enjoy a comfortable drive.
  • Key features include captain seats (in 7 seat configuration) for increased comfort and versatility in the second row, height adjustable driver seat cushioned with lumbar support
  • Best-in-class cooling performance with dual AC
  • Qualitative, practical and ergonomic dashboard
  • Integrated piano black central fascia with 2DIN Radio
  • Multimedia navigation system
  • First-in-class cruise control with speed limiter functionality on the steering wheel.
  • The convenient and innovative modularity of Lodgy makes it a car for every occasion.


Exterior:



Robust and generous, the styling of the new Renault Lodgy is marked by pure lines, its wide headlamps and the lean profile of its rear lamps. Its front end features all the elements of Renault's new visual identity, with its grill and generous bumpers.

On the exterior, Lodgy includes chrome finishes on the front grille, tailgate embellisher, sporty 15 inch five spoke aluminum alloys, stylish and sporty two-tone bumper and roof rails, day time running lights (DRL) and tail lamps designed to reflect an ‘arrow in motion’.


Interior:



The stunning look continues indoors. From an impressive, chrome-finished dashboard to 3 rows of plush, adaptable seating, chic elegance meeting thoughtful functionality to make Renault Lodgy just as dynamic and eye-catching inside.

Most of the MPVs offer extra seats that can be arranged in a variety of different ways and have plenty of storage space throughout the cabin. But how that space is packaged is more important.

  • The 60:40 split 2nd row and 50:50 split 3rd row, allow all seats to be folded and tumbled independently.
  • The 3 rd row can be twin tumbled folded and secured or extracted as per the requirement.
  • This modularity, allowing 56 seat configurations, offers the best of comfort, storage and versatility.
  • Lodgy also has the best boot volume of 207 litres with all seats in place.






To conclude, Renault Lodgy is a package of so many features and functionalities at best price. Lodgy breaks new ground in performance, fuel efficiency, comfort and features, combining the best offerings of a sedan, and the space and convenience of a MPV.


For more information, visit https://www.renault.co.in/

#LiveLodgycal by Renault and Blogadda at Goa



Was gluing into the laptop screen as usual with piles of work, while a mail from Harish, Blogadda popped up.  And…my eyes also popped up as it was…… “An Invitation to Goa to have a Top Bloggers’ meet….Lots of surprises awaits.” ……..I didn’t wait even for a second to reply “Yes!”,  though I generally discuss with my hubby dear to take any decision like this….I thought of the ways of conveying and convincing hubby  after clicking the ‘Send button’ this time.

Time rolled….Blogadda revealed that the whole trip will be sponsored by Renault, and we will be driving the newly launched MPV – The Renault Lodgy at Goa! Soon, received lovely Banners from Blogadda and Renault to flaunt in Social media…..

Received the air tickets soon…and the Team information. My teammates were the sweet, tremendously energetic, adventurous girl Rutvi from Mumbai, a popular film critic Murtaza from Delhi and the lively social entrepreneur & Investor Satish. Rutvi took the initiative to christen our team as – “Cartoosh”….Team Banner followed from her side only.

Mobile started saying “Tweet! Tweet!” and “Up! Up!” all through the days and nights continuously, while few days left for the event….Co-ordination, planning continued with high speed…..as if we guys already knew each other…..

Day 1

Piyush and Tiger picked me up on the way to Airport. Waited for other bloggers from Bangalore in the airport, enjoying the lovely weather, while we all exchanged our experience, stories as bloggers.

Piyush, Tiger and I were having a great time while waiting for other bloggers


Blogadda kept tweeting the instructions what we needed to do, like ‘Click a pic with the boarding pass’, ‘click a pic with the playcard” to accumulate points. Received the Boarding Passes, boarded on the flight.

At Goa Airport, The Leela Palace guys were waiting for us with the Bus. The bloggers from other cities also arrived.

At Goa Airport


A warm welcome at The Leela Hotel by Kautuk from Renault, Ankita and Ankita from Blogadda, which was followed by High Tea. I met my team mates.

With my Teammate from Delhi, Murtaza

With my other teammates Satish and Rutvi


We went to our allotted rooms to take some rest…….The stunning property of The Leela enthralled me totally. And what spell bounded me more is my roommate……the lovely lady, the reputed blogger- Sharon.

At around 7 pm, we met at Leela’s grand hall for the introduction session, the presentation by the Renault Brand management representatives.


Radio City RJ Archana Pania was driving the show






Presentation by Manish, Renault



Ankita from Blogadda


Introductory session


We wind up the Day 1 with a networking grand dinner party where I met all lovely bloggers.


Yummy Food!

Sharon, Ankita, Aditi and Manjulika during our Dinner

During Dinner with the great Persona Deepak



Day 2 :

An exciting action packed day it was! We were all set to drive the MPV after a heavy breakfast. 10 cars were distributed among 40 bloggers. And one person from Renault Lodgy team or Blogadda accompanied each car.





All set to rock


Get Set Go.....






We started our drive. Blogadda kept tweeting with the instructions to gather the points like click pics of a red bike, a  man with red pant, lady with a pink umbrella, a duck, a buffalo, fishes, a peacock, a mango tree with mango etc.

Roads were free and curvy. Co-passengers were lively. And the drive was really lovely…..I can summarize my opinion in one sentence “The Renault is an amazing MPV with the best price and variant options”.

We all bloggers met at The Lalit for the lunch, enjoyed Lalit’s private beach.


Tried to click wacky pictures with the Car as instructed by Blogadda.


Art of Living on the High!

How we are looking by the way???



We were back to Leela by 5 pm whereas specials sessions, and grand celebrations awaited at 7 pm onwards.
Ankita from Blogadda came and talked to me if I could be a panelist. I could see no reason to say ‘No’. We had a lovely Panel discussion and couple of bloggers shared their experience and put forward their guidance.


A Panel Discussion : Felt good to be a part of it.


The well-known musical band of Goa – ‘Forefront’ opened the beautiful evening party chapter with the powerful mesmerizing voice of the lead singer, while our fashion blogger, beautiful Neha took the stage for a while and sang “Sweet Child of Mine”, “Everything I do, I do it for you….” And many others. Everyone grooved with the numbers….Ankita and Tridib from Blogadda also sang the lovely Hindi song… “Jab koi baat bigar jayee…”


Powerful voice and Music mesmerized the evening




Fashion Blogger Neha rocked the Stage!



Ankita and Tridib taking the stage!


We moved, grooved, clicked pics with each others……

Day 3

Early morning, Sharon and I decided to have a cup of tea in our balcony enjoying the beauty of the Leela. After having our tea, we walked around the whole property including the private beach.


Stunning view from our Balcony

Do I know how to ride a bicycle ? Guess!!!


With my Roommate Sharon during the Morning Walk




After having our breakfast, we had lovely discussions among all the bloggers till our bus arrived to take us to the airport after our lunch. We boarded our flight at 5 pm.

Felt like extending the stay at Goa, though my son’s and hubby’s faces were calling me badly…..Goa’s trip was over, but the memories will be evergreen…all through my life…


Thanks Blogadda and Renault Livelodgycal for such a wonderful opportunity. 

Click here to read my review on Renault Lodgy.


You can check official photographs at Renault here and at Blogadda here.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Results after using Nioxin products




It’s almost a month now since I attended the launch of the world’s number one hair thinning solution product 'Nioxin' at the Bodycraft Spa in Bangalore. I spoke about my saloon experience, and promised a follow up post with the result on my own hair. (Click here to read the previous blog on Nioxin.)

Looking at the condition of my hair (normal, naturally thinning hair), I was recommended to use the Type 5 treatment. And now, here is the update:




As I hail from a state which is rich in natural resources, I always believe in herbal stuff. The saying of the great historian and traveler Huen Sung is always in top of my mind… that every plant of Assam has a medicinal value directly or indirectly. So, I was a bit skeptical to use Nioxin products daily…..as it says that it has some chemicals in composition. Yes! The beautician asked me to use it daily for 30 days. But… “SSh…sssssh….I did not use it daily for that reason….but used every alternate day, two/three times I skipped too…..means altogether probably 15 or 16 times in 30 days.”

So, how will I analyze now?

“Your hair looks good and better…did u do something?” Monalisa Hazarika, my school mate whom I meet frequently in Bangalore, asked me who came to my house few days back.

“You have such nice hair. I envy you.” Aditi Mathur, the writer, blogger said during our Bloggers’ meet at Goa last week while having our lunch together at The Lalit.

I understood. That means not only I, myself am feeling and seeing some difference, but probably the result of using Nioxin is distinctly visible. What are the changes, I can feel and find after using Nioxin :


  1. My Comb is less crowded with hair strands, I can even count them quickly now.
  2. Maid is happier as she gets less hair on the floor and the bathroom now a day.
  3. Smoothness of the hair increased. I feel good when I touch them. 
  4. Curls became better and thickness of the hair has increased.
  5. No dandruff on my head anymore.

Before using Nioxin, on the day of the Launch.



After Using the product 'Nioxin'  last week.


After Using the product 'Nioxin'  last week.



So, this is my own experience. The Nioxin claims that “70% users notice thicker denser-looking hair in 4 weeks” and I think I am among these 70% users. But, everyone has different texture of hair. If you are experiencing hair thinning problems, I would like to suggest that you should consult with a Nioxin specialist!


You can try and experience #NioxinNowIndia at your nearest salon. This activity is in association with BlogAdda.com



For more information, click at www.nioxin.com 

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