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Saturday, October 10, 2009

Vol. 3 No. 40

LOUNGE THE WEEKEND MAGAZINE

For Chetan and Kim Maini, visiting friends and family before Diwali is a part of tradition.

UNDER Rs500 >Page 11

Rs500 to Rs1,500 >Page 10

We scoured stores for 104 Diwali gift ideas guaranteed to make you popular this season

Rs1,500 to Rs3,000 >Page 9

Plus: Four couples tell us how they celebrate Rs20,000 to Rs1 lakh >Page 6

THE

DON’T MISS

in today’s edition of

GIFTING ISSUE ISSUE KASHMIR’S LOST GENERATION

First published in February 2007 to serve as an unbiased and clear-minded chronicler of the Indian Dream.

LOUNGE EDITOR

PRIYA RAMANI DEPUTY EDITORS

SEEMA CHOWDHRY SANJUKTA SHARMA MINT EDITORIAL LEADERSHIP TEAM

R. SUKUMAR (EDITOR)

NIRANJAN RAJADHYAKSHA (MANAGING EDITOR)

ANIL PADMANABHAN TAMAL BANDYOPADHYAY NABEEL MOHIDEEN MANAS CHAKRAVARTY MONIKA HALAN VENKATESHA BABU SHUCHI BANSAL SIDIN VADUKUT (MANAGING EDITOR, LIVEMINT)

FOUNDING EDITOR RAJU NARISETTI

©2009 HT Media Ltd All Rights Reserved

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Win­Win Contest

Å NDTV Lumiere: A set of 10 DVDs custom­picked for Lounge readers, Rs4,000.

Participate in our Win­Win Contest and you could win one of the great gifts featured here. Read how Anusha and Chetan Bhagat, Kim and Chetan Maini, Sonali and Peter Punj, and Jyotsana and Arjun Sharma celebrate Diwali, then answer four questions about the couples.

Correct answers have a shot at winning one of our 17 gifts through a lucky draw.

Go to www.livemint.com/quiz to take part in this quiz. The contest will close at midnight on 14 October.

È Play Clan: Two shopping bags, Rs1,385 each.

Å Sula: A gift pack of Sula sparkling wine, Rs1,364.

N

Seema Chowdhry ON THE COVER: PHOTOGRAPHER: HEMANT MISHRA/MINT

Ç Armani: Acqua Di Gio perfume for men, Rs2,350 for 30ml, and for women, Rs3,550 for 35ml.

Ç Wills Lifestyle: A gift voucher redeemable at any Wills Lifestyle store, Rs3,500.

Ç ColorBar: Two 5­Minute Makeup Kits, Rs1,500 each. Å CMYK: A Steve McCurry postcard set, Rs1,264, and the Fruits Collection postcard set, Rs841.

Gifting and giving o matter how lean the year, Diwali is not the time to scrimp. ’Tis the season for some serious retail therapy and that’s why the Lounge team went shopping for beautiful goodies to suit every budget. And yes, we did try to steer clear of the candles and diyas. Our list covers the whole gamut from eco-friendly products and jewellery to handicrafts and almost-free gifting ideas. There are price tags to suit every pocket.

However, we also believe that Diwali is not just about exchanging gifts. It is also a time for sharing our good fortune with those who may not have as much. In next Saturday’s Lounge, you can read all about giving—not products or presents but gifts that have the power to change lives.

Å Episode: Sterling silver Moon Ganesh, Rs5,170.

È Bella shoes: A Bella Couture gift voucher redeemable at Delhi, Rs2,000.

Æ Ralph Lauren: Polo Double Black for men, Rs2,550 for 40ml, and Notorious for women, Rs2,750 for 30ml.

Å Marks & Spencer: A gift voucher redeemable at any Marks & Spencer store in India, Rs2,000.

Ç Devi Designs: Lotus candle stand and incense stick holder, Rs1,700.

Æ Miazma: A gift pack of three bottles of wine, Rs3,600.

Æ Varya: A vase and a tea­light candle, Rs2,000.

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104 ideas

to be everyone’s favourite person this Diwali From almost­free gift ideas and environment­friendly products to splurge­worthy goodies, we found festive bounty to suit every budget

È Online Indian auction house Saffronart.com’s newly launched ‘browse and buy’ feature allows you to buy art and jewellery with a couple of mouse clicks. A braided design bangle set with baguette diamonds, Rs1.5 lakh, and a pair of earrings with a cluster of vari­cut diamonds mounted in 18­carat white gold, Rs2.95 lakh.

Å If laptops were cars, Alienware laptops would be the Bugatti Veyrons—oozing with power and features, and drop­dead gorgeous. The Alienware M17x, at computer stores, Rs1.37 lakh.

1 and lakh above

Rs

Ç Not so much a TV as a thing of wonder, the gigantic Philips Cinema 21:9, at electronic stores, Rs4.5 lakh.

È Decant to your heart’s content with a twin decanter set in a Shagreen (Stingray leather) box, at Varya, Rs1.72 lakh.

Å This is Shah Rukh Khan’s latest watch.

TAG Heuer Calibre 36 RS, at all leading watch stores, Rs4.25 lakh.

Ç When the price tag doesn’t matter. Master Twinkling Diamonds watch, at Jaeger­LeCoultre outlets, Rs63.96 lakh.

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Å A must buy, an intricately carved limited edition Ganesh, at Lladró outlets, Rs98,500.

Ç Cute and girlie, the Louis Vuitton Tutti Sweety bracelet, at Louis Vuitton outlets, Rs29,100.

20,000 to Rs1 lakh

Rs

Å If you are an antique lover—art, film, popular culture or sporting memorabilia—you can add to your collection.

This Shiva offset print decorated with glitter and beads is a throwback to the religious wall art of yesteryear, at Osian’s,

Rs30,000.

Ç It’s the ace up your gifting sleeve: Get this set of playing cards in a crocodile leather holder, at Tod’s outlets, Rs36,000.

Æ To redo your living room this season, pick up Satellite chairs, at Varya, Rs29,000.

Ç If you believe there’s life beyond 22 carat, you’ll love Burberry’s woven bracelet, at Burberry outlets, Rs22,500.

Æ You’ll be sure to grab on to this Fendi clutch purse, at Fendi outlets, Rs38,800 each.

Å Sign cheques in style. Caran d’Ache Madison Cisele gold­plated fountain pen, at William Penn, Rs26,650.

È Forget 100 ladis (strings of firecrackers).

This tea­light stand can take up to 100 candles together, at Viya Home, Rs65,000.

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Å Imitation is the best form of flattery. Fabergé egg­like jewellery box, at Amrapali, Rs9,000.

Æ Incense satisfaction.

Incense gift set, at Varya, Rs5,200.

È A great present for friends who enjoy wine.

Moët Hennessy India’s Veuve Clicquot Rosé Trendy Box, made to order, Rs10,000.

5,000 to Rs20,000

Rs

Å A champa orb diya will add a touch of class to your Diwali decorations. Devi Designs at Neemrana, Rs5,100.

Ç Want to add a classic touch? Invest in the Dalvey St Elmo clock, at William Penn, Rs6,525.

ÅÆ A must for your prayer room. Laddoo Ganesh (right), at Epi­ sode, Rs13,440; or Ganesh Viraj, at Frazer and Haws, Rs17,500.

Æ Please the goddess of money. Laxmi Feet pendant, at Tanishq,

Rs5,000 onwards. Ç Have a Cinderella fantasy? Visit Bella Couture for a pair of bespoke sandals, Rs7,999.

Ç Invest in a set of decorative trunks, at Zaza, Rs6,200.

Å Nothing like the sound of music for your dear ones.

The new Apple iPod Nano, Rs9,400 for 8GB, Rs11,200 for 16GB.

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È The perfect mantlepiece lining.

A set of five candle holders, at Apartment 9, Rs4,050.

Å Choose the most retro­futuristic way to get up in the mornings. Get a digital alarm clock, at fcml Home, Rs4,590.

Å This is for your daughter who wants her own music system.

Barbie Bloombox with portable CD and AM/FM stereo radio, at all toy stores, Rs4,199.

3,000 to Rs5,000

Rs

Ç Dual use. Mars tea­light holders, at White Linen, Rs3,760 for two.

Ç The scent of essential oils is just what the aromatherapist ordered.

Aroma diffusers, at Varya, Rs5,000.

Å Jazz up your tabletop with a stylish pepper mill.

Automatic pepper, salt or spice mill (with a light!), at fcml Home, Rs3,345.

Ç The cutest toaster in town is the White Flower Toaster, at Pylones, Rs4,000.

Ç No Bollywood or travel fan can miss out on this screen by Iris, at Zaza, Rs3,000. Å Make teatime special. A selection of exotic teas from around the world packed in a wooden gift box, at Chado Tea, Rs3,000 onwards, depending on the selection of teas.

Æ The new way to store old photos. Photo Box in green, at Apartment 9, Rs3,060.

Æ Addicted to the perfect cup of joe?

Get yourself Kenya coffee maker chrome, at fcml Home, Rs3,055.

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Ç Perfect for your boss. J­fold Card Holder, at Collective,

Ç Toast in style. Jewelled goblet, at OMA, Rs1,790 for a set of two.

Rs3,000.

Å Diyas are not the only way to light up.

Lamp by Kanhai, at Zaza, Rs1,768.

Ç Gift your parents a lotus puja set, at Episode, Rs2,800.

Å Sip stylish sparkling wine. Limited edition Zampagne Couture by Satya Paul, at Living Liquidz, Rs2,100.

1,500 to Rs3,000

Rs

Ç A stylish Ganesh in silver, at Amrapali, Rs1,750. Å This bright bag is sure to look great with your Diwali outfit, Benaras Bag by Holii, Rs1,895.

È As cool as it can get. Ice bucket, Rs2,000, and tongs, Rs730, at Episode.

Ç For more literal proof of what morning coffee feels like, pick up these Angel espresso cups, at Pylones, Rs2,160 for a set of four.

Å Mirror effect. A tea­light holder lamp, at Address Home, Rs1,500.

Ç The perfect gift for a wine lover. Lighting lever corkscrew, at fcml Home, Rs2,380.

500 to Rs1,500

Rs

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500

Under Rs Å Decorate your house not just with diyas but with these stars made with elephant­dung paper, at Haathi Chaap, Rs40 for a set of four.

Ç This one is for your family’s resident writer.

Designwallas’ vibrant 225­page, beach­stripe journals, at CMYK, White, Taxi and Landmark, Rs295 per notebook.

Ç Nothing makes for a better Diwali gift than a couple of scented candles, at Marks & Spencer, Rs495 each.

Ç Celebrate the festival of lights with tea­light holders, at Apartment 9, È Lanterns never go out of fashion. This one is perfect on a tree in a garden or hanging in a balcony, at Fabindia,

Rs325.

Rs450. Ç Introduce your child to the concept of saving money with this elephant piggy bank, at Dastkari Haat,

Rs203.

Ç Ditch styrofoam coffee cups at work. Present your colleagues with these coffee mugs, at Play Clan, Rs295 each.

Ç This year send Diwali greetings the old­fashioned way. Buy a Devi card box, at Play Clan, Rs295 for

Æ Planning an all­night card party? Be sure to pick up this fun pack of cards with graphics, at Loose Ends, Rs150.

four cards.

Å No more drab tiffin boxes after Diwali.

Order a set of containers from Tupperware’s Royal Jaipur collection, Rs450 for a set of two 650ml containers.

Æ Take special care of your expensive Diwali saris by storing them in river­grass boxes laced with zari, at Mother Earth, Rs395 each.

Ç Send gifts in these decorative boxes, at Dastkari Haat, Rs430 for a set of three.

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Æ Rug me down.

A durrie made from recycled paper, at Xylem Papercraft, Rs4,000.

Å Play ball. A Satolia/Pithoo set with seven stackable dung cakes and a light sponge ball, at Haathi Chaap, Rs150.

È Notebook with ‘The Khans’ on the cover, made from elephant poo and handmade paper, at Haathi Chaap, Rs100.

Get minimal ...go green

È Don’t trash your organic waste, compost it instead. Pick up hand­painted compost pots

by Daily Dump, at Mother Earth, Rs450.

È Travel­friendly snakes and ladders set, at Haathi Chaap, Rs300.

Æ Light up with a beautiful lamp made of handmade, eco­friendly paper with a single stone base,

by Jenny Pinto, at Bliss, Rs5,500.

SHOPPING GUIDE

Å Gift a hamper of organic dry fruits: walnuts (Rs150 for 250g), almonds (Rs130 for 200g), cashews (Rs250 for 200g), nutri bars (Rs60 for 30g), chikki (Rs47 for 30g), at Altitude Store.

È Send out a basket of four herbs—ajwain (carom seeds), lemon grass, Japanese mint and vasaka (Malabar nut), at Green Somethings, Rs475.

È Need a noticeboard?

Opt for this one, at Oxford Bookstore, Rs245.

Address Home: Khan Market and N­Block Market, Greater Kailash­1, New Delhi; Raghuvanshi Mills Compound, Mumbai Altitude Store: www.thealtitudestore.com Amrapali: Khan Market, New Delhi; The Oberoi, Nariman Point, Mumbai Apple: www.apple.co.in/store Apartment 9: N­Block Market, Greater Kailash­1, New Delhi; Mereweather Road, Colaba, Mumbai Artd’inox: Select Citywalk mall, Saket, New Delhi Bella Couture: Square One mall, Saket, New Delhi Bliss: Andheri (West), Mumbai Burberry: DLF Emporio mall, New Delhi Chado Tea: Palladium, Phoenix Mills, Mumbai CMYK: 15-16, Mehar Chand Market, New Delhi Collective: Vittal Mallya Road, Bangalore; Palladium, Phoenix Mills, Mumbai ColorBar: Select Citywalk mall, Saket, New Delhi Dastkari Haat: Khan Market, New Delhi Devi Designs: The Neemrana Shop, Khan Market, New Delhi; Dragonfly, Ashok Nagar, Bangalore; Trésorie, Santa Cruz, Mumbai Dhoop: Bandra (West), Mumbai Earth: Palladium, Phoenix Mills, Mumbai Episode: Select Citywalk mall, Saket, New Delhi; Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata; Grand Galleria, Lower Parel, Mumbai Fabindia: New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai fcml Home: Khan Market, New Delhi; Ashok Nagar, Bangalore; Mylapore, Chennai Fendi: DLF Emporio mall, New Delhi Forest Essentials: Khan Market, New Delhi; Atria mall, Mumbai, Frazer and Haws: Lodhi Colony market, New Delhi Good Earth: Select Citywalk mall, Saket, New Delhi; Raghuvanshi Mills Compound, Mumbai; opposite Taj Coromandel, Rutland Gate, Chennai; UB City Mall, Vittal Mallya Road, Bangalore Green Somethings: http://greensomethings.com

Haathi Chaap: www.elephantpoopaper.com Holii: Pantaloons and Shoppers Stop stores countrywide Jaeger-LeCoultre: DLF Emporio mall, New Delhi Living Liquidz: Colaba, Churchgate, Lower Parel, Borivali West, Mumbai Lladró: Stores in Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Gurgaon Loose Ends: Bandra (West), Mumbai Louis Vuitton: DLF Emporio mall, New Delhi; Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, Mumbai Marks & Spencer: All stores countrywide Moët Hennessy India: To order the Veuve Clicquot box, call 022­40796500 Mother Earth: Domlur, Bangalore OMA: Select Citywalk mall, Saket, and Khan Market, New Delhi Osian’s at Vama: Peddar Road, Mumbai Oxford Bookstore: Churchgate, Mumbai; Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Kolkata; Barakhamba Road, New Delhi; Haddows Road, Chennai Play Clan: Select Citywalk mall, Saket, New Delhi Pylones: Palladium, Phoenix Mills, Mumbai; Select Citywalk mall, Saket, New Delhi SaffronArt: www.saffronart.com Strand Book Stall: Fort, Mumbai Swayambhu: Palladium, Phoenix Mills, Mumbai Tag Heuer: UB City, Bangalore; DLF Emporio mall, New Delhi; Grand Hyatt Plaza, Mumbai Tanishq: At Tanishq stores across the country Tod’s: UB City, Bangalore; The Galleria, Oberoi Trident, Mumbai; DLF Emporio mall, New Delhi Tupperware: www.tupperware.com Varya: Janpath, New Delhi Viya Home: Colaba, Mumbai; Defence Colony, Delhi White Linen: Select Citywalk mall, Saket, New Delhi William Penn: Select Citywalk mall, Saket, New Delhi; The Forum, Bangalore; Grand Galleria, Lower Parel, Mumbai Xylem Papercraft: www.xylempapercraft.com Zaza: Zamrudpur Community Centre, New Delhi

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È Put yourself in a video game Don’t scoff. Interactive experiences can be very moving, and great for bonding with friends and family. If you have a Nintendo Wii, make sure you create “Miis”, or avatars, of everyone you know, and use them in the games you play together.

PlayStation 3 owners have games such as LittleBigPlanet, which exist with the intention of letting players create their own levels and characters and stories.

PC owners have the Sims series, which lets you create virtual representations of everyone you know, put them in little doll houses of your own devising, and play with their virtual lives. It’s much more fun than we’re making it sound, and downright hilarious to play in a group.

The more curious can even dabble in making their own video game. It’s timeconsuming, of course, but what can be cooler than starring in your own video game? The Adventure Game Studio (www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/) is a good place to start—it allows you to create your own adventures.

Ç Make a festive comic book What better way to summon that festive spirit than to make a Diwali comic book? All you need are pictures, a script in your head and an undying love for the comic book medium.

There are a number of websites that let you upload pictures and “comicfy” them through the use of photo filters. They can also help arrange pages in panels, and add suitably dramatic speech bubbles and sound effects.

Mac users will already have Comic Life, an application that does precisely the above, installed and ready to use. Windows users can download a free trial from Plasq.com. Online, there’s ROKcomics.com for starters. For the more eclectic, you can spice up the comics with some fancy fonts and typesets from Blambot.com

È Compose a song

Ç Make paper toys Paper-craft toys require just a computer printer, some thick bond paper, glue and scissors. There’s a huge community online that creates free model blueprints for just about every bit of pop culture—from music stars to cartoon characters. Almost all of them are free to download, and come with detailed instructions on how to assemble.

A good place to start is the Cubeecraft blog at Cubeecraft.com, or the paper totems (which also make for interesting gift wraps) at http://dollyoblong.blogspot.com The more artistically inclined can download a blank model and draw their own characters.

While you’re at paper craft, why not try origami too? It’s simpler on resources (all one needs is blank paper and heroic patience), and there are some beautiful, simple folding projects out there. Start at http://www.origami-club.com/en/

Freebies... well almost Increasingly jaded with impersonal gifts?

Here are five unconventional, offbeat, mostly online ideas Å Make a Kyaraben lunch

ANNATHERED.COM

Japanese Kyaraben lunches use a specific arrangement of food inside a lunch box or on a plate to create pictures or images. Here’s how. Mould cooked rice into a tight, round ball. Use two olives for eyes, shape some ears using common household items such as bottle caps, put in two thin roundels of carrot for the cheeks, and there you go: instant Panda! text by krish raghav Here’s another simple krish.r@livemint.com example. To make a simple Calvin, of Calvin and Hobbes fame, cut out a circular slice of ham.

Take a slice of cheddar cheese and cut it in a shaggy, jagged shape like his unkempt hair. Place it towards the top of the ham slice, add sesame seeds for eyes, and you’re done!

Start at http://justbento.com/ or www.annathered.com, or just get creative with kitchen ingredients!

Microsoft’s Songsmith is a nifty little application that lets you sing into a microphone and automatically generates the back-up instruments. The programme lets you pick a mood for your magnum opus (pick “Festive!”) and determines a combination of instruments, rhythm and tempo, and even adjusts your wavering pitch to sound properly epic. Songsmith isn’t magic, of course, so you’ll have to sing in at least a semblance of tune for it. If you know how to play a particular instrument, you can play that directly into Songsmith as well. A free trial of Songmith can be downloaded from http://research.microsoft.com/songsmith.

Continued use will require payment, but the trial suffices for a debut recording or two.

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What money can’t buy W

hat do you gift people who have everything they might possibly need? Jyotsana and Arjun Sharma weren’t sure. And so the couple has bought potted basil plants in three varieties—lemon, camphor and tulsi—as Diwali gifts for friends and relatives.

Over the coming week, they plan to deliver these personally.

Forty-three-year-old Arjun is the director of New Delhi’s Select Citywalk mall and the CEO of Le Passage to India, a leading inbound tourism company. His wife Jyotsana acted in the 1992 movie Vishwatma, starring alongside the late Divya Bharti.

Their festive plans reflect the ongoing austerity debate in the country. But the Sharmas say it is more a practical choice than an ironic luxury statement.

“We’re growing older and increasingly feel that extravagant gifting is pointless,” says Arjun.

Jyotsana, while cheerfully disagreeing with the growing older bit, agrees in sentiment. She text by anindita ghose testifies to that anindita.g@livemint.com terrible phenomenon—gift photographs by madhu kapparath recycling.

But one gift Jyotsana would never dream of passing on is an orchid that a friend gifted her several months ago. Caring for it has been a deeply engaging experience for her, which is why she decided to go with the green gifting idea. Win Greens, the herb store they’re sourcing their plants from, has a big selection of exotic and medicinal herbs.

But the Sharmas picked basil for its strong sociological ties with India.

In what might appear to be a curious paradox, the family has done away with the concept of gifting each other for the last few years. “Instead, we make cheques to the family foundation that funds assorted charities,” says Arjun. Diwali is likely to prompt more cheques, which would go to each member’s preferred charity.

Arjun’s mother, a doctor, runs a charitable dispensary. Jyotsana funds two animal shelters and Arjun uses his share of funds to support Chintan, an NGO that works with around 180 child rag-pickers in Delhi as part of Project Arman. An annual highlight for the Sharmas is a party they throw for these

Turning a new leaf: The couple plans to gift tulsi plants from Win Greens to friends and family.

children soon after Diwali in the park behind their Sunder Nagar residence. There’s cake, games and a lot of running around. Funds from the Inder Sharma Foundation, named after Arjun’s father, are also used for running a hospital, school and temple in the family’s native village, Lalowal, an hour’s drive from Amritsar.

This Diwali has a special place in their festive repertoire—it is their eternally smiling daughter Amaraah’s first. Jyotsana has had the eight-month-old’s clothes specially tailored by a children’s ethnic wear designer to match with the outfit she plans to wear—a classic Sabyasachi ensemble in red and gold.

Arjun seems confused when I ask him what he’s going to wear on Diwali. Jyotsana, evidently the fashionista, laughs. “Arjun likes designer wear but he never remembers what he shops for.” She has put together Arjun’s Diwali outfit this year: A slate-coloured zardozi kurta by Vijay Arora with a red Sabyasachi stole.

When the family dons their festive wear for us, they look like quite the coordinated trio.

The family’s plans include some specifics: Jyotsana will buy the customary silver, with some jazz, from Episode.

And Arjun is keen on a kansa (bell metal) dinner set from Good Earth.

Other Diwali staples, such as pujas at home and in their office, are on the cards. Card playing, however, is not.

Again, Arjun attributes that to “growing old”. “We might play a few rounds at my father’s place for tradition’s sake,” he adds.

The family gave up lighting fireworks several years ago because of the noise pollution but they do plan to light a few phuljaris (sparklers). The couple professes a love for authentic diya lighting rather than swanky electric string lights.

Tradition also calls for all-day family get-togethers. The Sharmas will spend a greater part of the day at their parents’ home, on the ground floor of the same house that they live in.

A simple breakfast of aloo puri at an elder cousin’s place will mark the start of the day, followed by an incessant stream of visitors. Arjun plans to round up the day with mutton biryani and some bubbly. It’s what we’d call austerity topped with froth.

Arjun and Jyotsana Sharma celebrate by going green and giving to charities. Their indulgence is in the sartorial department

Red, gold and a lot of green: Eight­month­ old Amaraah lights up Arjun and Jyotsana’s Diwali festivities this year.

Food for thought: Arjun will gift Sanjeev Sanyal’s The Indian Renaissance to his senior colleagues.

Keeping up the spirit: A Palmes d’ Or vintage champagne that Arjun picked up from Stockholm airport earlier this year.

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Chocoholic: The Bhagats prefer chocolates to traditional sweets.

For Chetan and Anusha Bhagat, Diwali is all about fusing two sets of traditions and creating a third

Fireworks: Chetan and his children burst crackers after the Diwali puja in the evening.

Lit up: The Bhagats exchange diyas as Diwali gifts with their friends and colleagues.

The north­south combine C

hetan Bhagat’s clearest memory of Diwali is of when he was 10, and burnt his fingers while making firecrackers on his own. “I put a large amount of gunpowder in a bottle and lit it. But then I lit my fingers along with it,” Chetan smiles, looking at the faded scars on his fingers. As a child, Diwali was all about bursting crackers and the tradition continues with his twin boys, Shyam and Ishan.

His wife, Anusha a Brahmin from Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, celebrated the festival very differently. “We would start our day at 4am with an oil bath.

Then we have a puja and burst crackers,” she says. Chetan says Diwali is truly a festival for all, unlike Pongal in the south or Karva Chauth in the north. But he discovered after marriage that even though it is celebrated by Hindus all over the country, the festivities text by rachana nakra differ from north rachana.n@livemint.com to south.

Their marriage photograph by abhijit bhatlekar has been about taking the best from both cultures, and that includes festival times such as Diwali. In fact, in his just-released book 2 States, inspired by his romance with Anusha at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A), Chetan talks about the struggle to convince both sets of parents to agree to their choice of life partner from another community. “We thought we’re both from IIM, successful middle-class people, and our parents are modern.

We say that India is one but true prejudices are revealed when your children want to get married outside the community,” says Chetan. It was a stressful period for the couple, but things eventually worked out.

On festivals such as Diwali, they compromise, which means they take the most important aspects of Diwali (according to them) and then combine these to create their special brand of festivities. So buying new clothes and making rangoli is taken from Anusha’s southern traditions, while bursting crackers in the evening and eating jalebis dipped in milk is what Chetan brings to the table. The puja is held neither

Old and new: Anusha follows her mother’s tradition of making rangoli and buying new clothes for the family for Diwali.

too early in the morning nor too late in the evening.

“How can they burst crackers at the crack of dawn?” Chetan, the quintessential Punjabi boy from Delhi, is still confused about that one. For him, Diwali is always at night with lots of crackers, followed by card parties.

Chetan says he’s the more traditional of the two and wanted to bring up his children with Indian values—that’s why they moved from Hong Kong to India two years ago. For nine years, Diwali abroad was spent working. “It wouldn’t feel like Diwali. It was quite sad actually. We would tell friends travelling from India to get us sparklers,” says Anusha.

Anusha now works as an investment banker with UBS India here and Chetan is a full-time author. Before Diwali, she gets the house cleaned and decorates it with diyas bought from the Indian Cancer Society at Mahalaxmi, Mumbai. She buys new clothes for her husband and sons and dresses up in new

silk saris bought from Sundari Silks or Aavaranaa in Chennai.

Diwali sweets are not an issue; they just buy chocolates for all their friends.

Gifts that they receive and give include diyas and chocolates. “Although my mother used to make a lot of sweets and savouries at home, I don’t get the time to do that.

We’ve been living outside India for so long that our celebrations have been pared down to the core,” says Anusha. For Chetan, card parties are out. In fact, they don’t attend many Diwali parties because Anusha usually has to work the next day.

Chetan wants to have both his and Anusha’s parents over for Diwali this year. “Later, I’ll take my kids to light crackers.

I’m very careful with them.

They cannot light anything other than sparklers.”

Anusha Bhagat shares Diwali recipes from her mother’s cookbook South Indian mixture Ingredients 2 cups besan (chickpea flour)

100g poha (flattened rice) 100g peanuts 100g cashew nuts 100g maida (refined flour) 100g roasted chana dal (pottu kadalai or Bengal gram) Oil to fry For the tempering A pinch of asafoetida (hing) Salt to taste A sprig of curry leaves A pinch of red chilli powder Method Sieve the besan and mix with asafoetida powder and salt to taste. Add water to make a soft dough. Pass a handful of the dough through a sev mould, then deep-fry the thin sev until golden in colour.

Repeat the process for the entire dough. Drain the sev on paper towels. Mix maida with salt and water and make a soft dough. Roll out into a thin roti. Cut into thin strips and then into small diamond shapes. Deep-fry until golden.

Drain on paper towels. Fry the poha, cashew nuts and peanuts separately till crisp and golden. Mix the sev,

maida diamonds, fried poha, cashew nuts, peanuts and roasted chana dal together.

Heat oil and temper with asafoetida, curry leaves and red chilli powder and add to the mixture. Add a little sugar.

Maavu Laddu Ingredients 2 cups roasted chana dal 2 cups sugar 50g cashew nuts 50g raisins Cardamom powder to taste Ghee for frying Method Dry grind the roasted chana dal and sugar to a smooth powder, separately. Mix well.

Fry the cashew nuts and raisins separately in ghee and add to the powdered mixture. Add cardamom powder. Heat some ghee and add it hot to a small portion of the powdered mixture, enough to be able to hold together and make small balls (laddus) of desired sizes. Repeat the process for the rest of the mixture.

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When two worlds meet C

hetan Kumar Maini heaves a sigh of relief as he thinks about his forthcoming Diwali break. The past month has been a hectic, yet eventful one for him and the company he co-founded. In keeping with the spirit of the season, Reva Electric Car Co. unveiled two next-generation cars at the Frankfurt Motor Show last month and announced a tie-up with General Motors Co. to jointly manufacture the electric version of Chevrolet Spark. “It has come after a lot of hard work,” smiles Chetan, not quite willing to give all the credit to the wealth Diwali is said to bring in.

For Chetan, Diwali has always been about big celebrations. “My parents invited anyone who didn’t celebrate Diwali over to our place when I was a child. Close to 50-100 people streamed into our house days before the actual puja. I remember it as a huge sleepover party with lots of sweets and firecrackers,” says Chetan.

His wife Kim’s earliest memories of Diwali, however, are associated with her Indian room-mates at Michigan University 18 years ago, where her romance with Chetan blossomed. “He used to come over all the time to eat the food they cooked and needless to text by pavitra jayaraman say, he was always there pavitra.j@livemint.com at Diwali time too,” she photographs by hemant mishra laughs. They got married in 1997 and moved to India in 1999.

“But now Diwali is about the children,” says the couple, echoing each other’s thoughts. Aaryan, their four-year-old son, begins Diwali celebrations a week in advance with his gang of nearly 15 friends from the neighbourhood. Their daughter, Kayli, who is 2, was flustered with all the noise last year but seems prepared to enjoy some sparklers this year. Diwali usually means new clothes, so Kim makes sure the four of them have their ensembles in place. “I enjoy shopping but don’t really look for labels or brands. For the children I usually buy cotton Indian wear from Fabindia but this year I just picked clothes from stores in Commercial Street (Bangalore) along with Chetan’s kurta,” she says.

Celebrating the festival of lights is just the beginning of much festivity in the Maini household. The family also celebrates Thanksgiving and Christmas.

“The spirit of festivals is what we pass on to the next generation. The idea is that they enjoy the lights and sweets during Diwali and the gifts during Christmas,” says Kim. Visiting friends and family before Diwali is a part of the family tradition that Kim enjoys. She ensures that over two-three days, she visits all the relatives and neighbours. “I used to do this with only Aaryan until last year, but Kayli will join us this

Picture perfect: Kim gifts a photo frame with the latest images of the children to members of the immediate Maini family.

Light, not sound: The Mainis don’t allow their children, Aaryan, 4, and Kayli, 2, to play with noisy firecrackers.

Diwali,” she says, glancing at Chetan, who quickly explains that his tight schedule allows him time only for visits to his immediate family. The family carries boxes of sweets as gifts—kaju burfis, more often than not, since it is a favourite of both Chetan and Aaryan. “I don’t buy expensive gifts and usually go with a photo frame with a latest picture of the family or the kids,” says Kim, who doesn’t support the idea of flamboyant or over-the-top gifts.

Diwali day begins with all of them wearing their new clothes, after which

For Chetan and Kim Maini, Diwali is the time to visit neighbours, friends and family and gift ‘kaju burfis’

they look forward to lunch at the home of Sandeep and Gita Maini (Chetan’s elder brother and sister in-law). Dusk heralds the time to light lamps and for Aaryan to start lighting his stash of firecrackers. “Aaryan can light up sparklers and flower pots, and is not allowed to play with loud patakhas,” says the environmentconscious Chetan, who wishes someone would manufacture fireworks that emit less smoke.

Kim, who studied oncology at college, supports several cancer-related organizations such as

Sweet tooth: Chetan and his son Aaryan are partial to kaju burfis.

The Terry Fox Foundation, Bangalore, while Chetan leans towards environmental issues. But both engage in charity-related activities through the year rather than making it an annual ritual.

“The most significant part is the puja. We conduct it at a specific time that Chetan’s mother lets me know about in advance,” says Kim, who seems to have mastered the basic rituals over the years. She then takes the children out to distribute sweets to street children in the hope that this will imbue in them a spirit of giving.

Prayer time: The Mainis have a puja every year, with Chetan’s mother telling Kim what time it should be held.

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Good fortune: This nine­diya lamp from Frazer and Haws is lit for good luck.

‘Puja’ and fireworks are the key ingredients for Peter and Sonali Punj’s Diwali

Clay peacock: Sonali picked up this earthen lamp, with a golden peacock on top, from The Blind School, Lodhi Road, Delhi.

On a platter: This silver and enamel puja thali is used for the grand puja on Diwali morning.

A sound and light show T

he only thing about Diwali that mattered to industrialist Peter Punj (of the Punj Lloyd group) when he was young was the fireworks. And that’s still something he looks forward to.

“Diwali evenings were focused on fireworks. Now, of course, I buy fireworks that are not just loud but also pretty so the kids can enjoy them as well, though they are a bit too young and a little timid now,” he says, warming up to the prospect of all the sound and light. Earlier, Peter would buy bombs and the 100,000 ladi (strings of firecrackers) and loop them around the crescent-shaped road in front of his house.

His wife, Sonali, is circumspect about loud crackers. The really exciting part of her Diwali when she was growing up used to be the fairs. “At that time, Friends Colony club, Sunder Nagar club and some others used to have these huge Diwali melas. I used to go with my school friends and we would take rides on the giant wheels.

It was great fun,” she reminisces.

Now, the Punjs’ Diwali is a day of pujas. Peter’s parents perform the puja in the morning and the entire family then visits all their offices and text by veena venugopal factories to perform veena.v@livemint.com pujas there. By the time they are done, it’s photographs by harikrishna evening, and time to go katragadda to Sonali’s parents’ and attend the puja there. Sonali and Peter moved into their new house two years ago and now have their own puja in the morning.

The food cooked on Diwali day is typical puja food, says Sonali. The menu is standard—halwa, puri, aloo and black chana. After the puja and lunch, the staff is given their bonuses and gifts of clothes and sweets. Both Peter and Sonali don’t eat the sweets, which possibly explains her svelte figure and his ripped abs, prominently displayed in photographs around their living room. “The kids are quite intrigued by all this. We have a pandit and the entire thing is fairly elaborate, starting with bathing the gods, etc.,” says Sonali.

Peter and Sonali don’t give each other gifts on Diwali. The children, Reyaan, 3, and Aryan, 1, are inundated with gifts through the year and the Punjs are looking at ways to curtail this. “In my house, my parents used to draw up a list and then send Diwali baskets to everyone whose name figured in it. Peter’s family, thankfully, is not too focused on it. It is such a waste sometimes. His mother, being American, prefers to contribute money to charities instead,” says Sonali. The Punjs contribute to Savera, a school for the underprivileged in East of

Family matters: Sonali and Peter Punj don’t exchange gifts on Diwali.

Kailash, New Delhi. “These occasions give us more of an opportunity to interact with them as they organize a song and dance show and other functions,” she says.

Pujas done, it is time for the parties. Peter used to be an avid card player, but has outgrown this in recent years. “I used to play cards until about three years ago. It would

go on for a fortnight until Diwali. I would be there from midnight to 7am sometimes. But one day I just fell out of it. Maybe I overdid it,” he says.

Now they visit a few friends’ homes, stay out of the card sessions and come home early. “Especially because of the kids, we don’t stay out partying late,” Sonali says.

The Punjs prefer to be in India,

around family and friends, for the festival, so they don’t plan holidays around this time. However, Peter’s birthday falls close to Diwali and that’s a time to get away. Their usual haunt is Thailand, but this year he is thinking about going to Turkey.

But first, there’s a big basket of fireworks being delivered, and he can’t wait to get his hands on it.

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2009 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

Reignite your inner lamp

PHOTOGRAPH

Don’t plan a holiday before the festive season. Take a post­ Diwali detox break instead

A

fter the last firecracker has been burst and the last lamp has flickered to darkness, a familiar post-Diwali ennui settles over us all. Call it the Black Hole after the Big Bang, but as we look at the prospect of packing up the fairy lights, disposing of the boxes of mithai—not to mention returning to work—we want to curl into our bed-clothes and not emerge till Christmas.

Attribute the apathy to the rich, text by sumana mukherjee heavy meals, the lounge@livemint.com late nights and the alcohol consumpphotographs courtesy SwaSwara tion. What you need now, actually, is a holiday. Whether you choose to travel alone or in a twosome, set aside at least five days to reconnect your body, soul and spirit at one of these restorative resorts. Less austere than hardcore medicinal naturopathy camps and less lavish than sevenstar mountain-top spas, these breaks are just the way to wrap up the festival season.

Somatheeram Located 9km south of Kovalam, Kerala, this is supposed to be the world’s first Ayurvedic beach resort. It’s not a claim you want to argue with, especially when you have the vivid blue expanse of the Arabian Sea on the one hand and the painstakingly replicated Kerala houses in a lush backdrop on the other. Chithra, manager, operations, Somatheeram Ayurveda Resort, recommends a 14-day Manasanthy package that

COURTESY

LEONIA

addresses the stresses on the body, mind and soul. The package includes a daily 2-hour Ayurvedic treatment (prescribed by a resident doctor after a consultation), and a 90-minute yoga and meditation session, besides Ayurvedic meals, medicines and a personalized diet plan.

Packages start from Rs2.6 lakh for standard double rooms.

Log on to www.somatheeram.in or call 0471­2268101/2266111 for details

SwaSwara On a beach shaped like the Sanskrit letter for “Om”, this CGH Earth resort in Gokarna, Karnataka, caters to both those in search of salvation and lesser mortals looking simply for metime and massages. Dayananda and Sobha, both Ayurveda practitioners, assess individuals on the basis of their doshas (constitutions), and accordingly prescribe treatments. Panchakarma, a rigorous programme lasting threeseven days, is recommended for eliminating toxins built up over a period, but there are more accessible therapies available as well. Try laughter yoga, during which false smirks very quickly change into real giggles and fullthroated guffaws, thereby deepening the breath, toning the stomach and, best of all, lifting the spirits. Resident teachers also conduct classes in pranayam, asanas and meditation.

A week-long Lifestyle package for two, open only to Indian nationals, costs Rs1,07,520, inclusive of taxes, transfers from Goa airport, all meals and yoga sessions, but exclusive of Ayurvedic therapy (a six-day package can be added on for Rs18,500 per person, which buys one treatment per day).

Log on to www.swaswara.com or call 0484­3011711/2668221 for details

Ayurvedagram

A resort transplanted brick by brick from Kerala to a 13-acre herbal garden in Whitefield, Bangalore, this wellness centre focuses on specific ailments, but will also provide therapies for general health and rejuvenation.

For the Diwali-induced downturn, K. Krishnan, the managing director, recommends a Panchakarma body purification package comprising Mind mending: Visitors to SwaSwara practise asanas in the open.

Take a break: (top) SwaSwara is located on an Om­shaped beach; and enjoy an annual detox plan at Leonia. the five stages of virechana (purgation), vamana (emesis), vasthi (enema), nasya (nasal administration) and raktamoksha (blood-letting, which is rarely practised). If that sounds too scary, try the anti-ageing rejuvenation package, which uses therapies such as kayaseka, shirodhara, abhyanga and navarakizhi as well as steam baths and synchronized massages to restore vigour and vitality. Yoga and meditation run side by side these therapies; the centre also requires you to abide by a daily regimen that includes waking up at 6am and going for a walk, and finishing dinner by 8.15pm.

A seven-day Panchakarma package starts from Rs1,01,500 for two, while the anti-ageing package costs upwards of Rs93,065 for the same period; both are inclusive of accommodation, all-vegetarian meals, treatments, medicines, airport transfers, etc.

Log on to www. ayurvedagram.com or call 080­65651090/91 for details

Soukya The name comes from the Sanskrit word soukhyam, or well-being, proving yet again that ancient Indians knew far more about living a good life than we give them credit for. Unlike other establishments that choose to specialize in Ayurveda, Soukya integrates the art of healing with naturopathy, homoeopathy and 30 other complementary therapies, including yoga, acupuncture and reflexology. To tackle the post-Diwali bloat, Soukya’s senior physician, Dr Shubha, suggests a detox pro-

gramme that fights weight gain, strengthens the metabolism and improves digestion.

Shudha, the 10-day programme, includes Ayurvedic cleansing treatments, detoxifying mud packs for the face, eye and abdomen, a herbal colon irrigation, three nasya treatments, seven shirodhara therapies and an acupressure session. A sevenday de-stress programme, Sukha, incorporates an Ayurvedic hotstone massage, hip baths, aroma and foot baths. Besides, of course, there are yoga classes twice a day, and access to the swimming pool, library and walking track.

Between October and March, a 10-day Shudha and a seven-day Sukha package for two cost around Rs3.65 lakh and Rs2.7 lakh, respectively, inclusive of airport transfers, medicines, laundry, et al.

Log on to www.soukya.com or call 080­28017000/8 for details

Leonia At the Leo Juventa Centre for Integrated Medicine in Hyderabad, part of the Sterling Hotels group, resident doctor Nina Pradhan recommends a five-day detoxification package called Pristine Persona. “It’s like an annual clean-up of the body,” Dr Pradhan says.

“Toxins build up over a period of time, most commonly sourced from smoking, air pollution—an especially potent cause over the Diwali period—unhealthy food, etc. This package uses the best of naturopathy, Ayurveda and modern medicine to purge out the toxins.” The treatment includes a consultation with the doctor and a diet prescription, a hydrocolon,

personalized Ayurveda and natural therapies, ocean aroma therapies, an antibacterial rejuvenating oxygen facial, teeth polishing, yoga and meditation.

Their recommended five-day package for one costs Rs15,000, but a shorter three-day package is also available for Rs9,000. Accommodation packages start from Rs7,500 a night for two.

Log on to www.leonia.in or call 040­66400000 for details

Devaaya Located on Divar island on the Mandovi river in Goa, the Devaaya Ayurveda and Nature Cure Centre requires the Diwalidistressed to stay a minimum of three nights for a naturopathy programme. “The morning will begin with cleansing kriyas and yoga. Later in the day, there will be a massage, a mud bath and specific treatments for local problems, if any,” says Dr Manoj, the resort’s resident doctor. Apart from sourcing its treatments through natural elements—primarily water and earth—the treatment also calls for a diet of fruits, vegetables and cereals.

Gentler than a detox programme, it is tailored for the time-crunched professional looking for quick, effective solutions.

As with all de-stress programmes, however, much depends on how much one carries over into one’s regular life: Yoga and meditation are recommended takeaways.

Packages start from Rs4,500 per day, inclusive of accommodation, naturopathy therapies and prescribed diet for two.

Log on to www.devaaya.com or call 0832­2280500 for details

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2009 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

Traditional, with a twist PHOTOGRAPHS

Two chefs share their Diwali party favourites. On the menu are two starters and a dessert for your group of eight

COURTESY

TARLA DALAL

smoked salmon 16 slices of bread 1 nori sheet (seaweed dried in sheets) 100g Flanders mascarpone 50 capers Method Cut out the sides of the bread and flatten with a rolling pin.

Cut the nori sheet into thin shreds. Lay the salmon slices on a flat surface, place the bread over it and spread a thick layer of mascarpone on it. Add three capers to each slice. Roll the salmon and the bread to make a pinwheel. Cut in two pieces and top with the nori. Serve chilled.

Tarla Dalal

Budget: Rs75 per person You can hear a childish glee in Tarla Dalal’s voice when she talks about her all-time favourite Diwali dish, shrikhand-puri. “As a child it was a Diwali staple along with dhoklas. But then, being Gujarati we always have dhokla around,” says India’s most famous Gujarati chef. But these days the Diwali menu is very different at her home. “My children, like everyone else these days, only want healthy, low-calorie food.” So deep-fried snacks and Indian mithais during festivities are not an option. They are replaced by non-fried chiwda and low-calorie sweets.

Diwali for Dalal, like everyone else, is celebrated with family and friends. But instead of visiting friends and family at their homes, text by rachana nakra they have a tradition rachana.n@livemint.com of having a party in a club or a banquet hall so that everyone can come together under one roof to celebrate. According to her, most people have an “overdose” of traditional Diwali fare, so some healthy Western dishes are a welcome change.

“While designing a festive menu, the first thing to keep in mind is who your guests are. If they are health-conscious, then I would suggest recipes made from asparagus. Some of them are easy to prepare and the ingredients are available everywhere.” She recommends adding biryani and dhokla for the Indian touch.

Party hearty: (clockwise from below) Farrokh Khambata likes to plan a lavish menu; Chocolate Cigar; and Mekong Whisky Flambéed Prawns.

BY

KEDAR BHAT/MINT

Prawns

Serves 8 Ingredients 30 large prawns 3 cloves garlic, crushed K tsp fresh red chilli, chopped and deseeded 1 tsp oil A few basil leaves 1 tbsp oyster sauce 1 tbsp light soya sauce 50ml rice wine 100ml Mekong whisky Salt and pepper to taste

Season’s eats: (clockwise from above) For Tarla Dalal, a party menu should be simple and quick to make; Asparagus Bruschetta; and Rose Burfi. top with the grated cheese and chilli flakes and microwave on high, for another 30 seconds.

Serve immediately.

u Asparagus Bruschetta

u Baked Kachori

Serves 8 Ingredients 8 slices of French bread 48 spears of asparagus, cut 2 inches long 4 tbsp grated mozzarella 2 tsp chopped parsley 2 tsp butter A pinch of dry red chilli flakes (paprika) Salt to taste

Serves 8 Ingredients For the dough 1K cup refined flour (maida) 4 tsp ghee Salt to taste For the stuffing 3 cups split yellow dal, soaked overnight 4 tsp oil 1 tsp each of cumin, carom (ajwain), fennel and sesame seeds 1 tsp asafoetida (hing) 1 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp red chilli powder 1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste 4 tsp fennel powder 4 tsp sugar Salt to taste

Method Microwave the asparagus spears with 2 tbsp of water mixed with salt on high for 45 seconds. Mix butter and parsley and apply on one side of all the bread slices.

Microwave the buttered slices for 30 seconds. Arrange six asparagus spears on each slice,

PHOTOGRAPHS

u Mekong Whisky Flambéed

Method Add water and ghee to the flour and knead into soft dough. Divide the dough into 20 small portions and roll out into thin puris.

Cover with a wet muslin cloth and keep aside.

Drain the dal, add 4-6 tbsp of water and pressure-cook for one whistle. Drain and keep aside.

Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, add the cumin, carom, fennel and sesame seeds, and asafoetida, and sauté for a few seconds. When the seeds start to crackle, add the dal, turmeric, chilli powder, ginger-green chilli paste, fennel powder, sugar and salt and mix well and cook on a medium flame for 3-4 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from the flame and cool slightly. Divide

the stuffing into 20 equal portions and shape into round balls. Keep aside.

Place a puri on a flat dry surface and put a portion of the stuffing in the centre and seal the edges on top. Give a round shape to each kachori by rolling between the palms.

Repeat the process with the remaining puris and stuffing.

Arrange on a greased baking tray and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 15-20 minutes.

red colour in a bowl, add 4 tbsp of water and knead till the mixture becomes smooth. Add 2 tbsp of water if required. Divide this mixture into two equal portions. Add red colour to one portion and mix well. Spread the white mixture on a plate greased with ghee and keep aside. Spread the remaining pink-coloured mixture over the white-coloured mixture. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and cut into 16 small pieces, just before serving.

u Low­calorie Rose Burfi

Budget: Rs1,500 per person

Serves 8 To make low-fat ‘paneer’ at home Boil six cups of low-fat milk in a broad pan. When it starts to boil, add three cups of yogurt and mix well. Remove from the heat and stir gently until the milk curdles. Strain and tie the curdled milk in a muslin cloth.

Hang it for about half an hour to allow the whey to drain out.

To make low-fat ‘khoya’ at home Combine two cups of skimmed milk powder with 12 tsp of water in a bowl and knead into a hard dough. Wrap the dough in a thin cloth and place in a sieve. Place this sieve on a pan of boiling water and cover it with a lid. Let it steam for 10 minutes, then take off the flame and keep aside.

Once the dough has cooled, remove the cloth and grate the dough to make the khoya.

Ingredients 1K cup crumbled low-fat paneer 6 tbsp crumbled low-fat khoya 5 tbsp powdered sugar A few drops of rose essence 4-6 drops of red food colour Method Mix all the ingredients except the

Farrokh Khambata, Joss As a child, Diwali meant a holiday for Khambata. But now it is one of the busiest times of the year for this chef and caterer. However, between catering and running his restaurant Joss, he finds time for a puja and parties on Diwali night. “We have a puja in the afternoon at the restaurant and then I have lunch with my staff,” says Khambata.

The evening is for family and friends. For many years he’s been attending a card party at his friend’s house for which he also does the catering. There’s a lavish spread to choose from.

“There are about 10 starters served while we are playing cards, six main-course dishes and desserts,” he says. The starters are usually barbecued Asian and European dishes, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian.

Desserts are a range of Indian mithais and European desserts but the most popular is Nazakat—gajar halwa wrapped in a crepe and served with rabdi garnished with rose petals.

u Smoked Salmon Nori and

Mascarpone Rolls

Serves 8 Ingredients 16 slices of Norwegian

Method Clean and de-vein the prawns.

Plunge the prawns in Mekong whisky. In a pan heat 1 tsp of oil and sauté the garlic and chilli. Add the soaked prawns.

Season and increase heat. Do not overcook prawns as they will become hard. Add all the sauces. Flame the prawns with rice wine. Add the remaining whisky and season with salt.

Add the basil when the prawns are cooked. To assemble take 30 soup spoons. Put one prawn in each and spoon some liquid into it.

u Chocolate Cigars Serves 8 Ingredients For the mousse 400g melting chocolate 4 eggs 100ml whipped cream 2 tsp Cointreau 6x4-inch squares of butter paper 200g melted chocolate Method To make the mousse, heat melting chocolate over a double boiler till it melts. Separate yolks and whites. Add yolks into the melted chocolate while it’s still warm, fold in the cream and add cointreau. Whip egg whites and fold into the mixture. Chill the mousse.

Make a cigar-shaped roll of the butter paper. Put the mousse into a piping bag, and pipe into the rolls. Allow the mousse to freeze. To make cigar coating, take one more butter paper and spread melted chocolate over it. Quickly remove the chilled mousse rolls. Open and roll with melted chocolate paper. Chill. Serve in ashtray, with a scoop of your favourite ice cream. www.livemint.com For more recipes, log on to www.livemint.com/diwalirecipe.htm

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2009 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

The ‘rick’ won’t let you down; go take a ride

Three­wheel inspiration: (clockwise from above) Autorickshaw pillow case from Play Clan, New Delhi; a customized Bollywood poster featuring tourists Dave and Jenny; and artist Jitish Kallat’s sculpture Autosaurus Tripous.

F

or this Diwali, I have decided that one gift and only that one will do.

There are things that I desire. The kundan set from Anmol Jewellers with giant uncut diamonds will look great with my Kanjivarams.

Christian Louboutin’s Love shoes will almost make me forget my ankle ache.

Clive Christian’s No. 1 perfume with ylang-ylang, sandalwood and bergamot fits all my olfactory requirements, but at $2,150 (around Rs1 lakh) an ounce, I cannot afford it. I’ve been swooning over Arne Jacobsen’s Swan Chair for a decade but it won’t match my brass urli (large pot). I am quite prepared to plonk down Rs15,000 for Hundred Acres’ single-estate Cabernet Sauvignon but the waiting list is five years.

A pink macaroon from Ladurée would be divine, but who wants to go to Paris for this? As for the Tesla Roadster that has my name written on it, I’ve come to accept the bitter fact that it is—and will always remain—a fantasy.

So this Diwali, I want something that is quintessentially Indian, completely stylish and extremely functional. I want an autorickshaw. I am not being facetious.

I’ve always wanted an auto. It is unusual and fits my personality: slightly wobbly, erratic, excitable and has a high tolerance for a large number of schoolchildren.

That’s me. I think I look like an auto too, but that may just be hero-worship.

My hero in this matter is Raj Kumar Kaushal, an autorickshaw driver in Indore, who has customized his rickshaw to include a telephone, television, a DVD player, chilled drinks and daily newspapers.

I saw a Reuters clip on him and have been trying to get his mobile number since.

So I went on all the forums where I lurk and posted a query about how to buy a second-hand rickshaw. “Will you pimp it?” asked someone in reply. It took me a while to figure out what he meant but I said, No. Most definitely not. I would not hire out my personal rickshaw to make money. I would colour it blue and ride it down the Grand Trunk Road like the three Western brothers did. If you go to Eagarbros.com, you will see three American brothers who

SHOBA NARAYAN

THE GOOD LIFE bought an auto and rode it through India.

Here is why I like ricks. They are not an aspirational vehicle. Most people who own them or ride them want to get the hell out of them; which, if you are one of those contrarian, weird people like me, is a true compliment. You want what others don’t want. Worse, you revel in the things people hate. Art students are this way. You tell them that they are the “dregs of society”, and they will drop some more acid and nod approvingly. I used to be this way.

Except that I, like Clinton, didn’t inhale.

An auto, for all those considering buying it, costs around Rs1.5 lakh for the base model. Contrary to popular belief, it can be bought and privately owned, albeit after a torturous amount of red tape. First, you have to explain to the government johnnies why you are buying a commercial vehicle. It helps if you have some sort of handicap that makes driving a rick necessary. A squint, for instance, makes the curved windshield an advantage. Or so you can argue.

The simplest thing is to bribe an auto driver and borrow his rick for a few hours.

My brother and I did that once—a long and complicated process where we cultivated a relationship with a driver named Ethiraj. Finally, on an auspicious day, my brother spoke in Kannada and offered Rs1,000 for the pleasure of his vehicle’s company for exactly 3 hours. We promised solemnly that we would only drive his vehicle up and down our road and not on main roads where the vehicle’s true owner, a seth, could spot us. Then, we ceremoniously brought our auto down into

our building’s basement garage. You should have seen the amount of flak we got. My neighbours, who had, until then, been models of egalitarianism and kindness, roundly ticked us off and told us that we were bringing the building’s value down by parking piddling vehicles in a garage that was meant for better ones.

That stung. That really stung. Tell me, I felt like telling them, which vehicle is better suited to Indian roads than an auto. I knew the answer: a bullock cart, but that doesn’t mean we all drive them.

Driving an auto in Bangalore offers many pleasures. You can weave in and out of traffic with insouciance. Expensive cars give you a wide berth. People stare agog at you but that may have just been me—a woman driving a rick. There is only one slight disadvantage to driving an auto: For some reason, people keep flagging you down. You are racing down the street and all of a sudden a body will materialize from behind a car and try to stop you. During my auto escapade, there were three ladies and I was so worried I would hit them that I screeched to a halt in front of them.

“Bannerghatta bartheera (Will you go to Bannerghatta)?” they asked without blinking. This is the beauty about autos. I mean, there I was, a full-blown woman, sitting in the driver’s seat of an auto, with no uniform, wearing a candy-pink salwar-kameez for crying out loud. And the ladies didn’t see anything incongruous in the situation. They were just so relieved at having an auto stop that they simply blurted out their destination.

So I did what auto drivers always do to me in such a situation. I looked away, shook my head without explanation and took off.

Shoba Narayan is in the market for a blue rickshaw. She will call it Atlas Shrugged.

Write to her at thegoodlife@livemint.com www.livemint.com Read Shoba’s previous Lounge columns at www.livemint.com/shoba­narayan