Thursday, June 29, 2017

Check out my unique experience at Eka - the ultimate destination for home accents in Bengaluru!


“The peace of God is with them whose mind and soul are in harmony, who are free from desire and wrath, who know their own soul.” – Bhagavad Gita


Our soul lives in a beautiful home. I know most of us try to keep our abode attractive and with full of positive vibes. When I enter a house, it connects me to various objects in that place and also will get a glimpse of people who live there. When you set up a house it’s a wonderful feeling to handpick lifestyle accents and later guests ask you “Oh Wow! Where did you get that from?” My recent visit to Eka was so special. Their tagline says, ‘Singular, distinctive and truly exceptional’ and those are best words to describe this store, Eka.


PC: Eka

Tucked away from the busy lanes of Ulsoor, Eka is located at Gangadhar Chetty Road in Bengaluru. This 17 years old lifestyle store is the best place for eclectic home accents. Every artifact has a story to tell you. The Founder, ‘Kimiko Thakur Menzies’ travels through the length and breadth of our country and handpick the stuffs for Eka. Our country is so diverse with culture and abundant with traditional handicrafts and artifacts.

Dashavatara idols




Wooden carved icons, stylish figurines, marble art pieces, tables made of traditional wooden frames, brass idols, jewellery and a lot more; this store has so much for their patrons and  I was gobsmacked to see the interesting and colorful Indian home decors at Eka which connects you to the routes. They are also associated with few NGO’s and has stocked vibrant range of Tussar and Kantha stoles at Eka.


When I couldn’t take my eyes off from the mirror which had a striking and colorful frame, Kimiko told me that frames were made of Camel's bone.


When you are at Eka, don’t miss the range of products from Kale Nele. Kale Nele in Kannada means a shelter for all forms and crafts. True to its name, Eka has created an exclusive range of products like Guledagudda and Kasooti panel cushion covers, Torans, Runners, totes and others products which are so colorful and with unique patterns. Guledagudda fabric was traditionally used to make Cholis (blouses) of women in North Karnataka and Maharashtra. Many elements in these designs are created by artisans from rural Karnataka. With very few takers for this fabric today, most of the traditional looms are shutting down. Eka has taken a great initiative by promoting these weavers by joining hands with Kale Nele group.


‘The Poetry in Wood’ is something very interesting. With intricate carving, these wooden art pieces are made using laser art technology that combines the natural colors and textures of wood veneers. It has a 3D illusory effect with diverse motifs inspired by nature, divinity, Indian art, and other elements.


Rustic Muse – a wonderful creation of figurines inspired by people from rural India. This is the best option for gifting as well as adorning your living room.


Zodiac signs in the stunning slate art are surely eye-catching ones. Though the store is small there is a lot to explore.


A bit different Madhubani Paintings and Wind Chimes gives your space a positive vibrance.



Artistic and stylish frames to cherish your memories.


A Ganesha made of sea shells is something so mind-boggling I have seen in recent times. It was created by a student from Srishti School of Art as part of a project.

Incense <3

Incense Holder

If there is something I can’t live without then it is ‘incense’. Most of these incenses have soothing benefits with its amazing fragrance. I need it for my home, almost for every corner. I found a few premium incenses at Eka. Some of my favorites include – Sheer bliss, Aphrodisiac, Passionflower, Exotic Lavender, Cinnamon and Forest Lilly.

Tara idol





Guess what? It's a Garlic crusher

Kimiko Thakur

I am very attached to art and any beautiful work which catch my attention. For me, the visit to Eka was like ‘Alice in Wonderland’ effect.  Eka’s monsoon sale is on till 16th July 2017 offering a 10 %-70% discount on products. Soon the festival season will begin and treasure your home or office space with unique Eka décor collections.

Address:
EKA Ulsoor
#19 Gangadhar Chetty Road, Near Ulsoor Lake, Bangalore - 560 042
Tel: +91-80-25544371 / 25540876 / 98454 77648 
eka@ekalifestyle.com

To know more, check out – https://www.facebook.com/ekalifestyle

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Monday, June 26, 2017

Beetroot Appam with Veg stew




Appam with Veg stew (we call it ishtew in Kerala) or Egg roast is my favorite South Indian brekkie. First time I am giving a twist to the regular appam recipe by adding some beetroot juice. Appam came out so delicious and now I have the confidence to try different flavors. Here is the recipe for a flavorful Beetroot Appam- my final recipe for #BellyNirvana ‘F2F Ka Lunch Box Campaign’ by Plattershare in association with FarmztoFamiliez. Unlike Dosa/Idli batter, I was not sure about the ready-to-prepare Appam batter, but the batter was so fresh and it was like homemade one.

Servings: 3
Total time: 20 mins

Ingredients

F2F Appam batter | 1 packet
Fresh beetroot juice | 100 ml
Sugar | 1 ½ - 2 tbsp
Salt | according to taste
Oil for greasing

Directions

1. In a bowl mix F2F Appam batter and sugar. Make sure the batter is at room temperature.
2. To the batter, add beetroot juice. Make sure that you add just the right quantity of juice to get the color. If you add more, batter consistency will change.
Note: This batter is mildly salted, so add salt if required. I skipped adding salt.
3. Place the Appam pan on low heat. Once the pan is ready, pour a ladle full of batter and rotate the pan.
Note: I used a non-stick Appam pan and skipped using oil. Also prepared a few plain Appams.
4. Cover and cook it for 1-2 mins till you get a brown crust.
5. Serve it with creamy vegetable stew or any gravy.

To know more about FarmztoFamiliez (F2F) products, checkout - http://www.farmztofamiliez.com/
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Multi-millet Dosa with Chicken Kheema



Multi-millet Dosa with Chicken Kheema - my fourth recipe for #BellyNirvana ‘F2F Ka Lunch Box Campaign’ by Plattershare in association with FarmztoFamiliez. Being a hardcore non-vegetarian I always experiment with flavors. Egg dosa and chicken dosa are my favorite combos. Chicken Kheema with multi-millet dosa is very protein rich food. For this recipe, I used F2F Multi-millet Dosa batter. The batter is made of Foxtail millet, Urad dal (black gram), Barnyard millet, Little millet and RO purified water.
F2F has a variety of healthy ready-to-make batters which comes with the goodness of nutrition from millets and grains. The batter is fresh and super tasty with no added preservatives and no soda. This interesting Dosa can be a perfect dish for lunch or dinner.

Servings: 3
Total time: 40 mins

Ingredients

F2F Multi-millet Dosa batter | 500 gms
Chicken (minced) | 450 gms
Onion (medium sized)| 2 no’s (finely chopped)
Tomato| 1 no (finely chopped)
Green chili | 4-5 no’s
Ginger | ½ inch (finely chopped)
Garlic | 2 cloves (finely chopped)
Curry leaves | 2 strands
Crushed Pepper | ¼ - ½ tsp
Cumin seeds | ½ tsp
Kashmiri Chili powder | 1 ½ tsp
Turmeric powder | ½ tsp
Chicken masala | 2 tbsp
Garam masala | ½ tsp
Coriander leaves | a handful (finely chopped)
Oil | 3 tbsp
Ghee (clarified butter) | for frying

Directions

1. Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan on medium flame.
2. Add chopped onions and fry till it is translucent. Then add green chili, curry leaves, ginger, and garlic. Sauté till it becomes light brown in color.
3. Now add the masalas and stir for a few seconds.
4. Add chopped tomatoes and fry till it becomes soft and oil starts separating from the sides.
5. Add minced chicken, salt and sauté well. Once the masala is mixed with minced chicken, cover and cook till it is done.
6. Switch off the flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
7. In a bowl, mix F2F Multi-millet Dosa batter and salt.
Note: This batter is mildly salted, so add salt accordingly.
8. Heat a Dosa pan/tawa on a low- medium flame.
9. Once the pan is ready, pour the required quantity on the pan and allow it to cook. Add few drops of ghee on both sides.

Ready to flip
10. Before taking out from the pan spread a small portion of Chicken kheema on dosa and gently pressed it.


11. You can either make a dosa roll or just serve it the way you prepared.
To know more about FarmztoFamiliez (F2F) products, checkout - http://www.farmztofamiliez.com/
 
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For any queries or feedback, call +91-9886771173 or send a mail to afoodiestrail@gmail.com