In our daily busy life we need to refresh our self with our thoughts and ambitions. This photograph talks a lot to me. In my career the first job offer from Mumbai was to Fariyas Holiday Resort in Lonavala, Pune as hotel operations trainee. I didn’t had any clue where Lonavala was. I went to sleep with so much rage in my heart, because I was hopeless.
I set off in the morning train to Lonavala, when I get up after a small nap, I saw clouds trying to touch the peak of the mountains – cold breeze playing with your hair, the scenic valleys, the twists and turns of the rails through the tunnels, the sight was amazing. A part of me was calling me from inside – “Seize the place my friend, seize the day”
In this rainy Manchester we curse on the rain, but there people come to see the rain. “Be angry with the rain, it simply does not know how to fall upwards” I still remember these words I’d read somewhere and for every reason I can think of, it makes complete sense. Monsoons teach us many things and for every individual, their reason to love this season differs. For me it’s the cool climate, the smell of wet mud, hot chocolate and obviously those long magical train journeys to Lonavala. Blessed with abundant green-lands and waterfalls, this place is a must visit during the rains.
This was a slice of paradise waiting for me at 1500 feet above the sea level. The accommodation they have offered for we management trainees was amazing, in a little cottage called Aaga bunglaw. The bunglaw was just right at the foot of the mountains, through the window you could see mountain ranges all across the horizon.
My those sleepless nights in Mumbai slums and restaurant tables really worth for this luxurious job. I was in heaven!! In two months time I have been awarded the best employee of the month for hosting the Halloween celebration. My first feather in my cap. It was a long journey from there. Has to step down, many times in career for the sake of family. Hope everything is for good.
Some of the foods I used to enjoy in these train journey to Mumbai was lonavala chikki, pav bhaji, sev puri and aloo channa chat. Sharing the recipe for aloo chana chat.
Aloo channa chaat.
Preparation time – 15 minutes
Cooking time – 15 minutes
Serves – 2
Ingredients
Cooked channa (chickpeas) – 1 cup
Diced potatoes cooked – 1/2 cup
Finely chopped onion – 1/2 of a medium onion
Finely chopped tomato – 1 tomato
Finely chopped coriander leaves – 1 to 2 Tbsp
Coriander chutney/ Green chutney as needed
Tamarind chutney as needed
Rock salt to taste
Chaat masala – 1 ½ teaspoon ( available in Indian groceries)
Pomegranate seeds, lemon slice, nylon sev (fried gram flour thin noodles) as needed (available in Indian groceries) for garnishing.
Method
- Mix all the ingredients required for the chaat in a large bowl.
- Add chickpeas, potatoes, finely chopped onions, tomatoes, two chutneys to taste, salt to taste, chaat masala and coriander leaves.
Garnish with lemon slice, sev and pomegranate seeds and serve immediately.
I love it ……….. ur presentations r 😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘
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Thanks Anju for those beautiful bunch of words😊
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U deserve it bro
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Anju thanks a lot for all those shower of likes in my blog!!
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Hahaha I couldn’t stop reading and liking your posts!
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😊-:)
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☺
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lovely post, and I adore the silverware props!!!
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Thank you Marriam:)
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Awesome post. I look forward to seeing more of your postings. Just loved your aesthetic style and the pics are so beautiful Sumith.
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Hi Kamal, glad you loved that read. But beware ” all that glitters are not gold” some of the posts are really naughty. Don’t spoil yourself!!😂😄
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hahahaha
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Thank you Sumith for sharing your experience, and your beautiful recipe. Life is good … I send you many blessings of love and Light,
Debbie
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Your words made my day Debbie. Thank you brave lady!!
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Marvelous post. I look forward to seeing more of your blog. Hugs
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Thank you Teagan for taking time to read my post. Looking forward to see your posts:) regards Sumith
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Tanti auguri di buon lavoro !
BuonWE!
Sherazade
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Sherazade, grazie per la vostra ispirazione . Buona giornata, amico mio.
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😀you too my friend
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My all time favorite!
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Thank you Rashmi for taking your comment:) mine to and very soothing
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Thank you for sharing your world with us. A wonderful recipe that I look forward to trying.
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Thank you Hazel:) looking forward for your posts😊
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Reblogged this on hazelshappenings and commented:
Try this beautiful recipe
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Thank you Hazel:))
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Congratulations on best Employee Sumit, Amazing post, Aloo chana chaat is my favourite. These pictures look great !!
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Thank you:)
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This is great and soooo beautifully presented! How did I miss this post? I am glad you are back, Sumith, because your posts always brighten my day!
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Hi Dolly, thanks for your bouquet of words. Bit struggling to fit every thing in. Wish I was a bachelor again😂😂
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Don’t you say that – what if your wife reads it?
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She would be more happy😂😂😅 Soon will be moving to that tent, which I have specified in my post – Tulasi chicken tikka. A home alone recipe.😅😅
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I’ve always loved your sense of humor!
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It seems like you had a great journey and achieved so much! The aloo channa chaat sounds great! 🙂
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Thank you Petra. Those are the fond memories!! Glad you like aloo canna chatt
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Undoubtedly Lonawala is a must visit place during rains. I just love the natural waterfalls on the way. The pictures looks pretty 😀
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Thank you Ritz. Fond memories!! Miss those rains!!
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What a great post 🙂
I just loved it.
xoxo
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Thank you Mopana:)
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You’re welcome, Sumith 🙂
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Wonderful post, Sumith!
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Thank you M L Kappa
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Lovely! Both the recipe and the post! It transported me to Lonavla. Incidentally I also had a training program in Lonavla when I first started my career in Mumbai. Looks like that was the place to go those days! 🙂 It is indeed a beautiful location and you are absolutely right – that its a must to visit it during the rains!
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Thank you Indu. Glad I brought back those good memories in you. Remember people used to come from Mumbai to get wet in rains:)
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Wow – what an inspiring insight into your time in Lonavala and I love the way you have put this photo together – it is how I would imagine food being served in Lonavala from your beautiful description. xx
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Thank you Wendy for your kind words. It’s not the way that dish is been served. It’s a street food I imagined to be served:)
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I hope someone gets to really enjoy it then at some point as part of a ‘street food’ celebration! x
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Wonderful post and beautiful pictures. I too have childhood memories of traveling by train through that picturesque route. And Lonavala looks lovely in rainy season. Roasted corn pods, spicy green mangoes, getting drenched in the waterfall, I have many beautiful memories of that place. The chaat looks delicious.
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Hi Vandana Mathur, you are refreshing us many more good memories. That toasted con pods and spicy green mangoes adds spice to the walks in the streets. The most adventurous is the visit to chakrapati shivaji forts. Some take a day to reach the fort. Thanks for sharing your memories:)
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Gorgeous photos and a heart warming story 😊 I remember driving down the Western Ghats to get to Lonavla for weekends spent meandering around in the rain🌧
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Hi Priya, thank you for your kind words. Lonavala such a beautiful place – every one has a nice memory to share.
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What a click😳??? Fantastic recipe😋😋
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Thanks Vinita:)
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Hi! Thanks a lot for the follow!
Great blog! 🙂
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Thank you Sheryl:)
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My pleasure!^^
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Sumith,
What a brilliantly written post! I admire you for having risen high overcoming hardships. Also, I could picture Fariyas, picturesque Lonavla in the rains, waterfalls, the yummy foods and of course the famous Lonavla chikki. Your perfect aloo chana chaat just took me back to Lonavla.
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Thank you Sandhya. I think we can see that hotel in a train Journey. At least I remind you that amazing picnic spot with that aloo channa chat. Have a nice day!!
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Such a nice way to serve this tasty dish!:)
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You made my day Jennifer:) you so kind😊
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That looks delicious! And the presentation is beautiful. The colors are so vivid. Chickpeas are a personal favorite of mine, so I am inspired to try this.
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Thank you Vanessa:) you will love it. So easy to make as well. That chat masala will do the perfect justice to your taste buds😊
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Nice pic and recipe
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Thank you Bruciacchio:)
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Absolutely loved the presentation..and amazing write up.. enjoyed reading the post ☺👍
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Thank you Monica glad you enjoyed the read and presentation 😊
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Such a nice way to serve this tasty dish! 🙂
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Thank you Ronit:)
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Wonderful plate — and food!
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Thank you youth food blog😊
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Hi Sumith
You brought back memories , sweet memories, Kapoli village , Lonawala chicke , passing thro the clouds surrounding Western Ghats and the tangy food on the trains
Lovely presentation
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Thank you Jain chetta, you missed bit more Carla caves, bushy dam, forts and much more… 😊
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The food looks amazing, the photos are beautiful and it is a pleasure to read the story.
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Thank you Aheikkinen, glad you enjoyed it:)
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Lovely post! Thanks for sharing 🙂
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Thank you Linda😊
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Carpe diem – seize the day. Love where you are, embrace it, find its silver linings because there will always be one … It maybe a journey away when you remember the hardship and strife that you endured that gave rise to a better situation but there is always a silver lining to a cloud if we are open to it. Your story illustrates this fact perfectly 😊💫
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Very inspiring words Osyth. I am over the moon now. Will take kids one day, and need to dine on the same table:)
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☺️
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What a wonderful post! You have learned to embrace life at a young age – a very wise thing to understand!
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Thank you Chef Mimi😊
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I always love your decoration and the lovely photos of that. The silver plates on the table created an extraordinary impact on the whole composition of the photos. I love this dish very much. But, never eat it in silver plate😝.
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A comment from a professional photographer like you is great to me. Thank you Sayanti😊
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Lovely post, I love the pictures too. And I thought I was the only one who likes the rain 🙂
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Thank you Myra!! 👐 I am here💧😊
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Such amazing pictures!
My mouth is watering. I absolutely love chaat!
And that is the prettiest silverware ever.
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Thank you Sahar. You so kind and made my day😊
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Thank you for such a pretty post.
Also, I wanted to ask about the red beans chaat. Are the ingredients any different or we can just swap the chickpeas for beans?
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Thank you Sahar. Just swapped the chick peas instead of beans😊
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Thanks!
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This looks really interesting! I’ll have to give it a go 🙂
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Katie you will love it 😊
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Lovely post. Will definitely try the recipe provided this week. Thanks!
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Thank you Sam😊
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Welcome! 😉
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Lovely chaat…
Lonavala, such a beautiful place!!I have been there once.
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Yes it is Anu:) Those carla caves and chakravarty shivaji forts are amazing!!
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I love your presentation, looks like ” Designer Eats”. Simply delightful!
Had been to Lonavala many years ago…..the varieties of chikki you get there is mind boggling.
Enjoyed reading your post Sumith !
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When I stepped in lonavala train station what attracted me first is chikki!! First time I am seeing such a variety of chikkis!! Glad you like the post. And thanks for the compliments😊
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Welcome🙂
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This is one of my favourite dish, stunning pictures ,I loved those silver plates😃,they are awesome .
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Thanks a lot payel😊
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Very Delicious… Your write up is very impressive
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Thank you Ruchi, for your inspiration!!
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Wow!!! very appetizing Sumith.Good to know your association with lonavla.I live in Mumbai and lonavla is our rainy weekend getaway.Enjoyed your writing too.
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Hi Anuradha, thank you. For Mumbaikars lonavala is an amazing one day sport!! Remember people come there to get wet😊
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I love that comment Anuradha. At least I took some one else as well to that unforgettable Lonavala day!!
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Tangy, spicy and perfectly delicious! Love aloo chana chaat. This looks heavenly Sumith 🙂
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Thank you Lisa for that beautiful comment😁
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Thanks for this wonderful recipe.
When I was in Shimla, a place where I was grateful for the rain every single time, for it brought out the beauty of the hills, I spied a street vendor surrounded by a crowd. It turned out that he made awesome sandwiches with the chick pea and potato mixture spiced up sufficiently. Sounded like food for philistines but yummy nevertheless!
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You are welcome writtenlive. The way you explained took me from lonavala to shimla. A place where I always want to visit!! I love street foods of any kind😊
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I have been to Lonavala. Love the chikki!
Do try to visit Shimla the next time you are in India.
.
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Shimla is one of my dream destination. Tried one for my industrial training in my college days but couldn’t. Will be there one one day😊 And love chikki!! From shima, it could be only a garden for you in Lonavala😂
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Every place is beautiful in its own right. It would be unfair to compare Lonavala and Shimla.
By the way, you can eat awesome Himachali ‘dham’ in Shimla.
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Nice to know on Himachali Dham. Would like to try it, and a research on it:)
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I asked my son to just come read this.
“Be angry with the rain, it simply does not know how to fall upwards”
We need your rain. We are in a thousand year drought where I live.
One man’s gain is another man’s pain.
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Love this quote Cindy!! One man’s gain is another man’s pain. Let it flow let it flow and let it flow!! Enjoy the beauty of nature.
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Ok, apart from the recipes and your cooking skills, I must let you know that you have amazing writing skill too. The imagery you created in those paragraphs is beautiful. 🙂 Thank you for sharing them with us.
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Thank you Amitav for your motivation. So pleased to have such an amazing buch of inspirational blogger friends around:))
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Absolutely adore these photos 🙂 and the food of course looks delicious 🙂
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Thanks a lot on your sweet words. You are so kind:)
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You are very welcome 🙂
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