29 March

Pune is already sweltering at 40 degrees outside. And it is like 37 degrees in shade today and uncomfortably humid by Pune standards. But I am still thankful it is not as bad as Mumbai or Kolkata at this time of the year. I can still brave the whole summer season without an AC or a cooler. But still the fact remains that every year the summer is a little more harsh than the year before and the impact of rapid urbanization is very much visible on our fragile environment. 

For the uninitiated, Solkadi or Solkadhi or Kokum Curry is a refreshing summer drink from Maharashtra's Konkan region. It cools down your body and helps in digestion in addition to working as an appetizer. Though I am in Maharashtra for more than a decade, I had the first taste of this amazing drink after coming to Pune. The first thing that catches your fancy is the light pink color of the drink which makes it look like a strawberry milkshake and you might be deceived in believing that you are about to taste something sweet. But then the aroma of coconut and tempered spices make you curious about what this drink is all about. Eventually when you taste it you find a very interesting savory concoction of the tangy Kokum, sweet coconut milk and a hint of spiciness from chilly and ginger. Solkadi is almost a mandatory part of any fish thali you have at typical thali restaurants here in the city. And it acts as an excellent palate cleanser before you indulge yourself in the spicy fish curry rice. I think the first ever solkadi I had in Pune was at this famous restaurant called Masemari and absolutely loved it at the first sip. I think even more than the seafood I loved the drink.

There is also a  funny incident that happened once related to Solkadi. This was like 5-6 years ago. We used to frequently go out on team lunches from office and explore new eating joints. So one of our Marathi colleagues had suggested this small thali restaurant which served lovely seafood near the Peth area of Pune. Once we placed our orders the first thing we were served was this pink solkadi in small steel glasses. One of our colleagues was a south Indian guy who was a junior and didn't have much experience in Maharashtrian food. So when he was about to take a sip of this drink, the guy beside him tells, "don't drink that" and he obviously asks why so. The guy tells him, "it is a pink drink and it is only meant for ladies, guys cant drink it". He said it with such a serious face that this south Indian colleague believed him without a question and he didn't drink it! We all laughed at this but he didn't budge from his decision and actually we could not make him even taste the drink no matter how much we convinced! I think till date he believes that solkadi is only meant for ladies :D.

But my love for this drink continues and grows stronger. I actually like my solkadi a little sweet which most of the time comes form the natural sweetness of coconut milk itself. But if not, I like to add a little sweetener to balance the overall savory taste. So this time I tried converting them into these delicious popsicles which I could have instead of the store bought ice cream. You can also convert your leftover solkadis into popsicles and enjoy.

Please note that there are many ways to enhance the flavour of this coastal drink, sometimes people temper it with curry leaves or spices as well. But here I have used the very basic recipe of Solkadi for the popsicles.

Checkout other Summer Coolers from my blog:

• Mojito Popsicle
• Beetroot Rose Sorbet
• Persian Saffron Rose Milkshake
• Kokum Juice
• Beetroot Rose Granita
• Spicy Strawberry Ghol

Ingredients for garnish:

• Roasted cumin Powder

Equipment:

• Popsicle Mold
• Mixing Bowl
• Mixer
• Strainer 

Procedure: 

1.  Start by rinsing the dried kokum pods. Then soak them in a cup of hot warm water for about 30 to 45 minutes. 

2. Using your fingers mash the kokum pods in the water to extract the pulp from them. Now pass this mixture through a strainer and preserve the extracted water. Discard the remaining solids in the strainer.

Note: Color will depend on the quality of the Kokum used. It may vary from brownish to pink.

3. Take a blender jar and add chopped ginger, grated fresh coconut, chopped green chili and 1 cup of water. Blitz it to a smooth paste. 

4. Strain this mixture using a fine mesh strainer to get a thick liquid. 

5. Return the leftover pulp in the strainer back to the blender and add another cup of water. Blitz it again to get a smooth paste. Now strain this in the same bowl to get a thinner liquid this time. 

6. Add the kokum water into the bowl and mix everything well

7. Add salt and sugar as per taste.

Note: Coconut milk is already a little sweet, so if you don't want to add more sweetener you can skip the sugar. I like mine a little sweet.

8. Add water if you want a thinner consistency. Your solkadi is ready.

9. Now take the popsicle molds and pour the solkadi. Freeze it for at least 10-12 hours or overnight.

Serve the popsicles with a sprinkle of roasted cumin powder or have it as is.

16 March

Its almost Holi. This year probably we can expect the Holi scene to be very similar to pre pandemic days. When we speak of Holi can we not talk about some refreshing drinks to cool us off after all that playing in the sun? The usual Holi recipes would call out for Thandai, Kanji, Mojitos and all the known suspects. But why not try a different cooler this time? Something very creamy, delicious and refreshing? Something which doesn't involve nuts, especially with people like me who doesn't really have a liking towards nuts, will absolutely enjoy this drink. 

Till now the only Mexican thing most of our subcontinent is aware is nachos or burritos. But Mexican cuisine has a lot of different things to offer. They are so similar like the Indian cuisine and yet very different. In fact when I was living in States, whenever I missed a good rice meal, I would head over to Chipotle ( a famous Mexican fast food chain) instead of any Indian restaurant (because the kind of Indian dishes served over there is not exactly what appeals to my palate) and gorge on the scrumptious burrito bowl. It is my most favorite meal till date! Also you might not be aware but some Mexican drinks are really amazing. 

When I was staying in San Diego, we visited the border town of Tijuana, Mexico. It was such a thrill that we were crossing borders to reach a different country. We had taken a city tour ticket and the conductor dropped us at a designated spot, dishing out many statutory warnings like 'don't buy silver, people will swindle you here', 'be cautious when you are crossing roads' etc. etc. To the point that it almost sounded scary. Me and my roommate skeptically set out to explore the area while all the warnings still ringing in our ears loud and clear. Maybe we looked like a couple of teenagers (we always got that wherever we went!) so no one thought we would be having enough money to buy silver! Thus we weren't approached by any so called swindlers. Tijuana appeared a very lively place. Whenever we were walking past the restaurants we smelled some heavenly aroma coming from inside. There was lots of music playing everywhere. It was in one such restaurant we got to taste Horchata for the first time. Back then I wasn't such a food connoisseur. So I didn't make out much form the drink apart form the fact that it tasted awesome and had a beautiful rich cinnamony aroma which lingered on the tongue. We left Tijuana that day but the taste of Horchata remained with us for quite long. 

Fast forward many years after that, I had completely forgotten about that experience. A few weeks ago  Facebook threw me a notification of photos from the Mexican trip and that's when I remembered about this unique drink from Mexico. I just had to revive that memory so I got down to work of gathering all the essentials. The key to this recipe is soaking the rice and cinnamon for almost 5-8 hours or better overnight. It helps develop the flavors nicely. So you need to be a little patient to enjoy this drink. There can be a good number of variation with the base recipe and I think I will be trying them out this summer and posting on my blog. So stay tuned on that.

Horchata (pronounced or-chah-tah) is a popular Mexican drink that is often described as a sweet rice milk beverage. One would find this drink at most Mexican restaurants in the United States and abroad. Mexican food is usually spicy and this refreshing drink helps to balance out the heat from those dishes. This recipe has several different adaptations depending on where you are drinking it. Mexican versions are usually made from rice, while the Spanish kind uses tiger nuts. 

Some additional trivia : The Mexican horchata dates back to the 16th century, but there are even older versions. In fact, the term "horchata" describes a group of related drinks with roots in ancient Rome and North Africa. The Romans' version was not based on rice or nuts, but on barley, which for a time was believed to possess curative properties. The Romans "milked" dried barley in water to form the basis for the drink they called "hordeata," which literally means "drink made from barley". As both the Roman and North African versions of horchata de chufa made their way around Europe, different cultures adapted the horchata using different grains, nuts, and seeds. 

Horchata is a simple yet satisfying drink on a hot summer day. So lets get to the recipe now.

• Can you add nuts?
• Yes you can. Almond compliments the best. For this recipe you can add 1/4th cup of almonds.
• Can it be made dairy free?
• Yes you can. Replace whole milk with canned coconut milk or non-dairy milk such as almond milk.
• Which Rice can I use?
• Avoid glutenous rice in this recipe (e.g Indrayani). Use long grain rice like Basmati or some fragrant rice like Ambemohar, Gobindobhog etc. They impart a nice floral smell.
• How long can you keep Horchata?
• The horchata base will stay nice in the fridge for up to 3 days. Don't leave it at room temperature. Always refrigerate.
• What are the different sweeteners you can use?
• You can use sugar, condensed milk, honey, maple syrup etc. can be used. Stevia can be used for a sugar free option. Adjust the sweetness level as per your liking. 
• Any Serving suggestions?
• This drink tastes divine when served on the rocks. Chill the Horchata in the refrigerator for an hour and then fill up a glass with ice cubes. Pour the horchata over ice and garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon powder or cinnamon sticks. 

Ingredients for serving:

• Ice Cubes 
• Ground Cinnamon Powder

Equipment:

• Blender
• Mixing Bowl
• Spoon
• Strainer & Cheesecloth

Procedure: 

1.  Add rice, cinnamon sticks and water to a mixing bowl. Let soak at room temperature for about 2 hours, then transfer to the refrigerator overnight until the rice softens and the cinnamon stick is soft enough to break into smaller pieces.

Note: Some people recommend slightly blitzing the mixture in a blender just enough to break up the rice and then soak it overnight. I did not do this.

2. After 8 hours or the next day, transfer the cold rice mixture to a high-powered blender and blend to combine. Blend about 30 - 60 seconds on high speed or until finely pulverized, stopping occasionally and shaking blender if mixture sticks to the bottom. I blended it for about a minute in total. 

3. Now strain this mixture with a cheesecloth lined fine-weave mesh strainer. When finished, discard the remaining solids in the strainer and transfer the strained liquid to a pitcher or big container. This is the Horchata Base.

Horchata Base after straining

4. Now add the vanilla essence, milk and condensed milk. The condensed milk will give it sweetness as well as a thick consistency. Add the condensed milk as per your taste. For me I added 200 ml of condensed milk for this recipe for optimum sweetness.

Tip: You can also make this without condensed milk. Just add full cream milk to the consistency you want and add sugar or any preferred sweetener along with it.

5. Mix all the things together nicely, making sure the condensed milk is well incorporated.

Tip: You can also blitz this mixture for 20 seconds in a blender to achieve the final consistency quickly.

6. Now transfer this drink to the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving or until it is chilled.

Serve it in a glass filled with ice cubes. Garnish with cinnamon sticks or cinnamon powder. Enjoy!

11 March

Been a long since I wrote a blog post. I think with the onset of summer I feel super lazy now a days over weekends. Usually all my creative energies would be at peak during the weekends earlier when I would shoot, edit, write, plan for what to post. But now after a crazy hectic week of work, at weekends I feel like just loafing around, reading good books, making some very easy recipes and watch a lot of K-Dramas or anything new on Netflix. Somehow I am not able to convince myself to make all those elaborate dishes now a days. And on top of this, I have started eating very healthy and protein rich stuffs for breakfast and lunch to compensate for the workouts. These dishes are very simple like a glass of smoothie or boiled chicken and veggies and stuff like that. So basically the point is, I am not making any unique dishes throughout the week which I can post about. Maybe that is also adding to the draught you see in my blog. But I am thinking that maybe I should start writing about some of the healthy recipes I am trying out now which might help some folks in their weight loss or becoming healthy journey. I am still playing with that idea but you will see if soon on my page if I decide to go that way.

One more thing which is digressing me from food thoughts is thoughts of travel. With the Covid restrictions almost done and dusted with, everyday I am seeing new beautiful untouched locations coming up on my Facebook feed and makes my mind flutter with anticipation of visiting those places. I never realized I missed travelling so much in the last two years. So now in my free time pockets during the weekdays I keep browsing faraway places tucked away in the hills somewhere and just wish I can land up there someday. Being a Gemini, I am a compulsive day dreamer and with so many things to occupy my mind I barely feel bored, even if I am not engaging in Instagram these days or writing a blog post. In fact after a long time I again feel happy becoming free from the shackles of social media screen time. Now I spend my spare time just like the way I want it. I'm not chasing posting deadlines anymore on social media.  The downside is I have lost a few followers, but strangely it doesn't bother me much now. 

So after spending a lot of time doing things I felt good about I thought of again trying to write a post today. This is a special recipe post I will tell you why. This post is about Kolmi Shaak Bhaja - one of my absolute favorites after Kochur loti from childhood till day. Kolmi shaak is also known as water spinach, Chinese watercess, swamp cabbage, Kangkung or ong choy and is widely used in South Asian cuisines. These greens are so delicious that you do not need to add a bunch of spiced to make them taste good. Even a few basic things like red chilli and garlic tempering brings out the beautiful earthy flavors of this greens.

Whenever I go to Kolkata Kolmi Shaak Bhaja and Kochurloti are the two things I would ask Mom to make without fail. It is as if I cannot come back from Kolkata without having these two things. More so because in Pune its like one in a million chance to find Kolmi Shaak at a local produce market.  This particular green thrives in warm and moist tropical and subtropical climates. It also needs the right kind of soil like marshy land or swamp ponds to grow and hence in Bengal you find this in abundance but the soil in Maharashtra is different and not conducive for these greens.

Thus never have I ever thought that one day I would be making this in my Pune home. But it happened recently. I made one of my favorite stir fry here. All thanks to a wonderful vendor I had found in facebook. She sources all kinds of Bengal groceries and vegetables from Kolkata and stays very near to my home. That is what I call godsent! Previously I had vendors who would source grocery items but this is the first time someone sourced vegetables. I got both Kolmi Shaak and Kochur Loti form her in one go out of excitement, not calculating the amount of work it will take to make both of them together! But all that handwork cleaning and cutting them made sense when I had them with rice and daal. It was like a dream come true moment, even if it sounds a tad dramatic. So now lets' head over to the recipe without further ado. 

Checkout other recipes for Greens on my blog:

• Chola Shaker Ghonto - Green Pea greens medley
• Lau Palong er Ghonto - Bottle gourd spinach medley
• Kumro Shaker Chorchori - Pumpkin Leaves medley 

Equipment:

• Kadai / Wok

Procedure: 

1.  Clean the leaves first. Remove any wilted or rotten leaves. Wash the the rest of the Kolmi shaak under water a couple of times till all the dirt is removed. Drain all the water in a colander. 

Now chop off 1 inch from the stem base. Roughly chop the rest of the leaves 

2. Heat a frying pan or kadai and add vegetable oil. 

3. Once the oil is hot temper it with crushed garlic cloves ( about 10-15), broken dried red chilies and one green chili. Sauté it on medium flame till you get a nice aroma of garlic.

4. Now add the chopped Kolmi shak in batches. Let it reduce a little and add the next batch. 

5. Once you have added all the shaak, add turmeric and salt. Fold in to mix the spices. Now cook on medium flame and keep stirring in between. The shaak will release water and then the water will dry up. 

Tip 1: Cover the kadai for 30-40 seconds and then give it a stir. Repeat this throughout to get the shaak cook faster and maintain the green color. Note that prolonged covering of the shaak will lead to loosing its vibrant green color. 

Tip 2: You can add a few whole garlic pods at this point if you are a garlic lover like me. They will get nicely cooked along with the shaak.

Tip 3: Throw in a few green chilies if you want the stir fry to be more spicy.

6. The shaak will get cooked in about 8-10 minutes on medium flame. 

Serve it with piping hot rice and masoor daal tempered with radhuni or kalo jeere. 

14 February 

Happy Valentine's Day to all those who are celebrating!

I always remember Valentine's day not for the 'celebration of love' day but as one of my closest friend's birthday. She was my batchmate when I joined the corporate world. We were in the same induction class and both of us being a little awkward in social interactions we kind of started gelling together. She was very intelligent and a true geek in every sense. I was not that much of a geek but still I loved her company because the other kids in the batch seemed too different from me. They were outgoing, party loving, pulling night-outs and living the best time of their life with the new found independence of staying away form home. Me on the other hand felt homesick in Mumbai being so far away form home.  Partying was never my forte not was hanging out in a large group. So I felt pretty lonely in an unknown city. This friend of mine was a localite so she was staying at her home. The very first interaction point was the food she got from home. I used to love aunty's cooking and her dabba became one of our conversation topics. Food was always an ice breaker for me, even back in the days.

From classroom, when we moved on to real projects, we became bosom buddies. We discovered there was more to us beyond our asocial construct. We enjoyed office trips, we ran an inhouse magazine for 6 months, we did many such things which was quite enriching for us. I know you might be thinking these guys are such bores, at an age where they should have partied hard, she is talking about mental enrichments. But ya, for me mental enrichment was the most fun thing to do. It also pushed me to pursue many of my creative interests. 

The most fun part of being with her was her birthday. Now she was not at all a mushy kind of person. She was very practical and straightforward person. But her birthday fell on 14th of February. You see the irony here. We thought the person who is miles away form all these lovey dovey things gets born on a day of love. And just to irk her I would wish her 'Happy Valentine's Day' first thing on the morning of 14th February, instead of wishing her 'Happy Birthday'. The expression on her face after that was priceless - just like a deer caught in front of a headlight. This became a ritual for me even after she left the organization, I left the country, she got married and I moved back to Pune. I had visited her once while in Pune, when she was about to move away to another city with her husband. Somehow after that we lost connect, as there was a lot happening at my end and her end as well. But still I so fondly remember her on each Valentine's day. Its like I cannot start this day without wishing her in my mind. I also wish that we connect back soon again someday.

Now coming back to this day - the day of love. During the college days this day used to be perceived as something special. I used to see my room mate getting loads of Valentine's day gifts from her then boyfriend who used to stay in another state. I envied her, not because she had a boyfriend, but because of the cutesy gifts she would receive. I just wished that someone would also give me some nice, cute and pink gifts someday! The die-hard romantic soul in me would overpower the logical intellectual inside. 

Valentine's day back then would mean the city being painted in red balloons, the Archie's gallery in our neighborhood giving discounts on everything, restaurants playing romantic numbers and young couples bunking classes and heading off to some amusement parks or gardens. Our college was very much like a school, so I never saw anyone in my class buking college for going on a date, but we heard about it from the other girls in our hostel. Couple giving gifts (even teddy's), dressing up on the day and hanging out together seemed like a perfect definition of love. 

Now with all these years behind me, a special day for love seems futile. If there is one thing I have realized that is a person (guy or girl) who makes you special in even small things in day to day life - like complimenting on your cooking or helping you in household chores, hearing you out on your lowest days, supporting you in achieving your dreams, or just spending time with you even amidst their busy schedules is probably what love looks like. Love is not what you put on your Instagram photos or your Facebook wall, its the one that you cant specifically pin point but its always surrounding you and cushioning you against all the hard times. You cannot take a photo of it, you can just feel it. 

For me food is also an expression of love. When I cook for my loved ones, I feel happy from within. I wanted to make strawberry scones this weekend with the beautiful strawberries I had bought a few days back. The scones are possibly the easiest things you can bake. Scones got their start as a Scottish quick bread. Originally made with oats and griddle-baked, today’s version is more often made with flour and baked in the oven. As for the origin of the word “Skone”, some say it comes from the Dutch word ‘schoonbrot’, which means beautiful bread, while others argue it comes from Stone of Destiny, where the Kings of Scotland were crowned. According to Webster’s Dictionary, scones originated in Scotland in the early 1500s.

Scones became popular and an essential part of the fashionable ritual of taking tea in England when Anna, the Duchess of Bedford (1788 – 1861), one late afternoon, ordered the servants to bring tea and some sweet breads, which included scones. She was so delighted by this, that she ordered it every afternoon and what now has become an English tradition is the “Afternoon Tea Time” (precisely at 4:00 p.m.). They are still served daily with the traditional clotted cream topping in Britain.

So lets get started with these super easy strawberry scones. And don't forget to also make the delicious glaze mentioned in this recipe. It adds the right amount of zing to the taste.

Wet Ingredients:

• Half & Half  ( 1 part cream + 1 part milk) - 1/2 cup
• Vanilla Essence - 4-5 drops
• Egg - 2
• Milk (for brushing) - 2 tbsp

Ingredients for Glaze

• Icing Sugar - 1 cup
• Half & Half Milk - 2 tbsp
• Vanilla Essence- 3-4 drops

Equipment:

• Baking Tray
• Mixing Bowl
• Whisk
• Strainer
• Oven

Recipe Video:

Procedure: 

1. Line a baking tray with baking sheet. 

2. Add all the wet ingredients in a bowl ( Half & half, eggs, vanilla). Whisk them together and keep aside.

3. Now in a large mixing bowl sift the flour. Add the sugar, salt, baking powder and whisk them uniformly to incorporate the baking powder evenly.

4. Now add cold butter into the dry ingredients. 

Tip: I had cut the butter into small cubes and kept them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before using them in the recipe. Super chilled butter will help the scones rise better and become fluffy. 

5. Work the butter into the flour mixture with your hands until it resembles coarse crumbs. You can also use a food processor for the same. 

6. Once the butter is fully incorporated, add the chopped strawberries and gently fold in. Use your hands without putting too much pressure, mix everything together.

7. Now add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until it starts forming a dough. The dough will be a little sticky, don't worry - just try to bring everything together.

8. Now transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.  Form a ball first and then flatten it into a disc of about 1 inch height and 8 inch width. 

9. Using a sharp knife cut the disc into 6 or 8 equal slices. 

10. Now transfer these slices to the parchment-lined baking tray. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of each scone with milk. This will ensure it having a golden top.  Sprinkle some icing sugar on top for extra crunch - this is optional. 

11. Transfer the tray to freezer for 15-30 minutes. This will help the scones raise and become flaky.

12. While the scones are getting chilled preheat your oven to 375 degree F or 190 degree C.

13. Bake the scones for about 17-20 minutes until the top starts to brown. Keep an eye on them towards the last few minutes. If they begin to brown too quickly, place a piece of aluminum foil over top to slow the browning process.

14. Remove the scones form the oven and let them cool down completely.

15. While the scones are cooling down make the glaze. In a mixing bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, half & half and vanilla essence. Drizzle this glaze over the cooled scones.

Elephant Falls

We visited Meghalaya at such a time when tourism was just reopening after the long Covid shutdown. The already beautiful vistas of Meghalaya seemed more untouched with very few tourists around. 

We started Day 2 as decided but almost 30 minutes late than planned time. As mentioned in the previous blog, the plan for the day was that we would split up in 2 groups - 

• Group 1 would go for the Mawryngkhang Trek. We heard that it takes about 4 -5 hours to complete it and hence once they complete the trek they would join group 2 where ever we were at that point in time.
• Group 2 would start with Laitlum Canyon, come back to hotel for breakfast, wash and change and then proceed with the local sightseeing.

Group 1 comprised of my cousin and his mother. And the rest four of us were in Group 2. Since I was not part of group 1 hence I do not have a first hand experience of how the overall trek was. However I would jot down some of the overview from what I heard from my cousin and some nice pictures which will give you a glimpse of the terrain in the next blog in this series. 

Laitlum Canyon

Laitlum Canyon:

• Entry Fee : Rs 50 / group
• Parking Available : Yes
• Covid Document Check : No
• Mask Mandatory: No

From Harish Bali's Meghalaya video and other bloggers videos it was very apparent that Laitlum canyon looks like a paradise if you visit it in the wee hours of the morning in monsoon season. Since we were not visiting during the rains I thought that at least if we can be there by 6 AM we would be able to see some clouds in the valley. Accordingly I told the time to the group and no one seemed to be excited by it. Finally I managed them to all agree that we should be at the spot by 6.30 AM. 

But it turned out to be easier said than done. Group 2 started from the hotel at around 6.15 AM. By that time Group 1 was still waiting for their car. It took us around 30-35 minutes to Laitlum Canyon. We went straight from our hotel following the main road, across the circle crossing the entire market which was looking sleepy. People in Shillong are pretty early risers, we would see joggers and morning walkers as early as 5 AM on the streets, even when the light would not come up. Especially you would see lot of youngsters running on the street in the morning. With almost zero traffic at that hour and good roads with various gradients, its a very good natural cardio that one gets. 

There is something about Meghalaya that makes you wake up early. Maybe because its in further east which brings the dawn pretty early. Or maybe it was the sheer excitement of being able to travel after such a long and trying year made us wake up sharp at 5 AM everyday during those 9 days. I for one, who doesn't wake up before 7 on usual days would beat the alarm every single day! And it gave us so much more time to enjoy the day.

View from the parking space

Walk down the paved path towards the canyon

Landscape keeps changing throughout on the way to Laitlum. From city limits to meadows, low-lying pastures and quaint towns would keep you company. Almost 10 km from our hotel we came across a small village which I believe is known as Smit village. Time stands still here and technology doesn't seem to have permeated yet into the lives of these simple villagers. Traditional Khasi houses, wicker fences, fields of crops, little children playing on the road (because hardly there were any vehicles on the road apart form our car at that time), ladies and men pushing a unique looking trolley to carry water and other amenities. We even saw a small boy pushing a trolley with water. Since it was a Sunday and a Mass day so we also saw many Khasi villagers dressed up in their traditional attire walking towards the village church with their kids tagging along.

If you love the virgin air of early morning and like to get lost among the vastness of nature then definitely visit Laitlum canyon. This beautiful untouched secret of a place lies about 30 km from Shillong. Laitlum Canyons literally translates to “end of hills” and it does justice to its name. A paved concrete way leads you on towards the canyon.

Once you reach there you will see there is a designated parking space for the cars and bikes. We got out of the car as our driver found a parking spot. The first feel was - this is what infinity would look like! We couldn't see the vantage view of canyons from the parking, but we could already feel the boundlessness. The view form this side looks very pretty with undulating layers of hills covered in greens waking up to the sun. As we started walking towards the main area we saw the hill top is a vast area surrounded by fields and meadows, with just a couple of houses/tea-snacks shop on top of the hill.

While driving to Laitlum, our driver had shared a lot of stories about his film shooting crew experience at this place. He told us about the time Rock On 2 crew was here and shooting on the canyons. he also told that recently Ayushman Khurana was here for a month shooting for his upcoming film. He used to take him in his car to Laitlum and other places. After hearing this story I again checked out which part of Rock On was shot here as I had not watched the part 2. It seemed they had created a stage on the edge of the canyon for a song shoot. Frankly speaking once I knew it was shot here it felt oxymoronic. I could not believe such a concert stage tearing through the tranquility of this place which was the main asset. 

We kept walking towards the canyon, it was like a 2-3 minute walk. As expected by the time we reached there was not even a spot of cloud anywhere. The sun was high in the sky and the grassland looked more yellowish at this time of the year. I could only imagine how pretty it might look during the rains with lush green rolling grasslands.

Laitlum Canyon is also known as the amphitheater of Meghalaya and rightly so. You feel like crying out - "I am on the top of the world!" once you reach the ledge of the canyon. The breathtaking gorges and steep winding stairways that snake their way down to the lush valley makes you feel like a speckle in the landscape. You feel miniscule taking in the all encompassing nature around.   There is a small viewpoint created at short gaps where you can stand and have a look down the deep valleys and gorges. You can see a serpentine silver river snaking through the forest land below. Though the sun was up it was very windy and cold. We saw a few families had got some food and tea and were enjoying their food on the grassland. There were cleaning ladies deployed as far as our eyes could reach to pick up stray litters. It is really impressive to see how cautiously the people in Meghalaya maintain the cleanliness of the places everywhere and not just at the 'Asia's cleanest village - Mawlynnong'. 

We learnt that a long, narrow  and steep flight of stone stairs snake through the edge of the Laitlum canyon to the tiny hamlet of Rasong. It is the only route form this village to the nearest market, has almost 3000 stairs and takes almost 5 hours for the hike. There is a rope rope-way from the top to the village, which supplies the urgent needs to the village. It is only meant for goods transportation and not human.

While my mother and granny waited at one of the viewpoints, me and my uncle made way along the fenced ledge deeper into the canyon grassland. I must say even though it looks pretty flat at a glance but it is not so. There are places where you need to cross some kind of a thin stream and it can become tricky. Also the land is very uneven at places and if you are not used to hiking, you might even feel shortness of breath after a while. This especially happens when the weather is cold and you struggle to breath in the cold air during a brisk walk. We kept going for some time and saw a patch of potato plants. I never knew how a potato plant looks but my uncle being a specialist in this area pointed out to me to take a note of those pretty plants. We had been seeing them even on our way towards Laitlum at many places. Small plants with pretty white flowers planted in rows very abruptly in a patch on the grassland. have a look at these pretty things below in the photo series. 

Potato Flower

Potato Plants

Potato Farming Patch

Village of Rasong at max zoon form my camera

A playground (?) beside the village

We spent some more time navigating through the terrain until we decided to walk back. We had a packed itinerary today and wanted to be back to our hotel by breakfast time. After getting some more pretty photos of the place we left for our hotel. On our way back we saw a group of bikers coming towards the canyon. The group even had lady bikers. Some more construction was happening at one side of the canyon and it seemed they were coming up with some staying options and washroom facility. 

Tips: 

• Visit the canyon as early as possible in the morning e.g. 5 AM to view the sleeping clouds or before 5 PM when the clouds again start settling down in the valley
• This place is best visited during the monsoon when it is stunning in green
• If you are carrying snacks or food, do not litter the grounds. There are trash bins placed at places, put your trash in designated bins only

We reached our hotel and decided to meet directly at the breakfast table. We had got information that the other group had already begun their trek to Mawryngkhang and almost half way done. So we anticipated they would be able to meet us pretty soon at some of the next viewpoint we were planning to go to.

The breakfast was served at the rooftop restaurant in Poinisukh. It was a buffet breakfast comprising of the very standard menu like - breads, sandwiches, fruits, cakes, tea/coffee, eggs, puri - subzi and some south Indian options like vada, idlis and chutneys. Unfortunately by the time we reached the place the previous group had already wiped the vadas clean and the hotel informed that they would not be repeating the vadas. I felt the south Indian menu was the best in the whole spread. We finished a nice breakfast and then headed for our next destination. The plan for the day was to do as many local sightseeing as possible. The original plan was like the below: 

• Elephant falls
• Umiam Lake
• Shillong View Point
• Don bosco museum
• Bara Bazar & Police Bazar
• Churches of Shillong

However we had already done Umiam lake the day before. So that was out. And as expected, our driver intervened in deciding the locations. He said Shillong view point was closed due to covid restrictions ( we didn't argue with him because there was no point). After this I simply submitted to his judgement and let him plan the day for us. The first place he took us was the Mary Help of Christians Cathedral. 

Mary Help of Christians Cathedral (both levels)

The first few things you notice about the church is the pretty powder blue color, Gothic style of architecture and how huge the place is. This church is located in the Laitumkhrah itself and was like a 5 minute drive from our hotel. This is a Roman Catholic Church and also known as the Cathedral Catholic Church. Dedicated to mother Mary, the Cathedral Church of Mary Help of Christians was built by the Germans in 1913. According to history, the construction of the present shrine was built after the first church got destroyed due to a fire accident in 1936. It got the status of a shrine in 1980, on completion of the Catholic Church's 100 years in North East India. This church falls under Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Shillong and is the principal place of worship of about 3,00,000 strong Catholics of Ri Bhoi and East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya.

The church is built on a sort of high plateau and one has to take a steep short flight of steps or a gradient to reach it. The beautiful church has two levels. Each level had a church. While the lower level is a small chapel that has a prayer hall and is filled with candles and prayer books, the upper level is a huge cathedral with big seating capacity. The upper level church seemed to be for the elite and higher class while the smaller chapel was housing the tribes of this area and less well off class. The church has high arches and stained glass windows which add to its grandeur. 

Second Level - Main Church

Garden in the second level

Since it was a Sunday and a mass day, we saw people dressed in their Sunday best waiting in a queue to get into the church. We also saw a board by the entrance to the church which said tourists not allowed inside. Maybe because of it being a mass day, the restrictions on tourist was in force or maybe because of the pandemic the entrance was restricted to outsiders - I am not sure of the reason here. So we didn't try to go in but just walked around. There is a small garden outside where you can sit and enjoy the atmosphere. We could hear the choir inside playing. People were dressed so well it appeared they were here for some high class party. We even saw ladies in LBDs and gents sporting their best suits. The upper level has a huge parking area. There are a few buildings surrounding the parking area, one of which was a bookshop/ souvenir shop. We spent some time in the open area and then headed back. There were beautiful poinsettia blossoming in the garden which added a sharp red contrast to the otherwise muted landscape.

Before getting into the car we heard that the other group has completed their trek and will be heading back soon. We gave them our next coordinate which was going to be Elephant Falls and asked them to directly meet us there.

Poinsettia blossoming in the garden of the Church

Elephant Falls

Stairs going down towards 2nd level

Traditional Baskets made into litter bins

The bridge at the second level

Light & Shade on water

Level 2 waterfall

As the name suggests this waterfall has 3 different levels and each level has a different beauty. The third and last level is the most pretty one. We visited on the last day of October and still the falls had good amount of water. I could only imagine how much more prettier it would look during the monsoon. While the first level of the falls can be easily reached by going down about 20-25 steps, the second and the third levels are much more difficult to navigate as the steps are tall and steep. Its almost 100 more steps down to the final level after the first level. Litter bins are available all over the trail so make sure you are not unnecessarily littering the place.

3rd level

Boating at the 3rd level

Our adventures for Day 2 will be continued in my next Meghalaya blog. Till then stay tuned and if you haven't already checked out the other three blogs in this series do check the links at the end of this blog.

Important Takeaways from this part:

1. If you plan to visit Laitlum Canyon, then make sure you reach there by 5 AM max or come in the evening time just before sunset. 

2. Laitlum feels the best in monsoon.

3. You can also hire local taxis for half or full day sightseeing in and around Shillong.

4.  If you are planning to trek down to the Rasong village, do carry water and snacks as there are no shops around the area.

5. Elephant Falls is a must visit place. Till Level 1 everyone can walk down. Level 2 & 3 are pretty steep and not recommended for people having any kind of mobility issues. Ample seating is available at Level 1, if you want to sit and enjoy.

6. Carry a small bottle of water with you when you walk up and down the levels, you will feel dehydrated with the tedious climb. 

7. Refill your bottles with the aquaguard placed at the entrance of the 1st level. The aquaguard is fed by the mountain water, is super chilly and tastes wonderful. 

8. Wear good shoes, especially if you are going there during the rains. The steps might become slippery.

9. Paddle boating facility available at the 3rd and lowest level of the falls. You are however not allowed to go into the water for a swim.

10. Trash bins are available everywhere in Meghalaya viewpoints, so try not to litter any spot you visit.

11. Pay and use washroom facility is available at Elephant Falls. We did not see a functional washroom at Laitlum.

12. Ample parking space available both at Laitlum and Elephant Falls. 

13. Food/snacks facility is available at both the spots.

14. Mask is mandatorily used within Shillong city limits but in both the viewpoints we didn't see people wearing masks and it was safe. 

To be continued in Next Part 

Other posts in this series:

• Meghalaya Trip Summary
• Meghalaya Travelogue - Day 1 (Part 1) - Umroi Airport, Umiam Lake
• Meghalaya Travelogue - Day 1 (Part 2) - Umiam Lake, Shillong, Laitumkhrah, Police Bazar