Big Basket: A whole new concept renouncing the offline market (Guest Post)

An online grocery store is a savior for all those people who hate shopping for groceries. A lot of
people hate going traveling to the supermarket or the local market just to get fresh vegetables and fruits or buy some kitchen essentials. Most people dislike the stinking smell of the poultry and fish market and dread shopping at such places. BigBasket.com is the largest online grocery store in India, which has come to the rescue of those people, who dislike grocery shopping offline. Online shopping for clothes, accessories, medicines, jewelry are all very popular as more and more people buy these stuffs online. However, grocery shopping of fresh fruits and vegetables online is an innovation, in the field of online shopping.

Image source - snowhq.co.uk

People residing in cities like Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad and Bangalore can shop for their groceries online on BigBasket.com. It is an online forum which has more than 10000 products with a variety of brands. Big brands like Amul, Kelloggs, Britannia, Colgate, Horlicks, Haldirams and other popular brands are all available here. One can shop from the popular categories like Fruits and Vegetables, Basmati Rice, Dry Fruits, Bread, Diary and Eggs and so on. Shopping for groceries is not just easy but convenient as all the brands and products are available in one place and you do not need to go from shop to shop looking for the items in your grocery item list.

Shopping from an Online grocery Mysore, Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi and Pune store is far more convenient than hopping to the multiple offline shops and store. Online shopping will save your time and energy and your traveling expenses. The traveling expenses can also be utilized in shopping for your essentials and necessary grocery items. You can definitely save at least one or two items worth money otherwise spent on traveling to supermarkets and local grocery stores. The most favorable advantage of online shopping is that you can order the products right from the comfort of your house or office without forgetting any item on your list. Another advantage is that these products are priced reasonable and some are even sold at discounted rates which helps you acquire them at cheaper rates and save money.

Image source - deliciousfood4u.com

Online grocery shopping is very easy and convenient and can easily save your time and money, which is the most sought after things, in contemporary times. People, today, are extremely busy with the work and do not even have time for themselves at times. Online shopping makes life easier for such people. A busy housewife who is extremely busy with kids and household chores can save a lot of time and energy, by ordering groceries online and getting it delivered right at the doorstep. Therefore, it not just saves time but also the hassles related to grocery shopping.

Time slot options for delivery timings, nominal charge for delivery of cart value below thousand
rupees and free for above thousand rupees, prompt and quick delivery and easy cash on delivery and credit or debit card option for payment makes it all the more convenient for shoppers online to shop. To top it all, all the products are easily available and are of the best quality. The fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and other raw items have all their freshness intact and are well packed. The flexibility of returning the products and getting the credit value in your account is a life saver. Environment lovers would love to shop online as online supermarket in Mysore, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune or any other city do not consume a lot of energy in the form of lights, refrigerators, air conditioners and freezers like offline markets and also cuts down on carbon emissions, by getting it directly from wholesalers and bringing it to your doorstep.

Hotel review - Fortune Jp Palace (Mysore)

Sometimes even the best laid plans get laid. Hence this time we made some impromptu plans for the weekend. A trip made to the lap of wilderness (Bandipur Forest Reserve) that finally ended up in the lap of luxury when we were lucky to find a room in Fortune Jp Palace. Bless these guys who were happy to make a reservation for us even though I had called just half a hour before landing at the hotel.


A beautiful white structure that goes rather well with its royal name, it is located very near to the iconic St Philomena's Church. It is also located within jogging proximity (if you are health freak types) to the Mysore Palace and the zoo. By the way, I must mention that Mysore itself is a small town and everything that is worth seeing is actually within a radius of 5 km. Before I get carried away on a tangent, the hotel is most beautifully and tastefully done up. Hardly surprising given that it is part of the illustrious ITC group.

We had to pay the room rent in advance and then we were promptly led into our room. Everything about it was nice and welcoming. The furniture is dark wooden and very well maintained. Even the bathroom was very neat and fitted with a host of useful stuff that we girls cannot live without (facial tissues, hair dryer, make up mirror , etc).

The 8 hour long trip had left us starving and we ordered for a Biryani, Noodles and a Khichdi (quite a eclectic mix but we our motley group had failed to reach a consensus). Too tired to ventured out, we opted to have it in our room. The food was spectacular. While I could not identify the genre of the Biryani, it was too delicious as if everything that they had thrown in had worked together in perfect harmony.

High on the food and low on energy, we promptly took a siesta. It was evening by the time we woke up and ordered some tea. Unfortunately the tea did not make the cut. Venturing out of our room, we ambled along the poolside area and shopped for some knick-knacks in their in-house souvenir shop. After spending some time inside the hotel, we went shopping for Mysore Silk sarees in the city and ended up taking a buggy ride around the Mysore palace and even having an early dinner.

We were back at the hotel by 10 pm. And since we had a light dinner, we felt a little hungry by 11. We ordered for a Chicken pizza which was swiftly delivered within the next 20 mins. And what a pizza it was !! Guys if you are willing to deliver it to Bangalore, I will only be too happy to switch my loyalties from a certain D which has been monopolizing my home-delivered meals.

If the pizza was the harbinger of the good things that were to come, it sure lived up to its reputation. The breakfast that followed was something worth dying for. Croissants, Brioche, Danish pastry, Muffins, Frankfurts, Salami, Cornflakes, Museli, Pancake with maple syrup, French toast, assorted fresh fruits, Medu vada, Idli, Alu puri, Upma, Dosa, Omelette, and every possible breakfast favorite was on the menu.

We checked out from the hotel around 10:00 am. And it was a speedy process without any hiccups. After filling up the feedback form and promising to be back, I happily hopped into the car and moved on towards a new destination.

Restaurant Review - Cafe Aramane (Mysuru)

A heritage building with oodles of old world charm is how I can define this place !! Everything from the royal paintings to the stained glass windows to the lovely white chairs that adorn this place lend credence to its name 'Aramane' which means Palace in English. A hot favorite among the Mysore locals, it serves everything from breakfast and snacks to full fledged meals.

We dropped there by 8:30 pm and they were still serving tea and snacks. But the meals were also available at the same time as informed the waiter, a friendly souk who promptly switched to Hindi when his initial queries in Kannada were met with blank stares. We ordered a dosa and then went for a simple meal consisting of Butter Naan, Dal Tadka and Kadhai Paneer. The service was real quick. Everything turned out to be delicious. But the buttermilk and Lassi that they served was sour and seemed to have been made from curd that was turning bad.

The waiter was very helpful and took good care of us. He informed us that the place was popular with office goers and that they had a special dosa variety every day. Finally when the bill came, it made us smile as everything was so decently priced.

While the food is definitely on the good side, one needs to visit this place just to get a feel of the old time ambiance !!

Game for 4G ??

We bloggers are always trending. That is what I am told wherever I go. Not only are we up to date with latest trends, but we also drive them and set new ones. So, when Airtel launched their 4G network, I just had to get it. It really helps that I already have a device that is 4G compatible ( I actually looked for 4G compatibility when I last upgraded my phone which I do pretty regularly).

And how does it work ?? Just visit www.airtel.in/4G and login with your phone number (Airtel ones only). It identifies if your phone supports 4G and then you can go ahead and register for a free 4G SIM which gets delivered at your doorstep free of cost. Simple, isn't it ?? But don't get disheartened if your phone fails to make the cut. You can buy a 4G compatible device from the Airtel website at prices starting from as low as Rs 5999. Even if you have no plans to buy a phone, do check the new website which is pretty awesome.

Worried about the price of 4G pinching your pockets ? Naah !! It comes at the same price as the 3G data pack that you are currently using. With plans starting at Rs 999 per month, pick one from the website itself depending on your requirements. They even have a 4G Home WiFi for folks who prefer to log in from home (this is especially handy for folks who prefer to work from home during the monsoons as opposed to braving the traffic snarls). Sounds wow ? Check out this amazing TVC -





Now that is something. Cannot wait to try out the awesome speed....I wish they could deliver the 4G SIM at the speed that is shown in this TVC ! I am looking forward to a tweet fest with my friends (the poor souls are still on 3G) once I am on. It will be fun to watch their stupendous expressions when they experience the sheer force of 4G speed.

Ready to be blown away ?? Check it out on Airtel !!

Cabbage Soup

An easy to soup with Italian flavoring, I tried it out recently with great results. There was this unused cabbage lying in the fridge for a week and nobody wanted to eat any cabbage curry. I had used a bit of it in a veg noodles recipe that I had made for my kid. With Maggie going off the shelf, I buy these big chowmein packets and cook it with lots of veggies. It is not only much more healthier but also works out to be cheaper. Coming back to the soup, I was confused about the kind of flavoring that I should use. With opinions divided between an Indian version and a Russian one, I somehow ended up with the classic Italian seasoning of EVOO, garlic and chili flakes.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -

• 2 cups chopped cabbage (tightly packed)
• 3 tbsp chopped onions
• 2 cloves
• 1/2 inch cinnamon (optional)
• 10-12 peppercorns
• 2-3 garlic flakes
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 1 1/2 tsp EVOO
• 1 tsp Pomace olive oil
• salt to taste
• freshly ground pepper

Cooking - Heat the olive oil in a pressure cooker. Add the peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves and onions. Fry for a minute before adding the cabbage.  Fry for 2-3 mins.

Add 3 cups water and salt to taste. Close lid and cook for 3-4 whistles. Keep aside till steam escapes.

Open lid and use a hand blender to puree the contents of the pressure cooker.

Take the EVOO in a pan. Add the crushed garlic and fry till it is golden. Add the chili flakes and fry for 20 seconds before pouring it over the cabbage soup.

Pour out into bowls, garnish with fresh pepper and serve immediately.

Flipkart Indiblogger Meet at Hard Rock Cafe !!!

HRC does not need any introduction but for those still in the dark it is a state-of-the-art pub that also displays memorabilia from rock legends and contemporary artists. So, when Indiblogger and Flipkart got together to hold a meet in this iconic place that gives one a feel of one good ol' American rock'n'roll , I could not give it a miss..The only think that irked me was it is was scheduled for 10:30 on a Saturday morning. Partying in the pre-noon hours in certainly not for the faint heated !!

But managed to reach the place on time. However, the event took time to start and I utilized the time to scan all that memorabilia on display. It turned out to be a mix of some nice and some so-so retro stuff.

The meet started with a short round of jamming (punctuated with a generous dose of 'hell yeah's) followed by a quick round of introductions and then the Flipkart team took over. They have developed this revolutionary technology called image search which allows a user to 'Point.Shoot.Buy'. Given the fast increasing mobile user base, they are concentrating their energies on developing their app. While this would greatly enable Flipkart to increase their penetration in smaller cities, there was a section of the crowd which remained unconvinced. Their team (including CPO Punit Soni) answered a few questions regarding the benefits of this technology and their future plans before taking a break.

The finger foods and unlimited drinks that followed took care of our flagging energy levels. Most of us took advantage of this break to do some networking. The session resumed with a group activity. We were asked to use to app to shoot images (clothes, shoes, accessories) and find a match on Flipkart. Enthusiastic participation by our team members (Team 5) and the cutting edge technology behind this visual search feature ensured that we found some incredible matches ( we got the maximum ones and the Flipkart guys actually stopped counting after a point ). There was no on the spot announcement for any prizes but it was communicated later through emails .

The activity came to an end with the lunch being served and free copies of the "10 Love Stories", An Indiblogger Selection, being given out to all participants. The menu consisted of penne Arrabiata, grilled chicken with Harissa sauce, mashed potato and garlic bread. There was chocolate brownie and ice-cream for desserts.

Egg Dosa

Evening times are turning out to be quite trying for me as my toddler is getting increasingly fussy about his afternoon snacks. If it is too light, he gets cranky after 1-2 hours. And he is not too fond of heavy stuff like paratha, halwa or puri either. So, I have to come up new ideas every two days. Hence, I introduced the egg dosa on his menu. I usually roll it up like a chicken roll and add loads of ketchup to it. He liked it very much and keeps asking for it again and again.


Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients -

• 2 cups dosa batter
• 2 eggs
• 1 medium sized onion (finely chopped)
• 1-2 green chili ( finely chopped, omit for kids)
• 1/4 tsp red chili powder/karam (omit for kids)
• chopped cilantro
• tomato ketchup 
• 4 tsp oil
• salt to taste

Preparation - Break the eggs into a bowl and add 1-2 pinch of salt. Whisk it gently.

Add salt to batter and adjust the consistency if required.

Cooking - Heat a flat tawa or dosa tawa on medium flame. 

Pour 1 cup batter and spread it outwards in a circular motion. After a minute, spread half of the egg all over the dosa. Reduce flame and cook till the egg is almost cooked.

Sprinkle onions, green chilis, red chili powder, cilantro and ketchup over the dosa. 

Fold it or roll it up and remove from the tawa.

Serve hot !!

Masoor Dal ka shorba (Red Lentil Soup)

Lentil soups are much more filling and nutritious (protein rich) as compared to the vegetable variants. Hence, they are indispensable when one is trying to lose weight or maintain proper blood sugar levels as in the case of diabetics. One can use the regular dals like moong dal, toor dal and masoor dal for preparing a wholesome and richly flavored soup.

But Masoor dal ka shorba happens to be the current favorite. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20-25 mins


Ingredients -

• 4 tbsp Masoor dal (red lentil)
• 1 medium sized onion
• 1 large tomato
• 2 dry red chilis
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 2-3 cloves
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 7-8 black pepper
• 2 tsp oil
• salt to taste
• a pinch of turmeric

Preparation - Wash and soak the dal for 2-3 hours.

Chop the onion and tomato into medium sized pieces.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a pressure cooker. Throw in the broken chilis and spices. Fry till fragrant.

Add the onions and tomatoes. Stir fry for 3-4 mins.

Add the dal along with 3 cups water and turmeric . Close lid and cook for 4-5 whistles.

Keep aside till steam escapes. Open the lid and use a hand blender to churn up the contents of the pressure cooker. (Be careful as the hot liquid might spill and burn one's hands)

Strain into a saucepan. Adjust the consistency and add salt. Bring to boil and let it simmer for 2-3 mins.

Pour into soup bowls and serve immediately.

Tamatar aur Dhaniya ka Shorba

It is quite chilly these days and I am constantly in search of something warm to sip on. After endless cups of tea, masala chai, green tea and coffee, I realize that I still need something more and in greater quantity. And the first thing that comes to my mind is a humongous bowl of steaming soup. Whether homemade or straight from a packet, I love my soup when I am on a diet or whenever the mercury takes a drop. And that kind of translates into every other day as it is 'de rigueur' given the fashionably thin folks of Bangalore and the balmy weather of this city.

This is my current favorite and I keep making it at home or ordering it at restaurants. As is the custom at my home (however silly it may sound), it must be done to death before I move on to the next 'Big' thing.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -

• 5-6 medium sized tomatoes
• 4-5 tbsp chopped coriander stems
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1-2 dry red chili
• 1 bay leaf
• 2-3 cloves
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 9-10 peppercorns
• 1 1/2 tsp oil
• 2 tsp freshly chopped cilantro
• freshly ground pepper for garnishing
• 1 tsp sugar (optional)
• salt to taste

Preparation - Chop the tomatoes into small pieces.

Thoroughly clean the coriander stems to remove any sand or mud .

Cooking - Heat the oil in a pressure cooker. Add the red chili, bay leaf, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon. Saute for 20 seconds before throwing in the coriander stems. Fry for a minute before adding the tomato pieces.

Add 3-4 cups water and salt to taste. Close lid and cook for 3-4 whistles.

Allow steam to escape before opening the lid. Take a hand blender and puree the tomatoes.

Pass through a strainer.

Transfer to a saucepan and place on the flame. Add the sugar and adjust salt if needed. Bring to a boil.

Pour into bowls and garnish with cilantro and freshly ground pepper .

Serve immediately.

Product Review : Saby' Barbee Benefit Chai Masala

The monsoons are bearing down on us and I am forced to spend most of my time indoors. The absence of sunlight and the dampness that accompanies the rain also brings on a host of seasonal complaints like cold, cough and indigestion. Hence the desire to curl up with a good book and a cuppa of steaming hot chai. Mind it, I am not talking about the very austere English tea in bone china cups but the very aromatic brew steeped in Indian spices and served in those earthen kulhads.

And since I am very particular about my 'chai', I always end up making my own spice mix. Hence, when I received the samples of Saby's Barbee Benefit Chai masala, I was a bit skeptical about it. And it remained unopened on my kitchen shelf for a week. But one day I was down with a sore throat and feeling too ill to brew my own concoction. I picked up one of the samples and read the instructions. It seemed simple and I gave it a try. And loved it.

Ingredients -

• mint
• black pepper
• cinnamon
• ginger
• nutmeg
• mixed herbs

The brand claims the following benefits -

• Weight loss
• Relief from joint pains
• Fortified with Calcium and Iron
• Relief from cold and cough
• Stress relief
• Digestion

My opinion - It provides relief in case of cough, cold, stress related headache and aids digestion. I did not experience the weight loss benefits as I tried it for 2 weeks only.  However, the spices used have certified weight loss properties so I am sure that it would aid weight loss in the long run.

Instructions for use - In your tea, with or without milk . Or even with plain hot water.

How I like to have it ? I add 1/2 tsp to my regular tea ( skim milk and no sugar ) towards the end.  Let it boil for a minute before decanting. Stir in 1/2 tsp of honey. Sip with pleasure.

Disclaimer - Samples provided by Saby's Barbee Mania and Food Bloggers Association Bangalore. However the opinions are the author's own.

You can buy it on Paytm .

Discover Create and Shop with Limeroad !!

Grrrr !!! I hate the Sale season. Don't get me wrong but I just can't stand the offline types any longer . Queuing up to find a parking spot, then rummaging though loads of stuff to find something of one's own size and finally queuing up for a trial room, I managed to spend 4 hours and ended up picking up just two kurtis. And in the process I had to skip the Sunday brunch with my pals.

So, when Limeroad announced a Buy 1 Get 1, I had to give it a try. And ended up buying some fabulous stuff from the comfort of my recliner within an hour of the commencement of the sale. Even when I was confused about the size ( sometime despite the help provided by the size chart one is undecided whether to pick a particular size or the preceding/succeeding one ), I was not too worried as they have an easy return policy which I had availed on an earlier occasion. Everything was delivered within the next 10 days and I loved each one of it.

But that is not all. Love their website which allows one to put together various looks or scrapbooks as they prefer to call it. And you earn points every time you create one. One can also explore and buy from various scrapbooks created by others. And if someone likes your scrapbook and makes a purchase, you get additional points. Now that sounds too good to be true. But it is.

This is one of my scrapbooks which earned me additional points -

These are some personal favorites -

Buy here

buy here

Buy here

Buy here

And I love all the scraps that I created with the evergreen saree. I am planning to pick one of this for the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations ( picked up ones in white and yellow as these are considered auspicious )  -

Buy here

 

Buy here

Buy Here

Summing it up, here are the High's and Low's of shopping with Limeroad -

High's -

• Great collection including stuff that you won't find on other websites.
• All possible payment modes available
• Easy return policy
• Shop for an entire look instead of buying just one product
• Earn even as you create and shop
• Great bargains during the Buy 1 Get 1 sale ( every 2-3 months )

Low's -

• The delivery times is usually 7-10 days which I feel is a bit on the higher side
• COD attracts an extra charge of Rs 79 which is quite steep

Whatever be the occasion, you are sure to find something at Limeroad. So, get on-board and join in the fun !!