This particular aloo ki sabzi is usually served with puris. No onions, no garlic, no other veggies - just a simple aloo with spices and a slightly tangy gravy of medium thickness. The taste is very similar to what is known as Bhandarawale Aloo in North India. Bhandara is an open meal system. A lot of people sit down in rows and are served this free meal comprising of poori, bhandarewale aloo.

Tucked away in one of the northern most corners of Kerala, about 114 km away from Calicut airport (now known as Kozhikode) is Kannur. Your flight is welcomed by the sight of thousands of lush green palm trees interspersed by paddy fields in small clearings. Formerly known by its Anglicised name of Cannanore, the district was home to the only Muslim royal family in the state of Kerala. This underexposed paradise has a variety of fare to offer travelers with multifarious interests. From sprawling clean beaches, clear backwaters, historic forts at drive down distances, sacred ancient temples, rejuvenating ayurverdic massages and a colourful bunch of people whose lifestyles are immersed in culture, religion and art, Kannur boasts of having a slice of it all.

A gorgeous rising sun from behind the mighty, lush green mountains, the calming ripples on the lake, a cool breeze and a slight drizzle making the green even greener, just the way you’d like it. This would be a very regular beginning for almost any travel story. The reason I chose to sacrifice a more creative opening to this tale is because these lush green mountains, the cool breeze, the lakes and the slight drizzle happen to be in the middle of desert country Rajasthan. Udaipur is very different from the scorching heat and the picture of the barren desert pictures that one usually visualizes at the mention of the state of Rajasthan.