auluck: Salman Khan and Khandaan meet Arpita's baby boy Ahil

Salman Khan and Khandaan meet Arpita's baby boy Ahil

Salman Khan along with the entire Khandaan and their close friends were seen at Hinduja hospital in Mumbai where his younger sister Arpita Khan gave birth to a baby boy on March 30. This is Arpita and Aayush's first baby and they have named their li'l one Ahil. Salman was seen kissing his newborn nephew in one of the pictures uploaded on Instagram with Arpita smiling. First pics of the baby boy with his maternal and paternal grandparents were shared by uncle Atul Agnihotri on Instagram. The Khans including Sohail Khan, wife Seema, Amrita Arora and Malaika Arora Khan's son were also there. Seen here Salman Khan waves to waiting photogs as he leaves after meeting Arpita. (Source: Varinder Chawla/Instagram)

Auluck : Beautiful places in India that you must visit

Beautiful places  in India that you must visit

When thinking of a trip to India, everyone knows to visit the Taj Mahal, but it's is just one of countless reasons for planning a trip to this beautiful country. The largest democracy in the world offers varied landscapes, distinct vernacular and dialects after every few hundred miles, temples and ruins that date back centuries, buildings and monuments that remind of its colonial past as well as thriving cosmopolitan megacities. There’s so much to do and see in this spectacular country, and here we give you 100 reasons to plan a trip soon. Click through to learn more.

Backwaters of Kerala, India

Kerala, dubbed God’s own country, is a state in southern India featuring picturesque backwater stretches. You can rent a boat house, enjoy Ayurveda massages, and see the wildlife at Periyar National Park.

Adventure sports at Solang, Himachal Pradesh

Located in the lap of the Himalayan slopes, Solang offers adventure sports throughout the year, be it skiing, paragliding or horse riding. Also on offer are the beautiful views of glaciers.

Trekking in Gangtok, Sikkim

Gangtok, the capital city of Sikkim, is located in the Himalayan range at 5,410 feet (1,650 meters) above sea level with mild temperatures throughout the year. It is a perfect destination for backpackers. Indulge in mountaineering, river rafting and other nature-oriented activities here.

Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir

Dal Lake is one of the most romantic holiday destinations in India, offering boathouses and shikara rides and has been the picturesque setting for many Bollywood movies over the decades.

Golden Temple, Amritsar, Punjab

One of the holiest shrines of the Sikhs, Golden Temple was built in 16th century by the fourth Sikh guru, Guru Ramdaas Sahib Ji. It houses one of the biggest kitchens in the globe, feeding more than 100,000 people daily for free. The upper floors of the temple are covered in gold, giving it a distinctive appearance.

Sunburn festival in Goa

Goa is full of pristine white beaches, swaying palm trees and delicious cuisine. If you are a music aficionado, visit in December to attend Sunburn, one of the best music festivals in India. And while you're there, do try the local liquor, feni, made from cashews.

Camel safari in the Thar desert, Rajasthan

Enjoy Indian hospitality, Rajasthani style, when you visit the Thar Desert. Pass through the villages, where you'll  encounter nomadic tribes and enjoy their folk dance and music.

Tso Kar Lake in Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir

Located at an elevation of over 14,700 feet (4,481 meters) in the Rapshu Valley, Tso Kar Lake is also known as the White Lake due to huge amounts of salts and borax that get deposited on its banks.

Heritage ruins in Hampi, Karnataka

This old glorious city is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, featuring mesmerizing temples and artifacts. Visit this spot if you love architecture and are passionate about ancient history and culture.

Rafting in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand

Known as the Gateway to the Garhwal Himalayas and yoga capital, Rishikesh is popular for white-water rafting. But if that’s not your cup of tea, you can opt for hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, rappelling and kayaking.

Pondicherry, Tamilnadu

Away from the madness of metropolitan cities, Pondicherry is a small town on the southern coast of India with well-preserved French colonial heritage that reflects in its architecture and cuisines. Its scenic beauty and unspoiled beaches attract tourists from all across the world.

Tea plantations in Munnar, Kerala

Munnar is a hill station at 5,249 feet (1,600 meters) above sea level, featuring sprawling tea plantations and charming towns. The hill station, located in the Western Ghats range of mountains, houses exotic flora, making it an ideal spot for trekking.

Trekking at Mentok Kangri, Ladakh

If you enjoy adventure and trekking, Mentok Kangri should be on your list. It is one of the most fascinating peaks in eastern Ladakh, at an altitude of 20,505 feet (6,250 meters) from sea level. The trek takes around three weeks.

Coorg, Karnataka

Popularly known as the Scotland of India, Coorg is another scenic hill station in southern India. Featuring lush teakwood and sandalwood forests, Coorg offers several attractions, including Abbey Falls, Madikeri Fort, Dubare Elephant Camp and Omkareshwara temple.

Jungle safari in Jim Corbett, Uttarakhand

The oldest national park in India is a protected place for endangered Bengal tigers and offers 488 different species of plants. Every season, over 70,000 tourists visit the park. If you're lucky, you may just spot the striped beast.

Auluck: Delhi budget to today: Likely to cut VAT, clothes to be cheaper

Delhi budget to today: Likely to cut VAT, clothes to be cheaper

The Delhi budget is likely to bring some relief for the middle class as products such as shoes, ready-made garments, watches, upholstery and marble tiles are likely to become cheaper in 2016-17. Sources said the AAP government is all set to propose a reduction of value added tax (VAT) on these items.  

The tax on dining and drinking in restaurants and bars is unlikely to change but eatables such as namkeens and sweets may become cheaper, sources said.

Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who also holds the finance portfolio, will present his second full budget in Delhi assembly today.

Officials said some products, which are largely of interest to middle and high income groups, are likely to get cheaper as VAT rate is being revised from 12.5% to 5%. “The government has decided to rationalise the price-based tax slabs and bring certain items under the same category,” a senior Delhi government official said.

Sources said the government decided to rationalise the rates due to buoyancy in tax collection reflected in the spike in overall tax collection in 2015-16.

“Some experiments were done last year in terms of tax rationalisation. For example, tax rate on timber products was brought down to 5% from 12.5%. But the revision did not affect the overall tax collection in that segment,” an official said. 

He said tax collection was being rationalised on other products as well and the benefits being passed on to the consumers. “If we witness a dip in tax collection, corrective measures could be taken in due course,” the source said. 

Officials said the budget size for 2016-17 is likely to increase by about 10% as compared to the previous financial year. “The budget size is likely to be over Rs 45, 000 crore this time…from Rs 41,000 crore during 2015-16,” an official said.

 

Auluck: Dhoni loses his cool again, this time for no reason

World T20: Dhoni loses his cool again, this time for no reason

Mohali: It was pre-match training ahead of the big game against Australia on Sunday when MS Dhoni made news for the wrong reasons.
After a game of football, which Team India always starts its training with these days, Dhoni was getting ready to go to the nets when a photojournalist tried to get his attention for a photo.
Dhoni, for some reason, didn't like that and retorted: "Cricket khel lein?" (can you allow us to play cricket).
The photojournalist didn't get the sarcasm and asked: "Are you asking me to play cricket?"
To that Dhoni replied: "If you would have been capable of that, you would have been here." And then the skipper left for the nets.
This is for the second time in less than a week that Dhoni has vented out at a journalist, after it happened first in the post-match press conference in Bengaluru where India beat Bangladesh by a run.
Dhoni then had lashed out at a journalist saying "I know you are not happy that India has won."

Magnificent Kohli powers India into semifinals

 

Magnificent Kohli powers India into semifinals

Virat Kohli lived up to the hype of being probably the greatest chaser in the history of the limited-overs game by scoring a fiery unbeaten 82 in 51 balls under immense pressure to guide India to the semifinals of the ICC World Twenty20 2016 with a six-wicket win over Australia.

Opting to bat first on a batsman-friendly strip at the at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Sunday (March 27), Australia rode on cameos from Usman Khawaja, Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell, and a string of contributions from their lower order, to reach 160 for 6 on a surface which began to slow down during the course of their innings.

India got off to a shaky start, reaching 49 for 3 from 7.4 overs. Yuvraj Singh hung around and made a crucial 21, but it was Kohli’s unbeaten knock, with nine fours and two sixes, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s 10-ball 18, that carried India to a win which seemed improbable at one stage.

India now face West Indies in the semifinal in Mumbai on March 31.

Earlier, until Ashish Nehra forced Khawaja to drive at a gentle awayswinger and nick to Dhoni, India were on a hiding to nothing. Khawaja set stall with the very first ball of the evening, pulling Nehra through square-leg, though the experienced left-arm paceman got his own back with five successive dots.

Clearly, Khawaja was going to take the fight to India when the ball was hard and new, just about the only time when fluent timing could be guaranteed. Jasprit Bumrah’s second over triggered an avalanche of boundaries with Khawaja the primary enforcer and Finch only marginally behind. Bowling a perfectly hittable length, Bumrah was taken apart by Khawaja much like he had been by Tamim Iqbal in Bangalore, going for four fours to immediately push India on to the back foot.

While Nehra held his own from the pavilion end, Dhoni was at a loss to staunch the flooding at the other. Each of Khawaja’s first six scoring strokes had been a four; feeling somewhat left out, Finch opened his broad shoulders to deposit R Ashwin twice over long-on in the offspinner’s first over. A legside wide that flew to the fence contributed to 22 runs from that over so that Australia had clattered to 53 without loss after four overs.

Dhoni persisted with the parsimonious Nehra for a third over and the move paid off the dangerous Khawaja departed. It was to be a crucial passage; 54 had been realised by the openers in a mere 26 deliveries, with seven fours and two sixes. The next 15.4 overs produced the exact same number of fours and sixes and only 106 more runs as India wended their way back, the discipline in their bowling fusing beautifully with the slowing nature of the track which practically ruled out free-spirited strokeplay.

With Khawaja’s dismissal, the fluency disappeared a little even from Finch’s batting, while David Warner struggled during his brief stay until Ashwin shortened the length when he saw the batsman advancing, and gave the ball enough tweak to set up a simple stumping.

Energised by the twin strikes and lifted by a crowd that was now clearly throbbing, India jacked up the intensity. Dhoni, the master manipulator of resources and fields, pulled out a rabbit in the shape of Yuvraj, who responded with a wicket off his first ball of the tournament, Smith perhaps a little unfortunate to be given out caught behind on the inside-edge when he made no contact with the ball.

India tightened the screws, striking at regular intervals to ensure they kept getting new batsmen out in the middle. Dhoni moved his bowlers like chess pieces, an over here, three overs there, Ashwin ignored with half his quota available, Ravindra Jadeja’s fourth left unutilised as he pinned faith in his faster bowlers. Nehra was impeccable, Bumrah rallied outstandingly well after that nightmare first over, Hardik Pandya held his own until the last two balls when Peter Nevill got stuck into him, and Yuvraj sent down three tidy overs.

All of this meant Australia never found any ballast in the last three-quarters of their essay. Beefy ball-strikes – local hero Maxwell, who took 25 deliveries to smash his first boundary, Watson and finisher Faulkner – all failed to come to terms with the surface, and India had reason to be optimistic at the break.

Auluck : Movie Review Ambarsariya

'Ambarsariya' review: Keeps you on the edge of your seat for the most part

Cast: Diljit Dosanjh, Gul Panag, Lauren Gottileb, Navneet Kaur Dhillon, Monica Gill, Ranbir Rana, Gurpreet Ghuggi

Director: Mandeep Kumar

Rating: 4/5

Whether you have a strong penchant for films that fall in the supernatural genre, romantic comedies or ordinary action projects, films that come with the core concept - good triumphing over evil, and inspirational messages embedded in them invariably win huge applause and find several takers.

Diljit Dosanjh's latest outing 'Ambarsariya' is impressive as it puts romance, humour, optimism and nationalistic fervour to good use and offer a complete experience to the fans.

The film revolves around Diljit aka Ambarsariya who is a RAW agent in the garb of a life insurance agent. Deputed on a mission to save Home Minister's life, he can't afford to take any clue non-seriously. According to the information available to RAW, the Home Minister will be killed by drug mafia on April 13. And Diljit does virtually everything to chase his suspects and draw strategies to avert drug mafia's plan. The interest with which he does his job is understandable from the applause he gets from boss (Gul Panag) and senior colleague Navneet Kaur Dhillon.

While he is a thorough professional, he is also a true charmer, which is why he is the star of the film. Impressing a girl may seem difficult to others, but it isn't as hard as it seems for Diljit.

He makes girls laugh, makes them feel beautiful, and believe that they are the only woman in the world worth speaking to. But next moment, he is off to the next woman.

While Diljit wins every girl's wrath initially, he manages to get their attention by doing simple things and uses the process of falling in love as a mystery. He doesn't miss even a single opportunity to showcase his unique talents and resources.

He sets the tone for this comedy thriller. He is incredibly understated as the RAW agent, who is invariably thinking on his feet, and it is fun to watch him take on the goons single-handedly.

Built from a gripping script that's convincing on plot, the film comes with hilarious dialogues and crackling chemistry - particularly the one Diljit shares with kid Jaanu.

What makes the film incredible is how Diljit infuses humour into the most tense scenes, giving us a thriller that's both unpredictable and enjoyable. As Diljit tries to complete his mission, we are introduced to a string of funny characters that bring something new to the palette.

Actress Gul Panag as RAW officer is neither ruthless nor unpredictable. While Gul instructs Diljit to complete the mission, she plays a docile wife who carries household chores in personal life.

Thankfully, dependable performances by Gurpreet Ghuggi, Ranbir Rana, Navneet Kaur Dhillon, Monic Gill and Lauren Gottileb keep the viewers consistently engaged. Navneet doesn't pretend to be a strict, horrible boss at a life insurance company, gets the tone perfect. Lauren looks convincing as Canada-returned documentary filmmaker. However, her Punjabi accent isn't completely flawless. Monica Gill is quick to take digs at Diljit and quite impressive at it.

This one sequence which begins with Diljit turning a Yoga instructor and ends with Ranbir Rana-Gurpreet Ghuggi's tiff liven up the story, as does a group of kids taking jabs at the protagonist.

The cinematography - with aerial shots of Amritsar - deserves a mention. This slick, fast-paced comic thriller delivers what it promises to offer. It never reveals all its cards at once.

In addition to fleshed-out characters and a realistic plot, the twisted ending to the perfectly interweaved storyline and screenplay (by Dheeraj Ratan) makes 'Ambarsariya' a must watch. The climax - featuring Diljit who talks about Udham Singh's motivation to kill perpetrators of Jalianwala Bagh in Amritsar - is well shot. Since the killing of the modern-day Michael O'Dwyer is executed by kid Jaanu it stands for a much powerful message. The message it sends out is about how the power lies within the hands of the young generation of Punjab to annihilate those who are a threat to its peace and prosperity.

Auluck: Rocky Handsome review

Silent killer John Abraham misses the target

Cast: John Abraham, Nishikant Kamat, Diya Chalwad, Nathalia Kaur, Sharad Kelkar, Teddy Maurya, Shruti Haasan

Director: Nishikant Kamat

Rating: 2/5 

Goa is the new north India for the Hindi film industry. Filmmakers know the formula: Sinister-looking foreigners, local gangsters wearing floral shirts, drug trafficking and bars with Russian boards. All they need to throw in is one or two peppy dance numbers and slow motion action sequences. And yes, that old Goa church is mandatory. Mix the ingredients according to your choice and you’re ready with another morally upright, vengeful hero ready to take on the world. The director’s job gets even more defined if he is a fan of Korean films or secretly loves Jason Bourne.

Kabir Ahlawat (John Abraham) likes body-hugging suits and runs a pawn show in Goa. Anna (a super sultry Nathalia Kaur) and her daughter Nayomi (Diya Chalwad) are his neighbours, but drugs are ruining their lives. Brothers Kevin (Nishikant Kamat) and Luke Ferreira (Teddy Maurya) are the force behind this racket, and they won’t let go of their empire at any cost. As expected, the little child gets trapped in the middle of this chaos and all hell breaks loose.

Is it just me or you also are reminded of Leon The Professional (1994)? You’re still getting settled in your seat while watching lovey-dovey wife Rukshida (Shruti Haasan) pouting with Kabir in Seychelles, and it begins abruptly. The moment Kabir lands on a car’s bonnet like a true Batman fan, you know what you are up to.

Here’s a child who loves nail art, a club dancer mother and a man with no apparent history. Basically, a fast and furious guy has stood up to the dreaded traffickers for reasons extremely personal, but can a predictable, video game-inspired actioner hold your attention for 130-minutes? Looks like a daunting task after the first 30 minutes.

There are moments when you see director Kamat bringing out a different side of the gangsters. In one of the most captivating scenes of Rocky Handsome, we see local don Maanto sadistically slapping Kevin, and the latter not flinching a bit. He spits blood only after everybody leaves the scene and the ordeal is over. The bad guy’s grit is visible. But then, it all goes in vein when too much focus gets attached to choreographing a Kill Bil-style action sequence with one person against the whole army. And, you know how weird it looks when in the middle of a showdown everybody throws their weapon away and resorts to a fistfight. They don’t forget to tear apart their own shirts. In short, masala takes over the centre-stage.

Some slow motion long shots are worth watching, especially those taken in the rain. But how can these supplement for the lack of a coherent theme?

Abraham’s Kabir is a silent and strong guy who cannot paddle a rehashed film forward just on his own. Madras Café and Force gave him the chance to explore a similar territory but those roles were way more nuanced. Here, too many players make his stroll bumpy. Luke, Maantu and other over-the-top gangsters simply stop you from taking the proceedings seriously. Goa isn’t Mexico.

A great affection for drama and theatrics dilutes the most interesting parts of the film: The inside view of the drugs business in Goa. Just when you start noticing the detailed research, it again goes back to illogical bloodshed and miming, over hyped assassins.

Shanker Raman’s breathtaking cinematography or Sharad Kelkar’s supporting hands are not expected to rescue an average film. There is a limit to putting the guns and goons to task, no? And just how much of Abraham’s murderous rage can you tolerate? But who is to blame for the weak storyline? Abraham himself is the producer of the film.

Rocky Handsome may seem a jumbled up version of Abraham to some, and this is the third time he is playing Kabir. Too much of self-introspection and alter ego, eh?

Abraham … err … Rocky Handsome is a very average film with some finely executed action sequences on display. But, make no mistake: Don’t expect anything more from this film.

Auluck: Batman v Superman review

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Director: Zack Snyder

Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jesse Eisenberg, Amy Adams

Rating: 2/5

The most difficult thing about all this is accepting the hard fact that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice simply isn’t a good movie. But once that hurdle has been crossed, it’s as if the floodgates have opened. Suddenly, nothing is sacred. All your hopes and dreams were destroyed an hour ago in a giant CG fireball and it left you angrier than a recently orphaned Bruce Wayne.
Batman v Superman is not so much a superhero movie as it is a story about two mamma’s boys measuring the length of their capes, finding that they disagree, and proceeding to poke each other with threats of ‘you wanna go first?’ for a solid two-and-a-half hours.
Don’t get me wrong: The film has its moments, but there comes a point when you can’t justify it to yourself any longer. There is only so much grim brooding one movie can accommodate, and Ben Affleck uses that quota up in the very first scene, which, either on purpose or by complete fluke, foreshadows the self-contradictory nature of this movie.


 To go forward we must first revisit 2013, the year this movie’s predecessor Man of Steel came out. Its 45-minute action finale that destroyed half a city and left thousands dead was controversial. Perpetual Boy Scout Superman’s decision to make out with Lois Lane, literally against the backdrop of murder and chaos, was met with quite a few raised eyebrows. Director Zack Snyder promised to address that violence in this movie; a decision I’m convinced was an afterthought, one that struck him two seconds after the realisation that he had, indeed, gone overboard with the mayhem after all.
We open with Bruce Wayne hightailing it to a Metropolis that inconveniently finds itself in the middle of an alien duel. He has friends there, colleagues and businesses that are in direct line of fire. He is chased by loud explosions and an even louder Hans Zimmer ft. Junkie XL score as he rushes to their rescue.
Snyder’s way of directly addressing the criticisms of the previous movie is by stranding you in the middle of the exact same scene in this one. Only this time, we are looking at it from a completely different perspective. The scene is effectively convincing: Not for one second do you doubt Bruce Wayne’s hatred towards Superman, and what caused it. His actions have just killed countless men, women and children. Of course Bruce would consider him a threat.
Unfortunately, this is where the movie peaks. And a wise man once said: It’s never good when a movie peaks in its first scene.
We jump ahead 18 months. Things are getting back to normal. Superman is being tried in a senate hearing for his part in a recent African fiasco. Lois Lane is pretending to be a Vice correspondent, mouthing off to discount Boko Haram warlords. Perry White (Clark’s editor at the Daily Planet) has suddenly turned into J Jonah Jameson, visualising the next big headline on an imaginary page in front of his face. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne has taken it upon himself to investigate Superman, for the first time cinematically, living up to the tag of ‘greatest detective in the world.’ Across town in Metropolis, the psychopathic Lex Luthor is arranging to have a recently unearthed chunk of Kryptonite (the mineral from Superman’s home planet that messes up his powers and plays the MacGuffin in this movie) imported.
Already, there are too many moving parts in this picture. In an effort to give due screen time to these disparate storylines, Snyder and writers Chris Terrio and David S Goyer can never really take their time fleshing out their characters. A lot of their legwork has already been done by history. Both the Superman and Batman origin stories are as well known as the tale of our independence. But Snyder gives you one anyway, probably in an attempt to give a twist later in the movie’s emotional impact. It doesn’t. No matter how much of it he decides to shoot in his trademark slow motion, it can’t help but feel unnecessary.
In a way, the needless inclusion of this scene sums up the rest of the film. Too much time is spent on building up to the clash of the titans, only for the movie to pull a fast one on you when ‘fight night’ finally rolls around. I’m being very careful about spoilers here, but let me put it this way: They didn’t leave much out in the trailers.
Oddly, despite being largely messy and mostly incoherent, the film moves at a rather brisk pace. It’s never dull, just disappointing. It feels clumsily edited, with plots remaining half-explored and scenes ending either too soon or lasting too long.
As I watched, for more than an hour, neither Bruce nor Clark spend any significant time as Batman or Superman, and as I tried to make sense of a pedestrian chase sequence that had no business being anything less than spectacular, considering it counted the Batmobile as the vehicle doing the chasing, I wondered: “Perhaps my expectations were too high.”
Batman v Superman is Zack Snyder’s worst film. And this comes from someone who absolutely adores Sucker Punch and considers both 300 and Watchmen to be minor classics. He was always reverential about comics. He treated these crazy characters with the respect that they deserve. But this is a joyless film, much too serious for its own good. Ignoring what was wrong with Man of Steel altogether, Snyder once again defaults to loud, unending, curiously isolated CGI action. What’s confusing is that this isn’t even his default setting.
Ben Affleck’s one note performance doesn’t help. Especially since he spends most of the movie as Bruce and not Batman. Henry Cavill manages to make Kal-El edgier this time, but in doing so, loses the character’s inherent humanity. Clark is supposed to be optimistic, not forlorn. He finds beauty in darkest places. But here, he just seems to be fighting a losing scowling battle against Affleck. Christian Bale and Christopher Nolan need not worry.
And then there’s Jesse Eisenberg’s categorically outrageous performance as Lex Luthor. You thought Gene Hackman and Kevin Spacey were deranged? You ain’t seen nothing yet. Eisenberg plays Luthor like a psychotic version of his Mark Zuckerberg character from The Social Network and it sticks out like Spider-Man in the Justice League.
Here’s a film that’ll leave both fans and casual moviegoers unsatisfied. And since it isn’t breaking any new ground story-wise, this is quite unforgivable, considering especially the excellent work Marvel is doing. I still can’t figure out how a movie that liberally takes from both Superman (Death of Superman) and Batman’s (The Dark Knight Returns) most famous comics arcs can be so misguided. But there you go.
The one bright spark, however, is Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. She seems perfect for the role and her solo movie is now just as high on my radar as Suicide Squad. But for Justice League, I’m officially worried.
Acceptance is the first step they say. I’ve accepted that Batman v Superman is not a good film. There are 11 steps more to go until I can put this disappointment behind me.

auluck : Chocolate Gujiya

Auluck : Chocolate Gujiya 

Ingredients:
For outer covering,
Maida - 4 cups
Ghee - 8 Tbsp
Salt - 1 tsp
For filling,
Khoya - 500g
Desiccated coconut - 6 Tbsp
Cashewnuts chopped - 20
Almonds blanched and chopped - 20
Raisins - 40
Green cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Powdered sugar - 300g
Drinking Chocolate - 1 cup





Method:


1. For preparing the covering, sift refined flour and rub in the ghee and salt. Add cold water and knead into a stiff dough. Cover it with a damp cloth and set aside.


2. Roast the khoya slightly till it turns pink. Remove from heat and allow it to cool. Add desiccated coconut, cashewnuts, almonds, raisins, and green cardamom powder to khoya (reduced milk) and mix well. Add powdered sugar and grated chocolate and mix properly.

3. With oiled hands divide dough into small balls. Grease the gujiya mould. Roll out dough balls into small puris (flat roundels), put it on the mould and press lightly.

4. Place the stuffing in the hollow portion. Apply a little water on the edges, close mould and press firmly. Open mould and remove extra dough.

5. Keep gujiyas covered with a damp cloth. Similarly use up all the dough and stuffing. If you do not have a mould, gujiyas can still be prepared.

6. Roll out puris, cut with a bowl (metal bowl of four to five inches diameter) to get a proper round shape. Place stuffing on one half, lightly dampen edges and fold the other half over the stuffing and press edges firmly using a fork.

7. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai (wok) and deep-fry gujiyas on medium heat till golden brown. Drain and place on an absorbent paper. Let them cool slightly before serving, as the stuffing inside may be very hot.

Note: If you want to have healthy gujiyas, place the gujiyas on a greased baking tray. Brush them with a little ghee and bake at 180°C for 20 to 25 minutes instead of frying.

auluck: Mawa Gujiya

auluck: Mawa Gujiya

Ingredients

Khoya/mawa crumbled - 2/3 cup

Refined flour (maida) - 1 cup

Ghee - 3 teaspoons

Oil to deep fry

Dried figs chopped - 1/2 cup

Seedless dates chopped - 1/2 cup

Cashewnuts chopped - 10

Almonds chopped - 10

Walnuts chopped - 10

Method:

1. For the pastry, sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the ghee with your fingertips till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

2. Add one-fourth cup and one tablespoon of cold water and knead into a stiff dough. Cover with piece of damp muslin and set aside for fifteen minutes.

3. For the filling, heat a non-stick pan; add the khoya and sauté for three minutes or till the fat separates. Set aside to cool.

4. Add the figs, dates, cashew nuts, almonds and walnuts, and mix well. Divide into twelve equal portions. Roll out each ball into a puri.

5. Place one portion of the stuffing on one half of the puri, lightly moisten the edges, fold the other half over the stuffing and press the edges to seal. Pinch the edges to make a design.

6. Heat sufficient oil in a non-stick vessel, gently slide in a few gujiya at a time, and deep fry for five to six minutes or till golden brown.

7. Drain on absorbent paper and store in an airtight container when completely cold. 

Auluck : Papdi Chaat

Auluck : Papdi Chaat 

Ingredients:

For the papdi chaat,

Flat crisp papdis/puris/flour crispies - 24 nos

Cold smoothened curd/yogurt - 250 gms 

Large potato, boiled and chopped - 1 

Boiled chickpeas/kabuli chana/garbanzo beans - 2 cups  

Onion finely chopped (optional) - 1 

Tomato finely chopped (optional) - 1

Chopped coriander leaves - ½ cup 

Mint coriander chutney - 1 cup 

Tamarind dates chutney -  1  cup 

Red chili powder -  1-2 tsp 

Cumin powder -  1-2 tsp

Chaat masala -  1-2 tsp 

Black salt/rock salt or common salt -  1-2 tsp 

Lime juice (optional) -  1 tbsp 

Sev (optional) -  1 cup       

Method:

1. Cooking the chickpeas:

If you want to add chickpeas to the papdi chaat, then some effort is needed. This is if you don't want to use canned chickpeas. You need to soak the chickpeas in enough water overnight or for a good 6-7 hours and then cook or pressure cook the chickpeas with water and salt/black salt till it is completely cooked.

2. For assembling the papdi chaat:

Arrange the papdis in a shallow bowl or plate. Top it up with chopped boiled potatoes and cooked chickpeas. You can add chopped onions and tomatoes to it, but it’s optional.

3. Sprinkle some chaat masala and red chili powder on it, if you want at this stage. Top these with cold yogurt/curd as much as you want. Top it up with the green chutney as much as you want and then with the sweet chutney as much as you want. Sprinkle some chaat masala, red chili powder, cumin powder and black salt. Garnish with coriander leaves.

4. Sprinkle sev on top and this step is also optional. Add a dash of lemon juice to the papdi chaat if you want. Serve papdi chaat immediately.       

Auluck : Chaats Dahi Bhalla

Auluck : Chaats- Dahi Bhalla

Ingredients:

For preparing Vadas,

Black gram lentil - 1 cup, urad dal without skin, washed, soaked for 3 hours

Yellow moong dal - 2 tbsps, soak for 2 hours (optional)

Ginger - 2 inch piece

Green chilies - 2 to 3

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

To prepare dahi bhalla chaat,

Fresh curd - 2 cups, thick yogurt (it should not be sour)

Water - 1 1/2 to 2 cups

Powdered sugar - 1 1/2 heaped tbsps

Red chilli powder - 1 heaped tbsp, approx

Roasted cumin powder - 1 heaped tbsp, approx

C h aat masala powder - 1 heaped tbsp, approx

Pomegranate seeds - 1/2 cup

Green chutney - 3/4 cup, approx

Sweet tamarind chutney - 3/4 cup, approx

Sev for garnish

Fresh coriander leaves for garnish     

Method:

1. Grind the urad dal, moong dal, green chilies, ginger and salt together to a fine pase. Add very little cold water while grinding (approx 2-3 tbsps). Remove to a wide bowl.

2. Using your hand or hand beater, beat the batter for a good 5 mins till it is airy and light.

3. Pre-heat oil in a deep frying vessel, slowly drop large lemon sized quantity of batter into the hot oil. Deep fry on medium heat for sometime and then fry on high heat till golden brown.

4. Remove these deep fried vadas into a bowl of luke warm water and place them in it for a minute. Remove and gently press between your palms so that excess water oozes out. Keep them aside.

5. Finish making vadas with the rest of the remaining batter and put them in water like you did for the earlier batch, remove excess water and keep aside.

6. Beat curd well till smooth and add the water as required, 1/4 tsp red chilli pwd and 1/4 tsp cumin pwd and salt to taste. Place the vadas in a serving bowl and pour the chilled curd mixture evenly all over the vadas, covering them completely.

7. Chill the vadas for sometime before serving. At the time of serving, take 2-3 vadas and place them in a serving plate, pour 2 tbsps of green chutney followed by 2 tbsps of sweet imli chutney, sprinkle some chaat powder, roasted cumin powder and garnish with sev, fresh coriander leaves and pomegranate seeds.  

Auluck: Bhaang Ki Pakori

Auluck: Bhaang Ki Pakori 

Pakoras is again a must have during Holi and there can’t be a better version of pakoras other than a bhaang.

Ingredients:

Bhang Leaves - handful, tender (or use 1 tsp Bhang Seed Powder)

Potato - 1, chopped

Onion - 1, chopped

Brinjal - 1, chopped

Cauliflower - 1 cup, chopped

Gram Flour - 1 cup

Red Chilli Powder - 1 to 2 tsp

Oil as required

Salt as per taste

Dry Mango Powder - 1/4 to 1/2 tsp

Pomegranate Seeds - 1/4 tsp

Coriander Leaves - small handful, finely chopped

Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp (optional)

                                                           Water as required

Method:

1. Finely chop the bhang leaves and crush them well. Add all the ingredients except oil into a large bowl. Add the bhang leaves and mix well, adding enough water, to form a thick batter.

2. Heat oil in a deep frying pan over medium flame. Drop small portions of the batter and deep fry until golden brown. Remove and drain excess oil.

3. Serve hot with chutney of choice.

Auluck : Bhaang

 Bhaang

Ingredients:

Cannabis - 1/2 ounce  

Warm whole milk -  2 cups 

Sugar - 1/2 cup 

Coconut milk - 1 tbsp 

Almonds, chopped - 1 tbsp 

Ginger, powdered - 1/8 tsp 

Garam masala - 1 pinch 

Grenadine - 1/2 tsp 

Water - 1 cup 

Method:

1. Bring water to a boil in a teapot and add cannabis to it. Brew for about 7 to 10 minutes, then strain. Gradually grind the strained cannabis along with 2 tbsp of milk, repeat this process several times. Strain the milk into another bowl and keep aside.

2. Add a little more milk to the cannabis and grind it along with the almonds, repeat this several times.

3.Remove the cannabis and pour the milk, coconut milk, grenadine and boiled water into a container. Combine ginger, sugar, and garam masala with it, keep stirring. Bhang Lassi is ready to serve.

Auluck: Thandai Mousse

Thandai Mousse

Ingredients:

Thandai syrup - 2 tbsp 

Agar-agar (china grass) - 10 gms 

Whole milk - 1 cup 

Sugar - 2 tbsp 

Whipped cream - 1 cup 

Lemon juice - ½ tsp 

A few pistachios for garnish 

Method:

1. Combine the agar-agar, 1/2 cup of water and milk in a deep pan and bring to boil, while stirring continuously. Add the sugar and thandai syrup, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 1 to 2 minutes, while stirring continuously.

2. Remove from the flame and strain the mixture using a sieve. Transfer the mixture into a steel bowl and place the bowl in a deep vessel filled with ice-cubes for 8 to 10 minutes or until the mixture cools and thickens.

3. Whisk the mixture vigorously and continuously till it is in ice cube vessel to avoid any lump formation.

4. Add the beaten whipped cream and fold gently. Add the lemon juice and fold gently. Pour equal quantities of the mixture into 2 individual bowls/glasses and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours or till the mousse sets. Garnish with pistachios and saffron and serve chilled.      

Auluck : Imli Panna

Imli Panna

Ingredients:

Tamarind - 100 grams
Sugar - 300 grams
Salt - 1 tsp
Black salt - 1 tsp
Roasted and ground cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
A few mint leaves

Method:

1. Wash and soak the tamarind in warm water for 30 minutes. Mash and strain the tamarind pulp.

2. Add about 4 cups of water to the sugar and bring it to boil to make a syrup. Mix the tamarind pulp and the sugar syrup together.

3. Add salt, black salt, cumin powder and mint leaves. Chill and serve with ice cubes.

Auluck: Masala Thandai

Masala Thandai

The most traditional cooler served during Holi.
Ingredients:Milk - 1/2 litre
Sugar - 3 tbsps
Pistachios - few tsp, chopped finely for garnishing
Saffron - a pinch for garnishing
Water - 1/2 cup
Rose Essence - few drops
For Masala:
Badam/Almonds - 20
Cashewnuts - 15
P oppy Seeds/Khus Khus/ Kasa Kasa - 1 tsp
Fennel Seeds/Sombu/Saunf - 1 tsp
Whole Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Cardamom Pods - 5
Saffron - a pinch
Milk - 2 tbsp, for soaking saffron





Method:

1. Bring milk to a boil, add in sugar and mix well. Chill this till cold.

2. Soak saffron in 2 tbsp of milk and set aside.

3. Take badam, cashews, poppy seeds, fennel seeds, pepper, cardamom in a bowl and pour in 1/2 cup of hot water over it and soak it for 15 mins. Now take this in a blender and puree smoothly. Pour this mix into the milk and add a tbsp of saffron milk and mix well. Leave this to sit for 15 mins.

4. Now strain this and add in remaining saffron milk and rose essence. Chill this for an hour. Serve with some pista and saffron toppings.        

Auluck: Indian Wells CEO Raymond Moore quits

Indian Wells CEO Raymond Moore quits after controversial comments

Raymond Moore has stepped down as CEO and tournament director of the BNP Paribas Open following controversial comments he made about women`s tennis, the tournament announced on Monday.

Moore provoked outrage a day earlier when he said top-level women`s players rode "on the coattails of the men" and were "very, very lucky" to have equal prize money.

The tennis world reacted strongly as world number one Serena Williams and all-time great Martina Navratilova rebuffed the statements and the ATP men`s tour formally denounced them.

Tournament owner Larry Ellison revealed the departure with a statement that both announced Moore`s resignation and championed the sport`s efforts toward equality.

"Nearly half a century ago, Billie Jean King began her historic campaign for the equal treatment of women in tennis," Ellison said. "What followed is an ongoing, multi-generational, progressive movement to treat women and men in sports equally.

"I`m proud to say that it is now a decade long tradition at our tournament at Indian Wells, and all the major tennis tournaments, to pay equal prize money to both the women and the men."

Among his comments, the 69-year-old South African also highlighted Canada`s Eugenie Bouchard and Spaniard Garbine Muguruza as being among the "very attractive prospects" on the WTA circuit, before explaining that they were "physically attractive and competitively attractive".

"If I was a lady player, I`d go down every night on my knees and thank God that Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal were born, because they have carried this sport," he said.

When reaction to his remarks flooded in, the former ATP Tour player quickly offered an apology but the damage had already been done.

Moore had only taken over as tournament director late last year when Steve Simon resigned to become chief executive of the WTA Tour.

"I would like to personally thank all the great women athletes who fought so hard for so many years in the pursuit of equal prize money in professional tennis," Ellison added.

"All of us here at the BNP Paribas Open promise to continue working with everyone to make tennis a better sport for everybody."

Auluck :: Apple iPhone SE Price in India and Launch Date Revealed

At its 'Let Us Loop You In' conference on Tuesday in Cupertino, California, Apple unveiled the iPhone SE. The company is calling the new offering its cheapest iPhone model to date, with s price starting at $399 (roughly Rs. 26,600) in the US. In India however, the starting price for the iPhone SE is Rs. 39,000, the company confirmed. As for availability, Apple said the iPhone SE will be available for purchase in India starting early April.

Editor's Note: An earlier version of the article mentioned the India price of the iPhone SE as Rs. 30,000. This was a price communicated in an official Apple release, but the company later issued an updated release with the Rs. 39,000 price tag.

The iPhone SE sports a 4-inch display and comes in two storage variants: 16GB and 64GB. It has much the same innards as the iPhone 6s, which Apple launched last year. Apple also unveiled new accessories such as leather cases in Black and Midnight Blue, which will be available at Rs. 2,900. The Lightning Docks will be available at Rs. 3,700.

The new Apple smartphone is meant to address both the demand for a smaller screen iPhone, as well as the demand for a cheap iPhone. As we mentioned earlier, the Apple iPhone SE features innards similar to the iPhone 6s, but comes with a design and form factor that's reminiscent of the iPhone 5s - the company's last 4-inch iPhone.

Looking nearly identical to the iPhone 5s, the iPhone SE comes with the colour variants introduced with the iPhone 6s - including Rose Gold. It also features more rounded edges on the top and bottom panels, more like the iPhone 6 than the iPhone 5s.

For specifications, the iPhone SE features the iPhone 6s' Apple A9 SoC and M9 motion coprocessor, 12-megapixel iSight (rear) camera with 4K video support, Bluetooth 4.2, improved Wi-Fi and LTE, new microphones, and Apple Pay support with a Touch ID fingerprint sensor.

John Abraham's Rocky Handsome movie poster

Actor John Abraham, who will next be seen in the Nishikant Kamat's upcoming film "Rocky Handsome", has unveiled his "first look" from the movie, where he can be seen toting a gun. John took to Twitter on Friday where he unveiled his first look and captioned the image: "Adrenaline redefined. Bringing you the First Look. Coming Soon. #RockyHandsome (sic)". "Rocky Handsome", which reunites John and Kamat after the 2011 film "Force", also stars Shruti Haasan and Nathalia Kaur. It will release on 25 March 2016.

The film's story revolves around a man who sets out to take vengeance against drug mafia after they take away an eight-year-old girl, with whom he shares a special bond

.