This weekend was special as I suddenly got this leadership workshop facilitation program Jim Corbett. I knew that this gigantic swampy land of Corbett which is famous for Tiger sighting experience, will give me a dose of tranquility and harmony. So my answer was a quick BIG YES so that I could run away from the busy urban life.
After enjoying a yummy breakfast from my training venue, I started my journey towards The Alaya Resort. My excitement was certainly growing high as I was told that the property is inside the jungle.
As our SUV was flying high through the khaki woodland, suddenly I could hear a sloshing sound of stream. Before I could realize we were crossing this gentle stream which is a dash of adventure for all the urban drivers, who are used to driving in well designed city roads. Our driver sir also shared that this gentle stream named Khichri, looks rapid in monsoon but to my surprise we crossed the stream quickly with his driving excellence.
We could see the board of Alaya Resort at a distance and as the car was entering the resort, the mud hut with thatched roof had caught my attention. There was wide courtyard in front of the hut with 2 lazy arm chair placed with a cute center table. Seeing all this I had already made up my mind to have the evening tea there but soon after we got down from the car I realized that it was the beautiful reception of the resort.
At a first glance the Alaya Resort seemed to be a small town in the forest, with a fern plant carpet on the floor. lt has bungalows with a small pathway and surrounded by various trees like haldu, peepal, rohini, dalchini, mangoes and many more. Soon we checked in to one of the bungalow, where we were welcomed by the black faced Langoor on the tree opposite to our balcony. So how do you think we could have missed out the opportunity of capturing the mischievous activities of the Langoor in our video?
By now we realized that the stay here is going to be without gadgets and we will enjoy the kiss of falling leaves, branches slapping and birds chirping all round. If that’s not enough the property has a beautiful swimming pool, a fashionable cafe which is perfect for the unwinding coffee time in the evening, a small neatly maintained mandir and an elaborate restaurant with well laid menu of Indian, Chinese and continental.
But what we enjoyed the most in the restaurant was the ‘Bhaat ki Daal’ prepared in the most authentic Kumauni style. Bhatt ki dal is the local cultivation in the high rises of Uttarakhand which is nothing but organic black soybeans. The recipe of this dal is as simple and humble like the people of Dev Bhoomi. The Dal is soaked overnight and usually cooked in iron pans. Grind to a paste with nearly no or little water. In a pan, add ghee, asafetida (hing) and splutter cumin seeds (jeera). Saute chopped ginger, garlic and green chilies. Add onion and its time for masalas. Add chili powder, coriander powder, and saute for a few minutes. Stir in few tablespoons of wheat flour and cook till it turns light brown. Add the ground dal and mix well. Pour about three cups of water, mix and simmer until the curry thickens.
Dal is thick in texture and often ghee is used for tempering which helps in digestion of this fibrous grains. This is one the most iconic dishes from Kumauni region. The dal has far reaching health benefits from managing diabetes, to strengthening bones, lowering blood pressure, healthy digestion and most importantly weight loss. It is also a great source of Vitamin E, amino acids for healthy and youthful skin, builds muscle and not to forget maintain the health of your hair.
My blog will be incomplete without the mention of the warm resort staff at the restaurant, who was swift enough to serve us the tempting bakery items which we decided to enjoy instead of controlling our temptation.
While we went to take a nap in the afternoon, we were absolutely unaware that this was the beginning of our trip. We were about to go for the enthralling Village walk in the evening to explore the Kyari village which was going to be a lifetime experience.
Thanks for sharing your experience Ms. Devjani Dutta Gupta.