Singapore - as I saw and a Recipe - Peanut Chutney

We recently returned from our vacation to India. On the way back, we stopped over at Singapore for 4 days.

The trip was hectic, nevertheless amusing. 

Merlion @Sentosa

It’s amazing how in Singapore, they’ve maintained cleanliness and order with so many people in such a small place. The public transportation is state of the art. Whoever has planned it has thought it out from all angles. Buses, trains, taxis all very well connected and so user friendly! 

Perfection Indeed! 

No doubt this place is catered to tourists. But then again, as an outsider one can appreciate the way city’s growth is kept under control with highly priced real estate, high tariff for car owners, and so many dos and don'ts - which clearly are giving results, but I doubt if one would really appreciate it the same way living inside the country. When we spoke to couple of localites, they didn’t seem as happy and content we thought they would be. I wonder if I’d ever complain if I had to live here!

Marina Bay

Marina Bay

The highlight of our trip, I must say, was the fresh fruit juice we were drinking everywhere. Oh the sweetness, my goodness! with no added sugar! We literally survived on them during the day, only to keep our stomach empty to gobble up the oh-so-delicious South Indian thali at an Indian restaurant(Ananda Bhavan) in Little India area. 

South Indian thali @Ananda Bhavan

The attractions were all so very people friendly. Like, we went to a River Safari  which had covered walkway throughout the zoo!! I mean, it would have been such a tiring walk in the hot sun otherwise.. but to have a covered walkway, with fans, with aptly placed restaurants which served fresh fruits and juices.. they really have gone out of their way to make people feel comfortable. Truly admirable!
*standing ovation*

Walkway @River Safari

Check out these gigantic fans at the train stations. 

@ a train station

To summarize, Singapore is a good place with good food and more importantly a means to a good appetite - with all the walking around one needs to do. 

All in all, a good trip! 

Coming to the recipe - 

Peanut Chutney is a delicious accompaniment for dosa/idli. I ate it at my  friend Roopa’s place and instantly fell in love with it. My other friend Lalitha, who also has a wonderful food blog, has a slightly different version of this chutney. 

Ingredients

Peanut with skin - 2 handful

Garlic pod - 1

Green chillies - 2 (mild)

Tamarind paste- 1/2 tsp

Jaggery - a very tiny piece

Cilantro

Hing

Salt

Method

Dry roast peanuts in low flame. Allow it to cool. Grind this with the rest of the ingredients to chutney consistency. 

Check here for Lalitha’s recipe. 

Recipe Source - Roopa Sudheer, Lalitha(http://nammamaneruchi.blogspot.com/)