India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (87 page)

Malaka Spice
PAN-ASIAN The look is minimalist, spiced up with good-looking art on the walls that double as a gallery for contemporary Pune artists. Adding a different kind of spice is an on-site caricaturist who hops from table to table producing quirky keepsakes by which to remember your evening here. The food, too, is quite memorable, and owners Praful and Cheeru pride themselves on using ingredients that are grown on farms around Pune especially for them; all their herbs are organic, and what isn’t available locally is specially imported—no tins, canned or powdered, or preserved ingredients, either, apparently. Start with the duck
momos
(Tibetan dumplings), and then follow up with one of their famous curries: Vietnamese Topaz curry, or flavorsome Penang curry with cinnamon, cloves, coconut milk, galangal, onion, and lemon. They do wonderful things with prawns (try the lemony steamed tigers); and the wild ginger mutton is divine. Proceed with caution if you’re not a spice person—the food has gotten at least one report involving an upset tummy. Finish with mango or watermelon sorbet.

Lane 5, across from Oxford Properties, Koregaon Park.
020/2615-6293,
-2008, or 98-2306-4050.
www.malakaspice.com
. Main courses Rs 165–Rs 250. MC, V. Daily 10am–11pm.

Mystic Masala
The devoted chef has put great effort into researching village recipes and come up with versions of traditional dishes that work well for an international palate. A few unique dishes worth trying include
aloo chi wadi
(potato leaf stuffed with gram flour, then steamed and fried),
bharleli vangi
(brinjal stuffed with masala and peanut paste, and then cooked), and the utterly delicious and simple
pitla
(seasoned gram flour that arrives looking like yellowish mashed potato). The traditional country chicken
(kombdi kolhapuri)
is highly recommended, as is the slightly dry, unspiced lamb dish,
sukka muttana
. Order
jawaraachi bhakri
(whole millet bread) as an accompaniment and to mop up any sauces, and finish off with a bowl of the delicious
paan
ice cream. At lunchtime, you can order a Maharashtrian
thali,
but you’ll miss out on the elegant Indian classical music that’s performed here live every night.

Taj Blue Diamond, 11 Koregaon Rd.
022/6602-5555.
Main courses Rs 255–Rs 705, leg of lamb Rs 1,255. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily
11:30am–3pm and 7–11:30pm

9 Aurangabad & the Ellora & Ajanta Caves

Aurangabad is 388km (240 miles) NE of Mumbai

The ancient cave temples at Ellora and Ajanta are among the finest historical sites India has to offer, and a detour to this far-flung region of Maharashtra to view these World Heritage Sites is well worth the effort. You can cover both Ellora and Ajanta comfortably in 2 days, but for those who are truly pressed for time, it is possible to see both sets of caves in a single (long, tiring) day. To do this, you’ll need a packed lunch from your hotel, and plenty of bottled water. Set out for Ajanta at about 7am, reaching the ticket office as it opens (recommended for the tranquillity of the experience, even if you’re not trying to cover both in a day). Spend no more than 3 hours exploring Ajanta, before heading for Ellora; your driver should be aware of the detour along the Ajanta-Aurangabad road that will get you there much faster. The caves at Ellora are spread out, so don’t drag your heels, and be sure not to miss the ultimate jaw-dropper, known as “Cave 16”: the Kailashnath
temple
complex is more carved mountain than cave. The world’s largest monolithic structure, it is twice the size of the Parthenon. Note that Ajanta is closed on Monday and Ellora on Tuesday.

ESSENTIALS

GETTING THERE
The quickest way to get here is to fly; Aurangabad’s airport is just 10km (6 1⁄4 miles) from the city center;
Kingfisher
(
022/6649-9393
in Mumbai, or 1-800/233-3131 anywhere in the country;
www.flykingfisher.com
) flies from Mumbai each night at 8:30pm (landing an hour later), and there’s a 2-hour flight from Udaipur at 11:15am.
Jet Airways
(
022/3989-3333
or 1-800/225-522
in Mumbai, 0240/244-1392
in Aurangabad) and
Air
India
(
022/2202-3031
or 1-800/180-1407) also flies here. For a cheaper, fairly comfortable, but much longer journey, book an air-conditioned chair car seat on the
Tapovan Express
for an early morning departure from Mumbai, arriving in Aurangabad nearly 71⁄2 hours later. If you’d rather not waste half a day traveling, an alternative is the overnight
Deogiri Express,
although you’ll be pulling in at an inconvenient time very early in the morning.

VISITOR INFORMATION
You’ll find a tourist information booth at the airport arrivals hall, where you can pick up brochures on Aurangabad, Ajanta, and Ellora. The
India Tourism Development Corporation
(ITDC) office
at Krishna Villa, on Station Road (
0240/233-1217
or 0240/236-4999; Mon–Fri 8:30am–6pm, Sat 8:30am–2pm), is where you can get tourism-related information and book a
private guide
for the caves, although it’s cheaper to pick one up at the caves themselves. The state tourist office
at the
MTDC Holiday Resort
(Station Rd., Aurangabad;
0240/233-4259;
www.maharashtratourism.gov.in
; daily 7am–1pm and 3–8pm) operates tourist buses to Ajanta (Rs 300) and Ellora (Rs 200).