SET THE BUDGET : Before you start spending, on gifts, cakes, sweets, decorations, travel plans etc. it would be a good idea to set a budget for it – this way you will know exactly how much you can spend and can cut down on unnecessary expenditure. So set a budget for the decor, activities, gifts for  friends and family, cards, wrapping paper, ribbons and anything else that needs your decisions.

CHOOSE A THEME: Everything that you do during the festival – be it gift wrapping, decorating the house or cards can have a common, underlying theme. So you can choose an appropriate theme, your gifts and decorations will stand out!

ORDER CHRISTMAS CARDS EARLIER: If you plan to send out cards to all your friends, co-workers and family it will not help if you keep that task pending, right up till the time of Christmas. Instead plan ahead, get the cards sometime in the month of November itself; this way, you will have time to add your special touch to each card and have them delivered at just the right time!

There is a whole lot of merry-making during the festival, lamps are lit, diyas as they are called; friends and families get together in an atmosphere of camaraderie and bonhomie. As it is a new year for many communities, old books are closed and new accounts are opened – Goddess Lakshmi too is propitiated, in order to receive her blessings!

In the north the festival is celebrated as Lord Rama’s return to his kingdom after the defeat of Ravana. In the western parts, like Maharashtra and Gujarat, the Goddess of Wealth is honoured and prayed to. In the south, the festival is celebrated for 3 days with an exuberance that is hard to equal, and in the east the festival is mostly associated with Goddess Kali and for remembering departed souls.

Even abroad, the festival is being celebrated every year – many Indians have settled all over the world and so the tradition is being carried on…. in the White House in America for instance, Diwali is given due importance and is celebrated as their “Indian Christmas!”

Diwali is not just about fireworks and lighting diyas or eating sweets. It is also about lighting up our souls from within and rediscovering our connection with all that is divine. A Happy Diwali to all of you!

Here are some pointers:

WELCOME

• Do not interrupt your guests, ever.
• Listen. Listen. And listen. Pay attention to your guest.
• When they walk into the door guests should be greeted and made to feel welcome.
• They should be addressed with the proper titles – “Mr.”, “Ms” or “Ma’am” works well.
• Learn up your menu. Digest it. Ingest it. This way you will be able to answer every question that is thrown at you.

AT THE DINING TABLE:

• You should serve any guest of honour, then women, men and then children.
• Serve drinks or beverages from the right.
• Serve food from the right and clear food from the left.
• Do not make your guests ask for the bill. Clear the plates, bring in the bill and then get it processed fast.

The standards of service have to be maintained, day in and day out. That’s what makes an excellent hotel or restaurant stand out from the crowd.

 Don’t you agree?

If you hate the thought of sweating it out in the kitchen to make food or getting out into the slushy weather here are some reasons to back your feeling up!

CLOTHES CAN GET RUINED: If you are forced to go out during the rain your brand new shirt or that favourite pant could get ruined in the water! So a good reason to avoid going out and simply ordering your food when you get hungry!

ACCIDENTS CAN OCCUR: Traffic accidents can take place during the rainy season – so why not just sit at home and order your lunch or dinner online?

SICKNESS: Spending too much time in the rainy weather could make you fall sick! So do not take that chance!

Our restaurants at the Hotel Westend in Ahmedabad offer special delights for food connoisseurs for every season. So why don’t you simply order those ravishing hot chilli pakoras or Cheese Chilli Toast! Simply get them home delivered to you – you will hardly have to wait – we deliver real fast!

Call us on 999 888 66 55 to order!

Crisp air, the smell of grass, lush green landscapes, and of course, piping hot bhajias or pakoras! That’s what rain means to all of us, doesn’t it?

Rains in Ahmedabad are on their way, a bit late in the day, but it will surely rain soon. And within days of the first few showers, the entire city comes alive with a new energy – as roadside vendors and hoteliers dig in their heels to offer an array of rainy season delights to the customers!

As for the Ahmedabad is they take off on their bikes or four-wheelers for a spin in the city. There is the riverfront to go to, or the Kankaria Lake in Maninagar. Stalls and food booths come alive in the evenings as people come out in large numbers to enjoy the season of frolic, after the long, hot season is gone.

Our restaurants at the Hotel Westend in Ahmedabad offer special delights for food connoisseurs for every season. So why don’t you drop in to enjoy some piping hot chilli pakoras or Cheese Chilli Toast, on a rainy day, after the earth has just been washed clean with some sparkling rain?

Or get them home delivered to you – you will hardly have to wait – we deliver real fast! Call us on 999 888 66 55!

In the hotel industry the word ‘small’ holds a lot of meaning. Though large hotel chains enjoy higher volumes and economies of scale small hotels and even budget hotels can go that extra mile by simply doing small things, in a ‘big’ way for the customer!

Here,

A GUEST IS NOT A NUMBER! What exactly is personal service? When you are treated as an individual in your own right and when just a single visit to a hotel makes you want to return to it again and again! A guest should never be just a person attached to a room number but should be treated like a king!

THE STAFF REMEMBERS THE IMPORTANT DETAILS! A couple who had travelled from a far away country returned to the same hotel five years later, only to find that the staff remembered that they were vegetarian. This made them so happy that they extended their stay in the hotel!

A PERSONAL TOUCH ALWAYS MATTERS! When a person arrives in his room, tired maybe, after a long journey, it will refresh him to see some fresh flowers kept in his room, and a hand-written card saying how special he is as a guest.

Little things like these make a big difference in the hotel industry! The Westend pays a lot of attention to minute details like these and tries to make every room stay a distinctly enjoyable experience for the visitor!

If one visits Punjab or Delhi, and does not partake of this phenomenal dish then it is equal to visiting Italy and not eating pizza! Chhole Bhature (bhatura is the large-sized puri that is served with chhole) is a favourite street food in the north – every street can be seen serving up this piping hot dish to people!

There are two ways of making chhole – the regular one using onion, tomato and Indian spices in the gravy and the other one, which is called the Pindi style – it is drier and uses no onions or tomatoes.

So are you craving for some scrumptiously divine Chhole?

Crave no more – you can now experience the best of some all-time favourites like Chhole Bhature from Hotel The Westend, right in the comfort of your home or office. We now deliver our all-time favourites right to your doorstep, you can order for home delivery any time between 11 am and 10.30 pm – the minimum order is for Rs 500 and we deliver in a 3.5 kilometer radius.

This weekend, look forward to calling us to have your snacks and dishes home delivered on 999 888 66 55, and say goodbye to cooking – at least during the weekend!

And when you reach the weekend, all that you are left with is a deep craving for your favourite munch-time snack or a mouth-watering dish that reminds you of your childhood! Crave no more – you can now experience the best of some all-time favourites like Cheese-Chilly Toast from Hotel The Westend, right in the comfort of your home or office. We now deliver our all-time favourites right to your doorstep, you can order for home delivery any time between 11 am and 10.30 pm – the minimum order is for Rs 500 and we deliver in a 3.5 kilometer radius.

This weekend, look forward to calling us to have your snacks and dishes home delivered on 999 888 66 55, and say goodbye to cooking – at least during the weekend!

Make it, sit back, relax and enjoy!

PINEAPPLE  RASAM:

COOK DAL:

• ¼ cup tuvar dal
• ¾ to 1 cup water
• ⅛ tsp turmeric powder

OTHER INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup chopped pineapple,
• 1 medium tomato
• 1.5 cups water
• salt as required

CRUSH COARSELY:

• 2 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 5 to 6 medium sized garlic cloves

FOR TADKA

• 1.5 tbsp oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 2 to 3 dry red chillies
• 6 to 7 curry leaves/kadi patta
• a pinch of asafoetida/hing

INSTRUCTIONS

cooking dal:

1. Cook dal in a pressure cooker with water and turmeric powder, for 5 to 6 whistles or till the lentils have completely softened.
2.  Mash the dal very well with a spoon and keep aside.

 PREPPING:

1. Crush cumin seeds, black pepper and garlic cloves coarsely.
2. Add half of the chopped pineapple cubes in a grinder jar or small blender and blend to a smooth puree.
3. Add quartered tomato and blend.

 Preparing  rasam:

1. Heat 1.5 tbsp oil in a pot or pan. Add ½ tsp mustard seeds and crackle them.
2. Now add the coarse paste of garlic+pepper+cumin and 2 to 3 dry red chilies. stir.
3. Add 6 to 7 curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida.
4. Stir and then add crushed tomatoes.
5. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes on a low to medium flame till the raw aroma of tomatoes goes away.
6. Add the pineapple puree. Stir and saute for a minute.
7. Add the cooked dal.
8. Now add the remaining half of the chopped pineapple cubes. Stir. Add 1.5 cups water.
9. Season with salt as per taste.
10. Stir very well and bring the rasam to a simmer on low to medium flame, without the lid for 8 to 9 minutes.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve pineapple rasam hot with steamed rice or as an appetizer soup.