For Tea and Coffee Lovers ~ KT and Rimjhim Coffee at Lakshmi Nivas, Kalladka | Photo Essay

Rimjhim Coffee at Lakshmi Nivas Hotel, Kalladka

On National Highway 75 which connects Bangalore and Mangalore, probably the road I have travelled most in my lifetime, there is a small town called Kalladka. It is like any small towns with little shops lined on both sides of the road, some almost decrepit and few oozing old world charm! For many travellers passing through this NH 75, there is a tiny little hotel called Lakshmi Nivas that has become a holy grail for all coffee and tea lovers.

Lakshmi Nivas is a small hotel, with its wooden bench and tables, which one can easily miss visiting if not for their speciality: KT (Kalladka Tea) and Rimjhim Coffee which is not available even in star restaurants or posh cafes! Both KT and Rimjhim coffee is served in a small transparent glass are a treat to eyes, nose and taste buds! Like any other teashops or roadside coffee shops one comes across during road trips in India, Lakshmi Nivas too serve their coffee and tea in a small glass cup that sits in a small stainless steel bowl with a spoon to stir the hot beverage.

Nimbu Ka Achaar | Simple Spicy Indian Lemon Pickle Recipe

Learn how to make Nimbu Ka Achaar or Spicy Indian Lemon Pickle ~ Spicy lemon pickle with garlic and aromatic pickling spices

To Indians ‘Pickle’ is not just a word, it is a sacred word that injects the feeling of happiness and joy! Imagine yourself wrapped in a warm blanket on a cold night, your feet tucked under the blanket while you sip a cup of hot chocolate made by someone you love. You feel warm, relaxed, happy and content… To me when a jar of homemade pickle gifted by my loved ones invokes the same feeling!

Herbs and spices used in Nimbu Ka Achaar/Spicy Indian Lemon Pickle

My country India is diverse country and that diversity doesn’t confine to regions, languages and people. Indian cuisine is as diverse and colourful as the country and the people living there and the varieties of pickle that we make and consume will blow your mind if you are just used the idea of few vegetables immersed in a jar or vinegar! Hundreds of these extraordinary varieties of pickles are the pride of our country and we can’t imagine ending our meals without a smidgen of tongue tickling pickles adorning our plates. Whichever part of the India we might come from, pickle is mostly likely to be part of our earliest food memories that has ingrained into our culture, life and memories. Pickling techniques and the finished products vary from one region to another and even differ from one house to another, but the joy it brings and the bond it creates is same all around the country!