HELLO

 We see homes as spaces of comfort, calm and nourishment. Little did we know that the day would come
when we would all be conned to the home, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic that’s sweeping the world.
As we do our work from the comfort of our homes our heart goes out to people who don’t have homes,
and to every person out there who cannot stay home, and who needs to be out there to provide essential
services and healthcare. We are infinitely thankful to anyone who needs to step out to work, because your
job qualifies as essential. Stay safe

And for those others able to work from home – stay home and stay safe, you too. This issue of Shared Space
offers ways in which you can make your time at home restful, stress-free and productive. And while you’re
at home, summon up your inner chef and whip up not just one, but two recipes that we have for you.
We hope that we all will soon tide over this too, and while we return to the business of our usual lives, let’s
remember to take a moment’s pause and reflect on what’s essential, and what we can do without.

Stay home. Stay safe. And we’ll see you on the other side of this.

Team Vaswani.

 

FEATURE

HOMEBOUND, YET FREE

Home is the comfiest place to be: Winnie the Pooh
And now that we all are home, working from home, video-chatting with our loved ones that live far away,
ordering groceries online, let’s make sure our home is indeed the comfiest it can get to take us through these
dicult months. These tips will go a long way in making sure that your home is an oasis of calm, where the
mind is refreshed, and spirits are high.

FIRST, WORK

Carve out a workspace: If you haven’t already, carve out a dedicated workspace in a spare bedroom and set it up with a table, a comfortable chair and all your work equipment. Much, much, better than risking juice and ketchup on your company laptop. If you have kids, this is non-negotiable – it’s the only way you’ll get even a few focused hours of work in. Adhere to a schedule, while keeping it flexible. Start the day at a specific time, and be dressed for work (in what one might call “outside” clothes – no yoga pants please!) This will put you in the frame of
mind to work, and you don’t have to scramble to change if your boss wants a sudden video-conference

GO MICRO-MODULAR

You’ve set up your dream kitchen, with every appliance, some of which you use every day, and others that get a
dusting once in a few months. Put away these appliances that are not frequently used – well out of reach. Create
a micro-modular set of the basic cookware and kitchen appliances that you will regularly use, and promise yourself
that you will not touch the other stuff. The key to making this trick work is to do the dishes as you go, so that
there’s no chance of all the cookware and cutlery and pots and pans crowding up your sink.

 

CREATE A CAPSULE WARDROBE

Just like with the dishes, create a capsule wardrobe of five or six outfits that you will stick to. Saves you loads
of time and the bother of choosing an outfit every day. Wash, and wear again! Now you get why Steve Jobs
stuck to his turtlenecks, don’t you?

GET MOVING

Since even walking is limited, unless you have a private garden or large terrace, find a way to get some exercise
right here in your living room. If you work out with a trainer, ask for classes on Zoom or Skype. Gyms are giving
away free online workout sessions, as are fitness gurus. And make this a time for the whole family to work out
together. You need the dopamine to counter the blues that can set in from staying cooped up. And don’t
forget your Vitamin D supplements!

CLEAN UP, CLEAN UP, EVERYBODY DOES THEIR BIT

This might just be the time to get everyone in the family do their bit in cleaning up. Create a chore time in the
day, when everyone declutters, puts away toys and books and gadgets and sweeps, dusts or mops. Set a timer
and make it a race to the finish line! Nothing like adding some fun to mundane tasks. Make sure to set up
some time to clean some of the most contaminated surfaces in the home – switches, cell-phones, doorknobs
and bells.

 

STAY ON TOP OF PAPERWORK

If you have a home EMI, talk to your bank to clearly understand the terms of any EMI holiday or moratorium they might be offering.

KEEP GROWING

Keep learning and growing every day through this period, by reading books, listening to podcasts, learning
something new online – or even getting that ever elusive seven to eight hours of sleep every night! As Haruki
Murakami says, “And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you
managed to survive. You won’t even be sure whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When
you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about

 

CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP

It was Benjamin Franklin who said: “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” Powered by this thought, Vaswani Group collaborated with the Bangalore Traffic Police to create a space where children can learn to respect traffic rules. Not just by reading about them, but by following them, in a
child-friendly safe space. And the Bangalore Police Traffic Park for Children on St Marks Road was born.

Vaswani Group has conceived, designed, developed and will maintain the entire park, a first-of-its kind public-private initiative. The park has all the infrastructure for play that you would expect to see in a children’s park, but enter, and the difference is visible. Lanes, zebra crossings, traffic lights and billboards explaining the
traffic signals transform the park into a “live” outdoor learning space. The park also houses a library for children

 

Inaugurating the park, Sri Basavaraj Bommai, Home Minister, Govt. of Karnataka, said, “This is the first park that can be called a Traffic Police Children’s Park.” He called it ‘a space that is unique to the nation’. Talking about its significance, Mr Bhaskar Rao, Commissioner of Police, Bangalore, said, “Merely explaining traffic regulations to children in a classroom setting is not enough.” Dr B.R. Ravikantha Gowda, Joint Commissioner of Police, Traffic – Bengaluru City, said that the park would educate children and consequently make our roads safer, for both children and others. Mr Arun Advani, Joint Managing Director, Vaswani Group, described the park as a green space spread over 1 acre, with extensive landscaping.

The best testimonials, of course, came from the children! Soon enough, they were clamouring to read the signs, go through the traffic lights and the zebra crossings, and the best part: Kids are given bicycles to ride inside the park!

SPECIAL 

WAKE YOUR INNER CHEF!
Prawns Newburg

 

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter
• Chopped garlic: ¼ tbsp
• Sliced shallots: 1 tbsp
• 1 cup mushrooms – optional (sliced)
• 2½ tablespoons refined flour
• ¾ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup cream
• Optional: a dash of nutmeg
• 3 tbsp of dry sherry
• 2 beaten egg yolks
• 2 cups peeled and cooked prawns
• White pepper: to taste

Preparation

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add garlic, followed by shallots and mushrooms till light brown.
2. Blend the flour and seasonings into the butter. Stir for 2 minutes.
3. Gradually add milk, cream and sherry. Cook until the sauce turns to a thick sauce, and stir constantly.
4. Beat the egg yolks in a small bowl.
5. Whisk about one-third of the hot cream sauce mixture into the egg yolks. Add the egg yolk and sauce
mixture back to the saucepan and whisk to blend.
6. Cook in slow flame until the cream sauce coats the back of a spoon.
7. Add prawns and stir constantly.
8. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley or chives.
Prawns can be replaced with crab meat, shrimps or lobster cubes. White wine can be used instead of sherry.

Serve this up with buttered rice, salted puffed pastry or toasted bread, and don’t forget to post your
masterpiece on Instagram

Dalgona’s Trending!

Make the talk of the town, Dalgona coffee at home, and wow your followers!

Here’s how to make Dalgona coffee  for two:

Blend 2 tbsp of instant coffee along with 4 tbsp of powdered sugar, 4 tbsp of chilled water, and 4 tbsp of
whipped cream with the help of an electric blender, to form a rich smooth whipped paste. Add 4 ice-cubes in
two serving glasses or if you want to be fancy, crystal glasses (remember, you’ve got to wash up later!) and
pour cold milk, preferably full-cream milk, into 60% of the glass. Float the whipped mixture on the top of milk
till it seals the glasses to the brim.
Dust a pinch of coffee powder on top. Before you sip, stage and shoot!

Recipe courtesy: Shinoj Joseph, General Manager, Hotel Royal Orchid Suites – Whitefield

 

Get in Touch

Bangalore
3rd floor, Vaswani Victoria, 30 Victoria Road, Bangalore – 47
Phone – 080 49110000

Mumbai
601, Sant Nivas, 14th Road Corner, Khar West, Mumbai
Email – sales@vaswanigroup.com
www.vaswanigroup.com

Hello

It’s been close to three years that we have been bringing you Shared Space. For us, this is beyond just a newsletter.

It’s our way of letting you know that your concerns are ours. And that when we partner you in something as close to your heart as your home, we have as much skin in the game as you do.

So in this issue, we dial back to where we started, and ask: “How are things with you?” As we look around, times are getting more uncertain. If change is the only constant, then how can we help you ensure that your home remains that rock-solid foundation on which you can build your dreams? Our feature this month is on how to secure your home in times of uncertainty and financial duress, even as we wish none of us ever needs this counsel.

We also have our regular fare of useful tips to keep your home sparkling, within and without. And a special Malabar Mutton curry from our chef that will make you sit up and say, “Hello, Summer!”

As always, write in to us your thoughts, we are always listening.

Spring-time wishes,
Team Vaswani.

FEATURE

 

TAKEN? Not.

Tough times call for tough decisions, and a plan. Especially when it comes to managing your home loan.                And the best time to come up with this plan is not when crisis looms, but way in advance. After all, the only predictable thing in life is its sheer unpredictability. So have your Plan B in hand, so that in a crisis, you can rest assured that your home is safe.

Here are some pointers on how you could secure your home.

WELL-AHEAD

1. Check your terms of engagement: Your monthly EMI should not be more than 40 per cent of your net salary; if needed, opt for a longer term so that the monthly EMI is lower.
2.  Get a home loan insurance: If you’re covered, your monthly EMIs will be taken care of until you’re able to service them again.
3. Create a home loan repayment fund: Start a savings scheme to put away at least six months of home loan EMI payments, so that in a pinch, you can dig into this pot instead of into your regular savings or worse, missing payments. Put any gifts or additional earnings into this pot.
4. Get a financial advisor: It’s not just the wealthy that need financial advice. When crisis strikes, a financial advisor can help you plan your savings and manage your debt and risks. The advisor can also help you maintain your credit score

GAME ON FACE

     5 .Talk to your lender: Take your bank or housing finance company into confidence as soon as you sense that
EMI payments might be affected. They could alter the terms of the loan, by increasing the tenure and lowering
the EMI.

6. Talk to another lender: You could also explore the possibility of repaying the whole loan through another                      lender that offers better repayment terms and lower interest rates.

FIRE-FIGHTING

    7. Dig into your investments: No one likes the idea of liquidating investments that took so long to build up, but                ever heard the saying, “Live to fight another day”? Rather than miss servicing your home loan, dig into your                FDs, RDs, mutual funds, stocks and find the money.

8. Count on your tribe: Rustle up a few months of EMIs from friends and family, with a clear target and plan for              repayment, even if it’s a little farther away in the future. This support could greatly ease your mind during
emergencies.

CRUNCH TIME

9. Sell the house, before the bank does: If it becomes clear that the emergency situation is likely to continue for a            while, it’s time to grab the bull by the horns. Sell the house yourself, before the bank gets to that step. This                    increases the likelihood of you getting a good price.

10. Pick up the phone: It’s tempting to ignore all calls from the bank when pushed to the corner, but a word of                    advice: Don’t. The key is to prevent the situation from spiralling into legal hassles, and negotiate your way                    into keeping your home!

How have you secured your home loan repayments against emergencies? Write in to us!

 

COMPLETE WEEKEND EXPERIENCE

 

COME ONE & ALL – SEE YOU AT THE MALL!

Wondering what to do this weekend, but terrified of traffic? Ditch the drive and walk right over to your friendly neighborhood Brookefield Mall. It’s the one place that has something for every member of your family. The INOX experience with movies and popcorn? Check. Shop till you wanna drop? Check. A perfect dinner to end the day? Check.

Look no further for your favorite brands, whether it’s Pantaloons, Max, Lifestyle or Soch. In the mood for Chinese, or pizza and tacos for the kids? Done.

Brookefield Mall brings you the complete weekend experience, with something for everyone. And the best part? It’s right at your doorstep!

Brookefield Mall | ITPL Main Road, Whitefield | 080 41188997

 SPECIAL

GET SET FOR SUMMER Malabar Mutton Curry

As the days get colder, it’s time to get the grill out. Rustle up this simple Seekh Kebab for your friends, and watch them ask for more!

Seekh kebabs are made with minced lamb, marinated in a variety of spices, and grilled on a tandoor/oven. These kebabs are served with mint chutney and a side of onion rings and lemon wedges. A lip-smacking start to a dinner party!

 

INGREDIENTS

• Mutton, 1 kg, small curry cubes                                         • Cloves – 5
• Freshly grated coconut – 1 cup                                          • Mustard seeds – ¼ tbsp
• Red chilli powder – 3 tablespoons (tbsp)                        • Shallots ( slices) – 1 tbsp
• Ginger garlic paste – 2 tbsp                                                • Onions – 2
• Coriander powder – 2 tbsp                                                 • Cashewnut paste – 2 tbsp
• Turmeric powder – ½ tbsp                                                 • Tomato – 2
• Black pepper powder – ½ tbsp                                          • Coconut milk – 1 cup
• Cumin seeds – ¼ tbsp                                                          • Salt (to taste)
• Fennel seeds – ¼ tbsp                                                          • Curry leaves – 2 sprigs                                                                  • Coconut oil ( can be replaced with any other cooking oil) – 3 tbsp

Method

1. For preparing Malabar Mutton Curry, grind together grated coconut, red chilli powder, ginger-garlic
   paste, coriander, turmeric, black pepper, cumin, fennel, cinnamon, bay leaf and cloves into a paste.
2. Heat oil in a cooker.
3. Fry the onions well.
4. Add the spice paste, until the spices are roasted.
5. Add the mutton and stir well.
6. Add finely chopped tomatoes and cashewnut paste.
7. Add salt and 2½ cups of water.
8. Cook, until the meat is done.
9. Remove from fire and remove lid once it’s cooled.
10. Add coconut milk and simmer for another 5 minutes. Stir it in between.
11. Remove from fire.
12. Make a tadka with curry leaves and mustard seeds for garnish. You can also add a few drops of coconut milk or coconut cream for garnishing.

If your guests like their spices mild, reduce the amount of chilli and pepper powder used. Serve up the curry with Kerala parathas, ghee rice or even appams, and watch them disappear in no time!

Recipe courtesy: Chef Lokesh Gowda, Hotel Royal Orchid Suites – Whitefield

For table reservations: 080-42512345 / 9731079988

 Get in Touch

Bangalore
3rd floor, Vaswani Victoria, 30 Victoria Road, Bangalore – 47
Phone – 080 49110000

Mumbai
601, Sant Nivas, 14th Road Corner, Khar West, Mumbai
Email – sales@vaswanigroup.com
www.vaswanigroup.com

Hello
WINTER’S COMING, YOU KNOW?

If you’re still staggering from the indulgence of Dussehra and Diwali so close on the heels of one another, don’t relax yet. The season of parties,weddings, and festive cheer is here. Not to mention Christmas and
New Year just around the corner.

This winter special issue of Shared Space anticipates the holiday cheer and wishes you good times with family and friends and sun-soaked holidays. But do take care to ensure that your home is safe, while you are away.                    We bring you some broad tips on making sure of that.

While you’re in a party mood, don’t forget the planet. We each must do what we can to keep the planet green and clean. There’s no Planet B, so we’ve given you some tips to get you started on eliminating single-use plastic.

And while you’re at it, impress your party guests by whipping up a seekh kebab.

William Blake wrote, “In seed time learn, in harvest teach, and in winter enjoy.” We wish that your hard work and effort through the year leads to a year-end that’s fulfilling and victorious.

STAY COOL!
from all of us at Team Vaswani.

FEATURE

 

HOME ALONE?

Leaving your home to the mercy of intruders is cute only in the movies, or if you have a precocious Macaulay Culkin-esque mini-you hatching the most devious plans to strike terror into their hearts. If you’re anything like the est of us, here are some things you can do to make sure your home is safe, when you’re away.

1. Don’t take safety for granted.

“We live on the most boring street in the whole of (India), where nothing even remotely dangerous will ever happen. Period.” Remember these lines from the movie? Famous last words, as it turned out.

Every house is part of an ecosystem. There is a community of staff, delivery folk and passers-by that might have access to your home. We’re not asking you to eye everyone with suspicion or feel vulnerable in your own space. All we’re saying is to acknowledge that there’s always room to tighten your home security.

2. When you lock down, lock properly down.

Are your windows and doors secure? The eye tends to glaze over things that we see every day, so pay extra care to detail. Are all your windows not just pulled shut, but locked? Minimize any reason that people might have to enter your house in your absence. Make sure no taps are left on to cause damp spots in the bathroom of the flat below. Make sure there’s no exhaust left running, or a geyser switched on.

3. Deliveries give a great deal away.

Familiar with the sight of a neighbour’s newspapers piling up at the door? Or bills and letters and delivery packages stacked up against the wall? Make sure you leave instructions for newspapers to be stopped, bills and letters to be handed over at the reception, and divert deliveries to a neighbour or friend.

4. Install basic security systems.

If your life involves a lot of travel, it wouldn’t do any harm to put in place basic security systems. A camera that’s movement triggered and that also allows you to check any activity from a remote location. Alarms at the main door or the garden gate that, when triggered, send a notification to your smartphone. And yes, your next-door neighbour that you can call in such emergencies.

5. Be neighbourly.

It’s strange that one needs to even mention this, but your best security is your community of neighbours. In today’s busy world where life is pretty much wrapped up with work and commutes, make space for your neighbours. Get to know them. Call them over once in a while. While you may not want to recreate the ambience of the old-style mohalla where everyone knew everyone else’s business, take the time to make some friends in your building. They are your first responders in a home invasion.

6. Don’t let your life be an open book.

Quell the temptation to post details of when you’re back, who is behind at home, and other such sensitive information on social media. There are people who make a living mining our Instagram and Facebook posts for data. By all means do post on that exquisite café you stumbled upon in Cappadocia, but stop short of putting every detail on Insta. And do not, ever, post pictures of valuables, home security systems, or sensitive information such as your passport or ID online.

With just a little bit of caution, you can sip on an umbrella drink by the poolside in peace, knowing full well that your home, while alone, is safe. Remember Kevin McAllister’s clarion call?

“This is my home. I have to defend it!”

 

News

THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS

Everything we do, we do it for you. So it gives us immense joy to share with you, that our Villas at Vaswani Walnut Creek have received the award for Best Residential Villas and Row houses at the CREDAI Awards for Real Estate 2019.

This recognition for excellence in real estate Development was received by Mr.Dilip Kr Mahansaria,                              Sr Vice President – Vaswani, on 14 November at Hotel Four Seasons, Bangalore.

This award is as much yours as it’s ours. Thank you for walking with us on this journey.

Events

TEAM VASWANI BOWLED OVER!

Nothing brings teams together like cricket does. And nowhere was the sporting spirit more evident than at the Vaswani Cricket League 2019. The nail-biting finals on 28 September saw Teams Gladiators and Warriors battling it out for the trophy.

Some great fielding, a dropped catch here, some quick stolen runs, and the Gladiators won the day.

SPECIAL

Seekh Kebab

As the days get colder, it’s time to get the grill out. Rustle up this simple Seekh Kebab for your friends, and watch them ask for more!

Seekh kebabs are made with minced lamb, marinated in a variety of spices, and grilled on a tandoor/oven. These kebabs are served with mint chutney and a side of onion rings and lemon wedges. A lip-smacking start to a dinner party!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups keema (minced mutton/lamb)

Marination:

1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped fenugreek leaves
1/2 tbsp garlic paste
1/2 tbsp ginger paste
1 1/2 tbsp rock salt powder
1/4 tbsp crushed black pepper
1/4 tbsp garam masala
2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped green chillies
1 tbsp butter
Pinch of chaat masala

Method

Mix lamb mince with lemon juice and fenugreek leaves. Add garlic paste, ginger paste, rock salt powder and crushed black pepper. Add chopped coriander leaves and green chillies. Refrigerate the meat mixture and marinate for at least three hours. Shape the meat mixture into around the skewers and place on to a grill over a drip tray or into the pre-heated oven : 375-F, 205 C on a drip tray and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Brush them with butter/oil and cook for another 2 minutes. Using oven gloves/ mittens or a cloth, carefully push the kebab from one end, on to a serving dish. Brush a dash of butter again, garnish with chaat masala, onions, lemons and serve along with green chutney.

Recipe courtesy: Chef Lokesh, Hotel Royal Orchid Suites – Whitefield, A Vaswani Hotel

For table reservations: 080-42512345 / 9731079988

 Get in Touch

Bangalore
3rd floor, Vaswani Victoria, 30 Victoria Road, Bangalore – 47
Phone – 080 49110000

Mumbai
601, Sant Nivas, 14th Road Corner, Khar West, Mumbai
Email – sales@vaswanigroup.com
www.vaswanigroup.com

Rain, Rain Come Again

The rains are here – well at least, the rainy season is, technically! And while Bangaloreans fall in love all over again with their city, elsewhere in the country people are reeling under the effects of heat or floods. Our heart goes out to them, as well as to those in farming communities whose livelihoods depend on the rains. At the same time, the water crisis is at an all-time high; it’s time we make a change, before it’s too late.

Shared Space is all about empathy – and we want to share this mixed bag of feelings with all of you. Our monsoon special issue of Shared Space is also a mixed bag. We talk about new beginnings, in a first-of-its-kind feature on how to make your home safe for a tiny new arrival! And as the days get cooler, Chef Lokesh adds some heat to the mix with his delectable Laal Maas recipe. And if you are concerned about the water crisis, we have tips for you on conserving water.

So here’s wishing you the best that this season brings: Rain on the rooftops / Rain on the trees / Rain on the green grass / And rain on me!

Raining best wishes down on you,
All of us at Team Vaswani.

FEATURE

Make Your Place,Baby Safe

Anticipating the pitter-patter of tiny feet in your home? Congratulations! But apart from the excitement of doing up a nursery, did you know there’s a lot to be done to baby-proof your home?

While many would say that baby-proofing can wait till the child begins to crawl, we’d recommend doing it even before the baby arrives. Once the baby is here, the cycle of feeding, diaper changes, naps and sleep deprivation will leave little scope for logical reorganisation of your home. So, get started!

1. Keeping dangerous products out of reach

Move all cleaning products, abrasive liquids, and medical supplies way out of reach. Keep these at a height, and if possible, locked. This is a practice you’d do well to follow till the child is much older.

2. Scour your home clean of choking hazards
Small bits of plastic (even the corners that you cut away from milk packets),tiny puzzle pieces (if you have an older child or if you like to play with puzzles), Lego pieces, small magnets, nuts – in fact, anything that’s small enough for the child to put into the mouth!

3. Shock-proof your home
Plug points are every parent’s nightmare. Make sure all electrical and electronic cables are neatly bunched, hidden away in secure boxes or holders that can’t be opened by a child. Get a whole home’s worth supply of electric socket covers and plug all points within reach of the child. While you’re at it, get covers for the stove burners so that the baby doesn’t accidentally turn it on.

4. Is your home bump-proof?

A child will explore, and the sooner you accept this reality, and anticipate possible accident zones, the better equipped you’ll be. Make sure that the edges of tables, work surfaces, and shelves are rounded. There are a variety of accessories available online that you can temporarily attach to furniture to make it baby safe. Pay special attention to doors, windows and hinges; there are finger pinch guards and other fittings you can buy online to make sure they don’t slam on tender fingers.

5. Secure pieces of furniture

A bookshelf toppling on someone’s head only looks like fun on Tom and Jerry. Make sure all pieces of furniture such as book cases, shoe racks, dressers, wardrobes or even the television, are anchored to either the wall or the floor to prevent the child from accidentally pulling it over their head. Ensure that curtains are well tucked away out of reach of the child, and if you have blinds, go cordless to avoid a strangling hazard.

6. Toxins and allergens lurk in the most unexpected places

Get your home deep cleaned before the baby arrives, and get herbal or organic pest control done. Check that all your house plants are non-toxic for babies. Store batteries safely and out of reach. Deep clean carpets, curtains, cushions and mattresses to remove all traces of mites, pet hair, dander or mould.

7. Schedule it in

The best way to keep your sanity is to have a cleaning schedule for the house, whereby every corner of the house gets cleaned on rotation. If you have household help trained to maintain the schedule, you home will always be squeaky clean!

Get your home baby-safe today, so that you can spend the remaining months on the fun bits – like building a theme nursery!

EVENTS

 

Our Extended Family

Our channel partners are our eyes and ears and feet on the ground. To acknowledge and thank them, we held an evening of cocktails and dinner on 14 June 2019 at the JW Marriott on M.G. Road. More than a hundred brokerage and real estate firms took part.

Your Go -To Place, Every Weekend

 

Watch the sun set from a rooftop, in a vast and verdant space, sipping on a cocktail whose colours give the evening skyscape a run for its money. Bring your whole gang to celebrate at the 75-ft bar, one of the longest in Bangalore, at Boho, the rooftop bar at our Brookefield Mall. And whether you’re trying our paan-flavoured cocktail or feasting on our smokey wood-baked mutton keema pizzas or pesto paneer bruschetta, you can be sure you’ll want more.

SPECIAL

Monsoon’s Here, So Maas is Here

The rains are here! And there’s a definite nip in the air, early in the morning. So warm your bones with this juicy laal maas recipe, guaranteed to keep your guests asking for more.

Laal Maas – For cooking

1 kilograms lamb
5 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
3 sliced onion
Salt as required
1 tablespoon garlic paste
2 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup ghee
3 teaspoon coriander powder
1 cup yoghurt (curd)
1 teaspoon powdered turmeric
2 teaspoon garam masala powder
4 green cardamom
For garnishing
2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves

Method

Add ghee in a deep bottomed pan. Once hot, add cinnamon sticks, cardamom and bay leaves. Sauté for 3-5 minutes.

Now, add the washed mutton pieces, onions, ginger-garlic paste, yogurt, turmeric and salt. Cook covered on a low flame till the mutton pieces turn soft. Add the powdered spices (except garam masala) and cook till oil starts separating from the meat.

Now, add one cup water, garam masala and again simmer for 5-7 minutes.

Serve hot with steamed rice or paratha.

Recipe courtesy: Chef Lokesh, Hotel Royal Orchid Suites – Whitefield, A Vaswani Hotel

For table reservations: 080-42512345 / 9731079988

 

Get in Touch

Bangalore
3rd floor, Vaswani Victoria, 30 Victoria Road, Bangalore – 47
Phone – 080 49110000

Mumbai
601, Sant Nivas, 14th Road Corner, Khar West, Mumbai
Email – sales@vaswanigroup.com
www.vaswanigroup.com

Soak up the Sun!

It’s summer, Vaswani family! While you may not realise it in the cool comfort of the homes we build, Bangalore is feeling the heat. This summer special issue of Shared Space brings you fitness, health, lifestyle and fun tips to not just endure the heat, but to embrace it!

Summer is a season of fresh starts. A new financial year has begun. So we have the must-have three pieces of advice for a new home buyer to stay financially on top. And if the afternoon sun gets a bit much for you, retire to those lovely kitchens and rustle up a little cool something. As RL Stevenson writes of the sun, “Though closer still the blinds we pull / To keep the shady parlour cool / Yet he will find a chink or two / To slip his golden fingers through.” So though the sun may already be beating down like it’s May, summon up your inner chill.

WARMEST(!) WISHES
from all of us at Team Vaswani.

FEATURE

Your First Home Buy?
A Slam Dunk!

Remember the time when buying your first home was a decision for the whole family? People would consult their spouses, parents, extended families, and why, even the neighbourhood know-it-alls! But the growing financial independence enjoyed by young people has changed all that. Single people are increasingly looking at making their first home purchase in their twenties. And who are they consulting? The array of information available right on their digital device of choice – websites, online mags, real estate groups on social media, and of course, your extensive circle of friends.

How do you separate the wheat from the chaff? We’ve put together a host of tips that you absolutely must keep in mind. So you have your eye on the bottom-line, at all times, while navigating this new life decision.

1. Gauge your financial situation

Banks typically lend 80% of the value of your proposed property. This means that you need to make good the remaining 20%. Do you have that much saved? Often, the property you can afford will depend on the down payment that you can fork out. If you don’t have enough saved to buy you the property you’ve set your heart
on, can you take a loan from family? How much will the EMI come to? Set that off against the rent you’re currently
paying and calculate how much extra you’d have to budget for the EMI. A rule of thumb is to not take on an EMI that’s more than 40% of your monthly income.

Will you be able to manage the rest of your expenses on what’s left? And most important, what’s your plan for repaying the loan from family?

2. Get the whole picture.
Read the fine print – or ask the builder searching questions about all the extras that are usually left out of advertisements. How much will stamp duty and registration cost? Will there be any additional charges?
Most important. Is the price quoted inclusive of basic finishes such as kitchen and bathroom fittings? How much would these essentials cost? Make a list of every single essential fitting and find out if that’s included. Trust us, it all adds up! If your design aesthetic differs even the slightest from your builder’s, there’s a price to it. You may want a different kind of tile in your living room. Or, you might want to change around the layout a bit. As it often happens, if the construction is delayed, how will that affect your financial outflow?
3. Know your exemptions.
As a home buyer, you’re entitled to several tax and other exemptions. Women, especially so. Don’t just depend on your chartered accountant to tell you what to do. Wrap your head around all the exemptions that you can avail of.

Did you know? If you’re a new woman employee, you don’t have to pay the 12% as contribution to your provident fund. This has been done specifically to allow more women to own a home. Women looking at buying their first home get a further interest subsidy. Women get more tax benefits on home loans. Your annual taxable income can come down by as much as Rs 3.5 lakh! Women also have to pay less as stamp duty in many states. These are the three key areas that you need to do your research on, to make sure that your first home buy makes as
much business sense as it makes you feel good.

EVENTS

Colour Me Young

Organic colours are in, and how! Friends and families gathered at the Royal Orchid Suites, Whitefield,to
rediscover the Holi of their childhood. The kids, of course, had a ball. But the older people were not to be
left behind. At the end of the day, let’s just say that the festival of colours left its mark on everyone!

Ten Years Already!

Just a day after the Spring Equinox, on 22ndMarch, the Hotel Royal Orchid Suites – the hospitality division of
Vaswani  – celebrated its 10th anniversary! We dedicated the day to women across the board – our
lady staff, the spouses of all Department Managers, and mothers of all hotel associates. At the evening to celebrate the event, we honoured those who had completed five years of service. Followed, of course, by
a dinner in which our chefs out-did themselves!

SPECIAL- Summer Coolers

The mercury’s already at 37 in namma Bengaluru. What better way to beat the summer heat than with this cold
salad from Milan or the old favourite, Perugannam aka curd rice? Desi or Milano? The choice is yours.

Spirali Pasta Salad

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water until it’s soft. Rinse under cold water, and drain.
Mix chopped carrots, celery, cucumber, capsicum, pomegranate, tomatoes, feta cheese and onion together in large bowl. Add sliced black olives and green olives. Combine the cooled pasta and vegetables together in large bowl.
Add salt, crushed pepper, chopped parsley, and lemon juice to taste, and a dash of olive oil.Chill for an hour before serving.

Madras Curd Rice

Mix semi-hung curd and well-cooked white rice with a pinch of salt. Heat oil in a frying pan and prepare a tadkawith mustard seeds, fennel seeds, jeera, curry leaves, and dry red chilly. Combine the pre-mixed rice with the tadka, but reserve a bit of the tadka for garnishing. Add pomegranate, black grapes. Garnish with the remaining tadka.

Recipe courtesy:
Shinoj Joseph, General Manager, Hotel Royal Orchid Suites – Whitefield

 

Get in Touch

Bangalore
3rd floor, Vaswani Victoria, 30 Victoria Road, Bangalore – 47
Phone – 080 49110000

Mumbai
601, Sant Nivas, 14th Road Corner, Khar West, Mumbai
Email – sales@vaswanigroup.com
www.vaswanigroup.com

 

A New Dawn,
A New Day, A New Life
And a Happy New Year!

New Year Resolutions, some say, have the shelf life of milk bread. But we still make them, and when we make them, we do believe in them. That’s what makes every New Year Day magical. This New Year, we have here for you some goals that you could set, as home-owners. Additionally, we take a closer look at what it means to simplify.

To reduce our carbon footprint. To walk on the earth conscious of how each of us can make a change. And to give back to nature, by going back to a more natural way of living. Birds flying high, sun in the sky, breeze driftin’ on by… Feelin’ good? We sure are.

HAPPY NEW YEAR
from all of us at Team Vaswani

FEATURE

Minimal Living

It’s official. Minimalism is in, like never before. As the world hurtles through a climate disaster fuelled by conspicuous consumption, the truly wise are getting wiser and keeping it simple. Going simple is not a cop out. In fact, just the reverse. Wasn’t it Steve Jobs who said, “Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”
At Vaswani Group, we’ve embraced the philosophy of ‘sophistication in simplicity’. Yes, Leonardo said that. Da Vinci, not Di Caprio. This New Year’s Day, we bring you the philosophical and physical advantages of minimal living, in a one BHK.

01. START YOUNG

No longer do you have to wait forever to own your space. A 1 BHK lets you dream young. As a climate-conscious millennial, you can even set yourself a challenge to only have stuff that beautifully fits this apartment.

02. REDUCE DEBT
Every additional bedroom compounds the pressure on your purse. Reduce the number of bedrooms, and you start with a home loan that’s manageable. One that you can hope to pay off in single digit years and breathe free for the rest of your life. More important, spend your money on what you actually need, like a holiday.

03. REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT
Smaller homes have a smaller carbon footprint. A smaller home uses less electricity, takes less to cool, is easier to clean (and hence uses less water and cleaning products), and is simpler to maintain. Way to live like a responsible earthling!

04. GET CREATIVE
Smaller homes make you channel your inner design guru. People who live in smaller homes get creative with décor, with multiple uses for spaces, and have, in general, “cooler” homes.

05. GET CLOSER, LITERALLY
If you spent your childhood holidays with cousins bunking in a single room, you know what this means. Smaller homes get people to spend more time with one another, whether friends, roomies or family. And as long as you’re respectful of boundaries, you’ll get that warm fuzzy feeling every holiday!

06. DO-OVERS ARE EASY
Getting bored of your red statement wall? With a small apartment, doing over your home is so much easier. And getting a signature style can be done with just a few carefully chosen pieces. This is the perfect reason to get a smaller home, for people who tend to get tired of looking at the same décor year after year.

07. RETIRE IN PEACE
A large home with several bedrooms is a nightmare if you’re near retirement. The upkeep, the cleaning, and the daily
maintenance can baffle the most efficient corporate honcho. Retirement is, after all, a time for lots of tea (or coffee) with your loved one, long walks by the lake, and vacations every few months. Move to a smaller home, if you don’t fancy spending your golden years with a wrench in hand.

Where are these small homes to be found? As urban spaces get more crowded, and as more and more people start to
clamour for environment-friendly smaller spaces that they can call their own, any builder who knows the pulse of people will turn to one BHK or studio apartments. Hint, hint. Watch this space.

 

EVENTS

Long Service Awards

We’re in the people business, really. We couldn’t do what we do without our team. To show our appreciation and gratitude, we have instituted Long Service Awards for those who’ve been with us over three, five, 10 & 20 years. The recipients were all smiles at the awards ceremony held on the 30th of November 2018

Season of Joy at the Mall

We rang in the Yuletide season at the Brookefield Mall this year with the lights and song. Kids stopped by the giant Christmas tree to have their photos taken. We even spotted some seniors taking selfies. What can we say! In the immortal words of Nat King Cole, Christmas is for kids from one to 92!

SPECIAL

A January Kinda Treat

Pav Bhaji has been called an ‘any time treat’ – just right for any season or time of the day. But pav bhaji in winter time – when the heat of the perfect blend of spices gently warms you up – is unparalleled. That’s why we like to call pav bhaji a January kinda treat. Impress your friends this New Year by rustling up this pav bhaji for teatime, lunch, brunch or dinner, and watch them ask for more.

Ingredients

FOR THE MASALA
1 tsp oil
4 large cubes of butter, finely chopped
1 cup of onion, chopped
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1/2 cup of bottle gourd, chopped
1/2 cup of capsicum, chopped
1 cup of potatoes, chopped

2 tsp salt, or to taste
1 tsp chilli powder
3 tsp pav bhaji masala
1/2 cup tomato puree
1 cube, or to taste, butter (for the garnish)
1 bunch of coriander leaves
FOR THE PAV
Butter
Pav bhaji masala

How to make Pav Bhaji
Heat oil in a pan. Add cubes of butter along with onion. Sauté till golden brown and then add ginger garlic paste. Mix well. Now add chopped bottle-gourd along with coriander and mix well, followed by a cup of chopped potatoes. Mix and mash well together. Add chopped beetroot, salt, chilli powder and pav bhaji masala to the
mashed mixture. Mix well. Now add the tomato puree. Mix the tomato puree thoroughly and then add butter followed by coriander leaves to the cooked bhaji. Mix thoroughly.
Prepare Pav
Spread some butter all over the pav. Sprinkle pav bhaji masala over it. Toast it on the pan for a while till it becomes golden brown. Serve hot along with a lemon wedge, chopped onion and green chilli. Don’t forget to garnish the bhaji with loads of butter on top!

Recipe courtesy: Shinoj Joseph, General Manager, Hotel Royal Orchid Suites – Whitefield

Get in Touch

BANGALORE
3rd floor, Vaswani Victoria, 30 Victoria Road, Bangalore – 47
Phone – 080 49110000
MUMBAI
601, Sant Nivas, 14th Road Corner, Khar West, Mumbai
Email – sales@vaswanigroup.com
www.vaswanigroup.com

Hello

YOUR SPACE – AND YOUR TIME!

It’s been one year since we created Shared Space, a space for you and us to come together, talk, share, and celebrate. A lot has happened over this year. With you by our side, we have successfully launched and handed over attractive new projects. High-rise apartments. Penthouses with private terraces. Villas and townhouses. In the concrete chaos of city life, we have created spaces that breathe. Beautiful, verdant, spaces you can come home to.

In 2018, we pushed the envelope beyond beautiful and functional spaces. What is it that would increase your sense of well-being, we asked ourselves. And the answer was staring us in the face. It was not just your space that we needed to help manage – it was your time as well! And that’s how Vaswani HomeworX was born. So that you could keep up with work without sacrificing quality time with your loved ones.
Read all about it in this special edition of Shared Space. And do let us know what you think.

FEATURE

GETTING THINGS DONE,
IN POLKA-DOTTED PAJAMAS

8:30, Monday morning. At the Kumars. Mom’s packing a quick sandwich for the kids, while putting the finishing touches on a presentation for a 10:00 am meeting. It’s her turn to drop their older one, a daughter, to the school bus.
Dad’s getting the toddler dressed for day-care, and will then get ready for work. Tempers are as frayed as fashionable jeans. It will be another hour before they are out of the door. There’s no way Mom can make it in time for her meeting, given the traffic. She could have taken the meeting on Skype, but she can hardly hear
her own voice over the din at home!

Sounds familiar? Doesn’t the prospect of manic Monday mornings make you want to snuggle into your quilt a
little longer? But now, Monday morning blues can be a thing of the past, thanks to Vaswani HomeworX!

HomeworX is exactly what it sounds like. Quiet spaces in your apartment complex that are conducive to work. Away from the clatter of cutlery or the screams of squabbling siblings. You can choose to work all day from home, or just take the odd conference call, without any of the familiar interruptions that technology or people can bring!
And who says only adults need quiet time? If your children want some peace and quiet to get their homework done or to get some tuition, they can pop into our learning pods.

HomeworX will make your life better in so many ways, but here are the top three

1. Save Space
   HomeworX saves you the trouble (and the space!) of setting up a home office. You can just pop down
   to the work-friendly clubhouse to finish a bit of work, or take a meeting.
2. Be Close
   You can do a spot of work late in the evening, reassured by the knowledge that the kids are just minutes away.
   Pop back home for dinner, tuck them into bed, and get back to work if you need to.
3. Work Smart
   Away from the worries of the home – and yet within hollering distance – HomeworX will allow you to focus on
   your work, and get it done much faster. Double the work, in half the time

With Vaswani HomeworX, Monday mornings at the Kumars could well look like this:

Dad whips up a hot breakfast of eggs and toast, with some mango milkshake. He whistles a tune as he gets the toddler dressed for day-care. Mom packs the school lunch, cutting sandwiches into heart shapes with a cookie cutter. She takes an extra few minutes to write her daughter a note, as a lunchtime surprise. Both kids out of the door, Mom takes a Skype meeting, just 100 m away. Dad’s working from home today.

This is the future of work life balance. And we, at Vaswani, are bringing it to you today. Worx, doesn’t it?

 

EVENTS

 

Hello to Hey

Harry S. Truman famously said, “All will concede that in order to have good neighbours, we must also be good neighbours.” And to be good neighbours, the logical starting point is to know thy neighbour! We helped new residents of Vaswani Walnut Creek meet and greet one another, at Hey Thy Neighbour, on Sunday, 20 May, at the Royal Orchid Suites, Whitefield (a Vaswani Group enterprise). Once the ice melted, there was no holding back! The laughter lasted well beyond the party hours, we’re told. Just see the photos and judge for yourself!

So Saree….

Jamdani. Chanderi. Patola. Banarasi. Ilkal. The monsoon may have still been 10 days away, but it rained sarees at the #SareeFest at Vaswani Brookefield Mall. Saree aficionados flocked to the mall during the weekend of 18-20 May. And they were not disappointed. The fest brought together innovations in colour, weave, texture and fabric, as well as signature pieces from top brands and high street varieties.

SPECIAL

Chicken Satay

The Indonesian island of Java is synonymous with coffee, of course. But did you know that satays originated in Java,
and went on to become the national food of Indonesia? Wow your guests this weekend by trying out this delectable recipe for Chicken Satays from Chef Mukesh, at our Royal Orchid Suites, Whitefield.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup lemon or lemon juice
1tab brown sugar
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (cubes)

PREPARATION

A. In a mixing bowl, combine peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, curry powder, garlic and hot pepper
sauce. Place the chicken breasts in the marinade and refrigerate. Let the chicken marinate for at least two hours; for
even better results, marinate overnight.

B. Preheat grill to high heat.

C. Weave the chicken onto skewers, and then grill for 5 minutes per side.

A taste of Java with every bite!

Get in touch

Vaswani Group 
3rd floor, Vaswani Victoria, 30 Victoria Road, Bangalore – 47
Phone – 080 49110000

14th Road, Linking Road Corner, Khar (West) Mumbai – 52

Email – sales@vaswanigroup.com
www.vaswanigroup.com