Risotto

If ever there was a pretty picture, it was this. That's G junior and friends enjoying plates of fine risotto in Venice. Risotto is the Italian answer to pulao. While it may not be as popular as the conventional pasta and pizza, I believe it's just as delicious. It's traditionally made with short-grained rounded rice.

I just had to look up the Internet and see if Rachel Ray had any easy recipes and found one that seems simple enough:

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup arborio rice
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt

Method:
1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat; add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent. 2. Add the rice and cook, stirring continuously for a few minutes, until the grains are glistening. Increase the heat to high and add the broth and 1 cup of boiling water. Bring the rice to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the rice is al dente, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the risotto from the heat, stir in the lemon zest and Parmesan and season with salt.

This is definatelty on my "Must Try" list.

Apres Diem

Apres Diem is a coffee house tucked away in the little known parts of Midtown. Their tag line states 'International coffee house and bistro' and that is exactly what they are. Just like the more famous Cafe Intermezzo, they boast an assorted variety of coffee with accompanying desserts. I'm not a big coffee person and therefore cannot make a recommendation. An overwhelming variety always prompts me to stick to the traditional 'Cafe Au Lait', you can't really go wrong with that! The desserts are all very scrumptious and you have to walk over to the bar to make your selection. Words will never be able to do justice to them.

I like Apres Diem because it has the dark, cosy, romantic feel to it. Candles, curios on the wall, tiny vases, tables wedged close together, the lazy European undertone, the mid-towners and the constant chatter make this place a perfect after-dinner hangout.

Bye Bye Bombay

This is my last post from my trip back home. I started it with me and my poison - naryal-paani and I shall end it with Dad and his - Beer! To my surprise, I noticed that Budweiser was freely available and free flowing in all the restaurants. Dad, I think, is still a Kingfisher guy though. This picture was taken at The Orchid, our new-year's eve dinner buffet. It was the first time in five years that all four of us were spending 31st together and we had a swell time.

I am definitely still missing Bombay and the lip smacking food that I enjoyed all through. I shall be going back soon though, until then Bye Bye Bombay.

Soul Fry

I went to Soul Fry with my ‘building friends’, the ones I grew up with. We call ourselves ‘chuddy-buddies’ because we’ve been friends since our chaddi days. So the place really wouldn’t have mattered, we would’ve had fun anywhere. But Soul Fry, was actually a very good restaurant. It’s a Goan restaurant, no surprise there considering that L & N chose it. They serve ‘soul food’ or ‘comfort food’ as we’d call it in America. We went with the thalis. The soul-fry special thali had rice, chapatti, clams cooked in a traditional coconut gravy, surmai fry and curry and a ‘soul kadi’ which is a typical Goan dish. It was alotta food, that’s for sure. The ambience was simple and laid-back and we idled there for almost four whole hours. The décor too was quaintly Goan, from the fish nets to the liquor bottles!

To anyone who’s new to Bandra and has never eaten Goan food, I would definitely recommend this place - Soul food and old friends, the perfect way to spend a lazy Friday afternoon.

Barbeque Nation

This is one restaurant definitely worth writing home about. Located in the heart of Bandra, Barbeque Nation, I’m told, has become a very popular dinner place and the concept has quickly caught on. Bandra now boats a 'Barbeque Factory' as well. Well what’s so different? The kebabs are barbequed on your table itself! Every table has a mini-barbeque pit in the center. You choose the kind of kebabs you want from an exhaustive collection off the menu and the waiters graciously barbeque them on your table. So it’s literally, ‘hot off the oven’, or the grill in this case. Of course, there’s a buffet attached to it and once you’re done with the kebabs, you can make your way to the buffet table. All this for Rs. 475, quite a steal I thought, considering that I was shelling out a hundred rupee note each time we wanted to eat a simple bhel puri. From the picture, you can see that I was the perfect daughter, firmly wedged between Mom and Dad, enjoying my barbeque.

Fish Fry

There are many ways to fry fish; this one, by far, is my favorite. I don't have a recipe for this but here's what I've seen Mom put together:

Red Chilli Powder
Haldi Powder
Vinegar
Garlic ginger paste
Salt

For the coating, some good ole' rava.

Simple, spicy and very very wholesome.

Falooda

Falooda is a true Bombay specialty. In our home, Falooda is G junior’s territory. The recipe maybe simple but the process of soaking the onion seeds, making the jelly, etc is rather time-consuming. All the more reason why I appreciate and enjoy her falooda so much. It can definitely give Badshah’s at Crawford Market a run for their money!

Royal Falooda
(serving 4)

Ingredients:
Pre-soaked Sabza ( ½ cup)
Vermicelli ( ½ cup)
Rose syrup (Rooafzah)
Rose milk (I glass)
Jelly (1 cup)
Vanilla or strawberry ice-cream.

Method:
- Cook vermicelli in boiling water for 10 mins. Drain water, mix with 1 tbs rose syrup and keep in fridge.
- Soak Sabza for an hour in water, strain and keep aside.
- In a glass first add 2tbs sabza, then 2tbs vermicelli, then 4 tbs jelly, pour over it the rose milk and finally top it with a scoop of ice cream
- Decorate it with a piece of chocolate or roasted almonds.
- Serve in a tall glass with a straw and a long spoon.

Gajar Halwa

Mum's recipe, tried and tested. The fact that carrots were in season, ensured that Mum had to make us Gajar Halwa at least once during our three weeks at home.

Ingredients:

1 kg Carrots

1 Litre Milk

1/2 cup cream,

Sugar to taste

Powdered cardamom

Nuts/ Dry Fruits

Method:

Grate the carrots and transfer to a wok and cook on slow flame. Add milk, and continue cooking until the milk completely dries up. Add cream (ghee is a substitute) and sugar and continue stirring until dry. Add the powdered cardamom and roasted nuts.

Serve Hot.

When we were little, our job was to grate the carrots. Now my only job is to enjoy the halwa!

A Taste of India

Happy New Year to Everyone.

My first post for the year; I've just about returned from my best trip back home so far. I still have India on my mind and in my stomach! In the last three weeks, I've gorged on everything from dahi-kachori on Linking Road to schezwan dosa at my favorite Amrut Sagar. I ate frankie from the street and fondue at a swanky Pali Hill restaurant. I discovered 'Amul-Kool', a refreshing energy drink and rediscovered the sweetness of the humble Naryal paani.

My next few posts will bring back 'The Taste of India' and all my favorite mouth-watering moments from my trip back home. My only wish, that I could eat it all, all over again!