Category: Mumbai

The Big Fat Lentil Wedding

It was a morning of a date which is quite unclear in my memory. I woke up to the rising sound of traffic and the fluttering of pigeons eternally stuck in the window railings. I picked up my toothbrush, squeezed the last remains of the toothpaste, and tucked the brush into my mouth. I needed some company before sitting on the toilet seat, so I walked towards the door and pushed it open. Lying there was my roll of newspapers, with colorful bunch of pamphlets. But along with it was an envelope addressed for me.

It was strange as no courier guy or postman would have delivered it so early in the morning. It didn’t carry any seals or stamps, and who had sent it. Curious to know, I first tore it from the corner, and then ripped through the edge with a single slide of the finger.

Before I could open it, I could smell something. There was a pungency of garlic and mustardy feel of turmeric in the envelope. I was now almost sure of the contents of the envelope, this was a highly familiar smell.

I could not help but smile. Finally my beautiful friend from Hyderabad was about to marry one of my closest friend from Mumbai. Yes, the Sambhar from Chutneys was finally set to marry the Dal from Bhagat Tarachand.

The Bride- Sambhar from Chutneys

I had known her (the Sambhar from Chutneys) since my trips to Hyderabad became frequent after 2010. I visited Chutneys on almost all my visits, skipped my rendezvous with 5-6 chutneys on offer, and always spent the most time with her. This sambhar had a smooth texture like none I had ever tasted. There were no obstructions of drumsticks or pumpkin pieces so pervasive in sambhars all across India. The flavor was rich with spices and a more than generous helpings of black pepper gave it the perfect zing. But what set it apart was its use of Garlic, something which I haven’t frequently encountered in sambhars across the country. Over the years the sambhar from Andhra had been my favorite (Andhra>Tamil>Kerala>Karnataka style sambhars, especially don’t like Manglorean/Udupi variety popular across many Mumbai eateries, which has a dash of sweetness from jaggery/sugar), but this one climbed to be top of my list.

The Groom- Dal from Bhagat Tarachand

I first met him (the Dal from Bhagat Tarachand) on of my countless trips across Mumbai in search of good food. I found him hiding in one of those countless Bhagat Tarachands (so many of them at Zaveri Bazaar), where my encounter with him offered peace in between the maddening crowds of Zaveri. I mostly met him with his best friends, Papad Churi and a Ghee laden Chapati, at either his Zaveri Bazar home, or his more suave R City adobe- Shvatra. Like the sambhar from Chutneys, the brilliant use of Garlic was its forte, but what set it apart was the use of Ghee-fried onions, similar to ones used frequently with Biriyanis (possibly a connect with the Hyderabadi Sambhar). We hit an instant friendship and both of us being in the same city (and him staying close by in Ghatkopar) meant countless encounters.

So when both of them agreed to come together, no one could have been happier, as I was the one who connected both of them. I can’t even imagine how awesome their kids would be. Surely healthy with so much of protein running in their veins.

—-

I reached the wedding venue few hours prior to the wedding. As expected the environment was somber and lacking energy. Both of them have had a tendency of moving under the radar, when some of their other contemporaries have been involved in maximum showoff with minimal flavors. Gracing the occasion were the family members, friends from the spices community- with peppers dominating the group. The pandit was busy preparing the holy fire and doing other preparations.

The pandit seemed adept at handling both the mantras and kitchen equipment, as he placed a huge vessel over the fire. He started pouring in lots of ghee, and then crackled a bit of jeera (cumin seeds) in the vessel. As the crackling voice soaked the environment, the bride and groom entered the proceedings. Both of them wet, soaked in water and fresh and ready for the wedding.

The sambhar had a garland of curry leaves around it, and the dal looked composed with a pot of ghee in his hands. The background was infused with sounds of ceremony and usual wedding banter, and smells of spices and fresh coriander. As both the bride and groom settled down in the mandapam, the pandit started the fiery rounds mantras. With each swaha, he tossed a clove of garlic in the ghee-jeera mix. Pandit then took out a shining silver spice box, and started adding them one by one in the mix. As the ceremony proceeded, the attendees were handed ghee-fried onions for sprinkling at the bride and groom during the seven rounds across the fire. These onions were the ones which had set apart this dal from the rest for so many years, and it was a great way of welcoming the bride in this family.

After the rounds around the holy fire, there were the usual ceremonies of sindoor (made of red chilly powder) and a mangalsutra (made of raw mustard seeds).

The wedding ceremony ended with a feast with no parallels, with a mix of cuisines from west and south dominating the platters. I was as always indulged in the glory of the dishes and sat along with the rest cleaning my banana leaf and waiting for the servings. A little girl was going around with the gulaabjal sprinkler, used so often during weddings to welcome guests. The girl came towards me, gave me a smile and then sprinkled a bit on me. It was hot. I wiped the drop of my lips and tasted it. It was the sambhar, or was it the daal? It was sweet!

And I woke up to my wife trying to wake me up, sprinkling drops from her hot steamy-sugary cup of tea on my face. The dream was broken, and I had a smile on my face thinking about it.

There was a rising sound of traffic and the fluttering of pigeons eternally stuck in the window railings. I picked up my toothbrush, squeezed the last remains of the toothpaste, and tucked the brush into my mouth. I needed some company before sitting on the toilet seat, so I walked towards the door and pushed it open. Lying there was my roll of newspapers, with colorful bunch of pamphlets.

But along with it was an envelope addressed for me. From Hyderabad…

I wrote this sometime back in October, and posting it now. There are striking similarities to two of my friends who got married just a few days back! Wishing them and the pulses loads of luck

January 22, 2014
The Curious Case of Carter Road

Over the past year or so nothing as intrigued me more than the appearance, sudden rise, and equally sudden demise of certain eateries in Mumbai. Places like the western suburbs of Bandra and Andheri have seen a sudden surge in the number of places opening up, with one of the key growth segments being that of stores specializing in desserts and confectioneries. As Antonie Lewis points out in his brilliant piece Mumbai’s extreme restaurants which appeared in HT Brunch few days back,

The sweetest section of the city
It’s 400050 or Bandra West.Burrp.com lists 86 eateries that either specialise in desserts, confectioneries, cakes or devote a substantial part of their menu to sweet affairs. From mithai to muffins, cookies to cupcakes, Bandra’s got most places to take care of your sugar fix.

I am assuming atleast of these 86 would have appeared in the year or two. Among these the most prominent category which is attracting equal attention of entrepreneurs, consumers, an investors alike is that of Frozen Yoghurt. According to Burrp there 9 exclusive Frozen Yoghurt shops in Bandra (with others such as Ci Gusta, Quiznos Sub, and Cuppa Joe also serving Frozen Yoghurt)*.

To be honest, I am not a big fan of the category. This frozen dessert with a pleasantly sharper flavour than ice-cream is usually served in berry or fruity flavors. The tart in the dessert is complimented with toppings ranging from crunchy nuts to fresh and canned fruits. It is obviously a healthier option than ice-cream with its lower fat content, but I am still to acquire a taste for it.

Personally I have been a big fan of yoghurt since my childhood. While as a kid the thick Kesar-infused Shrikhand or the aamrakhand (Mango Pulp mixed with Hung Yoghurt) captured my taste buds, I discovered the slightly softer matho with a variety of flavors and toppings in Gujarat. I have had the best matho at Surat but as one of my friend insists, nothing beats Rajkot in matho. One of my favorite flavors of matho back in Gujarat is the American Dry Fruit- a unique mix of chocolate chips, nuts and jelly whisked with a hung yoghurt (I feel matho has a slightly thinner consistency than Shrikhand, which means it has a relatively higher water content).

And then there is Mishti Doi, malaidar curd which is at its best when sweetened using Date Jaggary, a product popular from those earthen kulhads in Durga Pujas to Mother Dairy plastic cups on the Delhi University campus.

To understand the difference between these two distinct usages of yoghurt (eastern and western) one needs to understand the differences in culinary cultures. We as Indians (and lot of parts of Asia including the middle east) have been consuming yoghurt for a long time. But for the western world, Yoghurt was an alien concept. People hardly appreciated its sour flavors and it was difficult to get it. It first gained popularity during the hippie movement as simpler food habits were being encouraged as part of their communes. Later on some genius added sugar and fruits to the sour yoghurt and started marketing what we call “Flavored Yoghurt”. They sold it on promise of health and taste. With the growing consciousness towards healthier foods and emergence of functional foods, brands like Yakult and Danone became household names, and LactoBacillus, a bacteria which makes yoghurt what it is, was embraced for its perceived health benefits by millions around the world.

You can watch a detailed documentary on the emergence of this category (presented from the perspective of UK markets) and others here:

Documentary on the emergence of Yoghurt

I haven’t got to read and watch much about Frozen Yoghurt’s origins, but the Wikipedia entry traces it to New England region in North East U.S.A.

Frozen yogurt was introduced in New England, north-east USA, in the 1970s as a soft serve dessert by H. P. Hood under the name Frogurt

So while the western world had to go through a series of manufacturing and marketing innovations to make yoghurt mainstream, we have always had it as part of our natural diet. And hence the opening of Frozen Yoghurt shops (and the stocking of Flavored Yoghurts pods in supermarkets) is slightly confusing.

Are companies trying to sell us a fancy concept, a new experience, a differentiated dessert or a functional food item?

I have been looking for answers myself. So when earlier this year I was at B-School in Mumbai helping a batch of students with their placement preparation, I thought of throwing the question to them. Here is a summary of the case study, with a structure to approach the problem, and few ideas from my end:

The Curious Case of Carter Road from Abhishek Deshpande

I don’t know if I have been able to solve the problem or make it simpler. All I know is that I will always prefer an American Dry Fruit Matho or a Kesar Shrikhand or a Mishti Doi over frozen yoghurt.

So FroYo makers, do you have anything better to offer?

*Specific input from Anuja Deora

April 28, 2013
A Butter Bath at Sardar
All of us imagine and keep designing some colourful imaginations once in a while. People imagine future scenarios, their possible adventures on travel, or a date with Katrina or John Abraham. But for some people like me, imaginations can be as simple and weird as taking a bath in my favourite dish. Be it drowning in the Sambhar at Chutneys (Hyderabad) or diving into the Vindaloo gravies at Goa, I have always thought about extremes with food.

I have also ventured into surreal territories of taking a hot rasam bath or a cold Rabdi snaan. Most of these thoughts were triggered by the nomenclature of Bangalore Idli Joints (those famous Darshinis and Sagars), which had dishes like Kesari Bath, Kara Bath and a Chinese sounding Chow Chow Bath (a mix of Kesari-Kara).

In a realistic scenario taking a bath in these delicacies doesn’t actually mean me jumping into them, but rather the overall experience of their flavours dominating me and all my senses.

Out of all these weird imaginary baths, none is as rich, as good for taste, and as bad for heart like the Butter Bath at Sardar.

Sardar Paved Bhaji located at Tardeo is not just another Pav Bhaji place. It is a temple, a shrine for all Amul butter pilgrims. If Butter was a religion, and Amul Butter its religious head, its janmbhumi would be at Anand, but its karmbhumi will surely be Sardar.

My visits to Sardar have almost always been with Prateek (fellow DAIICTian and SPite, and co-inventor of the now famous DK index). Almost all our visits to this place begin with questions like:
1. How much Amul Butter does Sardar use in one day? (Our guesstimates based on number of tables, rotations, and approximate number of parcels have led us to a figure of anywhere between 168-190 KG. Although we later realized that we grossly underestimated the parcel count)
2. Is this Amul’s frontline store which is being used to promote its brand, or is it just another Pav Bhaji place?
3. Do they have a tightly integrated supply chain with a Butter factory and a Dairy to replenish their Butter supplies?
4. Do Sallu Bhai and Sanju Baba actually get Pav bhaji specially parcelled for them?
5. One can eat one pav bhaji, but is there any possibility that he or she can get through another? (Believe it or not, Prateek has got through two)
I got to know a lot about the history of Sardar and Tardeo through some interesting conversations with the taxi drivers in and around Mumbai Central. The staff at Sardar seldom reveals much, but the Taxi Drivers narrate stories of the days when Tardeo was the go to place for movie lovers in Mumbai with a number theatres (few of them like Maratha Mandir playing DDLJ and Ganga Jamuna still survive). People used to watch a movie and come straight for a Pav Bhaji at Sardar. I met Taxi Drivers who have had it for Rs. 12, Rs. 25, and Rs. 30. A movie at Maratha Mandir for Rs. 15 followed by a Pav Bhaji for Rs. 15, those were the times!

Although the rates have now changed significantly (touching Rs. 100), what remains constant is the Butter Bath given to every Pav Bhaji. Every lot of Bhaji is meticulously prepared from scratch and serves around 70-100 plates of Bhaji.

Here is a short clip on the final Butterification of Bhaaji, whereas the other Tawa is busy being prepared for Masala Pav.

Butterification of Sardar Pav Bhaji

Here are a few pictures of the Pav Bhaji creation process.

The Making of Sardar’s Bhaji

Pav Swimming in Butter

When it comes to the actual dish the Bhaji lacks the tanginess of the Bhaji my Aunt makes, the simplicity of Canon Pav Bhaaji (opposite CST station subway exit), the tasty garam masala induced spicing of a Bhaji in Delhi, or the pleasure of eating Pav Bhaji past midnight near any local station in Mumbai (especially Andheri). But it is still so special and unique.

The Great Sardar Bhaji

When it comes to Masala Pav, what they offer is simply the best. Although I have been recommended DP (at Matunga near Ruia) for the same, but this one beats all other competition in Mumbai.

Masala Pav

Also do try the Mango Shake at Sardar, pretty good.

Mango Shake

In between the weird imaginations and stark reality, whenever I think of Sardar the image of Pavs floating in Butter will keep coming back to my mind.

Butter Bath at Sardar

Long live Amul Butter and the happiness it spreads in life of many like me.
April 20, 2013
Happy High on Coffee

Coffee? Vodka? Caramel?

The first whiff of the drink had me confused, and a bit curious. My sense of smell was elevated, probably as a result of my blindfolded vision. I could almost see what I was smelling. A cup of filter coffee, a shot of vodka, a bowl of caramel pudding, or an interesting new note of fragrance. Ok it was time to taste.

The tip of the tongue had a bit of caramel on, with some coffee at the back of it, but I knew it is Vodka as it rolled down my digestive system with a slight tingling feel. The after taste was more coffee than anything. A sweet, coffee taste. I loved it.

Just to make things clear I am not a coffee expert. But I have my set of memories and experiences associated with it, be it the tongue-tingling Indian Styled Espresso, or my favorite filter brew at Matunga. I love my filter coffee, milky and strong, but without sugar. Over the past year though, my coffee consumption has risen, as the Vodka consumption has fallen. Given the circumstances Smirnoff Espresso seems like quite a discovery.

I was introduced to this new flavor this weekend at an Espressology event hosted by Tim Judge at Out of the blue, Bandra. The audience was mix of interesting people, bloggers, popular faces from twitter and some f&b experts. The event was a well-organized one, a neatly laid out space (although a bit cramped leading to 6-7 glasses breaking during the session), but the arrangements and a energetic facilitation by Tim ensured that the audience was hooked on for the entire duration.

Neatly laid out table setup

A bit of spice

Tim started by providing an overview of the coffee and vodka market, and gave just the right context before we started experiencing the drinks. First up was the blind tasting, followed with a few cocktails: an Espresso Martini, an Irish Coffee, and a really innovative Vodka-Cola-Sorbet. Also I got a chance to create a new cocktail, the Vodka Hazelnut Rabdi along with Karishma.

What’s more, in possession of a bottle right now and planning to use for a house party soon. You are invited for an Espresso Martini, Shaken not stirred .

In case you can’t make it, here is the recipe.

Espresso Martini using Smirnoff Espresso

The Smirnoff® Espresso Martini

Ingredients:

60ml of Smirnoff™ Espresso, 10ml of Sugar Syrup, Double fresh Espresso Coffee shot

Method:

Fill shaker ¾ with ice. Pour in all ingredients & shake. Strain into cold martini glass or pour on the rocks in old fashioned glass

Serves 1

Alcohol content: 17.77gms

December 19, 2012
Catching Up with Chef Sergi Arola

I got an opportunity to interact with Chef Sergi Arola this weekend at Arola, JW Marriot, Mumbai. Chef Arola is visiting the country and HT Café organized this interactive session with a group of food bloggers.

In many ways the work of Chef is similar to that of a management consultant. Both have a strong set of methodologies and belief systems, something which they seldom move away from. Most of the chefs believe in simplicity and simplifying the problem, or in their case the cuisine in question, a trait common with the most successful consultants who can break a complex problem into simple, solvable sets. And above all they are beautiful presenters of both their thought process and the final end product, with the presentation always being a critical component of delivering the solution.

One of the most intriguing things about Chef Arola is his association with one of the Chefs I adore, Ferran Adria (the King of Molecular Gastronomy). When I got an opportunity I was quick to grab and ask Chef Arola about his experiences with Adria and El Bulli. Although he was appreciative of his association, I think he doesn’t identify much with the concepts of Adria and what he does with his food. Perfectly fine.

The table layout was a simple one, with minimal ingredients, which was in line with the Chef’s philosophy around simplicity in Catalonian food. He believes in bringing the best of Spanish Culture for Mumbaikars, through minor customizations to suit the Indian palette.

We made three dishes, a popular tapas (Patatas Alioli), a tandoori lobster with a simple dressing, and a brilliant dessert. In between the recipes Chef also shared a Tandoori Roti customizations of the Spanish Bread and Tomato staple.

Patatas Alioli

Tandoori Lobsters

And the Dessert

Tandoori Roti with Tomato, Garlic, and Olive Oil

For me the dessert was the dish of the evening, with the foamy custard, cream-cookie mix and the cookies mixing perfectly. It was the lightness of the dish which struck me, as it gave the dessert a slightly guilt free feel.

I look forward to visiting the Arola sometime soon, and I am surely ordering the plate of Patatas and the dessert.

Check out the pictures from the event here.

Disclosure: Restaurant’s Public Relations agency covered all the expenses associated with the food tastings mentioned above. For more details refer my disclosure page.

December 18, 2012
Foodie Tweetup: Ghatkopar Style! #KhauGalliChaRaja

When: 5:30 PM-7:30 PM, 15th Dec, 2012

Where: Khau Galli, Ghatkopar (E), Starting Point: Achija Restaurant

Inviting you for a street food tweetup at Ghatkopar (E), Khau Galli, one of the most exciting street food zones in Mumbai.

Ghatkopar offers a wide range of a street food delicacies, from traditional Gujarati items like Masala Khicha, Fafda-Jalebi, Undhiyu, Patti Samosa, Dhoklas, Khandvi, to the more adventurous Gujju-Pasta, and remixed Dosas. And then there would be the standard fare of frankies, kachoris, panipuris and Pav Bhaji.This is an attempt is to introduce you to this wonderful part of Mumbai, tweet a bit, eat a lot, talk about Gujarati food, share experiences related to street food, click a few pictures, and top it all with a Badshah Malai Gola and a Nimbu Soda to digest it all.So are you coming? And who will be #KhauGalliChaRaja? To confirm please visit the event page.

Damages: 300-400 Rs. per head (approx)

Drop a mail to beingdesh@gmail.com, or tweet to @desh for any additional information.

p.s.: All items are 100% vegetarian. I am not liable for any health-related impacts. I will eat, what you will eat . Expect a bit of chaos in the market, it is very crowded.

Thanks tomy dear friend Dhairya Parikh for introducing me to this amazing place :).

December 11, 2012
Thali Memoirs and A Visit to Rajdhani

Honestly, I have slightly moved away from the Thali format (by Thali I mean the Unlimited Thali formats, representative of the scores of Marwari-Rajasthani-Gujarati style platters). My initial indulgence in Thalis was a result of petty bets on hogging more rather than any particular interest food. We took so much interest in wiping clean watis of aam-ras, popping those mini-puris and puran–polis, or having more servings of Khichdi-Kadhi than each other, that we hardly noticed the freakishly amazing array of flavors on offer.

But it helped that in the prime of my hogging days I was based in Ahmedabad, the capital of thalis in India. Slowly I was getting educated about a culinary tradition basic to Indian cooking and eating, the Thali. It took different meanings- from the thali eateries outside Baroda station which were a simple and affordable replacement for home cooked food, to the luxurious experiential dining at Vishala in Ahmedabad. One of my favorites was Pakvaan at Ahmedabad (Near Ellis Bridge), for me it stood for affordable luxury, especially in the cash-strapped days of engineering.

But then there was what most consider to be the Holy Grail of all Thalis, Govardhan Thaal, at SG Road, Ahmedabad. I remember sneaking past its 56 dish-written whiteboard on multiple occasions, just to be turned-off by the Rs. 120 price tag. I recall when Dad came to visit me and asked for a place where we could go out for Dinner, Govardhan was the place I chose. And I still remember that meal, from the rose-petal-water handwash, right to the rasmalai.

Times changed and once I came to Mumbai, Rajdhani at InOrbit, Malad gave me an opportunity to relive those Thali memories. Sometimes I feel Thali eating is more about an interesting company, you don’t get time to talk between that quick serving, but you can easily talk with your gestures, eye movements (about to pop-out in case you have had more than enough) and more often than not, a Burrp.

But then offlate my eating capacity has taken a dip, and the more I have explored food, the more I have started resisting thali. It has become very difficult for me to consume in high quantities, and also I need time and space to absorb a dish, both aesthetically and through my digestive system. Needless to say sometimes the Thali restaurants do come across as slightly intrusive, with their hands popping out of all directions with food, allowing little peace of mind.

So initially when I received this invite for Rajdhani, I was slightly tentative to go. But then I thought, let’s go, for all the great memories…

The Visit to Rajdhani

I will not talk much about the food on offer, because there are few people (Gaurav, Shirin, and Krytie) who have already talked about it. To be short I loved the starters (Patra and Vatana Pattice), then I was lost in the middle with lot of servings, and then regained some ground with the Kheer, a piece of Jalebi, and some Kadhi-Khichdi, and ending it all with a gorgeous Paan-Shot (I like the one served at Punjab Grill much more, guess they use an actual Paan). It’s not like I didn’t like the food, but somehow as I mentioned above I have moved away from the format. But that’s my perspective, a lot of people do love this format (like almost all the members in my entire family).

I think it is much more important to highlight the processes straight from sourcing to cooking, from serving fresh to developing a signature serving style, from expanding the concept from a single restaurant to a chain, and above all for serving fresh food, daily. So here are two things which stood out for me during my visit:

Serving FRESH food, daily: Most of the successful players in the business tend to be experts in minimizing wastage, reusing stuff and taking pains to source good quality stuff at minimizing wastage. And yes these are traits more important than having a wide menu, or a great ambience. If you are not getting what I am trying to explain, read something about the restaurant business like Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential, its all about minimizing wastage and keeping your costs in control. So a lot of places you go to actually don’t end up serving “FRESH” food, because it doesn’t make business sense (remember the times when you had so much Garlic in your Daal Tadka, or on a Sunday Brunch you had 2-3 types of Shredded Chicken Salads).

I love Rajdhani because it serves FRESHLY COOKED FOOD. You visit the kitchens and see limited quantities of a standardized menu being prepared, and you notice the limited cold storage, you know you are eating fresh stuff. And given the tough Industry this is, it is a big USP. And believe me it is a USP. It is one thing which makes Rajdhani food similar to food at home, along with the service which is full of Love (or as we do in India, with Ghee).

Check out this video of our Kitchen tour (and you can take one anytime during your visit to Rajdhani). Mr. Nair, the VP of Khandani Rajdhani, guides us through the cooking process, the techniques, and the history of Rajdhani.

Speaking the Language of Food: Goto any restaurant and you see people from all over India working as part of serving staff. But go to a Rajdhani and you will only see people from Rajasthan. Why? Simple, these are people who have grown on Daal Baati or a Gatte ka Sabzi, they will serve what they know. Plus these guys have developed their own code-language of communicating to cut down on service time. We got this small demo at Rajdhani.

The effort which the staff puts in serving is something unachievable in any other format, they know about the food, they contribute to its creation, and also create a new affectionate language around the same, and the feeling is communicated to its customers. I was reminded of this quote from the Italian movie Life is Beautiful.

You’re here serving, you’re not a servant. Serving is the supreme art. God is the first of servants. God serves men, but he’s not a servant to men.

Serving really is a supreme art at Rajdhani. (Although as I mentioned above I have moved away a bit from this format, still I appreciate the effort they put in their service).

The things which is commendable is that apart from achieving the above two, they have been able to replicate the model, and scale it to create a sustainable and a profitable business model out of it. On the sidelines of the visit when I was chatting with Mr. Nair, I recognized his love for Thali format and the cuisine, heard stories of his early days in business running Thali formats in Gujarat, and realized where all this love and affection in the staff comes from.

And he too like me, loves Govardhan Thaal and rates it as the best Thali Restaurant in India

I believe that if you are fond of Thalis, Rajdhani is a must visit place, for all its good service, and freshly prepared food. For people like me, I believe there is space in the market for a slightly slow-paced Thali restaurant.

Featured Image by Gaurav

Disclosure: Restaurant’s Public Relations agency covered all the expenses associated with the food tastings mentioned above. For more details refer my disclosure page.

September 23, 2012
Breakfast, Bagels and more at Grain & Bagel, Malad

For most of us the definition of the weekend means going southwards in the city to explore the various interesting treats the new cafes in Bandra have to offer. It was in one such place earlier this year that I was introduced to the concept of Bagels. But couple of weeks back, I got an opportunity to head northwards to Malad to learn more about Bagels.

After I moved from Andheri I have rarely been to Malad. But Malad is developing, with a string of residential and commercial complexes coming up, there is a visible need for interesting cafes and restaurants. Grain & Bagel is an attempt to tap into this market, currently dominated by elaborate food courts and restaurants in malls in the area.

The first thing which is noticeable is the approach to the cafe, it’s hidden somewhere between concrete towers behind Infiniti Mall. It might give you an impression of an office cafeteria from a distance but once you enter the place, you find an open, warm and welcoming place.

The location works to its advantage as it offers peace inside a corporate park, as compared to the roadside noise of numerous other cafes elsewhere in Mumbai. The interiors are spacious and open and they do have FREE WIFI! Now about the food.

Breakfast menu: Maggi, Eggs and Pancakes

From the time I checked up the menu I was most excited about the Mornay Maggi. The dish is reminiscent of some lovely cheesy Maggi you will end up having in a hill station Maggi-Momo shack. Maggi is prepared in a creamy cheddar cheese sauce and plated with some parsley on top. Be it the excitement of having Maggi after sometime or the simplicity of the preparation, it took us no time to gobble it up.

A breakfast place is almost inconceivable without the presence of eggs (neglecting the brilliance of South Indian Veggie joints). We ordered a couple of egg dishes- the Irani Omelette and Scrambled Eggs with Pesto. The Irani omelette was quite “normal”, something which I won’t feel like having in a nice café. But the Eggs with Pesto made my day, the dash of pesto in scrambled eggs just takes them to a lovable level. The eggs were garnished with bits of Feta and some fresh Parsley, but the sad piece of bread and hash-brown served with it could have been avoided, or presented in a better way.

We ordered the regular pancakes (with maple syrup) which were soft, fluffy and simply delicious. The best bit is that they have an eggless variant, hopefully equally tasty!

Bagels

I am still getting used to the taste of Bagels and its texture. Caramelwings enlightened me about how the dough is hand shaped, boiled and then baked to achieve a dense and rather chewy consistency of Bagels. Reema added that these Bagels represent the New York style of Bagel making, popularly served with a healthy spreading of Philadelphia cream cheese with some simple toppings. I am lucky to be in this awesome company!

We first tried the Veggie Bagel with a Rye Bagel with lots of fresh veggies, a garlic cream cheese spread and a schezwan sauce. Simple and I would assume I still need some Bagel education before I can comment on their quality.

Although I loved the Fluffy Scrambled Eggs with Chicken and Cheddar Bagel. It was plated with salad and I somehow feel that softer fillings rather than crunchier ones will suit me better, given the texture of Bagel.

The next step: Risotto and Spaghetti Bolognese

Thankfully I am much more informed when it comes to Risotto, the one we ordered with Mornay Risotto with Asparagus Tips. The dish looks simple yet elegant with Asparagus tips on top. Asparagus adds a crunchy and distinct element to an indeed well-done dish.

Spaghetti Bolognese was a bit of a disappointment with the lamb meat tasting rough and not smooth enough as expected. I was expecting meat to be soft, but it was of chewy consistency, something which disturbed the neatly done flavors of the sauce.

Desserts

We were served an assortment of desserts (Ganache, Mousse, Cupcake with amazing frosting) but I will talk about just one. Mandarin Pot De Crème was my favorite dish on the menu. As I heard the girls discussing its complex recipe with Chintan (one of the owners) I tasted the most amazing mix of Chocolate and Orange, which took me straight from the simple childhood delights of Amul Orange Chocolate to the complex world of orange reductions and cooked chocolates. Who cares, brilliant dessert!!! The best.

All in all Grains and Bagel was an interesting journey, I learned a lot about Bagels, scrambled through the remains of the delicious scrambled eggs with pesto, fell in love with the creamy Risotto and ended it all with the zest of Orange in Chocolate.

Definitely worth a visit, especially if you stay in the neighborhood of Malad.

I was accompanied by Ashrita, Amrita, and Reema for the review.

Disclosure: Restaurant’s owners covered all the expenses associated with the food tastings mentioned above. For more details refer my disclosure page.

September 11, 2012
App आये बहार आयी.

रविवार का था वोह दिन,
जब रह ना पा रहा था भोजन तकनीक के बिन.
यह दिन का हसने का, मिलने जुलने का,
संगणक और इन्टरनेट से बाहर निकल, हर व्यक्ति विशेष से मिलने का.

Nokia का नाम देख याद आयी मुझे उस प्रसिद्द नागिन की चाल,
सरलता और सुदृढ़ता के बल पर जिस Nokia ने किया था अपने दुश्मनों का बुरा हाल.
३२१०, ११००, २१०० और इ-७२ से जुडी वोह सुनहरी यादें,
Nokia की धुन की आड़ में पनपता प्रेम और कसमें वादें.

Nokia से ध्यान हटा तो दिखा एक मंच सुस्सजित एवं बड़ा,
एक तरफ था भारत का तकनिकी-गुरु, तो दूसरी ओर जूनून का प्रमुख-रसोईया था खड़ा.
इन दोनों में से किसी एक का पक्ष लेना तो था नामुमकिन,
एक फूल दो माली वाली थी समस्या एक हसीन.
एक तरह से अच्छा ही हुआ मुझे मंच पर नहीं बुलाया,
नहीं तो फूल तो क्या fool बना कर राजीव ने रहता मुझे सताया.

लाल सोमरस के प्यालो के साथ संध्या धीरे धीरे रही थी बढ़,
नशे के साथ तकीनीकी एवं पाककला का ज्ञान भी दिमाग पे रहा था चढ़.
समां भी बंध सा गया था, कुछ चेहरे थे जाने कुछ अनजाने,
ब्लॉग की दुनिया से निकल कर, आधे तो आये थे ताज के भोजन के बहाने.

फिर जैसे ही app आयी, आयी बहार,
Chaplin महोदय की चाल चलते विकास हो, या चित्रो में चेहरों का होता संहार.
मुझे पता है कुछ apps ऐसी हैं जिनमे बसी है मेरी जान,
क्योकि वोह मेरे दोनों शौक पूरे करे – भोजन और सामान्य ज्ञान.

फिर गरिष्ट भोजन, तस्वीरों और अच्छी बातो के साथ ख़तम हुई वोह शाम,
ज्यादा खा-पी लिया, अब सिर्फ आएगा Eno काम.

-अभिषेक ‘देसी’ देशपांडे

Nokia AppTasting और Indiblogger को मेरी तरफ से एक छोटी सी भेंट.

कृपया ध्यान दे:

Technology शब्द के लिए मैंने तकनीक का प्रयोग किया, मैं प्रौद्योगिकी और तकनीक के बीच झूल रहा था. भाषा में हुई किसी भी गलती के लिए माफ़ी चाहूँगा. इस बात पे मुझे हृषिदा की चुपके चुपके का एक संवाद याद आ गया:

भाषा अपने आप में इतनी महान होती हैं की कोई उसका मजाक उड़ा ही नहीं सकता.

Featured image by Shivani: निखिल, विकास, मैं और विकास में पूरी तरह खोयी हुई कन्यायें.

August 20, 2012
Discovering the passion for macaroons

In purely structural aspects Macaroons are reminiscent of cream filled biscuits one used to have as kids. It was fun to lick the cream off and then munch on the biscuits. Going by appearances one can also relate them to NanKhatais. But the first bite of it and one knows that Macaroons are way different from those childhood recollections. Those hard crumbly exteriors of Nankhatai have given way to the delicate texture of these baked confectioneries which are enhanced with appealing fillings.

The Passion Fruit Macaroon is the Saffron crusted one

(more…)

April 3, 2012