Some Irish grub and Amritsari Fish @ Blimey! (1 MG Road Mall, Bangalore)

If you’ve lived in Bangalore for the past year, chances are you have already heard of Blimey. Not the expression ‘Blimey!’ (I’m pretty sure no Irishman/women uses it these days) but Blimey the gastropub located at 1MG mall. They are pretty notorious for their packed to the kilt hilt Sunday brunches and the teeny boppers that frequent the place for sundowners. With the amazing view of Ulsoor lake from their terrace, coupled with some cool cocktails, Irish brews and grub – they have survived the one year mark. And that my friends, is an achievement in Bangalore, which has become ruthless in weeding out restaurants and pubs which don’t make the mark. So to celebrate their coming of age (yes, one is a good number), the gastropub has decided to update their menu with some cool new dishes. We went on a Monday to sample the old and the new and let you know what hits the spot. 

Dining in Style - Riwaz @ The Ritz-Carlton (Bangalore)

A New York style maven once said, ‘Style is a way of saying who you are, without having to speak’. In the matter of The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore, luxury seeps through every pore of its being! From the awe inspiring driveway, to the elegant and intricate jaali work, to the splashes of gold and the fire and stone décor – you just can’t escape it. Riwaz their North-West Frontier cuisine restaurant envelopes itself in this richness while somehow managing to still keep the décor modern. Chef Ramandeep Kukreja heads the culinary team at the restaurant and is clearly passionate about the cuisine. While I felt this type of cuisine was done to death in all the ‘North Indian’ restaurants in Bangalore, I still could not turn down an invite to sample the new menu at Riwaz. (They make a conscious effort to come out with something new every six months.) Why, some of the recipes are sourced from the chef’s own family and that gave me the necessary incentive to accept a dinner invitation on a weekday. 

Easy Drinking - Deva Wines (SDU Winery, Bangalore)

I am a food nerd – a sucker for little pieces of information, a gatherer of trivia and a lover of all things food and drink related. Which is why, I could not pass up an opportunity to visit the SDU vineyard and their boutique winery last week. I came away a little wiser and a whole lot more drunk than anticipated! If you are a wine snob or a wine connoisseur or have a serious interest in digging deep into the anvils of the universe of wine – this post might not intrigue you. But if you, like me, enjoy drinking wine and have always wondered if there was an easy way to unravel its mysteries, read on! 

The Nandi Valley appellation is considered by many to have the perfect conditions for growing wine grapes in India – a mixture of clay and red loam soil but with poor fertility. (Trvia 1: Poor fertility forces the vine to develop deep roots to dig for nutrition, which in turn contributes to a more concentrated flavor in the grapes). The two SDU vineyards call this picturesque location home and the winery is located close by. This boutique winery uses grapes solely from their vineyards for the production of their red and white wines. With a state-of-the-art facility, Italian machines and wine tanks that match international standards and renowned Italian winemaker, Andrea Valentinuzzi at the helm, the winery has launched their own wine brand “Deva” this year. Deva means divine in Sanskrit and epitomizes both the ‘Indianess’ of the wine as well as the simplicity they intend to portray.

Surprise at Linx (Premier Inn, Whitefield, Bangalore)

I work in Whitefield. And I can’t wait to get away from it and rush home for dinner. So it goes without saying, that the only places I’ve tried in Whitefield are lunchtime escapades. Even lunch is generally in my office food-court, except for those Friday team lunch days where we venture out into the vicinity, to check out the overpriced, overrated buffets that most restaurants offer! Me heading out to Premier Inn, for a Friday night dinner, surprised most of my colleagues. But I have to admit, that the person most surprised at the end of the meal was me! Honest, down-to-earth good food at a great price point. Can’t really fault that now can we?

Tandoori Chicken - without a Tandoor

I don’t make Tandoori Chicken at home. When you can order the same off the restaurant across the road, it somehow seems pointless. Especially because the restaurant boasts of a tandoor (clay oven) and I don’t. And I would be a fraud to make this at home and call it ‘tandoori’ chicken when in fact – there was no tandoor to make it in!

So after struggling with this notion and willfully desisting from even venturing in that direction – the co-resident broke all the rules. He was having a barbeque party and could I please marinate some chicken for it? Sure I said, ‘What marinade do you want?’ Tandoori marinade, he cooed.  *Gasp, splutter, shaking the head in disbelief and denial*. Why don’t you just buy it off *insert name of restaurant here*, I asked. Because for a barbeque party you need to barbeque, not buy stuff and besides it’s not like you will be grilling it, just marinating it, he insisted. Sigh… that logic was sound and I’m a true believer in good logic, but it was just working against me here!

So he went and bought the chicken and the rest of the ingredients and even proceeded to wash and clean the meat. He extracted the lemon juice and set aside all the masalas for the marinade. With no excuses left, I had to succumb. I felt strangely guilty – like I was going against my ‘Do not Do’ list! In the end, I did marinate it and the co-resident turned out a beautiful tandoori chicken sans tandoor. Maybe my guilt will be assuaged if I just call it chicken barbequed in Indian spices. But that sounds long and boring. So we’ll leave it as Tandoori Chicken and I’ll add a disclaimer.
 

Tandoori Chicken

Prep time: 15 mins

Marinating time: 4 hours or overnight

Cooking time: 20-25 mins

Serves 4

What you need:

6 Chicken pieces (combination of thigh and leg, about 1 Kg)

½ Lemon, juice of

100 ml thick Yoghurt (I use Nestle set curd)

3 Tbsp Double Cream

1 Tbsp Gram Flour

1 Tbsp Garlic paste

1 Tbsp Ginger paste

2 Tbsp Chilli Powder

1 tsp Coriander powder (dhaniya)

½ tsp Cumin Powder (Jeera)

½ tsp Garam Masala

½ tsp Turmeric powder

2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil for brushing

3 Tbsp melted Butter

Salt to taste

Orange-red food coloring (optional)

To serve:

1/2 Onion, sliced

1 Lemon

½ cup chopped Corainder leaves

What to do:

Make 2-3 small slits in each chicken piece and place in a large non-metallic bowl. Rub in the lemon juice with some salt, cover and chill in the refrigerator for 20 mins.

In a separate bowl whisk the yoghurt, cream and gram flour to a smooth paste. Add all the remaining ingredients except the butter and oil and mix thoroughly. (You can skip the food coloring if you wish. The chicken will take on a more muted yellow color). Marinate the chicken pieces in this mixture, making sure you rub in the marinade into the slits. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight. Return to room temperature before cooking.

Preheat the grill (or if you are using a coal barbeque – make sure it’s nice and hot). Brush the rack with oil. Using a tong, lift the chicken pieces out of the marinade and put on the hot grill. Cook for four minutes and turn over and cook for another four minutes. (Generally when the chicken lifts off the grill easily you know it’s time to turn it over). Baste the chicken with a bit of the reserved marinade and cook again for 2 minutes on each side.

Now, brush the chicken with the melted butter and cook for 5-6 mins, or until charred in patches. (Trust me, the charred bits are what give the tandoori chicken character). Turn over and repeat for a further 5-6 mins or till the juices run clear when a skewer is inserted into the thickest part of the meat.

Transfer the chicken to a dish and serve with wedges of lemon and the onion-coriander mix. A mint youghurt chutney is the ideal dip. You can even make an awesome tandoori chicken roll J

Chicken Ghee Roast (Warning - It's Red Hot!)

Why am I giving you a recipe for a crazy-red-hot dish in the middle of summer? Have I lost my bonkers (and my taste buds)? Ahem ahem… that was a nice opening spiel, don’t you think? Now, getting down to business. If you think about it – all the ‘hottest’ food in the world comes from the ‘hottest’ places. Mexico, Indonesia, Andhra Pradesh, Nagaland…all famous for foods that send you running, to pack your tongue with ice! Logically, you would expect these people to be sipping on watermelon juice and eating a cucumber salad and not trying to replicate the external temperature assault, internally! So why do they do it?

The wisdom of ages pours forth now (actually this is a result of being a closet trivia junkie!). Spicy food is your best bet to cool down. Capsaicin, the chemical in all spicy food is in cahoots with our central nervous system to help regulate the temperature in our body. It starts by increasing the blood circulation and dilating capillaries – resulting in more of a surface area to cool. And it also makes you sweat - which is a natural defense against overheating!

So this recipe is right where it belongs – in the middle of summer in a hot-hot country like India! I cheated and ate a cool mint raita with it, but you can be braver and go the whole hog. Happy Cooling down!

Chicken Ghee Roast

(Recipe from my Mum)

Prep time: 30 mins

Cooking time: 30 mins

Serves 3-4

What you need:

½ kg Chicken pieces

1 Tbsp Chilli Powder

½ Lime, juice of

½ tsp Salt

A pinch of Garam Masala

A pinch of Turmeric

2 Tbsp Ghee

10-15 Curry Leaves

¼ tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste

1 tsp Rock Salt

What to do:

Wash, drain and pat chicken dry. Make a marinade of chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric, salt and lime juice. (Do not use any water). Rub the marinade into the chicken well and keep aside for 30 mins. (The salt used for the marinade will ensure some water drains into the bowl).

Put the chicken pieces along with the marinade and into a pan/ bowl which can be used in a pressure cooker.  (We are pretty much steaming the chicken pieces, but ensuring the juices stay inside the bowl). Now close the lid and wait for the pressure to build up in the cooker. Put the whistle on now and cook the chicken for 12 minutes.

Wait till the cooker has cooled and remove the chicken from the bowl and save the marinade juices separately. (There should be about a glass of liquid).

In a pan, reduce the liquid down to ½ glass by boiling. We are concentrating the spice here.

In another pan/wok heat 2 Tbsp of Ghee, add in ginger-garlic paste and  curry leaves. Saute for a minute. Toss in the dry chicken pieces and sauté for 5 minutes. Lower the heat and add the reduced spice liquid to the chicken. Now raise the heat to medium and cook the chicken in the juices till you reach a semi dry consistency. (about 8 minutes).

Serve with some steamed rice and a nice raita or eat it as a starter with some cold beer!

Baingan Bharta (Indian Spiced Aubergine/ Eggplant Mash)

Baingan Bharta is something that I was introduced to seven years ago. (Basically, ever since I started working and it was de rigueur to have lunch in the office cafeteria!). The cafeteria food sucked. And day after day it was pure torture to let the undercooked, over spiced, all-round-sad food enter our mouths. I could have opted to take a lunchbox from home, but it was just too much work in the morning. (Besides, in those days I thought I was too cool for a lunch box!). So it was almost a godsend when a little Dhaba (highway or roadside restaurant; very popular in the North of India) opened up next to office. This was run by a Punjabi family who served home style meals at a modest price. (Which suited our pockets just fine!). They had a fixed menu written on a black board everyday and fixed quantities that would run out if you reached later than 1:30 pm. So we religiously moved our lunch break to 12:30pm and ensured we got the pick of the loot. He made Baingan Bharta every Tuesday and every North Indian worth their salt would be queued up to order it. I thought it looked pedestrian really – bowl of red-yellow mash of aubergines. Give me my Matar Paneer anyday! Then it happened eventually…one day I was forced to order the Baigan Bharta because the Paneer ran out. And the rest as they say is history!

I love the smokey flavor of the aubergine and the tang of the tomato. Someone really worked on getting the ingredient combo right! Every region or house in India has their own secret recipe for Banigan Bharta so I can’t really claim that this is the best or the most authentic. But my dear cook Kumudh has churned this out atleast once every week for the past three years – so rest assured that it’s good. (I had to beg her for the recipe and only after telling her that it’s going to go on the ‘Computer’ did she allow it). So all credit to Kumudh for this one – she monitored me like a hawk when I made it!
 

Baingan Bharta

(Recipe from my cook Kumudh)

Prep time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 20 mins

Serves 4

What you need:

1 Med-Large Purple Aubergine/ Eggplant/ Baingan

1 large Onion, chopped

2 Med Tomatoes, chopped

2 Green Chillies, chopped

1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste

½ tsp Cumin seeds (Jeera)

3 Tbsp Oil

1 tsp Chilli Powder

1 tsp Coriander Powder (dhaniya powder)

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves to garnish

What to do:

Wash and dry the Aubergine (Baingan). Make 4 vertical slits in the skin and prick the rest with a fork. (Keep the stem on, it will help in holding and moving the aubergine around). Now place the aubergine on a grill rack on an open flame. (I use the flame from my gas stove). If you have a charcoal grill – that will work as well and add a more smokey dimension to aubergine. Keep turning periodically to ensure all parts of the aubergine come in contact with the flame. The objective is to get the pulp inside nice and soft. The outer skin will start flaking and charring. (That’s the point!). When liquid/ moisture starts oozing out of the eggplant, you know that it’s starting to cook. (But not cooked yet…) You know that it’s done when it feels soft to touch in all areas and you can slide a knife in, without any resistance.

Now take off the flame and remove the charred skin with a bread knife. It will come off easily. For the stubborn parts that are still stuck to the pulp, just wash the aubergine under the tap to ensure its clean. Take the stem off and mash the aubergine to a pulp with a fork. If it was cooked well, it will give in easily.

Now for the easy part. Heat the oil in a kadai (wok) and toss in the cumin seeds. Add the ginger-garlic paste and chillies and fry for a few seconds. Now add the chopped onions in. (Sprinkle a pinch of salt to ensure it fries faster). Saute for 5 mins or till the onion starts turning brown. Add coriander and chilli powder and sauté for 2 mins.

Now add the chopped tomatoes, stir and close with a lid. Keep it on for 5 mins or till the oil starts separating from the mixture. (I peaked once or twice to check that it’s not burning – I don’t have the confidence of my cook!)

Now all we need to do is mix the aubergine mash with the mixture on the stove. Saute for a minute till it looks well blended. Check the seasoning. Take off the stove, garnish with some chopped coriander leaves and enjoy with hot rotis.

Chingri Malai Curry (Bengali Prawn and Coconut Curry)

Bengali food resonates with me on a deeper level even though I’m a pucca Southie. Maybe it’s the rice that bonds us (Bengali’s also eat rice with every meal!), or maybe my love for rosogullas and rasamalai’s have sweetened me towards them, or maybe it’s the fact that half the employees in my ex-company were Bengali! For whatever reason, I love Bengali food.

The one thing that I always order in a Bengali restaurant (apart from their gorgeous desserts) is Chingri Malai Curry. Chingri means Prawns and Coconut is used as the base in this curry to give it the quintessential creaminess. This is the mecca of what a curry should taste like for me – Rich, spicy-sweet and comforting. There is this little Bengali restaurant in Indiranagar that serves this curry in a Tender Coconut with the tail of the Prawn sticking out. Just seeing it makes my heat beat faster! The curry also has pieces of tender coconut in it that I love nibbling on. Though I don’t think that’s really the authentic way – but when it’s that yummy who cares right?  

I found this recipe on Hamaree Rasoi. And I know Deepashri Deb can only turn out an authentic curry - being Bengali and all… ;) I increased the amount of coconut milk and added a chilli for a bit of heat. Also please use fresh pressed coconut milk. The Dabur Homemade one just dosen’t cut it here. The flavor with fresh pressed coconut milk elevates this dish to the status it truly deserves. So here’s some Chingri Malai Curry for you. Eat it with some hot fluffy rice to find yourself floating in food heaven!

Chingri Malai Curry

(Recipe adapted from Hamaree Rasoi)

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 35 mins

Serves 4

What you need:

500 gms Prawns, de-veined (medium to large, leave their tails on for more drama)

2 Onions, ground to a paste

1 Green Chilli, slit

400 ml Coconut Milk (Thick and thin Press)

1 ½ Tbsp Garlic Paste

1 Tbsp julienned Ginger

2 Bay Leaves

2 Cardamoms

1 inch stick of Cinnamon

3 Cloves

1 tsp Chilli Powder (use the Lal Mirch for extra colour and less heat)

½ tsp Turmeric Powder

1 tsp Dhaniya Powder (Coriander Powder)

A Pinch of Sugar

2 Tbsp Ghee

3 Tbsp Mustard Oil/ vegetable Oil

¾ cup Water

For the Marinade:

½ tsp Lemon Juice

A pinch of turmeric

Salt to taste

What to do:

Soak the whole spices in 2 tbsp of water and keep aside. (this is to ensure they don’t burn in the oil).

Grind the onions to a paste and set aside. This is step one, because the water will start to release from the onions which you need to discard. Squeeze the onion paste to release any residual water and set aside.

Wash the prawns and marinate them for 15 mins with the lemon juice, turmeric and salt. Heat the Ghee in the pan and fry the prawns for a quick 10 seconds just to get some colour on them. (Do not fry them for long as it will turn rubbery. We are going to finish cooking them later in the curry). Keep them aside.

Now add the mustard oil to the ghee and wait till it gets hot. Add in the whole spices (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves) and saute. Now add the garlic paste and the ginger and fry for a couple of mins till the garlic starts turning brown. Add the slit green chilli and the semi dry onion paste and give it a good stir. Cover with a lid for one minute. The onion paste will start to brown. Now keep an eye on it and keep stirring vigourously. If it starts to stick to the bottom of the pan add in a Tbsp of water. Continue this process till the onions are nice and rich brown but not burnt.

Now add in the coriander powder, turmeric, chilli powder, salt and sugar and sauté well. Cook this mixture till the oil starts to separate from it/ rises to the top. (5-7 mins)

Add in ¾ cup of water here and reduce the flame. Add in the thin press coconut milk first. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce then reduce to a simmer. Add Prawns now and cover and cook for another 3-4 mins. Now add the thick press coconut milk. Stir and just heat through.

Garnish it with a wedge of lemon and some coriander leaves. Of course hot steamed rice is the best accompaniment.

Signature Tasting Menu @ Peshawari Tandoor by Turquoise (Koramangala, Bangalore)

I have eaten at Turquoise and Peshawari Tandoor a couple of times and have always enjoyed their food. The restaurant plates their food beautifully and after seeing some pictures of the Sunday brunch captured by my fellow foodie Harsha (of the FB group Bakasura) I had to go and get click crazy! The reason I haven’t written about it for so long (almost a year!) has been two fold (a) My forgetfulness – which includes leaving the camera at home and (b) the low ‘mood’ lighting in their Indian restaurant. (It’s done up with multi-hued ceiling to floor chandeliers!). Mood lighting encourages romance but does NOT a good picture make!

So I happily trumped in on Sunday with my camera and my friend Shwe in tow – expecting to go photo crazy on their buffet table. Unfortunately, they informed me that the Sunday brunch has now been stopped L (Lesson learned for being a procrastinator!). Luckily they had a Signature Tasting Menu of all their best dishes and we were more than happy to sample the same. And the best part – they were going to serve each dish at the table, so I could relax and let the party come to me!

I made two small requests – firstly, can we be seated at their sunlight restaurant on the 2^nd floor? and secondly, I wanted a seat next to the large window. Since I mostly eat out at night, I was not going to pass up the opportunity of clicking pictures in daylight! Now that we got the basics of a good lunch in place (I’m a food blogger… what do you expect?), we settled down to be entertained.
 

They serve a complimentary glass of red/ white wine with the tasting menu. I ordered a Grovers Chenic Blanc and Shwe decided to be content with a Lemon-Soda. The Lime-Soda was apparently perfect. (She really forced me to write this!).

Our first starter was a Dahi Ke kebab which came shaped in the form of a heart! Since Shwe and me are Chaddi buddies, this ‘romantic starter’ had us giggling like schoolgirls. (Inside jokes :P) I liked the subtle flavor punctuated by a hit of fresh green chilli and cardamom. However Shwe (who’s not a fan of elaichi) wished that there wasn’t any!  

Next the Murg Gilafi Kebab and the Peshawari Paneer Tikka arrived. The Gilafi Kebab was fascinating to look at – red and green peeking out of the chicken sheek. I don’t think I’ve seen peppers being used in a sheek before, but this one made a pretty picture. The Peshawari Paneer was coated with a light spice paste and grilled. The owner informed us that they make the Paneer in-house with Buffalo milk. No wonder it was nice and soft! 

The Kumbh Khazana which is mushroom stuffed with creamed spinach and grilled was something the vegetarians will be happy about. Or maybe I’m biased because I love mushrooms in any form. The Galawati Kebab was fantastic. Super silky spiced mince served over a special paratha soaked in ghee. Decandent? Well obviously!  

This was my favorite starter of the day – the Barra Kebab. Lamb Chops in a spicy marinade chargrilled to perfection. We started to attack it with our fancy forks and knives when the owner stopped us midway. ‘The only way to fully enjoy this is with your hands’, he said. Who are we to argue – we dug in with abandon! I could have eaten many more of this but I knew we had something special coming along for main course.

Nalli Ka Salan! The sheer beauty of seeing slow cooked lamb shanks standing proud in a thick, creamy, fatty, gravy is enough to give me the shivers! And this one din’t disappoint. It was served with a Khameeri Roti. Shwe commented that it was like a version of Pita bread – you could definitely smell the yeast. Both made good lunch companions J.

Peshawri  (or North-West frontier cuisine) is famous for it’s Dal Bhukhara. Now ITC has almost single handedly raised this dish to iconic status. Dal Bukhara is a medley of lentils cooked overnight to achieve an almost homogenous effect, finished with tomato paste and dollops of butter and cream. (Though I think the last two ingredients are recent additions in the restaurant business). Shwe who’s not really a black dal fan, actually enjoyed this one. I on the other hand have always been a fan of this one and couldn’t stop loading my plate.  

Of course the meal cannot be complete without a Dum Biryani and Salan. We got ours served hot at the table where they slowly cut into the dough to reveal the glistening strands of saffron and white rice. The aroma hits you in the face and then all you can do is grind your teeth to avoid yanking the dish from the waiter and start stuffing your face. The meat was cooked beautifully but what rocked the biryani into the stratosphere was the Burani Raita. It was sweet and spicy and creamy and yummy! We begged the owner for the recipe. (We are now proud owners of the same – though I have a nagging doubt that he didn’t fully reveal the ‘secret’ of how the raita gets a faint caramelized taste!) 

I was already stuffed. When the starters arrived I was actually disappointed that it was just one piece each. (Ok, Ok, the idea of a tasting menu is lost on me most of the time!). But I’m glad they restricted it, because there is a big risk of getting stuck on the starters and not even getting to the main course - which for me is a must try.

A trio of desserts arrived. The most awaited but the least impressive was the Qubani ka Meetha. I may be judging harshly but I would have much preferred it with a simple dollop of malai rather than the elaborate Rabdi they served it with. Too much sweet can actually be difficult to stomach. The Baklava on the other hand was just right – flaky pastry brushed with clarified butter encasing yummy crushed pistachios. (The owners wife makes these herself). The best of the three was the Badshahi Malai Kulfi. OMG yum! Best kulfi I’ve had in a long time. Period.

Koramamgala is a place that’s teeming with new players in the food space everyday. There is no dearth for novelty here – from Persian to Naga cuisine. And people love new and shiny things – fact. It’s sad to see, that a restaurant with such good food like Peshawari Tandoor, still needs to fight to retain its place in the spotlight. Will novelty or good taste win? – Let’s hope sense prevails and it’s the latter!

PESHAWARI TANDOOR

2^nd and 3^rd Floor,

#9, 1^st A Main Road,

(Near Sukh Sagar)

5^th Block, Koramangala,

Bengaluru

Ph: +91 97399 42912/ 080 65776588

Cost: Rs.1150/- plus taxes for the signature tasting menu. Rs. 1400/- excld taxes, for a meal for two (without alcohol)

Parking: Valet Available

Chicken Chops Masala - Like Mumma makes

My horoscope this weekend prophesized that I would take a long drive and even have a picnic. Boy was I skeptical! I hardly get my a** out of bed earlier than noon on a Sunday, so I was pitting my practiced laziness against the schemes of the universe. We went out for a party on Saturday night and like with all parties came home in a more than happy daze and flopped into bed. I challenged the universe to beat the combo of my hangover + laziness!

I got a call at 9:00 AM in the morning… groan. I rolled over and half blinking looked at the screen. It was my sister. I picked up the call, knowing that leaving it unanswered would just lead to a barrage of calls until I wished the phone would self destruct. Would I please drop her to her exam center? – she had to take an MBA admission test. Since I was the one who goaded her to apply, I had to give in. I didn’t even have time to get breakfast in. Drove like a maniac and picked her and my mom up. Then we started the long drive to Electronic city. Wait…Did I just say long drive? Aaargh… part one of horoscope rebelling – fail!

Reached the spot and quickly wished her luck, while she ran in to write her exam. Mom and I decided to wait for her to finish, so we were loitering around and checking out the campus. My stomach was literally grumbling now. Mom smiled and said she had a surprise for me. She had packed some lunch because she knew I wouldn’t have time to eat at home! She unpacked a basket to reveal my favorite Chicken Curry, steamed rice, fruit and a plate, forks and water! I literally had a picnic in the park. The universe had won!

P.S. This recipe below is mom’s brilliant Karnataka Style Chicken Chops Masala which is best eaten with Ragi Balls or Mudde. I however love it with my white rice or Ghee Rice!

Chicken Chops Masala

Cooking time: 45 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:

½ kg Chicken, with bones

1 big Onion (1/2 sliced and ½ chopped)
4-6 Green Chillies

1 Tbsp Coriander/ Dhaniya Powder

1 ½ tsp Pepper powder

½ tsp Turmeric Powder

15 pods Garlic

¼ inch fresh root Ginger

1 small Tomato, quartered

1/3 cup Grated Coconut/ 2x2 inch fresh Coconut

1 bunch Coriander leaves

2 Tbsp Oil

1 Tbsp Ghee

Salt to taste

Garinsh:

1 boiled Egg

What to do:

1.    In a hot pan, add ½ Tbsp Oil. Fry the ½ chopped Onion with Chillies. Remove and grind with ginger and garlic to make a paste. Keep aside.

2.    Grind the coconut finely with ½ glass of water. Keep aside.

3.    Grind the coriander coarsely and set aside.

In a heavy bottomed pressure cooker pan, heat the remaining oil with the ghee. Add the sliced onion and sauté till light brown. Add the paste in step 1 and sauté well. Add in turmeric, Dhaniya and pepper powders – fry for 3-4 mins but do not brown. Now add in the chicken pieces and fry well for 5 mins.

Now add the tomato pieces and sauté well, scraping the sides of the pan to release the masala. Now add in the coriander and coconut pastes and mix well. Fry for 2 more mins. Now add 1 ½ glass water and let it come to a boil.

Close the lid and wait for the pressure to build. Now, pressure cook the chicken for 15 mins on medium flame. Turn off the stove. Wait for the steam to settle down for 10 mins and then garnish with a hardboiled egg. Serve with Ragi Mudde or hot steamed rice. Bliss.

PanchPhoran Dal (Five Spice Lentils) - Comfort food at it's Best!

I know I’ve said many times that making regular dal and rice bores me. That dosen’t mean I don’t make it. No week is complete without Dal being made atleast twice. It’s what we grew up on and it’s what I crave when I come back from a long trip to unfamiliar places. Eating dal and rice with a veggie on the side and a smattering of pickle is nothing short of a homecoming! The fact that it’s such a commoner on the dinner table and gets made so often, I’ve actually never written down a recipe for dal. So this was my first attempt at documenting the precise quantities. I kept a little sheet of paper next to me and kept jotting down what I threw into the pan. Now I finally have a dal recipe that I can pass to the co-resident and ask him to attempt it when am too bored to move a muscle J We use mustard seeds and curry leaves to temper the dal. However, this one uses a five spice mix called Panchphoran that is unique to the eastern parts of India – West Bengal and Orissa. The mix is equal parts of brown mustard seeds, Nigella (kalonji/ onion) seeds, fenugreek (methi) seeds, cumin (jeera) seeds and fennel (saunf) seeds. This totally rocks the Dal into a different universe. I almost feel like I’m eating super sattvic temple food …God bless the humble Dal!

Panchphoran Dal

Prep time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 30 mins

Serves: 2

What you need:

¾ cup Toor/ Masoor/ Moong Dal/ Lentils

2 ½ + 1 cup Water

1 Tomato

½ tsp Turmeric powder

¼ tsp Oil

3 Tbsp Ghee

½ Onion, chopped

2 Green Chillies, slit lengthways

1 dried Red Chiili, broken into two

1 tsp Panchphoran mix

4 Garlic cloves

1 tsp Salt

15 Curry leaves

2 Tbsp Chopped Coriander leaves to garnish

PanchPhoran Mix (store in an airtight container):

2 tsp Brown Mustard Seeds

2 tsp Fennel (Saunf) seeds

2 tsp Nigella (onion/ kalonji) seeds

2 tsp Cumin (jeera) seeds

2 tsp Fenugreek (methi) seeds

What to do:

Wash the dal and if possible soak in water for 20 mins. Drain and put the same in a pressure cooker. Top with 2 ½ cups of water, turmeric powder, oil, salt, slit green chillies and the chopped tomato. Wait till the water starts bubbling, then close the cooker lid and wait for the pressure to build. Now put the weight on and pressure cook for 20 mins. Remove off the heat, wait for the pressure to come down. Now open the lid and mash the dal well with the chilli and tomato. Mix the dal with 1 cup of water and keep aside.

Heat some ghee in a kadai. On medium heat, add the onion and a pinch of salt and stir till onion is soft. Toss in the red chilli, minced/smashed garlic and the panchphoran mix and saute for 2 more mins. Finally add the curry leaves and wait till they just start to fry. This is your tempering / takda.

Now pour in the dal and mix well. Let the dal simmer on the stove for 5-7 mins to thicken up a bit and incorporate the flavours of the tadka. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with fluffy hot rice and pickle. J J J