CaLDRON February 2014 - Valentine's Day Special

CaLdron

Feb 2014

Monthly Blogazine

there’s always something cooking

COOKING
with wine

Page 28

24
romantic
recipes

Reviews

Sevilla, The Claridges
Zerruco by Zilli
Cafe Uno
Pondicherry Cafe
Emperor's Court
JW Marriott, Mumbai

Kitchen Kin
Aditya Bal

Roaming Rover in
Clark's Amer, Jaipur

Spirit-ual

24 food and drink recipes,
Including recipes from chefs,
readers and loads more to read
as always.

Guardians of Exquisite
CaLDRON February 2014

1

YOUR TAKE ON

Valentine’s Day Menus
We asked Chef at Large members if the largely media and industry driven perception,
that food related to Valentine's Day ought to be red or pink. We also asked if most special
menus should be advertised as containing cliched aphrodisiacs such as chocolate, chilies
and vanilla. The results were overwhelmingly negative and appear to hold lessons for some
of us. A whopping 71% said they didn't care for the red and pink advertising or food,
while a relatively smaller 21 % said they did.

Yes

No

Original question: Do you think Valentine's Day food should be largely red/pink in color and contain
cliched aphrodisiacs like chocolate, chilies and vanilla?
Respondents: Ninety Eight (98)
Link to Poll: http://bit.ly/cal-valentinesday-poll
2


EDITORIAL & CREDITS

We're reaching out faster than we thought, with the last issue too
raking in over 100,000 reads, which sounds like we ought to be
aiming at a million plus in the course of the coming year. Keep
your fingers crossed folks.
You'll find this issue to include recipes from international chefs,
which brings in a new level of education for us in terms of exposure to different
cultures. We also have an awesome chef and person in Ranveer Brar, from Boston,
USA who kindly consented to answer our readers' questions.
Especially heartwarming this month, were the stories and recipes sent in, about the
first dish cooked by readers for their partners. If you have a similar story to share,
please do write in.
For February, we showcased the legendary fare from Matia Mahal, the street food
destination opposite Jama Masjid in New Delhi as well as explored an interesting
format in the piece on plant based milk, which by the way, was new to me. Had
you heard of it before? Also, watch out for the little hearts on some restaurant
reviews and recipes. That means, they're recommended for your Valentine's Day
dinner.

The Chef at Large Team
MANAGING EDITOR
SID KHULLAR (Delhi/NCR)
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
NATASHA ALI (Bangalore)
CONSULTING EDITOR
VINITA BHATIA (Mumbai)
EVENTS EDITOR
PARUL PRATAP SHIRAZI (Delhi/NCR)
RECIPE CURATOR
NADEEM KHAN
SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS
SANDEEP SRINIVASA (Coffee)
JASWINDER SINGH (Wine & Spirits)
SPECIAL PROJECTS
RITUPARNA MUKERJI
SHRUTI ARORA
CHARIS ALFRED BHAGIANTHAN

As always, please do keep writing in. Your comments and suggestions keep us going
and help us improve.
Stay well.
Sid
CHEF AT LARGE WEBSITE
http://chefatlarge.in

JOIN THE CHATTER ON OUR FACEBOOK GROUP
https://www.facebook.com/groups/chefatlarge/

DOWNLOAD THE ANDROID APP
http://bit.ly/calandroidapp

STAY INFORMED WITH OUR FACEBOOK PAGE
https://www.facebook.com/chefatlarge.in

MAIL THE EDITOR AT
editor@chefatlarge.in

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
http://twitter.com/yourchefatlarge
SEND US A PRESS RELEASE OR EVENT LISTING
listings@chefatlarge.in

OTHER CREDITS
Cover photo courtesy:
Michael Swamy

Photo Relief pictures:
Sid Khullar
All other recipe photos used are from the
sources mentioned in the article.

CONTRIBUTORS

Alka Keswani, Chef Audrey Pravata
(Maybury), Chef Gurpreet Singh (Punjab
Grill), Chef Johnson Manjooran (Rainbow Steakhouse), Chef Michael Swamy,
Chef Ranveer Brar (BanQ), Chef Sandeep
Pande (Renaissance Mumbai Convention
Centre), Chef Vicky Ratnani (Aurus),
Dhanya Samuel, Dr. Manisha Sharma,
Grey Goose Vodka, Hrishikesh Thakkar,
Karen C. Le Calvez, Karishma Pais-Kim,
McCain Foods India, Minnie Gupta,
Mohammed Shadab Ansari, Niti Agni,
Priya Shiva, Shirisha Sharma, Shobha
Keshwani, Tassy Gillitwala.


3

Valentine's Cupcakes, by Maybury, Dubai

CONTENTS
4


CONTENTS
Snippets
Poll: Your Take on cliched Valentine's Day food, 2
Born this Month: Paul Bocuse, 6
Mailbox, 7
Ask the Experts, 80
Featured Members, 99
Listings - National and International, 100
Reviews
A Touch of Spain at Sevilla, 8
Zerruco by Zilli: Elegant Simplicity, 12
Daawat-e-Awadh at Cafe Uno, 14
Patriotic Indulgence at Pondicherry Cafe, 16
Chi De Kãixin, 18
Wah Wazwan!, 20
Specials
In Wine There's Truth, 28
Hearty Dishes for a Chilly Winter, 42
Photo Feature: Roadside Culinary Heaven, Matia Mahal
Food Fads
Instant Gratification at Your Fingertips, 34
Vikas Mittal, MD, McCain Foods India, 38
Flavors of India
Food, Religion and Tranquility, 40

Recipes

Salad with White Wine Dressing, 30
Pan Grilled Scallops in White Wine Sauce, 31
Muddled Seasonal Fruits, 32
McCain Potato Wrap, 35
Penne with Creamy Chicken, Mushrooms and
Broccoli, 36
Kaale Gaajar ki Kanji, 43
Chukunder ke Kebab, 44
Kharode ka Shorba, 46
Punjab Grill Deg Hot Pot, 48
Gurh wale Chawal, 50
Seyun Patata, 53
Manglorean Sweet Pulao, 54
Mor Kachiyatu, 55
Paneer Makhani, 56
Dal Fry, 57
Strawberry Cupcakes, 58
Srikhand, 59
Gulab Jamun, 59
Lobster Bisque, 67
Salmon en Croute, 68
Butter Fried Scampi, 78

Mix Up

Parfait Amour, 61
French Tiramisu, 62
South of France, 63

Valentine's Day Specials
Love Bites, 52
Mixup - L'Amore, 60
A Feast Called Love, 66
Point Blank and Counter Point
Critiquing the Critics, 70
Food Bloggers are a Media in Themselves, 72
Face Off
Yogurt from Plant Milk
Kitchen Kin
Aditya Bal: We can't Fathom Molecular Gastronomy in
Indian Cuisine, 76
Spirit-ual
The Guardians of Exquisite, 64
Roaming Rover
Clark's Amer Jaipur: Service with a Sigh, 24

5

BORN THIS MONTH

Paul Bocuse (born February 11, 1926) is a French chef based in Lyon who is famous
for the high quality of his restaurants and his innovative approaches to cuisine. He is
one of the most prominent chefs associated with the nouvelle cuisine, which is less opulent and calorific than the traditional cuisine classique, and stresses the importance of
fresh ingredients of the highest quality. The recipient of numerous awards, including the
prestigious Commandeur de la Légion d'honneur, Paul Bocuse runs multiple restaurants, including a Three Star Michelin establishment.
Information courtesy: Wikipedia, Photo Courtesy: Wikipedia

6


MAILBOX
I saw the January 2014 issue of CaLDRON
and the moment I saw the cover, I wanted
to read it in hard copy form with a nice cup
of coffee, snuggled in a quilt. I hope that will
come to pass soon.
- Priyanka Mitra, New Delhi
Congratulations to the entire Chef at Large
team for the December 2013 edition of CaLDRON magazine. I loved it. It has superb
topics and fantastic photography! It is more
like a journey rather than just flipping or
going through an e-magazine! Kudos and
well done!
- Anamika Singh
Founder, Anandini Himalaya Tea
I went through the December 2013 issue of
CaLDRON e-magazine. It looks good and
appealing. But you might want to consider
making it shorter than its current 100 pages
avatar.
- Homiyar Sachinwalla, Mumbai

and the quality of the whole thing! Kudos,
Siddharth and the rest of the team, I can’t
stop exclaiming in delight!
- Ayeda Ravindran, Bangalore

Letter of the Month
CaLDRON is a super duper magazine. It will
be a lovely read. Where do I collect a copy
Thank you so much for the information on
from?
Chinese cooking and teas in the last edition
- Anu Gupta, Gurgaon
of CaLDRON magazine. I have developed
a liking for Chinese teas now. The best ones
The December 2013 issue is one of the best
issues of CaLDRON so far. What a fabulous are the one I get from Fujian Province,
which grows the finest Chinese tea. - Nitin
spread of Chinese food! Keep up the good
Anand, New Delhi
work!
- Rhea Mitra-Dalal, Mumbai
I saw CaLDRON’s December issue online.
Where can I get this magazine?
- Jeanette Lartius, Bangalore

Click of the Month

I have been reading CaLDRON since its first
issue and I have seen a marked improvement
in the quality of its articles and its layout.
I showed it to some of my colleagues in
I am a fan of CaLDRON. You guys have
Bahrain and they were surprised that such a
done an absolutely fantastic job and photos
beautiful magazine was created by a group
are speechless!
of passionate food lovers rather than a media
- Sarandeep Singh, Gurgaon
company. In fact, a few of them immediately
subscribed to the online edition within a
The December 2013 issue of CaLDRON mag- week.
azine is a foodies’ absolute delight! I intend to
read it page by page, savoring each topic. It
I look forward to reading the future issues of
is my treat for the holidays! Great going, Sid CaLDRON magazine. More power to you the Seen here, Chef at Large group member,
Sailesh Mehra, reading the December issue,
Khullar and team.
Chef at Large team.
after having taken a printout of the whole
- Ruchi Airen, New York
- Mala Javeri, Bahrain
e-zine. Thank you Sailesh!

Thank you for the lovely article that you
created about me.
- Chef Ajay Chopra
The Westin Mumbai Garden City

I love reading CaLDRON during breaks at
work. It is nice to finally see a magazine on
food and drinks, because I think there is none
in India right now. And this is such a visually
pleasing magazine too. But over the past
I read the December issue of CaLDRON for two issues, I noticed one thing. The magazine
the first time and really loved it! Where can I has a lot for meat lovers, but very little for
find older issues? I want to read those too.
vegetarians. Can you keep a balance between
- Anandi Iyer, Mumbai
these two, especially when it comes to your
recipes? I am sure many folks like me will
The December 2013 CaLDRON issue is such appreciate CaLDRON more, if you do so.
a super edition! This is the first I have read,
- Shivani Gupta, Kolkata
and I am amazed at the production quality

We are always interested in knowing what you think
about CaLDRON. Complaints, compliments, censure –
go right ahead and email us your opinions at editor@
chefatlarge.in. Missed reading the earlier issues of
CaLDRON magazine? They're all on this link http://chefatlarge.in/caldron-issues/. Receive notifications of future
issues, by filling in the the subscribe box on the website.

7

REVIEWS - DELHI

S

Genestra chose spend his vacations
at Sevilla. Born in Inca, Majorca in
evilla at The Claridges re1983, Chef Andreu started his culiminds one of mountainnary career washing at an Iberostar
side homes in faraway places like
Hotel and at 16, he already knew he
Chakrata near Kalimpong, where
wanted to be a chef. After studying
pretty, white wooden homes dot the
at the Hotel School of the University
rocky sides of the Himalayas. I preof the Balearic Islands, he landed a
fer it at night with the fairy lights,
stint at Ferran Adrià’s Bulli in 2008
the cobblestone walkway and the
and 2009. Today he has own restaucoves of 2-3 tables set at levels, with
rant, Andreu Genestra in the Hotel
a clear view of the stone oven, the
Predi Son Jaumell in Capdepera,
bar and the general camaraderie of
Majorca.
those eating alfresco.
The menu is typically Mediterranean
Food, Indians and
with strong Spanish influences, so
Tasting Menus
it was no wonder that Chef Andreu
Chef Andreu speaks about
food in a Spanish-tinted
accent and gets quite passionate about his ideas and
dishes! He rightly pointed
out that Indians aren’t too
For a Spanish style meal in a rarefied keen on tasting menus and
atmosphere, head to Sevilla at The watch price points closely,
Claridges. It’s unlikely you will regret while in Europe it’s quite
common to enjoy a tastit.
ing menu when one tries
a restaurant for the first
time.

a touch
of
spain at

SEVILLA!
8

further fortified with slices of truffle.
I enjoyed the earthiness of the broth,
the sudden spice of the Chorizo
with the break in flavour from the
cooling goat cheese. Having eaten
Catalonian and Andalusian cuisine,
this touch of Italian to the meal was
welcome.
Then came the Andreu version of
Risotto, the ‘Arroz de coco, buey de
mar, anchoa y limón negro Kuwaity’
(1995), which is coconut rice with
crab, anchovy and Kuwait black
lemon. This was a wonderful dish
with fluffy, coconut rice cooked in
crab broth, flavoured with anchovy
paste and served with black lemon
jam on the side. I loved how well
the enormous pieces of crabmeat
were cooked, almost woody roasted
and propped prettily over the white,
creamy, rice.

Since the portions are so well dictated, we had plenty of space for the
main course of ‘Cochinillo confitado, patató a la sal con espuma de
tomate seco’ (1,895); suckling pig
roasted potato in salt and dried toI was more than happy
mato foam. This traditional version
with a tasting menu, which of suckling pig with a modern preconsisted handpicked
sentation of accompanying wrinkled
courses from his extenpotatoes with a dried tomato foam
sive menu for Sevilla. We and onion juice concentrate was a
started with the ‘Sopas
revelation and I found it be a dish
Mallorquinas De Invierno worthy of inclusion in my Top 10 of
2013’, ‘Gnoquis De Queso 2014!
De Cabra, Panceta Confitada y Trufa Negra (895), We finished the food courses with
‘Mallorquin 2013’ – winter ‘Lubina salvaje a la mallorquina
soup, goat cheese gnocchi, con parmentier de piñones y setas’
bacon confit and black
(2,295); sea bass with Mallorcan
truffle. This was a dewith parmentier of pine nuts and
lightful portion of a spicy mushrooms. This grilled sea bass
vegetable broth with a
with pistachio and cardamom sauce,
demi-glace style reduction, served with creamy mashed potatwo gnocchi filled with
toes, sautéed spinach with onions,
goat cheese and two with raisins and pine nuts and sautéed
Spanish chorizo confit,

Tomato Gazpacho.

9

Sevilla entices with its fairy lights, the cobblestone walkway and the coves of 2-3 tables set at levels, with a clear view of the stone oven, the bar and the general camaraderie of those eating al fresco.

Chef Andreu Genestra pointed out
that Indians aren’t too keen on tasting menus and watch price points
closely, while in Europe it’s quite
common to enjoy a tasting menu
when one tries a restaurant for the
first time.

10

mushrooms was pretty close to
home with nutty, spiced flavours
over a slab of perfectly grilled fish.
It was like eating by the sea and the
inclusion of raisins got us talking
about rare it is to see raisins with
seafood once you step out of the
Gulf region. This may not be a dish
I order again and again but kudos
to method.
Perfection in
Presentation and Taste
Everything on the menu was
cooked to perfection and balanced
beautifully. Our dessert for the
evening was off the regular menu,
but still Chef Andreu’s recipe of a
lightly seasoned carrot cake served
with vanilla gelato and what
seemed like berries but turned out
to be ganache coated chocolate
truffles! If you visit with kids, try

the Pepperoni Pizza and don’t miss
the house special Gelato; make it
mango!
Sevilla has an excellent selection of wines and some perfectly
matched a meal like this the one
we enjoyed. I suggest you enjoy a
wine paired lunch or dinner of this
menu. Come closer to the legendary kitchens you only read or
hear about – here is a pretty good
opportunity! ■
Parul Pratap Shirazi
Rating: 4 out of 5
Price: INR 5000++ (meal for two)
Address: Claridges Hotel, Tees January
Marg, Motilal Nehru Marg Area, New
Delhi, DL 110001
Phones: 011-41335133

PHOTO RELIEF

Lamb chops with winter slaw - a part of the Valentine's Day
menu at Le Circque, The Leela Palace Hotel, Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi

11

REVIEWS - DELHI

zerruco by zilli

ELEGANT SIMPLICITY

T

Given the cliched Italian doing the rounds all over the country,
Zerruco by Zilli comes as a breath of fresh air. A visit is highly
recommended.

he Italian food I’ve tasted
in this country has in most
cases, been timid and cast from
the same mould that churned out a
thousand menus across the nation.
The overuse of cheese, an abundance of pizza-sachet-class spices
used in every possible place, from
the pizza sauce to the glutinous, red
liquid used to drown good pasta and
the same tired ‘extra’ dishes every
restaurant uses in an attempt to
create a difference; to illustrate that
they too, are capable of going beyond the red/white pasta and pizzas
that constitute Italian food in India.
Zerruco by Zilli, an Italian restaurant that drawns on Chef Aldo Zilli’s
decades of experience and penchant
for well rounded flavors. My lunch
there, at a time when the restaurant
was still being set up (I don’t think
I liked the decor; confused), was a
wonderful surprise. I ate the most
delightful, vegetarian Minestrone
ever, with the secret being, the underlying vegetable stock, which most
kitchens tend to overlook. “Herbs”,
was Chef Zilli’s answer, when asked
how he managed to bring such
flavors into a vegetable stock, which
are notoriously hard to make. Let’s
give the man his due, not grudge
12

him his secrets; slurping his soups
ought to be reward enough.

Another memorable dish was the
Sea Bass Carpaccio, with mushrooms, rocket, olive oil, truffles and
Melanzane alla Parmigiana – litpepper, a linear dish with multiple
tle medallions of aubergine, batter
flavor profiles. I tend to assign a
fried, stacked with mozzarella, with mental picture of a place, where I’d
a dollop of chunky tomato sauce
best enjoy a dish, the previous pasta
over, my next, was served with crisp for example, in a dimly lit room,
rocket leaves sprinkled with grated sitting in front of a roaring fire, with
Parmesan cheese; too little cheese, I the muffled sounds of a winter gale
thought, for its name to be included raging without. The only place I can
in the title. A lovely starter nonedeem right for this dish is, despite its
theless, followed by a bowl of Con- fine dining appearance and heritage,
chiglie pasta with Lamb Ragu. This, in a shorts and t-shirt, legs outmy friend, was the dish that left me stretched, under a shaded canopy of
a verandah, looking out at the sea,
while breathing in the salty breezEvery dish is flavorful es and watching people walking
and utterly delicious. along a wooden pier. Okay, so I’m a
dreamer.
looking blank; a look that stopped
my lunch companion mid-sentence,
as it was obvious I’d stopped listening to anything from this material
world, choosing instead to concentrate on the divine, homely and
subtle flavors of the pasta, pausing
only to chew on the juicy pieces of
lamb scattered throughout. Anyone
can create a passable dish, given a
hundred components to work with.
A handful however, is a different
story; a tale Chef Zilli transformed
into an epic.

I cannot speak for the quality of
food in the absence of Chef Zilli. What I ate when he was there
however, was incomparable and the
work of a master. ■
Sid Khullar
Rating: 4 out of 5
Address: The Ashok, 50-B, Kautilya
Marg, Diplomatic Enclave, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi
Phones: +91 8800399950/53

Melanzane alla Parmigiana.

13

REVIEWS - DELHI

DAAWAT-e-AWADH
at

CAFE UNO

A fine Awadh feast awaited diners during the festival at Cafe Uno.

I

Chef, the dessert section of the Cafe My history with Awadhi cuisine
Uno breakfast is exceptional as of
goes back to my mother’s kitcht featured as part of a convertoday.
en. She spent her growing years in
sation a month ago. We were
Lucknow and it was not unusual
at the ‘Asia’s 50 Best Round Table
An Illuminating Meal
for mutton to be cooked in fat and
Luncheon’, a conclave of food proWe had the pleasure of a conversa- not ghee or oil in our home. It also
fessionals talking about cuisines,
tion with Chefs Abhinandan Singh helped us appreciate subtle flavours
fusion and innovation, and a leading
and individual attributes of spices
hotelier said that no matter how
and meats in particular.
much she innovated in her kitchens
Going back to spices
and across her hotels, it was always
a round of
without being spicy, We started withthe ‘Khasta appeIndian food that people reacted
tizers, of which
Murgh
best to. She believed this applied to
this meal did ample Tikka’ really stood out. The chicken
international travelers andIndians.
justice. Now that is was perfectly cooked and the bal-I
Honestly, for me it has to be specifance of spices was very palatable.
ic regional cuisine that’s the draw
the new way to pro- didn’t miss the ‘mirchi’ part of the
and the preferred ones are Awadh,
duce quality regional masala at all!
Konkani and Kashmiri.

cuisines – give pungency where it’s due
or else leave it be!

Though fish isn’t a very common
component of this cuisine as compared to say lamb or mutton, the
‘Mahi Malai’ was much appreciated
as well. Here’s what I have noticed
lately, the quality of ‘Veg Galouti’
and Anwar Ahmed, the curators and across kitchens has become a delicreators of this festival. Chef Singh cately spiced, vegetable cutlet that
In fact, I have rarely had the same
traveled to Lucknow with his team taste so much like meat, or is that
dish twice, unless I order a la carte.
the meat gets so fine and so proand spent a week observing the
Cafe Uno is a favourite with expats
nuances of this fantastic and rather cessed, it’s all about the essential
and business folk from the heart of
fine cuisine. I love that about veteran flavour?
Delhi and Chef Darren Conole has
professionals, they are always keen
done a fair job of balancing a menu
to learn. He actually sat through our Tucked in a warm corner with the
that has something for everyone.
banter about Awadhi food, consid- sun flooding in from the French
With the addition of a French Pastry
windows, we relished our main
ering he knew way more than us.
So when I heard about the Daawate-Awadh food fest at Cafe Uno,
Shangri-La, I had to drop in. I like
Cafe Uno – it’s not gigantic and impersonal, it’s centrally located, and
they innovate through the year.

14


REVIEWS - DELHI
course. I’m more for mains when it comes
to food from Lucknow; good biryani, good
curries and believe it or not, good lentils too.
I remember growing up on ‘Dal Gosht’ to the
point where I wondered why was dal cooked
without meat at all! The ‘Taar Korma’ graced
our plates first. ‘Taar’, said like tar, is sticky
gravy, stewed overnight, usually in mutton fat,
where the pieces of mutton korma are so delightfully fun to eat. The grease will make your
fingers stick together, but stay unswayed.
Going back to spices without being spicy,
this meal did ample justice. Now that is the
new way to produce quality regional cuisines
– give pungency where it’s due or else leave
it be! Out of the ‘Subz Diwani Handi’ and
‘Naqab Lagi Biryani’ biryani, I loved the latter
more for being meaty, rich and super aromatic. I prefer to enjoy Awadhi dals as is, with a
crisp, plain naan and slivers of raw onions,
maybe a touch of lime. All this worked very
well for the ‘Dal Sultani’ and despite being
made with Arhar or Toor dal, it was warm,
soupy and soothing. We completed the meal
with an epic Paan Kulfi, something I never tire
of – the perfect combination of a digestive and
a dessert.
Awadhi cuisine is served all over the town,
but it takes time and know-how to really put
out a worthy spread. Cafe Uno has gotten
their hands on some key recipes and have
done a great job of reproducing them in a city
that loves its chicken and mutton sheekh and
biryani. ■

A part of the large spread on offer.

Parul Pratap Shirazi


Rating: 4 out of 5
Address: Eros’ Shangri-La Hotel, Ashoka Rd, Janpath, Connaught Place, New
Delhi - 110001
Phones: 011-41191010
15

REVIEWS - MUMBAI

PATRIOTIC INDULGENCE
at PONDICHERRY CAFE

A

When the Republic Day falls on a Sunday, restaurants are hard-pressed to
finds ways to include an element of patriotism in their brunch offering. Pondichery Café at Sofitel BKC Mumbai manages to pull this feat off by paying
resolute attention to the presentation of their food.

to tread this tightrope walk fairly
well with their Republic Day Sunday
chef ’s job is sometimes
brunch. The spread was extravagant
that of a conjurer. He has
– something that its brunches are
to keep reinventing the same dish
renowned for. And there were some
to make it appear and taste different
elements of Indian-ness too, if you
every time. Take Sunday brunch, for
paid close attention to your surinstance at a premium restaurant.
roundings instead of diving straight
There are counters after counters
into the food.
laden with food, but the chef needs
to present the same fare differently
Partisanship on your Plate
week after week. It’s not an easy task.
At the restaurant’s entrance, you are
welcomed with the sight of a tradiThis is especially so if you have to
tional brass lamp standing upon a
prepare a Sunday brunch menu that
tri-color flower rangoli. Each table
will meld well with the 65th Repubhas wine glasses layered with flower
lic Day of the nation. On one hand,
petals, again in the tri-color scheme.
you want to include enough Indian-ness without going overboard.
The brunch menu was inspired by
On the other, you have to tone down
dishes from seven regions of the
the over-indulgence that brunches
country – Andhra Pradesh, Tamil
are famous for, because it is a time
Nadu, Goa, Punjab, Maharashtra,
when patriotic Indians are apt to
Bengal and parts of Central India.
rant about the diminishing moral
So one could choose ‘Bhendakai
values of a mature nation.
Pulusu’ from Andhra Pradesh, ‘Sopa
De Camaro E Batata’ from Goa,
The chefs at Pondichery Café at Sofi‘Kalyan Paneeri’ from Central India,
tel BKC Mumbai, however, managed
16

‘Kumror Chechki’ from Bengal,
‘Nandu Masala’ from Tamil Nadu or
‘Oondhyu’ from Gujarat, amongst
other foods. The chefs had smartly
included popular dishes from these
regions and mixed-n-matched it
well to satiate the palates of vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.
Folks looking for a boozy brunch
could choose from the freshly made
sangrias and fresh fruit cocktails
made-to-order. We settled for the
non-alcoholic meal and enjoyed a
glass of fresh watermelon juice with
a dash of lime juice – a refreshing
choice to accompany what turned
out to be an indolent meal.
Sweet Everythings
Most people usually head to the dessert counter at the end of a brunch.
But having brunched at Pondichery
Café before, we knew that it’s best to
make a beeline to this section before
we became a sluggish mess after eating the appetizers and the main

REVIEWS - MUMBAI

If overindulgence is not your thing, then you are best advised to steer clear from the Sunday brunch at Pondichery Café.

course. And are we glad that we
stuck to this course of action. Pastry
Chef Marzban Avari pulled all stops
when it came to creativity and came
up delicacies like ‘Gaajar Halwa
Tart’, ‘Gulab Jamun Pie’, ‘Gulkand
Puree with cream’, ‘Tri-colored Falooda’ and ‘Rabri with Fresh Fruits’.
This was in addition to the assortments of pastries, macaroons, flans
and cakes.

have Kolkata’s famed ‘Baida Roti’,
which was average; ‘Pesarutu’ with
chutney and sambhar; and the live
chaat counter. Our bulging tummies
reminded us that sitting down for a
proper meal with some main course
was a fanciful notion. Yet, we could
not resist reaching out for the Goan
‘Sannas’ with some pork ‘Sorpotel’
and were we glad we did – the fluffy
sannas were perfect to mop up the
vinegar-laden spicy gravy.

After pandering to our sweet tooth,
we moved to the live counters to try We then tried the ‘Jhinga Dum
Suneri’ with some ‘Nimakai Annam’.
The brunch menu was The marriage of the northern style
prawns cooked on dum in capsicum,
inspired by dishes tomato and garlic gravy, with the
from seven regions of south Indian spiced lime rice was
the stuff of romantic novellas – it’s
the country – Andhra when love transcends all borders
Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, to merge seamless into one divine
union. And it was the perfect note
Goa, Punjab, Maha- on which to end an unhurried
rashtra, Bengal and brunch.

parts of Central India.

If overindulgence is not your thing

then you are best advised to steer
clear from the Sunday brunch at
Pondichery Café. You need a super-sized appetite if you intend to
do nothing but nibble at the variety
of food on offer. Because you will
be tempted, and sorely at that, since
there is plenty on the menu for you
to play the choosing game with! ■

Vinita Bhatia
Rating: 4 out of 5
Price: INR 2200++ (w/o Alcohol), 2200++
Address: Sofitel Hotel, C 57, Bandra
Kurla Complex, Bandra East, Mumbai
Phones: 022- 61175115

17

REVIEWS - MUMBAI

Chi De Kãixin…
… that is ‘Happy Eating’ in Chinese. And that is precisely what guests at the
Emperor’s Court at Renaissance Mumbai Convention Center Hotel did to herald the Chinese New Year in January.

T

of three diverse dishes – a ‘Radish
Cake’, ‘Cottage Cheese and Spinach
he year of the horse pranced
Dumpling’ and a ‘Mixed Vegetable
into 2014 with fanfare at
Bao’. The bao was ordinary, but the
Renaissance Mumbai Convention
radish cake attracted our curiosity
Center Hotel. Dim-lit lanterns
while the dumplings got our undecorated the spacious Emperor's
divided attention! The flavors of
Court restaurant, while traditional
spinach and cheese filling in the
Chinese folk melodies lent a Candumpling balanced to tasty perfectonese feel. The set menu created
tion, making it rather creamy with a
to celebrate the week-long Chinese
melt-in-your-mouth consistency.
New Year comprised a soup, three
appetizers, four main courses and
The non-vegetarian entrées included
three desserts. Though these dishes
‘Chicken Jiaozi’, ‘Prawn and Crabwere included in the à la carte menu
meat Sui Mai’ and ‘Spicy Pork Sautoo, the set menu takes care of the
sage’. The Sichuan-style pork sausage
decision-making out of your hand,
was a knockout dish. The juicy sauwhich is welcome.
sages were tossed in a sharp sauce
that was spicy with the right hint of
After a warm personal welcome
tartness. The wonton wrapping on
by Chef Sandeep Pande, we bethe Jiaozi was a little thick making it
gan our Chinese expedition with
a tad chewy, but its unostentatious
the ‘MockingBird’, a slightly tangy
filling was a simple pureed mix of
orangey-lemony mocktail. Now this
chicken with greens. Dip it into
is one snappy and refreshing mocksome dark rice wine vinegar and it
ingbird that we would go to lengths
transform into a great snack. Simito protect! Our meal parade flagged
larly, if you want some sock-knockoff with an interesting appetizer tray
18

ing experience with the Sui Mai, try
it with a liberal amount of the red
chilli sauce served alongside.
Soupy Wonder
While we give full points to the
generous serving of noodles, greens
and shiitake mushrooms in the ‘Flat
Noodle Soup’, the onslaught of the
same noodles and mushrooms overshadowed the broth’s buttery flavor.
The ‘Lemon Coriander Chicken
Soup’, however, has to be the stuff
that inspired the famous 'Chicken
Soup for the Soul' book series. It is
what you hanker for when you are
unwell, hungry and just want a simple meal sans fanfare.
While the soups and entrées hit a
high note, the mains could do with
some hard-hitting, spice-infused
notes. Chef Sandeep mentioned that
the menu was inspired by Cantonese (read, tangy) and Sichuan (read,
spicy) cuisines, but the vegetarian
preparations seemed to

REVIEWS - MUMBAI

The onslaught of the noodles and mushrooms overshadowed simple buttery flavor of the Flat Noodle Soup

have brushed lightly on the latter
province.The deceptive-looking
'Wok Tossed Kai in Malta Sauce'
had a spicy, all lights flashing, red
sauce that instead hit sweet notes,
while you awaited a searing tang.
The surprise element caught us off
guard, but we considered it a triumph over other vegetarian options,
which could be classified into three
sections – bland, blander, blandest!
The bland ‘Buddha's Delight’ would
have tasted better if it attained some
flavorsome enlightenment. And we
figured the butter and garlic in the
‘Mixed Vegetables in Butter Garlic
Sauce' were playing peek-a-boo because we couldn’t locate them. The
'Burnt Garlic Fried Rice and Noodles' again lacked some spicy elements and offered minimal garlic-ky
flavor. But we really appreciated
the enthusiastic inclusion of several
Chinese greens in all dishes!
Generous with Greens
In the non-vegetarian section, the
good thing about the ‘Yeoung Chow
Fried Rice’ was that the Chef didn’t
scrimp while tossing in shrimps,
chicken or scrambled eggs. It’s the
classic Chinese fried rice you would
find in any restaurant, and is a safe

choice for those who don’t like experimenting while dining out.
The rice vermicelli noodles in the
‘Chicken Singapore Noodles’ was a
nice departure from the thicker flour
noodles one is usually served. The
significant aspect about Singapore
noodles is its bright yellow color and

The ‘Lemon Coriander
Chicken Soup’, however, has to be the
stuff that inspired the
famous 'Chicken Soup
for the Soul' book
series. It is what you
hanker for when you
are unwell, hungry
and just want a simple meal sans fanfare.
the preparation at Emperor's Court
did not depart from this norm. The
‘Crispy Chicken in Orange Sauce’
has batter-fried chicken chunks
tossed in a sweet and sour sauce

with some orange zest. Though
more sweet than sour, is a perfect
epitome of Cantonese cuisine, down
to its bright orange colour.
Desserts help end most meals on a
high note, but sometimes they leave
you cold. This was sadly one of those
instances. The ‘Nian Gao Cake’
was literally unwilling to part from
the plate and we were unsure if the
‘Peanut Banana Roll’ was meant to
be served cold because that did not
impart any magic to the fried filo
pastry stuffed with banana. The ice
cream was the saving grace, with its
simple flavours melding perfectly
with the chunks of fresh fruits.
Although the Mandarin spread was
meant to be a celebration, the fireworks didn't manage to light up our
culinary night But a few did manage
to sparkle and light up our eyes! ■
Hrishikesh Thakkar
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Address: Emperor’s Court, Renaissance
Hotel & Convention Center, Powai,
Mumbai - 400087
Phones: 022-66927777
19

REVIEWS - MUMBAI

WAH,
WAZWAN!

The traditional Wazwan meal is a feast to behold for the eyes and
the palate, with rich meat dishes unfolding one after another. Luckily,
the food at the Wazwan festival organized by JW Marriott, Mumbai
was a simpler affair, and didn’t weigh down heavily on the stomach.

20

What’s Wazwan all
About?
Wazwan is the area where food is
served to large groups of people and
is cooked by a specialized cook

Chef Abbas Bhat

T

JW Marriott decided to hold this
he very thought of Wazfood festival in January because the
wan invokes pictures of
a languorous meal of rich meat
The secret to great
dishes served course after course,
until you are unable to move and
gostaba lies in the
need to be escorted to your bed to
texture of the meat,
grab a much-needed siesta. Not a
very cheery thought if one planned
which is pounded
to dine at JW Marriott Mumbai’s
with to a paste-like
‘Wazwan Kashmiri Food Festival’
between 17th January and 2nd
consistency.
February, 2014. Surprisingly, and
mercifully, the food served during
spiciness of Wazwan food is perfectthe festival was not opulent. Instead,
ly suited for Mumbai’s blink-andit was simple food, simply served.
miss-it winter. However, chefs Fayaz

Ahmad and Mohammed Abbas
Bhat, who were hosting this fest,
faced an unusual dilemma. The Srinagar-based duo was stumped when
it came to including vegetarian
dishes in what is largely a meat-laden spread! They rustled up ‘Nadir
Yakhni’ and ‘Noorani Gobi’, which is
not strictly Wazwan fare, but at least
their vegetarian guests could savor a
slice of Kashmiri on their plate.

REVIEWS - MUMBAI

The meat virtually melted off the Rogan Josh.

called Vastawaza and his team of
wazas, revealed Chef Abbas, who is
also the Executive Chef at RK Sarovar Portico in Srinagar. Since this is
often organized during weddings,
people wrongly presume that Wazwan cooking is limited to marriages
alone.

is rarely revealed to anyone beyond
blood relations. This has made certain waza families very prominent
within and outside Kashmir,” Chef
Abbas added.

these mildly spiced tiny patties because the minced mutton meat did
not overpower the chana dal. The
subtle flavors of the mint enhanced
this combination.

A Meal from Heaven on Earth
Before we embarked on our culinary
journey, Chef Himanshu Taneja,
Executive Chef of JW Marriott
Mumbai warned us that the food
would be extremely spicy and added
that Kashmiri food had three major
ingredients – ghee, ghee and more
ghee! Concerned about our digestive
tract, we decided to just nibble on
the food and drink a lot of the ‘Rose
Milk Sherbet’.

The ‘Fried Rainbow Trout’, a fish
native to Kashmir’s cold rivers, was
butterflied and marinated in ground
mustard seeds and later shallow
fried. The fish had a crispy exterior
but the meat inside was perfectly
flaky. Served without any fanfare or
accompaniments, this would go best
with an ice-cold beer.

During a Wazwan banquet, guests
sit in groups of four and the meal
begins with a symbolic washing of
hands with water poured from tasht-nari jug. A large dish called trami
is heaped with rice and quartered by
‘Seekh Kebab’. Traditionally, 36 dishes are served during a Wazwan meal,
while guests drink copious amount
of steaming kahwa, to cleanse their
palate.“The culinary art of Wazas is The first dish we hesitatingly tasted
was ‘Shammi Kebab’. We enjoyed
passed down the generations and

The ‘Lyodar Chaman’ was an afterthought that the chef whipped up
for vegetarians on our table. Though
we enjoyed the soft, creamy and
slightly fiery tikka immensely, its
21

REVIEWS - MUMBAI

The simplistically prepared Nadir Yakhni was yet another mild gravy, with none of that fieriness that Himanshu had cautioned us about.

Kaliya’ had fried chunks of cottage ly that the wazas can’t create anycheese in subtly-spiced gravy, but by thing else to top this culinary gem!
this time we were looking forward
So blissfully happy were we with
to the famed ‘Rista’ and ‘Gostaba’.
its taste that we decided to skip the
Not as Fiery as Expected
The saffron-based ‘Rista’ gravy with ‘Phirni’ served in earthen bowls,
A Wazwan meal usually has varieven though the aroma of saffron
mutton meatballs had a slightly
ous meat gravies that go best with
steamed rice, though one can equal- higher potency than the ones served and pistachio beckoned tantalizingly. We were content to relax in
ly savor it with some flatbreads. The earlier. However, the crowning
yoghurt-based ‘Noorani Gobi’ was glory of the meal was definitely the the elation wrought by the simple,
redolent with the fragrance of spices ‘Gostaba’. The secret to great gostaba homely Kashmiri food and conjure
images of picnicking on the green
lies in the texture of the meat that
like cumin, cardamom, cloves and
glades of Kashmir while snowturmeric, while the cauliflower flo- is pounded with a wooden mallet,
while the flesh is still warm, until it capped mountains smiled down
rets simply melted in the mouth.
benignly at us. ■
reaches a paste-like consistency.
The simplistically prepared ‘Nadir
Vinita Bhatia
Yakhni’ was yet another mild gravy, The only way to savor these perfectly
with none of that fieriness that Chef cooked balls of mutton meatballs
Himanshu had cautioned us about. is to close your eyes and ears to
Rating: 4 out of 5
By this time, we suspected that the everything around you and simply
focus on the flavors bursting in your
good chef has pulled a fast one on
Address: Lotus Café, JW Marriott
mouth. The Gostaba, incidentally,
us, since none of the dishes were
Mumbai, Juhu Tara Road, Vile Parle,
truly heavy on the stomach nor as
signals the end of a Wazwan meal
Mumbai - 400049
fiery as we anticipated. The ‘Chaman and it is easy to see why. It is unlike- Phones: 022-6693 3000
Kashmiri origins were unclear.
Could this finally be a herald of
spicier things to come? Well, no.

22


PHOTO RELIEF

Cheesy Gnocchi with Basil - a part of the Valentine's Day
menu at Le Circque, The Leela Palace Hotel, Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi

23

ROAMING ROVER

C

larks Amer in Jaipur
claims to be India's first
ISO 9001:2000 accredited hotel as
judged by QSI, USA. This Jaipur
business hotel has also attained ISO
14001:2004. When you are planning
a trip to Jaipur and figuring out the
best hotels to stay in, statements like
the ones above literally cinch the
deal. In layman terms you presume
that the business hotel is top-notch.
Well, Clarks Amer definitely has the
credentials to make such claim.

The entrance to Clark’s Amer, Jaipur

clark’s amer

JAIPUR
SERVICE WITH A

SIGH

First looks can be deceptive. That is how we
would best sum up our stay at Hotel Clarks
Amer in Jaipur.

24

This 40-year old hotel is part of the
Clarks group that manages a chain
of four business hotels in non-metro
cities of India. Clarks Amer is located close to Jaipur airport and rubs
shoulders with Marriott and Radisson hotels located nearby. Spread
across 9-odd acres, the hotel has 211
rooms including 14 duplex penthouses, 3 restaurants, a spa, gym
and around 5 convention centers.
Sounds impressive, doesn’t it? But
there is one thing that Clarks Amer
lacks, which is the most important
aspect of any hospitality establishment; especially one which is entirely service-oriented.
The customer service is deplorable.
Before I related a series of scenarios
that led to this conclusion, perhaps a
tour of the property is in order.
Rooms without a View
Clarks Amer offers three types of
rooms – Superior, Privilege and
Penthouse. We stayed in a Privilege
room, which had facilities like STD/
ISD phone calls from the rooms, Internet port, multi-channel TV, safety
locker, hairdryer, etc. The refrigerator was strangely empty. That the
hotel has not seen a major

ROAMING ROVER

A Penthouse suite at the property. INSET: Privilege and Superior rooms

revamp in years is evident from the
old-fashioned tiles in the bathroom
and the cracks in the ceramic bathtub. We were told that our rooms
would have a spectacular view of
Jaipur city. But the windows had
metal netting to keep pigeons out,
and the view went out of the window
too, literally.

Clarks Amer has two shops, unimaginatively called ‘Jaipur Shop’
in the lobby. These sell the typical
Rajasthani artifacts and souvenirs
that you would want to pick up in a
rush, if you missed out shopping on
the streets of Jaipur. If you want to
impress someone with some gilded
cutlery and knicks knacks, check out
‘Coated Silver’. It has silver jewelry,
candelabras, serving bowls, key
chains, photo frames, etc.


honeymooning couples. According
to sources, patrons at the spa are
usually guests from Japan and China, who come seeking the Ayurvedic
treatments offered here.

Business & Conferences
The Clarks Brij Convention Centre,
named in honor of Brij Pal Das,
founder of Clarks Group of Hotel,
the Clarks Brij Convention Center
All the Penthouses were booked
has a capacity of hosting 1200 to
when we visited, so we could not
know for sure if they were as depict- 1500 people. A few months ago, it
was the venue for Jaipur mayor’s
ed in the photos.
daughter wedding.
Health and Wellness
The cozy gym is split into two levels. Clarks Amer has a couple of other venues for smaller gatherings
The natural sunlight streaming in
through the French windows and the or events, like a sangeet ceremony
unhindered view of the pool, make or birthday parties. These include
working out in this gym a welcome Baithak, Kanchan, Roots Hall, the
lawn as well as the poolside area. We
affair.
were told that lot of functions in the
summer are often held near the pool,
The spa has two rooms with single
while the lawn is in great demand
spa stations, while one room with
two spa stations is usually booked by for winter weddings, that usually see
25

ROAMING ROVER

The dining area at Dhola Maru.

The Business Centre has a boardroom within, which is is ideal for
smaller, intimate conferences for
business people. Some facilities
extended to people who book the
boardroom include refreshments,
photocopying of documents, phone
and fax connectivity as well as
access to Wi-Fi wireless internet.
Guests can also avail any of these
facilities in the business center as
well.

26

a great deal of pomp and show as is of the Indian food. This fine dining
restaurant opens at 6pm and we
the norm at Rajasthani weddings.
suggest that you try to grab a window seat to get a view of Jaipur from
Restaurants
the stained glass windows. There is
Clarks Amer has three restaurants
– Durbar, Asthan and Dhola Maru. a miniature fountain in the center of
the restaurant while the light from
Asthan is a coffee shop but sometimes doubles up a buffet breakfast the stained glass chandeliers above
restaurant if fewer guests need to be will play hopscotch on your table.
Try their fiery ‘Lal Maas’ if you can
accommodated.
stomach spicy food, and the subtly
Durbar is the multi-cuisine restau- flavored ‘Paneer Kofta’.
rant that serves buffet meals and
Ta Blu is a café and an outdoor bar.
can seat 150 guests. The well-lit
restaurant has Mughal murals on the Instead of a cheery café, the indoor
walls showing royalty figures cavort- section of Ta Blu looks more like
ing and frolicking in abandon. The a yuppie royal’s boudoir given the
breakfast buffet we partook of lacked bright pink, orange and teal green
any international staples like sausag- cushions that dominate the decor,
es, baked beans in tomato sauce or a each emblazoned with tiny gold stars
bread counter with multiple opto boot.
tions. Several non-Indians appeared
The outdoor area has a mosaic-tiled
to visibly struggle with the largely
Indian fare on offer. Dhola Maru, the bar and wrought iron chairs painted
rooftop hotel, specializes in offering in bright colors. There is a marble
Rajasthani cuisine with a smattering fountain smack in the middle of this

ROAMING ROVER
Scenario Four: At the largely vegetarian buffet breakfast, a guest asked
for any Jain dish, but is brusquely
told that none is available. That
a Jain dish wasn't on the menu is
acceptable. But any manager at a
service-oriented restaurant would
have politely inform the guest that
Below Average Service
they'd try to whip something up,
Finally, as promised, our experience rather than literally telling the guest
of the service at this property.
off rudely.
tiny rooftop lounge, while cooing
pigeons roosting within the stained
glass lanterns gaze at you languidly
as you sip your drink. Well, they do
make pleasurable drinking companions, if silence is what you crave!

Scenario One: A group of 29 people
enters the well-appointed lobby of
Clarks Amer after a long journey
and has to wait for 25 minutes to
check in; despite being the only
guests checking in at the time and
despite making advance reservations. This delay was possibly because of the three people manning
the front desk, only one was checking the guests in, while the others
hung around waiting to be ordered
about.
Scenario Two: A family with two
kids and an infant request an extra
bed in the morning and then step
out for sightseeing. When they return late into the night, a collapsible
mattress is left outside their room,
instead of being placed within. After
frantically calling the front desk for
20 minutes, and getting no response,
the hotel finally sends a housekeeping staff member to arrange the bed
– by which times the three cranky
kids had managed to raise quite a
ruckus.

The property sports quaintly decorated
seating areas.

Scenario Five: At the same breakfast, we ask the person making eggsto-order whether he would please
send our omelet to our table. His
not-very-polite and sulky reply was,
"If I find someone, I'll see." We were
stumped by his blunt and callous
tone. Suffice it to say, we skipped our
eggs that morning.
These scenarios would not be acceptable in a 3-star hotel or any
hospitality establishment. But
encountering it in a 5-star property
takes one’s frustration to an entirely
different level.

Strangely, though, we saw non-Indian guests receiving better treatment.
Does this mean that the smiles of
Clarks Amer’s staff are reserved
exclusively for guests from Europe,
Iran, China and Japan who come
in large groups and are housed in
Clarks Amer as part of their India
travel package? Could it be that the
personnel at Clarks Amer feel that
these guests would be more liberal
in their tips and therefore prefer to
Scenario Three: We call room ser- focus their energies only on them?
vice and ask for two bottles of water. We hope not, and would rather
The person who knocks on our door blame the lassitude in Clark Amer’s
brings only one. When we tell him
staff on the December cold. Let’s
we would need one more, he comtrust that with the winter chill wearplains grumpily why we hadn’t asked ing off, the workforce at the hotel
for two the onset and that he’d have will thaw off their stupor as well. ■
to go down to get us another bottle!
Vinita Bhatia
27

COVER FEATURE

Y

ou are flipping through the
pages of a food magazine
and you come across a interesting
recipe and think about trying it out.
You peruse the list of ingredients,
read that it includes Chardonnay
wine and decide to give this recipe
a pass. All because you are unsure if
cooking with wine is as simple as it
is made out to be?
WC Fields once said, “I cook with
wine. Sometimes, I even add it to
the food!” Jokes apart, cooking with
wine might come across as a daunting task, mostly because people are
apprehensive about investing time
and a nice bottle of premium wine;
and then ending up with some culinary gobbledygook. That need not
be the case. After all, early Romans
used to cook with wine regularly
since it was a great preservative to
store their meats, especially when
their troops trudged to war. This is
apart from mulling wine with spices
and citrus fruits as their beverage of
choice. And all this by just following
their nose for what worked in a dish,
and what didn’t. So what’s stopping
you?

Cooking with wine gained popularity with various European cultures,
because it was abundantly available and could replace vinegar in
some dishes too. Besides acting as a
preservative, wine elevated the taste
of various meat dishes and soon became a staple medium in cooking.

In TW’ine
TRUTH
here s

…or so said Pliny, The Elder, a Roman philosopher. So let’s raise a toast
to cooking with wine and adding this
epitome of truthfulness into your culinary experiments!

“Wine to Europe is what spices are
to India – helpful in most recipes
and but essential in a few,” explains
Chef Stephane Mathonneau, former
Head Chef of Delhi’s Le Bistro Du
Parc. “In some cases, wine is used to
lend colour to a dish like
28


Cooking with Wine Myth Buster
Myth: I will get tipsy if I eat
food cooked in wine.
Truth: A large part of the
alcohol in wine evaporates
when cooked with food,
depending on the method
of cooking. To avoid getting
tipsy, skip that glass of wine
during your mealtime, instead!
Myth: If you have some leftover wine, toss it into a dish.
Truth: If you have some wine
left over, store it in an airtight
bottle, refrigerate and use
within 4 days. Leftover wine
that has been sitting open for
a while will oxidize and using
this could alter the taste of
your dish.
Myth: The more the wine
in a dish, the better it will
taste.
Truth: Excess of any ingredient will spoil the taste of a
dish. The same logic applies
to wine as well. Ideally, pour
small quantities of the wine
gradually to the dish while
cooking. Keep tasting the
dish to see if it has imparted
the right flavor and adjust
the wine portion accordingly.
Adding more wine won’t necessarily transform your dish
to a gourmet creation.


29

Salad with
White Wine
Dressing
Ingredients:
• 1/3 cup Seagram’s Nine Hills Chenin
Blanc
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Pinch of black pepper
• Salt, to taste
• ¾ cup of extra virgin olive oil
Method:
1. In a clean bowl whisk, wine lemon
juice, honey, black pepper and salt.
2. Gradually whisk in the oil to this
mix.
3. Drizzle this vinaigrette mix over
freshly tossed mixed greens

“Wine to Europe is what spices are
to India – helpful in most recipes
and but essential in a few.”
Chef Stephane Mathonneau

30

wine. “Ultimately cooking is not a
the beef bourguignon; while wine
reduction will give the sauce of meat scientific experiment. You can follow
the outline of a recipe, but use your
dishes a velvety touch.”
judgment and individualistic panache to make your dish a success,”
Making the Right Choice
adds Chef Michael Swamy.
Wine’s natural sugars, tanins and
acids help accentuate the aroma and
taste of a dish, irrespective whether Now, don’t take this as a blanket
it is used in the sauce, marinade or allowance to hoard wines during the
as a medium for sautéing. Chefs ad- annual sale at your local wine shop!
vise that a light-flavored white wine Instead, pick only those that will
lend itself best to the recipe on hand.
is apt for delicately flavored foods
Before you buy a bottle, or use one
like chicken, turkey, fish or dishes
that include apples, citrus, olives and in a dish, preferably taste the wine.
mushrooms. Dark-colored meat like “Besides understanding the taste of
beef will go best with a dark, coarse the wine, this exercise will give you
a good idea about what will go best
red wine; lamb tastes better with a
with it. Different people like differlight red, while pork can be easient flavors in their food. My advice
ly married to a fruity red or white

COVER FEATURE
Pondicherry-Style Pan- Grilled
Scallops in Saffron Sauce
Ingredients:
• 8 large scallops
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon Madras curry powder
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• ½ teaspoon green peppercorns,
crushed 
• 2 tablespoons Seagram’s Nine Hills
Chenin Blanc white wine
Sauce:
• ¼ teaspoon saffron threads
• 2 tablespoons hot milk
• 1 tablespoon butter 
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• ½ cup Seagram’s Nine Hills White
Wine 
• 1 sprig fresh curry leaves 
• 2 stalks fresh lemon grass, lightly
crushed 
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper 
• ½ cup coconut milk 
• ½ cup fresh cream
Method:
1. Wash the scallops and pat dry.
2. Sprinkle sea salt, curry powder, coconut oil, green peppercorns and white
wine.
3. Toss to mix and set aside.
4. For the sauce, combine saffron with
hot milk. Stir well to release its colour
and set aside.
5. Heat butter in a pan; add chopped
garlic and sauté for a few seconds on
low heat.
6. Add the onions and cook, till translucent.
7. Add wine and cook, till reduced.
8. Add the curry leaves, lemon grass,
saffron milk, and pepper.
9. Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring
constantly. Cook till the sauce turns
glossy.
10. urn off the heat, and stir in the cream
T
and coconut milk. Return to the heat
for a few seconds.
11. n a separate pan, lightly pan-grill the
I
marinated scallops for about 2 minutes till golden on both sides.
12. erve the scallops with saffron sauce
S
on the side.

All photographs and recipes by Michael Swamy

31

COVER FEATURE
Muddled Seasonal Fruits
Ingredients:
• 1 cup Rose wine (Seagram’s Nine Hills
Shiraz Rose used in this recipe)
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1-inch cinnamon stick
• 2-3 cloves
• 1 stick of vanilla
• 1 cup of seasonal fruits (raspberries,
strawberries, figs, melon, pears)
Garnish:
• Baby mint leaves
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Whipped cream
• Biscotti or sponge
Method:
1. In a pan, heat the wine and sugar with
the spices and let the flavours infuse.
2. Do not bring the liquid to a boil.
3. Remove from the flame and pour
into a clean bowl. Add the prepared
fruit and let the fruit soak for a few
minutes.
4. Plate the fruit into a soup plate.
5. Garnish with a quenelle of cream and
mint and a dash of pepper.
6. Place the sponge or biscotti triangle
down the centre

is that you first find the right wine
shop, discuss the wine with the people at the shop and buy one bottle
to test it,” suggests Chef Michael.
“Once you know what you like and
dislike, you can start using the wine
in your cooking more regularly.”
Does Premium make
a Difference?
Your better half might not be as excited about you using the cherished
bottle of Penfolds Grange Hermitage
1951 wine for your cooking purposes. So which wine should you use?
Cooking wine is economical, because it often has a shorter maturing
period and is therefore less complex.
Not all chefs, however, contend to
using cooking wine. Chef Deepak
Ballaney of International Chicken
Wings Factory in New York puts it
bluntly, “If you won’t drink it, then
32

don’t cook with it. Cooking wines
often have high quantities of salt and
food coloring and can wreck havoc
if you are cooking a delicate meat
like shellfish. Instead, invest in a
better quality, though not necessarily expensive, wine for your cooking
purposes.”
So tread the middle path here and
invest in a good-quality wine, which
is likely to give the same flavor to a
dish as an expensive one. Better still,
buy two bottles of the wine – use
one for cooking and the second for
serving with the meal!

vignon Blanc. The results will differ
depending on the type of wine you
use, and always pleasantly at that.
Using leftover wine is another nono. Having an opened bottle of wine
lying in your pantry is no excuse to
use while cooking lamb shanks. Refrigerate the wine and use it within
a couple of days. Any older than this
and you had best toss it in the trash.

Ultimately, there is no rulebook
about cooking with wine. It is all
about experimenting, inventing and
arriving at your own recipe. Don’t
let the fear of failure stop you from
dabbling with wine in your dishes.
The other alternative is to read the
Just use your imagination and cook
recipe of a dish carefully to see what like no one is watching – that is the
the kind of wine mentioned. For
right attitude to creating magic in
example, if a recipe asks for a crisp the kitchen. ■
dry white wine or Pinot Grigio, then
Vinita Bhatia
stick to this than opting for a SauCaLDRON February 2014

GROWING UP ON A DIET OF
LOVE, CARE AND MENTORING

At Angel Xpress Foundation, we believe that that childrenbest best nourished when are given given heavy of
At Angel Xpress Foundation, we believe children are are nourished when they they are heavy doses
care and guidanceand guidance to shape their lives.platform for educated adults to fill theadults to fill the of
doses of care to shape their lives. We provide a We provide a platform for educated education needs
underprivileged children, to nurture a better futureto nurture a better futurecan make responsible choices. To
education needs of underprivileged children, where educated children where educated children can
joinmake responsible choices. To join us, you can:
us, you can:
• Teach English, Math, Art, Art, Craft, Dance at oneone of our centresjustjust 2 hours / week.
• Teach English, Math, Craft, Dance etc etc at of our centres for for 2 hours / week.
• Sponsor a child – Rs. 5500 a year enables us to alter the childhood experience for a slum kid.kid.
• Sponsor a child – Rs. 5500 a year enables us to alter the childhood experience for a slum
• Donate clothes, shoes andand toys.
• Donate clothes, shoes toys.
• Sponsor trips to picnics, movies, malls etc,etc, and much more.
• Sponsor trips to picnics, movies, malls and much more.
We operate out of our centers in:
We operate out of our centers in:
Bandra Bandstand Promenade | Rajesh Khanna Garden, Santacruz | Rotary Park, Juhu | In-school programs for select vernacular BMC schools.
Bandra Bandstand Promenade | Rajesh Khanna Garden, Santacruz | Rotary Park, Juhu | In-school programs for select vernacular BMC
For contributions, please contact: Anubha Sharma, Founder: 9930070086/ anubha.sharma9@angel xpress.org or
schools.
Beenaa Advani, Co Founder: 982024456 / Beenaa.Advani@angel xpress.org,
For contributions, please contact: Anubha Sharma, Founder: 9930070086/ anubha.sharma9@angel xpress.org or
Like us on http://www.facebook.com/AngelXpressFoundation
Beenaa Advani, Co Founder: 982024456 / Beenaa.Advani@angel xpress.org,
Like us on http://www.facebook.com/AngelXpressFoundation


33

FOOD FAD

INSTANT
gratification
at your fingertips

Frozen ready-to-cook foods offer the dual benefits of convenience and variety.
Following the launch of three new chicken toppings from Godrej Yummiez, we take
a closer look at this new eating culture and how Indians are beginning to embrace
it, albeit guardedly.

34


FOOD FAD
McCain Potato Wrap
Ingredients:
• 1 McCain Burger Patty
• 1 Tortilla

• 1 tbsp tomato mayonnaise
• 20 gm onions, shredded finely
• Lettuce, as required

McCain Potato Wrap

I

f you are amongst those who
gets thrown into a tizzy every
time unannounced guests drop in,
then this article is meant for you. All
you need to do is pick up a pack of
ready-to-cook packages from various brands like Godrej Yummiez,
McCain or MTR, fry the contents
and serve them. Incidentally, the
tribe of people who are doing exactly this at increasingly regularity is
growing.
It is especially finding favor amongst
the working professionals who can’t
muster the energy to cook something interesting for dinner. “There
are times when I just make dal
and rice and fry a pack of chicken
sheekh kababs for the family. They
eat their meal without the usual
fuss,” says Seema Gupta, a chartered
account from Mumbai, who is also a
mother of two.
A Growing Market
Ready-to-eat or ready-to-cook food,
as the names suggest, are pre-cooked
food that is refrigerated, until one
is ready to use them. It is quite a
popular concept in many developed
countries and in recent times, the
acceptance for these foods has increased in India as well. That proba-


bly explains why a growing number
of retail outlets now stock read-tocook and ready-to-eat packs. Just
chew on these figures, for starters!
Talking about the convenience these
packs offer, Bangalore’s Chef Siddhanth Sawkar says that if he gets
his hands on a pack of nuggets, he
tries to twist it up by sautéing with
some sweet ‘n spicy chilli. Duru
Jassal from Chennai prefers adding
some chopped onions, peppers and
sauces to these foodstuff and stuff
them in kathi rolls for dinner.
The frozen food market is estimated
to be at Rs 800 crore, which includes
both vegetarian and non-vegetarian
snacks. This market posted a healthy
CAGR of about 18% between 2005
to 2010, and is growing at this pace
currently as well, according to
sources in Godrej Tyson Foods Ltd
(GTFL), or the company that manages Real Good Yummiez.
Bouyed by these numbers, the GTFL
recently launched three new chicken
toppings – Barbecue, Classic and
Hot and Spicy – under its Real Good
Yummiez brand. But why three options in chicken alone, you may ask.
Well, according to GTFL, chicken
forms a quintessential part of the
diet of non-vegetarians in India. “It
is considered one of the best sources
of protein as it contains essential

Method:
1. Take the McCain Burger Patty from
the freezer and fry for 3 minutes
until golden brown.
2. Heat tortilla on a hot plate.
3. Cut the fried burger patty into 3 long
strips.
4. Tear the lettuce leaves and place on
the tortilla.
5. Arrange the patty strips on the leaves
and top with onion.
6. Pour the tomato mayonnaise on this
and wrap the tortilla into a roll.
7. Secure in a butter paper and serve.
Recipe courtesy: McCain Foods India

amino acids in good proportion,”
said Arabind Das, Chief Operating
Officer, GTFL. “The new Yummiez
Chicken toppings enable homemakers to recreate many tempting
international culinary experiences at
home and add zing to their everyday
meals.”
With these Yummiez Chicken toppings, homemakers can assemble an
assortment of soups, salads, wraps,
pizzas, chicken tarts or pastas at
home!
Chef Vicky Ratnani, Executive Chef
of Aurus in Mumbai was there to
demonstrate how, at the launch of
these new products. He said, “It’s
amazing how easy it is to rustle up
any cuisine you fancy. You don’t
need to be a MasterChef nor go
restaurant hunting. Just pick up
Yummiez from retail store and eat
in the comfort of your home. The
ready-to-cook format allows you to
assemble a fabulous and entertaining spread with ease anytime. The
35

FOOD FAD
Penne with Creamy Chicken,
Mushrooms and Broccoli
Ingredients:
• 400g penne pasta
• 2 tbsp onion, chopped
• 1 tsp garlic, chopped
• 3 tbsp, olive oil
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• 1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup cooked Godrej Yummiez Hot
& Spicy Chicken
• 1 cup broccoli florets, small
• 1 cup cream
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 basil leaves
• 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
Method:
1. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water for 9 minutes. Drain and set aside
2. Sauté some onions, garlic and chilli
flakes in olive oil.
3. Add the sliced mushrooms and
chicken. Sauté for 3 minutes until the
mushrooms are soft.
4. Add the broccoli florets, salt, pepper
and cream. Simmer for around 4
minutes. Add the pasta and herbs
into the sauce.
5. Toss well, finish with grated parmesan cheese.
Recipe courtesy: Chef Vicky Ratnani,
Head Chef, Aurus

best part of it is that you can tweak
the recipe to your palate, add to that
little bit of creativity and voila! You
can flaunt your very own signature
dish!”
Frozen Reality
Arabind Das of GTFL believes that
home makers and other people who
are starved of time can now easily
create excitement to the daily meals
with these new introductions, and
also add proteins to their daily diet.
However, other companies that had
introduced ready-to-eat and readyto-cook meals are adopting a waitand-watch policy, because they feel
that Indians, especially those who
are not from urban cities, still do not
36

Penne with Creamy Chicken, Mushrooms and Broccoli
prefer to eat frozen food, especially wonders why people eat frozen and
when they have the option of dining ready-to-fry foodstuff and they
visit doctors complaining that they
out or ordering food in.
have allergies and digestive problems. “I do not support using frozen
Interestingly, in 2009, US-based
Heinz had introduced Kitchen Klas- and packaged food. Fresh is fresh.
sics in 2009 with meals like Amrit- There are many fresh vegetables
sari Chole, Awadhi Dal Fry, Jammu everywhere in India available and
it is cheaper than frozen stuff,” she
Wale Rajma and Peshawari Dal
emphatically states. Manju Sood, a
Makhani. But these are no longer
Faridabad-based homemaker, also
available. Similarly, in 2001, Hinbelieves that one should never offer
dustan Unilever Ltd announced it
would launch ready-to-eat chapattis such ready-to-cook foods to kids
under its Annapurna brand, but that since they contain too many preserproduct has vanished from shelves vatives and stabilising agents.
in departmental stores.
Frozen ready-to-cook food might
not be everybody’s idea of a meal
While some believe that ready-toand would rather eat cold leftovers
cook frozen packs are becoming
part of a new eating culture, there
instead. However, there is no denying that they have emerged as a
are those who still swear by the
traditional mode of cooking their
boon for a growing number of busy
urbanites who look at it as a way to
food with fresh ingredients, or if
really pressed for time, they would zing up their lackluster meal. ■
prefer ordering in. Michaela SaVinita Bhatia
mant, a mother of two from Nellore,

PHOTO RELIEF

Glorious Seafood with pan tossed Vegetables - a part of the
Valentine's Day menu at Le Circque, The Leela Palace Hotel,
Chanakyapuri, New Delhi

37

FOOD FAD - INTERVIEW

V ikas M ittal ,MD

McCain Foods India
providing products that are “better for you” and “fun to eat”!

When you order for fries or potato smileys at a pizza parlor, there is a good chance that
restaurant has simply opted to fry the contents of a McCain Foods pack. After all, it’s quicker, more convenient and economical to use the frozen fare than cook the potato marvels
from scratch.
McCain Foods India is banking on this convenience to hold on to its market share in the Rs
1,000 crore large market of organized frozen food market in India. Besides hospitality establishments, it has pegged its hopes on individual homeowners too. Vikas Mittal, MD of
McCain Foods India tells Vinita Bhatia exactly how his company plans to do it.

Mr. Vikas Mittal, MD, McCain Foods India

VM: McCain strives to provide products that are 'better for you' and 'fun
to eat'. We use advanced Individual
Quick Freezing technology for food
preservation, which helps lock the
freshness and nutrition. This method
increases the shelf life of perishable
foods by subjecting them to temperatures of -18°C to inhibit the oxidative,
enzymatic and microbial changes,
which are responsible for the changes
in the flavour and colours of foods.
We also strive to use superior quality potatoes (high solid content, low
on sugar and moisture) that are
The organized frozen food
market in India is estimated produced by making the use of best
agronomy practices. These are seat over Rs 1,000 crore, consisting of non-vegetarian and lected at their peak of nutrition and
flavour, quickly precooked and frozen,
vegetarian options, and it
Vinita Bhatia (VB): An increasing
before there is any deterioration of
is growing at a double digit
number of people are reaching out CAGR for the period of 2013 to 2017. the food quality.
to frozen food in Indian supermarkets. What is driving this accepWe use only 100% vegetable oils
VB: The perception about readytance?
in our formulations. These oils are
to-eat/fry food is that it is unhealthy and loaded with chemicals. neither hydrogenated nor partially
Vikas Mittal (VM): In the last few
To what extent is this true?
hydrogenated resulting in potato
years, the lifestyle of Indian conproducts that are trans-fat free.
38

sumers have gone through
a dramatic transformation
shifting towards convenience
food products, thus leading to
growth in the consumption of
frozen snacks. Today, consumers appreciate the benefit
of creating a freshly made hot
snack, in a matter of minutes
(from the freezer to the plate),
in addition to the convenience
of refrigerating them for anytime use.


FOOD FAD - INTERVIEW

VB: It’s interesting that over the
past few years, companies like
ITC, Heinz and Hindustan Lever
introduced frozen food but exited
the market soon, while McCain
survived. What’s the secret to your
success?

the fact that the Indian F&B market
is influenced heavily by uncertain
weather conditions, which greatly
affected the quality and availability
of basic food ingredients. Being a
labor intensive industry, it also faced
a challenge of shifting manpower or
inadequate resources.
To meet these needs, we offered ‘FroVM: The frozen foods market in
zen Foods’ as a quick solution which
India is at a nascent stage, and
promises round-the-year availability,
typical of any market in its early
consistent product quality and even
development stages, it has fewer
products, lower consumer awareness reduces overhead costs for the operaand inadequate cold chain network. tor (perfect portions, high piece count
When we entered India in 1998, the and no wastage). With passage of
only frozen foods were peas, vegeta- time and efforts towards generating
bles, meat and ice cream. The concept trial and experience of frozen foods,
this category has considerably imof using pre-prepared frozen snacks
proved over the years.
was virtually unknown in Indian
market. It was a challenge for us to
convince customers to choose ‘frozen VB: But don’t you think that Inover fresh’ ingredients. We decided to dia’s cold chain networks are not as
first understand their needs and offer well equipped to maintain quality
standards required for frozen food
solutions that worked for buyers.
packs?
Our industry research brought out

VM: Frozen food penetration in any
country is fully dependent on the
support from cold supply chain facilities. It is an efficient cold chain that
transports frozen products in stipulated time frame while maintaining the
required temperature.
The cold chain segment in India
is dominated by unreliable suppliers and small businesses with poor
networks. As their services are not
integrated, it leads to wastage and
damage to food due to frequent handling and transfer. We have worked
closely with third party cold chain
operators to implement the latest
technology in infrastructure and cold
chain refrigerated transport. ■

Vinita Bhatia
39

FOOD,
RELIGION &
TRANQUILITY
Palanpuri cuisine is a confluence of the sweet-ish
Gujarati fare and its spicier Rajasthani cousin. What
sets it apart is its simplicity in preparation and presentation – typical of ghar ka khaana.

40


FLAVORS OF INDIA - PALANPUR

O

n the way to Rani Ki Vav,
an architectural miracle
in Gujarat, one passes through the
small state of Palanpur. This place is
an important pilgrimage destination
for Jains since it houses the Motu
Derasar and Nanu Derasar; while
devout Hindus halt here to pay their
respects at the Lakhman Tekri Temple, Pataleshwar Mahadev Temple
and Ambaji Temple.The population
of the state largely comprises Jains
and Gujaratis with a smattering of
Marwaris, given its proximity to Rajasthan. And the thread that binds
these communities together in communal harmony, besides religious
tolerance, is food. Predominantly
vegetarian, the Palanpuri cuisine is
a confluence of the sweet-ish Gujarati fare and the spicier Rajasthani
preparation. Its striking aspect is its
simplicity in terms of preparation
and presentation. Usually, a meal is
served simply in various katoris on
a thali sans fanfare. An old saying
in Palanpur claims that if the food
tastes good it will speak for itself;
irrespective of whether it is served
on a gold thali or a dried leaf plate.

Palanpuri Dessert

Exploring Palanpuri Cuisine
Chef Jankidas Vaishnav, the Vegetarian Specialty Chef at Sofitel BKC
Mumbai is conversant with Palanpuri fare, since he is from Chittorgarh located close to Palanpur. He
recently helped Sofitel put together a
food festival focusing on this cuisine
at Tuskers, the hotel’s all-vegetarian
restaurant, which targets the Gujarati and Jain jewelry traders from
the diamond market in Bandra,
Mumbai. He informed that dairy
products always accompany every
Palanpuri meal, whether in the form
of smoked buttermilk, raita or kadi.
Every meal also has an assortment
of farsan like ‘Methi Bhajia’, ‘Vatana
Nu Ghugru’, ‘Moong Dal Kachori’ or
‘Dhokla’.

That said, Palanpuri food is not for
the faint hearted or weight-watchers,
since the food more often than not
fried in ghee or includes lot of sugar.
However, the food festival at Sofitel
tried to keep both these ingredients
to the minimum, since most Mumbaikars, irrespective of their origins,
are health conscious.

This was the only departure from
the otherwise rich cuisine and it
seems to have paid off for Sofitel.
“During food festivals, restaurants
try to cook and present food differently, but we stuck to the simple
taste and presentation of the Palanpuri fare. We also ensured it was
The kitchen is the place of pride in
light on the stomach since guests in
any Palanpuri home, and homeMumbai would drop in for a quick
owners first inspect the kitchen
For the food festival, he added
lunch and then head off to their
thoroughly before buying a house.
those items on the menu that is
offices – unlike in Palanpur where
This is where most women spend
often found at a regular meal in any afternoon siestas are the norm,”
a majority of their waking hours.
Palanpur household. It featured
Chef Jankidas noted.
Meals are a family affair where
simplistic creations like ‘Sev Taparents discuss children, youngsters
share secrets, while elders talk about matar Nu Shaak’ – a sweet and tangy Having sampled the food, we would
gravy comprising tomatoes and sev; agree that it was not snooze-induchappenings in the extended fami‘Saragami Nu Besan’ – a thick and
ing. Yet, it was exactly what a homely and community; while digging
creamy drumstick kadi, which was sick Gujarati gent would crave for
into their food. Everyone chips in
when he’s away from home. We can
the meal preparation, whether it is served with ‘Thepla’, ‘Bajri Bhakri’
definitely say that in this case, the
drying ‘Moong Dal Vadi’ in the sun, and ‘Gatte Nu Pulav’. Dessert consisted of ‘Badam Nu Sheeru’ and
food didn’t speak for itself; it sang a
pounding spices with a pestle or
‘Besan Nu Churma’ – delicacies that melody all the way! ■
making papad and pickles.
are regularly prepared by the women
Vinita Bhatia
of the Palanpuri state.

41

RECIPES - WINTER SPECIAL

hearty
DISHES for a

CHILLY WINTER
Winter is that wonderful time of the year when everyone wants to snuggle into warm clothes and tuck into some homely dishes made from the
fresh produce that is available in abundance. Chef Gurpreet Singh of
Punjab Grill shares some nourishing recipes infused with classic flavors
and hot spices of Punjab that you can whip up at home.
42



Kaale Gaajar
ki Kanji
The trick to this fermented drink is letting it mature
for at least 72 hours in an earthen pot. Its tangy
taste is worth every minute it takes to develop.
Servings: 4 glasses
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Fermentation time: 72 hours
Ingredients:
• 3 kaali gajar or purple carrots
• 1 ltr water
• 2 tbsp ground brown mustard seeds
• 3 whole dried red chilies
• 3 tsp black salt
• 1 tsp regular salt

Method:
1. Clean and peel the carrots. Cut them into 3-4cm
long batons.
2. Fill an earthen pot with the water. Add the spices, salt and carrots. Stir well.
3. Cover the pot with a muslin cloth and tie the
ends of that cloth around the rim.
4. Let this water rest in the sun for 3 days.
5. Remove the dried red chillies from the water
and serve chilled with the pickled carrots.
Chef’s Tip: This drink can get over-matured
quickly, so add mustard paste as per your taste. If
you can’t getkaali gajar, opt for beetroots.


43


Chukunder ke Kebab
This is a very nutritious appetizer, made healthier
with the inclusion of hung curd and pine nuts.
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
• 4 medium sized beetroots
• 1 carrot
• 1 tbsp oil
• 5 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ginger, chopped
• 1 tsp green chilli, chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 5 tsp garam masala
• Salt to taste
• Oil, to fry

Stuffing
• 4 tsp hung yoghurt
• 1tsp coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp ginger, chopped
• 2 tsp pine nuts, toasted
• 1 tsp sultana
• 5 tsp roasted cumin powder
• 1 green chilli, slit
Crumbing
• 2 tbsp corn flour
• 4 tbsp refined flour
• 1 small bowl of bread crumbs

Method:
1. Parboil beetroots and carrots. Cool and grate it.
2. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin, ginger and green chilli and cook for a minute. Add tomato puree with the
Kashmiri chilli powder. Cook for another minute.
3. Add the grated beetroot and carrots and cook till the mix turns dry. Add salt and garam masala and take it
off the heat to cool.
4. Make six equal size balls.
Stuffing
1. Mix all the ingredients. Divide it into six portions.
2. Stuff one portion into the beetroot balls. Flatten to make tikkis.
Crumbing
1. Make a butter of corn flour, refined flour and water, till it has a pouring consistency.
2. Dip the tikkis in the batter and roll it in crumbs.
3. Deep fry in hot oil till the crust turns brown.

Chef’s Tip: Avoid over-cooking the beetroot as this will kill its texture and color. Increase the quantity of carrots
if the beetroots are too sweet, as the spicy stuffing will complement the dish.
44



Kharode ka Shorba
This is a delicious lamb trotter soup where meat is simmered slowly to release its natural flavors. And it tastes best
when you have it a day after preparing it.
Preparation time: 5 hours
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
• 6 kharode (goat trotters)
• 10 cups water
• 3 green cardamom
• 1 bay leaf
• 100 ml oil
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 2 one-inch cinnamon sticks
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 4-5 sprigs coriander leaves, finely chopped
• Salt, to taste
Method:
The Stock
1. Wash the trotters. Boil for a minute and drain the water.
2. Add 10 cups of water in a stockpot. Add green cardamom, bay leaves and trotters.
3. Cook it on low fire for 4-5 hours.
The Tempering
Heat the oil in a pan. Add fenugreek seeds and let it brown slightly. Add cinnamon, ginger and garlic paste along
with turmeric and coriander powder until the mix turns golden brown. Keep stirring it, then sitting it. Add the
stock with the bones and cook until the soup thickens. Add salt and garnish with coriander leaves.

Chef’s Tip: Ask your butcher for roasted, flamed and cleaned trotters. If you are inclined to, avoid using too
much fenugreek as it will make the soup bitter.
46



Punjab Grill Deg Hot Pot
Nothing thaws the winter chill like this stew of mutton kofta, mutton jus and winter vegetables, which is a signature
dish at Punjab Grill.
Preparation Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
• 100gm ground meat
• 1 green chili, chopped
• 1 tsp garam masala
• Salt, to taste
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 tsp fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• 2 tsp fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 4 mutton shanks, cleaned
• 1-inch cinnamon
• 5 cloves

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

7 green cardamom
2 bay leaves
100gm onions, sliced
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp deghi mirch powder
1 tbsp cumin powder
50gm yoghurt
50ml mutton stock
4 baby carrots, chopped
1 turnip, chopped
4 small red radish, chopped
5 dried apricots, soaked
2tsp orange glaze

Method:
The Koftas
1. Clean the ground meat in cold running water and drain.
2. Add half of the green chilli, ½ tsp garam masala, salt, turmeric powder, 1tsp ginger garlic paste, and half the
coriander leaves and mind leaves to the meat.
3. Mix these ingredients well and grind to blend to a thick paste. Remove and prepare small lemon sized balls
Mutton Shanks and Jus
1. Heat 1 tbsp of ghee and add all the whole spices. When they start crackling, add the sliced onions and fry till it
turns golden brown.
2. Add the mutton shanks and cook it until the onions break down. Add the turmeric and all the powdered spices with the yoghurt. Remove the shanks when cooked, and keep aside.
3. Remove the yoghurt gravy from the heat and cool it down. Blend to make a fine paste.
4. Heat the remainder ghee in a deep, heavy-bottomed pan. Add the yoghurt paste and cook for a few minutes
until it turns brown. Add salt and combine well.
5. Add mutton stock and let it come to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 4 minutes.
6. Add the koftas to this gravy and cooked it, covered, on low flame for 5 minutes.
7. Add the chopped vegetables, apricots and mutton shanks to the koftas and continue to cook for 15 minutes.
8. Transfer the gravy into a deep serving bowl and glaze it with orange juice.
Chef’s Tip: You can include any seasonal vegetables besides the ones mentioned in this recipe. Avoid overcooking
the vegetables as they need to be crisp for the unique flavor of the hot pot.
48



Gurh Wale Chawal
This jaggery-sweetened basmati flavored with black cardamom, fennel and coconut chips is the best way to enjoy a
home-cooked meal. Complement it with some homemade vanilla ice cream to really savor its simple taste.
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
• 1 cup parboiled basmati rice; cleaned, washed
and soaked for a hour
• 300 gm jaggery
• 4 cups water
• ½ tsp cinnamon powder
• 3 black cardamom seeds
• 4 green cardamom seeds
• ¼ cup desi ghee

Method:
1. Pour the water in a deep, thick bottomed pan and
bring it to a boil. Add the drained rice.
2. When it comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer
until the rice is cooked.
3. Drain the rice in a colander and let it rest there.
4. In another pan, heat the ghee and add green and black
cardamom seeds.
5. Lower the heat, mix in the jiggery and add 50 ml water.
Bring the mix to a boil.
6. Add the rice and cook it dum style for 10-15 minutes.

Chef’s Tip: Adding a pinch of salt to the jaggery syrup will work wonders on the dish. Enhance this dessert by
adding chopped dates, dry fruits and dried coconut slivers while finishing the dish.

Chef Gurpreet Singh commenced his professional journey at 19 years, assisting some well-known chefs in New
Delhi. Having worked with hotel chains such as Radisson
Hotels, The Park Hotel and Raffles, Dubai, he grasped the
finer nuances of Indian and international cuisine within a
decade of his professional life.
After taking over as Brand Chef of Punjab Grill, he utilised
his experience to interpret Indian cuisine with a keen focus
on molecular gastronomy. He has been responsible for
maintaining the culinary standards across all Punjab Grill
restaurants in conjunction with his team of specialty chefs.

Chef Gurpreet Singh
50


Love
Bites
Do you remember the first time you tried to show your
cooking skills to your beloved? You could have been a
culinary novice or a cooking whiz. But, more than showing off your skills in the kitchen, what you hankered for
was that soft spoken compliment from your beloved
about how every morsel was nothing short of ambrosia.
We asked some of our readers to share the first dish
they cooked for their darlings. What emerged were
some really quaint love stories! We are sure some of
them with resonate with your own lives.
52


RECIPES - LOVE BITES

Seyun Patata
The first dish I cooked for my husband was ‘Seyun Patata’, which
is sweet vermicelli served with spicy fried potatoes. This traditional Sindhi breakfast was his favourite and even I had pleasant
childhood memories attached to it because coincidentally it was
my father’s much-loved dish too. The first time I cooked it for
my father, it got burnt a little. Yet, my father relished it because
his special little daughter had made it. I had mastered this dish
by the time my husband’s turn came. It was a perfect choice as I was supposed to cook
something sweet for the first time in my in-law's home.

Ingredients:
For vermicelli
• 2-3 tbsp ghee
• 3-4 green cardamoms
• 2 cups vermicelli
• 4 cups hot water
• Tiny pinch of salt
• A pinch of saffron
• 1 cup sugar
• 10-15 almonds, blanched and
peeled

by Shobha Keshwani

• 10-15 pistachios, crushed
For fried potatoes
• ½ kg potatoes
• Salt, to taste
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• ½ black pepper powder
• ½ tsp amchur powder
• ¼ tsp red chilli powder
• Oil, to fry

Method:
For Vermicelli
1. Heat the ghee in a pan and put in the crushed cardamoms.
2. Add the vermicelli and stir fry it stirring continuously, taking care to get an
even colour.
3. When the colour is brown, add 4 cups of hot water. If you are using the
fine, thin vermicelli, 3 cups of water will be sufficient.
4. Add a pinch of salt and saffron. Cover the pan and simmer to cook.
5. When the vermicelli is almost done, add the sugar and mix well. Simmer
it until the water from the sugar is absorbed. Thin vermicelli cooks faster
than the normal variety.
6. Garnish with crushed pistachios and almonds.
7. Serve with fried potatoes.
For Fried Potatoes
1. Cut the potatoes into cubes and put them in the salt water for 15-20 minutes. Drain the water and deep fry the potatoes.
2. Remove from the oil and sprinkle salt and other spice powders immediately. Mix well.


53


Mangalorean
Sweet Pulao
The first time I cooked for my husband (then, friend) was in 2001
at a dinner buffet for 30, where I prepared were ‘Kharam’, ‘Manglorean Sweet Pulao’, ‘Beef Mince with Potatoes’, ‘Chicken Jeere
Miri’, ‘Pork Indad’ and some vegetables among others. These were
some of my favourite Manglorean dishes and some of my invited
friends insisted I cook Manglorean fare.

Ingredients:
• 4 cups water
• 2-3 tbsp ghee
• 3 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 4-5 cloves
• 1-2 green cardamoms
• 2-inch cinnamon
• 1 star anise

by Karishma Pais-Kim

• Handful of cashewnuts, almonds
and raisins
• 500gm Basmati rice, washed
and soaked for 15 minutes, then
drained
• 2 tbsp sugar
• Salt, to taste

Method:
1. Warm the water in a separate vessel. Don’t let it bubble too much before
adding to the rice, else you will lose volume to evaporation.
2. Melt the ghee in a pressure cooker. Fry the slices of two onions till it turns
brown. Remove and keep aside.
3. In the same ghee, add the bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and star
anise. Add the nuts and raisins and roast lightly. Remove some of these nuts
and raisins and reserve for garnishing.
4. Add the remaining sliced onion and sauté for a minute or two.
5. Add the drained rice and fry for a couple of minutes until the rice releases
its fragrance.
6. Then add hot water, salt and sugar and mix well gently, so you don’t break
the rice grains.
7. If you want a richer fragrance, slowly add 1/2 tsp of ghee on top of the water, but don’t stir after adding the ghee. Close the pressure cooker and cook
until done, which is usually three whistles.
8. Let the pressure escape by itself. Open and transfer to a serving dish.
9. Garnish with the reserved fried onions, nuts and raisins.

54



Mor Kachiyathu
Since I had been my mum’s kitchen helper, I knew a few basic
recipes to get by after my marriage. This spiced buttermilk curry
was one of those. It was a regular feature on the dining table,
since it is a traditional fare from Kerala’s Central Travancore
district, which is my father’s origin. In fact, I learnt to cook this
from my dad and later refined my technique after watching my
mum prepare it. I wanted to cook something delicious for my hubby to get his smile of
approval, which means so much when you are newly married, and decided this was a
safe bet! I was nerve-wracked about my in-laws reaction to it, but they loved it too, so
it was double-whammy! Over the years, ‘Mor Kachiyathu’ became one of my husband’s
favourite dishes and has become my signature dish too.

Ingredients:
• 2 cups thick curd
• 2-3 green chillies
• 1 tbsp grated coconut (optional)
• 2-3 tbsp coconut oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
• 2 dried red chillies

•
•
•
•
•
•

by Dhanya Samuel

A handful curry leaves
4-5 shallots, sliced finely
½ inch ginger, chopped finely
3 garlic cloves, chopped
½ tsp turmeric powder
Salt, to taste

Method:
1. Blend the curd with green chillies, grated coconut and a little water. Adding the grated coconut is optional, but it enhances the flavor and also helps
to thicken the curry. Add very little water or the gravy will become runny.
2. In a pot, heat coconut oil and crackle mustard seeds. Add fenugreek seeds,
dry red chilli and curry leaves.
3. Add the shallots, ginger and garlic and sauté till golden brown.
4. Add turmeric powder and mix well.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the beaten curd mixture. Stir well
and place back on low heat. If the pan is too hot, the curd will split.
6. Season with salt. Add more water, if necessary.
7. Stir well and continue cooking on a low flame till you can notice small
bubbles at the outer rim of the pot.
8. Remove from heat immediately. It is important not to let the curd split or
the dish is ruined.
9. Serve hot with steamed rice.


55


Paneer Makhani
I met my spouse through shaadi.com. During our first meeting,
he told me that he craved for home cooked food since he lived
overseas for over eight years. So, when he came home to meet my
parents, I decided to cook something special for him – ‘Paneer
Makhani’. He liked this dish a lot and that was the beginning of
our love story!

Ingredients:
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 3 green cardamoms
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 1 inch ginger, ground to paste
• 6 garlic cloves, ground to paste
• 3 green chilies (remove stem and
slit lengthwise)
• 1 ½ cup tomato puree
• 1 tbsp kasoori methi

by Niti Agni

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
Pinch of black pepper powder
½ tsp cumin powder
Salt, to taste
½ tsp garam masala
250 gm paneer, cut into small
pieces
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tbsp fresh cream
• Some coriander leaves, chopped

Method:
1. Heat ghee and butter in a pan. Add cardamom, cinnamon and cloves to it.
Sauté for 10 seconds.
2. Reduce the flame to medium and add cumin seeds. When they start crackling, add the ginger-garlic paste. Fry for few seconds until the raw flavours
are gone.
3. Add the green chillies and the tomato puree. Stir and cover the pan with a
lid. Cook on low flame for 20 minutes.
4. Remove lid, and raise the flame to medium flame. Crush the kasoori methi
using your palms and add it to the gravy.
5. Add Kashmiri chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric, black pepper
powder, cumin powder, salt and garam masala. Cook on medium heat for
another 5 minutes.
6. Now add the paneer pieces to the gravy and cook for 5 minutes.
7. Remove from gas and let the gravy cool completely. Add 1 cup milk and
cook on low heat till the gravy starts boiling. Keep the gravy consistency as
per your requirement.
8. Just before serving, add fresh cream and garnish with coriander leaves.

56



Dal Fry
This is what I had cooked for my wife, Farrukh Shadab Ansari,
the first time after marriage. It was good enough to prove her
that I at least knew the ABCD-ALs of cooking! I recently cooked
it again to revive our old moments where we had all the time to
cook together, without the worries of chores and a busy life.

Ingredients:
• 1 cup moong dal
• 2 tbsp oil
• 3 green chillies, slit
• 1 medium onion, finely sliced
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• Water, as required
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt, as per taste

by Mohammed Shadab Ansari

• ½ tsp Kasuri Methi
Tempering:
• 1 tbsp ghee
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed
Garnish:
• Coriander leaves

Method:
1. Wash the dal and cook it in a pressure cooker with enough water till it’s
well cooked, but not mushy.
2. In a pan, heat oil. Add cumin seeds and allow it to crackle.
3. Add green chillies and fry for few seconds. Add sliced onion and fry till
slightly brown.
4. Add tomatoes, mix, cover and cook till the tomatoes are soft and water
from the tomatoes dries up.
5. Add turmeric, red chilli powder, boiled dal and water (as per your preferred consistency for the dal).
6. Mix well and simmer for 5 to 6 mins.
7. Add garam masala powder, lemon juice and salt.
8. Mix and simmer for another 5 to 6 mins. Finally add kasuri methi and mix.
9. For Tempering: Heat ghee in a small pan. Add cumin seeds and allow it
to crackle, add crushed garlic and fry till brown, then pour this tempering
over the cooked dal.


57


Strawberry
cup cakes
It is a tradition in Indian households that the daughter-in-law cooks
something sweet as her first dish. When I entered my in-law’s kitchen
the first time, I was under immense pressure because everything was
new around me and I knew that my mother-in-law is a wonderful
cook. We had invited some friends and relatives who could not
attend the wedding for dinner and the only responsibility I was given
was to make a good dessert. I saw a bottle of Hershey’s chocolate
sauce and a box of strawberries in the refrigerator and decided to
bake a cupcake to impress everyone. It turned out to be a runaway
hit with all our relatives praising it.

by Priya Shiva

Ingredients:
• 1 cup, fresh strawberries, cleaned and chopped
• 1 ½ cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup milk
• ¾ cup milk powder
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
Method:
1. Preheat oven at 180°C.
2. Pulse the strawberries in food processor until you get a smooth puree.
3. Sieve wheat flour and keep it aside.
4. Mix sugar and butter in a bowl until the sugar completely dissolves. Add milk and
blend it well.
5. Add wheat flour and milk powder slowly to the mix and blend it well. Make sure
there are no lumps in the batter. Add baking powder, baking soda, vanilla essence
and salt and mix it well. Add strawberry pulp and blend it well.
6. Grease some cupcake moulds or cupcake liners evenly with oil and pour the batter
in it. Fill each cup halfway.
7. Bake for 20 minutes. Insert a toothpick at the center of the cupcake to see if it
comes clean. If the batter sticks to the toothpick, continue baking for another 5
minutes.
8. Cool on a wire rack and demould the cupcakes.
9. Serve with lot of Hershey chocolate sauce and chopped fresh strawberries.

58


CaLDRON February 2014 - Valentine's Day Special

CaLDRON February 2014 - Valentine's Day Special

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

En vedette

En vedette (17)

Similaire à CaLDRON February 2014 - Valentine's Day Special

Similaire à CaLDRON February 2014 - Valentine's Day Special (20)

Dernier

Dernier (15)

CaLDRON February 2014 - Valentine's Day Special