Charming Chingri..........

Being born to a Punjabi family, I have always been a gastronomical misfit. Where in the whole family would chomp on Paneer Makhanwala and Sarson Saag and Makki Di Roti, I hold a soft corner for local fare in Bengal. Didn't have much to do today, so I decided to stir up one of the most talked about dishes in Bengal ....Chingri Malai  Curry. This is not an authentic version but i like coking it this way..... 

So .. Here Goes !!!!

Ingredients 

Tiger Prawns 6 nos (slit with a pair of scissors and de-veined ) 

Ghee 4 Tbsp

Cinnamon Sticks 2 nos 

Salt

Pepper

Sugar 1 tbsp 

Lemon juice 1 tsp

Red chili powder 1 tbsp

Coriander Powder 1 tbsp 

Coconut Milk 1 cup ( diluted with 1/2 cup water) 

Double Cream 2 tbsp

Onions 2 nos (made into a fine paste ) 

Chilies 2 nos (blended with the onions) 

Method 

• Marinate the prawns with salt, pepper and lemon juice
• Heat the ghee and fry the prawns just till they turn red. ( 3 - 5 mins) 
• Remove the prawns and using the same ghee temper the cinnamon sticks 
• Add the onion and chili paste ans saute till the moisture starts to dry (5 -7 mins)
• Add the Chili powder, Coriander Powder, Sugar and some pepper and saute till the oil appears on the sides
• Keep adding some water from time to time to prevent the spices from burning 
• Add the prawns , the diluted coconut milk and cream and cook the gravy till oil appears on the surface
• Check the seasoning and the remove the prawns from the gravy 
• Reduce the gravy till thick and velvety and nape over the prawns 

Amchi Mumbai.....

Time and again, I have reiterated the fact that I share a bond with Mumbai that cannot be expressed in words. It is here that I hav found many a treasures, both gastronomic and non gastronomic in nature. There is one such place in Mumbai which has never failed to surprise me. Juhu Chowpatty.... this is the local name for the beach panorama that goes on at JUHU.

A whole entourage of things to do, balloons, horse and camel rides, henna, candy floss, and junk food lovers' paradise. I normally like to talk delicacies, textures, presentations, aromas... but we tend to forget the most important element, FUN... When it comes to fun no body does it better than The Mumbaikar. As a city Mumbai has a lot of hardships, every day is but an excuse for existence, the city is always just trying to survive. Cutthroat competition, sky high prices, and a city that moves even faster than life. An exact opposite of this is seen at mumbai's own Chowpatty, where ppl shed all their worries, their sorrows, and their hectic lives, and just enjoy being human. 

A strange experience I hav to share today, must hav gone to Chowpatty after 3 yrs, (in the evening) and I go to buy a bhutta (corn on the cob) and the bhutta walla recognizes me (not because of my  gigantic wait size). He asks me if I would like to take 2 like always. I was blown away and had a random conversation with him which lasted 20 minutes. Mumbai always gives me mixed feelings, there are times that I get frustrated thinking how life is just a mere rat race here, and others when people like a random junk food vendor can simply bring a smile to your face with so much warmth. 

Next i had  a photo session with a Chooran Wala ( man who sells sour things). The man offered me a sampling of all his goodies and I being my cheap self was elated at the offer.sour tamarind, raw mangoes. assortment of salted and spiced berries, chutneys, goose berries.. each with a taste bud tickling capacity that is beyond compare. It seemed as if I was in a time wrap, and transported  to my school gate and re lived my childhood. "Sour " has always been my sole weakness in taste, stealing tamarind from my mother's kitchen and giving too hoots about tonsillitis. Childhood seems like a distant array of rainbow colors, which seem really difficult to forget. Like the little colorful wind mills and figurines made out of balloons, all seem like a yearning and beacon time to take an about turn.

I wonder why I am so enticed by the Barf Ka Gola ( flavoured ice lollies) i know for a fact that the water used to make the ice is not of good quality, intense dosage of artificial colors and flavors,  but the fragment of me craving to get into the celebration called life forces me very time and i hav the famous Kaala Khatta ....(black and sour) This is the most popular of them all... one has a wide range of poisons to chose from, like someone trapped every emotion in bottles and each provoking you and calling  you to set them free....

Besides all these many a vendor will summon u to their stall promising u the best quality. Taking their word, every stall is world class, trust ur instinct, the stall that is the maximum crowd is the best one.... be patient, u will be served... As they say Patience is a virtue.... From the Paani Puri,(water filled crisps) to the sev puri..... ragda pattice (curried dried peas topped on potato patty), kairi chaat ( spiced raw mangoes) and the all in in , butter loaded, super tasty, Mumbai original , PAW BHAJI. (Bun and vegetable ). Chaos is mumbai signature sign of quality. If the food is good, its the survival of the fittest in the queue.

I always have grevience with Mumbai, i curse its chaos, get ridiculed by the quality of life and repulsion by the sheer mundane day to day activities, but it is the spirit of the residents of Mumbai that make my heart melt, I am elated at the sight of how these people still manage to keep themselves going. When at the beach Mumbai forgets all its parallel social strata, life styles, class barriers. They find happiness in the smallest things, sunset at the beach, with the gentle waves playing footsie, and rubbing in gentle spurts of happiness. And as the sea takes away sorrows as it treads backwards, leaving behind footprints an a story untold, the story of Mumbai.

ABAR KHABO PLEASE!!!

Food, as i always say, is an indulgence as old as mankind, an age old addiction that some times can make people make more helpless than little kids, made me feel like one too today. have not written anything for long, my apologies, but have not eaten any food that has inspired me to write, in a long long longggg time.

Well, when you drive through old ballygunj, Bondel road, etc, the colours one gets to see are grey, black, brown , faded red ( that was painted over 50 years ago) . but in the middle of this nostalgic old world walk, if you see a bright yellow window, a bottle green canopy, and a chirpy looking place, you have reached Bohemian.

A contemporary restaurant keeping the lovely root flavors of Bengal in mind. bohemian has something for all to relish

Devilled Mushroom

Spinach And Corn Wraps

our order consisted of the following

Devilled Mushrooms

Corn and spinach wrap

***

Gondhoraj Prawns 

Lamb Roast with Bhuna Sauce

Cottage Cheese and Kidney Bean Casserole 

Stuffed Mushrooms

*****

Malpua Cheese Cake 

Gandharaj Souffle

Gur-a-mel Custard

Condiments

 To begin with, if your in a hurry, don't come to this place, this place is for people who enjoy not only food but also the process of it being prepared, and the eager wait for it to arrive, it has a very cozy ambiance, some vintage rock music playing, rock posters, and pictures of some rock classics on clothes pegs at the window,
I love the thought that went behind every little detail of the place....

Cottage Cheese and Kidney Bean Casserole

The starter was good. but the main course is what left me craving,  the casserole, with its velvety gravy, and delicious greens ( most probably kalmi saag), the delicious spiked gravy of the mushrooms. The lamb too was tender as hell, smooth on the bite and beautiful bhuna gravy with with. The gandharaj prawns are pretty much similar to the Bengali classic chingri maali curry , although the gandharaaj flavors did give it a very Thai feel. The meal was not on well cooked, but the plating aesthetically designed.

Work of not only an experienced chef, but one who loves food and respects every ingredient. Good food should talk to you, and the food here did not only talk, but also make me long for every bite coming, when the main course ended, our stomachs were full to the brim, but we still ordered dessert.

Stuffed Mushrooms 

Roast Lamb With Bhuna Sauce

Gandharaj Prawns

Malpua Cheese Cake 

Gandharaj Souffle

  

Getting to the dessert was like a journey. Little did we realize the the dessert will be like a miraculous climax to this love making session we had with our taste buds. Cant stop thinking about the malpua cheese cake, delicately flavored, and skillfully made, or the bitter sweet gandharaaj souffle. and not forget, The Gur-a-mel, now that is nothing new, its caramel made with gur(jaggery). and it topped over a brown custard.....

when the dessert got over, we felt like little kids who have been suddenly derived of their favorite toys.

Craftily designed, and beautifully executed. Chef Joy  Banerjee, Kudos!

for one i was over eaten and still craving for maybe a lilt bit more.....and yes..... MY NEW FAVOURITE....

ABAR KHABO PLEASE!!!!

Karwachauth....

When we talk about Indian festivals, we all talk about Holi, Diwali, and many other festivals. Hailing from Punjab, many small festivals get shadowed by Baisakhi or Lohri. One such festival is Karwa Chauth. This a festoval of a whole days fasting where a wife fasts an entire day for the long life of her husband. More than that it is also a festival which brings about a special bond between a Mother-in-law and her Daughter- in-law.
The festival begins a day before when the mother-in-law gives Sargi to her daughter-in-law. Sargi is the auspicius gift wich she is given for preparing for the fast. Since this a festival which celebrated the power wrested in a woman to prolong the life of her husband, the gifts consists of all the things that would help her dress as a bride. These also include white angel hair vermicelli or sewaiyan.

Sargi consists of the following items

• Henna
• Kumkum
• Red ribbon
• Red clothes
• Glass Bangles 
• Make up articles 
• Sewaiyan 
• Sweets
• Dry fruits 
• Fresh Fruits 
• Pomogranade
• Sugar cane 
• Coconut
• Paan

All the above articles in the sargi are also called the Suhaag Pitari
The lady and her husband are supposed to cook the sewaiyan with milk and eat with fruits before the sunrise
and start the festival.

The most important part of this festival is called the Baya. This is the offering to the Gauri Mata which comes from the Lady's parents' house. This consists of Matthis or mathris. Basically a deep fried , shortened dough fritter. These matthis are of three types, Feeki or plain, Meethi or sweetened and one with the hole. The sweet ones and the plain ones are given to the mother-in-law as a gift.

To make a matthi st your place you have to proceed just like a short crust pastry:

300 g refined flour
75g ghee
chilled water
salt to taste
few crushed black pepper corns

• rub the ghee into the flour till both are mixed evenly and the flour tends to show some binding 
• add the seasonings and the water and make a firm dough 
• rest for half and hour 
• roll like a chapati and make incisions with a knife all over it so that the matthi does not fluff up like a poori 
• deep fry on moderate heat 
• the end product should be rich and flaky, and not too chewy. 

The lady spends her entire day dressing up like a bride and praying to the goddess for her husband's long life and success. At sunset, ladies gather together and pray and this process is called Baya Mansana and there is a special song that is sung during this ritual.


Veero Kudiye Karwada,
Sarv Suhagan Karwada,
A Katti Na Ateri Naa,
Kumbh Chrakhra Feri Naa,
Gwand Pair payeen Naa,
Sui Che Dhaga Payeen Naa
Ruthda maniyen Naa,
Suthra Jagayeen Naa,
Bhain Pyari Veeran,
Chan Chade Te Pani Peena
Ve Veero Kuriye Karwara,
Ve Sarv Suhagan Karwara.......


During this fast, the lady is not allowed to do a few daily chores, it is a superstitious belief that this will cause
ill health to her husband, she is not allowed to sew, run the mill or charkha, use of knife and scissors, no anger, not to wake someone who is sleeping.

At night when the moon rises, the ladies offer soaked almonds and water to the moon and thank god for the
successful completion of their fast. The look at the moon through the hole in the matthi and then look at thier husbands through it. the festivities are completed when the lady breaks her fast with the first bite of food and first sip of water from their husbands hand.

This festival may not be that talked about around the globe but holds a lot of significance in the life on an Indian bride.

India has many such stories and many such rituals, hope I bring a new story for you u next time over...

Navratra delights......

Navratri, or nine day festival celebrating the victory of good over evil, the celebration of life, is a very important as per the Hindu calendar. It is celebrated twice a year once in spring ( chaitra navaratra) and once in autumn ( sharad navratra) 


This festival is completed with a nine day ritual of fasting. This fast comes with a nine day dietary ristrictions called FALAHAAR....
which when translated means fruit food... In north Indian houses wheat grans are sowed for 9 days and worshiped, thus no cereals, grains or pulses can be consumed during this festival.

the recipes comprise of a few ingredients, namely potato, sago,  dairy products, pumpkin, buckwheat flour, water chestnut flour, lotus puffs, fruits, etc.


some of the wonderful things that one can make are as follows


sabudana wada
sabudana khichri
kuttu atta mirchi bonda
kuttu aatta and kaddu cheela
paneer ki sabzi
khatta meetha kaansiphal
sabudane ki kheer
crispy phul makhana
til aloo moonphalli sabzi....
fruit cream
amroob ki dahi wali sabzi....
kuttu tikkad
raw mango chutney

A piece of kolkata gastronomy

There are some cities that call you, some that scare you away , and some that even build themselves around you. My city, Kolkata, silently sneaks into your heart and grows inside it. Sounds utterly filmy dosent it? Well, Mumbai may be the city of dreams, but Kolkata is a dream come true.

Yes, i know durga puja is around the corner, and i get all hyper about the pujas and how the fan fare is so grande . But, what exactly is the Puja fan fare? Its not all the lights or the idols or even marquees . The Puja feel comes from withing, whether you are a bengali or not its irrespective.

Today I experienced a phenomenon . It is a restaurant, but i still chose to call it a phenomenon. Before I get there let me tell you few things about Bengali food. When one talks about the Bengali Cuisine, one cannot forget Mangsho ( maans in hindi ) or Mutton. Unlike all over the world, mutton to Kolkata is GOAT....or Khaasi....or Patha..... And an integral dish is Kosha Mangsho. Its nothing but a Semi dry mutton curry, which when cooked to perfection is no less than a dream. one needs to broil the meat till it gets real tender. No festivity in a Bengali household is complete without Kosha Mangsho ( which when translated is Broiled Mutton ).

Getting back to the phenomenon, when you are in kolkata , Kosa mangsho comes with history. Every die hard mutton fan knows of this restaurant called Gol Bari, which is located at the Shyam Bazaar 5 point crossing. What we have now is actually said to be the new  Gol Bari. The old one is said to have been way better. To my surprise the name of the restaurant is New Punjabi Hotel. The place is not a fancy outlet, but when you cross it, the drift of the aroma flowing in the wind is bound to catch your attention. The place is small and old, but the people are really sweet, you need to pay at the counter and get a ticket, and sit. And the magic potions will arrive.

The mutton is no-need-to-chew tender and the rotis are soft and nice. Served with a generous portion  onion salad and tangy tamarind chutney, one does not realize when the plate is polished clean. This place is not just an eatery but any food lovers dream come true. It has a small little menu which consists of dreamy potions on different stature and measure. Anothe rprecial effect that was added was smoking the place with Dhoono or incense powder. The Dhoono smell is considered very festive, and has strong associations with the so called Durga Puja feel.

Yes, yet again i had a jaw dropping gastronomic experience in Kolkata, truly a food lovers delight
The city of ( tummy) joy.

Bloggers MOMO-Day Out

When in Kolkata, A hot humid afternoon is something u don't really have a problem with. because there is so much do do in this city. Today being one such afternoon, me and my dear blogger friend went on our favorite summer afternoon activity. BINGE.

Momos from Hamro Momos

Well, after the lovely hospitality as Blue Poppy , we decided to try out  the much talked about Hamro Momo. Located at Suburban Hospital Road ( walking distance from Forum Mall ) . This place is like a small little shop , but with high activity going on in it. One can love to eat momos, But the fun of eating it in a small little joint os past comapre. Although the Momos wernt to great, the experience indeed was. We had a steamed momo, Pepper chicken and Chicken 65.

Chicken 65

The much talked about momo was just average but the chicken 65 kinda got us talking. Fantastic , and bold curry flavor and a hard hitting spicy note. Although it tasted more south Indian than at a Tibetian joint, i have no qualms saying that i did like it. Even the sauce of the pepper chicken was stunning. Although the chicken was cooked previously , the sauce was brilliant. Zing of lemon and rush of pepper . even the onions tossed in it tasted fabulous.

Pepper Chicken

The Best thing came at the end , the cheque. Chicken Steamed Momo, Chicken 65, Pepper Chicken, Mineral water ....Rs 218

Pot Stickers

Although we had a blast, the quest for La Momo Extrodinaire was still pending. Thus, we decided that why not try its slightly cleaner next door neighbor, Momo Plaza. This one looks like a dingy place when u enter it but what came to our surprise was that they had Pot-Stickers (dumplings pan seared on 1 side ) called Kothey ...... and they also had pan fried momos tossed in a hot garlic sauce. Honest opinion, The pan fried momos here are way better than blue poppy.

Pan Fried with Gravy

The thing that i liked here was the fantastic Dipping Sauce. Spicy, but not gullet burning hot, with heady coriander bursts, gingery undertones and a fantastic balance of chili, with hints of sweetness.

The Lunch ended with an over  stuffed belly an satiated taste buds.

More to come on thukpas.......

P.S. Special Thanks to My Blogger Friend Poorna

her blog

http://presentedbyp.blogspot.com/