When Life Gives You Wings

When life gives you wings... 

There are two types of people in the world.  First,  ones that love chicken  breast pieces and the others that like the leg pieces .  But there is a special sub sect, that I feel , has risen above these two and evolved into a finer,  more refined , chicken lover. It is the ‘ wing lover’. I know people who hate wings because  there is so little flesh or  too much bone,  but for me,  it's totally worth the effort.  The tender juicy meat  under the lovely layer  of skin, even the thought makes me go weak in the knees. I confess,  I have this relationship  with wings.  In true sense,  it is my comfort food.  

Coming to the basics.  I'm a chef  and I first check out how well I can cook that cut of poultry.  The whole wing can be divided into three parts.  The drummette,  the wingette,  and the tip.  The drumette is the part that attaches the wing to the breast.  It's a single thicker bone which when fringed gives us the much adored lollipop ( which I personally  detest) .  Next is the wingette,  which is the most beautiful  part of the wing.  Less tendons  make this little strip of flesh , trapped between two thin bones,  absolutely  moist and juicy.  The Tip is usually the part that people discard or throw into stock,  as it is gelatinous  and does not have too much meat.  Also, it tends to burn very fast.  But if you are a rustic  wing lover like me, you will cook the wings intact. 

So lets get down to business.  I'm compiling a list for my fellow wing lovers who end up eating those horrid red drums of heaven and never get chance to enjoy the bliss of eating regular chicken wings.  Top seven favorite wings of the city. 

Peri peri wings : Barcelos  

Firstly,  full mark to this place to be one of the very few outlets to serve wings uncut.  So the three parts are intact as God wanted them to be.  The chicken  is skin on,  and is fire cooked, so no thick batter.  I always chose the Supa Peri,  but you can have a milder sauce. The wings are moist and delicious.  

Smoked  and Grilled wings  :  Chili's 

This is the perfect wing for people who don't like spice and also like to give the sugar loaded barbecue  a miss. It is  plain, simple,  juicy,  and unadulterated  bite of heaven. Again,  it's grilled so no battery or flour.  The skin crisps up well  and they give huge portion sizes.  

Jerk chicken wings: TGIF 

If chicken wings aren't  enough,  why don't we just put them on skewers and alternate them with pineapple,  grill them with a spice rub and just fly  with the first bite.  Again a non fried variety,  the skin is beautifully textured and the smokiness is class apart.  

Chicken Wings with  Wine Jus : Irish House 

The comfort of a Sunday roast chicken with the fun of wings, it's like a match made in heaven.  This is another star. The meat is tender as it's slow cooked and the jus is spot on. This is very comforting and a soothing to the taste buds. A great combination  with a sangria. 

Ghost Chili  Wings : My Big Fat Belly 

If you like it hot, this is the one. They have three grades of heat on offer .  Soft juicy wings tossed in bhut jholakia chillies  from Nagaland.  I love heat and this baby can make you sweat.  And of you are man enough,  they have a wing challenge.  Spicy food lovers will love this.  

Barbecue  Chili Wings : The Fat Monk 

Another spicy food favorite. They have four variants in wings but the barbecue  chili  is my pick.  The smoky flavors of Barbecue  are blended with  with dalle  chilies  from the north east.  It is an absolutely divine combination .  Coming from the same house as The Blue Poppy,  this is a sure winner.  

Sticky Korean Wings : Hoppipolla 

This is my favorite  sweet sauce of the city. The portion isn't huge,  but the black,  soy based,  caramelized sweet sauce just hits the right notes.  I don't drink and I just go to a bar to eat the wings.  They sometimes top it with spring onions and sometimes with sesame.  Both taste good.   

Well those are  my top picks for wings in the city.  I'm also sharing a recipe of my home cooked honey roasted wings,  zero oil and absolute  winners at all my parties.  

Ingredients 

For water glaze 

Chicken wings 1 kg

Honey 6 tbsp

Water 2 cups

Cinnamon powder 1 tsp

Salt to taste

For marinade 

Honey 3 tbsp

Cider vinegar 3 tbsp

Cayenne pepper 3 tsp

Pepper 3 tsp

5 spice powder 1 tbsp

Garlic paste 1 tbsp

Salt

Fish sauce 1 tsp

 --Heat all ingredients for the glaze and bring to a boil 
 --add the chicken wings at last and bring to a boil 
 --strain and cool under a fan 

--Mix all ingredients for the marinade and microwave for 30 seconds  
--rub it on the air dried chicken wings and keep aside for an hour 
--Cook on a grill in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius 
--cook for 45 mins covered and then 15 min uncovered


DISCLAIMER :

This compilation was made for The Tekegraph - T2 ,  The original link to the article is

https://www.telegraphindia.com/1170208/jsp/t2/story_134492.jsp#.WQ9nLuGGPDc

none of the above listings  are sponsored and all pictures are clicked by me . 

Pondicherry : Peace , Palette , Paradigm

So it was that time again. I usually take short trips with my yoga friends from Mystic Yoga , from time to time. I was  all excited about this trip even before it got announced officially . Hailing from a punjabi family , you  are never expected to go on a holidays that can be described as  “ tranquil” “peaceful” “holistic” . So as children we usually went to places that were associated with “fun”. Thus, such holidays were a rare occasion . And in our busy lives , we don’t really tend to think of such vacations  either. Thanks to Mystic, I have been able to catch up with myself over the years now . A long weekend in a remote hill station  or in the outskirts always helps to refresh the soul .

Well, besides  all the peace and tranquil mumbo jumbo, I was super excited about the food. A foodie is always a foodie. And when my friends were busy planning meditation sessions, I researched on food and shopping scene of Pondi. They talked about the warmth of the people, I measured the warmth of the pizza oven . They talked about solar energy, I talked about solar power gelato . Who ever knows me well enough, I am all about food . I can talk about food all day, all night and not get bored . Food makes me happy, always .

So  the day began at 3 am, when we landed at the Chennai Airport, and to my surprise, where everything, including the café was shut. I MEAN SHUT! So outside the airport we found a lovely filter coffee stall that came as a blessing post a horrid night flight. And we were set to hit the lovely Auroville. As per their set format, we don’t ever stay in the main city. The resort chosen was the Ashoka. We had beautiful Gazebos on  the beach a little away from Auroville. That day, we got going in the direction of the Aurobindo Ashram, sat in peace by the shrine and enjoyed tranquil silence of the place. This was followed by a lovely lunch at one of the iconic colonial hotels of Pondicherry, Hotel Du Parc. The food was pretty average, so I’m  not really going to elaborate on it. 

This was followed by sitting on the rocks at the promenade. The water seemed as exited about the next couple of days as we were. There is something really playful  about  the Bay of Bengal. It calls you , touches your little toe and runs back, as you step forward, it moves a little further backward, and after a few more times, when you least expect, it envelopes all your senses with its magnanimous presence.  And this is exactly what the  waves were doing. Somewhat theatrical, each waver just lured us and welcomed us to the contrasting  peace of Pondicherry .

The night at the hotel was magical,  the sound of the waves singing you to sleep, was pure healing. Each day began with a lovely yoga session by the beach,  followed by soaking in some salty goodness of the sea and then a beautiful South Indian breakfast at the hotel .

The lunch at auroville will  remain etched in my head for long. A great melange of simplicity, freshness and a lot of love . Auroville as a town is so so positive. Where people from so many nationalities live so harmoniously with each other. Just love those cycles, hammocks, some bakeries, organic grocery stores. Simple happy life. Even the fruits here taste so good, I guess it's because that’s how nature wanted them to grow. Organic.

The frequent trips between Pondicherry, Auroville and the hotel made us stop at various stops. One of them being the Sunday market. Apparently, they say , there is nothing that is not available at this market. Mostly second hand stuff, but I did find myself some really cool MODAK moulds, and interesting back scratchers.  Also found the Red Banana or Kerala Banana, that I have never eaten before, and a tamil cousin of our puchka. The best way enjoy a city is by exploring the street food .

The trip ended with sunset at Mahabalipuram. Much to the displeasure of my guide , I was not even slightly interested in the history of the place . I was busy clicking pics of the food vendors and tasting their fare . A bonus to this was the Mamallapuram Dance Festival . A lovely range of performances showcasing  Kathak , Bharatnatyam and Odissi . The sunset , The temple and culture , perfect way to bid farewell .

 I didn’t even spare the tea stop at on the way to the airport . Adyar Ananda Bhawan was a tea and refreshment . I got myself a bag food of goodies and ended on a sweet note with some Dry fruit halwa .

I fell in love with pondicherry , the minute I read about the food scene . Some of the highlights of what we ate were as follows:

Zuka :

Absolutely loved the chocolates at this artisan chocolate shop. They had those stunning coffee truffle. mildly sweet , and a soft yet robust truffle core that cots our palette like fine silk. They even tempered their chocolate well. Tried the miniatures and the the mouse shaped Chocolate Jerry , bothe were stunning.

New Farm Fresh, ( St Theresa)  :

This baby is pizza heaven . As per the norms of the trip , we were vegetarian . You will not complain one bit post a meal at this place . I am confessing , it’s the tastiest pizza I have eaten in  my life . Mind you , I have eaten a lot of good pizza . The Sauce was perfectly tart , the seasoning was spot on , and the cheese , oh my , was perfect . A drizzle of chili oil and I was it was “ love at first bite” . The best was the Pesto Spinach Pizza , The freshness of the spinach just stole my heart .

Farm Fresh  (Auroville) :

I just fell in love with the grocery store . The chocolate they sell is mainly Mason and Co . But the cheese and the banana chips were crazy . They also serve some delicious baked goods . The Lemon Meringue Pie was like music . The tang of the lemon with the contrast of the meringue made me go silent for a while . They even make brilliant brownies , some of the best I have ever tasted .

Matri Mandir :  

First , the aparajita sharbat , light lavender in colour, full of floral goodness , and has medicinal properties. The next was the hazelnut gelato . It was mildly sweet , nutty and made with solar powered freezer . How  cool is that !  

This was followed by some curd rice with rasam and sambhar  and the stunning range of chocolates from Mason and Company .

Sunday Street Market :

I started with some Patti Samosas which were pretty nice and three types of bananas ( I Love Bananas )  The South Indian Cousin of our Puchka , Gup-Chup was quite a surprise . The water looked pretty colourless , but was loaded with flavor , piquant , spicy and had a Kanji like flavor . Simply loved it .

Mahabalipuram :

Well , the couple of hours at Mahabalipuram were like a dream come true. Started an thinly sliced raw mango . coated with chili powder . These were totapuri  mangoes , hence , the skin was thin and they were semi sweet . Next in Line were the Tapioca Chips . Oh My God , they were a riot ! crisp and so different from anything I’ve eaten before . this was followed by tiny gooseberries , they was tossed in a spice mix and tasted brilliant . I also had some sliced pineapple and smoked Palm Roots . and is all that wasn’t enough Some Boiled corn. Very fresh and different from the street food of North or Kolkata .

I am sure I will visit Pondicherry again , this time alone perhaps , Need to be a backpacker and click tonnes of pictures . And as I weave the fond memories of the trip in this story , I long for another few days, a few more dips in the sea and few more slices of that heavenly pizza . Adios !

                                                                                    

Welcoming Spring with Chholiya

There are many signs of spring. Nature has ways of telling us that it is time to change our lifestyle. Change in temperature, change in the time of sunsets,  in the flowers,  in the fruits and vegetables, they all tell us that our bodies are meant to change our eating habits , living habits as time and season. Our ancient scriptures tell us that we should eat seasonal produce, and every seasonal ingredient solves a nutritive purpose in its respective season . yes now we do get certain seasonal fruits all year round, but these hybrid fruits and vegetables don't solve the purpose they intended to do in their actual season .


One such ingredient is chholia , or green chana . this is the pod form of gram . young , sweet , fresh and so different from its brown version. When you walk down lanes of vegetable markets, one sees these vibrant mounds of green chana. unfortunately its a big hit amongst its fans and it disappears as soon as it comes. There is a small bengal variant  which is tender and a rather strong and sturdy patna variety. Both taste very different from each other .   These do not have a great shelf life , so try and  consume them on the same day .

Chholia is also available in bunch form . This is how it actually grows , in pods . as children we used to sit in the sun in early spring and eat these pods. the tender chhola saag is also very tasty . it has this really tender leaf taste , somewhat like morning dew .

I am using both Chholia and Chana Saag and Creating a beautiful recipe. Made a lovely chholia kadhi , in which the pakodas are made with the saag and the chholia is pureed and added into the kadhi. so here goes .

Saag 

Chholie ki Kadhi

For kadhi

Curd 1 cup

Water 6 cups

2 tbsp besan

Chholia ( pureed ) 1/2 cup 

Salt

Pepper

Haldi

Red chili powder 1 tsp

Dhania powder 1 tsp

Oil 2 tbsp

Pickle oil 3 tbsp

Onions 2 nos chopped

Ajwain 1 tsp

• Heal oil and pickle oil and temper with ajwain onions
• Mix all remaining ingredients together and add the onion tadka
• Cook till thick ( approx 40 mins )

For pakoda

Pakoda Batter 

Besan 1/2 cup

Onion chopped 1/2  nos

Green chilies 2 nos chopped

Salt

Pepper

Red chili powder 1 tsp

Ajwain ½ tsp

Water

Chopped chana saag 1/2 cup

Pureed chholia 1/2 cup 

Baking powder 1 pinch

Oil for frying 

• Mix and deep fry
• Put into the kadhi and simmer till soft

This pakoda batter can be made with soaked daal puree instead on besan and fired on the griddle like a pancake to make a lovely snack that can be enjoyed over a hot cup of tea. Do enjoy this beautiful ingredient  quick it is available only for a few weeks . 

Cheers !