If Chillies Could Kill. I'd be A Dead Woman.

Mangalorean Prawn Curry

A tangy and spicy, coconut-based prawn curry. This Mangalorean curry uses two kinds of chillies, madras chillies and begdi chillies which are easily available in West and South India. If madras chillies are unavailable, Kashmiri chillies can be used. 

Serves 6

Ingredients

Prawns (Jhinga), peeled and deveined  ½ kg

For the Paste

Coriander Seeds (Sabut Dhaniya) 1 ½ tbpsn.

Cumin (Jeera) 1 ½ tbspn.

Carom Seeds (Ajwain) ¼ tspn.

Fenugreek Seeds (Methi Seeds) ¼ tspn.

Bedgi Chillies 2-3

Madras Chillies 2

Tamarind Paste 2 tbspn.

Coconut (Nariyal), freshly grated 1 ½ cups

Garlic (Lehsun), peeled and crushed 5-6

For the Curry

Vegetable Oil (Tel) 2 tbspn.

Onion (pyaz), chopped ½ cup

Ginger (Adrak), peeled and grated 1 inch

Green Chillies (Hari Mirch) 2-3, slit

Turmeric (Haldi) 1 tspn.

Salt (namak) to taste

Method:

Clean and wash the prawns and keep aside.

On a tava, dry roast coriander seeds, cumin, carom seeds (Ajwain), fenugreek seeds (methi), begdi chillies and madras chillies.

In a grinder, add in freshly grated coconut, tamarind paste, garlic and the roasted spice mixture. Grind this mixture into a smooth paste.

Heat oil in pan, add in chopped onion, grated ginger, green chillies and sauté for a minute. Add in the prawns, turmeric and salt. Cook the prawns till they turn white and curl up.

Add in the coconut mixture to the prawns. Stir in two cups of water to the pan. Let the curry some to a boil and then simmer for two minutes. Turn off the heat. Serve hot with steamed rice.  

This Is Aamchi Mumbai

People love Mumbai for many reasons. I love Mumbai because I was seventeen when I moved here. It was the first time I was living away from my family. It is great to be young and feel free, even better being young and away in Mumbai. I remember college days and month-ends with money crunch. It was when I fell in love with Bagdadi, with Beer in Mondy’s, with Kulfi Falooda and with Mumbai city.

Chilli chicken and the famous over-sized rotis of Bagdadi or kebabs at midnight in Bade Miya, town has real magic. The long local train ride to town at noon just adds to the fun. It is like this feeling of being transported to a magical land far away. Hold me, I am getting carried away.

The little droplets of water rolling down the neck, only a pint of chilled beer at Mondy’s can beat the afternoon heat. Then again, why would I go for that pint of beer at Café Mondegar when I can get my Heineken straight from the keg? Have you ever thought why people are always swarming into Mondy’s? What is it about this place that even on a Tuesday afternoon it is buzzing with excitement? It spells life with the cartoons on the walls, the juke box, the pitcher of beer and the big bowl of noodles. Café Mondegar is not a restaurant it is a way of life. It is the way we love living. Many Mumbaikars cannot stop with their stories about that night at Mondy’s and that day they spent drinking beer at Mondy’s to get over the previous night’s hangover. As A. and I were sharing our stories about mingling at Mondy’s, a new story was unfolding itself before us that afternoon; a story that we will be telling in the years to come.

A. and I were there to attend the very disappointing exhibit of Uppercrust 2011. We didn’t enjoy the exhibit, we thought it would be more fun to go back to causeway and hog on some chicken curry and Jumbo rotis at Baghdadi. It is the most reasonable and by far the best meal you can have in town. Everybody knows the name! Mumbaikar or not, Baghdadi everyone knows. The very popular chilli chicken curry was my pick and A. opted for some butter chicken. He can’t handle green chillies. He went for the milder, cliché option. That distinct flavour in their chilli chicken is so distinct. Seems so simple and yet no one can get that flavour exactly the same. I will never forget the flavour of the best meal I have had with fifty rupees left in the end of March 2008. After paying the sum of rupees two hundred for a yummy and satiating lunch for two we moved on to Crawford market for dessert.

Badshah’s famous falooda was our next stop. Let me be honest, I have heard about this place about a million times from a million people but I hadn’t tried it out. Khus falooda was our pick although the Badshah special falooda seemed very tempting too. Nonetheless, we weren’t in the mood for dry fruits after heavy lunch so we went for the sweet, refreshing khus. I was conflicted, when I had the first bite, it was tasteless. Then I realised how to mix it up and eat and bring out the refreshing sweetness in a sunny afternoon.

Some say it is the city of dreams and some stay up because this city never sleeps. I love Mumbai because I always find food; at any time of the day or night, even when I was broke and even when I craved for pav bhaji after midnight. 

Feel Like Breathing Out Smoke From You Ears This Winter? Kombdi Cha Rassa

Winter is the time to breathe out smoke, isn't it? In this chilly air, all you need is a spicy chicken curry to fire up your system. What better spicy curry than the fiery Kolhapur Style Hot Chicken Curry? So, steam some and fetch some water. This curry can even make your nose water.

Kombdi Cha Rassa (Spicy Brown Chicken Curry)

This is a spicy Maharashtrian chicken curry made with dried coconut and onion. Curry-cut pieces of chicken are cooked in a thin brown, runny curry called Rassa. Kombdi is the Marathi word for chicken. Kombdi cha Rassa is best enjoyed with soft, warm chapattis or steamed rice.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Chicken (Murgi), cut into medium size curry pieces 1 kg

Salt (namak) to taste

Lemon (Neeboo ka ras), Juice ¼ cup

Ginger- Garlic (adrak-lehsun) Paste 1 tbspn.

Turmeric (haldi) 1 tspn.

Red Chilli pwd. (Lal mirch pwd. ) 1 tspn.

Oil (tel)4 tbspn.

Onion(Pyaz), sliced 1 ½ cup

Garlic (Lehsun), peeled 8 cloves

Ginger (Adrak), peeled 1 inch

Green chilli(Hari Mirch) 3

Dried Coconut (Sukha Nariyal) ¼ cup

Coriander seeds (Sabut Dhaniya) 4 tbspn

Cloves (lavang) 5

Peppercorn (KaliMirch) 4

Cinnamon (Dal Chini) ½ inch

Dagadphool 2 tbspn

Dried Red Chilli (Sukhi lal mirch)  2

Sesame (Til) 2 tbspn

Method:

In a bowl mix salt, lemon juice, turmeric, ginger garlic paste and red chilli powder. Marinate the chicken pieces in this mixture and set aside.

Sprinkle salt on the sliced onion and squeeze out the moisture. Heat oil in a pan and roast the onion until they are brown. The colour of the onion determines the dark brown colour of the kombdi cha rassa so make sure the colour is deep but be sure not to burn the onions by evenly slicing. Set the brown onion aside.

Heat oil in a pan, add coriander seeds, pieces of dried coconut, cloves, peppercorn, cinnamon, dagadphool, sesame, ginger, garlic, green chilli and dried red chilli. Roast this masala together for 3-4 minutes on medium heat until becomes a darker shade. Grind this mixture into a thick paste.

Heat oil in a pan, add in the paste and cook on medium heat. Allow the mixture to leave the sides of the pan. Add in the chicken and the marinade. Allow the chicken to cook in masala for five minutes on low heat.

Note: While adding the chicken pieces to the curry, add in the leg pieces, neck pieces and other bony pieces first. Add in the bigger, fleshy pieces second and add in the small fleshy pieces in the end, five minutes before turning the heat off. This will allow the chicken pieces to cook evenly.

Add in 2 cups of water to the chicken curry. Check the curry for salt and cook the curry on low heat for 15-20 minutes till the chicken comes easily off the bone.

The consistency of the curry should be thin. Serve the Kombdi cha Rassa with warm chapattis or steamed rice.

Sasta, Sundar Aur Tikau; Chung Fa, East Street

Do you ever wonder what Chung Fa means? I don’t think that their cook knows it either. Indian style ‘rasta’ Chinese is served in a small diner called ‘Chung Fa’ on East Street. We have eaten this kind of Chinese food standing on the street at the hawker around the corner. Chung Fa serves the same kind of Chinese food at similar prices, indoors. It is truly what we Indians call ‘Sasta, sundar aur tikau’ that is ‘reasonable and nice’. The sesame chicken and fried mushroom starters were crispy and satiating. The chicken triple Szechwan with rice, noodles, a spicy sauce and chicken pieces was filling and enough to fill two hungry girls, Nirali and my own.

I was meeting my high school friends after seven long years. The evening called for a venue that was close to our old school which was in the city centre, affordable and a common preference. Chung fa was perfect. It has all these qualities, rasta Chinese is common preference, Chung fa is reasonably priced and is located in the centre of Pune city. The ambience is a loud, cluttered and noisy. The diner is divided into two small dining sections. The inside section can make you feel a tad claustrophobic considering that the diner is usually full. The best part of this place is that it is great value for money. The server kept forgetting that people need a refill of water. Being located in the city, close to schools and a movie theatre it is more reasonable that many outlets in that area. According to Nirali, Chung Fa has another plus point; it is one of the few outlets that accept ‘Sodexo food coupons’. So, employees of those ‘Sodexo’ generous firms, dig in. That thing about this place is that it serves roadside or ‘rasta’ Chinese, indoors.

Ambience: 5/ 10 Below Average

Value for Money: 7/ 10 Good

Menu: 7/ 10 Good

Food: 7/ 10 Good

Service: 6/ 10 Average

That Thing About This Place: 7/ 10 Good

Below Average Ambience + Good Value for Money + Good Menu + Good Food + Average Service + Good That Thing About This Place = Good

Rating: 7 on 10 

Makke Ki Roti Sarson Ka Saag! Winters Just Got Better

Come December and you can get the smell of fresh greens and festive sweets. Winter is the gorging season. With so many seasonal vegetables and easy digestion, the winter calls for big celebration. The secret ingredient to this recipe is homemade butter, lots of it. So indulge and enjoy the greens of this season.

Sarson Ka Saag with Makke Ki Roti

Sarson ka saag and makke ki roti is a seasonal speciality of Punjab. This winter meal is very popular in North India. It is said that the saag should not be cooked after the winter harvest in Punjab, Lodi.  With freshly made butter sarson ka saag is traditionally eaten with makke ki roti. This is the short version of the recipe. Traditionally, sarson ka saag was made in the villages of Punjab with fresh greens from the fields. The mustard leaves along with other green leafy vegetables were cooked hours on a wood fire. The slow cooking on wood fire adds to the flavour of the greens. With this short version you can enjoy the goodness of the winters in Punjab with this yummy winter recipe.

Serves 2

Ingredients

Mustard Greens (Sarson ka saag), cleaned and blanched 4 cups

Spinach (Paalak), cleaned and blanched 4 cups

Bathua, cleaned and blanched 4 cups (chenopodium in English but the stores here label it as amaranth leaves)

Mustard Oil (Sarson ka tel) 3 tbspn

Garlic (lehsun), peeled 5 cloves, crushed and chopped

Onion (pyaz), chopped ½ cup

Tomatoes (tamatar), chopped 1 cup

Salt (namak) to taste

Asafoetida (hing) ½ tspn

Butter (makkhan) 2 tbspn

Method:

Grind the precooked mustard leaves, spinach and bathua together.
Heat 2 tbspn mustard oil in a pan till it begins to smoke. Allow the oil to cool a little, add in garlic and onion. Add in tomatoes once the onions turn translucent. Allow the tomatoes to cook until squishy.

Add in salt and the greens; allow them to cook on a low flame till it begins to leave the sides and the oil separates from the mixture. This will take approximately 20 minutes on low heat.

Heat 1 tbspn mustard oil to smoking point in a different pan. Allow the oil to cool and then add in asafoetida. Add this mixture to the sarson ka saag and stir. Cook on medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off the heat and serve with butter and makke ki roti.

Makke Ki Roti

For 12 Rotis

Ingredients

Maize Flour (Makke ka atta) 1 cup

Whole Wheat Flour (Whole Wheat Flour) 1 cup

Salt (Namak) to taste

Vegetable oil (Tel) 3 tbspn.

Unsalted Butter (Makkhan) 1 tbspn.

Method:

On a flat surface, take maize flour and whole wheat flour and make a well in the centre.

Add in salt and approximately 1 cup water while mixing it in the flour with your fingers. Knead well and make dough. Rub in 1 tbspn. oil and knead again. Allow the dough to rest for a few minutes.

Divide the dough into twelve equal portions and round them up. Take each round, flatten it on a flat surface and dust with flour. Roll out the dough into thin discs, the size of your palm. Make sure they are even on all sides.

Heat a tawa or flat griddle and cook the roti on both sides. Smear it with some oil on both sides while cooking. Cook it till it gets little dark spots on either side.

Add in tablespoon of butter in both, the saag and the makke ki rotis for the yumminess factor. 

A Lean Dinner For Two; Thukpa

For those of us who love to eat, Thukpa is for a fitter you. The best part of this meal is that it fills you up without too much fuss and you get to everything you love in one bowl, literally. Enjoy my very first step towards a single chin, Thukpa.

Thukpa – Spicy Chicken, Vegetable and Noodle Soup

Thukpa is an East Indian soup, made with meat, vegetables and noodles or dumplings for thickening. It is a meal in itself, complete with proteins and carbs. In this recipe I have used chicken and some bacon for flavouring. You can use pork belly, lamb, seafood or a combination of meats to suit your preference. For vegetarian Thukpa, simply skip the meat or chicken and add in a combination of vegetables that you fancy. 

   

Serves - 2

Ingredients

Chicken, boneless, cut into chunks 2 cups

Lemon, juice 2 tbspn

Red chilli 2

Salt to taste

Vegetable Oil few drops

Bacon 2 rashers (Optional)

Spring onion, chopped 1 cup

Ginger 1 ½ inch, chopped

Garlic, peeled 5 cloves

Carrot, chopped  ½ cup

Beans (any green beans), chopped ½ cup

Tomatoes, chopped 1 cup

Spinach, cleaned ½ bunch

Mushroom 5, quartered

Chicken Stock 3 cups

Noodles 1 cup

Sugar 1 teaspoon

Soy Sauce 1 tbspn

Vinegar 1 tbspn (use lemon juice)

Basil a few leaves

Coriander Leaves, roughly chopped ¼ cup

Scrambled Egg on top (optional)

Method:

Crush the red chillies. Rub in salt, half the crushed red chilli and lemon juice to the chicken chunks.

Heat oil in a deep pan, and then add in ginger, garlic and the chopped white bulbs of spring onion. Stir in and allow it to cook until the onion turns translucent.

Now, add in carrots, beans and cook on a high flame for two minutes. Add in the chicken, then the spinach, mushrooms, tomato, salt and crushed red chilli. Stir and cook on medium heat.

Add in the chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Now, add in noodles or dumplings, allow the thukpa to thicken. Add in sugar, soy sauce, basil, coriander leaves and lemon juice or vinegar. Top the Thukpa with scrambled egg for garnish.

Enjoy the flavour riot!

Mad House Grill, Pune; It’s a Mooo… Point!

Name: Mad House Grill, Pune

Location: Lane 6, Koregaon Park

Contact: 020 26124779

Date of Visit: 14^th December, 2011 [Dinner Hour]

Do you believe in a dining experience rather than just a dinner? Then you will definitely appreciate Mad House Grill. I have to give full marks to the marketing strategy of this place. It is really popular among my peers. The ‘All you can eat Steak’ nights and Sunday Brunch for six hundred bucks sounds really tempting. Coming back to their selling points, I had heard about Mad House Grill a lot thanks to facebook, my sister, her friends, my friends, my brother and many more wanting to take the ‘All you can eat Steak’ challenge. I have to admitted, I was tempted to see myself go up on that wall of fame. Nonetheless, I passed the challenge bit and moved on to just trying out their steak.

Mad House Grill is among the few places that serve beef steak in Pune. I am a hardcore carnivore and a big fat Steak fan, literally. It’s like falling in love, the first time you try out your favourite food. I remember the rare cooked pepper steak with cream, mushrooms and shallots, in my third year of catering school, ahhhhh! Heaven had come alive. The rare cooked steak in cream and mushroom sauce at Mad House Grill was nothing like that, not even close. Before this latest steak experience at Mad House Grill I used to believe that no one can go wrong with steak. I was wrong. The beef quality wasn’t good; it was chewy instead of tender and juicy. The cream and mushroom sauce had no flavour, it was bland. The mashed potato was sweet with chilli flakes and no flavour again, spinach on the side was tasteless. It was hard to find something flavourful on this plate that would make that meal convincing or satisfying. Similarly, the much recommended garlic steak in tomato sauce, medium cooked, was comsi comsa, although the tomato sauce had more flavour than the cream sauce. The accompanying sausages and veggies were tangy and interesting. If you are about to visit this place for its steak, then drop the idea now and save yourself the fuel.

The chicken broth was okay. The sizzling brownie and ice cream, well, thankfully you can’t go wrong with that. Don’t get me wrong the menu was alright. When I went through the list of items, it offered many options, even for vegetarians and non-beef eaters. Yet, considering that ‘Steak’ is what they are selling, something in the kitchen ought to have gone wrong that day.

It was a beautiful evening though. These little restaurants are what make up this warm, welcoming and care free city of Pune. Mad House Grill invites you, literally. With its big round lamps and live musicians playing those lovely, romantic songs bring out the romance of the city and the Pune life. Mad House Grill really gives you the perfect feel of Pune, with its casual dining, beers and wines for the evening and the sweet melodious live music which makes up for a wonderful dining experience. Besides the reasonable dishes here and service with a smile, doesn’t hurt. The owners are really warm and friendly, they do give due attention to customer needs and satisfaction, which wasn’t usual, yet wonderful. It was a beautiful evening, Mad House Grill made it a beautiful evening.

Ambience: Very Good 8/ 10

Value For Money: Very Good 8/ 10

Menu: Very Good 8/ 10

Service: Very Good 8/ 10

Food: Good 7/ 10

That Thing About This Pace: Very Good 8/ 10

Very Good Ambience + Very Good Value For Money + Very Good Menu + Very Good Service + Good Food+ Very Good That Thing About this Place = Very Good

Rating : 8/ 10