Today I climbed my Everest.. The Rajasthani Thali.

All day, I worked on Rajasthani recipes, experimenting, enhancing and improving the flavours. Which flavours are more pronounced? Which ones are missing and which ones need to get stronger?

Finally, I have succeeded in putting together good recipes together, which have compatible flavours, well pronounced and married in the correct proportions.

I would love to tell you those recipes, but tonight I am out of energy, so here is a little preview of the recipes that I will let you know in a day or two.

I am no fruit seller, what do I do with Sixteen Dozen Bananas Growing in My Backyard?

One of life’s most delightful gifts is to be able to plant your own food, watch it grow and eat what you planted. The feeling of contentment and the taste of that food is irreplaceable, even if it is a little pot with some herbs you planted at your window. One of the privileges of living outside the city is that I am able to grow a lot of my own food and a lot of the fruits and vegetables I cook are garden fresh, seasonal, organic and therefore full of flavour. It’s not very difficult, may be I will post how you can plant your own herbs and you can try it, water it everyday and watch it grow, I also talk to my plants, it helps, you might think I am crazy but you can just try growing them at your window and you will know what I am talking about. 

So, I have sixteen dozen bananas growing in my backyard and every morning I get up, look at it with motherly love and get ecstatic thinking about the tasty bananas. So you can imagine, soon we are going to have banana split, banana cake, banana Koftas on our recipe list. Today, I am trying a recipe that my grandfather loved to eat during his weekly fasts, the Raw Banana Dahi Bada. It is an age old recipe and you will love this unique cousin of the Dahi Bada.

Raw Banana Dahi Bada – Serves 4

Ingredients

Raw banana           1

Potato                     1, boiled

Yogurt                     1 ½ cup, strained

Salt                         to taste

Black salt              ½ teaspoon

Roasted Cumin Powder      ½ teaspoon

Red Chilli Powder            ¼ teaspoon

Curry leaves           few

Mustard seeds        ½ teaspoon

Oil                          for frying

Ghee                     1 tablespoon

Method:

Cook the raw banana in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles, until it is soft, cooked and the skin comes of easily OR cook the raw banana in boiling water in closed deep pan filled with water and cook for forty five minutes until it is cooked and the skin comes of easily.

Mash the cooked raw banana and the boiled potato together in a mixing bowl. Add in salt and mix it in well. Now, divide the mixture into eight equal portions with a knife. Smear some oil on your palms and round up the divided portions and then flatten them between the palms. Once all the badas are shaped.

Heat oil in deep pan or a wok , check the oil by putting a small piece of the mixture, if it comes comes up the oil id ready for frying. Remove the crumb, then start adding the raw bananas badas one by one and let them fry until golden brown. When they come on the surface, remove them and put them on a paper napkin to remove the excess oil.

To prepare the yogurt, add in the black salt, roasted cumin powder and red chilli powder , mix well and strain the yogurt.

In the serving bowl, place the fried raw banana badas and pour the yogurt on top. For the flavour to soak in, allow the badas to stand in the yogurt and chill in the refrigerator for thirty minutes.

Garnish with red chilli powder and temper by heat ghee in a pan, once the ghee is hot add in the mustard seeds, once the mustard seeds begin to crackle add in the curry leaves. Add this tempering on the raw banana chilled dahi bada.

Note:  You can also flavour the yogurt with grated ginger, green chilli and salt instead of flavouring it with black salt and roasted cumin powder.

You can serve the raw Banana Dahi Bada with a Mint and coriander chutney and imli chutney or the sweet sour chutney made with ginger and Jaggery (Gud) called Sonth in the regular chaat recipe.

Café Bay leaf, Holiday Inn – at Hinjewadi, Pune

Hinjawadi , Pune
Located In: Holiday Inn Pune Hinjewadi
Phone: 66862200

Café Bay leaf is a twenty four hour coffee shop and the only dining room that is currently operational at the Holiday Inn, Hinjewadi. The Ala carte menu had an interesting variety of cuisines although the list of items wasn’t very long. I was unable to sample any items from the Ala carte menu since the restaurant had opened recently and the Ala carte menu wasn’t operational. The buffet was reasonably priced at Rs. 449 plus taxes as on 9^th July, 2011. The selection of items on the buffet menu included a variety of dessert however, the number of appetisers were limited.  

Ambience

The outlet is very spacious; it has not been over crowded with tables placed to close together. Even on a Saturday evening, although the restaurant was full, there was no chaos or hustle bustle that would hinder a private conversation.

Service

The service was good. The waiter was prompt, attentive, and polite. He did not seem to intrude us through the dinner yet kept an eye if we needed a thing or two.

Food

The food was average. There was no item on the buffet that was extraordinary or something that I would choose to come for. The items placed were included oriental, continental and Indian cuisine, they all tasted decent but there was no X factor in any of the dishes or cuisine.

The Non Vegetarian appetiser Murgh kali mirch was was succulent and delicious.

The salads and the middle eastern dips especially the hummus and the labneh were good.

In the main course, Gobhi adraki tasted special, unique and had a wonderful, well pronounced flavour. It was the only memorable item on the Vegetarian main course. The other dishes tasted average and regular.  

In the non vegetarian main course, the cumin crusted fish with spaghetti did not taste good. I only went for a small piece and I was curious because the description seemed new but I was disappointed because the flavour did not compliment each other, the spaghetti barely had any flavour and fish was too dry.

Chicken with sliced Bamboo shoots, the oriental main course was the best tasting dish in the slection although the chicken in this case was also too dry yet flavourful.

Chicken Hyderabadi tasted decent but the mutton rai tamatar was like homemade thin curry mutton lacking the full flavour of the tomatoes and the rai.

The dessert buffet looked very attractive. I must mention they had a long list of items on the dessert buffet. Many of these desserts were eggless, making it a delight for the vegetarians. The mixed fruit parfait, orange pastry and banana cake were good. The other desserts were average but the variety nonetheless, made them a delight.

This buffet at Café Bay leaf at Holiday Inn Hinjewadi in reasonably priced and offers a great variety of items for the price. The dessert buffet being the main attraction at a price like that. Although the food does not taste extraordinary, the money was well spent.

Café Basil = Good Ambience + Good Service + Average Food + Good Value for Money

Rating = 6.5 on 10

Korean Donuts and a ‘Mehendi’ like Beverage! Seven Reasons That Will Make This Hangout Your Favourite

Peter Donuts

Location: 1st Floor, HPCL Outlet, Gaikwad nagar, Gaikwad service station, Aundh , Pune

Phone: 65108709

Timings: 

9:00 AM to 11:00 PM

Saturday evenings are meant for friends, laughter and a lot of catching up. In this case Dhanashree and I had a lot more catching up to do after we met last year in London. Dhanashree had gone abroad for her education right after school, since then we had been in touch and she is one of the few friends with whom, years of absence don’t matter. She was visiting her family in the city during the summer so she gave me call two days ago and we decided to meet at Peter Donuts. Well, this place  doesn’t really serve a new Korean recipe for donuts but it is a Korean Donut chain that has come up in the vivinity. I had heard a lot about this place and its Donuts. It is a little café on the first floor right next to the Aundh Petrol Pump, the glass windows are visible from the road and it always looked interesting. Finally! I thought to myself. So I drove down in the rain, through the chilly air this Saturday evening, surprisingly I found a parking space right below the café.

I entered through the brightly coloured door, with the specials scribbled on, Donuts, Waffles, Ramen? Interesting! I was very surprised to see this centrally located café with just a few tables occupied on a Saturday evening. I was happy there was no chaos, staff shouting out names or hustle bustle. It is hard to find a peaceful café to chat with a friend.

 Why you would love to come back to this place?

First on My List: We were able to have a loud yet private conversation.

Peter Donuts is a small café in comparison with other cafés in Aundh, yet because of the large glass windows and the set up of the place it looked spacious and pleasant. The thing that struck me most about this place was that although there was limited space, the tables were well spaced and well placed. Like a lot of other hangouts in the vicinity, it did not feel like a lot of strangers were part of our conversation or that we were sitting in a wedding reception, cluttered and claustrophobic.

The Second:

This is a self-service outlet with the happiest staff I have seen in a café and because they look happy, they serve you better.

The Third:

They have a unique menu, the list of items isn’t very long but it was very interesting to note the variety and mix of items. I mean you can find the regular Iced teas, Fruit Smoothies and Cold Coffee in every other café but how frequently do you come across a Green Tea frappe?

The Fourth:

The Green Tea Frappe; I have never heard or tasted anything like that in any of the café I have been to in the past. Most of us have tried green tea but a Green Tea latte? Well, that’s something new and interesting. I had to try this one. Remember the happy staff I had told you about? They can really cheer you up. You should have seen the look on their faces the moment I said One Green Tea latte frappe please! They all seemed amused and curious. One of them asked me, ‘have you tried it before?’, ‘No’, I said ‘but I would love to’. ‘Mehendi Sarkha aahe!’ meaning it tastes like henna he smiled and exclaimed in marathi, still looking very amused. This made me very curious about the drink.

I sat by the glass window, soon the drink was ready! They did not shout out my name but just politely pointed put that my drink is ready. I faint, pale green coloured drink, it smelled nice and sweet, not like green tea. The moment I sipped it, the entire staff who had been observing me raised their eyebrows with a smile to ask me whether I liked it. I smiled back and as I swallowed my drink, there it was the strong smell and after taste of the green tea. Ohhh! So that’s what they were talking about , the ‘Mehendi Sarkha Taste’, not pleasant. I am a fan of green tea but this Green Tea latte Frappe was not pleasant. I swallowed it like Dhanashree and I would have swallowed glass of milk on school mornings.

It was an interesting drink, worth the try I would say but I don’t think I would like to order it again. I don’t know whether it was done to hide the after taste but the green tea frappe was too sweet.

The Fifth:

Ramen. This is an oriental thick spicy noodle soup which I have seen in many movies and been very tempted to try, but I never could because it was never on the menu! Ramen, is not available in any of the cafés I have visited in Pune before. It was a very unique dish on the menu, reasonable priced for such a unique dish and it served as a mini meal. I have seen burgers, sandwiches and savoury rolls in cafés but this was something that sets Peter Donuts apart from the rest, you can only have ramen at Peter Donuts!

The Sixth:

The Sushi item, Onigiri. This is an exclusive. Sushi is really scarce in Pune. You won’t even be able to try sushi food in a handful of places. In my knowledge, there is just one other place, a Japanese Restaurant on the other side of the city that serves sushi but no café in this city serves any type of sushi. The best part, you get to sample to have a sushi meal at a very reasonable price. This piece of onigiri will surely not burn a hole in your pocket. No need to fuel up your car Aundh residents, Sushi has come really close to you.

The Seventh:

The Donuts. Don’t worry I have not forgotten about the Donuts, after all, the place is called Peter Donuts. Well, I will just have to say, there are Donuts and then there are Donuts that are above all other Donuts. You have to see them to believe it.  

This outlet is very unique in many ways but it is the menu that really sets it apart from all others. I can’t wait to go back and try out the Ramen and the Sushi, may be another day, when I haven’t already had a heavy lunch. 

Chicken Soup for the Hungry Soul.. the lemony, creamy chicken soup!

Do you hear your stomach making loud, funny noises everyday at 5 o’clock? It is the time of the day when dinner seems too far away although lunch wasn’t long gone. It is the time, when after having worked since morning you feel distracted and hungry. So, I decided to take a break and have some simple, subtly flavoured chicken soup. Although this soup will do justice to your hunger even on a lazy Sunday evening!

Lemony Creamy Chicken Soup (serves 4)

Chicken(boneless)             100g , washed and chopped finely

Butter                                1 tablespoon

Refined flour                      1 tablespoon

Egg                                   1, separated

Cream                               2 tablespoons

Lemon                              1 (juice + grated rind)

Nutmeg                             ¼ teaspoon, grated

Salt                                    to taste

Method:

Wash the chicken. Take 600 ml water in a deep, heavy bottom pan, add in the chicken pieces, salt and stir. Now, turn on the heat and let it simmer on low heat for five minutes until the chicken is cooked. Strain out the liquid. Save both the liquid and the chicken pieces separately.

Melt butter in a pan, add in the refined flour and cook it on low heat till it becomes off white and fluffy, do not let it brown. Add in the cooking liquid from the chicken a little at a time and whisk thoroughly to avoid lumps from forming. Add in grated nutmeg and stir. Turn off the heat. Squeeze in the juice of one lemon, through a strainer into the soup little by little, stir and stop adding in the juice when the tangy flavour is to your liking. I used up the juice of half a lemon. Once the nutmeg and the lemon juice are stirred in, allow the soup to cool for one minute. In a bowl mix two tablespoons of cream and one egg yolk and mix well.

To finish, fill half round spoon/ Ladle with the chicken soup, add in a one table spoon of the egg and cream mixture and stir it in the ladle, without adding it into the entire soup. Keep adding the egg and cream mixture slowly into the ladle with a little soup and continue to stir and mix it in the ladle. Once the entire cream and egg mixture is added in the ladle, add this mixture slowly into the soup and stir well, so that the cream does not split or curdle in the soup. If necessary pass the soup through a strainer to remove any lumps. 

Garnish with grated lemon rind and a wedge of lemon on the rim. Serve this soup hot and enjoy it on a cool, breezy evening.

A Box Full of LeftOver Basil and the Moving tale of Two Old Potatoes

I have two large potatoes, they are really old, nearly about to sprout, they have been lying in my vegetable basket for over a week. These potatoes are sticky, starchy and ripe for some homemade Gnocchi. The Basil here has the same tale to tell, I used it for some soup a few days ago and it is waiting in my refrigerator for its destiny to be sealed. I will do them both justice today, make me a classic Italian potato pasta in Basil Pesto.

Potato pasta in Basil pesto

Ingredients

Old potatoes       2 large, boiled

Refined Flour      ¾ Cup

Salt                       to taste

Butter                 10g

For pesto

Garlic                 3 cloves

Walnuts             5

Basil                   Handfull

Parmesan Cheese         40g

Cream            ½ Cup

For Granish:

Parmesan shavings

Method:

Grate the boiled potato and then mash it well with a fork. On a flat surface mix in the salt and flour little by little with the potato and knead it into the dough. If the dough is still sticky add in more flour. If the dough is too dry, add in one egg.

Now, roll the dough into a snake shape long cylinder and cut it into equal ½ inch pieces. 

Take the pillow shape dough and press it with your index finger on a fork dipped in oil to give it a C shape. Shape all the Gnocchi pillows in the same manner.

Heat 1 pint of water in a deep, heavy bottom pan. Once the water the starts boiling add in the gnocchi, few at a time, once cooked the cooked will pop back to the surface of the boiling water. Remove the Gnocchi and set aside.

For the Pesto, grind and blend together garlic, basil, cheese, walnuts and cream into a fine homogeneous paste.

Heat butter in a pan add the gnocchi, add the pesto and toss until they mix well. Serve Hot with Parmesan Shavings.

If Only I knew How to Drive Unwanted Guests Away, I Wouldn’t Have Tried this Yummy Recipe

In my defence, I really wanted to have some yummy chicken for dinner and I did not know that people can be this annoying. You know those people who know that they are unwanted, you haven’t been in touch for long, you don’t have anything in common anymore and basically you just have to smile and nod while they go on about, well, I would know if I had been listening. I had never heard about this childhood friend from my father and after the dinner last night, I was pretty sure that I will not hear about him ever again. He had come to visit us with his son since the son had enrolled himself in the University in Pune. Honestly, from the moment I had heard about these popped out of the blue - don’t care about other people’s time visitors, I was not happy.  But, you know the miseries of a social being, I had to smile, be nice and cook up a delicious dinner.

My mother and I divided responsibilities, to avoid the third world war in our kitchen. My mother is a religious vegetarian so I was responsible for the chicken recipe. I wish I had cooked up a lousy dinner than try a recipe trying to ape the  utterly, butterly delicious chicken from Paramount, a reasonable joint in Mahim which serves the best butter chicken with butter rotis I have ever eaten in Mumbai. Even though I put up with hours of I am too good to be in this place talk from the duo that visited my house, I compensated by stuffing myself  the chicken I had cooked, I think we all did. So here is the recipe. Statutory Warning: This recipe makes stay longer and are likely to come back again. To drive them away you could try Bitter gourd kebabs or Kali Mirch Ladoos.

Utterly Butterly Delicious Chicken; The trick is lots of Butter (Serves 6)

Ingredients

Chicken, Boneless             600g, cut into cubes
Yogurt                               60g

Garlic-ginger paste             40g, fresh

Lime                                  1, juice

Red Chilli paste                  1 teaspoon

Garam Masala powder       1 teaspoon

Mustard Oil                        10ml, Cooked (Heated till it emits smoke)

Onion                                 2 large, thinly sliced

Tomato                              2 large

Tomato Puree                    60 ml

Black cardamom                2, roasted

Cinnamon                          ½ inch, roasted

Cashewnuts                       8, finely grind into a paste

Cream                                  20ml

Red Chilli powder              ½ teaspoon

Kasoori methi powder       1 teaspoon, roasted

Salt                                     to taste

Butter                                 100g

Oil for frying

Method:

Mix Yogurt, ginger garlic paste, red chilli paste, garam masala powder, salt, lime juice and mustard oil in a big bowl, whisk and add boneless chunks of chicken and marinate until you prepare the other ingredients.

Heat water in a deep, heavy bottom pan until it is boiling. While the water is getting heated, wash the tomatoes thoroughly, remove the eye and make a cross incision at the bottom of all five tomatoes. Once the water is boiling, pop in the tomatoes into the boiling water and allow them to cook for two minutes. Once the skin of the tomatoes separates from the flesh, remove the tomatoes, run them under cold water and peel out the skins. This process is called blanching the tomatoes. Now remove the seeds and chop the tomatoes finely.

Heat Oil for frying in a heavy bottom pan, check the oil by putting one slice of onion in, if it comes up instantly the oil is ready. Remove this slice of onion and add in the rest of the sliced onion and deep fry until golden brown. The onion should be evenly sliced, don’t over crowd the vessel for even frying. After the onion is golden brown, remove it, cool it and grind it with black cardamom and cinnamon.

In a pan, add butter and allow it to melt. Now, add in the onion mixture, add in the chopped tomatoes and allow it to cook on medium heat for three minutes. Now add in the tomato puree, red chilli powder and allow it to simmer for five to seven minutes. Once the onion tomato mixture leaves the sides, add in cashew paste, stir and simmer for another three minutes.

To cook the chicken pieces, melt butter in a pan and add the marinated cubes of chicken. Do not over crowd the pan, if required divide the chicken into two batches. Allow the chicken to brown, cook for three minutes and set aside. Chicken can also be grilled or cooked over burning charcoal for a smoky flavour.

Add the chicken to the curry, stir and for two minutes. Turn off the heat. Then add in the cream, sprinkle kasoori methi and add in the remaining butter, stir in and serve hot with Rotis or steamed rice.