Tuesday, March 12, 2024

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: AGASHIYE IN AHMEDABAD

 OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: AGASHIYE  IN AHMEDABAD 

In my view, The House of MG,  is a "must visit" when you are in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, as a tourist. This is an old mansion which was built in the last century and is now part hotel, part museum, and part restaurant. At the roof top of the House of MG is a restaurant called "Agashiye" which I was told means " Terrace" in Gujarati. We enjoyed a typical Gujarati thali here for lunch during our recent visit to Ahmedabad. As their brochure says, it was an experience of Fine Gujarati Dining on the Terrace! 


The entrance of the restaurant has an interesting collection of pots and pans. The diner can choose from three types of thalis. The more expensive of the three types have unlimited quantities of food. We opted for the limited thali-The Agashiye Classic- which though very tasty was itself way too much for us! 


The meal starts with a welcome drink. On that day it happened to be Pineapple and Jamfal Nu Sharbat. A tasty and refreshing mix of pineapple and guava!  


We loved the main course which was Jodhpuri Bataki ( made with potatoes) , Panchkuti Shaak ( made  with 5 types of vegetables), excellent Phulka Rotlis ( so light and delicious), Lila Kopra wala Rice ( a kind of coconut rice)  and the slightly sweet but super yummy Gujarati Dal.



Supporting the main coarse was a bevy of salads and chutneys: Fangavela Kathol, Kakdi, (Cucumber), Tomato, Seasonal Vegetable Pickle, Sweet Pickle, Coriander and Peanut Chutney and a spicy Garlic Chutney which was out of this world.  


Accompaniments served with the meal were Dahivada Chaat ( which was super), Fresh Buttermilk, and Papad. 

We were wondering what would be served for dessert and were happy to see it was Mohanthal- supposedly the most famous sweet of Ahmedabad. It was truly delicious and we won't forget this taste for a long time. We have had Mohanthal in different places but the one at Agashiye was by far the best we had.


The House of MG, as I mentioned before, is an interesting place to visit. Try to club this visit with a meal at Agashiye to make the experience complete! Highly recommended. 







 




Monday, March 4, 2024

BENGALI NIGHTS KOLKATA FOOD TOUR

 BENGALI NIGHTS KOLKATA FOOD TOUR

What do you do when you reach a city you want to see but don't know where to start? There are different ways to enjoy a city that is new to you. One way is to trust someone who knows the city well and can show you sights and places you may not otherwise come across. Being foodies, my husband Prem and I took this approach during our recent stay at Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal. We signed on for a tour called," Bengali Nights Kolkata Food Tour" conducted by Avik. 

For the uninitiated, in a tastings tour such as this , the guide explains to you important and interesting aspects of the places you visit and the food you are served as part of the package. We found Avik, our guide, to be an engaging personality. We enjoyed his company as also that of two others who were on that tour with us. There was a connect between us as they were also linked to Bengaluru - where we come from- in some ways.


The rendezvous for the tour was the entrance to the Metro in Esplanade. We took a Uber there from our hotel. Shortly after we got there- well in time to be on the safe side- Avik came and soon after the two other ladies arrived.

A large part of the fun in this tour is that we used different types of transport peculiar to the old city of Kolkata. Since it was an evening/night tour, we couldn't use the ubiquitous tram. This was a big disappointment for me as I have never travelled in one. We were told the number of trams in use in Kolkata have fallen sharply over the years. We started our tour by using the Metro. Locals say with pride that the Metro service in Kolkata was the first to be started in India. It commenced operations in 1984. 


Our first stop on hopping off the Metro was to have an orange- milk shake -served from a stall on the street pavement. We hadn't tried this combination of Orange and Lassi before - so it tasted new and different for us. 


Our trip also had a ride on the Kolkata bus and we were thrilled to see the statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. The bus we got was not crowded - which came as a pleasant surprise to us- and it rattled on with the conductor holding on to the notes collected in the form of a fan  and issuing old world tickets which we hadn't seen for years. 



We also travelled. by the quaint rickshaw pulled by a person. We were rather hesitant at first to use this antiquated mode of transport. Avik convinced us that this was a means of livelihood for the rickshaw pullers and our being squeamish would actually deprive them of much needed income. It was an experience we had never had before. 


In our next stop we had the famous phuchkas of Kolkata. These would be called Golgappas in Delhi and Pani Puri in Mumbai.  


There were many sights which were totally new to us. For example, our tour took us through unbelievably narrow streets. 

We had more snacks at Lakshminarayana Shaw , an old joint - established in 1918- where many celebrities have dropped in over the decades. Interestingly it is still called "Netaji's Shop" in local parlance as the legendary Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose used to drop in for their famous fritters and other snacks as a college student! This evening decades later, we tasted their onion and chilly fritters which were so yummy! 


Another stop was at Bhojohori Manna for dinner. 


Here we had a Bengali style meal- starting with puris which are called Luchis here and a sweetish yet very tasty Bengali dal with fritters as an accompaniment. I remembered an interesting article by Priyadarshini Chatterjee on how the Luchi is perfect with any meal and any occasion in Bengali homes. 



 The next course was - what else in Kolkata- but fish. While our tour companions had squid, Prem had  Bhetki fish with hot steamed rice which he wolfed down before I could take a picture. The dinner also featured a Bengali dish in which the fish was cooked in a banana leaf. The meal was washed down by a welcome drink of Coke.  


We continued on our walk with Avik pointing out interesting sights and regaling us with stories relating to them. Our next port of call was Food Square where we quenched our thirst with a Pan Sharbat that had   the unmistakable taste of betel leaf- paan.  It was cold and refreshing. 


No meal in India- least of all in West Bengal- is complete without a sweet. For those of us with a sweet tooth, Kolkata has to be the best place given its innumerable sweet shops that dish out sweets from the morning! Our sweet shop turned out to be Putiram, where we were plied with one sweet after another until we could have no more!! 



We had the standard Sandesh which was delicious.


My friend - Ganga - a long time resident of Kolkata had recommended that we must try the Gud Rosogolla. This was totally new to us. We had of course had Rosogollas over the years but had never even heard of a Gud Rosagolla. Apparently this is not available all through the year. We got lucky because Putirams had just made a batch of them and we loved this. You must have guessed by now that Gud Rosogolla is made of jaggery or gud- hence its special colouring. 


It was past 9.00 pm by now and our enjoyable tour was coming to an end. We may have spent more time chatting about the highlights but it began to rain. We had to scamper into a cab  to get us back to our hotel.

Thanks, Avik, for a memorable experience. We weren't sure what we were in for when we decided upon this tour but it was a lot of fun! We would most heartily recommend Avik's tour if you wish to explore the relatively unexplored parts of Kolkata and sample some Bengali cuisine on the way. 

Sunday, February 25, 2024

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: AVARTANA AT ITC ROYAL BENGAL, KOLKATA

 OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: AVARTANA AT ITC ROYAL BENGAL, KOLKATA

It was a memorable experience for us to dine at Avartana, the fine dining restaurant at the ITC Royal Bengal, Kolkata where we are staying. This is a new chain of restaurants from ITC Hotels and is positioned as " an expression of culinary art featuring re-imagined flavours from the Southern Indian Peninsula crafted with global culinary techniques." 

Believe me, this is not just marketing speak to push a new product range. It is a realistic description of the way the ITC Hotel Chefs have used South Indian ingredients and food forms in innovative and imaginative ways. 


I am not surprised at all to hear that Avartana at ITC Grand Chola at Chennai has made its debut at #30 in Asia's Top #50 Restaurants! Apparently, this chain will over time be found in more and more of ITC's luxury hotels.

We were greeted with a welcome drink of -what else but Rasam. This flavourful rasam was made without  the use of lentils of any kind.

While there are 4 different dining options ranging from 7 to 13 courses of fine dining, we opted for "Maya" the 7 course one- which was a smart decision as it more than met our needs.

My aim here is not to describe each and every dish as that would spoil the culinary experience for you. I would rather you enjoy it for yourself and draw your own conclusions. I am instead sharing a few dishes that really stayed in my mind.


The picture above is of  Coriander Chicken served with mini-appams. The mini appams really looked so cute and were delicious. The chicken coriander was outstanding- a dish we will remember for very long! 



Another dish that took us totally by surprise for its innovative presentation and taste was the Fermented Chilli Prawn served with a base of idli! 



One would expect a gourmet meal such as this to end with a bang! And it surely did! The dessert - Pumpkin and Candied Ginger, made with Jaggery and Sesame Ice Cream  - was excellent too.


Since it was out wedding anniversary, we were treated to a special extra dessert of pedas and chocolate - in which the principal ingredient was South India's famous Pal Khova! 


Behind every successful restaurant is a team of people who work hard to give us a perfect dining experience. I had the pleasure of meeting Chef Aditya of Avartana in ITC Royal Bengal. He is one of the modern day young chefs who dare to think big . After our dining experience, I am convinced that very soon ITC Hotels'  fledgling Avartana chain of fine dining restaurants will go to great places. 







Saturday, February 17, 2024

KUMBALAKAI MAJJIGE HULI

 KUMBALAKAI MAJJIGE HULI

Growing up in South Bengaluru -when the summer months arrived, my mother used to make this dish called Kumbalakai Majjige Huli. Kumbalakai is the Kannada name for Ash Gourd and Majjige is what Buttermilk is called in Kannada. Ash gourd has numerous health benefits and is particularly popular in summer. Buttermilk of course is the perfect coolant for the heated body during the hot summer months. 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes made with ash gourd, such as :-

This goes great served with hot steamed rice. I often make this with hot steamed rice and a tomato rasam.

I hope you will enjoy this old summer favourite!


Ingredients:-

  • Kumbalakai (Ash Gourd), 600 grams  - yields 3 and 1/2 cups after removing the core and peeling
  • Fresh Buttermilk, 1 and 1/2 cups 
  • Curry Leaves, a few
  • Turmeric Powder, 1/8 tsp
  • Water, 2-3 cups
  • Salt, to taste, 
For the Masala: 

  •  Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1/2 cup
  • Green Chillies, 5
  • Channa Dal, (Bengal Gram) 1 and 1/2  tbsp  ( soaked in water for 2 hours)
  • Jeera, (Cumin Seeds), 1 tsp
  • Coriander seeds, 1 tsp
  • Coriander Leaves, 1/4 cup
For Seasoning:
  • Mustards Seeds, 1/2 tsp
  • Jeera, (Cumin Seeds), 1/2 tsp
  • Hing, (Asafoetida)( Hing), 1/8 tsp
  • Dried Red Chilli 1, broken into halves
  • Coconut Oil, 2 tsp
Method:-

Wash and peel the ash gourd and discard the core. Chop the ash gourd into bite sized pieces.
About 600 grams of ash gourd would yield about 3 and 1/2 cups needed for this dish
Soak the channa dal for about 2 hours in water and drain away the water

In a thick bottomed pan, cook the ash gourd adding two cups of water, turmeric powder,  a few curry leaves and salt 
Cook covered on medium heat for 5 minutes 
In a mixer jar, grind together the fresh coconut gratings, soaked channa dal, green chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and coriander leaves to a fine paste adding just the required amount of water 

When the ash gourd is  half cooked, add the freshly ground masala and mix well and let it cook 
on medium heat till the raw smell of the masala goes. You will find that the curry starts to thicken. 
Lower the heat, add the fresh buttermilk and mix well. Adjust the consistency by adding water if required. 
Let it cook on low/medium heat for a couple of minutes.  
Switch off the gas

Heat oil in a seasoning pan and on medium heat add mustard seeds, when they splutter add the jeera seeds and let them sizzle
Next add the asafoetida, dried red chilli and saute for a few seconds
Pour this seasoning on to the Kumbalakai Majjige Huli and transfer the dish to a serving bowl
Serve with hot steamed rice 

Tips:
* If you don't have fresh buttermilk, you can use curds whisked with water 
* Never add buttermilk on high heat as this will result in it curdling. 






Wednesday, February 7, 2024

MULLANGI KOSAMBARI

 MULLANGI KOSAMBARI

Along with fresh carrots, what caught my eye in our nearby department store were bunches of white radish. They looked so attractive that I had to buy some! 

Of course, Radish called Mooli in Hindi, Mullangi in Kannada and Tamil is not new to us. I make dishes with radish once in awhile as this commonly available root vegetable is strong in antioxidants and hence has several health benefits

Elsewhere in this blog, you will recipes for dishes made with radish, such as:-

Today's recipe is for a simple, easy to make Mullangi Kosambari -which roughly translates to Radish Salad- from my Home State of Karnataka. This is served as a side dish to the main meal. 

Do try this out and I am sure you will like it as much as we do! 




Ingredients:-

  • Radish, medium-sized, 2 
  • Lemon, Juice, from 1/2 a lemon
  • Green Chillies,  2
  • Curry Leaves, 10
  • Mustard Seeds, 1/4 tsp
  • Urad Dal, 1/2 tsp
  • Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, 1 tbsp
  • Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1/4 cup
  • Oil, 2 tsp
  • Salt, to taste


    Method:-


    Discard the greens from the radish
    Chop the green chillies
    Wash, peel and grate the radish ( to yield about 1 cup )
    Place the grated radish in a bowl, add the lemon juice and salt. Mix well. 
    Heat oil in a small pan and on medium heat add the mustard seeds, when they splutter add urad dal and saute till the dal changes colour
    To this add the chopped green chillies and curry leaves and saute for a few seconds 
    Switch off the gas and pour this seasoning on to the grated radish in the bowl. Mix well. 
    Finally, add fresh coconut gratings and finely chopped coriander leaves and mix well. 





    Friday, January 26, 2024

    TOMATO PACHADI

     TOMATO PACHADI

    I remember reading that tomatoes were brought to India in the 16th century by the Portuguese. These days, both in the South of India or in the North, we use tomatoes in so many dishes in our Indian cooking. Call it thakkakli in Tamizh or tamartar in Hindi, we find tomatoes used in almost every place that serves food- from the up market 5-star hotel to the common highway dhaba. 

    Tomatoes have numerous health benefits as described in this article in Very Well Health.

    Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes made with tomatoes, such as:-

    Today's recipe is for an easy to make Andhra-style Tomato Pachadi which goes well with our traditional breakfast of idl/dosa. I have adapted this from Tomato Pachadi from Swasthi's Indian Healthy Recipes.  

    In case you wish to avoid the use of garlic, you can use 1/4 " piece of ginger instead at the time of grinding. 

    We tried this out recently and enjoyed it with hot idlis for breakfast. 


    Ingredients:-

    • Tomatoes, medium-sized, 4 
    • Byadgi Red Chillies, 4
    • Chana Dal (Bengal Gram), 3/4 tbsp
    • Urad Dal, (Black Gram), 3/4 tbsp 
    • Cumin Seeds, 1/2 tsp
    • Turmeric Powder, 1/8 tsp
    • Garlic Cloves, 2
    • Salt, to taste
    • Oil, 1 tsp

    For Tempering:-
    • Mustard Seeds, 1/4 tsp
    • Urad Dal, 1/2 tsp
    • Hing, (Asafoetida), 1/8 tsp
    • Curry Leaves, a few 
    • Dried Red Chilli, broken into halves, 1
    • Oil, 1 and 1/2  tsp

    Method:-

    Wash and chop the tomatoes
    Peel and chop the garlic
    In a thick bottomed kadhai, heat 1 tsp of oil  and on medium heat roast the Byadgi red chillies, chana dal and urad dal until the dals change colour and the chillies become crisp
    Add the cumin seeds and roast for a few seconds
    Transfer to a plate and allow it to cool
    Add the chopped garlic to the same kadhai and saute, to this add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder and salt and mix well 
    Cover and cook on medium heat till the soft become soft and mushy
    Allow this to cool
    In a mixer grind together the roasted chillies, urad dal, chana dal and cumin seeds on pulse mode till it gets crushed to a coarse powder
    To this add the cooked tomatoes  and very little water and grind to get a chutney-like consistency
    Check for salt and add if necessary. Transfer to a bowl
    Heat oil in a seasoning pan and when it becomes hot add the mustard seeds, when they splutter add the urad dal and saute till the dal turns golden
    Add the hing, curry leaves and broken red chilli and saute for a few seconds
    Pour this seasoning onto the Tomato Pachadi
    Switch off the gas and transfer to serving bowl
    Serve Tomato Pachadi with idlis or dosas  






    Thursday, January 18, 2024

    SWEET POTATO SABZI

     SWEET POTATO SABZI

    In addition to their distinctive flavor, we know that sweet potatoes have several health benefits. They provide an excellent source of beta carotene, Vitamin C and potassium. I make dishes using this root vegetable from time to time. 

    In India, Sweet Potatoes are known as Shakarkhand in Hindi, Sihi Genasu in Kannada, Sakkarvalli Kilangu in Tamil, Ratale in Marathi and Kannang in my mother tongue, Konkani. 

    Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes made with sweet potato such as:-

    Today's recipe is for an easy to make side dish made with sweet potatoes, which can also be had as a snack. I have adapted this from " Sweet Potato Sabzi" in the YouTube video by Chef Anupa in Sanjeev Kapoor Khazana. 

    We tried this out recently and loved this dish which can be made in a jiffy. 





    Ingredients:-




    • Sweet Potato, 500 gms 
    • Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp
    • Green Chillies, slit, 3
    • Curry Leaves, a sprig
    • Roasted and Crushed Peanuts, 3 tbsp + some for garnish
    • Chilli Powder, 1/2 tsp
    • Lemon, juice of 1/2 lemon 
    • Fresh Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, 2 tbsp
    • Fresh Coconut Gratings, 2 tbsp + some for garnish
    • Oil, 2 tbsp
    • Salt, to taste
    Method:

    Wash the sweet potatoes thoroughly, boil them in a cooker with adequate water for 1-2 whistles. Peel  them once they are cool enough to handle
    Cut the boiled sweet potatoes into even- sized cubes and keep aside. 
    Dry roast the peanuts on medium heat till they crackle and they brown. Allow this to cool and de-skin the roasted peanuts. Crush them to a coarse powder. Keep aside. 
    Scrape the coconut and keep the gratings aside
    Finely chop the fresh coriander leaves

    Heat oil in a thick- bottomed kadhai, add cumin seeds and saute till they sizzle and change colour
    Lower the heat add the slit green chillies and curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds
    To this add the boiled sweet potato cubes and mix well
    Add 75 % of the crushed peanuts ( keeping some aside to garnish) and salt to taste and mix well
    Let it cook on medium heat till the sweet potatoes get slightly browned 
    Now mix in the chilli powder 
    Switch off the gas and squeeze the juice of half a lemon and mix well
    Add the coconut gratings and coriander leaves. Mix well
    Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with  finely chopped coriander leaves and coconut gratins and the remaining roasted peanuts
    Serve hot as a side dish or a snack