Badam Kulfi - The Chakle India Cookbook - A Review

A new cookbook launch from an Indian author is always interesting. Laid my hands on Aditya Bal's book The Chakle India Cookbook and read it end-to-end as I lay in bed nursing an allergy induced ENT shut down. Having the doctor tell me to keep quiet for a few days and not talk is torture. Having Aditya's book for company was a bright spot. Having watched his show on NDTV, was curious to see what he's put together in the book. Like the show, his book is a collection of recipes from different parts of India. A book is not a mere collection of recipes... It's a story... It's a connect... The book has lovely pictures of Aditya with various people across the country in each section.

What I like about Aditya is his gumption to follow his dream in the world of Food... being a crossover.. having changed his career from modeling to a television food show host.... he has a lot under his belt to show for the short years he's spent in this space... Travelling to various parts of the country, entering the kitchens and homes of countless people, bringing a focus on diverse regional cuisines in India is something admirable. The map on the front and back cover of the book is a sweet nuance.

Recipes like Rogan Josh, Mutton Yakhni, Galawati Kabab, Amritsari Paneer Bhurji, Kosha Mangsho, Goan Prawn and Mango Ambotik, Malabari Prawn curry and Moru Sambhar represent the varied cuisines from most states of India especially from Kashmir(Since he was born there) and Goa (his favorite place where he trained at some of the restaurants).

Am more of a baker than a cook in the kitchen, with a h-u-g-e sweet tooth.... Started reading the recipes in reverse from the desserts section... There is Badam Kulfi, Nariyal Ladoo, Doodhi ka Halwa, Fruit Custard, Shrikhand, Phirni, Gulab Jamun, Aam ki Kheer, Seviyan and Shahi Tukda....

Haven't made too many Indian desserts before so thought of giving Badam Kulfi a shot. Yes, I hear you... my ENT is shut down and yet I choose Kulfi..... What to do... am a total icecream lover... promised my friends online that I would have just a bite to taste...
pick up

Badam Kulfi
Recipe from The Chakle India Cookbook by Aditya Bal

Ingredients
1 cup blanched, peeled and ground almonds
4 tbsp fresh cream
1 cup condensed milk
Apinch of saffron strands
1/4 cup of milk
A small handful of pistachios
A small handful of almonds, blanched and peeled

Method:
1.  First, to make the kulfi mixture, put the ground almonds, cream and condensed milk into a bowl and whisk thoroughly, till it's fully combined and thick.
2. Heat the milk in a small frying pan and when it's steaming hot, add the saffron strands to the pan, and let it infuse. turn off the heat and let the milk cool, stirring it every few minutes.
3. Once the milk is cooled, add it to the kulfi mixture and fold it in to combine well. The ground almonds will act as a thickener and absorb the milk completely. Whisk the mix well, till it is thick, creamy and homogeneous.
4. Now, heat a small frying pan and add the almonds and pistachios. Roast them for a few minutes on low to medium heat, till they are nutty and aromatic. Transfer to a chopping board and crush them coarsely with the side of a heavy knife or a rolling pin.
5. Reserve about 2tbsp of the crushed nuts and add the rest to the kulfi mixture. Stir through to combine. Now the mix is ready for pouring into the kulfi moulds or clay kujjas.
6. Spoon the deliciously rich and creamy mixture into each mould, cover with a piece of butter paper and secure with a rubber band stretched across the rim of the mould.
7. Put the moulds into the freezer and freeze for 3-4 hours or till the mixture has perfectly set and is hard in texture.
8. Take them out of the freezer and remove the butter paper. Dip the moulds into hot water and turn out the kulfi on a plate. Sprinkle a little of the reserved nuts and serve right away.

I kept the kulfi overnight and got lovely results the next day. It was as Aditya described it delicious, rich and creamy. The only small thing i's have done was to add some crushed cardamom to enhance the flavour a little more. It's a thing with personal taste and not Aditya's kulfi.

Leafing through the book, I found many Meat, Fish n Seafood and Vegetarian recipes. The snacks were interesting too. Would have loved the book even more if it could have better pictures, most of them were extremely close up shots of the dishes with their garnish standing out. Since this is Aditya, the traveler's book, would have expected pictures which did justice to both. Would have loved to hear a traveller's tales on how he collected these recipes from various people across the country. I believe every recipe has a story to tell which gets handed from from 1 person to the next gathering lots of moss on the way making it a tradition.

All I can think now is Saffron.... It's an artists's delight on canvas... The crimson strands making a yellow hue on warm white milk....  While making this recipe, I chanced upon a large number of packets stashed away in my mom's pantry. Am just sooooooo compelled to use them. Had infused some of it in milk for taking these pictures and had it with a glass of milk this morning.... Step aside, cold coffee... make way for saffron milk every morning.

Anushree from Westland publishers sent over the book for a review. Thank a ton, really enjoyed it :)

Breaking Bread with Chef Saby of Olive Bar at Leonardo Olive Oil's Blogger Table

What do you do when you get invited to to meet Chef Sabyasachi Gorai, better known as Chef Saby and blogger friends from Chef at Large over a discussion about olive oil..... A happy monkey jig jig :) This meet was sponsored by Leonardo Olive Oil, hosted by Himani Dalmia and Chandana Paul at Olive Bar and Kitchens in Mehrauli.

Any place that I visit is judged not just on the FSA (Food, Service and Ambiance) but also on how the cloak room / washroom is done up aswell.... This was definitely going to be an afternoon well spent as the teaser to this campaign was lovely... naturally lit, aesthetically done up and importantly spic and span.

Chef Saby played to the gallery... His warm welcome and friendly banter while carrying on the serious business of cooking up a storm was endearing. He's among India’s top ten chefs and has recently been awarded Best Chef of India National Tourism Award, 2011-12 by President of India. WHoaaaa... Quite a celebrity he is... appears regularly on Page 3 too... for all the right reasons ;)

Not just talented, also a willing teacher, he runs an academy for young chefs. He comes from a family of artists, no wonder his food reflects his artistic side. Good news or Bad news.... He plans to retire next year to spend time with his lovely daughter and paint....

Rare captures.... Sid having fun with the camera, just that it's on the other side of the lens this time. About the food, we were served fish and asparagus done in a nitrogen batter.

Vaibhav, the Executive Sous Chef was frying up a frenzy with the Espuma technique, which is part of molecular gastronomy . It's basically done with a Nitrogen vial which is attached to a 'gun' that pumps the gas into the batter and makes it light fluffy and crisp in texture when fried. It was quite yummy n crispy fresh out of the pan.

Aastha, assisting Vaibhav and Saby through the afternoon and a really sweet host. She even gave us little prize hampers if we answered her quiz questions correctly. She's a crossover like me... studied at Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) and then working with Saby to train as a chef at all of 22. Cheers for Girl Power.... Hip Hip Hurray :)

Blogger paprazzi.... where Food is the star.... We descended on the food like a species which Himani's never seen.... Yes, we are a different species... were the 'Foodus Bloggerus'.... noone eats till we are done clicking ;)

Lovely plating of anti plasti platters, mushroom pate and yummy starters. They were a treat to our eyes and tasted delicious too.

 We were joined by Mr Donato Pantaleo(from Leonardo oils Italy) and Mr VN Dalmia (president Dalmia International) for lunch. Yes, we had the gumption for a sit down lunch after being plied with all that yummy food throughout the afternoon. There was Black truffle porcini risotto (White Alba truffle paste, summer black truffle, truffle oil), Classic lasagna Bolognaise (Rustic hand ground tenderloin Bolognaise.) and a Mezze platter too. Each table had it's own mortar and pestle accompanied their unique handmade artisan skillet bread.

D-E-S-S-E-R-T-S......
Mouth Wateringly  delicious Apple and walnut crumble, Olive’s signature tiramisu, Praline mud cake

Chef Saby is truly special... at a mere cheeky mention of wanting to see his kitchen.... He walked us through and gave us demonstrations and let us into his pantry too... and YES... His BAKERY too... *Jumping up and down with GLEEEEEE....* 

Picture Credit - Sushmita of My Unfinished Life

The bunch of us had a lovely afternoon with Sid Khullar of Chef at Large, Sangeeta Khanna of Banaras ka Khana,Ruchira Hoon-Philip of Cookaroo, Charis Alfred Bhagianathan of  Culinary Storm, Sushmita Sarkar of My Unfinished Life, Deeba Rajpal of Passionate about Baking, Parul Pratap Shirazi of The Shirazine, Rekha Kakkar of My Tasty Curry. Ps: All the pictures you see of me are clicked by the lovely Rekha. Special hugs for you Rekha {{{}}}... Thanks :)

Ps: All these yummy goodies were cooked and drizzled with Leonardo Olive Oil.... 

Sri Lankan Food Festival at Blooms, Eros Hotel

I thrive on trying new cuisines and different sorts of foods whenever I can... (though not taking the Andrew Zimmern route to bizarre ;) ) Was invited to Blooms at Eros Hotel managed by Hilton for a Sri Lankan Food Festival.... Am I glad I accepted the invite or what.... It was a wonderful experience dining with Chefs Ravindra Pushpakumara and Ajith Hewabandula who came all the way from Sri Lanka and Chef Ramandeep from Eros Hotel, Delhi.

The decor at Blooms set the mood for our afternoon.Sri Lanka's cuisine has elements common with cuisines from Kerela and Goa. Spices occupy a predominant place in most of the dishes... Chilies are an integral part of the dishes(supported by the government's data too ;) ) . Chefs told me about using coconut husk being used to smoke and cure meats... wouldn't that be such a lovely flavor profile.
The live counter for fried snacks was popular among guests. We had banana fritters, yams, cutlets but what we like best were the prawns.
The salad spread was interesting too with Fish moju, Curried Chicken salad, Cucumber-Tomato-Orange salad, Capsicum-Tomato-Mango salad, Fried bittergourd salad... did you read Bittergourd... me eating Bittergourd is such a remote possibility but this salad has me converted.... Pssstttt : The chef told me his secret.. These bittergourds came all the way from Sri Lanka and were not grown on Indian Soil... The soil makes all the difference to these bittergourds. Sri lankan ones are sweeter n much less bitter than the Indian ones....

Show me a punjabi and I'll show you a pickle lover.... The condiments were an absolute delight. We were served Dehi achcharu (Lime pickle), Sinhala achcharau (Sri Lankan pickle), Amba achcharu (Mango chutney), Katta sambol (Onion and tomato sambol), Pol sambol (Coconut sambol), Seeni sambol (Tamarind and onion sambol) Each of these Chutneys n Pickles were lip smacking :)

The main course consisted of Kukulmus Hoddi (Chicken pepper curry), Elumus Kaluwata (Mutton black curry), Rathu Kakuluwa Hoddi (Fish red curry), Red rice (Sri Lankan country rice), Parippu Hoddi (Dhall curry), Rathualla Hoddi (Beetroot dry curry), Dhabala Themparaduwa (Wing beans tempered), Wattakka Kalupol Maluwa (Pumpkin curry), Keselmuwa Themparaduwa (Banana flower tempered) and Awara dry curry. What my friend and i freak out on was the Kukulmus Hoddi (Chicken pepper curry). These curries were served with Pittu and hoppers. hoppers are very close to appams.
The desserts were Kallu dodol (much like Goan Bebinca), Sago cream, Wallithalapa (also called Weli Thalapa and is made of Rice flour, Coconut milk and Kithul or Coconut trealce). Here's the link to an blog with lots of Sri Lankan dessert recipes.

Also read my friend Sid's experience at the festival here.

Great Steak Festival at Geoffrey’s

December is a month of festivities and celebrations... No celebrations are complete without food and drinks... Was invited to the Great Steak Festival at Geoffrey’s,which has been from 02nd Dec’ 2011 and continues till 18th Dec’ 2011 at Select City Walk, Saket and Noida.

Geoffrey’s is a typical hangout place for us, being regulars at Noida(as that's where I use to work), we visited Select City Walk for a change. The menu had Chicken Cordon Bleu, Hawaiian Chicken Steak, Grilled Pork Chops, Lamb Medallions, Pan-grilled Red Snapper Fillet, Norwegian Salmon Steak, and Tenderloin. We wanted to sample all the steaks but the portions were huge so we requested the chef if he could give us smaller portions, to which they readily agreed.

While waiting for the food to arrive, we chatted up and had loads of catching up to do since we had all been busy with work and life in general. Hawaiian Chicken Steak arrived the first... pineapple and chicken are a favourite combination with me and when cooked well, makes me smile :) The sides of hash brown, tomatoes and vegetables was a nice combination.

The Pan Grilled Pork Chops on the menu are grilled to perfection, were succulent and tender. The mustard sauce blended in really well with the meat. Along with this the butter glazed potatoes and tossed vegetables were a delight. In my defense for eating all these carbs... winters is a good time to stock up on energy *Wicked Grin :)*

The Lamb Medallions grilled to perfection with its dark red color are a treat for the eye and so is the taste. Perfectly seared, served with parmesan mashed potatoes, butter sauté vegetables, topped with rosemary.

The peppered Sole steak had the wonderful flavouring of black pepper, lime n garlic. This steak had accompanying sumac potatoes, tomatoes and buttered vegetables. Would personally have preferred the fish to not be cooked for long as it reduces the flavour.

For dessert we indulged in a wonderful chocolate cake served warm with icecream and chocolate sauce.... This was such a perfect end to a wonderful afternoon. Small note on pricing, the steaks start from Rs.455/- onwards and are quite reasonable for the quantity we observed for guests who ordered full portions.

The 3 of us had such a wonderful time thanks to the folks at Geoffrey’s and the folks at Impact PR.

Rockstars are Truly Hardworking Foodies

Cappuccino Chocolatechip Muffins for the Rockstar team.

The hardwork on this movie is quite evident... From the acting (hicups for Nargis though), direction, costumes, dialogues, characterization, to the songs.... A.R.Rehman's music is fabulous.... and Imtiaz Ali has them flowing in the movie in absolute poetry. The movie's got a rating of 8.5 on IMDB.

Meeting Imtiaz Ali was such a special moment... He's quite a rock star himself... warm and endearing.... I still remember my promise of baking something savory for you :)

All of them seem like such foodies that it's an instant connect... :)
The team has been using facebook aggressively to make a connect with the audience.... The Diwali post was really sweet, with Ranbeer talking about the film's cinematographer Anil Mehta :)

Hello Rockstars. Today i want you guys to be introduced to my favorite person in the film industry. His name is Mr Anil Mehta. he's the cinematographer of our film. I had worked with him on Wake Up Sid too. He's truly complete man who i respect and adore and haven't met anybody with such positive and warm vibes. He's the reason i still have faith in film people in this fickle industry. he made me promise that i have to get married with in two years with a non filmy girl. We have had such wild wrap party nights together where me and him use to end up hugging each other for hours. I remember one wrap up party in Mcleod ganj, where anil sir went up to Imtiaz and hugged him. And in 5 mins the entire crew of Rockstar was part of one big hug which left Imtiaz weeping like a child. It was one of the most beautiful moments that i have been part of. Truly. Hope you all guys doing well.
Ps. I spent an hour with Mr Rahman yesterday at his Mumbai residence. Discussed Mumbai concert and spoke about spirituality and faith. What a superior being he is. Last night saw the first Mono copy of Rockstar. Fingers crossed guys. I was anxious,excited and nervous. Its the feeling i always wanna feel being part of movies. I love you all.Speak to you today..

JJ - abhi ghar jaayegi ya aur gandh machani hai???
Heer - Gandh toh bohot machani hai..lekin waqt kaha hai mere dost..(exaggerates) kahan hai waqt....RK

Behind the scene, Rockstars.... :)

MY ROCKSTARS

The scene being shot when we visited, was the one where Piyush Mishra is telling Ranbeer about a rockstar's image and brand.

Check out the pictures from the hall and match them to the ones above :)

(For all those who love the courts n lawyers..... Pl note that this is not an attempt at piracy, just putting a point across.... Also this post doesn't contain any spoilers.)

Ranbir Kapoor isn't exactly my favorite but this movie.... He's done quite well for himself after Wake up Sid. The scenes at Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah, where he spends time with the Qawwals, plays with them, was really endearing. The song Kun Faaya Kun was fantastic. The initial awkward college kid... grows into an angry rockstar with an attitude... From a guy who sprinkles alcohol in a disco, to a man whose burning with passion.

Nargis for some strange reason kept reminding me of Katrina Kaif... Why is that so? I can't put a finger on it but there is something to it. There was also something weird about her lips in some scenes.... As a first attempt at bollywood.... would gather some pass muster.

The scene where she sneaks up behind men taking a leak on the wall is quite hilarious.. ;)

Jordan's advisor-turned-manager played by Kumud Mishra is a fantastic job. Aditi Rao Hydari is impressive as Sheena. The talented Piyush Mishra has this way of getting under your skin in this role..... :)

Shammi Kapoor is just adorable..... Love the scene where Ranbeer and he play music together in the studio... It has a divine feel with loads of honesty....

The Kashmir shoot..... was breathtaking... made me want to drive down there immediately and roll in the snow. The lip-sync song they did as a tribute to Shammi Kapoor from Kashmir ki Kali was adorable.

The Prague shoot was beautiful... Guess that city is inspiring.... Holiday plans are in place... first Kashmir and then Prague :)

bollywoodtrade.com writes "Hailed as Ranbir Kapoor’s finest performance to date and his biggest ever opener, ROCKSTAR has grossed Rs. 53 crore in India (Net collection: Rs. 37crore) and Rs. 11 crore overseas in its first three days. "

Rockstar rocks Twitter! via bollyspice.com

Amitabh Bachchan told his Twitter community, “Just back from ‘RockStar‘ and living in the brilliance of all – Imtiaz Ali, Ranbir, AR and Nargis”

Karan Johar assured, “Watched ROCKSTAR…and am a certified Ranbir Kapoor fan!! His performance is unbelievable!”

Bipasha Basu had been one of the first to tweet, “Ranbir Kapoor as Jordan,U have to fall in love with him! Imtiaz Ali is an outstanding filmmaker!”

Filmmaker and actor Anurag Kashyap was overwhelmed: “Rockstar is not so much about rock as it is an individuals story…its another kind of coming of age film..just can’t get it out of my head. It is easily Imtiaz Ali’s best. This is how a love story should be told. Soul stirring. Still assimilating. It is unlike most films.. no cacophony of sounds..quiet.. no unnecessary background to propel it forward..Ranbir is just awesome. Such an unexpected film.. does not take any easy route.. does not become a clap trap or a crowd pleaser..It’s just so heartfelt.”

Verdict:

Amazing music. Could have been a bit shorter in the second half...Overall it's watchable....

3.5 out of 5

Italian Food Festival at Blooms

What do you say when a friend invites you out for previewing an Italian Food Festival. You obviously confirm for it and not eat breakfast in the morning ;) We had a great time at Blooms, Eros Hotel managed by Hilton. They are on facebook too http://facebook.com/tabletalkbyeros :)

Met a wonderful bunch of people, Parul of The shirazine, Apeksha of Veggiewiz, Sid of Chef at Large (whose pictures I've used in this post), Gary, Jaspreet, Prateek and Souvik of Belly Centric, Prerna of The Mom Writes and Chef Stefano Nicodemo from Italy (Little birdie who said Italian men are good looking was right ;) )

Pictures and food go hand-in-hand for all of us... We were clicking n eating n chatting.... The best part of eating out with food bloggers is that they understand your need to click pictures of everything before you eat.

The Antipasti was something which made me not just eat... It made me EAT-MY-WORDS... Being a self professed carnivore... I could swear by the vegetarian fare... If I could be made to take a second helping of Aubergine rolls... Roasted Aubergine slivers stuffed with sundried tomatoes and smoked cheese... It has to be fantastic... I was floored :)
The roasted baby potatoes, and bocconcini with roasted vegetables were nice. The mushroom topped Vol-Au-Vents tasted well, however would have been superb if served warm.

The non-vegetarian fare's best platter was the Ricotta stuffed Bresaola(a salted air dried beef). The melon n parma ham wrap was a wonderful idea for pairing the sweet n salt but using the sweet indian melon was interfering with the sweet n salt balance. The prawns were nice but I would have repeated the Ricotta stuffed Bresaola on my plate instead of these.


We were served nice champagne and white wine with our lunch.... Isn't that evident with all the glasses around me in the picture below ;)

In the main course there was Roasted Rack of Lamb, Pollo al Mattone — Corn fed chicken oven roasted with potato (the caramelized onions with potatoes were extremely nice). Yet again, it was the vegetarian fare which knocked me off my feet. The Spinach Flan with Parmesan Fondue (which we called spinach dhokla in zest) was amazing.... the firm crust yet melt-in-your-mouth insides was really worth writing home about..... The texture and flavour was abundant. The Saffron risotto was made just to my taste... Was again forced to take second helping of the vegetarian fare as it was just delicious.

The only thing which I can really complain about was the Tiramisu..... It was just not upto the mark..... Firstly the glass it was served in, then the huge out-of-proportion chocolate decoration. The sponge layer was almost missing and cream layer was over powering. Hardly any alcohol or coffee...
If it was an adaptation, then it shouldn't have been called a Tiramisu.....

Verdict:
We had a good time enjoying some not-so-regular Italian fare. It would have taken them some deliberation to not serve just a pizza/pasta sort of menu for an Italian Food festival, which is admirable. The vegetarian fare was superb. Dessert is not something I'll go back for.
The festival was a good experience over all.
Price:
About Rs. 1950 per head for lunch and two options for dinner — Rs. 2250 (includes one glass of house wine) and Rs. 2750 (unlimited house wine).

Dinner at 28 Capri Italy, Defence Colony

It's place which you can visit if you've got time to spare....

The service was friendly, food average and slightly low in the value for money quotient, ambiance was nice(don't miss the love-lift for 2, which leads to the restaurant ;-) *Evil Grin*), the best was Live Music.... the singer was really good and choice of songs was lovely. Him and my drink are the only reason I would go back. Would however have liked to try some pizza on my next visit.

You'll find 28 Capri Italy listed on Zomato.com. We had Orange Pepper Martini and Diet Coke on the rocks(!). The drink was nice and arrived soon. It was served with Nachos and a lovely Salsa sauce.

Why is it that I have all friends who want to be like Manoj Kumar n cover their faces when I say smile.... Why do they want to remain anonymous.... #boring
For starters we had a Cold Cut Platter which had Chicken Salami, Bacon, Smoked Chicken and Turkey served with Black Olives.... Now this is what happens when you go out with a friend who is on a diet..... You don't get to indulge..... She keeps a check on what you are eating.....

Our main course was Grilled Chicken with Mustard and Jalapeno Sauce. Wouldn't rate it as bad but not even great. Just about passable... The sauce was quite nice though but took it's time to come....

The litmus test of any Italian restaurant... Tiramisu..... This one was a #Fail for me..... I wouldn't order it again.