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Friday Barbeque Nights @ Alila, Whitefield

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I work in Whitefield. The drive from Airport road to my office is like a treacherous and painful way to kill time – which is inevitable when you are stuck behind the wheel of a car moving at 5 km/hr.  Thank God for small mercies, the Alila Barbeque night was a hop, skip and short drive from office. And Friday night I’m always in a jubilant mood, no matter what tragedies transpire during the week!
This was an invitation to the CaL Bloggers table to experience Alila’s take on Friday night bbq. Now almost everyone I know loves a bbq night. But no one has the time or the patience to marinate the meat in advance, set up the grill, stand around while your burger patty gets cooked and then wait for someone to plate it! So Alila lets us skip all the prepping and just enjoy a good bbq night with a couple of friends and fun cocktails. And with weather like in Bangalore, it almost seems ridiculous that no one thought about the idea before! 
The table members trickled in one by one (I came in a proud second – working in Whitefield has one advantage!) and the usual greeting shenanigans began. Rounds of drinks were ordered – Pomegranate Martinis (which came in a funky double glass), Cardamom Lemonades, Pineapple Mojitos, Peach Daiquiris, Pina Coladas and Strawberry and Chilli Martinis. Not all the cocktails were up to the mark with respect to the flavor balance, but the peach daiquiri and the pina colada were fabulous. The strawberry and chilli concoction had the right amount of sweet, tart and spice to make your palate sing. My pineapple mojito hit the nail on the head but some others were not too lucky. (I would suggest using canned pineapple chunks to avoid having to ungraciously pull out the pith from your mouth!)
The last of the table guests arrived exactly one hour after I did and by that time, I was tipsy and ravenously hungry. The hotel used their café and garden area to set up the grilling stations. Five grilling stations with different menus were raring to cater to the crowd. (There were quite a few Whitefielders who had already warmed up to the idea of an evening bbq!) If I remember correctly there was a Vegetarian station, Western Char Grill Station, Arabic Grill Station, Indian Grills and a Grilled dessert section.  
I started with the Vegetarian grills. They tried to make it exciting with Paprika Smoked Vegetable Brochettes, Maple Glazed Sweet Potatoes, Grilled Summer Squash and a couple of other veggies. I like the maple glazed sweet potatoes the best. It’s a tried and tested combo so you can’t really go wrong! But on the whole, I thought the vegetarian offerings paled in comparison to the meat line up.  
I pretty much hung out at the Western Grills section. It had all the things I like to tick off on my bbq hit list! (I took a pic of this menu to help me recollect what I liked). The Thai Fish Cakes packed a flavor punch and I went back many times for these. Oh and how can I forget the Lamb Chops – marinated in a hoisin sauce and perfectly cooked, it definitely deserved a recco. I eyed the Bulgogi with some longing, but I’ve given up on beef – so I had to be content on just letting the delicious aromas tickle my nose.
The Arabic Grill section was an interesting addition. Surprisingly they chose to ignore the ubiquitous shawarma for more interesting offerings. The surprise package was one that stayed true to the adage that ‘all good things come in small packages’ – the Grilled Sardines. My cats eat canned sardines for lunch – so I’ve never really associated the fish with anything other than cat food. But this one converted me. Hot and Crispy, seasoned with a hara (harissa) sauce – they were almost like fish chips. Snack-a-licious! They served Koobeideh (Iranian minced meat kebab), Chicken Kefta Kebab and Arabian Style Wings as well.  
Each barbeque station had accompaniments that supported their main grills. Right from soft Dinner Rolls, Burger Buns, Pita Breads and Naan to Nasi Goreng and even Arabian Maklouba Rice. Apart from these you can find a decent salad range to complement your meats. (I recommend the Bacon and Potato Salad and the Couscous Salad).
The Indian grills section had the usual – Malai Chicken, Hariyali Chicken, Tandoori Phool, Achari Tandoori Aloo and Tulsi Paneer Tikka. This seemed like the only station that had a little something more for vegetarians. Nothing to get excited about, but a hearty set of dishes nevertheless, to cater to people who prefer Indian cuisine.  (I saw a table comprising three generations of a family, celebrating the octogenarian’s birthday that night!).
The dessert section is one that left me the least impressed. I wanted the Mango Malpua but was saddened to find that it really doesn’t lend itself well to grilling. The Grilled Muffins were a brave attempt, but just felt like it’s sole purpose was to beef up the dessert menu. Grilled fruits completed the sorry trilogy. I just helped myself to a scoop of ice cream and heaped on some very interesting preserves (strawberry balsamic, cherry and orange marmalade) they had laid out. After the novelty wore off, I ordered the Frozen Peach Daiquiri and made that my dessert instead! 
The Alila Friday Barbeque night is a wonderful way to spend time outdoors with your family or a large group of friends. The ambience and relaxed vibe add an almost holiday like charm to the place. (If you’re driving from afar – it might actually seem like a holiday!). The service is pleasant but maybe a couple of more hands could ensure that the customers are not kept waiting for their food. The vegetarians might find the offerings a tad unimaginative and limited. But for the non-vegetarians, it’s a veritable feast. And at a price of Rs.1199/- all inclusive, Alila makes it quite hard to resist.  
P.S. If you’re too drunk and don’t want to drive back home – I suggest staying the night over. The room rates are reasonable and you wake up to a lovely pool and Saturday morning brekkie!

ALILA BANGALORE
Varthur Main Road,
Ramagondanahalli,
Whitefield,
Bangalore 560066.
Cost: Rs.1199/ – All inclusive for Friday Night Barbeque
Parking: Valet Available

Guacamole – Mexican Avacado Dip

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Guacamole (gwaka – mo – lee) is part of Mexican cuisine that originated with the Aztecs. It essentially means a sauce (mole) made with ahucatyl (avocado). Its popularity spiked with American football games and now it’s a household dip of choice in America! India is just warming up to the idea of guacamole as Mexican cuisine gains popularity. When I was a little kid, my dad used to mash up avocados with sugar and we used to enjoy them chilled. We called it Butter Fruit Ice Cream 🙂 So I am already a big fan!
I love guacamole but it is really difficult to make. The difficulty arises not in the process but in the sourcing of ripe avocados. There have been more than a dozen times that I have come home happy with avocados and then been a grouch when I cut into them and realized they are unripe or a brown slimy mess! And seriously there are no failsafe options to figure this out. Every time I cut into an unripe avocado, I have rushed back to the computer and trawled Google for an answer. Wrap it in a brown paper bag to ripen it…store it with ripe bananas to get it soft…place it on a hot oven to ripen it…let the outer skin turn brown…let it rest in a cool dark place…so on and so forth! But none of these things have helped and I continue to be sorely disappointed every time I have to throw a fruit away (and they don’t come cheap!).
This time the story as usual repeated itself. I looked at one fruit – it looked suitably ripe (slightly yielding in some places). I cut it open – voila, perfect avocado. My guacamole was going to be made! Then with the spiked confidence, I cut into the other one and as soon as I slipped my knife in – I knew it was a lost cause. Hard, unyielding fruit! (You get a tummy ache if you eat unripe avocados) You win some you lose some right? Sigh…
 
P.S. Found this tip later on the net. Check for ripeness by gently pressing on the outside of the avocado. If there is no give, the avocado is not ripe and will not taste good. If there is a little give, the avocado is ripe. If there is a lot of give, the avocado may be past its prime and not good. In this case, taste test before using.  

Guacamole
Prep time: 10 mins
Makes: 1 bowl
What you need:
1 Avocado, ripe
½ Onion, chopped
1-2 cloves crushed Garlic
1 large Tomato, chopped
1 Lime, juice freshly squeezed
1/4 cup chopped Cilantro
1 Green Chilli, chopped
Salt to taste
What to do:
Slice the avocado vertically around the pit. Remove the seed and the pulp from the shell using a spoon. Mash the pulp roughly with a fork. (I like some chunky bits). Squeeze lemon juice in and season with salt. Now add the chopped onion, chilli, garlic and cilantro. Mix well and cover with cling wrap directly on the surface to prevent oxidation. Refrigerate before serving. I like to mix in the tomatoes just before serving else they bleed water and thin out the consistency of the guacamole. Serve with some chips or use as a sandwich filling along with some grilled chicken.

Ham and Cheese Crepes

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I have been super busy the past two months. Just completed a very big and very important project in life that will serve as a retirement cushion. So pretty stoked! But what that necessarily entailed, was me not having time for the small pleasures in life – like cooking something exciting and blogging about it. The co-resident plays football every Saturday morning and comes home ravenously hungry. I got up early today and decided to make a decadent breakfast for him, to make up for all the days in the past few weeks that he has had to eat Maggi noodles! A ham and cheese crepe is a very nice way of saying thank you don’t you think?

 

 

Ham and Cheese Crepes
Prep time:10 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Serves 4-6
What you need:
For the Crepe
1 cup all-purpose flour (maida)
1 Egg
1 cup + 2 Tbsp Milk
¼ tsp Salt
Butter – for greasing the pan
For the filling
2 eggs, beaten
200 gms Ham, sliced
6 slices of Cheese (cheddar/ havarti/ montery jack)
Freshly ground black pepper

 

What to do:
Mix flour and salt in a bowl and form a hollow in the middle. Break the egg in it. Add half the milk and then gradually whisk till smooth. Now add the remaining milk and whisk till smooth and the surface is bubbly. Let it stand for a few mins.
Heat a heavy 9 inch frying pan and grease it with some butter. (Keep the heat med-low). Pour 1/6 th of the batter in it. Tilt the pan to move the batter around so that it covers the entire base. Cook till it is golden and the sides of the crepe start rising. Now flip it over and cook the other side as well. Set aside. Repeat the process to get 6 crepes.
Keep your beaten egg, ham and cheese ready. Reduce the heat of the frying pan to low. Lay a crepe on the pan. Spread 2-3 spoons of the beaten egg on the crepe. Lay out the cheese on top. (Restrict it to one half of the crepe). Now lay the ham over it. (You can season it at this point with some pepper. Avoid salt as the cheese and ham already have salt in them). Fold the crepe in half, over the ham and cheese. Now fold it again to make a wedge. Gently heat through till the cheese is melts. Now transfer it to a warm serving plate and sink into a decadent breakfast.
P.S. I dot my crepe with some Tabasco to cut through the richness of the ham and cheese.  

A Special Pork Themed Lunch @ Hunan (Koramangala, Bangalore)

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A couple of us pork loving fiends (from the Bangalore Foodies Club) decided to meet up on a balmy Sunday afternoon, to partake in a special feast created just for us by Chef Pema at Hunan. Our directions were very simple – every course he served should have pork as the star. (We made a concession for dessert – though it would have been fun to see a pork based dessert!). I have visited Hunan on innumerable occasions and have always come away pleased with the food and the wonderful service. There are very few stand alone Asian restaurants that serve pork and I for one am a fan of anyone who does! 
The motley crew of Pork lovers started the afternoon with a chilled Asti (Hunan has a wine license J ) – a toast to food, fun and friendship, a lovely gentleman chimed in. ‘Aye aye!’, we chimed in unison as the wonderful smell of the Pork Gyoza wafted in! A gyoza is very similar to a dumpling and is more popular in Japan than its land of origin – China. These are steamed and served with a soy dipping sauce. The pork gyoza at Hunan was one of my favorite dishes that day – served with a caramel colored pork broth, it was just how a dumpling should be!  
The Char Siu Bao is a staple of mine when I visit Thailand. I can wolf down five or six of these without a single muscle of regret. The Bao is actually a Cantonese preparation and simply means a barbequed-pork (char siu) filled bun (bao). You can imagine how popular these little beauties are in Chinese bakeries! (How I wish our bakeries would sell them – I can see a couple of Iyengars rolling their eyes…shantam paapam!)
It’s difficult to get a bao cooked just right. I have gone to another dim sum joint in Koramangala that on one occasion gave me a completely undercooked bun and on another occasion made the bun so dry that it cracked on top. So I was in a joyous mood when the bao arrived pert and plump in the dim sum basket and the filling was sweet and dark and sticky inside. Glorious!  
 

We were served a round of Jasmine tea (Though I’m a Tea-totaler, I am partial to tea served in between Chinese meals) followed by Pan Fried Chicken. Now don’t get flummoxed, the chicken was for two gentlemen who had dietary restrictions and could not eat red meat least their hearts disagreed. The chicken was great, but you can see how I can’t really pay it any attention compared to the pork! On another day, I intend to go eat the chicken and do it full justice. Just not today, just not today… 

Next the most anticipated dishes of the day arrived. The Pork Spare Ribs – Barbeque Style and the China Town Spare Ribs. The Barbeque style spare ribs were the clear winner. (Atleast by the number of additional helpings people took!). I attribute it to the fact that the flavor was more robust. And the glaze was a gorgeous dark sweet-spicy garlicky concoction.  The China Town Spare ribs were actually the more refined counterpart – but people like ‘punch in the face’ flavors. Next time I’m going to order the Spare ribs and enjoy it on it’s own – without the poor thing having to compete for attention in the same meal by its more raunchy barbeque sibling! 

Remember the gentlemen with delicate constitutions – they were served Steamed Chicken and Steamed Pork. What a lovely gesture by the restaurant to accommodate their dietary restrictions and to serve it up it style – kudos! (I however couldn’t stop taking a crack at them, by stating that “Pork belly is 92% fat, whether you steam it or fry it!”)
A very special dish was made for the first time in the kitchens of Hunan that day – the Singapore Hainanese Chicken Rice! Chef Pema on the request of a dear friend and restaurant critic recreated this National dish of Singapore. We have to applaud the man – he got it 90% right on the first try. In the Singapore style, the whole chicken is steeped in a master broth with garlic and ginger and cooked at sub-boiling temperature to extract maximum flavor. The rice served with it is called oily rice and is cooked using the broth as well. Served with pickled cucumber and a bowl of the broth – the absolute comfort food is now ready! I hope Chef starts serving this as a regular on his menu, or maybe a Sunday special – I for sure will be queuing up to eat it!  

Cantonese Steamed Greens are an underrated dish. That’s because most restaurants overcook the greens to a mush! The key is to have the greens just blanched in hot water to retain their crunch and color. A quick stir fry with ginger, garlic and soy completes the transformation. Hunan got it right! (I’d like to point out that getting something right for a table of four is easy, but doing that for a table of twenty is in itself very commendable.)
The Main course of Chilli Pork was served with Pork Hakka Noodles. By this time I was sure I had consumed half a pig on my own and was feeling like a stuffed pig myself, but I ate – to tell you about it! 😛 The thin slices of Chilli Pork came in a glossy brown gravy which I spooned next to my slim pork hakka noodles. (Slim is a joke here right?). 

Time for dessert. Its summer in Bangalore and that means Mangoes. The desserrt of the day was created by the co-owner Jagdish Menda’s mum! A lovely Mango Bavarian Cake. So we ended the day with the bavarain and some Chocolate dumplings to boot. Sigh…why can’t every Sunday be this blissful! 

P.S. Apart from the Char Siu Bao and the Hainanese Chicken Rice, everything else I described above is available on their regular menu. So go pig out one day – it’s totally a bang for the ‘buds’!
HUNAN
123, 1st Floor, Above Costa Coffee,
1st Main, KHB Colony,
Jyothi Nivas College Road, 5th Block,
Koramangala,
Bangalore
(Also has a branch in New BEL Road)
Cost: Rs.900/- for a meal for two excluding taxes and alcohol
Parking: On the Road L

All that glitters is not… Azure @ Taj Vivanta (Yeshwanthpur, Bangalore)

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Generally I avoid being the bearer of bad news (In ancient Rome you were killed for it). So I write this review unwillingly. We were invited by Taj Vivanta, Yeshwanthpur as part of the Bangalore CaL Bloggers table, for a night of drinks at Shimmer (their new lounge bar) and dinner at Azure (their Mediterranean restaurant). I had sampled the wares at Azure just a week before and was mighty pleased with the experience. Unfortunately this time the Food Gods did not shower their blessings on Azure. Forget shower – there wasn’t even a drizzle of benevolence. 
The making of the Oliveto
The night started off in a raucous way with the rest of my flood blogger lovelies. We were enraptured by the shimmery lights in ahem…the quite aptly named Shimmer. The bartender was going to demonstrate the making of three cocktails and we could even participate in the making. The first cocktail was going to be the Oliveto – a combination of gin, egg white and olive oil. My first thought was – are they making mayonnaise?? After shrugging off the offending thoughts I tried the drink. The final drink tasted strangely of sweet lime juice! If they went through all this effort of emulsifying the olive oil and egg white – I would have expected a bolder flavor, not insipid musambi juice.  
My lovely companions doubling up as bartenders
The Watermelon and Basil Bramble got my hopes up – this atleast had an ingredient base that I knew paired well already. Unfortunately the flabour balance was off here as well. The cocktail that one of us made behind the bar tasted way better than the one made by the bartender himself! The final cocktail was the Rosemary Delight. This had way too much rosemary and hence was not that delightful. Another things that got me a unsettled was the fact that we were invited for drinks but were made to pass around one or two glasses and ‘share’ amongst ourselves. Not that I mind sharing with my girls, but honestly – how much did the restaurant expect to save by scrimping on their drinks?!

I happily waltzed into Azure, all the way talking about the lovely Fig and Rosemary Foccacia that they serve. Absolutely delish the last time I ate it and I couldn’t wait to dip it into some olive oil and balsamic vinegar and make a meal out of it! We all sat down in a long table with some beautiful flower arrangements in the middle. I made a ‘Wah Taj!’ comment in my head and smiled to myself. The foccacia arrived and I chose to have a white wine to keep me company that evening. Unfortunately Natasha concluded that the wine was on its way to becoming vinegar – and I had to agree that maybe they could have put more care into the selection.  
The Fig and Rosemary Foccacia
Brushing the unpleasant taste in my mouth I proceed to savour the Seafood broth. Perfectly cooked mussels and shrimp in a delicately flavoured broth. The others at the table had a lamb and leek bullion soup. Wonderfully presented and appreciated all round as well. The highlight of the day was the Plum tomato confit, artichoke and cured buffalo mozzarella with french dressing. Everyone at the table was gushing over the sublime taste of sweet and tart of the confit tomato. True perfection – I could kill for that recipe. The other salads included a Beef Carpaccio with Onion Jam and a Smoked Salmon Salad. I’ll say one thing – they got the plating right! Finally things were looking up… 
L-R: Seafood broth, Lamb Dumpling Soup,
Confit of Tomato with cured Mozzarella, Smoked Salmon Salad and Beef Carpaccio
The usual suspects arrived – hummus, tahini and babganoush. None of them punched me in the face with their flavors, nor did they caress my taste buds into sweet submission. I expect that from a place that ‘specializes’ in Mediterranean food. Yes, I’m picky like that! The Shawarma and Falafel were palatable but so are the ones that you get in a small joint in Frazer Town. The Chicken liver on toast (in this case a beautifully made Brioche) would have ticked all boxes for me if they had saved the liver from being overcooked. No one like rubbery liver! Apparently the Jumbo Prawns suffered the same treatment as well. I actually saw Monika leave one on the plate! By this time, I was tapping my fingers on the table to alleviate the disappointment. 
 
L-R: Shawarma, Hummus, Maqali, Veg Shawarma
Falafel, Grilled Prawns, Chicken liver on a Brioche, Panko Crusted Chicken
If the Taj had planned an elaborate roller coaster ride of good and bad for us then it was the turn of the Main Course to fulfill the ‘Good’ portion of the ride. But unfortunately this was a Bell Curve and everything went downhill from here. My Lamb chops were served with hummus and organic braised chicory. It was tough and chewey and the connective tissue was an unwanted meal companion. Another unwelcome guest who served no purpose was the half slice of cheese covering the lamb. (I suspect it was Amul cheese!) Don’t believe me ? – See the pic! My dinner companions who ordered the Tenderloin almost cried to send it away half eaten. No one wants to waste food, but how do you stomach ‘well done to death’ steak? 
L-R: Tenderloin, Lamb Chops
My expectations had dropped to an all time low, but I still hoped for the desserts to redeem the meal. I had already tried the Baklava last time and was not happy with the fact that there were too few layers of phyllo pastry and too many nuts. Maybe some like it that way, but not me and I wouldn’t call it Baklava. So I opted for the safe choice – the Red Wine Gelato. The last time I ordered this – the flavors were flawless. So I was going to do Ok I convinced myself. After all – All’s well that ends well right? Wrong. The ice cream had had ice crystals in it this time. You are the TAJ – this is inexcusable.  
L-R: Baklava, Red wine Gelato, Lava Cake
So in the end I left Azure feeling very disappointed and confused. How can you get something so right in one instance and get it so wrong the next? (See pictures of my meal earlier in the week at Azure – Batter fried Calamari, Syrian Lamb Dumplings in a Yoghurt Sauce and Seafood Paella. Everything that I ate left me smiling and hungry for more!)
I can only conclude that you can make good food (great food even), but if you are inconsistent then you turn away even your biggest fans. After all, people who get one night out in a week don’t want to squander it at a place where the food ‘might’ hit the right notes. Hoping Azure and Shimmer get their act together and lean in, to support the reputation of the Taj!  
L-R: Seafood Paella, Syrian Lamb Dumplings, Batter Fried Calamari, Saffron rice
SHIMMER
AZURE
2275, Tumkur Road,
Yeshwanthpur,
Bangalore 560022
Cost: Rs.2000/- for a meal for two excluding taxes and alcohol
Parking: Valet Available

Carrots and Vegan Food (Koramangala, Bangalore)

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No, I haven’t turned vegetarian or vegan (Not anytime soon at least)! Two reviews of vegetarian restaurants in a month, does raise its suspicions – but I assure you this was purely coincidental. A completely enraptured with bacon-and-all-things-that-crawl friend, suggested we head to Carrots for a weekday lunch. I had to wrap my head around two things a. Did he have a sinister plan in his head and b. was the name of the restaurant really Carrots?! The answer to both was a resounding yes!
The name board of the restaurant is a ‘blink and you miss it’ size – so use the 80ft road bus depot/ Legends of Rock as a landmark, if you don’t want to drive around in circles. I entered the restaurant and was greeted by cane furniture, some art on the walls and bamboo plants on every table. A specialty store (rack) selling vegan and organic goodies was strategically located next to the blackboard menu with the day’s specials. The evil friend arrived and I set about trying to dissect his motives in selecting a vegan restaurant. The answer was pedantic. Another friend had said it took male reproductive body parts courage to open a restaurant serving ONLY vegan food. So of course evil one had to try it and I was just a pawn in his sinister scheme. P.S. He made me take half day off work for this! 
Before we delve into what we ordered, let me give you my two cents about Vegan food. A vegan is also a vegetarian, but a vegetarian need not be a vegan. (Remember set theory in school?). So essentially, a person who abstains from use of animal products (dairy, eggs, honey etc.), especially in their diet, is a vegan. I won’t go into the reasons for why they do it. You always have Wiki to look things up.
Vegan food was new to us and we were ready to explore, so we ordered something from every section of the menu. (Aren’t we your guiding stars? :P)  
Smoothies were going to be tricky. You either use milk, yoghurt or ice cream to make a smoothie. A vegan can’t have dairy – so what was it going to be made of? Necessity is the mother of invention and so, there was a choice of soy milk, almond milk or cashew milk. We went with soy milk. The Tropical smoothie tasted like any other smoothie but the spirulina one was all vegetal. However, evil one is a fan of spirulina, so he lapped it up.  
The pear and cucumber salad also had tomatoes and watermelon. It was refreshing and colorful. However every time I ate the pear, I could not shake the ‘fridge taste’ out of my mouth. (Ahem… if you refrigerated a fruit for too long and it took on the smells of the fridge!). So this one was a not quite – just because of the pears! 
Of course I ordered the hummus. It’s my choice of appetizer on any menu. This one they got full marks for. Creamy and delicious, it was served with multigrain bread. (More like Multigrain roti).  
I read through the menu to order another appetizer and realized the names of dishes could be deceptive here – after all they were trying to reengineer foods with vegan substitutes! The Stuffed Zucchini however could have found its place in any restaurant because it essentially didn’t need any vegan substitutes. The tomato sauce that accompanied it would become a staple of most of the dishes we ordered the rest of the afternoon.  
I opted for the Spaghetti Bolognese for main course. I needed something hearty and the faux Bolognese promised that. With mushrooms and tofu in the earlier mentioned ubiquitous tomato sauce – the pasta was tasty. I just wish the spaghetti was not cut into smaller pieces.  
The evil one ordered a Garden Crepe. The crepe in question here was made out of bajra/ millet and was very similar, if not exactly like a Pesarettu (Andhra Breakfast Dish)! It came stuffed with a fresh salad and a smattering of hummus. The persarttu crepe was also smeared with coconut chutney! Fusion-Confusion anyone? The evil one did not look pleased. I was ROFL by now! It was nice enough to eat, but I would hardly classify it as a main course and the evil one was obviously hungry. So he ordered another main course – the vegetable Paella. 

A plate filled with millets surrounded by more salad arrived. We looked at it quizzically. After remembering the vegan naming syndrome, we convinced ourselves that this is what ‘their’ paella looks like. Just as we raised our forks to try the dish, the wait staff arrived and apologized for the mix up. Apparently what was in front of us, was a ‘Carrots Healthy plate’ and not the paella. Evil one heaved a sigh of relief – he did not want to eat more salad!  
The Paella was made out of brown rice and millet cooked with roasted vegetables in the tomato sauce (the same one I tell ya!). Did I like it? Mmm…maybe If I didn’t have the Bolognese. It was all tasting similar to me now. So I let evil one finish this. 
We could not leave without trying their desserts. This is especially challenging to make, because most desserts use eggs, butter and milk. A lot of vegans resort to just eating a fruit plate when they dine out. So I was excited to see what Carrots could offer.
We settled on the Chocolate Tofu Mousse. Just asking – Vegans obviously refrain from eating ‘milk’ chocolate right? (runs and hides). This one was made with tofu, almond milk and cocoa and tasted nice. Brilliant effort to make a dish taste the same with different ingredients. The consistency was however very different. It was grainy throughout. (I’m guessing due to the almond milk). Maybe they should rename it a ‘pudding’ and save people the mind games.
The Panacotta was an absolute fail. It looked good with the strawberry coulis but did not wiggle at all like a panacotta was supposed to. We had to literally go vertical with the spoon to cut through it! I know they can’t use gelatin (it has animal bones) to set it, but whatever else they used had turned this into a mini idli! We decided to ask the chef (and discreetly give him some feedback). He said they used agar-agar (a plant based setting agent) to set it. After trying to cut into it – he concluded that maybe they had been overzealous with the use of agar-agar. We have to give him credit for taking all the feedback we gave him with a smile! J 
Our entire meal took us two hours to finish. Not because the service was slow, but because we just talked so much! Carrots is a place that encourages you to just relax and be casual, to lounge around, kick off your shoes and indulge in some healthy food. (Total Auroville vibe!)
I must commend them for venturing into an area where angels fear to tread. Let’s hope the angels get them more footfalls as well! A must visit for all the Vegans in Bangalore. You now have a place you can call your own. More power to you Carrots!

CARROTS – The healthy kitchen and store
607, Ground and First floor,
80ft rd, 6th Block,
Koramangala,
Bangalore.
Landmark: Opposite Legends of Rock
www.carrots-india.com
Cost: We paid Rs. 1500/- for all the above dishes.
No Alcohol
Parking: on the Streets

Breaking Bread at Lavonne (Domlur, Bangalore)

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Now anyone who knows me well enough will know that I shy away from baking bread. All attempts of bringing forth a glorious loaf of bread or a soft buttery croissant have always yielded the opposite result. The kneading is another killer exercise that my arms do not want to do. So why would I bother going to a baking class? The dishonest answer would be ‘to learn how to bake a good loaf of bread’. The honest answer would be ‘to massage my ego’. I just wanted to witness the making of a loaf myself, so that I could find some secret ingredient that the baker added into the dough. Then I could console myself that a failed loaf at home was a result of  the omission of that ‘secret ingredient’! Was this too harebrained a scheme to work? Well last Sunday I learnt a few lessons!
The baking class was to be held at Lavonne Academy of Baking Science and Pastry Arts in Domlur. A couple of food bloggers were invited for the bread baking class, but only three of us turned up. I don’t blame the rest – Sunday evening is after all a time to be lazy or take a nap! We were taken up to the demo area and were pleasantly surprised to see that we had our own little workstations set up. I was in a quandary – do I knead the dough or do I click pictures?! Chef Avin urged me to do a bit of both. (Damn, I thought I could escape the kneading!)
Chef Avin is one of the three founders of Lavonne and by the way he spoke about Bread and it’s history, it was clear that the man had found his calling. He got us started on making the dough. Once we mixed the ingredients (always add salt in the end), we had to knead. I pushed the dough around till it looked like a nice ball and started dusting my hands on the apron. The chef walked by and looked at me quizzically. ‘Keep kneading till it is soft and elastic’ he said, ‘We should be able to stretch the dough so thin, that it should look transluscent, but should not break. This is called the window test’. So I started kneading again and almost cried in joy when he came to help me out 10 minutes later. (Kneading takes serious muscle power!).
The first three breads on the agenda all used the same dough mixture but were to be shaped and styled differently – Dinner rolls, Zopf and Foccacia. Dinner rolls were a complicated maneuver of weigh, roll, measure, twist, turn, loop and tug. By the end of the maneuver the dinner roll looked like a baby cobra raising its hood out of the coils. Cute J 
Zopf is a bread that is popular in Switzerland and looks like a braid. Apparently it’s looks have a lot to do with its history. Widowed women in Switzerland used to cut off their braids and bury them along with their deceased husbands. (Don’t ask why!). In time, the Zopf came to replace the actual braid. (Thank God for the sensible woman who thought up the substitution!)
 
The Foccaia has always been a favourite bread of mine. We decided to make our’s a sun dried tomato, olive and rosemany foccacia. Normally the dough needs to be given a couple of hours to rise and double in size, before it is baked. However this job was done in a special bread prover with the right temperature and humidity that activates the yeast and makes the bread rise faster. (I’m counting that as secret number 1, :P). So after the dough became plump and soft (like a baby’s bottom) we dressed it with an eggwash and sesame seeds and sent it away to bake. Ah the glorious smell – this is what lures me into happy oblivion!
Hard Breads were next on the agenda and again we were making three. (That seemed to be the lucky number for the day!). The dough for these is different, in that we don’t use butter. (gasp!). There is also an addition of semolina for a grainier texture. We were on to making Hard rolls, L’epi and Fougasse.  
The hard rolls were the easiest. Shape them like a little spindle, slice through the top with a knife, dust with flour, pipe with butter, and bake.  
The L’epi was a little more difficult. Shaped like a ear of wheat, it is symbolic of the harvest festival. After making a long roll and quickly rolling it out in a grain mixture, we used a scissor to split the dough strategically. This is then separated ever so slightly, to give it the shape of a ear of wheat. Quite inventive, really.  
The Fougasse had the funniest story. When he started rolling the dough out into a flat bread and started making holes in it, I was sniggering. It looked like the bad guys mask, from the movie Scream! Chef Alvin told us that the truth is not far off. This bread was made and hung outside homes in Rome to scare away ghosts, ghouls and evil spirits! 

It was super hot that evening and after toiling away in the kitchen kneading dough – the cool ice tea was a welcome break. We sipped contentedly and waited while the breads baked in the oven.  
The fruits (breads) of our labour came out looking all tanned and burnished. We helped ourselves to freshly baked loaves with a generous helping of butter. (They even packed some for us to take home.) Ah Bliss! 
 
LAVONNE
#151, 2nd Cross,
Domlur, 2nd Stage,  
Bangalore 560071
Website : www.lavonne.in
Courses Available: City and Guilds (UK), Certificate courses, Weekend Courses, Special courses, Chef Joonie’s Courses
Parking: On the road

Chicken Ghee Roast (Warning – It’s Red Hot!)

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Why am I giving you a recipe for a crazy-red-hot dish in the middle of summer? Have I lost my bonkers (and my taste buds)? Ahem ahem… that was a nice opening spiel, don’t you think? Now, getting down to business. If you think about it – all the ‘hottest’ food in the world comes from the ‘hottest’ places. Mexico, Indonesia, Andhra Pradesh, Nagaland…all famous for foods that send you running, to pack your tongue with ice! Logically, you would expect these people to be sipping on watermelon juice and eating a cucumber salad and not trying to replicate the external temperature assault, internally! So why do they do it?
The wisdom of ages pours forth now (actually this is a result of being a closet trivia junkie!). Spicy food is your best bet to cool down. Capsaicin, the chemical in all spicy food is in cahoots with our central nervous system to help regulate the temperature in our body. It starts by increasing the blood circulation and dilating capillaries – resulting in more of a surface area to cool. And it also makes you sweat – which is a natural defense against overheating!
So this recipe is right where it belongs – in the middle of summer in a hot-hot country like India! I cheated and ate a cool mint raita with it, but you can be braver and go the whole hog. Happy Cooling down!
Chicken Ghee Roast
(Recipe from my Mum)
Prep time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins
Serves 3-4
What you need:
½ kg Chicken pieces
1 Tbsp Chilli Powder
½ Lime, juice of
½ tsp Salt
A pinch of Garam Masala
A pinch of Turmeric
2 Tbsp Ghee
10-15 Curry Leaves
¼ tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 tsp Rock Salt
What to do:
Wash, drain and pat chicken dry. Make a marinade of chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric, salt and lime juice. (Do not use any water). Rub the marinade into the chicken well and keep aside for 30 mins. (The salt used for the marinade will ensure some water drains into the bowl).
Put the chicken pieces along with the marinade and into a pan/ bowl which can be used in a pressure cooker.  (We are pretty much steaming the chicken pieces, but ensuring the juices stay inside the bowl). Now close the lid and wait for the pressure to build up in the cooker. Put the whistle on now and cook the chicken for 12 minutes.
Wait till the cooker has cooled and remove the chicken from the bowl and save the marinade juices separately. (There should be about a glass of liquid).
In a pan, reduce the liquid down to ½ glass by boiling. We are concentrating the spice here.
In another pan/wok heat 2 Tbsp of Ghee, add in ginger-garlic paste and  curry leaves. Saute for a minute. Toss in the dry chicken pieces and sauté for 5 minutes. Lower the heat and add the reduced spice liquid to the chicken. Now raise the heat to medium and cook the chicken in the juices till you reach a semi dry consistency. (about 8 minutes).
Serve with some steamed rice and a nice raita or eat it as a starter with some cold beer!