Yummy Food

Watermelon Basil Salad with Lemon Dressing

noreply@blogger.com (Lubna Karim) — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:04:00 +0000

As I sat down to make this post….from a distance I can hear Koel chirping cooh…cooh….milkman has just come on his two wheeler loaded with at least 25 liters of fresh milk…..opposite a huge 5 story building is getting constructed and the workers have just come….talking loudly discussing about the work, movies, etc….lying down on a pile of sand enjoying the early morning breeze….paper boy has just come to drop in today’s newspaper….I just peeked down to see from the balcony of first floor….I could see a lady neatly drawing ranjoli on the street in front of her house….

I am at mom’s place right now vacationing and soaking myself in the new place as my mom has recently shifted to a new town….Morning starts more early in villages and towns…people get up very early and go to bed early…..Still people sleep on the wire knitted beds placing them on the corner of the roads for natural air….some cover from head to toe with bed sheet….some use mosquito nets….I always wonder how it would be to sleep like that….I remember when I was kid and whenever I use to go to my Granny’s place during summers….we kids use to go and take a short nap at the terrace every night….counting stars and naming them….seeing every red blinking light in the sky and saying UFO or satellite….munching on ground nuts or watermelon pieces or relishing on mangoes….satisfying those mid night cravings….those were the best fun days of my life….

But now it is completely a different story….when I got up to terrace all I can see is buildings with radio or mobile towers….hoardings with brands…etc….that’s what development is all about I think…..I wonder what childhood memories my Lil’M would take with her as she grow up….Hope she gets to see cleared star knitted sky, fresh air and green environment…..

Do you remember eating watermelon as it is….by cutting it into half-moon and biting it feeling the juices…and getting those droplets running all around your mouth……that was one of the gratifying feeling which I loved….but growing with the time…eating simple has also changed….now I make juice of it to give it to Lil’M as she thinks eating watermelon like that may dirty her hands and dress….and that too it is bad manners to eat like that…. As eating a fruit is must during summers to me…I replaced evening snacks with fruit bowl or juice…in the process I am making some simple salads to soothe the senses….Today’s salad is very simple with minimal ingredients and simple dressing. It’s Watermelon-Basil Salad with lemon, salt and pepper dressing.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups Watermelon cubes
2-3 tbsp. fresh Basil leaves

FOR DRESSING:

2 tbsp. Lemon juice
Salt
Pepper

PREPARATION:

In a bowl whisk lemon juice with salt and pepper and set aside.
Divide the watermelon pieces in the serving bowl and add fresh basil leaves.
Pour in the dressing and gently toss. Serve chilled.
Add love to make the salad more 'Yummy'.

VARIATIONS:

You can replace basil with mint leaves.
You can add feta cheese if it is available.
You can even add a tbsp. of olive oil to the dressing.
You can even add fresh crumbled cottage cheese or paneer to the salad.

Butter Chicken| Murg Makhani|Chicken Makhani

noreply@blogger.com (Lubna Karim) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:54:00 +0000

Sometimes being food blogger may land you in a tricky situation …wondering how…? Today my dear cousin came rushing to me and asked me what all I can cook with chicken…? Wondered me, asked him why? Then he said he has told his friends that his sis is a food blogger and she experiments a lot with food, creates new recipes, clicks food pics, blah, blah, blah…..and now his friends want to come home for dinner to test my culinary skills.

Upon asking the count….my cousin with his deep dimpled cheeks said just nine members…..the only thing which came from my mouth was….’kya….?’ Then he said only nine of my friends are coming and I want you to make something with chicken as chicken is their favorite…..he also added…prepare something which they only had in restaurants and never at home….

Now this left me thinking what I can dish out, that proves my cousin’s expectations. After scratching my head for some time and taking a quick glance at the kitchen, I decided on Dates-Nutella Shake as welcome drink, Bagara Khana , Kaddu Dal, Pan Fried Tandoori Aloo and Cucumber Raita in main course and finally fresh fruit custard as dessert.

When the menu was finally set, I started to work within no time as the time was less. When the work at kitchen was almost done….I started to set the table…there was beep on my mobile and it was my cousin enquiring was everything done…I replied him with a smiley and went to get ready…..I heard door bell and went to open the door, I saw my cousin with his infectious dimple cheeked smile standing with his ‘only’ nine friends…who all said Hi in chorus…..

Before entering the house they started saying….heard a lot about you ‘Didi’ but today we got a chance to meet you in person….With a smile, I served them chilled shake and when they got busy chit chatting I started platting the food. I can hear, someone from the group saying….that aroma coming from the kitchen is making me hungry……when I announced food is served….they all came to the dining area and started filling up there plates….there was complete silence for some time and I can clearly hear my heart beat…I think after 2 or 3 morsels, they started saying…wah didi this is the best food we ever had….Butter chicken is simple amazing….it is more tastier than the restaurant one…these words calmed my pounding heart….

One of them enquired whether the butter chicken recipe is there on my blog….as he wanted to show his mom so that she can dish up it at home for him whenever he wants….. I said very soon it will be….With a relaxed mind and heart full of confidence….I am happy soul today…not only because I passed out…but also because my wining made my cousin feel proud of me….So here is the recipe of butter chicken which proved me as food blogger…..

INGREDIENTS:

½ kg. Boneless Chicken pieces
2 big ripe Tomatoes, chopped
1 Onion, sliced
1 tbsp. Red chilli powder
¼ tbsp. Turmeric powder
½ tbsp. Coriander powder
¼ tbsp. Cumin powder
½ tbsp. Garam Masala
¾ tbsp. Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 tbsp. Cashew nut Paste
1 Bay leaf
2 tbsp. thick Curd
2 tbsp. Low fat Butter
½ tbsp. Kasoori Methi/Dry Fenugreek leaves
½ cup fresh Cream
pinch Sugar
Salt
Oil
1 tbsp. minced Coriander leaves

PREPARATION:

Whisk curd with ½ tbsp. red chili powder, pinch of turmeric powder, pinch garam masala, ¼ tbsp. ginger-garlic paste and salt. Now add chicken pieces and mix well. Leave this to marinade for 1-2 hours in fridge covering with cling or wrap.
Wash and soak kasoori methi in luke warm water.
In a heavy bottom cooking vessel add oil and when it heats up add sliced onions. Fry for 1-2 minutes and add sugar. Fry till translucent.
Now add chopped tomatoes. Fry till soft. Add ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala and salt.
Fry for 1-2 minutes and leave the mixture to cool. Once cooled grind to smooth paste and set aside.
Add oil to heavy bottom cooking vessel and fry out marinated chicken pieces. Fry on high for 1-2 minutes by stirring. Lower the flame and fry till the pieces are soft and completely cooked.
Add butter to heavy bottom cooking vessel and to this add bay leaf. Let the butter soak the aroma of bay leaf. Discard the leaf and add above ground paste along with cashew nut paste. Fry for 1-2 minutes by stirring nicely.
Now add fried chicken pieces. Stir till each chicken piece is completely coated with spice paste.
Cook on low for 2 minutes. Add kasoori methi and mix well. Now add ¾ cup of water and cook for 5-6 minutes or until butter started to leave from the sides. Now add fresh cream and give the curry a gentle mix. Turn off the flame and add minced coriander leaves.
Serve hot with roti/naan/flavoured rice.
Add love to make your dish more 'Yummy'.

NOTES:

CASHEW NUT PASTE:

Soak 15 cashews in lukewarm water for 15-30 minutes. Discard the water and grind to smooth paste. If required add milk drop by drop to get smooth texture.

VARIATIONS:

Adding fresh cream is purely optional.
You can skip cashew nut paste too.

The recipe of Bagara Khana is coming soon. The white netted cloth with lace you see in the picture above was stitched by my sweet mom....just for me as I click food pics and she thought food will look good on white.....how sweet and thoughtful of her.....Love you mamma.....

Strawberry Trifle

noreply@blogger.com (Lubna Karim) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 02:55:00 +0000

Having extremely crazy days at my end…..big changes, instant decisions, moves, etc. are taking me on a roller coaster ride….sometimes when you are not able to concentrate or not able to take any decision it is better to trust your life partner and go as he/she says…..trust me things will be fine in the end….This time, as more things are coming at the same time…I could not concentrate on one….so I trusted and left most of the things on my life partner, praying hard and strongly believing whatever happens, happens for good…..more on this later…..

Yesterday, I had been to bank to get my account online…you won’t believe I ended up spending nearly 5 hours in bank…..I really wonder how things work in banks when they are fully computerized ..sometimes when I get caught up in a situation like this…I wonder with the fastest machines in the world…it is taking hell of time….imagine if there are no machines to work for….then it would be like small picnic to go to bank……

My Lil’M got exhausted in the end and said….mamma… our token number will never come….this bank is bad and lets go home….back home I chopped strawberries, sprinkled sugar and left in refrigerator….thinking I will make milkshake upon coming back…..As I had no idea that I will end up in bank for so long….I was wondering…what to prepare for snack potluck party at my friends place in the evening….? But I ended up in bank for so long that when I came back I was totally drained of energy…..sunny afternoon and midafternoon hot wind blowing through my face made me feel so sick…..that I felt like coming back home and sleep endlessly….But I have to make a dessert as promised earlier to my friend…..

Upon coming back, when I checked fridge to take out strawberries and gulp some before throwing them into blender to make shake…I saw there was no power….I am completely irritated now….mind stuck and nothing was going as planned….but keeping the bad spirits away…I thought of making ‘Trifle’…praying hard for power to resume…..

Just in time, the power was back and I left my custard to come down to room temperature....then I transferred it to fridge and had a power nap…..By evening, weather was bit pleasant or may be because I was going to my friends place to meet bunch of friends whom I am meeting after so long….I am totally refreshed and charged….packed my custard in one box and strawberries in other along with other necessary items….and left on my way to friends place….

I was correct on time and rest of them all came in almost at the same time and everyone bought savory snacks and it was only me who had bought something sweet to indulge….after having piping hot pakoda’s, bajji’s, chats etc….it was time to devour on the dessert bought by me…..Everyone gulped the first serving within no time….so was the second and third…..at the end…..I can say it was just another beautiful day of my life…..lots of praises on my simple making and gorgeous looking ‘Trifle’…..

Here is the recipe for you….sometimes simple things give more pleasure in life and this dessert is quite an example to it….I love layered desserts and sometimes, I even layer a simple fruit custard this way…..Now no waiting for the recipe…just scroll down to check it out…..

INGREDIENTS:

15 Strawberries, hulled and halved
2 tbsp. Sugar
2 cups Vanilla/Strawberry Custard, prepare as per instructions
2 slices of Fruit cake (I used Britannia Fruit Cake)
1 tbsp. Strawberry Jam

PREPARATION:

In a bowl, add strawberries and sprinkle sugar. Cover with cling and leave it in the freezer for 30 minutes.
In the meantime prepare thick custard and leave to cool. Once the custard has come down to room temperature, leave it in refrigerator to chill.
Cut the fruit cake pieces into four and sandwich them with jam. Set aside.

LAYERING/ASSEMBLING:

Take desired serving bowls/glasses, add sandwiched fruit cake pieces and add 2-3 tbsp. of juices released from strawberry and sugar mixture (check first point).
Now add sugar soaked strawberries and chilled thick custard. Repeat the layers if using a big bowl or glass.
Decorate with halved strawberries and serve immediately.
Add love to make this trifle 'Yummy'.

NOTES:

Chilled and thick custard is recommended to make this trifle.
You can use your choice of fruits in making this trifle.
You can even top the trifle with whipped cream.

{Product Review} - Handmade Green Tea from Teaneer

noreply@blogger.com (Lubna Karim) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 18:31:00 +0000

I still remember those summer days when my mom use to stock up refrigerate with Roohafza, lemonade and seasonal fruits. She always makes it a point to keep us hydrated with fresh fruits, juices, shakes and much more. Things have completed changed now…..packed juices, cool drinks, ice creams, etc have replaced the glory of fresh things. But things have not really changed at my home….I still make fresh lemonade for those summery afternoons; you can find a bottle of Roohafza still lying in my fridge for those sultry evenings…

But keeping the changing lifestyle in mind, I always love trying out something new and when Suresh Nanjan has mailed me to review Handmade tea, which is farm fresh and directly from the farmers….I was not completely sure as I never making green tea at home, though I grab a cup whenever I am at a tea outlet….I thought it will be good time trying out something new….

As this is for first time I was using Green Tea, I thought of going simple by making a hot cuppa and then making something chilled which will be apt to the weather outside here. Without wasting time, when I received the sample, I went through the presentation, sent by Suresh Nanjan….I have found some interesting points….which I thought may interest you too….

Handmade teas are rare teas in their method of processing the teas right from plucking until packaging , the skillful hand processing maintains the wholesome appearance as well as the nutritional values in the teas that brews in your cup. The samplers arrived in a brown zip lock bag with loose tea leaves….when I opened and smelled the aroma was mesmerising…it took me down to the tea plantation…..where woman wearing baskets around there back and singing melodiously plucking fresh leaves every morning….returning back I wonder why they are not sealed in tea bags…checking out the presentation I found….

Whole Leaf Teas	Tea Bags
The whole leaf grade teas are made out of very tender unopened bud along with the first 2 leaves. Due to the absence of mechanized processing steps the leaf structure is very much intact in the handmade process.	Teabags are made from very matured leaves which inevitably consists of stems and the leaves themselves are crushed and chopped into a fine granule kind of structure (this process is called CTC Cutting-Tearing and Curing)
Whole Leaf teas renders itself for use in multiple infusions (the same leaf could be used to extract the decoction multiple times)	Tea bags are commonly used just once.
Per cup cost of whole leaf teas are more or less same as the cost of a tea bag.	Tea bags use mostly the grade called fannings which are flakes like structures.
However due to the preservation of the natural leaf in its original form in whole leaf handmade teas the healthy constituents are very intact and fully available in the infused brew.	-----

TEANEER:

“Teaneer” is a whole some and fully handmade range of teas from Vijayalakshmi Natural Farms. This is an enterprising attempt of an entirely agriculture oriented family hitherto dependent entirely on selling our produce to huge factories. Vijayalakshmi Natural Farms is a family owned business where we are the people who cultivate process and package the “teaneer” brand of teas. In our farms we practice the bio-dynamic method of cultivation and our soil has been organically fortified for the past 5 years. The biodynamic calendar provides optimal days for all activities we typically undertake during our “teaneer” processing like plucking, pruning etc. Teaneer plants are sustained by Bio dynamic inputs for the past 5 years. Plants grow on a progressively enriching soil with naturally occurring Organic Carbon. The plants are self sustained and have attained a natural immunity against pesticides induced diseases.

TEANEER IN MAKING:

Meticulously followed buds growth we pick teas in the growth cycle of 7 to 12 days. Handpicked by our own family members right at the time of day when the plants have started blooming and are very active at their photosynthesis activity (before the midday sun). The freshest of the fresh buds are carefully hand fried in iron woks tossed with tea oil.The tender buds hand rolled. This is a crucial step in maintaining the unbroken buds ratio in the "teaneer" that brews in your cup.

TEANEER OFFERINGS:

"Teaneer" Flow: The periodic 7-12 day bud and leaf, pan fried hand rolled and packed under the ideal weather conditions.

"Teaneer" Aristocrat: Teas from plants that are periodically rested and the first 3 flushes of the leaves are only plucked for processing

"Teaneer" Shining Arrows: Teas processed completely out of unopened buds handpicked and shade dried for packaging.

TEANEER PACKING:

You get these Teaneer in brown paper bag with foil lining with zipper….which seals the aroma and paper bag is good option as it is eco friendly too.

HOW TO PURCHASE TEENER:

Teaneer is a fledgling enterprise in initial stage of setting up retailing avenues and with a vision to reach directly to consumers.

Products could be ordered and will directly be dispatched from farm through local or international couriers.

At Teaneer they are exploring all avenues of expanding the reach of their products.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Vijayalakshmi Natural Farms,

15/30, Pororai Village,

Nilgiris 643202.

Tamilnadu.

Suresh: +91-984-531-9763.

Prabhu: +91-954-367-7098.

Home Office: +91-423-220-5167.

Email: teaneer@gmail.com.

MY REVIEW:

AROMA: Mesmerizing

FLAVOUR: Good

TASTE: Soothing

PRICE:

Flow – Rs.250/- for 50 grams pack.
Aristocrat – Rs.250/- for 25 grams pack.
Shining Arrows – Rs.300/- for 25 grams pack.

As this is for the first time, I have made green tea at home; I really enjoyed making it…the way the color changes after every infusion is awesome. I enjoyed making a hot cuppa with ‘Teaneer Flow’ variety and chilled drinks with ‘Teaneer Aristrocrat”…and I liked both the varieties. Place your orders to make some refreshingly yum drinks this summer and amaze your guest or refresh yourself…..

MINT - HONEY GREEN TEA with TEANEER ARISTOCRAT:

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups Water
3 tbsp. Fresh Mint
Honey to taste
1 tbsp. Teaneer Aristocrat, Handmade Green Tea Leaves
2-3 tbsp. fresh Lime juice

PREPARATION:

Add mint leaves to half of water and boil till mint flavour is infused in water, nearly 2-3 minutes. achieved. Remove and stain. Add lemon juice and honey. Mix well.
In another pan boil water and add tea leaves. Turn off the flame and let the tea leaves release the aroma and flavour the water. Stain and set aside.
Upon cooling, mix up one cup of mint, honey and lemon flavoured water with green tea flavoured water. Add ice cubes and serve chilled.

ICED GINGER GREEN TEA:

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp. Green Tea leaves
1 2”inch piece, Ginger, chopped
½ cup Sugar
2-3 fresh Mint Leaves
3 cups Water

PREPARATION:

Boil water and add tea leaves and turn off the flame. Let it steep until it comes to room temperature. Stain and transfer the content to fridge.
Meanwhile, in a heavy bottom vessel add water, sugar and chopped ginger. Let it boil. Stir to dissolve sugar. Stain and leave it cool. Once cool enough transfer the content to fridge.
When ready to serve, fill in the glasses with ice cubes and pour a cup of above contents. Check for sugar, if needed add more. Garnish with mint leaves and serve chilled.

FOR HOT CUPPA:

I made this early this morning and had this before having breakfast....I feel so refreshed and rejuvenated....

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp. Teener Flow Handmade Green Tea Leaves
3 cups Water
2 tbsp. Sugar/Honey

PREPARATION:

Boil water and add tea leaves. Turn off the flame and wait till the leaves settle at the bottom. Stain and mix in sugar or honey and enjoy a warm refreshing cuppa of healthy handmade green tea…..

DISSIMILAR: This is not a sponsored post; all views expressed here are made after trying, testing and tasting the samplers by me.

Eggless Strawberry Mousse

noreply@blogger.com (Lubna Karim) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:52:00 +0000

Are you watching IPL this season? I am expecting a bunch of friends to enjoy today’s IPL match. Watching IPL with friends doubles the excitement of the match. Sometimes friends stay over for dinner or sometimes it is like just snack party. It is already hot outside and IPL matches add more heat to it……to cut this out…I thought I will go with some chilled dessert to soothe the cheering palates…..

Ice cream was first to hit my mind….then I dropped the plan and thought of mousse….During this season I always make Mango Mousse with the season’s first produce….and my dear friends love it to full too….But this year….I am yet to buy mangoes, I don’t know why I can’t see good mangoes in stores till now…..But I had relished seasons first produce at my SIL’s place, where she had made sweet and yum juice with the fresh mangoes from her backyard.

As markets are still flooding with strawberries, I thought I will make strawberry mousse. There is one more reason to choose strawberry mousse and that is….the only berry which Lil’M loved eating is strawberry and that’s more than enough for me to try out strawberry mousse. But whipping cream is another problem. As I ran out of whipping cream, I thought of giving the recipe a try with Amul fresh cream.

As this is the first time, I was using Amul fresh cream in making a mousse, I was little skeptical…. But when you plan to do it…..do it is my motto….so I made all the necessary arrangements in making the mousse. I don’t know why…but my heart holds a special place for mousse….may be because it is creamy or may be because it has got the goodness of the fruit or may be because it is light and airy…..or may be because it is simple in making…. :-)

Within no time I made strawberry flavored jelly and left it in the fridge to set and then I made strawberry mousse and poured it onto the jelly when it was completely set. Waiting for the mousse to set is the only things which kills…..but it is always good to wait to devour on something yum like this…..By the time my strawberry mousse was completely set, it was 5 in the evening and the light was gone…..

So the food photographer in me took all the pain and carried the glasses to the terrace along with that wooden plank….and took pictures….and later replaced the glasses in the fridge to chill. Now waiting for my friends to come down to enjoy today’s IPL match and relish on this strawberry mousse. I know the mousse has come perfectly right…as my Lil’M and my Lil’sis has already certified it ‘YUM’. So what are you relishing on watching IPL matches……..?

In the meantime, check out the recipe and don’t forget to read the note at the end of the post. I bet this is one of the revolutionary strawberry mousse which is eggless, creamy, airy, light, blushing with color and soothes your palate…..along with made with Amul fresh cream, which is easily available in any grocery store these days…..Best summer dessert according to me…..Great for those night dinners, where you end up eating huge and can’t tuck desserts…..this strawberry mousse is so light that you can have a pot after having heavy dinner too….

INGREDIENTS:

15 Strawberries, hulled and chopped
250 ml Amul fresh cream
3-4 tbsp. Icing sugar
5 gms. Agar-Agar (China Grass)
Water
Pink food color, optional

PREPARATION:

Puree strawberries with icing sugar and set aside.
Prepare agar-agar mixture as per the directions mentioned on the packet and add ¼ strawberry puree to this and add pin good color.
Mix well and pour this mixture into the desired glasses and tap to set the jelly mixture evenly. Cover with cling and leave it in the refrigerator to set. It may take ½ -1 hour to set.
Now whip Amul fresh cream until it holds soft peaks (check notes). To this add remaining strawberry puree. Mix well. Check for sugar, if required add more icing sugar.
Now pour this mixture onto the jelly set glasses and tap gently. Cover with cling and leave it in the fridge for 2-3 hours.
Before serving decorate with remaining jelly or fresh strawberries.
Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.

NOTES:

To whip Amul fresh cream, leave the packet of Amul fresh cream in the fridge for 2-3 hours. Whip the cream using ice bath method.
Take two bowls where one bowl is wide enough to fit the base of another one.
Leave these bowls in fridge along with beater blades or whisker for 2-3 hours
Get your ice cubes or chilled water ready.
Take your bowls from the fridge, when you are ready to whip up the cream. In a big bowl, place ice cubes or chilled water and place another bowl and pour cream in this.
Beat cream till it starts to thicken and soft peaks start to form.
Your whip cream is ready for making mousse.

VARIATIONS:

You can omit that jelly part and make it plain.
You can even use store bought or packet whipping cream to make this mousse.

{Review} - Golden Jubilee Celebrations at ‘The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’

noreply@blogger.com (Lubna Karim) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 10:27:00 +0000

My association with Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL) is a year old. I have been at the launch of its first store in Bangalore in 1 MG Mall. At that time as it was the launch party, I did not get much chance to learn more about the coffee and tea….If you are interested in knowing more about the store then you can check it out in my post here.... But today I have been to the store to be part of its Golden Jubilee Celebrations. A bunch of food bloggers were invited to review the new changes in CBTL….Wondering what’s new at CBTL then scroll to know more….

ABOUT THE BRAND:

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®, founded in 1963 by Herbert B.Hyman in Los Angeles, has been a pioneer in bringing gourmet coffees and teas to the global connoisseur. Over the years, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has established itself as the oldest and most trusted brand, preferred by coffee & tea lovers across the world. Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is the oldest and largest privately-held specialty coffee and tea retailer in the United States with more than 1000 stores across 25 countries. This year, the iconic brand celebrates 50 years of heritage and passion of delighting its patrons worldwide. Operational in India since 2008, the brand also completes five successful years in India, where again it has played the pioneer’s role in introducing the finest coffees & teas around the world to Indian coffee & tea lovers.

INTRODUCING NEW MENU:

To add to the celebrations, a new food menu with variety of gourmet and healthy eating options has also been introduced. From all day breakfast, gourmet bites, fresh bakes, main course to desserts, and the new Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® menu is a foodie’s delight offering novel options like Chilly Cheese Baguette, Pizza Curl, Banofee Cake, Silky Mousse and much more….

NEW LOGO TO MARK THE OCCASION:

To celebration the occasion of glorious 50 years, CBTL has also unveiled a new logo, which bears the words: “Passion for coffee and tea”. The logo reiterates the landmark in the brand’s history, paying tribute to its patrons and thanking consumers for their continuous support over the years. The log has got that rich vintage feel, which will sprung back to an era where the Hollywood actress use to wear that beautiful summery frocks, with hat and bob hair style…crossing the legs and sitting in a corner coffee shop sipping out the coffee gracefully….smiling at the hero…..and love that caption too which says “Passion for coffee and tea”, which is just perfect for the celebration…..

ABOUT TEA at CBTL:

Mr Zameer Ahamed, Asst. Operational Manager at CBTL gave us ‘The Tea Guide’ which was loaded with a lot more information on ‘TEA’. When Mr.Zameer bought boxed loaded with different types of tea leaves which are custom made at CBTL…The aroma just lifted my spirits….it was heavenly….You can see in the picture…the four different varieties of flavoured mixes which are mainly used in making tea at CBTL.

BLACK TEAS: The finest black teas are distinguished by extensive hand processing to achieve the full oxidation that is crucial in the development of the exceptional black teas at CBTL. Depending on the tastes there are varieties to soothe every taste bud….From floral flavour to spicy to brisk…you get lot more options to choose from in this category….

FLAVOURED TEAS: Flavoured by hand to create a unique, distinctive taste that is perfectly balanced with the essence of the whole leaf tea. To get that rich flavour, this variety of Raspberry Ceylon is hand plucked in a special “Morning Dew Pluck” which provides an exotic sweetness to the tea’s overall flavour.

GREEN TEAS: Directly after plucking, the green tea leaves are pan-fired or steamed in order to stop the oxidation process. The tea is then dried once again to remove excess moisture. During the entire process, the leaves maintain their soft and supple texture. ‘Genmaicha Green’ is a blend of high quality Sencha tea, toasted rice and puffed rice. The Sencha leaf provides a delicate taste while the toasted rice adds body and sweetness to the finish. Genmaicha Green originated from Japan.

FLAVOURED GREEN TEAS: These are flavoured by hand to create exceptional green teas that are invigorating and well-balanced. Moroccan Mint, hand-crafted from the gunpowder green tea and flavoured with aromatic peppermint, this invigorating green tea closely follows the classic 18^th century recipe created by tea traders in Casablanca. This originates from China.

BLACK TEAS: The finest black teas are distinguished by extensive hand processing to achieve the full oxidation that is crucial in the development of the exceptional black teas available at CBTL.

HERBAL INFUSIONS: Herbal Infusions at CBTL are 100% caffeine-free, making them the best alternative to regular tea or coffee.

FRUIT INFUSIONS: These are naturally caffeine-free and are made with large pieces of dried fruits with fruit flavours added, giving the infusion of fresh, bold fruity taste.

DECAFFEINATED TEAS: CBTL offers decaffeinated teas which are 97% caffeine-free. Although most of the caffeine is removed, the depth of flavour remains intact.

ABOUT CUSTOM MADE TEA BAGS:

As you can see in the pictures, the tea bags look simply beautiful. These are designed or rather say custom made by CBTL, for single-serving. The unique pyramid shape of the bag allows the whole leaves and a bud to fully expand, providing maximum flavour infusion and the same richness and aroma you savor when brewing tea in an infuser or teapot.

WHOLE LEAF TEA:

All teas (black, green and oolong) originated from one bush, the camellia sinensis, which is distinguished by its dark green leaves. At harvest time, the glossy whole leaves and young new shoots are plucked ad processed for optimal freshness. Each new crop if tea derives its unique taste from the particular environmental and climatic conditions of that region, including soil and water, as well as the care and technique of the tea grower. Whole leaf tea allows the tea leaves to retain their natural properties resulting in the most flavourful cup of tea possible. During the steeping process, the leaves unfurl, releasing their flavour into the water. By exclusively using whole leaves in both our whole leaf tins and tea bags, CBTL assures Simply the Best™ cup of tea.

THE COFFEE GUIDE AT CBTL:

I was quite surprised by seeing the Coffee Guide at CBTL, they were whole lot of options to choose from…CBTL says the flavour of each coffee is dependent upon the origin, characteristics and the roast degree of each coffee. This combination is used to determine the flavour category of each coffee: ‘Light & Subtle’, ‘Rich & Smooth’ and ‘Dark & Distinctive’. While the origin characteristics influence the look, taste and smell of the coffee, the roast degree also impacts the final product.

LIGHT & SUBTLE COFFEES: CBTL’s lighter coffees are characterised by their mild and delicate flavour and are complemented by light or medium roast. Both mellow and satisfying, these coffees are sure to please every palate.

RICH & SMOOTH COFFEES: These smooth bodied deeply aromatic coffees are characterised by their well balanced flavour and full, fragrant aroma. Each distinctive blend is roasted to perfection to add richness to every cup.

DARK & DISTINCTIVE COFFEES: Medium dark to dark roast coffees are full flavoured with a bold taste and rich aroma, Aromatically complex, each coffee has a distinctive flavour that is well balanced.

FLAVOURED COFFEES: Talking about flavoured coffees Mr.Zameer said these are made with pre ground medium roast coffee that are carefully hand flavoured with natural and artificial flavourings to ensure a rich and inviting full flavoured coffee.

ABOUT NEW MENU OF CBTL:

The new menu of CBTL is quite interesting, with the above mentioned teas and coffees to suit and please every palate, the menu also includes ‘Breakfast All Day’ section where you get waffles, fried egg/boiled egg/scrambled egg, French toast, etc. for healthier option you can have Egg white omelette too.

The healthy options in the menu are specified by a small beautiful read colored heart. They are some add on options too to add to your breakfast. You get ‘multi grain crossiant’, which is again a healthy option, Banana Museseli with no added sugar muffin to add to your coffee or tea…

‘Oats & Cranberry Bars’, which you can see in the picture, were so ‘yum’…I personally recommend you to try those when you hit the store next time. They are cookies, biscotti’s, bars, Grab N Go Sandwiches, Gourmet Sandwiches, Salads, Gourmet Bites which include 3 Cheese Ciabizza, which you can see in the picture below along with Chili Cheese Baguette, Pizza Curls, etc.

Pasta’s at CBTL are die for…I have never tasted such a creamy and yummy pasta till date. If anything is there that will take me to CBTL again apart from coffee, then it is pasta. Chicken Lasagne and Spaghetti Roast Chicken & Pesto Cream were the ones I tried and I must say…without any other word I can say these recipes two stand 10 on 10. Rich flavour, perfect seasoning and good presentation. All in all I can say pasta at CBTL rocks.

To end on a sweet note, you have got to pamper yourself with an array of cakes where you get good number of options to choose from…..some of the options are Minty Chocolate Brownie, Apple Crumble, Warm Chocolate Pie, etc.

TO END WITH:

The Coffee and tea menu includes the Desi and Videsi style varieties to suit the customer needs. An extensive study on the flavours, aroma, size, temperature, and origin…research on the techniques has refined CBTL to lead the world by their coffees and teas….. Every detail of the recipe or ingredient has carefully taken care off. Filtered or bottled water is only used to brew coffee and tea. Specialised ice cubes are made for the ice teas by CBTL.

If you are in a mood to sit back and relax, or when you want to be with yourself, or when you want to see the world go by sipping the world flavours,….then CBTL is the destination. Refreshing flavours, rejuvenating aroma, soothing ambience, pleasing décor, good food, attentive staff, world class flavours of brewed tea and coffee…so what are you waiting for do drop by at CBTL to relax, rejuvenate and refresh……pamper yourself with the world class coffee or tea along with the newly introduced flavours…..

SPECIAL THANKS:

Special thanks to Mr.Zameer Ahmed for taking us down on a virtual tour of tea and coffee estates….explaining the minute details of the brand, waiting with patience while we got busy clicking, clicking and clicking, for suggesting recommending the best from the store and for that memorable CBTL mug with the celebrations logo…Thanks to Anamika who took all the pain in arranging this event.

RATINGS:

AMBIANCE: 10/10

DECOR: 10/10

FOOD: 10/10

TEA & COFFEE: 10/10

VALUE FOR MONEY: 9/10

ADDRESS: CBTL has got 19 stores across India. Click here to find a store near you.

You can know more about CBTL at their website http://www.coffeebean.com/

DISSIMILAR: This is not a sponsored post; all views expressed here are by author.

Strawberry Masala Pops with Memories of School Days

noreply@blogger.com (Lubna Karim) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 16:03:00 +0000

I think I have become a complete night owl now…..it’s half past one and I am still wide awake…..after refreshing facebook for 10^th time….I thought I will sign out and do some quality work….as my to-do list on the right hand corner of the monitor had scrolled off the 24 inch screen….. now you know how many pending things I need to complete…On the top of the list I have written sort the pictures….There are zillion pictures on my PC….which needs to sort out….according to the folder names…..delete many, rearrange many and organize many….I thought I am already sleep deprived today…I will try to finish off this work….

So slowly started my work....organising pictures….Lil’M, Food and General were the three main categories I made….rest and all went to MISC….which I thought will arrange some other time….I was quite surprised to see the number of pictures…..I think I have gone crazy with my camera these years…..lots and lots of pictures keep flooding in….it looked as if it is a never ending pool….In the mean time…I refilled my glass with ‘watermelon juice’….just to keep the energy going…. ;-)

When the sorting process was going on, I struck with so many photographs…where Lil’M is doing all the funny faces or furious stunts….In the process….I got struck with a picture which bought my school days alive….the nostalgic memories of school days started spinning in my head…. That white full sleeve shirt with blue skirt, red tie with two white stripes, red belt with white line in middle along with school emblem, white socks with black shoes and black ribbons to tie two beautifully braided hair….I never had long hair to braid and go to school….though I wish to have….but I was happy with my hair cut…as it was simple to comb, no fuss and no mess….I still remember how I use to try my hands on braiding hair of my lil sis before leaving to school…when my mom is still busy in the kitchen making breakfast….as my lil sis was always a huge fan of long hair….Even with boyish hair cut…my sis use to insist me to braid her hair….

There were very strict rules for ‘dress code’ at my school and mostly everyone use to follow them. I still remember I had a friend by name ‘A’…who had long, thick, curly, glossy and black hair….always neatly oiled and combed….She use to divide her hair into two portions and braid them along with ribbons in the end….she use to pull that ribbons up and tie at the starting of the hair…she use to do many patterns for tying up her hair ribbon…sometimes it would be like flower, sometimes like butterfly, sometimes single knot, etc. I loved her hair and every time use to ask her to tip me with some hair secrets….so that I too can get long hair like her…she use to smile and say….may be because she braids her hair with ribbons she had got long hair….and I can see her dimples coming….

Slowly when I entered the higher standard in school, my mom decided that I can take care of my hair on my own and left my hair uncut for sometime…this gave me beautiful ponytails….The day I got my first plaits while combing….I danced all over the house showing them to everyone at home…I was very happy….and I tied ribbons to it and went to school the next day….everyone at school welcomed my new look and my friend ‘A’ was very happy seeing me that way…Within no time I learnt to tie my own plaits and sometimes I use to do it to my lil sis too….I always believed oiling, shampooing and braiding the hair gives you neat, strong and shiny hair…but choosing the good shampoo when the market is flooding with so many options and ads showcasing the top models and actors….leaves you confusing…but I suggest you to know your hair type….read the instructions on the label carefully along with the ingredients used…and then try it on….I started on Dove long time back and when I received Dove hair therapy sample some weeks back…I tried it and I am loving my hair more ....I can feel my hair is soft, silky, smooth and with no split ends….and I still remember the ends of my hair use to be feathery soft and friends use to play with it by rubbing on their cheeks…

As I am drenched in the nostalgic memories of my fond school days….I thought of sharing with you one more memory which is till fresh in my mind…there use to be an icewala, who use to stand just opposite to the gate of my school….and who use to sell orange color, yellow color, violet color and white color ice creams...which are just colored sugar water candy to a ice cream stick where the colors used were fabric colors…..according to my dad and so I never dared to buy them…. But I always use to see the kids buying them and turning there lips, tongue and teeth…sometimes white shirt also to orange or violet….To satisfy this urge to lick a candy ice cream on a ice cream stick…I made strawberry-masala pops….

These strawberry pops were sweet, spicy, juicy and above all with no artificial color or preservative….make these fresh and enjoy the refreshing taste of strawberries….I make pops a lot during summers…and try out new varieties too…this time I added a dash of chat masala to give the pops a spicy taste…which was yum to indulge….

STRAWBERRY MASALA POPS:

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups fresh Strawberries, hulled and chopped
½ cup Honey
½ tbsp. Chat Masala

PREPARATION:

In a blender combine chopped strawberries, honey and chat masala. Blend until smooth. Pour the puree into the desired moulds and give the moulds a gentle tap to set the pops evenly.
Leave the mould in the freezer for 5-6 hours or until set.
Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.

I crushed and added strawberry flavoured 'soulful' ragi flakes.

VARIATIONS:

STRAWBERRY LEMON POPS:

Add dash of lemon juice to get that tangy taste in the pops.

STRAWBERRY MINT POPS:

You can crushed mint leaves to the puree before pouring into the moulds.

STRAWBERRY ORANGE POPS:

Add dash of orange juice to the strawberry puree before poring into the mould, to get new flavour.

WATERMELON-STRAWBERRY-MINT POPS:

You can add fresh watermelon juice to the puree and then add crushed mint leaves to experience a new flavour of pops.

One thing which I don't like about pops is the freezing time...I have to wait for 5-6 hours....but it took only 5-6 minutes to gulp these blushing berry pops....

For quick and easy access I designed this recipe card....hope you like it.... For the first time....I experimented with back light for the first time and loved it totally.....waiting for your reviews my dear yum readers....

{Guest Post} - Jalebi with Vanilla Flavored Rabdi from Jehanne, The Cooking Doctor

noreply@blogger.com (Lubna Karim) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 04:29:00 +0000

One fine evening….sipping my tea…I was just browsing through the facebook updates along with editing the images for the post to come the next day….chat window in facebook popped up saying Salam Lubna…..It was from Jehanne….I know Jehanne through my Ramadan event, Joy From Fasting To Feasting and more through facebook. Jehanne is very talented or I should say multi-talented…She is ‘heart’ doctor by profession, she is food lover, she is recipe developer, she has got a monthly column in BBC Good Food Asia, she is food photographer and stylist too, she is multilingual too…above all she is loving mother, wife, friend and moreover super human being…..Sometimes the charisma of person influence you so much that you fell in love with them even though you are meeting them virtually.....

Adding a new feather and turning on new leaf in her life, Jehanne has come up with four awesome mini cookbooks…where each recipe is tried, tested and tasted in her own kitchen…..along with developing heart healthy recipes, she has even done food photography and styling to the recipes she has penned down in her mini cookbooks. Every book have got 35 heart-healthy recipes…..The fabulous four cookbooks from Jehanne Ali are,

Heart-Healthy Everyday Meals

Heart -Healthy Snacks

Heart-Healthy Soups & Stews

Heart-Healthy Desserts

You can pre-orders these fantabulous mini cookbooks from any part of the world through these following sites Amazon, Guardian BookShop and TheBook Depository.

I am really honored to have such a multi-talented personality in my life....and happier to have her today on my blog…..Apart from being busy….she took out time and done this fabulous post for me….upon single request….Thank you so much for being there in life….wish to meet you in real someday and learn to make Macrons from you…..Do visit her space for drool worthy recipes, pretty props and beautiful writings…Now directly digging into today’s guest post from Jehanne Ali of The Cooking Doctor, Jalebi with Vanilla Flavoured Rabri, I know you started drooling over by just reading the name of the recipe….then what are you waiting for scroll down to drool more….Jehanne says,

I did not grow up with memories of mitthai-wallah pushing carts of sweets during tea time, but I grew up with an adventurous mom who was willing to try out novel recipes in those heydays when there was no internet, food blogs, let alone foreign recipe books. What she had back then were good hearted neighbors who shared honest recipes that they brought, together with their tradition to Malaysia. One such neighbor that remains vivid in my memories is an old Punjabi lady, who would give us some freshly made chapatti every time they passed by our house.

She used to complain that she could never get her north Indian sweets in our little town. I obviously didn't even know then the difference on south versus north Indian sweet, but what I do know is I loved her homemade sickeningly sweet creations- laddoos, gulab jamuns and jalebis, so much so that these 3 sweets remain etched as my favourites till date. Recently when Lubna asked me to write a vegetarian based guest post for her gorgeous blog, Kitchen Flavours, I happily suggested that I gift her readers with a sweet recipe, possibly Jalebis. Lubna was quick to warn me that Jalebi is India's national sweet, so I better get it right!

Jalebis that I know are crunchy with holes inside their spiral coils, so it can 'trap' and absorb the maximum amount of sugar syrup- yes they are not healthy! Yet, may I justify just a piece for celebration? To make them extra special, once fried and soaked in sugar syrup they can be drizzled with the amazing flavour of slowly brewed sweetened milk that thickens into smooth cream. The traditional flavour is usually infused with cardamom and rosewater, but I have replaced the exotic spices with fresh vanilla bean.

Saffron from the jalebi pairs really well with vanilla flavour, and since the recipe yields more than your fair share of 'dietary requirement', this sweet is perfect for special occasions and gatherings.

JALEBIS:

1½ cups plain flour
3 tbsp. Rice flour
1/2 cup plain Yogurt
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 cups Water
10-15 strands Saffron
a pinch of Yellow coloring (optional)
1 tbsp. Rose water
a pinch of Sugar
1/4 tsp. Baking soda
Vegetable oil for deep frying

SUGAR SYRUP:

1 1/2 cups sugar
2/4 cup water
2-3 cardamom pods
1 tbsp. rose water

FOR VANILLA RABDI:

2 cups milk
3 tbsp. raw sugar
1 vanilla pod + beans scraped

METHOD:

1. The jalebi batter needs to be prepared well ahead, preferably overnight:

2. In a bowl, combine the plain flour, yogurt, rice flour, salt, sugar, saffron, colouring, rose water and water.

3. Whisk until the batter is smooth and leave covered for 6 hours at room temperature or overnight in a fridge.

4. Add in the baking soda, and leave for around 20 minutes.

5. Transfer the batter into a squeeze bottle with a pointed tip hole.

6. In a separate pan, heat the sugar with water and cardamom until 2 string consistency is formed (sugar syrup should be thickened), let it simmer on low heat whilst the jalebis are fried.

6. Heat the oil in a large wok. Test the oil to be hot enough by frying small amount of batter, it should bubble up immediately. Form spiral in the oil and fry until golden.

7. Immediately transfer the jalebis into the sugar syrup, soak for 30 seconds and transfer to a container.

PREPARE THE RABDI:

1. Simmer the milk with sugar, vanilla beans and the pod in a milk pan on low heat.

2. Scrape the sides occasionally, let the milk thickens.

Serve the jalebis with drizzles of rabdi.

Thank you so much Jehanne for taking out time and doing this yummylicious post.....

Fresh Strawberry Milkshake

noreply@blogger.com (Lubna Karim) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 11:22:00 +0000

It was one of those summer afternoons, where everyone at home is taking a short afternoon nap….After rolling on bed for some time….I thought I will go and check what’s there on TV….as we just got cable TV connection at home that summer….I tip toed to TV room and started surfing the channels by muting the volume…..I stopped changing the channel when I saw beautiful and gorgeous Julia Roberts arguing with someone at a branded dress store….I glued to TV watching her….slowly in the frame was Richard Gere…..Damm man who is going to change the channel now…..just increased little volume…..so that I don’t wake anyone….and started watching the movie…..In the movie there was a scene where Richard Gere offers Julia Roberts a bowl full of fresh strawberries….topped with cream…..that was my first introduction to strawberries…..

Being botany student, I have read about strawberries….but never seen them until then….when I saw them for the first in the movie….where Julia Roberts gulp them with so passion…At that moment lost in that scene I thought wish I get to taste these juicy blushing beauties…..But being in a place where strawberries are just read in books and seen in pictures…..I never had got a chance to devour these…..But my dream came through when I came to Bangalore…..When I was roaming around in one of the malls in Bangalore, I came across the stack of fresh strawberries…neatly plucked and packed…..Within no time…I picked up a packet….and after coming home….I hulled them and relished just like that….the first one I had was sour in taste…the next was little sour and little sweet…..khatta meetha type….then I had another which was sweet enough…..I loved it….so my fondness for strawberries started like that…..Over a period of time….I had relished strawberries in many different ways….and when these blushing beauties are in season I make it a point to try out as many recipes as possible….apart from eating them raw…..

Today’s recipe with strawberries is one of the simple recipe to beat the heat outside…..It has got chilled milk, fresh berries and yum ice cream…..All you need to do is to whip up everything and you get a juicy milkshake which is pink, thick and creamy…..Perfect for the festive season too…..Wishing you all a HAPPY HOLI…….

INGREDIENTS:

10-12 fresh Strawberries
2 tbsp. Sugar
1 tbsp. Vanilla essence
1½ chilled, skimmed Milk
1 cup good quality Strawberry ice cream

PREPARATION:

Wash strawberries thoroughly under running water and reserve two perfectly shaped ones for garnishing.
Cut off the tops of rest of the strawberries and chop. Put the chopped strawberries in a bowl, sprinkle over the sugar and vanilla essence. Ideally pop these in the fridge for an hour covering with a cling.
Add these to a blender along with the juice released. Pulse and add milk. Blend till no chunks are left. Add ice cream and blend until smooth. Add more milk if you feel the mixture is more thick.
Serve in tall glasses garnishing with reserved strawberries.
Last but not least add your ‘love’ to make the shake YUMMY.

VARIATIONS:

If Strawberry ice cream is not available then you can also use good quality Vanilla ice cream too.
You can add banana to the above recipe to make Banana-Strawberry Milkshake.
You can add spoonful of Nutella to the above recipe to make Nutella-Strawberry Milkshake.
You can even add a dash of Orange juice to the above recipe to get twist to taste in the recipe.
You can even top the recipe with whipping cream to make it look ‘wow’.

{Food Review} Go Mad Over Donuts....

noreply@blogger.com (Lubna Karim) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 13:40:00 +0000

When I was doing my Masters in Business, I use to have back to back classes….and I use to run around crazily…..to nibble in between I use to quickly pick up donut or aloo- ajwain somasa from college canteen…..which were my all time favourite snacks at that time. These two are quite filling and keeps you on go for long time. So from there my love for donuts started. I sometimes you use buy for my kid sister…as she got sweet tooth….

I sometimes use to carry one or two with me for my mid night studies…..I use to secretly hide the donuts under my study table....as I don’t want my dad to see it…as he use to say eat fresh fruits that will keep your mind fresh then eating things like this…and then he will be awake to make sure whether I had brushed my teeth or not before going to bed…..

I still buy donuts when I am on long distance journeys or on for long drives or sometimes to satisfy my untime hunger or when I feel like having something sweet but not so very sweet….J When I got mail to review Mad Over Donuts (MOD).....the memories from my college days flashed before my eyes….and I was wondering how fast time flies….

Today when I entered the store I had that nostalgic feeling and when I came across this beautiful gang of college going girls…I asked them…Can I click you picture? Nodding doubtfully …they said ‘yes’…I said to them…I am a food blogger and doing a review on MOD….just clicking your picture to add it to my post…They happily smiled and posed to my camera….Seeing them I remembered my carefree and happy college days….

When I started to click around…suddenly a loud noise busted at my back….I turned to see what it is….It is the MOD team celebrating there ‘FIFTH ANNIVERSARY’ shouting loud there ‘Hi5’ anthem….which was good and surprising to see and hear….MOD is a Singapore based gourmet donut brand and on today the 20^th of March the brand is celebrating it’s glorious five years in India.

They have got different types of donuts....like ring donuts, filled donuts, along with bites....which look so cute and yum...even bites are topped with different toppings....

MOD has opened its first store in India at great India Mall, Nodia on 24^th March 2008. Ever since there was no turning back…In a short span of five years MOD has created a niche for itself in the F&B segment being the first concept of one of its kind to enter India. After 5 successful stored across prominent malls in Bengaluru, this Singapore based MOD inaugurated its first ever high street store for the donut lovers at Money Centre, Koramangala.

With some random shots around the store and gulping around generous numbers of donuts…..I stood to talk with Chief Operating Officer of MOD Mr.Tarak Bhattacharya who came from Mumbai to give us more details on the brand and the store. I was wondered to know the statistics behind the MOD…Per day MOD sells over 21,000 donuts across India and the particular Koramangala store sells around nearly 800+ donuts per day. Attentive and friendly staff, simple décor and ample lighting makes the store one of its kind.

Six chefs round the clock…work in the kitchen to batch out fresh donuts everyday. The production of donuts takes place at a particular place and from there the donuts are transported around the city stores in two batches….one is in the morning and the other one is in the night. As it being bloggers visit to the store, the chef had taken charge to show up how to pipe out some interested patterns on the donuts and we were also given a chance to customize our own topping over the donuts which was fun to do….

There are 25 different tantalizing flavours of donuts of which three are savoury ones….so if you are thinking it is a store for sweet lovers….then you can go wrong….they have got lush three varieties of savoury donuts to pamper your taste buds. The yum things always come with extra mile of run…but I say it is worth at times….So if there is a store near by or you’re passing over a store of MOD, just do drop by to taste the yummy donuts and to discover the love at first bite.

Apart from donuts the MOD store has also got freshly brewed coffees….ranging from Espresso, Americano, Cappuccino, Café Latte, Café Mocha, Hazelnut Latte, etc. to cold beverages like Iced Coffee, Iced Mocha and Iced Hazelnut Latte. MOD store even got yum muffins with gorgeous toppings…keeping the age of crowd visiting the store.

Donuts were just one of my kind….neutrally sweet, soft, fluffy, airy and fresh. Add to this all the donuts are 100% eggless. ‘Love at first bite’ is the tag line of MOD….but for me it is like ‘love at every bite’…..While we were about to leave the store the PR had arranged a goodie box….where the box is filled with six delectable different donuts and a small box filled with three savoury donuts. The box is attractive and it has got the minute details on how to microwave a donut and it was written….Everything smells like donuts to you? Yes?! You’re mad over donuts!...

When I opened the box at home, I saw some scribbling inside the box…when I read it…it says…10 delicious ways to devour your MOD donuts….of all the 10, I liked make it topless! Lick over the toppings before devouring the donuts….Mmmmm…. isn't it yummy…? And I just did it while making this post….and GOD…its heavenly….

As I mentioned earlier in the post Mad Over Donuts is celebrating it’s fifth anniversary across all the stores in India…..it is giving away some exciting Anniversary Special Deals and lots of activities in-store for all guests. This week long celebration across MOD is from 20^th -26^th of March 2013.

In addition to the Anniversary Special Deals, on the 24^th of March – the Anniversary day, a special cake cutting will be held simultaneously at 5.00p.m in their 41 stores across India. So what are you waiting for….grab this opportunity and get Mad Over Donuts….

PRICE:

1 Donut: Rs.50/-
A box of 6 Donuts: Rs.250/-
A box of 12 Donuts: Rs.450/-
Bites – Bite sized donuts’ Gift Box: Rs.300/- box of 18 Bites.

MAD OVER DONUTS in BANGALORE:

Money Center, Koramangala (Opp Forum Mall)
Garuda Mall, Magrath Road
Mantri Square Mall, Malleshwaram
Inorbit Mall, Whitefield
Orion Mall, Malleshwaram
Phoenix Market City Mall, Mahadevapura.

You can get more details on current happenings and store locator at there website www.madoverdonuts.com

All PHOTOS AND TEXT are copyright of © KITCHEN FLAVOURS, 2008-2013. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ASK FIRST!

DISSIMILAR: This is not a paid review. I visited Mad Over Donuts Koramangala store and tasted each item I reviewed in this post.

An Afternoon with Kate Bracks at newly launched Whitefield Baking Company

noreply@blogger.com (Lubna Karim) — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 08:46:00 +0000

Crossing the dusty roads on a sunny day and inhaling the massive construction work dust…..our car finally took a turn and led us to a road which was like never ending with the sign boards pointing upwards and saying you are just a kilometer away from your destination….Marriott….Yeah Marriott is the place where we were heading to…to meet Kate Bracks, winner of MasterChef Australia 2011.

As you know I have already done an e-mail interaction with her knowing more about her winning and trip to India, I was very much enthusiastic to meet her in person. Finally when I entered Marriott, the first word which came from my mouth was ‘wow’…it’s huge….and when I was guided to the Whitefield Baking Company…I was much relaxed….just the site of WBC rejuvenated my soul….

With in no time, Chilled Oreo Milkshake with lots of whipping cream was served as welcome drink….sipping a little…I started to explore the place along way greeting the blogger buddies who kept coming and some where already there….Before Kate Bracks enter the Media Master Class…I wanted to take a closer look of WBC along with clicking some random shots…..

Without wasting time…I entered WBC….the ambience was contemporary….wooden flooring has given a magical touch to the place….You can make out from the pictures…there is live bakery…which is the main attraction of the outlet….you get sneak peak of the recipes which are going to be freshly baked at that hour…neatly written on the wall with chalk on a framed board……which was very attractive…

The lighting is just apt to the place with beautiful decorative red colour lamps hanging from roof….giving the place a charming view….according to me WBC is a perfect place to go when you just want to be with you, your book and freshly brewed coffee along with fresh baked muffin or cookie…a perfect place to share a warm conversation or just enjoy a refreshing cup of coffee….

When I just soaking myself to the warm atmosphere around….suddenly Mr.Mathew Cooper, General Manager, Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield announced the arrival of Kate Bracks….with this news everyone who were busy clicking or chatting around rushed to grab a place. Vibrant, fresh, full of energy, sweet and simple Kate Bracks came and took the place by storm. With the greetings…she said she loves India and the whole place ooed her…then she said she has been to commercials, shopped till dropped, had Dosa, which she loved to full, butter chicken which was yuuummmm to her, she even tried gol gappas and loved the busting flavours of it…Tandoori roti cached her attention and she wants to get a tandoor at her place to get fresh and hot tandoori roti’s everyday….Kate Bracks said she is having a wonderful time being in Bengaluru….

This is Kate Bracks first official tour after her winning the title of MasterChef and she said she is very happy to be in India, where the replica of MasterChef Australia, MasterChef India is presented. As heading to live baking demo, Kate chooses to bake her all time favourite Chocolate Hazelnut & Raspberry muffins. Chocolate is her favourite ingredient and so this was her choice of recipe and as she is from a place where you get so many varieties of seasonal berries, Raspberry is her favourite too…so the recipe has got her two favourite ingredients….With in no time, she mixed up the ingredients telling about her journey in MasterChef….and started to line the Muffin cases.

Later Kate and Mathew sat on the kitchen counter to pose to the hungry shutterbugs which were dying to capture the moment of the time….At one point, we all just forgot what Kate and Mathew were talking as the aroma of Muffins just started to spread and capture the senses….Even Kate and Mathew turned around to see if they are done…When the muffins were fresh and hot out of oven….no one could resist themselves to capture the beauties and gulp one…within no time the tray was left empty….With some quick photo sessions with her…we headed to Mcafe, our destination for lunch. Lavish buffet was spread with lots more options in every meal course….had an mesmerizing lunch where the items I tried were one of it’s kind….I think I am going to hold this taste for long….After that we had got enough time to chat with Kate Bracks, where she has opened up some more interesting and memorable incidents across her journey in MasterChef.

When I asked Kate, do you feel any difference between the Kate before MasterChef and Kate after Masterchef…she simply said nothing more…I still remain the same by heart. That was really a touchy answer. When asked what kept you going in MasterChef, she said being mom teaches you many things gives you courage to do things and gives you strength to keep the things in the right way. No matter what or how long you are up at night taking care of the baby….the next morning is a new morning and you have to get up and take care of everything as normal as it is….This Mommy MasterChef rocks….Lamb racks still remain her personal favourite and she remembers how she use to stand with her Nana while making lamb cutlets. Talking about new flavours or flavours which she thought will never go together….Kate said during her MasterChef episodes she discovered apple and rosemary make a delicious combo as well as apricot and thyme.

Stir fried Brussels sprout is something she doesn't like till date. When they were final five contestants remaining in the MasterChef show, they announced to choose the theme for the cookbook, which will be published on winning the title…That evening when Kate was alone in her room thinking of cookbook…she decided to go with desserts and thought of penning down the recipes…within no time she penned 64 recipes, which was wow….so she had finally decided to go with cookbook loaded with desserts….

Upon asking about the title ‘The Sweet Life’…she said I am living the sweet life, meeting people and talking food are my favourite things and that’s my job now. I pinch myself a little every now and then just to make sure it’s all real….Her daughter once has asked whether she can join MasterChef Junior….to this Kate said, one MasterChef is enough at home…all smiles….and she explained if her daughter has got real interest and passion she will never stop her and encourage her to achieve her dream.

Upon asking about MasterChef Junior she said it is after all a TV show and you get to see what people like…There is no force on the children to work hard…But some kids are really fab. She wants her kids to grow into a world where they can know about healthy and organic eating and she also added she never uses low fat or skim milk kind of things…If she is making a dessert she makes it with all the full rich ingredients and relish on….but the only thing is she makes the items little less or with a gap of time so that she can burn out the calories easily….How nice is that?

To end with…it was like my dream that came true…meeting her in real, greeting her and getting a chance to attend her Master Class is an awesome experience….Got a chance to feast on the delectable muffins made by her and had very good time at Marriott….To sum up WBC has spelled a magical spell on me…the place, ambiance, décor, light, seating, food, etc….everything was so mesmerizing that I remember it for days to come…..apart from this WBC has packed muffins which Kate has baked a day ago and huge bread to relish on later at home.

On a sweet note, I want to thank my sweet lil sis for baby sitting lil’M and giving me peace of mind when I was busy at Media Master Class. If she would have not there….then it would have been mission impossible to me to attend the event….

DISCLAIMER: The opinions and thoughts mentioned in the post are purely mine.

Vada Pav

noreply@blogger.com (Lubna Karim) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 06:32:00 +0000

Days back I was checking mails sipping my morning tea….my sis who was watching Tom & Jerry (out of no choice) with my Lil’M asked me…what you are going to prepare for lunch? This is quite a routine question from her most of the days….I said I am still thinking….suggest if you have anything in mind or want to eat anything specific….this is also a routine answer from me….She always says your wish make anything…I am just asking….I am used to this answer…but that day she said why don’t you make vada pav in lunch…isn’t it boring to eat rice everyday….? As I was not expecting such a answer from her…I turned my head to look at her….She smiled and said…please make vada pav for lunch….hearing this Lil’M also said I will have pav pav….make it mamma…..jaldi (quick)….

I have never tried making vada pav at home….but I don’t want to say no to my sweet sis….as she rarely asks for anything….Actually vada pav is my favourite too….but always had at Goli Vada Pav….never even thought of making it at home….I just googled the recipe…and in the search list I found Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s video where he is making vada pav….I just had a glanced and found out that the vada which is sandwiched between the buns is nothing but aloo bonda….so with the recipe in mind and taste on tongue…I started making my own version….which is simple and yum….

I asked my sis to get pav from the grocery store…which is just opposite to my house…..and started frying out the vada’s….with in no time….I assembled vada pav and gave her to eat….and told her thanks….with question mark face she started at me….I told her…It is only because of you I tried making Vada Pav at home….otherwise I would have never made these….She was like really....wow Dudi…that’s what she calls me….you rock…I can’t make the difference between this vada pav made by you and the one we have outside….it’s so tasty….why don’t you click pictures to post on your blog……Blushing me started arranging for the photoshoot with my mouth filled with vada pav and heart filled with pride….

INGREDIENTS:

4 Pavs/Buns, i used store bought ones

FOR MAKING VADA'S (ALOO BONDA):

2 big Potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed
1 Green chili, chopped
1 tbsp. Red chili powder
¼ tbsp. Turmeric powder
1 tbsp. minced Coriander leaves
1 tbsp. Lemon juice
Salt

TEMPERING/TADKA:

½ tbsp. Cumin/Jeera
Oil

FOR OUTER COATING:

½ cup Chickpea flour /Besan
½ tbsp. Red chili powder
pinch Turmeric powder
pinch Cooking soda
Salt

FOR RED CHILI – GARLIC POWDER:

1 tbsp. Red chili powder
2 tbsp. Dry Coconut
3 cloves Garlic
1½ tbsp. Peanuts
Salt
Oil

OTHER INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp. Tomato Sauce
3 tbsp. Green chili Sauce
4-6 Green chilies for frying

PREPARATION:

MAKING VADAS (ALOO BONDA):

In a bowl whisk in chickpea flour, red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt and cooking soda by adding water and give the mixture a thick coating consistency.
In a kadai/heavy bottom cooking vessel, heat oil and add cumin seeds when they start to splutter, add mashed potatoes, red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt and chopped green chili.
Give the mixture a nice stir and add lemon juice along with minced coriander leaves.
Turn off the flame and leave it to cool. Once the mixture gets cool, make small balls out of it and set aside.
Heat enough oil in heavy bottom cooking vessel and dip each ball into the batter. Coat evenly and carefully drop the ball into the hot oil. Fry until nice golden brown.
Repeat the process until all the mashed potato balls are fried. Take them out on to kitchen tissue or towel. Vada’s are ready to assemble.

MAKING RED CHILI-GARLIC POWDER:

Pulse the ingredients (except oil) mentioned under red chili-garlic chutney for 2-3 seconds.
Now add oil in a heavy bottom cooking vessel and add the above ground mixture. Turn up and down. Remove and set aside.

FRYING GREEN CHILIES:

Just make a small slit in the green chilies and deep fry until they just start to turn color. Remove and place on kitchen tissue/towel and sprinkle salt when still hot.

OTHER INGREDIENTS:

Mix red tomato sauce and green chili sauce. Keep aside.

ASSEMBLING:

Now slit the pavs (buns) horizontally without cutting through, apply mixed sauce and sprinkle little red chili-garlic powder and place the fried vada.
Serve hot with choice of chutney or sauce or simply with fried green chili.
Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.

Exclusive E-Mail Interview with Master Chef Australia 2011 Winner "Kate Bracks"

noreply@blogger.com (Lubna Karim) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 11:58:00 +0000

Goosebumps all over...when I started to make this post. This is for the fist time I am having such a post on my blog....So thrilled and happy to share with you an exclusive e-mail interview with one of my favorite chef in the world... 'The Dessert Specialist'....Master Chef Australia 2011 Winner - 'Ms. Kate Bracks'.Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield is launching its specialty outlet "The Whitefield Baking Company" and to grace this occasion by her presence Ms.Kate Bracks is going to come and going to demonstrate a media master class for the special invitees..

I got a special opportunity to do an e-mail interaction with her prior to the even which is going to be on 13/March/2013 at 'Whitefield Baking Company'. Looking forward to meet her in person.....Upon forwarding my questions to Ms.Kate Bracks....this is what she has to say....in her own words....

Me: What inspired you to take part in Master Chef Australia?

Ms. Kate Bracks: It’s a long story but the short version is that I loved watching Season 1 and 2 and it was my husband who urged me to do it.

Me: Before master chef what did cooking mean to you?

Ms. Kate Bracks: I’ve loved cooking since I was a child but I was never sure if I was actually a good cook or not. All I knew was that I loved it. It’s what I did to relax at the end of a hard day and it was what I did to show those around me that I loved and cared for them.

Me: You have got three adorable kids, what do they have to say about your win?

Ms. Kate Bracks: One loves the fact that I won; one is indifferent to it; and one can’t remember that I did

(She asked me just the other day, “Who won Masterchef when you were on it?” She was only 4 at the time!)

Me: Tell me about your favorite memory in Master Chef Australia?

Ms. Kate Bracks: That’s tough because there were so many incredible memorable moments. But my favourite is the episode where my family came to visit. It didn’t make it into the edit but my youngest daughter spent most of the cooking time walking back and forth on the balcony in her own little world singing, “come on mummy you can do it”.

Me: How do you feel when people recognize you and respect you as master chef Australia now?

Ms. Kate Bracks: It is a privilege! Most of the time it’s great to stop and chat to people. The only time it’s not is when I’ve dashed into the supermarket to pick up something quickly before collecting my kids from school and I’m running late!

Me: Tell me what according to you is the secret of good cooking?

Ms. Kate Bracks: I think the secret to good cooking is practice! Taking notice of what you are doing, what you are tasting, what you are seeing and changing it a little each time until you have a winning combination.

Me: What is your all-time favorite recipe and favorite ingredient?

Ms. Kate Bracks: I love variety so I don’t have one all-time favourite recipe. But my favourite ingredient still has to be chocolate.

Me: Your idea of comfort food?

Ms. Kate Bracks: A warm, sweet pudding fresh out of the oven with a scoop of ice cream melting through it.

Me: I heard you are going to come to India to launch Whitefield Baking Company at Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield. Tell me more on this?

Ms. Kate Bracks: I’m so excited to be invited by the Marriott Hotel to open their Whitefield Baking Company. I love baking (it is my first love in the cooking world) so to be able to come and bake with the chefs of the Marriott and to swap ideas and talk about food with them will be amazing for me. It’s also a fabulous chance to meet some of my fans who have been faithfully supporting me and to be able to do cooking demonstrations with them. It’s all about people and food – two of my great loves in life!

Me: What did you learn about yourself throughout the competition?

Ms. Kate Bracks: So much! I learned that I am capable of more than I thought I was. I learned that the more you learn about food and cooking, the more you realize how much more there is to learn! I learned that I have been blessed with so much variety in the food available to me and that the creative options open to me are endless. And I learned that I have the most amazing family in the world!

Warm thanks to Ms.Kate Bracks for taking out time and doing out an e-mail conversation with me and thanks to Richa for organizing this conversation.

Sem ki Phalli - Tamatar ki Sabzi

noreply@blogger.com (Lubna Karim) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 21:29:00 +0000

I had a crazy day….was completely busy with outdoor work…..had to go to bank as I had long pending work to complete there…then dropped at friends place…as she I had some work over there and from there went to market to pick up vegetables and from there went to tailor to pick up some clothes….and then finally landed home…exhausted and completely drained…..It’s dam hot here in Bangalore….and going out in the hot blazing sun means…..you are completely tired….I made kunduri dal and rice before leaving home in the morning, so after coming back….I had quick lunch and went for much needed nap…after getting up…I was wondering what to make in for dinner….as it is mostly roti at my home in dinner…thinking of side dish is not a big issue….seeing the bag loaded with veggies, I thought I will go with Sem ki phalli /Broad Beans/Chikkudukaya as it is one of my all time favourite sabzi.

The only tiring job in making this sem ki phalli is trimming the sides and chopping into pieces. As my lil sis is here with me these days…this work was halved and within no time…I made the sabzi to go with roti’s…This sem ki phalli with tamatar is one of the simple and delectable side dish which I love to gratify more when it is in season. You can even pair this up with hot rice and dal or even with chaaru or rasam. I bet it will be one of the comfort meals you ever had.

INGREDIENTS:

250 gms. Sem Ki Phalli, trimmed on sides and cut into small
1 big Tomato, chopped
1 Onion, sliced
1 tbsp. Red chili powder
¼ tbsp. Turmeric powder
Salt
Oil
2 tbsp. minced Coriander leaves

PREPARATION:

In a heavy bottom cooking vessel, add oil and when it heats up add onion slices, fry till translucent.
Now add sem ki phalli, red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt. Stir for 3-4 minutes.
Add a cup of water and cover with a lid. Cook till sem ki phalli turns soft. Now add sliced tomato and give the curry a gentle stir.
Cook till tomatoes are soft and oil starts to leave from the sides or water is completely absorbed.
Add minced coriander leaves and turn off the flame.
Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.
Serve hot with roti or rice.

PRESSURE COOKER METHOD:

You can alternatively make this recipe in pressure cooker, as I mostly do…
Add oil to pressure cooker and when it heats up add chopped onion slices and fry till translucent.
Now add sem ki phalli, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Stir for 2-3 minutes on medium flame. Add a cup of water and pressure cook for 2 whistles.
Remove the lid and add chopped tomatoes and stir again. Cook on low flame till tomatoes are soft and water is completely absorbed.
Cook till the oil starts to leave from the sides by stirring gently. When the curry starts to dry out, turn off the flame and add minced coriander leaves.
Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.

VARIATIONS:

You can add potato to the recipe, by just peeling and cutting the potato into bite size pieces and adding to sem ki phalli before it goes into pressure cooker.
You can even add washed and chopped dill leaves for different taste.
You can even add soya chunks to the sem ki phalli before it goes into pressure cooker. (Cook soya chunks as per the instructions on the packets before adding to sem ki phalli).

Chicken Dum Biryani - Hyderabadi Style & Winner Announcement

noreply@blogger.com (Lubna Karim) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 05:31:00 +0000

Years back I think, I was in my first semester of MBA…When my best friend called and requested me to teach biryani as she is leaving to USA to do her ‘Masters’….All she wanted to learn before going to US is ‘Biryani’. She said to me…at least I can make something good whenever I crave for your biryani. Biryani is something which I learnt to make when I started to learn cooking. You may wonder by reading, but my fondness for biryani made me learn the recipe and I use to cook biryani very often like every alternate weekend.

Whenever my dad use to get chicken on Sunday, I use to insist my mom that I will make biryani…as biryani is one pot meal and if you make for lunch and dinner you will get rest for the day…she sometimes use to say ‘Yes’….but sometimes she use to tell me to learn other things too…the only thing I learnt to make on big scale was ‘biryani’. I mastered it over the years and whenever we had party at home…..Biryani is in the menu. And all my friends had craze for my ‘biryani’ as no one of them had dared to learn the complicated recipe. So when I got call from dear friend U, I told her to come down on any weekend to learn the recipe…but she got busy with so many things in the end that she could not make out to come…one fine day she called me and asked me to come to her place as she is pretty busy with packing and other things…that she could not come and she will be leaving to Chennai and from there to USA by night and all she want is to learn biryani…..she even took permission from my mom….

This was for the first time, that I was going to cook out of my house. I was little nervous in the beginning….but by the time I reached the place I was little comfortable….There were all bags, clothes, book, pickle jars, gifts, etc….spread all over living room….my friend U was finding hard to pack and pack the things….By seeing me she jumped from the sofa…hugged me and said thank u…thank u…thank u….U’s mom told me…that she never tried making biryani at home…and they always have outside or get parcel from hotel….Aunty also told me…your friend is crazy for your ‘biryani’….teach her…so that she doesn't run from US to India for your biryani…with a smile on my face I said…will try my best aunty….

Then entering kitchen…I gained my confidence and started making biryani….aunty had bought all the ingredients necessary in making biryani and she even told me to check before starting so that she can get if something is missing. I had a glance and said everything is there aunty…then she said now kitchen is all yours and she left to do the packing….My dear friend U was standing laying her back to wall and scribbling my activity in the kitchen. When you see someone making the recipe then you can learn very quickly…..that’s how I learnt to make biryani too….when I left the biryani on ‘DUM’ (scroll down to read about 'DUM')…and came out of the kitchen….the aroma has spread all over the house and everyone started asking me when will they get it served….

After 45 minutes when I started serving them, my GOD…my friend U had hugged me and even planted a kiss on my cheek….aunty praised me like anything….my friend sis who was doing medicine at that time….said ‘this is one of the tastiest biryani I ever had’….with all the compliments, praises and love…My friend while having biryani, said…wish I could lock this heavenly aroma in bottle and take along with me, so that I can inhale whenever I crave for splendid biryani….I started back to my house…..wishing my friend ‘best luck for her studies’. My friend ‘U’ is silent reader of my blog and her sister follows my updates on facebook….tells me how much she misses my biryani and how she still have that paper where she had scribbled the recipe and she follows it even today. Miss our days girls…..our BAU gang…..

INGREDIENTS:

FOR MARINATION:

½ kg. Chicken, cleaned, washed and drained
2 tbsp. Red chili powder
½ tbsp. Turmeric powder
1 tbsp. Garam Masala
2 tbsp. Ginger-Garlic paste
2 Green chilies cut length-wise
½ cup Curd, beaten
Salt

FOR RICE:

¾ kg. Basmati Rice, wash and soak for ½ hr
1½ tbsp. Ginger-Garlic paste
5 Cardamom, 5 Cloves and 2 1” inch pieces of Cinnamon
1 Badi Elaichi/Black Cardamom, 1 Star Anise and 1 Bay leaf
1 tbsp. Shah Jeera/Caraway seeds
Salt

TO SOAK:

½ tbsp. Saffron
3 tbsp. lukewarm Milk

FOR GARNISH:

3 tbsp. minced Coriander leaves
2 tbsp. minced Mint leaves

OTHER INGREDIENTS:

¾ cup Ghee
2 Onions, sliced
1 Cardamom, 1 Clove and 1 1’inch piece of Cinnamon
4 tbsp. fresh Lemon juice/3 tbsp.Vinegar
1 tbsp. Garam Masala

PREPARATION:

MARINATION:

Marinate the chicken pieces with the ingredients listed under ‘For Marination’ and leave it in fridge for 3-4 hours or overnight by covering with a plastic foil.

MEAN TIME:

In a heavy bottom cooking vessel, add ghee along with cardamom, clove and cinnamon. When the spices start to leave aroma, add in finely sliced onions.
Fry till crisp and nice brown. (Be careful, fry on low flame, stirring frequently). Now carefully using a slotted spatula separate fried onion slices from ghee. Collect ghee in a cup and set aside.

COOKING CHICKEN:

Now in the same vessel, add marinated chicken pieces and fry till chicken starts to loose its juices. Add 1 cup of water and cook covered on low flame till chicken turns soft. Set aside.

COOKING RICE:

While the chicken is cooking, start cooking the rice. In a heavy bottom cooking vessel (used for cooking rice) add 10-12 cups of water (if more also no problem, as we will drain off the water), salt, ginger-garlic paste, 3 cardamom's, 3 cloves, 2 sticks of cinnamon, black cardamom, star anise and bay leaf. Bring water to boil. When the water starts to boil add soaked basmati rice and cook till rice is just done.
Drain and collect the water using a sieve in a cooking vessel. Drain well and set aside.

LAYERING:

Now in a heavy bottom cooking vessel add little ghee (the one which we fried onions) and on this add half of cooked basmati rice. On this add cooked chicken, ghee, garam masala, kesar (soaked in lukewarm milk), deep fried onions, 2 tbsp. lemon juice, fresh coriander and mint leaves.
Cover it up with another layer of basmati rice. If you have more cooked chicken then layer them on rice and so on.
Now add remaining ghee, kesar, fried onions, garam masala, 2 tbsp. lemon juice, fresh coriander and mint leaves. Cook on a low flame by covering with a lid. Keep the strained water on top of the lid or seal with foil.

FINAL STEP:

Cook for nearly 20-25 minutes on low flame. Turn off the flame and leave the vessel on the stove for another half an hour.

SERVING:

When you are ready to serve, mix in the biryani slowly and gently. Serve hot garnishing with fresh coriander and mint leaves. If you want you can add fried cashews or half sliced boiled eggs before serving.

TIP:

Add ½ tbsp. of sugar while frying onions. This gives nice color and caramelisation to the onions.
Always remember to fry onions on low flame. Avoid burning onion slices as it will impart bitter taste to the biryani.
Keeping strained water vessel on top of the lid provides weight and helps in locking the aroma.
In traditional way, biryani pot is sealed with whole wheat flour dough, which is made mixing 2 cups of whole wheat flour, 1 tbsp. salt, 2 tbsp. of ghee and enough water to make firm dough. Seal the cooking vessel and lid with the dough thoroughly. This process helps in retaining the steam and aroma of the recipe.
As we are using salt in marinating chicken and cooking rice, so adjust accordingly.

WHAT IS 'DUM'?

Dum literally means ‘breath’. This process involves maturing of prepared dish after the completion of the cooking process. The vessel is sealed as tightly as possible either by foil, or cloth or tight dough (made with wheat flour, salt and water) or with a heavy stone or weight. After doing so the vessel is placed on the very slow fire. In weddings or functions, if cooking for a large number of people, few coals are also placed on the lid so that the recipe cooks uniformly. This process allows the individual flavour of the dish to blend to give there own unique flavour. The vessel should be opened only before serving.

Linking this chicken biryani to Priya's Valentine's Day Recipe Contest at her blog Priya's Versatile Recipes.

Chicken Dum Biryani is my third favorite recipe. This is one of my first learnt recipe and most made recipe. Most of you have guessed correctly. But I have choose one...and the winner is Sharmi Komal of Neivedyam. I have a sweet surprise for Valarmathi of Simple and Yummy Recipes for guessing the recipe name fully correct. Will contact you soon for the address.

{Product Review} Soulfull Instant Dosa Mixes

noreply@blogger.com (Lubna Karim) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 14:55:00 +0000

I love to have Dosa at any time of the day. Sizzling sound of hot pan when you sprinkle water to check whether the pan is hot enough to pour in dosa batter….spreading the batter in circular motions to attain thin crepe….the bubbling sound of oil when you pour around the dosa….the flip-flap to cook evenly and on each side….for me it’s like a game and I love playing it….Only dosa I knew before coming to Bangalore was regular one which is made by soaking urad dal and dosa rice in 2:1 ratio for 7-8 hours…then grinding it to fine batter…leaving it to ferment overnight and then finally making out thin dosa’s….sometimes stuffing with potato and calling it masala dosa, sometimes with onion or sometimes with egg…..But after coming to Bangalore, I tasted different varieties of Dosa’s like Rava Dosa, Adai, etc….Being Dosa fan, I try making these at home now and then. But since the time Lil’M has come in my life…I get so busy during mornings that I simply forget to soak in dal and rice to make Dosa…and by evening I will start thinking what I would make in breakfast the next day. Rava Dosa is bit saver at times…but when you get to cook and pack lunch for your husband… along with attending a lil one who is running around without brushing her teeth along with attending milkman, maid, iron wali, etc….I automatically get distracted in adding the ingredients to make batter for rava dosa…and end messing it up….So rava dosa is always on weekends in my menu….

But when Kottaram Agro Foods presents packaged food brand SOULFULL reached me to review there Instant Dosa Mixes, I was wondering how it would taste like. To give it a try, I sent them my willingness to try the products. Along with the products they sent me a letter where they have mentioned about their company and other details of the products. If you are a bachelor or busy house wife or running around 9-5 jobs or someone like me who wants to have different breakfast everyday or someone who loves to have Dosa at snack time or someone who forgets to make batter (like me)….this product is for you….

SOULFULL INSTANT DOSA MIXES:

RAGI DOSA MIX: This dosa mix brings you the benefit of ragi in a dosa form by balancing health and taste. 60% Ragi in this dosa ensures you good nutrition. Try this calcium and fiber rich crispy dosa to treat your family with healthier and tastier meal. This ragi dosa mix come in a packet of 200gms. for Rs.30/-.

ADAI DOSA MIX: This is a gluten free dosa with over 65% of lentils ensuring a protein rich meal. This Adai Dosa is flavoured with chilli to give you natural taste of adai. Quick and easy-to-make gluten free adai dosa is a delightful blend of dals, a rich source of protein and dietary fiber The recipe also includes a pinch of special chilli to give it a natural colour & to make this concoction not just healthy but also lip smackingly delicious. This adai dosa mix come in a packet of 200gms. for Rs.45/-.

RAVA DOSA MIX: This is 100% natural product with no preservatives. It has a unique blend of crushed black pepper, green chilly, curry leaves and jeera. No added preservatives or addictives makes this my humble choice to pick up from stores. It is low in salt and fat allowing you and your family to relish as much as you want. This rava dosa mix come in a packet of 200gms. for Rs.30/-.

AVAILABILITY:

Right now these products are available at

Bangalore: Soulfull products are available across 42 stores. Get store locations by clicking on the link here.

Chennai : Brown Tree & Gormie Market

Hyderabad : Hypercity

Mumbai: Foodhall India, Godrej Nature’s Basket

You can order these products online at Zopnow.

MY VERDICT:

I made Ragi and Adai Dosa’s for the first time and everyone at home loved the different dosa’s. Rava Dosa is something which I found easy to make. This guilt free product ensures you on not to compromise on taste. They have clearly mentioned instructions and preparation steps on the back of the packet which is good. These dosa mixes are low in salt too…..for those busy mornings or hungry evenings….these Soulfull, deliciously healthy Instant Dosa Mixes are perfect fit. Will I pick up this product again? Yeah sure. …because I don’t need to stand in the kitchen thinking when I am hungry and craving for something healthy, hot and yum. So go ahead and surprise your family with a feast of wholesome varieties of dosa’s….

Other products from Soulfull are Soulfull Ragi Based Breakfast Cereals which are available in 3 flavors like Original, Banana & Coco-Lite. More on this you can read in my post at Soulfull – 100% Ragi (finger millet) Cereals. More products are in line from Soulfull food brand under the Kottamram Agro Foods umbrella. You can know more about Soulfull product updates by following there facebook page @ Soulfull, Deliciously Healthy.

DISCLAIMER: This is not a paid review. The opinions and thoughts mentioned in the post are purely mine and done by tasting the sample sent by Kottaram agro foods.

{Product Review} Britannia Masala Chaas – Ek Cool Ehsaas & Burger with Green Mung Bean and Potato Patty

noreply@blogger.com (Lubna Karim) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 01:41:00 +0000

You may be wondering by reading the title of the post….Yeah I had the same expression when I got a mail from Sagarika, to review Britannia’s Masala Chaas. Chaas which is nothing but ‘buttermilk’ is an integral part of Indian cuisine. It is very commonly made in almost every household in all the seasons. Chaas is made with minimal ingredients which are easily available in almost every Indian household. With such simple ingredients and simple preparation why would anyone go to buy a packaged product was the question which was in my mind till I received the samples of Britannia Masala Chaas.

FIRST LOOK:

As you can see in the picture, the bottle looks cute. It is made of plastic and it is easy to carry. Perfectly sealed to lock the flavours and the seal can be opened easily. The bottle is handy and you can carry it with you easily.

TASTE:

As it is clearly written on the label of the bottle, that the chaas has got curry leaves, ginger and jeera (Cumin)….you get a refreshing taste from the ingredients used. I am not a chaas loving person…but I liked the taste of this one. You get the hint of the ingredients used. The consistency of chaas is properly balanced…it is not too thin or too thick.

PRICE:

150 ml bottle pack will cost you Rs.15/-.

SHELF LIFE:

The shelf life is four months before opening and can be stored in an ambient environment.

WHY BRITANNIA MASALA CHAAS?

I will answer the question now…why the packaged product when you can make it at home so easily….? What I felt after seeing and tasting the Britannia Masala Chaas is, you can pack this with the lunch box for your kids or husband or you can carry with your lunch box too….As this is neatly sealed you can carry it comfortably in your handbag along with other things. If you are a frequent traveler that to on long distances then this masala chaas is very handy and you can easily carry. If you are going out on a picnic, then you can easily carry these bottles. Carry a bottle with you to office and drink in when you feel like snacking in the evening…a good way to watch your weight and cut down the junk food. As summer is coming, it is good to store up some bottles in the fridge as you can carry them with you when you are going out in hot sun or you can serve it in your summer noon parties. A perfect drink to fit the new age lifestyle.

FINAL VERDICT:

A drink on go…cool, refreshing and low in carb….Neatly spiced and perfectly sealed. Easy to carry and gives you a cool ehsaas when had chilled. It is like 8/10 product to me. Try this Britannia Masala Chaas to keep you refreshingly cool this summer.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

You can add fresh mint leaves, by transforming the contents into serving glasses or kullad or you can just chill and serve. You can even garnish with minced coriander and rose petals.

This picture was submitted to "Black & White Wednesday", an event created by Susan at "The Well-Seasoned Cook". It will be hosted on the 27th of February by Simona at "Briciole" (click here in order to see who is hosting the next roundup).

BURGER with GREEN MUNG BEAN & POTATO PATTY :

Last weekend I happened to meet one of my friends who stay on other side of the Bangalore. As I already knew it will take 1-1½ hour to reach there by car, I thought of packing something to munch in the car. As I already had the samples of Britannia Masala Chaas to carry with me, I thought I will make burger(s) to go with it. I made green mung bean & potato patty for the burgers on go….

You may be wondering why mung bean/mung dal….actually I soaked mung bean to make salad…then when I pressure cooked it, it turned so soft…that I can’t make salad…so I thought of making tikki…and I ended up making burger patty…which was yum, nutritious and easy to make. Try this simple burger for kid’s lunch box or snack box or for kid party or you can have it for your own snack party…..With burger, chips and chaas it was like picnic in car for us…. :-)

GREEN MUNG BEAN & POTATO PATTY:

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup Green mung/moong beans, washed and soaked overnight
1 big Potato, boiled and cut into cubes
1 tbsp. Red chili powder
½ tbsp. Cumin/ Jeera
½ tbsp. Corn flour
Salt
Oil

PREPARATION:

Pressure cook mung beans until soft and drain the excess water through strainer. Set aside.
Now in a heavy bottom cooking vessel, add oil and when heats up add jeera, when it splutters add mung beans and potato cubes.
Using the back of wooden spatula, slowly mash up the potato and mung beans. Now add red chili powder and salt.
Gently stir for another 2-3 minutes still all the moisture in the mung beans and potatoes disappear.
Transfer the contents on to a plate/bowl and sprinkle corn flour all over. Let the mixture cool till you can hold in your hand.
Grease your palms with a drop of oil and shape out the patties. Leave the patty to rest for another 2 minutes on kitchen counter.
Then in a thick bottom or non stick pan add oil and shallow fry the patties, flipping on either sides.
Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.
Remove the patty on to a plate and begin the process of assembling.

OTHER INGREDIENTS TO COMPLETE BURGER:

For assembling a burger, you need the following:

Burger Buns
Cheese slice, optional
Lettuce
Mayonnaise
Green chili sauce
Onion rings

ASSEMBLING:

Slice the burger bun and toast it with a drop of oil or butter. Spread green chili sauce evenly on the toasted bun.
Top it with lettuce, cheese slice, burger patty, onion rings and mayonnaise. Top with the other toasted side of the bun and insert a toothpick.
That’s it a yum and fab burger is ready to relish….

MAKE IT VEGAN:

Skip adding cheese slice and use vegetarian mayonnaise, which is easily available in the market these days to make this yum burger ‘vegan’.

This burger is going to participate in Pari's 'Only' Event where the theme for the month is 'Vegan' recipes and guest hosted by 'Seduce Your Tastebuds'.

Guess & Win Contest....Cooking With Love by Sanjeev Kapoor...More detials @ Giveaway. Keep your guesses rolling...Giveaway ends on 27/Feb/2013.

DISCLAIMER: This is not a paid review. The opinions and thoughts mentioned in the post are purely mine and done by tasting the sample sent by Madison India.

Microwave Gajar Ka Halwa/Carrot Halwa & Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Lubna Karim) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 05:28:00 +0000

Yesterday, Lil’M wants to go out and I had no idea where to take her. I thought of taking her to park…but it was very sunny…then I thought I will take her to vegetable market…but she won’t enjoy going there….finally I decided to take her to ‘Total Mall’ which is near to my place and I can buy needed grocery and vegetables too. We had our lunch little early and left to mall.

Being week day, there was no rush. I took my time roaming all around the mall with Lil’M who was happily enjoying sitting in the shopping trolley. After doing my window shopping for props, I stopped at the vegetable counter. I like neatly arranged fresh fruits and vegetables in the malls. After picking up fruits in the season, I picked up some vegetables too. Slender, long and pink colour carrots caught my attention. They look so beautiful…blushing with pink…I packed a klilo right there. After going around the clothes section and buying around the necessary grocery…I completed my shopping for the day. By this time…Lil’M was also exhausted and wanted to go home. So on the way we packed up some donuts and returned home.

By the time we reached home, Lil’M dozed off…I tucked her in the bed and made some tea to soothe my senses and started arranging the things in the pantry. Then when I was keeping the carrots in the fridge, I thought of making halwa with those beauties. As I was going to visit a friends place on weekend, I thought I will make halwa and carry with me to give her as she loves gajar ka halwa.

By the time I grated the carrots, Lil’M got up from her power nap and I went to attend her wondering how I am going to make halwa??? After sometime when Lil’M got busy playing around and watching her favourite ‘Tom & Jerry’…I rushed into the kitchen to make halwa….but lil’M kept on bugging me to play with her...as I can’t avoid her…I thought of giving a try to make gajar ka halwa in microwave. So for the first time, I made gajar ka halwa in microwave.

These cute ramekins were gift from Deepa.

If you know my blog from the beginning then you may know my fondness towards gajar ka halwa. The soft, crunchy and juicy carrots when cooked in milk, ghee and sugar…along with aromatic cardamom powder…..the result is droolicious. Yet gajar ka halwa is my second favourite recipe in the favourite recipe series….where I am celebrating my love for food this Valentine’s month. I loved making this in microwave as it took less effort and I don’t even need to stand long in the kitchen stirring all the time.

When I packed this and carried to a friend, she was very happy to see her favourite sweet and happier to knew that it was made in microwave with minimal effort. So here is the recipe, which involves simple steps in making this gorgeous dessert.

Linking this gajar ka halwa to Priya's Valentine's Day Recipe Contest at her blog Priya's Versatile Recipes, Pari's Cooking For My Valentine @ her blog Foodelicious where she is giving away gift coupon from Couponation and to 'I Must Make That' Cuponation Giveaway at Manasai's A Cook @ Heart.

INGREDIENTS:

3 long pinkish winter Carrots, peeled and grated

1 cup Sugar

1½ cups low-fat Milk

½ tbsp. Cardamom powder

3 tbsp. Ghee

2-3 tbsp. silvered Almonds

Silver foil (Chandi Ka Varq)

PREPARATION:

In a microwave safe bowl add ghee and add grated carrots. Microwave on high for 3 minutes.
Now add milk and stir gently. Microwave on high for another 5-6 minutes, stirring for every two minutes.
Add cardamom powder and sugar. Stir again. Now microwave for another 5-6 minutes on high or until the carrots turn soft and milk is completely absorbed.
Take another microwave safe bowl and add 1 tbsp. ghee and silvered almonds. Microwave on high for one minute or until the color of the silvered almonds slightly change.
Now add this to the above halwa and decorate with silver foil. Serve hot or chilled.
Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.

NOTES:

When I peeled and grated the carrots, they made 2 cups to me.
Adjust sugar according to your taste. Remember if you are using long pink carrots then you need little less sugar compared to normal carrots.
When you add sugar, the mixture turns watery. Microwave till all the water is absorbed.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

You can serve Gajar ka halwa/Carrot ka halwa with gulab jamuns.
You can serve with vanilla ice cream too.
You can even grease a baking tray with ghee and pour in gajar ka halwa. When it turns cool, cut into pieces or roll into balls and garnish with pistachio or almonds or cashews. Serve as fudge.
You can even serve hot gajar ka halwa with piping hot roti’s/phulka’s.
Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.

GIVEAWAY:

Now time to Guess & Win contest….as I mentioned in my earlier post that I am going to celebrate this Valentine’s Month with three of my favourite recipes in honor of my love for food….I have already posted two recipes. Guess my third favourite recipe and win a copy of Cooking With Love cookbook by Sanjeev Kapoor. This giveaway is open worldwide. To enter giveaway just drop down your answer in the comment section. You get only one chance to answer.

You can check the details of the book at amazon. Giveaway ends on 27/Feb/2013.

FOR ADDITIONAL ENTRIES:

Follow my blog through Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and RSS.

NIHARI – Spicy Soup with Tender Lamb Bones

noreply@blogger.com (Lubna Karim) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 01:47:00 +0000

February…..the month of love is here and I can see the shops/malls with heart shaped LED lights, red color heart shaped balloons….red roses…etc. A lot has changed since the time….I came to know about Valentine’s Day. I think I was doing my graduation then, one of my friend came rushing into the class wearing a pink color dress and announced today is ‘lovers day a.k.a. Valentine’s Day’ and those who are wearing red are engaged (means they have boy friends) and those wearing pink are without boy friends….we all looked at each other and busted into laugh….it sounded so silly at that time….

But now lot has changed….the entire meaning of Valentine’s Day has changed…thank you TV…now it is not just a day where you celebrate with your boy friend or girl friend….it is a day where you celebrate with your loved ones may be family or may be friends or may be both….You are getting huge discounts on eat-outs, restaurants, etc…to take your loved ones for celebration….People order cake too…to celebrate the occasion…mid night home delivery options to surprise the loved ones are available these days….Love is not hidden….it is shown these days….

As the George Bernard Shaw said, “There is no love more sincere than the love of food”….being a food blogger…I thought I should celebrate my love for food….and so I thought I will post my three most favourite recipes this month. I make these more often but never blogged. These recipes were asked by many of the readers of this place but somehow I skipped posting them…

Throwing of the laziness…here I am with my first favourite recipe….’NIHARI’….The word has come from Arabic word ‘Nahar’ which means ‘Morning’….this dish is served in the morning during breakfast. Till date this dish is prepared on the roads of Hyderabad in huge vessels during early mornings. The preparation and marination starts from wee hours of morning or you can say past mid night. Everyday the ‘Nihari’ is made and served in breakfast in most of the Muslim restaurants on road side even today…..

I have mentioned about Nihari in my Bakrid post. But the way I made it today is quite simple and little less in spice. I kept the spice level low thinking of my Lil’M….The traditional one is made with lamb head and legs along with generous amounts of Indian spices. You know my mom makes this whenever we get attacked with common cold…this is her home remedy for cold. She also makes this more often during winters…as the soup gives you the much warmth needed during the season…..As the soup is rich and spicy…it is mostly eaten during morning so that you get enough time to digest before you take your lunch.

I make this soup much often during winters. My way of indulging this soup is quite simple….I make phulka’s and tear them into bite size pieces. Pour piping hot soup in a bowl and soak in the phulka pieces. Let it remain for 2-3 minutes. If I feel like the phulka has soaked all the soup…I will add more….wrapping my palms around the bowl of hot soup and wrapping the same warm palms around the soft pink cheeks of lil’M in between…..seeing her playing with the soup…trying to cool it…by drawing her rosy lips in a shape as if she is going to kiss the soup…..chilli morning, cool breeze, robust soup and naughty lil’M is all I need to say…I am lucky….and I am happy….Allhumdulliah….

INGREDIENTS:

200 gms. Tender lamb bones
1 Onion, sliced
½ tbsp. Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 green Chilli, slit length-wise
½ tbsp. black Pepper powder
2 Cardamoms + 1 1’ inch stick Cinnamon + 2 Cloves
10 Black Peppercorns
½ tbsp. Garam Masala
½ cup fresh Coriander leaves
¼ cup fresh Mint leaves
Salt
Oil

TADKA/TEMPERING:

Oil
2 Cloves
2-3 tbsp. sliced Onions
½ tbsp. Ginger-Garlic paste

PREPARATION:

Add all the ingredients mentioned under “Ingredients” section except coriander leaves and mint leaves to pressure cooker and add 1 cup of water.
Pressure cook for 6-8 whistles or until the lamb bones are soft (they should be so soft that you can easily bite with your teeth).
Once the lamb bones turn soft, turn off the flame and let the steam settle down. Open the lid and add 4 cups of water along with coriander leaves and mint leaves.
Allow it to boil, and once it starts to boil check for salt. Boil it for 10-15 minutes or till the water is reduced to ¾ consistency. Now broth is ready. Turn off the flame and set aside.
Meanwhile in a heavy bottom cooking vessel, add oil and when it heats up add cloves and sliced onions. Fry till onions turn nice golden. Now add ginger-garlic paste and fry till raw smell of ginger-garlic disappear.
Turn off the flame and soon add the broth to the tempering. Cover with lid for 5 minutes (by doing so you will seal the aroma and flavours of tempering).
Serve hot by garnishing with fried onions, minced coriander and lemon wedges. Your ‘nihari’ is ready to go with roti/phulka/naan/pav.
Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.

This winter warmer soup, which is my favorite is going to participate in Winter Warmer Recipe Challenge @ Sayantani's A Homemaker's Dairy, where she is also giving away e-gift coupon through CupoNation and also this soup is going to participate in Priya's Valentine's Day Recipe Contest @ Priya's Versatile Recipes.

{Review} CP Foods launches Five Star Chicken Kiosks in Bangalore

noreply@blogger.com (Lubna Karim) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:39:00 +0000

Days back I got call from Priyanka, inquiring whether I am interested in doing review for Five Star Chicken which is one of the subsidiary food Companies of The Charoen Pokphand Foods Ltd. (CPF) which serves 100% Halal chicken to its customers. So upon hearing the word ‘Halal’…I thought I will pay my visit to review it.

Quick phone calls, sms and mails between me and Priyanka…. we (Me, my sis, Deepa and Valarmathi) were ready to pay visit to Five Star Chicken….as the venue is SJR Tech Park, ITPL and we were not familiar with the place, Priyanka has booked a cab to pick us all….It was a long drive from Indira Nagar to ITPL…..and it was bright sunny afternoon too….but thank GOD we were in cab….and finally we reached the place….

It is a huge tech park with some thousands of employees working round the clock in different shifts in different companies…The food court of the tech park has got some best eat outs and among them five star chicken is the one which is going to be our host for the post afternoon snacking….Upon reaching the place we were warmly greeted by five star chicken Kiosks owner Mr.Shankar. He took us to the stall where Mr.Sanjeev Pant, Vice President – Branded Foods Business Unit, CP Foods India was waiting for us…after quick greetings and introduction…Mr.Sanjeev and Mr.Shankar told us the story behind the Five Star Chicken.

With locations all around the world, CP Foods, known for its culinary delight of Thai chicken with an Indian twist, recently announced its launch in India by launching its Five Star Chicken kiosks in Bangalore. These kiosks are just pack and move…they don’t have seating as of by now. In some place they are tied up with an restaurant or eat out. Like in Jeevan bhima Nagar they are tied up with Spicy Hub (which is an Andhra style restaurant). You can order or pick Andhra food along with chicken main dish or snack…..or it is like in SJR Tech Park, where we were….it is an eat-out by Shankar by name Shashi’s, where they serve Pasta, Burgers, Sandwiches, BBQ & Stakes along with these FIVE STAR CHICKEN dishes. It is like you can order pasta and can have a chicken piece with it….it is medley of food you can say… Mr.Shankar was saying, lot of people come to five star chicken and order a chicken piece to go along with normal roti, rice or just pasta or anything……

Sometimes people just come in to grab a quick snack to go with tea, coffee or coke…or sometimes people just come down to take there parcel home in the evening. Soon next month they are going to start home delivery also for the near by places. As it is clearly mentioned on the shop hoarding that the chicken served is HALAL…they get lot of customers who enjoy eating chicken and most of time step back thinking whether it is halal or not….the servings are quite good, pieces are big enough to hold in hand….and as there is mix and match of the foods…you get to taste what you want to….Mr.Sanjeev Pant was saying, there only motto is ‘Chicken for everyone and everywhere’.

Upon asking why they wanted to start something exclusive of chicken, when they are so many others doing the same thing in market….Mr.Sanjeev was saying that their chicken recipes are unique, serving portion is more, flavours are different and it is halal…so this keeps them in business and they are not targeting posh…they are going with masses….who love have combo meals and try out new…or who wants to have chicken almost everyday….

WHY FIVE STAR?

The key features that are making ‘five star chicken’ unique and letting them gain ground are:

Grade ‘A’ materials with CP Foods
Operation System Focus
Strong Brand Building
Optimal Pricing Strategy
Efficient and Trained Staff

HISTORY:

Five Star Chicken is one of the subsidiary food Companies of The Charoen Pokphand Foods Ltd. (CPF). It has gained expertise in all aspects of food retail business i.e. production management, equipment and cooking, QSC (Quality, Service and Cleanliness), and the important factors for business - distribution and logistics system and kiosk operation management. In terms of regional expansion in Asia, Five Star Chicken has over 6000 outlets in it’s home country Thailand, and in the last few years has also expanded successfully into many markets like Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Bangladesh. India is the next expansion market.

Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited is one of the leading integrated Agro-industrial and food Companies across Asia and the globe. Currently CP Foods has a well-diversified product portfolio with operations in 12 countries covering more than 3 billion populations worldwide plus trading operations and offices across Asia, Europe and Americas. With a vision to be “Kitchen of the World”, the Company is committed to fulfilling consumer needs of quality food products that are nutritious, hygienic and come with food safety integrity for a changing lifestyle. In processing and manufacturing of cooked food products, the Company is strongly committed to meeting consumers’ demand and expectations worldwide.

KIOSKS:

The kiosks so far opened in are at

1. Ulsoor Road

2. Old Airport Road

3. Koramangala

4. Hennur Road

5. SJR Tech Park

6. Jeevan Bheema Nagar main road

MENU:

Five Star Chicken menu comprises of Star Amazing, Masala Delight, Thai Crispy and Crunchy Masala under Main Dish section and Chilli Nugget and Spicy Finger under Snack section. As the time go by Mr. Sanjeev was saying they will add on new and yum items to the list.

MY REVIEW:

I think we were dam hungry by the time we reached food court of SJR Tech Park and we were served by coke and then they bought fresh and piping hot ‘Chilli Nuggets and Spicy Fingers’. After quick photo session…we digged into to the snacks served…Chilli Nugget was the first which I picked up….it was crunchy on top, perfectly done and soft inside. Then were the ‘spicy fingers’, as of the name they were not spicy…but they too were perfectly cooked, neatly coated and soft inside. Then came in the star recipe of ‘Five Star Chicken’ Thai Crispy….which was neatly platted and presented. But I felt it was less in spice, salt and flavour….may be I am used to eating up chicken which is full of flavour and spice…the Indian way….then came in the Crunchy Masala, which was also not spicy and I felt salt is missing…May be when you are having the chicken in combo with Pasta or desi recipes…you can have it…as the recipes balance the spice and flavour of chicken…but when you are having only chicken pieces, then you find them completely bland….A generous amount of ketchup was needed to push down the chicken….Though they said the chicken was double marinated and made fresh….I felt that zing which we Indians search in chicken recipe is missing. Snacks were yum…but main dish was not upto the flavour. What I felt was chicken has to be marinated with more Indian spice and salt…to gain the flavour which we look out or carve for…Prices were reasonable and pieces were comparably good….portions swerved were also good…but when the matter of taste takes over all this…it is good to concentrate on taste….just little spice is what FIVE STAR CHICKEN is needed to gain those all five stars…..

MY LIL SIS's REVIEW:

This is for the first time I am doing something like this. Thank you Priyanka for allowing me to the Five Star Chicken kiosks and big thanks to my sweet sis for giving me this opportunity.

I tasted spicy fingers and they were crispy outside and succulent inside. And then was the time to taste main course which was Thai crispy. It was nicely plated with cucumber & coriander leaves. Pieces were big in size and can’t be hold in hand to eat. Then crunchy masala was next which I tasted and it was not up to my taste. I felt little masala would have enhanced the taste. In comparison, I like starter more than the main course.

DISSIMILAR: This is not a paid review. I visited Five Star Chicken kiosks and tasted each item I reviewed in this post.

Date-Walnut Truffles

noreply@blogger.com (Lubna Karim) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 19:49:00 +0000

Initially after my marriage, I use to go on grocery shopping only once in a month and I use to start preparing the list from 2-3 days before….my list always include only the ingredients which are used in day to day cooking…but from the time I started blogging, I pick up so much food stuff that…. sometimes I am not even familiar off…and most of the time I forget what I have brought from the store too….most of the time I search for the recipe and sometimes try out something new….all thanks to blogging……which helps me in cooking out new flavour in my kitchen….

When I picked up walnuts, from the store…the one recipe which was in my mind was halwa, and then I thought of making pesto, and then finally ended up adding to the batter while making Brownies. After that the walnuts remained in the zip lock bag….untouched and unattended….

Few days back, we happened to visit a friends place for lunch and they are newly married couple. When I asked my husband what we are going to take for them, as we are going to meet them for the first time after marriage…..my dear husband in a teasing tone said…..look the food blogger is asking what to take and go…..can’t you think of something innovative from the food filled blogger mind….I know he is teasing…but I thought I will prepare something….Izzat ka sawal hain…..

I had only ½ hour left….so I rushed into the kitchen to check what all I have got….believe me I had nothing in my mind…just blank….when I entered the kitchen….When I opened the first cupboard….all I can see was ¼ dabbas filled with different types of dals….so I closed it…then I opened the second cupboard….there I found walnuts….peeking behind the sugar jar…..

I picked up the zip lock bag at once and then started searching for other ingredients which will go with walnuts to make something really fast….as I was in mood to start cooking…..I thought I will make something in microwave….Suddenly I remembered I have dates lying in fridge….rushed and picked up the packet from the fridge….by now my husband who was in front of computer….announced that the cab driver has just called and informed that he will be here within 20 minutes…..are you ready…? I said yeah…I am almost ready…

Looking at the two ingredients, I thought I will make microwave cake with dates and walnuts….but to add twist…I ran out of flour….within no time…I thought I will pulse them all together in mixer and make bars....While adding walnuts, I added little almonds to the mixer jar and then added dates…pulse for 1 minute…I got coarse mixture….I thought I will lay flat on the greased baking tray…but the mixture was sticky…..because of dates….

Then I rolled them into small balls by adding semi-sweet chocolate chips. As the balls were sticky…I rolled them into icing sugar. The whole look of the balls changed and they looked like snowballs….they were sweet, sticky, crunchy and yummy….I kept each ball in a paper muffin liner and placed them in a cookie box….before gift wrapping with a satin ribbon…I bought the box and showed to my husband….he was super amazed to see those white snow balls…and asked me what are they made of…..I said let the guessing game begin….

As the cab driver arrived, I was fully ready to go with my latest and instant creation…..Date-Walnut Truffles (which are vegan too)……When I reached the friend’s place and gave them the box, and when they opened it…I can see from the corner of my eye…my husband is more interested in tasting them….everyone tasted the truffles and loved them to full…when they asked me for the recipe….with a smile on my face….I said…recipe soon on my blog….. and saw my husband who was pink trying to control his laugh…..and then soon everyone said in chorus said ooiye…oooyiee….and we all bust into laugh….

So here is the recipe, which accolade me as a food blogger….a no cook, no bake recipe….no fuss, no mess, a recipe which can be made in jiffy…just 5 minutes….a recipe which you love to make again and again….

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Walnuts
1 cup Dates, pitted and chopped
¼ cup Almonds
¼ cup Cashews
2 tbsp. semi-sweet Chocolate chips
Icing sugar for dusting

PREPARATION:

In a mixer jar, pulse walnuts and almonds until coarse. Then add chopped dates.
Pulse for 10 seconds and remove into a greased bowl (grease a bowl with 2-3 drops of butter) and add semi-sweet chocolate chips. Mix gently.
Now grease your hands with a drop of butter and then start rolling into a golf size ball.
Roll the balls in the icing sugar and let them get coated evenly.
Place each ball in each muffin liner and place in the fridge for 2-3 minutes.
Pack them into the desired box or just have them or serve them simply.
Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.

Linking these truffles to Cook.Eat.Delicious - Desserts where the theme of the month is Walnuts hosted by Valarmathi of Simple and Yummy Recipes, Event by Raven of CookEatDelicious. These truffles are also going to participate in Signature Recipe Blogversary Event @ Cook-Eat-Burrp.

VARIATIONS:

You can even roll the balls in unsweetened cocoa powder or coconut powder or shredded coconut or colored coconut flakes or colored vermicelli.
You can even add finely chopped cashew nuts or roll in to them.
You can even add peanuts, dry rose petals, etc.

{Product Review} Soulfull – 100% Ragi (finger millet) Cereals

noreply@blogger.com (Lubna Karim) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 19:37:00 +0000

I know many of us might have taken the resolution on New Year to cut down carbs, reduce weight, have gluten free products, be on diet, etc…etc…but as the year pass by…resolutions like this are hard to keep and we slowly get lost in keeping them…It really takes an hard heart to take up such a resolution and go on till end….but when we are promising so many things to do….a ‘to-do list’ to do the activities in a day or in a week or in a month or even in a year….but how many of us…will make a diet chart and stick to it till end…..only few….

Sometimes out of time, sometimes out of laziness and sometimes out of mood…you wish to skip your diet….keeping these in mind ‘Soulfull’ a packaged food brand under the Kottaram Agro Foods have come up with innovative and interesting products which focus on the healthy aspects and hence the tag line deliciously healthy.

After quick exchange of e-mails ‘Soulfull’ has sent me a parcel loaded with deliciously healthy products. Upon opening the parcel, I found three different flavoured ‘Cereals’ namely Original, Banana and Coco-lite along with three Instant Dosa Mixes (which I am going to talk about in next post). Out of habit, I have scanned the carton of the cereal thoroughly, I came to know that the cereals are made out of Ragi (finger millet) and they are gluten-free….how cool is that? How many of you love to include ragi in your diet and keep skipping it…by its lengthy preparation or no recipe in hand….but when you get a choice like this….it is simply fab…isn’t it?

The Original and Banana flavoured Cereals have no other grain apart from Ragi. All these products are natural with no fortification or usage of supplements. Just image, if your mom or mil has called you in the morning and asked you what you had for breakfast, when you answer, a bowl of ragi…then they are pretty amazed…as ragi is considered as healthy food…and think their daughter or daughter in law is on good diet….

Ragi (Nachini in Marathi, Mandu in Hindi, Kelvaragu in Tamil, Koovarugu in Malayalam) is rich in calcium and best known for weight reduce, rich source of fibre, has and helps you in lowering cholesterol levels…..with these many health benefits, a ready made cereal with ragi is must for the ones who want to keep themselves healthy. With changing life style, it is sometimes challenging to keep ourselves fit….but I can say ‘Soulfull’ has come up with such an amazing products…that we can be fit and healthy with in our budget. A 300 Gms. Cartoon of cereal costs you Rs.130/-. There are other flavours apart form Original, Banana and Coco-lite which the brand Soulfull is working on…..so in near future you can get more options to choose from…..

How many times, you might have thought how cool it would be if I get two more magical hands to finish off morning chores…where the life runs like a movie in a FF mode…for one of those morning where you feel like having something light, healthy and delicious…with no fuss and no mess….or for one of those morning where you run out of time….or for one of those morning when you really care for yourself…..Soulfull’s 100% Ragi Cereals…will make your day…..you can even have these cereals in the evening as a snack…..I must say…make it a habit….you gonna love it….

Just a bowl of cold milk, fresh fruits or dry fruits along with 'Soulfull' Cereals is just enough to kick start your day….or soothe your hungry tummy in the evenings…..

You don’t need to stand long in the kitchen, just pour in some milk in a bowl, add fresh fruits of your choice and then your favourite flavour of cereals…..yum breakfast is ready with in no time….this breakfast is healthy and delicious…..

TASTE:

I loved the taste of these cereals. They are lightly sugared and you can get the taste of the fruit in the cereal. They don’t turn up soggy immediately when you add to the milk. They are small, brown in color, perfectly round in shape and crunchy. All the three flavours have got the same color….

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

Apart from having them with milk, you can use in making parfait, top it in milkshake’s, cakes, muffins, smoothies, bars, ice creams etc.

In the next post I am going to give you more options on healthy breakfast/snack which take less time and handy when you are in a mood to eat scrumptious Dosa’s…..

DISCLAIMER: This is not a paid review. The opinions and thoughts mentioned in the post are purely mine and done by tasting the sample sent by Kottaram agro foods.

{Product Review} Gone Mad- Choco Sticks and Banana - Nutella Milkshake

noreply@blogger.com (Lubna Karim) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 12:18:00 +0000

This is my first review of the year 2013 and I am happy doing it because it is a chocolaty review. When I got mail from Sagarika, the other day to review newly launched Gone Mad – Choco Sticks, I thought they may be made up of chocolate fully….but when I received the parcel and that too loaded with 24 choco sticks…I was like wow…

FIRST LOOK:

The wrapper of the choco stick is well designed by keeping the kids of around (9-12) in mind. The wrapper have got innovative cute designs on it….the color of brown and dark pink on the pack is very attractive. Bunch of school kids from Bangalore and Chennai has shown up there creativity in designing up this wrapper….. When I opened the wrapper, to my amazement I found a crunchy wafer in the shape of a cigar….when I took my first bite then I came to know, there was luscious chocolate hiding inside the wafer…

TASTE:

When you bite into the choco stick, the wafer easily melts in your mouth and chocolate hits your palate….the rich chocolate is so tasty that you feel like gulping the choco stick in one go…..The wafer is made so cleverly that you get to taste the chocolate more…..The wafer balances the taste of sweetness…

PRICE:

These choco sticks are for everyone who just want to kill the boredom and enjoy out little time…so these are economically priced at Rs.5/- for single unit, you can get 24 choco sticks for Rs.120/- and 5 choco sticks to share with your loving buddies come at an attractive price of Rs.25/-

FINAL VERDICT:

As the name says it is really a gone mad choco stick with all it’s chocolaty filling in the crunchy and delicate wafer, which is also made up of chocolate…..I already had three while writing down my review here…..need I say more…..they are so yummy and so easily you get addicted to these….My Lil’M had great time relishing on these sticks, when I was clicking for the review, she even gave me some poses along with seeing herself in the camera after each and every click…..

KNOW MORE:

You can know more about the product and company by clicking on the images below:

AVAILABILITY:

This product is currently available in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in all kinds of retail formats i.e., general trade, modern trade retail chains, stand alone formats and hyper markets as well.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

As I have got a pack of 24 choco sticks for review, I thought of using them in a little creative way apart from having as they are. I made Banana-Nutella Milkshake and served with these gone mad choco sticks (Recipe Below). You can even add to any of your favourite milkshake or even to decorate cake or creamy muffins, you can even use it as a stick and make cake pops, you can even dip in chocolate sauce and leave it in refrigerator till it sticks up and relish them and you can even serve with ice cream, by just placing your favourite scoops in a bowl, adding mixed fruits and place two choco sticks on side….your sundae is ready for indulgence…..Get creative and get indulge…..

BANANA – NUTELLA MILKSHAKE

When my dear husband in the evening announced, that he is in a no mood to have tea or coffee and he wants something sweet, fruity and chilled….the one thing which came to my mind was milkshake….Visit Website….As I started making, I added on the ingredients which came to my mind at that time….and oh my my it came out so yum….I took only 3 minutes in making up this creamy, icecreamy, chocolaty, fruity and yummy milkshake…..when I served it to my husband, he said…wow…you made it so fast and that too it looks so professional with that ‘Choco Stick’…..with all the blushy cheeks I snapped around some pics….so here is the simple and yum recipe of the milkshake…..

INGREDIENTS:

¼ cup low fat Milk, chilled

1 scoop Vanilla Ice cream

2 tbsp. Nutella

2 Banana (I used ripe yellow ones), peeled and cut into half

1 gone mad Choco stick, decoration

PREPARATION:

Add all the ingredients into blender, secure the lid and blend until frothy.

Serve chilled by pouring in the serving glasses and decorating with ‘Gone Mad Choco Stick’.

Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.

DISCLAIMER: This is not a paid review. The opinions and thoughts mentioned in the post are purely mine and done by tasting the sample sent by Garuda Foods.

Punjabi Lobia Masala – ‘Indian Style’ Black Eyed Pea/Bean Curry

noreply@blogger.com (Lubna Karim) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 11:55:00 +0000

Recently when I was at my aunt’s place, she has soaked lobia to make fritters in the evening to go with chai. In the later part of the day she got so busy and she forgot that she has soaked some lobia. When I entered kitchen to see what she is doing there, she showed me that she has soaked some lobia to make fritters but somehow she forgot to make them….now what we are going to do with these? Shall we refrigerate them or shall we make fritters and serve them with rice in the evening? I told her I have another idea of making use of these lovely ‘lobia’. She asked me what’s that?

I said we will make ‘Punjabi Lobia Masala’, a creamy and delightful curry with goes hand in hand with roti/chapatti. She was very happy to hear the name of the recipe as she is very much fond of North Indian Curries. She gave the charge of the kitchen to me and stood by my side to watch the recipe. I make ‘Punjabi Lobia Masala’ mostly during winters as I feel the protein punch and spice rich recipe is a winter warmer one.

As I proceeded and made the recipe, she tasted and said by patting y shoulder, that’s one of the flavoursome recipe she had ever tasted. I am blushed by the comments. Me and aunty together made roti’s for all the family members and served piping hot roti’s with spicy and creamy ‘Punjabi Lobia Masala’. Everyone at mom was very happy to have the combination of roti and lobia, as it is for the first time they taste the recipe, they loved it to full. I am happy for the day…so here is the recipe which left me blushing for long….A perfect accomplishment for winter night’s with piping hot roti’s…..

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Lobia
1 Onion, finely sliced
1 Tomato, finely chopped
1 tbsp. Ginger juliennes
1 Green Chilli, slit length wise
½ tbsp. Garam Masala
3 Cloves
1 1’inch stick Cinnamon
1 Bay Leaf
½ tbsp. Cumin seeds
1 tbsp. Red chili powder
½ tbsp. Turmeric powder
1 tbsp. Coriander powder
½ tbsp. Cumin powder
½ cup Milk
Salt
Oil
2-3 tbsp. fresh minced Coriander leaves

PREPARATION:

Wash and soak lobia overnight or for at least 6-7 hours. Drain the water and set aside.
In a pressure cooker, add oil, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. When the spices start to release the aroma, add cumin seeds. When these start to splutter, add ginger juliennes and fry for 30 seconds.
Now add sliced onions and fry till translucent. Next add finely chopped tomatoes and green chilli. Fry till tomatoes turn soft and mushy. Now add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, coriander powder and cumin powder. Fry for another one minute by giving the mixture nice stir.

Now add drained lobia and mix well. Add 1½ glass of water and salt. Pressure cook of 4-5 whistles. Turn off and let the steam escape and then take off the lid and check whether the lobia is soft or not (When pressed with fingers it should be soft and should get easily mashed).
Now add milk and check for salt. Cook on low flame for another minute by giving the mixture gentle stir. Turn off the flame and add fresh minced coriander on top.
Serve hot with dollop of fresh cream and lemon wedges as an accomplishment with roti/phulka/naan.
Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.

NOTES:

Soaking lobia for 6-8 hours reduces the time of cooking.
You can even add fresh cream or white butter to enhance the flavour.

This recipe is going to participate in MLLA - 55 a month event by Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook and this month it is hosted by Susan herself. I am very happy to prepare a recipe with lobia as it is used in the logo for the month.

Have you checked the new header of my blog, after a long time I have done something bright and it is looking more bright to me....your comments on this are more welcome....

Microwave Makai Jajaria/Sweet Corn Pudding/Sweet Corn Halwa

noreply@blogger.com (Lubna Karim) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 20:24:00 +0000

Happy & Prosperous New Year’s to all the readers, commenters and followers of ‘Yummy Food’.

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day ~ Edith Lovejoy Pierce.

When I sat to make this post, I don’t know why but this memory of years back kept on coming to my mind again and again….so I thought I will scribble it….Years back, when I was newly married, me and my husband were coming back to Bangalore from native by bus….I always prefer sitting at window side seat…..it was ‘New Year’s Night’ and the moon was full….so I can see everything out clearly…I can see each and every shop irrespective of big or small is decorated with tiny string of lights….As the bus passed through small villages, I can see girls drawing ‘Rangoli’ and writing down ‘Happy New Year’ / Welcome New Year….on the roads in front of the houses.

As it was my first ‘New Year’ after marriage I was pretty much exited about it…though we were in travel, I bought a Rose and a gift for my dear husband…Slowly but steadily bus started heading towards the destination crossing the fields, houses, lakes, dhaba’s and rocky mountains….I rarely sleep in the bus, as I love watching outside, though it may be night….When bus lights are turned off and when I looked outside, I can see star light sky with a beautiful moon shining and saying….I am travelling with you dear…..

I got completely soaked up in the surroundings; I forgot the time….then with a sudden jerk, the bus driver parked the bus on the side of the road, very near to a street light pole….in the far I can see a dhaba with decorative and colorful lights….Everyone were wondering what happened, someone in the back said….tyre puncture and some one said may be driver needs to attend a nature call…..but to everyone’s surprise….

Driver along with co-driver and cleaner took out a big cover with a big white color box….then the driver slowly took out a big cake with two pink colored cream roses on it…Happy New Year was written on it….Then the driver took out a candle, lit it and asked everyone in the bus to blow it….everyone got up from there place and cheered when the driver took the charge to cut the cake…..everyone in a chorus clapping hands shouted ‘Happy New Year’……

The bus driver then distributed the cake among all the passengers and said thank you for travelling with A.P.S.R.T.C. Again everyone clapped and started digging into the cake…it was really an yum cake…Then I slowly took out and gave the rose which I was hiding from my dear husband since evening…along with the gift which I bought for him….he was very happy and I could see the expression of happiness in his eyes clearly in that moonlight night…..As the night went more darker….I slowly rested my head on my dear husband’s shoulder and saw the moon….by now moon has covered the warm blanket of clouds and getting ready to play peek a boo for the rest of the night….. It was one of the most memorable bus journeys so far to me……

With these sweet memories, I thought it will be good to post a sweet recipe to start on my new year….The recipe of the day is ‘Makai Jajaria’….call it a sweet corn pudding or a halwa….it’s simple in making with less readily available in house ingredients. It is a Rajasthani Delicacy made more in the regions of Udaipur….This is for the first time I tried making this delicacy….and I loved it…I have made this in Microwave….You can even make this in pressure cooker or on just stove top method….I prefer using microwave because, when you make anything in microwave, you get time to cook something else on stove top….this gives you time to make more things in less time….so I like microwave version of recipes more than stove cook versions…..This recipe is adapted from Tarla Dala’s Cooking & More magazine.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tin Sweet Corn Kernels
1¼ cup Milk
½ cup Sugar
¼ tbsp. Cardamom powder
2 tbsp. Ghee
FOR GARNISH:
few strands of Saffron
1 tbsp. silvered Almonds/ Almond flakes

PREPARATION:

Drain the water from sweet corn kernels and pulse them in a mixer for 3-4 seconds. Set aside.
In a microwave safe bowl add ghee and above ground sweet corn kernels. Microwave on high for 2 minutes.
Now add milk and microwave on high for 4 minutes, stirring for every one minute.
Now add sugar and microwave for another 3-4 minutes, stirring for every one minute.
Now add cardamom powder and mix well. Microwave for another 1 minute.
Garnish with silvered almonds and strands of saffron.

NOTES:

If you are using fresh sweet corn then you can easily grate the corn. This recipe tastes best when made with fresh sweet corn.
Just remember, don’t puree the sweet corn kernels. The mixture should be coarse.
Microwave timing differs from company to capacity. So keep a eye on the recipe when making it for the fist time.

STOVE-TOP METHOD:

If making on stove, then take a heavy bottom cooking vessel and add ghee. When ghee heats up add grated sweet corn kernels mixture. Cook and stir till the mixture turns light brown. This may take nearly 10-12 minutes. Cook on low flame and keep stirring to avoid burning of the mixture.
Now slowly add milk by stirring continuously. Cook till milk evaporates. Now add cardamom powder and sugar. Mix well and cook till everything comes together.
Serve hot by garnishing with almond flakes and saffron strands.

This post is going to participate in Foodabulous Fest event at Preeti's Kitchen Life.

Yummy Food

Watermelon Basil Salad with Lemon Dressing

Butter Chicken| Murg Makhani|Chicken Makhani

Strawberry Trifle

{Product Review} - Handmade Green Tea from Teaneer

Eggless Strawberry Mousse

{Review} - Golden Jubilee Celebrations at ‘The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’

Strawberry Masala Pops with Memories of School Days

{Guest Post} - Jalebi with Vanilla Flavored Rabdi from Jehanne, The Cooking Doctor

Fresh Strawberry Milkshake

{Food Review} Go Mad Over Donuts....

An Afternoon with Kate Bracks at newly launched Whitefield Baking Company

Vada Pav

Exclusive E-Mail Interview with Master Chef Australia 2011 Winner "Kate Bracks"

Sem ki Phalli - Tamatar ki Sabzi

Chicken Dum Biryani - Hyderabadi Style & Winner Announcement

{Product Review} Soulfull Instant Dosa Mixes

DISCLAIMER: This is not a paid review. The opinions and thoughts mentioned in the post are purely mine and done by tasting the sample sent by Kottaram agro foods.

{Product Review} Britannia Masala Chaas – Ek Cool Ehsaas & Burger with Green Mung Bean and Potato Patty

DISCLAIMER: This is not a paid review. The opinions and thoughts mentioned in the post are purely mine and done by tasting the sample sent by Madison India.

Microwave Gajar Ka Halwa/Carrot Halwa & Giveaway

NIHARI – Spicy Soup with Tender Lamb Bones

{Review} CP Foods launches Five Star Chicken Kiosks in Bangalore

Date-Walnut Truffles

{Product Review} Soulfull – 100% Ragi (finger millet) Cereals

DISCLAIMER: This is not a paid review. The opinions and thoughts mentioned in the post are purely mine and done by tasting the sample sent by Kottaram agro foods.

{Product Review} Gone Mad- Choco Sticks and Banana - Nutella Milkshake

FIRST LOOK:

TASTE:

PRICE:

These choco sticks are for everyone who just want to kill the boredom and enjoy out little time…so these are economically priced at Rs.5/- for single unit, you can get 24 choco sticks for Rs.120/- and 5 choco sticks to share with your loving buddies come at an attractive price of Rs.25/-

FINAL VERDICT:

KNOW MORE:

You can know more about the product and company by clicking on the images below:

AVAILABILITY:

This product is currently available in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in all kinds of retail formats i.e., general trade, modern trade retail chains, stand alone formats and hyper markets as well.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

BANANA – NUTELLA MILKSHAKE

INGREDIENTS:

¼ cup low fat Milk, chilled 1 scoop Vanilla Ice cream 2 tbsp. Nutella 2 Banana (I used ripe yellow ones), peeled and cut into half 1 gone mad Choco stick, decoration

PREPARATION:

Add all the ingredients into blender, secure the lid and blend until frothy. Serve chilled by pouring in the serving glasses and decorating with ‘Gone Mad Choco Stick’. Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.

DISCLAIMER: This is not a paid review. The opinions and thoughts mentioned in the post are purely mine and done by tasting the sample sent by Garuda Foods.

Punjabi Lobia Masala – ‘Indian Style’ Black Eyed Pea/Bean Curry

Microwave Makai Jajaria/Sweet Corn Pudding/Sweet Corn Halwa

¼ cup low fat Milk, chilled

1 scoop Vanilla Ice cream

2 tbsp. Nutella

2 Banana (I used ripe yellow ones), peeled and cut into half

1 gone mad Choco stick, decoration

Add all the ingredients into blender, secure the lid and blend until frothy.

Serve chilled by pouring in the serving glasses and decorating with ‘Gone Mad Choco Stick’.

Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.