Tag: Food Blogger

Feasting at Laila’s Cafe, Goa

A warm and cosy place overlooking vast green patches, a lady who cooks with lots of love and passion and the food that is simple yet amazing is what Laila’s Cafe all about.

Located at the Anjuna-Vagator road, Laila’s Cafe has been around since a few months now. Laila, who belongs to Hyderabad originally, had a dream to take its cuisine to different places and Goa became her new home. She wanted to introduce people to the authentic Hyderabadi cuisine and started curating special menus for home deliveries. Her home deliveries met with a great success and further encouraged her to open up a cafe. Her cafe serves Hyderabadi cuisine primarily and has a daily changing menu. She makes the weekends even more special by preparing some typical Hyderabadi delicacies. She balances a couple of Hyderabadi dishes with 2-3 North Indian dishes as well, in order to give variety and choices to the customer.

 

This weekend, we dropped by at her cafe as she hosted an EID special lunch. The menu comprised of:

Mutton Haleem- Haleem originated as an Arabic dish with meat and pounded wheat as the chief ingredients. It was introduced to Hyderabad by the Arab diaspora during the rule of the sixth Nizam and later became an integral part of Hyderabadi cuisine. Haleem is a stew composed of meat, lentils and pounded wheat made into a thick paste. It was served with fried onions and lemon to add that zingy flavour. I relished the same with a hot parantha.

Biryani- Biryani is popular across the country and every region has its own way of preparing it. That day we tried biryani which was primarily with Bangalorean flavours. Tasted very well.

Chole- A typical punjabi style of chole, which were savoured with paranthas.

Shahi Paneer- Another North Indian delicacy prepared to perfection.

Pulao- A simple pulao to go along with chole or shahi paneer.

Sheer Khurma- A traditional sweet prepared with vermicelli and milk, it was heavenly. I could have polished off 2 bowls of the same easily, but refrained myself from doing so. Its one indulgence, you will love.

Overall, I had a lot of fun and enjoyed my feast at Laila’s Cafe. Laila is also passionate about fashion collectibles and hence she showcases her collection along side at the cafe. So not only you can indulge in eating good food, but also indulge in some quick shopping. Do drop by and let me know how was your experience.

Here are my ratings:

Ambience 3.5/5

Food- 4/5

Service- 3.5/5

Value for Money- 4/5

Laila's Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Top Amazing Benefits of Learning How to Cook

If you have never learnt how to cook before or if it is something that you are interested in but you just don’t quite know how to take things to that next level then you are not alone. People across the world try and cook every single day, but if you are able to turn that necessity into a passion then you can really help yourself to be healthier and more confident. On top of all that, it is a skill that can come in very useful in your later life.

Social Status

It doesn’t matter whether you are making yourself way more marketable in terms of dating or whether you want to try and better your position at work because having skills is always important and learning how to cook or evenbakeis a great way for you to get started. You can make yourself look way more unique and appealing, not to mention that people will respect you more for it as well. If you are concerned because you know that you have never learnt how to make even the most basic of dishes before then don’t worry because everyone has to start somewhere and it really is all about taking the time to really develop as a person.

https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-frying-pan-with-spaghetti-sauce-near-brown-wooden-ladle-and-ripe-tomatoes-691114/

Cooking is great for Two

Cooking doesn’t have to be hard work. Sure, some people slave over the stove but this doesn’t have to be the case. It is very easy for you to cook with your other half and cooking is now an activity that can be shared. A lot of couples love to learn new skills together and it is great if you want to try and strengthen that bond that you have. You may find that your relationship grows as a result and it is also a great way for you to learn from each other. If you are not good at one aspect of cooking then there is a high chance that your partner will be able to fill in the gaps, so do keep that in mind. Any speaker for nutritionwill tell you how great it is to know how to cook.

https://www.pexels.com/photo/adult-blond-board-brunette-298926/

Improving your Health

A lot of people choose to eatfoodthat is bad for them, purely because they don’t know how to cook a very healthy meal. They believe that they have to have some magical skill in order to whip together a great meal but this is not the case at all. If you are willing to take some classes then this is a great way for you to take things to that next level and it can also help you to develop your skills much faster as well. If you believe that you are not cut out for classes then don’t worry, you can still learn everything that you need to know at home and this is a great way for you to really fill up those long and boring weekends.

So learning how to cook is a great way for you to expand your skillset, and by taking the time to really work on your skills, you can be sure to get a positive result.

Glenfiddich rewrites the whisky rulebook this World Whisky Day

Pushing the boundaries and challenging the status quo of single malt whisky since 1887, Glenfiddich celebrates World Whisky Day with the Experimental Series. Over its 130-year history, distiller William Grant & Sons and its most famous creation, Glenfiddich single malt scotch whisky, have blazed a pioneering trail that lives on today. Overcoming adversity over the years, innovating, remaining family-owned and ever-changing, Glenfiddich has become the world’s most-awarded and No.1-selling single malt whisky.

Forging the way for new Scotch whisky avenues, Glenfiddich has been collaborating with maverick individuals from the world of whisky. Designed with the desire to “inspire unusual and unexpected variants”, the Glenfiddich Experimental Series is the perfect means of memorializing this day. Focused on applying unparalleled and ingenious production processes, the Glenfiddich Experimental Series presents a unique single malt whisky experience.

Speaking on the significance held by the occasion of World Whisky Day, William Grant & Sons India Managing Director, James Pennefather said, “Glenfiddich has created a niche in the world of single malt Scotch whisky breaking age-old traditions and encouraging whisky aficionados to experiment. Building on the long-established tradition of innovation The Experimental Series helped Glenfiddich attain a new pinnacle of experimentation, setting it apart from all other distilleries. By forgoing the custom of a Malt Master selecting and examining malt whiskies, Glenfiddich welcomed global insights from 20 experts. On this World Whisky Day, we celebrate this time-honoured practice of taking on new challenges, savouring the finest of drams with our friends and family.”

The zeal for innovating new flavours at Glenfiddich, led Malt Master Brian Kinsman to partner with a local craft brewer of Speyside. Together they created the Glenfiddich IPA Experiment, a new single malt whisky, infused with breathtaking flavours from oak casks that have held a zesty Speyside IPA. Kinsman was also instrumental in the creation of the phenomenal Glenfiddich Project XX. A result of a collaboration between him and 20 whisky artistes from 16 countries around the world, the Glenfiddich Project XX is exceptional because it was created with a blend of 20 special single malts.

 

ABOUT WILLIAM GRANT & SONS AND GLENFIDDICH

William Grant & Sons, Ltd. is an independent family-owned distiller headquartered in the United Kingdom and founded by William Grant in 1887. Today, the luxury spirits company is run by the fifth generation of his family and distils some of the world’s leading brands of Scotch whisky, including the world’s favourite single malt Glenfiddich®, The Balvenie® range of handcrafted single malts and the world’s third largest blended Scotch Grant’s® as well as other iconic spirits brands such as Hendrick’s® Gin, Sailor Jerry®, Milagro® Tequila and, most recently, Tullamore D.E.W Irish Whiskey.

ABOUT GLENFIDDICH, INDIA

Glenfiddich is a single malt whisky owned and produced by William Grant & Sons Distillers Limited, an independent family-owned distiller founded by William Grant in 1886 and still controlled by the fifth generation of the family. Glenfiddich has gained a reputation for supporting the creative arts in India with various initiatives including the annual Artists in Residence award and World’s Most Experimental Bartender programmes.

And here are few amazing whiskey cocktail recipes for you to try 🙂

Brahmaputra Boat

Glenfiddich 60ml

Bay Leaf/cinnamon cordial 10ml

Fresh Lime juice 10ml

Apple Juice 30ml

Method – In a shaker glass filled with ice pour all of the above ingredients and shake well. Strain and serve straight up in a coupe glass. Garnish with a cinnamon candy

 

Brahmaputra Boat– The finest bay leaf from Assam and exquisite cinnamon from Kerala combine to make a cordial that gives the World’s Most Awarded single malt, the Glenfiddich 12 Year Old a rightful, full-bodied, spicy finish. Bay leaf and cinnamon. Gifts fit for monarchs, symbols of honour since the dawn of civilisation and waxed eloquent by poets including Apollo, the Greek God of Poetry.

Speyside Tiramisu

Glenfiddich 12 60ml

Dark Chocolate Sauce 15ml

Single cream 15ml

Gung Giri estate strong black coffee 15ml

Caramel syrup 10ml

Method – In a shaker glass filled with ice pour all of the above ingredients and shake well. Strain and serve straight up in a coupe glass. Sprinkle with orange peel and cinnamon

 

Speyside Tiramisu– The fruit-forward notes of the Glenfiddich 12 Year Old combine with the tangerine sweetness and intense aromas of the Gung Giri estate’s premium coffee. The finish is celebratory almost, with orange oils, cinnamon spice and caramel to round up all things whisky. Around 400 years ago, someone stole 8 seeds from the Arabs and planted them in Chikmagalur. Today, the whole world has an eye on the Gung Giri coffee blend.

 

Mullberry Sparkle

Glenfiddich 12 60ml

Gujarat Figs Puree 20ml

Reduced Apple Juice 30ml

Ginger Juice 5ml

Aromatic bitters 1 drop

Lime juice 10ml

Tonic Water 60ml

Method – In a goblet glass pour the Glenfiddich 12, Figs Puree, reduced apple juice, Ginger juice, aromatic bitters and lime juice and mix well. Fill with ice and top with Tonic water. Garnish with dried figs in a skewer

Mulberry sparkle– The fruity notes of the 12 Year Old expression find the perfect partner in handpicked Figs from Gujarat. A fig puree complements the sweetness of the malt, and the splash of ginger juice gives it a spicy zing. A twist of lime juice makes for a surprising citrus finish. A mention in the Old Testament. Believed to be the first domesticated crop ever. Extolled for its restorative powers. The fig has surely stood the test of time.

 

 

Nutty Rob Roy

Walnut Infused Glenfiddich 15 60ml

Palm sugar/Black pepper Syrup 10ml

Apple juice 30ml

Egg White 1 number

Method – In a shaker glass filled with ice pour all of the above ingredients and shake well. Strain and serve straight up in a tulip glass. Garnish with caramelised apple slice

 

Nutty Rob Roy– The best Kashmiri walnuts complement the nuttiness of our 15 Year Old Expression. A fine touch of palm sugar and a black pepper cordial bring the complexity alive. The result? A sweetness that lingers. The oldest tree food known to man. Rembrandt’s wonder ink. A Chinese investor’s wonder stock. No wonder the walnut was once only reserved for royalty.

Darjeeling Mail Old Fashioned

Glenfiddich 18 60ml

Castleton Muscatel concentrate 10ml

Spring Water Ice Cube 1 number

Method – In an old fashioned glass drop a big size spring water ice cube/sphere and measure the Glenfiddich 18, Castleton Muscatel concentrate and stir gently. Garnish with dehydrated marigold petals and serve

 

Darjeeling Mail Old Fashioned– The full-bodied aroma of the Darjeeling Castleton Muscatel extract combines with the rich fruity notes of the Glenfiddich 18 Year Old to enhance its sherry character. The magical expression of the cocktail changes with every sip, thanks to the marigold finish. A result of the finest Chinese saplings planted 125 years ago, the Castleton Muscatel second flush, over time, has acquired a sobriquet that’s anything but Chinese. The Champagne of Teas.

Moon Spring

Glenfiddich 21 60ml

Silver Tips Fullmoon Tea Liquor 60ml

Orange Nasturtium Petal Ice Cube 1 number

Method – Stirred and served

 

Method – In an old fashioned glass measure the Glenfiddich 21. Add 60 ml of the Silver Tips Fullmoon Tea Liquor. Drop one sphere ice/cube ice of Nasturtium flower and serve

 

Moon Spring– The Glenfiddich 21 Year Old comes alive with its nuanced rum character as it combines with Silver Tips Full-moon Tea. The Nasturtium Orange ice cube enhances the peppery finish of the 21 Year Old. Plucked only on one full-moon night every year, just for a minute short of 3 hours, they say it is a cosmic confluence that makes Silver Tips Imperial Darjeeling Tea magical.

 

Summer Mocktails by Symposium, Dwarka – A World-Cuisine Restaurant’s Head Chef Ajay Veer Gusain

Summers really call for some nice and refreshing coolers and here are two mocktail recipes shared by Head Chef Ajay Veer from Symposium Dwarka.

MANGO MELON BALL

Ingredients

Mango Juice 60 ML

Apple Juice 60 ML

Lime Mix 10 ML

Fresh Watermelon Ball 100 GM

Watermelon Syrup Monin 10 ML

Lemon Chunks 5

Mint Leaves 6

Method

  • Mix Mango Juice, Apple Juice andLime mix in a container
  • Add Watermelon Syrup to the juice mixture
  • Add some ice cubes to this mixture and shake it well
  • Garnish the mixture with Watermelon balls
  • Serve the chilled drink to your guests

 

 

SPICY RUSSIAN MARY

Ingredients

Tomato Juice 180 ML

Tabasco 0.5 ML

Lime Mix 10 ML

Worcestershire Sauce 0.5 ML

Celery Salt 2 GM

Black Pepper 2 GM

Ice Cubes 4-5

Method

  • Mix Tomato Juice, Tabasco and Lime mix in a container
  • Add Worcestershire Sauce to the juice mixture
  • Add some ice cubes to this mixture
  • Garnish with lime wedge, celery stick and crushed black pepper with pepper mill and salt rim on glass

Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, Delhi- luxury and food experience at its best!

I am a sucker for luxury and a five star hotel is one of the best ways to indulge in some luxury, leisure and one is lucky enough if the hotel also offers some great food. I recently stayed at the Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, Delhi and I can easily say, that it gave me a perfectly balanced experience of everything. The comfortable stay in a spacious room, culinary delights at Dilli 32 and Cafe Knosh and immense hospitality throughout. Read the full story here

The culinary experience at Dilli 32 was indeed a special one, as the restaurant was running a food festival, Dining with the Maharajas, serving the royal food from Mahmoodabad. Read my complete post here

I had a very pleasant and fulfilling experience at the Leela Ambience Convention Hotel and I look forward to a visit again soon and also recommend the place to all my readers, I am sure you too will love it.

Experiencing Naga Cuisine at Nagaland’s Kitchen!

The native cuisine of the Naga people, Nagaland food comprises primarily of Meat and Fish which is usually either smoked, dried or fermented. The use of chillies is exceptionally high in the cuisine especially the world famous Bhut Jolokia. Replicating such traditional food and retaining authentic taste always comes as a challenge when exploring the cuisine outside the region, but Nagaland’s Kitchen has completely emerged as a winner in this case. They have not just replicated the dishes, but also taken utmost care to retain the authenticity of tastes by sourcing some of their ingredients right from the base region.

I recently went to explore the cuisine, which I had only heard about and I would say that in spite of having a lot of apprehensions, I found myself really enjoying the Nagaland food. Like mentioned above, smoked food is a traditional way of cooking in Nagaland, and they enjoy their meats and veggies with a smoked flavour. This particular style of cooking was brought alive at the Smokey Delight Festival at Nagaland’s Kitchen.

The ambience of the place was warm and comfortable and the festive vibes to it as Christmas is just around the corner. I was welcomed with a Jolokia Vodka Shot, with a word of caution. Yes you read it right, a word of caution here is imperative at Jolokia is one of the spiciest chillies found in the world, and this vodka shot was infused with the same. But I was really up for the challenge and wanted to try it out for sure.

So as it was a shot, and meant to be had in one shot, I gulped it down, I would say it wasn’t as spicy or bad as I was warned about. It surely hits the back of your throat and stomach for a few seconds, but thats about it. The best part was that it did not have any after taste, so i didn’t feel the spicy sensation on my tongue at all.

Coming to food, I started the culinary experience with a very nice Soup, it was available in both Smoked Pork and Smoked Chicken option and I settled for Chicken. It was called the Amrosu Soup and I found it perfect for that chilly winter evening. The taste of the soup was mild and the smoked chicken enhanced its flavour multifolds, I really enjoyed having it. Up next was Smoke Chicken and Dry Bamboo Salad and it too was very well prepared. I loved how the other flavours were kept mild in this too and the smoked chicken did its wonders yet again. Smoke Pork with Dry Bamboo Shoot was another amazing preparation.

In starters I tried Smoke Chicken Chilli and Pork Chilli, though I am not too fond of pork, but trust me, one bite into this and I could not stop myself. It was so so delicious.

The main course offered Smoke Chicken, Smoke Dry River Fish, Smoke Pork Anishi and Smoke Eel. I restricted myself to pork and chicken, but those who fancy having a dried fish and eel, should definitely try it here. Served with sticky boiled rice, both the dishes in gravy were tasteful.

For desserts, I had the traditional plum cake, which was prepared keeping the festivities in mind.

I would say, I had an extremely pleasant and wonderful culinary experience at Nagaland’s Kitchen and its one place that surely is worth your time and money.

Nagaland's Kitchen Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Christmas Recipes from The Bristol, Gurgaon

Christmas Recipes

Red Velvet Pancake

Ingredients Quantity

10 cups all-purpose flour- 1/2 Cup [Chopped]

Sugar- 1-1/4 Cups

Baking Cocoa- 2/3 Cups

Baking Soda- 6 tsp

Baking Powder- 4 tsp

Salt- 5 tsp

 

Additional Ingredients (for each batch)

 

Buttermilk – 2 cups

Eggs -2

Red food coloring – 2 tsp

Butter and maple syrup

 

Method

  • In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking cocoa, baking soda and salt all together.
  • Place 2 cups in each of five resalable plastic bags or containers.
  • Store in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months

To prepare pancakes

  • Pour the mixed ingredients into a large bowl.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs and food coloring.
  • Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
  • Pour batter by 1/4 cupful’s onto a greased hot griddle; turn when bubbles form on top.
  • Cook until the second side is golden brown.
  • Serve with butter and syrup.

Mocha Cashew Butter

Ingredients Quantity

 

Salted Cashews -3 cups

Softened Butter- 1/2 cup

Semisweet Chocolate Chips- 1/2 cup

Instant Coffee Granules -2 tsp

Water -2 tsp

Salted Cashews (optional)

Method

  • Place cashews in a food processor.
  • Cover and process until finely ground.
  • Add half of the butter; process until smooth.
  • Transfer to a small bowl.
  • In a small saucepan, combine the chocolate chips, coffee granules, water along with remaining butter.
  • Cook and stir over low heat until smooth.
  • Stir into cashew mixture.
  • Top with additional cashews if desired.
  • Store in the refrigerator.

 

Mother Christmas Cake

Ingredients Quantity

 

Chopped Peeled Tart Apples (about 2 large) -3 cups

Sugar -2 cups

Apple Juice – 1/2 cup

Eggs -3

Vegetable Oil -3/4 cup

Vanilla Extracts- 1 tsp

All-purpose Flour -3 cups

Apple Pie Spice (Cinnamon)-2 tsp

Salt -1 tsp

Coarsely Chopped Pecans -2 cups

Candied Red Cherries, halved- 1/2 pound

Candied Green Cherries, halved- 1/2 pound

Diced Candied Pineapple – 1/2 pound

Salted Cashews (optional)

Method

  • Line three 8×4-inch loaf pans with waxed paper
  • Grease the paper and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine apples, sugar and apple juice; let stand for 15 minutes.
  • In a bowl, combine the eggs, oil and vanilla.
  • Add to apple mixture; mix well.
  • Combine the flour, apple pie spice, baking soda and salt; add to apple mixture and mix well.
  • Fold in pecans, cherries and pineapple.
  • Pour into prepared pans.
  • Bake at 350° for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.
  • Remove waxed paper.
  • Cool completely.

How are Swiggy Coupons helpful?

Swiggy offers online food ordering and delivering to your doorstep. In India, it is headquartered in Bengaluru. Swiggy was founded by Sriharsha Majety, Nandan Reddy, Rahul Jaimini in the year 2014. Bootstrapped till last January, the food tech startup was present in just a few neighbourhoods of Bengaluru, with Koramangala giving a major chunk of the business. Today, Swiggy has raised its business plan to eight cities and more than 9,000 restaurants that allows them to function with ease and deliver their orders in minimum time. Swiggy works as your food providing buddy and understands your cravings for food at odd hours. They do not question your food requirements and get you, your favorite meal within few taps on your smartphone. After all who can say no to a hungry stomach. You need not worry about your food longing when Swiggy is around the corner and of course on your smartphone! There are days when you reach home, tired and stressed and the last thing you wish to do is to cook food for yourself or your family. Such crisis calls for Swiggy! You can sit and relax in your recliner and wait for your order to arrive magically on your doorstep. All thanks to the delivery boys of Swiggy! They are fast and accurate with directions. They are there with your food at just the right time, even before your food gets cold. There are another innumerable benefits attached to this amazing online food company – Swiggy Offers the flexibility to its customers to order as per their requirement without any restrictions of “minimum order” policy. To make it more simple, you can order anything and everything as per your wish and you do not have to add anything extra just for the sake of completing the terms and conditions of “minimum order”.

With the kind of quality service provided by Swiggy, it has been completing around 2,000 orders a day with an average value of close to Rs. 300 per order. These figures are the true reflection of Swiggy’s reach and customer satisfaction. As their source of income, Swiggy charges around 15-25 percent commission from restaurant and hotel owners. Which means the users are safely kept at bay from extra charges. Although, happy customers somehow find the way to appreciate the service of Swiggy delivery boys by rewarding them with 15-20 rupees as a token of love. This kind of an arrangement has helped the users to get the maximum benefits out of their services and in return, Swiggy gets their feedback in the form of the money they receive from their customers. In addition to this, Swiggy also offers huge discounts to its customers if they order through their mobile application. You can choose your order and use Swiggy Coupons to avail various discounts on various restaurants and hotels. To not miss these amazing deals and discounts, you can get yourself registered on their website and get notified about these discounts and offers. This ensures that Swiggy’s customers make the best use of these benefits and save as much as possible. These offers can be availed either through Swiggy Coupons or by applying Swiggy promo codes which are available on their website as well as their mobile application.

 

 

Winter Menu at Chaayos!

Chaayos is almost a synonym for a tea cafe, there is no one better when it comes to serving hand crafted and blended teas and that too keeping in mind the Indian taste buds. For most Indians tea is their fuel to keep going, and you just can’t afford to go wrong with it, and Chaayos has really carved its name across the minds of tea lovers.

Not just tea, but Chaayos has always came across as a notch above the rest even when it comes to tea accompaniments. The sweets and savouries are just perfect always. What I personally love about their menu is the seasonal changes that they bring. Be it summers, monsoons or winters, Chaayos always brings in something special in their menu, which makes the visit to their outlet worth while.

With the winters setting in, Chaayos recently added 9 amazing menu items keeping the season in mind. With 2 varieties of tea, 2 desserts and 5 savoury items, the menu is a perfectly balanced one.

Gur Wali Chai and Tulsi Green Tea are the perfect companions for a breezy winter morning, afternoon or evening and you just can’t afford to miss it. Personally I found the Tulsi Green Tea extremely refreshing and comforting to the throat. Relish these teas with Paneer Bhurji Bun, which was an amazing preparation. Paneer bhurji loaded on soft buns makes for a delicious dish, I loved it. The Chicken Cutlet and Mutton Cutlet also need your attention as they both tasted really good, though again going by a personal choice I would any day prefer the Chicken Cutlet over Mutton. The Chicken Cutlets were nice, crispy on the outside, and soft and spicy on the inside.

Butter Chicken Kulhad with Masala Kulcha was another great preparation. Soft and succulent chicken chunks in rich tomato gravy served with masala kulchas made for an interesting combination and must be tried.

The best was the Open Keema Parantha, trust me you cannot have enough of this scrumptious dish. An open lachha parantha loaded with well cooked keema and some cheese is just what you need to comfort your taste buds. Simply done and simply delicious. Though eating it becomes a little messy, because its made and cut like a pizza, but because the parantha is soft, it keeps folding and you end up dropping the keema, but if you actually fold it right at the start and enjoy it as a small roll, you cannot go wrong, and also who minds getting a little messy when the food is so delicious.

The desserts too were simply done and yet very very tasty. A warm chocolate lava cake and banana-walnut cake, both of them were really good. Whereas the chocolate cake oozed out warm chocolate from inside, the banana-walnut cake was extremely soft and comforting.

To try this new menu, we went to the newly opened CP outlet and trust me this is one outlet of Chaayos that you shouldn’t miss visiting. Its by the far the most spacious and creatively done outlet. The vibrancy and energy of the place takes on you completely, and whether you wanna catch up with friends on a cup of tea and snacks, or a quick business meeting, or if you are alone and make tea and laptop your companion, this is the place for you. So for the place that it is and for the teas and food that they serve, Chaayos is a must visit place, so what are you waiting for..??

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Winter Recipes by Chef Anil Dahiya, Bristol Gurgaon

Healthy Easy to Make Winter Recipes

Pineapple Coconut Cashew Rice

Ingredients Quantity

Long grained rice 1 1/2 cups

Crushed pineapple chunks 1 (20 oz. Can)

(In the form of pineapple juice)

Unsweetened coconut milk 1 (13.5 oz. Can)

Sweetened coconut flakes 3tsp.

Thai red curry paste 1 tsp.

Garlic powder 1 tsp.

Onion powder 1/2 tsp.

Ground ginger 1/2 tsp.

Salt 1/2 tsp.

Pepper 1/8 tsp.

For Garnish

Ingredients Quantity

Lime juice 3tsp.

(According to taste)

Salted roasted cashews 1/2 cup

Chopped cilantro 1/2 cup

Freshly cracked salt and pepper

Method

  • Pour pineapple juice (collected from crushed pineapple) in a measuring cup. Add coconut milk in 3 equal cups – add water if necessary.
  • Transfer the liquid into a large pan and bring to a gentle simmer
  • Stir rice, coconut milk, sweetened coconut flakes, thai red curry paste and onion powder.
  • Bring it to a boil then cover and reduce heat to low (dial should be a little above lowest setting).
  • Simmer for approximately 20 minutes or until rice is tender, stir for 15 minutes and add water if necessary.
  • When rice is tender, remove the pan from the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes.
  • When ready to serve (not before), stir in lime juice, cilantro and cashews.
  • Taste and season with freshly cracked salt and pepper and additional lime juice to taste if desired.

Tomato Halwa

Ingredients Quantity

Tomatoes 10-12

Sugar 2 cups

Ghee 1/2 cup

Cashewnuts 20

Raisins 2 tablespoons

Green cardamoms 6

Cloves 4

Tulsi leaves 1/4 cup

Rose petals 1/4 cup

Edible camphor (optional) 1 a pinch

 

Method

· Wash the tomatoes, remove the eye and make an incision on the lower side.

· Boil water and blanch the tomatoes for 2-3 minutes. Drain, peel, deseed and chop.

· Reserve the pulp with the juices. Grind the cardamom with 1 tablespoon sugar to a fine powder, sieve and keep aside.

· Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee and fry the Cashewnuts and Raisins to golden brown.

· Wash and shred the Rose petals and Tulsi leaves and reserve.

· Boil the sugar with ½-cup water and make a single-thread syrup and keep aside.

· Heat the ghee in a wide kadai (utensil), roast the cloves in it, till they start to crackle.

· Add the tomato pulp and cook till the liquid dries up. Cook on low heat.

· Increase heat and add the hot syrup slowly.

· Reduce to low heat, keep stirring to avoid burning and cook till it starts to leave the sides.

· Sprinkle the Cardamom powder, Rose petals, Tulsi leaves and the Camphor.

· Mix well

· Garnish the halwa with fried Cashewnuts and Raisins and serve warm.

Bhutte ka Kees

Ingredients Quantity

Medium sized corns 4

Ginger 2-3 (1/2 inch)

Turmeric 1 tsp.

Chilli powder 1-2 tsp.

Mustard seeds 1 tsp.

Oil 2 tsp.

Milk 1/2 cup

Water 1/2 cup

Lemon juice 2 tsp.

Sugar 1/2 tsp.

Salt to taste

A pinch of Asafoetida (Heeng)

Chopped coriander and grated coconut for garnishing

Method

  • Grate the corn with a hand grater to make a coarse paste. (You can also use a food processor or mixer grinder but it will affect the taste. It tastes better if you use the hand grater)
  • Chop the ginger and green chilli finely.
  • Add oil in a pan. Add asafetida (heeng) and mustard seeds till it splutter.
  • Add green chillies and chopped ginger.
  • Add corn paste, turmeric, chilli powder and salt. Stir it occasionally to make sure that no lumps are formed.
  • Cook it for approx.10-15 mins until the liquid in the corn paste gets dried off and the colour of the mixture changes to golden yellow.
  • Add milk and water. Continue stirring till its consistency becomes like halwa or upma.
  • Add sugar and lemon juice.
  • Garnish it with chopped coriander, grated coconut and serve hot.