Goa, India

Best Lifestyle Blog of Goa

Tag: Food Blogger

The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, Delhi commenced the ‘Dining with the Maharaja’ series with a taste of the royal cuisine from the city of Mahmoodabad

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, Delhi never fails to impress its patrons as it continuously keeps bringing new innovations in terms of food experiences. Recently the Dilli 32 restaurant within the hotel celebrated the gloriously grand and royal cuisine of Mahmoodabad as its inaugural city.

The 16 day (30th September – 15th October) food festival is a part of the signature ‘Dining with the Maharajas’ series at the hotel. This series of culinary festivals has been especially created to celebrate and revive the love for the fabulously diverse range of dishes served in the royal households across India. The journey to the Quila of Mahmoodabad served as the perfect beginning to the festival. The melodious live performances by in-house Ghazal musicians at the hotel created an ambience that was similar to the one in the Mahmoodabad palace and facilitated an authentic experience for the guests. The ambience really was a big turn on for me, from upholstery, to the table decor, candle chandeliers to the crockery and utensils, each and every element reflected the era and theme.

The first pit stop on the ‘Dining with the Maharajas’ journey, Mahmoodabad, also known as the kingdom of ‘Oudh’ is situated in the heart of the holy city of Sitapur. To bring out the true flavours of each dish Chef De Cuisine Ashwani Kumar Singh himself travelled to the city to learn the art of recreating the royal dishes.

The refreshing imperial menu of Mahmoodabad offered its guests a lavish spread of signature dishes such as Kababs, Shorbas and Salans including specialties such as Murgh Mussallam, Gosht Makhana Kurma, Matter Latpata, Paneer Hazrat Mahal, Laab- i- Mashooq and much more. Each and every item was carefully chosen and spoke volumes about sheer dedication of Chef Ashwani Kumar to bring the cuisine alive on our tables. I personally loved Gole Kebab and Boti Kebab from the starters and Murg Mussallam, Paneer Hazrat and Noor Mahili Pulao the most from the mains menu. The spread was an elaborate one and still left me asking for more.

The dessert menu too was exceptionally good and I loved everything from the menu, but Shahi Tukda and Laab-I-Mashooq need special mentions and should not be missed at any cost.

With the tastes of this food festival still lingering on, I am already looking forward to the next attraction that Leela would bring in.

Everything You Need To Know About Baking With Almond Flour

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

File

Almond flour is nothing new; it’s been around for as long as wheat flour has, but it’s only in the past few years that it’s become a kitchen staple for many of us. The reason behind this sudden explosion of popularity is simple: almond flour is gluten free, which means it’s compatible with gluten free and Paleo diets — diets that have been all the rage in recent times.

The idea of using almond flour is attractive on the surface. There’s no gluten, which is great if you’re Celiac or have an intolerance. Almond flour is also, compared with wheat flour at least, more nutritionally-dense, so you get more goodness for the calories consumed. However, almond flour can also be tricky to handle — especially if you’ve never baked with it before.

If you’re tempted to give almond flour a go in place of wheat flour, then it’s a fairly simple swap when it comes to finding suitable recipes. If you can make something using wheat flour, you can generally substitute almond flour in place of wheat. However, almond flour requires something of a learning process. So, before you go diving into your recipes, here are a few vital facts you need to be aware of when it comes to using almond flour.

#1 – Watch Your Storage Temperature 

Most of us store flour in the back of a kitchen cupboard, which is fine for wheat flour. It will also be fine for almond flour, but it’s not optimal. Almond flour keeps for longer and tends to taste better when it’s stored at low temperatures. Some users even say it’s easier to work with when cold-stored, too. So try and make space in your fridge, or even your freezer, so you can get the best results. 

#2 – Use More Binding Agents

If you’re going to be making bread with your almond flour, the lack of gluten to bind the mixture is going to be very noticeable. The mixture will usually be runnier, resulting in very disappointing loaves. To counteract this, ensure you add more eggs or butter to compensate. This will likely lengthen your mixing time, so ensure you look into finding the best stand mixer for bread dough — or you might wind up with aching arms!

The lack of gluten is less noticeable on items that aren’t required to rise in the same way as bread. A good first bake with almond flour is sweet cookies; very little rise required, and gives you the chance to get used to the new flour experience.

#3 – Watch Your Calories

As mentioned, almond flour is nutritionally dense, making it generally better for you than wheat flour. However, you still need to know how many calories are in almond flour. Just because you’re using something that’s good for you doesn’t mean it’s not calorific. There are less calories in almond flour compared to wheat, but don’t be tempted to eat without consulting the calorific load — too much of a good thing is still too much!

So, have you ever been tempted to try baking with almond flour?

Love Minnions, a visit to The Minnions Cafe is a must!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

These cute little adorable Minnion characters have been loved by all age groups since long now. From stuff toys, to balloons, we even try to make them a part of our day to day life and if you love Minnions, The Minnion Cafe is just the place for you, and if you don’t love them, visit this cafe, and I am sure you will fall in love with both Minnions and the cafe.

Minnion cafe situated in the by lanes of Laxmi Nagar Market is like an underdog for cafes. It just opened a few months back and has been on a hype and to-visit list of many food enthusiasts. This hype is mostly due to the edge given to it by its owners, regarding the theme.

The ambience is quite innovative, with posters, paintings as well as a special wall portion for Minnions language dictionary. It gives a happy go lucky feel around the cafe which will appeal to children, youth and even elderly people. The vibes, the music, is all peppy and alive. The walls have been specially painted by hand and that rawness has its own appeal. They even have an area dedicated for playstation games which can be accessed for a very nominal amount. In fact the place is perfect to host private parties/birthday celebrations etc whether you have a small group of friends or a full-blown guest list.

Coming to food, the innovation has been kept in mind while developing the menu, simple things made with a twist are the highlight of the cafe.

For example, we tried the Nachos Pizza, Jalapeno Cheesy Poppers, Dhaba Maggi and Baked Paneer Tikka and each and every item was simply delicious. I highly recommend the Dhaba Maggi and Jalapeno Cheesy Poppers, they are not to be missed for sure. Try their amazing shakes to go along and I am sure you will enjoy this foodie experience to the core. Nutella Shake, Oreo Shake and Paan Mojito were the best and highly recommended.

Over all, I would not rate this place, rather visit it again. Which will tell you, how wonderful my experience was, that I am already planning my second delightful visit.

The Minnions Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Experiencing great North Indian food at The Yellow Chilli, Goa!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

When you are away from your home town, apart from missing your loved ones back home, you miss the typical home food the most. During my recent trips to Goa, one evening I was really missing the typical Indian food, especially the Dal Makhani and some Butter Naans and then I remembered The Yellow Chilli by Sanjeev Kapoor which is housed in the very famous Mall de Goa and I immediately jumped with joy, grabbed hold of my friends and we all headed straight to the restaurant.

The quirkiness of the places catches your attention immediately, with some amazing caricatures adorning the walls. The seating is casual dining type and is apt for families and youngsters both.

[easy-image-collage id=8245]

To begin with we settled for some Masala Papad, Dahi Ke Kebab, Tangra Chilly Paneer, Lehsuni Murg Tikka and Chanak Tawa Masala. The Chanak Tawa Masala was easily the best dish, nice and crispy fish with a flavourful masala and I simply loved it. The Lehsuni Murg Tikka was another delightful preparation, the chicken was mouth meltingly soft and the taste of garlic was just right.

Dahi Ke Kebabs were nicely done and I loved the small innovation of adding a bit of cheese in the centre, which tasted quite well. The Chilly Paneer was good, but could have been better, as the taste of salt and garlic overpowered everything else.

For drinks, we tried Jaljeera, Butterscotch Caramel and Tarbooza and all of them were good. I personally loved the Jaljeera, my friend ended up ordering the Butterscotch Caramel twice so I am very sure it would be awesome too.

For the mains we settled for Lalla Mussa Dal, a hot favourite at the Yellow Chilly and Ghee Roasted Chicken. Both the dishes were great, and we relished them with butter naans.

Bebinca with butter made for our dessert and it was delicious. You can’t miss on trying a bebinca especially when in Goa. Overall it was a great experience of having typical North Indian food in Goa and satiating my taste buds to the fullest. So when in Goa do try the Yellow Chilly and I am sure you will love it.

The Yellow Chilli Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Dakshin Food Festival at Crowne Plaza Rohini!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

The word Dakshin, by default doesn’t excite me much, because I am not a big fan of South Indian Cuisine, but recently when my foodie friends decided to visit the DAKSHIN Food Festival at Crowne Plaza Rohini, I reluctantly agreed. I am so glad that I actually went, because my perception of the Dakshin food changed completely, it was so so good that I can actually now say that I relished it.

The spread was an elaborate one and offered wide variety of dishes for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. I tried quite few things and I have to admit that I loved each one of them. Some of them need a special mention, The Rawa Fish was an amazing preparation, crispy outer coating to an otherwise tender fish, it just melted in mouth. Chonka Idly, Maysore Bonda and Paneer 65 were other delightful preparations. I loved the tiny tiny crisp idly a lot. Mulagu Vada too was a delectable dish and so were Chicken 65 and Meen Pollichathu.

Then we tried the Veg Stew with Appam and it was simply delicious. Rasa Omelette was a dish that stood out for its awesome flavours. Ulli Theeyal Mutton and Mangalorian Fish Curry were relished with Malabari Paranthas and trust me they were drool worthy.

After a hearty platter of desserts, we ended our culinary trip to Dakshin, without having to go their actually and enjoyed ourselves to the core. Now I can say that I look forward to more such festivals and I am extremely open to explore more South Indian dishes.

Experiencing Culinary Delights at Auro Kitchen & Bar!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Auro Kitchen & Bar, nestled in Aurobindo Market, Hauz Khas is surely one of the coolest places you will come across. With a huge terrace to spend some cosy time, they have an equally spacious interior seating as well. Even if the weather isn’t too fantastic to sit outside, the mist fans do the job and make it up the heat and humidity. For those who wanna try their various varieties of Hookah, by default will have to sit outside and enjoy both the weather and the hookah along with some scrumptious food and drinks.

This time around as I was with a vegetarian friend, and also for a change, I too gave non-veg a skip and I don’t regret it at all, as the food was great.

To begin with we ordered, Char Grilled Potatoes, small jacket potatoes cooked with tandoori masala which was spicy and topped with creamy cheese, this surely was one delectable dish. The spiciness of tandoori masala was perfectly balanced by the cheese and it was a match made in heaven.

Next we tried Paneer 65 Sliders and they were truly amazing. Spicy paneer 65 in soft buns, this made for a delightful dish and should definitely be given a try, I am sure even the non vegetarians will love it.

The mushroom Ranikhet was another amazing preparation, mushroom paste, truffle oil, matahari ranikhet cheese and mozzarella over a flat bread, though for my liking the mushroom taste was slightly overpowering, but nevertheless the dish was unique and can surely be given a try.

Truffle Kulcha and Wild Mushroom Seekh Kebabs totally compensated for the non-veg craving, because the mushroom seekh kebabs tasted just like mutton kebabs and were very soft and tender.

For drinks, I settled for Orange Thyme, an orange based mocktail which was quite refreshing, whereas I sipped 2-3 cocktails which my friend had ordered, Passioned Secret Tea, a whiskey based cocktail with bourbon and this was really nice. Other was The Union, a vodka based cocktail with pomegranate and I liked this one too.

While gorging upon the starters and slurping away the drinks, we really werent too hungry for a main course, yet we wanted to try something from the menu. We settled for Masala Cottage Cheese and were so glad that we ordered it. Cottage Cheese chunks cooked in rich tomato gravy served with paranthas, made for an amazing dish and I really recommend it to all my vegetarian friends. You will surely love it.

Overall, Auro was a great foodie experience and I look forward to visit the place again with my friends and family.

Pan Asian Foodie Experience at Kylin Premier

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Kylin Premier situated in the Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj offers scrumptious Pan Asian cuisine that you can’t afford to miss, be it Chinese, Thai or Japanese and even Malaysian, it serves authentic food and also has some great drinks on the menu to explore.

Image Courtesy- Mr Polkadot

The ambience is chic and classy and gives you a fine dining feel. To begin with we ordered Chicken Dimsums with Shanghai Chilli and Chicken Dimsums with Aromatic Curry. Both the dimsums looked gorgeous and tasted equally good. The purple colour of Chicken Dimsums with Shanghai Chilli was a highlight, I kept on staring at them for a long time before actually eating them, and one bite into it, and you know you couldn’t have asked for anything better. The Aromatic Curry Dimsums on the other hand had a Thai curry base to them which added a great dimension to the overall taste. You cannot afford to miss both these dishes.

Sole Fish in Chilli Hoisin and Chicken Finger Chilli Hoisin and 5 Spice were other two starters that we tried, they both tasted quite similar, the only difference was the type of flesh you were eating, but at the same time, both did taste good.

Spicy Veg Roll or Veg Sushi as we would like to call it was another winner dish, a perfectly rolled sushi with great pickled veggies stuffed in. I simply loved it. Rice Paper Rolls and Yasai Tempura can also be given a try.

For the main course we tried Chicken in Ginger and Mild Soya, Stir Fried Ginger Soya Fish, Oriental Veg in Chilli Bean and Lohan Veggies with Oyster Mushroom along with some Udon Noodles and Wok Fried Sticky Garlic Garlic Rice. All the dishes were amazing, I especially loved the chicken and udon noodles.

To go along with our food, I tried the Cosmopolitan and then later settled for Magical Ming a Gauva based mocktail. I also sipped Green Apple Martini from a friend, and can easily say that drinks at Kylin are wonderful.

For desserts we tried Tub Tim Krob, a typical Thai dessert made with water chestnuts and coconut cream and milk. Its truly delectable and refreshing and you must try it.

Overall I had a fantastic time with my friends at Kylin and I look forward to visiting the place again soon.
Kylin Premier Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

The Change is Here- Dominos Pizza Badal Gaya!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

It is rightly said that change is the only constant and when the change is for better, its always welcomed with open arms. Just recently our favourite Dominos has changed for better.

Domino’s Pizza, the market leader in the organized pizza segment, unveiled its most significant product refresh with an across the board enhancement of its pizzas.

The improvement to its pizzas include a new soft and tasty crust, more and bigger toppings, more cheese and a new herbier tomato sauce made from imported Californian tomatoes.

The launch of the All New Domino’s Pizzas will be supported by an aggressive advertising campaign across Television, Digital, Press and Radio. It will also be accompanied by a focused outreach effort targeted at its existing customers.

Domino’s Pizzas will now sport a new look and come in an attractive blue and white packaging that highlights the changes. Even after these improvements, the price of Domino’s pizzas will remain unchanged and this will help deliver better value-for-money to customers.

Talking about the new launch, Mr. Pratik Pota, CEO, Jubilant FoodWorks Limited said, “Earlier in the year, we had unveiled our new strategy for driving sustainable, profitable growth. The key pillars of these were Product Improvement, Value For Money, Seamless Customer Experience and Superior Technology all enabled by a focus on cutting costs and driving efficiencies. As part of this strategy, we are pleased to unveil today the largest ever upgrade of our pizzas. The new improved Domino’s Pizzas will have a softer and tastier crust, more and bigger toppings, more cheese and a new herbier tomato sauce.”

Mr. Pota further added, “We will be investing nearly Rs.100 crores behind the upgrade. We believe that the vastly improved product will help both drive frequency amongst existing customers as well as attract new ones, and thereby expand the Domino’s franchise and help growth in the market”.

Domino’s pizzas will now come with a new soft and tasty crust that consumers will enjoy until the last bite. The sauce will now be made of Californian tomatoes and will be tastier, giving Domino’s Pizza a distinct herbier flavour. The quantity and size of the toppings across pizzas have also been increased along with the amount of cheese to provide the consumers with a more satiating and mouthful bite.

Speaking on the new brand transformation Mr. S. Murugan Narayanaswamy, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Domino’s Pizza India, “In the last 20 years we have continuously adapted ourselves and brought the brand closer to our consumers. Our signature 30 minutes delivery promise and the launch of the Pizza Mania range are examples of this. The All New Domino’s is an outcome of insights gained from customer feedback, market research and store observations. Responding to specific feedback on the product gleaned from these, we have completely upgraded our product. We have planned a 360-degree marketing campaign ‘Aapne kaha, humne Kiya’ around the same. We are confident that our customers will love the new, enhanced product.”

And after hearing so much about the new changes, it was absolutely mandatory for me to try these new improved pizzas because just hearing about more toppings, softer crust and cheese along with the tomato sauce, my mouth watered and I had to try them on my own for sure. So I ordered myself a Barbecue Chicken Pizza and Paneer Makhani Pizza and truly the crust was much more softer and almost melted in the mouth. by just looking at the pizza one could make out that it has more cheese. loved the big chunks of chicken and paneer in the respective pizzas. The paneer especially was really soft and I loved it. The taste of the new tomato sauce was more evident in the barbecue chicken pizza and I really liked its freshness. Overall this has been a great change and I look forward to try the other variants of pizza as well. Dominos has been a market leader and I am sure with all these new improvements they are bound to go places.

[easy-image-collage id=8105]

 

 

Hanging Out at SummerHouse Cafe!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Recently when my blog completed 2 years, I though of celebrating the special day with my special friends and headed out to Summer House Cafe for the same. It was a Sunday evening, and Summer House was also organising a Salsa night and this gave us another reason to chose this place for our celebration. Music, Dance, Friends, Amazing Food, I mean what more do you need to celebrate an important day.

[easy-image-collage id=8000]

Initially we settled ourselves on the Terrace and enjoyed some starters and drinks.  The terrace was a very cool vibe to it and feels like a perfect place to hangout and chill with friends.

A veg platter, Oriental Spring Rolls and Falafel & Hummus made for our starters while Mai Tai and Junniper Pimms were our selection for drinks. The veg platter included Paneer Tikka, Roasted Pineapple and Stuffed Soya Tikka along with mint sauce, kachumbar salad and yogurt dip. The paneer tikka and soya tikka were perfectly done and spiced. Though the pineapple too was good, very juicy and nicely roasted, but I found it too spicy, if it would have been a little less spicier, it would have been better, as too much of spiciness doesn’t gel with everyones tastebuds.

Oriental Spring Rolls were to die for, crispy on the outside, stuffed with sautéed veggies, it was awesome. I can gorge on them anytime. Falafel served with Pita and Hummus were good too, though I would have preferred if the falafel wasn’t too dry. If eaten alone without the dips, it didn’t go down too well with me because of its dryness.

As for drinks, Junniper Pimms was a gin based cocktail with chunks of cucumber which give it a very refreshing taste and Mai Tai was a rum based cocktail, which had both dark rum and white rum along with orange and pineapple juice. Both the drinks not just looked good, but tasted good as well.

After sometime, we came downstairs to explore the inside seating and also enjoy the Salsa night. We ordered Bloody Mary, LIIT, a Pineapple and Red Bull based Mocktail and one other Pineapple Mocktail, both of which were amazing. Then we also ordered some Nachos to go along and sat ourselves in comfortable couches. The ambience downstairs is also very alive and quirky. Paintings, artefacts and random quotes on the walls, make for an interesting decor overall.

By 9:30, the place was buzzing with people dancing away to some great music and showing Salsa moves with their partners. Those who didn’t have partners, also found like minded people, who were all set to explore and thump their feet on the ground. It was an amazing sight to see so many people dancing, looked like many poetries in motion together.

We further tried a thin crust Bell Pepper & Onion pizza and loved it. To end our evening at a sweet note, Banoffee Pie made for a perfect companion. The taste still lingers on. Well in the end all I can say is that I had a perfect evening spent at Summer House Cafe and for me this place will always remain on my go to list when hanging out with friends.

Summer House Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Back to University with Leela Ambience Convention Hotel!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Wanna revisit college days, head straight to Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, and in case you have missed eating the typical canteen food, the Back to University Food Festival at Leela, will help you recreate those memories again.

The ambience really catches your eyes the moment yo enter Cafe Knosh, with a huge gold spot bottle forming the centre piece and scholar hats and degrees hanging on the ceiling and blackboards on the walls.  A nice bus stop, sports zone and cycles, trophies shelf and loads of interesting artistic decor really brings the college life magic alive.

[easy-image-collage id=7926]

Loved a Tapri Chai Thela, which served some cutting chai along with age old rusk and cookies. It was like a Deja Vu, remembering number of times we went for tea and biscuits to a near by thela and enjoyed simple things of life chatting away with friends.

The food has been inspired from various colleges across Delhi and typically served specialities from all these colleges. Like Rajma Chawal and Dosa from Hansraj College, Egg Fried Rice and French Fries with Mint Chutney from Ramjas, Minced Cutlets, Omelletes and Chicken Curry from St Stephan’s, Chole Bhature from SRCC and so on.

We tried Vada Pao, which was nice, crispy and spicy. I really liked it. Next on my plate was a piping hot Mattar Samosa, which was delicious. The stuffing of potatoes and peas was perfectly done and was very flavourful. You can’t afford to miss this one. Relish it with a glass of cutting chai and you will experience sheer bliss.

Then came one of the best dishes of the evening, the chicken sliders. Juicy chicken patty in soft buns, it was mouth meltingly delicious and again a must try.

We tried both Chicken Maggie and Masala Maggie, I mean how can you ignore Maggie in college days, its been a lifeline for most of the people and one dish which has evolved so much in taste. I mean the typical masala maggie is actually a legacy of colleges and at Leela, the same tastes were recreated, I personally enjoyed the Masala Maggi more.

We also relished some Crispy Fried Fish with Tartar Sauce and Paneer and Chicken Tikka and all of them were delectable and perfectly done. This is something that at least I didn’t get in my college days, changing times.. but I am glad I could experience it this way!

Then we came down to trying a plate of Kadhi Chawal and Chicken Curry Rice, a staple diet for many in college time. I still remember how we used to crave Rajma Chawal and Kadhi Chawal and the days Chicken was served was a boon. I loved the typical way of how Kadhi Chawal and Chicken Curry Rice were served here, nothing fancy, steel plate, rice topped with gravy and some onions and voila, you are good to gorge upon those plates.

Apart from trying these college legendary dishes, if you have appetite for more, Cafe Knosh serves an amazing spread of buffet that you can lay your hands on along with this special menu

I thoroughly enjoyed this REWIND.. BACK TO UNIVERSITY concept as those are the best days of anyones life and who doesn’t want to revisit them again. SO catch hold of your friends and head straight to Leela Ambience Convention Hotel to indulge in some great food and create new memories. The festival is on till 13th August so make the most of it!

 

 

Theme: Overlay by Kaira.  Copyright @ikreatepassions 2024
Goa, India