Food Festival – iKreate Passions

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‘Miya Ji Ki Rasoi’ Awadhi Food Festival At Goa Marriott Resort & Spa

Posted on May 20, 2019April 17, 2020 by Aditi Malhotra

Awadhi cuisine is native to the land of Nawabs, Lucknow and is highly influenced by the Mughal style of cooking. The bawarchis of Awadh somewhat invented the dum style of cooking or the art of cooking over a slow fire especially when it came to the meat. Their spreads consisted of elaborate dishes such as kebabs, kormas, biryanis, nahari-kulchas, zarda, sheermal, rumali rotis, and warqi parathas. The richness of Awadh cuisine lies not only in the variety of cuisine but also in the ingredients used like mutton, paneer, and rich spices, which include cardamom and saffron.

But when you get to gorge on this culturally rich cuisine in Goa, it’s simply wonderful. You don’t have to travel miles to get the taste of Lucknow, as Goa Marriott Resort and Spa has an ongoing food festival called Miya Ji Ki Rasoi curated by guest chef Asif Quereshi who has specially flown in from Lucknow. In fact, not just the chef has come from Lucknow to host this food festival, but he has also brought in some ingredients from Lucknow in order to replicate the exact tastes and maintain the authenticity of the cuisine.

The elaborate spread has the infamous galauti kebabs, haleem, nihari, dum biryani and other dishes bringing in the best of Awadh into Goa. And go crazy tasting the various chutneys and pickles that are made with the local Awadhi ingredients and go so well with the starters and main course dishes.

Chef has taken a lot of effort in building the menu keeping both non-veg and veg options in mind and thus the vegetarians can actually enjoy this Awadhi feast as much, contrary to the popular belief that Awadhi food is only for non-vegetarians.

My personal recommendations include
Galauti Kebabs– these were delish! For those who have been to Lucknow and tasted the famous Tunday Kebabs, oh boy, these tasted just the same. They were so so tender that they simply melted in my mouth. And a great insight was shared by the chef, that all the meat was cooked for hours in order to become very tender and soft, all because the Nawabs did not want to put any efforts in eating. They wanted easy to eat food that didn’t take much strength to even chew!
Haldi Mitch Ki Tawa Machhi-This too made for one of my favorite dish of the evening. It was very flavourful and delicious.
Ananas Ke Tikke- a great option for vegetarians, although the paneer tikka was good too, these chunks of pineapple marinated in tandoori masala and roasted, were truly amazing. The sweetness of pineapple was so perfectly balanced by the spiciness of tandoori masala.
Haleem- can’t really describe in words, but it was amazing. Top the haleem with some fried onions, lemon juice, green chilies and coriander leaves and savor it with some sheermal and you will taste the heaven!

Finish the meal with sweets like Imarti, Shahi Tukda, and Zarda and enjoy a wholesome foodie experience.

The festival is on from 13th May to 26th May, 7PM-11PM, so make the most of it and do savour some great food and drinks. Share your expienece with me in comments and do let me know what other places would you like me to visit.

Kerala Kitchen At Cafe On 3, Holiday Inn, Mayur Vihar

Posted on December 1, 2018 by Aditi Malhotra

I visited Holiday Inn New Delhi Mayur Vihar Noida yesterday to experience Kerala Kitchen – Melange of flavors from God’s own country, a 9-day long food promotion at its all-day dining eatery, Cafe on 3. The ambiance, the decor, and the music, all resonated well with the vibes that Kerala has to offer.

Master Chef Rejimon, specially flown from Kerala, curated the food promotion offering various signature delicacies from Kochi, Malabar, and Travancore to cover the different elements of authentic food from Kerela. There were interactive stations with themed decor creating a memorable experience for the guests. The entire promotion has 3 cycling menus, which have been prepared to keep in mind the palettes of both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.

Every place has its own culture, tradition, and food and so does Kerala. Few of Chef Rejimon’s signature delicacies include –

Idiyappam Chemmeen Biryani, a dish prepared using Malabar style masalas and has an aromatic flavor

Murniga Kanthari, a tribal chicken dish from central Kerala

Prawn Urulakizhangu Dosa, prawn patties topped with chef’s special masala

Chemmeen Kakka Roti, prawn and rice dumpling

Attirachi Vendakka, lamb cooked with okra

Pidi Kozhi, a traditional home-style chicken dish and many more creations from his repertoire.

The dishes that were the part of the menu on the launch day of the event is what I got to savor and they were as follows:

SALAD

PACHA MANGA SALAD

Shredded Raw Mango with onions & tomatoes

PINEAPPLE PACHA MULAGU SALAD

Pineapple and Green Chili

KOZHI PORICHA SALAD-NV

Fried Chicken with tempered mustard

SEAFOOD CURRY VEPPILA SALAD-NV

Curry leaves marinade mix seafood with onions and lime

Pickle – Raw Mango Pickle, Bitter Gourd Pickle, Pineapple Pickle, Beetroot Pickle, Inji Puli

Pachadi – Beetroot Pachadi, Bitter Gourd Pachadi, Pineapple Pachadi

Chutneys – Raw Mango Chammanthy, Coconut Chutney, Inji Chammanthy

SOUP

PINEAPPLE RASAM

Green chili infused pineapple soup

SEAFOOD THENGA PAL SOUP

Mix Seafood Broth with coconut milk

STARTER-LIVE STATION

VAZHAPOO CUTLET

Banana Flower with mashed potatoes patties

ULLI VADA

Red onion fritter

KANE PORICHATHU

Deep fried ladyfish infused with spices

SEAFOOD VADA MASALA

Seafood dumpling tossed with onion tomato masala

STAPLE – LIVE STATION

APPAM

IDIAPPAM

PAROTA

PUTTU

KADALA CURRY

VEGETABLE ISHTU

CHICKEN ISHTU

MAIN COURSE-VEG

VAZHAKKA KOON ULARTHIYATHU

Tempered Raw Banana and Mushroom

VELLARI MANGA CURRY

Raw Mango and white pumpkin curry

URULAKKIZHANGU VADA CURRY

Potato and lentil dumpling curry

MAIN COURSE-NON VEG

KUMARAKOM MEEN PATTICHATHU

spiced fish curry with fish tamarind

SURIYANI KOZHI PIDI

Syrian Christian style chicken & rice dumpling curry

MUTTON KURUMULAGU ROAST

Mutton with black pepper masala

FLAVOURED RICE

MALABAR SEAFOOD BIRIYANI

Malabar style aromatic biryani with seafood

MALLIYILA CHORU

Coriander Scented Rice with grated coconut

DESSERTS

VAZHAPOO PARIPPU PAYASAM

Tender coconut and Banana flower cooked with jaggery and coconut milk

NEYYADA

Layered steamed cake with eggs and nut

PAZHAM VILAYICHATHU

Caramelized banana with coconut and nuts

PALADA PRADAMAN

Rice flakes cooked with cardamom infused sweetened milk

The dishes that I have marked in bold made for my favorites, the spices, and the flavors were just right. I had tried some of these dishes on my trip to Kerala and I can easily say that there was no difference in the authenticity of the taste. Kudos to chef Rejimon and Cafe on 3 team for recreating the flavors without any compromise.

The carefully crafted menu comprised of traditional food, succulently created from fresh ingredients and deftly spiced by the culinary expert. The festival is a celebration of Chef Rejimon’s culinary journey covering the state of Kerala from North to South and offers the guests an opportunity to treat themselves to authentic Kerala delicacies.

The festival is indeed a rare treat for food lovers and shouldn’t be given a miss. I have been privileged to experience it on day 1 and also meet Chef Rejimon in person.

Date: 30th November – 8^th December 2018 | Time: 1900 hours to 2300 hours | Venue: Café on 3, a full-service buffet restaurant at Holiday Inn New Delhi Mayur Vihar Noida

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 October 14, 2017 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 (30^th September – 15^th 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.

Global Cuisine with a Difference @ Leela Ambience, Gurgaon

Posted on September 6, 2017 by Aditi Malhotra

Leela Ambience has always been a top notch when it comes to food, the chefs at Leela keep experimenting to deliver the best experiences to their customers and just recently they have started EPIC, Global Cuisine. Curated by the executive sous chef Abhishek Gupta, EPIC boasts of global cuisine but with a difference.

I have been lucky enough to try this specially curated menu and trust me its not just a meal, its like a poetry in food, or may be a food story that keeps flowing to you, each item on the menu has its own story to tell, from ingredients to its preparation, this is a tale you don’t want to end. In fact the chef has even written the entire menu in a story form, which in itself was very appealing to me.

This is a proper sit down meal, where in each course is served in a unique manner, with excellent presentations and the chef himself comes to the table each time to explain the dish. The theme was monochrome and hence each dish represented different shades of one colour and I can’t tell you how good the food looked. It was so tempting to look at that at first you can’t take your eyes off it, and all you wanna do is stare, but at the same time, temptation makes it difficult to resist.

I am not going to spill too much on this one, because its an experience you need to indulge in yourself, but certainly I am telling you the names of the dishes and leaving you swoon over the pictures so that you drool over them and plan your visit to Leela soon.

Millet Tart filled with Edamame and Peas with some sour bread sauce, it was a delightful beginning with this dish. Look at the green colour, so refreshing to the eyes and the taste buds.

Compressed watermelon, beetroot textures, pork, caramelised grapes, inspired by textures of tuna, this was a delectable preparation in monochromatic red.

This was one of the highlight preparations for me, a tawa chicken served like mousse, and caramelised served with a galauti parantha.

One of the best things I had that evening, a crunchy and juicy salad made with three different beans, you have to try this one.

A fermented millet bread served with smoked butter and coriander and thyme paste.

Cumin rubbed grilled lamb served with special Karnataka red rice simmered with fennel seeds, shallots and mushrooms which gave it a very creamy texture just like a risotto and the lamb too was perfect.

Then we tried three different desserts and each one of them was a work of art, both in presentation and taste.

Each course is served with a wine to go along and I am sure you will love this dining experience to the core. So what your waiting for, make your weekend special, as this curated global menu is available only on Saturdays at the Elitaire Lounge.

Dakshin Food Festival at Crowne Plaza Rohini!

Posted on August 26, 2017 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.

Thai Khun at Kylin Express…!!

Posted on August 4, 2017 by Aditi Malhotra

Thai Khun typically means Your Thailand, and at an ongoing festival Kylin Experience at Holiday Inn, Mayur Vihar brought the Bangkok Food Street experience live for its customers through this festival. Thai Khun is on till Sunday, i.e. 6th of August. So do try and experience the same.

I personally loved my overall visit at Thai Khun, the concept, the ambience and most importantly the food, all were simply great. Concept wise, the moment you enter you are given Thai Baht, which you can spend to buy food from counters selling different items. There is a fruits counter which serves special Thai fruits and salads. Then a grill counter, dimsums counter, the curry station and others. One could explore each one of these and get food in exchange of the Thai Currency (artificial of course).

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The ambience was given a look and feel of local Bangkok food street with colourful Thai umbrellas and rustic stalls. Now coming to the food, I have never been a big fan of Thai food, but this food festival changed my mind set. I have to say that I have never eaten a better Thai food than this. Each and every item in the menu was absolutely amazing and what made me drool for them even more was the fact that they were priced very reasonably. It didn’t feel at all that I was dining inside a hotel, the prices were apt as per the theme, and did full justice to the street food concept.

My personal recommendations would be the Salads, all of them were simply flavourful. Try the Corn on Cob, Lemon Grass Chicken Satay( never eaten better than these), Chicken and Veg Dimsums (loved the way the were roasted to perfection, the smokey flavour was a true enhancer), Grilled Soya Chaap, and Pandan Leaf Chicken. This pandan leaf chicken is something you can’t afford to miss, the sweetness and flavours of pandan leaf on a perfectly grilled piece of chicken was a mouth melting experience and I loved it.

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For the mains I tried the Red Thai Curry Chicken with Sticky Rice and it was yummy! and I truly mean it, It was by far the best I have eaten, and also one of the reasons was as contrary to the use of Red Paste or Green Curry Paste, here everything was prepared fresh, no pre-made pastes were used in the making of gravies, and that I think gave it a very fresh and appealing taste overall.

For desserts we tired the traditional Thai dessert Red Rubbies, which had Water Chestnuts and Coconut Cream and it was delicious.

I had an amazing amazing time exploring Thai food at Thai Khun and you too must make the most of it, so hurry up..!!

Back to University with Leela Ambience Convention Hotel!

Posted on August 2, 2017 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.

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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!

Masaledar Monsoon Menu at Kopper Kadai!

Posted on July 19, 2017 by Sunil Malhotra

Hey Delhites,the monsoons are here, the advent of the rainy season. When one talks of rains invariably the thought of piping hot tea and pakodas comes to mind at least here in North India. And keeping exactly the weather in mind Kopper Kadahi at Rajouri Garden have come up with a special Monsoon menu curated by Celebrity Chef Akhshay Nayyar.

The specially curated menu for Monsoon festival will be available till July 30th, so don’t forget to hop on at Kopper Kadai before that, make the most while the season lasts.

Not just food, but the place is aesthetically decorated n cosy atmosphere created over two floors of the place makes you feel at home. Experience for yourself the efficient services of a real courteous staff in a super cool ambience with some extraordinary dishes created with love n passion.

A simply wonderful culinary delight with a selection of veg n non veg dishes and a variety of supercool drinks.

The special Masaaledar Monsoon Menu boasts of some mouth watering delicacies like

First n foremost The Chillar Chai, a lovely concoction made out of churned ice, lemon, honey n masalas, this one is an absolute must. The bite sized samosa was a delight stuffed with gobhi.The Biryani pakoda was another innovative and delicious offering.

The poatleez, stuffed with cottage cheese n spinach was lip smackingly good. The Tundla Station Cutlets and Raincoat chicken were a treat to be savoured. For me the outstanding dish was the Barsati Mutton Pepper Fry. Simply superb, the mutton done to perfection.

The Hi chai with pakodas and the cool Mad over Mango were truly satisfying to the palate.

The kaala khatta with Vodka infused grapes, pomegranate n tamarind toffee is cocktail to watch out for. The Jamun Tini a Gin stirred Jara Plum pulp was a really delightful mix.

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If you have appetite for more, a decent buffet comprising of main course Indian dishes was also laid to satiate your taste buds. And I can say that the food was overall very well prepared and surely gives the authentic Indian flavours to its best.

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All in all a wonderful culinary experience. The rain dance show prior to the main event was truly a spectacle. Come on Delhites Rush to Kopper Kadai for an extremely pleasant experience and enjoy monsoons like never before.