Tag: Indian Food Blogger

Avoid a Storm in Your Teacup: Knowing Your Oolong from Your Matcha

While tea is most commonly associated with the British, its popularity across our own nation is on the rise. So it’s time to start getting to know your different types of tea, how and when to serve them and the different benefits that they can have on your health. For now, let’s stick to three of the most commonly consumed varieties of tea: black teas, green teas and tisanes.

Photo Credit

Black Tea

Black tea is the most widely tried type of tea in the West. It is made of young tea leaves that are picked at a young age, withered, rolled, fully oxidised, and fired. Who knew such an extensive process went into making the leaves that fill tea bags in our local supermarkets and grocery stores? Different blends are available. This is a trend that has been carried out by the British for many years. Certain strengths and qualities are chosen for different tastes. For example, you may get a strong breakfast tea or a light afternoon tea. If you have more sensitive taste buds, it’s good to bear in mind that teas from different regions have different characters and signature flavours. Some of the most popular signature teas hail from Darjeeling, Assam, and Nilgiri. Others are processed in specific ways that affect the flavour. An example of this is Lapsang Souchong. The leaves for this tea are smoked over a pinewood fire to give the final result a deep, smoky flavour. When it comes to brewing your tea, it all comes down to personal taste. Some prefer to add sugar, others honey, some lemon. Most will add milk to black tea.

Picture Source

Tisanes

Tisanes are floral or herbal teas. Technically, a “tea” has to originate from the Camellia sinensis plant, the label has been increasingly attached to blends created from other species of plant. These teas are more of a novelty, offering beautiful colours, aromas and flavours. There are seemingly endless varieties of tisanes available, from Chamomile options to laso Tea which claims to aid weight loss. So make sure to read up on whichever type you opt for in order to understand its ingredients, qualities and how its consumption may affect you.

Image Source

Green Tea

Green teas are easy to identify: the fact that they are not oxidised in the process of manufacturing them, they retain their natural colour. They are heat processed to eliminate the enzyme responsible for the oxidisation process that gives black tea its distinctive colour. Chinese varieties tend to have been roasted or pan fired, while Japanese varieties are more frequently steamed. Popular varieties of green tea to try out include matcha, Sencha, dragon’s well, and gyokuro. Make sure to do your research when it comes to storing your chosen type best. Some will taste much better when stored in cool temperatures or dark atmospheres.

Finding the best blend of tea for your personal tastes, whether black, green or tisane requires experimentation and plenty of trial and error. So it’s time to start exploring the world of tea!

 

Back to University with Leela Ambience Convention Hotel!

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!

 

 

ChaoBella- A perfect amalgamation of Oriental and Italian Cuisines!

Situated in Crowne Plaza, Okhla, ChaoBella as the name also suggests represents unity of two different cuisines under one roof. It serves authentic Oriental and Italian food and I simply loved it. The place has a very warm vibe, and his chic and classy interiors.

As it was my first visit to the place, I didn’t want to miss an opportunity to try both the cuisines and hence ordered a perfect mix of starters in order to have best from both the worlds.

Shredded Crispy Mushroom, Zhang Fei Spicy Chicken, Vegetable Dumplings and Chicken Jaozi made for the Chinese starters and Pizza Con Pollo Affumicato and Margarita Pizza for the Italian appetisers. I loved the mushroom and zhang chicken, both. The dumplings were perfectly done and I loved the way a green dot represented the vegetable dumplings and a red dot on Chicken Jaozi, they both looked as amazing as they tasted. I also tried Chicken Manchow Soup, which was great and loved a tiny miny chicken dumpling that floated in the soup and gave it an added taste.

The Margarita Pizza, Veg Pizza and Smoked Chicken Pizza were amazing, I especially loved the Veg Pizza. The juices of the vegetables, cheese and a nice crust made for a great pizza, I thoroughly enjoyed relishing a big slice of it.

For the main course, we tried Pan Fried River Sole, a stir fried fish served with Sichuan pickled vegetables and pine nuts and it was really nice. The fish was tender and juicy and the pickled vegetables made for a great accompaniment.

Sautéed Chicken Breast served with Charred Asparagus and Porcini Sauce was another amazing preparation. Loved the juicy chicken breasts, it was mildly spiced and I really liked it.

Chicken in Sichuan Sauce, Malak Vegetables, Chilli Garlic Noodles and Vegetable Fried Rice made for a perfect Chinese Meal, I loved each and every item and I can really gorge on these anytime. Its surely been one of the finest Chinese meals I have eaten.

For Desserts I tried the Tiramisu, which was the only thing I found below standards, as I could not taste coffee much and neither the taste of mascarpone cheese was coming across. I loved the presentation though and the macaroon served along was yummy.

ChaoBella - Crowne Plaza Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Theme: Overlay by Kaira Copyright @ikreatepassions 2020
Goa, India