Travels for Taste

Tales of travel and food with a touch of spice

5 neat ideas to utilise space efficiently in small homes using 3M Command Hooks (review)

by 6 Comments

Post it notes have become a part of our daily lives , so much so that when I make a mental note of stuff I imagine a small yellow post it stuck inside the folds of my brain 😉 Even my laptop at work would have yellow reminder  3M e-post-it’s lurking in some corner of the screen.

So when I was sent 3M Command hooks for a review I knew this was going to be a fun experiment !

I had a few wooden frames I have been wanting to put up on a bare wall for the past 2 years – yes am lazy like that .And my rental agency has scared me silly saying that I wasn’t to use any nails or whatsoever . Coming from India where we live in homes with strong bricks walls and no requirement for heating but an A/C instead it has taken me a while to get used to my creaky wooden floorboards in the beautiful Victorian house conversion which we occupy. Add to that walls that are wooden and have gas pipes lurking everywhere its quite a nightmare trying to decorate walls. Add to that the fact our rental flat is little more than a small match box we really need all space conservation ideas and intelligent use of available space! Enter 3M then the saviour in such situations!Fabulous for personalising your rental house and adding a touch of homely decor ideas here and there.

Neat Idea #1

I have finally managed to get that frame up on the wall and can’t stop beaming with a false sense of pride each time I turn and see it , which is often!The frame is hung using a 3M Command Picture and Frame Hook which holds frames up to 27.9 cm x 43.1 cm ie. 11 x 17 in.It comes with sturdy two-sided easily removable tapes which won’t peel off your paint. It does not work on wallpapered walls though and after attaching the hook to the wall one has to wait for an hour to have it settle in properly.

1-IMG_7015 (Copy)

This frame has been up for over 10 days now and hasn’t fallen off and am quite sure it won’t – result Happy me and happier wall 😉

Neat  Idea #2

And these pretty ‘red heads’ have now a place they can ‘hang around’ in style in my kitchen which is nothing more than the size of a rather compact postage stamp!They are mounted on 3M Command Wire Hooks which hold 225gm.

2-IMG_7018 (Copy)
3-IMG_7020 (Copy)

Neat  Idea #3 &4 

I discovered some white 3M Command hooks during my visit to my local supermarket and purchased a few after these satisfying results from the samples I was sent and I now can hang pretty frames like the one below 🙂 and also have 2 of these hooks tucked away into the panel inside in my wardrobe and have some pretty scarves and belts hung there too! All done in a days work I say.

1-IMG_7184 (Copy)
2-IMG_7187 (Copy)
3-IMG_7188 (Copy)

Neat  Idea #5 

I also received  Decorative Hooks in black which hold up to 1.3 kilos  for review. I have ordered in some curtains from Ikea which weigh 2.7 kilos so am going to buy some more of these hooks and use 3 hooks per curtain to hand my new curtains. During summer I get very bright sunlight and the house heats up like an oven .Am hoping the curtains kill the heat.Will post a photo here once this little experiment is done 🙂

The sheer amount of things that can be done using these various 3M hooks and removable adhesive tapes is mind-boggling. All those pretty lights I purchased before  Christmas last year will go up around my windows for our biggest annual celebration the festival of Lights – DIWALI 🙂

*With thanks to 3M for sending me various types of hooks for review.No monetary compensation was provided for this post. All views expressed are my own.

Gujarati Kadhi

by 6 Comments

Having grown up in Mumbai and always having had very friendly  Gujarati neighbours , I have a long love affair with Gujarati cuisine and especially love the Gujarati Kadhi which was quite the star attraction in traditional Gujarati wedding feasts, always a sweet and welcome addition to a plate full of steaming hot khichdi, the large red chillies added into for more the effect than the punch.

If you don’t have access to buttermilk then simply use curd/ yoghurt.

Serves:4 Preparation Time:10 minutes Cooking Time:15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups buttermilk or 1 and 1/2 cup thick-set curd /yoghurt
  • 2 tbsp besan or chickpea flour
  • 1tsp freshly grated ginger and green chilli paste
  • Hing/ Asafoetioda – at iny pinch
  • Puree ghee/clarified butter – 1 tbsp
  •  Few fresh green curry leaves
  • 1/2 tsp Jeera/ cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp rai/mustard seeds
  • 2 large dry red chillies broken and de-seeded
  • Suhar 1 and 1/2 tbsp or Jaggery 1 heaped tbsp
  • a handful of fresh green coriander/cilantro chopped fine
  • Salt as per taste
  • Water

Method:

  • If using butter milk 3 cups this step is not required. Otherwise combine the  yoghurt ,chickpea flour and 2 and 1/2 cup water till it becomes a smooth mixture. Use a fork or a whisk and if lumps are still visible just use your fingers to break the lumps.
  • Grate a small piece of fresh ginger and crush a green chilli into it.
  • On a medium flame heat the clarified butter in a large saucepan and add the asafoetida, mustard seeds , red chillies,cumin,ginger and green chilli and curry leaves.
  • When the mustard seeds begin to pop and cumin begins to change colour, reduce the flame to a minimum , tilt the saucepan with one hand and pour the yoghurt and chickpea mixture into this tempering/tadka mixture.
  • Add the sugar or jaggery now.
  • Cook with lid on a low flame for about 6-8  minutes , do not boil as the yoghurt will curdle.
  • Add salt and garnish with finely chopped coriander. Serve hot with khichdi or soft rotis.
1-IMG_7104 (Copy)

Gujarati kadhi differs from Punjabi kadhi in that it is sweeter and does not include fried pakoras, I have a fusion recipe for Punjabi Kadi which I tried long ago, if you want something a little different why not try my Punjabi Kadhi with a twist.

1-IMG_7112 (Copy)

LEARN HOW TO MAKE INDIAN FOOD FROM SCRATCH WITH MY EASY TO FOLLOW RECIPES

Parma Ham Event at the Underground Cookery School

by Leave a Comment

Returning to the Underground Cookery School this time for an event to showcase Parma Ham, I felt very much at home in the school and saw some familiar faces amongst the other invitees too. As was expected I was greeted with a  glass of Prosecco that never ran dry as the evening progressed.

While Head Chef, Carlos, freshly sliced Parma Ham we tucked into starters all made using Parma Ham.Parma Ham is 100% natural  and the drying process it goes through gives Parma Ham a very low fat content, with many mineral salts, vitamins, antioxidants and easily digestible proteins.Prosciutto di Parma meaning Parma Ham in literal translation is produced in hills surrounding the Parma region of Italy where the dry gentle hilly air gives this meat its unmistakable sweetness and flavour.

1-IMG_7156 (Copy)

5J1A8300 (Copy)

5J1A8303 (Copy)

Amongst the many delicious apretizers ,I most enjoyed the starter with thin slices of parma ham curled around sweet pan roasted juicy pears.

2-IMG_7157 (Copy)

 

5J1A8749 (Copy)

To cook along with the chefs at the Underground Cookery School we were divided in two groups. Our group started of with preparing the main course for the evening :Breast of Free Range Chicken wrapped with Parma Ham, stuffed with Tarragon and Cream Cheese on top of a bed of New Potatoes, Purple Sprouting Broccoli and Spring Onion

image003 (Copy)

 

5J1A8624 (Copy)

 

After  we all got some serious knife skill into play to cut a 1/2 ” deep pocket into the chicken breast , off they went into the oven to cook after a stuffing was added and generous layer of parma ham was wrapped around it.We then made our dessert for the evening : Meringue Roulade with Candid Parma Ham slices

5J1A8423 (Copy)

 

The unique taste of Parma Ham is dependent on the traditional production process passed down from Roman times, carefully controlled by the Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma.  Only hams that have passed stringent curing regulations approved by the EU can be awarded the stamp of the Ducal crown – a five pointed coronet logo with PARMA in the centre which is branded onto the ham’s skin.  The Ducal Crown is now a certification trademark.

No wonder then that this versatile meat can be used even in desserts to create such varied flavours!Then up my favourite bit – the pasta machine! This time around I made Tagliatelle for our starter which was : Fresh Home-made Tagliatelle with White Truffle Dressing, topped with twirls of freshly sliced Parma Ham and Parmigiano Reggiano

5J1A8552 (Copy)

5J1A8500 (Copy)

 

The dark yellow colour is attributed to the use of eggs specially coming all the way from Italy with a dark yellow yolk attributed to the chickens been fed on carrots, the beta carotene doing their thing there.Working the pasta machine and watching the Tagliatelle come out so perfect was a very satisfying experience 🙂 After all the hard work 😉 we sat down and bonded  over some wine while out Tagliatelle was being served and the chicken was being plated.First up the starter looked so heavenly! Parma Ham in this delicious recipe is such a perfect combination.

5J1A8688 (Copy)

 

The mains looked too good to eat and too delicious to resist !The purple broccoli and potatoes in perfect balance with the cooked ham and the stuffing just envelopes your tongue as it gushes out from the folds of the chicken.

5J1A8711 (Copy)

 

The candied ham in the dessert is a lovely crunchy companion to the eggy Meringue.

5J1A8805 (Copy)

Inspite of the dreaded Tube strike the turnout was very good and since the Underground Cookery School is conveniently located a short walk from Old street tube station it makes life so much easier.Underground Cookery School offers a space  fun events to conduct cookery events in a easy environment making team building corporate exercises something to look forward to. You can also book the venue for parties and small gatherings.

*With thanks to The Consorzio del Proscuito di Parma for the  invite.No monetary compensation was provided for this post.All views expressed are my own.

All Image  are Credit: The Consorzio del Proscuito di Parma except the ones with ”sliceoffme” watermark.

Shree Krishna Vada Pav, Hounslow – A review

by 14 Comments

Anybody who is good friends with me knows for a fact that I can be bribed with food especially if it involves chaat. Now I have a perpetual crib that the ONE thing I really miss about my life in Mumbai is good chaat. Well, if there ever was a moment when I felt I the way navigator and explorer Vasco da Gama did after he found India then it was when I bit into the Vada Pav at Shree Krishna Vada Pav at  Hounslow. This was some time in 2011 when hubster and I were out hunting for Indian eateries and discovered this gem.

shop-front-900x400

Image Credit :Shree Krishna Vada Pav

Its on the high street on Hounslow east and a very busy high street at that.Advance Warning its extremely crowded on weekends and don’t expect great decor just a basic ,clean space with comfy chairs and tables. But then the food is so good that the decor and other mundane stuff takes a backseat.Actually that is true of the Harrow branch as you can see in the image below the Hounslow one is pretty cool!

view1-900x400

Image Credit :Shree Krishna Vada Pav

Being a Maharashtrian myself its good to see they stock products that I crave like Chitale Bandhu export quality bakarwadi,Laxmi Narayan Chiwda, some dry chutneys and snacks that I would hoard on and buy easily from any corner shop in Pune and Mumbai and yes they also stock fresh soft hand made puran polis!

P1070551-900x400

Image Credit :Shree Krishna Vada Pav

Need more coaxing to make a visit well they now have another branch in Harrow which also I happened to visit last month while I stayed over at my best buddy from school’s place -S her OH and kids were hyper excited to be eating there and we greedily ate almost 1/4th of the options on the menu. The paneer bomb literally exploded in my mouth and left me gasping for more , now if only all scary bombs turned into paneer it would put an end to bomb scares and hunger too humm – please ignore that I think I need another cuppa;)

Must try items on the menu – Misal Pav a mixture of peas curry spiced up sprinkled with crunchy chivda or farsan and served with a soft pav – this dish originates from Kolkapur in Maharashtra ,India and is served with a small bowl of red coloured chilli powder in dangerous volume to make a dipping sauce from hell- only the VERY brave survive – I avoid it like a rash lest it gives me hiccups first , a possible coronary and immediate urge to visit the loo **begins to sweat at the brow at the mere mention**

Also must try the star attraction and the dish which is part of their name – VADA PAV – This notoriously famous street food is famous amongst Mumbaikars of all ages – I was inoculated against any possible food poisoning attacks for the rest of my lief by repetitively consuming suspicious looking vada pav near Kurla stage at that point in my life when even after finishing a rather expensive college degree I had to ask Baba for travel expenses – don’t laugh I passed out in the year when 9/11 happened and markets crashed,jobs were scarce and I worked my butt off. And now I can proudly look back and say I worked for 12 long years before taking a break and choosing to walk the path less trodden – and that is why here I am – blogging away.

After that short detour into my dark past lets get back to the menu at Shree Krishna Vada Pav a much more interesting subject of discussion.NO self respecting foodie should walk out of this place without eating several plates of potato,onion and mixed bhajiya plates with several cups of hai for company and loudly discuss Indian politics with your Indian friends 😉

P1070393-900x400

Image Credit :Shree Krishna Vada Pav

Another street food close to my heart is Dabeli, I remember wandering the streets of Ghatkopar in Mumbai ,with my mother and getting her to buy me this deliciously tasty snack off street vendors carts as a thank you for carrying her heavy grocery bags. Please avoid doing such things do – no no, I don’t mean eating Dabeli – just carrying  heavy grocery bags – am sure it has largely contributed to messing with my poor hands and therefore the carpal tunnel operation on both hands 🙁

{Please do not take that literally, always seek professional medical advice for any health issues however big 0r small , I was recently operated for carpal tunnel decompression on my left hand and have to undergo the same on my right hand soon booohoooo!}

When the craving for a proper Indian snack strikes a plate of samosa can never be far away and if your really lucky than a proper grilled sandwich. To fully appreciate this phenomenon of veg grilled sandwich I must tell you how its made on the streets of Mumbai.Generally there is a small little space enough to hold a rather fragile human being and his small ”stall” which is a large tripod holding a gas stove and a plank of wood on which he magically balances loads of bread generally Wibs 🙂 , chopped onions, different types of chutneys in steel dabbas, lots of Amul butter packs, mashed potato,sev packets and a stash of cucumber,tomatoes,cheese and green capscium alongwith small little boxes with salt and spices. With a knife super sharp and knife skills that would put a trained chef to shame he expertly chops the veggies at lightening speed and slams them on slices of bread slathered with butter and chutney ,then depending on how shameless the customer is ( in my case shame of any sort especially when asking for extra cheese is totally absent.) he grates a tiny mountain of cheese into the already bulging sandwich.then without so much so aas dropping a single slice of wiggly tomato he slams this inside a hand held contraption and claps it shut! Then it goes onto the hot hot stove where it is tossed and turned till your grilled sandwich is done. Do yourself a favour eat this when you go to Mumbai and the mantra is to keep repeating ”germs don’t exist, to hell with hygiene” only then will you will truly relish this superb Mumbai street food!

desktop12

Image Credit click here

Mumbai sandwichwallah

Image Credit : The Guardian

images (1)
Mumbai-044-575x323

Image Credits for the 2 images above: Wise Monkeys

1-2014-02-07 14.20.54 (Copy)

This is the delicious samosa plate at Shree Krishna Vada Pav with the superb dry garlic chutney and a fried green chilly to go , just eat the outer green layer of the chilli and leave the seeds behind its a fab combo with the samosa.

2-2014-02-07 14.45.33 (Copy)

Last but not the least don’t miss out on the Mango Panha now as mangoes are in season – at least in India, they are – Hapoos Mania grips the country around this time of the year with rates skyrocketing to obscenity and second only to the rate of gold! This tangy drink is a homemade treat at ours with large jars filled with green mango pull and spices mixed and then served diluted with chilled water. But aai is now too old to make that …so I plonk myself uninvited to my maushi’s house in Pune – tehehe there’s always a way out for a foodie!

Did you know that Shree Krishna Vada Pav were one of the sponsors for last years food blogger conference called Bloggers Buzz? I can still remember the fabulous hot food in our lunch plates courtesy them ummm!

1-IMG_2397 (Copy)
1-IMG_2399 (Copy)

These are photos of the superb Alphonso mango trees in my grandmothers garden at her house in Pune. These are ideal for making Kairee Panhe .Sighhhh….

Disclaimer: This review is thanks to my multiple visits to Shree Krishna vada Pav and their consistent great food. I have always paid for my own food and have written this review of my own accord. I was not required to write a positive review and was not compensated monetarily for this post.Like all my previous posts about events and reviews, ALL opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Ink Restaurant, London – A review (Permanently Closed)

by 6 Comments

Very excited at having won the ‘Write for a Bite’ Contest by Zomato I booked a table at the Ink Restaurant by Zomato. With hubby in tow, we set off for dinner on a rather chilly weekday evening. After my smartphone map app took us took the center of an isolated park we were lucky to get directions from a local. After trudging through a long and lonely lane we finally reached Ink. Do make it point to walk straight up to Palmers Road and turn right at the top of a hill, walk right to the end of the lane and walk up the stairs, Ink is on the left.

The minimalist interiors and the modern space are in stark contrast to where this restaurant is located. We were greeted warmly and could pick and choose where we sat amongst the tables available.

Thanks to having lost our way and the chilly weather we had managed to work up quite an appetite. We had scallops made in a sweet pea and mint puree, pancetta crumble and tomato crumble served with delicious onion and edible flowers, and hubster ordered the soup of the day. My scallops went down well with my white wine and I was hungry for more.

19-IMG_7025 (Copy)
21-IMG_7026 (Copy)
23-IMG_7027 (Copy)

Our mains were very cooked to perfection, delicious, and of a good portion size too. I like my steak well done and the 28-day dry-aged 8oz sirloin steak with 3 types of mushrooms was perfectly done, succulent, and very juicy. I can almost feel the taste in my mouth even now while I write this Ummm. Hubsters main of braised lamb cooked in oyster juice and wrapped in a cabbage leaf was so soft and tender it simply melted in our mouth.

25-IMG_7028 (Copy)
4-IMG_7029 (Copy)

Our dessert of Rhubarb with lightly baked meringue was tastefully decorated but left us wanting more. Do eat the beautiful edible flowers scattered on top they are lovely! Sensing that I guess the chef got us some complimentary again melt in your mouth delicious. Nice.

31-IMG_7032 (Copy)

The menu is limited but the food is excellent. Portion size on the starters and dessert was a bit of a shock but when taste takes precedence over portion size, it’s definitely worth it. In spite of eating 3 full courses, we were not overfull but appropriately satiated.

My only regret is we didn’t go for lunch it would have been lovely to sit by the canal and enjoy a relaxed lunch but that wouldn’t have been possible on a weekday. Nevertheless, this restaurant is a find and a good option for the coming warm summer days.

Disclaimer: With many thanks to Zomato Uk for the vouchers sent to me. It partly paid for our dinner but we were happy to pay for the bulk of our very delicious meal. I was not required to write a positive review and was not compensated monetarily for this post. Like all my previous posts about events and reviews, ALL opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Lunch at Le Porte des Indes, Marylebone, London – Review (Permanently closed)

by 7 Comments

Influence of the British Raj on India,its culture and their indelible influence on the railways , architecture and the many places of tourist interest is common knowledge but India was also ruled by Mughals,the Portuguese,the French and the Dutch. Each of these colonies bear distinct stamps of a deep-rooted influence especially on the food with some beautiful foods that have become a part of the local community and recipes developed by such confluence of are not only brilliant in taste but also a mixture of flavours that otherwise would not have been combined.

I had heard so much about Le Porte des Indes and Chef Mehernosh Mody who has been awarded Ethnic Chef of the Year 2012 at the Craft Guilds of Chefs Awards for people who pay attention to things like that. So when Fiona who blogs at London Unattached asked me to accompany her for a lunch at Le Porte des Indes it was an offer too tempting to pass up!

Le Porte des Indes literally means Gateway to India. The decor is warm and welcoming and I felt was in some old, Indian palace with intricate wood carvings, huge artefacts, paintings especially replicas of Raja Ravi Verma’s magnificent originals and stone statutes which reminded of the ones at Khajuraho. Indoor plants are similar to ones I would see probably at The Taj Hotel in Mumbai, India lots of wooden statues of Lord Ganesha too.

01-IMG_7120 (Copy)
02-IMG_7121 (Copy)

We started by ordering some drinks I ordered for a Tamarind Martini while Fiona ordered some  white wine.My gin,tamarind and limoncello martini came adorned with a slice of Star Fruit on the side .The sight of the star fruit took me back to my college days when my friends and me , about ten of us would get off the train and trade  the crowded bus journey on way back from school and walk home instead on the dusty footpath – our treat for walking, a tangy snack packed in an old newspaper sold by a haath – gaadi or hand cart street food vendor which included roasted peanuts in shells, tamarind -imli and star fruit slices sprinkled with chilli powder and topped with a squeeze of lime – very ,very tangy but totally fun. On a good day when we had some extra change between us we would follow this up with a fizzy drink from a small shanty opposite the gates of the IIT,Mumbai campus mummm – simple pleasures. Seems so far away now and I only ever see my friends on Facebook and comment on old scanned photographs 🙂

1-2014-04-25 13.16.37 (Copy)
1-2014-04-25 13.14.16 (Copy)

I fell in love with the beautiful cutlery and the copper plate sighh…

Our starter was Demoiselles de Pondiche’ry – seared king scallops with a hint of garlic in a delicious saffron sauce –  succulent and morish…

05-IMG_7124 (Copy)
04-IMG_7123 (Copy)

The cuisine is a mix of  French,Tamil and Creole influences and lots of fusion recipes using the chefs imagination.

Next up was a platter of starters with kebabs and a fish called ”Patra ni Machi” or Parsee fish (Patra – leaf , Macchi – fish) this divine fish was made using fillets of sole encased in a mint and coriander chutney steamed in a banana leaf.I remember eating this fish at a Parsee friends wedding feat in Bombay 5 years ago and it had green chillies in a generous amount in the green chutney.There was a mild hint of chilli in our fish ,just perfect, excellent in fact and I could have made more,no wonder this is Chef Mehernosh Mody’s speciality. The other starters on our platter  were Kathi kebabs – spiced lamb kebabs rolled in an egg served with a dark fruity chutney. Murgh Malai Kebabs – tandoori grilled chicken tikkas marinated in a creamy cheese sauce with spices.A twist on the usual onion and potato pakoras we ate Chard Pakoras – red and green chard rolled in gram flour, green chillies,coriander, turmeric and caraway seeds and  fried crisp – very tasty!All this served with  Garlic and Coriander Naan.

06-IMG_7125 (Copy)

In the picture about L-R :Murgh Malai Kebabs,Parsee fish,Chard Pakoras and in the middle Kathi kebabs.Peaking on the right side corner is a rice cracker with a roughly ground green chilli chutney with a cooling  yoghurt and saffron dip.

1-IMG_7132 (Copy)

In the picture above is the Pomegranate Raita -Natural yoghurt with pomegranate, a touch of cumin and paprika.We then ate this most perfectly cooked white fish in a rich tamarind sauce steamed in a banana leaf – pure pleasure.

Resized Images Le porte de Indes

For our mains we got a large assortment of dishes served Basmati Saffron Pillav Rice, Seed Naan and Red Rice– Steamed organic red rice.

L -R in the photo of our mains platter below:

Tandoori Barra Chops: British Lamb Chops Char-grilled with cinnamon, cardamom and cloves finished with caramelised onions -everything you expect from a tandoori lamb really  – smoky,soft,packed with flavour and juicy ,falling off the bone.Prawn Assadh curry as it is made in Pondicherry with turmeric,ginger, green chillies,coconut, mustard seeds and green mangoes – so creamy and delicious we couldn’t get enough of it scooping it off our plate with our  naan stuffed with spiced lamb.Poulet Rouge, spécialité de notre maison  is a gallic inspired dish – Chicken Slices marinated in yoghurt and red spices, grilled and served in a creamy sauce. Rougail d’ Aubergine: Smoked aubergine crushed with red chilli, ginger and green lime also called  Baingan ka bharta in Hindi.I was most delighted to find we had a portion of  mutton – it is not easy to get goat’s meat locally and this Mutton Braised home style as in Pondicherry with robust spices and laced with coconut milk was a delicious curry with the mutton having soaked up all the flavours of the spices .With the Saffron rice it was very good.Chef Mehernosh Mody also let us in who his regular suppliers who he told us are all local British producers.

2-IMG_7133 (Copy)
11-IMG_7130 (Copy)

We also had a  selection of chutneys to go with the naan.Though I was stuffed I was hoping I could manage to have some dessert. After all a grand meal like this is not complete without some Indian sweets!;)

Fiona had to leave in a hurry and only managed to taste some the many treats on our mixed dessert platters.

6-IMG_7139 (Copy)

L-R : Frozen dessert – Rose flavoured kulfi -the indian home-made ice cream with no artificial flavourings or stabilizers, made using  Jersey & Guernsey Milk with pistachios ,followed by a mini chocolate filled samosa – thin pastry stuffed with chocolate and deep-fried ,Belgian Dark Chocolate Mousse(55% Cocoa Solids)  served in traditional leaf cup – in India its is common practice to serve desserts in a dried leaf folded into the shape of a cup especially at large public gatherings like the Sarvjanik Ganpati Festival and during Navratris – these are bio-degradable and much better option over plastic or foam cups, a fruit tart and a slice of mango carved artistically.

7-IMG_7140 (Copy)

Chef Mehernosh Mody then took me on a tour of the premises .There is so much room for big parties in the Maharajah room which is very tastefully done up antique Indian artifacts, the Shamiana perfect for weddings and a lovely,a fully private big dining room with French colonial decor  for corporate lunches too.If that is not enough there’s a Jungle Bar complete with cane furniture ,palm trees and tiger skin rugs so while you sip on a tropical signature cocktail called Karma which has – oh yes coconut juice and vodka, you can pretend your on the beautiful shores of Pondicherry ne Puducherry with pristine beaches of blue water and warm silky sand and are about to set  off  for a hunting expedition in a while with your buddies! Did you know that Puducherry meaning New Town is also referred to as ”The French Riviera of the East”? 

That’s not the talented Chef  Mody also conducts live cooking classes in the restaurant where the chef and his team unravel the mysteries of Indian cooking , explain the intricacies of the spices and how to cook a great Indian Meal – fab idea for team building exercise I say where you actually eat the fruits of your labour!

LaPorte_dome (Copy)

The Beautiful dome of the former Edwardian ballroom this adds to the grandeur of the place.

LaPorte_private_room2 (Copy)

One of the private dining rooms, notice the beautiful statues at the back? 🙂

bar_01 (Copy)

At the Jungle Bar it was common practise for patrons to throw peanut shells across the floor and then walk all over them on crunching shells!Fun I say.

For the images of the dome, the private dinning room and Jungle bar – Image Courtesy -Le Porte des Indes

Disclaimer: With many thanks to Chef Mehernosh Mody, the attentive team at Le Porte des Indes and Fiona. I was not required to write a positive review and was not compensated monetarily for this post. Like all my previous posts about events and reviews, ALL opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Pasta Please Challenge April’14 Round Up

by 7 Comments

Last month I hosted my first ever food challenge linky called Pasta Please created by Jacqueline Meldrum of Tinned Toms Blog. The theme was ”Olive Oil” In the past month I have infused 2 large bottles of good quality olive oil with various herbs, garlic and chilli and used this oil for cooking, especially for Italian recipes it gives your dishes a new level of good taste.

Thanks to all bloggers who linked up and Thanks to Jacqueline for kindly letting me host #PastaPlease for April’ 2014.

The first entry was from Corina of searchingforspice blog. Her –Tagliatelle with Chorizo, Garlic and Sundried Tomatoes is a delightful pasta dish made using various bits of leftovers. I am always impressed with what can be made by salvaging leftovers which we may otherwise be inclined to chuck. I love chorizo and it pairs very well with pasta. The way she has described the juicy tomatoes bursting when you bite into them is enough to make me want to make my own pasta using her recipe!

sundried-tomato-chorizo-tagliatelle-500x373

Fusilli with Baked Eggplant and Marinara Sauce by Ridhi of Drizzling Delicacies Blog which is a meat-free and eggless recipe blog is an easy recipe which uses baked eggplant in a thick and delicious tomato sauce.I love using fusilli and penne pasta which are great for scooping off the sauce. And olives in a veggies pasta must add a definite crunch and saltiness that is so good on the palate.

dscn3444

 Easy Entertaining: Stuffed Pasta Shells by Katie of Feeding Boys Blog is a Gennaro Contaldo recipe – a cheesy mix of ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella then baked with a tomato and basil sauce, for the Good Food Channel website that was part of the Spring photoshoot Katie cooked for. This one is fab for impressing guests on a weekend and giving the impression of having slaved for hours. I love such recipes! Conchiglioni rigati (large pasta shells) being shovelled into the mouth with melted cheese and other goodness is so so…. tempting …Ummm.Sharron’s image is to die for too!

stuffed_pasta_600caption

Chicken Riggies: A Utica, New York Pasta Speciality by Rachel at The Crispy Cook Blog is one of the most intriguing entry in the link-up simply because it is made using very saucy, spicy chicken with rigatoni (the “riggies” part) and chopped hot red peppers. This recipe is native to the Italian-American community in Utica, NY and Rachel’s version is Gluten-free -Brilliant!

chickenriggies

Red Peppers in Pasta Bake, Stuffed and in Soup by Johanna of Green Gourmet Giraffe Blog or triple G as I am going to remember her blog from loves green and dreams of being tall and graceful as a giraffe 🙂 She lives in Australia and has hosted the #PastaPlease challenge before. This was the first pasta bake of the 2 which linked up to the challenge. I love the main 3 ingredients in this bake – Angel hair pasta, red peppers and mozzarella cheese. Also, I had never heard of Tofu Bacon before I read through Jo’s post. While reading through her about me section I notice that all the foods she dislikes I like very, very much especially eggs and mangoes and GASP……Fresh Coriander and ermmmm very spicy food! Well dislikes aside Johanna’s blog is a treasure trove of veggie recipes and I ended up reading many of her posts!

pepper and pasta bake-3

Extremely Delicious Vegetable Lasagne by Chris of Cooking around the world blog came into the linky just when I was wondering why hasn’t any lasagne recipe made an appearance! This veggie recipe has a secret ingredient too – Radish, I have no shame in admitting I like a radish – no not love just like but that’s good enough I guess. Chris’s dish is dripping with deliciousness and flavour and its a must try with all the gooey cheesy goodness and each distinct flavour layered into this fab bake.

Vegetable lasagne 3

Farfalle with Sicilian Pesto by Torta di Rose is what I was hoping to see in the linky because it has pesto with anchovies whizzed through the food processor, I am a fan of anchovies ever since I was kid, growing up reading Enid Blyton and all the seniors at Malory Towers asking the junior students to make them some anchovy on toast ahhh good old days. Rose’s photo is magazine quality awesome I think and kudos to her for writing her blog in Italian and English!

IMG_7680a-1024x962

Gnocchi with Asparagus, Sage & Prosciutto by Louisa Foti of Eat your Veg blog made me realise the sheer variety that exists in the types of pasta. Gnocchi is that type of pasta which is so sinfully good and tasty. I love when Louisa says ”The heady pairing of lemon and sage work really very well with the slight salty tang from the slithers of prosciutto”. Louisa’s blog is full of family-friendly recipes and in most of her posts, her 2 adorable kids are seen ‘helping’ her cook :).A recipe apt for the Asparagus season this is packed with goodness.

Eat-Your-Veg-Gnocchi-with-Asparagus-Sage-Prosciutto

Spicy Chorizo Pasta with loads of veggie goodness – last but not the least an entry by yours truly this was my attempt to get a ton of greens into OH’S tummy without the cribbing and using chorizo in a tasty sauce to mask the veggies. The things I have to rest to just to get him to eat all his greens, well well well.

1-IMG_6688 (Copy)

I hope all of you had as much fun cooking and sharing your recipes with me and Jacqueline as we had hosting the #Pasta Please challenge for April’2014 with all of you.

Hope you liked my first ever round up too.

Greek Easter Feast with Tonia Buxton and Total Greek Yoghurt

by 10 Comments

One of the things I enjoy most about being a  food and travel writer is that I am able to experience various traditions from various cultures. Also, I think it is a privilege and also an incredible opportunity to to celebrate various festivals from across the world. As an added benefit I have had the good fortune of meeting the wonderful people on my journey into exploring various beautiful cuisines and destinations.

I have cooked alongside some very talented trained Michelin-starred Chefs, home cooks, and cookbook authors too.

I am so glad that I had a chance to cook with someone as passionate as Tonia Buxton who taught us how to make a 3-course Greek feast and took us through a journey of how Easter is celebrated back in Greece, relating in a very animated manner the rituals, prayer, and festivity surrounding the occasion. Total Yogurt the makers of the deliciously thick and creamy yogurt put together this cooking fest at a Cookery School called La Cucina Caldesi located in the heart of Central London.

SAT25944 (Copy)

Tonia Buxton a Greek Cypriot is the Total Greek Yogurt Brand Ambassador and a presenter of the award-winning T.V series on Discovery Channel called ‘My Greek Kitchen’ and has also authored a book titled  ‘Tonia’s Greek Kitchen’. Soon to star in a new T.V series called  ‘Pauls Family Feast’ a TV show by well, Paul Hollywood 🙂

SATU4713 (Copy)

After a quick ice breaker session, we got into groups and started preparing the main dish of the meal – Greek Lamb Pattie Tray Bake. I love cooking lamb and am delighted with the similarities in Greek and Indian cuisines. We too love our spices and cumin does add a very deep flavour to lamb. If I was to make it at home though I would tweak it and amp up the spices especially the cumin and just because I love heat crushed or paper-thin slices of green chillies with seeds ummm!

Here is the recipe:

Greek Lamb Pattie Tray Bake

Serves: 4

Ingredients

100g TOTAL Greek Yoghurt
100g fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs
400g lamb mince
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp ground cumin
4 red onions (2 finely chopped, 2 cut into wedges)
Large handful mint, chopped
4 waxy new potatoes, i.e. the Charlottes cut into wedges
4 courgettes, halved & quartered lengthways
250g pack juicy cherry tomatoes on the vine
2 unwaxed lemons cut into 6 wedges each
4 tbsp olive oil
100g feta cheese, crumbled

SAT25967 (Copy)

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / Gas Mark 6.
  2. Put the breadcrumbs, the lamb mince, egg, plenty of seasoning, and cumin in a bowl.
  3. Add the chopped onion and sprinkle in half the chopped mint. Give everything a good mix and shape into 8 patties.
  4. Lightly oil a large, shallow roasting tray and add the patties.
  5. Place the onion wedges on the tray around the lamb patties with the potatoes, courgettes, and tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and season. Bake for around 40 minutes, turning & basting everything once halfway until the lamb is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the feta and remaining mint. (We used up most of the mint and our minty lamb patties were very juicy and yum)
  6. Serve with a large dollop of Total Greek yoghurt and tahini sauce.

SAT25981 (Copy)

While our lamb patties were cooking we played a fun Greek easter egg game with eggs painted a cheerful bright red. We had to go about smashing our egg onto everyone else and in the end, I was up against Tonia- of course, she won! Years of experience laster she has mastered the technique 🙂

SAT26035 (Copy)

We then made a Greek dessert called Anarocrema using Anari Cheese, which I flavoured with orange blossom extract, fresh fruits, and generous bits of freshly made filo pastry crispy bits. This creamy dessert is made using goats cheese and marries well with fruits, pistachios, almonds, and honey too is very filling and moreish dessert.

SAT26136 (Copy)

While our desserts were sent for chilling we got cracking on with the starter a light and superbly flavoured starter –  Greek Sea Bream fillets with olives, capers, lemon, and yoghurt Tahini Sauce.

SAT26146 (Copy)

SAT26275 (Copy) (Copy)

SATU4739 (Copy)

Thanks to @satureyes for the brilliant photos.

It was a very well organised event and I got an opportunity to meet so many more bloggers.Cooking up in a team with Fiona (London Unattached) and Heidi was good fun and it great to be working with familiar faces. Many thanks to @TotalGreek yogurt for the lovely event & @ToniaBuxton  for her lively, warm, and friendly way of conducting the cookery workshop and sharing so many beautiful experiences.

I hope all of you had a brilliant Easter Weekend and are looking forward to another long weekend coming up!

Disclaimer: With many thanks to Total Uk  and Tonia Buxton.I was not required to write a positive review and was not compensated monetarily for this post. Like all my previous posts about events and reviews, ALL opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

In my Veg Box: Cauliflowers – Recipe Linky Challenge

by 19 Comments

Am back in May with another exciting challenge! This month, I am guest hosting In My Veg Box, an event run by Nayna Kanabar of Citrus Spice UK. This month’s theme is Cauliflowers.

Cauliflower – ”The kale of 2014, the budget-friendly superfood, the most underrated vegetable” is what the Huff Post, Canada mentions in a recent article about the 10 health benefits of cauliflower.

Did you know that Cauliflower is an aid to weight loss? Yes! That’s why it is the new kale and tastes much better too, don’t you think? My favourite new way to use cauliflower creatively is by shredding it in a food processor and cooking it with some water in a microwave as a replacement for rice.

Cauliflower is bursting with various vitamins like  Vit B and C, potassium and phosphorous that can support your body’s repair and maintenance of the nervous system, immune system, muscles and bones.

Its name is from the Latin caulis (cabbage) and flower.

A brassica, like cabbage and broccoli, cauliflower is a mass of tiny, tightly packed flower heads (called curds), which grow from a thick central stem to form a single, round head, cupped by green leaves. It has a firm, almost waxy texture, and a mild, delicate flavour. Most cauliflowers are white, but it’s also possible to find green and purple varieties, as well as the sweeter Romanesco cauliflower, with its distinctive pointed florets.The orange cauliflower is also rich in beta-carotene and vitamin A.

I tasted the orange and purple coloured variants of cauliflower for the first time a few years back and my love affair with the beautiful Romanesco cauliflower has only just begun! Did you know that the English call romanesco – broccoli, the French – cabbage and the Germans and the Poles – cauliflower. Some of the undecided place it somewhere between broccoli and cauliflower. Taking into account its shape, romanesco rosettes bring to mind the pyramids or minaret towers, the theory, that it fell out of a flying saucer would seem to be rather interesting.

IMG_5273 (Copy)

According to the BBC Good Food Guide:  Like all brassicas, cauliflower smells very unpleasant if overcooked, so brief cooking is essential.

With me and my husband, cauliflower and green peas, bhaji made using a simple hand-me-down recipe from my Aai (mother in Marathi, my mother tongue) is a firm favourite. I make it at least once a week. My Aai, my sister and her kids love it too, we are a veggie-friendly family that way!

If all this has not put you in the mood for cooking up something interesting or simple and easy with cauliflower then what will?! 😉

So get cooking, clicking and link up but first a few rules! I know, I know RULES. But  I promise the rules are dead easy to follow!

Rules to Participate:

  1. Please prepare any vegetarian recipes using Cauliflowers and link your dish to the linky code below. You will need to enter the name of your dish, as well as the URL of your blog.
  2. The current theme is CAULIFLOWER.
  3. You must link this post to Travelsfortaste and to Citrus Spice UK.
  4. Use of the logo is not mandatory but it helps to spread the word if you can use it.
  5. Multiple entries are allowed.
  6. Archived entries are also allowed, only if they are re-posted and updated with this event link, as well as the Citrus Spice UK link.
  7. Recipes must be added to the linky by 31st May 2014.

In the event of any problems with using the linky code, please email me your entry to manjiri.chitnis@gmail.com. Please include your name, recipe name, URL and an image no larger than 300 pixels.

Thank you! Can’t wait to see a variety of recipes that I am sure are possible with the humble cauliflower! Get Cooking Bloggers!

In my veg box cauliflower

References: Wiki, Huffington Post Canada

In my veg Box – Theme Cauliflowers – all entries.

Spicy Chorizo Pasta with loads of veggie goodness!

by 13 Comments

I often struggle to get the hubster to consume hero veggies like Broccoli and Mushrooms ,both which I quite frankly love .. always have ! So what started off as a veg pasta was met with a grunt and audible grumbling and had to be re-engineered to create something fabulous ! I am therefore grateful for the grumbling  – totally depends on the end result right? 😉 Its also a very good recipe to use all the veggies lying around in your fridge and many some store cupboard excesses to start that spring clean you have been itching to do ( yes I love cleaning – am quite certain I have a mild OCD too)

Preparation Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time:40 minutes Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • 500 gm Penne
  • 300 gm Chorizo chopped bite size
  • Broccoli a handful
  • Button Mushrooms – half a small packet – std supermarket size-chopped bite size
  • 200 gm Sweet Corn and Red Peppers canned
  • Grated parmesan Cheese – generous amount;)
  • 1/2 of a large Red Onion
  • 4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
  • 2 large tomatoes pureed
  • Sea salt
  • 2 large tablespoons Olive Oil
  • Chilli flakes as per taste
  • 2 large Spring onion finely chopped
  • 1/4th cup low fat cream
  • Dried italian herb mix for pasta 2 teaspoons

Method:

For the creamy sauce

  • In a saucepan heat one and a half large tablespoon of oil and saute the finely chopped garlic and when it begins to brown add 2 cloves of garlic chopped spring onion and saute for about 1 min
  • Then added the finely chopped broccoli
  • Now add the chopped button mushrooms and the sweet corn and red pepper mixture.
  • Add the cream and cook on a low flame for 2 – 3 minutes,season with salt  and then add generous amounts of cheese.
  • This sauce should have a balance between creamy and chewy with the mushrooms on the broccoli can retain a bit of its crunch so if you use a lid it may overcook

Before starting on the spicy sauce boil the past in a large saucepan and add sea salt and olive  a generous splash I use flavoured oil – the bottle had a large sprig of rosemary some crushed garlic and chilli flakes tossed inside to give it a deep rich flavour- so , so good!

For the Spicy Sauce

  • In a saucepan heat half a tablespoon of oil and fry the red onion chopped lengthwise and 2 garlic cloves finely chopped.
  • Then add the bite  sized pieces of Chorizo and reduce the flame to low.
  • Let the chorizo almost start to get crispy and  then added the pureed tomatoes,dried herb mixture,chilli flakes and salt as per taste.

In a clean bowl add a generous portion of the creamy sauce, top it with cooked pasta and then add the spicy chorizo sauce.Sprinkle with as much cheese as you want and watch it melt into the steaming hot pasta.If you want just a bit of guilty pleasure drizzle some chilli olive oil on the pasta before mixing the whole thing together!

1-IMG_6688 (Copy)

Recent Posts