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Hoppers, SOHO – a review

August 18, 2016 by manjirichitnis 13 Comments

To anyone familiar with Sri Lankan cuisine, appams are no stranger. Re-christened as Hoppers in the colonial times, these light dosa like crepe’s also come in a fluffy stringy avatar much like idli in a ‘ramen burger’ form, are traditionally known as ‘idiyappam’ To try the Hoppers and more, served at the much talked about restaurant in SOHO, by the same name, I decided it was finally time to brave the queue’s. Accompanied by Asma, we managed to get there just in time before the crazy lunch hour rush started. We wanted to have a catch up and conversation always flows better when the ambience is right and the food is good.

Hoppers, SOHO, is another successful venture, conceptualised by the Sethi siblings, who are the minds behind Trishna, Gymkhana, Lyles’s, Bubbledogs and Bao.

While queuing up, I took a peek inside – the wicker thatched roof, wooden furniture, intricately patterned tiles on the floor and tables, yellow lighting – everything reminded me of an old Gymkhana back in India, oozing old world charm and character. Once seated inside you will notice the brightly painted Kathakali masks on a sunny yellow wall facing the bar.

The menu features what is known as short eats – basically, smaller portions like the ones served as snacks from road side food shanties. Similar to the greasy but very satisfyingly delicious spicy fried dal fritters served wrapped in newspaper cones or placed on pages torn out of old note-books and dolloped with scoops of spicy green coconut chutney.

My lunch companion Asma ( she who runs the fab Darjeeling Express) and I decided on hot buttered devilled prawns, bone marrow varuval and brinjal moju.

The rich, smooth and deliciously spiced gravy in which the bone marrow is served is finger licking good. The generously scattered fresh green curry leaves add that curry flavour to the sauce – we mopped it up with the string hoppers later. One bite into that luscious bone marrow and there is no turning back. In contrast, the prawns are fiery hot and smothered in butter, though not scathing, they are not for the faint-hearted. Asma’s Bengali palate approves of the succulent prawns so I would say give it a go – just have the cooling masala buttermilk at hand to wash down all the spice and grease.

Mains at Hoppers, SOHO

Onto the mains we picked the egg hoppers with fish kari and lamb kari. The Hoppers come with pol sambol, seeni sambol and a coriander chutney.

Pol sambol is delightful relish made with Maldive fish and coconut. I am a great fan of seafood in general and love pickled seafood a lot. The seeni sambol is a Sri Lankan version of caramelised onion chutney. Together these little sides provide a fun adventure for your taste buds as you dip your cripsy hoppers into the kari and mop up the sauces.

The crispy edges of the hopper and the fluffy centre are both satisfying and filling and the fried egg in the center for me was just perfect. Dip the crunchy edges of the hopper or dunk large chunks of string hoppers into the oozing egg yolk and then scoop up some of the lamb kari – you won’t regret it.

I love how the hopper is both like a crispy plain dosa and fluffy like a steamed idli and filling like a neer dosa all in one. The egg on top just makes it so much better.

We also tried the Lamb kothu roti and although the lamb is hidden under a majority of veggies and roti it is quite a good dish as a filler. I am not a fan of kothu though, so I won’t miss it too much next time around and would really like to see more lamb in the dish.

The masala dosa comes with a very homely sambar and a fabulous sweet potato curry, I only wish there was more of that curry as it is simply amazing. The crisp dosa has a spicy dry chutney called podi scattered inside and a generous amount of perfectly done potato sabzi inside – you cannot fault this dish in any way which.

The Brinjal moju side is very tangy and the strong taste of vinegar is balanced by the spices used with the aubergine. Again this is something I could not get enough of.

The string hoppers come with pol sambol and Kiri hodi which is aSri Lankan coconut milk gravy with Maldive fish and fenugreek. I have mixed feelings about the Kiri hodi but they seem to be leaning towards love rather than hate. Perhaps more trips to Hoppers are required for me to make up my mind. Asma and me hungrily wiped down the remaining sauce from the bone marrow varuval with the string hopper – oh that sauce!

I would have loved to try the duck heart chukka and durian flavoured ice cream and then probably wash it all down with some string Tamil Nadu Kaapi. Unfortunately, there was no way I couldn’t eat anymore and had to take away a lot of the food. And the head Chef Suresh Pillai spoilt us by sending us generous portions of dishes to sample, that in addition to what we had ordered was more than we could possibly consume.

Over the past few years, AK and I have been to many Sri-Lankan restaurants around London. As expected they are to be found in the suburbs, notably in Tooting and East Ham. Our all – time favourite has got to Jaffna House – a no-fuss cheap and cheerful place where you can eat till you are ready to explode at the seams but still not draw up a bill of more than £20. So to be standing in a queue in SOHO for Sri-Lankan food was not something I was expecting. But am so glad I did and that too with a fab companion like Asma. For once, I didn’t have to apologise for taking photos from all possible weird angels with not just my camera but my phone too – of course – for all those social media channels that need feeding 😉

One of the many reasons that puts Hoppers in a class by itself in comparison to the other Sri Lankan restaurants is the entire ambience that they have so thoughtfully managed to create – the wood panelled interiors, framed posters, the gorgeous rustic hammered copper plates, those tiled tables, the efficient service and of course the food!

I most certainly plan to be back, to brave that queue, this time with hubs AK in tow, and no there won’t be any camera in sight. Just us and – the food.

Average bill person with one starer and one side to share, one main and one non-alcholic drink – £25 approx (without alcholol and dessert)

Don’t miss out on – Bone Marrow Varuval, Crab Kari on the specials menu if available – it is absolutely divine!

Disclaimer: Unless mentioned that I was invited to review, I foot my own bill when eating out and have written this review purely out of a passion of sharing my love of good food. I was not required to write a positive review and was not compensated monetarily for this post. Thanks to Chef Suresh Pillai for treating Asma and me to some complimentary dishes.

A slice of Costa Rica – Casado

September 10, 2015 by manjirichitnis 2 Comments

With summer firmly on it’s way out and Autumn settling in, the chilly nights demand some great comfort food. I wanted to try something different so I choose a popular Costa Rican dish – Casado. Why? Well, it’s the ideal comfort food, easy to put together and tastes amazing! Best part is it’s very easy on the pocket and if you plate it well, it looks like a posh meal – no one would guess what went into making it!

Costa Rican Casado

Casado literally means a ‘married man’ and it is said that the name probably originates from how the local men expected food to be served when they were eating outside so that it reminded them of familiar tastes of a home cooked meal. An authentic Casado which is served at ‘sodas’ or local cafes is accompanied by what is known as a Lizano sauce. The brand name Lizano is now generic and retails in N. America. Since this sauce is yet to hit UK shores ( believe me I did a fair bit of looking around in shops that sell Mexican ingredients, Asian, Carribean and most of my local supermarkets) I finally decided to make my own ,which was a great decision – why ? Well scope to experiment and innovate for one, coupled with freedom to incorporate easy to procure, local ingredients – resulting in a deliciously moorish creation! A traditional root vegetables dish from Costa Rico called Picadillo is a popular side dish with rice and tortillas. You can safely say that the gravy sauce is a marriage of sorts between the Lizano sauce and the Picadillo. I have done a fair amount of customisation and the most interesting part of cooking Casado was creating the gravy sauce, combining it with root vegetables and serving it as a wholesome gravy side dish. Let’s get started with the sauce aka gravy as this will take the most time to cook of all the other sides.

Costa Rican Casado

Recipe is good for 2 with generous helpings.

Root Vegetable Gravy Side

Prep & Cooking Time: 35 mins

Ingredients:

1 medium juicy tomato – finely chopped
2 small red onions finely chopped
3 medium carrots chopped into tiny cubes
3 small sweet fresh peppers finely chopped
A handful of cauliflower florets
A handful of very finely chopped sweet potato
1 heaped tbsp of finely grated celeriac
A pinch of garlic puree
Half a dry red Kashmiri chilli
½ tsp of thick tamarind puree
2-3 bay leaves
1 tsp dried red chilli flakes
2 tsp freshly grated black pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp roasted cumin powder
2 tbsp Oil
Salt as per taste
A handful of finely chopped coriander

Method:

In a large saucepan, heat oil and add the chopped onions, add the garlic puree and cumin powder and stir well.
When the onion starts to reduce add the bay leaves, the chopped tomato and chopped sweet peppers, stir the the tomato & peppers around vigorously bit to get them to release their juices and reduce the flame to a minimum.
Throw in the finely chopped carrot cubes, sweet potato, grated celeriac, tomato puree and add enough water to cover this mixture.
Cook with lid on till the sweet potato and carrots begin to soften, then it’s time to toss in the cauliflower florets, season with the dry red chilli,tamarind,cracked black pepper, salt and sugar and give it a good stir.
Let this cook on a low flame with lid for about 25 minutes.
Keep opening the lid, stirring and adjusting the water if it becomes to run dry, we need a gravy like consistency.
When it done, add some finely chopped coriander in the tamarind should give it a bit of tangy twist, while the dried Kashmiri chilli gives it colour and mild heat, the sweet pepper and tomato puree work their magic together and the gravy is delicious and wholesome what with so many veggies hidden inside!

Red Kidney bean side

Prep and Cooking Time: 15 min

Ingredients:

1 can of red kidney beans
1 medium sized red onion
2 large tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp garlic puree
1 tsp red chilli flakes
Salt to taste

Method:

In a large saucepan, heat oil and sauté the chopped onions, add the garlic puree and stir well.
After the onion has sautéed, add the tomato puree and stir then add the beans and mix well.

Red onions for Kidney Beans

Add some water to the mixture and reduce the flame to a minimum, cook with a lid on but check often so that it does not burn or run dry.
4.Since the canned and ready to eat red kidney beans are preserved in salty water, check the taste before adding in any more salt, chuck in some dry red chilli flakes for flavour and set aside.

Red Kidney Bean side is done

Boiled white rice

Cook 1 cup rice using exactly double the water and a pinch of salt

Fried Plantain

Peel and chop the plantain into large chunks and fry in hot oil in a kadhai or wok until they are a light brown. It’s easy for them to char so get them out as soon as the colour turns a golden shade of brown, allow to cool on a plate on a bit of kitchen roll to soak excess oil.

Don’t fret if like me you can’t peel the plantain I simply use a knife and remove the thick green skin, even if that means that the plantain pieces are hexagonal or cubes now, well I never was too good at geometry 😉

Fish

Casado can be served with meat, fish or chicken. Chop one large fillet of fresh salmon and pan fry both sides till done in about 1 tbsp oil.

Cheese Tortilla

Heat a large flour tortilla –shop bought on a pan and adds a generous helping of grated parmesan cheese on tortilla. Just as the tortilla heats up and the cheese shows sign of melting fold the tortilla in half and flip over and toast each side till you have a crispy yum cheesy tortilla, slice into neat triangles ready to be served.

Cabbage Salad

Chop a fresh cabbage fine to get one large handful of cabbage, add half a red onion and a small handful of finely chopped cucumber, squeeze half a lime, sprinkle some cracked black pepper, a small amount of fresh finely chopped coriander and toss all these together. Easy-peasy right?

Serve the steaming hot rice with the salmon on the side, topped with some of the root vegetable gravy. Mop up the beans with the cheesy tortilla and munch on the sweet fried plantain with generous bites of the tangy cabbage salad in between mouthfuls of everything else.

Costa Rican Casado

Pack a healthy protien punch into your meals with Quorn

June 15, 2015 by manjirichitnis 6 Comments

One of the main challenges I have been facing off late as I am trying hard to throw off weight is maintaining a high protien diet and keeping my meals low on fat. Believe me it’s tricky trying to go low on sugar, saturated fats and ensuring blood sugar and cholesterol are at acceptable levels too- almost like a tight rope walk!

But even if you do not need to actively lower your cholesterol or sugar levels and are just looking for a healthier alternate to protein from meat sources I would consider including Quorn in your diet. I first tried Quorn simply out of curiosity. Both my husband and me love lamb mince but eating it more that 2 times on a week made me really feel very guilty. But swapping Quorn mince for lamb, once a week was something we are happy to do.

I always marinate Quorn mince with spices overnight and leave it to soak in all the flavours overnight. So when I was invited to an event to cook with Quorn at the Underground Cookery School, I was quite keen to see what recipes they had in mind.

Starters for the evening

We started by making dessert – always a great way to start the evening! Chocolate Torte was on the menu and we really enjoyed working with chocolate and working to an easy recipe created by the Underground Cookery School .

Chocolate Torte

Next it was the BBQ pulled Quorn and pink coleslaw followed by Quorn Thai Curry – which I enjoyed making the most. I really loved the recipe created by Denise.

Denise in conversation with bloggers at the #quorncooks event

And for you, my readers here its is for you:

Quorn Thai Curry

Serves: 10

Ingredients:

Marinade

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp korma paste
2 tbsp vegetarian Thai green curry paste
500gm Quorn pieces

Sauce

1 tbsp vegetable oil
400gm onions, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
60gm fresh coriander
1 tbsp fresh, frozen or dried lime leaves (optional)
1 1/2 tbsp turmeric
1 vegetable stock cube crumbled
2 x 400 gm tin coconut milk
3 tbsp sweet mango chutney
30 gm fresh basil
350 gm red peppers, thinly sliced
200 gm mangetout or sugar snaps, halved

Quorn Chicken Pieces

Method

Mix the marinade ingredients together in a bowl until the Quorn is coated. Transfer to the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
To prepare the sauce heat the oil in a pan then gently fry the chopped onion, garlic and ginger for 5 minutes until softened but not coloured.
Add half of the coriander, the lime leaves, turmeric, stock cube, coconut milk and mango chutney. Gently bring to the boil then simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Add the basil and remaining coriander to the sauce for the last 5 minutes of cooking time then remove the pan from the heat and blend until smooth with a hand blender.
Meanwhile transfer the marinated Quorn pieces to a baking tray and cook in a moderate oven 180°C/Gas Mark 4 for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and reserve.
Add the Quorn pieces, red pepper and mangetout to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are just cooked.

Quorn Thai Curry

While our curry was bubbling away we sat through a presentation over wine and a Q-A session. The question many of the bloggers had – as am sure many of you do was – what exactly is Quorn made up of?

Quorn’s core ingredient is a plant protein that is exceptional at replicating the texture and taste of meat. This is a naturally occurring fungus, which is harvested through a fermentation process. Other key features that make it a great choice are:

Quorn has no cholestrol and is high on fibre
From the sustainability perspective consider this Quorn mince uses 90% less greenhouse gasses than lean beef mince,

It was lovely to meet so many bloggers that evening and also bump into familiar faces like Leyla Preston and Becky. And for me it’s always a good feeling to come back to Underground cookery school where Chef and Patron Matt Kemp and his able team of chefs ensures that every blogger feels welcome, wine glasses never run dry and cooking is fun all the way.

The BBQ pulled Quorn was delicious and I really liked the texture of quorn and how easily it had taken up the flavours of the seasoning used. Paired with pink coleslaw it makes for a really great snack and a lovely idea for a summer BBQ.

BBQ pulled Quorn and pink coleslaw

Served with steamed basmati rice, perfectly done – each grain cooked to satisfying perfection was the creamy Thai Green curry – this was the most satisfying dish that evening and one that I am happy to make at home over and over again.

Both hubby and me love our meat and seafood but we are consciously trying to eat healthier, include more vegetables and fruits in our diet and look for healthier protein choices. That’s where Quorn comes in. Quorn certainly is a healthy protein alternative with a wide range of options – a solution to both vegetarians and the rapidly expanding group of people wanting to reduce their meat consumption.

Infographic-Quorn

Today is World Meat Free Day, why not create your very own easy vegetarian delight for an easy dinner at home tonight? And for those feeling less adventurous there’s many options Quorn has like my favourite Quorn steaks – served with a peppery salad of rocket leaves and fresh summery cherry tomatoes they go down a treat.

World Meat Free Day

*With thanks to Quorn for the invite and for the team at Underground Cookery for another great experience. All photographs used in this post are courtesy Preston Perfect Photography. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

The Queensbury Kitchen – NW London’s fab new All Day Bar and Grill

April 19, 2015 by manjirichitnis 2 Comments

First impressions of walking out of Willesden Green Tube station is of a quite suburb where even the high street seems welcoming and not maddeningly crowded. My reason for venturing into a leafy suburb in NW London that evening – an invitation to attend a bloggers review dinner at The Queensbury Kitchen – a New All Day Bar and Grill which opened to the public late last year.

We had the long central communal table with high stools reserved for the evening and a tempting selection of cocktails to start with.

I loved the interiors which seamlessly incorporate the industrial chic feel with the understated. White tiles, rustic tables , a turntable sitting in the corner belting out numbers on the L.P’s, tungsten filament bulbs illuminating the tables add a cosy touch this lovely new grill and bar.

The Mango Chilli Caiprisoka (£7) is just what you need to unwind after a long day , the sweet and sour taste of fresh mango slices work fabulously well with Vodka and the chilli gives your palate a sharp kick neatly balanced by the chilled ice and lime wedges. If you want to try something quirky I recommend the Evergreen cocktail, avocado and alcohol why not!

First up we were served several sharing platters with BBQ Chicken (for £15 you get a whole organic chicken in a selection of 3 fab sauces – BBQ, Cajun and Bloody Mary!), Blackened Salmon (£9) and mini burgers (£7) – both regular and chickpea and feta too.

Then followed mixed leaf salads (£3) , sweet potato fries (£4) and onion rings (£3). When the Macaroni cheese (£4) came along, it was like nothing else on the table mattered – I thought it would start a war at the table 😉

If that is making you salivate , you can well imagine what happened when the ribs came to the table . I had waited all evening to try the the pièce de ré·sis·tance and I wasn’t disappointed. Not bad for £15 huh?

Though we were sure that we wouldn’t be able to eat another morsel, one look at the desserts and our defenses crumbled. After all platters of cheescake, brownies with ice cream and tall ice-cream sundae glasses are simply impossible to resist right? Just £5 each too 😉

And it’s not just British classics and Quirky cocktails that they do well, they also serve up a good selection of breakfast menu options at great prices, am talking Eggs Benedict/Royal or Eggs Florentine for £6 – now why not go get yourself a lazy breakfast or brunch with freshly brewed coffee this weekend? Go on, you know you want to!

This is another one of those epic review dinners that I will always remember for the fabulous food, great company, brilliant staff, fab service and the Chef for spoiling us with a great selection of food. A special mention to the PR agency and all their team members that went our of their way to make the each one of us feel well looked after, making for a really comfortable and enjoyable evening.

So if it’s great evening out with your friends or simply chilling out with your colleagues after work that your after then head to The Queensbury Kitchen, it’s a stones throw away from the Willesden Green Tube station and good on your pocket too. Am thinking new favourite watering hole on Friday nights for those around Waterloo . Well, you got to try the ribs and the punchy Mango and Chilli Caipiroska atleast once to know what I am talking about!

*With thanks to Fiona who blogs at London Unattached for inviting me for a great evening out also the PR Agency and The Queensbury Kitchen. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. All images used were provided by the PR agency.

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Ragi Pancakes with blueberries (Finger Millet)

April 11, 2015 by manjirichitnis 22 Comments

Healthy Ragi Pancakes, Finger Millet Pancakes

I am obsessed with this healthy millet! I have been cooking a variety of dishes with Nachni (Marathi) / Ragi (Hindi) or Finger Millet as it is popularly known in the past few days. From savoury pancakes to porridge and using them in other recipes, I have been experimenting with them for a while now. I wanted to try using them as an alternative to regular pancakes so thought I would rustle up some sweet Ragi pancakes. But had to keep them healthy so opted for Soya Yoghurt instead of eggs which makes these vegan-friendly and then I added in oats so that makes them gluten-free too.

Nachni chya god polya

I really wanted to come up with some name for the Marathi alternative to this recipe and ‘Nachni chya god polya’ sounded like fun 😉

Finger Millet Blueberry Pancakes / Ragi Pancakes

Light and puffy these are just perfect when you are craving pancakes but a healthier version is what you really want!

Ragi and Blueberry Pancakes , Finger Millet Blueberry Pancakes, Nachni chya god polya

Ragi is known to have a whole host of health benefits:

Popular amongst diabetics due to it’s low GI
High is dietary fiber
Rich in calcium, iron and thiamine
It is an aid to healthy weight loss due to it’s very low fat content
It is a good source of GF protien
Popular as a baby food too

Nutritional value of finger millet per 100g

Protein 7.6g
Fat 1.5g
Carbohydrate 88g
Calcium 370mg
Vitamins – A: 0.48mg
Thiamine (B1): 0.33mg
Riboflavin (B2): 0.11mg
Niacin: (B3) 1.2mg
Fiber 3g

Beautiful fields of Ragi

Image Credit: Mikael Häggström

Why you should make these Ragi pancakes!

As if you need any excuses for making blueberry pancakes!!! But anyway, here are some major health benefits.

Low GI due to the finger millet flour so ideal for diabetics as it keeps blood sugar levels steady avoiding any sudden spikes and crashes.
Gluten-free
Ideal for vegans
Dairy-Free
Egg Free
Refined sugar-free as Natvia is a great sugar substitute
The oats ensure that this pancake keeps you fuller longer

Ragi and Blueberry Pancakes/ Finger Millet Blueberry Pancakes

Manjiri Chitnis

Healthy Ragi/ Finger millet recipe, low- GI, Vegan, Gluten -free, easy to follow, quick recipe

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Fusion Indian

Servings 1 person

Ingredients

6 tbsp heaped – Gluten-free Oats
4 tbsp heaped Ragi flour / Finger Millet Flour
3 tbsp Soya yoghurt – I used Alpro – it’s approved by the Vegan society
Handful Fresh Blueberries
As reqd Water
4 tsp Natvia or any sweetener – adjust quantity as per taste
1 tsp unsalted plant spread or low calorie cooking oil spray

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl add the oats and finger millet and then the yoghurt
Mix well and a thick mixture will form
Heat about 2 cups of water in a kettle and let it cool down a bit
Slowly pour into the mixture and set aside for about 5-7 minutes
Then mix well to form a batter ensuring that it is not runny but has a good consistency, then add the Natvia and stir well till it all dissolves, adjust as per taste
On a non-stick pan on medium heat melt one heaped tbsp unsalted butter or if your using the 1 cal sunflower oil spray then about 6 – 8 sprays are enough
Ladle enough of the batter in the centre of the pan enough for a mini pancake, do not spread it like a dosa as the batter will disintegrate
Cook on each side for about one minute with a lid
Use a wooden spatula to loosen the side done first and flip over carefully, the more the blueberries in each pancake that you ladle into the pan the more the water content as the heat will make the fruit pop and melt into gooey fruity goodness Don’t fret if the first few pancakes break especially where the fruit is at the edge

Keyword Ragi Pancakes

My pancake stack collapsed just as I was about to photograph it – humfph! But it was a very satisfying, delicious, and healthy breakfast which even my husband loved – win-win! Woohoo 🙂

A word of caution though excessive consumption may lead to kidney trouble so don’t over do the consumption.

Fun-Fact about Ragi

Lastly a fun fact! Did you know that the grains are fermented to make a beer in some parts in Nepal? Cool or what?!

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

References:

Wiki
Supra Organics
Veg Weight Loss Diets

Tofu and whole red lentils salad

April 8, 2015 by manjirichitnis 16 Comments

A love affair with Tofu

I am currently in love with a few things like red lentils, avocados, butternut nut squash, oranges, baby spinach, baby kale, walnuts and matcha green tea. I somehow can’t seem to get enough of this. Also my love affair with tofu is just getting more passionate.

Easy Vegetarian Tofu Salad

The long Easter weekend has sped past far too quickly for me and I am now back to work. I just wanted to keep lunch really light today – guilty after ordering a Chinese takeaway yesterday *sad face*

So this recipe is basically me throwing together stuff found in my fridge, not necessarily planned but just what I thought would taste yummy and am very pleased with the result.

Fusion Indian Salad

Whole Masoor daal and Tofu salad

Manjiri Chitnis

Deicious, fusion Indian flavours in a vegetraian salad that is wholesome and very easy to put together

Print Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 40

Course Salad

Cuisine Fusion Indian

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

80 gm Baby Spinach
150 gm Whole Red lentils
50 gm Tofu
75 gm Butternut Squash and sweet potato diced
1/2 Avocado
1/2 Knorr stock pot – onion gravy
1/2 Knorr stock pot mixed chillies
Few Walnuts chopped roughly to garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius
Line a baking tray with a baking sheet
place the diced butternut squash and sweet potato, drizzle some olive oil, smoked sea salt, and black pepper.
Wash the whole red lentils ( laal masoor ) in a sieve under running water
Place the washed whole red lentils with double the quantity of water in a small saucepan and add in the Knorr stock pots of onion gravy and mixed chillies.
Cover with a lid and allow to boil until the dal is completely cooked. Top up with more water if you think it is running dry
Place the tofu on a non-stick pan and dry roast on a low-medium flame for about 4 minutes each side or until done
Meanwhile, half the avocado, scoop out the flesh and roughly cut into large chunks with a spoon
Remove the butternut squash and sweet potato from the oven and set aside
Remove the lid from the saucepan with the cooked whole red lentils and allow them to rest for a while, as they should not be too hot when served, also allowing it to sit will help the dal to absorb any excess water, if there is too much excess water simply drain it
To plate, divide the spinach leaves equally on the plate, then serve the cooked masoor dal on top, followed by the oven roasted butternut squash and sweet potato, dry roasted tofu and finally top with the walnuts to garnish

Notes

Laal = Red in Marathi
Masoor = Red Lentils in Marathi
For this recipe, I have used whole red lentils with brown skin on. Alternatively, if you are pressed for time, you could use cooked ready to eat Puy lentils, but then you would accordingly need to adjust the time used to cook them with the stockpot I use a fan assisted oven, adjust setting accordingly to suit your oven type
I purchased a ready to roast pack of diced butternut squash and sweet potato from the supermarket
If like me you like to batch cook and also have cooked ingredients at hand to use at a later date, then, you could roast a larger batch of the diced butternut squash and sweet potato, so that you have these ready to be used in soups, salads, and curries
If you like your tofu firm then cut out about 1/4th of the tofu from the pack and place it on a kitchen towel to remove excess water, then place another plate on top keep something on this plate to weigh it down. Leave aside for 10 minutes. This should drain the excess water from the tofu. Alternatively, just cut the tofu straight from the pack into large chunks
If like me, you haven’t drained and pressed the tofu to become extra firm, then handle it very gently with a wooden spatula as it easily crumbles

Quick and easy fusion Indian vegetarian salad recipe

I found that this salad didn’t require any dressing or drizzling as the cooked dal works well with the succulent and sweet squash and the tofu adds texture and tastes great with the spinach. Walnuts add crunch, taste fab and are great for those who try this salad for the first time expecting it to be boring. Avocado I like with everything so I simply like having it in there.

I am up for experimenting and may try various permutations of this salad with the following toppings, not only will they make your salad more interesting but also help you reduce food wastage by finding new ways to recycle any of the following leftovers :

Steamed fish – salmon and topped with pine nuts
Pan grilled Tofu and walnuts
Slices of pork salami with nuts

I shall be reporting back with happy experiments with salads and smoothies soon for now am just very satisfied with the end result and the fact that I am back to eating healthy.

Looking for recipe inspiration to create your own salad? Why not browse through my other salad recipe posts:

Recipes where salads are the Main event

Seafood salads

Vegetarian Salads

Salads as a side dish

Creamy Oat Cream Pasta with crunchy green Salad

At the Gourmet Burger Kitchen Chef’s Table with Peter Gordon

April 5, 2015 by manjirichitnis 6 Comments

It’s not every day that a celebrity Chef cooks you lunch, naturally, then I was quite excited to know that would be sampling food cooked by celebrated New Zealand chef Peter Gordon. Peter was in town to cook up a feast from his new and exclusive fusion menu at Gourmet Burger Kitchen.

Peter Gordon has been dubbed “the Godfather of Fusion cuisine”. One look at the menu at any of the restaurants he is associated with and you know that is true.

Peter made his name as Head Chef of The Sugar Club in Wellington in the late 80s. Award-winning incarnations of The Sugar Club followed in Notting Hill and Soho. Today, he oversees the running of The Providores & Tapa Room and Kopapa in London, and Bellota and The Sugar Club in Auckland. In 2009, he was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit by HM The Queen for services to the food industry.

When GBK was first launched in 2001 by owners Adam, Greg and Brandon their aim was to introduce U.K. to new and premium beef burgers. Back then to develop the very first menu they worked with fellow Kiwi Peter Gordon – who now after 14 years is back with a fabulous new fusion menu that experiments with textures, ingredients and flavours.

It was also my first ever meal at any Chef’s Table so soon after I arrived at the Baker Street branch, we were taken to the secret kitchen which is separate from the main kitchen, this is where Tim Molema – the Head of Food at Gourmet Burger Kitchen creates his magic.

L-R: Tim Molema – the Head of Food at GBK and Peter Gordon.

For mains, we had Peter’s new creation – The Duck Confit Burger. The combination of crisp confit duck with a thick layer of creamy duck liver pâté and melting Cheddar cheese is a heavenly ménage à trois. Though there were those who were not too pleased with the mention of duck liver pâté, I was quite pleased, as I absolutely love pâté especially when served as a generous layer on thin, crisp toasted bread (a perfect nibble with bubbly, don’t you think?)

The crispy shallots give the burger a lovely crunch (reminded me of layered biryani with crispy fried onion) whereas the fiery ginger and apricot chilli jam is probably what gives this new invention an umami flavour, cleverly combining the rich taste of duck with the other ingredients.

Encased in soft and fresh brioche buns this burger is simply irresistible.

The hors-d’oeuvre of sweet potato fries was topped with a very familiar tasting dressing – Tamarind (reminded me of Mumbai’s famous street food – Bhel!) and also a generous splattering of the Egyptian spice mixture – Dukkah – a nut-free version to ensure that those with nut allergies can also enjoy it – Peter is there anything you did not think of? Guess not 🙂

For the other side dish – Fresh Summer Homeslaw, Peter has drawn inspiration from Middle Eastern spices like sumac and pomegranate molasses. Sumac gives a lovely tart edge to the minty slaw while the mint and pomegranate molasses give it an unmistakable depth of flavour.

Every good burger should be washed down with a thick and delicious milkshake – or so I think and Peter’s creation – a Banana Biscoff milkshake is a mind-meltingly fabulous fusion of banana ice cream and Lotus Biscoff caramelised biscuits, also known as Speculoos cookies- a great way to create a fusion of flavours.

To watch Peter Gordon live in action, cooking up what he does best – creating a fusion of flavours and being able to drink in the experience of being at the Chef’s table was truly memorable.

After that fabulous and exclusive Lunch preview, I spoke to Peter for an exclusive interview where he gave me an insight into the inspiration behind his new menu.

In Peter Gordon’s words, “The UK burger scene has evolved hugely over the last 14 years. It seems like every day a new burger is making headlines, so when it came to creating my own, I knew it had to be something unique to stand out. Putting my own stamp on the menu has been an exciting process and I’ve put the same care into this as I do with every dish I create for my own restaurants. Our fans are always on the lookout for the next big thing in burgers and I am confident they will agree this one is something a bit special.”

You too can get behind the scenes with Peter in the GBK kitchen with this little video clip:

Still here? There surely is a GBK branch you can get to in time for dinner today right? All you need to do is … grab your coat and …leave!

**Peter’s Menu is now available at Gourmet Burger Kitchen restaurants nationwide.

*With thanks to the PR Agency and Gourmet Burger Kitchen for the invite. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. Kindly do not re-produce any images without my prior permission.

Inito – a journey into the flavours of Indian street food in London’s East End

March 31, 2015 by manjirichitnis 5 Comments

Journey into India’s by lanes without leaving London? Yes it’s possible well at least transporting your taste buds is. Simply head to London’s east end for a treat to your senses. Located a stone’s throw away from Liverpool street, @Inito_UK has the look and feel of a really cool dhabba plus an old college canteen rolled into one.

While we waited for all our friends to arrive we were served some thick and delicious lassi, I love salted lassi and this one made me greedily want another round – it’s the kind of lassi that you will happily drink and not worry about your ‘lassi moustache’ – I almost thought I was stuck in the dhabba scene from Rang de Basanti for a minute there (which reminds me I must add a road trip to the North of India to my bucket list – with loads of stops at roadside dhabbas included and if I can do this one a motorbike – waah!!) As expected the Mango lassi was most popular choice.

We were then served Chicken Lollipop with a mini masala dosa, the chef was generous enough to even give some dosa batter away to experiment at home to one of us. Chicken lollipop is another very popular ‘item’ on the menu in India and is very popular even as a starter for parties. Dosa stalls dot streets where dosa lovers throng to eat a variety of different dosa’s with delicious stuffing , there is at least one dosa stall to be found outside every big railway station in Mumbai.

Inito served the dosa with some delicious coriander and mint chutney.

Then came Pani- Puri – the one snack that makes me go weak in the knees. Everytime I go to Mumbai I must head to Elco Pani Puri to gobble up as many plates I can possibly stuff myself with! The pani puri was ok and much better than what I have tried elsewhere in London but amongst everything we sampled that evening I would put this at the bottom of my list. This has nothing do with the what they served per se but more to do with what type of pani puri I am accustomed to having back in Mumbai.

Then came the bhel and the dahi chaat – both were excellent and the tamarind chutney was fab.

Then came a huge platter with various roti- rolls – basically loads of meat or veggies with some fresh veggies and chutney stuffed inside. I loved the chicken and lamb – the meat was cooked tender and it was what I would expect in terms of taste. Reminded me of Tibbs Frankie ummm The prawn roti roll was my least favourite – I would rather have had the prawns on their own.

We were given a selection of different dips and chutneys to go with these roti-rolls, my favourite was a chewy aubergine chutney, very good. The adventurous few can even design their own roti rolls. No wonder then the Chef Saurav Nath is an award winner – he has managed to retain the authenticity of most of the dishes while coming up with clever fusion dishes like the pau slider and roti rolls.

Then came the Tikka’s – tender and succulent portions of meat, chicken and paneer- Indian cottage cheese – marinated in Awadhi spices and yoghurt and then skewered inside a tandoor. I loved the mini pau-sliders too. Highly recommend pairing the tikka’s with Bombay Blonde a blonde beer crafted specially to compliment the complex flavours of curry and a great alternative to Indian Lagers. For those who have had Cobra beer before can order Cobra, Mongoose or Kingfisher too. I love Kingfisher especially when I am in Mumbai or Pune over summer – nothing better to help me survive temperatures upwards of 32 deg cel!

The chef then got us some curries to try and dum-biryani. While all of us went into a frenzy clicking pictures and capturing the moment when the lid was lifted off the biryani , the air filled with the unmistakable biryani fragrance of basmati rice, spices and meat The very thought of that steaming hot biryani makes me salivate even now -ummm . I had fun explaining to my one of blogger friends who had never seen anything quite like that before. Folks its worth the trek to this place just for the biryani! – Head over to my Instagram feed to check out a cool ‘biryani’ video here

The curries were delicious and I am biased in favour of the lamb. But by this point I was ready to explode and so were the others. It was good then that some jumped at the chance to take some the curries home, I would have hated to see the food go waste.

No Indian meal is complete without some freshly made pipping hot gulab jamun and ice cream and even with full tummies , everyone did justice to the sweets. I was quite delighted to hear that the ice cream was Horlicks flavoured – Horlicks and Bournvita were my favourites while growing up and made drinking hot glasses of milk bearable. The mini Gulab Jamuns were irresistible little bite sized ones in sugar syrup. (as confirmed by my friends since I did not touch them – had vowed to stay away from sweets – whyyy???!! But I just had to try the ice cream and allowed myself as teensy weensy taster)

The rasmalai was fabulous too (as confirmed by my friends) with the right consistency and topped with pistachios and cardamom floating in a sweet thickened milk.

The best thing about going for a review dinner with blogger friends is that you have great company sorted and you hope for good food and when food is fabulous it just turns into one of those evenings that you wish would happen more often. I got to meet my friends, eat fab food, discuss things food and blogging related that only like minded folks can fathom and enjoy discussing – what more can one ask for, huh?

We were served by smiling and courteous staff and sampled a large variety of dishes from the vast menu. The Chef came and spoke to us at length and I loved chatting him up in Hindi. The food is brilliant and I would certainly recommend anyone who wants to try fabulous melt in your mouth tikka’s , steaming hot biryani and tangy chaat – If the food managed to transport my taste buds to Mumbai then am sure they got that bit right!

The minimalist decor goes well with the street food theme and the bright wall art will have you clicking away to share pictures on Instagram – I did !

*With thanks to the PR Agency and Inito for the invite. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

MoBa – New Boulangerie with a French-Asian fusion menu opens in London

March 30, 2015 by manjirichitnis 8 Comments

The new artisan bakery where Bánh Mì meets Boulangerie called MoBa opened it’s doors to the public on Monday at Goodge street in London.

Before I dive into the details about their unique and well thought of menu, a bit about the background – the how’s and why’s ( humm ,maybe all those hours am spending watching House M.D have started affecting the way I think – need to know the why first..)

The Paris born founding duo – Thibaut and Theodore, met while studying Hotel Management in Switzerland and then kept in touch even when their careers took to various locations across the world. They recently moved to London with the aim of bringing a new concept of dining to London. Though they are still in their early 20’s this duo has gained lots of experience between the two of them and have been exposed to various culinary influences.

With a bold and fabulous new fusion menu this new casual dining spot promises to serve up interesting food, which like their lovely window display will change with the seasons. ‘MoBa’ an acronym for Modern Bakery aims to combine traditional French cooking with fresh and simple flavours from Asia – a culmination of friendship, passion for creativity and of course a shared love of good food.

The interiors are cool and fresh, the minimalist look adds a soothing touch while the sleek leather lined stools give it just the right edge.

I also got a feel of a bit of behind the scene the counter action – a masterclass of sorts. Thibaut Voury, one of the founders , who was managing the kitchen showed me how to make my own Bánh Mì.

Because I wasn’t too keen on a heavy lunch, the naked Bánh Mì sounded good and Theodore Charoy the other founder suggested that I choose ‘Tokyo’ because of the fabulous flavours of the Salmon gravlax. He was right! I absolutely loved this mix of seasonal veg wok, Japanese lime and garlic cream served on a bed of noodles. Not only is it light and fresh it is still full of wonderful Asian flavours.

I resisted having any beer but they have my favourite Asian beer – Asahi, while the other bloggers loved Bellerose – a blonde beer from Northern France.

I also learnt that the word Bánh Mì was born out of a misspelling for ”pain de mie” which simply means ‘sliced bread’. This sandwich dated back to the time when French colonised Indochina, a perfect example of a fusion born out of the meeting of two very different culinary worlds.

The other bloggers choose the Toulouse (£7.20) which as they described as a fabulous combination of spicy mango sauce and duck confit in a traditional baguette stuffed with seasonal veg wok. It was massive and looked very delicious , I do hope to go back soon for this one.

Apart from the fusion menu, the Boulangerie also stocks beautiful breads and some baguettes with unusual combinations like the soya-ginger baguette which I got to take home in goody bag. I was greedily eyeing the green tea croissant while photographing the place and the mango croissant looked so tempting with the beautiful glaze over it – wow – almost irresistible!

Ever since I started having my matcha green tea everyday I am totally addicted to the taste of green tea and the match green tea brownies were my absolute favourite from the sweet treats we were given to sample. Of course the fusion of flavours spills over into the dessert menu too then and the exotic sounding Zen Lightning Éclair packs a punch with a strong tangy flavour while the Speculoos Mango Cheesecake is delicious too and a perfect companion with a steaming hot latte. What I loved most is that the dessert tray came lined with the MoBa ‘newspaper’ – hot off the press!

MoBa is conveniently located a short walk from Goodge Street tube station and is a fabulous lunch option for lunch go-ers and would make for a great place for a casual catch up over dinner with friends too.

Don’t know about you but I think MoBa is going to kick off a new trend in London with their fusion menu!

*With thanks to the PR Agency and MoBa for the invite. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.All images without my watermark for ‘travelsfortaste’ are provided by the PR Agency. Kindly do not re-produce any images without prior permission.

Häagen-Daz rings in Spring Summer 2015 with captivating new flavour combinations

March 22, 2015 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

Last week may have forced us all to crank up the heater and go back to stews and soups, but hopefully if the weather today was any indication Spring is finally here – fingers crossed!

After a lazy Sunday spent lounging around after a stroll in the park where it felt amazing to feel the sun on my face, I deiced to allow myself a bit of indulgence. Sitting in my freezer and waiting to be eaten were 2 new flavours from Häagen-Daz – a limited edition exotic flavour – Yuzu Citrus & Cream and a dreamy Chocolate Salted Caramel.

They were sent to me in a goody bag with a yuzu lemon juice from Waitrose which I used to season a whole fresh sea bass for dinner last Friday and some yuze scented bath bombs from Lush. Those am saving up for a quite dip in the tub sometime this coming week.

Yuzu Lemon is definitely the new citrus craze in town and in ice cream form its creamy tangy taste is quite irresistible. It’s good to know then that Häagen-Daz handpicks the exquisite Yuzu fruit from the Japanese mountains of Kôshi.

The sour hybrid of mandarin and ichang papeda is pressed fresh to deliver a juice with crisp flavour notes, reminiscent of mandarin and grapefruit. The juices are then mixed with sweet oranges to create a refreshing sauce that twists into Häagen-Dazs’ original ice cream recipe for a uniquely intense taste.

The die hard chocoholics also have reason to celebrate as the new Häagen-Dazs Chocolate Salted Caramel combines the delicious chocolate ice cream with generous silky ribbons of salted caramel and delicate brittle, delivering a moment of decadence with every satisfying crunch.

To really enjoy your Häagen-Dazs allow it to rest for a while before you dive into it, just when it starts to melt is the the time when you will relish it the most. Like all their flavours, these new flavour combinations are made using 100% real milk and cream and yolks from free-range eggs.

**Häagen-Dazs Yuzu Citrus & Cream is now available to purchase from Sainsburys and Waitrose and Häagen-Dazs Chocolate Salted Caramel is now available to purchase from Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Asda, Morrisons and Tesco.

*With thanks to Häagen-Dazs and the PR team for sending me samples for review. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. As always all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Hoppers, SOHO – a review

Mains at Hoppers, SOHO

Average bill person with one starer and one side to share, one main and one non-alcholic drink – £25 approx (without alcholol and dessert)

A slice of Costa Rica – Casado

Pack a healthy protien punch into your meals with Quorn

The Queensbury Kitchen – NW London’s fab new All Day Bar and Grill

Ragi Pancakes with blueberries (Finger Millet)

Healthy Ragi Pancakes, Finger Millet Pancakes

Nachni chya god polya

Finger Millet Blueberry Pancakes / Ragi Pancakes

Ragi is known to have a whole host of health benefits:

Nutritional value of finger millet per 100g

Beautiful fields of Ragi

Why you should make these Ragi pancakes!

Ragi and Blueberry Pancakes/ Finger Millet Blueberry Pancakes

Ingredients

Instructions

Fun-Fact about Ragi

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

Tofu and whole red lentils salad

A love affair with Tofu

Easy Vegetarian Tofu Salad

Fusion Indian Salad

Whole Masoor daal and Tofu salad

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Quick and easy fusion Indian vegetarian salad recipe

Recipes where salads are the Main event

Seafood salads

Vegetarian Salads

Salads as a side dish

At the Gourmet Burger Kitchen Chef’s Table with Peter Gordon

Inito – a journey into the flavours of Indian street food in London’s East End

MoBa – New Boulangerie with a French-Asian fusion menu opens in London

Häagen-Daz rings in Spring Summer 2015 with captivating new flavour combinations

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