#QuickChomping – Mushroom and baby spinach cheese toast

After eggs, the easiest and most comforting thing to cook after eggs is cheesy toasts and bread pizzas. This one is special because the baby spinach we used came from our own garden. For a super simple snack, read on –

Ingredients –

Button mushrooms – 10 to 12

Baby spinach leaves – a handful

Mayonnaise  – 2 tbsp

Oregano seasoning – to taste

Bread – 2 slices

Mozzarella cheese – 1 cup

Method –

• Roughly cut the mushrooms to bit sized pieces
• Wash the spinach leaves and break into small pieces
• Steam the mushrooms and spinach leaves separately for one minute in the microwave. Drain the excess water.
• Mix in the mayonnaise with spinach and mushrooms
• Spread the mix on the bread and cover with cheese and oregano seasoning
• Bake at 200 degrees for 5 minutes or till the cheese has completely melted

Happy Chomping 🙂

Dorabjee and Sons in the heart of Pune

While Bombay is full of Irani Cafes and sees much of the Parsi community and culture, Pune too has its little share and they are tucked away in the best manner possible. Located in the Camp Area, we bumped across Dorabjee’s while we were on a look out for Cafe Yezdan which was on every “must visit” list I could find. Cafe Yezdan reminds you of one of those coffee homes which have been around forever and see the regular folk everyday for bun maska and chai.

Dorabjee’s on the other hand was a lucky discovery and has been around for four generations now. Dishing out classic keema and biryanis, they have innumerable stories papered on their walls that speak volume.

The innumerable stories at Dorabjee’s

We ordered a portion of flavorsome mutton keema with pav, chicken biryani with curry and Parsi rotli. Minced mutton keema in a thick curry with an underlying sweet taste of caramelised onions and served with home baked pav. Chicken biryani was served with a spicy curry instead of raita, what we are used to in the North. The biryani infused with turmeric and spicy, masaledar chicken pieces was very tantalizing.

Keema Pav

Chicken biryani

Keema pav, biryani and Parsi rotli

The service is so warm here and dining in places such as these make you feel you are a part of something grander, a part of history. Don’t miss out on their mutton keema.

Where? Dorabjee and Sons, Camp Area, Pune

Price for two – INR 650

Cuisine – Parsi, Irani

Quick Chomping – Bruschetta

Fresh bread calls for a delicious breakfast – a crisp bake topped with lots of healthy oats. Cut up a batch, smeared some sandwich spread and topped with fresh veggies, and was good to go for a quick spot of breakfast or evening munch.

I took inspiration from the humble kheera-tamatar (cucumber-tomato) sandwich which is a staple in Indian houses. The gorgeous baguette, smeared with some Veeba sandwich spread, topped with cucumber slices, tomatoes and a few pieces of sweet corn and black olives to add the extra punch. The second bit, is another interpretation of aloo toast. Topped with some crispy hash browns and Caesar salad dressing, add a little bit cheese on the top to make it a heavier affair.

Tomato, cucumber, olive bruschetta

Hash browns with Caesar dressing

Fresh ingredients are so much fun to cook with, more quickies coming up soon.

Happy Chomping 🙂

The analogy of Master of Malts

Brimming with new eats all the time, Connaught Place sees yet another name with a larger than life ambiance, a groovy playlist and of course the only thing that restaurants strive at – good desi food. Master of malts is spread over two floors, with teak interiors, outdoors seating and a feet tapping DJ. The menu is very elaborate and it is always a safe bet to bank upon the classic grub in times like theses.

We started with rounds of drinks – the cocktails we tried were just about decent – Whisky sour and Irish Blue.  The alcoholic milk shake – Naughty Angel is some what a respite but definitely go for the classic nutty choco chip shake.

Whisky sour – be sure to customize this as per your tastebuds

The Irish Blue with vodka, blue curacao and whipped cream – the cracked cream and vodka just did not make for a pleasant experience

Appetizers included the nibble favourites – Fish Tikka, chicken wings, chicken tikka, dahi ke kebab (variant of course) and dal makhni shots. What really stood apart was their dahi ke kebab or the Hung Yogurt papdi fried tomato walnut tapinard – flat yogurt patties, shallow fried and topped with crunchy papdi bits. Both the fish and chicken tikkas were well marinated on the outside, the flavors went a little down the hill as we dug into the meat. The chicken tikka could definitely do with more succulence. The dal makhni shooters, always a delight to savor were spot on the hot cheesy naan, the dal should have been thicker to compliment the shot but was delectable all the same.

Mud Oven Roasted Fish Tikka

BBQ chicken wings

Hung yogurt Papdi fried Tomato walnut Tapinard

Chicken Tikka

Dal Makhni shooters with cheese naan

For mains for we gobble on Jerk Caribbean Chicken, Sliced fish in black mushroom oyster sauce, pesto cottage cheese steak and Indian Platters. Starting off with the Caribbean chicken which came in hanging off the hook, quite literally – tender, juicy and grilled to perfection, the subtle flavors and green went very well together. The fish and fried rice were sort of a classic combo, what was the bouncer was the cottage cheese steak. Grilled cottage cheese, flavored with pesto sauce was an absolute delight paired with the chilly rice and tomato reduction. The platters were again a classic phenomenon with dal makhni, meats and choice of bread – the rogan josh was a tad too heavy on the salt but the murgh makhni was impeccably done.

Jerk Caribbean Chicken

Sliced fish in black mushroom oyster sauce with fried rice

Grilled pesto cottage cheese steak

Mutton Rogan Josh combo

Master of Malts for their version of dahi ke kebab, dal makhni shooters and cottage cheese steak. Their cocktails need a bit of work just yet.

Where? Scindia House, KG Marg, Connaught Place

Price for two – 1800INR

Cuisine – Bar, North Indian, Italian

#CookandChomp – Chicken Shawarma

My first time eating a shawarma was at Al Bake, New  Friends Colony – the only street place serving delectable shawarma rolls back in the day – although the roll was extremely delish, it was also a very desi fusion. Post that, I have tried a lot of more authentic versions – so it was only time that we replicated the same at home. The best part, it is healthy and super easy!

I also made a smaller portion with paneer and it was swell!

Ingredients

For four people

For the wrap –

• Boneless chicken – 500g
• Lebanese Khubz – 1 packet with 6 pcs (Usually available at Modern bazaar or Food Hall)
• Yogurt for basic marination – 2tbsp

For Chicken shawarma marinade –

• Lime juice – 1 tbsp
• Lemon zest – 3/4 tsp
• Olive oil – 3tbsp
• Coriander leaves – 2-1/2 tbsp
• Ginger and garlic paste – 1tsp
• Cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp
• Red chilly powder – 1/4 tsp
• Coriander Powder – 1/4tsp
• Salt and Pepper – to taste

For the tzatziki

• Thick hung curd – 2 cups
• Cucumber – 1 medium size, shredded
• Seasoning – to taste

To garnish – Pomegranate seeds, ketchup and tzatziki

Method

• Wash the chicken, add the yogurt, salt and pepper. Mix well and chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. This is one of the most basic marinades that render the chicken juicy and not chewy at all (This is an optional step, if you are short of time, you can simply skip to the real marinade)
• Add all the marinade herbs and spices and mix well. Rub it on to the chicken and leave still for about an hour

Marinated chicken and paneer

• Pre-heat the oven for 5 minutes, brush the tray with olive oil and place the chicken on to the tray

Ready to be grilled

• Grill the chicken, till golden brown and succulent
• For the tzatziki – mix the curd, cucumber and seasoning to make the thick tzatziki
• Heat the Khubz, add the chicken pieces, line with the tzatziki and garnish with some pomegranate seeds and ketchup. You can also add your favourite greens to the wrap. Simply roll and enjoy.

Paneer Shawarma

Chicken shawarma

Happy Chomping 🙂

#CookandChomp – Mushroom and Spinach White Sauce Pasta

I have always preferred Arabiata or Pink sauce, simply because they pack more flavors. But lately the creamy subtle flavors have started to grow on me. To mark the changing weather and arrival of fresh mushrooms – try this effortless Pasta with VEEEBA’s white sauce.

Ingredients

For Two

• Pasta – any shape that you favor, I chose fusilli – 2 cups
• Button mushrooms – 250g
• Baby Spinach – 100g
• Veeba’s white pasta sauce – 3tbsp
• Olive Oil – 1tsp
• Oregano seasoning – to garnish

Pasta in white sauce – Ingredients

Method

• Boil water, add the pasta, a pinch of salt and a few drop of olive oil (oldest trick in the book to prevent the pasta from sticking) Cook for about 8-10 minutes or till the pasta is cooked al dente
• Meanwhile, wash the spinach thoroughly and remove the stems
• Wash the mushrooms, chop and steam in the microwave for 2 minutes. Strain the extra water. This cooks the mushrooms and avoids the smell to ruin your dish
• Drizzle the oil on a non-stick pan – add the mushrooms and spinach. Cook for a minute
• Add the pasta and toss the vegetables
• Add the sauce and mix well
• Serve hot with seasoning

It’s done

The white pasta sauce by VEEBA

Ready to be devoured

The white pasta dressing is all you need to make a kickass gourmet white sauce pasta. You can vary the amount as per your taste – I prefer it a little less saucy but feel free to alter it to your needs.

Happy Chomping 🙂

#CookandChomp Monsoon special Dal pakauris

Rains calls for pakore, chai and all kinds of delicacies – try these super crispy and easy to make Urad Dal pakoris for breakfast or chai time munching.

And the best part – you will find all these things at home.

Moong Dal Pakauri –

Serves 4 for light snacks

Ingredients –

• Urad Dhuli Dal – 2cups
• Ginger, finely chopped – 3/4 tbsp
• Green chilly – 1 medium, finely chopped
• Salt to taste

Method –

• Soak the Dal for about two hours in water.
• Strain and transfer to a grinder, add just about 1 to 1-1/2 tbsp water and grind to a coarse paste
• Mix in the chopped ginger, chillies and salt (My capacity for spices is quite low, so feel free to adjust it according to your palate)
• Heat oil in a kadhayi, and pour in a bite sized portion of the paste in the piping hot oil. Make sure the oil is really, really hot.
• Fry till a gorgeous shade of golden yellow and strain on some kitchen towels.

Serve crispy with mint and tamarind chutney.

Happy chomping. 🙂

#QuickChomping – King’s Amritsari Kulcha

A rainy day in Gurgaon is not the same as a rainy day in Delhi for me. In Delhi it means hot pakoras, good movies and enjoying the rain beat through the window panes. In Gurgaon however it means traffic jams and everything that comes post. So, Uber Eats and a new place to blow away the blues.

This newbie – King’s Amritsari Kulcha was looking quite promising and it turned out pretty good.
I ordered a portion of aloo pyaaz garlic kulcha and a Shahi Thali.

Aloo pyaaz garlic kulcha comes with a side of choley and is humongous to start with. Super crispy and nicely stuffed with a delish aloo pyaaz mixture, the kulcha was well buttered but lacked the garlic zest. The Shahi Thali, again was fit for two hungry lads – choley, kadhi, paneer, rice, chutney, pyaaz and raita with two fairly big tandoori roti and aloo pyaaz kulcha. Their curries are very homely and the prices super affordable.

Shahi Thali

Shahi Thali

Aloo pyaaz garlic kulcha and choley

Do try them for an quick and cheap bite.

#CookandChomp Maggi with a twist

Maggi is the two minute snack that all of us go back to no matter what. The most readily available meal is maggi and the sole cheap chomp that satiates both your soul and hunger in times of need.

I tried a new version making it more saucy and it was rather a hit –

All you need is a medley of sauces which are most commonly available and mix them as per your taste buds – this saucy mix includes Heinz hot and spicy, Fun Foods Pasta sauce and Fun Foods pizza and pasta sauce.

Mix them well together. And add just a dash of lemon juice.

Boil the maggi and mix the sauce. Add the maggi masala post and enjoy the sauce delicious fusion.

Happy Chomping 🙂

 

Mid week trotting through DLF Galleria

My first visit to DLF Galleria, almost a year and a half year back now, left me slightly in awe of the whole place. Gobs of awesome little cafes, boutiques and big brands, street whips and the signature fountain. House to Chaayos for innumerable cups of chai, work space and now open 24 hours, is one our go to places.

Hit Le Marche – Sugar and Spice for some fresh breads, sweet and savory sandwiches, and Fat Lulu’s has to be your take away crafted pizza joint. Theobroma adds another feather to the cap with Oreo and Red Velvet brownies. One of the largest owned space at Galleria is AmPm Cafe and Bar – with their signature Lickable shakes, cocktails by Yangdup Lama and irresistible fusions, this is one of the coolest places foe live music and a evening of unwinding.

Ferrero Rocher doughnut shake

Also home to a lot of street food options, we tried a single chicken, single egg roll from Kwality’s – the roll was pretty decent – a nice, soft flaky parantha, with a layer of egg and juicy chicken bits, onion rings and sauces. They could have definitely added some more dressing for flavors, but it makes for a pretty good cheap bite.

Our star find was Piccolicko – a cute little dessert parlour serve Italian gelato in exciting flavours, waffles, shakes and ice creams. We tried their chocolate fudge cake and butterscotch caramel cake scoops – the chocolate fudge cake a sinful delectable piece although I found solace in the butterscotch caramel cake – with crunchy butterscotch bits and a sweet and sticky caramel flavor. Topped with a waffle cone, three scoops set you back about 200 INR and although the ice cream is incredible, the scoops are a tad small to do the price justice.

Find them here.

Stay tuned for more trotting on the streets. Happy Chomping 🙂