A Taste or Two

Njende Curry with Paputtu.

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Anish Thimanna

Be it the fresh catch from the Ocean or the paddy fields in the villages, Crabs are one of the most delectable and mouth watering dishes. Made into stir fry, curries, cakes or simply boiled and had with herb butter, the sweet and luscious meat just melts in the mouth and always leaves one wanting for more.

As a child back in Goa, I remember waking up early in the morning and heading to the Jetty at Panjim or Margao to get the earliest and the best catch of the day, getting back home, helping dad clean the crab and watching mum prepare the masala, is still fresh in me.

Today’s recipe is a classic Njende Curry with Paputtu. Njende means Crab in Kodava language and Paputtu is a sweet rice cake. During holidays when I visited Coorg, Njende curry used to be one of those special treats prepared from freshly caught Mud Crabs from the Bele (Paddy Fields),my cousins and I would go crab hunting along the paddy fields, catching one is incredibly difficult but its totally worth the effort.

Paputtu is a form of rice cake made from Tari (broken rice) mixed with coconut milk and water, usually served with Chicken Curry, but it works really well with spicy Crab curry too.Steamed in a steamer called Paputtu Vara in Kodava takk, it resembles a idli steamer usually made from stainless steel.

For today’s recipe i’ll be using Blue crabs, blue crabs have very sweet meat and cook faster compared to the mud crabs.

Ingredients for Crab curry :

Crabs : 1 kg
Coriander leaves : 1/2 cup
Chilli powder : 2 tbl spn
Turmeric powder : 1 tbl spn
Salt : 2-3 tbl spn
Coconut Oil : 1 tbl spn
Puli Neer (Kachampuli) : 1/4 tsp

For the Masala :

Dried Red Chillies : 10-12
Pepper Corns : 1 tbl spn
Fenugreek seeds : 1 tsp
Coriander seeds : 2 tbl spn
Red Rice : 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds : 1 tspn
Cumin seeds : 1 tbl spn

For the Coconut paste :

Coconut : 3/4th
Onions : 3 large
Tomatoes : 2 large
Garlic : 6 pods
Ginger : 1 inch

Method :

Wash crabs, drain and mix chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt and marinate for an hour.
Dry fry all the dry ingredients mentioned under Masala, over a pan on low heat until there’s a nice aroma.

In a separate pan add little coconut oil and fry onions for few minutes till soft and then add grated coconut and fry on a low heat till brown (this will take some time).
Once the dry ingredients are heated, leave them to cool and blitz them in a blender and set aside.
Cool the Coconut and onion mixture, add tomatoes, garlic, ginger, 1 cup water and blend to a smooth paste, do it in batches for quick results.
Once blended, add the spice mixture and the Coconut paste to a smooth consistency.
Take a deep kadai add a little coconut oil and add the crabs and fry them lightly, you will see the crab change color to deep orange.

Once the crab changes color, add the Coconut mixture and stir to coat the paste all over the crabs evenly.
Cook over a low flame for 15 minutes and adjust seasoning accordingly.
Finally add Puli neer and stir and cook for further 2 minutes and you’re done.
Garnish with Coriander leaves.

Ingredients for Paputtu :

Broken Rice : 1 cup
Grated Coconut : 1/4 cup
Sugar : 1 tbl spn
Salt : 1/2 tbl spn
Coconut Milk : 1 cup
Water : 1 cup

Method :

Soak the Broken Rice in 1 cup water and 1 cup milk and mix well.
Add Sugar and Salt and stir.
Pour them into the mould evenly.
Add hot water inside steamer and let it boil, once boiled, slowly displace the Paputtu Mould into it and cover.
Cook for 15-20 mins or until done.

This recipe does looks like a lot of work, but i assure you that you and your friends will be licking their fingers at the end of this sublime meal. Crab curry can be enjoyed with hot steamed rice, Akki Rotti or some chapati, remember, Crab is the star of the show here.

Hope this recipe helps you and do hit me back on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and let me know how it went for ya’ll.

Happy Cooking!

Pumpkin soup with garlic Baguette.

Posted on December 17, 2014 by Anish Thimanna

It’s that time of the year when waking up from your bed becomes a herculean task, all you need is a blanket, pot of hot beverage and a book. I remember when we were young, dad would make us mutton bone soup; spicy,lemony, healthy and delicious. Sadly that’s the only soup i remember having as a child back home.

Soups don’t play an integral part of either Goan or Coorg cuisine, while Portuguese influence has made Mulligatawny soup and Caldo Verde available in the Goan kitchens and restaurants, Coorg has no influence of soups or any brothy dish, closest one can come to a soup in a Coorg kitchen is Rasam ; this tamarind based peppery, sometimes sweetened with jaggery and spices is a delight, had with rice or by itself, is a perfect cure for a bad cold.

Today i’ll be sharing a recipe I tasted first at Au Bon Pain , cafe bakery located all around Bangalore. I instantly fell in love with it. Thick,velvety and hues of orange on a rainy evening, and, it was bliss.

Pumpkin being such a versatile dish, can be roasted, grilled, made into curries, pie, cakes and pureed to make soups. They belong to the Squash family which have rough skin and deep yellow to orange coloration. While the seeds and flowers are used in abundance, in India, the leaves are used to make curries, chopped and added to your daily Sambar.

So, here goes the recipe :

Ingredients :

Pumpkin – 1 small
Onions – 2 large
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Basil – 4-5 leaves
Thyme – a small bunch
Dried Oregano – 1 tsp
Vegetable Stock – 1 cup
Bocconcini cheese – 2 nos
Pumpkin seeds – 1 tbsp
Paprika – 1 tsp
Baguette – 1 loaf

Prep Work :

Cut pumpkin into large chunks, add them to a pressure cooker, pour vegetable stock ,1/2 cup water and cook for 10-15 minutes or till 2 whistles.
Cut and Wash onions thoroughly, dice fine and set aside.
Once the pumpkin is cooked, set aside to cool and then remove skin.
Puree the skinned pumpkin and cover with cling film.
Heat the pumpkin seeds on a hot griddle and set aside.
In the same pan drizzle some olive oil and heat the Baguette till golden brown.

Method :

Take a large deep pan and add extra virgin olive oil.
Add mustard and cumin seeds.
Once the seeds start to splutter add onions and cook them till translucent.
Add the pumpkin puree and mix thoroughly, keep adding extra water/stock to get desired consistency.
Add thyme,dried oregano,paprika and keep stirring, make sure the flame is on the lowest setting, check for seasoning and cook for further 10 mins.
Switch of the flame and add chopped basil and bocconcini cheese and serve hot.
Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and scatter some pumpkin seeds for the extra texture.
Rub a clove of garlic over the hot baguette and serve along with the soup.

This pumpkin soup is a perfect companion on those nights when cooking your usual dish isn’t working out, a single vegetable to elevate your mood and accompany you on a cold night.

Soup is a lot like a family. Each ingredient enhances the others; each batch has its own characteristics; and it needs time to simmer to reach full flavor. – Marge Knnedy

Farfalle with Goan chorizo and Bocconcini

Posted on December 2, 2014 by Anish Thimanna

Yes! I’m back, but this time with a different approach to Food, I have tried and tested food from around Bangalore, have spoken to chefs and restaurateurs to persuade them to make me sample their food and write about it, but to no avail, I shall hence forth be blogging about the food I cook at home. Being a home cook is so much fun and easy, the array of dishes one can cook up with limited ingredients is strangely very satisfying.

Days are getting colder and there are very few things that are better than warm Pasta bowl and glass of Chardonnay. Why pasta you ask? well, it is the versatility of this Italian marvel that gets me, made fresh or dry, this soaks up any sauce you throw at it (well almost, you stay away Chimichurri , stay away!!). Fresh pasta does taste better but you can whip up tasty meals from dried pasta as well. Spaghetti, Farfalle, Lasagna, Penne with White sauce, Marinara, Meat sauce or Pesto and you have never ending combinations.

In today’s recipe I shall be incorporating the famous Goan Chorizo with the Marinara sauce, for those of you wondering what Goan Chorizo is; it is spiced pork sausages with vinegar, red chilies, garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, cloves, pepper, and cinnamon usually eaten with Goan bread – pao. I’m using smoked/dried chorizo for this recipe which will give it a meaty taste.

Until recently I could not get my hands onto fresh mozzarella, thanks to Nature Basket, i bought Bocconcini ; which is basically baby mozzarella, this snowy white balls of heaven are a treat, creamy and almost melted marshmallow texture makes it perfect for salads, Bruschetta and Caprese salad.

Drops of heaven? Haan Ji!

I’ll be using two types of cheese in this recipe, Bocconcini and the other being Parmesan, Parmesan shavings added as a topping to any pasta just lifts the dish completely, the only reson we are wary of trying Parmesan is because it is obnoxiously expensive here in india, unless I own a restaurant I dont see the need to buy Grana Padano, Parmesan, Goats cheese or Haloumi , priced from 650 – 1000 INR, not worth the money,NO SIR! thankfully I had a friend who had visited London recently and I had asked her to get it. The Bocconcini i bought from Nature’s basket cost be 200 Rs.

The star of this recipe is definitely the pasta, Farfalle are bow tie shaped pasta which originates in northern Italy which hook onto sauces really well, Italian for butterfly, Farfalle pair really well with White and Marinara sauce. I’ll be using the Marinara sauce as the base along with dried herbs (basil,oregano,thyme) and Chorizo.

Now, lets dig into the recipe.

The most important part of any cooking is prep work, if your prep work is done right, cooking the recipe is child’s play.

Cut and dice the onions and tomatoes really well so as to cook evenly and for a smooth paste.
Remove the casing from the sausages, and dice them roughly.
Peel and crush/mince garlic pods.
Wash and clean fresh Basil and Oregano, i grow my own Basil and Oregano that way i never run out of it anytime.

Growing Oregano and Basil is very easy, get your plants from Biocenter , opposite Meenakshi mall.

Ingredients :

Onions – 1 large
Tomatoes – 1 medium size
Chorizo – 10 – 15 nos
Farfalle – 1 cup
Basil – 10-12 leaves
Garlic – 4-5 cloves
Oregano – 1 large bunch
Oil – 1 tablespoon
Sugar – 1 teaspoon
Tomato puree – 1 tablespoon

Method :

Boil 3 cups of water along with pinch of salt and olive oil.
Once the water is boiling, add 1 cup pasta and cook until al dente, this will take around 20 mins.
When the pasta is almost cooked, drain it using a colander and reserve some pasta water for cooking later on.
After draining the water, run the pasta with cold water while still in the colander, running cold water stops the pasta from cooking further.
Once completely drained add little oil to the pasta and keep aside for later use.
Take a non stick pan and add little oil and fry the Chorizo in it till it releases it is oil, add minced garlic and fry.
Once the oils are released, add the onions and fry till it sweats/releases it is water, add a pinch of salt. Salt releases the moisture from the onions making them softer.
Once the onions are soft and golden brown add sugar and fry for 20 seconds more.
Add the tomatoes and fry them gently, add pinch of salt and fry them till the tomatoes wilt.

Marinara sauce in the making

Add the Tomato puree, this helps build your sauce.
Add dried herbs and fresh oregano and mix well. Oregano is a oily herb just like thyme and rosemary which also means it can be added to dishes early on and it wont destroy it, unlike basil, cilantro,parsley.
Reduce flame, simmer and cook for 10-15 mins, if pan feels dry, add some of the pasta water to make it into a sauce.
Once a consistent sauce forms, add the cooked pasta and coat the sauce well and cook for another 8 mins.
Turn off the flame, add the fresh basil leaves and stir and coat well, let the amazing aroma of basil fill up your kitchen.

All hail Queen Basil.

Serve onto your plate, and grate few shavings of Parmesan and dot it with Bocconcini cheese all over.
Drizzle Balsamic vinegar for that extra tangy flavor.

Yummy in my tummy.

This lovely dish demands to be to savored with a glass of Chardonnay or Shiraz. For some of you wondering if the Goan chorizo can be replaced with any other meat, you could try spiced chicken sausages or paneer marinated with spices, you can skip the Bocconcini if using paneer, else it would be a cheese fest and the hero of our dish, Farfalle, will get shadowed.

I hope this recipe helped you in cooking this dish, if you did, don’t forget to share it to your friends. For any queries hit me up on Facebook ,Twitter or comment below.

And always remember, never under estimate the power of Pasta, because Pasta never asks questions, Pasta understands.

Esplanade – Calcutta on your plate.

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Anish Thimanna

A search for Bengali cuisine in Bangalore will throw up around 10-12 restaurants, and a handful of them actually serve authentic Bengali cuisine. Enter Esplanade, its name derived from a place in Calcutta, now Kolkata, which means ‘by the water’. It is a quiet restaurant at Indiranagar serving authentic Bengali cuisine.You enter and you are greeted by a chandelier hanging from the first floor along with some old pictures alongside the stairs. The restaurant is on the 1st floor, decorated well with rustic artifacts and quaint and subtle furniture. With paintings of Old Calcutta adorning the walls, the ambiance is pleasant.

I got to know about this place thanks to Poshvine, which gives you a decent 20% discount on your bill if you book via their website. So I did that and boy was I delighted! After being disappointed with Bengali cuisine at different restaurants for quite some time, this was a pleasant surprise. We were greeted by the front staff and quickly given our seats, seating is comfortable and neat. We chose the seating next to the windows along the road for a decent peek whilst having our meal.The menu is simple and minimal; all the dishes are named in Bengali with English translation of the same.If you have any trouble deciding what to have, the waiters are kind enough to explain the dish to you. Since we went there on a hot summer evening we wanted something cool to quench our thirst and the ‘Ampora Sharbat’ was the perfect choice – Roasted mango pulp drink with a bitter-sour-sweet taste which was perfect! We had one and split it into two, since the consistency of the sharbat was thick and could do with some dilution.

For appetizers we ordered ‘Kasundi murgi’ , ‘Mangsher chops’ and ‘Postor Bora ‘ . Kasundi murgi a beautiful amalgamation of raw mango, mustard, spices and boneless chicken pieces wrapped gently in lotus leaves/banana leaves making it succulent and lip smacking. The spices are married to perfection, the sourness of the raw mango and the heat from the mustard is just right, to give you a kick at the back of your palate. Coming to Mangsher Chops, these are delicately fried mutton croquettes which are served with mustard sauce. Nothing fancy is this, it’s just cooked well and leaves you asking for more. Postor Bora on the other hand is a vegetarian dish made from poppy seeds mashed to make balls and fried well to a golden brown colour.

We were really looking forward to the main course, and after a lot of thought process we chose Bhetki Sorshe and Daab Chingri with steamed rice. Bhetki is basically Barramundi/Asian Bass, also known as Chonak in Goa. This delicate fish which was marinated well with mustard sauce was a clincher. The fillets were soft and succulent and went perfectly well with the rice. Daab Chingri, which is prawns cooked in coconut shells, was a little bland and the prawns did not taste all that fresh; possibly overcooked. In any case, it was easily overshadowed by Bhetki Sorshe.

And finally to my favorite part of the meal, Desserts!!! We flipped the menu and the first thing that caught my eye was ‘Mishti Doi’ and ‘Rosogollar Payesh’. We ordered both of them. Mishti Doi tasted homemade, without a tinge of sourness to it and aromatic with cardamom. Rosogolla were well submerged in cold rabadi with a beautiful aroma, just the perfect dish to end the meal.Coming to this restaurant has made me realize how beautiful and mouth-watering Bengali cuisine is. This underrated restaurant needs more hype!

Verdict:

Food and Drinks: 7/10
Ambiance: 7/10
Staff and Service: 7/10
Price per Person: Rs. 300-400
Pros: Lip smacking Bengali cuisine, affordable.
Cons: Inactive social media presence, drinks menu needs more options.

How to get there: Getting here is easy, it’s very near to the Metro. Take a left from the KFC signal (coming from Domlur) and head straight down till you spot Matteo on your right. Take a right and the third building is Esplanade.

Exact Address: 203, Indiranagar Double Road, Indiranagar, Bangalore

Google Maps : http://tinyurl.com/kdge43c

Contact no. : 080 4092 7878

To wrap up, if you’re considering a Bengali meal and you have not tried Esplanade, you’re missing out on a lot.

Esplande uss bala ka naam hain jo ‘Oh! calcutta’ ko kacchha chaba jaye… Aur dakaar bhi na le!

That Goan boy from Coorg!

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Anish Thimanna

There is a strange and yet beautiful feeling in me when I reach Sampaje, a small pit-stop at the Ganapati Temple and we’re off! I know from there on, Madikeri is just 30kms away. The winding roads, the fresh springs and the chilly air- there is something orgasmic about this and it increases with every road curve, inching closer and closer towards Kodugu.

This was a ritual every year as we made our way to Coorg from Goa! Yes, I was born and brought up in Goa but my parents made it a point I learnt Kodava takk along with being able to read and write in Kannada.Mum made Akki Rotti and Kadmuttu on a regular basis. Every Kailpodh, Sankramana or Putthari, we made sure that we were in Coorg. If not, we celebrated it with our Kodava friends in Goa, who happen to be only a few in number. In short, we were made sure that we know where our roots are.

Being a Big Foodie myself, I was always fascinated with both Goan and Kodava cuisines. There is one thing that unites both the cuisines, Pork! There are very few places in India where pork is eaten in abundance as in Goa, Coorg and the North East. For most of us, we picture pork as a dirty and a polluted meat, while others shun it due to religious sentiments. But one should know that good pork meat comes from a good farm and well fed pigs. As far the cooking goes, the Coorgi Pork Fry tastes nothing like the Goan Pork Vindaloo. While the Coorgi pork is spicy and best enjoyed with Kadmuttu (Rice Balls), its Goan counterpart is tangy, sweet and spicy, best enjoyed with freshly baked Pao (Goan Bread) and a pint of beer.

There is a wide array of dishes enjoyed in Goa, chief among them being: Pork Sorpothel which is made from Offal meat and blood from the pig infused with various spices. This may sound gory but it’s very tasty, if you can get over the graphic details of its preparation. Goan Sausages (chourissam) which are salty, spicy and smoked meat cut into chunky pieces, usually boiled or fried and eaten. There is also a special delicacy called the Chouris Pao, where the sausages are cut and stuffed inside goan bread and eaten. This is usually sold by small vendors around Goa. (D’Silvas @ Miramar Panjim).A typical Goan meal would be incomplete without Fish Curry Rice, usually made by the Gaud Saraswat cooks from all around Goa. A Goan fish curry rice plate would consist of Steamed/Boiled Rice, Humon (coarse coconut fish curry), Alsande che Bhaji (or any vegetable side dish) , fried fish , Tisryo (Clams) and Kismoor (dried prawn mixed with freshly grated coconut, onion, and chilly) and Kokum juice which is to be had-post meal for help in digestion.

Apart from the Goan pao and steamed rice, Goans also enjoy Sanna which are like Idlis but fermented with Palm Toddy. Sanna is usually enjoyed with spicy Pork Vindaloo or a decadent Crab or Prawn curry.

In the land of coffee, the chief dish : Pandhi curry is accompanied with Akki Rotti or Kadambuttu. Giving Pandhi Curry its distinctive taste is dark and tart vinegar called Puli Neer or Kanchampuli which can be found in most of Kodava houses. Puli neer is made from the fruit of the Garcinia Gummi Gutta tree, the ripe fruits are picked and left in barrels or baskets to ferment, the juices collected are boiled over a long period of time to make the thick, sticky and dark juice. Kodava cuisine cannot be complete without Papputtu and Nupputtu both of which are made from Tari or broken rice, steamed to perfection which goes brilliantly well with Koli Curry, which according to me would be a signature dish.

The sweet tooth in me cannot resist talking about the desserts enjoyed in both Goa and Coorg. A Goan dessert which is delicious and equally difficult to make is Bibinca; it requires a lot of patience to make this layered dessert (16 layers), because one can’t add the next layer unless the 1st layer is cooked. Made from coconut milk, flour and 2 dozen egg yolks, yes! 12 egg yolks and sugar, this as rich as dessert can get. Other desserts usually made are Dodol , made from coconut milk and jaggery which has a toffee like consistency and Doss , which is made from Bengal Gram Dal, grated coconut and ghee.

In the Kodava kitchen the desserts I grew up eating were Bale Muruk, Thambuttu and Madh Kool. Thambuttu is a delicacy usually prepared for Puthari , made from ripe bananas, par boiled rice powder and fenugreek powder garnished with freshly grated coconut , toasted sesame seeds and ghee. Madh Kool is usually prepared during the monsoon period called the Kakkada when the plant is said to have medicinal properties. The leaves of this plant (Wayanad Justicia) are picked and boiled to get its liquid which is mixed with the rice, coconut milk and jaggery to make Madh Kool.

I could go on and on about the cuisines of both these wonderful places, both soaked in their rich heritages make a foodie’s culinary journey memorable. So the next time you go to either Goa or Coorg, make sure you taste the local cuisine.

Grammar nazi : Neha Salkar

Image credits : Kaveri Ponnappa and Shalini- A Cookery year in Coorg

Hoppipola

Posted on January 9, 2014 by Anish Thimanna

This one’s been long due! After all the Christmas-break pleasures and the NYE bonanza, comes my first review of a Bar/Lounge from Bangalore.

So let’s get into the details- Hoppipola , funny name, no? Well that’s because it’s not English. It’s Icelandic for ‘Hopping over puddles’, and also one of the most famous songs of the post-rock band called Sigur Ros.

Okay, enough of the history behind the name… let’s get straight to the Lounge. Hoppipola is an All Day Bar & Bonhomie offering a wide array of cocktails and liquids which make you keep coming back for more. What liquids, you ask? Well apart from the usual beer, whiskey et al they have Flavored Spirits, Alco-Pops, Caipiroshkas, Margaritas, Vodkatinis, Martinis, Shots, Toddy, Wine and other mocktails… phew… that’s a lot!

The very first time that I had been here, I did not manage to get a seat. The second time… well I did not get a seat again! Crowded every time… must be good right? Hell yeah! I made my third attempt on a weekday and I did get a place. With a small gulmohar tree growing inside the premises and lot of greenery around, this is The place to be on a Friday evening (or any other evening for that matter!); there is a seating area inside near the bar counter as well.

It’s quite possible that if you get here by 8 – 9 pm you will find the place crowded, because the liquor here is quite cheap (and we want it to be that way) as compared to other pubs and bars in Bangalore. I visit this place because of the atmosphere; it’s so fresh and green! With perfectly blended cocktails and a decent plate of starters, it’s a perfect mood setter for your weekend.

The must-try Hoppipola cocktails are :- Apple and Curry leaves, Lychee with Kafeer lime and Watermelon and Basil.

If you’re a cocktail lover, this is the place to be! Other drinks we loved were Dry Martini, JagerBomb, Brandy toddy and Spiced Apple Margaritas! Almost every drink we had here was really good except one- The Chimmichuri Mary, which none of us liked. So please give that a miss… unless you’re really brave.

Food: For starters, we had Prafers (Prawn Wafers) which was average and frankly, I did not taste any flavor close to that of prawns. Next, we ordered Drumbones (Chicken drum sticks) and Peanut Wings, both were lip smacking and are a must-try. I don’t remember ordering the main course coz we were busy belting starters and glugging more and more cocktails. I genuinely wish they had more starters especially the chicken varieties.

Hoppipola has an active twitter account . Make sure you follow them because they have loads of twitter competitions and giveaways, something a social media addict like me loves.

Verdict:

Food and Drinks : 8/10 (Majorly for the drinks.. Food- I’d give it a 6ish)

Ambiance: 8/10

Staff and Service: 7/10

Price Per Person: 600-700 Rs including healthy drinking and some starters.

Pros: Excellent atmosphere to have some drinks, brilliant cocktails and cheap booze.

Cons: No reservations taken and slightly congested, food could do better.

How to get there: Very easy to spot Hoppipola, once you cross the Domblur flyover (from Koramangala) it’s on your right. Landmarks: Opposite Barbeque Nation and above Mainland China.

Exact Address: 4032, Terrace Mainland China Building, HAL, 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore

Google Maps link: http://tinyurl.com/l8uy94b

So to sum it up, a great place to be with your friends and to have a good time. I have been here a lot of times and nothing stops me from coming back. So, Jump over the Puddles and be here.

Grammar Nazi: Neha Salkar.

Follow @_HotShotCoorg

Smoke House Deli

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Anish Thimanna

So after a gap of 2 weeks, I’m back again, and this time around its the well known and very famous ‘Smoke House Deli‘. But this review is going to be different, I’m going to review only the Breakfast menu and give you my thoughts about it.

I head out to the Indiranagar location, and its all swank and well light, the entire building is clad in white and looks very very neat. The moment you enter the front-of-the-house staff are very quick to address you and allot you a table. The decor is exquisite and the artwork/wallpaper is designed very well and follows throughout the restaurant. You can either dine inside or sit near the entrance , i would personally prefer sitting inside.

Okay, enough of the decor lets dig into the Breakfast! Their array of Pancakes is awesome, Blueberry, Walnut , Chocolate and my favorite Banana+Bacon [everything with Bacon tastes better, No?]. We started with the Bagel and Cream Cheese with Smoked Salmon which was yum, however i did not like Cream Cheese, because it tasted more like whipped cream, but that’s me, others might like it! 😉 , Smoked salmon was good too, good quantity. Next we had Skillet Fried eggs with Chorizo Sausages and bread served with hash brown and grilled tomato! (i know you’re drooling and rightly so!) the Pork Chorizo, the sides (hash brown and grilled tomato) were brilliant , hash brown were not greasy and tomato’s were well grilled and not squooshy at all, chorizo was cooked well and the eggs brilliant bright yellow as usual. although i would want them to add a little more of chorizo! 😛 *greedy me*!

Along with this we ordered few liquids that would go along well with the food, we ordered Chocolate Milkshake and Melon and Basil.

Chocolate Milkshake : BEST EFFING MILKSHAKE EVER! Everything is good about this milkshake, The Color, The Consistency, the sweetness, the slight bitter chocolate taste and the quantity! 5/5 . No matter when you go here i highly recommend you try the Chocolate milkshake.

Melon Basil Fresh Juice : Hmm , after tasting the milkshake this was a little disappointing, I could hardly get the basil taste and the melon juice was bland, i’m sure its not supposed to be that way but it hardly mattered because it got overshadowed by what we had next.

Me and my friends missed our breakfast at home hence thought of having a heavy brunch, ergo next we ordered Eggs Benedict and Pork Sliders. Eggs Benedict (Old School Benedict in the Menu) was perfect, poached eggs to perfection – yes..yes.. runny yolk (tick). muffin was not soggy and the first bite sealed the deal, the hollandaise sauce was rich and creamy! Just the way i like it, everything topped with few arugula leaves,Bliss!! Best Eggs Benedict i have had. The only complaint or rather concern I had was that I was expecting Canadian bacon but it was replaced with a good sized bacon strip instead, We finished our brunch with the Pork Sliders, crunchy and filled with spice , patty was cooked well (medium) , best way to end the meal.

Pork Sliders :

Eggs Benedict :

Chorizo , Sausages:

Verdict:

Food : 9/10

Ambiance : 8/10

Staff : 8/10

Price Per Person : 300 – 400 Rs.

How to get there : This place is right on the main road, i.e. 100 feet road, bang opposite Staples. You will find it on your left whilst travelling from Domlur Flyover to KFC signal.

Exact Address : 1209, Opposite Staples, 100 Feet Road, Indiranagar, Bangalore

Google maps link : http://tinyurl.com/o4eam4m

So the next time you feeling like having a heavy breakfast/ Brunch and are heavy on your pockets head to Smoke House Deli, you will definitely be pleased and come back for more.

Follow @_HotShotCoorg

Chai, Quiche, Balls, Business & Friends

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Anish Thimanna

11hauz Jamaica

It all started when a friend messaged, “Linkedin?” This conversation lead to ladies breakfast meeting and laughs on Tuesday, 9:45am at “The Roaster.” Tuesday morning rolls around and already we are late for the meeting, frustrating! We finally get to “Park City Roasters” on Main Street in Park City, Utah. While waiting we received a text. She’s running late also. We waited, waited & waited. Finally, my sister received another text which read. “I’m here!” She replied, “I’m here too.” Our friend replied, “But I don’t see you.” We came to terms, we were at the wrong location. We jumped in the car and dashed towards kimball junction. Upon entering, we laughed, giggled and joked about the location meet up miscommunication. While ordering our almond chai teas, we couldn’t help but notice the delicious, mouth watering, open-face pastry treats incased in glass. Though it looked yummy! I couldn’t…

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Chaaye Stall

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Anish Thimanna

Bangalore offers so much in terms of variety in restaurants and cafes that I never get tired of exploring each and every one of them. Ever
since I have discovered my love for Tea, I have been going around hunting for places which serve good chai.
I heard about this particular place from a good friend, she mentioned that the Sulaimani chai and Pakodas here are to die for.

So without hesitating I go to Chaaye Stall on a rainy day and I was welcomed with pleasant old Hindi music; exactly how I like having my tea: A cup of tea, a book in hand, a plate of pakodas and Kishore Da singing in the background. And i kid you not, when I started sipping my tea, one of my favorite songs ‘Rim Jhim Gire Sawan’ started playing. I was Lost.

Ever since that day, I have been visiting this place time and again for a cup of chai and munchies. I highly recommend that you try the Sulaimani Chai, which is very subtle and well made- The hint of mint with the kick of the lemony flavor is very soothing. Also try the Kullad chai, priced at Rs 45. It’s a little overpriced but good. Now, What about food? The omelettes served here are sublime, Spanish omelette and Mr. Mushy (Fluffy omelette filled with mushrooms) are really good. When you have your chai, do not miss the garam garam onion pakodas and kachoris, both of which I guarantee are divine.

The ambiance is what sets your mood, with Charpahi style chairs and stools, a well lit and decorated place. Personally, I would advice you to go up to the 1st floor, its perfect for a nice cozy experience and not to forget the subtle and soothing music in the background. It’s usually crowded in the evenings so make sure make a call and check availability.

Wall Decor :

Sulaimani Chai and Spanish Omelette :

Verdict :
Tea : 8/10
Food : 7/10
Ambiance : 8/10
Staff : 6/10
Price Per Person : Rs 150 (totally worth it)

How to get there : This place is located between Garuda Mall and Lifestyle signal. While walking on the General Thimmaiah Road, keep an eye on your left , you will find Chaaye Stall on the ground floor of Raheja Towers.

Exact Address : #17, Raheja Plaza, General Thimmaiah Road, Ashok Nagar.

Google Map link : http://tinyurl.com/prtrlbo

So, the next time you think you need some good tea in a laid back atmosphere, make sure you head to Chaaye Stall.
And as the noted novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky says…
“I say let the world go to hell, but I should always have my tea.”

Café Terra

Posted on October 13, 2013 by Anish Thimanna

If you’ve read my previous posts you’ll notice that I’ve covered cafés, casual dining and desserts. Now it’s time for something in the breakfast/brunch category.

Café Terra is a breakfast/brunch joint located in Koramangala 1st block serving everything from Belgian crepes to hummus to Thai food to Italian lasagna. Pretty fancy for a breakfast joint, no? NO! When you have a menu as confusing as that..you tend to fuck up the food too, and that’s what Café Terra does… it’s a confused restaurant with average food.

This is a small place having like 7-8 tables, and a range of books to read. The ambience is good, but sadly the food does not live up to that. The walls have posters of Zomato and Burrp certificates… so either the food was really good the day they came, or else they were high on some good shit.

I have been to this place 4 times hoping it may just have been my bad luck the first 3 times… but nope; the only thing worth having here is the Ham Basket. We ordered Belgian crepe which was wafer thin and I found it to be very average. I ordered a club sandwich next; how wrong can you go with a club sandwich right? A couple of slices of toasted bread, chicken/ ham, egg, mayo, cheese and some seasoning. Well sadly, it was bland, dry, boring and had no seasoning at all. I’m usually open to mistakes but this is sad, especially when you’re charging 140 odd bucks for it.

Verdict:

Food: 5/10

Ambiance: 7/10

Staff: 7/10

Value for Money: 4/10

Price per Person: Rs. 250

If you ever happen to pass by Café Terra or if you are planning to go there, make sure you order something safe. Do not combine Italian with Srilankan (Yes this place has that too!). As I mentioned before, their ham basket and chicken lasagna are decent coupled with hot chocolate.

Pros: Laid back atmosphere, books

Cons: Confused menu, average food, less seating.

How to get here: Take the 80 Feet road , straight from Sony World junction towards Jakkasandra. Cafe terra is 10 mts before the Wipro signal on your left.

Landmark: Next to Dhanalaxmi ATM.

Gmaps: http://tinyurl.com/pz7wyen

Exact Address: V3 Trinity, 1020, 1st Floor, 80 Feet Road, 1st Block, Koramangala, Bangalore.

If you happen to visit this place, please let me know your experience in the comments below. Frankly, I’d give it a miss.

Grammar Nazi : Neha Salkar.