caldron magazine, october 2015

CALDRON MAGAZINE, OCTOBER 2015 | 1

OCT 2015

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MAKE YOUR OWN GUNPOWDER!

DISCOVER A SET OF LOST RECIPES

IS YOUR CHILD REALLY HEALTHY? READ MORE!

MEET SHIVA KUMAAR OF SARAVANA BHAVAN

RUKMINI SRINIVAS ON SOUTHERN COOKING

DIVYA SATHYARAJ: KEEPING CELEBS FIT

ARE YOU A WINE SNOB? FIND OUT NOW.

OKTOBERFEST: A CELEBRATION OF BEER!

RUPALI SAMAT ON BEING A CHOCOLATIER

KUTTIKAL:THE MYTHOLOGY OF SOUTH INDIAN COFFEEPAGE 34

Delhi/NCR • Mumbai • Bangalore • Kolkata • Chennai • Pune • Dubai • New York

2 | CALDRON MAGAZINE, OCTOBER 2015

REVIEWS08 Andhra Bhavan Canteen, New Delhi10 Carnatic Cafe, New Delhi12 Anupam's Coast II Coast, Bangalore14 Arusuvai Arasu Madhuram, Bangalore16 Mahamudra, Chennai18 Banana Leaf, Mumbai20 Jalsa, Mumbai22 Woodlands, Dubai24 Masala, Dubai26 Spot Dessert Bar, New York, US28 Dosa Village, Coventry, UK30 The Jewels of the Nizam [book review]

42 Interview: Shiva Kumaar, MD, Saravana Bhavan44 Interview: Rukmini Srinivas, Author of 'Tiffin'48 Interview: Divya Sathyaraj, Celebrity Nutritionist52 Interview: Rupali Samat of Choc Le56 How Healthy is Your Child?60 When the Germans Take Over the World64 The Wine Snob and the Muggle68 A Select Evening with Sula Selections

34 Kuttikal: The Mythology of South Indian Coffee

CONTENTS

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Aug-Sep 2015

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RECIPES80 Chutney Pudi82 Ellu Podi84 Murungai Ilai Podi86 Methkut Podi88 Bele Chutney Podi92 Chicken and Prawns in Madras Malabar Curry94 Kerala Exotic Vegetable Stew with Basmati Rice96 Chettinad Cheese Tagliatelle Pasta96 Prawn Ghassi98 Kozhi Melagu

100 Puttu102 Thengai Pal Payasam104 Pradhaman108 Achayan Pothu Fry with Rice and Parathas110 Smoked Jungle Chicken with Vegetable Stew112 Tapioca and Seafood Biryani

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Step by step recipe


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kuki ravindran (chennai)associate [email protected]

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Cook at home partner


The south of India is rich with thousands of years of cultural evolution. Thankfully for folks like us, this includes sophisticated cooking methods and delicious

food among the many attractions of this evolution. In this issue, our endeavour has been to bring to you different aspects of this part of our country. In order to accomplish this task, you'll find this edition of CaLDRON Magazine chock full

of all manner of material.

Within the pages of this issue you'll find interviews from Shiva Kumaar, the Managing Director of India's best known brand of south Indian food - Saravana Bhavan, Rukmini Srinivas, the author of a brilliant book on south Indian food and culture - Tiffin and Divya Sathyaraj, a celebrity nutritionist who shares her knowledge in the context of a south Indian diet. Why, even our reviews are focused on south Indian food this month! Going through this issue may also help dispel the notion that dosas and idlis are all that's eaten by the folks down south.

If that wasn't enough, you're bound to love the recipe collection we've put together this month, including a selection of lovely podi recipes.

The crown jewel for this issue however is the cover story by Sandeep Srinivasa, where he constructs a timeline for coffee in India, taking the reader all the way from discovery through historical incidents all the way to modern day production.

Do write in and let us know what you think. A letter from you makes our day and we look forward to feedback. See you next month!

Stay well.Sid

editorial


Thomas Keller is an American chef, restaurateur, and cookbook writer. He and his landmark Napa

Valley restaurant, The French Laundry in Yountville, California, have won multiple awards from the James Beard Foundation, notably the Best California Chef in 1996, and the Best Chef in America in 1997. The restaurant is a perennial winner in the annual Restaurant Magazine list of the Top 50 Restaurants of the World.

Keller's mother was a restaurateur who employed Thomas as help when her cook got sick. In his teenage summers, he worked at the

Palm Beach Yacht Club starting as a dishwasher and quickly moving up to cook. It was here he discovered his passion for cooking and perfection in a hollandaise sauce.

During summers he worked as a cook in Rhode Island. One summer he was discovered by French-born Master Chef Roland Henin and was tasked to cook staff meals at The Dunes Club. Under Henin's study, Keller learned the fundamentals of classical French cooking. After The Dunes Club, Keller worked various cooking positions in Florida and soon became the cook at a small

French restaurant called La Rive in the Hudson River valley in Catskill, New York. Thomas worked alone with the couple's grandmother as prep cook. Given free rein, he built a smokehouse to cure meats, developed relationships with local livestock purveyors and learned to cook entrails and offal under his old mentor, Roland Henin, who would drop by on occasional weekends. After three years at La Rive, unable to buy it from the owners, he left and moved to New York and then Paris, apprenticing at various Michelin-starred restaurants.

After returning to America in 1984, he was hired as chef de cuisine at La Reserve in New York, before leaving to open Rakel in early 1987. Rakel's refined French cuisine catered to the expensive tastes of Wall Street executives and received a two-star review from The New York Times. Its popularity waned as the stock market bottomed out and at the end of the 1980s, Keller left, unwilling to compromise his style of cooking to simple bistro fare.

In 2005, he was awarded the three star rating in the inaugural Michelin Guide for New York for his restaurant Per Se, and in 2006, he was awarded three stars in the inaugural Michelin Guide to the Bay Area for The French Laundry. He is the only American chef to have been awarded simultaneous three star Michelin ratings for two different restaurants. He currently holds 7 Michelin stars total: 3 at Per Se, 3 at The French Laundry, and 1 at Bouchon. ■

BORN THIS MONTHTHOMAS KELLER ■ BORN OCTOBER 14TH, 1955

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I believe thalis have a special place in our hearts. A well put together thali represents a complete meal, regardless of which culinary dialect

it speaks. Apart from being a mini-buffet of sorts, there's also the fact that most of us no longer have the luxury of kitchens that churn out much more than abbreviated meals during the week and perhaps a bit more on weekends. Thalis therefore are a luxury, regardless of the simple food that usually identi-fies the best of the breed.

No wonder then, that many restaurants serve thalis of all sorts

to waiting and eager throngs of diners. Suruchi in Karol Bagh dishes out Rajasthani, Gujarati and Punjabi thalis, Kathputhli in De-fence Colony has a Rajasthani thali as the sole item on its menu, to fulfil which, they've even brought in traditional cooks from the inner recesses of the state. Apart from these two, there are quite a few more, notably Saravana Bhavan's lunch and dinner-time thali and Sagar Ratna's similar offering.

GLIMPSES INTO ANOTHER WORLDI look upon thalis as a momentary glimpse into a world of culture and

tradition that I have never known. I see the portions of different vegetables and dals and imagine a busy, old-fashioned kitchen with something fermenting in a corner, cutting and peeling happening on the side, stuff steaming in a pot on the fire and yet more delicious-ness frying elsewhere. Further looking around will probably yield herbs and spices being ground to a paste on a traditional stone slab, dosa batter being churned in that unique electrical contraption built exclusively for this purpose, piles of pappadums, fried and crisp, stacked high in a corner, await-ing the serving of the meal and the entire atmosphere a delicious cacophony of the sights of a bunch of people working together, the sounds of clangs, bangs, frying, steamers whistling and vegetables being chopped and the aromas of different foods mingling into an unidentifiable whole yet so famil-iar.

ENTER, ANDHRA BHAVANAll of this brings us to what I've

The ThalimeisterSimple, nutritious, delicious food, served in a hygienic manner, with

little or no delays in service, varied every single day of the year, at prices that not only makes their food a highly desirable option for the working

people of the area, but allows the owners a profit too. That, is the essence of the Andhra Bhavan Canteen.

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RESTAURANT REVIEW

SID KHULLAR / DELHI

ANDHRA BHAVAN CANTEEN

http://bellcentric.in


termed 'The Thalimeister', the Andhra Bhavan Canteen. Not only do they dish out hundreds of thalis in a day, they can be rightly described as beloved due to their tasty food, low prices, respectful behaviour and highly efficient mode of service.

My last visit to the Andhra Bhavan Canteen was a couple of weeks ago; I parked at Connaught Place and then paid an auto 50 rupees to take me to the canteen on Ashoka Road. A short, shady walk after reaching there led me to an un-assuming entrance where a staff member is stationed to direct visitors within. On entering, I first encountered the low pitched, high volume murmur composed of conversations, slurps, chomps, clangs and bangs. Next, there was the voice that overrode all else, directing the man with the vege-tables to serve some to the chap on table 20, instructing the server with the rice to feed the folks on table 17 and ensuring the couple on table 30 received the pooris they want. He's a short, fair man with a bristly moustache, usually dressed in a pair of trousers and shirt stretched across his rotund belly, piercing voice reaching the farthest corners of the room, mak-ing sure that everyone has food to eat, service moves smoothly and

tables are quickly cleared for the next round of hungry customers. All a famished fellow need do is to enter, move to the cash counter on the right and pay INR 110 for the meal plus any extras ordered, like mutton fry, chicken fry, etcetera and then allow himself, as I did, to be guided to a vacant spot, then watch as service automation kicks off. All one must do oneself is pick up the food from the plate and di-rect it to one's oral cavity. The rest is taken care of by The Man with the Piercing Voice.

PERFECT VALUE FOR MONEYA sectioned steel thali, the type favoured by the canteen, is placed in front of diners, after which a stream of servers stop by to spoon a dollop of something or the other into the built-in recep-tacles on the thali. A few pooris to begin with followed by a dal, perhaps a stew and a ladle-full of dry sabzi. This is usually followed by mounds of rice topped with a spoonful of aromatic ghee though some folks are perfectly happy to continue with pooris throughout their meal. When the meal begins in earnest, one finds it's all quite light, varied and delicious with a definite home cooked feel to it. The dishes are varied every day, with a tomato pappu (tomato in lentils/dal) on one day and perhaps

a maavidikaaya pappu (lentils/dal with kairis/raw green mangos) the next. The stews and dry sabzis vary too and I quite liked the mukkala pulusu (a stew of root vegetables) and mudda kura, a dry preparation of potatoes, carrots and beans. I had asked for a side of Mutton Fry, which was much spicier than any dish on the thali though it was quite good - soft, boneless pieces of mutton, covered with a spicy coat packed tight into a bowl; it complemented the rest of the food beautifully, being spicy and quite differently flavoured than anything on the thali.

On the face of it, the Andhra Bha-van Canteen doesn't offer anything extraordinary. The folks in there serve the simplest of Andhra foods to a crowd largely composed of office goers, at a very economical price, in spartan surroundings with no song and dance. Why, they don't even have table-mats! The way they do it though is remark-able. Simple, nutritious, delicious food, served in a hygienic manner, with little or no delays in service, varied every single day of the year, at prices that not only makes their food a highly desirable option for the working people of the area, but allows the owners a profit too. That, my friend, is a sort of expressed eloquence that the best fine dining restaurant in the city will be unable to match. ■

PRICE: INR 220 (Meal for two)

ADDRESS: 1, Ashoka Road, New Delhi - 110001

PHONES: 011 2338 2031

5/5

Both, the fried chicken and lamb are spicy, delicious dishes that you must try!

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Dosas for One and All!

Carnatic Café is a cosy little 40 seater in New Friends Colony. Started four years ago by Pavan Jambagi,

the café is already seeing growth and is soon opening another outlet in GK 2, New Delhi. The menu is simple; some snacks, dosas, rice and a few sundries. In a way, the cafe itself is as comforting as the food it serves. Most, if not all the economically priced south Indian eateries I’ve seen are the wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am type! They want your business alright, but would like your ass out of the chair its perched on, no later than 45 seconds after you’ve finished eating, so that another

Carnatic Cafe has an excellent location, helpful staff, great prices and a unique menu. Most of all, they have the most brilliant selection of dosas

that you probably won't find any place else.

The dosa menu at Carnatic Cafe is different and oh so delicious!

RESTAURANT REVIEW

SID KHULLAR / DELHI

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customer can occupy it. The ambiance is usually utilitarian, the sambar from Patiala and the staff usually brusque and language challenged. Not so at Carnatic Café. The ambiance is warm and comfortable, the décor quaint and the staff, friendly and cooperative.

Which brings me to the food. Our meal began with a platter of Idlis with Papad (INR 80) and a glass of Rasam (INR 65). The idlis, which arrived hot and steaming, were soft and so very porous that they absorbed the accompanying very light and delicious sambar in a jiffy! Conversely the chutneys were probably the thickest versions I’ve seen with the very tasty coconut chutney not nearly chewable, but definitely thick enough to spread over the hot surface of the spongy idlis. I can’t say the same about the Rasam that came with a single, fried pappadum. While I didn’t really like the flavours it presented,

the rasam was quite different from any others I’ve tasted, the most notable difference being the distinct presence of hing in there.

The idlis were followed by a most interesting dosa – the Podi Dosa (INR 125), which I remember first eating at a friend’s place in Chennai and loving it! Accompanied by the same trio of chutneys and sambar, the podi is a thick specimen of its genre, thick, crisp and smeared with flavourful podi (gunpowder) all over the inside. The combination is a killer one – crunchy dosa, crunchy podi, spicy and the most satisfying snack you can imagine! Our final orders were a cup each of Filter Coffee (INR 65) and a Bombat (INR 155). Funny name for a dosa I thought, as I tore off a piece and found myself chomping on a delightful morsel of thick, crisp dosa, smeared with garlic chutney, stuffed with a blob of

roughly mashed potatoes flavoured with curry leaves and ginger and the whole soaked in white butter – now tell me that didn’t make you drool!

Visit the Carnatic Café for excellent coffee made the traditional way, for flavours you’ll be hard-pressed to find elsewhere, for prices that are tough to beat, for the quaintness of its atmosphere, for the shopping that’s alongside in NFC, but most of all because you love the brilliant selection of dosas they serve that you’ll never find anywhere else. ■

PRICE: INR 400++ (Meal for two)

ADDRESS: Ground Floor, Community Center, The India Mall, New Friends Colony East, New Delhi, Delhi 110065

PHONES: 011 4100 8630

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Carnatic Cafe prepares filter coffee the traditional way and serves each cup with a little mountail of hand churned foam.

The softest, spongiest and most absorbant idlis in town can be

found at Carnatic Cafe!


RESTAURANT REVIEW

NATASHA ALI / BANGALORE

I love seafood, but not fish. Yes, a contradiction, which pretty much sums up my existence! I will happily immerse myself in shellfish,

eat squishy squid and tentacled octopi, but fish? Well, I am super choosy. Suffice it to say, I was not terribly excited about coastal South Indian cuisine, given that there’s a whole lotta fish going on and many a spicy, coconutty gravy – all of which I like in severe moderation.

However, after four years of living in Karnataka, with close friends from Mangalore and repeated vis-its to their homes and lunchboxes, I developed an appreciation for the cuisine. One of my favourite places to visit in Bangalore is an old standard on MG Road, tucked away in a little shopping mall. It’s got that old school vibe and wait staff, affordable and delicious food and a decent bar menu to keep you going. Going by the jaunty title of

Anupam’s Coast II Coast, there is a sister concern of the same name in Koramangala too.

Seafood galore!Being a well-known wuss when it comes to spice, I often find my-self reaching for a chilled beer or a glass of water when I visit, but it is oh-so-totally worth it! We have a few must-order dishes,

and depending on who I’m with, a pomfret fry or a couple of vege-tarian dishes (which are all quite delicious, lest you think only the seafood eaters will blossom here) might get added to the order.

Come to think of it, this restaurant boasts of a large number of chick-en dishes as well, and its share of Indian Chinese and North Indian.

One of Natasha Ali's favourite places to visit in Bangalore for Coastal cuisine, Anupam's Coast II Coast is an old standard on MG Road, tucked away in a little shopping mall. It’s got that old school vibe and wait staff,

affordable and delicious food, and a decent bar menu to keep you going.

Get Coastal in Bangalore City!

ANUPAM'S COAST II COAST

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But let’s stick with what makes them special, shall we? Start off with Squid Butter Garlic (INR 300) and Squid or Prawn Chilly (INR 300/400). Options for shellfish in-clude crab and prawn too. There is Kane, Anjal and Pomfret that come thus dressed: ‘rava, masala, tawa or naked’ – take your pick! For mains, without question, Chicken Ghee Roast (INR 325 for a quar-ter) and my personal favourite, Chicken Sukha (INR 250) should not be missed. Accompaniments worthy of these are the Apam (INR 70) and the Neer Dosa (INR 75), the latter I consume in quite large

numbers! Another Mangalorean speciality, Kori Roti (INR 250) is also quite good. The Potato Gassi (INR 190) and the Kanele Sukha (INR 225), which is bamboo shoots in the delectable grated coconut sukha masala, are the veg standouts.

Just writing this has made me realise just how long it’s been since a visit has been paid to Anupam’s – a gross oversight and disservice to my taste buds and stomach that will be remedied shortly! ■

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PRICE: INR 1000++ (meal for two)

ADDRESS: 113, 6th Cross Road, 6th Block, Koramangala

PHONES: 080 4146 0666

3/5“

For mains, without question, Chicken

Ghee Roast and my personal favourite,

Chicken Sukha should not be missed.

The Chicken Sukka is a personal favorite that you must try!

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For a while now, I’ve heard this restaurant’s name bandied about by die-hard fans of Tamil Brahmin (Tam-Brahm)

cuisine in Bengaluru and my curi-osity was piqued.

For one thing, this is a cuisine that is very much part of my own culinary heritage. Second, living far from the city of my birth and away from most family members means, I often crave elaborate festive meals, served on traditional banana leaves. And finally, who has the time in this day and age to prepare such a variety of dishes in one’s own home?

What Arusuvai Stands ForYet, first, I wanted to know what lay behind the unique name of this restaurant. Though the full name of this outlet is Arusuvai Arasu Madhuram, most people short-

en it to just Arusuvai Madhuram (‘Arasu’ means ‘King’). I knew Madhuram meant ‘sweet’ or ‘beau-tiful’. It was, however, Arusuvai that grabbed my attention. A little search online and a few conversa-tions with Tamil-speaking people educated me on the etymology of this word: Arusuvai stands for the six tastes in Ayurveda, practised by our forefathers. Yes, six in all, including (believe it or not!) what we now call ‘Umami’. These tastes include that of thithippu (sweet), karam (spicy/hot), uppu (salty), kasappu (bitter), pulippu (sour) and thuvarpu (umami – earlier, astringent).

So, armed with my newfound knowledge, I made my way to HSR Layout, a delightful suburb in south-east Bengaluru. This modest, mid-sized restaurant is on the first floor of a building on a busy main road. I arrived there on a Sunday just after 1:30 pm

and found about a third of seats occupied, but before I could finish my own meal, the place was jam-packed! As one enters the large dining hall, the first thing one encounters is a small table with offerings of the day’s dishes to the deities, or Naivedyam – a very homely feel, I thought. The dining hall is arranged like the typical marriage halls one sees down South; row after row of simple ta-bles, arranged opposite each other, covered by disposable or recycla-ble clean white paper sheets, with comfortable chairs for customers.

A Feast Fit for RoyaltyWhat got me all excited was to see the huge banana leaf placed before me, and as soon as I’d finished cleaning it with drops of water, the staff started serving the various dishes. First came the sweets, raitas and Dahi Vada in a separate bowl. The menu for these popular week-end Banana Leaf Meals changes

After listening to knowledgeable friends wax eloquent about Arusuvai Arasu Madhuram's Tamilian Brahmin menu for a while, Gita's curiosity was piqued and she decided to check the restaurant out for herself.

The Six Tastes of Tam-Brahm Cuisine

RESTAURANT REVIEW

DR. GITA MOHAN / BANGALORE

ARUSUVAI ARASU MADHURAM


every week, and that particular Sunday, there was Vermicelli Kheer, Shakkara Pongal, Pineapple Sweet Pachidi (Raita), Banana Stem Raita cooked in thin buttermilk (that was my idea of Umami!), Potato Peas Spicy Karakari, Broad Beans and Coconut Curry, Ash Gourd Kootu, Keerai Mashiyal (a prepara-tion of Amaranthus leaves), Tam-arind Rice and the usual accompa-niments of Pickle, Fried Appalam, Fryums and Mor Milagai (Chilli dried in buttermilk and fried in hot oil, delicious with Curd Rice).

I had barely started on the Tama-rind Rice when I was served Parup-pu and aromatic Ghee with Hot Rice. Then came the four main gravy dishes of the day – Vathal Kozhambu, Carrot Sambar, Tomato Rasam, Ash Gourd Mor Kozhambu, and finally, curd. Everything tasted just perfect and delicious. All this variety, served in pristine hygienic

conditions, inclusive of taxes, came in at INR 250.

‘We get a lot of NRIs’.As I was to observe during my lunch there, the attention to detail had been perfected by the thought-ful management and staff, right from the small bottle of mineral water that is served to each diner to the Beeda or Vethalai and Ice Cream kept on a separate table, to their repeated enquiries about sec-ond helpings. The staff are knowl-edgeable and answered my queries patiently. I also spoke to the Man-ager, Mr. S. Manish, to ask about the kind of clientele that frequents his establishment. I was told that in nearly 3 years (they turn 3 in December), they have managed to attract a loyal crowd of din-ers. I was curious to know if only South Indians come to dine here, given that it is not always easy to manage food served on a banana

leaf – especially the runny Rasam! Mr. Manish assured me, saying, ‘We get an equal mix of diners from both the North and the South of the country, but it is often the non-resident Indians (NRIs) who take immense delight in the fare that is on offer here’. He said most people treat it like their own home and I must say I felt totally at home there that day!

Did I have my fill of all six tastes that day? Absolutely! ■

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PRICE: INR 500

ADDRESS: No.149, 1st Floor, Food days Complex, 5th Main Road, Sector 6, HSR Layout

PHONES: 099001 62288

4/5

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RESTAURANT REVIEW

KUKI RAVINDRAN / CHENNAI

An oasis of calm in our urban jungle, Mahamudra offers up an interesting Vegetarian menu,

skillfully combining Traditional and Modern recipes to woo all palates and age-groups!

It’s taken me two years to get here and all I can say is, better late to the Mahamudra party, than never! Located in Mylapore, the cultural heart of the city, this fine dining vegetarian restaurant is the brain-child of Jaggi Vasudev of the Isha Foundation, or Sadhguru as he is more affectionately known. It is the flagship restaurant of the Foundation and was designed to take forward Sadhguru’s philoso-phy of a healthy mind living in a healthy body.

However, as Meena Thenaap-pan (R&D Head- Mahamudra), is quick to point out, the food is healthful, with an accent on tra-ditional recipes, grains and cook-

ing methods, but not necessarily health food. Sounds good to me!

out of the boxPerhaps the most interesting thing about the Mahamudra menu, is its refusal to take itself too seriously or be put in a box. The menu, which is both eclectic and exten-sive does draw inspiration from traditional South Indian fare but is not restricted to it and has sudden multi-cultural surprises like the Bunny Chow (INR 195), a South African stuffed-bread speciality as well as some fun, fusion food like the Humpty Dumpty (INR 110), mini-idlis topped with sauce, veg-etables and cheese (INR 110) and grilled to melted perfection. There is something for everyone, and much to try!

I decide on a tea time visit and start off my journey through the menu with the Pepper Pina (INR 110) a tangy, sweet Pineapple juice that is spiced up with a bit of Ta-basco hot pepper sauce. The sweet

and spicy combination, my per-sonal favourite, is refreshing and a tantalising start to the meal.

Next up are the Vazhaipoo Cutlets (INR 90) and these banana-flower delights are everything you want a cutlet to be - crisp, hot and fla-vourful with the added advantage of being low-carb, in case you’re counting. The Dosa Ballapur (INR 130) with fenugreek leaves and organic turmeric powder added to the batter, is served with a fresh herb green chutney and sambar, and is a crisp, satisfying snack. This is followed by a plate of Sweet Kozhukottai (INR 85), artistically formed steamed rice dumplings stuffed with a jammy coconut-jag-gery filling. The slightly salty casing with the chewy sweet filling is a dreamy match, and I had to force myself to stop with two. The Maddur Vadas (INR 100), the flat disc-shaped vadais from Maddur in Karnataka, made from rice, rava and maida with fine strings of onion are a little hard and dry

An oasis of calm in our urban jungle, Mahamudra offers up an interesting vegetarian menu, skillfully combining traditional and modern recipes to

woo all palates and age-groups!

Traditional Wholesome meets Urban Eclectic

MAHAMUDRA


but the chutneys they are served with are fresh and flavourful and almost make up for that dryness. I round off my tea time visit with a cup of Masala Chai (INR 45) that is fragrant with spices and made to perfection.

My next visit to Mahamudra, almost embarrassingly soon, is the very next day to try the Navratri Special Menu for lunch. (INR 550 for Adults, INR 300 for Chil-dren and INR 445 Plus tax for the Thali.) The generous spread includes Ragi Thattu Vadais (crisp and onion-y), and Keerai Vadais (soft and delicious), as starters. A mild and soothing Drumstick Soup follows and then a mind boggling variety of main/side dishes, nota-ble amongst which were the Samai Thayir Sadam (Millet Curd-rice) with Mango Pickle, Godhi Bisi Bela

(Bisi Bela Bath made with wheat instead of rice), Chettinad style Vegetable Biriyani with Raita, Akki Roti and Ragi Roti with Kaalu Saaru (a kind of Lobia Beans Kur-ma) and a lip-smacking Thogayal (chutney made from Chow-chow peels), apart from salad and assort-ed accompaniments. My favour-ites were the crisp but tender Akki and Ragi Rotis and the perfectly spiced Chettinad Biriyani. We finish off our meal with a piece of Coconut Burfi and a bowl of Pirk-ingai Payasam that is light and not achingly sweet as many restaurant payasams can be.

The food at Mahamudra, unlike most commercial restaurants is low in oil and does not have an overdose of spice. Subtle flavours and an almost home style way of cooking seem to be its trademark.

The freshness of the food was evi-dent on both my visits, as was the glorious absence of the 'restaurant style mother gravy'!

If you’re looking for wholesome food made from quality ingredi-ents, a choice of traditional fare as well as innovative urban cuisine, in surroundings that calm and soothe the soul, look no further.

Mahamudra is here, and here to stay! ■

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ADDRESS: Old No. 50, New No. 117, Luz Church Road, Near Nageswara Rao Park, Mylapore

PHONES: 044 4353 5555 / 2499 1757

3/5


RESTAURANT REVIEW

GARIMA SAROLIA-NARERA / MUMBAI

An Udupi Feast

Udupi food and some kadak filter kapi (coffee) calls out to me often. Powai, where I live, is somewhat shorthanded when it comes to South Indian restau-rants. Earlier, we had the excellent Cafe

Bean Garu at Haiko mall, which has shut down for reasons unknown. Sigh! I had passed by Banana Leaf at the R-City mall several times during my shopping trips and was keen to try it out. My teenagers, never too excited by the prospect of a South Indian meal, agreed for my sake.

Traditional South Indian in MumbaiBanana Leaf greets you with antique-style wooden lattice doors with little brass bells and huge dancers' masks. The interiors are done up in traditional South Indian style with gleaming brass and a Ganesha idol.

It quite sets the mood for the Udupi meal you are looking forward to.

The tables, I felt, were a tad too close for my comfort. We were seated quickly and the waiter was prompt to serve water and lay the menu card before us. They have a wide selection of idlis, wadas, dosas, utthapas, curries, rice, and some mini meal combinations. Some non-South food, such as Chhola Bhatoora and Dal Tadka, also feature on the menu. We asked for Fresh Coconut Water (INR 70) and Coconut Punch (INR 150), along with the Idli Platter (INR 230).

The vibrant Idli Platter pleases allThe coconut water was fresh and cool. The coconut punch was a delightful blend of coconut milk and vanilla ice cream – an unusual but really pleasant

Banana Leaf greets you with antique style wooden lattice doors with little brass bells and huge dancers' masks and serves you an

excellent meal with a variety of choices.

BANANA LEAF


drink. The rather colourful Idli platter arrived soon (true to the name, served on a banana leaf, as all their food is) and was attacked with ferocity. The platter includes a variety of idlis; soft minis, a large and spongy steamed idli roasted in ghee, vaghareli poriyal idli, which is idli slathered in a thick yellow coconut gravy, another in a reddish gravy and a couple of idlis studded with some fresh grated coconut and pulses. The steamed ghee idli was divine! The others, mostly a cornucopia of colour, lack defined flavours for me to be able to tell one apart from the other. It was a large platter and can comfortably be shared by three to four people.

We then asked for Rasam Wadai (INR 140) and my paneer-loving duo ordered Paneer Gassi with Appams (INR 245), which is listed on the menu as a 'mini meal'. But let me warn you, it is not a 'mini' at all; it is a major meal! Made of fresh paneer in a rich and creamy coconut gravy with the aroma of whole spices, this curry is served in a generous portion with soft and hot appams. The heat of the curry from the whole spices, which gives it a nice flavour, counter balances the slightly sweet appams. A good wholesome meal, I would say, if you want to have paneer at a South Indian restaurant. I would not, and had a quick taste of the Gassi meal, and dug into my Rasam Wadai instead.

The Best Rasam in Amchi Mumbai!The Rasam at Banana Leaf is the best I have ever had- watery thin, piping hot, not too tart and chock full of flavour. The crisp and spicy little wadai balls (unlike their

hole-y brethren) didn’t hurt either. Every spoonful of rasam and wadai made me long for another. It was that good. A single serve of the rasam was just not enough. We ordered some Plain Rice (INR 80) with another serving. The simple rice seemed to add to the magic of the flavourful rasam. I would go back time and again just for the rasam with rice.

The Akhrot Halwa (INR 200) in the dessert section piqued my curiosity and I ordered it – thank-fully, just one! It was a lovely brown colour, drenched in ghee and walnuty rich. It is not possible to eat beyond a spoon or two. We struggled to finish it, even shared between us four, and not because it wasn’t good, but because it was! We had it parcelled and fought

over it the next morning. It was a treat even straight out of the fridge.

The boys ordered a Brownie with Ice Cream (INR 150) and nodded their approval. The brownie was chocolatey and dense, just as it should be, and came topped with a big dollop of vanilla ice cream. I could not sample the filter coffee as I was too full of the gorgeous rasam.

A meal for two at Banana Leaf costs INR 750,which some might say is slightly steep for an Udu-pi restaurant, but the food was really good. The seating is slightly crowded and it is basically a place for enjoying your meal and leaving immediately. It is not a venue for conversations or ‘hanging out’. I am definitely going there again for a coffee and more Rasam Wadai! ■

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PRICE: INR 750++ (Meal for two)

ADDRESS: 3/31, 3rd Floor, R City Mall, Phase 2, Ghatkopar West, Mumbai

ADDRESS: 022 2518 1003

4/5“Quench does

not harbour any pretensions about being a gourmet destination, so

the no-frills food does not come as a

surprise.


Around a decade ago, Lotus Suites, now called VITS Hotels, was a popular des-tination in Andheri

East. This was largely because of the lack of dining options and watering holes in the immediate vicinity where corporate yuppies could gather for after-work drinks or for a quick working lunch.

Back then, this hotel had an un-usual layout. It had a small indoor swimming pool that was sur-

rounded by a restaurant, a buffet dining area and a bar. It is quite incredible to imagine that some-one would want to take a dip in the pool, while creating a spectacle for those eating! While the swimming pool was often deserted, the three restaurants would see a steady flow of guests in those days.

In the night, the entire area would transform into a disco. Howev-

er, the sound from the nightclub would disturb the guests staying in the hotel and hence the disco-theque was closed down. Perhaps, that signalled the sliding fortunes of Lotus Suites.

REVISITING OLD HAUNTSWhen we revisited VITS Hotel af-ter almost 10 years, we noticed that besides the change in the name of the property, a lot of other things

RESTAURANT REVIEW

VINITA BHATIA / MUMBAI

Can marketing strategies like the

Longest Happy Hours in the city help VITS Hotel regain its lost

glory?

Jalsa, The Coal Bar:Smoke Sans Fire

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had also changed. The crowd had definitely reduced, despite the numerous corporate offices that have sprung up around the area. But then again, many popular eateries and bars have also opened up nearby.

The swimming pool wore a des-olate look, but we were told that the room occupancy rates were up. However, there was no way to verify that. There was an overall air of cheerlessness rather than con-viviality that one would associate with a thriving restaurant.

Perhaps, that is why a market-ing ploy like having the ‘Longest Happy Hour’ in Mumbai is just the shot in the arm that this establish-ment needs. This offer has been rolled out at the Jalsa – The Coal Bar, which was earlier called ‘Be-hind The Bar’.

NO CELEBRATION IN SIGHTJalsa – The Coal Bar is a recessed enclosed bar adjoining the swim-ming pool. You open the door and are confronted with a decently stocked and brightly lit bar with a dance floor and a DJ console flanking one side and a dining area to its other end.

The bar has been done up to give an Indian vibe coinciding with its Indian name, but it ends up exud-ing a rather confused feel instead. Sure, some knick knacks like hand-made Rajasthani puppets, clay pots and porcelain pickle jars are strewn around, along with low ta-bles and mirror work cushions, but that is where all efforts of giving an Indian feel were given up.

The lighting is very contempo-rary and utilitarian, where instead some clay lanterns could have been strung up. The walls could have sported some Madhubani or Warli hand paintings, clichéd as it may be, but it would have given Jalsa a more celebratory ambience, keeping with its title. Perhaps the decorators of the restaurant had their own reasons for mixing and matching modernity with rusticity.

It covers all Indian manufactured foreign liquors, because these are the beverages that see the highest sale in the bar. However, officials at the hotel do admit that the mar-keting activities for the campaign could have been better amplified to make it more popular.

INTERESTING PRESENTATION OF FOOD One interesting facet about the food that is served at Jalsa the Coal Bar is that all the Indian dishes from the multi-cuisine menu are

served in covered brass jars inside each of which is a piece of coal, a glowing ember if you will. So, the moment the lid is lifted, the scent of smoke wafts over. The flavour latches on to the food as well, and covers up some mistakes in dish-es like the chewiness of chicken pieces in the Chicken Malai Kebab (INR 325). The cashew and carda-mom paste mixed with yogurt in which the chicken drumsticks were marinated was what really elevat-ed the Shabnami Murgi Ki Kali-yan (INR 325) and saved it from becoming just another mundane North West Frontier appetiser.

If you want to avail of the Longest Happy Hours at Jalsa the Coal bar, we strongly recommend you pair your drinks with the Prawn Koliwada (INR 410). The luscious pieces of prawn marinated with spicy masala, rolled in batter and then deep fried are the perfect ac-companiment with a cold draught of beer or a glass of whisky.

As far as food goes, the chef man-ages to keep things afloat fairly well. However, for things to really turn around for Jalsa the Coal Bar, a lot more needs to be done. For one, they will have to amplify their marketing exertions and make the restaurant look and feel livelier. Hopefully with these efforts, the restaurant and the property will regain its lost glory. ■


ADDRESS: VITS Hotel, Andheri-Kurla Road, Andheri East, Mumbai 400059

PHONES: 022 2827 0707

3/5

“The ‘Longest Happy

Hours’ promotion in Mumbai, which is on from 11am

to 11pm, is a campaign that

was designed to encourage the working crowd in the nearby

corporate offices to visit the bar for

post-work drinks or grab a drink during

lunch.


On a quaint little street in Kara-ma – the most popular area of Old Dubai, made even more famous by its burgeoning options of eating joints stands this hidden treasure for lovers of South Indian food. Old-timers say it has been around for more than three decades and has, over the years, managed to hold that special place in their hearts with every meal.

A taste of South India Woodlands has every bit the charm of a small eating joint tucked away in the buzzing neigh-bourhood of any vibrant city of South India. To begin with, as you stand on the footpath across this venue, looking up at the off white name board with its cursive letters in dark brown, you are left in no doubt about the simple and 'no frills attached' experience that

awaits you. As you step into the restaurant, the air thick with the floral fragrance of incense sticks and mouth watering Sambar en-gulfs you almost immediately. The rotating fans on the walls go about their rhythmic movement to a foot tapping duet that plays in the back-ground to a traditional score. The ambiance, if you are still looking for one, is non-existent; and yet, you have nothing to worry about.

RESTAURANT REVIEW

DEVANGI THAKKAR / DUBAI

Devangi Thakkar thought Woodlands provided a hearty meal in a laid-back setting; very close to a South Indian family’s home, but failed to complete the

experience with the dishes being served lukewarm.

Simply Superb From The South

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For, Woodlands more than makes up for all these with its food and friendly service.

Diving into Dosas and VadasThe Podi Masala Dosa (AED 12) had some mildly spiced potato sabzi generously peppered with hot, red podi (gunpowder) even-ly spread throughout the crisp expanse of the well-buttered dosa. The accompanying Sambar was a fine concoction of mixed lentils tempered just right, with spices that did not burn the throat. All it takes is perhaps about a table-spoon more of the spices and that is enough to override the taste of every other dish of your meals.

I have often found my taste buds and throat left feeling rather overwhelmed with the Sambars and Rasams of many a food estab-lishment. Thankfully, I had little to complain here as the highlight of our meal was the Rasam (AED 10): tangy and tasteful, just right for the little one too. It reminded me of the Rasam my friend used to bring for me during our college years.

Both the Sambar and Rasam would have been perfect had they been piping hot, rather than served lukewarm. A gentle request to the waiter, however, did not result in any desirable result.

We could not resist their Platter of Vadas: spinach, carrot, onion and cabbage and settled for one of each (AED 8 for a plate of each). The deep-fried fritters dunked in the light and creamy coconut chutney were beautiful and tasty. I was pleasantly surprised when they did not grease the dish despite

the deep-fry, and were extremely crunchy. Available only during the evenings, these snacks are a steal for under AED 10.

The KaffeeThe unmistakable aroma of the quintessential traditional filter Kaffee (AED 4) filled the air every so often, as waiters dressed in their pristine whites and carrying ubiquitous trays served a steaming cuppa at every table. Of course, it wasn’t too long before we were served ours too. You have to hand it to these fairly traditional South Indian joints, they brew their cups to perfection. Strong, and yet, smooth. The little steel tumbler standing within the round steel bowl was the perfect companion to those delicious crispy vadas. While we did not have the appetite for their elaborate thali, we could not walk away without having de-voured some rice. So, we decided to round up our meal with a sim-ple dish of Sambar Rice, enjoyed with a crisp fried Papad.

Undoubtedly, the quality and quantity of the portions are ful-

filling and priced to suit small pockets too. In an area dotted with multiple eateries and the residents’ high demands, Woodlands pro-vides a hearty meal in a laid-back setting. It came very close to eating at a South Indian family’s home, but failed to provide the complete experience with the dishes being served lukewarm. ■

PRICE: AED 40 (meal for two)

ADDRESS: Al Karama - Dubai

PHONES: +971 4 337 0253

3/5

“The accompanying Sambar was a

fine concoction of mixed lentils

tempered just right, with spices that did not burn the throat.

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Excellent filter coffee!


A Spicy Revelation

There’s no disagreeing over the fact that Bab Al Shams is an ultimate luxury re-treat for anyone looking to experience the natural desert landscape. As you drive towards the resort at night which is one

hour away from the centre of the city, you cringe a bit as you are plunged into darkness.

Bab Al Shams literal translation from Arabic meaning “Gateway to the sun” is quite appropriate as the hotel appears out of nowhere, as if it had been conjured from a lamp.

Indo-Arabic fusionAs you enter, you have to navigate your way through the myriad alleys that are present to make your way to Masala. The interiors of this Indian eatery have

the vibrancy of Indian culture that is blended with a dash of authentic Arabic layout. With old Indian music playing from the speakers, gaudy blue shades that adorn not only the walls but even the table cov-ers, north Indian inspired artifacts that are plastered across the walls, there is much to get accustomed to. Once you do, you notice the restaurant that is divided into five sections and the sense of spaciousness helps put you at ease.

Cool drinks, warm weatherThe drinks menu did not command much attention from us but with a quick glimpse we settled for the Desert classic and the Thandai. The dessert classic was a refreshing concoction of vanilla vodka , green apple, orange, mint and apple juice; we felt that they could have been more generous with the vodka. The

Take a culinary journey through North India, experience the unique blend of spices right in the middle of Arabia and while

you’re at it, Sachi Kumar is sure you'll be enchanted by the rich history and magnificence of Bab Al Shams Resort and Spa.

RESTAURANT REVIEW

SACHI KUMAR / DUBAI

MASALA


chilled Thandai with the sharp taste of the saffron amidst Dubai’s humid weather was why the drink was drunk in a few quick swigs.

Kebab selection Being in a state of confusion with the kebabs present on the menu which all equally sounded appetiz-ing, our attendant helped us reach a conclusion to order the Masala kebab samplers. We were served two vegetarian and non vegetarian plates of chef ’s specially chosen kebabs with a side of garlic naan. For all the paneer lovers don’t look beyond the Pathar ke Paneer (AED 65), because this was brilliantly cooked - they were quite inspiring with the earthy flavor of the vetiver (khus) that helped to elevate the taste. The minced mushroom and coriander patties - Khumb Dhaniya ki Shikampuri (AED 130), were nothing novel, but we did enjoy the crispy texture.

The Tandoori Phalon ki Chaat (AED 60) was what stole the lime-light for both my companion and me. We loved the seasonal fruits marinated with spicy yoghurt that seemed to tantalize our tongues with its fiery and tangy combina-tion. In the non-vegetarian platter, the Murg Malai Kebab (AED 85) was the only one that seemed to hit the mark for me, while the Khyberi Boti Kebab (AED 90)was quite tough on the outside, the inside tasted quite bland.

Mains that DelightShoving away thoughts of uncer-tainties after our earlier encoun-ter with the non-veg kebabs, we manfully moved on to the mains. At the suggestion of Chef Kesav we ordered the Murg Dhaniwal

Korma (AED 80) - baby chicken skewered in a nice and rich cori-ander sauce which was very well cooked. The tenderness was quite notable as were the flavors. We wholly savored the Paneer Kadai (AED 80) which was rich and creamy, just how it ought to be. The Koh-E-Awadh (AED 155) was by far my personal favorite which also explains why it showed up as the signature dish on the menu. This house specialty baby lamb leg was slowly cooked and served alongside saffron rice and tem-pered yoghurt. The lamb was soft and tender and the plate was wiped clean within a few minutes with a stack of warm and fluffy Garlic Naans (AED 20). A special men-

tion for the pappadams that were served with spicy mint chutney that supplemented the meal. The mint chutney was so beautifully made that I happened to pack some for home!

Sweet endingsWe rounded off the meal with Shahi Gulab Ki Firni (AED 40) which was creamy goodness at its fullest, infused with the flavors of cardamom and saffron. There even seemed to be a lingering aftertaste on the tip of my tongue until the very next morning.

The food at Masala includes both hits and misses, but at the end of the day, it is its location within the magnificent Bab Al Shams Resort that makes it unique and worth a visit. ■

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PRICE: AED 400 (Meal for two)

ADDRESS: Bab Al Shams, Al Qudra Road Opposite Endurance City, UAE

ADDRESS: +971 4 809 6100

2/5“We loved the seasonal fruits marinated with

spicy yoghurt that seemed to tantalize

our tongues with its fiery and tangy

combination.


Imagine your happy place. Everyone’s is different; mine is my living room at home, sharing a drink with my Dad, my Mom saying

something about me eating too little, annoying my brother and our dog scurrying around our feet, wanting to be petted. Oh! And cupcakes, there are always cupcakes in my happy place.

For a serious dessert lover, Spot Dessert Bar would be a definite happy place contender. Located in the middle of a busy street packed

with Chinese restaurants and touristy souvenir shops, this tiny space has the longest serpentine line outside at all times. Tables are limited, and often, you have

to share one, but when you taste what’s on offer, you don’t care whether it’s Beyoncé next to you or your grandmother, because you’re transported to dessert heaven.

Chef Ian's Exotic CreationsIron Chef Ian Chalermkittichai is the head pastry chef at Spot and he is known for infusing traditional American desserts with an Asian twist, turning them into unpredictable, yet very delicious treats. His creations include unusual ingredients such as green

tea and yuzu and even that popular drink made with evaporated milk, Thai iced tea. Crafted with beauty and imagination, each dessert at Spot is an exquisite work of art that

you are most certainly drinking with your eyes as much as you are eating with your mouth.

We tried their #1 seller first, Chocolate green tea lava cake. On a charcoal plate sits a mini molten cake, covered in green tea dust and dark chocolate pearls, next to which is a smooth scoop of green tea ice cream nestled on a bed of walnut soil, topped with a buttery tuile.

RESTAURANT REVIEW

CHARIS BHAGIANATHAN / NEW YORK

Crafted with beauty and

imagination, Charis found each dessert

at Spot to be an exquisite work of

art that she was most certainly

drinking with her eyes as much as

she was eating with her mouth.

See Spot, Run!

SPOT DESSERT BAR

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A gentle sweep of the spoon through the cake slices it open and out pours a thick, gooey mess of molten chocolate and green tea sauce. The flavour of matcha (green tea powder) is very dominant in this dessert, and the dark chocolate compliments it well. The ice cream, though smooth, also has the powdery mouth feel of matcha that goes beautifully with the lusciousness of the melted chocolate inside the cake, while the buttery tuile adds a much needed element of crunch.

Next, we sampled Golden Toast. This was a mini loaf of buttered white bread, sectioned into 6 pieces, and deep fried until golden brown before being covered in powdered sugar. Rubbing shoulders with this decadent fried loaf is a scoop of condensed milk ice cream, a generous dollop of whipped cream and fresh-cut strawberries.

The bread itself is fluffy and soft inside, almost like air had been whipped into it, while on the outside, it was crisp, dark brown and wonderfully buttery. The way to eat this right is to break off a section of warm bread, spoon some rich and creamy condensed milk ice cream over, add a dash of cream, top with a strawberry and shove into your mouth. That union of hot and cold, fried and fluffy, and sweet and buttery will transport one to dessert heaven.

Abundant SpecialsSpot Dessert Bar is known not only for its innovative desserts, but also for its regular menu changes, based on seasonal ingredients and inspirations. For our third

dessert, we choose their summer special, Lychee panna cotta. Delicate flavours and bright colour highlight this dessert consisting of flat circles of panna cotta – just lightly flavoured with lychee, pale white in colour and with hollowed out centres (also placed on the plate).

The centres were filled with a slightly tart raspberry sauce at the table. The dish also had two scoops of raspberry sorbet, which were sitting on a small pile of milk dust, and covering the centre of the plate was a pale rose water sauce that

brought it all together; summer on a plate, I thought it like.

Signature DessertsSpot also has cupcakes, cakes, cookies and an array of drinks on offer, but it’s safe to say that no one leaves without trying one of their exquisite signature desserts. Priced between $8 and $15, they make a perfect end to any meal.

However, the very best way to have a complete dessert experience at Spot is to order the Omakase, which is essentially a tasting menu of all the desserts on offer. Try it with 3 or 4 friends so you can taste a little bit of everything.

Unusual, inspired, beautiful and bright, Spot Dessert Bar could most certainly become your new happy place! ■

PRICE: ~ US $25 (three desserts)

ADDRESS: 13 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10003

PHONES: +1 212-677-567

4/5

“The bread itself is

fluffy and soft inside, almost like air had been whipped into

it, while on the outside, it was crisp,

dark brown and wonderfully buttery.

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The Valentine's Day Raspberry Cupcakeat Spot looks and tastes

brilliant!


I am a South Indian and even though I have mostly grown up miles away from the south of India, the region has, to my occasional

irritation, remained fairly integral to my life in inevitable ways such as customs and practices of the traditional kind. As a child, eating out always had to involve Indian food and a vegetarian restaurant to cater to the Brahminical sensibilities of my mother.

South Indian food had to be consumed in the mornings for breakfast, occasionally for lunch but never so for the evening meal; the rest of Indian cuisine took over the evening slot. So, we would visit places like Minerva Coffee House, Kamath, Woodlands, Arya Bhavan and so on. As soon as we were seated, even before the Menu card arrived, appa would have a standard line, ‘Couple of plates of Idli please, and a menu card.’ He was of the opinion that any establishment's true worth can be evaluated by the way they

work the commonest staple on the menu. The quintessential big white coins, according to him, showed how the place worked. In his words, piping hot steaming idlis with visible vapours as the plate landed on the table, the aromas of various chutneys, a crater of podi filled with sufficient oil, bowls of sambar, soft yet not disintegrating idlis meant he was ready to play in spite of a repertoire that was pretty regional.

So, Dosa Village in Coventry, UK, a 60 cover South Indian and Sri

Lankan food restaurant was no different in terms of what I had planned to do. I entered with a couple of my friends and although the interiors were neatly done with wooden tables and faux leather chairs, there was not much to suggest south Indian roots, apart from the language of the music that swiftly changed to Telugu as soon as we were seated. They do get brownie points for recognising where their customers are from!

I ordered a plate of Idlis (GBP 3.45) and began browsing through

RESTAURANT REVIEW

DR. SUSHMA AYYALASOMAYAJULA / COVENTRY

Sushma found herself indulging in a fuss free meal at an extremely reasonable price in a decent environment with music reminiscent of our

favourite Tollywood heroes. Extremely good value for money for the south Indian, north Indian, Indian-Chinese and Sri Lankan menu!

An Adequate VillageDOSA VILLAGE

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the menu. A very standard menu, this one had several starters, main courses, tiffins, varieties of vegetarian and non vegetarian dosas and thalis, biryanis and what have you, all from the south and north of India in addition to some Sri Lankan and Indian-Chinese dishes. They also had a fairly elaborate selection of dosas and drinks. The idlis arrived and were lukewarm; thankfully, the sambar was piping hot and delicious to boot. I even drank the stuff straight from the bowl, something I refrain from doing even at home.

Next up, was a plate of Medu Vadai (GBP 1.25) which did not come with sambar as a side (blasphemy!) but the staff happily obliged me with a bowlful. A bite into the vada and I had to let it stay unfinished. Lukewarm again, soggy outside and underdone inside. Our Onion Rava Masala Dosa (GBP 4.25) was the only item that stood out in our meal - a perfectly crisped dosa with a delicious onion and potato

filling, accompanied by chutneys and sambar. If I ever go back it would be for the Rava Masala Dosa. A Poori Masala (GBP 3.75) doesn't really qualify for a South Indian menu but for the kurma that some restaurants serve with it and which I hoped would accompany my order too. When it arrived, the pooris were as huge as bhaturas and fluffy but the sabji wasn't the kurma I was hoping for,

but the masala used in stuffing the Onion Rava Masala Dosa as mentioned on the menu.

There are many students, bachelors, techies and a floating Sri Lankan population who live around this area, all currently away from home. I imagine that for them, even a small whiff of the aroma of curry leaves would warm the cockles of the heart. A fuss free meal at an extremely reasonable price (GBP 18 for a meal for two) in a decent environment is good value for money which makes Dosa Village a good option for locals. ■

“I finished my meal with a glass of filter coffee, which I enjoy inhaling the aromas

of more than actually drinking.

PRICE: £18 (meal for two)

ADDRESS: 72 Barker's Butts Ln, Coventry CV6 1DY, United Kingdom

PHONES: +44 24 7767 2095

2/5

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When I think of Hyderabad, the first thing that comes to my mind is neither the architecture (never been there), nor the rich folklore of royalty (not been a fan of history), but glorious,

rich, decadent, aromatic food! As someone who loves this cuisine, all I needed to evoke the mood for this review, was to simply close my eyes and imagine the exotic, delicate aromas of whole spices wafting up from a freshly unsealed pot of Hyderabadi Dum Biryani or a creamy bowl of Chicken Korma whose fragrant soul will possess your fingers for hours, if you chose wisely to dip a soft piece of flatbread into that lusciousness.

Authentic Hyderabadi cuisine is a wonderful mixture of masterful selection and balance of rice, spices and meat, thanks to the heavy influences from Mughlai, Arabic, Turkish cuisines, and given a unique twist from the local Andhra and Marathwada cuisines.

Judging from the variety of dishes, Khansamas or royal cooks were nothing short of magicians who could create unique flavour profiles by experimenting and mastering various techniques that involved expert slow cooking, roasting, and knowledgeable selection from the finest ingredients money could buy.

Bringing back the classicsBut as the royalty melted slowly into the melting pot of democracy, so did these magical recipes. It took concentrated efforts of the food aficionados who grew up eating these amazing dishes to bring back the forgotten recipes, feed them to curious minds, make them believers and get the magic going in their own kitchens. One such culinary enthusiast worth mentioning is Geeta Devi who has been very instrumental in bringing back a lot of such recipes and tastes. Geeta Devi hails from the royal Malwala family of Hyderabad, and is not an outsider to the rich culture and cuisine of the land, and has put that kind of first hand knowledge to good use, through her numerous food festivals in different cities, talks on the topic on various food channels and cook books on the topic.

A Cookbook with heartI had followed many a interview of this seemingly simple but very knowledgeable lady even before I bought her books. As a novice to Hyderabadi cooking, it was her Dastarkhan-e-Mughlai that made my awkward first steps into trying these advanced and complicated cuisine easier, and results, achievable. The success with that first book led me to the second book, The Jewels of the Nizam. While Dastarkhan-e-Mughlai was a compilation of popular, well-known recipes that included the very delectable

A ROYAL FEAST BACK IN TIME

Geeta Devi's The Jewels of the Nizam showcases

an exquisite selection of lesser-known, historic

recipes. Nisha Pillai found these to be an absolute delight to

the modern gourmand in search of familiar

flavours in an unusual light and unexpected flavour combinations.

BOOK REVIEW by NISHA PILLAI

Book: The Jewels of the NizamAuthor: Geeta DeviPrice: INR 207 (Amazon India)ISBN 10/13: 812912436X / 978-8129124364Pages: 144 / PaperbackLanguage: EnglishPublisher: Rupa Publications IndiaDate of Publishing: 16 October 2013

http://www.amazon.in/The-Jewels-Nizam-Geeta-Devi/dp/812912436X


Mughlai recipes that Hyderabad is famous for, The Jewels of the Nizam showcases an exquisite selection of lesser known, historic recipes that will be an absolute delight to the modern gourmand in search of familiar flavours in an unusual light and unexpected flavour combinations. The added bonus in this book has to be the thoughtful addition of recipes like Soya Shikampoor and Soya Nuggets ki Biryani, which adds a fusion twist to cater to the 'meatless' brigade and the health conscious meat eaters alike.

Geeta Devi has been associated with the Golkonda Hotel, Hyderabad as a food consultant and was instrumental in launching the Hyderabadi specialty restaurant the Jewel of the Nizam, which makes this book enter the category of restaurant backed cookbooks, that have their own cult following of the dedicated patrons and food fanatics who want to try and bring that restaurant magic, into their own kitchens.

Recipes for every occasionThis compact and sturdy cookbook features 5 substantial sections Gazak, Main Course, Rice, Dessert and Achaar. A very helpful measurement table and glossary completes it. The Jewels of the Nizam starts off with Gazak or Appetizers section, with an ample selection of items weighing heavily in favour of the non vegetarian dishes.

The Main Course is a vast and delightful section which brings out the delectable combinations of vegetables, grains, beans, and meat/fish/poultry/eggs and manages to showcase the incredible creativity that the Khansamas were famous for. Double beans aur Kheema (Minced meat with Broad beans), Milwa Bhaji ka Kalia (Green Leafy Vegetables with meat) and Kachi Kairi ka Do Piaza (Mutton cooked with raw mangoes) are fine examples of such creativity. Also included in this section are true blue Hyderabadi megahits like Haleem, Muzbi, Shahi Raan and a variety of mouth watering Saalans and Kormas.

The second section of recipes cover everything rice. Its brief section on Rice has 9 flavourful rice preparations, this time balanced in its vegetarian and non- vegetarian selection; every one simple and absolutely worth trying. Here, you will find the signature Mughlai perennial favourite, Kache Ghosht ki Biryani under the title Biryani Golkonda.

The dessert section is brief but includes classics like Shahi Tukde and Khubani Trifle.

Just the last section on Achaars makes this book fully worth buying. Featured in this section are four unique and unusual achaars, each made from Ghosht (Mutton),

Hyderabadi biryanis are famous far and wide. Seen here, a Hyderabadi Egg Biryani.


ACHAARI MACHLI FISH COOKED IN PICKLE STYLE

Yield: 4 - 6 Servings • Preparation Time: 20 Minutes • Cooking Time: 30 Minutes

INGREDIENTS:1 kg Fish (fresh water) deboned

and cut into 2 inch pieces2 Onions sliced, deep fried and

ground into a paste

2 tbsp Chilli powder1 tsp Kalonji or Nigella seeds

1 tsp Cumin and Mustard seeds1 cup Oil

½ cup Lemon juiceSalt to taste

METHOD:1. In a non-stick pan, heat 3 tbsp of oil, sauté

the fish pieces and keep aside.2. In another vessel, pour the remaining oil.3. Add cumin, mustard and chia seeds and

heat on a flame.4. When they crackle, add onion paste, chilli

powder and salt, stirring continuously until the oil floats.

5. Lower the heat, add the fish pieces, and stir slowly without breaking the pieces.

6. Cook till the fish is done.7. Add lemon juice and serve hot with rice or

chapatis.

Note: Picture on facing page.

Machli (Fish), Jhinga (Prawns), and Aloo-Mirch (Potato-Chilli), which are definitely worth a try.

This book definitely has a lot of pros, in terms of quality printing, beautiful well-placed pictures, and clear and concise recipes that are a world apart in their uniqueness. The Achaari Machli recipe I tried out from this book

turned out to be excellent and so simple to make, and tasted great with Tandoori rotis. Unlike most cookbooks, every recipe comes with the number of servings it will yield, cooking time and prep time, which pretty much takes away the guesswork, if you are trying it out for the first time.

A few points of criticismA book of this good quality print and rare collection of recipes could have had a hard cover as compared to the less durable paperback. And the pictures though well-taken, artistic and well placed could have been more numerous. Rarer recipes like the Anokhi Kheer and Chakna definitely need pictures to motivate the adventurous cook to give them a try or to give them a clearer idea of the end product. I personally would have paid double the price if I could get my hands on the same cookbook with a hard cover and more pictures included.

Perfect for a cookbook collectionIn summary, this book is worth buying, for the price and the unique, unusual recipes it carries. As a food lover, I found every recipe worth trying. I don’t recommend this book to pure vegetarians as the recipes heavily lean on the non vegetarian end of the spectrum. If you need a recipe that will taste predictably good, just like the old classics, this is the book to buy. ■

Non vegetarian variants of Hyderabadi biryani include mutton,

chicken and prawn among others.


Hyderabadi Achaari Machli - fish prepared in a pickled style. Recipe on facing page.


COVER STORY by SANDEEP SRINIVASA

Kuttikal:The Mythology Of South Indian Coffee

The story of Baba Budan Giri and the leg-end of how coffee was brought to India is the stuff Tollywood movies are made of. Throw in dancing behind a coffee shrub and I'm sold! To introduce the taste to

India, he is said to have wrapped seven coffee beans (the number 7 is considered sacred in Islam) around his belly and smuggled them out of the port of Mo-

cha, Yemen while coming back from Haj. In those days coffee was exported to other parts of the world only in roasted form, so that no one could grow their own and were forced to buy from the Yemenis. On his return home, he planted the beans in the hills of Chikkamagaluru, since named the 'Baba Budan Hills' in his honor. The progress of coffee after Baba Budan’s seven seeds arrived in the Chandagiri Hills remains a matter for conjecture.

The next mention of coffee in the region is in the 'Letters from Malabar' by Rev. Jacob Visscher in 1723. Francis Buchanan noted in his account of his jour-ney from Madras that in 1799 one chest was the total export of coffee from Kannur. In 1800, one year later, that number had risen to 6 chests and 6 mounds. This coffee, cultivated at the Baba Budan Hills of Mysore, soon became a monopoly of the Mysore state, until J. H. Jolly.

The province of Koffa, a district of Abyssinia is considered to be the

original habitat of Arabica though it was commercially farmed using

irrigation in Yemen for trade.

Today, the verdict is that coffee is good for us; three to five cups of black coffee apparently reducing the risk for every-thing from .melanoma to Parkinson's disease. Regardless of whether you believe it or not, when you sip a cup of a sin-gle origin coffee, you're not just tasting the air, the clouds and the soil of a coffee estate, you're also taking gentle sips of history. Sandeep Srinivasa narrates how.


J. H. Jolly and the Wodeyars (1800-1833)It all started with an ambitious and enterprising British manager named J. H. Jolly, who was work-ing for trading company Parry & Company of Madras. He felt that the coffee beans growing in the plantations of Chandragiri in the Babu Budan Hills had huge po-tential, and sent a petition to the Mysore government of the day for 40 acres of land to grow the crop. Until this point, coffee was sold as 'Hittalu Coffee', meaning 'cof-fee grown in backyards' of small farmers. Maharaja Krishna Raja Wodeyar III made the decision to change this into an 'estate' based economic model, where he gave away land in exchange for a share of the coffee produce. He made the decision to sell the collection rights of Mysore Princely State coffee to Parry's for 10 years from 1823 to 1833. The government was assured of a yearly sum of 4,270 rupees by Parry's and renewed after the first decade for the increased sum of 7472 rupees per year.

Abolition of slavery and the spread of Coffee to WayanadThe growth of coffee plantations took place in the Wayanad region rather than the Baba Budan hills.

One big problem was accessibility to the Baba Budan range, but even more important was the availabil-ity of cheap labour. The Abolition of Slavery Law 1843 caused a free movement of labourers from their indentured paddy fields to the coffee plantations. But the British soon introduced the Workmen's Breach of Contract Act of 1859. This act had provisions stipulating that the workers had to sign a con-tract agreeing to work in the gar-dens for a specific period of time to guarantee indentured labour for their precious plantations. During this period a number of European planters applied for huge areas of land in the Wayanad region and within a few years several entre-preneurs started estates in Manan-thavady; Glasson, Richmond and Morris were the pioneers among them. Very frequently Major Glas-son is credited with opening the first Manantoddy coffee estate in 1840.

There is a popular story about how coffee spread to the most prolific coffee growing region today, cred-iting a partner of Messrs. Parry & Co in 1820 or thereabouts who was on his way from Madras, across the peninsula, to Cali-cut. He went up the Kuttiyadi ghat on a visit to their coffee estates on the Baba Budan Hills and was greatly impressed by the flourishing coffee plants on the Manantoddy (now Mananthavady) hill pointed out by some of the officers. The first thing he

did therefore on return to Madras was to purchase Grass hills near Manantoddy and experiment with coffee cultivation; a first attempt that ended in failure. Mr. Pugh from Ceylon, an experienced planter then visited Manantoddy and established the first coffee es-tate known as the Pew estate. The exact year is not known, but it was between 1830 and 1840.

In 1838, the British (who by now had taken over Mysore under the pretext of misrule) abolished Parry's contract and threw open coffee cultivation to free compe-tition. Additionally, they moved from the Vara system of sharing of produce to an excise model (Halat). This also resulted in the

Maharaja Krishna

Raja Wodeyar

III

"In a Ceylon Tea Plantation" from "Highroads of Geography" of the Royal School Series

The growth of coffee plantations took place in the Wayanad region

rather than the Baba Budan hills.


growth of banking in the south of India and ensured that in almost every household at least one member was employed in the banking industry. The earliest known colonial estate was Thomas Cannon and his Mylemoney Estate in the 1830s, an estate that exists till today! Coffees of this estate were sold on the Lon-don market as 'Cannon's Coffee - Mylemoney Brand'. Thus began the era of coffee in Southern India and Ceylon.

1855-1880: The Coffee EraSubsequently, coffee plantations continued to thrive in India over the period of the British Raj and be-yond. The Dutch began to grow coffee in the Malabar region, but a major transition happened when the British led a relentless drive to set up Arabica coffee plantations across the hilly regions in South India, where they found the climatic conditions to be apt for the crop.

Coffee plantations experienced rapid growth under the colonial powers. The mass emigration of Tamils to Sri Lanka happened during this time as labourers in coffee plantations. The colonial bureaucracy argued that it would be more expensive to transport Chinese to Ceylon's coffee plantations and also that Indians were more frugal to maintain than the Chinese!

According to the Planting Directory (Waddington), the life of a labourer in the plantations of Wayanad was pathetic due to various reasons, one prime reason being insufficient wages. Able-bodied men were paid only two annas and women, nearly half - an anna and four paise; only after 1858 did the wages begin to rise. The Tamil Nadu Coffee-Stealing Prevention Act of 1878 and the Madras Planters Labour Act of 1903 further strengthened the tentacles of the planters over hapless labourers.

Sanskritization and the Growth of Coffee ConsumptionUp until this point, coffee was either exported to Europe or was a luxury afforded by the upper classes. The spread of coffee to the common man came about as a direct result of Sanskritization.

Adopting the life-style of the brahminical castes to climb the social ladder has been termed as 'Sanskri-tization' by M. N. Srinivas, and what could be an easier way to adopt this lifestyle than adopting coffee! Morning coffee, which was a privileged habit of the 'higher classes', gradually spread to the lower classes.

In 1906, the Gazetteer of Tanjore published interest-ing information about the changes in food consump-tion habits of labourers. The Brahmins and other upper castes ate hot food at lunch and dinner, drank coffee in the morning and consumed a light snack at 3pm. The lower castes on the other hand, ate cold rice and water (kanji) at 7:30am with meat soup on rare occasions, hot or cold rice for lunch and hot rice, meat soup/curry between 7pm and 8pm for dinner. 'Of recent years however, a tendency has developed among Sudras, even of the poorer classes, towards the use of coffee in the morning in preference to cold rice.

An advertisement for coffee aimed at urban women.

Coffee was either exported to Europe or was a luxury afforded by the upper classes. The spread

of coffee to the common man came about as a direct result of

Sanskritization.


On the other hand, this beverage is losing favour with the higher classes who regard it as unwholesome', re-ported the Tanjore Gazetteer. What was the reason for the upper classes finding it unwholesome? As usual, then, and now, it was religious dogma.

The Case for Banning Coffee and Reli-gious FundamentalismIn the early decades of the 1900's coffee was looked upon as a serious vice and as condemned as roundly as alcohol. Media and politicians alike were vocal in condemning it; in fact, so loud was the condemnation that not even Mr. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was spared from its impact.

The greatest obstacle in the way of the success of our movement in Madras are our women. Some of them are very reactionary and a very large number of the high class Brahmin ladies have become addicted to many of the Western vices. They drink coffee not less than three times a day and consider it very fashionable to drink more. In dress they are no better, they have given up the homely cleap (sic) cloth and are running after costly foreign cloth. - Young India, August 1921, page 68; Addressed to M. K. Gandhi.

Thankfully, the Mahatma disregarded the effects of coffee and focused on the fashion-addiction of the women, as rightly he should have. It was not so with all his followers however. As a large section of Gandhians started condemning coffee, it soon became known as kutti-kal or 'junior alcohol' amongst chaste Gandhians. Of course, its big-gest proponent was the great author and freedom fighter C. Rajagopalachari who is said to have wished the Cauvery flowed with coffee!

Coffee and the Caste SystemCoffee had a very direct role to play in the Tamil struggle against the Brahminical caste

system, primarily because the practice of segregation practised in the 'coffee hotels' of that era.

Periyar, who launched the self-re-spect movement and Tamil Nadu and gave rise to the two DMK parties currently in power, writes this about coffee shops: Think a little of how the Tamilian’s shame is today. In the coffee clubs he is segregated as a low caste. If we go around this village, several boards say, 'This is for Brahmins', 'This is for Sudras', 'Panchamas, Muslims and Christians will not be given food, snacks or water here', 'Sudras should not draw water from here', 'Sudras should not bathe here', 'Sudras will not be admitted into this school', 'Sudras should not read these topics', 'Only

Chicory was widely used during economic crises such as the Great Depression in

the 1930s and during World War II in Continental Europe. It was also used as an ingredi-ent of the East German Misch-

kaffee.

The roots of the chicory plant are baked, ground and used in the production of blended coffees.


Brahmins can go so far - Sudras should not go beyond this point', 'Sudras should not reside in this street', 'Panchamas should not walk in this street' are placed in every coffee shop that the Brahmins own, in every hall, in every tank and temple, rules are created, and people are divided; aversion and dislike are created; disgrace is created. Let any Congress leader get up and say, let them accept that at least as far as this place is concerned in the coffee shops and Brahmin hotels, the boards that say ‘Brahmins - Non-Brahmins’ will be removed and flung off.

In Salem, the Congress party fought for a resolution favouring the cancellation of the license of any 'coffee hotel' that denied entry to untouchables or harijans.

On 11 August 1945, K. K. Kannan introduced a resolution in the Council for urging the Government to remove untouchability by royal proclamation. The mover of this resolution had an experience of the practice of untouchability on his way to Anandapu-ram. When Kannan with his friends entered a coffee house, the Nair owner told them that he would serve coffee to them on the condition that they consent to wash the glass after drinking it. Kannan not only refused, but caused the introduction and carrying of a resolution banning these practices.

A Story of Chicory, World War II and Degree CoffeeWhen World War 2 began and the sea routes were sealed, the coffee industry in India suffered a huge setback and was directly responsible for the creation of the Coffee Board of India, which controls coffee till today. This was also the period when the south Indian filter coffee, as we know it today, was created using a blend of chicory and coffee.

Chicory’s origins can be traced to the Mediterranean Sea, more specifically France and Italy. Chicory is also

believed to have originated in eastern India as it was referenced in the writings of the ancient Greeks. By it-self, chicory powder is bitter tasting, but when mixed it with coffee, it not only adds body to the coffee (so less coffee can be used) but also enhances the taste and aroma of the coffee. The easiest way to under-stand this is to think of the fragrance of filter coffee in South Indian dosa hotels!

Then there is the famous Kumbakonam Degree Cof-fee that is made only with the purest churned cow's milk. Why is it called Degree Coffee? One explanation is that it's not degree coffee, but chicory coffee, which came to be pronounced first as chickaree and eventu-ally became degree. Speaking for myself, I believe the most plausible one is that milk certified as pure with was called degree milk owing to the 'degree' markings on a lactometer and therefore coffee prepared with degree milk became known as degree coffee.

A Crash Course in Beans and LeavesA little about the different types of coffee beans:

• Arabica: The the most sought after species of coffee with high quality tasting characteristics, low acidity and low caffeine.

• Coffea Canephora (robusta): The second most sought after coffee specie in the world after Arabica beans, canephora is easy to maintain and thus to produce. The beans are considered of lower grade if compared to Arabica beans and are often mixed with the latter to make coffee production cheap-er. However it is often included in instant coffee and espresso blends to form 'crema'. It has a huge

An open air coffee bean storage facility in Karnataka.

Arabica is the the most sought after species of coffee with high quality tasting characteristics, low acidity

and low caffeine.


amount of caffeine; twice as much as in Arabica coffee.

• Coffea Liberica: This coffee specie was first dis-covered in Liberia, West Africa. It is similar to the taste characteristics of Robusta beans and is still found in parts of Central and East Java.

• Peaberry: What is peaberry and why is peaberry coffee special? Erin Meister explains that it is one of two of the pods in a coffee bean, smaller, denser and cuter than its twin and a mutated one at that. According to Erin, 'Fans think they taste noticeably sweeter and more flavourful than standard-issue beans; naysayers insist they can't tell the difference.'

The mix of Arabica and Robusta is pretty typical in Asia; as you get closer to the southeast, especial-ly Vietnam, you get into the Excelsa and Catimor varieties too. The Trung Nguyen coffee you get in ca phe sua da at Vietnamese restaurants is often a mix of all four coffee varietals. The most popular Arabica varietals are:

■ S.795: This is by far the most popular Arabica se-lection released during the 1940s with high yields, bold beans, superior quality and relatively high tolerance to leaf rust.

■ Cauvery: Popularly known as Catimor, Cauvery, a descendant of a cross between Caturra and Hy-brido-de-Timor, is a natural mutant of the famous Bourbon variety.

■ Sln.9: Selection 9, a derivative of a cross between an Ethiopian Arabica collection, Tafarikela, and Hybrido-de-Timor, Sln.9 has inherited all the supe-rior cup quality traits of Tafarikela.

Modern-day Coffee ProductionOne of the big problems with Indian coffee is that most Indians associate good coffee with filter coffee. Not that it is not good in a greasy-dosa-hits-the-spot kind of a way, but a filter coffee does not showcase much of the beauty and flavour of coffee. Similar to

wine, coffee too is associated with terroir, the French word for the complete natural environment in which a particular coffee is produced, including factors such as the soil, topography, and climate, and in some cases, the poop. Since most of the coffee produced in India is consumed in a chicory blended filter coffee format, it is singularly hard to source single origin Ar-abica beans from these farms. Thankfully, the whole CCD-Barista-Costa-Starbucks onslaught has brought on a new appreciation for non-chicory blended coffee; in particular pure Arabicas. We are now seeing small start-ups sourcing small-lot coffees from individual farms and selling them as gourmet coffee. Additional-ly, we have establishments like the decades-old Dev-ans of Delhi who source Arabicas from the South of India.

Karnataka (Chikmaglur/Baba Budan Giri) and Wayanad: The Mysore Nuggets Extra Bold (MNEB) is a common variety of coffee that is sold interna-tionally. It has not reached the renown that the Mon-sooned Malabar has though. That being said, some of the best single origin coffees are produced in the Baba Budan Giri Hills today. Most gourmet coffees in India are sourced from small farms in this region.

From the Malabar Coast (Kerala and Karnataka) originates the only internationally renowned Indian varietal of coffee, to my knowledge, the legendary Monsooned Malabar. It is protected under India's Geographical Indications law (similar to Cham-pagne). The origins of Monsooned Malabar date to the British Raj times, when coffee was transported from South India to the great markets of London. During the sea voyage, which frequently took almost 6 months to sail around the Cape of Good Hope, the humidity and the sea winds combined to cause the coffee to change from green to a pale yellow as well as undergo drastic flavour changes, owing to exposure to the constant humidity. Today these beans are bathed with moist monsoon winds in specially construct-


ed coffee sheds to replicate the conditions of those bygone sea voyages. The prime characteristic of the Monsooned Malabar is a fairly mellow coffee with almost no acidity.

Tamil Nadu (Yercaud and Nilgiri Hills): Here, orig-inates most of the filter coffee grown in India. The chicory and bean blend hits the drinker in the face with the familiar smell of south Indian cafes serving crispy hot dosas and filter coffee pulled with the 'cup' and the 'saucer' an arms length apart to produce that characteristic head of brown and white froth. In the Nilgiris are said to originate some of the really good coffees in India, but they are next to impossible to source because of the close ties of this region to the filter coffee industry. Most of the coffees from here end up as chicory blends.

Andhra Pradesh (Araku) has now landed on the international gourmet coffee landscape because of its certified, small lot, organic tribal coffee grown in the misty Araku valley, but extremely hard to source since most of the crop is exported. Pedabayulu Estate in Ar-aku has been a consistent winner for the best Arabica in Indian Coffee Board competitions. This is the new coffee to sample and to beat.

Orissa - Daringabadi: This is actually coffee grown in pine forests and with periodic snow! If you buy the

terroir story, then the flavour profiles here ought to be very interesting indeed. This is again another coffee varietal which is hard to source because it is not really grown commercially, but rather for tourism.

Coffee has not only influenced the geo-political map of two great countries, but is one of the most sought after gourmet commodities worldwide. Coffee, along with saturated fat, is the subject of one of the age-old medical flip-flops with practitioners and researchers being unable to decide once and for all if the stuff is good or bad for us. Today, in 2015, the verdict is that coffee is good for us, with multiple studies talking about the merits of three to five cups of black coffee a day in reducing risk for everything from melanoma to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, liver disease, prostate cancer and Alzheimer's among others. Regardless of whether you believe it or not, when you sip a cup of a single origin cappuccino or espresso, you're not just tasting the air, the clouds and the soil of a coffee estate, you're also taking gentle sips of history. Your next cup of coffee therefore will not just be a journey through space, it will be a journey across time. ■

Ed: We couldn't fit the entire story into this format.CLICK HERE to read the full version of this story on our website. Please note, this link will only be available after the 10th of November.

http://chefatlarge.in/?p=51185


STALWARTSPEOPLE

THE

South Indian food is a rich treasure of cultures that for most is unified under the inadequate ban-ner of 'South India'. Containing distinct food cultures from states such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, the south of India has a range of culinary traditions of which a man can only hope to master perhaps a part of one. In an unprecedented effort, we bring to you this month, three giants in the world of south Indian food.

We begin with Shiva Kumaar, the Managing Director of Saravana Bhavan, an iconic south Indian food brand that's all over the country and indeed the world too. Our next interview is with Rukmini Srinivas, a gifted storyteller, cook and author of that acclaimed book, Tiffin. Finally, Divya Sath-yaraj, a gifted celebrity nutritionist and dietitian shares her thoughts on managing wellness.

Shiva Kumaar on Saravana Bhavan's international operations.Managing Director, Saravana Bhavan

•

by Sid KhullarSaravana Bhavan can easily be called the ambassador of south Indian food to the world. With branches in a number of major cities worldwide, Saravana Bhavan appears to be set to take down Punjabi food as the world's perception of Indian cuisine and replace it with south Indian. The brand is already earning accolades in India for its combination of high standards of food and service and reasonable prices; it only appears to be a matter of time when it does the same abroad. Shiva Kumaar, Managing Director of this iconic brand spoke to Sid Khullar about Saravana Bhavan's international operations and ambitions.

Sid Khullar: What are your first memories of Sara-vana Bhavan from the point of view of it being your father's business and not as the brand it is today?Shiva Kumaar: I recall my school days when my cousins and I would visit the restaurant for meals. At this time, my father was very involved with running the business and would spend all his time working and very little with the family.

SidK: When did you become aware of Saravana Bhavan as the brand it is today and how did that realisation come about?SK: Around the early 1990s Saravana Bhavan began blooming. At this time, it started becoming known for superior taste and quality, and high standards of hy-giene and employee welfare. Both combined resulted

in Saravana Bhavan becoming well known which in turn led to an increase in customers year after year as well as new branches. Watching all of this unfold led me to realize that Saravana Bhavan has truly grown and our business was now a brand.

SidK: Maintaining a consistent product is critical. Given the complexity of South Indian cooking, how do you ensure consistency of output?SK: We follow an apprenticeship process at Sarava-na Bhavan, where new recruits are placed under the watchful eye of experienced seniors who guide and tutor them. Ultimately, the process ensures a transfer of knowledge which in turn causes these youngsters to deliver output equivalent to those they learnt from. Our chefs are only transferred to production after


extensive hands-on training, all of which helps with bringing consis-tency to our operations.

SidK: Do the same Indian formu-lations apply to your internation-al operations as well?SK: I believe the success of our restaurants outside India stands testimony to the fact that our products are indeed consistent. Nonetheless, only experienced staff are deputed for overseas assign-ments. This, combined with our training and production process ensures customer expectations are not only met, but also exceeded.

SidK: You would have experi-enced first-hand the differences in taste exhibited by customers from different countries. Can you share with us some insights?SK: Meeting the tastes of the locals of any geography is always a chal-lenge. As a matter of policy, we do not effect any major changes to any of our products to suit local tastes.

This is a must in order to maintain product uniformi-ty. We are how-ever sensitive to the tastes of our customers and customise spice levels of food to suit local palates.

SidK: Punjabi food appears to be our culinary ambassador to the world. How have you tackled this phenome-non?SK: I agree that Indian cuisine has always been syn-

onymous with Punjabi food and as such it becomes tough to convey the essence of south Indian food to our local customers. Nonetheless, we always advertise and market our brand as a south Indian restau-rant chain. When the locals expe-rience our fully vegetarian, whole-some and light food, they usually love it and spread the word, which results in our restaurants receiving even more local customers.

SidK: Plenty has been written about how Saravana Bhavan takes care of its employees. Is the same attitude attempted in for-eign countries, where socio-eco-nomic criteria may vary?SK: As an organisation we believe our employees are our strength, to whom we provide the best possible salaries, perks and other welfare measures. Additionally, as a law abiding organisation we adhere to the local socio-economic regula-tions prescribed by the law of the

land, which ensures they are on par with local staff.

SidK: What are your biggest chal-lenges in taking Saravana Bhavan worldwide?SK: Work permits! Our perpetual and only challenge in the growth of Saravana Bhavan to foreign lands is in obtaining visas for our experienced staff to work in local branches.

SidK: What criteria you apply prior to considering the open-ing of an outlet in a new foreign destination? SK: We conduct surveys and studies aimed at understanding and analysing the demand for our products and services in that geog-raphy, to determine the suitability of a location and its ability to sup-port a branch of Saravana Bhavan.

SidK: What are your plans for Saravana Bhavan's international operations?SK: My ambition is simple, if vast. I'd like us to open a branch of Sar-avana Bhavan in every city in the world where a sizeable segment of the Indian diaspora exists.

SidK: Which are your favourite dishes from the Saravana Bhavan menu?SK: While we have a large menu of which, every dish is a star in its own right, we have quite a variety of dosas, which are my favorite items from the entire menu.

SidK: How do you balance your personal life with all the travel that your work involves?SK: My kids are equally busy with their school work. So, all of us are busy in our own ways. ■

Mr. Shiva Kumaar, Managing Director,

Saravana Bhavan


Rukmini Srinivas on south Indian cooking.Author by Sid KhullarMrs Rukmini Srinivas, author of Tiffin, chats with Sid Khullar about her south Indian cooking heritage and love for Indian vegetarian fare that is healthy, delicious and ecologically productive. Her book, Tiffin, has been acknowledged to be a definitive work on the culinary aspects of tradition, culture and practices in Tamil Nadu, which is not only informative, but a delight to read and behold.

Sid Khullar (SK): How were you introduced to cooking? Was it a part of your education at the time?Rukmini Srinivas (RS): To answer your question, no. Cooking was not a part of my education. As I've mentioned in my book Tiffin, it was during one of my summer holidays with my youngest paternal uncle, my Chitappa, Dr. Natesan, a medical doctor that I got interested in cooking. One afternoon he made masala vadai for tiffin and I did all the preparation work and saw the entire process from start to finish and this resulted in a delicious crunchy vadai which I enjoyed. I must have been around 14 years old at the time.

SK: South Indian cooking is perceived as being tougher than most other Indian culinary cultures. What are your thoughts?RS: There is more than one kind of cuisine in the south Indian cooking culture and I am interested in vegetarian cuisine. I wouldn't use the word 'tougher' to describe the south Indian culinary culture. Perhaps it is more nuanced and the tastes are more layered. But, just like any other cuisine it has its own char-acter and I feel this is not difficult to master. In fact, that is why I wrote Tiffin to give readers a sense of the ease in cooking Indian vegetarian food and more particularly the south Indian vegetarian genre which is easy and quick. Being vegetarian is also healthy and ecologically less destructive. I believe if more people know how to cook vegetarian food our environment will benefit.

SK: Do you believe there are obvious overlaps between Vedic cooking techniques and the strict protocols followed in a traditional south Indian kitchen?RS: Rather than thinking about Vedic cooking which introduces religious concepts, I prefer to think about health and taste. South Indian vegetarian cooking with its emphasis on different combinations of veg-

etables, spices and herbs appropriate to each dish, season, time of the day, and the individual’s health can be seen as a domestic medical system of health giving. It is more in line with a sort of Ayurvedic dietetics where keeping the body and mind in balance is important. The Indian vegetarian cuisine of the south uses black pepper, turmeric, coconut, cumin, coriander, curry leaves, fresh ginger root and fresh coriander in an array of combinations which not only impart flavor but again each spice and the judicial combination of spices has a distinct medical thera-peutic purpose.

As regards strict protocols of maintaining purity in a traditional south Indian kitchen, this was associat-ed with cleanliness. The separation between cooked and uncooked food was important for avoidance of spoilage of food in a tropical country like India and its effect on the health of people. That is not to ignore the practice of the way food and the cooking and eat-ing of it was used to separate people of different castes often to the detriment of the lower castes.

SK: Diwali is approaching. Did you observe any cu-linary practices around this festival, while growing up? Were there many special dishes made? Did the festival impose any new practices in the household? How about Dusshera?RS: The Dusshera festival, a festival which celebrates different forms of the Female Diety in India, from Durga puja in Bengal to the worship of Chamundesh-wari in Mysore honors women and so food and domestic decorations are very important. In South India in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and in the other states where Tamilians live, during the nine days of Navaratri, women decorate the thresh-old of houses with rice flour designs, a Kolam, and with Bommai Kollu or a ‘dolls festival’ which is both a religious and social event, the latter particularly for women. The prescribed offering to the deities during

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the nine evenings was fruit and ‘shundal’ which are steamed beans and legumes with tadka, a flavourful tempering with mustard seeds, green chillies, curry leaves and coconut - a nutritious snack and each day brought its surprise of a different delicious shundal.

As I had narrated in my book Tiffin in my chapter on celebrating Deepavali as we in south India re-fer to the festival, in Tanjore in my parents’ home, this was a time for the extended family getting to-gether, for the exchange of new clothes, lighting of myriads of oil lamps, bursting fire crackers, not to overlook the feasting on innumerable varieties of sweet and savoury snacks; Badam halwa, Mysore pak, Boondi laddoo, Gulab jamun, and a variety of toffees and fudges with coconut, peanut, and cashew and many milk sweets like Kheer and fresh coconut milk Payasam flavored with the delicate aroma of cardamom and saffron. The savories were no less delicious; mainly made of rice, gram and urad flour there would be different kinds of crunchy deep fried spicy noodles, chiwda and chips. The fried rice flake chiwda rich with lots of whole roasted cashews and raisins was a favourite with all the children. For the few days following the celebration of Deepavali the

house would smell of freshly made ghee. I loved that aroma in food. But the one signa-ture dish my mother made during this festival was called Deepavali marundu; a medic-inal fudge of powdered herbs, roots and flowers cooked in ghee and jaggery; it resembled chyawanaprash but with a more delicate flavor. Making of the ‘marundu’ took several hours of stirring and we ate it as a digestive in little rolled balls as big as marbles. The image I have of my mother is of her sit-ting on a stool and stirring the big cauldron of marundu for hours. The taste was delicious and one of a kind which I can recall back to this day!

SK: Are there any dishes that you believe the people of the north or for that mat-ter, the rest of the world have probably not experi-enced?RS: I have found through my teaching of Indian vege-tarian cooking at the Cambridge Center for Adult ed-ucation in Boston, on television and at home in India and the US that people are most eager to learn good vegetarian cuisine. Cooking at home nourishes both body and mind. I would say that people are scared of Indian cooking today because they feel it takes too much time and effort. With fresh ingredients and simple techniques one can have a wholesome meal cooked easily and in less time than you would think. I hope that Tiffin teaches your readers and budding cooks how easy it is to whip up a healthy snack in a few minutes.

SK: Apart from the written word, traditional cook-ing appears to be passed down from generation to generation. Given your vast experience, have you found willing and able receptacles for this knowl-edge among your children or grandchildren?RS: I wrote this book for my daughters. They left home for higher education in the USA. They were often homesick for our food and they would write to

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me or call me and ask for recipes. I would, as I have said in Tiffin, give them the recipes accompanied by stories of how these recipes took shape in my repertoire. They urged me to write this book and share all this knowledge.

SK: What do you believe are fun-damental differences between the different culinary cultures in the south of India?RS: When we speak of different culinary cultures we think of taste contributed by spices or ingredi-ents and techniques of cooking. Take for example, Andhra food and you think of fiery food and the spice of Guntur chillies. When I think of Kerala cuisine what comes to mind is the sweetness of fresh coconut and coconut oil. The origin of most cooking cultures is local and regional and that is what makes it interesting. Thanja-vur cuisine is different from that of Madurai. In fact the people of Thanjavur would look down on the cuisine of North Arcot, though to someone in the north of India

these subtle and yet important differences would not be appar-ent. I tell my students in Boston to think of regional Indian food as they would of the different cuisines of Europe where Italian is different from French and even within each there are significant differenc-es from one micro region to the other.

SK: The consumption of meat and eggs is perceived to be less frequently found in the south of India than in other locations. Why do you believe this is so?RS: I am not sure if I would agree with you that south Indians con-sume less meat and eggs than peo-ple in other parts of India. To me as the wife of a social anthropol-ogist and the mother of two more it would seem that it is about caste and religion. In many regions, up-per caste Hindus were thought not to eat meat but that has changed over several decades. Food habits and tastes change as people travel and are exposed to different cul-tures of eating. I am more inter-

ested in food and health. I think that makes for better experiences of cooking and eating and a more tolerant outlook in general. I am vegetarian, because I find it health-ier for me; I also believe vegetari-anism is better for our planet. But that does not mean others should not have a diet of their choosing and what suits them, their bodies and their ethics.

SK: Among our readers are thou-sands of budding cooks and those who want to learn more. Would you have any words for them?RS: With most recipes I've found that it takes me a couple of tries to get comfortable with the dish and to give it my own signature. Over time you acquire confidence with different techniques, ways of cooking and newer technologies. Even today I learn new and eas-ier ways of doing what appeared complicated at one time. I would tell enthusiastic cooks to persevere with patience and master the art and skill of cooking. ■

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A scene from The Kitchen where the actors make traditional South Indian payasam on stage to share

with the audience.


Curious about coffee? Turn to page 34!


Divya Sathyaraj on south Indian food, diet and nutrition.Celebrity Nutritionist by Natasha AliDivya Sathyaraj has a famous last name – daughter of a very well-known South Indian actor. And with a younger brother who is also a Tamil movie actor, she’s grown up with dinner table conversations around healthy eating and staying fit. It is perhaps no wonder then that she is steadily making a name for herself as a nutritionist. She counts among her clients the wife of A. R. Rahman, Sairaa Rahman. We sat down to talk about food and nutrition, and in particular, her views on South Indian food as healthy and whether it lends itself to those working to lose weight.

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Natasha Ali (NA): Divya, what inspired you to get into this line? I know you were a psychotherapist in an earlier avatar.Divya Sathyaraj (DS): Well, I am a foodie, and also very committed to exercising and being healthy. My parents were liberal and did not believe in making ei-ther my brother or myself do stuff, including eat, what we hated, but instead, inculcated in us the nutritive value of good food, eating right and the importance of being active. From being a fussy eater and too skinny, I found myself turning into a foodie, but one who always remembered her parents’ tales of what foods were healthy and nutritious. I never, not even as a girl or teenager, binged on sweets or cakes, or soft drinks, even though my peers often did. Don’t get me wrong! I was no angel, I loved my puffs and chaats at the movies and so on, but I never got into carbonated drinks or craved sweets. I would say that my interest in nutrition began in my teens itself, and from there, it grew into a passion! In my time doing counseling and working as a psychotherapist, I realised that help-ing people and improving lives was something I felt strongly about. And given my love for food and my firm belief that one doesn’t have to starve oneself to lose weight or live a healthy lifestyle, I decided to put my words to test and became a nutritionist.

NA: So, what is Divya’s philosophy on dieting? What do you recommend to clients?DS: It is an undeniable fact that there are a million diets out there, from GM to South Beach to bikini body in 10 days. But you do not need to be on some crazy diet to achieve weight loss; crash diets and very restrictive ones are just a recipe for misery. As a therapist, I strongly believe that I should never make a client eat what he or she hates or make them give up what they love. I don’t believe in ‘going on a diet’. I have patients coming to me and saying, ‘I need to go on a diet to lose weight before Christmas’. The first

thing people notice when you walk in to a party is if you have gained or lost weight; I think this obsession is present across the globe. The fact of the matter is that it’s not about dieting for a month to lose weight or ready for a particular date. Healthy eating and liv-ing is a journey and I believe you have to eat healthy all your life to achieve the balance. And this obviously does not mean you starve or stick to a boring diet as I feel no one can sustain that behavior long-term!

NA: I have heard you talk about the healing power of food, and about Vitamin therapy. Tell me more…DS: I believe food can heal and I have always believed that a balanced diet is important to build a strong im-mune system for an active and stress free life. There is an elaborate healing mechanism within the body, but it can perform its functions only when it is supplied with all the nutritional factors. I also think that people tend to over medicate and rely on drugs a lot. Vitamin therapy has a distinct advantage over drug therapy, for the various vitamins provide the body with es-sential nutrients, and a lot of these vitamins can be harnessed from natural sources. For those that either don’t form a part of one’s natural eating habits, or are not in sufficient quantity, taking vitamin supplements helps.

NA: Divya, I know you are not a cook, but do you have any recipe, or concoction perhaps, that you would like to share with our readers, that you use yourself and believe has helped you?DS: You’re right, cooking is not my thing! But I read a lot and research a lot, and of course, I try to rely on natural sources as much as possible. So, here is something I started having when I noticed hair fall, and which I recommend to friends (guys in particu-lar have this lament!) as well. I have buttermilk with curry leaves and 2 amlas every day. Amlas or goose-berries are a great source of Vitamin C; they help


to control Diabetes and they prevent hair fall. I also have Tulsi water very evening, instead of tea or coffee because I am prone to catching cold and Tulsi is great for the sinus. For my protein intake, I have B protein with milk. I admit I am not a big fan of soy as a source of protein.

NA: What’s your take on South Indian food for dieting or healthy eating?DS: If a person loves dosas and idlis, I believe they should never have to give it up. A South Indian diet is a great combination of carbohydrates and protein. As someone who practices in Chennai, and who is a born and bred South Indian, I love my South Indian food, and obviously, have tons of clients who also follow this staple diet. I always ask my clients to substitute regular dosa with green gram dosa, a much healthier option. Green gram has Iron, Folic acid and plenty of Vitamin B. Green gram is also great for skin and hair. If you love idlis, ragi idlis are a great option rather than rava or rice flour ones. Ragi is great for bone health, reduces cholesterol, controls Diabetes and is rich in Iron and Calcium. Sambar is, of course, made from dal and veggies and the way it’s made in most

South Indian homes, it has minimal oil or unneces-sary calories.

NA: Do you consider rice to be a four-letter word? Many diets warn you off it completely. Every South Indian wedding is a rice-led feast, course after course of steaming rice, served with rasam, sambar, curds!DS: You know, I think it is all about moderation. If you eat in the right quantities, rice is okay. The prob-lem comes in when we overindulge; heaping huge ladles of rice on our plates, like they do at weddings, is a definite no-no on a daily basis! I will admit, I love Biryani. I don’t indulge in rice all that much, but I could not and really, would not, give up my Biryani fix. Everything in the right portion and without going overboard, and it’s just fine.

Thank you Divya, for taking the time to talk to me for CaLDRON Magazine, and I have to say, even though we’ve known each other for a very long time, I feel like I learned so much today, and what's more, I’m inspired! ■

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Divya Sathyaraj believes Tulsi is great for the sinus and in fact drinks Tulsi water every evening as a preventative measure against catching colds.


PEOPLE by Parul Pratap Shirazi

When Chocolate Runs in the Family

Established only few years ago, Choc Le today boasts of a brilliant team with a combined experience of 3 decades and one of the largest per day capacities to produce desserts and chocolates. This, combined with their willingness to work closely with estab-lishments has established a robust packaging and delivery model for the company.

With a chef for a mother, an MBA degree, and an intu-itiveness when

it comes to chocolate, wouldn’t you consider going pro? That’s the logic behind Choc Le. Young, ambitious and pleasantly gracious, Rupali Sa-mat of Choc Le met up with us for a tete a tete over chocolates. Both of Rupali’s parents have done a course with Barry Callebaut in the United States and though Rupali didn’t pursue culinary school, her business background allows her to bring marketing and strategy skills to the brand. Rupali grew up eating chocolates that were homemade and regaled only in their immedi-ate circle and vicinity.

She realized that the market wanted global quality, so she and her parents built a factory, with

Rupali with her mother, sharing a quiet moment and a hot cup of tea.


a capacity that stands at 1 tonne per day. Youth has penchant for foresight so this facility was built with a vision of 10 years hence. Today they also have desserts and are competitive suppliers to the F&B industry. Choc Le desserts are delivered as far as Pune and the brand has pioneered in cracking the delivery model with globally certified processes. Their R&D Team liaises with over 40 Chefs and the laboratory contributes to creating unique chocolates like open chocolates and flavours that include Gondhoraj and Pista and

Masala Chai. Looking ahead, Choc Le aspires to forge a deeper rela-tionship within the B2B market and experiment with fusion des-serts. Expect pan Asian desserts with matcha and lemongrass and nouvelle desserts like Rasgulla Cheesecake on the anvil.

Parul Pratap Shirazi: How did chocolates happen for you?Rupali Samat: Chocolates have been part of my life since the very early years; it’s something everyone in the family relishes. This sinful indulgence was lurking somewhere

We at Choc Le believe in a vision

to grow by bringing something unique for

our customers.

RUPALI SAMAT of CHOC LE

Choc Le products are attractively packaged and come in a variety of pack sizes.

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as my mum delved into it, whereas I moved on to do my masters and take up a job in the professional world. However, few years into my stint, realization surfaced for the need to build a ‘chocolate’ business professionally. So I pursued my real calling - ‘Choc Le’.

PPS: Custom made gourmet chocolates are very popular, but what differentiates Choc Le?RS: Established only few years ago, Choc Le today stands with a brilliant team that actually comes with a combined expertise of 3 decades, one of the larg-est per day capacity to produce desserts (250 kgs) and chocolates (800 kgs), work closely with the Café & Restaurant industry (attending to a countrywide requirement) and has established a robust packaging and delivery model for the company.

Although Choc Le has been synonymous to choc-olates and its varied flavors, the brand also offers a huge portfolio of desserts, from the classic cheese cakes, apple pies to velvet spray mousse that gets sup-plied in ala carte and buffet formats.

What also sets us apart is the robust R&D team, which is constantly working to play with the consum-ers palates by introducing new flavors. To cater to a larger audience, our product range across chocolates and desserts is pure vegetarian.

PPS: How do you bring dynamism to the brand?RS: The key to brand growth is enhancing what’s at hand by the best in order to deliver what’s unique. This has been our mantra at Choc Le and we believe that presenting a branded product line is the right foot in the door. A professional set up with the ca-pacity & team talent, differentiates our brand further in an industry that is highly fragmented. For our desserts, the first-mover advantage has been to stick to the B2B delivery model of catering to hotels and restaurants, which in a way is again a strategic step to stay niche in approach.

PPS: Have you made compromises to suit the palate of your audience?RS: With ever-evolving, well-traveled and well-read consumers, it’s critical to keep reinventing the prod-uct portfolio. This has been the key for us to often in-novate and combine unexpected flavours together, or maybe simply offer something that’s long-forgotten. Chocolates with nuts, is something that goes beauti-fully across all seasons. Consumers relish our almond pralines, which is caramel tossed with almonds. We have also experimented soft fill chocolates like Cookie Dough, Salty Caramel and Chilly that surprisingly this year are our best selling products in corporate companies.

PPS: Which is that one Choc Le product that people keep coming back for?RS: At Choc Le, we have experienced return / repeat customers owing to the complete product range. So, Choc Le offers a wide variety in chocolates and its flavours, as well as a complete range of desserts. With respect to chocolates, pralines, soft fills with flavours or nuts have been a definite pick by one and all. With respect to desserts, our dark coffee mousse, orange zest mousse, caramel almond flakes cake and authen-tic cheese cakes with berry sauces are great hits.

PPS: What’s next for Choc Le?RS: We intend to enhance our product portfolio so as to extend absolute support to chefs, who are looking for products to mark their quality service. The new product line will allow chefs to innovate extensively and introduce new additions to the menu at minimal cost. ■

Rupali Samat, Choc le

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Professional chocolate making is a highly technical process that requires high levels of hygiene, attention to detail, an intense understanding of the subject and of course, rigorous training.


HEALTH NUT / DR. SUSHMA AYYALASOMAYAJULA

HOW HEALTHY IS YOUR CHILD?As parents we have all worried when our child has a simple fever or cough even though we know in our hearts these are short lived conditions. However, most of us inadvertently contribute to our child’s ill-health in many ways every day without giving it a thought! Dr. Sushma suggests beginning with a small change to make a big difference to your child’s life!

A few weeks ago, a Mexi-can lady visited me with her two sons; she had an appointment for one of them with me. The

two boys were poles apart; the lanky, lean 11 year old and a chubby, rotund 9 year old. Knowing the trend these days I braced myself to have a mean-ingful conversation regarding eating habits and lifestyle changes with the mother, regarding the 9 year old. I have hardly ever changed my usual opening statement in all these years. So, I began with a smile, “How can I help?” To my (well concealed) surprise, the lady said, “My older child is all skin and bones doctor, look at my younger one, he is so well proportioned! What should I do to get my older boy’s weight up so that he looks a lot healthier than he does now?” I realised this consultation was going to be an uphill task. On further questioning, it turned out that most of the other family members were on the heavier side and they would make fun of her 11 year old.

Children must be given portion

controlled meals and not allowed to eat

indiscriminately.


To me, this did not seem much different from my own roots. I was a thin kid, although interested in food, but indulging more in the many other activities available to children. Food was for survival and that was that. My parents, aunts, grandparents would all constantly badger me for not eating enough. Things changed when I began to take interest in produce, as my father would take me to the local market every weekend for grocery shopping, and I began to experi-ment a little with my food. I still did not put on much weight but I was able to get the family off my back.

As I sit down and reflect, I feel our cultural beliefs play a significant role in how we perceive weight. Whilst, most of us may not want our child to become an obese adult, an overweight child doesn't seem to bother us as much. In fact, many of us probably want our child to be a little on the plump side thinking it makes them look more appealing. This has several repercussions and here's why.

The Definition of an Overweight ChildAll of us, including children, need calories (which come from our food and drink) for the energy to perform daily activities which in turn helps in the process of burning calories. If there is a mismatch between the input and output the calories accumu-late in the body in the form of excess weight or body fat. Whilst BMI or Body Mass Index is a method of assessing the accuracy of weight based on height in adults, in children, BMI is plotted on growth charts and a cumulative trend is checked rather than a one-off reading.

Causes and effectPredominantly, genetic, environmental and dietary factors contribute to this condition. However, there are some medical (hormonal) conditions that can be a cause of weight gain like Hypothyroidism (under-ac-tive thyroid gland), Cushing’s syndrome, Growth Hormone deficiency, Polycystic Ovarian syndrome etc. Certain medicines like oral steroids, antidepres-

Exercise, when done together, as a family,

encourages children to imitate thieir parents

and begin developing a healthy habit.


sants, anti-psychotics, anti-epi-leptics and certain type of contra-ceptives among others can also contribute to weight gain.

A child who is overweight is at risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes Mel-litus, fatty liver disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels, which are some of the pre-cursors for future cardiovascular disease. Some lesser known health risks include joint problems, early puberty, poor exercise tolerance and a predisposition to asthma, iron and vitamin D deficiency and a lead up to obesity in adulthood.

However, it is the psychological impact that is the most worrisome. Children are vulnerable and if they are grappling with body image is-sues it can have an impact on their confidence levels, causing a lack of self- esteem, bullying at school etc., and these are effects that can last for a long time causing children to isolate themselves and further add to the vicious circle, leading to mental health conditions.

How do we manage this?The speed at which the world is progressing, childhood obesity is becoming an increasing cause for concern not just in the western world but in India too. There are a few things we can do to turn this around.

Eating well: As a child at my par-ents' home, Sunday was the day of feasting, apart from festivals and special occasions. This, I think had much to do with the purchasing power of the middle class then. Today, it is different. Although the cost of living has shot up, so has the power to spend. Instead of


feasting being a part of occasional days, it is now al-most an everyday occurrence in most households and weekends are even heavier on calorific consumption with an ever increasing number of eating out options available. We also struggle to provide better exam-ples to our wards when we ourselves are slaves to our desire for easily processed foods.

So, the small changes you can make are; cut down on the consumption of rich foods on a regular basis. Replace a bag of crisps or sugary drinks with a small piece of apple or other fruit or salad of vegetables with a dip of hummus. Control the portion size your chil-dren consume. If they struggle with satiety, increase the protein and fibre. Go for whole grain foods and nuts rather than refined foods. Try alternate meth-ods of cooking like baking, grilling, shallow frying, roasting rather than choosing deep frying most of the time. One thing that I found helpful in my house is getting my children to take part in the process of cooking by helping in whatever small ways they can, rather than looking at them as a hindrance. This has a two-fold benefit; firstly, they are exposed to and take an interest in food and cooking and secondly, it is a good time to explain what various foods do for our body. Believe me, it works! Every time, I give my daughter a glass of milk, she lists out all the nutri-

tional values of milk and happily guzzles it down. Eat meals as a family rather than in front of television or tablets.

Encourage physical activity: All children need at least sixty minutes of physical activity per day. In-corporating this into the family time is a great way of bonding. Children emulate parents, so, as parents if you swim, jog, walk, run or cycle, you will see how your kids follow suit in a simian fashion. The tech age we live in makes it difficult to control screen time but being a little regimental would go a long way in ensuring good health for your child.

There are some medication and surgical procedures to aid weight loss but these should only be under-taken on consulting with specialists and in extreme situations.

As parents we have all worried when our child has a simple fever or cough even though we know in our hearts these are short lived conditions. However, we forget that inadvertently we are contributing to our child’s ill-health in many ways every day without giv-ing it a second thought. Begin with small changes to make big differences to your child’s life! ■


ALCOHOL

by JASWINDER SINGH

Oktoberfest When the Germans Take Over the World

Oktoberfest is proof that love trumps hate every time. In this case, the love of beer has conquered the world for Germany, some-thing that even the Nazis could not accomplish with their force. Jaswinder Singh waxes eloquent on the German celebration that takes over the world each year.

The Germans are often considered emo-tionless and curt. Well, so am I, but then, there is a difference between reality and our perception of reality. Come Septem-ber, all that goes with the wind as the

anticipation of Oktoberfest grips the world. It is no longer ‘a German thing’. Everyone wants a piece of the pie, and luckily, there’s a lot of pie or rather, beer.

The story goes that Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig, who later became King Ludwig I, married a pret-ty princess on 12th October 1810. As kings are, he invited the whole town to join the celebrations in the fields in front of the city gates. Those fields were later known as Theresienwiese or ‘Theresa's meadow’, after his wife (that’s one lucky fräulein!). There was horse racing, wine and beer tastings and all things that me-dieval folks used to do for fun outdoors. The king was so impressed that he decided to continue it as a tra-dition for the city, and thus, Oktoberfest came to be. Since then, each year, from mid-September to the first weekend of October, the festivities have continued.

Fast forward to today, it was around the year 2000, when the Doordarshan era was finally over and the public in India was exposed to television program-ming from across the world, that most Indians first came to know about the phenomenon that is Ok-toberfest. The massive pavilions that accommodate

A German pull of beer will almost

certainly have a fine head of thick froth.


hundreds of thousands of people, the beer, the pret-zels and the bratwursts, the organisation and logistics that go into the largest Volksfest on the planet were all quite new to the Indian audience.

Although we have been late by, say, about two centu-ries, as with all things considered ‘cool’, Indians have adopted this German festival with much fervour. It

will be too early to get excited at this point; we are nowhere near the scale of the real Oktoberfest in any way, but we love to showboat, nonetheless. Oktober-fest has excited the palates and the imagination of the people and everyone wants to be seen doing what ‘ze Germans’ do. Few have actually been to the real thing and even fewer are aware that of the only six beer brands officially served at the Oktoberfest, in

Costumes, especially amongst

participating establishments are a beloved part of the Oktoberfest

tradition.


keeping with tradition, only one is available in India – Paulaner, and it is hellishly expensive, especially in states such as Haryana. Each tent at the Oktoberfest grounds serves a particular brand of beer, and only a few have some wine and coffee available.

Regardless of the prices and traditions, beer is beer, and there are some good ones in the Indian market. Even if we consider those as the staple at Oktober-fest celebrations in India and let the willing and able enjoy with what is available in the market, we still fall short on a lot of other aspects. Crowd behavior is one. With a large percentage of the population believing in drinking to get drunk and behave in a rowdy manner, it poses serious challenges for the organisers and au-thorities to control such people. Another big concern is the government policy towards alcoholic beverages. The government has often displayed signs of being clueless, hiding behind baseless and dumbfounding cultural and religious excuses that do not seem to be resolving themselves anytime soon.

Yet, somehow, beer prevails. And so does the enthusi-asm of establishments and patrons. It started with the first Oktoberfest in Bangalore by Kingfisher in 2005 and has now been picked up by many establishments across the country. Establishments go out of their way to bring a little bit of Germany to their patrons, offering a selection of beers, sausages, pretzels and more. Anya Hotel in Gurgaon had a good selection

of beers and offers on beer buckets, along with some good food to go with it, which included schnitzels and bratwurst. 7? Brauhaus on the same stretch of road offered a little closer to home experience with servers and staff dressed in the traditional Bavarian Dirndl for women and men sporting the Sennerhut and Lederhosen.

Some establishments such as Beer Café and The Hungry Monkey continued celebrations till the end of October. While a carnival setup may have been absent from the scene in India, most establishments, for the duration of Oktoberfest, organised special perfor-mances.

Oktoberfest is proof that love trumps hate every time. In this case, the love of beer has conquered the world for Germany, something that even the Nazis could not accomplish with their force. While heading to Mu-nich may not be feasible for everyone, there are a lot of options within the country to enjoy Oktoberfest. Fortunately, as microbreweries and beer cafés become popular with patrons, establishments are pulling out all stops to bring an authentic German experience to Indian shores. So, don’t worry if you can’t make it to Munich - there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy yourself almost just as thoroughly without leaving the comfort your country and even perhaps your own city! ■

ALCOHOL

Roasted beer bratwurst with sauerkraut - one of many favorite Oktoberfest specialities.


ALCOHOL

by JASWINDER SINGH

The Wine Snoband the Muggle

Every palate is different; two

people cannot have the same

set of taste buds or repertoire of memories and experiences. A good wine is

just the one that you like, and has

nothing to do with the glass you drink it in.

Jaswinder Singh elaborates on

the makings of a wine snob.

Over the years, I have tasted a great number of excellent wines, been tutored by some of the best names in the wine

industry, and learned a few tricks of the trade on my own. The number of years spent in the pursuit of wine knowledge has inevitably resulted in a wide range of interactions with all kinds of folks. In all my years and the number is quite substantial in spite of what my boyish good looks would have you believe – some of these interactions have brought me a great treasure trove of knowledge while others have provided comic relief in an otherwise mundane life of a single man heading towards middle age in a city like Delhi.

Wine Snobs and MugglesBefore pointing fingers at the wine snob, let me confess though, I have been one at a time when I was merely starting off. I have done everything that a pure-blooded wine snob is expected to do. Many a taunt were thrown at me by ex-girlfriends who could not suffer any more of the wine

nonsense. Suffice to say, I was a pain in the arse for many. Thank god for old age, a handful of almonds and the lone wisdom tooth, I soon realized why I had started drinking wine and what I really liked about it.

I read somewhere that when you are dead, you don’t even realize it, but your absence is difficult for others. Similarly, when you are stupid, it is just difficult for others. The life of a wine snob runs at a somewhat similar tangent. They don’t even realize that they are being a pain in the arse; it’s just difficult as hell for others to bear them. Wine snobs have tell-tale signs about them, something that distin-guishes them from the wine geek; another breed of wine aficionado, who finds nirvana in the knowledge of wines, the grapes, the region, the soil type and so on. The geek is the mug-blood, always looking for new experiences, not caring about the wine temperature or the type of stemware (or complete lack thereof), the geek just lives for the love of wine. He is a knowledge seeker, instead of trying to be a know-it-all knowledge hoarder.


The snob, on the contrary, is con-sumed by his fabulous collection of wines and knowledge (which he is unlikely to share with you). Now, if only it were legal to hang a signboard around their necks.

The Right Stemware and VintageThe first sign of a wine snob is the hunt for the right stemware for each wine. A glass that is good for a Sauvi-gnon Blanc is never good for a Ries-ling. And thus, the wine snob spends innumerable evenings looking for the right stemware for each bottle in his cellar. Drinking from a glass without a stem is blasphemous. Beer, whiskey, vodka, gin are all pedestrian drinks, fit for the peasants.

The good vintage from a particular cellar of a particular vineyard must be served at the right temperature. The room temperature must match the cellar temperature in some obscure village of Europe. This is a dead giveaway of the snob. He will pronounce the name of that village with ease and expect you to under-stand this and do the same. If you cannot accomplish that, consider removing yourself from the planet.

Unless the label reads ‘Chateau de Boudaboulableh’, the snob is not interested in sitting at the table where the wine is being served. He can wax eloquent about himself and the bottles of wines in his cellar. He will tell you stories about how the Pope himself planted the vineyard of a $5,000 bottle of wine in the 16th century and how his family is related to The Holy See.

Although I’ve never laid claim to any such relation from the past, admittedly, I was quite an insuffer-


able prick. Muggles were real, so was the existence of stemware for the consumption of wine at the right temperature and barometric pressure and all that. However, the realization that I just love wine proved a little too much to handle.

No Right or Wrong in WineThere is no right or wrong in wine; no wine is bad (unless, of course, it is oxidized). Every palate is dif-ferent; two people cannot have the same set of taste buds or repertoire of memories and experiences. A good wine is just the one that you like. Period. It need not be the most expensive or the most revered wine

in history, vineyards of which were planted by some-one in another millennium. Its job is to make you feel happy about the experience and nothing else.

In spite of all that, snobs are a reality of this world. They are everywhere. So, the next time you come across someone who professes the use of stemware, please remind them to at least visit that village, the name of which they can pronounce so easily and see how the ‘local muggles’ drink their wine in a tumbler. Or better still, just show them that. That ought to do it. ■


ALCOHOL

by JASWINDER SINGH

A Select Evening SULA SELECTIONS

Cecilia Oldne, Brand Ambas-sador and VP of imports business at Sula talks to Jaswinder Singh about the jour-ney and future plans in an ex-clusive interview with CaLDRON Magazine.

Addressing the ups and downs the brand has faced over the past few years, Sula has re-tained its top-of-mind

recall value among Indian consum-ers when it comes to wines. But the little-known fact is that Sula has been more than just Sula as the company forayed into wine and other alcoholic beverages imports over the past de-cade or so; be it experimenting with the best of South American labels, Japanese beers, all the way to Scotch and even cognac.

Cecilia Oldne, Brand Ambassador and VP of the imports business at Sula talks about the journey and future plans in an exclusive interview with CaLDRON Magazine.

Jaswinder Singh(JS): What is Sula Selections?Cecilia Oldne (CO): Sula Selections is the import arm of Sula Vineyards and one of the country’s leading wine, beer and spirits importers.

JS: You've been residing in India for nearly a decade now. Has the wine consumer market landscape changed over the past few years?CO: It has indeed. It is encouraging

to see more women in not only the work force, but also out at social es-tablishments drinking their preferred choice; many times, this being a glass of wine. Wine also enjoys the tag of sophistication, and is therefore more accepted as the drink of choice in today’s society. Also, the wine lists at outlets have gone from very few wines and usually only a ‘white’ and ‘red’ to very comprehensive wine lists as the knowledge of wines has increased tre-mendously among the F&B industry and consumers in India. It helps that there is now also a much wider range of options for wines in India, with many serious wine producers and wine importers. One cannot ignore the growing middle class in India and the thirst for adopting a more West-ern lifestyle, where wine is a major component. The marketing efforts of Sula and a global recognition of the health benefits of wines over other al-cohol varieties has resulted in a larger consumer base choosing wine as their preferred drink.

JS: Tell us about the wine labels that you import under Sula Selections?CO: It is an exciting time for Sula Selections as it is now recognised as a leading player in the industry. We started off with a safe portfolio and


only a handful of wines, but now, have a wide selec-tion of not only world class wines, but also spirits and beer from around the world. We are adding some really exciting products as we speak.

The Sula Selections' philosophy is assured quality and great value as we work only with leading producers that share our values. Cono Sur from Chile is one of the world’s most sustainable wine producers and has won many awards in this field, one being the Drinks Business’ Green Company of the year. This goes hand in hand with our practices as we are striving to be-come one of the world’s most sustainable wine com-panies. Also, Cono Sur’s Pinot Noir is one of the best value for money Pinots in the world, full stop.

We have been distributing Hardy’s for over a decade and it is one of the top-selling wine brands in India today. It is a 160 year old wine producer with 5 gener-ations of winemakers. Their wines’ fan base in India is growing by the day and the company is stepping up their marketing activities in India to ensure that the consumer is aware of the love and passion that goes

into a bottle of Hardy’s. We had their Brand Ambas-sador Glenn McGrath with us last month and will be launching a limited edition label for his fans in India next month. Also, in a couple of weeks, Bill Hardy himself will visit us to showcase an exclusive selection of wines to a lucky few.

I love wines from South America, especially the wines from Trapiche that are literally handmade in the Andes. Their Oak Cask Malbec is one of those wines that, when first tasted, brings a smile to your face instantly.

We also proudly represent Ruffino in India, an iconic wine from Tuscany. We just rolled out a campaign; La Vita Ruffino, in India. This literally translates into having a good time in the presence of good company. We will be launching their charming Prosecco DOCG in India next month. Some very exciting times lay ahead for the Indian consumers with one of the best Proseccos in the world coming to the country. I am happy that we are the importers of one of my favour-ite Champagnes – Piper-Heidsieck, the official Cham-

ALCOHOL


pagne of the Cannes Film Festival, and always associ-ated with extravaganza and glamour. Their Brut NV has a maximum amount of Pinot Noir in the Cuvee, which makes it extra expressive and palate pleasing.

JS: Why did you select these wines for the Indian market?CO: Not only are these brands some of our CEO Ra-jeev Samat’s and my favorites, but also brands thatare loved all over the world and we see no reason why India should be missing out. As a leading wine and spirits importer, it is our responsibility to share noth-ing but the best with our clients.

JS: How well, according to you, do these wines pair with different regional Indian cuisines?CO: Indian cuisine has so many different flavours, and our selection of wine is also, for that reason, broad, to match the diversity of this country. You find everything from the light Pinot Grigio and delicate Pinot Noir to the more mouth-filling, round Char-donnay, and complex, full-bodied Malbec. We have dry to sweeter style of wines too that complement any dish and also the spice and sugar that we love in Indian dishes. We have different styles of sparkling wines too; the charming Ruffino Prosecco, the ap-pealing Hardy’s Pinot Noir Chardonnay and the ele-gant Piper-Heidseick Champagne. It is perfect for any occasion, as a palate cleanser before and in between

flavourful meals.

JS: Sula Selections has over 20 labels in its portfolio, but the brand is still considered the market leader in the budget table wines category. How do you expect to break that glass ceiling?CO: Value for money is what I would call it, not necessarily budget. Assured quality, and great value at every price point is more in line with our approach. Our aim is to be a one stop shop for anyone looking for a comprehensive drinks list. Also, being a wine producer, we have wines at every price point from India and Sula Selections is the icing on the cake. To add to this, we are soon introducing new leading wine brands from South Africa, New Zealand, Burgundy and Côtes du Rhône.

JS: Which other drinks, apart from wine, are you importing under the Sula Selections category?CO: Cognac, Tequila, Brandy, Whiskey, including Single Malts, Rum, Gin and Beer. Asahi Super Dry Beer from Japan, Remy Martin Cognac including Louis XIII, Mount Gay Rum from Barbados. Other brands worth mentioning are Cointreau, St Remy Brandy and Sierra Tequila. From the William Grant and Sons stable and in 10 states across India, we dis-tribute Glenfiddich, Grant’s and Hendrick’s Gin. ■


RECIPESPodis, 70

Step by Step, 82

Dravidian Selections, 94

Lost Recipes, 106


Have we got a load of recipes for you this month! Goodies for this month include Chef Suprabhat Roy's selection of south Indian delicacies, our top 5 choices from member submitted podi recipes, Chef Jerson Fernandes' contribution of 3 rare recipes that he assured us aren't easily found, brilliantly illustrated step-by-step recipes from CookGourmet , Nivedita Balasubramanian's Tam-Brahm recipes with modern twists and more!


PODIRECIPESBY CaL MEMBERS

The #CaLPodiMate event on CaL was conducted by Ashwini Ragavendar


To the external eye, Podi or ‘Gunpowder’, a mix of roasted lentils and spices, is an accompaniment to the standard south Indian fare of idlis, dosas, rice and what have you. However, there is more to this ubiquitous preparation not least of which is the aroma that fills up the house when roasting the lentils, the pounding and the taste of warm, fresh podi with a batch of equally fresh idlis with a little splash of oil. The Chef at Large event #CaLPodiMate saw sev-eral members participate and showcase the unlimited variety of these podis. Of the many entries received, here are five of those we thought were the best of the lot.


MEMBERRECIPES

CHUTNEY PUDIINGREDIENTS

10 to 15, Byadgi chilli (dry red chilly)1/2 cup Urad dal

1/2 cup Chana dal2 tbsp, Toor dal

1/4 cup, Curry leaves1 tbsp, Jaggery, powdered

1/2 cup, Dry Coconut, grated2 tbsp, Tamarind

A pinch of AsafoetidaA drop of OilSalt to taste

METHOD

1. Dry roast chana dal, urad dal, toor dal in a kadhai, wok or a heavy bottomed pan individually, till they are aromatic and turn light golden in colour. Transfer each onto a plate and spread to aid cooling.

2. Dry roast the curry leaves till crisp. Add them to the roasted dals.

3. Dry roast the dry coconut till it crisps up and add to the roasted dals

4. Now, add a drop of oil to the kadhai and roast the chil-lies till they crisp up and lose their raw smell. Transfer it

onto the plate to cool.5. Switch off the gas and spread the tamarind in the hot

kadhai, till it is crisp.6. Once the mixture cools, add the asafoetida and rest of

the ingredients and grind it to a coarse powder.7. Season with salt, to taste8. Store in an airtight container.

RECIPE BY

MADHURI AGGARWAL


MEMBERRECIPES

ELLU PODIINGREDIENTS

1 cup Black Sesame seeds1/2 cup Urad dal (dehusked and split black lentils)

10-12 Dry Red chillies1 tsp Cumin seeds

1/2 tsp Asafoetida or Hing2 Sprigs of Curry leaves

2 pieces of Jaggery (or) 4 tbsp of powdered JaggerySalt to taste

METHOD

1. Dry roast sesame seeds in a kadhai, wok or heavy bot-tomed pan on medium flame till they splutter and give off a nice aroma. Set aside to cool.

2. Dry roast urad dal till it turns golden colour on medium flame. Set aside to cool.

3. Roast the chillies, curry leaves and cumin seeds sep-arately ensuring an even roast. Set aside to cool, and

once cooled, grind the chillies in a mixer.4. Add all the other ingredients to the mixer and grind to

a coarse powder.5. Store in a dry and air tight container.

RECIPE BY

SUBASHINI MURALI

SESAME SEEDS


MEMBERRECIPES

MURUNGAI ILAI PODIINGREDIENTS

2 cups Drumstick leaves1 tbsp Urad Dal1 tsp Chana Dal

1 tsp Toor Dal4 dried Red Chillies1/2 tsp Cumin seeds½ tsp Peppercorns1/4 tsp Asafoetida

1 tsp Coriander seeds1 gooseberry -sized ball of Tamarind

3 - 4 cloves GarlicSalt to taste

METHOD

1. Clean, wash and completely dry the drumstick leaves in a thick cotton towel.

2. Dry roast the urad dal, chana dal, toor dal, peppercorns, coriander seeds, red chilli, cumin seeds, garlic pods, till aromatic in a heavy bottomed pan.

3. In a few drops of oil roast the tamarind.4. Allow to cool and make coarse powder with required

salt and hing in a blender.

5. In the same pan dry roast the drumstick leaves to remove the remaining moisture and to make it crisp OR microwave direct on the glass plate till crisp (approxi-mately 2 minutes).

6. Blend the crispy fried leaves along with the ground dal powder again to smooth powder.

7. Cool and transfer to an air tight container.

RECIPE BY

SUMITHRA PRAKASH

DRUMSTICK LEAVES


MEMBERRECIPES

METHKUT PODIINGREDIENTS

1 cup split Bengal gram (Chana dal)1/4 cup Split Black lentils (Urad dal)

1/2 cup Rice1 tsp Wheat

1 tsp Coriander seeds1 tsp Fenugreek seeds

1 tsp Cumin seeds7 Whole Red Chillies

4 Black Peppercorns3 Cloves

2 Cardamom pods½ stick Cinnamon½ piece Nutmeg

1 tsp Turmeric1 tsp Asafoetida

1 tsp Ginger powder

METHOD

1. Dry roast all ingredients separately in a heavy bottomed pan, wok or kadhai except turmeric powder, ginger powder, asafoetida and nutmeg.

2. After roasting is done turn off the heat and add turmeric powder, asafoetida, nutmeg and ginger powder and mix evenly.

3. Let the roasted ingredients cool and then grind it to medium fine powder.

4. Add salt as per taste.5. Store in an air tight container and this powder lasts 2-3

months.

RECIPE BY

ROOPALI SHARMA

FENUGREEK SEEDS


MEMBERRECIPES

BELE CHUTNEY PUDIINGREDIENTS

For dry roasting2.75 cups Chana Dal

1.5 cups Urad Dal1 cup Peanuts

2 tbsp Cumin seeds2 tbsp Coriander seeds

large Dry Coconut, grated1 cup loosely packed Curry leaves (washed and dried)

For the pudi1/2 cup heaped (or per taste) Red Chilli Powder

8-10 tbsp Peanut or Vegetable Oil1.5 tsp Asafoetida

1 large lemon sized ball of Tamarind1/3-1/2 cup Jaggery, roughly bashed

Salt to Taste

METHOD

For the dry roast1. In a heavy pan, dry roast chana dal, urad dal, coriander

seeds , cumin seeds and peanuts separately on low heat till light golden and aromatic and allow them to cool.

2. Grind the above ingredients one by one till slightly coarse and put in a large vessel.

3. Toast the coconut till light golden, and the curry leaves till crisp.

To make the pudi4. Warm the tamarind till it is slightly crisp.5. Take a small portion (about a cup) of the ground lentils,

add the tamarind, curry leaves and process till fine.6. Add the coconut and process very briefly till it is done,

do not over do or it will turn oily.7. Roughly mix together all of the ground ingredients,

add the jaggery and grind again very briefly just to combine.

8. Heat the oil, switch off once hot, reserve 2 tablespoons of it.

9. When it is just barely warm, add the chilli powder and asafoetida.

10. Mix thoroughly with the rest of the ingredients with your hands adding salt to taste.

11. The powder should not be very dry. Add the reserved oil if needed.

12. Store in an airtight container

RECIPE BY

SUMA ROWJEENOTES

• Too much urad dal will make the pudi smell odd, the quantity needs to be around half that of chana dal.

• You can use more peanuts and coconut, but then you may need less oil later.

• Ensure the asafoetida is strong and of good quality.• Do not shy away from using enough chilli powder and the spices, or your

pudi may taste bland.


Step by StepRECIPES BY COOK GOURMET

COOK GOURMET brings you a triple-delight of three fine recipes, one traditional and two fusion, each of which not only looks delicious, but is also explained and illustrated in a step by step manner. This will not only ensure you're able to reproduce the desired results as intend-ed by the recipes, but that you'll also do so the very first time around!

You may also want to check out their website for a range of recipes that you can order and cook in the comfort of your own kitchen. Click the button below to see which recipes are on offer at this time!

CLICK TO VISIT!

http://cookgourmet.co/


STEP BY STEP

CHICKEN AND PRAWNS IN MADRAS MALABAR CURRY

INGREDIENTS

400 gms Chicken breasts cut into 1” cubes½ cup Prawns1 dry Red Chili

1 tsp Cumin seeds or jeera6 Curry Leaves

2 tsp Ghee150 ml Coconut milk, can

4 Malabar Parathas (frozen)

The Marinade¼ cup Hung Curd

1 tbsp Vinegar

3 tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste¼ tsp Red Chili Powder

1 tsp Garam Masala powder¼ tsp Black Pepper powder

¼ tsp Turmeric powder1 tsp Coriander powder

1 tbsp Olive oil½ tsp Salt

1 tbsp Tomato sauce

You will also needNon-stick pan

Small pan for tadka

METHOD

1. Marinate the chicken and prawns: In a bowl add the given marinade. Toss the chicken and prawns well in the marinade and leave it aside for half an hour.

2. Cook the marinated chicken and prawns: Heat a non-stick pan on high heat for 1 minute. Separate the prawns from the marinade and keep aside. Add the chicken pieces and left over marinade into the pan and cook on high flame for 4 minutes. Add the prawns and cook for 1 minute.

3. Prepare the gravy with coconut milk: In the same pan, now pour the coconut milk and mix well for 1 minute. Remove pan from heat. Check seasonings (Salt and Pepper).

4. Prepare the tadka: In a small pan, heat ghee for 1 minute on high flame. Add the cumin seeds, curry leaves and dry red chili into it and turn off the heat. Pour this tadka over the chicken and prawns curry.

5. Heat the Malabar parathas & serve: Warm the parathas over high heat in a non-stick pan. This will require 1 minute on each side (once the pan is hot enough). Serve crispy golden Malabar parathas with coconut curry.

by CHEF TEJASVI ARNEJA, COOK GOURMET

ingredients

CLICK TO ORDER!



1 1a

2 3

4

5

6 The finished dish


STEP BY STEP

KERALA EXOTIC VEGETABLE STEW WITH BASMATI RICE

INGREDIENTS

Spice paste containing 2 tbsp Garlic, ½ tbsp Ginger, 1 diced Onion, ½ tsp Salt, 2 tbsp Water.

½ cup Broccoli, chopped½ Red bell pepper, chopped into squares

½ Green bell pepper, chopped into squares100 gm Tofu, sliced

1 tsp Vegetable Aromat powder½ cup Cherry tomatoes, sliced into half

½ bunch Basil1 small Brinjal, chopped into squares

1 Red chili, chopped1 tsp Brown sugar

50 gm Portebello mushroom, chopped200 ml Coconut milk

Garam masala

1 Bay leaf1” Cinnamon stick

2-3 Cloves½ tsp Black Pepper

1 Cardamon1 Star Anise

1 cup Basmati Rice1 tbsp Olive oil (step 2)1 tbsp Olive oil (step 3)

1/2 tbsp Olive oil (step 4)


SaltBlack Pepper

METHOD

1. Cook rice: Wash rice under water to remove starch. Take 3 cups (750 ml) of water in an open pan and bring water to the boil. When water has come to the boil stir in rice, along with 1 tsp salt and bring it back to a gentle simmer. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 15-18 minutes under low flame. Drain excess water.

2. Pan sear the tofu: In a non-stick pan, heat 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil and sear the tofu on high heat for 2 minutes. Remove from pan and place on a tissue paper.

3. Cook the vegetables: In the same pan, add the diced brinjal for 1 minute on high heat with 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the broccoli, green and red bell peppers, cook for 2 minutes on medium heat. Add the portobello mushrooms and cook for 2 more minutes again on medium heat. Remove from the pan and keep aside.

4. Cook the spices for the stew: In the same pan, add ½ tbsp olive oil on medium heat. Add the garam masala and spice paste and cook for 1 minute till fragrant.

5. Add the cooked vegetables & tofu to spices: Add the red chili, cooked vegetables & tofu, basil and cherry tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes on medium heat and add ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp

pepper.6. Add the coconut milk & finish stew: Pour in

coconut milk, aromat powder (Mixed in ½ cup, (120 ml) water) and brown sugar. Cook for 5 minutes on low-medium flame and take off the heat. You can add more salt and pepper at this stage, in case you feel seasoning is less. Serve hot with steamed Basmati rice.


ingredients

CLICK TO ORDER!



1 2

3 4

5

6

7 The finished dish


STEP BY STEP

CHETTINAD CHEESE TAGLIATELLE PASTA

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp Garlic minced1 tbsp Olive oil (Step 1)1 tbsp Olive oil (Step 3)

150 gms Mushrooms, sliced200 gms Tomato puree

2 tbsp Cream¼ cup Cheddar cheese

1 tbsp Coriander chopped¼ cup Olives, sliced green ones

200 gms Tagliatelle pasta

For the spice paste¼ tbsp Black pepper powder

½ tbsp Kashmiri red chili paste½ tsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp Fennel powder1 tbsp Coriander seeds

1 tbsp Poppy seeds or Khus Khus¼ inch Cinnamon

2 Cardamoms¼ tsp Clove powder

1.5 tbsp dry Coconut powder


Blender or MixerSaucepan

Salt

METHOD

1. Cook the Tagliatelle pasta: In a saucepan of boiling water (1 liter), add the pasta with 1 tsp salt (not provided) and 1 tbsp olive oil. Cook for 10 minutes and drain under cold water to avoid sticking. Don’t throw away the water, save 2 cups (480 ml) of pasta water and keep aside.

2. Make spice paste for pasta: While pasta boils, in a blender or mixer whisk black pepper, Kashmiri red chili paste, cumin seeds, fennel powder, coriander seeds, poppy seeds, cinnamon sticks, cardamoms, clove powder, dry coconut powder along with 1/4 cup (60 ml) water until you get a thick paste.

3. Cook spice paste: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a non-stick pan for 1 minute on medium heat. Add garlic and spice paste (prepared in step 2). Cook for 8 minutes on medium heat.

4. Add the tomato puree, mushrooms and cream: Add the tomato puree with 2 cups (480 ml) of reserved pasta water and ½ tsp salt (not provided), cook for 3 more minutes, on medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and cream into your sauce to give it a smooth texture like that of a pasta sauce. Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat and add the pasta. Toss it nicely for 1 minute to coat each strand and switch off heat.

5. Plate your dish: Pour the pasta in a bowl and garnish with sliced olives, grated cheddar cheese and coriander.


ingredients

CLICK TO ORDER!



1 2a

2B 3

4

5

6 The finished dish


DRAVIDIANSELECTIONS

BY CHEF SUPRABHAT ROY


The south of India is a magnificient place with astounding natural beauty, a god gifted fertility of the soil and an abundance of herbs and spices, all of which find their way into the food of the region. Chef Suprabhat Roy Executive Chef at the Eros Hotel, New Delhi took out the time to select five recipes from his repertoire to share with our readers and we think you'll love them!


RECIPESPOTLIGHT

PRAWN GHASSIINGREDIENTS

1 kg Medium-sized Prawns, shelled and deveined3 large Onions, chopped fine2 cups fresh Coconut, grated

5 dry Red Chillies2 tbsp Coriander seeds

1 tbsp Cumin seeds.5 tsp Fenugreek seeds

1.5 tbsp Black Peppercorn seeds.5 tsp Turmeric powder

2 tbsp Garlic pasteSalt to taste

4 tbsp Cooking oilWalnut-sized ball of Tamarind, soaked in hot water and pulp removed

Chopped fresh Coriander to garnish

METHOD

1. Roast the dry red chillies on a hot pan till they begin to release their aroma.

2. Separately dry roast the remaining spices.3. Grind all the spices, coconut, half of the on-

ions, garlic and tamarind pulp into a smooth, thick paste ensuring not to add any water whilst grinding the masala.

4. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan on a medium flame.

5. Add the remaining onion and fry till golden.6. Add the wet masala paste and fry, stirring

frequently, till the oil begins to separate

from the masala.7. Add 1 and half cups of hot water to this mas-

ala and stir to mix well.8. Bring to a boil, simmer and add the prawns.9. Cook for 3 minutes and turn off the fire.10. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander and

serve with plain boiled rice.


RECIPESPOTLIGHT

KOZHI MELAGUINGREDIENTS

For the masala1 Red Onion, peeled and cut into chunks

1 inch piece of Ginger3 cloves Garlic, peeled

1 tbsp Black Peppercorns1 tsp Cumin seeds

½ tsp Coriander seeds

For the curry2 nos spring Chicken, curry cut with bone (8 pcs

from each)3 tbsp Ghee

1 inch Cinnamon stick3 nos Cloves

Few Curry leaves

1 tsp Red Chilli powder1 tsp Turmeric powder

2 Tomatoes, pureedSalt, to taste

Few Coriander leaves, chopped1 tsbp Black Peppercorns, freshly crushed

METHOD

1. Mix all the masala ingredients in a blender and make a fine paste.

2. Coat the chicken pieces with the masala paste leave aside to marinate for at least six hours.

3. Heat the ghee in a heavy bottom kadhai (wok) and add in the whole spices.

4. When they release an aroma, add in the curry leaves and then the marinated chicken.

5. Add salt and cook over medium heat till the fat resurfaces.

6. Reduce the flame and add in the chilli pow-der and turmeric powder.

7. Cook for a few minutes and then add in the tomatoes.

8. Cook till the chicken is done and check seasoning.

9. Remove from heat and add in the fresh cori-ander and crushed pepper to garnish.

10. Serve hot with parathas.


RECIPESPOTLIGHT

PUTTUINGREDIENTS

2 cups Rice flour1 cup grated Coconut1/2 tbsp Ghee, melted

Water as required (approx 2/3 cup)Salt to taste

METHOD

1. In a large bowl, place the rice powder. Add salt to taste to 2/3 cup of water and slowly add about 2 tbsp at a time to the bowl and mix well. Do not add all the water at once. It should result in a mixture that is the consistency of breadcrumbs and it should not form a dough. Add the melted ghee and mix.

2. Leave aside this prepared rice mixture for 1-2 hours at room temperature. When the mixture sits, water is absorbed. After sitting time of 1 to 2 hours, if you find that the mixture is slightly dry, add a little more water and mix.

3. Add 2 cups water to the bottom vessel of the puttu maker and allow simmering till hot. Wet the puttu mould and lightly grease it. Place the round perforated disc with holes inside the puttu mould such that it fits well at the bottom of the mould. Place 2 tbsp of grated coconut at

the bottom of the puttu mould. Carefully and slowly pour about 6 tbsp of the puttu powder from a height followed by another layer of 2 tbsp of grated coconut. Again layer with 6 tbsp of puttu powder and finish off with 2 tbps of grated coconut on the top. Place the lid over the puttu mould and place the mould over the water vessel.

4. Steam on high medium flame for 5-6 min and 4 min on low flame. Turn off heat and wait for 2-3 min before removing the puttu from the mould with the help of a wooden ladle or skewer. Hold the puttu mould parallel to the serving plate and with the help of a long ladle gently push the bottom disc such that the puttu slides out onto the plate. Serve warm with kadala curry or banana and pappadam.

Notes• Normally 1/2 cup to 2/3 rd cup of water is sufficient to wet 2 cups of rice powder.• The right consistency of puttu powder is achieved when you can take the prepared flour in your fist and close it to form shape.


RECIPESPOTLIGHT

THENGAI PAL PAYASAMINGREDIENTS

1 Coconut, grated1 Tender Coconut (with thicker flesh and less water)

1/2 cup Condensed milk1/4 tsp Cardamom (Elaichi) powder

2 tbsp Ghee1 tbsp Almonds, cut into slivers

METHOD

1. Extract coconut milk from the grated coconut by adding a little water and grinding it in a mixer.

2. Pass it through a fine sieve and keep aside.3. Cut the tender coconut from the top and

reserve the water.4. Take out the coconut flesh from the inner

walls with a spoon.5. Chop up the flesh and keep aside in refriger-

ator for chilling.6. In a heavy bottom pan, cook the coconut

milk & condensed milk till the mixture dis-solves and thickens a little.

7. Heat up ghee in another pan and fry the almonds till golden.

8. Add the almonds to the cooked coconut milk

mixture and add the cardamom powder.9. Remove from heat and let it cool. Cool it

down further in a refrigerator.10. Add in the chopped coconut flesh and serve

chilled in the tender coconut shell.


RECIPESPOTLIGHT

PRADHAMANINGREDIENTS

4 cups Milk1/4 cup Basmati rice1/2 cup dark Jaggery

1/2 tsp Cardamom (Elaichi) powder2 tbsp fresh Coconut pieces

2 tbsp Ghee

METHOD

1. Wash and soak the rice for at least half an hour.2. Heat the milk in a heavy bottomed vessel and simmer once it comes to a boil.3. Add in the rice and continue to simmer till the milk has reduced by ½, stirring continuously.4. Add the jaggery and cardamom powder and mix well. Simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes.5. Keep aside.6. Heat ghee in another pan and fry the coconut pieces till golden and nutty.7. Add into the prepared Payasam.8. Serve chilled or hot, garnished with fresh coconut or dried fruits.


LOSTRECIPES


As the story goes, Chef Jerson Fernandes, Executive Chef of the Keys Hotel, Mumbai, when shooting with a television crew in a remote location, stumbled across three recipes he had every reason to believe hadn't ventured out of the jungle he found them in. Being a true practitioner of his art and faithful to his patrons, Chef Jerson spared no time and effort in tweaking them and adding his own special touches before sharing with his diners and our readers.


LOSTRECIPES

ACHAYAN POTHU FRY WITH RICE AND PARATHASINGREDIENTS

200 gms Beef, cut into cubes2 tbsp Dry spice Mix1 2 tbsp Wet spice mix2 1 sprig Curry leaves

30 gms Coconut, cut into shreds1 tbsp Sliced ginger

1 tbsp Chopped garlic2 tbsp Chopped onions

Salt, to taste

For the spice infused rice100 gms Rice

1 Cardamom pod1 Cinnamon stick

1 Bayleaf1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 Sambar onion, sliced1 tbsp Oil

Salt, to taste

For the coin parathas100 gms Wheat Flour

1 tbsp Oil60 ml WaterSalt, to taste

1/2 tsp Caraway seeds1 sprig Mint leaves

For the beetroot pachadi1 Beetroot, grated

2 tbsp Curd1/2 Green chilli2 gms GingerSalt, to taste

METHOD

1. Heat oil in a stock pot, add both the spice mixes and stir fry well using minimum water.

2. Add the beef cubes and sauté till they are golden brown and coated with marinades. Add coconut shreds and mix well.

3. Garnish with fried curry leaves and fried coconut slivers.

4. For the rice, heat oil in a thick bottomed pan, add dry whole spices, onions, allow these to splutter, add water and soaked rice, bring to a boil, then cov-er and simmer until cooked (around 15 - 20 mins)..

5. For the Coin parathas, make a dough using wheat flour, oil, water, salt and caraway seeds. Roll into coin sized flat breads, dust with slivers of mint leaves. Cook over a griddle till firm and golden brown.

6. For the Beetroot Pacchadi, mix grated beetroot, chilly, curd and ginger. Grind all together to form a paste. Allow it to simmer in oil till cooked.

7. Plate the Achayan Pothu in a coconut shell. Use a mould or small bowl to plate the rice on the side and drizzle the pacchadi in the middle. Skewer the coin parathas on a barbecue stick and place on the side.

8. Garnish the rice with fried pappadum cut length-wise and roasted and a place a grilled lemon wedge to squeeze over the mix before eating.

Notes1. Make a dry spice mix using equal quantities of the dry spices: Bayleaf, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Cloves.2. Make a wet spice mix by using hot oil, garlic, onion, cinnamon powder, corriander powder, cumin powder, chilly powder and

garam masala powder.


LOSTRECIPES

SMOKED JUNGLE CHICKEN WITH VEGETABLE STEWINGREDIENTS

250 gms Chicken

Marinade for chicken200 ml Fermented coconut water/

Toddy1 clove Crushed Garlic

1 tsp Turmeric1 tbsp Lime Juice

For the Coconut Rice150 gms Rice

50 gms Coconut, gratedSalt, to taste

For the Vegetable Stew100 ml Coconut water

2 tbsp Oil30 gms Onions

30 gms Tomatoes, sliced30 gms Potatoes, cubed

30 gms Raw bananas, cubed1 tsp Mustard seeds1 sprig Curry leaves

1 tbsp Madras curry powderSalt, to taste

Coriander Leaves, to garnish

METHOD

1. Marinate the chicken and leave it to rest for 20 mins.

2. Wash and the soak rice. In the mean time break a coconut and store its water separately.

3. Grate the coconut and keep it aside.4. Boil the rice, and when it is half done add fresh

grated coconut and salt. Mix well and imme-diately mould the cooked rice into the empty coconut shell. Allow it to cook slowly in the shell placing it over the steamer.

5. While the rice is cooking slowly, skewer the marinated chicken and grill it over a live char-coal BBQ till the juices start oozing out.

6. Start cooking the vegetable stew by heating oil in a clay pot. Add curry leaves and mustard seeds, allow them to splutter.

7. Add chopped onions, tomatoes, madras curry powder and stir fry till onions are translucent,

Add coconut water, cubed vegetables and sim-mer till it comes to a boil. Check the seasoning.

8. Remove the rice from the coconut shell mould onto a banana leaf in a clay pot, top it with some stew and charcoal grilled jungle chicken accompanied with some simple salad stuffed into a roasted pappadum.

9. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves .10. Serve hot with a glass of toddy or tender coco-

nut water.


LOSTRECIPES

TAPIOCA AND SEAFOOD BIRYANIINGREDIENTS

2 tbsp Paprika1 Lime, juiced

100 gms Prawns100 gms Squid

100 gms Kingfish100 gms Crabmeat

200 gms Tapioca powder50 gms Chopped Onions15 gms Chopped Garlic

30 gms Chopped Tomatoes10 gms Chopped Corriander

1 tbsp dried Herbs mix

1 tbsp dried Spice mix1 1 tsp Toddy Vinegar1 tsp Tabasco sauce

Salt to tasteCurry Leaves and chopped Green

Onions for garnish

METHOD

1. Marinate the seafood with lime juice, paprika, salt and leave aside to rest.2. Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil in a stock pot and add the dry herb mix and spice mix.3. Add the chopped garlic, onions, tomatoes along with the seafood and add a dash of vinegar.4. Add the tapioca powder and allow it to simmer. Mix occasionally.5. Simmer till it blends well on a slow flame.6. Mould it hot on a plate, garnish with a fried sprig of curry leaf or green onion and sprinkle paprika on

the plate rim.

Notes1. Make a dry spice mix using equal quantities of the dry spices: Bayleaf, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Cloves.


Awww! Did it have to end?!

caldron magazine, october 2015

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