Eating oneself crazy @Saffron Park Plaza Bengaluru

Saffron Park Plaza hosted me for their ongoing Amritsari food festival. It was a tale of two cities Punjab and Lahore. Saffron Park Plaza was undoubtedly a wonderful experience for me. The combination of kababs and curries can be really lethal I can see my self eat crazy when its prepared with the right amount of every thing (spices). 

 

The menu features many dishes which are braised, grilled,  and slow cooked  a typical from these regions food is authentic with the usual dose of butter and cream. 

What I absolutely enjoyed from kababs are jhinga kali mirchi, murgh tikkas and murgh mungfali ka tikka, from the mains laacha paratha, Anarkali bazaar de bater, chooza makhani and of course maa ki dhal, for desserts gajar halwa, kulfi and raasmalai.

The Menu

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Paya Ras: Lamb trotters simmered in aromatic broth

Sufiyana murgh tikka, murgh moongfali ka tikka, and murgh angar bedgi, boneless chicken pieces marinated with freshly ground spices and masala cooked in a clay tandoor oven and served hot...

Shami Kabab: lamb shoulder meat slow cooked in lentils and spices ground and filled with aromatic hung yogurt and pomegranate the patty then pan fried with ghee was so succulent and soft it was almost like eating icecream.

  

Jhinga Kali mirchi sarson: Tiger prawns marinated with home made spice blend basted with mustard oil and baked over coals this dish was my favorite prawns were cooked to perfection...

Assorted kababs and roti on my plate...

 To hum down the spices on our taste buds and help digestion from the bar, the bartender served us his concoctions. A grilled apple, tamarind and honey mocktail and cranberry, peach and mustard cocktail both were good I preferred the grilled apple mocktail..

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An Assortment of breads baked in clay oven tandoor...

The Breads followed by curries. Bhati Chowk da Nalli gosht, safed makhan ka chooza makhani, annarkalli bazaar de bater and maah ki dhal are signature dishes from punjab. The nalli(lamb shanks) slow cooked in a onion and rich saffron gravy was superb. what truly tingled my taste buds was the slow cooked mixed lentils and safed makhan chooza it was creamy spiced to perfection and was absolutely heavenly with some butter naans and laacha parathas...

 After an elaborate session of curries and kababs, we tasted a saffron murgh biryani. The chicken was tender spiced and dum cooked with long grain basmati rice, An assortment of pickles with biryani was absolutely divine.

 I liked the papaya pickle with biryani it was one of a kind tasting session. We finally ended our tasting session with desserts and paan I thoroughly enjoyed the feast...

Kulfi Falooda, Gajar halwa and Raasmalai...

 Paan Shot and Paan...

After meal Mouth Fresheners...

Review - 100% Organic Pulpy Fruit Juice From Organa

Visit Organa website for more info http://www.organa.in/

I've recently been testing out many fruit juices in the market for juicing in summer and for detox. When Organa approached me I was thrilled and excited to test their brand.

To my surprise Organa fruit juices are 100% organic no preservatives, artificial colors or flavors added. Organa comes in 4 different flavors apple, mango, mixed fruit and guava. 

Only the apple juice is crisp and clear...other fruit juices have fruit sediment which needs to be poured in a jar and mixed or we need to shake the bottles well before serving. These fruit juices are pulpy and can be served straight from the bottle.

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Organic juice is like liquid sunshine which hydrates our metabolism. As Indians we would settle down for a tangy lime or musambi juice these are the only fruits which is grown wild and organic here. Growing children, adults and expecting mothers absolutely do not have many choices or source for 100% organic product.

Organa has given back to the community providing us with rich in minerals, nutritional energy drink for the day. This product is made in India. The product comes in 500 ml pet bottles priced at 50 to 60 rupees. 

It might seem slightly over priced for the product. Looking at the conventional farming methods that the company has adapted which wants to produce a product being anti adultery its worth every penny for the efforts and future.

The conversion today is all about generation gap and today's living standards. What I feel our younger generation is in search of...lost traditions and they are slowly but surely adapting and following back our roots which we have forgotten. we have become more industrial in living. Companies like Organa has done a commendable job following back the roots which is forgotten. 

We need to understand first for good health requires healthy food. Choosing the right product and food for the family should and always be our priority...Live...Life...Healthy.

Organa Fruit Juices are available in Godrej Natures Basket to shop please click here http://www.naturesbasket.co.in

A HOPPING CHEF BOX - Review

A decade ago discovering gourmet food was difficult and there was no unified platform to search and order for them to be delivered at our convenience . Fast forward to present, technology has made our lives easy and it is now so simple for us to order freshly prepared gourmet food via mobile app. 

I got an invite to visit the app kitchen which launched on Nov 27th 2015. Hopping Chef is India’s first Chef Lead Food Ordering and Premium Catering business. Founded in 2014. Hopping Chef a  luxurious concept of dining being  a unique dining service entails one an opportunity to bring a top quality chef to your home and create bespoke menus that would usually be offered only at a few top restaurants in the world. 

Hopping Chef now enters into a new vertical of India’s first Chef curated ready to eat meal, the "Hop Box". Hop Box (a ready to eat 5 course meal) are specially curated by our in-house master chefs. These meals are prepared and boxed in air sealed containers that keep the food fresh and ready to heat and eat when delivered. We offer healthy meal options as well that are verified by qualified nutritionists. 

The Hop Box is offered as a 5 course meal consisting of salad, appetizer, entree, mains and desserts. Hopping Chef  has curated cuisines ranging from Asian, Middle Eastern, European, Modern Indian and soon to be launched American Bistro.

Hopping Chef has its own You Tube channel where our Chefs cook up their best meals  and share their secrets with the viewers Please subscribe to Hopping Chef Youtube channel to find out, "The Making Of Every Hop Box Cuisine". 

Visit: https://www.youtube.com/channel/CWPgmV6jJ0Wzpr8NQ0dobZA/featured   

https://www.facebook.com/hoppingchef  

http://www.hoppingchef.com/

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Green Bean Salad

Starters: Kacche Aam aur kale ki tikki, Galouti kabab, Mixed vegetable peanut tikki...

Malai Murgh Tikka

Thai Grilled Mushrooms 

Indian Box: Rosemary Murugh Malai, Nawabi Ghosht Ki Tikki, Mumfali Seekh and Kacche Aam Aur Kele Ki tikki

Awadi Dhaniya Murgh, Nizami Paneer Hara Pyaaz, Sakarkand Shimla Mirch Ka Salad, Ananrdana Shahi Pulao, Reshmi Malai Paratha.

Lebanese Box: Pesto Hummus, Pita Bread, Chickpeas Salad, Falafel bullets and Exotic Vegetables or Hummus, Pita Bread, Chickpeas Salad and Mushroom Bell Pepper.

Asian Box:  Asian Greens and Beans Salad, Thai Grilled Mushrooms, Thai Coconut Green Chutney and Burnt Garlic Rice.

Thai Greens and Bean Salad, Chicken Sweet and sour, Thai Red Chicken Curry and Star Anise and Scallion rise.

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Desserts: Quabani Ka Meeta, Explosive Orange Rabdi

Orange and Paneer Kheer Recipe

I guess everyone now knows the paneer kheer story from my old blog post. Just cant believe its almost 6 years since I'm blogging...I've been planning to update my old recipes with new twist and what I like now. This recipe is one among many that I wanted to update for long time. 

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 Original recipe posted back in 2010 for recipe please click here

Ingredients:

100 Grams Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese)

2 Oranges (Peeled and pith removed de-seeded we need only the orange segments) we can also use canned orange segments...

2 Tbsp Corn Flour

1/2 Cup Water

1/2 Tin Condensed Milk or 1/2 Cup Sugar

10 Almonds, cashews and pista chopped

10 to 20 Raisins

Few Strands Saffron

3  Pods Cardamom

Canned Cherries optional

 500 ML Milk

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Method: Bring Milk to a boil on medium flame keep stirring and reduce the milk a bit. Grate the paneer and reserve. peel and de-seed the oranges and reserve only the segments. 

Add condensed milk and keep stirring once we add condensed milk to the boiling milk it might stick to the bottom of the pot and burn we must stir the milk and add the condensed milk simultaneously. Instead of using full fat milk and cream I'm using skimmed milk and condensed milk to reduce the calorie content. But then if your in a mood for desserts we really cannot count on calories...

To the boiling milk add the cardamom pods just open the pods a bit and add to the milk along with the cardamom add saffron and stir the milk.

Place the milk on medium flame add the corn starch and keep whisking until the milk coats the spoon. Place the custard on low flame and add the paneer stir once and remove from flame allow to cool in room temperature. Add the orange segments, nut and cherries stir and chill the milk serve chilled...Enjoy...:)

One Pot Mutton Keema Biryani Recipe

Biryani is one of my favorite dishes. It's heavenly, simply soul satisfying, evergreen dish which needs no introduction. One pot keema biryani is so easy to prepare we can serve this for breakfast or lunch. I've prepared similar keema biryani recipes in the past with different techniques please click the links posted below.

Handi Mutton Kemma Biryani

Flattened Rice/Avval/Poha and keema Ki Biryani Recipe

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Ingredients:

500 Grams Rice

500 Grams Mutton Mince

5 Cloves, 4 Pods Cardamom, 2 Inch Sticks Cinnamon, 1/4 Tsp Fennel seeds, 1 Black Cardamom, 1 Bay-leaf, 2 to 3 Strands Mace..

2 Tbsp Chilly Powder, 1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder

1/2 Cup Yogurt (Plain)

Fist full Mint and Coriander washed and chopped

2 Tbsp Ginger and Garlic Paste

1/2 Lime

3 Onions Roughly Chopped or Sliced

2 Tomatoes Roughly Chopped

3 Green Chilies

2 Tbsp Oil

1 Tbsp Ghee

1 Cup Milk or coconut milk

Salt as per taste..

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Method: Wash the meat drain excess water in a sieve reserve. If  you've purchased bones along with the meat then make sure to cook it first in a pressure cooker with little bit of turmeric and then add to the biryani masala just before adding the rice..

Heat a pressure cooker on medium flame add ghee and oil.
Once the oil and ghee is hot add the whole spices allow to splutter a bit. Add ginger and garlic paste and fry till raw flavor has gone. Add 1 tbsp of mint, coriander and roughly about 1/2  chopped onion to the oil and fry a bit allow the onion to turn into light brown in color.  Now add the rest of chopped onion, tomato and chilies fry till the onion turns transparent.

Add chilly powder, turmeric and coriander powder fry a bit till the raw flavor from the masala has gone add yogurt to the onion masala and fry transfer the mince meat to the masala and fry add 1/2 cup water if the meat is dry cover and cook on low flame for 5 minutes.

Wash the rice thoroughly in several changes of water soak for 5 to 10 minutes. Add the rice to the meat mix well measure and add the milk and water. The rice measure was 2 cups I added 1 1/2 Cups liquid for every 1 measure rice. The liquid ratio I added was 1 cup milk and 2 Cups Water. Add salt as per taste mix well add the other half of chopped mint and coriander also add the lime juice stir to mix well cover and place the whistle cook for 5 minutes on high or wait for 3 whistles. Once done allow the pressure to release a bit...open the cooker and mix the biryani well serve hot with raita and eggs...Enjoy..:)

Street Food Series: Masala Dosai @Hassan Highway

DISCO KING BAPPI LAHARI @Barbeque Nation- Rajajinagar Bengaluru

Much awaited Barbeque Nation opens at  Rajajinagar, West Mall- Bengaluru. Perks of being a foodblogger, I got an invite not only to be a part of the 8th BBQ Nation outlet inauguration but also meet India's Disco King, Singer and Music Composer Bappi Lahari.

 Barbeque Nation pioneered in India ‘DIY’ (do-it-yourself) cuisine with a concept of live on-the-table grill and today is the largest casual dining brand in the country. The restaurant offers a pre-fixed menu with a fixed price. The menu is drawn from Mediterranean, American, Oriental, Asian and Indian cuisines. Customers can grill starters in a range of marinades and sauces and enjoy them right off the skewers, at their own tables. Barbeque Nation also offers a full-course buffet menu with soups, salads, main course dishes and desserts, within the fixed price.

Bappi Lahiri says, “I am passionate about food and particularly enjoy barbeques. I think Barbeque Nation captures the essence of a barbeque quite well – not just the delicious smoky flavour of food grilled over charcoals, I am sure that this outlet, like others across the country, will appeal to food lovers of Bengaluru.”

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What is so special about the BBQ's here? The joy of grilling their own vegetarian and non-vegetarian barbeques on live grills embedded in the tables makes the food/ grills more interesting and enjoyable. 

The Rajajinagar outlet can accommodate up to 128 people. The look and feel of the restaurant follows the basic design of Barbeque Nation which is rustic and casual, with wood and open-brick wall interiors.

An average meal for two costs Rs. 1600. The hours of operation are lunch and dinner.

Pineapple, Prawns, Fish and Chicken Skewers on the table..,

Rajajinagar outlet consists of an array of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.Starters like Pasta Steak with Sweet Chilly Sauce, Stuffed Barbeque Pesto Mushroom, Coastal Barbeque Fish and Fried Chicken Wings in Schezwan Sauce deserve a special mention. 

The main course has a number of mouth-watering dishes ranging from Corn Mushroom and Mutter Tamatar Taka Tak to West Coast Fish Curry and Roasted Chicken in demi glaze sauce.

The outlet will also offer traditional fare such as Hydrabadi Vegetarian Dum Biryani and Kadai Paneer. For dessert, the chefs whip up popular dishes like Pumpkin Halwa, Double Chocolate Pastry and Kesar Pista Phirnee. Also on offer is the delectable range of Kulfis from the restaurant’s Kulfi Nation counter.

Crispy Corn

Alfredo Pasta from the live pasta counter

Pastries and Kulfi from the dessert section.

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I somehow managed to get a pic with the Disco King.

Overall we absolutely enjoyed the concept of live on-the-table grill. We were spoilt with many choices of both veg and non-veg dishes on the menu every single dish was prepared to perfection specially the andhra chicken curry and pudina mutton. Service was quick. To our surprise the place was packed and bit noisy. If your in the vicinity this BBQ Nation is a must visit. 

 

Hokey Pokey Super Permium Icecreams @Kormangala Bengaluru

Hokey Pokey is an ice cream parlour brand which was started by Drums Food International Private Limited in Mumbai...Recently launched hokey pokey icecreams at koramangala Bengaluru, invited me to taste some creative concoctions from their menu.

I'm a girl who chooses one kind of simple scoop icecream looking at the numerous toppings and mix-ins it was bit overwhelming.

This is an  Icecream created by an Indian, formula not sold abroad. Hokey Pokey premium icecreams are pure veg icecreams only available in India...I must say WOW totally amazed at the entire concept of a veg icecream plus this is much better and safer option to entertain anyone under a budget over weekend or any-day.

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Why do hokey pokey call themselves a Super premium ice cream brand? The icecreams are created with pure buffalo milk. Natural ingredients are sourced from across India to flavor the icecreams like Vanilla and coffee beans are sourced from Coorg, alphonso mango pulp from Ratanagiri as well as panchgani and so on...

What makes it even more special is Hokey Pokey Icecreams offers you the freedom of expression to experiment different mix-ins mixed with your favorite scoop on a cold stone and served in a super crispy freshly made waffle bowl/cone. 

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Coming back to my tasting session, After glancing at the most delectable menu I did not want to divert my attention from chocolate, anything and everything should start with a chocolate in my opinion so it was double chocolate therapy for my first order I absolutely enjoyed the medley of flavors from Dark Belgian Chocolate icecream+ brownies+blended hazelnuts+dark chocolate fudge Oh my the best of all was inside this yummy scoop I could eat it all day if I had a chance...The choice is pure indulgence, I cannot stress more...

Next came the Strawberry Cheese Cake NY Style Made from fresh Panchgani Strawberry icecream + vanilla cookie served in a waffle cup. I've never tasted anything like this before this was like a cheese cake in icecream form extraordinarily delicious. All of a sudden I was in this veg wonderland what ever I tasted made out of eggs like cookie, waffles and cheese cakes had no eggs amazing this was truly an exotic treat.

My Blogger friend ordered a mint cookie monster icecream it was prepared with natural mint icecream, oreo cookie and chocolate brownie this icecream was packed with flavors people who prefer mint will love the combo.

Few signature stone creations:

- Fussy French Vanilla
Made from Real Vanilla beans from Coorg

- Mad King Alphonso
Made from real Ratnagiri Alphonso mangoes

- Double Chocolate Therapy
Dark Belgian Chocolate icecream+ brownies+blended hazelnuts+dark chocolate fudge

- Knight in Armor
French Vanilla icecream+Oreo+dark chocolate chips+dark chocolate fudge

- Live and Laugh Brownie Break
Fresh cream icecream+brownies+roasted cashews+dark chocolate fudge

- Verry Verry Berry
Made from fresh Panchgani Strawberry icecream+jujubes

- Manic Monkey
Chocolate Temptation icecream+almonds+crunchy praline+white chocolate fudge flakes

- Black Forest Blend
French Vanilla icecream+Cherry confiture+brownies+dark chocolate fudge

- Café Mocha Magic
Coffee icecream made from real coffee beans +Dark fudge + caramel swirls

Apart from icecreams Hokey Pokey also serves Swirl shakes, Bubbly iceberg drinks and Pure Greek style Yogurt (Epigamia) Parfaits on the menu.

Hokey Pokey is spread across 15+ Locations  at all major cities in India, Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Jalandhar and Chandigarh. I highly recommend this place for all ice cream lovers It is not just an ice-cream...it is a creation!

Do visit Hokey Pokey:
#8,1st Cross, 5th A block, Koramangala 5th Block, Bangalore.

www.hokeypokey.in

www.drumsfood.com

https://www.facebook.com/Hokeypokey
https://twitter.com/HoPo_In?lang=en

https://www.instagram.com/hokey_pokey_icecreams/