Blue Eyes Vodka : A new entry in the mid-range Vodka category

Rock & Storm Distilleries was launched in 2010 and has made its name in premium and semi-premium whisky, rum, and gin. Headquartered in Punjab, it has launched its own Vodka brand, by the name of Blue Eyes in Delhi NCR. It is widely available in all the stores and is also pocket friendly. The vodka brand comes in two variants - Pure Grain and Green Apple.

Blue Eyes Vodka: Green Apple (Left) & Pure Grain (Right)

The company had sent us samples of both the variants requesting us for a feedback on them. I first tried the Pure Grain Vodka which is diluted to 75 proof. Every liquor contains alcohol but not in its purest form, while Pure Alcohol is 190 proof normally all the liquor is diluted down to lesser proof, in case of Vodka it is generally 80 proof. I tried this with some orange juice and a little Tabasco sauce and the drink went smoothly with little burning sensation in your throat which can be expected of any other Vodka.

The Green Apple Vodka has a very prominent flavor of green apple and goes very well with some mango juice and lemon chunks. There is very nice aftertaste from both of these versions, making them a perfect drink to have on a Friday night with your friends, if you are looking for some liquor that suits your pocket. It will surely give competition to the well known brands such as Smirnoff and Magic Moments, in the mid-range category .

Blue Eyes Vodka have created some cocktail recipes keeping the freshness and unique role of each flavor in creating a premium and refreshing palate experience. They have used seasonal fruits, topped up with tangy flavors and signature chaat masalas. Their mixologist has infused these flavors measured with precision to create the perfect Blue Eyes Vodka cocktail mix, which everyone can enjoy in this hot summer. I have mentioned a few of their recipes below:

1. Blue Eyes White Lily

Ingredients:White Lily, Blue Eyes Vodka - 45ml, Lychee Juice - 60ml, Limca - 60ml, Lemon Juice - 2-3 drops
Method: Put 1/3 part of Crushed ice in a Glass, Pour 45ml of Blue Eyes Vodka, pour 60ml Lychee Juice, Limca 60ml & 2-3 Drops of Lemon Juice. Slightly Stir.
Garnish with Fresh Lychee bulbs

Blue Eyes White Lily (Image Courtesy: Blue Eyes Vodka)

2. Blue Eyes Summer Crush

Ingredients: Summer Crush, Blue Eyes Vodka - 45ml, Tomato - ½, Cucumber - ½, Melon - 1/8, Sugar Syrup, Mint - 5-6 Leaves

Method: Blend Half Tomato, Cucumber & Melon in a Blender with Some Crushed Ice.  Add Blue Eyes Vodka 45 ML Add Sugar to Taste Pour in a Glass. 

Garnish with Twisted Slice of Cucumber

Blue Eyes Summer Crush (Image Courtesy: Blue Eyes Vodka)

3. Blue Eyes Green Tea

Ingredients: Blue Eyes Green Tea, Green Tea Bags – 2, Boiled Water - 20ml, Gin - 20ml, Blue Eyes Vodka - 40ml, Sugar syrup, Lemon juice, Whisky - 2 to 3 ml, Sprite 

Method: Dip 2 Green Tea Bags in 20ml boiled water in a Shaker, Squeeze a little, pour the water in a Glass already filled with Ice Cubes. Add 20ml Revolution Gin n Lime Duet with 40 ML Blue Eyes Pure Grain Vodka, Sugar Syrup & lime Juice to taste.

• Top up with Sprite

• Spray 2-3ml of Big Boss Whisky

• Garnish with Mint Leaves

Blue Eyes Green Tea (Image Courtesy: Blue Eyes Vodka)

4. Blue Eyes Mango Sunrise

Ingredients: Mango Sunrise, Vodka - 45ml, Mango Juice - 45ml, Coke - 60ml, Crushed Ice, Gin - 15ml

Method: Put Some Crushed ice in a glass, Lock it on base and fix a Long shot Glass filled with 30ml Blue Eyes Vodka & 30ml Chilled Mango Juice In the glass. Pour Coke 60ml and Revolution Gin n Lime 15ml

Use two different Straws in Both the Glasses

Blue Eyes Mango Sunrise (Image Courtesy: Blue Eyes Vodka)

5.Blue Eyes Masala Twist

Ingredients: Blue Eyes Masala twist, Blue Eyes Vodka - 45ml, Lime chunks - 4 to 6, Mint Leaves, Brown Sugar, Chaat masala, Sprite 

Method: Pour 45ml Blue Eyes Vodka in Shaker Put 4-6 Lime Chunks, add Brown Sugar Muddle Them Slightly , Add Tapped Mint Leaves, Add Some ice and Chaat Masala Shake Well and Double Strained in a glass topped, with Sprite, Garnish with Lime Chunk or Mint

Blue Eyes Masala Twist (Image Courtesy: Blue Eyes Vodka)

Alcohol Content :

Pure Grain Vodka 42.88%
Green Apple Vodka 37.5%

Cost :
Pure Grain Vodka - Rs 400/- per bottle
Green Apple Vodka - Rs. 440/- per bottle
(Note: The prices mentioned are for Delhi region)

Disclaimer: A sample of the product was sent to us for a review. However the opinions expressed in the post are honest and unbiased.

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Street Food Around The Charminar, Hyderabad

Charminar is to Hyderabad is what Taj Mahal is to Agra – the symbol of the city. It is also one of the prime shopping areas of Hyderabad – from morning to night, you have a sea of humanity moving around in the roads meshing seamlessly with buses, autos, bikes and cows. It is but natural that some irresistible street food is available in this area to cater to the huge number of food-loving pedestrians. Places are not far from each other, which makes this an ideal place for a street food walk.

Nimra Cafe - Chai and Osmania Biscuits. Photo courtesy: Harshit Jain

I was told that the guests of Nizam staying at Chowmahalla Palace used to enjoy a cup of tea with Osmania biscuits (another royal legacy named after Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan) looking at the awesome view of Charminar. For lesser mortals like us who may not have that opportunity, Nimra Café provides an alternative. Situated right in front of Charminar, next to Mecca Masjid they serve some delicious Osmania biscuits along with Irani tea.  Enjoy the majestic view of Charminar from a close range while sipping the tea.

Govind Bandi and the dosa

Early in the morning, food lovers from across the city head across to Govind’s Bandi close by. Situated near a Kaman (for non-Hyderabadis: Kaman means the arches built on the road) in a lane next to Gulzar House, Govind serves one of the best butter dosas of Hyderabad.  People also gorge on his butter idlis and tawa idlis.  Bulk orders come flying in and vary a lot from person to person with demands such as double butter, cheese, or more tomatoes. Your stop here may take some time especially on a Sunday morning.

Kesar Pista Lassi at Agra Mithai Ghar

Very close to Govind is Agra Mithai Ghar, which is known for its sweets and lassis. Apart from the sweets they also serve a variety of namkeen items from up North, the Ghee Puri Sabji being the most popular, the puri here is actually fried in ghee. Their Malai and Kesar Pista Lassi are famous in the area. Ravi Bandi opposite Agra Mithai Ghar is not so well known as Govind - but many of the street food enthusiasts swear by his dosas and butter idlis.

Special Lassi at Matwale Doodh Ghar

But for the lassi lovers a better place to visit is Matwale Doodh Ghar ahead of Mecca Masjid close to Pista House. A small shop specializing in milk based items, they are known for their Falooda too. But the special lassi has malai and syrup in it and two large glasses can be a meal in itself. Someone told me that the filmstar Rana Daggubati is a regular at this place.

Kachoris and Jalebis at Rajasthan Jalebi and Namkeen

Lined up opposite High Court are three stalls all named Rajasthani Jalebi and Namkins. They excel in making quality kachories and samosas served with an orange coloured chutney and sautéed green chillies. The jalebis and imarties (known as Jahangiris in Hyderabad) are not to be missed too.

Sheermal dunked in Nihari at Shadab

But how can the street food in this area be only vegetarian! Though an iconic restaurant, Shadab serves one of the best non-vegetarian breakfasts in Hyderabad at street food prices. Their nihari and paya are legendary. For people who want a cheaper fare, they can just have the sherwa. Buy some Hyderabadi sheermal/roti naan from shops nearby and dunk it in the nihari – it will taste heavenly. On Sunday they make chicken nihari. And then there are the signature breakfasts available in an irani café – gurda bhaji and kheema roti.

Akbar's famous Chicken 65

In the evenings, a number of street food stalls open up to sell non-veg snacks. Akbar Food Corner next to Mecca Masjid serves one of the best Chicken 65 in town. The chicken is served with Warqi paratha and a red colored chutney.  You have the option of trying it out in the dark dining room or carry a parcel from the parcel counter.

Beef Seekh Kababs at Kabab-E-Jahangiri

For the best quality beef seekh kababs and boti kababs try Kabab-E-Jahangiri centre near Machli Kaman, which is between Madina and Gulzar House. Here again try the warqi parathas with it. The sad part is that the kababs often get over in early evenings due to the rush. If you are not a beef eater Hotel Shehran next door serves the mutton version of seekh kababs.

The places above are just the tip of the iceberg. Apart from these more popular places, the bylanes of Charminar have many more places to satiate our love for street food. The places may be nondescript, but some of them dish out the best street food in the city. So, walk leisurely, be on a discovery mode and try out street food that look good to you.

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Quick Bytes: Tantalizing Tapas at The Westin’s Mix Lounge and Bar

You can find Mix Lounge and Bar  just on your right as you enter the lobby of The Westin Hyderabad. A cozy place with elegant interiors and live music, it is a nice spot to relax with a drink after a hectic day.

The Tapas Spread

The lounge is organizing a promotion called Tantalizing Tapas. About two dozens of popular Spanish tapas dishes are on offer in this festival, giving the discerning food lovers an opportunity to enjoy some of the best snacks and finger food from Spain.

Live Music and Cozy interiors

The idea behind Tapas is to design a variety of food which can be enjoyed in bits and pieces – originally these were combination of flat items of bread and meat or seafood used to serve as a cover (or ‘tapa’) for the drinks. From there, it evolved into a cuisine of short eats where instead of huge main courses, one enjoyed different preparations over a casual conversation. Tapas originated in Spain and has now spread as a popular cuisine all over the world. Localization has even resulted in fusion cuisines such as “Indian tapas” – where local food are served in bite sized quantities.

At Mix, Chef de Cuisine Mukesh Sharma has put together a menu of some delectable tapas items for the promotion. Invited to try out the items in the new festival, we were served about seven varieties from the menu along with some good red wine.

We started with Tabla Espanola – cured pork with olives and cheese. The pork was a bit too dry but the olives were juicy, and the combination just about worked out for a porkaholic like me.

Grilled Scallops with ham

Then came Vieira’s – a preparation which had grilled scallops with Spanish serrano ham. The styling of the dish made it look mouthwatering, and taste did not belie expectations either. My friend who does not take pork was served a version with cheese.

Scallops with Cheese

I may be biased towards seafood as a Bengali – and it delighted me that the tapas menu today had a lot of these items. Fritura Mixta was a seafood platter with fried prawns, calamaris, and octopus all lined up together. Boquerons had anchovies in olive oil and served with dressing on a small round toast. The anchovy meat had a lovely texture and a fresh nice taste.

Boquerons

Then there was a dish resembling a small satay – known as Brocheta Di Apollo, these were small chicken skewers which had a basil and lime based marinade. The marinade was tangy and had permeated well into the chicken making it one of the winners for the day.

                                      Fritura Mixta (Foreground) and Brocheta Di Apollo                  Pic Courtesy : Vishal Fernandes

The other items included a bruschetta type of bread preparation with onions and Manchego sheep cheese on top and Salmon Ahumado (or smoked) served with crème cheese.

Overall, I got to taste a range of dishes from a cuisine not so familiar to me. The festival is a-la-carte and goes on till 25th July.

Address:

The Mix Lounge and Bar
The Westin, Mindspace IT Park,
Hitech City, Hyderabad

Telephone 67676856

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The New Branch of Chili’s at Banjara Hills – South West American cuisine at its best

On 4th July, Chili’s American Grill and Bar, the worldwide popular chain of restaurants consolidated their position in Hyderabad with opening of their second branch at Banjara Hills. Their first outlet at Inorbit Mall is already a huge favorite of the Hyderabadi food lovers.

Classic Nachos

The new restaurant is spread over two floors and is extremely spacious.  The décor is different from the older branch in Hyderabad, in line with the new design which is being rolled out for their restaurants chain.


I was invited along with around 15 people for a preview of the new restaurant and to try out some of their signature dishes. After going around the restaurant and admiring its décor, I relaxed with Blue Pacific, essentially a drink with pineapple juice with Blue Curacao syrup and soda. Some others went for various versions of exotic margaritas on their menu – based on raspberry, pomegranate and melon.

Blue Pacific

Chili’s has a range of signature nachos. The Nachos come in two versions – Classic and Bolder. With melted cheese and jalapenos the classic version was a bit bland but went well with the accompanying sour cream. The bolder version with chipotle flavor was spicier and should be a hit with Hyderabadis.

Ultimate Dipper

Soon we were served the non-vegetarian Ultimate Dipper, a combination of five popular starters from the restaurant served with an array of dips. Out of these the Chicken Wings and the Boneless Chicken were delicious. The tangy chipotle and BBQ sauces in which both were tossed added the extra zing to the dishes.

For vegetarians, the Southwestern rolls was part of the Ultimate Dipper – a tortilla roll filled with an assortment of vegetables and cheese. Texas Cheese Poppers was another dish there which is worth a mention.

Country Fried Calamaris

Country Fried Calamari is another starter not to be missed here. The squids were crunchy but not rubbery and the dip they go with was just too good.

Pork Ribs

For the main course, my favorite surely were the Pork Baby Back Ribs with their smokey flavor. They came in two versions –Original BBQ and Honey Chipotle both served with corn and potato fries. The smoked meat was soft and came out easily from the bones. Porkaholics have very little choice in Hyderabad, and this surely ranks among my top pork dishes in the city.

Among their steaks, Classic Tenderloin was served with veggies, mashed potatoes and garlic bread. The Philadelphia Cheese Steak is another one of the favorites. Both the steaks are to be ordered rare or medium rare to enjoy them to the fullest.

Chili’s also have their signature burgers – the Big Mouth Burger had a thick meat patty with cheese and vegetables. People preferring pork went for their Classic Bacon Burger.

Chipotle Salmon

Chipotle Salmon was the fish item on the menu. More than the fish, I loved the chipotle cream sauce based gravy which was a good combo with the coarse rice served with it.

Among the desserts Cinnamon Molten Cake was everybody’s favorite – the strongly cinnamon flavored cake with a drizzle of caramel was topped with vanilla ice cream. The Molten Chocolate Cake topped with a chocolate shell also looked good and was delicious as per the people who tried it.

Cinnamon Molten Cake

Chili’s provides one of the best options in Hyderabad to try out the Texan-American cuisine. The newer items in their menu show a drift away from Mexican towards South West American food. The menu is elaborate and the waiters are helpful – choose items which suit your palate, and you will truly relish them.

Address: 
Chili’s American Grill & Bar
Sujatha Tower,
Road no.-1, Banjara Hills, Opposite Vengal Rao Park,
Hyderabad- 500034, Telangana

Phone: 040-40164353

Opening Times: 12 pm-11.30pm

Also read: Chili's - The Sweet, Smoky and Hot additions to the menu

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Ramadan Food Walk : Mosque Road, Frazer Town

After having a feast in the Shivajinagar area and tasting delicacies like Sheekh kebabs, Phal and Quail, we moved to Frazer Town which is almost synonymous with Bangalore Ramzan. The White Mosque, which has a huge gathering for the Maghrib prayers, is the place we decided to start our food walk. Located conveniently at the intersection of MM Road and Mosque Road, this area is fully occupied by food stalls, street food vendors and restaurants during Ramzan, all serving an assortment of iftar food including kebabs, samosas and biryani.

Idiyappam and Nihari

Our first stop was at Chichaba's Taj, which is a short distance from the mosque intersection, along the MM Road. Decked with lights and multiple stalls in front, the famous restaurant was almost hidden amidst the decorations and could only be identified by their huge banner which advertised their Haleem. Like most of the places in Shivajinagar, Chichaba's Taj too remains closed for most part of the day during Ramzan and serviced food only starts for dinner.

Sheekh Kebab at Chichaba's Taj

Chichaba's Taj, one of the most sought after restaurants in and around Frazer Town, had three separate stalls serving their wares. The first stall, which was right in front of their entrance, served kebabs and samosas of chicken and mutton variety. Though it was barely past sundown, the ferociousness with which the kebabs were getting consumed was quite alarming as I could already see a few empty casseroles. Their famous Burrah Kababs were already over.

Mutton Haleem at Chichaba's Taj

The second stall right next to the first one was that of Nihari and Haleem. The Bangalore Haleem is a much more wheaty and bland version as compared to the Hyderabad one. Though the preparation is more or less similar, the spices are quite low and most of the taste of the Haleem comes from the Nihari sherwa which is added to it.

Seekh Kababs at Chichaba's Taj

The third stall was a bit far up, right beside the token counter, where a large group of people patiently waited to get to taste their Sheekh Kebab. Quite thick and large in size, the sheekh kebab was soft and meaty with no adulteration of any sort, much better but costlier than those that we got to eat at Shivajinagar.

Kebab stalls at Charminar

After Chichaba's Taj, our next stop was at Charminar Kebab Paradise which is on the other side of the mosque intersection on MM Road. Charminar is famous for their fried food preparations like Baida Rotis, Paranthas and Samosas, which they make in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian variety. Albeit being too oily, their Baida Rotis are quite tasty with a good amount of chicken filling which is juicy and spicy. Other dishes worth trying here include their Mutton Kheema Paranthas and Chicken samosas.

Chicken Samosas

While munching on the sheekh kebabs at Chichaba's Taj, we were advised to try out the Quail Fry and Chicken Pahadi kebab at Rahhams. Though I had earlier tasted their mutton biryani at their Cunningham Road outlet, pahadi kebab was something I had missed. A short walk from Charminar Hotel led us straight to Rahhams. Like with most big restaurants, Rahhams had also set a small stall outside their main restaurant which sold shawarmas, while a huge crowd thronged their takeaway outlet which sold kebabs and biryanis. Unfortunately, by the time we made our way to Rahhams, Quail Fry, which is one of their most sought after delicacies was sold out and we had to make do with only Pahadi Kebab. The Pahadi Kebab preparation is quite different from the usual run of the mill tandoor kebabs that is available elsewhere. There is a strong flavour of fennel seeds and aniseed and is best eaten hot as they become chewy and hard when they turn cold.

Pahadi Kebab at Rahhams

From Rahhams, we walked down the lane to New Taj, where Beef Pathhar ka Gosht was being cooked on stone slabs. Generally a mutton preparation, the usage of beef changed the texture of the kebab quite drastically and isn't as soft as the ones that are usually available in Hyderabad. The marinade used here is different too but the rich masala made sure that the kebab was not short of taste.

Beef Pathhar ka Gosht at New Taj

Right next to New Taj, near the intersection, is Alibaba. A small shop; there is a whole new variety of kebabs that was available here, from the generic Chicken kebabs to the Bangalorean Phal. However, we were drawn to the kathi kebab preparations which were available in green, red and yellow marinades and were quietly being roasted on charcoal. From the chicken, mutton, beef and prawn varieties, we chose to go with the prawn one but one bite into it left us disappointed. Though they looked spicy, the taste was actually a bit sweetish and was present only in the coating. The meat inside neither had flavour nor taste.

Beef Pathhar ka Gosht

A bit disappointed, we chose to end our trip with our trusted Haleem provider Pista House of Hyderabad. Pista House has quite revolutionized the Bangalore Haleem scene with multiple stalls throughout Frazer Town. They have also booked a function hall which serves as a takeaway counter for the haleem lovers. The Pista House Haleem in Bangalore is thick with good consistency but is a bit bland to suit the Bangalore palate. The quantity of meat in this was far greater than the Chichaba's Taj and a sprinkle of lemon made it truly enjoyable.

Pista House Haleem

While we did cover many shops around MM and Mosque Road, there are other restaurants like Zoya, Zaika, Siddique Kebab Centre and Albert Bakery which couldn't be covered due to limited stomach space. With so many kebabs, shawarmas and biryanis left to try, another trip is surely warranted to cover all of them.

Also See: Ramadan food walk at Shivajinagar, Bangalore

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Ramadan Food Walk: Russell Market, Shivajinagar

Ramadan, which is one of the holy months according to the Islamic calendar commemorates the revelation of the Quran to the Prophet. During the festival, a month long fast is observed by Muslims worldwide, broken every day after their evening prayers with delicacies such as kebabs, biryanis, nihari and paya.

Shivajinagar Street Food during Ramzan

Like in many other cities in India, Bangalore too has pockets and areas with sizeable Muslim population who light up the local street food scene during the month of Ramadan. Close to the Russell Market in Shivajinagar is one such area where multiple stalls are lined along the HKP Road selling various kinds of kebabs, samosas and shawarmas, making it one of the best places for a delightful non-vegetarian food walk.

Chicken Kebab being sold at Shivajinagar

The well known restaurants like Royal, Hamza and Hilal which do brisk business throughout the day during other months, remain closed during the daytime for this period. They only open their shops in the evening, after the Maghrib prayers which is around sunset.

Phaal near Russell Market, Shivajinagar

On a cloudy evening, a week after start of Ramadan, we made our way to this area which was burstling with people. Our first stop was Hamza, where kebabs of various sorts were on display, being fried and served on demand. We chose to taste their Alfaham Chicken which is essentially Arabian Grilled Chicken. Though a similar version is also sold at Empire and other restaurants, I found that the chicken served at Hamza was much softer and sweeter with the marination having penetrated to the bone.

Bheja Masala at Hilal

We next made our way to Hilal which is a short walk from Hamza on the HKP Road. Hilal's speciality lies in their Mutton Pepper Fry and Bheja Masala, both of which are delicious in their own right. The Pepper Fry and The Bheja Masala go great with ghee rice which sort of douses the spice to make it an enjoyable meal. These dishes are also available in their daily menu.

Mutton Pepper Fry at Hilal

While the well known restaurants like Hilal, Hamza and Royal have always been famous for their treats, one shouldn't miss out the local street food push carts which sell their wares in form of kebabs. A must try is the Phaal at Iqbal Dressed Chicken Corner. These marinated flattened beef chops are grilled on charcoal and are some of the most unique items available in Bangalore.

Phaal and Kebabs at Iqbal Dressed Chicken Corner

A short way from Iqbal Dressed Chicken Corner, in the bylane next to it, is Barkat Mia's shop. They have a makeshift food cart arrangement where they sell their wares, right opposite their meat shop. With an array of kebabs being fried and grilled, it is a visual treat for the non vegetarian lovers and one can hardly stare long enough without drooling.

Sheekh Kebab and Phaal at Barkat Mia's restaurant

Out of all the different varieties of kebabs that were displayed, we chose to go with their Quail Fry and Sheekh Kebab. Soft and meaty, the sheekh kebab was served hot from the skewers and just melted in the mouth. The quail was decent too but the marination wasn't as good and the red coloring which is put may upset some health conscious folks.

Marinated Quail being prepped for frying

Quail Fry

A new concept which I was introduced to was the Veal kebab. Although veal is supposed to be meat from the younger cattle, it is quite loosely used here and is actually beef itself. The veal kebab served here was soft but spicy and tasty. There are many other shops down the lane with most of them selling seekhs of different varieties. There are also some vegetarian options available in which vegetables are coated in some green marinade before being fried and served with masala.

Veal Kebab

The items are not restricted to the few mentioned here. If you explore the lane going in next to Iqbal, there are many small joints lined up on the left side selling non vegetarian delicacies. The main road in front of Hamza also has its share of pushcart selling all kinds of street food.

Tandoori Chicken

With the monsoon showers ending the sweltering heat of the summer, the foodies of every city look forward to the festival of Ramadan. A month of kebabs and biryanis with delectable treats such as Haleem and Paya are widely available lined up in streets, be it Delhi's Jama Masjid area, Hyderabad's Charminar, Mumbai's Mohammed Ali Road or around Nakhoda Masjid in Kolkata. Shivajinagar in Bangalore figures prominently in this list.

Also read: Ramadan food walk at Frazer Town

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