Quick Bytes: Lucknowi Food Festival at Siesta Hitech

Qube Café, the coffee shop at Siesta Hitech hotel at Kondapur has been recently organizing quite a few Indian regional food festivals. Their promotions have struck a chord with the food lovers of Hyderabad because they offer a very good spread at a budget price. I had tried out some of the food items from their Bengali food festival, and still remember how good the preparations were. So this time, when I was invited to their Lucknowi Food Festival, I made it a point to attend the same.

Unlike a few years ago, we now have quite a few restaurants offering Awadhi food in Hyderabad – Jashn-E-Audh, Tansen and Point Pleasant to name a few. As a result, Hyderabadis are now much more familiar with the popular dishes of Awadhi cuisine. Qube Café has acknowledged that and they have gone beyond the usual dishes to present some of the less popular recipes from Lucknow.

From left clockwise: Shahi Murgh Kabab, Rajma Galawati, Mahi Tikka and Naushahi Jaan

Naushahi Jaan was a kabab where one could see the mastery of the Chef Ram Chandra of Siesta. The succulent chicken kababs had minced mutton inside, giving it a delicious taste. Kakori Kababs, which are supposed to be the softest version of skewered seekh kababs, as well as the signature dish of the cuisine, Galawati or melt-in-the-mouth kababs, were served with a delicious green chutney. The Bengali in me liked the touch of mustard in the marinade of the Mahi Tikka.

From left clockwise: Kakori, Galawati and Badshahi Paneer Tikka

The vegetarian kababs were interesting too. Rajma Ke Galawat was a variation of the soft kabab using rajma instead of mutton. Ulta Tawa Ka Paratha was served along with to enhance the taste of both the galawatis. I loved the taste of Kathal Ke Kabab, though the jackfruit was a tad too sweet. Badshahi Paneer Tikka, in a white malai marinade, was pretty decent too.

Murgh Masala Wajid Ali

The main courses spread was also quite huge – about ten items. My pick there was Keema and Mutter ke Zaika, a thick gravy with mutton mince and peas. The Murgh Masala Wajid Ali went well the Bakarkhani bread served with it. Mutton Qorma was another delicacy which I loved. Among the vegetarian spread, Gobi Musallam appealed to me for the tasty masala gravy it had.

Gobi Musallam

I rued the fact that I had over-gorged on starters and could not try out quite a few of the main courses. Still, I wanted to taste the Awadhi Mutton Biryani. The aroma was subtle, and the mutton was soft, but for me, the rice was too dry. I would have preferred a bit more ghee and a bit more flavours like kewra water in it.

Awadhi Mutton Biryani

The desserts were very good – especially the Angoori Rabdi and Shahi Tukda. Motichur Laddu and Pista aur Badam Ki Barfi were the other two desserts served.

Dessert Platter

The buffet also had a nice Lucknowi chaat counter, which I did not try. Around five varieties of salads were also on display.

The promotion is on for dinner until May 1st at a value-for-money price of Rs 550. The pricing is a steal for such a huge spread, and the menu changes everyday to suit their regular diners. A good thing about the festival is the equal focus they have kept on vegetarian food also, normally these are ignored in Awadhi festivals.  I hope that the restaurant keeps up the good work of hosting regional food festivals at affordable prices.

Location:
Qube Café
Hotel Siesta Hitech
55E Kondapur, Hyderabad
Telephone: 42420000

Disclaimer: The review is based on an invite from the restaurant. However, the opinion expressed in the post are honest and unbiased.

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Quick Bytes: The Spice Island Flavors from Sri Lanka at ITC Kakatiya

Few years back when I had travelled to Sri Lanka as a tourist, I was exposed to the wonderful cuisine of the island country. The Sinhalese cuisine has influences from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Malaysia, along with the use of local masala and abundant coconut. The Kothu Parathas with devilled seafood at the beach shacks, Idiappams with assorted sambols, red rice with coconut based fish curry, and egg hoppers made the trip extremely satisfying to the food lover in me. I was left wondering why recipes from the emerald island do not feature more in menus of restaurants here.

The Kitchens of India initiative from ITC Hotels, which mainly concentrates on undiscovered cuisines, has given us some brilliant food festivals backed by their in-depth research. “The Spice Island Flavors” is the latest on their list, presented at Deccan Pavilion, ITC Kakatiya. The curator of this festival is Priya Bala, chef and food writer, who comes from a family of Tamilians who came back to India during the tumultuous days of the Tamil movement in Sri Lanka.

Welcome Drink - Pineapple with a dash of green chillies

Invited to a preview of the festival, we had an informative session with Priya, who enlightened us on the how Sri Lankan flavours have influenced the cooking style of the returning Tamils who have settled in the southern belt of Tamil Nadu. The home food of these people, who had moved to Sri Lanka to work at tea plantations, had localized with the Ceylonese spices and condiments. For example, the non-vegetarian preparations are first simmered in coconut milk before spices like cardamom and cinnamon add flavours to them. To establish her point, she had diligently put together select dishes from this cuisine to be presented in this food promotion.

The Curator of the festival - Priya Bala

We settled down with a welcome drink, comprising of pineapple juice and a dash of chillies, which served as a cooler. I simply loved this and kept asking for refills throughout the entire meal. The appetizers were next to be presented. Crumb-fried Fish Cutlets were round shaped croquettes of fish mince and mashed potato with little spices. An ideal snack to go along with drinks.

Appetizers

Another starter which I loved was Vendakkai Sambol, crispy fried thin slices of bhindi with tomatoes and onions. Then there was a starter showcasing onion based Seeni Sambol, from one of the long list of sambol recipes of the island country.

Soon after, we made a visit to the buffet. To start with we picked up Manjal Soru, yellow rice soaked in coconut milk. There was a range of non-veg courses to go with it. First was the Devilled Fish, a stir fried dish with vinegar, soya and Worcester sauce. I remembered trying a similar preparation at the sea-side shacks of Galle Face, where they are called “devels”. This dish would again play a perfect foil to some good liquor.

Clockwise: Devilled Fish. Eraichi Kurma, Isso Thel Dala and Idiappam Kothu

Eraichi Kurma was essentially lamb cubes in masala. I loved the taste of the dish, and would have loved if there were appams in the menu to go with it. Chicken Badun, a spicy chicken curry which possibly was the star of the main courses. Isso Thel Dala, a dry prawn dish went well with Idiappam Kothu, where shredded string hoppers (instead of shredded rotis in Kothu Paratha) were tossed with onions, carrots, and other vegetables.

The items that were evidently home recipes were Paruppu (a masur dal preparation in coconut milk which was pure soul food) and Meen Curry. Another favorite among the vegetarian dishes was Brinjal Moju, a pickled preparation of the vegetable.

Manjal Soru and some main courses

The desserts had two items made of my favourite jaggery – Watalappam (jaggery and coconut milk pudding, A Malay influenced dish) and Kiri-Pani (curd topped with thick jaggery). Both were brilliant. The third dessert was Love Cake, a small cake with cashew powder and rose water.

The Desserts: Watalappam, Love Cake and Kiri Pani

We have many food promotions in Hyderabad these days, but this was one of the few unique ones for me. The reason lies in the subtlety and variations of flavours in this cuisine, in comparison to the usually available dishes of Tamil Nadu. Lovers of South Indian food will definitely enjoy this promotion which is on until May 1st only for dinner. As is usual in Deccan Pavilion, the promotion dishes replace the Indian items on the buffet.

Location:
Deccan Pavilion
ITC Kakatiya
Begumpet
Hyderabad
Telephone: 23400132

Disclaimer: The review is based on an invite from the restaurant. However, the opinion expressed in the post are honest and unbiased.

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A Food Feast over the Bengali New Year Weekend

Like any other Bengali, I look forward to Nabobarsho – the Bengali New Year which is celebrated in mid-April.  From my childhood, this day was very special for me. I used to accompany my mother to the halkhata (new accounting books) ceremony at different shops in South Kolkata. While my mother would be busy exchanging pleasantries the owner, I would be expectantly peeking from side to side to size up the sweets and savouries being offered by the shop on that auspicious day.  Also, I used to yo enjoy the sumptuous family dinner with my extended family.

Murshidabadi Chicken Fry at United Kitchen of India

About two decades in Hyderabad, still the Bengali New Year brings the same feelings in me. A week before, I start scanning the internet for the Bengali food festivals planned at different restaurants in the city. Hyderabad has about half a dozen Bengali restaurants and each dish out their special items during this time. Also, a few fine dine restaurants host Bengali food festivals either at this time or during Durga Puja.

Clockwise: Mochar Chop, Dimer Devil. Kabiraji Cutlet and Beguni at United Kitchens

This year, I had a special role in “BorshoBoron”, the Bengali food festival at United Kitchens of India. They were planning to have this festival for two weeks and the management had invited me along with a couple of other bloggers to help them work out the menu for the festival. The restaurant serves some great Bengali food anyway, so culling out a special menu for the New Year Festival was not a problem. Starting from Aamporar Shorbot through a range of starters like Dimer Devil and Fish Fry, we decided on a range of vegetarian and non-vegetarian delicacies.

Siraji Mutton: The signature Bengali dish of United Kitchens

For the starters, our choice at UKI included the Kabiraji Cutlet (a traditional Bengali cutlet covered in egg fluff) and Mochar Chop (a croquette with a spicy banana flower mince). A dish which the chef here excels is Siraji Mutton, mutton in a sweet and spicy gravy served with egg and potato. The Narkel Diye Chholar Daal is another dish not to be missed with Luchi.  All these with Echorer Dalna (raw jackfruit masala), Sorshe Bhetki (fish cooked in mustard) and Chingri Malai Curry (prawns in a coconut based gravy) were the highlights of the menu. Sandesh and Chanar Payesh were the sweet dishes on offer. We were glad that the festival was well received, and feedback was quite good.

The Starters and Nolen Gurer Rabri Lassi at Aish

During this festive weekend, Bengali food was not just restricted to one restaurant. Aish, the Indian restaurant at Park Hyderabad had a promotion called the “Royal Bengal Food Festival”. Here the Bengali dishes were presented very attractively in a terracotta thala. The day I had visited for a preview had quite a few surprises – starting from Nolen Gurer Rabdi Lassi as a welcome drink to the Chef’s Special Dessert (ice cream drizzled with nolen gur on a bed of kanchagolla sandesh).

The Bengali Thala at Aish

The spread here was pretty elaborate. What I liked about the food at The Park was that the preparations were kept simple – much like home food. A few standouts were the Shukto (a signature Bengali mixed veg curry cooked in milk which goes with rice), Aloo Pataler Dalna (a rich preparation of potatoes and pointed gourd or parwal), Narkoli Chingri (a coconut based recipe of prawn) and Kacha Lanka Chicken (a gravy with green chillies). The Mishti Doi was a miss for me – I have not been satisfied by this dish from any Hyderabad restaurant so far. But the Nolen Gurer Sandesh filled with jaggery syrup made it up for me.

Sandesh, Mishti Doi and the Chef's Special Dessert at Aish

In the Bengali restaurants, a special spread for the New Year is often offered throughout the week. My good friends Indro and Mou Ganguli invited me to “Poila Boishakh Calling” – the special menu for New Year at Call of Bengal, the Bengali restaurant opposite DLF at Kondapur. Starting with Lebur Sarbat, the spread had starters like Mochar Chop and Fish Fry – the latter with Kasundi really was a hit. The fish fillet was fresh, soft and tasty and the coating was very thin. It reminded me of the delicious Chingrir Cutlet I had here the last time I visited.

Fish Fry at Call of Bengal

Bhaja Muger Dal was very authentically prepared and accompanied by Alu Bhaja. Both the non-veg dishes prepared on the day – Chingri Malai curry in thin coconut gravy and Mutton Curry were brilliant. And to top it all was the dessert served in the bhoj – Bhapa Doi is indeed a must have in this restaurant.

Mutton Curry at Call of Bengal

One aspect to be highlighted is the meal which is light on the tummy, with just adequate oil and masala. My wife who accompanied me here commented that the style of cooking reminded her of some of the best home-cooked meals she had . I made a mental note to come back here soon for their Park Street food – Chicken A La Kiev and Fish Florentine, as well as for more of their Bengali dishes.

The Bengali Spread at Call of Bengal

The gastronomical journey for the first few days of Bengali year 1423 has been extremely satisfying. Let us hope the rest of the year matches up with it.

Featured Restaurants:

United Kitchens of India

Road No 45

Jubilee Hills

Hyderabad

Telephone: 2311 4114

Aish

The Park Hotel

22, Raj Bhavan Road

Somajiguda

Hyderabad

Telephone: 33165763

Call of Bengal

1^st Floor, Ayappa Heights

Opp DLF Gate 3, Gachibowli

Hyderabad

Telephone: 65550159

Disclaimer: The review is based on an invite from the restaurant. However, the opinion expressed in the post are honest and unbiased.

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Fomokart brings native specialities from all over India to Bangalore

The culinary diversity of India can be attributed to the varying tastes in different regions. From north to south, east to west, India has a wealth of flavours which translate into the native specialities of every region be it pethas of Agra, sweets from West Bengal, namkeen from Indore or other native sweets and snacks.

Angoori Panchhi Petha

Angoori Panchhi Petha

As kids, we often don't give much importance to the goodies and munchies available around us and take them for granted. Only when we sprout wings and go out into the adult world is when we realise what we have given up and the nostalgic memories creep in. As a Hyderabadi potta, I have grown up eating delicacies in the Pearl city like Haleem, for every Ramzan, but it was only when I went to college outside Hyderabad that I realised the joy of having Pista House Haleem delivered at your doorstep.

Shan-e-Delhi Mutton Quorma Masala

Fomokart addresses this very problem and provides a solution to all those who can’t be wherever they want to be, whenever they want to be to satiate their cravings of truly authentic taste from different parts of India. Their range currently includes sweets, snacks, pickles and mixes which they deliver only in Bangalore but I hope they will soon expand to the rest of India.

Maganlal Peanut Chikki

Maganlal Peanut Chikki

Overjoyed to find a website like this, I ordered a ton of items from Fomokart which was delivered within 5 working days. Of the lot, I was really excited to find Maganlal Chikki amongst the offerings. With shops across Maharashtra, Maganlal is touted by many to serve the best chikki be it assorted, groundnut or sesame chikki. They have many more varieties like the dry fruit special, cashew krush chikki and soft rolls which will definitely be part of my next order.

Chitale Bandhu Bhakarwadi

I was a bit skeptical about my order of Bhakarwadis from the Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwaale as I am not a big fan of bhakarwadis. However, one of the funniest things happened the next day in office when one of my colleagues who was returning from his hometown, Pimpri-Chinchwad in Maharashtra, got back an exact same box which had been delivered to me the day before. The bhakarwadis were packed in an airtight sealed box which kept it fresh and crispy.

Chitale Bandhu Bhakarwadi

Of the other items ordered, there were pethas from Panchhi Petha Agra, biscuits from Karachi Bakery and special masalas from Delhi. Getting different varieties of munchies and sweets delivered to our doorstep, that too from the most authentic sources has definitely won my heart. Definitely recommend all the food lovers of Bangalore to check out the range of savouries available at www.fomokart.com

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Quick Bytes: Radisson Blu Banjara Celebrates Baisakhi Di Masti

April is the month when several states of India celebrate the New Year of their local calendar. Apart from Nabobarsho in my home state Bengal, Punjab is another state which celebrates with élan Baisakhi, their New Year Day in April. On this occasion, Chill the fine dining restaurant at Radisson Blu Plaza Banjara is celebrating “Baisakhi Di Masti” a festival of Punjabi cuisine.

Punjabi is one of the most popular cuisines in India – much loved and much localized. Punjabis love their food, and the cuisine has a huge repertoire of recipes. In some parts of the world, this is often considered to be "Indian" cuisine. Even in some cities of South India, you will have dozens of Punjabi restaurants compared to a handful of Rajasthani, Kashmiri or Awadhi places. In our own Hyderabad, we see a lot of localization of the cuisine with souring agents and red chillies, suiting the local palate.

Against this backdrop, Executive Chef Chandra Shekhar Pandey at Chill Restaurant at Radisson Blu has tried to ensure that the festival presents some authentic Punjabi food with the right ingredients. The restaurant had been decked up like a Punjabi dhaba.

Jaggery Cocktail

As is usually the norm with food festivals in hotels, the buffet at Chill has continental as well as oriental dishes with the Indian items replaced by Punjabi dishes. This is to ensure that an in-house guest who may not like a specific cuisine have some other choices available. Invited to a Bloggers Meet showcasing the festival, we were welcomed with a special alcoholic drink which had jaggery as the main ingredient. The concoction worked out very well for me as I like gur a lot. We were told that sugarcane juice can also be used instead of it.

Non-Vegetarian Starters

We started our dinner with the non-vegetarian appetizers. Bhatti Di Murgh, or chicken cooked in a kiln was easily the best of the lot. The Ajwaini Tawa Machhi was the right starter to go with the drinks. Murgh Malai Kali Mirch was the other starter on the menu.

Achari Paneer 

Among the veg starters, Achari Paneer was what stole the show. Thin fritters of baby corn were tasty, and there was another potato based spicy starter which was decent.

Pindi Chana

The promotion had both sweet and salted Lassi. I went for the former and was not disappointed – it had the right density and taste. Next was the turn of Pindi Chana with Kulcha. I am a huge fan of this Amritsari dish and enjoyed it thoroughly.

Lassi

A mention has to be made about the quality of Indian breads served. Naans, rotis, and Kulchas all were very well prepared with adequate but not excessive ghee. The stuffed parathas were generally nice. There was a Brownie Paratha going around, but since I am not a fan of sweets in general, I avoided it.

Masaledar Kumbh

The pick of the main courses, in my opinion, was the Masaledar Kumbh. The mushroom gravy was rich and I enjoyed it with naan. The other main courses were Paneer Dopiyaza in vegetarian and Rara Chicken and Patiyala Fish in non-vegetarian. The Gosht Pulao was a bit dry, but the lamb was cooked just the right amount, and I liked the taste of the masala.

Moong Halwa and Gulab Jamun

The desserts had one of my favorites – a live counter frying Jalebis to be savoured with Rabri. The Gulab Jamun was also soft and not excessively sweet. Moong Halwa was also on the buffet, but I did not try it.

Overall, a decent festival for Indian food lovers as well as Punjabi food aficionados. The Punjabi items are included in their main buffet and priced at Rs 1250 plus taxes.  The festival is on only for dinner till 24th April. The Punjabi menu changes every day to provide something different to the regular customers and in-house guests.

Location:

Chill Restaurant and Terrace
Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel
Road No 6, Banjara Hills
Hyderabad
Telephone: 40673 31133

Disclaimer: The review is based on an invite from the restaurant. However, the opinion expressed in the post are honest and unbiased.

Some pics are courtesy Radisson Blu Plaza Banjara Hills and Vishal Fernandes

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Quick Bytes: Five Course Sunday Brunch at Jonathan’s Kitchen

Sunday Brunches have become a rage in Hyderabad – there is a tremendous demand and almost all well-known fine dine restaurants have their own versions of it. Jonathan’s Kitchen has brought in the concept of a Five Course Sunday Brunch, where you can have a limited food menu and unlimited drinks at a value-for-money all inclusive price of Rs 999.

Chicken Satay

The reason for this initiative is that there is a need in the market for VFM brunch, and a lavish spread will always be high priced.  Often we desire a huge spread, but end up trying maybe just about half of the dishes. Sometimes we enjoy just the cocktails with starters, and do not bother much about the mains.

So, here a number of popular dishes have been put together from various cuisines, to provide a limited but delightful experience. Whereas the starters and select drinks are unlimited, one has to choose one soup and salad, one main course and a dessert.

Achari Paneer Tikka

Invited to a blogger’s table for the launch of the Sunday Brunch, I settled down with a draught beer to have a look at the menu. We were told that the diners have the option of enjoying the starters and drinks at Komatose the adjoining pub, and then come to Jonathan’s Kitchen for the main course. The range of starters looked very interesting with six items from different cuisines like Mediterranean, oriental as well as Indian. The alcohol options included in the brunch were draught as well as bottled beer, and quite a choice of IMFL including Smirnoff, Bacardi, Blue Riband and Antiquity.

Focaccia Al Pollo

Among the starters for the day, the Chicken Satay was juicy and very well prepared with a nice marinade. The peanut dip served with it provided the perfect foil. Achari Paneer Tikka again excelled with the tangy masala and the right texture of the paneer.

Falafel

The Focaccia Al Pollo looked very inviting, and especially the quality of the bread was good. Falafel was slightly too dry for my liking. The Shikampur was first served opened up with extra hung curd, and it tasted even better in the second round when we asked for it without the curd.

Insalata Rucola

For salad, the choices were Caesar’s Salad and Insalata Rucola. Both were fairly simple and adequate. I loved the vegetarian soup Zucchini Ala Parmigiana – the thick green zuppa had a nice consistency and taste. The Thai Tom Yum was not one of the best I had.

Grilled Chicken

In the main courses, you have to choose one of the ten items – five each in vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Since there were quite a few of us, we got to taste a little of many of the items. I chose the Grilled Chicken with veggies and mashed potatoes. I enjoyed the dish – chicken was well prepared and especially the sauce tasted real nice.

Taglioni Al Pesto

Among the food the others had ordered, Tagliolini Al Pesto was appreciated by most. The topping of the Pizza Margherita needed some improvement. I loved both the oriental dishes – Greens with Tofu in Chili Sauce served with fried rice and Prawns in Thai Red Curry with steamed rice. There were burgers and biryanis too, but I was too full to try these.

The Oriental Main Courses

My choice of dessert was Blueberry Cheesecake. Gulab Jamun and Ice Cream were the other two dishes available.

Blueberry Cheesecake

The biggest plus for the brunch is definitely the price – you do not get such a spread at this range. Also, it is a bonanza for people who enjoy their drinks, the unlimited drinks and unlimited starters make a potent combo for them on a Sunday afternoon.

Giant Porn Star Martini

You also have the option of ordering at extra cost the awesome cocktails from Komatose, such as the Seven Deadly Sins (the chilli infused Lust is my favorite here). If you are adventurous try the Complete Koma or in a group savour their Giant Porn Star Martini.  Finally, the brunch is truly multi-cuisine, the restaurant has taken care that there is something for every palate, even the biryani is there. I have a feeling that they have a winner in their hand. The brunch is on every Sunday 11:30 am to 3:30 pm.

Location:
Jonathan’s Kitchen
Holiday Inn Express and Suites
Near Wipro circle
Gachibowli Hyderabad
Telephone 91003 20769

Disclaimer: The review is based on an invite from the restaurant. However, the opinion expressed in the post are honest and unbiased.

Also read: Seven Deadly Sins of Komatose

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