Budget bites!

So it is the end of the month and presumably, the pockets are not only dry, they are practically dehydrated. But I still want good food, I don’t want to pay more than 50 rupees and I do not want roaches as a side order when my plate arrives. Now where oh where am I going to find a place that will meet even one of these criteria…hmmm…

It was when I came to Chennai in 1995 that I first remember visiting Shirdi Bites. My mum’s office used to be in the same arcade as this joint and every day, promptly after school my pesky brother and I would be asked to wait at Shirdi Bites until my mum finished with her meetings. Not that we minded really. Every day we tried something new – but the staple favourites were hot, butter-laden parathas and sinfully cheesy pav bhaji.

Now let me shatter all the illusions that you have of this place before I proceed any further. Shirdi has been around forever now, but It is not even remotely a pretty place. It has no ambience, there are no polite stewards (only cooks who have names like Shomu, Somu and Chotu and holler out the names of dishes like it were their worst enemy) and It is NOT the perfect place to just chill.

In fact, it’s just a hole in the wall that has some weird tiling (I swear they look like bathroom tiles!) and a board that hasn’t been changed since its inception.  But that to me, is still what makes this tiny joint all the more charming. There is nothing fussy, pretentious or affected about Shirdi. Ask the owner and she will tell you with a broad grin “If asli desi khana and hygienic food is what you want, then come here. This is not a hang out joint, in fact, we would appreciate it if people ate and left. Else, there is no way to accommodate the crowd.”

Simply put, if soul food is what you crave, then the buck stops here. They have at least 15 different varieties of parathas, a few thali and meal combos, the ubiquitous chilli cheese toast and Bombay sandwich, apart from the chats and juices. My pick of the lot is the good ol’ Aloo Paratha and their combo paratha (you get to choose the three fillings), the Pav Bhaji, Aloo Tikki Channa, Sambhar Rice (yes I know, North Indians making the best sambhar rice…get over it!) and masala chaas. Oh and did I mention their portions are huge?

So next time, when it is ‘that time of the month’ (I see you, horrible perverted thinkers!) and the hunger pangs strike, just head to Shirdi Bites and sink your teeth into yummy, healthy and pocket-friendly food. And while you are there, have a drink of buttermilk for me, will you?

Pizza, pesto, perfect company!

There is something that needs to be said about Saturdays without alcohol. I don’t know very many people who, when in their drinking prime, prefer NOT drinking during the weekend. So after weekends of hangovers and cursing that drasted bottle of Old Monk the morning after, the girls and I decided to spend a muggy Saturday evening minus the alcohol.

Calls after frantic calls, messages after messages and the plan of action was decided. We decided to leave the boys to their devices and what they do best (nights at Gandhinagar Club discussing the most inane topics ever…yes, yes I enjoy doing that too) and head out for some ‘Girl’ time and a quiet dinner instead.

So off we trotted, three musketeers to a nearby pizza place with an absurd sounding name and sat down with a hot glass of lemon tea as we chatted (read gossip and bitch) about everything under the sun. Now a friend of ours has recently had a baby and since she does not get much time just chilling with us, we put her hubby on diaper duty and kidnapped her for a couple of hours. That he passed the buck to his poor, unsuspecting mum and scooted to meet the boys is another matter altogether!

Orders placed (a vegetable extravaganza pizza for me, an all meat combo ironically called ‘Redemption’ for my friend and a pesto pizza for the other), we got talking, between occasional nicotine breaks, about what life had come to mean for all of us. The ‘just been baby boomed’ one complained about lack of anytime for herself, the ‘married’ one pondered on how hers was an unconventional marriage (without nagging in-laws – yes they make those) and I wondered when I would eventually, if ever, tie the knot.

It was at this time that the steward politely came and told us to get back to the table as our pizzas were getting cold. One bite and we were transported to la-la land. Never ever have I tasted a pesto so fresh, the all meat pizza was generously topped with every kind of meat possible and the thin crust was baked to perfection. Our steward even got us extra dipping sauces, parmesan and olive oil to drizzle on our delicious pies.  Sigh! If only it were not all going to the hip!

Did it burn a hole in our pockets? No, not really at all. Sufficiently stuffed, we decided to continue our late night soiree with a glass of ice-cold lemon tea and conversation. As for dessert, well since the joint we went to had no panna cotta, we satisfied our sweet tooth discussing dishy dudes we all fancied!A Saturday well spent? You betcha! Maybe next time, I'll just carry a hip flask or a premix!

Stranded on the Lagoon

Coconut Lagoon is one of those innocuous looking places that is nestled in the corner of a very bustling and busy TTK road. While its Andhra half-sister Amaravathi usually runs away with the accolades ever so often, the quite Coconut Lagoon also seems to have its share of staunch loyalists, and no, not all of them are Malayali.

Since I work full days on Saturday, no prizes for guessing what my mood is like by the end of the day. It was one of those frumpy Saturdays when a friend came to pick me up at work and we headed to Coconut Lagoon for some much-needed comfort food and conversation. Plus, they served beer, so that only made the prospects brighter!

Now, let me tell you first off that I love Kerala cuisine and Ente Keralam is one of my most favourite restaurants in Chennai. Was I expecting Coconut Lagoon to be as good as Ente Keralam? Well, not really but I was expecting it to be somewhere close. Was it? Hmmm, read on to know more…

So we settled down in the somewhat blah and simply done interiors and were presented with their rather exhaustive menu. We asked for the Crab soup, some appams, mutton stew, Syrian beef fry (its Kerala cuisine, so beef has to be a staple!) and some mushroom pepper fry. Needless to say, the beer was a welcome addition to what we asked for and probably the best thing about the meal.

While the crab soup was interesting, a hearty broth with a large piece of crab in each bowl, the mushroom pepper fry was extremely lackluster. Sure it was spicy, but that’s all it was…lots and lots of pepper and chilli powder. The Syrian beef fry however, more than made up for the mushroom. Fried to perfection, I would definitely go back for this one dish. Sufficiently stuffed with the starters, we decided to dive in to the appams and mutton stew. The appams here are slightly different in the sense that they are served flat. They don’t take the glorious form of the kadhai. Much like what we love at Ente Keralam. Nevertheless, they were tasty. The mutton stew though was a thorough disappointment. It lacked absolutely any flavour and just tasted like a bowl of cream with mutton pieces thrown in.

Not ones to be deterred, we decided to have the pal ada pradhaman for dessert, but sadly, even that was absolutely flavourless. I’m not saying Coconut Lagoon serves bad no. Hell no! It has it’s proud moments…what I do expect is slightly more inspired and thought through food.

NOTE: Do check you bill thoroughly because we were charged over 150 rs extra and even after asking for a revised bill, they charged us an additional fee. We had to recalculate the bill for them! Maybe math classes are in order?

Mad about momos

If you are a lover of the ubiquitous kozhakattai, or our very own samosa, then there is no doubt that you will lust after its Tibetan counterpart — the momo. These steamed little dumplings of heaven not only provide a tantalising treat to your taste buds, but are an extremely healthy alternative to the junk we get in the name of health food today.

I first tasted these delicacies when I went for a holiday to Calcutta. My grandfather and I trudged along the streets one fine morning when he took me on a ‘sight-seeing’ walk. Howrah bridge apart, the only sight that caught my eye were these plump, snow-white dumplings that sat prettily steamed in a busy street as resident Tibetian families fed hungry office-goers mounds and mounds of these simple looking beauties. One bite, and I was hooked.

Be warned, making momos does require patience simply because of all the kneading and rolling. However, the end result is well worth its weight in gold. Since the parcels are made from a thin layer of dough, the stuffing can vary from cooked meat, vegetables and cheese to even chocolate on occasion.

The stuffing usually depends on the region the momos come from and every area has a different speciality. Served with a hot chilli dipping sauce that proves to be the perfect foil to the simple, yet subtle flavours of the dumplings, these sinfully delicious in-between bites sure have found a calling in Chennai.

I have tried a variety of filings, but I personally feel the traditional ones are still my favourite. No cream cheese and broccoli momos for me please. I have posted a really easy and simple recipe below which I’m sure you guys can try. Get the hubby/boyfriend to roll out the dough. (good way for him to work his muscles eh?)

VEGETABLE  MOMOS

Ingredients:

250 gm mushroom, carrot, cabbage, boiled and minced
500 gm plain maida
2 onions finely chopped
1 inch ginger cut into slivers,
2 green chillies finely chopped,
2 cloves garlic finely chopped,
1 tbsp soy sauce
Salt to taste
1 tbsp oil

METHOD: Combine flour, oil and salt in a bowl, mix well. Add water to make it a soft dough. Chop green chillies, onions, garlic and ginger. Combine them with minced chicken. Add soy sauce, mix well and set aside. Make small balls from the dough. Roll them into a small round and put one tsp of the filling in the middle. Seal it and steam for about twenty minutes. Serve hot with chilli-garlic sauce.

Cheesy does it!

You remember how I was telling you that I loved cheese? Well, considering I have become more or less a wine drinker now (less calories people, it has nothing to do with being a snob!), I have decided to put together a wine and cheese pairing for the girls sometime soon.

And while I did some research and spoke to a few sommeliers and Maître Fromagers (yeah I know, see these fancy terms I have learnt!), I came to realise how grossly unaware I was about the different types of cheeses that exist in the market.  By the end of my shopping expedition, not only had I tried and tasted everything from Norwegian Gjetost (yate'-ohst) with its magnificent caramel flavour, to something called the Stinking Bishop (this is a type of hard cheese that is made from cow’s milk. It is washed in an alcoholic drink called “Stinking Bishop” which is made from pears. It has a very strong, ripe flavour and smell, but does taste gorgeous).

Now I have to admit while I tend to lean towards more soft cheeses (think Brie, Camembert, Boursault, Brillat Savarin and the like), I have found favour in some delicious hard cheeses like Gospel Green and Cumin Gouda.

Assembling a cheese platter is actually quite simple. Here is how I thought through it:

• Traditionally, a cheese platter should include a variety of cheese, progressing from the very mild to the more pronounced, but tastes vary. So, it’s important to get your basic mix right. This way, you will satisfy everybody’s palate and there will be at least one variety of cheese that will appeal to everybody.
  
• When you head to the supermarket to buy your cheese, always ensure that you taste everything you buy. For instance, feta is a salty cheese and parmesan is dry. However, unless you taste it, you will not know the difference in the flavours and whether or not it is suitable to be served in a cheese platter.
  
• Usually, hard cheeses form the majority of cheese platter, but there are certain exceptions to the rule. Camembert and brie, both soft cheeses, usually find their way to the palate as they are mild and suit most taste buds.
  
• Most common cheese on a platter should include cheddar, smoked gouda, Swiss blue cheese, emmental, gorgonzola, camembert and brie. After you buy the cheese, ensure that you use a wooden board to assemble them. Avoid using metal as this may alter the flavour due to oxidation.
  
• Always remember that cheese tastes best when served at room temperature. Set knives by the cheese plate, ideally one for each cheese. Cheese markers are a fun way to identify the types of cheese you are serving. Provide napkins and small plates. Also, keep aside different types of bread such as rye, multi-grain and a variety of crackers. Always keep a bowl of pitted olives, prunes and fruits, apart from cold cuts. These serve as the perfect accompaniment to the cheese.
  
• Finally, remember to set out the cheese half an hour before serving to ensure that they attain room temperature. This helps bring out the flavours of the cheese.

Remember, a cheese platter doesn’t have to be after dinner! It makes a sensational lunch accompanied by a mixed salad of greens, fresh fruit, crackers, nuts and bread. And what more do you need than a couple of bottles of wine to get the party started? Hic! I’ll drink to that!

Spanish sojourn

There is nothing ordinary about Zara. Not the ambience, not the staff, not the music, not the drinks…and most definitely, not the food. Food, did you hear? Yes, you heard right. While the popular restobar in the city has the crowd ooh-ing and aahing about their delectable, yet affordable cocktails, one service that hasn’t got its due is their delightful food.

Armed with an appetite and a determination to discover more, my colleague and I set off one sunny afternoon to try out the tapas and more at Zara. It’s my friend’s first time here (yes, I know shocking!) and needless to say, she is charmed. “Reminds me of the pubs I used to haunt in the UK,” she quips. I somberly remind her that my club experiences have been limited to the Indian map, but if this is what UK pubs are like…then I’m sure, I will like!

Not wasting any time, we decide to tackle their lunch combos. We pick the sangria as our weapon of choice, a refreshing white one for me and a heady, sweet, red one for her. With crisp, juicy chunks of tropical fruit, the sangria not only soothes my frazzled nerves, but is a revitalising start to the meal. For the starters, our pick is the crumb fried cottage cheese fingers, the Mexican fried spicy chicken wings and the chicken sausages tossed with soy and ginger. While the cheese sticks were simple and subtly flavoured, the sausages were zingy, spicy and complemented our drinks very well. The dipping sauces come in the form of salsa, an interesting spicy mayonnaise and a smooth and piquant tomato sauce.

Slightly stuffed but in the mood for more, the main course brings us to a plethora of choices, but mostly of the Mexican, Spanish, Italian lineage. While the garbanzo beans and mixed vegetables cooked in spicy tomato gravy, reminds me of our very own chhole, the vegetable and bean burrito, passes muster. However, the curried cottage cheese with Alfredo sauce and cheese was a mouth-watering treat, as was the batter fried fish, topped with creamed spinach and cheese.

With no place in our stomachs for even a single morsel more, my friend and I decide to take a rain check on the desserts. However, the next time around, the crepes with orange glaze and ice cream is surely going to be a must have on my list.

The food choices at Zara keeps changing once a month, so as to ensure that the menu is always fresh and updated; something we rarely find at restaurants nowadays. The very healthy portions and affordable prices do not compromise on the quality of the food and this is where the Tapas bar scores way above its counterparts. Salud!

Fun Republic

Hey, yes I know it has been two days. Missed me much? I love holidays…but mid-week ones are the best! As the evening of January 25^th approached, I was already letting out little screams of joy. Sigh! Hello Republic Day bliss.

So what does on look forward to on a holiday? Well apart from the actual holiday itself (waking up late and all that), it’s the night before that is most fun. So my best friend’s hubby and I got talking on chat to ‘put’ plan for the evening:

Me: Are you off tom?

Him:  Yeah man, bring on the partaaay!

Me: What do you wanna do?

Him: Dude, what kind of question is that? Let’s drink ourselves dry and high!

Me: Hmmm, okay sounds good..what time, what about food?

Him: Bring on the pasta baby!I’ll bring the booze, you make the food!

Me: Ok awesome…can we watch Black Swan please? It’s supposed to be a brilliant movie…
(Cuts me short…)

Him: Dude, I’m not watching some ridiculous, weird girl becoming a swan movie. Nobody dies also. No way, lets watch Rambo, part 100!

 So in essence, though I did get to watch Black Swan while he was away, the majority of the night was spent slaving in the kitchen as my friend’s hubby and I cooked up a storm. Did it come out great? Oh you bet, so much so that we had people coming home only to eat the food! I’m posting below my version of a Penne Ala Vodka for you guys to enjoy. Tell me how you like it:

Penne A La Vodka

Penne/Rigatoni/Farfalle                                         500 gm
Fresh Cream                                                             500 ml
Blue Cheese                                                               250 gm
Strong cheddar cheese                                             250 gm
Mixed herbs, salt, paprika                                        To taste
Minced Garlic                                                           12-18 pods
Pureed Tomato                                                         200 gm Milk                                                                           2 litres Vodka                                                                        200 ml
Olive Oil                                                                    1 cup
Bacon/Pancetta                                                         200 gm

METHOD: Fill a large pot to the brim with water and set to boil. Throw in some salt and oil. Once the water is boiling add your pasta and stir occasionally. It should take about 20-25 mins to cook. Once done, drain out the water and immediately dunk in ice cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside to cool.

For the sauce, Pour the olive oil into a pan and once it starts to heat up, throw in the garlic and let it sweat for a few minutes. Now, pour in the vodka, and add the spices and sauté for another 2 mins. Throw in the pureed tomato and let it simmer for about 15 mins, till the tomato is cooked. Now, throw in the cheeses, and once melted, add the milk. Let it reduce in the pot, for about 45 mins. The consistency should be such that it coats the back of a spoon. Add the salt and cream, let it simmer for about 5 mins. Meanwhile, cut the pancetta/bacon into bite size pices, season with pepper and fry them to a crisp. Toss the pasta with the sauce, add bacon bits and serve piping hot.