A Vegetarian's Food Trail in Uzbekistan - A Carnivore's Paradise

I had a lovely vacation in Uzbekistan last month. I wondered how I would survive for 8 days in a carnivore's paradise. Well, it was not as bad as I had imagined as folks there eat lots of vegetables and fresh fruit, and nuts are found in abundance all year round.

Of course, it was a bit of a problem in restaurants as almost every dish has meat. So the next bet was salads. Mixed veggies with tangy sauces, grilled aubergines, sweet radish and cucumber in yogurt (almost like our raitha) called "turf chakka" were some of the vegetarian options.

The fruits in Uzbekistan are to die for, literally! Juicy, sweet and fleshy. I drooled over juicy watermelon slices. Rich in colour although grown naturally, melons are found in abundance. Story goes that watermelons came to India when Emperor Babur came here with the seeds from the Uzbek region. Another very delicious melon I lived on mostly is the musk melon. Saccharin white slices with firm fruit body - never had melons like this before. And their peaches, big velvety and fleshy ones with a distinct taste that I cannot describe. 

A visit to the market got me loads of nuts. Almonds with shells intact, roasted pista,  hazelnuts and walnuts. Apart from nuts, the dry fruits vendors also stock dried apricots, figs, dates and barfis made of these dry fruit.

Dairy products are in abundance. The Uzbekis make different types of cheeses from camel and horse milk. Horse milk products are a delicacy; however, I could not bring myself to taste them.

An Uzbek staple at all meals is bread which they call 'naan', pronounced as 'non'. Their bread is slightly hard, sour and chewy. I did not relish the breads much but they sure look pretty with a good colouring and some had designs on them too!

The end result of surviving on salads, fruit and nuts is weight loss in  few kilos (yippee!!!). However, I am more than making up for loss of solid food with binging back home.

Upside Down Mango Cake

We are a mango loving crazy family, and that includes my mango eating dog who loves to chew on the seed!  End of the mango season coincides with my husband's birthday. So what better way to end the season than make a mango cake? However, mango is one fruit that I normally do not tamper with. That is cook/bake the fruit. At best, I use cubed pieces in trifles or with ice-cream. But this time, I decided to give it a shot and bake a mango dessert!

This is a simple and easy to bake cake. As you can see from the pictures, the result was a moist, super soft and gooey cake with caramel dripping off the top, and off course the heavenly mango pieces baked and soaked in caramel. Husband, family, friends and my dog loved it. Proof of the pudding! :D

You will need:

250 gms flour

200 gms brown sugar

250 gms cooking butter

4 eggs

1tsp vanilla essence

2 cups firm cubed mangos (I used Alphonso mangos)

1/2 cup caramel

For the cake : Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs separately and add in one at a time, continuously beating along with the vanilla. Fold in the flour little at a time till a smooth consistency is formed.

For the caramel : In a heavy bottom pan, place 3/4 cup of white (refined) sugar with 4 tbs of water. Cook on low flame without stirring till the sugar and water are well incorporated. Heat the mixture further till the colour changes to brown. Turn off the gas and let it cool.

Pre heat the oven at 180 degrees centigrade. Grease and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Evenly distribute/arrange the mango cubes on the tray. Pour the caramel over the mango ensuring that every bit of the tray base is covered with mango and caramel. On top of this, pour the cake batter and bake at 200 degrees centigrade for 25 minutes or till a knife inserted comes out clean without gooey batter sticking to it. Allow to cool completely before flipping the cake on a flat surface.

Dulce de leche pudding

Dulce de leche, pronounced dool-seh-deh-LEH-cheh is Spanish for a confection made from slowly heating sweetened condensed milk. The condensed milk changes colour due to caramelization of sugar in the condensed milk.

The flavour becomes sweeter and more rich, while the texture becomes sticky almost like toffee. This confection can be used in plenty of desserts such as cakes and trifles.

On a lazy day, I made a quick fix pudding with whatever I had handy at home. So a thick layer of Marie biscuits became the base, which I topped with delicious & gooey Dulce de leche.

What you need:

For the base:
2 packets Marie biscuits
1 tbs instant coffee powder
1cup warm water
1tsp sugar

For Dulce de leche:
1 can condensed milk
1 cup fresh cream
2 cups milk (an additional half cup for corn flour mixture)
2 tbs cup corn flour

Method:

Dissolve sugar and coffee powder in  warm water. Dip each. Marie biscuit in the prepared decoction and arrange about 3 layers in a wide pudding dish.  Refrigerate as you prepare the topping.

Without opening the condensed milk can, place it in a pressure cooker filled with water. Ensure that the can is completely immersed is water. Cook with the weight on on high flame till the first whistle, cook on low flame for 20 minutes thereafter. Remove the can from the cooker only after the cooker has completely cooled down.

Open the condensed milk can after cooling. You will notice that the colour of the milk has changed to brown. In a heavy bottom pan, pour this mixture, cream and milk cook until well combined and there are bubbles.

In a separate cup, dissolve 3tbs of corn flour in milk to make a smooth paste. Pour this mixture into the milk and cream concoction and stir briskly. Add sugar if needed. Keep stirring until the mixture reaches a thick consistency.

Remove the biscuit base from the fridge. Pour the dulce de leche mixture over the biscuit layer evenly. Refrigerate again for about 2 hours. Decorate and top with chocolate shavings, nuts or chocolate sauce.

Vaathsalya Millet Cafe, JP Nagar, Bangalore - Restaurant Review

Vaathsalya Millet Cafe, as the name suggests, is a concept cafe that uses millet in every dish.

This is located on the JP nagar 15th cross ring road at the Nandini signal underpass (opposite Damro furniture). A spacious house is converted to a cosy cafe with indoor and outdoor seating. A clean, spacious and tasteful interior with light instrumental music playing in the background makes the ambience very inviting.

I went for lunch to this cafe with my mother out of curiosity - to check if health food can actually taste good.  I ordered a thali - and was I surprised! 

The cafe believes in serving fresh, simple and local food - so the menu is very native to Karnataka - hot ragi rotti, tangy and tasty green tomato chutney, wholesome soya grain and capsicum curry that tasted really good, raitha, brown rice, soppin palya (greens subzi) mildly spiced sprouted curry, doddpathre buttermilk curry, paayasa made of brown rice, channa dal and jaggery and methi and aralu (puffed rice) malted buttermilk. Note that the menu changes every day.

The enterprising lady who runs the cafe informed us that no food colouring, artificial flavours or soda is used. Every dish is prepared keeping in mind the health benefit of the grains and keeping the dish light, simple and wholesome.

Every dish served was unique in taste. Lots of effort had gone into understanding nutritional value of grains and presenting and serving healthy and fresh food. 

The cafe also sells a variety of food products such as malts, flax seeds powder, ragi dosa mix and ragi thambittu (a traditional sweet preparation with ragi flour, jaggery and whole spices) amongst others.

Service was quick and the staff was very courteous. However, for healthy eaters, the portions could seem frugal.

If you like home style simple and healthy food and believe in eating local, a visit to Vaathsalya cafe is a must.

PS: Easy on the wallet - a thali costs Rs 120.

Verdict : 4/5

Sri Rama Vilas / Gundappa Hotel, OTC Road, Bangalore : Sweet Shop Review

A visit to the legendary sweet meat shop Gundappa Hotel, now renamed Sri Rama Vilas was like walking into a shop/hotel set in the 40s! Wooden furniture with a nostalgic feel, a huge grandfather clock, rustic but well maintained window frames, old timers in traditional clothes (panche) and most importantly delicious looking traditional sweets waiting to be devoured!

The Gundappa hotel is one of those legendary eateries that refuse to compromise on quality, and would rather stay small. According to my father who grew up savouring these delicacies - snacks taste the same as they did 50 years ago.

The combination of heavenly Kashi Halwa (pumpkin halwa) served with hot & savoury chow chow (mixture) is a favourite amongst the regulars-this topped with badam milk. Carrot halwa, badam halwa, dumroot, jalebis & jahangiris are other hot favourites. Their super famous Mysore pak is still made the traditional way, unlike the smooth and ultra soft ones available outside. Here, the Mysore Pak is drenched in ghee and remains soft but the texture is coarse with pores like a brick. And the taste! What can I say...simply melts in the mouth! The traditional pheni and chiroti, which I bought back home were ultra light, crisp and wafery! All this and more is normally exhausted by 2pm.

Sri Rama Vilas Sweets on OTC Road, in Nagrathpet, was originally established in 1933  near the maternity home in Balepet by Gundappa, with financial assistance by Rama Rao. After 17 years, in 1950, he shifted the hotel to OTC Road where it stands today, named after the late benefactor. Gundappa's sons run Sri Rama Vilas Sweets today and are doing an excellent job at retaining the flavor and fame of the eatery.

Those of you who relish authentic South Indian (Kannadiga style) traditional sweets, do stop by to satiate your sweet tooth.

Verdict: 5/5

Chocolate Banana Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Got some over ripe bananas that need using up, but want a change from the usual banana bread?

Try this really yummy recipe and I assure you you'll love it. More so if you like banana type cakes and are chocoholic.

I couldn't image combining banana and chocolate together until I baked this cake. Quick and easy to put together, and a hit with family and friends.

You will need:

2 cups (400 grams) granulated white sugar

1 3/4 cups (245 grams) all-purpose flour

3/4 cup (75 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder 

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 cups mashed ripe bananas

1/2 cup warm milk

1 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade. In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, mashed bananas, water, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir, or whisk, until combined.

Pour the batter into prepared tins and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

For the Ganache:

Melt the chopped chocolate in a microwave proof bowl for about 3 minutes and set aside. Next, heat the cream and butter in another bowl for just about 1 minute. Pour the cream-butter mixture over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. After cooling completely, spread over the cake evenly.

Adapted from Joy Of Baking

Riwaz, Ritz Carlton, Residency Road, Bangalore : Restaurant Review

The Riwaz of offering recipes rooted in rich royal heritage.

The Riwaz of serving rustic and robust meals.

The Riwaz of Mughal cooking inspired techniques to retain wholesome flavours.
The Riwaz of using delicately marinated chunks of vegetables (and meat) and cooked on high temperature in traditional clay pots.
The Riwaz of a Master Chef passionately recreating a menu that offers a treat to all five senses with a varied range of exotic and long forgotten signature dishes.

We were treated to all this and more on invitation at RIWAZ, the North West Frontier restaurant housed within the famed Ritz Carlton, Residency Road Bangalore.

On the busy and bustling Residency road, the Ritz Carlton came across as another one of those 5 star hotels mushrooming in the city. However, on entering the property we were taken aback at the tasteful décor, attention to detail and ambiance of the hotel. We noticed that an intricate mesh/jaal work was included as part of the interiors across the hotel.  Every floor/restaurant houses a whiskey tasting table with the best of single malts and an enoteca (wine repository) that boasts of a fine wine collection.

The decor at the Riwaz in particular is clean and contemporary without frills. The imposing wine enoteca and the whisky tasting table are right at the entrance. A busting warm open kitchen in the middle of the dining area adds a cheer to the ambience. At the farthest end is a private dining area – an elegant space for exclusive dining.

We settled at a warm table close to the open kitchen and decided to let Chef Ramandeep choose the appropriate menu for us. As a prelude to my vegetarian three-course meal (my friend enjoyed the non-vegetarian meal) we sampled two exotic cocktails.  A whiskey based one with fresh pomegranate juice called Nectar and a coriander & Indian spice infused vodka cocktail called Sweet & Spicy. Both of these were tangy and not sweet – the way we like it.

The vegetarian appetizers comprised of Tehdar Paneer Tikka (layered cottage cheese marinated with mint and garlic), Bharwan Tandoori Aloo (Potato filled with raisins and green peas flavoured with caraway seeds) and Subz aur Gucchi di Galoti (Cardamom scented dumplings of seasonal vegetables and morel, pan seared) served with a dash of beetroot chutney and fried  vegetable crisps of lotus stem and lady’s finger.

While the paneer was a little too garlicky for my liking, the tandoori aloo was nice and crisp on the outside with soft stuffing and light spices. What I relished most was the galoti kebab. This is a super soft pan fried kebab with delicate aroma and flavours. The chef told us the story behind the galoti kebab - Legend says that the aging Nawab Wajid Ali Shah lost his teeth, but not his craving for meat. Galoti kebab was prepared by his “khansama” so it melts in his mouth. This kebab is the vegetarian version of the same, with the elegant usage of handpicked spices and herbs. Alternate bites of the kebab and the lotus crisps complimented the opposite textures – softness of the kebab with crispness of the fries.  

As part of the main course, the Chef dished out an elaborate spread - a variety of gravies and breads to begin with. Kandahari Bharwan Gucchi Subj (Seasonal vegetables with mushroom/morels), Bharwan Kofta (Cottage cheese dumplings cooked in tomato curry), Dal Makhani (Black lentils cooked with tomatoes, butter and cream) and Sarsong Ka Saag (mustard greens tempered with whole spices, tomato, onion and garlic). 

I must mention here that the Gucchi subzi was delicious – morels in a rich creamy gravy. The chef let us know that the morels were actually sourced from Kashmir. The Kofta was just about alright – could have been softer. Dal Makhani, which is my all-time favourite (and I set a pretty high-standard for this particular dish in terms of taste and texture) totally lived up to my expectations. We were told that this Dal Makhani is rated the best in Bangalore today. The winter speciality Sarson ka saag was served with the customary jaggery and dollops of desi ghee.

These gravies were served with a bread basket of Indian breads such as Peshawari kulcha, Afghani naan, Roogani naan, Khasta roti and Bhakarkhani naan.  Fluffy and soft leavened breads stuffed with dry fruits, whole wheat breads, crisp and flaky refined flour breads. These were either baked, grilled or tava cooked.

Just when we thought we were so done with the meal, the chef sent us another visually appealing and appetizing wonder - Biryanis!  For me, Subz Dum Biryani was served in a small copper pot with a crispy layer of dum covering that sealed the dish. The dum layer was baked with herbs and melon seeds. On breaking open the dum a beautiful fragrant aroma of mixed spices and basmati rice filled my senses. Easily one of the best biryanis I’ve had so far. The chef suggested we bite into the crispy layered dum in between the biryani bites! Full marks to the Chef for the delicious and fantastically presented biryani. 

As always, the best was saved for the last – a dessert platter of Paan Kulfi, Sandesh, and a Belgian Chocolate & Cardamom Pudding. A special dessert (that is not on the menu) was concocted for us – saffron ice cream on a bed of burfi , covered with sonpapdi and topped with beaten silver.

The Kulfi was my favourite – rich and creamy little pieces with paan topping. To sample the saffron ice cream, we had to break through a layer of sonpapdi . The ice cream was light and flaky (like all home-made ice creams) and not too sweet luckily, as the sonpapdi more than made up for the sweetness quotient. A superb and innovative sweet dish this! A crisp pastry mesh reminiscent of the jaali décor that runs through the hotel, aptly adorned the steaming hot chocolate pudding. The pudding by itself was pretty delicious, but when served with Indian sweets I feel it loses its individuality as a ‘chocolate dessert’.

Our visit to the Ritz Carlton was a truly enjoyable experience. A warm and hearty welcome by the staff, an extremely courteous hostess, a guided tour of the entire Ritz Carlton property and of course, a delectable plated spread of the North West frontier, personally supervised by the Chef.

Definitely a meal to remember.

In terms of cost it is an expensive dining affair. But then, this is the Ritz Carlton. The dining experience is worth the money for those very special occasions. 

Note: The Riwaz is open only for dinner 7pm on-wards.

Verdict : 4/5