Recipes

Friday, December 26, 2014

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

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

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

Friday, April 25, 2014

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

Thursday, February 13, 2014

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 

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Brewsky, JP Nagar, Bangalore : Restaurant Review

Chill with the Brewskasuras? Precisely what we did last Sunday evening – that is, chilled at Brewsky, the new microbrewery in South Bangalore!

A microbrewery in the residential area of JP Nagar – close to home? Too good to be true, was my first thought! And hope the place lives up to expectations, was my second. 


In a span of 1 month, I visited Brewsky twice. Conveniently located bang on the 15th cross ring road in JP nagar, the microbrewery is housed on the topmost floor of an unfinished building. There are two levels of terrace seating; a partially covered area that houses the bar and the brewery, and an open to sky lounge area with smart and minimal interiors for a warm and casual ambience – funky demons/asura pictures, on the menu and walls add to the cool attitude. I can’t really rave about the view I got of South Bangalore from here as it is disappointing to see the mass of concrete apartments all around – albeit the twinkling lights. There is apparently a covered section on the lower floor that will soon be open for performances.


On my first visit, we tasted the beer samplers – Giltasutra Golden Ale (medium bitter), Ooperworld Hefeweizen (light wheat beer with aromas of banana & clove), Kamacitra India Pale Ale (a citrusy and fruity aroma beer) and Kala and Handsome Dunkelweizen (a dark beer with notes of caramel, cocoa and coffee). I loved the Ooperworld Hefeweizen, light and just right for my taste, while the husband freaked out on the Kala and Handsome Dunkelweizen. On my second visit however, we were very disappointed as the crafted beer was not available due to an excise licence issue. I loved their green apple martini – not too potent, yet good enough to give you a buzz with an apple after taste. 



On the food front, vegetarians like me are at a bit of a disadvantage in terms of options. For appetizers, we had over loaded nachos and veg la bhudina. The nachos were ok but not really overloaded, a little more garnishing and cheese sauce would help; the bhudina is an innovative wanton with a crisp vegetable filling served with a yummy sweet and spicy sauce. The tomato basil soup was excellent – thick and creamy with nice basil after taste and not too tangy. The atomic wedgies pizza was pretty good, loaded with juicy veggies on a thin and crisp crust and a generous topping of cheese. 





In the mains, the pesto pasta was a bit of let-down. Pretty dry with a few pieces of carrots and broccoli thrown in - very Kerala avail types. The pasta arabiatta was decent but could have been saucier. For dessert, we tried the chocolate cigar – a cigar type role made of wanton wrap with a creamy chocolate filling and a drizzle of sauce. Rich, but with a wanton crusty after taste served with a scoop of ice cream. Service was pretty good both times in spite of a packed house.

I must mention the management is extremely accommodating for groups with kids. Not many microbreweries in the city are accommodative in that sense. Request for mashed potatoes, extra cheese and a warm corner were happily obliged.

Overall, a great place for food and drinks in South Bangalore. Not too heavy on the wallet and value for money. So yes, go people - Chill with the Brewskasuras!

Verdict : 3.7/5