indian food blog Archives

Bombay Brasserie Is Back In A New Avatar At Quest Mall

October 27, 2017

And this time they are taking us on a culinary journey across the country. Yes, Bombay Brasserie, one of my favorite Indian restaurants in the city is back after a short break. Apart from the original location at Quest Mall, everything about the place seems to have changed. From the eclectic decor to the menu that focuses on experimental and fusion Indian food, things are quite different now. And it is a welcome change!

Bombay Brasserie, Kolkata

There are three dining zones – two inside the restaurant and one outdoor area. Colourful chairs, exposed Edison bulbs, Pinterest-y bric-a-brac, all combine to give the space a very laidback feel. The travel theme is predominant and that’s what Bombay Brasserie is aiming for. They want to “Satisfy those cravings for good conversation and great food, through an exciting adventure that serves up the very best of India’s ingredients and dishes for the armchair traveller”.

Bombay Brasserie Kolkata

Patiala Bar is a highlight of the restaurant. Old favorites and classics are presented with a twist and the best example of that are the Pauwa Cocktails. These are desi themed cocktails served in Pauwas or quarter bottles and paired with the right chakhna like masala cashews, roasted chana, murukku etc. The Pauwas come in many flavours and the ingredients are all desi spiked with either vodka, rum or whiskey. There is a Jaipur Gulabo, Nagpuri Santra, Go Goa Gone, Pondy Rush etc. Apart from the Pauwas, the bar also serves a wide range of desi and angrezi cocktails, wines and spirits.

Bombay Brasserie

The food menu is extensive. Aam Papad Paneer I was told is a bestseller and after tasting it, I get why. The paneer is soft and fresh, the aam papad adds a beautiful sweetness to the taste and the lotus stem gives the right amount of crunch. If you are bored of the usual ways of how paneer is cooked in restaurants, definitely give this a try. And if you are ordering the Naga Ghost Pepper Wings, make sure you save some of that paneer because you will need it. The smoked and roasted chicken wings are flavored with the famous Bhoot Jolokia chilli and believe me, these will set you on fire. Tears will be streaming down your face but you will not be able to stop eating!

If you love sea-food, definitely try out Mario’s Mango Prawns and Coconut Rice. The prawns are cooked in the traditional Goan ‘Ambotik Masala’ and the mild coconut flavored rice goes beautifully with it. The rice also goes very well with the Pondicherry Fish which is pan-grilled fish fillets in a lemon-cream gravy. The fish is served with Masala Bread Roll but I liked it better with the coconut rice.

Bombay Brasserie

I tried two desserts from the menu – Amritsari Kulfa and Grandma’s Choco Treat. The Kulfa has all my favorite Indian sweets in it. It has kulfi, it has rabdi and it has phirni topped with falooda and rose syrup. And Grandma’s Choco Treat is a twist on everyone’s favorite sweet paratha. This one is filled with chocolate and hazelnut spread drizzled with Bombay Brasserie’s ‘secret sauce’.

Amritsari Kulfa

The new Bombay Brasserie is all about reinventing classics and giving a taste of the familiar with the unexpected. As they say, “Sometimes a little change is a good thing”.

I was invited by the management to dine at the restaurant.

A New Cafe & A Tea Room That You Must Visit in Kolkata

October 9, 2017

A new cafe that is cozy, quirky, colorful and run by adults with special needs. A tea room where you get the original texture and signature aromas of some of the most memorable teas of the world. Read about Cafe ICanFlyy and Karma Kettle in this post.

Cafe ICanFlyy

This cafe is a special place for sure. Not just because it is run by adults with special needs like Prakriti , Komal, Saloni and Udita but because the warmth and love that you experience here makes every visit memorable.

Located near Maddox square, the cafe is the brainchild of mother-daughter duo, Minu and Priyam Budhia who run the organisation, Caring Minds. Komal, Saloni, Udita and the others are participants of the I Can Fly program where they learn various types of vocational skills. And one of them is working in the cafe, interacting with guests and helping with the service.

Cafe ICanFlyy

When you enter Cafe ICanFlyy, the first thing you will notice is the bright, colorful and quirky decor and of course the board that mentions Free Wi-Fi! There is both indoor and outdoor seating. There are ‘Pinterest’ type quotes hung on the walls, and you get to meet CatLisa and CatPatra as well. On each table is a personalized card telling you about who will serve you, their name and a little bit about them. Once you decide on your order, you will need to write that down and hand it over to your server.

Cafe ICanFlyy

The food is your regular cafe food which means a variety of sandwiches, pastas, pizzas, Maggi and other tidbits. They also have a good range of hot and cold beverages like Berry and Basil Soda, Hot Chocolate etc. The cafe’s signature dessert is Caprese made with basil sponge, white chocolate mousse, mascaporne and tomato confit. Yes, tomato in a dessert and surprisingly, the combination works quite well! Prices are reasonable and you can easily get a meal for two at Rs 500.

Cafe ICanFlyy

Other things that make Cafe ICanFlyy awesome is the availability of plenty of board games, a shelf dedicated to food and handmade products like bookmarks, coasters etc that you can take home, open mic and karaoke nights and a lot of fun events that take place regularly. The cafe is closed on Mondays.

Cafe ICanFlyy

4B Valmikee Street, Kolkata – 700026

Karma Kettle

If you love tea then this place is heaven for you. Located inside The Ivy House in Swinhoe Street, Karma Kettle is Dhiraj and Priti Arora’s venture to give Kolkata a taste of teas that are sourced from across the globe. Both of them are avid tea drinkers and travelers and Karma Kettle was born in 2013 when they decided to merge both these passions together. The family also owns Cochrane Place, a heritage boutique hotel in Kurseong with a specialized tea bar called ‘Chai Country’.

The decor of Karma Kettle is charming, quaint and if I may add, very pretty with both European and Bengali design elements. Inside the team room, you can spot a black desk which used to be a cottage piano ages back, glass test tubes containing exotic tea blends and shelves displaying around 40 varieties of tea in the form of tea bags, loose leaf and herbal infusions, packaged in attractive containers and boxes. Also on display are accessories like tea pots, kettles and tea cups. The price range of the teas start at Rs. 250.

Karma Kettle

What to try at Karma Kettle? I loved Nathula, a caffeine-free tea that combines the herbal flavours of Tulsi with rhododendron and marigold flowers, Shanti, an aromatic tea that combines jasmine with green tea, Gulmarg, an exotic blend of green tea with spices, saffron, safflower petals, and almond bits and Maya, which is black tea with chocolate and cranberry. There are plenty of other options available that you can enjoy with some light bites. Do not miss out on tasting these wonderful tea blends at Karma Kettle. And the good news is that they are opening their own cafe very soon!

Karma Kettle

Karma Kettle

4, Swinhoe Street, Ballygunge Place, Ballygunge, Kolkata – 700019

Five Best Chocolate Shops in Zurich, Switzerland

July 22, 2017

When my brother shifted to Zurich nearly two years ago from Singapore, my joy knew no bounds. Having grown up on a heavy dose of Yash Chopra and Bollywood, Switzerland was always on my travel wishlist. Yes, I wanted to see the Alps and the scenic beauty but I also had two very important reasons to visit Switzerland. Chocolate and Cheese.

Five Best Chocolate Shops in Zurich

Before travelling, I spent hours on the internet researching about the food scene in the country. Which place served the best sausage, where can I get the best fondue, the best cheese and of course, the best chocolate. On one of my late-night surfing sessions, I came across Kerrin Rousset’s name. Kerrin runs the very popular ‘Sweet Zurich‘ tour where she or someone from her organisation takes tourists on a walking tour of the best sweet/chocolate shops in Zurich. I enlisted myself on the tour and on a very sunny afternoon, set off with my group to explore and obviously eat a lot of chocolate. Three of the shops in this list I discovered thanks to Kerrin. The other two I found out on my own. Here is my list of the Five Best Chocolate Shops in Zurich.

Confiserie Café Sprüngli Paradeplatz

The most famous café and chocolate shop in Zurich. It was founded in 1836 by Rudolf Sprüngli and the main café/restaurant has been at Paradeplatz on Bahnhofstrasse since 1859. The rich and famous of Zurich were seen sipping their hot chocolate or coffee and biting into their tarts and cakes here. More than a 100 years later, the café still is one of the most popular places in Zurich.

Chocolate Truffle Cake

Sprüngli’s iconic hot chocolate is ranked the 4^th best in the world and I can tell you that one sip of the delicious rich liquid will transport you into chocolate heaven straightaway! In my 2.5 weeks of stay in Zurich, I went to Sprüngli five times and tasted quite a few of their delicacies. Not to be missed are the Hot Chocolate, Raspberry Tart, Truffle Cake, Birchermuesli with fresh cream, Salmon canapé, Truffles du Jour and the light and delicate Luxemburgerli available in different flavors. Luxemburgerli is slightly different from the French macron. These are smaller and filled with a light cream made of fresh, natural ingredients. These tiny things literally melt inside the mouth! Why the name Luxemburgerli? Because it was created by a young confectioner from Luxembourg.

The café is located in Paradeplatz but the brand has a number of shops all over Zurich. If you want to buy something for your loved ones, nothing can beat a box of Sprüngli’s chocolate. However, they need to be consumed within 2-3 days so keep that in mind.

Hot Chocolate, Cafe Sprungli

Luxemburgerli

Max Chocolatier

Second on my list is a relatively new entrant to the chocolate scene in Switzerland. Max Chocolatier opened in Lucerne in 2009. Their flagship shop is in Lucerne and they have one more in Zurich. Tucked away in a lane next to St. Peter’s Church, it is a small shop but what is available inside will blow your mind. From chocolate bars to chocolate truffles, chocolate spreads, chocolate pastries and ice-creams, they have it all. The best thing about the brand is that everything is hand-made and the ingredients are all locally sourced, organic and 100% natural. Hence, their products vary by season and they have a spring, summer, fall and winter collection.

Max Chocolatier, Zurich

At the shop, you can sample treats before buying and I sampled quite a few of their creations. I was told that the Raspberry Branchli is the favorite of Max after whom the brand is named and after tasting, I knew why. Raspberry jelly and hazelnut gianduja on a bed of breton shortcrust pastry covered in dark chocolate. This one is a must must have!! I also tried the rich, dark and delicious chocolate truffle and one item from the summer collection, Candied Ginger Sticks. These are basically ginger sticks covered with dark chocolate. Never thought ginger and dark chocolate would taste so good together!!

Max Chocolatier, Zurich

Confiserie Honold

Since 1905, Honold has been making chocolates that are available only in Zurich. It is a family run establishment and is famous for their truffles and pralines. Located at Rennweg just off Bahnhofstrasse, this cafe/tea room is very popular with the locals. I was told that Honold’s is also famous for the Chocolate Tram which is an annual attraction for all chocolate lovers in Zurich!

Confiserie Honold Tea Room

I tasted a selection of their dark chocolate treats and my favorite was the bestseller, Lotti’s Best. The creation is named after their previous owner, Lotti and is a mix of nougat, tonka beans and a pinch of fleur de sel, all enveloped in Criollo de Venezuela and milk chocolate and decorated with edible gold dust. Honold’s also comes out with seasonal specialties and in summer, there is a range of fruit-flavored chocolate that is available. Honold’s dark and creamy hot chocolate is also quite delicious.

Cafe Honold, Zurich

Café Schober

This cafe is located in the ‘old town’ and is the epitome of opulence and grandeur. Schober opened in the 1830’s and time seems to stand still here. The decor is exquisite and what is interesting about Schober is that each room is done up in a different way. On one end, you have a salon with a wine color scheme and velvet curtains and antique gilded furniture. Next to it is a room with a Middle Eastern theme with huge painted walls. Everything is mis-matched but somehow, it all looks so beautiful together.

At Schober, I tasted the hot chocolate which is quite different from the one you get at Sprüngli. This one is a lot sweeter. If you are not fond of rich, dark hot chocolate, you will love this. Schober is also very popular for coffee, cake, tarts and other savoury items. It is also known as Cafe Peclard.

Teuscher

This is probably the prettiest shop on Bahnhofstrasse. Teuscher was founded in 1932 in a small town in Switzerland and now, they have shops all over the world. The most popular Teuscher creation is the champagne truffles, made from dark chocolate, buttercream, and Dom Pérignon. Exquisite will be an under statement to define it! No idea, why I did not click any pics of the shop and the chocolates!

Another brand that is very popular is Laderach. In the airport, train stations, the main city, there are Laderach shops everywhere. They have a huge selection of chocolate but since I did not taste them, Laderach does not figure in my top 5.

So that was my list of the Five Best Chocolate Shops in Zurich and I hope it will come in handy if you plan a trip there. If you have been to any of these shops, I would love to hear about your experience. Do share in the comments below.

Cooking With Beer – Five Easy Recipes

August 26, 2015

Hiya everyone! I had asked on my Facebook page if you would be interested to know about recipes and you guys said yes, so here is the post. These recipes are very interesting because they all have a common ingredient – beer and they are very easy to make! Beer contains barley and hops so it imparts a subtle sweetness that accentuates the flavor of meat, vegetables, fish and even desserts. If you have never used beer in your food before, do experiment and let me know how they turn out 🙂

Thank you Molson Coors Cobra India for sharing the recipes.

Beer Battered Onion Rings

Beer Batter for Onion Rings

¼ Cup. flour
¼ Cup. cornstarch
¼ Cup. beer
¼ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. seasoning salt
¼ tsp. paprika
2 egg whites, beaten
Onions, sliced as rings

Combine first six ingredients in a small bowl. Fold in beaten egg whites into batter. Dip onion rings into batter and then deep fry until golden.

Beer Battered Fish

Beer Battered Fish

¾ Cup. beer
2 eggs, separated
¾ Cup. flour
¾ tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. vegetable oil
¼ tsp. garlic powder
Shortening
25 to 30 pan fish

Let beer stand at room temperature until it goes flat (approximately 45 minutes). Beat egg whites until stiff. In a separate bowl, beat the beer, flour, salt, oil and egg yolks together until smooth. Fold in egg whites. Dip each fillet in the batter separately and then fry in melted shortening, about 5 to 7 minutes until brown. Turn and brown other side.

: Beer Battered Fried Vegetables

Beer Battered Fried Vegetables

2 Cup. all-purpose flour
1 ½ Cup. beer
2 eggs
1 Cup. milk
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Cup. vegetable oil for frying
1 carrot, cut into thick strips
1 onion, sliced into rings
6 fresh mushrooms, stems removed
1 green bell pepper, sliced in rings

In a medium bowl, mix together 1 ½ cups flour and beer with a wooden spoon; let stand for at least 3 hours at room temperature. Mix eggs and milk in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together ½ cup flour, salt and pepper. Heat oil to 375°. Dip each vegetable in the egg and milk mixture. Next, dip the vegetable into the flour and seasoning mixture; finally dip the vegetable in the beer and flour mixture. Place the vegetables into the oil and fry until golden brown.

Deep Fried Chicken

Deep Fried Beer Chicken

1 ½ Cup. flour
1 T. margarine, melted
1 egg, beaten
1 Cup. flat beer, room temp.
2 lbs. chicken, cut, washed and patted dry
Oil for deep frying

At least 4 hours before cooking (can be done night before), mix flour, margarine, egg and sufficient beer to make a thick paste. Spread over chicken parts; cover and refrigerate. Heat 2” to 3” oil in deep fryer to 365°. Fry chicken pieces, a few at a time, for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Be sure to move the pieces around in the oil so they do not stick, but turn them carefully so the coating does not break off. Drain on paper towel before serving.

Meatballs

Easy Beer and Ketchup Meatballs

1-28 oz. bottle ketchup
24 oz. beer
1 ½ lbs. ground beef
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 onion, chopped

Preheat oven to 400°. Place the beer and ketchup in a slow cooker on high setting and allow to simmer. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the ground beef, garlic powder and onion, mixing well. Form mixture into meatballs about ¾” in diameter. Place meatballs in a 9 x 13” baking dish. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. Transfer meatballs to the slow cooker with the beer and ketchup and simmer for 3 hours; sauce will thicken.