BBC Good Food 2012-07 India

eat in eat out eat away

India

EASY EVERYDAY

Ready in 30 7 meals for ` 700 MODERN VEGGIE

Khichdis gone chic IN SEASON

Keen on peaches EAT OUT

EAT AWAY

MASTERCLASS



ZZZGDOPLDJOREDOFRP

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Feel-good food t’s hard to hate the monsoon when you’re eating ultracreamy mac and cheese from a bubbling, cheese-smothered casserole. Cheered by the thought, we decided to devote July to hearty, satisfying food that’s ideal for the rainy weather. Comfort food across the world is designed to nourish, satisfy, soothe and indulge. It evokes feelings of nostalgia, safety and security. Far from gourmet, it’s beautiful, honest, homemade food. From khichdii to pakodas, gooey pasta to ÀVKDQGFKLSVVWLUIU\WRPDVVDPDQFXUU\WKLVHGLWLRQ showcases the vibrant range of foods that make people across the planet happy. That’s what makes it special. Here are some of my faves: Pizzas for sharing: Food, as I have said before on these pages, is about people. This July, delight your loved ones with a pizza party at home. Start by making our basic homemade pizza recipe, follow up with a few simple toppings, mix some easy beer and wine cocktails and voila, you’re set. If you can, grab a copy of baking legend Jim Lahey’s iconic book My Pizza to discover his miraculous no-knead pizza dough that derives its method from overnight fermentation, not laborious kneading.

KHICHDI TIME Find khichdi boring? Pinky Chandan-Dixit’s line up will have you swooning. P 74

Twists on khichdii: Witnessing the tweaking of the tried-and-true khichdi has been one of my most exciting culinary adventures at Good Foodd so far. Pinky Chandan-Dixit of Soam showcases the astounding versatility of khichdii with aplomb. Her premise—the foundation of khichdi does not have to be rice and dal; it also works beautifully with other ingredients like millet, couscous and quinoa. I’ll always be a sucker for classic moong dal khichdii but I absolutely adore Dixit’s creamy, risotto-like lilva khichdi.

come over for

khichdi

or share-worthy than a simple No dish is more delicious, inviting staple has a chic side, too bowl of khichdi. This humble Indian NEETI MEHRA Photographs BHARAT BHIRANGI

Styling input

EARTH, LE MILL, THE SHOP

Recipes PINKY CHANDAN-DIXIT

Classic moong dal khichdi

Prop courtesy FABINDIA, GOOD

eat in modern veggie

HUZZAH, PIZZA! Throw a big fat pizza bash. We ensure the prep is short and sweet. P 96

Khichdi is soul food, and the monsoon is the perfect time to pay tribute to this humble dish that is so intrinsic to Indian cooking. I’ve tried to experiment with ingredients other than dal and rice…a rainbow of ingredients like red rice, quinoa, green beans and bajra, make this selection of khichdis as versatile as they are delicious.

The new burgers: From old-school stars to the emerging trend RIJRXUPHWEXUJHUVWKLV$PHULFDQIDVWIRRGLFRQLVGHÀQLWHO\ having an India moment. Our team of reviewers scoured different Indian cities for the best burger joints in the country. They sure had fun investigating modern takes on the classic meat patty in a bun—a six-patty burger made from 1.5kg of chicken and veggies, an Anda Chicken Bacon and Cheese burger, even a Mac and Cheese burger!

050-052-L4 Entertaining-STAN R1 indd 97

Red rice khichdi with avial (turn overleaf for recipes)

Pinky Chandan Dixit, Soam, Mumbai

13/06/12 7:37 PM

13/06/12 7:37 PM

So now you know. We’re serving our most soul-satisfying dishes to share with friends and family. I’m willing to bet this is one issue you’ll return to again and again. PM 13/06/12 7:35

LIFE’S A PEACH Lush peaches plus dessert wine is just the right side of naughty. P 66

Eat safe, and squeeze every drop of deliciousness out of rainy July.

Sona Bahadur, editor

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SINK INTO SIN Bread and butter pud is the universal taste of childhood. Try our lighter version on p 106

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Contents 120 000 eat in

eat out

Inspiring, seasonal recipes that work every time

Restaurants on trial, cafés with character and signature recipes

50 7 MEALS FOR ` 700

110 RESTAURANT SPY

A week’s worth of budget meals

57 LUNCHBOX

Artichoke and ham pizza Serves 2 Q25 minutes Q EASY tomato sauce 4 tbsp (see recipe on p 96) basil leaves a handful + to garnish pizza base 2, medium (see recipe on p 96) fresh mozzarella 1 ball, sliced ham 4 slices, halved artichoke hearts 100g (available at gourmet grocers)

QStir in a few basil leaves into the tomato sauce. Spread over a thin layer of the sauce on the base then top with the mozzarella, the ham slices and the sliced artichoke hearts. Heat the oven to 220°C. Bake for 20 minutes until crisp and bubbling. Finish with a few more torn basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil. QPER SERVING 356 kcals, protein 13.1g, carbs 37.1g, fat 15.2g, sat fat 5.8g, fibre 3.6g, salt 2.1g

Salad ideas perfect for lunch

58 READY IN 30 Quick and easy recipes

66 IN SEASON Peaches all the way

74 MODERN VEGGIE Khichdis get a makeover

118 PRO VS PUNTER Bangalore’s Bow Barracks on trial

120 OFF THE EATEN TRACK Chennai’s Café Shiraz

123 SIGNATURE DISH San Qi’s Spicy Wasabi Prawns

82 RAINY DAY SPECIAL Our riff on monsoon snacks

90 WEEKEND Relaxed cooking for memorable Sundays

96 ENTERTAINING Throw your own pizza party

ALL YOUR FAVOURITE MAGAZINES ARE JUST A CLICK AWAY! Now, subscribing to BBC Good Food India (and all your other favourites like Femina, GoodHomes, Lonely Planet, Filmfare and others) just requires a click of the mouse! Log on to mags.timesgroup.com. Simply fill your cart with your favourite magazines and pay right from your desk. Plus get great discounts and really exciting gift offers! Log in now!

Six burger joints put to the test

102 SHOW-OFF COOKING Puds that comfort

144 SUBSCRIBE to Good Food India

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PRO vs PUNTER Feel like the average diner doesn’t always agree with professional reviews? Become our punter in the ‘Pro vs Punter’ section and review a restaurant along with a seasoned pro. To apply, write to us at [email protected].

July 2012

126

34 ON TEST Peanut butters and wine openers

38 NEED TO KNOW Sweet and astringent purple jamuns

42 FOOD ISSUES Good Food investigates GM foods

46 BOOKS & COOKS Delicious new reads of the month

47 WHAT’S ON

eat away Foodie holiday ideas and recipes from around the world

126 EAT LIKE A LOCAL: ISRAEL Easy Israeli menu to try in your kitchen

131 BUDGET AND BLOWOUT A foodie’s guide to Bangkok

132 CITY ON THE PLATE: KODAIKANAL Explore the hilly city’s culinary delights

136 POSTCARD FROM VERONA Karen Anand writes home from the Italian city

first bite 12 OVER TO YOU Reader recipes, comments and letters

25 TOP OF THE POPS Popcorn with a twist

30 NEWS, TRENDS AND SHOPPING New openings, gadgets we love and more

July’s must-watch food television

masterclass 139 COOK LIKE A PRO A mandolin makes the dullest veggie très chic

83

Carrot, cumin and feta fritters with coriander yoghurt

Out & about

JUST A FEW GOOD PLACES TO EAT FEATURED THIS MONTH Verona

140 CHEF SKILLS Bill Marchetti’s step-bystep Saffron Spaghetti with Seafood

Bangkok

Israel (Tel Aviv)

146 WINE GUIDE

Q

Chennai

Pairing Italian wines and cheeses

Q QQ Q Q Q Q Q QQ

147 DO IT YOURSELF Homemade tomato ketchup

148 TOP PRODUCER

Q

Kolkata

Organic produce from Sardar Patel farm

154 MY LIFE ON THE PLATE

Ahmedabad

Pune

Bengaluru

Kodaikanal

Artist Jaideep Mehrotra’s food loves

Mumbai

THE BBC GOODFOOD LEGACY 7BBC GoodFood is the UK’s largest selling food magazine with a readership of over 1.1 million. 7bbcgoodfood.com is the UK’s most popular recipe site attracting 3.7 million unique users per month. 7The hugely successful IPhone & Ipad apps have had over 70,000 downloads till date.

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over to you readers write

Over to you For top restaurant, recipe and travel tips, we ask you, our readers, to keep us on the pulse

Write to us! We love hearing from you. E-mail us your feedback, your favourite recipes and your comments at [email protected]. Let’s be in touch!

FOOD NATION Kolkata Good Food reader Saroj Satapathy shares his suggestions on where to eat in his hometown.

7BREAKFAST If you love street food,

Lilva khichdi

GOOD FOOD STAR RECIPE

Serves 8 Q 30 minutes + prep Q EASY Surti kolam rice 2 cups lilva (papdi beans) 1 1/2 cups THE TEMPERING ghee 2 tbsp cumin seeds 1 tsp asafoetida (hing) 1/2 tsp fresh green garlic orr chives 1 cup, chopped salt to taste QWash and soak the rice in warm water for at least 30 minutes. Drain and keep aside. QCombine the rice and beans in a

cooker with some salt and pressure cook with approx 3 cups of water. QWhen the khichdi is cooked, prepare the tempering by heating the ghee in a pan and add the cumin seeds and asafoetida. Add the green garlic or chives and sauté for a few seconds. Add the rice and beans and mix gently. Adjust the seasoning and serve hot with a dollop of ghee and a sweet and sour tomato chutney. QPER SERVING 118.75 kcals, protein 2.81g, carbs 24.94g, fat 0.65g, sat fat 0.33g, fibre 1.61g, salt 0.2g

HOW YOU PIMPED IT Gopa Jhaveri: When I read the recipe, I thought it would be plain and lacking in taste. But when I tried it, I found that the khichdii was delicious and wholesome. I used garlic instead of green garlic or chives, and also added coriander for its aesthetic and nutritional value. The recipe is quick, easy to follow and convenient to make, and a great dish to take in your lunchbox.

you must try the Chinese breakfast or yumcha on a street called Sun Yat Sen Road. Stalls sell pork buns, prawn paste, fish and pork sui maii and steamed pork momos with chilli sauce. Seal the deal with piping hot tea served in an earthen pot from a nearby stall. Oh, and it helps if you are an early riser because it all ends by 7 am! 7LUNCH Your search for authentic Bengali cuisine ends at 6, Ballygunge Place (+91 99039 75614). Dig into the Gondhoraj lebu ghol, Gondhoraj chicken for starters and order dab chingri, bhapa eilish, kanchalanka dhonepata murgi with badshahi pulao for main course. Pamper yourself with chhanar payesh in chocolate shells and nolengurer ice cream. 7DINNER Benjarong (benjarong.in) is one of the finest Thai restaurants in Kolkata. You must try the gai hor baitaey y (chicken wrapped with pandanus leaves and deep fried served with sweet chilli sauce), the crispy fried prawns tossed in sweet tamarind sauce with golden fried onions, garlic, cashew nuts, kaffir lime leaves and the crispy soft shell crab tossed in a spicy roasted chilli paste. Refresh with tub tim grob (water chestnuts served with chilled sweetened coconut milk).

JOIN OUR TASTE TEAM Our Taste Team comprises readers and home cooks who try our recipes and give us feedback on what they liked and what they would do differently. Read p 70 to see Bindiya Aravandekar’s twist on the Griddled Peaches with Amaretto Cream. On this page, Gopa Jhaveri shares how she adapted the Lilva Khichdi featured on p 80. Go to p 92 to see what Anushka Halder thought of our Jura Chicken with Morel Mushrooms. Write to us at [email protected] to join us.

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over to you readers write

INSIDERS’ POLL What is your favourite rainy day comfort food?

18% Pakodas

vi of BB BBC B India. I esp iallyy

LETTER OF THE MONTH

25.5% Cheese toast

READER RECIPE OF THE MONTH Bridget Kumar on the retro railway lamb curry. “The Railway Lamb Curry is a direct throwback to the days of the British Raj. This dish was served in railway refreshment rooms and only in firstclass cabins on long distance trains. It was also popular with the Anglo-Indian railway staff, who had to be on duty for long periods at a stretch.” Kumar blogs at angloindianrecipes.blogspot.com and has also written several recipe books.

Railway lamb curry

peppercorns 6 cinnamon 2 pieces cloves 2 cardamom 2 pods vinegar 2 tbsp orr tamarind juice 1/2 cup

Serves 6 Q45 minutes QEASY lamb orr mutton orr beef 1/2kg, cut into medium size pieces ginger garlic paste 1 tsp salt to taste coriander powder 1 tsp chilli 2 tsp powder oil 2 tbsp big onions 2, sliced curry leaves 8 to 10 red chillies 4, broken into bits

QWash the meat and mix it with the ginger garlic paste, salt, coriander powder and chilli powder. Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions, curry leaves, red chillies and the whole spices till golden brown. Add the meat and mix well. Fry for a few minutes. Add the vinegar or tamarind juice and enough water, and cook on medium heat till the meat is cooked properly. Keep frying till the gravy is thick and dark brown. Serve with dinner rolls or bread and a fresh garden salad.

The winner of the Reader Recipe of the Month wins a special gift hamper worth ` 6,000 from Debenhams. The hamper contains a five-piece utensil set and a Jamie Oliver fine and coarse grater gift set. To win the hamper, write in with your favourite recipe, attach a photograph of the dish that is at least 1 MB in size, along with a photograph of yourself that is at least 500 KB in size and e-mail it to us at bbcgoodfood@ wwm.co.in with the subject line ‘Reader Recipe’. Don’t forget your address and telephone number! Interact with other Good Food readers on Facebook at facebook.com/GoodFoodMagazineIndia or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/goodfoodmagin.

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JAIDEEP MEHROTRA Jaideep Mehrotra is a contemporary artist, traveller and socio-political commentator. He has had no formal education in art but that hasn’t deterred him from dabbling in a variety of mediums including oil paints, acrylics and fabric sculptures. He pioneered the use of digital art in the country and has also experimented with video art. Mehrotra, a devout foodie, shares his take on all things edible in My Life On The Plate on p 154.





 PINKY CHANDAN-DIXIT

Pinky Chandan-Dixit is a chef and pâtissière and the owner of Soam restaurant in Mumbai. She studied catering at Mumbai’s Sophia College Polytechnic and holds a degree in pâtisserie from Le Cordon Bleu in London. She started Soam, a restaurant specialising in vegetarian home-style Indian food in 2005. Along with her husband, Aseem Dixit, she also manages Wraps and Rolls, a service that provides rolls on the go. Dixit proves that khichdi can be a versatile and elegant comfort food with her vegetarian recipes in Modern Veggie, p 74.

BILL MARCHETTI



Bill Marchetti is the executive chef of the Spaghetti Kitchen chain of restaurants. He has previously worked as Corporate Executive Chef for Italian cuisine at the ITC Welcomgroup. In 1997 he was awarded the prestigious Insegna del Ristorante Italiano, an accolade presented by the Italian government to recognise his contribution to promoting Italian cuisine on the international stage. In this issue, Marchetti teaches a step-by-step Saffron Spaghetti with Seafood masterclass, p 140.

JUDY REDDER d Redder is a photographer based in Kodaikanal, Tamil dy du. She worked as a photo stylist, art director, producer d editor in New York City for 15 years before deciding move to India in 2007. She now shoots photographs for m avel-related stories and also teaches photography to high hool students. Redder shot the photos of Kodaikanal h atured in City on the Plate in Eat Away, p 132. a



KOBI MIZRAHI

Kobi Mizrahi is an Israeli chef and the president of the Israe e Institute of Applied Culinary Art and Culinary Consultation n Company. He graduated from the Tadmor Hotel School in Israel and has served as the culinary manager of the guestt house Ein Gedi for the last 15 years. Mizrahi shares a menu u of easy yet authentic Israeli recipes in Eat Like a Local in Ea Away, p 126.

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Get to know us Our five easy-to-navigate sections enable you to find exactly what you are looking for. Heres what you can expect to see in every issue of Good Food India: Palate popping!

top of the pops

Q EASY

7 First Bite

Q EASY Q EASY

Q EASY

Pop art

come over for

Our opening section is the perfect appetiser for the pages that follow. First Bite brings you the month’s freshest food buzz — new launches, events, great bargains, supermarket sweeps, health tips on food and more. In every issue we spotlight local produce in season in Need To Know. And our Good Food Investigates pieces delve deep into important food issues to bring you insights that really matter to you. P 25

7 Eat In

khichdi

No dish is more delicious, inviting or share-worthy than a simple bowl of khichdi. This humble Indian staple has a chic side, too

The largest section of the magazine, Eat In is packed with fabulous recipes with little tips and tricks that are perfect for the home cook. Each recipe is triple-tested by us so you get it right the very first time you make it. We’ve got everything covered — from easy everyday dinners and show-off menus for the weekend to modern veggie dishes and seasonal recipes bursting with the month’s flavours. P 49

Classic moong dal khichdi

Prop courtesy FABINDIA, GOOD EARTH, LE MILL, THE SHOP

Recipes PINKY CHANDAN-DIXIT Photographs BHARAT BHIRANGI Styling input NEETI MEHRA

Khichdi is soul food, and the monsoon is the perfect time to pay tribute to this humble dish that is so intrinsic to Indian cooking. I’ve tried to experiment with ingredients other than dal and rice…a rainbow of ingredients like red rice, quinoa, green beans and bajra, make this selection of khichdis as versatile as they are delicious. Pinky Chandan Dixit, Soam, Mumbai

Red rice khichdi with avial (turn overleaf for recipes)

eat out

pro r Does your average diner agree with what the restaurant critics think? Ashwini Suryanarayana and food columnist Madhu Menon review Bow Barracks and come away with somewhat similar ratings

Eat Out Beef Jhalfrezie

Mango Cheesecake

THE RESTAURANT

you walk in, the interiors don’t look anything like it. Instead, it’s a rather homely ambience with brick walls and a few trinkets on the walls. As we walk in, we find the owner, Sujoy Das, taking most orders himself. The menu is printed on a large cardboard sheet, along with a separate Daily Specials menu. They have no liquor menu although we are told that their wine licence will be ready in a week.

BOW BARRACKS Named after the area in Kolkata that is a stronghold of the city’s Anglo-Indian community, Bow Barracks aspires to provide a taste of AngloIndian cuisine in Bangalore. The meat-heavy menu invokes the almost forgotten cuisine of AngloIndians. The menu features classic English dishes with an Indian touch, such as Prawn Temperado, Beef Jhalfrezie and Grilled Rack of Lamb.

They also answer our sometimes pedantic questions about the food competently, which is always a good thing when visiting a niche cuisine restaurant like this one. The thick accents of some staff may take a bit of time to decipher occasionally, but a smiling face makes up for much. Our starters are brought out one after the other as we finish each plate, which is a smart thing to do to avoid the food getting cold.

tasty rissole filled with spiced beef and served with tomato chilli chutney. The Vegetable Cutlet is competent but not terribly exciting. The Pork Lasooni Kebab is tender but could use a lighter touch on the spices to make the flavour of the pork come through. The main course is where the food really shines. The Beef Jhalfrezie (served with pepper water) is a gently spiced dish made of tender beef, with fried onions lending a wonderful flavour. Aunty Pamela’s Pork Vindaloo has a flavour that may surprise lovers of Goan food because it’s nowhere near as hot or sour as the original dish, but I thoroughly enjoy it. And despite not being a big fan of vegetarian food, I like the Mango Chutney Dal, a dish made from moong dal and raw mango. The accompaniment is a portion of plain rice and yellow coconut rice. If you’re a vegetarian though, you may find that the menu has slim pickings apart from a couple of dishes and some salads. The dessert selection is sparse but don’t let that stop you from ordering the Lime and Honey Panna Cotta, a surprisingly sublime dessert with the flavour of honey and lime coming through clearly, while not being overpowering. The Dark Chocolate Mousse is decent but a bit grainy.

you’re a meat lover, you absolutely must give it a try.

2,200 including taxes.

FOOD: 8/10 ATMOSPHERE: 7/10 SERVICE: 8/10 TOTAL: 23/30 Go again? Certainly.

QBow Barracks, 618/1, 2nd Main, Opposite Just Bake, Indiranagar, Bangalore. 42073555/ 97396 01015. Daily 12 pm - 3 pm, 7 pm - 12 am. Average spend for two: Suryanarayana and Menon visited separately and neither informed the restaurant before the meal that they were there to review it.

Pushy table turning? Regular water offered? Veggie options? Leave much to be desired

nt? For restaura review eaGood Food’sofnext any Want to ing e to becom ord review a chancemail a 200-w d, with the headm. punter, you’ve visite odfood@ww to bbcgo ls. You could restaurant detai Punter’, ‘Pro vs your contact co.in with one! be the lucky

out new restaurants.

TOTAL: 20/30

This section stands out for its uniquely-positioned restaurant reviews and features that are authoritative, objective and reliable. A novel approach to restaurant reviews, our Pro vs Punter section enables a Good Food India reader to go undercover and rate a restaurant together with an expert. Plus, we get leading chefs from around the country to simplify their signature recipes to make at home. P 109

vegetarians as well.

eat away local knowledge

City on the plate

7 Eat Away

Kodaikanal K d ik Chettinad biryani, cheese omelette parathas, wood-fired pizzas — get ready to be floored by Kodaikanal’s eclectic culinary offerings

Our seasoned travel journalists and food experts (who are often residents of the featured locations) arm you with insider information and recipes from the world’s most exciting food destinations. Eat Like A Local brings easy, authentic menus from fantastic food destinations while Budget and Blowout shows you how to get your wallet’s worth when travelling. And City On the Plate features the insider’s food guide to an Indian state. P 125

Words SUDHA MEHTA Photographs JUDY REDDER

EAT A glass of hot honey-lemon tea is ambrosia after a brisk walk around the Kodaikanal Lake. It takes the chill right out of your bones and at ` 20, it’s the cheapest way to warm up on a cold windy day (which in Kodi is nearly every day of the year). Down PT Road, past the ubiquitous Kashmiri tourist traps and Tibetan curio shops, up the stairs and there it is — the Royal Tibetan Restaurant or Tibbs. A bowl of thick vegetable noodle soup (` ` 80) with a plate of chilli fried chicken (` ` 110) is an alltime dinner favourite. Just up the road is Tavaa which serves the most delicious yellow dal (` 50) with a generous dollop of butter melting amidst roasted seeds. The waiter will keep up a steady supply of hot phulkas (` ` 15 each) for as long as you like. And when you’re in high-altitude places, you will surprise yourself with how many hot phulkas you can consume! At the Seven Roads Crossroads, on the PT Road corner, is Amsa. A more begrimed, hoary joint you will QRWÀQG$PVDGRHVURDULQJEXVLQHVV with its hot cups of well-brewed tea, cheese omelette parathas and the unmistakable Tamil Nadu doughnuts (all under ` 50 each). Those oily, sweet hunks of dough take up residence in your stomach and provide you sustenance for what seems like an eternity, making them ideal food

for long treks. The cheese omelette parathas are a hot favourite with kids from the Kodaikanal International School across the road. Aby’s on Anna Salai Road is another favourite of school kids and locals alike. Anshu, who along with her whole family and visiting friends, presides over the tiny kitchen, churns out delicious chaatt and fast food. The bhel purii and dahi bhallas (` ` 30 each) are to die for. She also makes falafel in pita bread and a range of veggie pasta meals that are a good alternative to the South Indian fare that you get all over town. Astoria, also on Anna Salai, is the usual South Indian haunt but try their fried idlis for an entirely new take on an old dish. Crisp, brown, button idlis served with delicious coconut and ginger chutneys and a generous bowl of sambar. The rava dosa (` ` 35) at Woodlands, right across from the KIS school property, is arguably the best in all South India. For a taste of an authentic Nadar non-vegetarian thali, head to Nice and Spice just next door, and try the brain, liver and kidney curries (` ` 75 each) along with a Tamil vegetarian thali. Or go for a plate of peppery Chettinad biryani (` ` 80) – a meal for all seasons. 7KHZRRGÀUHGWKLQFUXVWSL]]DV at Cloud Street on PT Road are beyond delicious. The chicken, salami DQGPDUJKHULWDSL]]DVUDQJLQJ

Clockwise from left: Chai at the fruit market on Benderloch Road; Chilli bajjii at the Tibetan market; Green mango by Kodaikanal lake; Hotroasted corn at Kodaikanal Lake Boat House

BILL MARCHETTIS

7 Masterclass

Masterclass Chef Bill Marchetti, executive chef of Spaghetti Kitchen, demonstrates his signature recipe — saffron spaghetti with seafood Photographs VINIT BHATT

Saffron spaghetti p g with seafood Serves 2 Q45 minutes + resting Q A LITTLE EFFORT THE PASTA DOUGH semolina 350g refined flourr 150g eggs 5 olive oil 10g saffron a pinch, dissolved in water salt 5g

IVE LUS EP EXC -BY-ST E P STE RECIP

THE SAUCE butterr 10g olive oil 15ml onion 20g garlic 5g mussels 30g, shelled basa fillets 30g, cut into chunks prawns 60g, shelled squid 40g, cut into rings cherry tomatoes 20g fennel 10g salt 5g pepperr 5g green peppercorns 1 tbsp oregano 3g basil 10g lemon zest 1/2 tsp white wine 30g tomato sauce 90g (try Jamie Oliver available at gourmet stores) parsley 3g

IVE EXCLUS Y-STEP STEP-BCIPE RE

You could also skip the tomato sauce and opt for a lighter pasta with just herbs and seafood.

Learn to cook like a pro in our Masterclass section. Pick up cooking lessons directly from culinary masters in India and abroad. Make restaurantperfect dishes and pick up fine dining finishing touches of chefs through illustrated step-by-step recipes in Chef Skills. We also feature nifty kitchen gadgets that sharpen your kitchen skills and our 10-minute wine guide is perfect for wine lovers. P 139

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How to get the best from Good Food India Why y you y can cook our recipes with confidence

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All the recipes in Good Food are tested thoroughly, so they’ll work the first time for you at home. Most of our recipes are developed in the Good Food test kitchen by our cookery team or come from food writers and chefs. We aim to make our recipes as practical as possible, keeping ingredient lists to a minimum and avoiding lengthy preparations.

EASY Recipes everyone can make, even beginners. These dishes are usually quick, often on the table within 20 minutes. MODERATELY EASY These require a bit more skill – for example making and rolling out pastry. A LITTLE EFFORT Recipes aimed at experienced cooks who cook for pleasure and like a challenge. CAN BE FROZEN Unless otherwise stated, freeze for up to three months. Defrost thoroughly and heat until piping hot. VEGETARIAN Meat-free dishes. JAIN Suitable for Jain cooking.

Have a family recipe to share or think you could add to our recipes? Email us at bbcgoodfood@wwm. co.in and let us know. We’re always on the look out for new places and food stories and would love to hear about great places to eat in your hometown.

LOOK OUT FOR THESE HIGHLIGHTS Those recipes marked with this stamp are the simplest and require very little effort. Recipes that can be made under 20 minutes. Perfect for hectic weekdays. Show-off recipes when you fancy a challenge. These recipes require a little effort.

Q EASY

JO HARRIS Food

R REALL Y REALLY EASY Y

THESE PATTIES BITE-SIZE FOR A VEGETARIAN CANAPÉ, OR SIMPL ONE LARGE ONE Y – LIKE A FRITTATA

styling KATE CALDER

Testing our recipes three times or more may seem over-cautious, but mistakes can be costly, so we think it makes sense to ensure you get the right result every time.

Over to you

OVENDEN Styling

The first time is by the recipe writer, who tests the recipe in a domestic kitchen. Next, a member of the cookery team makes the recipe in the Good Food India kitchen. The recipe is then tested at our photo shoot. Some recipes are tested a fourth time at home by individual members of the Good Food editorial team — we’re all keen cooks and often can’t resist trying out a recipe we particularly love, as soon as we’ve discovered it.

carrots 125g, coarsely grated onion 1 small, finely sliced feta cheese 50g, crumbled vegetable oil warmed flatbread s orr naan to serve salad leaves handful, to serve QStir together the yoghurt and coriander. Season and put to one side. Mix the flour, cumin, egg and 2 tbsp of water in a bowl until you have a smooth thick batter. Stir in the carrots, onion, feta and a good sprinkle of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. QHeat 1-2 tbsp of oil in a non-stick frying pan. Spoon dollops of the batter into the frying pan, flatten out a little with the back of the spoon and cook for 2-3 minutes each side, until cooked through and golden brown. Serve hot fritters with the herb yoghurt, flatbreads and salad. QPER SERVING 291 kcals, protein 13g, carbs 24.8g, fat 16.2g, sat fat 4.9g, fibre 2.5g, salt 1.05g

Photograph STUART

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Tofu and n vegetable patties Makes 8 Q25 minutes

Q EASY

Try this lighter version of the Japanese fried tofu fritter called Ganmodoki. carrot 1, grated spring onions bunch, sliced + extra strips to serve garlic clove 1, crushed gingerr 3cm piece, grated firm tofu 400g, drained and crumbled eggs 2, lightly beaten sesame and vegetable oil 2 tbsp each sweet chilli sauce to serve

Recipe JULIE FRANKLAND

How we triple p test our recipes

QCombine all the ingredients except the oils in a large bowl with some seasoning and mix well. Heat both the oils in a frying pan. Grease an 8cm metal pastry ring or cookie cutter and place in the pan. When hot, pour 5 tbsp of the batter in and turn the heat down to medium. QCook 4-5 minutes until golden, then take off the ring (be careful, as it may be hot), flip the patty and cook the other side. Do this in batches, keeping finished patties warm in a low oven. Serve with the chilli sauce and extra spring onions, if you like. QPER SERVING 110 kcals, protein 6g, carbs 3g, fat 9g, sat fat 1g, fibre 1g, sugar 1g, salt 0.11g

For a list of stores that stock gourmet ingredients, turn to p 153

THE GOOD FOOD INDIA PROMISE We hope you enjoy our lively mix of recipes, restaurant reviews and travel features. We attempt to make them fun to read, but we are also serious about eating well and doing it sustainably. Here’s what you can expect from this and every issue: TRIPLE-TESTED RECIPES All our recipes are tested at least three times. For great results, we recommend you use standard level measuring spoons, and don’t mix imperial and metric measures. EASY RECIPES Most of Good Food’s recipes are quick and simple to follow and can be made using easily available ingredients. THE ODD CHALLENGE Weekends are perfect for elaborate meals and entertaining. We’ve included a smattering of show-off recipes for those who enjoy a good challenge. GOOD VALUE Look out for our recipes that aim to make the most of your budget — 7 meals for ` 700. We also use full packs, cans and jars where we can, to avoid waste, but if that’s not possible we aim to suggest ways of using up leftovers. SEASONAL EATING We love using seasonal ingredients in our recipes because they give the food a distinct flavour and add seasonal freshness. This month, we’re eating a lot of peaches. HEALTHY EATING We reckon the 80% sensible, 20% indulgent way of eating is best which is why we support our recipes with nutritional info. We’ll also tell you how to give popular recipes a healthy makeover. PROVENANCE MATTERS Where possible, we use humanely reared meats, free-range chickens and eggs, sustainably sourced fish and unrefined sugar. INTERNATIONAL SAVVY Sometimes, recipes call for ingredients that aren’t available locally and can’t be brought to India without notching up air / sea miles. It’s your choice whether or not you use them. CHEAP EATS AND SMART TREATS Hole-in-the-wall eateries and fine dining restaurants — there’s room for both in Good Food’s Eat Out pages. LOCAL KNOWLEDGE The Eat Away section arms you with insider info and recipes from the world’s most exciting food destinations written by on-the-ground food journalists. BIG ISSUES Preaching doesn’t come naturally, so we won’t tell you what, or what not to eat. Instead, we keep you up-to-date with issues and debates in the food world in our Good Food Investigates feature. Read about the issues regarding GM foods in India on p 42.

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“ Experience The Magic of True Indian Spices”

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need to know live masterclass

sweet surrender BBC Good Food together with Sugar Free Natura and Chef Savio Fernandes from J W Marriott gave in to temptation with a live masterclass on making sweet treats, minus the guilt Photographs FARROKH JASSAWALA

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hat if you got the chance to indulge your sweet tooth without actually using a granule of sugar? At this month’s Good Food live masterclass event, Chef Savio Fernandes from The Bombay Baking Company at J W Marriott, Mumbai demonstrated exactly how to go about that seemingly impossible task to a group of 15 enthusiastic participants. The event that was held in association with Sugar Free Natura at Foodhall in Palladium, Mumbai, was an exclusive demonstration on how to cook desserts with Sugar Free products. The menu for the evening included an easy Apple and Rabri Tart, Fruit Yoghurt, and Celery and Lemon Juice. Chef Fernandes started the demonstration by making a simple yet deliciously sweet fruit yoghurt that elevated the natural sweetness of fruits with a sprinkling of Sugar Free Natura. Since mangoes were in season, the yoghurt was topped with the chopped fruit and served to the class for a tasting. The cooling yoghurt was an instant hit with the participants, as was the Apple and Rabri Tart. A seemingly unusual combination, Chef

Fernandes gave a desi twist to the humble apple pie, which went down very well with all the participants. The rabri added extra creaminess to the tart, a perfect match for the crumbly base. It was a learning experience for all the participants present as they eagerly posed questions to the chef about baking, healthier substitutes and cooking other dishes with Sugar Free Natura. Chef Fernandes also showed participants healthier drink options that aren’t loaded with artificial sugars such as the Celery and Lemon Juice. The participants were amazed at the versatility of fruits and vegetables when used in drinks. The event was filled with surprise contests where the participants were given Sugar Free Natura treats along with goodie bags at the end of the event with Sugar Free Natura products, thus leaving the Good Food readers delighted that they got so much more than they signed up for.

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Privilege Programme goodfoodprivileges.in

PARTNER UPDATES

EATING OUT AT THE INTERCONTINENTAL Slip into the lap of luxury as soon as you check into the InterContinental Marine Drive in Mumbai. The hotel offers a clutch of restaurants to suit all kinds of travellers with a variety of tastes. Corleone is InterContinental Marine Drive’s signature Mediterranean restaurant, offering its patrons an assortment of cuisines. The menu has vegetarian and nonvegetarian appetisers, soups, grills, mains, pastas, risottos and the famous thin crust pizzas. Drop in for Chef Paul’s Sunday Brunch, a delicious spread of authentic antipasti, salads, extensive main course options and delectable desserts. Kebab Kornerr is InterContinental Marine Drive’s signature Indian restaurant that aims to redefine traditional cooking styles. Overlooking Mumbai’s crowning glory, The Queen’s Necklace, Kebab provides great meal options ranging from healthy salads and the Kebabeque Wellness Meals for the calorie conscious to mouth-watering kebabs and flavourful traditional biryanis. No wonder then that the restaurant has won accolades in both 2006 and 2007, for the ‘Best Indian Restaurant in Mumbai’ and ‘Best Kebabs in Mumbai’ respectively. The Dome is simplicity personified, with the focus being on the beauty of the skyline, the clear skies and the water. It serves contemporary cuisine inspired by the Asia Pacific rim, accompanied by an exclusive selection of spirits, wines and cocktails. The terrace has perhaps the most breathtaking views of Marine Drive in Mumbai. The rest of it ain’t too shabby either with all white floors and low sofas softly illuminated by candles on the tables. The Rouge Bar, a pink room, houses a DJ console and an island bar counter. All the furniture here is low lounge-style with deep red upholstery and tastefully embroidered cushions.

All about BBC Good Food India s Privilege Programme At BBC Good Food India, we believe no reader of ours should ever have to sit down to anything less than a king’s buffet. Which is why when you subscribe to our magazine, you receive an exclusive Privilege Card that allows you to live out all your food fantasies through a host of special offers. You can swing by over 150 hand-picked fine dining restaurants and enjoy special prices, welcome drinks and complimentary desserts. Or head out on fabulous culinary tours and gastronomic adventures around the globe. You can also stock your larder with exotic ingredients and fine wines or pick up fancy chef’s paraphernalia for the kitchen and bar. To savour this lavish offer, visit goodfoodprivileges.in.

To subscribe, SMS GFPC to 58888 or log on to mags.timesgroup.com/good-food.html WorldMags.net

need to know live masterclass

ice age Our live June masterclass taught participants how to cool off with no-churn granitas and sorbets Photographs FAROKH JASSAWALA

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cy cool and crunchy, sorbets are easy to churn up at home, great for when you’re entertaining and a surefire hit with the kids. At BBC Good Food’s latest live masterclass held in association with Foodhall, Chef Glyston Gracias of Smoke House Deli in High Street Phoenix, Mumbai guided participants through the ropes of preparing these cool treats. During the two hour-long masterclass, Gracias demonstrated how to make a variety of granitas and sorbets, for those who don’t have an ice cream maker at home. Since a sorbet is made entirely of water and doesn’t have any milk or cream, he taught participants how to achieve the perfect semi-solid consistency. The recipes he demonstrated included a delectable, seasonal Jamun and Pink Peppercorn Sorbet, with the tart taste of the purple berries and a hint of spice from the peppercorns. He also taught the enthusiastic participants how to make the most of the queen of fruits with a Mango Ice Cream with Passion Fruit Gastrique. Unlike most mango ices, this one contained no milk, but had a deliciously creamy texture from

the mascarpone cheese added to the reduced mango pulp. Served with a gastrique or a thick sauce made of passion fruit, this unusual pairing of flavours provided plenty of food for thought. Gracias’ repertoire of recipes also included sugar-free granitas — for those who don’t like their ice cream too sweet — as well as eggless alternatives. He also taught participants how to prepare homemade custard, which can be used as the base in more complex ice cream recipes. The Smoked Watermelon and Basil Granita provided a taste of Smoke House Deli’s signature smoky flavour in food. Gracias did a demo on how to smoke watermelon chunks, blend them with basil leaves and then freeze the slushy mixture until it achieves the perfect granular texture. Requiring little preparation and yet tasting rather sophisticated, this proved to be the perfect party recipe. The best part? None of the recipes he demonstrated required an ice cream maker or any gadget other than a fridge, which proved their adaptability and versatility in any kitchen.

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first bite news, trends, shopping

first bite top of the pops

Photograph DAVID MUNNS Styling JENNY IGGLEDEN Food styling JENNIFER JOYCE

Raining pigs and dolphins? Stay in and have fun with our quirky twists on popcorn

Pop art Feeling peckish? Reach out for a packet of healthy, moreish unpopped corn, toss in some seasoning and enjoy. The best part — you can dress up your popcorn any way you like. Use Cheddar cheese, caramel, barbecue flavouring or tandoori masala. The sky’s the limit, really. Turn overleaf for our cool new takes on this classic comfort food.

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first bite news, trends, shopping

Palate popping! Jazz up your popcorn with these funky makeovers Bombay popcorn mix

Spiced chilli popcorn

Serves 4 Q30 minutes QEASY

Serves 5 Q13 minutes QEASY

with the spice mix, then tip onto a large baking tray and place in the oven for 5 minutes until the corn is crisp and the spices are fragrant. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and eat warm or once cooled. Will keep in an airtight container for up to a week.

Sticky popcorn pots Recipe LUCY NETHERTON Heat oven to 200˚C. Pop 1 pouch microwave popcorn (or 100g popcorn kernels) following pack instructions. Meanwhile, mix together 1 tsp chilli flakes, 1 tsp cracked black pepper and 2 tsp mixed spice. Toss the popcorn

Serves 3 Q15 minutes QEASY Recipe FELICITY BARNUM-BOBB Put 50g popping corn in a lidded bowl and microwave on High for 2 1/2-3 minutes. Tip into a big bowl and repeat four more times. Can be made and kept in an airtight container up to a day ahead. Meanwhile, melt 140g salted butter in a pan, then tip in 140g light brown sugar. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the caramel over the popcorn and stir to coat. Cool, then serve in plastic cups.

Chilli-butter popcorn Serves 6 Q10 minutes QEASY Recipe DAVID MORGAN Gently heat 4 red chillies, finely chopped, with 75g butter for 2–3 minutes until it starts to sizzle. Take off the heat. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pan. Add 100g popping corn, cover with a tight-fitting lid. Once you hear the corn start to pop, shake the pan gently (over the heat) until it stops. Stir in the chilli butter off the heat. Season well. Serve in paper cones.

Spiced chilli popcorn

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Photograph DAVID MUNNS Styling JENNY IGGLEDEN Food styling LIZZIE HARRIS

Recipe CASSIE BEST Heat oven to 200˚C. Tip 400g dried chana, onto a baking tray with 1 tsp vegetable oil. Season, shake well to coat, then bake for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, melt 50g butter in a microwave. Mix in 2 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp curry powder and some salt and pepper. Tip 70g salted popcorn, 85g peanuts and 100g sultanas into a bowl, add the chana and pour over the spiced butter. Stir everything well to coat.

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need to know news, trends, shopping

CUPBOARD LO

THE JURY’S OUT

PESTO

Service charge THE CASE AGAINST So here’s my biggest grouse when it comes to paying a service charge — I believe it can make wait-staff complacent. Of course this is very far from being the rule but shouldn’t it be up to the customer to decide how good the service is? I’ve paid the compulsory 10 percent gratuity for some truly y bad service. At a well-known South Mumbai restaurant, after much armtwisting from the staff to order a baked dish I didn’t particularly want, the accompanying garlic bread showed up on my plate covered in mould. Not only did the manager ridicule my protests, he refused to waive the charge, even for the tainted bread. Execrable! - MEHER MIRZA

e S e rv i c e c h a rg

Recipes compiled by CHARLOTTE MORGAN 7Tomato salad with pesto dressing Cut different types of tomatoes into slices (you can also just use one kind) and lay them on a plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and leave for 15 minutes. Tip any juices off into a bowl and stir in some pesto to make a dressing. Add a little oil if you need to. Dress the tomatoes and then snip over chive and basil leaves. 7Pesto, mozzarella and arugula pizza Buy a large pizza base. Spread pesto over the base and then top with slices of mozzarella and lots of black pepper. Bake at 200°C for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and bubbling. Scatter with arugula and some Parmesan cheese shavings as you take it out of the oven. 7Pesto and Parma ham bruschetta Brush pieces of rough-textured bread with olive oil and griddle or grill them on each side. Brush over some pesto and then add a good-sized piece of Parma ham to each. 7Pesto, bean and potato salad Cook halved new potatoes in boiling water until tender, cool until warm. Cook trimmed and halved green beans until al dente. Cool until warm. Toss with a couple of spoonfuls of pesto and season, then add a sprinkle of basil leaves if you like. Try Sacla Pesto available for ` 350 in supermarkets.

SUPERMARKET SWEEP Pop into your local grocery store for a quick and comforting midweek meal

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Cheese and vegetable filo pie Serves 4 Q30 minutes Q EASY

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TOTAL CO ST

` 550

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Chop the zucchini ((` 20/50g) and carrots (` ( 10/70g) into roundels and the broccoli (` ( 35/150g) into small florets. Steam them for around 3 minutes and tip into a bowl. Make the Colman’s cheese sauce (` ( 125/350g) as per packet instructions. Stir through the cheese sauce and place in an ovenproof dish. Top with scrunched sheets of Jus-Rol filo pastry sheets ((` 360/270g) and brush lightly with a little melted butter. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the pastry is golden.

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Photograph DAVID MUNNS Styling SARAH BIRKS Food styling KATE CALDER

THE CASE FOR Let’s face it, we’re a stingy lot and left to our own devices we’d rather fake a food allergy than leave a decent tip. While I am aware what a compulsory charge can do to service levels, I am in favour of a structured tipping system. As if maintaining a cheerful disposition for long hours isn’t bad enough, the salaries are pitiable and the customers can be a handful. Plus, a server’s salary is deliberately kept low as the management takes into account any tips that the server may earn. And if you feel that you aren’t getting your money’s worth, bring it to the attention of the manager during your meal. There’s no point complaining after you’ve called for the cheque. - KAINAZ CONTRACTOR

How to use up…

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need to know news, trends, shopping

How to serve cheese A sideways look at foodie trends... QIt’s all about the presentation. Carve some supermarket Gruyère or Camembert into a wedge, put it on a rustic wooden board next to a bunch of grapes and some oatcakes and it’ll start looking convincingly like a classic French cheeseboard. At least until someone tastes it. QWhat’s the most effective way to violate a cheese board? Lopping the nose off a wedge of Brie, instead of cutting lengthways. It’s like licking all the icing off the top of a birthday cake. QBeing able to identify whether your cheeses have been made with morning or evening milk (they’ll be fattier with the latter, of course) makes you a better foodie than your guests. But bragging about it to them makes you an infinitely worse person. QCelery sticks and cream crackers: 1978. Celery micro-shoots and a flute of Champagne: 2012. Don’t let your cheese board accessories date you. QOnly professional affineurs and serial killers own cheese wires.

FIRST TASTE AROLA Michelin-starred chef Sergi Arola is quite a rockstar. Literally! Former musician and owner of 17 guitars, Arola learned his culinary craft under the tutelage of Ferran Adria and Pierre Gagnaire. His newly opened eponymous restaurant Arola at the J W Marriott in Mumbai is an ode to his Catalan heritage and will serve up an array of small plates such pa amb tomaquet (bread served with tomato), patatas bravas (fried potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce) and croquetas (fried Serrano ham with cheese). Que bueno!

OBJECT OF DESIRE AIRFRYER

BEST BUY REAL THAI MULTIGRAIN RICE ` 170 / 250g As anyone who’s ever tried delicately sweet red rice or nutty and chewy black rice will tell you, these alternatives are not just complex in terms of taste but also much more nutritious than the usual, polished white rice. Try Real Thai’s multigrain rice. One packet includes non-glutinous red cargo rice, unhusked brown rice, black rice, barley and even a few kidney beans or rajma. The mixture is parboiled and conveniently vacuum sealed, so all you need to do is to dunk the plastic pouch in boiling water for a few minutes to get the rice mix to the perfect al dente texture. Available at gourmet stores.

Prepare to shed those pounds effortlessly with Philips’ revolutionary AirFryer — its intelligent design components and technology help to significantly reduce the need for oil when cooking. Philips’ patented Rapid Air Technology uses fast-circulating hot air to create delicious fried food that contains up to 80 per cent less fat! Added bonus? The AirFryer comes with a Food Separator Accessory that not only ensures that your food gets cooked quicker, but also lets you fry different things at the same time without letting the flavours mix. So bring on those samosas, kebabs and French fries — it’s time to have your cake and eat it too. ` 14,995. Available at leading premium retail chains across Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Indore.

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need to know news, trends, shopping

Trends we like

Bidri glass from Good Earth (set of 6) ` 4,200

glassmates

These pretty coloured glasses are sure to add some zing to your table Ridged water glass in blue from Fabindia (set of 6) ` 930

Ridged water glass in yellow from Fabindia (set of 6) ` 930

Italesse vertical party beach glass in violet from Le Mill (set of 4) ` 2,490

PROMOTION

The art of choosing a gift ou accept a friend’s dinner invitation. You arrive at her residence to find her house studded with antiques, paintings and many porcelain showpieces. And your friend suddenly appears to be the curator of useless gifts’ gallery. It’s not her fault. She is one of the thousand victims who unwillingly receive useless gifts from friends and relatives. What’s worse is that you too have brought her a similar useless gift! Like your friend, there are many others in India who suffer in silence at the hands of ‘friends’ bearing useless gifts. However, there is a cure – and it was created way back in 1936. When Donald Morphy and Charles Richards set out to create a range of products specifically designed for the everyday home maker, little did they know that less than a century later, their names

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would be synonymous with style, value and thoughtfulness, and ultimately, the antidote to useless gifts. Morphy Richards has been around for over three quarters of a century, and in India for a short but eventful eight years. The domestic operations have been steadily growing, and successfully expanded to over 350 markets. The goal? To pander to the woman of the house, with convenient products. Today, the range of products is widely known to be perfect gifts – both beautiful, and useful. With 19 categories viz. Mixer Grinders, Microwave Ovens, Irons, Juicer Mixer Grinders, Coffee Makers, Sandwich Makers, Pop-up Toasters and over 130 products, there is something to suit your every need! Perhaps, now you know what to gift WorldMags.net your dear ones…

Memento pearl champagne glass in melba from Le Mill (set of 2) ` 2,040 Sea shell glass in teal blue from Good Earth ` 250

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need to know pantry basics

ON TEST Peanut butter

Words KAINAZ CONTRACTOR Photographs VINIT BHATT, SHIRISH SEN

We test five chunky peanut butters to find the nuttiest one of them all SKIPPY ` 190/140G This American favourite earns its stripes for being just the right amount of nutty, sweet and salty. The roughly crushed peanuts cut the richness of the peanut butter but the oiliness is evident in both texture and taste. Despite containing roasted peanuts like Fun Foods, the smokiness doesn’t quite come through. But we aren’t complaining. It’s best eaten on its own or sandwiched between white bread. We’re happy to report that it could survive the Indian summer; there were no signs of oil floating on the surface.

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AMERICAN GARDEN ` 375/510G Taking its crunchy claim a tad too seriously, the American Garden peanut butter is nearly unspreadable. Unlike Skippy, the ratio of chunky nuts to paste is overwhelmingly in favour of the nuts. We had a terribly hard time spreading it over a slice of bread and we also weren’t too taken by its tendency to dry out the palate. This brand however turned out to be the best for baking. It makes the most gorgeously chunky peanut butter cookies and muffins.

FUN FOODS ` 99/340G This Indian brand is the most affordable of the peanut butters and is as creamy as it claims. The roasted peanuts add a lovely smoky hit to the intense richness of the peanut butter. The packaging does not mention sodium content but we suspect it’s rather high. Due to its inherent saltiness, it is best eaten in a classic PB & J (peanut butter and jelly) sandwich. We recommend a chunkier fruit jelly with more texture to make up for the butter’s lack of crunch.

Wine openers WAITER S FRIEND ` 695 Often referred to as a sommelier knife, this corkscrew is a mainstay with servers across restaurants. Its knife attachment comes in handy while removing the packaging from the bottle’s neck. We found it cumbersome to uncork the bottle as the collapsible attachments kept folding in but the lever resting on the lip of the bottle provides some support before removing the cork. Available at kitchen stores nationwide.

FABINDIA ` 210/400G The key to appreciating Fabindia’s organic peanut butter is not comparing it to other brands. Our initial reaction to its cloudy oil head was one of uncertainty, but no sooner had we gone through its packaging than we found this disclaimer — no extra oil had been added. The omission of vegetable oil causes the peanut oil to separate and rise to the top. It is grainy rather than smooth in texture and has the nutty fragrance of freshly roasted peanuts. A suitable alternative for weight watchers.

Three corkscrews on trial

HANDLEBAR ` 985 With almost no frills to speak of, this opener is as basic as they come. In this quirky corkscrew, a pointed metallic screw is attached to a handle designed as a moustache. With a steady grip on the handle, we found this rudimentary tool quite efficient in extracting the cork from the bottle. But we have to admit that with no supporting lever, one has to purely rely on one’s own strength to ease the removal of the cork. Available at Home Collective, Mumbai.

CORKSCREW ` 4,760 This is the Bentley of wine openers. And at ` 4,760 a pop, we expect no less. It took all of 30 seconds to insert the bottle into the base of the opener, cut the foil and extract the cork. The cork removal process was so flawless that all we had to do was lift the lever before inserting the bottle into the base and pulling it upright. We found this smooth operator to be an excellent gifting option for oenophiles. Available at Home Collective, Mumbai.

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Wine openers courtesy HOME COLLECTIVE

SUNDROP ` 180/462G Sundrop peanut butter has the perfect spreading consistency. The crunchy bits of roasted peanuts don’t overwhelm the actual spread. It was a breeze to smear over a slice of bread. The butter’s nutritional information does show a high sodium content which can be clearly detected in the taste. But it goes down easily and does not leave that familiar dryness of the mouth we experienced with some of the other butters. We also love that some of the peanut skins were left on. All in all, a worthy and economical option.

need to know news, trends, shopping

Bargain hunter

All prices PER HEAD excluding taxes

Good Food tracks down this month’s best value foodie events, meals and deals

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` 212-A-HEAD DINNER PARTY FOR FOUR!

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Words KAINAZ CONTRACTOR

THE FIFTY PER CENT OFF EVERYTHING

BENGALURU

Finally a happy hours that extends to main courses and bar nibbles. The European restaurant in Koramangla, Turquoise — The European, is knocking down prices on both their food and liquor menus by half, every Tuesday. Right from their pizzas and tenderloin steaks to wine cocktails and whiskeys, everything is half off! If not for drinking away your blues early on in the week, this deal is perfect for those midZHHNRIÀFHSDUWLHV

7 Warm salad of new potato, ` 324 pancetta and egg (p 58) 7 Pasta with creamy greens and lemon (p 63) ` 287 7 Wine poached peaches (p 67) ` 235 Total ` 846 ( 211.50 per head) (`

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THE BAR STOCK EXCHANGE

MUMBAI

Nothing excites us more than a good bargain. Couple that with an interactive concept and we’re hooked. Bistro Grill at Juhu’s Hotel Bawa Continental has recently introduced the BSE (Bistro Stock Exchange) – a bullish (or bearish) application on its iPad menus which acts a stock exchange for alcohol. Based on demand, the prices of DOFRKRONHHSÁXFWXDWLQJ through the night. This means the drink that is ordered the least becomes the cheapest, and the most ordered tipple becomes expensive (but never beyond the MRP). Now that’s what we call a win-win situation.

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THE ` 399 LUNCH BUFFET

CHENNAI

With an adequate representation of the culinary offerings of China, Thailand and Malaysia, Nungambakkam’s 3 Kingdoms lunch buffet is quite a treat. Following the dictat of most Oriental buffet spreads, the selection includes a welcome drink, soups, starters, gravies, rice and noodles and desserts with ice cream. At their daily lunch buffet, for just ` 399, one can expect to feast on everything from Mongolian Beef Curry and Chicken Satay to Dim Sum and Honey Darsan. Even EHWWHULI\RXFRPHDVDSDUW\RIÀYHWKH\·OOVSRQVRUWKHÀIWKPHDO 7KH\GRDJUHDW%HHI5HQGDQJVRPDNHVXUH\RXÀOOXSSOHQW\RQWKLV spicy Indonesian favourite.

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spotlight jamun

need to know

jamun

Complex-flavoured jamun holds a special place in Indian culture thanks to its quirky colour and taste. Good Food unravels the mystique of its purple reign Words VIKRAM DOCTOR Photograph RITAM BANERJEE

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spotlight jamun

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amun is the taste of an Indian summer. It reminds us of the freedom of childhood, of picking the dark fruit straight from the tree for free, of enjoying its intense sweetness and the satisfyingly purple stain it left on our tongues. But unlike other fruits, jamun’s sweetness is shadowed by dark moody notes. Take a sip of jamun juice and it seems like concentrated sweet black grape juice, but dilute it with water, and KHDYLHUDFLGÁDYRXUVVXUIDFH&KHZ a strip of dried jamun pulp and it has a nice fruity tang, but an odd metallic taste lingers. Foreigners have tried to describe it in terms of other fruit: Indian blackberry, Malabar plum, damson plum. “Its fruit resembles the black grape, but has a more acid taste, and is not very good,” wrote the Mughal Emperor Babar, who tended to have a dim view of Indian fruits in general. But jamun is only itself, the essence of the subcontinent’s hard soils and searing summers. Perhaps it was in recognition of this that ancient Hindu and Buddhist cosmologies put a giant jamun tree at the centre of the world. The Puranas GLYLGHWKH&RVPRVLQWRVHYHQ continents, of which the centremost was called Jambudvipa, the island of Jambu or Jamun. This is the world on which we are and it got its name from the tree that stood at its centre, like the mother tree in Avatar. This tree was said to bear fruit as large as elephants, which, when they fell, EXUVWZLWKMXLFHVWKDWÁRZHGRXWDQG became a life-giving river. This might seem fanciful, but the jamun tree does literally give life, because it fruits so reliably. Many birds and animals like fruit-bats and jackals make it an important part of WKHLUGLHWDQGLWVÁRZHUVDUHXVHG abundantly by bees for honey. Other trees may struggle through Indian summers, but jamun remains leafy. It is a beautiful tree, large, spreading and shady, so it is easy to understand why the British chose it as one of the main trees for the avenues of New

Delhi when they were building the new capital. One of my strongest images of Delhi in summer is the long pavements plastered with squashed purple fruit. Pradip Krishen, in his wonderful Trees of Delhi guide, writes that the Delhi municipality auctions off the right to collect the fruit, so presumably not everything is left on the pavements. He also notes that two types of jamun grow in Delhi – the round bhadainya jamun or jamoa and the longer ashadiya or rai jamun. 7KHÀUVWLV6\]LJLXPFXPLQLZKLFK is what is locally understood as jamun, and the second is a YDULDQW6\]LJLXPQHUYRVXP

ULQJVZKLFKDUHMXVWWKHULJKWVL]HWR span two or more normally separate protein molecules, bond to them and hold them together.” In other words, they constrict the saliva and cells of our mouth, causing that dry, tightened feeling. Tannins can be of value in food. As McGee notes, they create “a feeling of substantial-ness.” 9DULRXVKHDOWKEHQHÀWVKDYHDOVR been claimed for them — jamun is particularly used in natural medicine for diabetes (from its powdered seeds), and this might be because of its concentration of tannins. The astringency can be controlled, for example by mixing with sugar

Even more than taste, jamun’s nature is established by its astringent power in the mouth. Even the sweetest jamun varieties leave your palate slightly puckered Jamun comes from a large family of plants with strong personalities ²FORYHVRU6\]\JLXPDURPDWLFXP are another cousin – and confusion usually arises from the way similar terms are used interchangeably across fruits. Jamun is also jambu which is also jambolan, the terms it tends to be known by in other parts of the world. But the term is also used for the white or pink bell-shaped fruits of 6\]\JLXPVDPDUDQJHQVHVRPHWLPHV called wax-apples, which accurately GHVFULEHVWKHLUWUDQVOXFHQWFULVSÁHVK DQGLQVLSLGWDVWH6RPHWLPHVWKHVH DUHLGHQWLÀHGDVsafed jamun, but this is also used for a variety of real jamun WKDWKDVZKLWHÁHVKLQVLGHLWV purple skin. All doubts can be resolved by simply biting one. Even more than taste, jamun’s nature is established by its astringent power in the mouth. Even the sweetest jamun varieties leave your palate slightly puckered. Astringency is not a taste, but a tactile sensation caused by tannins which, as food scientist Harold McGee explains, consist of “carbon

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or salt. Indian children have always known this, rubbing the fruit with salt to add yet another intense ÁDYRXUWR jamun’s taste explosion. $QFLHQW6DQVNULWWH[WVPHQWLRQDZLQH called jambu-asava that was made from the ripe fruit. I have steeped ripe jamun in vodka with added sugar to get a fruity drink, with a refreshingly acid bite but jamun ice cream drowns the astringency in dairy, leaving nothing distinctive other than the purple colour. Perhaps the best use for jamun is in kala khatta. This black-purple syrup uses both sugar and kala namak to tame the astringency and adds lime for extra acidity, but leaves just enough of MDPXQ·VGDUNÁDYRXUWR make it interesting. Most important of all, it keeps its purple-staining power. Take an ice gola tightly compacted on its stick, plunge it into a glass of kala khatta and slurp down WKHLQWHQVHO\ÁDYRXUHGFROGPL[WXUH knowing that it’s going to leave your tongue looking like a cow’s – there’s a bit of an Indian summer preserved right there.

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G M FOODS

Are genetically modified foods a scientific marvel or a health hazard? Good Food decodes one of the most controversial debates of our time Words SUMANA MUKHERJEE

O

n the whole, the food world appears a happy place to be in. Farmer or foodie, agricultural economist or backyard gardener, you react positively to a sturdy young VWDONRIVXJDUFDQHRUDÀUPJUHHQ head of broccoli. If you’re the farmer, \RX·UHWKLQNLQJRIÀQDQFLDOUHWXUQV if you’re the hobby chef, you’re considering its plated possibilities. Good food is good food, right? Wrong. Good food can also be JHQHWLFDOO\PRGLÀHG*0 IRRG$QG nothing divides Indian agriculturists and activists more than the idea of food crops that have been tweaked IRUKXPDQEHQHÀW Or perhaps that is an overstatement. $IWHUDOOWLOOUHFHQWO\,QGLD unequivocally celebrated the Green 5HYROXWLRQRIWKHODWHV$WWKH heart of the ‘revolution’ was the work RI1RUPDQ%RUODXJDQ$PHULFDQ plant pathologist and geneticist who crossbred thousands of wheat varieties to create one that resisted rust, a destructive pest, and matured quickly. The Indian government adopted Borlaug’s research and pushed the use of high-yield seeds and chemical fertilizers. The results were astounding: India’s wheat production soared from 800lb/acre in 1963 to 6,000lb/acre in 7KDWZDV,QGLD·VÀUVWHQFRXQWHU ZLWKVFLHQWLÀFDOO\LPSURYHGFURSV While there were sceptics who doubted the new technology, they were quickly silenced by the vast increase in output. So India as a country is not alien to the idea of extra-natural crops. 7KHQH[WFKDSWHULQWKHIRUWLÀHG

crops story, which began unfolding over the turn of the millennium, however, played out quite differently and that explains why the idea of *0IRRGVLVVWLOOODUJHO\MXVWDQLGHD LQ,QGLD,W·VQRWWKH¶ZK\·RI*0 food crops that polarises the debate in India - it’s the ‘how’.

ENTER BIG BUSINESS 6FLHQWLÀFDOO\*0FURSVUHSUHVHQWD huge leap from the Green Revolution: if Borlaug’s trump card was splicing together the best characteristics of X and Y wheat varieties to create the answers-all-prayers Z wheat varietal, *0FURSVDUHEDVHGRQWKHGLVFRYHU\ WKDW'1$FDQEHWUDQVIHUUHGEHWZHHQ organisms to boost pest-resistance or nutritional content or all-round KDUGLQHVV&DOOWKHPEHVSRNHFURSVLI you will. 7KHÀUVWZDYHRIWUDQVJHQLF*0 crops in India was ushered in by way of cotton, one of the country’s largest agricultural products. It’s also one of the most pest-vulnerable crops in the

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world, especially the irrigated variety, which accounts for about 40 per cent of the cotton grown in India. In 1998, the Indian government cleared WKHZD\IRUÀHOGWULDOVRI%WFRWWRQ which was already being produced FRPPHUFLDOO\LQWKH860H[LFR $XVWUDOLD$UJHQWLQDDQG&KLQD Bt here stands for Bacillus thuringiensis, a bacterium found in soil, and a natural pesticide. Scientists discovered that Bt proteins, if introduced in the gene of the cotton plant, did a better job of ÀJKWLQJVSHFLÀFSHVWVWKDQLILWZDV sprayed on the plant. Between 2002 and 2007, the area under Bt cotton grew by more than 210 times and yields increased by close to 30 per cent, while pesticide consumption dropped by upto 55 per cent. $OOJRRGULJKW"1RSHQRWVR HDV\$JULFXOWXUHLVDKXJHO\SROLWLFDO affair in India and everyone’s a stakeholder, from politicians, big businesses and government bodies to non-governmental entities, civil

Photograph © MATTHIAS KULKA/CORBIS

Good Food investigates

need to know food issues rights organisations and most environmental groups. Consider this: the Bt technology for cotton was developed by Mahyco in collaboration with its parent company Monsanto, one of the world’s largest producers of genetically engineered seeds. When %WFRWWRQÀQGVUHDG\DFFHSWDQFH in India, the company, obviously, EHQHÀWV6RGRHVHYHU\RQHZLWKDQ interest in power-agriculture, and all the bodies that had approved or promoted proprietorial biotechnology. The only losers, so to say, are the pesticide companies, who see the sale of their products slide GUDVWLFDOO\6WUDQJHO\HQRXJKWKH\ ÀQGWKHPVHOYHVRQWKHVDPHVLGHDV other entities inimical to technologypropped agriculture. Among them are NGOs that fear Indian farmers could soon be beholden to a multinational company for their seeds, since Bt seeds – like most hybrid seeds – have to be bought afresh each year. (In contrast,

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FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD But, let’s admit it, as vital as cotton may be to the Indian economy, it isn’t really a sexy issue for the Indian consumer. What we eat, however, is an emotive concern for all of us, especially the urban Indian, with his newfound interest in food. When the GM debate moves from cotton to food, the stakes grow manifold. Like cotton, food crops, too, have WKHLURZQSHVWSUREOHPV7KH86 which has led the world in GMO research, began commercial cultivation of GM soybean and maize, both crops ZLWKKXJHÀQDQFLDOLPSOLFDWLRQVLQ 1996. Conventionally grown soybean and maize are the largest consumers of pesticides; however, Monsanto’s GM soybean only needs to be sprayed with 0RQVDQWR·VÁDJVKLSKHUELFLGH5RXQG Up. Today, more than three-quarters of the soybean produced in the world is VDLGWREHJHQHWLFDOO\PRGLÀHG From cotton to food crops, then, was a logical step for India as well. But this is where things get complicated. Between 2007 and

What we eat, however, is an emotive concern for all of us, especially the urban Indian, with his newfound interest in food. When the GM debate moves from cotton to food, the stakes grow manifold

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heirloom seeds can be saved after each harvest and replanted the next year.) Also in this corner are environmentalists’ groups, who apprehend that short-term pestprotection tactics could give birth to super-bugs or super-weeds, which would call for greater use of environment-unfriendly chemical pesticides in the future. And thus you have two completely contra positioned alignments, each with their declared and hidden agendas and each capable of making a huge impact for their respective interest groups. There are no disinterested parties in this debate.

now, resistance to GMO has grown VLJQLÀFDQWO\*0FULWLFVSRLQWWR Cotton Corporation of India data that indicates that Bt cotton yields have actually dipped from 554kg/hectare in 2007-8 to 481kg/hectare (projected) for 2011-12. Unabated farmer suicides and environmental concerns also weigh in heavily. 6RWKRXJKWKHJRYHUQPHQW DOORZHGÀHOGWULDOVIRU0RQVDQWR·V Bt brinjals in 2008 and the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee green lighted the product in 2009, the then Environment Minister -DLUDP5DPHVKLPSRVHGDQLQGHÀQLWH moratorium on its commercial

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS What are GM foods? GM foods are the fruit of food crops that have been genetically engineered to exhibit certain qualities. In India, we are familiar with GM cotton, which has been designed to fight pests. But, officially, there are no indigenously grown GM foods in India. Why the fuss over GM foods? The idea of tampering with nature continues to shock many, though it’s a fact that modern lives would cease without the many domestic applications of science (such as pacemakers or test-tube babies or even microwaves and cellphones). However, it’s also true that we’re still on a learning curve with GM foods. The two decades they’ve been around is too short a time to suss out the multiple ways they could affect animals, humans and the environment. Some scientists, though, say GM toxins harm the kidney, liver and lungs. Have we eaten GM foods? Almost certainly, especially if you’ve lived in the US or Canada, or have had foodstuff processed in the US. Cottonseed oil, processed from homegrown Bt cotton and sold as a cooking medium in Indian markets, would also contain traces of genetically modified organisms (GMO). Activists say GMO could have also made its way to our tummies via cottonseed cakes fed to cattle to increase milk yields. Does India import GM foods? That’s a bit of a grey area. Back in 2008, an import consignment of Pepsico’s Doritos chips was held up at customs on suspicion of GM-content. However, the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee of the Ministry of Environment allowed its release. The same year, Greenpeace claimed tests conducted on Doritos corn chips, picked off supermarket shelves in Delhi, revealed the presence of GM corn. Indian laws, incidentally, lay the onus for GM-labelling on the exporting country. What does the future hold? While GM food crops cannot be officially cultivated in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan reportedly have plans to sow Bt brinjal and corn within the next few years. Cross-pollination and cross-border ‘borrowing’ could see GM crops growing in India even if there is no government approval. So far as ‘approved’ indigenous foods go, India has a draft ruling for labelling all GM foods and their products. But it’s anyone’s guess how it will be implemented in our unorganised market. Bt cottonseed oil, for instance, is not labelled.

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Photograph © IMAGEZOO/CORBIS

cultivation in February 2010. After conducting public hearings around the country, he said more studies were necessary before the brinjals – which would have been the country’s ÀUVW*0IRRGFURS²FRXOGEH deemed safe for consumers and the environment. In August last year, the National Biodiversity Authority – an autonomous arm of the Environment 0LQLVWU\LQFKDUJHRIFRQVHUYLQJWKH country’s biodiversity – was learnt to be contemplating legal action against 0DK\FR0RQVDQWRIRUELRSLUDF\RU DFFHVVLQJPRUHWKDQKDOIDGR]HQ varieties of brinjal in Tamil Nadu and .DUQDWDNDIRUJHQHWLFPRGLÀFDWLRQ without the requisite permissions. The move comes on the basis of a January 2010 complaint lodged by an 1*2FDOOHG(QYLURQPHQWDO6XSSRUW *URXS0RUHUHFHQWO\DQXPEHURI states in the country have opposed WKHLGHDRI*0FURSÀHOGWULDOVXQWLO such time as there is clarity and consensus on the issue.

FUTURE TENSE $QGWKDW·VZKHUHWKH*0VWRU\LQ India stands now, with the two sides

so far apart ideologically that a bridge VHHPVLQFRQFHLYDEOH2QRQHVLGHDUH the vital concerns of escalating food SURGXFWLRQIRUWKHFRXQWU\·VVWLOO JURZLQJSRSXODWLRQ2QWKHRWKHU LVWKHZRUU\RIRYHUGHSHQGHQFHRQ proprietorial technology. Clouding it all are reams of propaganda from both sides. Through it all, there isn’t much evidence that anyone is paying close attention to the edibility TXRWLHQWRI*0IRRGFURSVLQ,QGLD 7KH86ZKLFKLVWKHODUJHVW SURGXFHURI*0IRRGFURSVVXFKDV PDL]HVR\EHDQFRWWRQDQGFDQROD  insists there are no direct linkages between consumption and disease. ,QIDFWWKH86)RRGDQG'UXJ Administration does not distinguish EHWZHHQ*0DQGQRQ*0IRRGV or even require them to be labelled. 2YHUDOOWKRXJKWKHUHVHHPVWR EHFRQVHQVXVWKDWWKH*0IRRGV available in American markets at present – and the emphasis on ‘at SUHVHQW·LVVLJQLÀFDQW²DUHVDIHIRU people to eat. That said, doubters SRLQWRXWWKDW*0IRRGVKDYHEHHQ in circulation for less than a couple of decades, which is simply not enough WLPHWRJDXJHLWVORQJWHUPLPSDFW

In India, it’s another story. Each IRRGFURSWKDWLVJHQHWLFDOO\PRGLÀHG requires intensive testing, scores of regulatory checks, data comparisons DQGFRQVWDQWPRQLWRULQJ0RUHRYHU DOOWKHVHIDFWRUVDUHVSHFLÀFWR growing conditions: That is to say, a Bt brinjal that passes muster in Andhra Pradesh doesn’t provide a clean chit for a Bt brinjal grown in, say, Rajasthan. In India, with regulatory mechanisms being notoriously lax, there is little guarantee that all the genetically PRGLÀHGIRRGZLOOXQGHUJRDOOWKH necessary checks all the time. ,QWKHEHVWFDVHVFHQDULRZKDW the growing awareness and criticism may do is force stringent regulation and labelling laws so as to allow the consumer greater control over his IRRGFKRLFHV:KLOHFHUWLÀHG*0 free foods could sell at a premium, for millions of the world’s hungriest SHRSOH*0IRRGPD\UHSUHVHQWD solution to their hunger.

GM FOODS AROUND THE WORLD 7About 60 to 70 per cent of all supermarket products in the USA are genetically modified, including soybean, corn, strawberries, tomatoes, lettuce and potatoes. American laws do not require labels to declare GMO content. In Canada, with a similar GM usage pattern, labelling is a voluntary act. 7Many foods in supermarkets in Australia contain GM elements, including corn, soybeans, potatoes and canola. Labels are essential if the composition or nutritional value is changed beyond natural readings. 7Three GM foods are commonly available in the UK: tomatoes (sold only as tomato purée), soya and maize. 7The European Union, by and large, has been opposed to GM foods. The GM crops that find their way into the market are meant for us as animal feed or in industry and not for direct human consumption. 7China has been eating GM potato, papaya, maize and soybean oil since 2000, but opinions are polarised over the proposal of GM rice, allegedly already available illegally. 7Large parts of South America – particularly Brazil and Argentina – produce GM food crops. In Africa, where there is major resistance to GM crops, South Africa is invested heavily in GM maize.

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need to know books

books & cooks Check out our top reads this month Words MEHER MIRZA

Recipe and photograph courtesy 100 BEST HEALTH FOODS, PARRAGON BOOKS

100 Best Health Foods There’s a world of healthy superfoods you should be eating and this book is a step closer to making it happen. Each of the 100 healthy ingredients is accompanied by a write-up explaining its nutritional quotient and a light, easy recipe. We did a taste test for the Tomato and Mango Salad which was refreshing and easy to make. Next up was the Hot and Spicy Chicken with Peanuts, which was delicious but not very spicy. The peanuts added a lovely crunchy texture. Most interesting of all though was the Mexican-inspired Chicken with chilli and chocolate! Available from Parragon Books for ` 395.

Hot and spicy chicken with peanuts Serves 4 Q 30 minutes QEASY soy sauce 2 tbsp, chilli powder 1 tsp or to taste, chicken breasts 350g, skinned and cut into chunks, groundnut oil 5 tbsp +

Reza’s Indian Spice – Reza Mahammad Reza Mahammad was born to a family of Indian restaurateurs in London, educated in Panchgani, India and owns a house in France. It’s no wonder that his Indian cooking is tinged with global flavours. In this book, he cooks Indian food using international ingredients and adding a healthy twist — for instance, his samosas are baked, not fried. Our favourites — Chicken With Apricots and Potato Straws (perhaps inspired by the Parsi jardaloo gosht with salli) and the Rose Petal and Cardamom Kulfi. Spanning six chapters, the book is a delight. Available from Quadrille Publishing for ` 796. extra if necessary, garlic clove 1, finely chopped, fresh ginger 1 tsp, grated, shallots 3, thinly sliced, carrots 225g, peeled and thinly sliced, white wine vinegar 1 tsp, sugar a pinch, peanuts 90g, roasted, fresh coriander sprigs to garnish, cooked rice to serve QMix the soy sauce and chilli powder together in a bowl. Add the chicken chunks and toss to coat. Cover with clingfilm and let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. QHeat 4 tbsp of the oil in a

Everyday cocktails Learn to toss up a bunch of cocktails like a master mixologist with Everyday Cocktails. We must admit we had the most fun reviewing this book. A bunch of us got together on Friday night and tried out the Country Cousin Collins (a fruity brandy concoction), the Stars and Stripes (a creamy brandy and Curaçao mix), Hurricane (fruity rum cocktail) and the Tequila slammer (an extremely potent cocktail). Although we’d prefer more experimental flavours, the recipes turned out delicious and the instructions were clear even for a butterfingered one such as I. Available from Parragon Books for ` 195. frying pan. Add the chicken and stir fry over medium-high heat until browned and well cooked. Remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm. QIf necessary, add a little more oil to the pan. Add the ginger, garlic, shallots and carrots and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. QReturn the chicken to the pan and stir fry until it is warmed through again. Add the vinegar, sugar and peanuts, stir well and drizzle with the remaining 1 tbsp of oil. Garnish with coriander sprigs and serve immediately with cooked rice.

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Islamic Food with Healing Touch – Salma Husain Indian food has been greatly influenced by the flavours of the Islamic world. In Muslim Food with Healing Touch, Persian scholar and food expert Salma Husain talks about how the flavours of Persia and Turkey have shaped the cuisine of the Islamic world, as have the Sufis and the Mughals. The recipes are nutritious and delicious and shine a light into some exotic cuisines. Try the aash-e-joe (barley soup) and the sheer berenj (rice pudding). Available from Roli Books for ` 350. Modernist Cuisine at Home – Nathan Myhrvold, Maxime Bilet Everybody’s talking about the follow up to Nathan Myhrvold’s seminal six-volume Modernist Cuisine — Modernist Cuisine at Home. The at home version has comparatively less complex recipes with easier equipment, so you can learn how to cook sous vide at home in your kitchen sink, to do a perfect steak in your picnic cooler and to sear food perfectly without a blowtorch. There’s only one problem — you’ll have to wait until October to get your hands on it. Available for ` 7,500. You can buy this month’s books online at flipkart.com and landmarkonthenet.com.

need to know food shows

What’s on

Tune in to this month’s best food TV Words VIDYA BALACHANDER

TV TASTING RAKESH SETHI

Although not as ceremonious as the English afternoon tea ritual, tea time in India is an occasion for the family to get together over cups of masala chai and snacks to keep hunger at bay until dinner. On each episode of his show, Chef Rakesh Sethi, food editor of Food Food, d tells you how to rustle up delicious snacks drawn from cuisines from around the world. If fried food doesn’t push your buttons, Sethi also has healthy recipes perfect for that evening hunger pang.

Palak patta chaat Serves 3 Q30 minutes Q EASY spinach leaves 10, washed and dried, gram flour (besan) 2 tbsp, rice flourr 1 tbsp, red chilli powder 1/2 tsp ajwain 1/4 tsp, kalonji (onion) seeds 1/4 tsp, salt to taste, refined oil for frying, yoghurt 2-3 tsbp, beaten, green chutney y 4-6 tsp, sweet tamarind chutney 4-6 tsp, green chilli 1, chopped, nylon sev 10g, pomegranate pearls 20g, chaat masala 1 tsp Q Put the gram flour into a bowl. Add rice flour, red chilli powder, ajwain, kalonji seeds and salt to taste. Add a little water and mix it all well to form a thin batter. Q Coat each spinach leaf in the batter and deep fry in a wok until crisp and lightly golden. Remove on a kitchen towel to soak up the excess oil. Q Place the fried spinach leaves on a serving plate. Drizzle over some of the beaten yoghurt. Top with sweet tamarind chutney and green chutney. Q Garnish with nylon sev and pomegranate pearls. Sprinkle over some chaat masala and top with chopped green chilli. Tea Time airs on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 2 pm on Food Food.

TASTE TEST ROYAL RASOI Royal Rasoi, a show on the Food FoodFKDQQHODLPVWRXQFRYHUWKHÁDYRXUVRI d the royal cuisines of Rajasthan. Actor Chandrachur Singh, who has made his television debut as the anchor of the show, tells us about his experience. TELL US A BIT ABOUT ROYAL RASOI. I’ve never done television before this show. But Royal Rasoi struck me as a very interesting concept. The show explores the food, lifestyle and culture of the royal families of Rajasthan. We decided to start from the princely state of Karauli in Rajasthan, since that’s where my paternal grandmother hails from. DID THE SHOW HAVE ANY REVELATIONS FOR YOU? I learned that that in most royal families, the kings and the princes have a keen interest in cooking. Men folk have a traditional legacy of cooking. Also, royal FXLVLQHLVKHDYLO\LQÁXHQFHGE\ORFDOUHFLSHVRIWKHUHJLRQ%XWWKHUHFLSHVYDU\ from family to family. For instance, gatte ki sabzi made of besan is a common GLVKEXWWKHUHDUHVXEWOHPRGLÀFDWLRQVIURPRQHIDPLO\WRDQRWKHU SOME MEMORABLE DISHES YOU TASTED DURING THE SHOW? Very few people know of the meat kebabs, called maas ke sule, e that are a 5DMDVWKDQLVSHFLDOLW\7KHPHDWLVWHQGHULVHGDQGÁDYRXUHGZLWKkachri powder (the tangy powder of dried wild cucumbers) and other ethnic spices. In Mount Abu, the royal family, which is vegetarian, made vegetarian meat and eggs out of atta. It takes a day or two to craft the atta to look as close to meat as possible. Royal Rasoi airs every Wednesday at 8 pm on the Food Food channel.

SNAPSHOT MY CYPRIOT KITCHEN Set in the pastoral landscape of Cyprus, My Cypriot Kitchen sees host Tonia Buxton return to her native country for a culinary exploration. In each episode, Buxton visits her friends and family on the island and cooks up one traditional recipe, from fresh ingredients sourced locally. For instance, one episode sees Buxton milking a goat and using the milk to make anarii cheese, a kind of Cypriot whey cheese. In other episodes, she forages for herbs and vegetables with a local chef and also stirs up some recipes with her family. The show is a fun peek into the culinary customs of an island steeped in history, so it’s well worth a watch. My Cypriot Kitchen airs every night at 10 pm on the TLC channel.

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Photograph PHILIP WEBB

ON THE PLATE TEA TIME WITH RAKESH SETHI

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eat in 55 pages of comfort food, from easy puddings and khichdis to monsoon classics

IN THIS ISSUE 7 7 meals for ` 700 PAGE 50 7 Easy lunchbox recipes PAGE 57 7 Ready in 30 minute meals PAGE 58 7 Make the most of peaches PAGE 66 7 Khichdis for rainy days PAGE 74 7 Chai time classics PAGE 82 7 A relaxed Sunday entertaining menu PAGE 90 7 Throw your own pizza party PAGE 96 7 Showoff desserts PAGE 102

Pasta with creamy greens and lemon PAGE 63

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7

Recipe JANINE RATCLIFFE Photograph DAVID MUNNS Styling VICTORIA ALLEN Food styling JENNIFER JOYCE

meals for `700 Plan a week’s worth of stylish budget meals from around the world VEG IT with tofu

MONDAY Pork with five-spice and cashews

TUESDAY Spanish p rice with prawns and chorizo

Serves 2 Q 20 minutes QEASY

Serves 2 Q 30 minutes QEASY

lean pork steaks 2, cut into thin strips Chinese five-spice 2 tsp groundnut oil 2 tbsp red chilli 1, sliced spring onions 1/2 a bunch, chopped yellow pepper 1, cut into large chunks crunchy veggies such as baby corn or snow peas 150g of one, or a mix cashews 50g, toasted

onion 1, sliced REALLY R red pepper 1, cut into chunks REALLY EASY Y olive oil 2 tbsp chorizo 100g, chopped into pieces (Try Can Calet available at gourmet stores) paella rice orr risotto rice 150g (try De Cecco available at gourmet stores) saffron a pinch chicken stock 400ml, hot prawns 125g, cooked lemon 1, halved parsley a small bunch, chopped

Photograph DAVID MUNNS

SHOPPING BASKET

STORE CUPBOARD

`69

TOTAL F8 R 7 MEALO S

QToss the pork in the five-spice and season. Add 2 tbsp oil to a very hot wok. Tip in the pork and cook, stirring for 7 minutes. Add the chilli, the spring onions, pepper, and veg. Stir-fry for a minute then add a splash of water and cook for around 2 minutes until the veggies are just tender. Stir in the cashew nuts and serve. QPER SERVING 539 kcals, protein 42.7g, carbs 15.5g, fat 34.5g, sat fat 6.9g, fibre 4.6g, salt 2.53g

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QCook the onion and pepper in olive oil in a wide, shallow pan until softened. Add the chorizo and cook for a couple of minutes until the oil is released. Stir in the rice until coated in all the oils. Stir the saffron into the stock then add to the pan and stir well. Put on a lid and cook for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender and the stock is absorbed. Stir in the prawns until heated through completely, then squeeze over lemon and toss through the parsley. QPER SERVING 627 kcals, protein 32.3g, carbs 71.2g, fat 25.6g, sat fat 6.8g, fibre 3.4g, salt 4.49g

Recipe JANINE RATCLIFFE Photograph DAVID MUNNS Styling VICTORIA ALLEN Food styling JENNIFER JOYCE

eat in everyday

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THURSDAY Spinach and feta filo pie Serves 4 Q 55 minutes QEASY Recipe JANINE RATCLIFFE Photograph DAVID MUNNS Styling VICTORIA ALLEN Food styling JENNIFER JOYCE

onions 2, halved and sliced butter 35g garlic cloves 2, crushed spinach 500g, washed and roughly chopped nutmeg grated feta cheese 200g, crumbled eggs 2, beaten filo pastry 4 large sheets (try Jus Rol available at gourmet stores)

WEDNESDAY Gumbo-style chicken Serves 2 Q 1 hour QEASY skinless chicken thigh fillets 4, cut into chunks groundnut oil 2 tbsp streaky bacon 2 rashers, chopped onion 1, finely chopped garlic cloves 2, chopped celery stalks 2, finely chopped plain flour 2 tsp plum tomatoes 400g chicken stock 300ml green pepper 1, cut into chunks bay leaves 2 thyme 2 sprigs cayenne pepper 1 tsp pork sausage 100g, sliced

QSeason the chicken then brown in oil until golden. Scoop out of the pan. Add the bacon and cook till crisp, then add the onion, garlic and celery. Cook until softened and starting to colour. Sprinkle over the flour and cook, stirring until the bacon, veggies and flour turn golden. Tip in the tomatoes and break up with a spoon, and keep stirring till everything is combined. Stir in the stock then add the pepper, herbs, cayenne pepper and sausage. Add back the chicken. Season really well. Simmer for about 30 minutes until the chicken is really tender and the sauce reduced. QPER SERVING 619 kcals, protein 56g, carbs 18.7g, fat 36.1g, sat fat 11g, fibre 4.2g, salt 3.61g

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QHeat the oven to 200ºC. Cook the onions in a large knob of butter until soft and turning golden. Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes. Then add the spinach in batches and cook until wilted. Cool, then tip into a bowl (leaving behind any excess liquid from the spinach) and mix in the nutmeg, feta, eggs and season. QMelt 30g more butter, and butter a non-stick springform cake tin, about 20-22cm. Put the first sheet of filo in the tin and brush with butter, letting the excess hang over the sides. Keep going with the rest of the sheets, turning a little before adding each additional pastry sheet and brushing all over with butter. When all the pastry is used up, tip in the filling and fold over the excess pastry to cover. Butter the top then bake in the oven for about 20-30 minutes until the filo is crisp and golden. Leave for 5 minutes before turning out and cutting into wedges to serve. QPER SERVING 398 kcals, protein 17.8g, carbs 22.9g, fat 26.8g, sat fat 14.8g, fibre 3.6g, salt 2.67g

Recipe JANINE RATCLIFFE Photograph DAVID MUNNS Styling VICTORIA ALLEN Food styling JENNIFER JOYCE

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Recipe TAMSIN BURNETT-HALL Photograph LIS PARSONS Styling JENNY IGGLEDEN Food styling MARINA FILIPPELLI

SATURDAY Best-ever macaroni and cheese Serves 4 Q 50 minutes QEASY baguette 50g, cut into small chunks butter 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp melted fusilli or macaroni pasta 350g garlic clove 1, finely chopped English mustard 1 tsp (try Tracklements available at gourmet stores) plain flour 3 tbsp whole milk 500ml Cheddar cheese 250g, grated Parmesan cheese 50g, grated

FRIDAY Mushroom and chickpea burgers Serves 4 Q 30 minutes QEASY olive oil 1 tbsp mushrooms 250g, finely chopped garlic cloves 2, crushed spring onions 1 bunch, sliced curry powder 1 tbsp zest and juice 1⁄2 lemon chickpeas 400g, boiled bread crumbs 85g creamy yoghurt 6 tbsp cumin powder a pinch muffins or rolls 2, toasted and halved plum tomatoes 2, sliced arugula leaves handful

QHeat 1 tsp oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook the mushroom, garlic and spring onion for 5 minutes. Mix in the curry powder, lemon zest and juice and cook for 2 minutes or until the mixture looks quite dry. Tip out onto a plate to cool slightly. QUse a potato masher or fork to mash the chickpeas in a bowl, leaving a few chunky pieces. Add the mushroom mix and the crumbs, then shape into 4 patties. Fry in the remaining oil for 3-4 minutes on each side until crisp and browned. QMix the yoghurt with the cumin. Place half a muffin on each plate, then spread with the yoghurt. Top with the burgers, a few slices of tomato and a little arugula. QPER SERVING 271 kcals, protein 15g, carbs 40g, fat 7g, sat fat 1g, fibre 6g, sugar 4g, salt 1.13g

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QHeat the oven to 200ºC. Spread the chunks of bread over a baking sheet, drizzle with the melted butter and season. Bake for 6 minutes until crisp, then set aside. QBoil the pasta for 2 minutes lesser than what’s stated on the pack. Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a saucepan. Add the garlic and mustard, cook for 1 minute, then stir in the flour. Cook for 1 minute more, then gradually whisk in the milk until you have a lump-free sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes, whisking constantly until thickened. Take off the heat, then stir in all the Cheddar and half the Parmesan. QStir the pasta and some seasoning into the cheesy sauce, then tip into a large ovenproof dish, or 4 individual dishes. Scatter over the bread and remaining Parmesan, then bake for 20 minutes until crisp and golden. Can be frozen before baking — defrost thoroughly before cooking. QPER SERVING 860 kcals, protein 38g, carbs 88g, fat 42g, sat fat 25g, fibre 3g, sugar 9g, salt 1.92g

eat in everyday

PROMOTION

A taste of the Orient hilli Chicken Miracle Masala Impress your family with some hot, steaming, spicy Chilli Chicken, ready in minutes. Yes, it’s a miracle. Ching’s Secret Chilli Chicken Miracle Masala is a mix of Indo-Chinese spices and seasonings. Make some boneless chicken pakoras and stir-fry with diced onions, capsicum, carrot and a slit green chilli. Add some water and the Miracle Masala. That’s it! Schezwan Miracle Masala Obviously, you don’t want your kids snacking on junk food. Need a miracle? You got it. Ching’s Secret Schezwan Miracle Masala is a mix of Indo-Chinese spices that can transform boring leftover steamed white rice into delicious Schezwan Fried Rice. Just stir fry some vegetables. Add rice and toss in the Miracle Masala. In just minutes, you will have mouthwatering Schezwan Fried Rice. Manchurian Miracle Masala Miraculously turn into an authentic Chinese chef. Ching’s Secret Manchurian Miracle Masala is a mix of spices that will help you perfectly recreate this sauce in no time! Make Manchurian veg balls. Stir fry some onion, capsicum and carrot. Add water and the Miracle Masala. Then add the Manchurian veg balls. That’s it! And if cooking the Veg Manchurian has brought out the chef in you, try your hand at making some Chilli Chicken, Schezwan Fried Rice, Chowmein or Paneer Chilli. After all, there’s a Ching’s Secret Miracle Masala to make all these dishes as well! So check out Ching’s Secret Five Miracle Masalas: Manchurian, Paneer Chilli, Chicken Chilli, Chowmein and Schezwan. All are available at a store near you for just ` 5!

Recipe JENNIFER JOYCE Photograph DAWIE VERWEY Styling JENNY IGGLEDEN Food styling JENNIFER JOYCE

C

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SUNDAY Creamy courgette lasagne SERVES 4 Q 30 minutes QEASY

QIn a large baking dish, layer up the lasagne, starting with half the courgette mix, then pasta, then tomato sauce. Repeat, top with blobs of the remaining ricotta, then scatter with the rest of the Cheddar. Bake on the top shelf of the oven for about 10 minutes until the pasta is tender and the cheese is golden. QPER SERVING 405 kcals, protein 18g, carbs 38g, fat 21g, sat fat 8g, fibre 4g, sugar 13g, salt 1.36g

FOR A LIST OF STORES THAT STOCK GOURMET INGREDIENTS, TURN TO P 153

Photograph GARETH MORGANS

lasagne sheets 9 sunflower or olive oil 1 tbsp + a little extra onion 1, finely chopped courgettes about 6, coarsely grated garlic cloves 2, crushed ricotta cheese 250g Cheddar cheese 50g tomato sauce 350g (try Jamie Oliver available at gourmet stores)

QHeat the oven to 220ºC. Put a pan of water on to boil, then cook the lasagne sheets for about 5 minutes until softened, but not cooked through. Rinse in cold water, then drizzle with a little oil to stop them sticking together. QMeanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion. After 3 minutes, add the courgettes and garlic and continue to fry until the courgette has softened. Stir in twothirds of both the ricotta and the Cheddar, then season to taste. Heat the tomato sauce in the microwave for 2 minutes on High until hot.

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eat in lunchbox

Salad time

Taking salad to work saves money and can be healthier, too. This recipe can be cooked as it is, dressed up for a picnic or lunch, or made simple for kids’ lunchboxes

Storecupboard pasta salad red onion 2 tsp, finely chopped capers 1 tsp (try Surfine available at gourmet stores) pesto 1 tbsp (try Sacla available at gourmet stores) olive oil 2 tsp tuna 185g (try John West available at gourmet stores) assorted pasta shapes 100g, cooked sundried tomatoes 3, chopped

tuna 185g, flaked (try John West available at gourmet stores) tomato 1, chopped

QMix the onion, capers, pesto and oil. Flake the tuna into a bowl with the pasta and tomatoes, then stir in the pesto mix. QPER SERVING 189 kcals, protein 19g, carbs 12g, fat 7g, sat fat 2g, fibre 2g, sugar 2g, salt 0.91g

QMix together the pesto with the mayonnaise. Stir this through the cooked pasta along with the sweet corn, tuna and the chopped tomato. QPER SERVING 167 kcals, protein 17g, carbs 9g, fat 11g, sat fat 2g, fibre 2g, sugar 2g, salt 0.78g

MAKE IT FOR KIDS

DRESS IT UP

Easy tuna salad

Griddled tuna salad

Serves 4 Q 5 minutes Q EASY

Serves 4 Q 10 minutes Q EASY

pesto 1 tbsp (try Sacla available at gourmet stores) mayonnaise 2 tbsp pasta 100g, cooked sweet corn 100g

pasta 200g, cooked juice 1/2 lemon parsley a bunch, chopped extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp spring onions 2, chopped

capers 1 tbsp (try Surfine available at gourmet stores) pine nuts handful, roasted tuna steaks or any fish steak 2 olive oil QMix the pasta with the lemon juice, chopped parsley, olive oil, spring onions, capers and the toasted pine nuts. QBrush the steaks with olive oil, griddle for 2 minutes each side, then cut into slices. Toss through the pasta to serve. QPER SERVING 234 kcals, protein 21g, carbs 11g, fat 8g, sat fat 2g, fibre 3g, sugar 2g, salt 0.49g

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Recipes EMMA LEWIS Photograph MYLES NEW Styling RACHEL JUKES Food styling LIZZIE HARRIS

Serves 2 Q 5 minutes Q EASY

Ready in 30

Try our fabulously comforting yet ridiculously quick recipes Warm salad of new potato, bacon and egg Serves 2 Q 30 minutes Q EASY

QCook the potatoes until just tender — about 15-20 minutes. Drop the eggs into boiling water and cook for 7 minutes, then plunge into cold water. QCook the bacon until crisp. Whisk together the olive oil, the Dijon mustard and vinegar and season. Toss the warm potatoes with the arugula, bacon and dressing. Divide between 2 plates. Shell the eggs, quarter and add to the plates. QPER SERVING 398 kcals, protein 17.9g, carbs 20.7g, fat 27.6g, sat fat 7g, fibre 1.6g, salt 2.25g

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Recipe JANINE RATCLIFFE Photograph DAVID MUNNS Styling VICTORIA ALLEN Food styling JENNIFER JOYCE

baby potatoes 250g, halved lengthways eggs 2 bacon 70g olive oil 2 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp (try Roland available at gourmet stores) red wine vinegar 1 tbsp (try Cirio available at gourmet stores) arugula 50g

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Recipe JENNY WHITE Photograph DAVID MUNNS Styling JO HARRIS Food styling JENNY WHITE

Any leftover cooked pasta will work for this recipe. Don’t fancy courgettes? Use 125g sweet corn instead.

Spaghetti omelette (recipe overleaf)

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Prawn massaman curry

Spaghetti omelette Serves 4 Q 30 minutes Q EASY olive oil 2 tbsp garlic clove 1, crushed onion 1, chopped courgettes 2, grated parsley 2 tbsp, chopped fresh cheese sauce 300g (try Kraft available at gourmet stores) spaghetti 200g, cooked eggs 2 QHeat half the oil in a medium nonstick frying pan and add the garlic and onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until softened. Using your hands, squeeze out as much moisture from the courgettes as possible. Add them to the

pan and cook for a further 3-4 minutes, until tender. Spoon the vegetables into a large bowl. QStir in the parsley, cheese sauce and spaghetti and season. Beat the eggs and stir into the mixture. QHeat remaining oil in the frying pan and tip in the spaghetti mixture. Level it out with the back of a spoon and cook over a medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until almost set. QTransfer to a hot grill for 2-3 minutes, until golden. Leave to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve. QPER SERVING 324 kcals, protein 13g, carbs 21g, fat 22g, sat fat 8g, fibre 2g, sugar 5g, salt 0.68g

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massaman curry paste 1-2 tbsp (try Blue Elephant available at gourmet stores) coconut milk 400g small potatoes 150g, halved or quartered if large cinnamon stick 1 cardamom pods 2, squashed king prawns 200g, raw brown sugar 1 tsp limes 2, 1 juiced, 1 quartered to serve fish sauce 1 tbsp (try Ayam available at gourmet stores) peanuts 1 tbsp, toasted and chopped (optional) red chilli to serve basil shredded to serve QCook the massaman paste in the thick bit of the coconut milk for a few minutes until it becomes fragrant. Add the rest of the coconut milk and simmer for a minute. Add the potatoes, cinnamon, cardamom and simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Add the prawns, sugar, lime and fish sauce, and cook for 3-4 minutes until the prawns are just cooked and pink. QServe the curry sprinkled with peanuts (if using), chilli and basil. QPER SERVING 485 kcals, protein 23.2g, carbs 21g, fat 34.9g, sat fat 28.2g, fibre 0.8g, salt 2.85g

Recipe JANINE RATCLIFFE Photograph DAVID MUNNS Styling VICTORIA ALLEN Food styling JENNIFER JOYCE

Serves 2 Q 30 minutes Q EASY

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Spicy Thai prawn noodles Serves 4 Q 30 minutes Q EASY

Recipe C J JACKSON Photograph PETER CASSIDY Styling JO HARRIS Food styling LIZZIE HARRIS

Thai rice noodles 200g (try Real Thai available at gourmet stores) sesame oil 1 tbsp eggs 2, beaten red chilli 1, finely chopped ginger 1 thumb-size piece, grated prawns 450g, peeled and cooked soy sauce 1 tbsp coriander small bunch, roughly chopped mint 1⁄2 small bunch, roughly chopped zest and juice 1 lime peanuts small handful, roasted and chopped

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QCook the noodles following the pack instructions, drain and set aside for later. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and pour in the beaten egg. Swirl around the pan to make a thin omelette, cook for 1-2 minutes, then flip over and cook the other side for 1 minute. Tip out and slice into thin strips. QAdd the chilli and ginger to the pan, fry for 1-2 minutes then tip in the noodles, prawns and egg. Splash in the soy sauce and stir-fry for 1 minute more. Throw in the chopped herbs and pour over the lime juice and zest, then sprinkle over the chopped peanuts and serve. QPER SERVING 385 kcals, protein 34g, carbs 42g, fat 11g, sat fat 2g, fibre 1g, sugar 1g, salt 2.80g

Portobello and blue cheese melts Serves 1 Q 25 minutes Q EASY red onion 1, cut into wedges olive oil 1 tsp balsamic vinegar 2 tbsp (try Colavita available at gourmet stores) portobello mushrooms 2 thyme leaves 1 tsp blue cheese such as gorgonzola 25g ciabatta bread roll 1 arugula leaves handful fries to serve (optional)

Recipe ROSIE REYNOLDS Photograph WILL HEAP Styling GEORGIA LACEY Food styling JAYNE CROSS

QHeat oven to 220ºC. Mix the onion with the oil and vinegar, spread on a baking tray, then put the mushrooms on top, stem-side up, and scatter over the thyme and some seasoning. Cook in the oven for 15 minutes, until they start to soften and caramelise. QCrumble the cheese into the cavity of the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes more until the cheese is melted and bubbling. QSplit the ciabatta roll in half and lightly toast. Top with a handful of arugula, the sticky onions and the cheese-topped mushrooms. Serve with fries, if you like. QPER SERVING 444 kcals, protein 20g, carbs 59g, fat 16g, sat fat 6g, fibre 6g, sugar 12g, salt 2.34g

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Pasta with creamy greens and lemon Serves 4 Q 15 minutes Q EASY

Recipe SARAH COOK Photograph WILL HEAP Styling SUE ROWLANDS Food styling LIZZIE HARRIS

pasta 350g broccoli 140g, cut into florets soya or edamame beans 100g peas 100g snow peas 100g mascarpone or any soft cheese 150g zest and juice 1 lemon Parmesan cheese 85g, grated basil leaves handful salt and pepper to season

QCook the pasta in a very large pan following the pack instructions, adding the broccoli, soya beans, peas and snow peas for the final 3 minutes of cooking time. Drain, saving a ladleful of the cooking water first, then tip everything back into the pan. Stir in the mascarpone or soft cheese, lemon zest and juice, the Parmesan, basil leaves, some seasoning and a splash of cooking water. QPER SERVING 635 kcals, protein 26g, carbs 75g, fat 28g, sat fat 16g, fibre 7g, sugar 6g, salt 0.54g

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Fish and fat chips with mushy peas

lemon a few slices or wedges to serve (optional)

Serves 2 Q 30 minutes Q EASY potatoes 2 large, about 500g, cut into fat chips olive oil 2 tbsp + more for frying peas 200g butter mint 1 tsp, puréed firm white fish 2 fillets of about 125g each plain flour 2 tbsp, well seasoned

QHeat the oven to 220ºC. Drop the chips into a pan of boiling salted water and cook for 3 minutes. Drain well then toss in olive oil. Arrange on a non-stick baking tray and cook for 20 minutes, turning a couple of times until golden and crisp. QBoil the peas for 5 minutes. Drain, leaving behind a tbsp of liquid, then stir in a large knob of butter and the mint

sauce. Mash with a masher or whizz with a hand blender for a smoother finish. QDust the fish with flour then fry for 3 minutes on each side until really golden and cooked through. Serve with the chips and mushy peas and some lemon if you like. QPER SERVING 641 kcals, protein 34.4g, carbs 56.8g, fat 32.3g, sat fat 8.9g, fibre 8.5g, salt 0.94g

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Recipe JANINE RATCLIFFE Photograph DAVID MUNNS Styling VICTORIA ALLEN Food styling JENNIFER JOYCE

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Advertorial

Borosil CORN AND ASPARAGUS SALAD Serves 4 25 minutes EASY

olive oil 2 tsp paneer 250g, cut into 1.5 cm cubes oregano 1/2 tsp garlic cloves 4, finely chopped salt and pepper to taste whole corn 2, cut in half and boiled carrots 4, sliced fine asparagus 250g, cleaned and cut into 4 cm long pieces butter 3 tbsp whole grain mustard 1 tbsp lemon juice 2 tbsp chilli flakes 1 tsp or to taste

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In a Borosil baking dish, coat the paneer cubes with olive oil, oregano, garlic and chilli flakes. Add salt to taste and bake the paneer in a 160°C oven for 15 minutes till the edges turn light brown. Remove from the oven and keep aside. Slice 1 corn lengthways and keep aside. Cut the other corn into 4 blocks. Blanch the asparagus and carrots with salt to taste till done. Drain out the water. Beat the butter, mustard and lemon juice until it is emulsified and well mixed. Add the vegetables and stir well. In a Borosil mixing bowl, mix the paneer cubes, carrot slices, corn and asparagus well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate the salad till serving time. Serve with the remaining corn on the cob.

Send your favourite continental recipe and you could win a

Gift Hamper courtesy Borosil's range of Microwavables product are made of special borosilicate glass, which help ensure fresher, healthier cooking. Cooking in glass requires less oil, less salt and retains more essential nutrients. Borosil Microwavables can withstand temperatures upto 300°C, and unlike plastic, do not leech chemicals into food when heated. Our products stay odorless and stain free. The entire Microwavables range is fridge and freezer safe, making it easy to cook and store food. Borosil. Because nothing less will do

Send in your recipe, age and address to BBC Good Food, Worldwide Media, Response 2nd floor, Times of India Building, Dr D N Road, Fort, Mumbai - 400001, you can also mail your entriesWorldMags.net to [email protected]

eat in in season

Make the most of peaches, summer’s sweetest stone fruit

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Photograph PHILIP WEBB, MYLES NEW, MICHAEL PAUL, PETER CASSIDY

for the PICKING

eat in in season

Wine-poached peaches Serves 4 Q 30 minutes Q EASY peaches 4 any dessert wine 350ml water 200ml grenadine a dash (optional) golden caster sugar 4 tbsp (try Tate & Lyle available at gourmet stores) double cream 170ml (available at your local dairy) pistachios small handful, chopped

REALLY REALLY QUICK

Peach cremolata Serves 6 Q 20 minutes + freezing Q EASY peaches 10 ultra ripe ones, peeled, stoned and sliced sugar 1 tbsp cream 142ml, whipped (optional) QPut the peaches in a large bowl. Taste them for sweetness and sprinkle

Recipe URSULA FERRIGNO Photograph SIMON WALTON Styling PENNY MARKHAM Food styling VAL BARRETT

QHeat the dessert wine, water, the grenadine (if using) and the golden caster sugar until it has dissolved. Add the peaches and poach for 15-20 minutes, or until tender. Remove the peaches from the syrup and slip off the skins. QReduce the liquid to a syrup by turning up the heat and boiling down. Meanwhile, whip some double cream and chop the pistachios. Serve each peach with whipped cream, some syrup and pistachios. QPER SERVING 162 kcals, protein 1g, carbs 21g, fat none, sat fat none, fibre 2g, sugar 6g, salt 0.04g

in some sugar if you think they need a little extra. Crush the fruit to a pulp with a fork or a potato masher. QPut the bowl into the freezer for 45 minutes then take it out, stir, and crush the fruit again. Return the bowl to the freezer for 20 minutes at a time, repeating the stirring and crushing, until the crushed fruit looks and feels like sherbet, which will take about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. QSoftly whip the cream. Scoop the cremolata into bowls and top with the whipped cream. QPER SERVING 151 kcals, protein 2.3g, carbs 14.6g, fat 9.7g, sat fat 5.8g, fibre 2.8g, salt 0.02g

This is a lovely simple dish of frozen, crushed fruit pulp that is a grown-up version of Italy’s favourite flavour. There’s no need to add sugar (unless the fruit isn’t ripe), you don’t need fancy equipment, and if you leave off the cream, there’s no fat.

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eat in in season

Peach and almond slices Serves 6 Q 30 minutes Q EASY puff pastry sheet or filo sheet 375g egg 1, beaten marzipan 175g, chopped (see recipe below) peaches 3, halved, stoned and thinly sliced almonds 1 tbsp, flaked whipped cream to serve

Peach melba ice cream Makes 1 1/2l Q 20 minutes + freezing Q EASY peaches 6 very ripe, peeled, stoned and whizzed to a purée in a food processor icing sugar 2 tbsp double cream 400ml, very softly whipped (available at your local dairy) raspberry jam 300g

QMix the peaches with the icing sugar. Then stir the peach purée into the cream. Pour into an ice-cream maker and churn until almost frozen. Transfer to a container and ripple through the raspberry jam. Freeze until needed. QPER 60G SCOOP 105 kcals, protein 0.7g, carbs 6.6g, fat 8.7g, sat fat 4.8g, fibre 0.7g, salt 0.01g

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QFor the marzipan, sift the sugars and ground almonds together. Beat together the egg and egg yolk, then add to the sugar mixture, stirring well. Knead briefly to ensure the marzipan is completely mixed and pliable, adding a little icing sugar if too wet. QHeat oven to 220ºC. Unroll the pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut in half horizontally. Slice each half into 3. If using filo sheets, cut the sheets into equal squares and layer 6 sheets one on top of the other after greasing each layer with melted butter. QLay the pastry sheets on a baking sheet. Use a knife to mark a 1cm border on each — be careful not to go all the way through. Prick inside the border with a fork, then brush all over with beaten egg. QBake for 10 minutes until golden and slightly risen. Divide the marzipan equally between the pastry squares and fan out the peach slices on top, followed by a sprinkling of almonds. QPut the slices back into the oven for 10 minutes until they have puffed up and are golden. Serve with whipped cream. QPER SERVING 408 kcals, protein 7g, carbs 42g, fat 25g, sat fat 8g, fibre 2g, sugar 25g, salt 0.69g

Recipe JANINE RATCLIFFE Photograph GARETH MORGANS Styling ROISIN NIELD Food styling LIZZIE HARRIS

THE MARZIPAN caster sugar 175g icing sugar 175g + extra for dusting almonds 250g, ground egg 1 egg yolk 1

Recipe ROSIE REYNOLDS Photograph WILL HEAP Styling GEORGIA LACEY Food styling JAYNE CROSS

eat in in season

You can replace the puff pastry with filo pastry sheets, although it will look a bit different.

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Griddled peaches with amaretto cream Serves 2 Q 30 minutes Q EASY double cream 142ml, softly whipped (available at your local dairy) icing sugarr 1 tbsp amaretto o a splash peaches 2, halved and stoned honey to serve butter to serve almonds flaked and toasted, to serve

R Y

QMix the double cream and icing sugar together with the amaretto. QHeat the oven to 180ºC. Put the peaches cut-side down on a hot griddle (chargrill) for a few minutes until caramelised on the surface. Transfer to a small baking dish, dot with butter and drizzle with honey, then roast for 10-15 minutes until slightly softened (they should still keep their shape). Serve with the amaretto cream. QPER SERVING 486 kcals, protein 2.3g, carbs 23.7g, fat 42.3g, sat fat 24g, fibre 1.6g, salt 0.12g

This is a simple and elegant fruit dessert with a delightful combination of flavours. I whipped unsweetened low fat cream with almond essence instead of the amaretto. Before grilling the peaches I sprinkled brown sugar on them. I also topped the roasted peaches with chopped cherries as they make a good combination. The slight bitterness of the almond cream paired well with the sweetness of the peaches, cherries and honey. A drizzle of caramel sauce and a sprinkling of crushed caramel-coated almonds completed the dish. The perfect blend of textures made it a refreshing summer dessert. Bindiya Aravandekarr is a food blogger living in Mumbai

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Recipe JANINE RATCLIFFE Photograph GARETH MORGANS Styling ROISIN NIELD Food styling LIZZIE HARRIS

TASTE TEAM COMMENT

Recipe JANINE RATCLIFFE Photograph GARETH MORGANS Styling ROISIN NIELD Food styling LIZZIE HARRIS

eat in in season REALLY REALLY QUICK

Peach, prosciutto and mozzarella salad Serves 2 Q 15 minutes Q EASY peaches 2 ripe, stoned and quartered prosciutto ham 4 slices, torn mozzarella 1 ball, torn into pieces (Try Impero available at gourmet stores) arugula leaves 2 handfuls pine nuts 2 tbsp, toasted

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THE DRESSING olive oil 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp maple syrup 1/2 tbsp QWhisk all the dressing ingredients together and set aside. Arrange the peaches, prosciutto, mozzarella and arugula on 2 plates. Drizzle over the dressing and scatter over the pine nuts. QPER SERVING 433 kcals, protein 20.3g, carbs 12.2g, fat 34g, sat fat 11.5g, fibre 2.4g, salt 1.29g

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KSHITIJA PANDE KSHIT I USED FRESHWRAPP FOR MAKING THIS DISH. FRESHWRAPP COVERED MY DISH WHILE IT BAKED SO ALL THE WONDERFUL FLAVOUR AND MOISTURE REMAINED RIGHT WITHIN THE DISH.

Baked Potato and Rosemary Gratin

Photographs: ROBYN MACKENZIE, CATHY YEULET, FRANCESCO DIBARTOLO, RANA MUJAHID ALI, GRESEI /123RF *IMAGES USED FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY

I HAVE ADAPTED THIS RECIPE FROM THE BOOK RACHEL ALLEN BAKE! INGREDIENTS potatoes, 800 gms, peeled and chopped into thin round slices onions, 600 gms, thinly sliced butter, 50 gms, (if you are using salted, reduce the amount of salt later) for frying Gouda Cheese 150 gms cream 1 large cup, (Not whipped. I used the fresh, homemade variety. Use whatever you have on hand.) salt 1 tsp pepper powder 1 tsp fresh rosemary y 10 stalks, (use them as is or chop them up) Freshwrapp Bacteria Control Aluminium Foil

DIRECTIONS „ Preheat the oven to a 180°C. In a large deep-bottomed pan, heat the oil and add the sliced onions to them. Fry them until they turn a dark golden brown colour. Stir them intermittently, so that they don’t stick to the bottom and burn. Season them with salt and pepper. Set aside. Now assemble all the ingredients — the sliced potatoes, the rosemary, the cream. Grate the cheese and set aside. „ Take a shallow bottom ovenproof dish and lightly oil the insides. I needed two dishes to use the entire quantity of ingredients. I used glass dishes, but you can use a cake pan if you wish. Then arrange a layer of potato slices

at the bottom of the pan. Then add a layer of caramelized onions. Then a layer of cheese. Add small stalks of rosemary to that. Then repeat until the dish is layered till the top. Pour the cream all over the top until it covers the dish in an even layer and add a few more sprigs of rosemary. Cover this with Freshwrapp Bacteria Control Aluminium Foil. „ Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until the top of the gratin becomes crispy and turns a nice golden brown. Cut into wedges, and serve as a side with a green salad or roast lamb or chicken

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Baked Potatoes INGREDIENTS potatoes salt to taste butter Freshwrapp Bacteria Control Aluminium Foil DIRECTIONS „ Preheat oven to 400°C. Wash potatoes well and dry. Pierce each potato several times with fork. Spread the butter on each potato generously, and place on separate sheets of aluminum foil. Sprinkle with salt, and wrap the Freshwrapp Bacteria Control Aluminium Foil around the potato. Bake for approximately for 1 hour. Serve hot.

RENU I HAVE BEEN USING FRESHWRAPP ALUMINIUM FOIL FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS. ITS MULTI PURPOSE USE MAKES IT AN IMPORTANT PART OF MY KITCHEN. I USE IT WHILE BAKING AND COOKING ALSO. IT HELPS ME COOK A VARIETY OF DISHES.

Pepperoni Pizza INGREDIENTS hamburger and/or hotdog buns 2 packages pizza sauce 1 Jar mozzerella cheese, 3 cups shredded pepperoni slices and/or other pizza toppings Freshwrapp Bacteria Control Aluminium Foil DIRECTIONS „ Preheat oven to 350°C. Slice the buns in half and place on Freshwrapp Bacteria Control

Aluminium Foil. Spoon the pizza sauce onto the centres and spread. Top with cheese, pepperoni (usually one large pepperoni slice placed in the centre of a hamburger bun or cut in half and both sides placed on the hotdog bun is more than adequate) and place the foil on a baking dish. Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and browned. As the foil is bacteria-free, you can also pack the dish for lunch.

MAMTA MA AMT GUPTA IF YOU WANT TO BE GERM FREE AND HEALTHY, THEN NEVER FORGET TO WRAP YOUR FOOD IN FRESHWRAPP ALUMINIUM FOIL. IT KEEPS YOUR FOOD FRESH AND HEALTHY AND WON’T KILL THE NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF YOUR FOOD.

Egg Biryani INGREDIENTS eggs 2, boiled basmati rice 1 cup onions 100 g, finely chopped tomato 1, finely chopped gingerr 50 g garlic paste 50g coriander leaves 2 tbsp, chopped garam masala a handful whole chilli and turmeric powder a pinch oil 2 tbsp saltt to taste Freshwrapp Bacteria Control Aluminium Foil DIRECTIONS „ Heat oil in a casserole. Add whole

Boneless Chicken cooked with Freshwrapp Bacteria Control Aluminium Foil

AMITA MEWANI AMIT FRESHWRAPP IS THE MOST DURABLE ALUMINIUM FOIL I HAVE USED. IT KEEPS MY FOOD FRESH AND HEALTHY. THE TASTE OF THE FOOD REMAINS INTACT EVEN AFTER HOURS. FRESHWRAPP IS A MUST FOR MY KITCHEN.

INGREDIENTS chicken breasts 4, boneless salt and pepper to taste olive oil for brushing on chicken onion 1, minced garlic cloves 2, minced white mushrooms 8 pieces, sliced tomatoes 3, chopped dry white wine lemon 1, zest foil 4 squares Freshwrapp Bacteria Control Aluminium Foil DIRECTIONS „ Preheat grill to medium (or bake in oven at 375°C). Place one chicken breast on an 8”x8” piece of Freshwrapp

Bacteria Control Aluminium Foil. Brush each breast with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in skillet. Add onion and garlic and stir until just tender, 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté about 10 more minutes. Add tomatoes and sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 10 more minutes. Remove from heat, stir in wine and lemon zest. Spread sauce over each chicken breast on foil. Bring up sides of the foil and crimp edges tightly to seal. Place on grill and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes or place in oven and bake for about 20 minutes.

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garam masala. Fry and add onions and sauté till crisp. Add tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric and chilli powder. Fry well. Add salt to taste and add the boiled eggs. „ Add drained rice and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then lower the flame and seal the mouth of the casserole with Freshwrapp Bacteria Control Aluminium Foil. Cook for 10 minutes or till done. Serve hot.

SURAMA SURA SARAN SARANGI I HAVE BEEN USING FRESHWRAPP BACTERIA CONTROL ALUMINIUM FOIL FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS AND HAVE HAD AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE USING IT. THE FOOD, WHEN PACKED IN FRESHWRAPP, STAYS FRESH AND THE AROMA IS RETAINED. WHENEVER I PACK PICKLES OR OILY, FRIED THINGS, EVERYTHING STAYS INTACT AND NOT A DROP OF OIL IS SPILLED.

eat in modern veggie

come over for

khichdi

No dish is more delicious, inviting or share-worthy than a simple bowl of khichdi. This humble Indian staple has a chic side, too

Classic moong dal khichdi

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Prop courtesy FABINDIA, GOOD EARTH, LE MILL, THE SHOP

Recipes PINKY CHANDAN-DIXIT Photographs BHARAT BHIRANGI Styling input NEETI MEHRA

Khichdi is soul food, and the monsoon is the perfect time to pay tribute to this humble dish that is so intrinsic to Indian cooking. I’ve tried to experiment with ingredients other than dal and rice…a rainbow of ingredients like red rice, quinoa, green beans and bajra, make this selection of khichdis as versatile as they are delicious. Pinky Chandan Dixit, Soam, Mumbai

Red rice khichdi with avial (turn overleaf for recipes)

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Masoor khichdi with pumpkin and mint Serves 8 Q 45 minutes Q EASY This khichdi is almost like a pulao. It’s important to sauté the masoor dal in the ghee well so that the colour does not bleed into the rice.

Red rice khichdi with avial Serves 8 Q 45 minutes QMODERATELY EASY This is a deliciously earthy dish, whose flavours intensify when complemented with the avial. Red rice needs a lot of soaking in order to minimise the cooking time. It also requires more water than normal khichdi. THE RED RICE KHICHDI butter 2 tbsp oil 2 tsp onions 2, chopped red rice 2 cups, washed and soaked overnight, drained yellow lentils (masoor dal) 1 cup, washed and soaked salt to taste THE AVIAL bottle gourd 2 cups, peeled and cubed drumsticks 6, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces elephant yam 1 cup, peeled and cubed carrots 1 1/2 cups, peeled and cubed French beans 14, cut into 3-inch pieces yoghurt 3/4 cup coconut 1 cup, grated green chillies 3-4

salt to taste oil 4 tsp curry leaves 8-10 QTo make the red rice khichdi, heat the oil and butter in a pressure cooker and sauté the onions till they are translucent. QAdd the rice, dal and salt along with 4-5 cups of water and pressure cook over a slow flame for about 6-7 whistles. Allow the steam to escape and then open the cooker. Add a cup of hot water and whisk well if the khichdi is not moist. QTo make the avial, combine all the vegetables in a pan with just enough water to cover them, add salt and allow them to cook till they are tender and the water has evaporated. Avoid overcooking them. QGrind the curd, grated coconut and green chillies into a smooth thick paste. QHeat oil in a pan and add the curry leaves. Add the ground coconut paste and toss for a minute. Add the cooked vegetables and salt and mix gently. Do not boil, as the curd will split. Serve with the red rice khichdi. QPER SERVING 329.13 kcals, protein 9.91g, carbs 49.08g, fat 11.76g, sat fat 5.81g, fibre 10g, salt 0.2g

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ghee 2 tbsp cumin 1 tsp bay leaves 2 onions 2 cups, sliced ginger paste 2 tbsp garlic paste 2 tsp green chillies 2, slit red lentils (masoor dal) 1 cup, washed and soaked for 2-3 hours basmati rice 2 cups, washed pumpkin 4 cups, peeled and cubed into 1-inch pieces cumin powder 4 tbsp, roasted salt to taste mint 1 cup, chopped QHeat the ghee in a large pot and add the cumin and bay leaves. Add the onions and sauté till they are lightly browned. QPut in the ginger, garlic, green chilli and then the masoor dal and lightly roast the dal for a few minutes till it is dry. Add the rice and sauté for a few more minutes till the ghee coats the rice. QAdd 4 cups of warm water, pumpkin, salt, cumin powder and bring to a boil. Cook over a slow flame till the rice and dal are tender, adding more warm water if required, keeping the stirring to a minimum. QCover and keep aside for at least 15 minutes, so that it cooks in its steam. Add the mint and mix it lightly, to avoid breaking the rice grains. Serve hot with cucumber raita. QPER SERVING 277.25 kcals, protein 10.33g, carbs 55.51g, fat 1.83g, sat fat 0.38g, fibre 6.28g, salt none

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eat in modern veggie

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Quinoa khichdi with tomatoes and green peppercorns Serves 8 Q 45 minutes Q EASY Quinoa is a fast-cooking, protein-packed food, mostly eaten in South America. It’s gluten free and perfect for those with diabetes who cannot have the conventional rice and dal khichdi. quinoa 3 cups butter 2 tbsp oil 2 tbsp onions 2, finely chopped garlic cloves 4 large, minced green peppercorns 25-30, pickled in brine tomato purée 2 cups yellow lentils (moong dal) 1 cup, washed and soaked for 2 hours water 8 cups coriander 1/2 cup, chopped salt and sugar to taste spring onions to garnish baby tomatoes to garnish QPlace quinoa in a large sieve and rinse it until the water runs clear. QHeat the butter and oil over a medium high heat in a large pot. Add the onion, garlic and green peppercorns, and sauté, stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent, but not browned. Add the tomato purée and simmer till the purée thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. QToss in the drained quinoa, soaked lentils and cook, stirring occasionally for a couple more minutes. QAdd the water and 2 tsp of salt. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low so that the quinoa and water are simmering while the pot is partially covered (enough to let out some steam). Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed. Remove from heat and put into a large serving bowl. Fluff up with a fork and garnish with finely sliced spring onions and baby tomatoes. QPER SERVING 399.38 kcals, protein 15.93g, carbs 64.19g, fat 8.76g, sat fat 1.59g, fibre 10.64g, salt 0.3g

To make green moong dal khichdi, use green moong instead of the yellow moong dal and follow the same recipe.

Classic moong dal khichdi

cumin seeds 1 tsp asafoetida (hing) 1/2 tsp

Serves 8 Q 30 minutes Q EASY This is where it all starts. A simple combination of lentils and rice, simmered with a judicious blend of aromatics, making it the veggie equivalent of Chicken Soup for the Soul. yellow lentils (moong dal) 1 cup rice 2 cups turmeric powder 1/2 tsp cloves 4 cinnamon 2 small pieces salt to taste THE TEMPERING ghee 3 tbsp

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QWash and soak the moong dal and rice together. Drain. QIn a bowl, mix the dal and rice with the turmeric, cloves, cinnamon, salt and 4 1/2 cups of water. Pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles. Remove from the pressure cooker and pour the tempering over it and mix well. QTo prepare the tempering, heat the ghee in a pan and add the cumin seeds. When they crackle add the asafoetida and pour over the cooked khichdi. Mix well and serve hot. QPER SERVING 273.75 kcals, protein 13.51g, carbs 53.40g, fat 0.78g, sat fat 0.08g, fibre 7.78g, salt none

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GOOD FOOD STAR RECIPE

Sweet bajra khichdi with jackfruit Serves 8 Q 45 minutes Q EASY This is a fabulous way to enjoy jackfruit during the monsoons. Pineapples also make a great substitute in case the taste of jackfruit does not appeal to you. whole bajra (millet) 2 cups ghee 2 tbsp jackfruit 2 cups, deseeded and chopped jaggery 3/4 cup orange juice 1 cup nutmeg a pinch, grated cardamom powder 1/2 tsp salt to taste jackfruit 1 cup, finely chopped orange zest for garnish

Lilva khichdi Serves 8 Q 30 minutes + prep Q EASY This khichdi is almost creamy, like a kedgeree, due to the fragrant starchy kolam rice that is used. Ideally it’s best to soak the rice for a couple of hours so that it cooks quickly without letting them disintegrate. You could also use leftover cooked rice to make this khichdi, only you would need to simmer the beans and rice with salt and a little water till the rice is slightly mushy. Surti kolam rice 2 cups lilva (papdi beans) 1 1/2 cups THE TEMPERING ghee 2 tbsp cumin seeds 1 tsp asafoetida (hing) 1/2 tsp

fresh green garlic or chives 1 cup, chopped salt to taste QWash and soak the rice in warm water for at least 30 minutes. Drain and keep aside. QCombine the rice and beans in a cooker with some salt and pressure cook with approx 3 cups of water. QWhen the khichdi is cooked, prepare the tempering by heating the ghee in a pan and add the cumin seeds and asafoetida. Add the green garlic or chives and sauté for a few seconds. Add the rice and beans and mix gently. Adjust the seasoning and serve hot with a dollop of ghee and a sweet and sour tomato chutney. QPER SERVING 118.75 kcals, protein 2.81g, carbs 24.94g, fat 0.65g, sat fat 0.33g, fibre 1.61g, salt 0.2g

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QWash and soak the bajra grains in water overnight. Drain and lightly crush using a mortal and pestle. Place it in a pressure cooker alongwith 4-5 cups of water and pressure cook over a slow flame for about 6-7 whistles. QAllow the steam to escape and open the cooker. Whisk the cooked bajra so that it is nice and mushy. QHeat the ghee in a pan and add the jackfruit and sauté for a few seconds till it is lightly seared. Add the jaggery, 1 cup of orange juice and the nutmeg and cardamom. Bring to a boil. When it reaches a syrup-like consistency pour this over the cooked bajra khichdi and mix well. QAdjust the consistency of the khichdi at the time of serving by adding 1 cup of hot water if necessary. QPER SERVING 249.13 kcals, protein 6.13g, carbs 51.13g, fat 2.81g, sat fat 0.74g, fibre 4.98g, salt none

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We used little cutting chai glasses to serve by layering the base with chopped jackfruit, topping it with the cooked bajra and garnishing it with orange zest.

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chai time

Recipe JEMMA MORPHET Photograph GARETH MORGANS Styling CYNTHIA INIONS Food styling SONJA EDRIDGE

For a bit of sunshine on a rainy day, try our global twists on samosas, pakodas and tikkis. Perfect with a cuppa masala tea

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eat in rainy day special

Recipe JULIE FRANKLAND Photograph STUART OVENDEN Styling JO HARRIS Food styling KATE CALDER

YOU COULD MAKE THESE PATTIES BITE-SIZE FOR A VEGETARIAN CANAPÉ, OR SIMPLY ONE LARGE ONE – LIKE A FRITTATA WITH A TWIST.

Carrot, cumin and feta fritters with coriander yoghurt Serves 2 Q 20 minutes Q EASY creamy yoghurt 4 tbsp coriander 2 tbsp, chopped REALLY self-raising flour 4 tbsp REALLY QUICK ground cumin 1 tsp egg 1 carrots 125g, coarsely grated onion 1 small, finely sliced feta cheese 50g, crumbled vegetable oil warmed flatbreads or naan to serve salad leaves handful, to serve QStir together the yoghurt and coriander. Season and put to one side. Mix the flour, cumin, egg and 2 tbsp of water in a bowl until you have a smooth thick batter. Stir in the carrots, onion, feta and a good sprinkle of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. QHeat 1-2 tbsp of oil in a non-stick frying pan. Spoon dollops of the batter into the frying pan, flatten out a little with the back of the spoon and cook for 2-3 minutes each side, until cooked through and golden brown. Serve hot fritters with the herb yoghurt, flatbreads and salad. QPER SERVING 291 kcals, protein 13g, carbs 24.8g, fat 16.2g, sat fat 4.9g, fibre 2.5g, salt 1.05g

Tofu and vegetable patties Makes 8 Q25 minutes QEASY Try this lighter version of the Japanese fried tofu fritter called Ganmodoki. carrot 1, grated spring onions bunch, sliced + extra strips to serve garlic clove 1, crushed ginger 3cm piece, grated firm tofu 400g, drained and crumbled eggs 2, lightly beaten sesame and vegetable oil 2 tbsp each sweet chilli sauce to serve

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QCombine all the ingredients except the oils in a large bowl with some seasoning and mix well. Heat both the oils in a frying pan. Grease an 8cm metal pastry ring or cookie cutter and place in the pan. When hot, pour 5 tbsp of the batter in and turn the heat down to medium. QCook 4-5 minutes until golden, then take off the ring (be careful, as it may be hot), flip the patty and cook the other side. Do this in batches, keeping finished patties warm in a low oven. Serve with the chilli sauce and extra spring onions, if you like. QPER SERVING 110 kcals, protein 6g, carbs 3g, fat 9g, sat fat 1g, fibre 1g, sugar 1g, salt 0.11g

Serves 4 (makes 8-12 fritters) Q50 minutes QEASY THE FRITTERS courgettes 3, finely sliced onion 1 large, halved and finely sliced red chilli 1, halved, deseeded and finely sliced garam masala 1 tbsp turmeric 1 tsp

coriander leaves handful, very roughly chopped self-raising flour 140g bicarbonate of soda 1⁄2 tsp sunflower oil for frying THE TOMATO SALSA ripe tomatoes 2, chopped red onion 1 small, finely chopped green chilli 1, finely chopped (optional) ketchup 1 tsp (try our homemade ketchup on p 147)

QTip all the fritter ingredients into a bowl. Gradually work in about 200ml cold water until everything is bound in a thick, spoonable batter. Heat a decent layer of oil in a large frying pan, then fry large spoonfuls of the batter for 2 minutes until golden. Flip them over, cook on the other side, then lift onto kitchen paper and keep warm while you cook another batch. QMake the salsa by mixing all the ingredients together. Serve the fritters with the salsa for spooning over. QPER SERVING 355 kcals, protein 7g, carbs 38g, fat 21g, sat fat 3g, fibre 3g, sugar 8g, salt 0.59g

Recipe GREGG WALLACE Photograph PETER CASSIDY Styling JENNY IGGLEDEN Food styling SILVANA FRANCO

Spiced courgette fritters

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eat in rainy day special

Q EASY

QPER SERVING 224 kcals, protein 9g, carbs 28g, fat 9g, sat fat 1g, fibre 6g, sugar 9g, salt 0.85g

These samosas can be served hot or cold and are brilliant for lunchboxes.

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Recipe TAMSIN BURNETT-HALL Photograph MYLES NEW Styling JENNY IGGLEDEN Food styling LIZZIE HARRIS

Apple pie samosas Serves 4 Q45 minutes QEASY apples 2, peeled, cored and chopped caster sugar 50g cinnamon and nutmeg powder 1 tsp sultanas 50g filo pastry or samosa sheets 4 (try Jus Rol available at gourmet stores) butter 400g, melted

QHeat oven to 200°C. Place the apples, sugar, spices and sultanas in a saucepan with 2 tbsp water and cook, covered, for 6 minutes or until the apples are soft, stirring once or twice. Tip into a shallow dish and spread out to cool slightly. QCut the sheets of filo in thirds lengthways or use samosa sheets as they are. Then brush lightly with

the melted butter. Place a spoonful of the apple filling at the top of each strip, then fold over and over to form triangular parcels. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until crisp and golden. Serve with yoghurt, if you like. QPER SERVING 196 kcals, protein 2g, carbs 42g, fat 3g, sat fat 1g, fibre 2g, sugar 31g, salt 0.58g

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Q EASY

QPER SERVING 102 kcals, protein 3g, carbs 7g, fat 7g, sat fat 1g, fibre 1g, sugar 2g, salt 0.09g

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Sunday sessions Some recipes are designed to be cooked and eaten at a relaxed pace, so enjoy every minute of them Recipes DIANA HENRY Photographs MYLES NEW Styling JENNY IGGLEDEN Food styling KIM MORPHEW

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eat in weekend

French fish soup with rouille and gruyère Serves 6 Q1 hour 30 minutes + cooling QA LITTLE EFFORT Rouille, a creamy French sauce, is a traditional accompaniment to French soups. olive oil 5 tbsp onions 3, chopped leeks 3, sliced fennel 1 bulb, chopped celery stick 1, chopped garlic cloves 2, finely chopped tomatoes 500g really ripe ones, chopped fennel seeds 1/4 tsp saffron a good pinch orange zest a broad strip tomato purée 1 tbsp peppercorns 8 fish trimmings and bones, including heads 1 kg (use white rather than oily fish, and shellfish trimmings if possible) skinless white fish fillets 450g, cut into chunks

Bring the fish stock to a simmer and poach the fish fillets in it for about 4 minutes. Leave to cool, then whizz the lot in a blender and season. QFor the rouille, put the garlic into a pestle and mortar with some seasoning and grind to a purée. Transfer to a bowl. Mix in the yolks and pepper, then start adding the oil, drop by drop, beating all the time (either with a wooden spoon or an electric hand beater). The mixture should thicken as you add the oil. If it doesn’t, start with a fresh egg yolk and add the mixture to it little by little. Add the tomato purée, then lemon juice to taste, then adjust the seasoning. Serve the soup hot with the baguette, rouille and gruyère. QPER SERVING 580 kcals, protein 45.4g, carbs 10.4g, fat 39.8g, sat fat 5.7g, fibre 4g, salt 1g

THE ROUILLE garlic cloves 3, roughly chopped egg yolks 2 cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp olive oil 150ml tomato purée 4 tsp lemon juice to taste gruyère cheese to serve, grated baguette slices to serve, toasted QHeat the olive oil in a large, wide, heavy-based pan and add the onion, leeks, fennel and celery. Cook over a medium heat until the vegetables are soft but not coloured. Add the garlic and tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft. Now add the fennel seeds, saffron, orange zest, tomato purée, pepper and fish trimmings and cover with 1.7l water. Bring to the boil then turn down and simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring often. QStrain by ladling the mixture through a sieve set over a big saucepan, pressing the bones and vegetables to get as much flavour out as possible. Discard the bones and vegetables.

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Crab, tomato and saffron tart Serves 6 Q2 hours 35 minutes QA LITTLE EFFORT If you get the component parts ready the day before, then you can just fill the tart case and bake it. plain flour 250g butter 150g egg yolk 1 THE FILLING plum tomatoes 4 butter 15g, chilled and cubed olive oil 1/2 tbsp onion 1 small, very finely chopped garlic cloves 2, finely chopped double cream 200ml (available at your local dairy)

saffron threads a generous pinch crème fraîche 100ml (try President available at gourmet stores) egg 1 + 3 yolks crab meat 250g (try Bumblebee available at gourmet stores) QPut the flour, butter and a good pinch of salt into a food processor and whizz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Mix the yolk with 1/2 tbsp of very cold water, add it to the flour mix and whizz again. The pastry will come together into a ball. Wrap it in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes. QRoll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface and use to line a 21cm (3 1/2cm deep) loose-bottomed tart tin (the pastry will be quite short, so push it in and patch it up if needed). Prick the bottom of the tart case with a fork then chill in the fridge for half an hour or in the freezer for 15 minutes (until the pastry is cold and firm). Heat the oven to 180ºC and put a heavy baking sheet into it. Line the tart case with greaseproof paper and fill with kidney beans. Bake on top of the baking sheet for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and cook for 5 more minutes. Leave to cool. QAdd the tomatoes to boiling water and leave for 20 seconds, then remove. Rinse in cold water. Peel the skins off, halve, remove the seeds and cut the flesh into slivers. QHeat the butter and olive oil in a frying pan and cook the onion and tomatoes gently until they are soft but not coloured. Add the garlic, season and continue to cook until you are left with a thick tomato purée. Taste. If the tomatoes are a bit lacking in flavour, the purée can benefit from the tiniest bit of sugar and a squeeze of lemon. The purée should be dry, not at all wet. Spread over the bottom of the pastry case. QPut 50ml of the double cream in a saucepan and add the saffron. Heat until nearly boiling then stir — you should be able to see the saffron dissolving and colouring the cream. Mix this with the rest of the double cream, the crème fraîche, egg and yolks. Season well and gently stir in the

crab meat. Slowly pour into the tart case. Return to the oven on the baking sheet and cook for about 35 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the filling is just set in the middle (it should still be a little wobbly in the centre, as it will continue to cook once it is out of the oven). Leave to cool for about 30 minutes then remove the tart tin and serve with a green salad. QPER SERVING 705 kcals, protein 16.7g, carbs 33.8g, fat 55.8g, sat fat 31.8g, fibre 2.7g, salt 0.9g

Jura chicken with morel mushrooms Serves 6 Q1 hour 45 minutes QA LITTLE EFFORT It’s the perfect time of year to make this glorious dish. If you can’t get hold of fresh morels, or prefer not to splash out on them, use dried morels. In the Jura region of France they produce a strange dry white wine called ‘vin jaune’. Dry sherry is a good substitute. fresh morels or a mix of fresh morels and other mushrooms 300g, or dried morel mushrooms 30g (available at Crawford market, Mumbai and INA Market, Delhi) butterr 75g chicken 1.75kg, cut into 8 pieces dry sherry y 300ml (available at leading wine stores) double cream 200ml (available at your local dairy) lemon juice 1/2, or lemon juice to taste parsley y chopped to serve QIf using fresh morels gently clean them. If using dried ones, put them in a bowl and cover with just boiled water and soak for 30 minutes. QHeat half the butter in a sauté pan and working in batches, brown the chicken pieces over a medium heat. Season. Lift the browned chicken on to a plate while you work on the others. QAdd the remaining butter to the pan along with the mushrooms (drain if you’re using dried mushrooms and keep the soaking liquid) and sauté

briskly for 5 minutes. Add the sherry, stirring to dislodge all the juices that have stuck to the pan, and bring to the boil. If you have soaking liquid from the dried mushrooms add that too. Put the chicken back in the pan, turn the heat down low, cover the pan and cook gently for about 40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Take out the chicken pieces and put them in a dish in a low oven while you make the sauce. QSkim the excess fat from the cooking liquid (you should be able to see it quite easily) and bring to the boil. If you can’t see the fat, then strain the cooking liquid through a sieve (discard the solids) and throw about 8 ice cubes into it. The fat will rise to the top and set. Spoon it off and throw it away. Reduce the sauce by about a quarter. Add the cream and bring to the boil. Cook until you have a sauce that will just coat the back of a spoon – not too thick or too thin. Taste. Sometimes the elements of a dish can be ‘lifted’ by a squeeze of lemon so add this if you think it needs it – the lemon will also thicken the sauce slightly. Taste again for seasoning. Put the chicken back in the pan and heat it through. Scatter the parsley on top and serve. QPER SERVING 702 kcals, protein 37.8g, carbs 1.4g, fat 54.5g, sat fat 24.9g, fibre 0.7g, salt 0.4g

TASTE TEAM COMMENT I marinated the chicken in lemon juice and discovered that the easiest way to make sure that the chicken cooks perfectly is to put it in the pressure cooker for a minute before browning it on the sautéing pan, thus cutting down on the time needed to prepare the dish. The lemon marinade gives the chicken a lovely flavour, which is enhanced by the lemon juice added at the end. A bit of chopped coriander mixed in with the fresh parsley lends a beautiful aroma to the plate. Anushka Halderr is an 18-year-old hobby cook who lives in Kolkata

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eat in weekend

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Spinach, fennel and goat’s cheese cannelloni Serves 6-8 Q2 hours 30 minutes + resting and infusing QA LITTLE EFFORT A labour of love but utterly delicious – making your own pasta is very satisfying. Of course, you can always use lasagne sheets or cannelloni from your local gourmet store. If you feel this dish is too rich and needs a little acidity you can add a layer of thick, homemade tomato sauce. spinach 500g, washed butter 30g leeks 2, sliced fennel 1 head, trimmed and diced ricotta 200g goat’s cheese 300g Parmesan cheese 100g, grated THE PASTA eggs 2 whole + 2 yolks 00 flour 250g (try Delverde available at gourmet stores) THE BECHAMEL full-fat milk 500ml onion 1/2 a small one bay leaf 1 peppercorns 5 butter 25g plain flour 35g double cream 75ml (available at your local dairy) QTo make the pasta, lightly beat the 2 whole eggs and keep the yolks in a separate bowl. Put the flour into a bowl or pour onto the work surface. Sprinkle 1 tsp salt. Make a well in the centre of the flour and add the whole eggs. Bring the flour into the well gradually, mixing it with the eggs. Add the remaining egg yolks gradually. Flour absorbs liquid at different rates depending on the age of the flour and the humidity of the surroundings in which you are cooking, so just add enough egg to bring everything together into a ball. QPut the ball of dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes. The dough should be smooth

and feel slightly elastic. Wrap it in cling film and leave for an hour to rest. QTo make the béchamel sauce, heat the milk with the onion, bay and peppercorns until boiling. Leave off the heat to infuse for 30 minutes. Strain. Melt the butter in a pan, mix in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes until straw coloured, then gradually whisk in the infused milk to make a sauce. Stir continuously to avoid a lump sauce. Simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in the cream and season. QSeparate the pasta into 3 balls. Using a rolling pin, roll the first ball until about 1cm thick. Adjust a pasta machine to its widest setting and feed the dough through this 3 times, then repeat, moving along the different settings on the machine until you have a long thin sheet. Don’t worry if the pasta looks a bit streaky at some points – it will be fine when you get to the end of the rolling. When you’ve worked your way through all the settings fold the pasta in half and run through the settings again in order. Eventually you will notice that the pasta will have developed a good sheen. When you’ve done this, cut the pasta in half, fold each half in three (it should be about the width of the rollers on the pasta machine. Feed the pasta through the settings again, this time widthways, not lengthways (so that you are putting equal pressure throughout the pasta). You need to go through this process with all the balls of pasta. QLay each sheet out on a lightly floured surface as it is ready (you need plenty of room). Keep covered. Cut the pasta into rectangles – about 10cm x 16cm. Trim off edges that are thicker or uneven. Allow your pieces of pasta to rest for about 15 minutes, keeping them covered. QPut the spinach into a large saucepan with the water left clinging to it after washing and wilt the spinach over a low-medium heat. Cool. QMelt the butter in a saucepan and add the leeks and a splash of water. Season then cook for about 20 minutes. They should be soft and buttery. If very wet, turn up the heat and cook, uncovered, to drive off the

excess moisture. Melt the rest of the butter in a frying pan and cook the fennel until it is pale golden and tender. Put the leeks and fennel into a bowl. QButter a large ovenproof dish approximately 34 x 26 cm and heat the oven to 190ºC. When the spinach is cool, squeeze out all the excess moisture and roughly chop. Put it in the bowl with the other vegetables. Add the cheeses (hold back 1/3 of the Parmesan) and mix well. Season. QCook the pasta in lots of boiling, lightly salted water (the sheets will cook in about 2 minutes). Do a couple of sheets at a time and keep boiling the water so that the sheets don’t stick together. Lift the sheets into bowls of cold water into which you’ve stirred 1 tbsp of olive oil (this helps to keep the sheets from sticking together). Lift each sheet out as you need it and briefly lay it on a linen tea towel to drain when you want to fill it. Spoon the mixture along the long side of the pieces of pasta then roll them up to form cannelloni. QSpread a very thin layer of the béchamel over the bottom of the buttered dish and lay the cannelloni in a single layer on top. Pour the rest of the béchamel sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese and bake for 20-30 minutes. The top should be golden and bubbling – flash it under the grill if you need to finish. QPER SERVING 697 kcals, protein 30.7g, carbs 43.7g, fat 43.8g, sat fat 26.5g, fibre 6.5g, salt 2.2g

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FOR SKILLED COOKS

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WHY NOT HAVE A

PIZZA PARTY?

With a bit of planning and a little prep the day before, you can throw a pizza dinner together quicker than it would take to order a take-out

Simple pizza base Makes 2 large or 4 individual pizzas Q 30 minutes + resting Q EASY Prove (rest) the dough overnight or during the day. If the dough looks like it might climb out of the bowl, squash it down. It will be sticky when you roll it out, but with a little kneading on a floured surface it will become smooth and pliable. Cook two large pizzas at a time, swapping oven positions halfway through, or cook individual pizzas in two batches. strong white bread flour 600g + plenty for rolling dried yeast 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp olive oil 2 tbsp + extra for drizzling semolina for dusting QPut the flour, yeast and salt into a bowl. Stir in 500ml of slightly warm water and the oil. You should end up with a moist dough that is rough and lumpy. QScrape down the sides of the bowl, cover with a tea towel and if your kitchen is cool keep it out, but if it’s warm put it in the bottom of the fridge. Leave dough to rise for at least 6 hours or until doubled in size.

QWhen ready to cook, bring the dough to room temperature. Heat the oven to 220°C. Dust 2-4 baking sheets with semolina. Dust the work surface with flour, then divide the dough into 2 or 4 pieces. Knead each piece on the floured surface, incorporating enough flour to stop the dough being sticky. QRoll each piece into a pizza shape and lift onto baking sheets. Leave to rise for 10 minutes while you sort out your toppings. Top the bases with your chosen ingredients, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and bake following the timings for each topping (it will take 18 minutes for a large pizza or 12 minutes for an individual one) or until the crust is crisp and the topping is bubbling. QPER PIZZA BASE 1,192 kcals, protein 37g, carbs 241g, fat 16g, sat fat 2g, fibre 10g, sugar 4g, salt 2.52g

THE TOPPINGS Artichoke, olive and caper Tops 1 large pizza Q30 minutes Q EASY cherry tomatoes 8, halved artichoke hearts 4, quartered (available at gourmet grocers) green olives 8, halved and pitted (try Fragata available at gourmet stores) capers 2 tbsp (try Epicure available at gourmet stores) fresh mozzarella 125g ball Parmesan cheese handful, shaved basil leaves handful, torn THE TOMATO SAUCE tomatoes 2 large, ripe, roughly chopped onion 1/2, finely chopped garlic 2 cloves, crushed dried chilli flakes 1/2 tsp golden caster sugar 1/2 tsp (try Tate & Lyle available at gourmet stores) dried oregano a pinch

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QPut all the sauce ingredients in a small pan, season well and simmer for 10-12 minutes until thickened. Blend until smooth. QRoll out your dough as directed, then spread the tomato sauce. Scatter over the cherry tomatoes, the artichoke hearts from a jar, the green olives and the capers. Tear the ball of mozzarella over the top and bake for 18 minutes at 220°C. Finish with some Parmesan and the basil leaves. QPER 1/2 PIZZA 868 kcals, protein 37g, carbs 126g, fat 28g, sat fat 12g, fibre 7g, sugar 5g, salt 4.31g

Wild mushroom and mascarpone Tops 1 large pizza Q30 minutes + soaking Q EASY dried mushrooms large handful mascarpone 6 tbsp garlic clove 1, crushed olive oil 2 tsp button mushrooms 6, sliced thyme leaves 1 tsp + extra for serving Parmesan cheese 4 tbsp, grated QSoak a large handful dried mushrooms in boiling water until soft. Meanwhile, mix the mascarpone with the garlic clove and season well. QHeat the olive oil and fry the sliced mushrooms until just starting to soften, then add the drained soaked mushrooms and thyme leaves. Spread the mascarpone mix on the pizza base and top with the mushrooms. QBake for 12-18 minutes at 220°C, then remove from the oven and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Return to the oven for 1 minute and finish with extra thyme leaves. QPER 1/2 PIZZA 932 kcals, protein 30g, carbs 124g, fat 39g, sat fat 18g, fibre 7g, sugar 5g, salt 1.71g

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Pizza with ham, mozzarella and leaves tortillas 2 large (try Old El Paso available at gourmet stores) tomato sauce 4 tbsp (see recipe on p 96) ham 4 slices, torn into strips fresh mozzarella cheese 125g, drained and sliced (try Flanders available at gourmet stores) baby salad leaves 50g (arugula and spinach) balsamic vinegar 1/2 tsp olive oil to dress

A tortilla base cuts calories, making the pizza much lighter.

QPut the tortillas on baking sheets and spread with the sauce. Add the ham and mozzarella. Season. Grill for 2 minutes until the cheese has melted. Top with salad and drizzle with the balsamic and 1/2 tsp olive oil. QPER SERVING 341 kcals, protein 23.1g, carbs 32.3g, fat 14.2g, sat fat 6.1g, fibre 2.8g, salt 2.1g

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Recipe JUSTINE PATTINSON Photograph GARETH MORGANS Styling CYNTHIA INIONS Food styling CAROL TENNANT

Serves 2 Q20 minutes Q EASY

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Skinny pizza Serves 2 Q40 minutes Q EASY

QSpread the tomatoes over the pizza base and top with mozzarella. Bake for 20 minutes until puffed and golden. To serve, scatter over the arugula and Parmesan shavings. QPER SERVING 360 kcals, protein 15.4g, carbs 44.3g, fat 14.7g, sat fat 5.1g, fibre 4.1g, salt 2.07g

Recipe JANINE RATCLIFFE Photograph DAVID MUNNS Styling VICTORIA ALLEN Food styling LUCY MCKELVIE

pizza base 1 large (see recipe on p 96) olive oil 1 tbsp garlic 1 clove, crushed tomatoes 400g , chopped fresh mozzarella cheese 1/2 small, sliced (try Flanders available at gourmet stores) arugula 50g Parmesan cheese shavings to serve

QHeat the oven to 220°C. Place the base on a non-stick heavy baking sheet for 10 minutes to puff up a bit. QHeat a non-stick frying pan with the olive oil, add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add the tomatoes, season, then cook, squashing down the tomatoes with a fork until broken down and thickened. Cool.

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Artichoke and ham pizza Serves 2 Q25 minutes Q EASY tomato sauce 4 tbsp (see recipe on p 96) basil leaves a handful + to garnish pizza base 2, medium (see recipe on p 96) fresh mozzarella cheese 1 ball, sliced ham 4 slices, halved artichoke hearts 100g (available at gourmet grocers) QStir in a few basil leaves into the tomato sauce. Spread over a thin layer of the sauce on the base then top with the mozzarella, the ham slices and the sliced artichoke hearts. Heat the oven to 220°C. Bake for 20 minutes until crisp and bubbling. Finish with a few more torn basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil. QPER SERVING 356 kcals, protein 13.1g, carbs 37.1g, fat 15.2g, sat fat 5.8g, fibre 3.6g, salt 2.1g

Easy tomato pizzas

Recipe CHARLOTTE MORGAN and LULU GRIMES Photograph GARETH MORGANS Styling CYNTHIA INIONS Food styling SONYA EDRIDGE

Makes 8 small pizzas Q25 minutes + standing Q EASY

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pizza base 8 small (see recipe on p 96) tomato sauce 5 tbsp (see recipe on p 96) heirloom tomatoes 8, sliced (green, orange, red, yellow – all different shapes and sizes) your choice of toppings goat’s cheese, grated Parmesan, handful of rocket, slices of ham QSmear the bases with a thin layer of the sauce, scatter over a few slices of tomato, season, then add sliced goat’s or grated Parmesan cheese if you want. QBake for 12 minutes at 220°C or until golden and crisp and the tomatoes are starting to caramelise around the edges. Top with any fresh toppings, then drizzle with more olive oil to serve. QPER UNTOPPED PIZZA 231 kcals, protein 6g, carbs 45g, fat 5g, sat fat 1g, fibre 3g, sugar 3g, salt 0.53g

Recipe JANE HORNBY Photograph MYLES NEW Styling RACHEL JUKES Food styling LIZZIE HARRIS

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Easy tomato pizzas

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COSY COMFORT

Recipe SARA BUENFELD Photograph LIS PARSONS Styling JO HARRIS Food styling SARA BUENFELD

There’s nothing like these heartwarming sweet treats on a gusty monsoon day

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Jam and white chocolate roly-poly Serves 4 Q1 hour 10 minutes QMODERATELY EASY Puddings are traditionally steamed. However, this recipe is much easier as it is baked and, for a modern twist, rolled then drizzled with white chocolate. If you have any white chocolate left over, you can melt it into the custard.

QHeat oven to 180˚C. Butter a sheet of baking parchment. Mix the flour with the sugar, margarine and a good pinch of salt, then bind with the milk to make a soft, but not sticky, dough. Add a dash more milk if it helps to bind the last few bits left in the bowl. QRoll out the dough on a floured surface to a 20 x 30cm oblong. Spread with the jam and scatter with the chocolate, leaving a border all the way around. QRoll up the dough from one short end so you have a sausage shape, then gently pinch the ends to seal in the jam. Carefully lift onto the prepared parchment. QFold the paper up over the ends of the roly-poly, then wrap up quite tightly. Secure with staples or clips all the way along the roll, as this will help you achieve the classic round shape. QBake for 50 minutes until the roll feels firm and looks golden through the paper. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before cutting, as this will stop the jam flowing out. Drizzle with the melted chocolate and serve with a jug of warmed custard. QPER SERVING 824 kcals, protein 10g, carbs 117g, fat 39g, sat fat 19g, fibre 3g, sugar 57g, salt 0.82g

Baked lemon and vanilla rice pudding Serves 4-6 Q1 hour 40 minutes QEASY The uplifting zing of lemon zest cuts through the richness of this comforting classic. milk 600ml cream 450ml zest 1 lemon vanilla pod 1, split caster sugar 25g short-grain pudding rice 100g butter 25g, diced

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QHeat oven to 140˚C. Put the milk, cream, zest and vanilla pod in a saucepan. Gently bring to a simmer, then stir in the caster sugar and rice. QTransfer mixture to a shallow ovenproof dish and dot the butter on top. Bake for 30 minutes, then stir well and cook for 1 hour more until the pudding is soft and creamy, and a golden skin has formed on top. The depth and type of dish you use will affect the cooking time, so if the pudding seems too loose, return to the oven and check every 10 minutes or so. Once cooked, rest for 10 minutes before serving. QPER SERVING (6) 309 kcals, protein 6g, carbs 27g, fat 20g, sat fat 12g, fibre none, sugar 10g, salt none

Recipe JO PRATT Photograph STUART OVENDEN Styling JO HARRIS Food styling JO PRATT

butter for greasing self-raising flour 300g caster sugar 85g margarine 140g milk 150ml + a dash raspberry jam 8 tbsp white chocolate 50g, chopped + about 25g, melted

Styling PENNY MARKHAM Food styling ANGELA BOGGANO

Maple plum crumble Serves 4 Q30 minutes QEASY ripe plums 8, halved, stone removed maple syrup 4 tbsp (try Roland available at gourmet stores) butter 50g, cut into pieces plain flour 50g rolled oats 50g golden caster sugar 25g (try Tate & Lyle available at gourmet stores) cinnamon 1/2 tsp, ground almonds 25g, flaked QHeat oven to 200˚C. Place the plum halves, skin-side down, in the base of a large heatproof dish. Drizzle over half the maple syrup and roast for about 10 minutes. QMeanwhile, place the butter, flour, oats, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and rub the butter into the mixture until you have rough crumbs. Stir in the almonds, then sprinkle over the plums. Drizzle the top with the remaining maple syrup and bake for 15 minutes until the top is golden. Serve with custard. QPER SERVING 325 kcals, protein 5g, carbs 45g, fat 15g, sat fat 7g, fibre 4g, sugar 26g, salt 0.21g

Chai and milk chocolate cupcakes Makes 12 Q45 minutes QMODERATELY EASY tea leaves 1 tbsp (from about 3 tea bags) plain flour 225g baking powder 2 tsp butter 225g, at room temperature caster sugar 225g large eggs 4, lightly beaten soured cream 125ml (try Impero available at gourmet stores) chocolate grated or melted, to decorate (optional) THE FROSTING good-quality milk chocolate 200g butter 225g, at room temperature milk 1 tbsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp icing sugar 225g QHeat oven to 180˚C. Line a standard 12-hole muffin tin with paper muffin cases. If the tea isn’t already fine, you may need to grind it using a pestle and mortar. Sift the flour, baking powder and tea in a medium bowl, then set aside.

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QUsing an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, beating until fully combined, then add a third of the flour mixture followed by half the soured cream. Repeat, then add the final twothirds of the flour mixture. QDivide the batter equally among the paper cases and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a cocktail stick inserted into the centre of one cake comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. QTo make the frosting, melt the chocolate in a microwave, or a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Once melted, remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. QUsing an electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Slowly incorporate the melted chocolate, milk and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Add the icing sugar, a little at a time, beating until fully combined. QSpread the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes using a small spatula or a knife. Alternatively, use a piping bag fitted with a large star piping tube and pipe circles of frosting onto the cupcakes. If you wish, decorate with grated chocolate or a drizzle of melted chocolate. QPER SERVING 833 kcals, protein 9g, carbs 139g, fat 29 g, sat fat 9g, fibre 3g, sugar 125g, salt 0.44 g

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Recipe EDD KIMBER from THE BOY WHO BAKES Photograph by YUKI SUGIURA

These moist, light cupcakes are really special. Only mix in the flour until it is just fully combined, as over-mixing will make your cakes dry and tough.

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The ultimate makeover bread and butter pudding

Recipe LULU GRIMES Photograph DAVID MUNNS Styling VICTORIA ALLEN Food styling JOSS HERD

Burnt butter is just butter heated until it turns brown and nutty — it’s known as beurre noisette in classic French cooking.

Banana and burnt butter puddings Serves 6 Q1 hour 15 minutes QEASY unsalted butter 140g bananas 3 golden syrup or honey 6 tbsp + more for pouring (try Tate & Lyle available at gourmet stores) self-raising flour 150g baking powder 1 tsp caster sugar 100g zest 1 lemon eggs 2 QMelt the butter in a pan and then keep heating until it browns. You want a nutty colour, so as soon as it reaches a deep gold stop cooking and the residual heat will do the rest. Cool. QSlice 2 of the bananas. Cut the remaining banana into cubes. Liberally butter 6 x 175ml pudding moulds with

the browned butter and put 1 tbsp golden syrup and 2 tsp browned butter into each. Put the banana slices in the base of each basin. QSift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and add a pinch of salt and the sugar. Beat in the eggs and lemon zest followed by the browned butter and cubed banana. QDivide the mixture between the basins and cover each with a pleated piece of foil tied on with string. Steam for 45 minutes or until risen and firm to the touch. Three moulds will fit in each layer of a reasonably sized metal or bamboo steamer. Swap the layers halfway through. QTurn out to serve with a little more syrup and cream. QPER SERVING 455 kcals, protein 5.7g, carbs 62.7g, fat 21.9g, sat fat 12.8g, fibre 1.4g, salt 1.02g

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Serves 4 Q1 hour + soaking and infusing QA LITTLE EFFORT dried apricots 50g, chopped raisins 25g brandy 2 tbsp egg 1 golden caster sugar 1 tsp (try Tate & Lyle available at gourmet stores) custard powder 2 tsp semi-skimmed milk 350ml vanilla pod 1/2, split zest 1 small lemon crème fraîche 4 tbsp (try President available at gourmet stores) butter 25g, softened sliced white bread 4, crusts left on apricot jam 1 tbsp icing sugar 1/4 tsp for sifting QPut the apricots and raisins in a small dish, pour over the brandy and leave to soak, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, beat the egg and sugar together in a medium bowl, then whisk in the custard powder with a balloon whisk until smooth. Warm the milk in a small non-stick saucepan; then, when it’s just coming up to a boil, remove from the heat and slowly stir into the egg mixture. QScrape in the vanilla seeds, drop in the lemon zest and vanilla pod and set aside to cool and infuse for 30 minutes. QWhisk the crème fraîche into the cooled milk. Strain this custard through a sieve into a jug. Using 1/4 tsp butter from the 25g, very lightly butter a shallow ovenproof dish, about 20 x 25 x 4.5cm. QButter the bread on one side only with the rest of the butter, then spread over the conserve or jam. Cut each slice into 4 triangles, then lay half the triangles, jam side up, in the dish. Scatter over half the apricots and raisins, then lay the rest of the bread over the top, again jam side up. Scatter over the rest of the dried fruit and any unsoaked brandy, then pour half the custard over the bread. Leave to soak for 15 minutes. Heat oven to 180˚C.

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PROMOTION

Meetha bhi Diet bhi

Recipe ANGELA NILSEN Photograph DAVID MUNNS Styling VICTORIA ALLEN Food styling ANGELA NILSEN

S

This is comfort food without the calories. We cut down on the number of eggs, used semi-skimmed milk instead of full fat and less caster sugar and butter.

QSit the dish in a roasting tin. Pour the rest of the custard over the bread, press the bread lightly into the custard then half fill the roasting tin with hot water. Bake for 20 minutes, then raise the heat to 190˚C and bake for a further 5-10 minutes until the bread on

top is crisp and golden. Remove and let the pudding sit for 2-3 minutes. Sift over the icing sugar and serve warm. QPER SERVING 312 kcals, protein 9.6g, carbs 40.9g, fat 11.5g, sat fat 6.1g, fibre 1.7g, sugar 19.8g, salt 0.83g

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ugar Free Natura is a sugar substitute which contains Sucralose. It is a zero calorie sweetener. Sucralose is the only non-caloric sweetener made from sugar and that tastes like sugar. The exceptional heat stability of sucralose allows consumers to use it virtually anywhere sugar is used, including cooking and baking. Sugar Free Natura can be used for making a wide variety of preparations like hot or cold beverages, mithais, cakes or desserts, etc. Sugar Free Natura is the highest-selling sucralose brand in India. It is available in the form of pellets, sachets, powder concentrate, liquid and diet sugar. This makes it an easy and the best option to cut calories without compromising on your sweet tooth. It is ideal for all fitness seekers, diabetics and people who are weight conscious.

Chocolate cherry mousse shots Serves 6 Q20 minutes QEASY 70 per cent dark chocolate 150g, melted in the microwave or in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, then cooled slightly eggs 2, separated cherries 6 double cream 200ml, 4 tbsp for the mousse, the rest very softly whipped, to serve (available at your local dairy) kirsch (cherry liqueur) 1 tbsp + a splash, to serve (available at leading wine stores) QBeat together the egg yolks and kirsch and gently mix into the melted chocolate with the 4 tbsp of cream. Whisk the egg whites to firm peaks and fold them through the chocolate mixture. Spoon into 6 shot glasses and chill. Dollop some softly whipped cream with kirsch on top of each mousse and push in a cherry to decorate (with stalk). QPER SHOT 347 kcals, protein 4.9g, carbs 12.8g, fat 30.3g, sat fat 15.8g, fibre 1.5g, salt 0.09g

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eat out Six burger joints reviewed, plus San Qis Spicy Wasabi Prawns IN THIS ISSUE 7 Where to get your burger fix PAGE 110 7 Pro vs punter at Bengaluru s Bow Barracks PAGE 118 7 Make San Qi s Spicy Wasabi Prawns PAGE 123

A taste of Iranian delights at Café Shiraz in Chennai PAGE 120

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sofoan bun

As the gourmet burger — no, it’s not an oxymoron — comes of age in India, we spotlight six hotspots that offer all the fun of the bun HOW WE DID IT Ample, messy but ultimately satisfying, burgers epitomise comfort food. A juicy burger is what you sink your teeth into when the chips are down – it is unfussy and demands no ÀQHVVH7KHVL[UHVWDXUDQWVIHDWXUHGLQWKLVVHOHFWLRQKDYHEHHQFKRVHQIRUKDYLQJDZLGHYDULHW\RIEXUJHUV RQWKHLUPHQX)URPXSPDUNHWUHVWDXUDQWVWRSRSXODUKROHLQWKHZDOOMRLQWVZHVSRWOLJKWVL[SODFHVZKHUH \RXFDQVDWLVI\\RXUEXUJHUFUDYLQJV

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7BURGS, Mumbai Gourmet burgers can take various forms depending upon the establishment in question. At Daniel Boulud’s modern French-American restaurant, DB Bistro Moderne in Manhattan, it means a sirloin patty with braised short ribs, foie gras DQGEODFNWUXIÁHFRQFHDOHGEHWZHHQ artisanal bread buns. At Burgs in Mumbai, which shares many similarities with fast-food chains, gourmet means à la minute burgers carefully paired with house-made sauces. The décor is nothing like you’d expect from your neighbourhood burger joint. The restaurant’s façade looks peculiarly like a space ship and its stark, all-white interiors remind us of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. The oddly clinical interiors make us miss the predictable, even clichéd design theme of most burger joints — vintage movie posters, print ads from the 1960s and random American pop culture memorabilia.

Photographs VINIT BHATT

QTHE BURGER Staying true to Burgs’ gourmet claim, the burgers come dressed with sauces like jalapeno mayo and lemon zest, demi glaze and char siu BBQ. The PHQXKDVVXIÀFLHQWYDULHW\ZLWK beef, prawns, pork, lamb and chicken EXUJHUVÀQGLQJDPHQWLRQ(YHQ vegetarians and Jains seem to be well catered to with tofu, paneer, potato and Mac’n’Cheese options. The orders can be placed at the counters and the burgers are dished out within 10-12 minutes. The Burg, the classic burger, has a buffalo tenderloin patty with caramelised onions and a more than generous slathering of béarnaise sauce (a French herbed sauce with butter and egg yolks). Perfectly VXFFXOHQWDQGÁDYRXUHGRXURQO\ grouse is with the burger bun, which just can’t seem to hold it all in, calling for many tissue-replenishment trips to the counter. The Prawn

eat out restaurant spy Kracker has the freshest seafood patty we’ve ever seen come out of a restaurant such as this. The juiciest bits of prawns are concealed in the crisp patty with the accompanying jalapeno mayo and lemon zest sauce offering a perfectly tangy touch. Our side of onion rings, although fried to a perfect crisp, are unfortunately a tad too salty. In an attempt to popularise their house-made sauces, we notice that only a few burgers on the menu come smeared with the ubiquitous burger dressing of mayo and ketchup. It’s about time we say! The char siu BBQ sauce pairs deliciously with the slow-cooked pork burger. The Gardenia burger, recommended by our server, has a delectable chipotle mayo to perk up the vegetable patty. Although we will continue to stick to our guns about what makes a real burger (yes beef, not chicken RUYHJJLHV WKLVLVWKHÀUVWWLPHZH DUHQ·WVFRIÀQJDVKDUGDVXVXDODW other burger imposters.

Clockwise from facing page: The Big Burg with its double patty; The rather stark interiors of Burgs; The futuristic entrance of the restaurant

QPROVENANCE All of the vegetables, meats, chicken and seafood used in the burgers are sourced locally. None of the sauces or condiments are processed; they are prepared at the restaurant’s central kitchen in Navi Mumbai.

QWHAT TO DRINK Shakes. Give the standard issue aerated drinks on the menu a wide berth and try Burgs’ ice cream shakes, the most popular beverages on the menu. Our PB & J (Peanut Butter and Jelly) shake is just what you’d expect – cloyingly sweet with bits RIMHOO\ÁRDWLQJ to the top. Other additions include Coke and Vanilla

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:KL]](VSUHVVR&ROG&RIIHH and those such as the Vanilla and Lavender with Marshmallows and Chocolate with Zesty Orange that take the slightly more gourmet route.

QDETAILS Burgs, 4/5 New Kamal Co-operative Housing Society, next to Mad Over 'RQXWV:DWHUÀHOG5RDG%DQGUD (W), Mumbai. Tel: +91 22 26557722. Timings: Daily 11 am-12.30 am. Burgers ` 145 onwards; sides ` 45 onwards; drinks ` 99 onwards.

Quality: 7/10 Atmosphere: 5/10 Provenance: 7/10 Choice: 7/10 Value: 8/10 Total: 34/50 — Kainaz Contractor

eat out restaurant spy Left: Delhi’s All American Diner is filled with kitschy American memorabilia. Below: All American Diner’s juicy Classic Double Burger. Facing page: Claytopia is a house that has been turned into a restaurant

a favourite. The burgers too have WKHLUIDQIROORZLQJDOWKRXJKZHKDYH QHYHUWULHGDQ\RIWKHPEHIRUH Of course, serving a burger LQ'HOKLDQGPXFKRI,QGLD LV DFKDOOHQJH$UHDOKDPEXUJHU LPSOLHVDEHHISDWW\ZKLFKKDVEHHQ EDQLVKHGIURPPHQXVGXHWRFXOWXUDO VHQVLWLYLWLHV6RFKLFNHQEHFRPHVWKH PHDWRIFKRLFHIRUWKHSDWW\EXWLW PDNHVIRUDSRRUVXEVWLWXWH 6HUYLFHDWWKH'LQHUKDVDOZD\V EHHQIULHQGO\%XWRIODWHWKHVWDII VHHPVXQGHUSUHVVXUHRQEXV\ ZHHNHQGV2QWKH6XQGD\DIWHUQRRQ ZHYLVLWWKHUHLVDQKRXUORQJZDLW /XFNLO\ZHJHWDSODFHDWWKHEDU ZKHUHWKH\VHUYHERWKGULQNVDQG IRRG EXWWKHEDUPDQVHHPVWREHLQD bad mood. On being reminded about WKH:LFNHG%URZQLH%ODVWZH·YH RUGHUHGDOUHDG\PDGHDQGZDLWLQJWR EHSODFHGEHIRUHXV KHEDQJVGRZQ WKHJODVVRQWKHFRXQWHU7KHQMXVW to get the message across, he bangs GRZQRXUQH[WFRFNWDLOWRR

QTHE BURGER :HWU\WKUHH³WKH&ODVVLF'RXEOH 'HFNHU%XUJHUWKH&KHHVH%XUJHUDQG

ALL 7AMERICAN DINER, New Delhi Good burgers are an art. And sometimes, even great chefs have GLIÀFXOW\SHUIHFWLQJWKLVDUWIRUP :KLOHPRVWUHVWDXUDQWVDQGFKHIV ZRUOGZLGHVHHPFRQIXVHGZKHWKHU FRQVXPHUVZDQWJRXUPHWRUFKHDS burgers, the sad truth is that in New 'HOKLWKHUHDUHZRHIXOO\IHZSODFHV WRÀQGHLWKHUNLQG 7KH$OO$PHULFDQ'LQHUDWWKH India Habitat Centre is one of the

FRUQHUVWRQHVRIFDVXDOGLQLQJ LQWKHFDSLWDO³DZHOONQRZQ PXFKORYHGUHVWDXUDQWEUDQG WKDWRZHVLWVSKHQRPHQDO VXFFHVVRQO\SDUWO\WRDODFNRI DQ\VHULRXVFRPSHWLWLRQ:LWKLWV EULJKWFKHHU\GpFRU0DULO\Q PHPRUDELOLDEULFDEUDF FROOHFWHGIURPDQWLTXHVKRSV LQ$PHULFDDIXQFWLRQDOMXNH ER[UHGERRWKVDQGFKHFNHUHG ÁRRUWLOHV VRPHRIWKHEHVW FRIIHHPDOWVVKDNHVDQGGHVVHUWV LQWRZQDQDOOGD\DQGDOO\RX FDQHDWEUHDNIDVWRIIHULQJDQGFODVVLF dishes such as surf and turf and EDNHGKDVKWKH'LQHULVMXVWLÀDEO\

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eat out restaurant spy the vegetarian Chilli Bean Burger. My problem with all three is the same— the bread overwhelms the patty. The bun should ideally be the supporting cast; the meat is supposed to be the star. Even if we’re willing to overlook the fact that this is not a thick, juicy, crusted beef patty, the chicken patties in both our non-veg burgers are too dry, too thin and under seasoned. The bread, especially in the classic Double Decker, is overwhelming and could have been toasted a little more. There is only a measly amount of Thousand Island dressing on the Double Decker and the Cheese Burger should be cheesier. Some pickles inside (and on the side) may have done wonders. The tomatoes in the Veg Burger are fresh and juicy. %XWWKHVR\DPLQFHWKDWÀOOVWKH&KLOOL Bean Burger can only be described as average in taste. It reminds me, sadly, of paneer bhurji. Soya has the ZRQGHUIXODELOLW\WRDEVRUEÁDYRXUV which is why it makes for such a good meat substitute. It would’ve been a better idea to fashion a kebab out of it.

Q PROVENANCE The bread is made in-house. Meats,

Q WHAT TO DRINK The Wicked Brownie Blast with double espresso, vanilla, malt and milk is a must try with any burger and is as decadent as 1950s America! We also try The Italian Connection, a cocktail with deliciously strong coffee, which is superb. You could have a beer or a cocktail while you wait for the burgers to arrive but do try one of the delicious shakes with the food.

Q DETAILS The All American Diner, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi. Tel: +91 11 41220000. Daily 7 am-12 am. Burgers ` 210 onwards; sides ` 85 onwards; drinks ` 180 onwards.

Quality: 5/10 Choice: 6/10 Provenance: 6/10 Atmosphere: 8/10 Value: 7/10 Total: 32/50 — Anoothi Vishal

7CLAYTOPIA, BISTRO Bengaluru ytopia is yet another housetaurant that seems to be ese days in Bengaluru. The re modest but charming; g area has been converted o-al fresco dining area with ong the walls. can choose from salads, dwiches, burgers, hot dogs, asta, rolls, and even an allday breakfast menu. The range is reasonably priced. Service is pleasant, although the waiters could use more training on KRZWRÀOOZDWHUJODVVHVRQ e tables instead of taking m away and replacing them OHGJODVVHV2XUIRRG ÀYHPLQXWHVZKLFKPHDQV QUXQVHIÀFLHQWO\$OOLQ Claytopia is a nice place

to hang out with a couple of friends and have a long conversation without being disturbed.

QTHE BURGER Beef and pork are not served here, so your non-veg options are limited WRFKLFNHQODPEDQGÀVK%XUJHUV come in varying sizes – small, large, and double. The most popular burger, the Grilled Lamb Burger, comes with a decent-sized minced lamb patty, shredded iceberg lettuce, and mayonnaise. The meat is tender bu QRWYHU\ÁDYRXUIXODQGQRWLF greasy. The standard bur medium-well. The bun mayo a tad sour. The Barbecue Chicken Bu comes with a bland grilled chi ÀOOHWFRYHUHGZLWKEDUEHFXHVDXF and onions, gherkins and cheese. Vegetarian options include the Roadside Rowdy, a spicy vegetarian burger, and a fried paneerr burger. The burgers are served with potato chips,

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eat out restaurant spy QWHAT TO DRINK No alcohol is served, but there is a giant list of coffees, iced teas, smoothies and other drinks you can order. The espresso we order is a bitter, acidic mess with no crema on top, served in a cup that is way too large. The peach iced tea is a mix of warm tea poured on ice cubes and on peach syrup, resulting in tea that is more cool than iced. Try the Creamy Oreo Shake instead, with bits of Oreo biscuits mixed into it.

QDETAILS Bistro Claytopia, 318, 6th Main, 2nd Stage, Off 100 Feet Road, Indiranagar, Bengaluru. Tel: +91 80 41323394.

7CAFÉ THULP, Bengaluru but you can order sides like potato wedges and onion rings separately. The onion rings we try are oily and lacking in salt. If you’re the kind who likes a burger stuffed to the hilt, there are also Burger Combos on the menu; the Spicy Barbecued Chicken, for instance, with Mortadella cheese, grilled chicken, fried egg, mushroom, lettuce, tomato, gherkins, peppers, and cheese. We didn’t order it for fear of dislocating our jaws.

QPROVENANCE Vegetables and meats are sourced locally while the starter menu of onion rings, fries, potato wedges and jalapeno poppers is straight out of the McCain range of ready-to-fry starters.

Daily 11 am-11 pm. Burgers ` 65 onwards; sides ` 65 onwards; drinks ` 45 onwards.

Quality: 5/10 Atmosphere: 8/10 Provenance: 6/10 Choice: 8/10 Value: 8/10 Total: 35/50 — Madhu Menon

Clockwise from left: The burgers at Bistro Claytopia all come with fries or onion rings; Bistro Claytopia is a popular hangout for youngsters; Juicy burgers at Café Thulp; Café Thulp’s quirky interiors

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The heart of the tech district is a good place to put a hamburger restaurant. Café Thulp is located minutes from the Wipro junction and gets its buzz from the fast food-loving techies in the area. They come here for their daily thulp (local Kannada slang for giving food a good wallop). Café Thulp regulars are happy to play Scrabble or Taboo from its collection of board games or browse through the books that occupy a shelf, while they wait for their orders. And the wait can be quite long. Another way to keep amused while the waiters bungle your drink orders is to browse through the menu written with a concerted attempt at humour.

eat out restaurant spy smoothies and shakes. The Oreo Cookie shake tastes pleasant but lacks the richness that chocoholics would seek from a drink like this.

QDETAILS Café Thulp, 998, 1st Main, 1st Block, Koramangala, Bengaluru. Tel: +91 80 25487788. Daily 12 pm-10 pm. Burgers ` 100 onwards, sides ` 100 onwards; drinks ` 40 onwards.

Think Moo’s Yo Daddy (the 400g cheese burger) and Shot through the Heart (bacon-wrapped skewers).

QTHE BURGER The Moo is the signature burger at Café Thulp. The buns are fresh, sesame-crusted and toasted. The patty is pure ground beef, cooked medium with a pink centre. It cannot be faulted. With or without the cheese, bacon or both, this is the best thing to order here. If your appetite isn’t huge, you can order the kulla (Kannada for dwarf) version of the same – it’s smaller and cheaper. For those who prefer chicken, there’s the cheekily named Impostor, a grilled chicken patty that is perfectly pleasing, even if it lacks the juicy meatiness of the Moo. The Get Yo Goat, a Mediterranean lamb burger

is disappointing. The patty is dry and overpowered by the spice mix. In comparison, the meat in the Ho Chi Min, a Vietnamese pork burger with mint and chilli, is satisfying. But as a burger, it fails to hit the spot. 2ULHQWDOÁDYRXUVVLWXQFRPIRUWDEO\LQ a burger. Vegetarians are hardly spoilt for choice – their lone option is Beirut Express, a falafel burger. The fries and coleslaw that accompany the burgers are unexceptional.

QPROVENANCE All the ingredients, including the beef and bacon, are locally sourced. The buns are custom baked.

QWHAT TO DRINK Café Thulp doesn’t serve any alcohol. The drinks list includes herbal teas, limeade and juice. It’s Good For You juice with cucumber and mint tastes insipid. The café also serves

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Quality: 6/10 Choice: 7/10 Provenance: 7/10 Atmosphere: 6/10 Value: 8/10 Total: 34/50 — Priya Bala

eat out restaurant spy

7BARN THE BURGER CAFÉ, Pune Tucked away in Pune’s bustling Koregaon Park, The Burger Barn Café is the perfect pit stop for a hearty burger, a hot dog or breakfast. A favourite with locals in the area – LQFOXGLQJVWXGHQWVRIÀFHJRHUVDQG ORQJVWD\LQJJXHVWVRIWKHÀYHVWDUV in the vicinity – this unassuming eatery has a loyal band of followers because it offers quality burgers at competitive prices. Characterised by its no-frills décor and Spartan outdoor setting, this café focuses on what’s cooking in the kitchen rather than outside it. Ambience doesn’t seem to be a priority, yet the café is clean and tidy and the service is prompt. Attention has been paid to minutiae, such as the fact that vegetarian and non-vegetarian burgers are served in distinctly coloured plates. Also, all garnishes, sauces and relishes are made fresh every day.

QTHE BURGER The management prides itself on making everything from scratch so you can be sure that there’ll be no frozen burger patties here. The portions are more than generous so two parsimonious eaters can share a burger quite easily. The Barn Fish Fillet Burger we try is commendable – the basa ÀOOHWWKDWLVXVHGWRPDNH the patty is crumb fried to perfection, topped

with tartare sauce and salad. The Barn BBQ Chicken Burger with a batter-fried chicken patty and inhouse barbecue sauce is tasty, but heavy and overwhelmed by the sauce. I prefer the succulent and subtly spiced Crunchy Chicken Burger topped with a tangy cocktail sauce. Vegetarians have a good selection of eight options to choose from. This includes a paneer option, a mushroom burger and a healthy green veg burger. The classic Barn Veggie Burger we try is hearty. Unlike most vegetarian burgers that have an aloo tikki masquerading as a patty, this one has a patty made of a mélange of vegetables. The hot dogs, rolls and array of egg preparations make this a fairly extensive menu for such a small eatery. French fries, Chilli Cheese Fries and the Mozzarella Sticks are bestsellers here – and for good reason. The Chilli Cheese Fries pair particularly well with the Barn Fish Fillet Burger, so pile a few of these on to your plate. If you’re a connoisseur of burgers, try the in-house challenge. If you can chomp down on the café’s six-patty burger made of 1.5kg of chicken and vegetables in half an hour, you can get your name on the wall of fame!

QBESTSELLERS BBQ Chicken Burger, Crunchy Chicken Burger, Fish Fillet Burger, Fiery Barn Dog, Barn Veggie Burger.

QPROVENANCE All ingredients are sourced locally. 7KHÀVKDQGFKLFNHQVDODPLFRPH from Pune’s famous James Smith and Company. The signature sauces are prepared in-house.

QWHAT TO DRINK Skip the sugary and synthetic tasting iced teas, and try the not-too-sweet and milky cold coffee instead. The thick Oreo shake is also very popular with patrons.

QDETAILS The Burger Barn Café, Shop 14, Sanas Corner, South Main Road, Pune. Tel: +91 20 41285875/ 92724 02006. Daily 11.30 am – 11.30 pm. Burgers ` 60 onwards; sides ` 40 onwards; drinks ` 30 onwards.

Quality: 8/10 Atmosphere: 6/10 Choice: 8/10 Provenance: 7/10 Value: 8/10 Total: 37/50 — Fareeda Kanga

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eat out restaurant spy

7MORE, BURGERS & Pune

There isn’t much to say about the ambience of Burgers & More. It serves better as a take away joint, as only a few makeshift tables and folding chairs are on offer here. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that it serves good burgers. Locals throng this tiny restaurant for their dose of deep fried comfort food. Be warned though – the service tends to get tardy if the restaurant is swamped with take away orders.

QTHE BURGER Non-vegetarians are spoilt for choice at Burgers & More. The Egg Classic Burger excels with its grilled egg patty and mayo topping. The patty is subtle and not overwhelmingly eggy. The grilled patty is also a welcome change from the usual heavy and greasy fried patties. The ABC (Andaa, Chicken Bacon and Cheese) burger has a winning combination of ingredients, reminiscent of a BLT sandwich or an English EUHDNIDVWPXIÀQWRSSHGZLWKEDFRQ Unfortunately, there are no meat burgers on the menu. The portions are generous, but you can choose from three sizes. You can also pick from an array of condiments and dips such as honey mustard and English mustard, which are inexpensive add-ons. The tartare sauce we try is ULFKDQGÁDYRXUIXOZLWKRXWEHLQJWRR heavy. The perfectly crisp French fries and Masala French Fries with chaat ÁDYRXULQJDUHZRUWK\VLGHV Burgers and More also has a substantial breakfast menu. Here, it’s worth remembering that the more you eat, the better the deals are. The mega meal combo, which includes a burger, fries, potato wedges, corn nuggets, a dip and iced tea, all for just ` 175, offers full value for money.

Q BESTSELLERS Chicken Classic Burger, Chicken Ultimo Burger, Corn Spinach Burger, Veg Crunchy Burger.

Clockwise from facing page: A jawbreaking burger at Burger Barn Café; The unassuming interiors of Burger Barn Café; Burgers & More is a tiny restaurant in Pune; Perfectly crisp French fries; Burgers & More’s Chicken Tandoori Burger

Q PROVENANCE All ingredients are locally sourced. The special sauces, which are integral to many of the burger recipes, are made in-house.

Q WHAT TO DRINK There aren’t too many options to choose from. Your choices include aerated drinks, iced teas and cold coffee. The iced tea we try is run-ofthe-mill. It is just a weak emulsion of tea and sugar and doesn’t have any GLVFHUQLEOHÁDYRXU

Q DETAILS Burgers & More, Piyush Apartments, Shop no 3, Opposite Pooja Tyres, Model Colony, Shivajinagar, Pune. Tel: +91 20 32411123. Daily 10.30 am – 10.30 pm. Burgers ` 30 onwards; sides ` 30 onwards.

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Quality: 7/10 Atmosphere: 4/10 Choice: 7/10 Provenance: 6/10 Value: 8/10 Total: 32/50 — Fareeda Kan

provspunter Does your average diner agree with what the restaurant critics think? Good Food reader Ashwini Suryanarayana and food columnist Madhu Menon review Bow Barracks and come away with somewhat similar ratings THE RESTAURANT

THE PRO

Madhu Menon is a Bangalore-based chef, restaurant consultant, food writer, columnist, and food photographer.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

THE SERVICE

On the door is a sign that says ‘A taste of Anglo-India,’ but as you walk in, the interiors don’t look anything like it. Instead, it’s a rather homely ambience with brick walls and a few trinkets on the walls. As we walk in, we find the owner, Sujoy Das, taking most orders himself. The menu is printed on a large cardboard sheet, along with a separate Daily Specials menu. They have no liquor menu although we are told that their wine licence will be ready in a week.

The waiters are pleasant and eager to help. They also answer our sometimes pedantic questions about the food competently, which is always a good thing when visiting a niche cuisine restaurant like this one. The thick accents of some staff may take a bit of time to decipher occasionally, but a smiling face makes up for much. Our starters are brought out one after the other as we finish each plate, which is a smart thing to do to avoid the food getting cold.

Located in a bylane in the posh Indiranagar locality, Bow Barracks is a quaint English-style building with a brick-red façade. Its cosy interiors provide the perfect setting for romantics as well as business people. With two floors currently operational, the place can accommodate more than 30 people. It is a Friday afternoon when we visit and the restaurant fills up quickly, so it is better to reserve. With valet service being offered, parking is not a problem.

Service is quick to begin with but slows down once the place starts filling up. Being a relatively new set-up, the owners take the time to enquire about the food at each table and are willing to accept feedback. Overall, a cheerful and pleasant place.

BOW BARRACKS Named after the area in Kolkata that is a stronghold of the city’s Anglo-Indian community, Bow Barracks aspires to provide a taste of AngloIndian cuisine in Bangalore. The meat-heavy menu invokes the almost forgotten cuisine of AngloIndians. The menu features classic English dishes with an Indian touch, such as Prawn Temperado, Beef Jhalfrezie and Grilled Rack of Lamb.

THE PUNTER QBow Barracks, 618/1, 2nd Main, Opposite Just Bake, Indiranagar, Bangalore. Tel: +91 80 42073555/ 97396 01015. Daily 12 pm - 3 pm, 7 pm - 12 am. Average spend for two: ` 1,500. Suryanarayana and Menon visited separately and neither informed the restaurant before the meal that they were there to review it.

Pushy table turning? No Regular water offered? Yes Veggie options? Leave much to be desired

Ashwini Suryanarayana works with a software company. She is passionate about travel, food and nature photography. As an avid foodie, she likes trying out new restaurants.

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eat out

Beef Jhalfrezie

Mango Cheesecake

THE FOOD

THE VERDICT

THE BILL

The menu is focussed on Anglo-Indian food from Kolkata, with a few European and tandoori dishes thrown in to round out the menu. Most of what we eat is excellent with balanced flavours. The Beef Pantheras was a tasty rissole filled with spiced beef and served with tomato chilli chutney. The Vegetable Cutlet is competent but not terribly exciting. The Pork Lasooni Kebab is tender but could use a lighter touch on the spices to make the flavour of the pork come through. The main course is where the food really shines. The Beef Jhalfrezie (served with pepper water) is a gently spiced dish made of tender beef, with fried onions lending a wonderful flavour. Aunty Pamela’s Pork Vindaloo has a flavour that may surprise lovers of Goan food because it’s nowhere near as hot or sour as the original dish, but I thoroughly enjoy it. And despite not being a big fan of vegetarian food, I like the Mango Chutney Dal, a dish made from moong dal and raw mango. The accompaniment is a portion of plain rice and yellow coconut rice. If you’re a vegetarian though, you may find that the menu has slim pickings apart from a couple of dishes and some salads. The dessert selection is sparse but don’t let that stop you from ordering the Lime and Honey Panna Cotta, a surprisingly sublime dessert with the flavour of honey and lime coming through clearly, while not being overpowering. The Dark Chocolate Mousse is decent but a bit grainy.

Bow Barracks serves good quality soul food. If you’re a meat lover, you absolutely must give it a try.

Menon’s bill for two, including three starters, three main courses, rice and two desserts was ` 2,200 including taxes.

FOOD: 8/10 ATMOSPHERE: 7/10 SERVICE: 8/10 TOTAL: 23/30 Go again? Certainly.

A refreshing beginning to the meal is a ball of watermelon dipped in lime — The only one of its kind in Suryanarayana’s bill for two, simply amazing. On the vegetarian front, the Atoorsi Aloo made with baby Bangalore, Bow Barracks including one soup, two starters, potatoes is a well-cooked tandoori starter but the Yellow Coconut Rice is well worth a try. To sum two main courses, two desserts sprinkled with fried onions is way too bland. The Red Coconut Curry with up, we enjoy the food but and one drink was ` 1,700 excluding English Vegetables is a tad too spicy but tastes interesting. end up craving for more taxes. On the non-vegetarian front, the much-recommended Pork Lasooni vegetarian options. Kebab is crunchy on the outside and tender within. It does, however, start FOOD: 6.5/10 to get chewy after a few minutes of arrival. Chicken à la Kiev — a delight to ATMOSPHERE: 6.5/10 the eye with a delicate blend of spices, mashed potatoes and chicken in a SERVICE: 7/10 savoury crust is excellent and a must-try here. The Lamb and r Mince Soup has a strong mushroom flavour but barely any m TOTAL: 20/30 rant?xFto u a t s e r e a n The best part is the dessert. While the Lime and Honey w ’s d revie d Foo Want cteoto become Goorod review of anayding Panna Cotta tastes like regular yoghurt with a little too Go again? a chan email a 200-w d, with the he m. much honey, the Mango Cheesecake layered with pieces of Certainly, but it needs punter, nt you’ve visitegoodfood@ww ld u a c r o fresh mango, is heavenly. more choice for b restau Punter’, to b details. You c t s c v a t o n r vegetarians as well. ‘P our co

hy co.in wit cky one! lu e h t be

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magic carpet

Café Shiraz Tucked away in a garden by the sea, Chennai’s Café Shiraz is the perfect place for a long, lazy Persian lunch Words VIKRAM DOCTOR Photographs A R SUMANTH KUMAR

N

Steaming Irani tea

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asrin Karimi remembers the day she decided she could not start a restaurant. The offer she had, to open at the Cholamandal Artists’ Village on the East Coast Road (ECR) south from Chennai, was attractive. The location was prestigious, at the artists’ commune which, for almost 50 years has been at the forefront of the modern art scene in South India. Cholamandal had just opened a museum, and the restaurant would complement it well, especially if it served something out of the ordinary like Nasrin’s simple, yet stylish Iranian food. The beachside villas down the ECR had become the favoured weekend destination for the many expatriates and welltravelled Indians who were changing Chennai’s conservative reputation, and they would be natural customers for the restaurant. But Karimi found it hard to imagine running a restaurant. “I was never taught how to cook!” she says. It’s true that she knew about good food since she grew up in Shiraz, a city known for its devotion to eating. “Iran has many climate zones, but Shiraz is so located that it gets the best produce from all of them,” she explains. Her mother was also an outstanding cook, but never seemed to have the time to teach her. “If I tried helping, she would say, no, no, let me do it, and so I never had to learn.” It was only when the Islamic Revolution came and Karimi, like many young Iranians, left the country

eat out off the eaten track to avoid the turmoil, that she taught herself to cook. Her family sent her to Chennai, a city she happily calls KRPHQRZEXWLWZDVQ·WHDV\DWÀUVW “It was so hot! And I didn’t speak Tamil, and I couldn’t understand food like idlis. Today, I love idlis and eat them a lot, but at that time it was hard.” Even now, she says, when she passes Queen Mary’s, the college she studied in, “my heart sinks a little.” At least there were other young Iranian students to hang out with. She met her husband, Farhad, among them, and slowly the city became less alien. They set up a small business, and their house became a natural hangout for their friends, and Karimi cooked for them all. She became an expert at Iranian cooking, though she says that when she goes home now, “my mother still cooks, because my brothers say my food is not as good!” In Chennai, word of her cooking spread and she started catering on a small scale. This was what brought the offer from Cholamandal, but the sudden jump in scale was daunting. She decided to turn it down, and went there to tell them. But the people she was to meet were not there, so she went to wait in the space

‘‘

was laid out in beautiful abundance. “It would be like in a party in someone’s house, where there would always be lots of food and people could serve themselves and eat as much as they like.” It would be stupid, she realised, to turn down such an opportunity, so while she had come to say no, she ended up saying yes. And the restaurant, which she created and called Café Shiraz, has stuck close to her vision. It consists of one long room that’s like a light and airy salon in someone’s house, decorated with ÁRZHUVDQGIDYRXULWHRUQDPHQWV The food is laid out on tables near the windows, so the light catches the bowls and utensils, which are neither purely functional restaurant vessels, not funky designer ware, but just the JRRGVROLGVWXII\RXZRXOGÀQGLQDQ upper-middle class home. The room, which is airconditioned, has a few tables, chairs and comfortable sofas for lounging in and sipping sweet lemon and mint WHD%XWSHRSOHDUHHQFRXUDJHGWRÀOO their plates from the buffet and take them to the tables and chairs outside, where the shady trees and sea breeze keep the area cool. Karimi’s other

Crisp, crusty tahdig

Nasrin Karimi of Café Shiraz

Karimi’s noon-nokhodchis (small cookies) are, in a way, a metaphor for her Iranian food at Café Shiraz – superficially similar to Indian food in its ingredients, but used in ways that make them deliciously different

‘‘

next to the museum that they had reserved for the restaurant. “It was being used to dump material, so it was a mess,” she recalls. But as Karimi waited she saw that there were some beautiful trees that would give a green canopy for eating out. There was a refreshing sea breeze, and as she sat there she started imagining a different type of restaurant, where instead of people sitting and giving orders, they would help themselves from the food that

Sunday spread at Shiraz

trick for dealing with the heat is kept in tall containers at one side of the URRP7KHVHDUHÀOOHGZLWKIUR]HQ sweetened juices of fruits (guava, lemon, watermelon) which she beats to a slush and then mixes with the sabja seeds used in falooda. These swell, yet retain a slight crunchiness, which makes them a lovely contrast to the icy sweetness of the fruit juice. These ices are amazingly refreshing and addictive – regular customers serve themselves a cup as soon as

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eat out off the eaten track

WHAT T WE LIKE E Ash h is an ancient soup, born on village fires, where anything useable might be dumped in the pot. The Iranian version makes it deliciously rich and creamy, but with a slight sourness that stops it being heavy. Pile on fried onions, or the chilli sauce that Karimi provides for Indian palates.

they come, eat more through the meal and slurp some for dessert as well. Karimi believes in abundance, so the amount of food on offer is amazing. You don’t just get plain rice, but at least two other kinds, like herby dill rice or a slightly sweet rice made with orange peel. In a bowl on the side is tahdig, g the crisp crust that Iranians like their rice to form at the bottom of the pan as it cooks, to be taken off and eaten separately. This might be a bit too odd for most Indians, and Karimi knows that, for all the change in Chennai, you need some familiar stuff, so she always has something like South Indian curd-rice on offer. With the meat too, she has simple grilled chicken served alongside chicken with plums, a dish with a wonderfully satisfying sweet-savoury ÁDYRXURU fesanjan, chicken cooked with sweet-sour pomegranate syrup. Mutton kebabs are dusted with fruity-sour sumac powder, and are served with mutton cooked with greens that is almost like saag gosht, t but with a subtle, herby-sour undertone. All these meat dishes are easily outnumbered by the vegetarian starters, which include familiar ones like hummus to less familiar kashk-ebadinjan, a bharta-like dish of brinjals cooked with dried curd. If there is one stand-out dish though is it the Iranian soup called ash. To say this is a soup is a bit like saying South Indian sambharr is just dal – it doesn’t convey a hint of it foundational importance in that region’s cuisine. Ash in Iran is a thick, creamy soup and Karimi makes hers by cooking chickpeas in milk to form the base, adding other ingredients and then, right at the end, toppings like onions fried till they turn golden and start caramelising. Each bowl of ashRIIHUVDV\PSKRQ\RIÁDYRXUV creamy, savoury, herby, slightly bitter and slightly sweet and just a hint of refreshing sourness. Karimi says that in Iran the soup would have been made with yoghurt, but customers here found it too sour,

Cool slushes to beat the heat

Top 5 dishes to try 7 Ash 7 Chicken with plums 7 Fruity ices with sabja seeds 7 Rice with orange peel 7 Noon nokhodchis s with lime-mint tea so she adapted it for milk. A lot of the food is like this – Iranian, but subtly spiced up or altered, and using familiar ingredients (like chickpeas) in ways that make them exotic. This helps get the guests to try stuff, and hardly deviates from authenticity, since the essential sour-savouryherby-slightly-sweet character of Iranian food comes through incredibly well. Another example is the small cookies called noon-nokhodchis that are served with the tea. They are made of sweetened besan, and when you put them in your mouth your ÀUVWWKRXJKWLV besan laddoo! But as they melt in your mouth they have a buttery, crumbly taste that is quite distinct. They are, in a way, a metaphor for Karimi’s Iranian food at Café Shiraz ²VXSHUÀFLDOO\VLPLODU to Indian food in its ingredients, but used in ways that make them deliciously different. Address: Cholamandal Artists’ Village, Injambakkam, East Coast Road, Chennai. Tel: 9840572126.

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eat out restaurant recipe

Signature dish San Qi

Succulent tiger prawns and pungent wasabi come together beautifully in Chef Clinton Cooper’s posh appetiser

San Qi (or ‘three energies’ in Japanese) is the multi-cuisine restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel, which has been part of Mumbai’s hospitality landscape since 2008. The restaurant serves Cantonese, Japanese and Indian cuisines and disproves the popular notion that multi-cuisine means mediocre, by doing culinary justice to all three cuisines. Notables on Executive Chef Clinton Cooper’s menu include the sushi and tempura platters, Cantonese specials such as Sansho Pepper Chicken and Indian-inspired dishes such as Smoked Honey Mustard Sea Bass with Sautéed Greens, Fennel and Cumin.

Spicy wasabi prawns Serves 4 Q15 minutes + chilling QEASY tiger prawns 12 mayonnaise 200g wasabi 50g red cabbage leaf 1 chive stem 1, to serve caviar to serve (optional) THE BATTER corn flour 100g refined flour 100g egg white 1 soda water 325ml

QTo make the batter, combine all ingredients and mix until smooth. Refrigerate for at least one hour or add a few ice cubes to cool the mixture more rapidly. QDust the prawns in refined flour, then dredge through the batter and carefully place into a wok or kadhai filled with hot oil. Deep-fry until golden brown. Remove the prawns and rest on kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil. QCombine the wasabi and the mayonnaise. Place a red cabbage leaf in the centre of the plate, fashioned to look like a bowl. QPlace the crispy prawns inside the leaf. Drizzle the wasabi mayonnaise over the prawns. QGarnish with caviar (if using) and a single chive stem.

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EAT LIKE A LOCAL

Israel

Get a taste of Israel with our easy menu from the Biblical land of milk and honey Recipes and inputs CHEF KOBI MIZRAHI Location photographs RITAM BANERJEE Chef and recipe photographs ANEESH BHASIN

I

sraeli culture is rich and colourful, with Jewish people settling in the country from around the world and bringing with them a myriad culinary ideas and tastes. The food is a lively jumble of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Central and (DVWHUQ(XURSHDQÁDYRXUV Israel has a rich tradition of street food, its most popular offerings being pita, usually eaten with hummus or falafel. Falafel is now a staple all across the Middle East, but the Israeli version differs slightly from elsewhere owing to the huge portions of sauces and salads offered alongside. Try falafel with the spicy zehug sauce or amba, a mango chutney with strong Indian origins. Chopped cucumber and tomato are the usual accompaniments, but fried aubergine, potatoes and turnips are also available. But if you have an appetite for gourmet fare, you can choose

from a variety of glossy ÀQHGLQLQJUHVWDXUDQWV7KH trend now is towards going back to one’s culinary roots, with more and more new restaurants serving food made using only locally sourced, fresh ingredients.
EASY ISRAELI MENU 7Israeli hummus 7Matbucha salad 7Chicken breast stuffed

with dried fruits 7Pears in Red Wine

Israeli hummus Serves 6 Q 15 minutes + soaking Q EASY

Chef Kobi Mizrahi is the owner of Chef 4 U Catering, and Culinary Manager at the guesthouse Ein Gedi. He is also the president of the Israel Institute of Applied Culinary Art, a culinary consultation company.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE 7KH%LEOLFDO-HZLVKGLHWDU\ODZVKDYHWUHPHQGRXVO\LQÁXHQFHGWKHFXLVLQHRI,VUDHO0RVW UHVWDXUDQWVZLOOKHQFHVHUYHRQO\FHUWDLQNLQGVRIPHDWDQGÀVK'DLU\DQGPHDWLVQRWRQO\ FRRNHGVHSDUDWHO\EXWDOVRFRQVXPHGVHSDUDWHO\3RUNDQGVKHOOÀVKDUHIRUELGGHQDOWKRXJK several restaurants are now shunning these dietary laws and serving both. If a restaurant is kosher, it will remain shut on Shabbat (the Sabbath) from Friday night at sunset through Saturday night at sunset. Certain foods such as challah (a special kind of bread), JHÀOWHÀVKGHERQHGJURXQGÀVK DQGFKROHQW (traditional meat stew) are prepared only on the Shabbat and on other Jewish holidays.

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chickpeas 500g soda 1 tbsp tahini 2 tbsp (try Al Fez available at gourmet stores) lemon juice 1 soup spoons parsley to serve sweet paprika to serve olive oil 3 tbsp + extra for serving QSoak the chickpeas in water with the soda for about 14 hours. Add more water then, and boil till soft. QSpread the chickpeas on a tray and let them rest until properly cooled. QNext, blend it all in a blender. Add in the tahini paste. Add extra water to make the mixture soft and smooth. Add salt to season and the lemon juice. QTo serve, put on a plate and garnish on top with some loose boiled chickpeas. Sprinkle some parsley, sweet paprika and olive oil.

Matbucha salad Serves 5 Q 15 minutes Q EASY tomatoes 1 kg oil for frying

An Israeli fruit vendor

The desert fortress of Masada Israeli hummus

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eat away israel

MINI GUIDE TO TEL AVIV EAT One of the most highly recommended restaurants in Tel Aviv is Tapas Ahad Ha’am (Tel: +972 3 5666966) on Ahad Ha’am Street. This trendy restaurant serves up small plates of food and its dishes are tailored according to the seasons in Israel. The seafood risotto and seared scallops are foodie favourites here. The ultra-hip Deca (deca.rest-e.co.il) in Tel Aviv’s upcoming industrial east side, is ZKHUHIDVKLRQDEOH,VUDHOLVGLJLQWRGLVKHVOLNHNRVKHUZKLWHÀVKIDODIHODQGVHDEDVVZLWK Jerusalem artichoke. At Gedera 26, Chef Amir Kronberg offers simple Israeli dishes — kubbeh soup, chicken liver with rice and more. But the half-Iraqi, half-Swedish chef also plates up international dishes such as Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes and red berry jam. The menu changes every day depending on what’s fresh in the market.

STAY Get swaddled in luxury at the brand new +RWHO0RQWHÀRUHKRWHOPRQWHÀRUHFRLO LQWKH White City district. This recently renovated 1920s-style mansion offers twelve elegant rooms, each of which has beautiful Israeli art hanging on its walls. The Savoy Hotel (hotelsavoy.co.il) lies in the heart of the city, a stone’s throw from the city’s famous beach, as well as its crowded markets, cafés, and nightclubs. The recently opened Brown Hotel (browntlv.com) offers black marble showers and rainforest shower-heads, leather couches in the library, and panoramic views of the ocean from its sundeck.

DO In the centre of Tel Aviv lies Olia BoutiqueROLDFRLO ,VUDHO·VÀUVWKDXWHROLYHRLOVWRUH WKDWVWRFNVVHYHUDOÁDYRXUHGEOHQGVPRXVVHVVSUHDGVDQGGUHVVLQJV7KDW·VQRWDOO³WKH olive here is pressed into service in many other ways, including in shampoos, soaps, lip balms and face scrubs.

garlic 1 head, ground spicy green peppers 2 sweet paprika 1 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp salt 1 tbsp

QChop the tomatoes into small cubes. Stir fry the garlic and the green pepper for 2-3 minutes in a frying pan, then add the paprika and sugar, and afterwards the tomatoes. QCook it all together on a high flame until the tomatoes become soft, add the salt, and serve warm.

Chicken breast stuffed with dried fruits Serves 1 Q 1 hour Q MODERATELY EASY chicken breast 1, deboned salt and pepper a pinch onion 1, chopped garlic cloves 2, chopped parsley 1 tbsp, chopped oil for frying egg 1, beaten breadcrumbs THE STUFFING apricots 1 tsp, chopped cranberries 1 tsp figs 1 tsp, chopped plums 1 tsp, chopped raisins 1 tsp

Selling fresh bread on the streets

THE POTATO MASH sweet potatoes 100g, peeled and chopped potatoes 100g, peeled and chopped garlic cloves 2 salt 2 tsp pepper 1 tsp QFor the mash, place all the ingredients except the garlic in a pot with cold water and bring to a boil. After the potatoes are boiled, turn down the flame and cook until the potatoes become soft. Then mash the potato mixture together with the garlic, salt and pepper. QSpread the salt and the pepper on the chicken breast and keep aside.

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Chicken breast stuffed with dried fruits A young Israeli army recruit

A panoramic view of Jerusalem

Pears in red wine

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eat away israel

MENU DECODER SHAKSHOUKA - a spicy egg and tomato dish. KIZIZOT - a sort of meat patty, that is usually fried. BOREKA - an Israeli samosa made of puff pastry. Potato borekas are usually eaten at lunchtime on the Sabbath, and cheese-filled ones for dinner during the week. RUGELACH - a popular sweet pastry that is traditionally filled with chocolate and nuts. KUBBEH - a sphere of bulgur wheat that is stuffed with meat. It is traditionally cooked with differentflavoured broths eg, beetroot.

Jewish men pray at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem QNext, put some oil in a frying pan and first fry the onion and the garlic. Then add the fruits and fry everything together for 10 minutes on a very low flame. Next, season to taste with salt and pepper. Let the mixture rest for a while and then add the parsley. QLay the chicken breast on a piece of nylon and add a heaped spoon of the fruit mixture in the centre of the chicken. Then, shape the chicken with the help of the nylon into a small ball. Bind the nylon tightly and leave it in the fridge for half an hour. QMix the egg and breadcrumbs together. QRemove the nylon and dip the chicken in the egg and breadcrumb mixture, then deep fry in oil. QServe with the potato mash.

Pears in red wine Serves 8 Q 45 minutes + standing Q MODERATELY EASY pears 8 red wine 2 glasses brown sugar 6 tsp cinnamon sticks 2 aniseed 2 orange 1, peeled, skinned and sliced THE DOUGH powdered sugar 150g

butter 150g flour 300g eggs 2 pistachios 100g, ground cinnamon a sprinkling brown sugar TO SERVE whipped cream vanilla extract to taste powdered sugar QFor the dough, first mix all the wet materials together, then add the flour and pistachios, and keep in the fridge for at least one hour. Then take the dough, and shape into several small cookies, and finally add cinnamon and brown sugar. Bake for 10 minutes in the oven at 180˚C and keep aside. QPlace all the remaining ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Bring to boiling point, then turn down the flame and cook for 25 minutes. Then take the pears out of the pot, and wait until they cool down. Meanwhile, continue to cook the sauce that is left in the pot for another 10 minutes. QTo serve, add the sugar and vanilla extract to the whipped cream. Cut each of the pears into slices, then add the sauce, whipped cream and cookies, if you like. Garnish with a fresh strawberry if you like.

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MUST BUY Dates If you have to bring any one food item back with you, make it Israeli dates — the ‘medjool’ type. These are large dates, with a great smell and taste, and are one of Israel’s biggest exports. Spice mixes All kinds of Middle Eastern spices are available in Indian speciality stores now, but there is nothing like the authentic za’atar and sumac spice mixes. Olive oil Bring a bottle of awardwinning organic Olia extra virgin olive oil (the Nabali variety) for the family. It’s fruity, buttery and slightly bitter, all at the same time. Date honey This sweet, dark syrup is very popular in Israel and makes a great substitute for sugar syrup. Wine Israel is fast emerging as one of the world’s great wine-producing countries. Local vineyards will offer the best picks.

eat away city break

BUDGET and BLOWOUT guide to

Piquant and flavourful, Thai cuisine is born of flavours from India, China, Vietnam, Malaysia and even Burma. Get a taste of Bangkok through its exotic street food, gourmet haunts and authentic Thai cooking classes.

Bangkok

From fabulous street food to gourmet dazzlers, Bangkok has something to please every palate Words KIRAN MEHTA

BLOWOUT 7Operational since 1933, Pa Tong Go Café is a local icon. Once there, it may remind you of Mumbai’s Irani cafés. For dessert, we recommend the Chinese 'RQXW7KLVGHHSIULHGVZHHWPHDWLVÀOOHGZLWKMDP coconut and vanilla, THB 30. 7No visit to Bangkok is complete without savouring its street food. From spicy Tom Yum soup to every type of noodle and PHDW\RXFDQWKLQNRI\RX·OOÀQGLWRQKhao San Road. Four course meal from THB 50.

7Take a short boat ride to get to the two-storey Supatra River House restaurant. Formerly a traditional Thai home, the restaurant has inviting dark wood interiors and sober OLJKWLQJ(QMR\WKHLUH[RWLFVHDIRRGVHW menu inclusive of tea, coffee and fresh seasonal fruits. Meal for THB 900. (supatrariverhouse.net)

7Located in Siam Square, Ban Khun Mae’s dark wood furniture coupled with dim lighting gives it a relaxed yet classy ambience. While there is a lot to choose from, we say you give the Steamed Snapper a go, THB 280. (bankhunmae.com) 7Walk down Sukumvit’s streets at night and catch a glimpse of some bizarre street food, such as crunchy, deep-fried bugs — GHÀQLWHO\QRWIRUWKHIDLQWKHDUWHG2U\RXFRXOGVWLFNWR the staples such as Pad Thai. Meals from THB 50.

7The open-air Khinlom Chom Sa Phan Restaurant on the banks of the &KDR3KUD\DDOORZV\RXWRHQMR\DPHDO while gazing at the city lights. Or you could hop on board the restaurant’s cruise liner, the Song Fang Klong for a two-hour cruise with sumptuous seafood and soft music. Cruise from THB 1,600. (khinlomchomsaphan.com)

7Mulligans Irish Pub serves up authentic Thai whiskies such as Sangson, THB 160. This is one of the few places in the city without a curfew! (mulligansthailand.com) 7There’s nothing more than a low grill separating Side Walk Café from the road so all you have to do is grab a seat and watch the world go by. You can opt for non-alcoholic beverages, IURP7+%EXWZHUHFRPPHQGWKH0RMLWR7+% 130. ([email protected])

7Located within the Lebua Hotel at State Tower, the Sky Bar at Sirocco is one of the most opulent experiences in the city – a swanky all suite hotel with its very own bar that is suspended in WKHVN\RQWKHUGÁRRU%HVXUHWR order the Hangovertini, THB 490 + taxes. (lebua.com)

7Khaosan Palace Hotel offers clean, comfortable accommodation with a few frills such as a swimming pool, for a price that won’t break the bank. THB 550 and above. (khaosanpalace.com) 7 A shrine to Buddha greets you at the entrance of this charming guest house. Perfectly located for culture buffs, Kawin Place is within easy reach of the Grand Palace, and the Emerald Buddha at Wat Pho. Singles from THB 250. ([email protected])

7Rembrandt Hotel and Towers lies in a quiet lane off the bustling Sukumvit Road, smack in the heart of WKHFLW\,WRIIHUVÀYHDZDUGZLQQLQJ restaurants serving a host of exotic cuisines, a spa, an enticing pool bar and even a cooking school! Doubles in superior rooms from THB 2,300. (rembrandtbkk.com)

7The hole in the wall Ma-sa-man Thai Cooking School teaches authentic Thai cooking, but we suggest you go for the fruit carving class. Course from THB 1,500. (thaicookingschoolbkk.com) 7Set in a typical Thai home, Somphong Thai Cooking School is run by an aunt-niece duo who will take you grocery shopping. They’ll also help you whip up as many DVÀYH7KDLGLVKHVLQIRXUKRXUV&RXUVHIURP7+% 1,500. (originalthaicookingschool.com)

7+HUEJDUGHQVIUDJUDQWÁRZHUV and an open kitchen right by the calm Chao Phraya waters. It’s like walking into a fairy-tale, with a four-course meal! Sign up for a half-day authentic Thai cooking course at Amita Thai Cooking Class. Course from THB 3,000. (amitathaicooking.com)

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Photographs KIRAN MEHTA, TOURISM AUTHORITY OF THAILAND, SIROCCO SKY BAR AND KHIN LOM CHOM SA PHAN

MUST DO

HOTEL

DRINK

DINNER

LUNCH

BUDGET

City on the plate

Kodaikanal Chettinad biryani, cheese omelette parathas, wood-fired pizzas — get ready to be floored by Kodaikanal’s eclectic culinary offerings Words SUDHA MEHTA Photographs JUDY REDDER

EAT A glass of hot honey-lemon tea is ambrosia after a brisk walk around the Kodaikanal Lake. It takes the chill right out of your bones and at ` 20, it’s the cheapest way to warm up on a cold windy day (which in Kodi is nearly every day of the year). Down PT Road, past the ubiquitous Kashmiri tourist traps and Tibetan curio shops, up the stairs and there it is — the Royal Tibetan Restaurant or Tibbs. A bowl of thick vegetable noodle soup (` 80) with a plate of chilli fried chicken (` 110) is an alltime dinner favourite. Just up the road is Tavaa which serves the most delicious yellow dal (` 50) with a generous dollop of butter melting amidst roasted seeds. The waiter will keep up a steady supply of hot phulkas (` 15 each) for as long as you like. And when you’re in high-altitude places, you will surprise yourself with how many hot phulkas you can consume! At the Seven Roads Crossroads, on the PT Road corner, is Amsa. A more begrimed, hoary joint you will QRWÀQG$PVDGRHVURDULQJEXVLQHVV with its hot cups of well-brewed tea, cheese omelette parathas and the unmistakable Tamil Nadu doughnuts (all under ` 50 each). Those oily, sweet hunks of dough take up residence in your stomach and provide you sustenance for what seems like an eternity, making them ideal food

for long treks. The cheese omelette parathas are a hot favourite with kids from the Kodaikanal International School across the road. Aby’s on Anna Salai Road is another favourite of school kids and locals alike. Anshu, who along with her whole family and visiting friends, presides over the tiny kitchen, churns out delicious chaat and fast food. The bhel puri and dahi bhallas (` 30 each) are to die for. She also makes falafel in pita bread and a range of veggie pasta meals that are a good alternative to the South Indian fare that you get all over town. Astoria, also on Anna Salai, is the usual South Indian haunt but try their fried idlis for an entirely new take on an old dish. Crisp, brown, button idlis served with delicious coconut and ginger chutneys and a generous bowl of sambar. The rava dosa (` 35) at Woodlands, right across from the KIS school property, is arguably the best in all South India. For a taste of an authentic Nadar non-vegetarian thali, head to Nice and Spice just next door, and try the brain, liver and kidney curries (` 75 each) along with a Tamil vegetarian thali. Or go for a plate of peppery Chettinad biryani (` 80) – a meal for all seasons. 7KHZRRGÀUHGWKLQFUXVWSL]]DV at Cloud Street on PT Road are beyond delicious. The chicken, salami DQGPDUJKHULWDSL]]DVUDQJLQJ

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Clockwise from left: Chai at the fruit market on Benderloch Road; Chilli bajji at the Tibetan market; Green mango by Kodaikanal lake; Hotroasted corn at Kodaikanal Lake Boat House

eat away local knowledge

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eat away local knowledge between ` 80 to `160) on thin crusts are made right in front of you with fresh produce, cheese and crisp herbs from the local markets. PotLuck on PT Road is a tiny street side café that’s attached to the ceramic store, Potter’s Shed. This is the place to make a beeline for bagels and cream cheese (` 50) and a cup of steaming coffee. During the evenings, head to Daily Bread Pastry Corner for a cup of good South Indian coffee (` 5) and a slice of pear cake (` 10). The common factor about food in Kodi is that most of it aims at countering the perennially cold weather. For ` 10, you get a packet of ERLOHGSHDQXWVZLWKÀQHO\FKRSSHG raw mango, carrot, cucumber, tomato, onions and roasted black channa garnished with spices and lemon juice at any of the bandis that are scattered all over town. Coal-roasted corn, spicy mirchi bajji, and deep-fried tandoori chicken and pheasant can be found on every street corner of town. Fine dining in Kodi is limited at best; most locals experiment with cuisines and tend to eat at each other’s homes. In fact, it’s a matter of pride for most local hosts to create a different and varied menu for their guests. Tourists can get a taste of this at Cinnabar Farms (cinnabar.in), on Chettiar Road, a bed and breakfast run by Vasu and Bala. World travellers and avid foodies, the couple serves a three or four course lunch of eclectic world cuisine. You have

to call ahead to book and you may request Mediterranean or European cuisine. Since Bala and Vasu grow their own organic vegetables and herbs and also make their own cheese, the meal is both healthy and delicious (` 500 per person). At The Carlton Kodaikanal, (krahejahospitality.com/carlton/ homepage.htm), on Lake View Road, the bar is the best place to grab a GULQNDQGDSODWHRIÀVKDQGFKLSV (` 350). The Kodai International, (kodaiinternational.com/contact_ us.asp) on Lawsghat Road does a delectable Pepper Mutton Steak (` 400). The best continental breakfast is at Villa Retreat (villaretreat.com), just off Coaker’s Walk. Devour your HJJVEDFRQÁXII\ZDIÁHVSDQFDNHV or hash browns (` 200) while you enjoy a brilliant view of the hills and valleys of Periakulam.

DO Contact Vijay Kumar at Nature Trails (Tel: + 91 99 65524279) to go on PRGHUDWHO\HDV\WRGLIÀFXOWWUHNVDOO over the town. In Kodaikanal, apart from appreciating nature and views, there is little else to do. Walk around the lake, trying out every single street food on offer.

SHOP Coffee, cocoa, dry fruit, spices and essential oils – for both gourmand and cosmetic purposes – are sourced from the Western Ghats and Wynand district of Kerala and are

Below: Pot Luck Cafe at the Potter’s Shed on Milk Union Road Facing page: 1. A masala tea cart lakeside at Bryant Park 2. Fresh cream cakes at Hilltop Bakery 3. Pointillism artist Mr J Nath enjoying lunch and conversation at Tava 4. Handpicked from the strawberry patch at Cinnabar Farms homestay 5. Onion vendor at the Sunday Farmer’s Market 6. Vasu in the kitchen at Cinnabar Farm Homestay 7. Crispy hot dosa at Woodlands 8. Fishmonger at the Sunday Farmer’s Market

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liberally available at most stores in Kodaikanal. Daniel at Cocoa Bean, near the bus stop, (Ph; 04542 240414) is adept at making chocolate, whipping it up LQPDQ\ÁDYRXUV²DOPRQGFDVKHZ and raisin. If you’re a coffee nerd and know what blends work with your espresso machine or French coffee press, Fatima Coffee on Market Road is the place to be. Just follow the aroma of IUHVKJURXQGFRIIHHWRÀQGWKHSODFH The staff at the shop will help you decide what to order. Chocolate-dipped coffee beans are sold at PotLuck for ` 50 per 100g and make great gifts to bring back to friends. Prasanna and Meenakshi at Daily Bread can bake you anything – from whole-wheat brown breads and baguettes to cheesecakes and pastries. Giorgio’s Bagels, Pesto and Sundried Tomato Pasta sauces and Barbeque Sauces are available at Meenakshi Stores, next door to Daily Bread on Anna Salai.

STAY Villa Retreat is located close to town and has fantastic views. Regular doubles start at ` 4,500. But they also have suites, both family and deluxe. (villaretreat.com/kodaikanal) Cinnabar Farms (cinnabar.in) is the ideal home stay experience and for ` 6,000, you can grab both breakfast and dinner. You could also sign up for organic farming, bread making or cheese making courses, if you’re so inclined. Once the home of popular Tamil actor, Gemini Ganesan, Red Lynch (redlynchkodai.com) has been transformed into a heritage stay that is a whiff of another world. Almost an English country home, Red Lynch even includes a sun room and a living room with a baby grand piano and a ÀUHSODFH7KHSURSHUW\KDVDUHVLGHQW cook who specialises in continental and Indian food, and a butler who will take care of your every comfort. (Price on request).

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In this section 7Bill Bill M Marchetti s step-ste step saffron hetti with seafood hett 7

MANDOLIN SLICER

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BILL MARCHETTIS

Masterclass Chef Bill Marchetti, executive chef of Spaghetti Kitchen, demonstrates his signature recipe — saffron spaghetti with seafood Photographs VINIT BHATT

Saffron spaghetti with seafood Serves 2 Q45 minutes + resting Q A LITTLE EFFORT THE PASTA DOUGH semolina 350g refined flour 150g eggs 5 olive oil 10g saffron a pinch, dissolved in water salt 5g

IVEEP S U L EXC -BY-ST E P STE RECIP

THE SAUCE butter 10g olive oil 15ml onion 20g garlic 5g mussels 30g, shelled basa fillets 30g, cut into chunks prawns 60g, shelled squid 40g, cut into rings cherry tomatoes 20g fennel 10g salt 5g pepper 5g green peppercorns 1 tbsp oregano 3g basil 10g lemon zest 1/2 tsp white wine 30g tomato sauce 90g (try Jamie Oliver available at gourmet stores) parsley 3g

VE I S U L EXC BY-STEP STEP-ECIPE R WorldMags.net

masterclass chef skills

You could also skip the tomato sauce and opt for a lighter pasta with just herbs and seafood.

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Take a bowl and tip in the flours, semolina and salt. Make a well in the centre and break the eggs, one at a time so that you can check the dough. Slowly pour in the olive oil.

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Now add enough saffron water to make pliable dough. Knead the dough making sure that all the flour is incorporated.

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Take the flour mix and place on a working surface with enough flour dusted on the surface to ensure that the dough doesn’t stick. Place pressure on the dough with your palms.

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Now, fold it from either end to make a square.

Mix the egg and flour together.

Knead until it resembles a ball of dough. Keep it aside to rest for an hour.

Pass the pasta through the machine and bring it down gradually.

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To make the spaghetti, adjust the pasta machine settings and start with the maximum width in your pasta machine. With a rolling pin flatten the pasta to resemble a rectangle.

Fold again, dust with flour and repeat the process until you get a long sheet of pasta. Do not fold the pasta and pass through the machine more than 8 times, as it will not cook easily.

masterclass chef skills

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Pass it through the pasta machine (with the spaghetti attachment) to get long noodlelike pasta.

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Toss in the cherry tomatoes and fennel. Sauté for 2 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

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Add the green peppercorns, roughly torn oregano and basil leaves and cook for a few minutes.

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Cut the long sheet of pasta into multiple sheets measuring 12 inches each.

Add the seafood (rings of squid, cubes of prawns, fish fillet and mussels) and sauté.

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Add the lemon zest, deglaze with some white wine and add the tomato sauce.

Blanch the spaghetti and toss in the sauce. Cook for half a minute.

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Heat oil and butter in a pan. Sauté some garlic and onions until translucent.

Serve garnished with a parsley sprig and a drizzle of olive oil.

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ES TO IN N W HE E W UM NS CO

Nikhil Agarwal, a trained sommelier, gives you the lowdown on the top wines — local as well as international — available in Indian wine shops. Agarwal is the director of All Things Nice, a company dedicated to introducing the Indian consumer to the gourmet life.

Italian wine & cheese combos

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10-M - INUTE W WINE GUIDE

Wine expert Nikhil Agarwal on how to pair Italian wines with cheeses

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talian wines are among the best in the world. Italy has plenty of grape varietals that are for the most part synonymous with traditional Italian wine — Sangiovese, Nebiolo, Cortese and Trebbiano, for example. But with the advent of the ‘Super Tuscan’ wines (full-bodied red wines that do not observe the Italian rules that prescribed the ageing and blending of wines), the Italians demonstrated to the world that they could make the best wines using grape varietals that were considered alien to traditionalist Italians. Italy’s Amarones, Brunello di Montalcinos and Barolos are world famous and yet there is so much more to explore. The country produces outstanding wines from all the way up north in the Alto Adige region to way down south in Sicily. Because of the differences in climate and soil between north and south, Italy produces a huge range of wines that are the perfect accompaniment to cheeses from Italy and elsewhere. Cheese is of central importance to Italians — centuries ago, it was considered a convenient food item since it travelled well and was hence indispensable to Roman legionnaires. Little wonder that a big part of the Mediterranean diet involves cheese. There are about 400 different kinds of cheese produced in Italy today, some of which are rated at par with French cheese. Oddly, some of the greatest cheeses are unknown outside of the region in which they are produced. Cheese, when matched with the correct wine though, will lead you down the path of delightful new discoveries.

Prunotto Barolo (` 7,890, Nature’s Basket nationwide, (` Living Liquids Outlets, The Hyatt and Taj Hotels in Delhi) Both Barolo wine and Castelmagno cheese come from Piedmont in Italy. This pairing brings about harmony by combining a very fragrant cheese and the red berry, rose petal and chewy tannin characteristics of this Barolo.

Danzante Pinot Grigio (` 1,750, The Leela and Westin Hotel, (` Mumbai) The Danzante pairs perfectly with Quatrilolo Lombardo cheese. The acidity in the wine works well when cutting through the fat of this soft cheese, opening it up in the mouth and creating an explosion of flavours.

Carpene Malvolti Prosecco Brut (` 1,695, ITC Maurya, Delhi, Taj (` Mount Road, Chennai) The wine displays green apple and heightened citrus notes and is soft and aromatic. The salty cheese I suggest — ricotta salata — is almost cottagecheese like in texture and is a perfect match with the citrus notes of the

Zonin Asti Spumante (` 1,785, Country Inn, Jaipur, (` Jain Departmental Store and Taj Coromandel, Chennai) The sweetness in the wine pairs beautifully with the piquant taste of a Gorgonzola cheese. The acidity in the sparkling wine helps in the opening up of the cheese.

Piccini Brunelo di Montalcino (` 5,888, The Table and Don Giovanni, (` Mumbai) Try this wine together with a Parmigiano Reggiano. The cheese coats the tongue making the tannin less intense, thus bringing out the fruit and other complexities in the wine.

Donnafugata Sedara Nero D’Avola (` 2,445, Diva, DoubleTree By Hilton and (` Zest, Delhi) The wine displays notes of red fruit, spice and minerality and is the perfect accompaniment to another Sicilian masterpiece, the Ragusano, which is a semi-hard cheese.

Cignale (` 7,900, Nature’s Basket nationwide (` and Wine Cellar, Mumbai) I just had to pair a Super Tuscan wine with a lovely Pecorino cheese. I’d even suggest adding some truffles for some pure indulgence that brings together not two but three of the world’s greatest pleasures. Enjoy!

Marchesi di Barolo Gavi di Gavi (` 3,395, Indigo, Sofitel and Marriott (` Courtyard, Mumbai) An iconic white wine made from the Cortese grape varietal. The wine boasts of fruity and floral notes, which work wonderfully with the soft and aromatic Taleggio cheese.

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ketchup QEASY QPER TBSP 25 kcals, protein none, carbs 4g, fat 1g, sat fat none, fibre none, sugar 4g, salt 0.08g

KNOW-HOW

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Sardar Patel Farm A cardiologist by training, Dr Dinesh Patel considers organic farming his true calling. He tells us how he has converted his sprawling farm in Ahmedabad into an organic haven As told to VIDYA BALACHANDER Photographs VINAY PANJWANI

My father set up Sardar Patel farm when he returned from Africa 28 years ago. He chose farming as a profession because his forefathers practised it. He also wanted to lead a simple and satisfying retired life, with access to fresh food and clean air. I am a cardiologist by profession – I have lived and practised medicine on the farm for 28 years now.

break down biomass such as dead leaves and topsoil to produce organic matter called humus, which in turn improves soil fertility. Over a period of time, the formation of humus has helped reduce the water requirement of plants on the farm by nearly 70 per cent. The presence of fauna such as insects, birds and animals contributes to maintaining the ecological balance.

Initially, we followed conventional methods of farming but found that while the yield was quite good, it required a lot of investment. Besides, the farmers working on the 125-acre farm could not get a satisfactory price for their produce. The soil was getting depleted of ingredients, and the environment was suffering. Twelve years ago, we decided to make the shift to organic farming.

We produce a basket of nearly 95 products that we supply all over the country. This includes common and exotic varieties of rice such as red rice, brown rice and fragrant indigenous varieties such as Krishna Kamod, called the Basmati of Gujarat, and Govindo Bhog, a Bengali variety. We also cultivate another variety of rice from which we make beaten and

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harvest the healthiest seeds and store them in our in-house seed bank. We store the seeds in nitrogen bags. We also follow the moon cycles – seeds harvested around the New Moon have the least moisture due to the gravitational pull of the moon. Hence, they have longer shelf life. The grains and seeds we grow, such as paddy, maize, sorghum, soybean and sesame are all cultivated from seeds drawn from our in-house seed bank. On our farm, we also have the leguminous plant called Glyricidia Sepium, which is known for its medicinal properties. The leaves of the Gliricidia plant are nitrogen-rich and when used as green manure, improve crop production and soil quality. The plants also ward off

Over a period of time, our eco-friendly practices have helped reduce our water needs by almost 70 per cent. The presence of fauna such as insects, birds and animals contributes to maintaining the ecological balance

HOW ETHICAL IS SARDAR PATEL FARM? Organic: Sardar Patel farm has been organically certified by Control Union Certifications India and USDA Organic. A variety of eco-friendly measures are implemented on the farm. No pesticides are used, and natural compost helps to improve soil fertility and yields. Nitrogen-rich leaves of the Gliricidia plant and sunn hemp plants are used as green manure. Energy efficiency: In keeping with the philosophy of sustainable agriculture, there is a biogas plant in the farm to meet some part of the energy requirements. The inhouse dairy with milch cows and buffaloes helps sustain the biogas plant.

puffed rice. In addition, we cultivate wheat, pulses such as green gram and horse gram, fruits such as mangoes, custard apples, lemons and Indian gooseberries and vegetables such as ÁDWEHDQVVWULQJEHDQVFOXVWHUEHDQV tomatoes, onions, bottle and ridge gourds, spinach, fenugreek and herbs such as fennel. Over the last 12 years, we have also started banking seeds from our plants that helps us to preserve and promote indigenous species. We

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The farm was certified organic in the year 2000. We follow the philosophy of ‘live and let live’. We follow natural farming methods, such as allowing biomass to be broken down into humus or natural compost. Microbes and termites in the soil

fungal and insect attacks, so our need for weedicides has reduced as a result. We also use sesbania and sunn hemp plants as green manure. Seeds of all these plants are available at our seed bank for people to use in their kitchen gardens. To me, organic farming is not about using expensive technology but a simple way of farming, and ultimately, living. Sardar Patel Farm, Naroda Kathwada Road, Kathwada, Ahmedabad. Visit sardarpatelfarm.com for details.

Fresh harvest of potatoes

A type of legume

Attas are ground and packed for sale

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1. Left to right: N.C. Somaiah (General Manager – Leela Kovalam Beach) and Rajiv Kaul (President - the Leela Group) receiving the award for Best Resort Hotel (Indian) from actor Sonali Bendre 2. Roberta Rabuti (Commercial Attaché to the Italian Consul, Mumbai) receiving the award for Best Destination for Food & Drink (International) from Zeba Kohli of Fantasie Chocolates 3. Pablo Alzorriz (Media Manager - Tourism Office of Spain) and Sonal Sathe (Contable - Tourism Office of Spain) receiving the award for Best Destination for Culture (International) from director-producer Karan Johar 4. Hanneli Slabber (Country Head - South African Tourism Board) receiving the award for Best Destination for Wildlife (International) from WWM CEO Tarun Rai

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5. Vardhan Kondvikar (Editor - Lonely Planet Magazine India)

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6. Sonu Kriplani (VP, Passenger Sales India - Jet Airways) receiving the award for Best Airline – Business (Indian) from actors Rajat Kapoor and Rajat Barmecha

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7. Zarir Shroff (AVP - MakeMyTrip) receiving the award for Best Travel Portal (Indian) from WWM CEO Tarun Rai 8. Left to right: Nasir Aslam Wani (Honourable Minister of State, Tourism & Culture – Kashmir), Atal Dulloo (IAS, Commissioner/ Secretary, Tourism & Culture) Nawang Rigzin Jora (Honourable Minister of Tourism & Culture – Kashmir) receiving the award for Best Emerging Destination (Indian) from actor Rani Mukerji 9. Ritu Sharma (Deputy Director - Switzerland Tourism) receiving the award for India’s Favourite Destination from actor Rani Mukerji 10. Rajiv Duggal (MD - Kuoni India) receiving the award for Best Tour Operator from WWM CEO Tarun Rai

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11. Kim Verma Modi (Director of Marketing - Six Senses Spas & Resorts) with the award for Best Luxury Hotel (International) awarded to Six Senses Laamu, Laamu Atoll, The Maldives 12. Left to right: Hema Hariramani (Director of Sales & Marketing - JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai) and Thomas Guss (General Manager - JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai) receiving the award for Best Business Hotel (Indian) from actor Dipannita Sharma Atwal

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13. GM Toh (General Manager - India, Singapore Airlines) receiving the award for Best Airlines – Economy (Indian) from actors Gul Panag and Ranvir Shorey 14. Carl Vaz (Director - DTCM) receiving the award on behalf of Dubai for Best Destination for Shopping (International) from actor Neha Dhupia 15. Randeep Dhankar (Chairman - Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation) receiving the award for Best Destination for Culture (Indian) from director-producer Karan Johar 16. Andrew Harrison (General Manager - Four Seasons Hotel, Mumbai) receiving the award on behalf of Four Seasons Istanbul at Sultanahmet for Best Heritage Hotel (International) from actor Sonali Bendre

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17. Varun Chibber (Manager – The Oberoi Mumbai) receiving the award on behalf of The Oberoi Vanyavilas for Best Wildlife Resort (Indian) from photographer Atul Kasbekar

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18. Ashish Gangrade (VP Marketing - Taj Hotels) receiving the award on behalf of Taj Rambagh Palace for Best Luxury Hotel (Indian) on behalf of from actor Purab Kohli 19. Pankaj Rag (Secretary – MP Tourism) receiving the award for Best Destination for Wildlife (Indian) from WWM CEO Tarun Rai 20. Anil Kapoor (Assistant Manager - Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation) receiving the award for Best Destination for Adventure (India) from WWM CEO Tarun Rai

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21. Kanan Fotedar (Sunrise Travels) with the award for Best Wiildlife Resort (International) awarded to Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge, Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, South Africa 22. Swapnil Naik (Director - Goa Tourism) receiving the awards for Best Destination for Relaxation (Indian) from Trident Mumbai GM Sanju Soni. Goa also won Best Value Destination (Indian). 23. The ‘blue balloon’ trophy

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7 VEGETARIAN 7READY UNDER 30 MINUTES 7LOW FAT

7 7123 Spicy wasabi prawns 7 752 Spinach and feta filo pie 7 794 Spinach, fennel and goat’s cheese cannelloni 77 785 Spinach samosas with Indian salad 777757 Storecupboard pasta salad 77783 Tofu and vegetable patties 77 728 Tomato salad with pesto dressing 77 758 Warm salad of new potato, bacon and egg MAINS Meat 7777100 Artichoke and ham pizza 7777138 Pasta e Fagioli 777798 Pizza with ham, mozzarella and leaves 77750 Pork with five-spice and cashews 7713 Railway lamb curry 77750 Spanish rice with prawns and chorizo Poultry 7777128 Chicken breast stuffed with dried fruits 777752 Gumbo-style chicken 777746 Hot and spicy chicken with peanuts 777792 Jura chicken with morel mushrooms Fish & seafood 77 764 Fish and fat chips with mushy peas 777760 Prawn massaman curry 7 77140 Saffron spaghetti with seafood 777761 Spicy Thai prawn noodles Vegetarian 7 796 STARTERS, SNACKS & SOUP 77783 Carrot, cumin and feta fritters with coriander yoghurt 777757 Easy tuna salad 791 French fish soup with rouille and gruyere 777757 Griddled tuna salad 7 7126 Israeli hummus 7777126 Matbucha salad 777747 Palak patta chaat

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Peach, prosciutto and mozzarella salad 7 728 Pesto and Parma ham bruschetta 777728 Pesto, bean and potato salad 77 787 Red onion and chilli bhajias with mint and garlic raita 77 784 Spiced courgette fritters

Artichoke, olive and caper pizza 7 7754 Best-ever macaroni and cheese 77 728 Cheese and vegetable filo pie 777779 Classic moong dal khichdi 777756 Creamy courgette lasagne 7 7100 Easy tomato pizzas 777780 Lilva khichdi

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Masoor khichdi with pumpkin and mint 777754 Mushroom and chickpea burgers 777728 Pesto, mozzarella and arugula pizza 777762 Portobello and blue cheese melts 777779 Quinoa khichdi with tomatoes and green peppercorns 777776 Red rice khichdi with avial 7 799 Skinny pizza 7 96 Wild mushroom and mascarpone pizza SIDES & SAUCES 777794 Bechamel sauce 77147 Homemade ketchup 777791 Rouille 7 760 Spaghetti omelette DESSERTS, BREAKFASTS & BAKING 7777106 Banana and burnt butter puddings 777104 Chai and milk chocolate cupcakes 7777108 Chocolate cherry mousse shots 777791 Crab, tomato and saffron tart 777770 Griddled peaches with amaretto cream 777768 Marzipan 777768 Peach and almond slices 7 7130 Pears in red wine 7 796 Simple pizza base 7 7106 The ultimate makeover bread and butter pudding 77 767 Wine-poached peaches JAIN 7 786 Apple pie samosas 7 7103 Baked lemon and vanilla rice pudding 777726 Bombay popcorn mix 7 726 Chilli-butter popcorn 7 7103 Jam and white chocolate roly-poly 7 7104 Maple plum crumble 77 763 Pasta with creamy greens and lemon 7 767 Peach cremolata 7 768 Peach melba ice cream 7 726 Spiced chilli popcorn 7 726 Sticky popcorn pots 7 7780 Sweet bajra khichdi with jackfruit

Photograph BHARAT BHIRANGI Styling input NEETI MEHRA Prop stylist’s own

Recipe index

Shop talk AHMEDABAD Organic Haus Oriental House, S V Kinariwala Road, Law Garden BANGALORE Foodworld Retail 301, Gottigere village, Uttarahalli village, Bannerghatta Main Road Tel: +91 80 32466595 Gourmet – Food World No 88, Shariff Bhatia Towers, MG Road Tel: +91 80 41474789 Nature’s Basket #755, 80 Feet Road, 4th Block, Next to Costa Coffee, Koramangala Tel: +91 80 41317401 Sorbet – The gourmet food store Address: No 287, Varthur Road, Siddapura, Whitefield Tel: +91 80 28543245 CHENNAI Amma Nana Chamiers Road, opp Park Sheraton Hotel, Nandanam Tel: +91 44 24350596 Mercado No 64, Rukmani Road, Kalakshetra Colony, Besant Nagar Tel: +91 44 42018619 Nuts ‘n’ Spices New no. 75, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Nungambakkam Tel: +91 44 28268180, 42039351

Where to find everything from pastas to pizza bases

Vasant Kunj Tel: +91 11 65642270/ 9868899956 Gogia’s 280, Main road, INA Market Tel: +91 11 24624809/ 24624809 INA Market Aurobindo Marg, INA Colony, Opposite Dilli Haat Le Marche  58, Basant Lok, Vasant Vihar, Near Priya Cinema Tel: +91 11 43232100/41669111 Master’s Bakers G-33, Usha Chambers, Community Centre, Ashok Vihar Tel: +91 11 27419061/ 27252074 Modern Bazaar 18-B, Community Centre, Basant Lok, Vasant Vihar Tel: +91 11 41669777 Nature’s Basket Ground floor, D /15, Between BP Petrol Pump and Def. Col. Flyover Tel: +91 11 46698777 46, Basant Lok, Vasant Vihar, Ground floor & basement Tel: +91 11 40571919

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Palkit Impex C-82, Basement, Shivalik, Malviya Nagar. Tel: +91 98184 48620 Passion Cheese Select Citywalk Mall, District Centre, Saket. Tel: +91 11 40599916

HYDERABAD Nature’s Basket

Pigpo 9 Jor Bagh Market Tel: +91 11 24611723/ 24626930

Urmila Towers, Road No. 10, Opp. Rainbow Hospital, Banjara Hills Tel: +91 40 23355399

Pindi Fruit Mart Defence Colony Market Tel: +91 11 41552530/ 24333593

NEW DELHI A- Mart A-1, Mahipalpur Extension, NH-8 Tel: +91 11 26789999

Steak House 13/8 Jor Bagh Market Tel: +91 11 24611008/ 24611129

Ahuja Vegetable Store Shop No- 37, INA Market Tel: +91 11 24644116 Allied Fruits and Florists 58-B, Khan Market, Lodhi Road Tel: +91 11 24642509 Ashok General Store 113, Main Market, Opposite Dilli Haat, INA Market Dubden Green 4-A, Near Electric Sub Station, Shahpur Jat Tel: +91 11 32905310, +91 9810131343 Flanders Dairy – The Cheese Ball 31 Mehr Chand Market, Lodi Road Tel: +91 11 24653789 Fortune Gourmet 144/9, Ground Floor, Kishangarh,

The French Farmer Tel: Call Roger Langour +91 9810166196, +91 11 26359701 Yamato Ya –The Japanese Store B-6/9, Safdarjung Enclave, Near Deer Park Tel: +91 11 41650164

Gourmet Gallery 27/9B, Chandi Ghosh Road Tel: +91 33 23818510 MUMBAI Country of Origin Maneesha Building, 69/A, Napean Sea Road, Malabar Hill Tel: +91 22 23642221 Dolce Vita Ground Floor, Grand Galleria, High Street Phoenix, Phoenix Mills, Lower Parel. Tel: +91 22 24964307 Food Bazaar Infinity Mall, Raheja Classic, New Link Road, Andheri (W) Tel: +91 22 67583090 Foodhall Palladium, High Street Phoenix, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel Tel: +91 22 30264581 Gourmet West Westside, Army and Navy Building, 148 M.G. Road, Kala Ghoda. Tel: +91 22 66360499 Hypercity Ground Floor, Malad (W) Tel: +91 22 40501300 Lallu & brothers Shop no 1&2, Pali Market, Pali Hill Road, Pali Hill, Bandra (W) Tel: +91 22 26409295 Nature’s Basket 227, Samarth Vaibhav Building, Opposite Tarapur Towers, Adarsh Nagar, Lokhandwala, Andheri (W) Tel: +91 22 26300766 Shop No 4, BG-India , Hiranandani Gardens, Powai Tel: +91 22 25707706 2-5 Parul Apartment, Juhu Tara Road, Juhu Tel: +91 22 26117893 133, Hill Road, Bandra (W) Tel: +91 22 26425050 Opp. Mahalaxmi Temple , Warden Road, Mahalaxmi, Tel: +91 22 23526775

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Patel stores Near Mehboob Studio, Krishnachandra Marg, Bandra (W) Tel: +91 22 26558909

GURGAON Kim’s Mart DT Mega Mall, LG 36, Gurgaon Tel: +91 124 2562189

Ratna stores Haware Parekh, Sion-Trombay Road, Opposite Union Park, Chembur. Tel: +91 22 25203389

Nature’s Basket S-201, 2nd Floor, Ambience Mall, Ambience Island, NH-8 Tel: +91 124 4665753

Crystal Paradise Mall, DuttaJi ›Salavi Road, Off Veera Desai Road,

KOLKATA Afraa Deli City Centre, Salt Lake Tel: +91 33 23581111

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Reliance Fresh

Opposite Janaki Centre, Link Road, Andheri (W). Tel: +91 22 26743750 Framroze Court, Phalke Road, Dadar (E). Tel: +91 22 24155017

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Santé Shop Number 1, Sahina Apartments, Pali Market, Bandra (W) Tel: +91 22 40060020 Spencer’s Hyper Market 1406A/28A, Malad (W) Tel: +91 22 42686130 Tutto Bene Delicatessen Spencer’s Hyper Market, Ground Floor, Located in Inorbit Mall, Malad (W) Tel: +91 22 42686130 PUNE Dorabjee & Co Pvt Ltd B-1, Moledina Road, Camp Cantonment Tel: +91 20 26052883 Mansur Ali Tower, 3, Galaxy Society, Max Mueller Lane, Near AXIS Bank, Dhole Patil Road Tel: +91 20 26160540 Nature’s Basket Shop No. 155/1A, Kumar Crystal Aundh. Tel: +91 20 25889530 Providore GF 104, Anand Park, Baner Road, Aundh Tel: +91 20 65601551 Tutto Bene Delicatessen Shop No 1, Princeton Flair, Lane No 8, Koregaon Park Tel: +91 20 66077193 Tutto Bene Delicatessen G 14 Sacred World Mall, Wanowrie. Tel: +91 20 26806933 Gourmet Websites Gourmet Company www.gourmetco.in Foodzig www.foodzig.com Delicious Now www.deliciousnow.com

spotlight jaideep mehrotra

My life on a plate Photograph courtesy JAIDEEP MEHROTRA

Jaideep Mehrotra Jaideep Mehrotra is among India’s finest contemporary artists and has had 22 solo exhibitions, both in India and abroad. He pioneered the use of digital art in India, creating Giclee prints, site specific installations and video art. Here he switches from palette to palate, talking about his prized apron, his odour magnet (yes!) and his love for masoor dal

How often do you cook? At least once a week. Mostly light, non-Indian dinners. My wife and I have tweaked our meals to be gluten free and very low in oil and salt (rock salt only). Your signature dish? Coq au vin, thin crust pizzas, pav bhaji. Most prized kitchen tool you own? That’s a tough one as I have a drawer full of tools that are out of bounds to the staff, like my odour magnet which removes odour from hands. But my most prized one is my apron with a reproduction of Fernando Botero’s painting on it. What’s your cooking style – relaxed and easy or kitchen Nazi? Definitely relaxed and easy! I like to work alone, but I am lazy enough to want the ingredients to be kept ready, cleaned and chopped. Prior to starting, I set out the various ingredients in bowls (it’s a habit I get from the way I paint!), put on some music and pour myself a glass of wine. If you had to open a restaurant, what kind of place would it be?

Small and casual with innovative world cuisine which would be light on the palate as well as on the pocket! What’s the one dish you’ll never touch? I try everything but there are a few dishes like foie gras, brain and haggis that I keep away from — usually stuff that makes me squeamish. Your dream party guest list would include… All my favourite people whose company I enjoy and who enjoy food! If you were cooking a romantic meal, what would be on the menu? Fig and feta salad with wine dressing, grilled fish with a mustard-champagne sauce, caramelised banana with a dark chocolate-dark rum sauce and an Amarone wine to digest the food. Pet peeve in a restaurant? Being conned. Like being told that 50 per cent of the menu items are not available, especially the best value for money dishes and wines. Even bottled water at times! Your idea of comfort food? Dal chawal. A sudden surge of unexpected guests turn up at your house. What do you do? Whip up open omelettes, like those I had at Mont St Michel in France.

Photograph MYLES NEW

What is your earliest food memory? Eating pakoras in the rains on a Sunday afternoon. Also, my family used to own Berry’s, the first Punjabi cuisine restaurant in Mumbai. They had some special tandoori dishes, the taste of which I feel, cannot be replicated today.

My guilty pleasure is a decadent, Sunday breakfast with strawberry pancakes or waffles (made with gluten-free dough, of course)

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Your most loved restaurant in the world? Difficult to pick just one! Your guilty food pleasure? A decadent, long Sunday breakfast with strawberry pancakes or waffles (made with gluten-free dough, of course), finished with an Americano coffee and a piece of 70 per cent dark chocolate. Dishes you love the most? Grilled salmon, peppered tuna, masoor dal and brown rice. Your favourite food moment from a movie or book? Watching the father cook in Eat Drink Man Woman.

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