Today am going to tell you about one of my favourite dishes, the mighty, all-conquering, yumm at any point of time, in any mood, with any company, and the dish for which I can sell my soul to the Devil… err, I seem to have gone over the top, but I do love Chicken Biryani absolutely!
Chicken Biryani, the kinds I’d give my left hand to eat, is the Andhra cuisine one. Endowed with the right amount of spices, taunting me with the medium sized chicken pieces, with the bowl of raitha alongside, and another bowl of mirchi-ka-salan, the plate of Chicken biryani, I realise is as much a favourite of many others as it is mine. In all this dreamy Chicken Biryani memories, am almost drooling over the keyboard, Oh! someone get me a plate of Chicken Biryani at once I say, with a boiled egg perched atop the mount of Chicken Biryani, and a little lemon slice peeping from the side… aah! Bliss!
Here’s a list of my favourite Chicken Biryani haunts _
* Nandini - Small in budget and great in taste, the Chicken Biryani at Nandini has never disappointed me. Branches of Nandini are scatterred all over Bangalore, but I must make special mention of the Nandini at the Domlur-Airport Road junction. That’s where I last had a Chicken Biryani. Their quantity is huge, or so it seems to a person like me with average appetite! I sometimes mix the Andhra gun-powder(!) to make it more spicy, but I mostly dig it with the raitha they provide.
* Even before Nandinis adorned the corners of Bangalore, I discovered Chicken Biryani at the tender age of 2(!), in a little place in Majestic, Annapoorna. I have no idea if this one still exists, but my parents frequented that place when they first landed in Bangalore and Majestic was like a good hang-out back then with all the major theatres and restaurants and connectivity with every part of the city. My parents sat me atop the table and left me the salt-shaker and the pepper-shaker to play with while gorging themselves with Chicken Biryani. Apparently, I raised a huge hue and cry about this ugly treatment meted out to me, and turned around, and gathered a fistful of Chicken Biryani off my Mom’s banana leaf, yeah they were into the banana leaf thing in a big way back then, and stuffed my little mouth. It has been ever-lasting love for me and Chicken Biryani ever since!
* Another little place serving yumm Chicken Biryani and Andhra cuisine those days was a restaurant called ‘RR‘. They moved, and have branches too. But I donot die for their Chicken Biryani anymore. Something is missing, am not quite sure what.
* Annachi, the one above the Coffee Day outlet on 100 Ft road, Indiranagar, well-known for serving authentic south-indian cuisine in its tastiest form, has great Chicken Biryani too. But its spicier than most other places, 3 minutes into the Biryani, am puffing, panting, sweating, gulping water, sprinkling sugar on my poor tongue on fire, etc. On the whole, not my best experience with the Chicken Biryani there.
* Nagarjuna, the branch at Residency road, next to Corner House, serves one of the yummy tasting Chicken Biryanis too. But I prefer the Nagarjuna Savoy, a more spaced out version of the same Nagarjuna, a more fine-dining place, a better service, a little more upscale. They serve good Chicken Biryani too, and I head there if I want to spend more than usual for my Chicken Biryani. Nagarjuna Savoy, I suppose you know, lies hidden behind Amravati, on the narrow street that leads to Symphony theatre from the Residency road.
* Amravati is another Andhra cuisine place, but I don’t like their service, their congested seating, and their Biryani. Yeah, not the best Biryani for sure. Why’d I head to Amravati then?
* There are many other insignificant ones, the Mayuri on New BEL road, which has pathetic service, but decent Biryanis, Gonguras, Shreedevi, Maharaja, which fakes the regular Chicken Biryani as the special Nati Koli Biryani.
This is my short and sweet list of Chicken Biryani junctions I recommend in Bangalore. Any favourite of yours that I missed?
Dal Makhani is one of the cornerstones of Punjabi cuisine and is quite a popular but heavy dish. It goes down fantastically well with some soft butter kulchas (best at Masala Kraft,Taj) and some Kingfisher on the side.It is a simple dish with a ordinary ingredients but a true dal makhani like other well made Punjabi dishes has to be simmered for up to 8 hours to get it right
When you taste a well made Dal makhani you bite into the taste of the dal accented by the taste and smell of gobs of butter which goes right to your brain. Best places for Dal Makhani - Moti Mahal at Cr2 / Dum Pukth at ITC Grand Maratha / Masala Kraft at the Taj.
Dal Bukhara is an elusive cousin of the Dal Makhani. Bukhara is a town in modern day Uzbekista, not sure how well the two are connected. I would reckon that the Bukhara dal is a North West Frontier province dish and somehow traveled to India via the silk route.
However it is pretty rare to find Dal Bukhara on the menu in the myriad restaurants around the city. Usual preference for dal has been Dal Makhani, even in the upper end restaurants. So the chances of you having a well made Dal Bukhara is just slightly less than finding a regular Dal Bukhara for a meal.
It is sort of the like the Dal Makhani but complicated by the use of a red tomato gravy as the base for the cooking and the taste of butter not being essential to its experience. The tomato adds a tang in the daal and gives it a taste and look (reddish, brownish) different from the black Dal Makhani.
The best example i have had has been at the Royal Challenge restaurant in Goregaon W on the way to Film City.
One of the worlds best restaurants (ranked 37th) The Bukhara at the ITC, Delhi also does a version, apparently simmered for 24 hours on a slow flame. I have a trip to Delhi planned later this year, which is pretty much built around sampling the cuisine of this restaurant, chiefly the dal bukhara.
I’m here to tell you all that there is a world outside of Kingfisher. Far out there, in the corners of the earth, awaits a world of delicious suds available in all colors, tastes, densities and strength. I’m here to tell you this revolution can and should take place in our very own land. I’m here to tell you that Dr. Mallya has put a curse on us all. I’m here to break that curse. Now that I have your attention, I’ll dive right in to the topic. Why can’t I get beer in India!? No, wait. Before you comment, I know - but that’s Kingfisher. I know I can get Kingfisher in India. What about a tall pint of Hefeweizen with a slice of lemon? Or what about a bottle of Newcastle Ale? No Guiness on tap? What about a hardy IPA? And what about a light beer for when I’m feeling fat and guilty? It’s time I expose you all to the wonderful world of suds that exists outside of the little evil green bottle. Read on:
Hefeweizen (Wheat Beer): Hefeweizen is a German style wheat beer in which the yeast is not filtered out. Wheat beers generally are paler in color and have a light flavour. It usually has a sweeter flavour and creamier consistency than others. Hefeweizen is known for its slight overtone of banana flavours and is usually served in a pint with a wedge of lemon.
India Pale Ale (Light Ale): India Pale Ale is yet another method of brewing beer and has its base in hops rather than wheat, giving it a much more bitter flavour. It is usually a light reddish brown in color and has a higher alcohol content than other lighter beers.
Guinness (Stout): Guinness is probably one of the most recognized beer brands in the world. It is a dry stout, extremely dark in color, thick in consistency. The distinctive flavour of tobacco, espresso, and chocolate comes from the roasted barley which remains unfermented. The thick creamy head (keep your mind out of the gutter) is the result of a nitrogen mix being added during the serving process. Guinness is primarily made from barley malt, hops & brewers yeast. A portion of the barley steamed, rolled and roasted to give it that dark color and distinctive taste. Despite its reputation as “meal in a glass”, it only has 198 calories per imperial pint (20oz), fewer than an equal sized glass of skim milk or orange juice.
Newcastle Brown Ale (Brown Ale): Newcastle Brown Ale is an English brown ale. Brown ales are typically made with dark or brown malt. They range from deep amber to brown in color and usually have caramel flavor overtones to it, due to the roasted malt. The British ales, such as Newcastle, tend to be darker, sweeter, and lower in alcohol content, whereas an American brown ale, such as Sierra Nevada Brown Ale, tend to be drier, more bitter, have a heavier body, and a slight accent of citrus due to the American variety of hops.
This is by no means even close to an exhaustive list of the wonderful suds that are out there, waiting to be consumed and appreciated. I’m sure you all have your favourite pint of suds. I await the day that India truly gets its first legitimate brewery or Beer Haus. Even the five star hotels won’t surprise you beyond a longneck of Corona. I’m asking for the real deal. Is that too much to ask?
Like any other Indian gal, chaats are my weakness. The tangy, sweet, spicy taste does wonders to the tongue and sort of lights up senses. It’s a pleasure from heaven to feast on these delicacies. And pani- puri aka puchaka aka gol-gappe stand out to be the best of chaats. Fried puries of aata/suji filled with the sweet-sour liquid… I can never get enough of them !
When I landed in Bangalore, searching for food joints that serve good chaats was the obvious task. It is hard to please a tongue accustomed to Mumbai style chaats…you see ! I was not sure if I will get the same taste in the land of Idli-dosas (no offence, that’s the image I had before coming here). To my surprise, every sagar joint serves chaats and they are pretty ok save the pani-puries. One is they will give you puries in a plate and the pani in a small bowl. Common… this is the worst way to have them. Real taste is when the guy dips his hands in the water and drops puries in your plate. (If you are too hygiene conscious, pani puri is not the dish for you  ). Also they sometimes put the hot curry in puri instead of potato mixture which is total no-no.
But I have found few places which serve pani-puris the way I like. Here are the places I like to go again and again…
Karthik Sweets – This is small sweet shop on CMH road, opposite to Café Coffee Day. They serve the best pani-puries, I have had till date in Bangalore. If you happen to go there on weekends, you might end up waiting for half an hour just to get in the queue to get the coupon. I assure you, the wait is worth it !
Kolkata Chaat – This is another small place on Jeevanbheema Nagar road, close to Fresh@IndiaraNagar. This guy gives you two options to fill the puri: spicy aaloo mix or boiled chana. Try the chana one sometimes it is yummy !
Anand Sweets – This place was recommended by everyone as best paani-puri place in Bangalore. They serve sooji puries which are not my personal favorite. If you are accustomed to the Delhi style pani puris, you will love this place. Other chats they serve are nice. This place is Kormanagala, at waking distance from the Forum.
Adiyar Anand Bhuvan – This place is again on CMH road, near to the Karthik sweets. It is more famous for the south Indian delicacies the serve. Ghee masala dosa here is yum! But the chats are also good. And the pani- puri is not that bad. This is my back up if Karthik is too crowded
I have heard of couple of places in Jayanagar. But it is too far to try out :-).
(more…)
Kala Ghoda although the black horse is no longer there it is a great cultural walk. Amazing buildings across the street (the gem is the Sassoon Library) also located on the street itself is the Max Mueller & Jehangir Art Galleries. It is also the site of the Kala Ghoda festival which attracts a motley crue of performers and viewers.
However we arent going to talk about that. We will talk about the various gastronomic opportunities available. A variety of cuisines is available along this street from Indian to American fast food.
You can literally plonk your car and pick virtually anything you want to eat. The food ranges from the authentic to the Indianized versions.
TGIF - Their town side outlet had opened here and i gave it a shot. It was weak. Not as bad as Ruby Tuesday(Nothing is as bad as Ruby Tuesday)
Khyber - Great Mughlai food. It is not fantastic because it can be inconsistent sometimes. It is a great place to take any non-Indians looking for a taste of something local.
Silk Route - Strictly ok. I have had some ok meals and it is decent but i don’t think the restaurant has found its footing. It isn’t bad but on a street of so many joints, it doesn’t do enough to stand out.
Way Side Inn Sandwiches -
Chetna - The place is really run down and only dining out on yesteryears glory. Place needs a face lift and a new cooking team. Easily one of the worst.
Joss - Haven t been yet.
Bombay Blue - Americanized fast food serving everything from onion rings, nachos etc. The decor is great for all three restaurants as they are all under on roof. Bombay Blue to me is def the weakest of the three restaurants.
Copper Chimney - Disappointing. The food does not live up to the copper chimney name at all.
Noodle Bar - Some what Indianized oriental cuisine. However weirdly they do serve onion rings and hummus as appetizers on their Oriental menu. They have some really good steamed wantons, fantastic Ice tea as well as superlative green curry with rice. They used to make a great wok sort of bowl but it has gone downhill big time.
Samovar (opp side) - haven’t been there in years but from what i recall the experience was not great by any standards. Place is usually full however.
Here I am with my travel post for the foodies. This is the 1st part of a 3 part series on different cuisines of the world for the quintessential non-vegetarians! My sincere apologies to all the strict vegetarians out there. I’m no food connoisseur but I can appreciate great food when I taste it. Feed on this…
1. Lebanon – First thought that comes to mind is falafel, baba ghannouj, hummus and pita bread. But there’s a lot more for the food traveler to discover here. Lebanese food is a delightful mix of Arab and Mediterranean. For the spice intolerant Lebanese food is a joy to sample. It is mainly flavored and garnished with onions, garlic, lemon, pepper, olives, mint and parsley. The most favored meat is lamb.
Lamb Kibbeh – The meat is minced, mixed with burghul (cracked wheat), marinated with pounded pepper, garlic and onions, broiled over charcoal (or fried) and served with mint sauce and a crispy cool salad. When prepared well, the meat is succulent, flavourful and simply melts in your mouth. Squeeze a dash of lemon juice before digging in…heavenly!
2. Mexico – For those who love absolutely any kind of spice, Mexican food will definitely tantalize your taste buds with red chillies and the hot n tangy jalapenos. Even the cheese dips served with nachos and salsa have a hint of spice which makes the taste all the more interesting.
Chicken Fajitas – The chicken is marinated in a paste of tomato sauce, garlic, red chillies and jalapenos with a dash of tequila, stir fried with vegetables and served in baked tortillas topped with cheese with a side of freshly made guacamole and sour cream. Absolutely divine!!
3. Malaysia – Malaysian food is on the borderline of spicy and mild. The food is generally cooked in coconut oil and coconut milk with more emphasis on flavouring than on spice.
Roti Kanai – No guesses there as to where this dish originated from! You’re right, its chicken and potato curry from India! But with a twist of local Malaysian spice concoctions, a dash of coconut milk and a hint of lemongrass, this dish tastes wonderfully unique from what we are used to back home. You could substitute the chicken with lamb or prawns. Mouth-wateringly delicious!
4. Italy – Definitely a HUGE favorite among almost everyone in the world. From the lasagnas to the pastas to thin crust brick oven pizzas (Pizza Hut DOES NOT qualify, people!). We are well aware of their different dishes but the following was an absolute treat for me.
Breaded shrimp in creamy scampi sauce was the signature dish of a restaurant I went to in Little Italy in Baltimore, USA. The chef simply refused to part with the recipe but you have to take my word for it, simply A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!! If you happen to be in that part of the world then please go try it out at Amicci’s.
5. Greece – When you think Greek food, visions of the hit movie and one of my favorites, MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING comes to mind and tons of food being prepared for the smallest of celebrations Known for their cheery dispositions, Greeks take entertaining extremely seriously and if ever invited to a Greek meal, fast for 2 days in advance.
Lamb preparations are by far THE BEST of Greek food! Kapama or roast lamb with herbs is exquisite. It will definitely satiate your palate. Cooked with onions and tomatoes and flavoured with herbs like rosemary and thyme, it yields the most sumptuously prepared lamb.
Hope your mouths are watering by now. Mine definitely is… Check for Part 2 soon.
 Its summer!! And if you are the kind that goes mushy at the thought of mango season, with nostalgic memories of eating a Neelam with juice dripping down your chin or gulping thick Alphonso milkshakes on hot afternoons, here are three of my favourite mango recipes.
Mango Mimosa (makes 5 glasses)
1 ripe mango
1 bottle of chilled champagne
Peel the mango and separate the pulp. Add about ¼ cup of water to the pulp and puree in a food processor. Strain the puree. Pour the chilled champagne into a large pitcher/jug. Gently add the strained puree and mix it in without beating. Serve immediately in champagne glasses.
Emilia’s Mangalorean Mango Curry (Serves 2-3)
3 Mangoes – either half-ripe or sweet and sour in taste
Salt to taste
For masala
 1 dry red chilli
1 tsp jeera seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp coriander powder
A small piece of tamarind
½ cup scraped coconut
For seasoning
8-10 curry leaves
1 tsp mustard
1 tbsp oil
Wash and peel the mangoes and separate the pulp. Boil the pulp in 1 cup of water for about 20 minutes. Roast the red chilli, jeera seeds, turmeric powder and coriander powder slightly. Grind the roasted spices with the tamarind and coconut. Add the ground masala to the cooked mango. If required, add more water till the mixture is of the required consistency – neither too thick nor too thin. Boil again for 10-15 minutes. Add salt to taste Season with oil, mustard and curry leaves. Serve hot with plain rice.
Mango Salad (Serves 2)
2 Mangoes – ripe but firm
1 red capsicum – sliced long
½ red onion – finely chopped
¼ cup chopped coriander
For dressing
2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
Juice of ½ a lime
¼ tsp pepper
1 garlic pod crushed
Salt to taste
Peel the mangoes and chop them into cubes. Place them in a bowl along with the red capsicum, onion and coriander. In a cup, mix the olive oil, lime juice, pepper, crushed garlic and salt. Whisk and pour into the bowl. Stir to coat and refrigerate for half an hour before serving.
Tip: Fish-eaters can add grilled prawns to this salad.
Happy Eating!
Chaat
Near Hinduja College is a small shack of a chat wala. We at home call him Buddha (buddha has long since died) but the chaat is absolutely awesome. Pani Puri, Dahi Puri, Aloo tikki and not one thing for more than 15 bucks. Only Chaat place i go.
Pav Bhaji
Santosh Sagar at Napean Sea Road. I grew up two stories above. Its the best Pav Bhaji ever. Nuff said.
Dosa
The parking lot at Breach Candy right before the US Consulate has a dosa wala. This guy makes some rocking dosas and his red chutney is good enough to rub all over yourself. I have had this guy cater a couple of things for me and has always been a HUGE hit.
Corn Bhel
Getting out of the inox i had the hankering for some corn but couldn’t find a vendor in the middle of sunday afternoon. A friend who works in the area suggested i try the Status restaurant and so i got a chance to get some of the best corn bhel ever.
Sandwich
Breach Candy right after premsons is the right place. small shop and they sell a bunch of ice-creams and rolls but the only thing you go in to get is their sandwich. Its nothing spectacular, very basic, cheese, onion, tomato,masala yet for about 40 bucks you get a sandwich you will not get anywhere else.
Never had I imagined rice would so impact my life. I was never one to indulge in too much of the stuff, even though I was a complete foodie. Coming from an essentially wheat consuming Gujarati family, I had my share of ras-rotli and thepla-chhundo while growing up. So here I was in Bangalore, getting engaged to a Gujju-turned-Bangalorean, a self-proclaimed South Indian, who ate, spoke, breathed and dreamed RICE!! My 1st experience with his rice eating abilities occurred at a friend’s wedding, where we sat down for a sumptuous lunch by all standards. But something stopped me short from delving into the then-frightening (no offense) looking servings of ‘yelle-oota’, ‘anna-saar’ & ‘rasam-rice’. My hubby dived right into his banana leaf and literally inhaled whatever came his way. My jaw dropped. I was stunned beyond words at his relishing so much rice. So I sat there, too shocked to eat or taste anything, sure this image would haunt me for the rest of my life.
After that fiasco of mine, I decided to venture into tasting and trying bit by bit, rather than being besieged by an overtly eager husband and the onslaught of rice at wedding festivities we would inevitably have to attend of family friends in the not-so-distant future. I mean it was seriously overwhelming and I’m sure a lot of transplants to the South like me, would agree. Anyway, here I was, determined to taste every morsel that I downed, to develop a fondness for rice and the many spices and flavours added to it. Not too much later, I was pleasantly surprised as to how distinct each rice dish was from the other. From the sour n spicy puliogre to tangy chitranna, lip-smacking bisi-belle bhaat to simple yet tasteful pongal, to the healthful vaangi-bhaat and traditional anna-saar and rasam rice, and of course, the tummy cooling masru-anna, I have quickly realized how awesome and satisfying these rice dishes are.
So for those who have recently moved to Bangalore, having trouble adjusting to the local food, I’d say give it a chance. It may look daunting to eat so much rice but given the varied scents, colours and flavours, I’m sure you’ll be hooked to it in a matter of time, just like me!
Nostalgic for a whiff of old Bangalore – authentic cuisine, those laid-back times, colonial ambiance, flowers and trees, and open courtyards? Here is a list of restaurants that will bring back memories of the past…
Airlines Hotel: Once a chic drive-in that catered to the trendy crowd with cars, this restaurant still has a nice garden with trees and serves good South Indian snacks.
India Coffee House: For a dose of old world charm on MG Road, a good cup of coffee, eggs and toast and the dosas.
Indiana Fast Food: Indies used to be the cool hangout for all high school and college kids growing up in Bangalore. Go there for their fantastic Jumbo Burgers and The Most Heavenly Mayo in the World!
La Casa: Formerly one of the hippest restaurant in the South of the city, this pastas, bakes, french fries and gobi manchurian restaurant plays rock and roll music in the background while regulars chill out with a mug of beer.
Koshys Parade Cafe: Bygone era ambiance, coffee, appams, stew, fish biryani - not to forget the intellectual crowd.
MTR: How can this not be on the list? An old institution known for its cleanliness, long queues, very authentic South Indian vegetarian food. Dosas, rava idlis, uppitu and coffee, all served with a liberal dose of ghee.
The Raj Pavilion: Modelled after the glass house in Lalbagh, the Sunday brunch with live music, champagne and flowers is a true Raj experience.
Lake View Milk Bar: Frothy milkshakes, yummy sundaes and nice sandwiches in a simple, old world setting, perfect for a late night dessert.
The Only Place: Excellent steaks, chequered tablecloths and old waiters seem to make regulars out of some Bangaloreans.
Do you have more?
|
 |
Recent Crumbs |
|
|
Archives |
|
|
