An Oriya Dinner

The craving stuck - as it always does - in the late hours of the night. Food from home - my mom's awesome cooking. The words of hermeneutics and subject were starting to blur and form flakes of rice and spots of curry in front of me. I closed the book, had a cup of chai and then went to sleep. But, that feeling of course will not just say goodbye.
So, found some frozen grated coconut at the supermarket. And, a nice ripe eggplant[brinjal]. Came back and got to work. The curry of this blog post is called Nadiya bara tarkari or fried coconut balls in spicy gravy. I served this curry is served with a baigana bhaja[brinjal sabzi] and steamed rice. Oh, yumm and joy has come back to the world.

 My mother of course makes this curry best. That was discovered after having this meal. I mean, the author is good but not that good - yet. This curry is authentic and luxurious - something you can make for a nice Sunday lunch or an Indian dinner to surprise and impress. For me personally, I think Oriya cuisine is very underrated. I mean, you have your butter chicken, your dosa even your vada pav - but, where are the dahibara aludum, kasa mansa or nadiya bara tarkari. So this post will be the start of a series of posts highlighting and promoting this cuisine so close to my heart.
I have taken some shortcuts with this meal simply because you usually do not have time to grate coconut and then blend your spice paste. So, I have studded this post with nice little cheats for a express treatment of this homely classic.The main work over here would be the boiling the potatoes, slicing the onion and chopping the chili. Once that is done, it is ready-set-go.

Make your baras or the coconut balls
1 packet frozen grated coconut
1tbsp turmeric
1tbsp red chili powder
1tsp coriander powder
1tsp cumin powder
salt to taste
flour for coating
Oil for frying
 In a bowl add 80 percent of grated coconut. Add the spice powders and salt according to your taste. Mix everything together and then make nice round balls.
As the oil heats to a smoking point, dust the balls with flour. Fry till golden brown. Remove.
Make your curry:
1 medium onion sliced
1 chili chopped
1 and half tbsp ginger-garlic paste
2 tbsp tomato puree
1tbsp red chili powder
1tsp haldi
1tsp coriander powder
1tsp cumin powder
1tbsp garam masala
1 large potato cubed and boiled
salt
water
Heat oil. Add the onion and chili and fry.
While the onions are frying, add the ginger-garlic paste, tomato puree, red chili, turmeric, coriander and cumin powder and make a paste to 2 tbsp of water. This is a major cheat that saves you time and concentrates your flavor.
Add the spice paste and stir. Add some water to the spice bowl, clean and then add the water to the gravy. Adjust salt and spice and cook. It will take some five minutes.
Add the potatoes and fold in. Add a cup of water and simmer for a few minutes till all the curry comes together. Add the coconut balls and fold in the curry. Be careful so as not to break them.
Sprinkle some garam masala and simmer for two more minutes. Your curry is done.

Pepperoncino

This post will be long. Probably because of the long journey to the concerned place. And an increased use of paeans that this will entail.
The impulse to visiting this place came on a sunny afternoon. A few minutes out on the road led the author and her friend to discover that the day was the first day of the auto strike. So, no autos for miles on end and trust me the author traveled miles before a kindly cab driver took pity on them. Usually, the author is prone to crazy impulses, but this was a lot crazy even for her. I mean, you walk down five miles for an hour till the Secunderabad railway station in order to find a taxi. But, by then, it had become a matter of pride. So, all the way to Road no. 12, hoping that the food did not disappoint.
And, tell you what, it really did not.

When you step out of the elevator, the sight of its promotional board welcomes you. Slightly quirky, it sets a happy tone. The alfresco venue adds to it. The greenery around you is charming and when the wind turns, you can smell the mint planted around the edges of the terrace. A few minutes into sitting down, you realize that the music is low, lilting Italian. That makes a lot of difference.

The distance traversed equaled a very hungry stomach. So, the orders flied out fast. Picante pizza, Passionfruit Iced tea followed by Calabrese pasta for the vegetarian and the Pollo parmigiana for the carnivorous. Desserts - it was decided - would be ordered, if the appetizers or main course was not enough.
The best part of the meal, was the authentic tag attached to the place, is really true. The pizza is baked in a wood oven is soft yet crispy. The sauce is fresh as are the vegetables. Say goodbye to Dominos.

While the iced tea is slightly acidic, the main course more than enough makes up for it. The calabrese is spicy and fragrant. The parmigiana is well-cooked with a crispy crust. While the lettuce is slightly wilted, the roast potatoes served with it is just right - with a slight bite. You dig in and for a long time there is silence on the table - except, of course, the clinking of cutlery.

Perhaps because of the slight disappointment with the iced tea, I ordered a cappuccino. After all isn't that the traditional end to the meal. Oh wait, that is espresso. Still good enough. So, cappuccino, and after some deliberation, the panna cotta. And, oh my, oh my, that is the best ending to the meal. In fact, one of the best desserts I have tasted in a long while. The panna cotta is served with a coulis which provides the tart to the sweet, creaminess that the panna cotta represents.
The review has not indulged in paeans - yay - but it is heading there. And so I will stop. But, I will end with this - for a nice, fun brunch, lunch or dinner to fulfill your Italian cravings - do head there. And, if you have done so, please head over there again.

Location: Road no 10, Banjara Hills, opposite Ratnadeep Supermarket.
What to try: The pizzas, pasta calabrese, pollo parmigiana, pasta alfredo
Review: 3.9/5

Spicyness

There are some dishes - that no matter how cliche or redundant - never lose their delicious tastes. I mean look at Gobi manchurian - humble, unassuming and yet still serving strong in food establishments all over India. And not surprising, this dish is tasty and forms the appropriate appetizer for any form of Indian meal. In terms of home cooking, this forms the ideal appetizer, party nibbles, side-dish to any Chinese meal or just a bowl full of it to eat while you watch The Big Bang Theory.
The procedure to making this dish is simple with a little bit of chopping involved. But, it is quick once the steps are fulfilled in their order. And, in no time, this will become your signature recipe. The trick to making the cauliflower nice and juicy is to do what my grandmother does - boil the cauliflower for a few minutes. This gets rid of the raw, crunchiness of the vegetable and soften it later deliciousness.So, go get the ingredients and prepare yourself for some Monday night spicy-ness.

Ingredients:
2 cauliflowers
2tsp soy sauce
1tsp oyster sauce
2tsp vinegar
1tbsp red chili sauce
4tbsp cornflour
1inch ginger
4 cloves garlic
5 spring onions
1 capsicum
3 chillies
salt
pepper
1/4 cup water
Oil for frying

Method:
Chop the cauliflower into small florets. Boil the cauliflower for 5 to 6 minutes.

Remove. Add soy, oyster, vinegar, red chili sauce, salt and pepper. Marinade for a few minutes.
Heat oil. Toss the cauliflower with 3 tbsp of cornflour. Fry in batches.

Remove most of the oil and reserve. Add the ginger, garlic, spring onion, chillies, capsicum. Cook for five minutes. Add soy, red chili sauce and vinegar.
This is the tricky part. You need to adjust the seasonings so that the hot, sweet, salty and sour are correctly balanced. Usually the soy and vinegar should be put in equal quantities. But, the taste is subjective. Whatever suits your palate, go with it.

Sprinkle salt and pepper. Add the cauliflower and fold everything in. Do a final check on seasoning and serve hot. 

Of Spice and Jasmine

There have been plans and a few fantasies run around the place. And when we finally alighted at Mainland China, there was a slight buzz of anticipation. It did not disappoint. A golden lion welcomed us as we walked out the elevator. The music was a pleasant surprise. Unlike the usual cloying sound that gets on your nerves a minute after you take your seats, this music is a welcome compliment. And that is all the description I can justify myself spending on the ambience because once the first drink hits the table, it is all about the food.
We went for the buffet this particular afternoon. The server comes over and your water glass is filled and plates are placed in front of you. The drink menu is served along with the glasses. We ordered an Iced Alaska and a Mojito. Also, along with that, the option was given for jasmine tea. The drinks, all good, but the prize of the show is the jasmine tea. Light, fragrant and refreshing, it forms the perfect backdrop for the meal to come.

Too many adjectives.
The phrase from Becoming Jane  comes to mind, especially for the soup and platter of appetizers that followed the drinks. The soup option was veg and chicken hot and sour soup. The broth is delicately spiced with threads of chicken or vegetables running through it. While the soup is served, the waiter brings over the pickled cucumbers and black bean sauce for the appetizers. As the soup levels are slowly lowered, the appetizers are brought to the table. Spicy sticky chicken, Crispy chilli vegetables, Schezwan potatoes, vegetables dimsum and chicken dimsum. The appetizers are actually the highlight of the meal. Whatever comes later and before, you will remember these little delicious bites.

As your plate clears, you are immediately flooded with requests for refill. Go for the crispy vegetables. They are the best of the lot. Then, of course you realize that the main course deserves your attention as well and start saying no to the next request. But, the tea is fine. You can keep drinking that all the time.

The main course is not as good as the appetizers. The fried rice is nice and so is the shredded chicken in chilli sauce. The chilli eggplant is good as well. But, the rest of main course though with cool names like lobster and shrimp, is all right. Especially, after the high of the appetizers. But still as far as Chinese food goes, it beats most of the places by a mile.

The desserts are different from the usual Chinese cuisine - no fried ice-cream or tapioca pudding. There was fried wantons though with chocolate sauce along with bread pudding, creme caramel and abundance of tropical fruits. The desserts are cut into nice bite-size pieces for convenience and a very light end to the meal.
The word light has been used very liberally in this post. And, rightly so. There are a lot of options for the buffet and plenty of refills. Even with the additions, you do not feel stuffed at the end of the meal. In fact, you feel nicely full and come away with a smile of satisfaction that involves having good food. This place is ideal for nice brunches on sunny afternoons and the conversation that it inspires.

Location: Near SPAR building, Somajiguda
What to try: Go for the buffet lunch and definitely the jasmine tea
Rating: 3.8/5

Pasta with Three-cheese White Sauce

The first pasta dish I tasted was penne tossed with Bechamel  sauce and served with crispy garlic bread. It remains the most simple french sauces that I can make and recommend. The balance always remains to make it not too heavy or too thin or to not add too much cheese. Me, I add a little too much red chili flakes so that the spice buds kick right at the back of your throat. But, it is tasty.
The pasta in white sauce is a simple, easy dish - probably belongs to the eighties - but still hanging around the standard cafes and Italian restaurants in Indian metros and towns. However, on some days, you just want something really unhealthy and the joy of making something continental thus showing off your culinary repertoire. This particular pasta dish is rich and creamy with a slight technicality involved. It is probably better to make it once a month or two but works well for an evening of an extra special family dinner.

The trick to making a good bechamel is to use a whisk and follow the measurement guidelines of 1-tbsp butter to 1 tbsp flour to 1 cup milk. Then, you can experiment around with other flavors to find a one that becomes your signature dish. Sauteing minced garlic and shallots adds a nice flavor. Or you could add a range of herbs to the dish. So, go forth and explore.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
2 cups of flour
1 cup macaroni
1/2 cup penne
1 tbsp oregano
2 tbsp red chili flakes
3-4 tbsp cheese
salt
pepper
water for making pasta

Method:
Making pasta:
Put a pot of water to boil. Once the water starts bubbling, add a tbsp of salt and watch the water sizzle. Add the pasta. The macaroni will take around 5 minutes. The penne will take somewhere around 10-11 minutes.
Making bechamel:
As the pasta boils, heat a saucepan. Melt butter and add flour. Whisk rapidly to a smooth roux. Add the milk and whisk till everything dissolves into a smooth consistency. The color will change from white to slightly creamy.
Add oregano, red chili flakes, salt and pepper. This is the tricky part. You need to taste and then adjust the seasonings to your liking. Once, that is done, add the cheese and some of the pasta water. This will give the sauce a smoothness and a depth of flavor.
Drain the pasta and then toss with the sauce. Serve immediately.

Mushroom Masala

The author once hated mushrooms.
 Gasp!
 I know.
[And probably not the best way to begin this post.]
But, once it was true. She ran away from the moment, the woodsy smell entered the house and came up with creative ways to pass the serving to her sibling's plate. Then, of course, she grew up. And things once hated found an affectionate place in her larder. Mushrooms made once such entry. She began small, tried the popular button mushrooms and since then she hasn't looked back. And now, one single line has become a flow-chart of tried and tested recipes, cooking experiments and wishlists.
Mushroom Masala is one of her favorite recipes. It is easy to make and spicy - the kind that dances on the tip of your tongue. And it uses button mushrooms. Believe me, there is very little to not recommend about this particular dish. So, put on your favored dancing music and let the games begin.

Ingredients:
1 packet button mushrooms
2 medium onions sliced
2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tbsp red chili powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tbsp yoghurt
1 tbsp garam masala
salt to taste
oil for frying
chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method:
Heat oil in a pan. Fry the mushrooms in batches.
Remove excess oil. Fry onions till brown. Add ginger-garlic paste. Cook for five minutes
Add the red chili, turmeric, coriander and cumin powder. Cook for two minutes.
Add yoghurt, water and salt and simmer for fifteen minutes till the sauce thickens and the raw smell of spice leaves the curry.
Fold in the mushrooms and garam masala. Simmer for five more minutes.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Minerva

It took me a while to find a place in Hyderabad which serves good dosa and sambar. And for a long time sweet, rasam-like water passing as sambar at certain places was the best this city could do. And then me and my friends went to Minerva Coffee Shop. In its website, the coffee house promises an ambiance of "warm difference". That is certainly true. As you set inside the place, especially when it is pouring outside, the host very courteously gestures you to comfortable seats. The setting is all gold and mahogany with soft lights and scents of coffee and spice tease your senses. As you sit, you are immediately attended to by one liveried man who hands you the menu while another fills your glass. You hear about the Nizami hospitality. In this coffee house you see the proof.

The restaurant offers a selection of food that is varied and vegetarian. But its piece de resistance is its various dosas with white butter and hot filter coffee. We ordered three masala dosas and one plain dosa. Along with that, we ordered four cups of filter coffee. The service is a little slow especially when during rush hours. But once the food is there, you forget all about the wait [Trust me on that].
The masala dosa is crisp with a dollop of white butter pooling on top of it. It is served with a side of tamarind and tomato chutney, coconut chutney and thick spicy sambar. The insides of the dosa is rubbed with spicy podi or powder and filled with generous portion of spicy potato filling. The plain dosa  is artistically arranged in a cone and the white butter is served on the side.
For the next few minutes, there is silence at the table as we heaped chutney and sambar on top of the dosa and started delicately tearing at the offering in front of us.The white butter is so different from the regular one. It is lush and elevates the dish to new levels of deliciousness. The condiments come together to compliment each other. When you finish - as described by my friend - you feel full and light at the same time.
The filter coffee is another matter entirely. Hot, slightly bitter and sweet, it forms the perfect end to the meal. And when you have come in from the cold rains, it is a perfect jolt to the system.

Unpretentious and warm, this place makes you want to come back again and partake of their delicious fare. For me, if you are in the vicinity, take a walk into the place and try the food.
Location: KFC Lane, Himayat Nagar
What to try: Any of the dosas, filter coffee
Rating: 3.8/5