Potato and spinach salad with yogurt dressing

Salads; they are healthy, fresh and yum and I can live on them forever. This new salad that I tried was inspired from a recipe on sanjeevkapoor.com. It's a jhatpat recipe and makes for a great lunch and what's not to love about a salad which has potatoes and spinach in it? Don't believe me? Ask the minions....

Or Popeye...

Or just try this recipe...

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Serves: 2

Ingredients
Potatoes - 3 medium
Spinach (blanched and chopped) - 1 cup
Macaroni (cooked al dante) - 1 cup
Red and yellow bell peppers (chopped) - 1 cup
Shallots (finely chopped) - 1 sprig
Olive oil - 2 tsp
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

For dressing
Yogurt - 1 cup
Garlic (chopped) - 2 cloves
Roasted cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method

• Pre-heat oven at 200 degree Celcius.
• Peel and cut potatoes into big cubes.
• Grease the baking dish, place the potatoes on it, drizzle 1 tsp olive oil, salt and pepper on them and let them roast for 20 minutes. Prepare rest of the stuff (blanching spinach, cooking pasta, preparing the dressing etc.) while the potatoes are cooking.
• Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a pan and saute the shallots. Keep the aside.
• Mix all the ingredients of the dressing with the yogurt and whisk it.
• Once the potatoes are crispy and brown mix them with spinach, macaroni, bell peppers and shallots. Add the lime juice and mix in the dressing.
• A glass of white wine will go well with it.

My Doodle recipe is a part of Easy Doodle Recipe contest at BlogAdda.com in association with TastyKhana.com

Restaurant Review - Masala Library by Jiggs Kalra

Two days before Masala Library threw its doors open to the public I visited the fine dining restaurant for lunch. Zorawar Kalra, son of Jiggs Kalra accompanied me and guided me through the tasting menu crafted by the young Chefs Himanshu Saini and Saurabh Udinia.

Masala Library is the new addition to the ever growing list of fine dining options at Bandra Kurla Complex. The brightly lit interiors, beige chairs and stone textured walls might not leave you awestruck but one look at the menu and you know that the restaurant means business when it comes to food. The restaurant focuses completely on Indian regional cuisine enhancing it using modern techniques.

As we sat down to begin our meal our server brought a bottle of hand sanitizer. I realized that the staff takes after their boss when Zorawar produced a small sanitizer bottle which he carries around in his pocket. The meal began with amuse bouche, bite sized display of molecular gastronomy. We were first served Yoghurt spheres & papdi chaat where the yogurt was converted into a soft ball, topped with chutney, sev and micro greens and accompanied with a flat papdi or cracker. The yogurt ball burst in our mouths releasing yogurt and green chutney; a complete scientific take on the street food keeping all the flavours intact. Next arrived Sevpuri on the go made with wild rice puffs served on a miniature cycle rickshaw handmade by craftsmen in Delhi.

It’s not just the menu at Masala Library which takes inspiration from scientific cooking, there bar menu includes molecular mixology based cocktails too. I tried the Star anise martini - gin based cocktail topped with star anise foam. Surprisingly despite its strong flavour star anise didn’t overpower the drink and only gave a subtle hint of its existence. I was surprised when our server appeared with a tray carrying cups, a tea-pot, powdered milk and tea leaves because I was clearly not expecting tea in the middle of our meal. The tea was actually mushroom soup or Wild mushroom chai (Rs 325), the tea leaves were dehydrated mushrooms, milk powder was deconstructed truffle oil and the liquid was mushroom consommé. When mixed with the consommé the truffle oil got back to its original form creating a layer of oil over the clear soup making it a perfect comfort food.

The chefs here have played a lot with flavours here to create a dish which truly gives you the essence of that particular cuisine. I loved their version of curd rice; Curry leaf and pepper prawns, thayir sadam, banana crisp (Rs 375) which was served as a salad topped with peppered prawns. It came in a handmade shell placed on a log of a real tree. Environmentalists need not worry because I was told that it’s a recycled piece. The curd rice topped with roasted lentils and curry leaves cut through the spiciness of prawns. The dish was served with a side of banana chips. From the North region we tried the Gilawat kebab, tawa tikka, varqi paratha (Rs 525) made by the cook from the famous Tunday Kebabi in Lucknow. The kebabs were flavourful with a perfect melt in mouth texture and were topped with very tender mutton boti and bite sized parathas. My next indulgence was a meet lover’s delight, Tandoori champ (Rs 595) - a perfectly braised lamb chop with maple and kokum glaze. The meat came off the bone beautifully, had a crispy layer and was flavoured with the sweetness of maple and sourness of kokum. The surprise element in it was the sweet mango pickle which is a regular in any North Indian household. The second drink Curry leaf martini was an interesting take on vodka based martini flavoured with burnt curry leaves.

The main course had the authentic dishes of different regions presented in the most beautiful way. We were served Meen moilee (Rs 610)– a Kerela style fish curry made with river sole, Prawn balchao kulcha (Rs 375) – North Indian bread stuffed with Goan style prawn preparation, Dal makhani (Rs 395), Anar and mint raita garnished with rose spheres (Rs 210), Bhindi Jaipuri (Rs 410) – crispy fried okra on a base of choorma with papad ki sabzi. This last dish was a lovely mix of three Rajasthani dishes making it a blend of various flavours; the sweetness of choorma, crunchiness of okra and sourness of the curry in papad ki subzi. All of this was served with a bread basket which had traditional breads like the Lucknowi sheermal (Rs 125), Persian taftan Rs 125) and Kashmiri bakarkhani (Rs 125). I was dying to eat sheermal since ages but sadly no place makes this bread in Mumbai. Now, I know of a place which does.

I got the taste of molecular gastronomy once again with desserts. The Chocolate (Rs 1000) – brownies with chocolate mousse added a little drama to the meal where the Chef converted mousse into an instant ice-cream by pouring liquid nitrogen over it. The ice-cream was then shattered into smaller pieces and served with hot chocolate. The good old Gajar halwa (Rs 375) was a three way carrot with an addition of gajar halwa flavoured ice-cream and carrot foam. But it wasn’t the scientific cooking that impressed me in the dessert section. I was blown over by the Indian version of cheesecake, the Ghewar cheesecake (Rs 375). The absolutely sinful dessert had a base of ghewar – a Rajasthani sweet, topped with a layer of cheesecake, garnished with flaky rabdi and pistachios and almond chikki and finally thick rabdi poured over it. The combination of various flavours and textures makes it one of the most innovative desserts in the city.

Apart from the varied menu they also serve Pan flavoured candy floss, Nasik orange sorbet with kafir lime frozen air, Frozen mishit doi popsicles as palate cleansers. The Chefs at Masala Library have played with every sense to give an experience which pleases your eyes, nose and most importantly the taste buds. Masala Library takes Indian cuisine to a different level and from what we’ve seen; their aim to be in the Michelin Guide doesn’t look far.

Must try: Curry leaf and pepper prawns, thayir sadam, banana crisp, Tandoori champ, Ghewar cheesecake

Meal for two: Rs 2500+taxes (without alcohol)


Address:
Ground Floor, First International Finance Centre,
Bandra Kurla Complex, Opposite Sofitel Hotel
Phone: 022 6642 4142

Facebook: Masala Library by Jiggs Kalra
Twitter: @MasalaLibrary

Meeting the MasterChef, Gary Mehigan

 Last one year has been really exciting for me as a professional food writer and blogger. One of the reasons is that I got to meet some of the great Chefs, all of International repute. I met Chef Sanjeev Kapoor last year at a food bloggers' meet hosted at his office in Andheri. Had a chance to meet the Executive Chef of Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Chef Hemant Oberoi during the burger festival at Shamiana. Recently, I interviewed Chef Gagan Anand, owner and Chef at Gaggan restaurant in Bangkok. The most recent one and the one that sent me in a fangirl mode was meeting Chef Gary Mehigan, the host of MasterChef Australia. 

Gary Mehigan was in Mumbai last week promoting Tourism Victoria. He held a masterclass for media at Celini in Grand Hyatt where he demonstrated some of his signature dishes. I wouldn't be lying if I say that I was concentrating more on the charming chef than the dishes. The masterclass was followed by a lunch where we got to taste these dishes that Gary had just demonstrated.

Chef Gary Mehigan at work

 The four course menu was comprised of canapes, entree, mains and dessert paired with Yering Station Chardonnay and Yering Station Shiraz Viognier.

 

Crispy French baguette topped with smoked and fresh salmon mixed with sour cream was light and delicious and I could've easily filled my stomach with these bite sized snacks.

Rillettes of smoked and fresh salmon, rosemary and olive biscuit

I was blown away by the display of colours on this plate; a mix of greens, yellow, red made the salad really appetizing. The ingredients were fresh and that goat's curd absolutely creamy and divine.

Salad of new season asparagus, slow cooked egg, goat's curd and green olive tapenade

The main course was one of Gary's favourite dishes - roasted chicken with crispy skin. The carrot custard was wonderful with the perfectly roasted chicken breast.

Roasted breast of free range chicken, truffled boudin blanc, carrot and cardamom custard, baby carrots, hazelnut crumble, jus gras

This was the best part of the meal - dessert. Gary gave a quick demonstration of the chocolate mousse. Anisha (@TheBlackSakura) was the first one to raise her hand when Gary offered this dessert to the guests. Lucky to eat a dessert coming straight from Gary :D. The mousse was creamy, chocolaty with just right amount of sweetness. The Tuscan cake was Matt Preston's recipe and trust me, this was one of the most amazing cakes I've ever had. The olive oil chocolate was a surprise with just a hint of olive oil and cinnamon.

Warm Tuscan chocolate cake with milk chocolate mousse, salty caramel, oat biscuits and olive oil ice cream

 

And finally, this was the moment I will remember all my life, standing next to one of the best chefs in the world.

Chef talk with Chef Gagan Anand

I recently met Chef Gagan Anand who owns the famous Indian restaurant Gaggan in Bangkok known for Molecular Gastronomy. I interviewed him for burrp.com's features section Know Your City. We discussed food, culture and things in general over a cup of coffee at Four Seasons.

Within barely a year and a half of its inception, Gaggan in Bangkok became one of the most sought after Indian restaurants in the world. It now is a staple on Thailand’s ‘must try’ itenerary. We caught up with Chef Gagan Anand, the man behind the radical take on Indian cuisine while he was in Mumbai hosting a private dinner at Four Seasons.

Just back from lunch at Britannia and Co, he raved about the famous Parsi restaurant, though he still prefers his Kolkata style biryani to the berry pulao. We chatted at length with him about our common love, food. Here are the excerpts from the interview. Read more...

Mom's special bread samosas - A mix of fried and healthy

Sometimes I love indulging in some seriously unhealthy breakfasts. Most of them are my Mom's recipes. These bread rolls or like Mom calls them, bread samosas are one of them. The dish tastes the best during winters when there are a lot of fresh vegetables in the market. The digestive system also works better in winters so it's best to make it then.

Ingredients
Potatoes - 4 medium
Carrot - 1 medium (grated)
Cabbage - 1 cup (grated)
Capsicum - 1 medium (chopped)
Green chilies - 2 (chopped)
Green coriander - 1/4 cup (chopped)
Dry mango powder (amchoor powder) - 1 tbsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Bread - 8 slices
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method

1. Boil, peel and mash the potatoes.
2. Add carrot, cabbage, capsicum, green chilies, green coriander, amchoor powder, red chili powder and salt to potatoes and mix well.
3. lightly soak a bread slice in abowl of water. Squeeze out the excess water, take a little potato filling and place it in the centre of the bread slice.
4. Carefully wrap the bread around the potato mix to make a round ball.
5. Repeat the process with rest of the bread slices.
6. Heat oil in a wok and fry the samosas till they turn brown.
7. Serve with sauce, green chutney or any other dip of your choice.

Baby potato and bacon salad + Happy Birthday blog

The blog turns two today, it has been a very delicious ride so far. I started this food blog in 2011 after I started food writing for burrp's features section Know Your City. Initially, the idea was to write restaurant reviews but the blog kept growing and I started posting recipes that I was trying at home. The blog inspired me to bake more often and try out ingredients that I had never used before. Thanks blog and Happy Birthday.

To celebrate the blog's birthday I thought of making something with bacon, my new found love :). I decided to go with this simple Roasted baby potatoes and bacon salad topped with caramelized onions. The dish tastes wonderful with different sort of flavours and textures; the crunchy bacon, sweet onions and pepper roasted potatoes, what's not to like about it. I got the inspiration for the recipe from thecozyapron.com. Here's the recipe with a slight twist.

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
Baby potatoes - 250 gms
Onion - 1 large
Bacon - 3-4 strips (depends on how much bacon heavu you want it to be)
Black pepper - 8 (lightly crushed)
Maple syrup - 1 tbsp
Parsley - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Kosher Salt - 1 tsp
Olive oil - 2 tsp for potatoes, 2 tsp for caramelizing onions, 1 tsp for frying bacon

Method:

• Preheat the oven at 180 degree celcius.
• Peel and half the potatoes. Take them in baking dish, add salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice. Mix well.
• Roast the potatoes in oven for about 30 minutes or till they are brown and crisp.
• Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a pan for caramelized onions, throw in onions and sugar and fry till they turn brown. Remove from the pan and keep aside.
• Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a pan, chop the bacon strips and fry them in the oil. Add maple syrup. Remove from pan and keep aside.
• Once potatoes are roasted move them in the serving bowl. Top them with maple bacon, caramelized onions and chopped parsley. Serve.

Grab a chilled beer too.

My Doodle recipe is a part of Easy Doodle Recipe contest at BlogAdda.com in association with TastyKhana.com

Greek Food Festival @ Renaissance Convention Centre Hotel

It won't be an exaggeration if i say that Renaissance, Powai is my favourite hotel in Mumbai. The location is just perfect; in the midst of greenery, by the lake it's a great place to unwind. Their Italian restaurant is undoubtedly the best in the city and their Executive Chef Jolly probably one of the most charming Chefs. 

I have attended quite a few food festivals, media dinners and bloggers' meets here. After a long gap I visited Renaissance again to try out their Greek Food Festival at the Lake View Cafe. Chef Douskos George from Ledra Marriott, Athens has flown down to share his recipes for this festival. Here's what I liked (and didn't like) from the spread.

Apart from the traditional Greek salad there was one with prunes, bacon and zucchini and a pickled fish salad. Loved both but Greek salad won because of feta, of course. 

Out of hummus, babaghanoush and yogurt dip I liked the yogurt dip best. For some reason I prefer the Lebanese hummus over the Greek one.

Greek version of shawarma or gyro were good. Still, shawarma wins for me. The roast lamb leg in mustard sauce was the dish of the day for me, also the moussaka. Sorry for not taking pictures, I was a little too busy eating.

The dessert section was somewhat generic and the famous baklava was missing. But these Greek yogurt tarts made up for it. The yogurt was mildly sweet and the tart perfectly baked.

Loukoumades or honey puffs were specially recommended by the Chef. The deep fried dough balls were flavoured with cinnamon and topped with honey and crushed dryfruits. The dessert had a crispy and mildly sweet crust but was too dry from the inside. It didn't hit the right note with us sweet loving Indians. However, the Chef served it again topped with a little Nutella which made it taste almost like a doughnut.

And yes, we did break a plate.

The Greek Food Festival at The Lake View Cafe, Renaissance Conventions Centre Hotel is on till Sunday, September 8; 7.30pm onwards.